With sadness, I report the passing of Stella Patten, wife of former member Bob Patten, on Monday morning. Her health deteriorated over the last months and especially the last few weeks. Details will be forwarded as soon as they become available.
Tessy Seward is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Maine Inside Out. She grew up in Downeast Maine, with a childhood love for theater, and now has been creating and teaching theater as a force for social change for almost 20 years. Her work includes therapeutic theater workshops for resettled teens in Baton Rouge after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Portland-based projects at Learning Works, the Preble Street Teen Center and Portland High School, and Maine Inside Out workshops at Maine Department of Corrections’ Women’s Reentry Center and Long Creek Youth Development Center. Tessy studied with Theater of the Oppressed founder Augusto Boal at the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory in New York City. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Southern Maine, with training in group facilitation, expressive arts therapy, multi-cultural counseling, non-violent communication, and crisis intervention, and a B.A. in English from Williams College.
Maine Inside Out is a nonprofit arts organization based in Portland, Maine. MIO artists facilitate theater workshops in correctional facilities with incarcerated youth, and continue that work in the community with youth returning home after incarceration. In the past five years, MIO has worked with more than 60 young men and women incarcerated at Maine’s juvenile correctional facility, Long Creek Youth Development Center, to create and share multiple original works of theater with more than 5,000 audience members around the state. MIO also offers weekly "outside" groups in Biddeford, Lewiston, and Portland to provide mentoring, transitional employment, peer support and creative community engagement opportunities for reintegrating youth.
Laura Young, Portland Rotary’s 103rd President, took to the rostrum Friday in her inaugural address to talk about the value of Rotary and the reasons she embraced the challenge of being President. “It’s all about the WHY,” she said. “Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why should we care? What drives you and inspires you.” Echoing the words of Simon Sinek, in his TEDx talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” (https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en)) she said those who start with the “why,” have the ability to inspire others. “Rotary is a nice thread in my life,” she said.
Laura shared the learnings of several authors who have focused on the value of social organizations beginning with reminding us of the observations of Alexis deTocqueville, a French historian and political philosopher, who visited America in the 1830’s, and commented on the abundance of civic organizations who were contributing to the vibrancy of America, and the unique nature of our charitable giving, in his book Democracy in America. In his book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert Putnam wrote that social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction. Putnam coined the term “social capital” and used it to describe the signs of connectedness in our communities—voting rates, signing petitions, belonging to organizations that meet, knowing our neighbors, family dinners, and giving to charity. “Putnam observed,” Laura said, “a well-connected individual in a poorly connected community is not as productive as a well-connected individual in a well-connected community.” She also shared that Putnam wrote that joining one group cuts the odds of dying in the next year by a half; two groups by another quarter. And, in a prescient comment, Putnam wrote that the task of sparking greater intergenerational engagement “would be eased by a palpable national crisis.” A year after he wrote that came the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Laura also shared the observations of Sebastian Junger, in his book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, where he writes on the social divisions in our society, and how groups, tribes, respond differently to problems. He observed that catastrophic events in communities strengthen the social bonds as well and thrust people into a more ancient, organic way of relating with each other. Junger cited a study that found post-9/11, rates of violent crime, suicide, and psychiatric disturbances dropped immediately. “The earliest and most basic definition of community—of tribe—would be the group of people that you would both help feed and help defend,” he wrote. “A society that doesn’t offer its members the chance to act selflessly in these ways isn’t a society in any tribal sense of the word.” Laura then pointed to observations of Yuval Levin, in his book, The Fractured Republic – Renewing America’s Social Contract in the Age of Individualism, in which he wrote that both the left and the right are nostalgic for the past, and assume that if everything goes their way, they could have what they value, but not what they deplore. In reality, the complexities of life bring the good with the bad. The rise of individualism, Levin writes, combined with over centralization creates a perilous mix for society that is eased with our institutions and relationships. “This means,” said Laura, “creating concentric circles starting with loving family, interpersonal relationships in neighborhoods, schools, work places, civic associations, and broader social, political, and professional affiliations. Our national identity is protected by government.”
Pulling all of these observations together, Laura said that Portland Rotary is very important. “We don’t want or need a calamity to bring us together for common good. The ties that bind us are important. Welcoming. Sit next to a different person each week.” Finally, she said that service work is what gives us our why.
Laura commented that she was feeling like it was Christmas, as excited as she was about the coming year. She said that her worries included not being able to maintain 100 percent attendance during her year, as did Past President Bowen, but she welcomed the challenge. She shared the observations of Past President Bill Blount, who wrote her: “you are about to embark on a fast paced and very rewarding year as Rotary President. You will be amazed at the love reflected back at you as you preside at the podium.”
“I’m not feeling the love yet,” she joked. “But I know I will.”
President Laura Young asked Russ Burleigh to give the invocation. Russ presented a poem about tracking and spending life with the number of heartbeats rather than money, since money cannot buy heartbeats, and spending heartbeats may be a more applicable measurement of a relationship.
Richard Burbank played and lead us in 'America the Beautiful' as a fitting song for the Fourth of July week.
Don Zillman (back in Portland) led us in the 'Pledge of Allegiance.'
Several visiting Rotarians were at the meeting including Lila Day from Washington and Tom Broadway from Florida.
Our meeting was visited by several people, including President Laura’s daughters: Katie and Megan.
President Laura also thanked those responsible for the meeting, including the Meeting Day Committee, Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Windjammer reporters.
