Pioneering shareholder activist and corporate governance adviser, Robert AG Monks, has written widely about shareholder rights & responsibility, corporate impact on society and global corporate issues.

He is the author of Corporate Governance (with Nell Minow), Power & Accountability (with Nell Minow), Watching the Watchers, The New Global Investors, The Emperor's Nightingale, Corpocracy and Corporate Valuation (with Alexandra Lajoux).

Mr. Monks is an expert on retirement and pension plans and was appointed director of the United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation by President Reagan, who also appointed him one of the founding Trustees of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System. Mr. Monks served in the Department of Labor as Administrator of the Office of Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs having jurisdiction over the entire U.S. pension system.

Mr. Monks was a founder of Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), now the leading corporate governance-consulting firm. He also founded Lens Governance Advisers and co-founded The Corporate Library (now Governance Metrics International). He is a shareholder in and advisor to Trucost, the environmental research company.

Mr. Monks was a featured part of the documentary film, The Corporation, and was the subject of the biography, A Traitor to His Class by Hilary Rosenberg. He and his wife live in Cape Elizabeth.

On Friday, we were fortunate to have several visitors from a newly-established program...Embrace A Vet....a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing direct and supportive services to Maine veterans and their families living with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Joy Johnson, who is the Executive Director, gave us a moving presentation of what the program entailed. With a 35-year marriage to a Navy Admiral, Joy has seen firsthand many of the issues that face veterans upon their return to civilian life. With over twenty veteran suicides per day in the United States and an enormous veteran population in our state, the issues tackled by the all-volunteer Embrace a Vet program are crucial in the efforts to help re-acclimate these important members of our community.
 
With a three-pronged approach to offering aid to needy vets, the Embrace a Vet program has taken off since its inception just 4 years ago. The program offers three to four retreats per year to willing vets and loved ones, with five-day sessions intertwining a gamut of therapies, from “EFT energy psychology” to yoga to ice fishing. Eight to ten couples meet at a camp in rustic Maine and spend an eye-opening few days learning coping techniques. With follow-up testing to confirm results, these retreats are becoming more and more popular with each passing year.  
 
The second area of help is offered to caregivers of veterans. Meeting as a group, apart from the affected vet, these sessions provide much-needed advice and guidance, as well as a chance to share common experiences and offer moral support to the families.
 
The third and most intriguing method undertaken by Joy and her fellow volunteers is “Paws for Peace” and involves training and placement of service dogs for veterans who seek this method of support. The first of its kind in Maine, this program works with dogs from either the vet’s home or a local shelter and trains the pet to supply companionship or any support needed. We heard briefly from Adrian Cole, a veteran of two Iraq tours, who gave his thanks for the efforts of Joy and her group in training Rocco, a sweet, shy dog who sat quietly during our luncheon meeting. Rocco, who lived with Adrian before being trained as a service dog, has allowed Adrian to venture out of his home and into settings that he never would have imagined a few years ago when he got home from the Middle East.

(Photo: Adrian Cole, Joy Johnson and Rocco.)
 
With Deborah Farnham, the president of Embrace a Vet, in attendance, the Portland Rotary Club was shown a powerful audio and video tribute to the work of this outstanding group of compassionate Mainers. We certainly can thank these regular folks who have changed the lives of so many combat veterans, men and women who might struggle to survive without the care and support from all of us.

See more at: http://embraceavet.org/#sthash.R3ZwQ6MY.dpuf

President Kris opened the meeting welcoming a full house of 56 members, 2 visiting Rotary dignitaries, District Governor Lawrence Furbish and Past District Governor Peter Johnson along with 8 guests.

Carl Spang gave us our invocation and we pledged to the flag and sang a patriotic song.

President Kris told us how Carl had agreed to pick up a shotgun in NH, which we were getting at a good price for the Maine Outdoor Challenge (MOC) event. Carl made a decision to pay the $500 cost and donate the shotgun to the auction. Thank you, Carl, for your generous act of kindness.

