Stories
Rotarians are PEOPLE of ACTION, PROBLEM SOLVERS, & COMMUNITY BUILDERS
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Mayor Alan CasavantIt is truly a pleasure to welcome you to the City of Biddeford! Over the past several years, our community has witnessed a resurgence of community pride and investment in what has become known as the “Biddesance”. We are emerging from years of simply defining ourselves as a mill town into a modern, vibrant community that is proud of both its past and its present, while excitedly anticipating its future. Our citizens are passionate about the changes we are making here, and the community energy that has been discovered is what makes Biddeford a special place to live, work, and play. With our diverse new local restaurants, shops, and our engaging artistic community, we have something to offer everyone in our growing downtown. Our once-abandoned mills are thriving again, thanks to business owners and entrepreneurs who have found innovative ways to make the space their own. Our growing partnership with the University of New England and its students is helping to bring a youthful vibrancy to the City (our median age is 35), and it is an honor to have Maine’s largest private university call Biddeford home. We are also fortunate to have such unique natural assets like our picturesque sandy beaches, the Saco River, and our diverse set of public parks available right at our fingertips. Because we are so proud of the work we are doing here to make Biddeford better for our residents, we want to make sure information about all that we have to offer is easy for everyone to access. As part of this commitment to transparency, we have recently updated our website to ensure that we are providing the best service to our citizens that we possibly can. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for assistance if you cannot find what you are looking for. Whether you call Biddeford home or are just stopping in for a visit, we hope you thoroughly enjoy your time here. |
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Earl A. Goodwin KINDNESS in the COMMUNITYEarl A. Goodwin's KINDNESS in the COMMUNITY Day! The Rotarians of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club are honored to have spread lots of KINDNESS in the COMMUNITY DAY on December 7, 2022 and again on March 8, 2023! Rotarians selected a KINDNESS TASK envelope and headed out into the community fulfill an ACT OF KINDNESS in the name of Earl Goodwin. In Rotary fashion, it is no surprise that Earl choose to give back to Rotary when he passed. In lieu of flowers, he and his wife Stasia, have requested donations be made in Earl's name to the Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco's Charitable Giving Fund. Donations can be made to The Earl A. Goodwin Memorial Fund and mailed to The Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco, PO Box 298, Saco, ME 04072. Anyone wishing to contribute to the Earl A. Goodwin Charitable Fund may send their contribution to the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, PO Box 298, Saco, ME 04072. Thank you.
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Meeting Location to Change
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Brenda Pollock the 5th woman to lead the 102-Year-Old Biddeford-Saco Rotary ClubBrenda Pollock the 5th woman to lead the 102-Year-Old Biddeford-Saco Rotary ClubJuly 28, 2022Brenda Pollack is the new president of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club. From left are: Emily Thayer, Maddison Thayer, Hunter Thayer, Brenda Pollock and David Pollock. Courtesy photo BIDDEFORD — Brenda Pollock became president of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club on June 29. She is the fifth female president of the 102-year-old club. Helene Plourde was the organization’s first woman to lead it. Julie Villemaire was the second woman to accept the role in 2010, followed by Karen Chasse in 2012, and Lucie Kay in 2016. Pollock’s first club meeting was held on June 13 where she presented her goals as president of the organization. Her grandson, 7-year-old Hunter Thayer, helped her lead the Pledge of Allegiance at her inaugural meeting. “My family is my inspiration,” said Pollock. “And seeing me lead this amazing group of professionals, committed to make our world a better place, will inspire them to help in our communities where we can.” The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club has made substantial contributions to the Biddeford – Saco area, including establishing the 72-acre Rotary Park on Main Street in Biddeford that offers citizens walking trails, two playgrounds, a lighted softball field, youth football field, a teen center, dog park, skate park, a boat launch, sliding hills, picnic grove with tables and grills, swimmers beach with seasonal lifeguards, sand volleyball court and a 9-hole disc golf course. Each year, the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club actively engages in ways to help its communities. The main focuses are helping children, seniors, and veterans. In 2020, the club organized a raised bed garden project and took addressing food impoverished assistance to the next level. Ken Farley, a past president of the club and a Rotarian since 1987, leads this committee each year. Every Christmas, Biddeford-Saco Rotarians take on Christmas gift wish lists from more than 80 children and make them come true. Adopt-A-Family is a Rotary holiday project designed to assist families who are in crisis because of unemployment, homelessness, medical issues, or other difficult circumstances, and who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to celebrate the holidays. “Our Club brightens the Holidays for needy children,” said Heather Gendron, committee chair. “This committee organizes the list of families, manage the shopping, organize giftwrapping, and the delivery of presents. It’s a gratifying cause for Rotarians.” Pollock outlined a budget for the 2022-23 Rotary year, that will provide scholarships for seniors, summer camp sponsorships for local youth, an essay contest with prizes for the top finalists for eighth graders from Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach schools; leadership camp grants for teens entering their sophomore year of high school; and more. “Joe Moreshead is chair of the charitable giving committee,” Pollock said. “He and his team review applications from local citizens who sometimes, fall through the cracks for much needed assistance. That’s when Rotarians are able to step in and help.” In addition to the many service projects these Rotarians will sponsor, one of their goals is to invite anyone who may be interested in becoming a Rotarian, to attend a meeting. “It seems like everything is just a bit more difficult today,” Pollock said. “The fun, the fellowship, and the chance to do something for somebody else and to sense the self-fulfillment that comes in the process is deeply rewarding.” For more information on the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, it’s committees, events, and meeting times, visit www.biddeford-sacorotary.org.