Birthdays in July are being celebrated by a minimum of the following Rotarians: Mark Millar, Al Levenson, Tom Nickerson, Jack Carr, Jennifer Frederick, Steve Stromsky, Julie L'Heureux, John Marr, Elizabeth Banwell, Peter Noyes, Mike Reed, David Lee, and John Curran. Happy Birthday To All!
Rob Chatfield led the raffle draw for a shot at the pot of $441. President Laura’s daughter, Katie, picked Peggy (Queeny) for a try at finding the Queen of Hearts. Peggy picked the 10 of spades, so unfortunately we will have to wait at least another week.
Starting Strong – Janelle LoSciuto indicated that there are volunteering opportunities with the 'Starting Strong Group' which meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:15-12:15. A Portland Rotary fund raiser is helping to feed the kids and provide books and reading.
President Laura read some 'Thank You' notes that have been sent to Rotary including:
Katie Brown for the Locker Project. Katie, on behalf of the Locker Project, provided sincere thanks for choosing them for the proceeds from the inaugural BBQ crawl.
A teacher from the Lyseth School thanked us for donating time and energy for helping the school classroom with fluency and decoding unknown words, and with childhood hunger efforts.
Glenn Nerbak thanked Rotary on behalf of Portland Public schools, whereby the Youth Services Committee selected them for funding some extracurricular and after school activities.
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). 10 sophomores were selected and attended the event, as well as the closing ceremony. The kids chanted and cheered, had bonfires, and presented skits. Afterwards you could tell they were very thankful for the opportunity to attend. Over 100 sophomores from the District were there and some who attended said it was life changing.
Travis Parker was voted in as the new Sergeant-at-Arms. We appreciate you volunteering, Travis.
Returning Past President of Portland Rotary, Tom Saturley, is the newest club member, with Peter Goffin as his sponsor. Peter thought back to his first meeting……it was upstairs in the HIBTB ball room. He remembered sitting left of podium; Scott Carlisle was President; and Tom Saturley ran the raffle that day. Tom has a long resume as an Auctioneer throughout the country, works at his company 'Tranzon Auction Properties,' was a club past president, a Paul Harris Fellow, former chair of Opportunity Alliance, and chair of the National Society of Auctioneers. Tom is married to Ellie Baker and has two daughters and grand kids.
According to Past President Bowen Depke, we had twenty-three (23) new members last year and tied our number with the Portsmouth Club. Congratulations! The tie breaker was won by the Portland Rotary Club for having the most potential Rotarians on the docket. Let’s shoot to increase this amount over the coming year.
A moment of silence was held in commemoration of the policemen killed in Dallas, TX and in Baton Rouge, LA. this past week.
Invocation: Kathy Grammer Program Reporter: Erik Jorgensen Bits & Pieces Reporter: Bob Martin Registration/Greeter: Matt Tassey Sell Meal Tickets: Megan Devlin Raffle: Janet Butland Badge Box: Jennifer Frederick Collect Meal Tickets: Nick Lotfey Rotary Moment: George Carr Song Leader: Amy Chipman Pianist: Kathy Grammer Sgt-at-Arms (Early): TBA Sgt-at-Arms (Late): Peter Noyes
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 Loretta Rowe: lrowe@maine.rr.com. Your input will be appreciated.
PROSPECT BUSINESS (Sponsor) Danielle Conway Dean & Professor of Law, USM (Bowen Depke)
Our Portland High School Interact club is holding a PHS Senior Class Car Wash this Sunday 10 am-2 pm at the Paint Pot, 1236 Congress Street in Portland.
The following is a list of projects happening within our club that you have an opportunity to volunteer and help with. If you know of other opportunities, please contact Loretta: lrowe@maine.rr.com
Project/
Who to Contact When Where
CHE Food/Reading Tuesdays and Thursdays North Deering Gardens Janelle LoSciuto (11:15-12:15)
Soup kitchen 3rd Wednesday (4-6:30) Preble Street Erik Greven
Cedar Unit
Games Night Contact Jim Willey Long Creek Youth Ctr Jim Willey
Tessy Seward is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Maine Inside Out. She grew up in Downeast Maine, with a childhood love for theater, and now has been creating and teaching theater as a force for social change for almost 20 years. Her work includes therapeutic theater workshops for resettled teens in Baton Rouge after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Portland-based projects at Learning Works, the Preble Street Teen Center and Portland High School, and Maine Inside Out workshops at Maine Department of Corrections’ Women’s Reentry Center and Long Creek Youth Development Center. Tessy studied with Theater of the Oppressed founder Augusto Boal at the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory in New York City. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Southern Maine, with training in group facilitation, expressive arts therapy, multi-cultural counseling, non-violent communication, and crisis intervention, and a B.A. in English from Williams College.
Laura Young, Portland Rotary’s 103rd President, took to the rostrum Friday in her inaugural address to talk about the value of Rotary and the reasons she embraced the challenge of being President. “It’s all about the WHY,” she said. “Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why should we care? What drives you and inspires you.” Echoing the words of Simon Sinek, in his TEDx talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” (
Several visiting Rotarians were at the meeting including Lila Day from Washington and Tom Broadway from Florida.
Rob Chatfield led the raffle draw for a shot at the pot of $441. President Laura’s daughter, Katie, picked Peggy (Queeny) for a try at finding the Queen of Hearts. Peggy picked the 10 of spades, so unfortunately we will have to wait at least another week.
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