Leonard Scott ran the weekly raffle that was up to $989 in the pot, having our Youth Service Award recipient, Sharon Machuta, pull a member's name out of the raffle bucket. Ron Bennett won the draw, but he didn't have any luck pulling the Queen of Hearts, as Ron drew the King of Diamonds.

(Photo: Leonard Scott and YSA recipient, Sharon Machuta.)

Ben Lowry gave us a very moving Rotary moment. Twenty years ago, in April 1995, Ben was starting out as an attorney in his father, Don Lowry's firm, he was playing baseball, had moved back from Boston, and his brother was home from Germany. Don Lowry was due to start his presidency of the Portland Rotary Club in July and he advised Ben that it was time for him to join the club. Life was good. Then on Memorial Day of the following month, Ben’s older brother’s jet plane crashed on take-off and he was killed. In an instant, life went from very good to very bad. Ben told us he was lost. New job – new town – and a family in despair. Don decided to still continue as the club's president and Ben to still join Rotary. Ben jumped in with both feet. Over time, he became chair of several committees and eventually became president of our club in 2007. Rotary was a savior for Ben in 1995, and Rotary continues to be a major focus of his life. When he conducts business, plays tennis, travels, plays poker and many other things, he does it with Rotarians. For Ben, Rotary is business, social and family. He told us that it has always been an amazing experience.

Rusty Atwood, on Tuesday April 7, made up a meeting in Indianapolis, IN. Rusty said it was his first Rotary makeup. The program that day was about preparing 12,096 meals for a food pantry. The location was the Scottish Rite Cathedral, a historic building designed by architect George F. Schreiber, located in downtown Indianapolis. Rusty was visiting to watch the basketball games. Duke won and saved Rusty’s bracket, so as a token he donated funds to the Rotary Foundation in name of Don Zillman​,a Wisconsin alumnus.

Steve Stromsky​, Community Service chair, still needs four more volunteers for the soup kitchen next Wednesday, April 22nd. Contact him if you can help out: stevan_j_stromsky@keybank.com

Emily McEntee reminded us all that we are only 2 weeks away from our in-club auction, May Madness, being held on Friday May 1st at our meetin​g. If you have any item(s) you would like to donate, please contact Loretta, Ellen or her. Please bring items to a Rotary meeting, but be sure to contact one of these three ladies with your intention, so we can get it written up and prepared ahead of time for the auction. All proceeds will go towards the operation of our club. We will also need some extra hands to volunteer on the day of the auction, so if you can and want to help us, please see Ellen.

Rotarian in the News - The American Bar Association will present its Grassroots Advocacy Award on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to Nan Heald, Executive Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance for her leadership and initiatives addressing the unmet legal needs of active-duty military members, veterans, their families, and caregivers.

Committee selections – Be sure to tell Club Secretary, Loretta which committee you would like to be assigned to help in the coming year. If you do not give your preferences, President-elect Bowen may assign you to a committee(s) which needs help.

Jim Willey told us about the Salvation Army's "Champions for Kids" benefit dinner on Thursday, May 5th at 5:30 p.m. The speaker is Dr. Marcello Coradini and his topic is “The Search for Extraterrestrial Life." Tickets are $45 to attend or to sponsor a kid who has shown an interest in science. Portland Rotary funded a playroom for homeless infants, toddlers, and mothers at the Salvation Army that provides a safe place where infants and kids can go to play and get snacks. For more information, contact Jim at: jimandbarbarawilley@gmail.com 

Mike Fortunato is looking for volunteers April 25 and 26 to sell raffle tickets at the Scarborough Rod and Gun event. He needs volunteers for both Saturday and Sunday. Also, if you are willing to solicit donations in the Old Port for the Maine Outdoor Challenge, contact Mike: michael.k.fortunato@gmail.com

Janelle LoSciuto seems to have babies at the center of her life now. She told us about the Greater Portland March for Babies and needing volunteers to help on Sunday May 3rd. If you can help and want more information, please contact her: jlosciuto@marchofdimes.org

Jan Chapman introduced our Youth Service Award recipient from Catherine McCauley School, Sharon Machuta. Sharon was born in the Congo; has 150 hours of volunteer time at Maine Medical; and provides numerous hours of service to Catherine McCauley. Sharon thanked Rotary, her parents and the school. She has chosen the Opportunity Alliance to receive the $100 donation that the club will send in her name.

