We often hear that change is good for any organization and sometimes welcomed. Fortunately, Bill and I are a lot alike so this coming year shouldn't change too much if you’ve enjoyed this past year. To ease your mind, I thought I would state some of the obvious similarities and things to expect during this coming year:
Bill works for THE BANK so he
• pays taxes
• charges you fees
• will give you a loan if you’re a star with an A credit rating right after he makes you jump through hoops
• has all kinds of time on his hands to write lovely Tack messages AND
• never takes vacation unless forced because work is just like vacation.
I work for THE CREDIT UNION so I
• don’t pay taxes
• don’t charge you fees
• give you a loan immediately, even if you’re credit score is less than perfect.
• so busy helping the “members” that I don’t have time to write clever TACK messages AND
• I take vacation every chance I can because work is work
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Now, that I have identified the similarities between our jobs, I will point out some in our personal lives:
• Bill has three kids - two boys and one girl. I have three kids – two girls and one husband.
• Bill grew up in Saco and loves Thornton Academy. I grew up in Biddeford and love the Biddeford Schools.
• Bill speaks fluent English. I speak fluent French.
• Bill invests less than $20 to maintain his grey-haired look. I invest well over $20 every 2 weeks to maintain this Lucille Ball image.
• Bill struggles with delegating so he spent the entire day at each project we did this past year. I love to delegate so I promise you will see me at the projects but I trust in all of you that I do not need to be present all day.
• Bill has a way with words and somehow makes insults sound humorous. I am not a wordsmith so will most likely just insult you.
• Bill doesn’t have a worry in the world, except BINGO which is very stressful to him. I worry about everything in the world except BINGO.
• Bill is afraid of his wife. Doug is afraid of me. AND
• Bill is a lawyer. Thankfully, I am not.
See, we are extremely similar so I don’t expect you to see any drastic changes in the year to come. Aren’t you thankful?
In all seriousness, I would be lying if I didn’t admit I am extremely nervous about being President. I know I am not the first Rotarian to feel this way, and enough of you have told me, “The Club runs itself” but it is everyone coming together to pitch in that makes this club successful. I am going to ask you to please support me in this effort through a new motto and hopefully my legacy – JUST SAY YES!
• If I come to you and ask for your help, JUST SAY YES, even if it is out of your comfort zone.
• If a fellow Rotarian is planning a service project and needs our help, JUST SAY YES, even if it is the third Saturday in a row.
• If you are asked to help the Interact students with their ventures, JUST SAY YES, because it is our responsibility to mentor those future Rotarians. AND
• If you are asked to sell another ticket or solicit another auction item, JUST SAY YES, because it is those fundraising dollars that allow us to change this community.
Now, let’s practice – Repeat after me – Just say yes. Great job!
Each year the Foundations asks each President to think about what they would like to accomplish and set goals. I plan to keep our fundraisers the same and I may add some other fellowship or community service projects but overall, I know whatever goals I set we will exceed because that is just how amazing this Club is. We have a superb group of Rotarians in this Club who care about our community and world at-large, helping each other and like to have fun doing it.
Therefore, the goal I have set is simple – I challenge each of you to find your “spark,” as Andy would say. What are your interests? What do you want to spend your time doing that could improve our community? Maybe it’s in your current skill set or maybe you want to try something totally different. What committee do you want to be on? I urge you to take the opportunity, take the leap, and get involved. Don’t let Rotary be just a weekly meeting with friends to further your business goals. Let Rotary be a conduit for service and I guarantee it will have an incredible impact on your life. I want to ensure everyone is invested and involved because that is when the true connection with Rotary occurs. I guarantee it will be time well spent and you will not have any regrets.
I am confident with your support, and a JUST SAY YES attitude, we can achieve our goals.
As you all know, we lost Leon Last week. Leon joined the club around the same time that I did and he was sponsored by Past President and Civic Leader J. Richard Martin. Being sponsored by Dick alone is indicative of your strong character and Leon was a character. To be honest, we do not lose many current Rotarians to death so when it happens it is kind of tough. Remembering Leon helps.
Leon was an incredibly quick-witted wise cracking individual, so yes, I loved his sense of humor. The side comments from Leon were priceless and while he frequently muttered them, so not all could hear, they were many times repeated because they were worth repeating.
Leon loved his convertible and always gave a happy dollar when he was able to put that top down for the first time in the spring. Leon was extremely proud of his family and especially his youngest daughter who he mentioned all the time.
Leon experienced some tough times in his life, losing a daughter and surviving a liver transplant, but through his long liver transplant ordeal he kept his sense of humor and he paid the donation of the liver to him forward by speaking to many Rotary Clubs and other organizations about the virtues of being an organ donor. I do remember him talking to our club about organ donation. He spoke eloquently with the appropriate mix of humor and dramatic flair all of which was clearly from the heart, or in Leon’s case from the liver. He could not get through his talk without a tear or two of his own and many from us in the room. He was a great advocate for organ donation and I am certain his efforts truly had a significant impact on others.
Leon was not without his flaws. After all, one of his chief running buddies was James Audiffred with whom he cooked many a meal at the local food kitchens and the Ronald McDonald house. Leon’s saving grace was that he gave James crap all the time.
