Seekonk Lions Club News

Clam Boils and Being Green

Hello again to the readers of this fine publication. This is Paul Buckley, the current president of the Seekonk Lions Club. I would like to take some of this precious space given to the club to keep you informed of the happenings and history of the Seekonk Lions.

As many of you know (or not), the Seekonk Lions and other clubs across the district have clam boil fundraisers seeking donations for scrumptious offerings of clams galore for their wishful causes. Seekonk Lions known as “The best in Town” or “World Famous” clam boils dates to over 30 years. And a recent kerfuffle on my part provided me with a history of this storied boil I was not aware.

My first clam boil as president eventually went down in flames. But I will get back to that later. I want to talk about the man who ran the Seekonk Lion clam boils for over 20 years. His name is Robert Read.

If the last name sounds familiar to you in the Seekonk/ Rehoboth area, Bob was the owner of Read’s Dairy in Seekonk. Bob inherited the business from his father and built a strong company peaking at 16 trucks delivering milk and other dairy items to many families in the region. Bob later sold the company to Monroe’s Dairy. Bob’s interest in the Lions club came through a vendor (payroll) of Read’s Dairy and eventual lifelong friend, David Pitassi. And shortly after becoming a member of the Lions, he became the person who would command the Seekonk Lions clam boils for many years after.

Bob took over the reins from a current member’s (Bill) father “Pro” Provazza. Over the years, Bob took Pro’s list of boil enthusiasts and cultured his own budding list and funneled a slew of donations that would generate an average of $2400 (net) a month, 10 months out of the year for 20 years strong. If you want me to do the math, that is roughly $480,000 give or take, that Bob pioneered with the help of his crew (Dave, Neal, Gary, Ray, Sherwin, Peter, Nate, Dana, Conrad, Joe, Bill, George, Ted, Bob, Keith, and many other volunteers).

Bob, as I have known him, had been the treasurer of the Seekonk Lions club. Notwithstanding the clam boils, Bob played a huge roll in our annual golfing fundraiser, the GEN 5k Run, and others. He managed the accounts of the Lions Trust and other scholarship funds. A multiple Melvin Jones recipient. On a recent visit to his home, he has binders upon binders in boxes of Lion’s finance history in an upstairs closet. There are tee signs in his dining room from past golf tournaments taking up space.

During this past summer, Bob told the members that he was hanging it up as treasurer/ clam boil organizer/ etc. and understandably so. He turned 90 years old (Like Bob Caroulo this year) in November. There was a sense of panic, but a few members stepped up to fill the void. And for some of us it has been a challenge. Now, this is where I come in for this story.

Short background, the Seekonk Lions collaborated with the Seekonk Little League in running the boils last year. The SLL would run the majority while the Lions would take a few here or there as it is hard for us to find the help. When scheduling the 2024/2025 this summer, the Lions Chose Dec 5, 2024, and March 27, 2025, to participate. Shortly after we chose the date, Dec 5th soon turned into Dec 12th. A text from Rick Souza, president of the Seekonk Little League, said Dec 5th had been booked and “you need to change the date to the 12th”. Maybe you can guess what happened, but since that text in July, Dec 5th was out of sight and mind, to me. So much that I booked our Christmas party at Ledgemont Country Club for the 12th. When I started calling the loyal ticket sellers on Bob’s list to recruit for December 5th, the confusion and reaction was immense.

Unbeknownst to me, the ticket sellers knew the date was Dec 12th. Rick informed them previously that the Seekonk Lions would be running the December boil. I scrambled trying to find another option, but it was too late. I cannot tell you how bad I felt. The ticket sellers were kind and understanding…a few getting a laugh about it. The Lion clam boil team took it in stride. I learned a lot. But this episode showed me how someone who spear headed these boils for over 20 years like well-oiled machine needed to be appreciated. It is not easy when you have a lot going on in your life, but you are able to make that commitment for a cause and do so earnestly. There are many people out there like Bob, who dedicated their time and expertise. They all deserve accolades.

In closing, The Seekonk Lions would like to wish all the readers out there a Happy Holiday season. I have attached a “Christmas Card” of sorts from a picture that I took from a clam boil in 2013 and posted a few times through the years. March 27, 2025, will be the Seekonk Lions next clam boil if we can get a big enough crew to run it. In addition, place down on your calendars the Seekonk Lions fishing derby and Taste of the Town coming Patriots Day April 21, 2025. I’m going to take a spell for a few and come back spring of 2025. One last thing, I would like to say great job to our Seekonk Town Clerk Kristen L’Heroux running the presidential election November 5th. Great upgrades and excellent flow! Awesome Kristen!

Paul