Presidential Changeover
THANKS JOE!
How often do we say wow, how time flies? Well, when you hit 60 and the bulk of your life is well in the rearview mirror, time can be a blur. That said, Joe’s year has come to an end. He started his last meeting just like the 51 that preceded it with the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4 Way Test that he led himself. Joe Bassett provided the invocation which not only thanked Joe for his year but beseeched God to help his successor with the implication that Fausto is going to need the help. I suspect Fausto will have all the help he needs.
For the final time President Elect Fausto introduced visiting Rotarians and guests including Joe Bassett, Jr., Andrea Moreshead (soon to be the former first lady of the club) and Bob Westra who is our Assistant District Governor and will continue to be during Fausto’s year.
Fausto did make it clear that we will be meeting on July 3rd, the tyrant.
Joe then gave out his last club award, a Presidential Award to Sue Gajewski for all of her hard work as Treasurer.
Don Pilon then provided more of an explanation of our upcoming miniature golf fundraiser. The event will be on August 3 and 4 and it will take place at Aquaboggan, Schooners Mini Golf and Martel’s Ice Cream. I believe Don may be the resident pro at Martel’s. He has his own line of rubber headed putters (that is a real thing and not a sexual reference so get your heads out of the gutter). Don is still trying to persuade Pirate’s Cove to come on board undoubtedly with the type of diplomacy associated with a jackhammer.
Don will be looking for 54 hole sponsors ($100) so please keep your hands on your wallets. RP Bell will be a venue sponsor and I am now happy to announce that Saco and Biddeford Savings will be another venue sponsor. Wouldn’t it be nice if a huge credit union like Atlantic Federal Credit Union with all of its excess cash associated with the income taxes it does not pay could pony up and be the third venue sponsor. Don why don’t you pay Lucie a visit and stay in the lobby until she says yes.
In addition to the hole sponsors and the venue sponsors each venue will be donating $1.00 per round to Rotary on August 3 and 4. I understand the committee may be working on some other ways to raise money during the event so stay tuned. It will be promoted on something called social media and in the actual media as well.
438 Main StreetSaco, Maine 04072
Joe announce that he was holding in his THC stained fingers (he really said that) a check to Thornton Academy for $25,000.00 which he presented to Haley Thompson. Again, on behalf of TA’s Capital Campaign Committee and the school, I want to thank the club and all of its members for its generous support of TA’s new athletic facilities.
Speaking of Haley Thompson she won the 50/50 and donated it back to our real Sergeant at Arms, Matt Simmons, who made a cameo appearance for Joe’s last day as president.
Matt did get up as SAA and first thanked Heather for filling in for him so ably in his absence, funny his ankle bracelet barely showed. Matt solicited happy dollars with some success including:
- President Joe was happy his year was over.
- Bob Westra was happy to be our ADG for another year and he was happy to present Fausto with his new president’s pin which will look sharp on his t-shirt.
- Marty Grohman was happy to have attended the District Conference where he apparently built a mini-library for little tiny books.
- Brian Dallaire was happy the club and its members donated over $10,000 to the Rotary Foundation, well done!
- Ken Farley was happy that his daughter graduated from Biddeford High School and is headed to college in Canada.
- Steve Morin was happy his daughter got her physical therapy doctorate and has a job, but first she is traveling in Scotland.
- Mark Nahorney was still gushing over his Paul Harris Award.
- Conrad and his wife survived a one week visit with their granddaughter.
Matt then dished out a few fines including fining Joe for his wife’s phone going off, Fausto for some Facebook post, Denis for a yawn (speaking of which is that the best you have Simmons?) Heather Gendron for holding up the line, Roland Gagne for never being here (the pot telling the kettle it is of color), Don Pilon for commenting on my age despite the fact I believe he is either old enough to be my father or at least acts like that old man who constantly yells at you to get off his lawn, and Matt fined me for something totally unjustified and not worth repeating.
Joe then spent at least two minutes on his unrehearsed swan song. He thanked us for asking him to be president and he appreciated the comradery of the club and liked that he got to know some members better. He also encouraged everyone to get involved in the leadership of the Club. He thought that one of his biggest achievements was getting rid of at least one felt banner (way to aim high).
Fausto then presented Joe with his presidential plague, and Rotary rocking chair with no rocking parts so it’s just a chair. Joe and Fausto then handled the transition about as smoothly as Joe handled his agenda throughout the year.
Before I jump into Fausto’s lengthy opening remarks, I do want to take a moment and thank Joe on behalf of the club. When Bernice resigned and Fausto was not ready to step into the presidential position (look it up it is a real position), the Club was in a bind. I volunteered to call Joe (yes I called Joe Bornstein to sue Bernice, but he would not take the case). Joe Moreshead really did not hesitate and stepped in just before PETs and never looked back. With no real ramp up time Joe did a great job keeping the club moving forward, encouraging people to get involved and promoting a fun (if not too politically correct from time to time) atmosphere. We clearly owe him our thanks for stepping up the way he did.
Now onto President Fausto who has already broken the mold by making his opening remarks at the same meeting at which Joe made his departing remarks. Fausto did thank Joe for what he did for the club and for their 13 years of friendship.
Fausto warned us that he likes to swear, but who gives a shit. He loves the club because he can be himself and I suspect we will be seeing more of him this year, or at least I hope so. Fausto recognizes the good that the club does and hopes to get us out into the community more. He would like to have more classification talks so people get to know each other better. He hopes that he will able to do the position justice especially when it comes to the club’s 100th anniversary which is truly a big deal.
As Joe passed the gavel to Fausto, I could not help but thinking Fausto is a good man with a big heart who, if he can find the time, could be a really fun and effective president for our club. Good luck Fausto. Oh, incidentally, Fausto rang the bell adjourning the meeting but not officially ending Joe’s reign which will last until midnight on June 30.
That’s pretty much it from the peanut gallery. I want to thank the 3 people who read the Tack each week, and I want to thank Sabine for her efforts in writing the Tack along with our other contributing writers. I also want to thank Brian Dallaire for putting the notes in the appropriate Tack format each week and getting it out to our 3 loyal readers.
31 years ago, I was in my second year in Rotary at the Colonial Hut (picture a restaurant where the 7-11 is now in Biddeford) and I was asked to write the Tack every week. Back then I dictated it (I type it now) and it was photocopied and put into this nice pre-printed color folder. They were distributed at the meeting each week and people could not wait to read them (believe it or not I was perhaps more irreverent back then than I am now). I still enjoy writing the Tack but doing it for the large part of a year gets a little old. Furthermore, like newspapers, I know that my Tack readership has shrunk so I do not feel that it is worth as much of an effort as it used to be.
In any event I hope that some of you enjoyed it. I will undoubtedly throw a peanut or two going forward, but not every week. Just make sure that you make the effort to laugh and to make others laugh every day. It’s good for the climate.
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92% of funds are spent on programs and operations
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