Leon was a Paul Harris Award recipient, a past Sergeant at Arms and a member of our club who will be missed. I only hope that the top is down now and Leon is driving down the road in a brand new Jag.
President Lucie:
If you have gone to the website, Lucie’s entire speech is there. Of course I have a few comments. First, Lucie acknowledges that I pay taxes and she does not pay taxes. Now, I have given her crap about the credit union not paying taxes, but she apparently feels that, as a credit union employee, she is also exempt from taxation. As a result of this admission I am seeking a reward from both the IRS and the Maine Department of Revenue for her failure to pay her share and I suspect that Jackson’s presidency may have to start a little early.
Lucie started out by saying that “change is good for an organization” and then proceeded to explain why she and I are similar so no changes should be expected. Ergo, if you follow that logic, change is good but there will be no change and therefore this year should suck. While I am sure that will not be the case, I am certain that this year will be anything but logical.
Lucie’s catch phrase is “Just Say Yes” which I believe I had on a t-shirt in college and it did not work for me. I checked with Doug Kay and he assured me that Lucie does not follow her own philosophy at home even on a harvest moon. But, I am sure that yet again our members will step up and say yes time and time again for two reasons. First, it is the right thing to do and second, to get Lucie off your back. Let’s face it, the best fundraiser all year will inevitably be the “whine-tasting” event based on the amount of whine we have endured already.
There is no doubt that we will have another great year (especially if Lucie is indicted for her admitted failure to pay taxes). She has a busy slate already with fellowship and fundraisers scheduled. So, just say yes (God I wish that expression really would work), and we will have a fun year despite our diabolical new Sergeants at Arms who appear so unassuming but will cause at least one personal bankruptcy before the year is over.
Your Scribe Bill who continues to be a regular contributor to the Saco Sewer System.
The 4th WOMAN to become our club’s President, Lucie Kay, promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. She announced that we would be sticking to singing a patriotic song once a month but it would be at the end of the month instead of the beginning. Pierre took a stab at leading the group with the 4 Way Test and Paul Deschambault provided the invocation. A moment of silence was held for one of our beloved Rotarian, Leon Tranchemontagne, who recently passed away, as the club Charter was draped in a black cloth. Rotarians wishing to pay their respects were asked to meet at 5:15 p.m. at Cote’s Funeral Parlor in Saco (07/08) so we could enter together. The church service was held on Saturday, 07/09, at St. Brendan’s Church in Biddeford Pool
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President-Elect Jackson Brown took center stage as he introduced visiting guests and Rotarians. There were no visiting Rotarians, however, Susan Gajewski brought her husband Chuck, Heather McLean brought her daughter Sabina (and put her to work at the front desk) and Dana Lane brought Kristin Lane (I know they are related but I missed the introductory meeting.)
Announcements:
PE Jackson Brown was celebrating 11 years in Rotary!
07/20/16, there will be a joint meeting with the Saco Bay Club and the Saco Bay Sunset Club at the Dune Grass from 6:00 p.m. – 800 p.m. This joint meeting will take the place of our regular meeting that day.
We will be welcoming our new District Governor, Marge Barker. Brian Dallaire will set up an “event” with Club Runner so watch for an email. Susan Gajewski will need a head count to provide Dune Grass.
08/07/16 (Sunday, 3:00 p.m.) is the Lobster Bake (spearheaded by Joe Moreshead) that is put on by our Rotary club. It was one of the auction items that brought in big bucks! Joe is looking for volunteers to help with the event. It will be held on Amherst Street in Biddeford. Please contact Joe if you are able to lend a hand or two. Post meeting the date has changed to July 31.
08/20/16, Fellowship Event at the Kays at Hills Beach! Members are invited to arrive between 2-3:00 p.m.
Pot Luck! Fire! Boat Ride! Amazing Sun Set! Lots of Fun! More information to come….
50/50 Raffle of $26 was won by Heather Gendron who graciously donated her winnings to the Red Ribbon Committee fund.
Susan Gajewski added a few other dates for Rotarians to plug into their calendars:
09/10/16 Beer Fest
09/17/16 Altzheimers Walk
12/18/16 Christmas Fellowship at Faustos!
The new Sargents At-Arm this Rotary year are Fausto, Matt Simmons and Sara Curley!! They jumped in full force and collected an astounding $88 on their first time. President Lucie neglected to let them know they didn’t have to meet the budget at the first meeting.
Happy Dollars were received from the following Rotarians:
Jim Audiffred for having Leon as a friend; Conrad Welzel for having a great 4th of July; “Former” President Bill Kany for getting to sit in the audience; Past President Ken Farley’s daughter got her driver’s permit; Past Woman President #2 Julie Villemaire wished Current Woman President Lucie Kay the best of luck this year; Delilah Poupore was happy to have a gig on Main Street; Brian Dallaire for having Debbie home; Dana Lane for Kristin Lane completing an application to become a member of our club; Fausto gave $30 for Rubin’s AA accomplishment.
That was enough happiness for these newbie SAA’s-it was onto the fines.
