09/25/15 BITS & PIECES
Posted by Julie L'Heureux
President Bowen Depke opened the meeting at the Clarion Hotel by welcoming 47 members, 1 visiting Rotarian and 4 guests.
Alan Nye presented an invocation, paying tribute to the Fall season by reading uplifting quotes from three people: Stanley Horowitz, Robert Frost and David Letterman.
Centennial Gala celebration memories continued, with a slide show of pictures projected on a large screen as a welcome to Rotarians in the Clarion. Pictures highlighted the people and fun enjoyed during the successful event on September 12. President Bowen read a thank you letter from Senator Angus King, who was the keynote speaker at the Gala. Another thank you note from the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine was read thanking Rotarians for their help during the annual summer "Steak and Burgers" dinner, served at the University of Southern Maine’s gymnasium.
Centennial Gala celebration memories continued, with a slide show of pictures projected on a large screen as a welcome to Rotarians in the Clarion. Pictures highlighted the people and fun enjoyed during the successful event on September 12. President Bowen read a thank you letter from Senator Angus King, who was the keynote speaker at the Gala. Another thank you note from the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine was read thanking Rotarians for their help during the annual summer "Steak and Burgers" dinner, served at the University of Southern Maine’s gymnasium.
President Bowen reminded members about collecting unused toiletries "borrowed" from hotels they stayed at during their travels. President Bowen said while staying at the 'Inn by the Sea' in New Hampshire recently, he saw a sign posted by the management that instructed the guests not to feel guilty about taking the toiletries. As a result, the collection of toiletries grew to include a few items from the 'Inn by the Sea.' Donated toiletries are given to people living in group homes and shelters.
Mike Fortunato informed us that Veterans' Day 2015 (Wednesday, Nov. 11th) will be a regular meeting for the Portland Rotary Club...no meeting on Nov. 13th. On November 11th, the club will host a Special Veterans' Day breakfast from 7-9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn By-the-Bay. Sponsors are being sought to help pay for the breakfasts of Veterans who will be invited to join us as our guests. Breakfast will be $15 per person. Watch your email for more details.Following the Veterans' Day breakfast, the club will pay tribute to the World War I memorial plaque dedicated in 1919 by Portland Rotarians to Harold Andrews, the first soldier killed in WWI from Maine. The monument is in Andrews Square next to the Butler School on Pine Street in the West End. The monument was originally dedicated on the first Armistice Day. The Andrews memorial plaque is being restored by Portland Rotarians in conjunction with the club’s Centennial anniversary community service activities and it will be re-dedicated at the Nov. 11th ceremony.
Dave Smith reported on Portland Rotary's history from his review of the 1932-33 club minutes. In 1932, there was a solar eclipse in the later half of the year. A chief astronomer from the US Naval Observatory was one of the club speakers. Club meetings were held at the Falmouth Hotel, except for one at the Riverton Golf Club. About 109-120 members attended the meetings. Most of the club minutes for the year 1932-33 were brief, only reporting key facts without much description or content. Each club speaker was described as being “very interesting,” “very interesting and instructional” or “very interesting, instructional and spiritual.” Although the nation was in the middle of the Great Depression, very little was discussed in the club minutes about this period. One speaker, a clergy guest visiting from the St. Thomas Church, in London, England, spoke to the club about the unemployment situation in London, at the time.
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