Club History July 2009-June 2012

 

 

Officers for the program year:
President: Becky Buyers-Basso followed by James Collier
President Elect: James Collier followed by Anne Krieg
Sargent-at-Arms:
Secretary: Joe Losquadro
Treasurer: Ron Wrobel
Directors: Art Blank, Sharon Broom, Nancy Corliss, Dean Read, Scott Hammond

 

 

DG Visit.  District Governor Sylvia Plourde shared with us Rotary International’s goals for the organization, her own goals for the district and encouraged us to meet our own goals at the club level.  Ms. Plourde raved about the beauty of our meeting place at Birch Bay Village, the quality of the food prepared by chef Chris Pasha and complemented us on our organization and experience.  She applauded our induction of a new member, Kim Harty, the executive director of the Mount Desert Island YMCA and enjoyed seeing past president Dean Read awarded a prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship in honor of the significant work he has done for both for Rotary and for our community.

 

Administration - Chair James Collier
Web site manager Joe Losquadro  demonstrated how to navigate ClubRunner, a new integrated software program and web site designed for Rotary clubs.

 

Membership - Chair: Nancy Corliss
The board accepted (with regret) the resignations of Sheldon Goldthwait and Rick and Mary Anne Starbird and approved Chris Keefe as a new member.  Club members filled out an opinion survey about club activities and then engaged in small group discussions about their vision for the club's future. The themes of fellowship and service came up repeatedly in reports back to the whole group. Club Secretary Joe Losquadro collected the surveys and compiled the information for us. The data will be used to update our club's strategic plan in 2010 and guide us as we move into the future.  Membership Committee chairman Nancy Corliss lead an effort to start a new Rotary Club in Southwest Harbor, her home town.  The nascent club named themselves ICIS or Island Communities In Service and they kicked off their new association with a free community supper at Chow-Maine.

 

President-elect James reported that President Becky Buyers Basso had submitted her resignation, which was accepted with deep regret.  The bylaws provide that the board will vote to fill any vacancy caused by the resignation of an officer and/or board member.  The Board approved appointing President-Elect James Collier as President to fill out the term of Rebecca Buyers Basso and President-Nominee Anne Krieg to the position of President-Elect.

 

International - Chair: Scott Hammond
Our club supported the library construction project in Jambanjelly, Gambia that Anne Smallidge reported on earlier this summer, allocating funds to complete construction and build shelving for the Community Library. Anne is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, who gave us a presentation on this summer. The MDI resident has been working on this project with Crossroads Africa volunteers and says she will be delighted to see it completed.  Treasurer Ron Wrobel wired $2,000 overseas for the project.  We recently received a detailed report on that project and photos of the shelving. Michelle Diemer sent us a photograph of the next four shelves that have been completed for the Jambanjelly Community Library along with the news that the money has been dispersed to the carpenter for the final set of shelves.

 

We received an award at the District Foundation Seminar held in Ellsworth, where District Governor Sylvia Plourde and Past District Governor Yves Fecteau awarded us one of three certificates to clubs in District 7790 who met the district's goal of raising $1000 for Polio Plus.

 

The Board approved a request by the district governor to donate directly to a school in Afghanistan that was to have been funded by DDF funds, which the school was not able to accept.

 

Community Service - Chair: Art Blank
We adopted the Little League ball field in Town Hill.  Public Relations Chair Sharon Broom led a group of Rotarians on a trip to Swan's Island to assist the library staff in sorting through boxes of donated books to make restocking the shelves easier once they have rebuilt. The Swans Island Library burned to the ground last summer. Sharon's husband, reporter Dick Broom, took pictures of the Rotarians as work and they've been entered into RI's "Day in the Life of Rotary" photography contest.

 

Interact.  We were visited by the newly elected officers of our Interact Club at Mount Desert Island High School.  During our meal, we heard from the club's adviser Lori Fineman, the new school principal, Dr. Matthew Garrity-Janger, Interact officers Annie Harper, Macy Horton, Alyssa Murad and Ryann Rourke. They told us about the issues that concern them (child trafficking, hunger, special needs) how they are recruiting other members (Facebook) and what they are doing this year to make a difference. Interact invited us to join them for a community supper on Nov. 12 and asked us to donate some of our weekly fines and happy and sad dollars to supplement their bake sale proceeds to stock an emergency grocery box at the high school for kids who are going home to empty cupboards.  The Community Supper at the MDI High School was "educationally delicious" with Thai, Peruvian, Ghanaian and Moroccan cuisines. Adviser Lori Fineman presented senior Macy Horton with the Bob Noonan Award, the MDIHS Interact equivalent of a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow at the dinner.

