President's Message for December 4, 2015

Just a few thoughts or items:

 

                Everyone week I continue to be blown away by the dedication and support of most of the members in our club.  I truly believe that the people in our club have some of the biggest hearts around.

 

                Let’s start with something small.  Clynk is up to $210.00.  Bad for your livers but great for the girls in Africa we are supporting with tuition money.  Thank you all for the effort and keep up the good work and let Julie know if you need more bags.

 

                On December 2,  a hardy group of shopping Rotarians and Interact students invaded Walmart to shop for 43 children from our Christmas families.  That is not a typo, we shopped for 43 kids.  Of course, many of us had no idea what we were doing, I thought I was shopping for a girl and it was a boy (yes, they explained the difference to me using a doll from the store), but in the end we got it done thanks to the leadership and guidance from Paul Deschambault, Bernice Wood and Heather McLean.  It was actually kind of fun.

 

                On December 3, we had our Friendsgiving and for those who did not make it you missed a good time and great food.  Fausto opened up his house to us and put out a great spread including lobster rolls and plenty of beverages.  Everyone brought at least one unwrapped toy which will enable us to donate 27 new toys to Toys for Tots.  Finally, everyone brought a wrapped “As Seen on TV” item (I am not sure Jim Godbout’s gift is seen on TV) and we had a Yankee swap.  It was a lot of fun seeing people fight over the darnedest things.  Great idea Fausto and thanks to all who made it a fun night, but a huge thanks to Fausto for putting it all together.

 

                At the Board meeting last week the Board approved my request to provide my major community gift to Thornton Academy to help fund its NTMA-U program.  That program is the only one of its kind in the country.  It provides students who are interested in becoming machinists after high school with machinist training in the classroom and hands on training at a local manufacturer at least one day a week.  Our $5,000 will sponsor two students for a year and provide them with valuable credits toward their associate’s degree if they want to continue the training after high school.  I love the program because manufacturing is my father’s background.  He actually graduated from the Saco Lowell Apprenticeship program.  I also support it because it serves a group of kids who have no interest in a 4 year post-secondary education and this training will give them a great financially rewarding career.  Finally, as the students are excelling in this program they are being inspired to challenge themselves with higher level math and science courses which support their machinist training. 

 

I want to thank you all for your fundraising efforts which made this gift possible.  Our club will be acknowledged on a permanent plague in the STEM wing of Thornton’s Science Building, we will be a sponsor of TA’s annual auction and we will have a ceremony with the headmaster which I hope will make the papers.  That kind of recognition continues to let people know about our good work.

 

Don’t forget Christmas wrapping on December 9 which  will be at York County Credit Union in Biddeford.

 

Also, Joe Bassett will be back on the 9^th to get the rest of you to sign up to ring the bell for the Salvation Army on December 18 at Walmart.

 

Finally, our Red Ribbon Committee meets on December 10 at 5:15 at the Community Bicycle Center.  Anyone is welcome to attend.  Representative from Biddeford High School, Thornton and Old Orchard Beach High School will be there.

 

Thank you all for your continued dedication to Rotary. 

You make my job easy. 

Bill