The Club has been very busy with numerous projects, events and strategic planning. The strength of Portland Rotary has always been, and will always be, its engaged membership. This Friday, we will hear updates on what we have accomplished and what is planned moving forward.
This is a great opportunity to invite guests. They will receive an overview of our activities locally and internationally.....across a variety of avenues of service.
There couldn’t be a better advertisement for joining our club!!
Rusty Atwood introduced our guest speaker, Liz Cotter Schlax, President and CEO of the United Way of Greater Portland. Liz took over this job in January and provided the club with a brief history of the United Way of Greater Portland, back to when it was known as the United Fund in 1929.
Liz explained that the purpose of the United Way of Greater Portland is to improve people’s lives and make greater Portland a better place to live. She said that this is done by working with business, government, individuals and nonprofit organizations.
Liz gave us some examples of the types of challenges that most people may not know or think about in our own community:
2/3 of 4th graders don’t read at grade level (this is important because it is a powerful predictor of a child’s success – children who fit this description are 4 times as likely to drop out of high school).
15.7% of children live below the poverty line in Cumberland County.
50% of single parent households with children under 5 live below the poverty line.
1 in 3 children in Cumberland County go to school hungry.
2/3 of Mainers with a mental illness do not receive treatment.
Liz explained that to improve these statistics and better the lives in our community, the United Way of Greater Portland is focusing on education, financial stability and health. She asked for our help in assessing the needs of our community by having Rotarians assist in suggesting 10-year goals for the United Way of Greater Portland. Liz said that the purpose of goal setting was to assess needs, then develop strategies, invest in resources, and create solutions that will improve lives.
Many Rotarians volunteered what they believe to be appropriate goals for our community. Some suggestions included:
Preschool for every child;
A safe community;
Inclusivity of the immigrant population;
Free post-secondary education for qualified applicants;
No student hunger;
Helping people build stable families;
Good health and exercise practices for a life time;
A drug-free community;
Improved infrastructure with playgrounds for children;
Make a minimum wage a livable wage;
Consistent employment opportunities; and
New parent training – especially for dads.
Although the United Way of Greater Portland probably can’t meet all the goals suggested, it’s comforting to know that the organization is thinking about long-term goals while making strides to better our community under the thoughtful leadership of our speaker.
(Photo: Rusty Atwood, Liz Cotter Schlax and President Bowen Depke.)
President Bowen Depkeopened 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.
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.
Our weekly raffle grew again. David Clough led the drawing, but the Queen of Hearts was not the lucky card to be selected by Scott Blakeslee.
Invocator:Bruce Jones Program Reporter: Bob Martin Bits & Pieces Reporter: Bill Blount Registration/Greeter: Maxwell Chikuta Sell Meal Tickets: Rusty Atwood Raffle: Loretta Rowe Badge Box: None Collect Meal Tickets: Jan Chapman Rotary Moment in History: Bob Traill Song Leader: Bill Blount Pianist: None Sgt-at-Arms (Early): Ron Bennett Sgt-at-Arms (Late): Scott Blakeslee
If you would like to mark your calendars,
we are at the following locations through Oct. 2015:
Oct 2 - Italian Heritage Center
Oct 9 - Holiday Inn By-the-Bay
Oct 16 - Maine Medical Ctr Research Lab Oct 23 - Holiday Inn By-the-Bay
Oct 30 - The Clarion Hotel
BOLD dates are scheduled Board meeting days.
Any questions, please contact Loretta at: lrowe@maine.rr.com
The meeting minutes of the Portland Rotary Club's Board of Directors are posted on our website the month following their approval. From the "Home Page," click on the "Board Meeting Minutes" in the listing at the left.
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.
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