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Week in Review 7/13/2022Fellow Rotarians, Let me begin by thanking you for entrusting me to be your President for the 2022-2023 Rotary year. It is an honorable privilege and a responsibility I accept humbly and seriously. It is indeed a pleasure to be at the helm as we forge into our one-hundred-second year of existence as a service organization. The benchmark is set so that we expect only an upward trajectory in the years to come. I must commend the charter members who had a vision of creating a vibrant club that would act and has acted by Rotary’s standards of contributing positively to the society, and ultimately do good in the world. I look forward to a year of fun, fellowship, and doing good in our community and around the world. This is our time. To share our talents and be a gift to our communities. What we do this year as Rotarians, will endure forever. It may not be carved in granite or marble, but in the lives and hearts of generations. This is our time. I was honored to have my husband David, my daughter Emily, my grandchildren Maddison and Hunter, present for my inaugural meeting. My son, Billy Hanson, joined via Zoom from Los Angeles. Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. You are my inspiration. The committees of this organization are our foundation. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to chair a committee. Set your goals high. I look forward to your innovative ideas and seeing of your many success stories. At your earliest convenience, please submit to me your schedule of events for the year. I’ll be preparing a calendar of events that will be posted on our website. By the 25th of each month, kindly communicate all committee volunteer hours to our club Secretary. As we look to apply for future Rotary grants, these hours are critical to include in the application. Anyone interested in assuming the role of Assistant Secretary to help our club Secretary this year, please contact either Julie Villemaire or myself. We’ll be happy to discuss with you the duties and responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary role. Joe Moreshead, Sergeant of Arms for the day, was happy to commence fining his fellow Rotarians for any number of reasons. He reminded the group of his infamous declaration; It’s for the children. The role of Sergeant of Arms is a group effort this year, led by Jim Labelle. There is lots of fun to come from this group this year. Reminder – 50/50 Raffle will commence next week. To help with the managing of this event, we respectfully ask Rotarians who would like to participate in the weekly event, to please bring cash. From L to R are : Emily Thayer, Maddison Thayer, Hunter Thayer, Brenda Pollock, and David Pollock. I am excited to announce the COMMUNITY PROJECT I have selected for my year is a SPLASH PAD. More to come on this project. We are excited to have our fellow Rotarian, Bill Paterson as guest speaker next week at our meeting. He will give us an update on the District’s Recovery Initiative Committee and discuss some of the Program Committee’s ideas for the upcoming year. I look forward to seeing you next week. July 20th at Dizzy Bird’s Rotisserie, 65 Main St, Biddeford, ME 04005 at 12:15 pm or via Zoom: Join Rotary Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3330952382?pwd=U0VkVzZ6bW1IMzdhZmFpRHdwUG1aQT09 Choose Kindness. Brenda |
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Rotary Mini-Golf for Good TournamentFellow Rotarians, Planning has begun for our 3rd Annual Mini Golf for Good Tournament on Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 at Raptor Falls, Arundel, Pirate's Cove, Old Orchard Beach, and Martel's, Saco. We will host a special Rotary challenge on Saturday at 3pm at Raptor Falls, with an award ceremony to follow at Bentley's Saloon. Come play a friendly round with a $10.00 ante (in addition to course admission fee). Lowest score takes home 50 percent of the ante money AND the highly coveted Mini Golf for Good Championship Trophy. The other 50 percent will go to the club to support worthy causes in our community. Want to help?? 1. We are asking all club members to find two hole sponsors ($100 each) for the event. These can be your place of business, personal sponsorships or your favorite frequented establishments. Please use the attached form. 2. Volunteer to help set up and take down hole signage at the event locations. You can sign up through this google link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S7-LLJG0pOwefEI7A0bCR2MIRU2eq7svtQBsUGTebXw/edit?usp=sharing 3. Join the Mini Golf for Good Committee and help us make this event a wild success! This is a huge fundraiser for our club and allows us to support wonderful programs for youth and veterans in our community. If you are interested in joining this fun committee, please let Haley Thompson know at haley.thompson@thorntonacademy.org. Thank you for your support! Haley |
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Rotary Committees 22-23Hello all, If you have already shared your committee selection(s) with me, thank you! If you have not, please try to do so by the 18th. Thank you kindly. Brenda