A word of advice for anyone who wasn’t at today’s meeting – bring you wallets! Joe Moreshead was fined for being the last one in; any Rotarian who had a “star” at their “VIP” table had to pay up- I’m not quite sure if ALL the tables may have had a star-hmmm; all of the prior SAA’s who were in attendance had to pay for setting the bar so high; VP Bernice Wood, Susan Gajewski, and Former President Bill Kany had to pay up for looking like they were going to push Current President Lucie off the bench in a photo op at the Changeover Dinner; President-Elect Jackson was congratulated on his 11 years but fined for stealing their thunder; Past woman President #3, Karen Chasse was fined for bringing back 80’s pictures; Pierre Gioroux was fined for forgetting to invite guests to join us in the 4 Way Test of the things we think, say OR do; Past President Denis Elie was nailed for his FaceBook being hacked again; The SAA’s didn’t want Former President Bill Kany to feel left out so he was fined “just because” and also for making everyone cry at last week’s meeting; Past President Ken Farley was fined for his FaceBook profile; Heather MacLean was fined for forgetting to list her daughter as a guest; Vice President Bernice Wood was fined for posting all of the award recipients on FaceBook EXCEPT for Fausto. They imposed the final fine of the day for Current Woman President, Lucie Kay, for her picture in the paper & also her larger than life picture on the movie screen. Susan Gajewski was fined for knowing the names of 31 martinis; Brian Dallaire was fined for his Noah’s Ark post on FaceBook; Joe Moreshead was hit up for double parking at the board meeting – Fausto brought the proof! Everyone who didn’t know the name of our current president also had to cough up a buck.
It is with sorrow that James would you like everyone in the club to know that Leon Tranchemontagne passed away on Sunday.
Tentatively calling hours will be Friday at Cote Funeral Home in Saco and the funeral will be on Saturday. Rotarian will pay their respects @5:15.
Leon P. Tranchemontagne, 76
BIDDEFORD - Leon P. Tranchemontagne, 76, of Bidde- ford, passed away Sunday morning on July 3, 2016, at Gosnell Mem- orial Hospice House in Scar- borough. He was born in Lowell, Mass., on May 16, 1940, the son of George and Beatrice (Chiasson) Tranchemontagne. Leon graduated from St. Ignatius High School in Sanford, and from New Hampshire College, Class of 1966, currently known as Southern New Hampshire University.
After college, Leon was in personnel for over 20 years at Johnson and Johnson, Dorr Woolen, Sunbeam and ITT. Before retiring, he was in real estate for 15 years and owner of Fine Homes. Leon was an automobile enthusiast. One of his greatest joys in life was taking his classic sports car for drives along the coast.
On March 30, 2003, Leon was given the gift of life through an organ transplant. After this gift, he wanted to give back by spreading awareness of organ donation throughout New England, with presentations through the Rotary Club and other organizations.
He was a devoted member of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club for over 20 years. He was a recipient of the Paul Harris Award.
Family was most important to Leon. For the last 40 years, their yearly family reunions have been a way for the family to get together and were always the highlight of his year.
He was predeceased by two brothers, Jean and Paul; and by two sisters, Lea Cote and Irene Itabashi.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Cheryl (Brennan) Tranchemontagne; three children, Lea Tranchemontagne, Karen Jack and her husband Tony, and Peter Tranchemontagne; seven grandchildren, Kaelin, Blaine, Christopher, Brandon, Jordan, Victoria, and Steffon; great-grandchildren; one brother, George; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, July 8, 2016, at Cote Funeral Home, 87 James St., Saco. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, 2016, at St. Brendan's Church in Biddeford Pool. Burial will be at a later date. To view Leon's memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit: www.cotefuneralhome.com
Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider donations to
Hospice of Southern Maine
180 U.S. Route 1, #1
Scarborough, ME 04074
- See more at: http://obituaries.pressherald.com/obituaries/mainetoday-pressherald/obituary.aspx?n=leon-p-tranchemontagne&pid=180583664&fhid=20906#sthash.rvdGQFgO.dpuf
Heather MacLean needs more volunteers!Please remember it is up to the TACK coordinator to ensure that someone is taking the minutes each week during your assigned month. If you aren’t able to take the minutes yourself, please reach out to fellow members for volunteers. Please forward the minutes to Julie Villemaire and Brian Dallaire so they can get them posted for the rest of the members.
Invocation: Joe Bassett
PROGRAM IDEA???? PLEASE CONTACT Bill Kany, PROGRAM CHAIR or a member of the Program Committee. Remember it is the responsibility of every member to help get Programs for our meetings.
Energy: Saved enough energy to light 38.9 lightbulbs—24 hours a day—for a year.
Emissions: Saved the emissions equivalent of driving a car 7,371 miles.
Volume: Diverted enough containers to fill 267.8 lobster traps.
Fill up those green bags. If you need more bags and/or labels, just let Julie Villemaire know and she can hook you up…no charge!
Simple fill with returnables and drop off at any Hannaford.
Alternately, if you already have a CLYNK account of your own, you can designate you funds as a donation. Hit the Donate button and search for Rotary and you'll find our account.
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