Our June 19, 2019 meeting was our annual awards day meeting during which the club gets to thank some community members for their good work and the club president gets to thank some club members for their contributions to the club.
I believe President Joe mentioned it was his next to his last meeting. (Fausto, fair notice, this is my next to last Tack, but of course, he probably does not read this.) Joe introduced PDG Ron Drouin to lead us in the 4 Way Test. Ron pulled it off like he had done it 3 or 3,000 times before. The reality is that we really should have done a three way test because “Is it the truth” clearly went out the window at this meeting, but more on that later. Joe Bassett led our invocation and he thanked our award recipients and asked God to bless them.
President Elect Fausto did take a shot at introducing visiting Rotarians and guests though he was less than successful. He did introduce Beth Austin, Melissa Cilley from the Community Bicycle Center and Joe Bassett, Jr. (there are two of them?), but he missed a visiting Rotarian from Connecticut who has now purchased a property in Maine so he will be visiting us more. Unfortunately, based on the lack of an introduction I did not catch his name. I can tell you his club must do the four way test different than we do because he was way off of our complex numbering system with Mark Nahorney following him like a lemming.
President Joe announced that Brenda Pollock will be having a book launch for her new book, High Heels to High Seas on June 26th as you can see below. Let’s make every effort to support our newest author.
President Joe then informed us that we had a request for funding from the Saco Food Pantry. Apparently Hannaford donates bread to the food pantry but they do not slice it. Don’t they know that the next best thing is sliced bread? Anyway, the Saco Food Pantry can buy a new used Ronco bread slicer for $500.00 and if they act right now Ronco will throw in a new used meat slicer as well. The club voted to approve the request, so let them eat sliced bread! I do believe they scored a Veg-O-Matic in the deal as well.
Elaine Palmitessa won the 50/50 drawing and donated the money back to the club.
Joe then introduced our stand-in sergeant at arms, Heather MacLean, who again solicited (perhaps not the right word) happy dollars with the following results:
- Dr. Joe, he’s always happy
- Bill Paterson, his daughter is visiting.
- Connecticut visitor because he has now a place in Maine to come and stay. He has been a Rotarian for 42 years.
- Joe Bassett gave a happy dollar because his son and daughter arrived at 2:00 AM. Joe these are happy dollars.
- CJ is happy to be heading to Bar Harbor on the nickel of her husband’s employer.
- Julie Villemaire went to her first Red Sox game and took her first train ride and ate her first Fenway Frank but did not have her first Fenway beer. I believe it was also the first time Julie left Maine or saw a building taller than 6 stories. She is definitely going wild.
- Marty Grohman closed on the 432 Elm Street, Biddeford property and put in a shameless plug for it.
- Karen Chasse was sick and happy to have her nice warm Carl Goodwin sweatshirt.
- Conrad is getting to visit with his granddaughter.
Heather then fined Mark Nahorney for his less than stellar performance at leading us in the 4 Way Test at the prior week’s meeting. The critics can be cruel. The critics raved over Jim Labelle’s rendition of the 4 Way Test but still fined him a buck. Clearly, the critics can be bought. Despite his protests Marty was fined for having a birthday. Heather fined Karen for butt dialing. How does your butt know the number? Fausto was fined for some stuff too but no one really knows for what.
The rest of the meeting focused on awards. I have included my awards presentation in full below with the exception of one Paul Harris Award because that person was not there. I do, however, have a few observations.