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No Meeting Today 7/6/2022I trust you all had an enjoyable 4th of July holiday! It’s officially summertime!!! Just a reminder, there will be NO BOARD or REGULAR MEETING tomorrow, July 6th. We will commence the new Rotary year on Wednesday, July 13th at 7:45 am for the Board Meeting – In Person at 180 Pool St, Biddeford, ME 04005 or board members may join in via Zoom https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3330952382?pwd=U0VkVzZ6bW1IMzdhZmFpRHdwUG1aQT09 Meeting ID: 333 095 2382 Password: 582182 Regular meeting – July 13th at 12:15 pm - Dizzy Birds Rotisserie (65 Main St, Biddeford, ME 04005) or join in via Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3330952382?pwd=U0VkVzZ6bW1IMzdhZmFpRHdwUG1aQT09 Meeting ID: 333 095 2382 Password: 582182 Presentation: President Brenda Pollock will give an overview of Rotary year ahead. New logo pins will be presented to Board Members & Committee Chairs. Be Kind. Brenda |
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RI President 22-23
Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact. “As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.” As the first woman to be nominated to be president, Jones understands how important it is to follow through on Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement. “I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion … begins at the top and for us to realize growth in female membership and members under the age of forty — these demographics need to see their own reflection in leadership,” Jones said. “I will champion double-digit growth in both categories while never losing sight of our entire family.” Jones is founder and president of Media Street Productions Inc., an award-winning media company in Windsor. She was chair of the board of governors of the University of Windsor and chair of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized for her service with the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award, a first for a Canadian. Jones holds a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.). A current Rotary Foundation trustee, Jones has been a Rotary member since 1997 and has served Rotary as RI vice president, director, training leader, committee chair, moderator, and district governor. She played a lead role in Rotary’s rebranding effort by serving as chair of the Strengthening Rotary’s Advisory Group. She is the co-chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee, which aims to raise $150 million for polio eradication efforts. Jones recently led the successful #RotaryResponds telethon, which raised critical funds for COVID-19 relief and was viewed by more than 65,000. Jones has also received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service. She and her husband, Nick Krayacich, are members of The Rotary Foundation’s Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, and the Bequest Society. The members of the Nominating Committee for the 2022-23 President of Rotary International are: Robert L. Hall, Dunwoody, Metro Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bradford R. Howard Oakland Uptown, California, USA; Per Høyen, Aarup, Gelsted, Denmark; Peter Iblher, Nürnberg-Reichswald, Zirndorf, Germany; Ashok Mahajan, Mulund, Mah., India; Sam Okudzeto, Accra, Accra, Ghana; Eduardo San Martín Carreño, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; Takeshi Matsumiya, Chigasaki-Shonan, Chigasaki Kanagawa, Japan; Michael K. McGovern (secretary), Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA; José Alfredo Pretoni, São Paulo-Sul, São Paulo, Brazil; Saowalak Rattanavich, Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand; Hendreen Dean Rohrs, Langley Central, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; Kenneth M. Schuppert, Jr (chair)., Decatur, Alabama, USA; Ravindra P. Sehgal, Belur, West Bengal, India; Noel Trevaskis, Merimbula, Tura Beach, Australia; Giuseppe Viale, Genova, Genova, Italy; and Chang-Gon Yim, Daegu-West, Daegu, Korea. |
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Biddeford Saco Rotary Annual AwardsWelcome to the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club’s annual awards meeting. I know some people are here to make presentations and we will get to them shortly. At the outset I want to thank all the Rotarians who took the time to suggest some incredibly worthy candidates for these awards. Your input to the committee was invaluable and most of this year’s winners came from your suggestions. Unfortunately, we cannot honor all of the people you suggested, but I can assure you they were all worthy of recognition. Stephen King once said: “Don’t let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far alone.” Our Club has made the effort to say thank you to people or organizations that make a difference in our communities since 1988 in giving out our Private, Public and Humanitarian Awards and since 2000 in giving out our Vocational Service Award. The awards have gone either to club members or to individuals or organizations outside the club whose acts of kindness, generosity and caring help to make our communities and the world a little better. I have had the privilege of chairing this committee for longer than I can remember, and I know that most of our past recipients have not been people looking for recognition, and in fact, most of them would prefer to keep doing what they do away from the spotlight. Our club, however, feels that our award recipients deserve a resounding thank you for their good works and it is our hope that by acknowledging the wonderful things these folks do we will inspire others to get involved and do great things. PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment usually in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, outside of his or her employment. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. In the past I have read off some of our most recent winners of this award but this year I thought I would go back to 2000 and list off some of the winners during the early 2000s. They included: 2000 John Wasileski 2001 Carrie Shaw 2002 Alan Nelson 2003 Joe Grondin 2004 Lou Chantigny Recipient was not able to make it on June 15 so we will give this one later. PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. Read names of Past Winners 2000 Roland “Ron” Michaud 2001 Carl J. Stasio, Jr. 2002 Dick Tryon 2003 Gen. Wallace H. Nutting 2004 William Johnson May Sarton, a Belgian American poet once said: “Do not deprive me of my age. I have earned it.” We are all getting older, it’s inevitable and certainly beats the alternative. We live in the oldest state in the nation. Our elderly deserve our respect and our gratitude, but so often they are an overlooked segment of our society. While they may be getting older many of them are a hardy lot too stubborn or proud to ask for our help. A few years ago Saco took the step of developing Age Friendly Saco, A Community for a Lifetime. The initiative was based on concepts developed by the World Health Organization designed to enable people of all ages to participate in community events while insuring that all people are treated with respect regardless of age. It keeps older people connected while enabling them to remain in their homes. It is a highly collaborative effort involving a separate tax exempt organization, the City of Saco as well as other organizations. Creating and then developing the programs of this organization took true vision and leadership. Such efforts frequently fizzle without strength at the top. Age Friendly Saco is a vibrant action organization thanks in large part to its President who has served in that role since its inception. Her hard work has insured that a concept is now an admirable set of services and benefits for our seniors. For all of her hard work to support our seniors, this year’s Public Sector Award winner is Jean Saunders. While I was researching quotes about aging I came across this anonymous quote that I loved. “I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather, … not screaming and yelling like the passengers on his bus.” HUMANITARIAN AWARD The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. Read names of Past Winners 2000 Ruth Anderson 2001 James Audiffred 2002 Mary’s Walk 2003 Roland Gagne 2004 Thomas Haley Most of you have heard of the Heart of Biddeford. Its mission statement says “Heart of Biddeford, powered by the strength of community involvement, fosters a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable downtown for residents, businesses and visitors.” Started back in 2004 the HOB has worked tirelessly to promote a revitalization of Biddeford’s downtown from attracting new businesses, promoting the arts, improving the overall quality of life and working to beautify the urban core. Mayor Casavant observed of downtown: “This is the place to germinate the rediscovery and renaissance of Biddeford.” As someone who has lived in this area almost my whole life I can tell you the transformation of downtown Biddeford is nothing short of miraculous. All of the HOB’s efforts recently culminated in the HOB receiving the prestigious Great American Main Street Award which recognizes communities for the excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. That is National recognition. The HOB is a volunteer driven group with an executive director and an office manager. Its executive director is the conductor of a huge orchestra which has composed an absolutely incredible symphony. The HOB’s leader has unbelievable enthusiasm for all that is Biddeford. Her ability to promote the area and its arts while respecting and preserving its history and culture is inspiring. There is no question that the heart of the HOB is this year’s Humanitarian Award recipient, a past member of our Club, Delilah Poupore VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. Read names of Past Winners 2000 Carl Goodwin 2001 A. William Kany, Jr. 2002 Ron Gagnon 2003 Steven Foran 2004 Frank Paul Imagine you’re a high school student who doesn’t particularly like school a lot, doesn’t really think traditional college is for them and their goal is to graduate from high school, get a job and make some money. Their family role models, if any, are not always positive. They are not really sure what they want to do. They are frequently late for school, so the concept of being on time is illusive. They have never been taught how to shake hands or how to dress for work, and they definitely don’t like being told what to do. Prime candidates to be good employees, maybe not. However, concerns about making good career choices and improving employability are being addressed at the Center of Technology. This year’s recipient of our Vocational Service Award helped create the COT’s career development program from scratch which is helping students find their career pathways. She is teaching career readiness and working to help students develop the soft skills needed to make them good employees. This