 

RYLA: Tara Merrill participated in this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Action at Northern Outdoors in The Forks, Maine.  Tara, 23, is an aspiring writer. She graduated from North Yarmouth Academy in 2004, attended Westminster College in PA from 2004-2008 and while there participated in a work/study group to Nicaragua. She also spent part of a summer with a study class in Ireland. She is currently enrolled at the University of Southern Maine, working for a caterer and assisting the track team at NYA. The board noted that Tara is the granddaughter of Barbara Fox and has connections to Mount Desert Island and expressed a preference for RYLA candidates from our club’s area in the future.

 

Boy Scouts.  The Board approved $800 to support two scouts from the Bar Harbor troop to attend the Centennial International Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. The two boys are Sam Robertson and William Krason.

 

Foundation - Chair: Dean Read
Club members donated $2,900 (about $50/member) in the 2009-10 program year.

 

Public Relations - Chair: Sharon Broom
The committee developed business cards to distribute to lodging establishments.  The committee met with the Seafood Festival Committee to discuss what they can do for the Seafood Festival.

 

Fundraising:
Our club donated $300 from our fines and happy and sad dollars to the BH Congregational Church for Thanksgiving baskets. November's fines ($270) went to help stock Interact's Emergency food supply at the high school.  December is our club's month to help out at the Bar Harbor Food Pantry and we have designated our fines for this month to go support their work.

 

Annual Meeting.  
We held our annual meeting and unanimously elected the following slate of officers to serve in 2010-11: James Collier, Pres. Anne Krieg, Pres.-Elect Becky Buyers-Basso, Past Pres. Joe Losquadro, Sec.& Admin. Committee Chair Ron Wrobel, Treas. Susan Pearson, Membership Chair Art Blank, Service Committee Chair Dean Read, Foundation Committee Chair Scott Hammond, International Committee Chair Sharon Broom, PR Committee Chair John Willett, Director-at-Large.  The speaker was Kaitlyn C. Sawyer, a young woman from Maine who went abroad when she was 16 through Rotary's Youth Exchange program, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Yarmouth. She gave us a Power Point presentation and told us about her a year in Bruxelles, Belgium. She said it was challenging in many ways but helped her to grow up, learn French and make friends from all over the world.  Thanks to Gina & her Elves for treating us to a very festive and heartwarming Christmas celebration last week! Good time was had by all. We raised $300 for Polio Plus, 50/50 raffle went to Betty and the BH Food Pantry.

2010 Awards Presentation.  Besides recognizing those who have served as board members, there are a few others that we would like to recognize this evening.  New Members. Membership is the lifeblood of Rotary.  To remain vital, a club must always have an infusion of new members.  We have induced eight (8) new members in this program year.  They are: Tony Cameron, Rob Rodriguez, & Sallie Boggs.  Sponsors. You can only become a member of Rotary by being sponsored by an existing member.  In our club, those sponsors become mentors for the new members.  We would like to recognize those who have sponsored new members over the past program year.  They are: Scott Hammond for Kim Harty, Bill Weir for Chris Keefe, Jane Adams for Diehl Snyder, Susie Pearson for Marc Perry and Sallie Boggs, John Willett for Tony Cameron, & Barbara Fox for Rob Rodriguez.  Attendance. Two of the key elements that led Paul Harris to found Rotary are fellowship and networking; which are two of the most important reasons members of this club joined Rotary.  You can only really take advantage of fellowship and networking by being in attendance at Rotary meetings and events. The board has placed special emphasis this year on attendance and challenged members to work for 100% attendance.  Six (6) of our members took up that challenge and through a combination of actual attendance at our regular weekly club meeting or performing a makeup, have achieved 100% attendance for the year.  They are: Don Allen, Sharon Broom, James Collier, Nancy Corliss, Mike Gurtler, Dean Reed.
Paul Harris Fellow Induction.  I was honored to award a Paul Harris Fellowship this evening.  The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow recognition is the Rotary Foundation way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. In our club, it has been a tradition to make this contribution on behalf of; and, to honor members who have made significant contributions to our club and thereby to their community. This year’s recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship is: Sharon Broom
 

 

Officers for the program year:
President: James Collier
President Elect: Anne Krieg
Sargent-at-Arms: John Willett followed by Tony Cameron
Secretary: Joe Losquadro then Marc Perry followed by Peter Blauth
Treasurer: Ron Wrobel
Directors: Suzi Pearson, Art Blank, Dean Read, John Willett, Jane Adams followed by Marc Perry

 

 

 

Club Administration – Chair: Joe Losquadro followed by Annette Higgins

 

Membership – Chair: Jane Adams followed by Marc Perry

 

Buck Jardine, a semi-retired foreign service diplomat, provided insight into diplomacy before and after World War II, through the Cold War into the 20th century. He explained how technology impacts the way global strife is handled now. Among his many experiences, Mr. Jardine was witness to the breakup of the USSR.

