09/30/16 Bits & Pieces
Posted by Jake Bourdeau
President Laura Young welcomed 58 members and 2 guests - Stephanie Joyce and Lionel Nima to our meeting at the Clarion Hotel. Gracie Johnston gave the invocation, we said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem acapella.
Larry Gross discussed the upcoming second annual Veteran’s Appreciation Day Luncheon, which has currently raised over $5,000 through local companies and financial institutions. A flyer about the event is available to share with potential attendees is on the Portland Rotary web page for download. The luncheon will be held on November 10th at the Italian Heritage Center. All veterans and active service members are welcome to attend and have their lunch sponsored by the donors and Portland Rotary. For other attendees the cost is $20. Susan Collins is expected to be the speaker and space is limited to 300. Please ask your known veterans to lunch and register to attend online now at our website: portlandrotary.org.
Larry Gross discussed the upcoming second annual Veteran’s Appreciation Day Luncheon, which has currently raised over $5,000 through local companies and financial institutions. A flyer about the event is available to share with potential attendees is on the Portland Rotary web page for download. The luncheon will be held on November 10th at the Italian Heritage Center. All veterans and active service members are welcome to attend and have their lunch sponsored by the donors and Portland Rotary. For other attendees the cost is $20. Susan Collins is expected to be the speaker and space is limited to 300. Please ask your known veterans to lunch and register to attend online now at our website: portlandrotary.org. 
Kris Rosado gave us a Rotary Minute about an inspirational happening when he knew he joined the right organization. Kris and his wife were in Singapore at a Rotary Conference and at that moment visiting the zoo. A German Rotary couple was setting up for a picture when their camera dropped and shattered (and not the cheap phone types). Trying to communicate in second languages, a third Rotarian couple entrusted the astounded German couple with their own expensive camera and only asked that they send it back when they were finished with it.
Several members from the International Service Committee, including Liz and Roger Fagan and Jon Curran, are traveling to the Dominican Republic (DR) this week to help train nurses, fit hearing aids, and fit approximately 14 patients with the new 3D-printed prosthetic hands. The devices are elbow driven, arm’s length, and much lighter than the former prosthetic devices provided on previous trips. The patients will be trialling the newly designed prosthetics and will be providing feedback on what works and what doesn’t. With the help of the many open source designers, and the new construction methods, the cost of the prosthetic device has dropped dramatically from approximately $50 each to $30. The designer of the prosthetic device is also traveling on this current trip to the DR.
Gracie Johnston led the group in the song “Be Proud” which was a song with lyrics adapted by Kris Rosado, sung to the tune of "As The Caissons Go Rolling Along."
Jan Chapman led the weekly raffle, and Erik Greven was selected for a shot at the pot. Erik picked the 6 of Hearts, rather than the Queen of Hearts, so the pot continues to grow for next week’s raffle.