person also coordinates real job opportunities with local businesses to expose students to job and career opportunities while providing businesses with potential candidates to fill job vacancies. This person regularly checks in with the employers and holds students accountable when they don’t show up, show up late or have other issues with their workplace. She teaches two classes at the COT which help students select a career and provide them with readiness and employability skills. Those are things many of us take for granted, but in fact they really need to be learned. Paulette Bonneau said of this person: “At home and in her work, she brings compassion, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, intelligence, and humor while holding our students to high expectations and accountability.” Paulette went on to state: “She is always willing to help her colleagues and is a true team player. She is a true professional and I am very proud of her, not only for her contributions to make COT successful, but also for her work ethic and integrity. She is one of the best hiring decisions I have made and truly appreciate her as one of my colleagues.” I have heard from several people that this person has an incredible passion for helping her students succeed while always striving to make her programs better. As parents, employers and civic leaders we all know how important such passion and drive can be. I am very happy to give this year’s Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Vocational Service Award to Tracey Collins. GOODWIN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD As many of you know, back in 2007 our Club decided to honor all of the dedication and contributions of Carl and Earl Goodwin by creating an award in their honor. In my opinion it is truly the highest honor our club can give to one of its past or present members. Based on the significance of the award I will take a second and share the names of all Past Winners: 2007 Carl and Earl Goodwin 2008 Richard Buffum 2009 David Lowe 2010 Robert Begin 2011 Roland M. Eon 2012 Roland P. Gagne 2013 Helene Plourde 2014 Julie Villemaire 2015 Jim McAllister 2016 Paul H. Deschambault 2017 Karen Chasse 2018 Jim Godbout 2019 PDG Ronald Drouin 2021 Joe Moreshead In 2017 when I gave this award to Karen Chasse I said that if I was ever building a new Rotary Club from scratch I would recruit Karen and just add water. If I was building a Club today I would enlist Karen and this individual knowing the rest would without question fall into place. A relative new member, by my standards, if you look at photos from every Rotary event or every meeting this person is not only there, but this member is getting things done. This person has done it all for the Club while also reminding us week in and week out that family is of number one importance. This person has achieved an incredible balance in life that has enabled them to become friends with just about every person in the State of Maine. While this person has never been the President of our Club, he has been the best friend of every President of this club since he joined the club about 6 years ago with a tireless commitment to doing whatever it takes to help others. When this person received our Humanitarian Award I said: ‘He provides all of this help with an incredible sense of humility and family and with a sincerity that is unsurpassed. For his willingness to put his family, his communities and those in need ahead of all else, this year’s Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Humanitarian Award now cross that out and replace it with “this year’s Goodwin Outstanding Service Award” goes to Conrad Welzel. PAUL HARRIS RECIPIENTS In 1896 a young attorney from Wallingford, Vermont moved to Chicago. He met a man named Bob Frank who demonstrated a camaraderie with local shopkeepers that impressed him and reminded him of his small town in Vermont. That desire for the fellowship of a small town inspired him to have a meeting with 3 other men on Feb. 23, 1905 which was said the be the first Rotary meeting ever. Of course, that man was Paul Harris who went on to create what became Rotary International. Unfortunately, Harris suffered from poor health and passed away in 1947. He asked that in lieu of flowers people donate to the Rotary Foundation. Upon hearing of his death, Rotary created the Paul Harris Memorial Fund which eventually included awards given in Harris’ name. Paul Harris Awards are arguably the highest distinction that can be given to people by Rotary. Our Club has had a practice of recognizing deserving members and non-members for their work in and outside the Club. Each past Paul Harris recipient has been very worthy and this year we have two more equally notable winners of the award. In no particular order: A Rotary Club, as large and as active as ours, requires a lot of hard work to make it run smoothly. It requires people to step up on a regular basis not only to complete hands on projects, but also to keep up with the day to day administrative demands. It is my sense that our first Paul Harris recipient this year is an exceptionally quiet person who took a while to get comfortable with Rotary, but this person has stepped up in a big way to help keep the club running smoothly while repeatedly showing up to help out wherever needed. Her efforts have meant a lot to Marty and to our Club, and therefore I am happy to give this year’s first Paul Harris Award to Kathy Shea. As many of you know, as we give to the Foundation we generate credit toward Paul Harris Awards. Many of our members are multiple Paul Harris recipients because of their Foundation giving including Brian Dallaire, Carl Goodwin, Roland Gagne and Joe Moreshead to name a few. It is always nice to announce when the generosity of our members results in further Paul Harris recognition for them. We have two such announcement to make. Elaine Palmitessa and Jim Godbout. |