 

Mike Mahan, administrator at Birch Bay Village, was managing a retirement facility in Biloxi when Katrina hit the Gulf coast. While others evacuated the facility, Mr. Mahan stayed with 52 residents who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, leave. Although the six-story building that sheltered them sustained damage, no one was injured. Mr. Mahan revealed his skills as a storyteller, tracing his route from his childhood in Memphis to Arkansas, Mississippi and then to Maine.

 

Community Service – Chair: Art Blank

 

The board authorized spending up to $500 to buy materials for Rotarians to build picnic tables for the Emerson School. The school will be able to use the tables for outdoor classes and projects when weather permits.

 

The Conners-Emerson School Reading Festival was supported again this year by Rotary volunteers who visited classes to explain how important reading is in their work and read from a favorite book or passage. The festival was held Oct. 25-29 and it involved more than 100 business men and women. Rotary also assisted this project with a financial donation to offset expenses.

 

On Oct. 30 the club donated 50 bike helmets to the MDI Hospital Health Fair, held at Birch Bay Village to assist in keeping children safe while riding.

 

The Rotary Backpack Project continues to be a success story with 21 backpacks recently delivered to the folks at the Department of Human Services in Ellsworth. This worthwhile project began in February 2007 when Rotary members learned about the needs of children involved in family crises who had to be removed from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their back. For the last three years Rotarians have provided these children with brand new backpacks that include toiletries, school supplies, clothing, blankets and toys. These gifts provide a comforting property of their own that helps the children cope with a very scary situation.

 

Life Preserver / Water Safety Program.  The club supported the organizing a Life Preserver / Water Safety educational event in collaboration with the YMCA national Healthy Kids Day in April.  Authorized funds in the amount of $3,000, supported purchasing Life Preservers (with Rotary insignia) which were given out FREE to youths attending the event who participated in a satisfactory number of educational sessions throughout the day.  Our club gave away 122 life preservers, and sold 15.  175 brochures were handed out.  15 Rotarians volunteered.

 

Town Hill Ballfield - on May 7, club members worked at maintaining the Town Hill Ballfield.

 

International Service – Chair: Scott Hammond

 

The club supported Rotarian Mike Bonsey to accompany PDG Paul Baeulieu on his trip to South America.  Mike and his daughter accompanied PDG Baeulieu and DG Sylvia Plourde on a 10-day trip to Guayaquil, Cuenca, Salinas, Portoviejo, Cojimies and Quito, Ecuador to witness first hand some of the international projects supported by our district.

 

A few hardy souls traveled to Quebec to work with that club at their annual work weekend at Gran Village.

 

Rotary Foundation – Chair:Dean Read

 

Public Relations – Chair: Sharon Broom

 

Fellowship – Chair:Benni McMullen

 

The year 2010 ended on a high note for the Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club, including the annual holiday party luncheon at Birch Bay Village Dec. 22 with more than 50 attending.  A particularly wonderful gift that the club shares is a gifted local singing group that regularly entertains at special events. Rotarians James Kitler, Bob Raymond, Diehl Snyder and Bob Theriault, along with Tony Sousa, a friend of the club, provided beautiful carol singing at the party followed by mystery Christmas puzzles and prizes.

 

Fundraising – Chair:Lisa Horsch-Clark

 

More than 90 people attended the eighth annual Pirate's Cove Golf Fundraiser on Oct. 2. The event raised $4,230 for the Oncology Department at the Mount Desert Island Hospital.  This year's event encouraged challenges. "'Scarlett O'Hara" (Lisa Horsch Clark) showed up in full Southern belle attire to inspire the Friends of Acadia team, but it was not enough to defeat the Acadia National Park team.  The competition between the YWCA and the YMCA resulted in a tie, so both teams were seen for a week wearing the T-shirts of the opposing team.  The town garage team, aka the Wingnuts, beat the Collecting Assessors from the Bar Harbor Finance Department. The winner among the three Jackson Lab teams was the Hangover Kids.

 

MDI Rotarians had a successful Fourth of July Seafood Festival and Blueberry Pancake Breakfast, which grossed over $34,000. Proceeds from the event support the club’s community and international service activities. Coordinated by Rotary, other nonprofits conducted activities on the town ball field that raised another $41,000.

