Rotary Log for April 16, 2026It doesn’t get better than walking into a Rotary meeting and seeing the youthful smiles of elementary school guests! Great turnout of Rotarians, too! All for a fun day with the Rye Elementary School chess team.
President Ian called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Greeter Norm Olsen was recruited for 4-Way Test honors. Newly crowned Gordon Allen Humanitarian Award Recipient Al Lantinen directed My Country ‘Tis of Thee. Sgt. at Arms Jamie McCarthy delivered the Inspirational Moment.
Guests included students, their parents, Rye teacher Jacquie DeFreze, SMG photographer extraordinaire Deb Cram, and Chess Queen Cindy Alex. A roaring Happy Birthday was sung to Past President James on his 63rd Birthday, which he acknowledged proudly.
While he had the floor, James reminded us of the May 7 gently used clothing drive benefiting Friends in Action. Clean out your closets and save James the good stuff. Items will be collected that day at our lunch meeting, or they can be dropped off at his home.
President-Elect John shared excitement for the great 2026 Rotary Scholarship candidates now being interviewed. The award ceremony is set for May 14th with recipients and families on hand. An interesting lunch program that never disappoints.
In the spirit of balancing President Ian’s budget…Happy Dollars, 10’s and 20’s… abounded! Thank you Ben Wheeler and Eric Weinraub for sharing family joy. Al Lantinen is happy he didn’t pass out from shock after winning the Humanitarian Award. Eileen Joyce-Coute took the time to share happiness that RYLA leadership candidates are the best!! Plus, sponsorships are still available for our upcoming Rotary Golf Tournament on June12th.
Then it was time for chess with Ted Alex and the kids. Ted talked about the success of the Jeremy Alex Fund and its chess program, still going strong. The fund was created as a lasting tribute to Ted’s son Jeremy who disappeared in 2004. The program supports kids at risk, sponsoring activities that build resilience, self-esteem, and positive decision-making skills. Programs like PMAC, AIR, Soul Models after school, Child Advocacy have been recipients of the more than $173,000 gifted to date.
Launched in 2007, the chess program uses chess to build confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. It teaches Seacoast 4th graders that each move you make involves a decision that has consequences.
Our future is secure when you look at the kids that have benefited from this program. Nine-year-old student Arden Schran received a standing ovation following his eloquent presentation about the importance of chess in his life. Arden has won the state championship twice in a row. He is heading to the Nationals in Michigan this summer. Yay Arden! So proud of you.
Overall, an amazing program and important reminder that all kids are at risk. Thank you to Ted Alex and his family for taking their grief and making it into something positive and powerful. And thank you Rotary for supporting the Jeremy Alex Fund and investing in the future!
The Portsmouth Rotary and The Chase Home invite you to a hands-on fence build on May 8–9 at 698 Middle Rd, Portsmouth. Help support gardens that donated 1,200 lbs of food to Gather last year.