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Biddeford Saco Rotary Awards 2022Public Sector Award: Jean Saunders, Age Friendly Saco Humanitarian Award: Delilah Poupore, Heart of Biddeford Vocational Service Award: Tracey Collins Goodwin Outstanding Service Award: Conrad Welzel Paul Harris: Kathy Shea Additionally, we highlighted multiple Paul Harris awards to Jim Godbout and Elaine Palmitessa. |
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BS Rotary President's AwardsFor Mary's president’s awards, we gave: Brian Dallaire: for the Tack, the website, and all the event invites, from wherever he is in the world, 52 weeks a year. Jim Labelle: for serving capably as Sergeant-at-Arms, keeping the mood light and fun, and involving everyone, and offending just enough Susan Gajewski: serving as Treasurer, preparing budgets, monthly reports to the board, and managing the bank account and all Club finances professionally and capably Brenda Pollock: attending to all our district obligations and conferences, overseeing the Essay Contest, getting us all sorted out with new Club shirts and jackets, and serving as President-Elect Richard Guay: for tirelessly and thanklessly serving as crossing guard at Biddeford Middle School, every morning and every afternoon, rain or shine, for 22 years and counting Rotarian of the Year: Karen Chasse. Karen ran multiple programs for the club including Red Ribbon and the Raffle, resulting in raising more than $50,000, as well as helping with communications and outreach, as “CEO Mom”. She has a can-do attitude and dives into any Club project. If Karen is involved in a project, you know it will happen, on-time and on-budget. |
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Essay Contest |
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Week in Review 6/8/2022What an amazing day we had for Past Presidents! Thank you to PP Keith Jacques in particular for your help pulling this successful meeting together -- it was wonderful to reconnect. Our Club has done, and continues to do, so much for the community. Next Wednesday the 15th is Awards Day -- I'm really looking forward to it and hoping for a good turnout. Please do make a point to join us. So many in the club have gone the extra mile this year. Please come out to honor them. Members of the community that have been nominated will be in attendance as well. And you never know, you could be receiving an award yourself! |
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Students place flags in Biddeford cemeteryFourth graders Jason Mbele and Mousa Al-Ghezi read a grave stone at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford on Thursday. BIDDEFORD — For many, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, and a day off from work or school celebrated with family get-togethers and other festivities. Local students learned this week that the day has a deeper meaning. Memorial Day, a federal holiday observed the fourth Monday of May, was established originally to honor those who died in the Civil War and later became a day to honor all American veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country. For about 30 years, Vietnam veteran Raoul Goulet has helped organize an annual event to put flags on veterans’ graves at St. Joseph’s cemetery. On Thursday morning, Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club members joined fourth graders from Biddeford Intermediate School and fifth graders from Biddeford Middle School in this year’s effort. Raoul Goulet, right, talks about Memorial Day at St. Joseph's cemetery in Biddeford on Thursday, while Martin Grohman listens. “The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is honored to be part of this project, as we have been for many years. It reminds us all of the meaning of Memorial Day,” said Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club President Martin Grohman. Goulet spoke to the students about his time serving as a combat photographer and discussed the importance of honoring veterans. Students were given flags after Goulet told them the proper way to place them, and they spread through the cemetery looking for veterans’ graves. Fourth graders Jason Mbele and Mousa Al-Ghezi eagerly scouted out veterans’ graves, flags in hand. As they placed the flags, they paused for a moment to read the graves and learn who they were honoring. “They are so excited. We did a nice presentation yesterday, so they understand why we’re here and what to do,” said teacher Lori Flynn. On Memorial Day, a group will gather at St. Joseph’s Cemetery at the central flagpole at noon to raise the US Flag to full staff, with each grave of a veteran in the cemetery marked with a flag. In all, 2,000 flags were provided by the City of Biddeford. The flags will be removed in late June and reused next year. Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.
