District Governor Visits & Inducts New Member

At the Dec. 5, 2005 meeting of our Club, District Governor Brett Varnum inducted Eric Poirier, Regional Manager for Aliant, into our Club. DG Brett was visiting our Club that day on his official club visit.

DG Brett is past president of the Presque Isle Rotary Club and has worked on the district level for the past 14 years chairing various committees, leading a Group Study Exchange team to Mexico, and serving for three years as an Assistant Governor.

His Grandfather was also a Rotarian in Calais and owned the Saddle Coal Company.

Brett is the owner of Academy Optical and the Presque Isle Quest Center. He has been married to Catherine, who is an optometrist, for 23 years. They have two daughters. Jessica, age 22, is a senior at Colby College and Meghann, age 16, is a junior at Presque Isle High School.

Brett has served in many community groups and is the past president of the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce and past campaign chairperson for the United Way of Aroostook. He currently serves on the Foundation Board for the University of Maine at Presque Isle and is a member of The Aroostook Medical Center's Governing board.

He spoke on the initiatives that are the focus for RI which included the following:

• Continuity with the rotary system to ensure the future of Rotary remains strong through leadership and development of future leaders.

• Membership also remains a high priority, due to the need for future leaders and volunteers to support all of the Rotary initiatives and programs. This district has gone from 1700 members down to 1345, in 41 clubs, we need to grow to sustain and reduce the work that we all put into make our clubs successful. He commended our club on the aggressive role we have taken this year and in the past, while encouraging us to continue with our efforts.

• Ongoing campaign for Polio Eradication around the world, which is slowing becoming reality. Back in 1985 / 86 there were on average 1000 new cases of polio every day now that number is less than 1000 new reported cases in a year.

• Literacy is being expanded as a district project because worldwide there are still 2 billion people than cannot read or write and 2/3 of those are women. He indicated that the only way to succeed is to improve this area and empower women. We need to "teach people to fish versus just giving them the fish." " Clean water is another priority in the third world as 6000 people per day die from poor water and lack of sanitation.

A question was asked on PR and Rotary recognition for the efforts we put into programs such as Polio eradication - the DG responded with the message that this is changing, RI is getting behind waving our banner on the good that we do as an organization and that a portion of dues money is being made available to promote publicly rotary work at the district and club levels through an application process for funds between $1000 to $5000 (details to be announced January).

He also said the in the district we receive more than we give to the foundation, we are a net receiver of donations - so it is important that we continue to support the foundation through the various programs as best we can to maintain this benefit.