The 3-H Project Team (Hearing, Hands and H20) supports the mission of El Buen Samaritano Hospital in La Romana, a hospital dedicated to providing quality medical services, as well as providing care for the most disadvantaged in the country, the Haitian cane workers.

This year’s 3-H Team was composed of Rotarians from five different clubs, including a couple of first timers: Anne Fisher, from the Portland Rotary Club and frequent visiting Rotarian to the Portland Club, Kirk Duffy, from Savannah, GA. Thanks to snowbird, Dick Giles, of the Portland Club, Rotarians from the Singer Island and the Palm Beach Rotary Clubs in Florida also participated. Caroline Bulliner from the Brunswick Rotary Club participated as part of the team for the second time. Financial support was also provided by these clubs and the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club. Portland Rotary funds this project through the Maine Outdoor Challenge, our Club’s largest fundraiser. 

The team returned on March 14, 2015, after a successful week in the Dominican Republic: 

Drs. Roger and Liz Fagan evaluated and provided 102 hearing aids and solar-powered batteries to 57 patients, improving their ability to hear...in some instances, enabling them to hear for the first time;

the 'Water' team, led by Dick Giles, installed 87 biosand water filters in the bateys...camps where cane workers and their families live...giving each family access to clean water and better health;

the ‘Hand’ team led by Jan Chapman and Bruce Moore conducted a one-day prosthetic hand clinic at the hospital. Thirteen people were evaluated and seen in the clinic. Patients who came to the clinic for evaluation have experienced accidents in the cane fields, causing them to lose a hand.

A short video produced by LN-4, the nonprofit that makes the hands, was shown to all who came to the clinic, enabling them to see the many ways the helping hand could be utilized and improve their quality of life.

ROBERT H. PATTEN

On Saturday, April 18th, many Portland Rotarians were in attendance at Bob Patten’s memorial service, along with numerous Rotary District dignitaries. In addition to Garvey MacLean conducting the service, Jim Willey and former-Rotarian/Club President John Tewhey were speakers and lavished us with many memories of Bob's history with Rotary.

It was a moving and sentimental journey, recounting how much family and Rotary meant to Bob. He is a Past Club President (1982-83) and a former District Governor (1991-92). While District Governor, he spearheaded a clean-up project on Jewell Island in Casco Bay that involved many District players. Not too long ago, he was working with Harold Crabill and President-elect Bowen Depke to hold a club meeting there (or near) this summer. That meeting will take place according to Bob's wishes and further details will be forthcoming.

We will miss our gentle giant with a heart of gold!

(Photo: Stella and Bob Patten, 1991-92)

Portland Rotary meeting locations for 2015 

If you would like to mark your calendars for where our meetings will be held,
we are at the following locations through June 2015:

As we receive applications for prospective members to join our Portland Rotary Club, the names of the applicants will be included in our Windjammer. Any information and/or comments you would like to share will be handled confidentially. Please contact the Club Secretary (Loretta Rowe: lrowe@maine.rr.com). Your input will be appreciated.

PROSPECT        BUSINESS                       SPONSOR
​Bill Souter             Dawson Smith Purvis & Bassett    Loretta Rowe
 

THE ROTARY DOUBLES TENNIS LEAGUE
Winter/Spring 2015  Season Finale

Rotary Tennis Spring Season 2015  is in the record books. Week 5 was postponed because of a snow storm. It was played May 11 as week 19. The victors had it in the bag. Despite taking no points in the final night, congratulations are due to Jake, Bruce, Peter Ingram and Laura. The social event at Kathy Grammer's is on May 18. Past, present and future members are invited. Please contact Kathy if you're planning on attending. Final Scores are posted below:

You can watch our recent Portland Rotary Club speakers on the Community Television Network website:

http://ctn5.org/shows/rotary-club-speakers-series

You can always find the link on the Portland Rotary Home Page!