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Vet2Vet Maine
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The Week in Review 5/25/2022Our meeting this week was fun and interesting. Chef Tom made lasagna bolognese with an unusual and tasty watermelon salad as a side. We had Judie Alessi O'Malley from Vet2Vet Maine as our speaker. Please take a second (literally, 1:58) to learn how the Vet2Vet program works. (Earlier this year our Board approved a $1000 donation from Company B to Vet2Vet Maine). Recently, we have made a number of other high impact charitable donations as well, with the funds that you have raised from our minigolf, raffle, and syrup events:
Happy Dollars:
There is no meeting on Wednesday June 1. However, the board does have a brief meeting at 745AM on Zoom, we have a couple important agenda items. Past Presidents is at Dizzy Birds on Wednesday June 8. (There is no Zoom option for this meeting. Outdoor seating will be available, weather permitting) Don't miss our Essay Contest winners presentation, on the evening Monday June 6. Thanks to PE Brenda for all your work organizing this. Watch for an invite. |
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The week in Review 5/18/2022We did not have a speaker at our meeting this week. It was a wonderful chance for us all to catch up. Chef Tom made chicken caesar salad. I guess he's trying to get us slimmed down for the summer 😀. It was very good. Happy dollars:
Scholarships: Thanks to Heather Gendron & Paulette Bonneau's leadership, our four $1000 scholarships are going out shortly, to graduating seniors at all the area high schools (Biddeford High School, Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, Old Orchard Beach HIgh School, Thornton Academy). Thanks also to Joe Moreshead for helping out with this. We are blessed to be able to have such a successful Club and help students succeed! Mini-Golf The mini-golf committee is forming up. This is a fun event that raises a lot of much needed charitable dollars for our Club. It is one of our largest fundraisers of the year. It is held in early August. We sell sponsorships to area businesses for $100 to $500 per hole, and the businesses get signage on the course and mention in our promotions. If you can serve on the committee please let Marty or Karen know. We will also need people to staff the golf courses on the weekend of the event, probably the weekend of August 6-7. Then stay and play a round -- minigolf is fun! Upcoming meetings & events: May 25: speaker from local veterans group. Featuring Chef Tom's good food, fun, happy dollars, fellowship and project updates. Guests encouraged. Thursday May 26 at 9AM, place Memorial Day flags on veterans graves at St. Joseph's Cemetery, West Street, Biddeford. Due to construction in the cemetery, park on Marion or Bernard Street and walk in. Rain or shine. June 1: no meeting (holiday week) Saturday June 4: Syrup Distribution at Pension Professionals, 9AM, 180 Pool St, Biddeford (when picking up, you can also help label syrup you sold to others to be shipped) June 8: Past Presidents. Not to be missed. All past presidents of the Club and their spouses invited. Usually our biggest crowd of the year. Note: we don't have working emails for all Past Presidents so please be in touch with any you are in contact with and encourage them to attend. June 15: Awards Day. We will be presenting all of our Club awards, and we have some exciting and very deserving awardees selected. June 22: just us, no speaker. Fun, fellowship. Trivia contest. June 29: presidential handoff. Welcome, Brenda! Note that we do not have a meeting on June 1 (because of the holiday week). Past Presidents, a meeting not to be missed, is June 8, and Awards is June 15 (the committee met this week and has chosen some very deserving awardees). All meetings are at Dizzy Birds, 65 Main Street, Biddeford, at 12:15. Thank you for putting your profession to work for the good of the community! |
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Essay Contest |
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Week in Review 5/11/2022We've been having fun, interesting meetings, with a good core group turning out. We need about 17 people to break even at Dizzy Birds. It's nice if you sign up, to make it easier for me to plan the meeting (such as choosing someone to give the invocation), but it's not a must. Feel free to bring a guest. We had two great guests last week, Brad and Ramin. Chef Tom always makes something good (it's not just chicken). In fact, last week, it was Thanksgiving, which was fun. The week before that, it was fajitas. There's always plenty, and if you're in a hurry, grab a takeout box and bring lunch back to the office. For your calendar, here's our schedule of upcoming meetings (all at Dizzy Birds) through the month of June, as well as other events to get involved with:
Note that we do not have a meeting on June 1 (because of the holiday week). Past Presidents, a meeting not to be missed, is June 8, and Awards is June 15 (the committee met this week and has chosen some very deserving awardees). All meetings are at Dizzy Birds, 65 Main Street, Biddeford. |