 

 

Officers for the program year:
President: Anne Krieg then Scott Hammond
President Elect: Scott Hammond then Marc Perry
Sargent-at-Arms: Mike Mahan
Secretary: Sharon Blioroom
Treasurer: Ron Wrobel
Directors: Art Blank, Scott Hammond, Kim Harty, Annette Higgins, Marc Perry, Tony Cameron

 

Members at the start: 60
Members at the end:  57 (19)

 

General: DG Dr. Deborah Walters visited on September 28.  The Board met with her from 11am to 12 Noon before the regular club meeting.  A social event with the Ellsworth Club took place aboard the Margaret Todd at 3:00pm.

 

At that meeting, Dr. Walters presented Joe Losquadro with the Governor's Award for Outstanding Service.  After the presentation, Joe had the following remarks:

 

 

Club Administration – Chair: Annette Higgins

 

The Board approved the bylaws changes to add a Fellowship Chair and a Fundraising Chair to the Board.  The club unanimously approved the bylaws changes at the December 7, 2011 regular club meeting.

 

President Anne resigned from her position as President, announcing that she had accepted a town planning position in Bridgton that will require her to spend weekdays there, but fortunately she will be returning to MDI on weekends. She remained President of the club through March, at which time President-Elect Scott became President three months earlier than scheduled.

 

The club purchased a laptop, software and carrying case for use by President while in office to facilitate the President’s work at conferences and other Rotary meetings.  Additionally, files stored on the laptop will remain available to subsequent Presidents.

 

Membership – Chair: Marc Perry

 

Marc and Tony led the discussion of the Associate Member Pilot Program description and application form.  According to the description, the goal of the three-year program is to attract and retain younger members by offering reduced membership fees ($50 a year) and more flexibility in attendance (minimum of 12 meetings per year, with at least one meeting required each month). The expectation is that they will become engaged in Rotary and become a full member at the conclusion of the Pilot Program.

 

President Scott brought his thoughts on replacing the first regularly scheduled lunch meeting of each month (first Wed of each month), with an evening meeting (5:00 pm – 6:30 pm) to be held at a local eatery/establishment, to include cocktails if so desired, in an effort to create a better networking environment for members as well as attract younger business professionals into Rotary.  The Board felt this was a good idea and it was conceded that the first of this type of meeting will be held in August.

 

Community Service – Chair: Art Blank

 

$3,300 was allocated from the Cancer Fund to MDI Hospital as follows:  $1,400 for 100 pillows that are used post breast surgery to provide relief while sleeping; $800 for 100 seatbelt cushions for use post breast surgery; $900 for two laptops and $200 for a Kindle, all for patient use during oncology treatment.

 

Members assisted the Serendipity shop, which benefits the Food Pantry, with a move to a downtown location.

 

The Club participated again in Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA in April.  This year’s event focused on bike safety.  Rotary gave away inexpensive items such bike reflectors. Bicycle safety was the theme for Rotary’s participation.  About six club members helped with the event.  Tori Minutolo supplied the materials for the bike safety obstacle course and trained volunteers to fit helmets on the kids. She and another bike shop owner checked kids’ bikes for safety.

 

The Board approved $500 to support two scouts from the local troop to attend the National Jamboree.

 

Mike Gurtler was given $300 for materials for picnic tables for the Little League.

 

The club adopted the Park Street Playground project as a community support project.

 

International Service – Chair: Kim Harty

 

Rotary Foundation – Chair:Kim Harty

 

Public Relations – Chair: Tony Cameron

 

Tony announced that we have a new website for the Seafood Festival, www.mdiseafoodfestival.com.   The site was developed with invaluable assistance from Nicole Ouellette. The club also has a Facebook page that anyone can open.

 

Fellowship – Chair: Benni McMullen

 

The holiday luncheon was held on December 21.  Each member brought a gift of $5-$10 to; numbers were drawn for gift-giving. There was also a 50-50 raffle and a raffle for prizes.

 

St. Patrick's Day -- dinner was held on Thursday, March 15 at Side Street Café.

 

Our annual dinner was held on June 27, a seated dinner at the Rose Garden restaurant.  The evening included awards for perfect attendance, recognition of new members and other honors. The Non-Rotarian Paul Harris Fellowship will be awarded to Rob Liebow, outgoing superintendent of local schools.

 

Fundraising – Chair: Lisa Horsch-Clark

 

The annual fundraiser at Pirate’s Cove was held on Saturday, October 1.  Annette has coordinated this event in past years; this year, the work load will be shared with Lisa as director of fundraising and Benni as director of fellowship.

 

Our annual pancake breakfast and seafood festival was again held on the ballfield on Independence Day.

 

The Board approved donations to 37 local and international organizations.  Including Cancer Fund and Literacy Fund donations, they total $11,200.