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Week in Review 5/4/2022We had a fun meeting last week, although turnout was a little light, and interesting speakers from the 9,300 acre Rachel Carson preserve, which makes up much of our Maine coast from Wells to Scarborough. Our presenters, USAF Veteran Tom Wall, and biologist Rachel Stern from the US Fish & Wildlife Service were interesting. One takeaway is that this is a large preserve with lots of programming for the community, including for children, and they encourage to visit and get involved -- it's a hidden gem (notwithstanding the fact that there is a picture of the preserve on the wall at Dizzy Birds -- $5 from Marty for anyone who can point it out!). We do not want a Silent Spring, except maybe from PP Joe! This week, let's make sure to all turn out for Jen Fullmer & Team Hakim's presentation. Last fall, Jen presented on their dramatic exodus from Kabul, Afghanistan. Now this family of eleven is settled here in Biddeford. You won't want to miss this story; along with our usual good food and fellowship. Today, we are sending $595 from Clynk proceeds to a young student, Onyango, in Kisumu, Kenya. This is an incredible amount of help for her, and will pay part of her high school tuition. C'mon now, I know we all drink four cans of seltzer water a day... please use our Rotary Clynk bags! I will have some bags & stickers at Dizzy Birds this week. Happy Dollars: Sergeant at Arms Jim led a very interesting challenge, for each member to give the next line of the Star Spangled Banner, as we went around the room. If I asked you right now, could you give the first line of the second verse? I didn't think so. That'll be a dollar!!
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Family Garden ProjectAs we plan the final stages of a great service project we are still in need of volunteers. Many hands make light work and I'm asking all of you to commit to helping at least one day and hopefully more. We need volunteers for the following: Saturday, May 7th from 9 am to noon: Looking for a couple more volunteers to help assemble metal and wood raised garden beds for Biddeford Community Gardens at Rotary Park in Biddeford. Saturday, May 14th from 9 am to noon: We need 5 more volunteers to install raised garden beds for our Family Garden project. The plan is to have two teams of four deliver four raised garden beds each. Additional details will be emailed the week of the event. We will need the following tools for each team; wheel barrow, 2-3 shovels, a steel rake and a cordless screw gun. Saturday, May 21st from 9 am to noon: We need 6 more volunteers to install raised garden beds for our Family Garden project. The plan is to have two teams of four deliver four raised garden beds each. Additional details will be emailed the week of the event. We will need the following tools for each team; wheel barrow, 2-3 shovels, a steel rake and a cordless screw gun. Please let me know which day(s) you can help. Thanks a lot. Yours in service, Ken Farley |
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Week in Review 4/27/2022-Great speaker this week: Have you ever wondered about the Rachel Carson Preserve? It covers more than 5,000 acres and 50 miles of Maine coast. Two members of the staff will attend to tell us more about the preserve and its history and programs. -Thanks to Paulette for running the meeting last week. I hope that some of us can sign up to provide rides for the MaineWorks program. -This Saturday is the first volunteer opportunity for the Raised Bed Garden project. Please see story from Ken Farley with details. -Do you plan to attend our District Conference on May 14? Brenda is attending and hopes others will join. -Remember that we will be placing flags at St Joseph's Cemetery on West Street in Biddeford on Thursday May 26 at 9AM. -It's time to nominate for our annual awards ceremony! Please get your nominations to Bill Kany, in the categories of . Awards Day will be June 15. |
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Annual B_S Rotary Awards-NominationsFor longer than I can remember I have been sending out this annual solicitation for award nominees, and I have to say this may be my last, but I digress. Again it is time for the Awards Committee (whoever that may be) to get together to select worthy recipients for the Club’s public sector, private sector, humanitarian and vocational awards. Included herewith is a description of each award and a list of past recipients of each award. What the committee needs from you are suggested award recipients in each category. Please note, that in almost every instance, the awards are given to people suggested to the committee by members of our Club. While award recipients are frequently members of our Club, they do not have to be members. In fact, most of the time the recipients are not members of the Club. I would also point out that even if you do not have an idea for an award recipient for one particular category, please give us as many suggestions as you can for the other categories. We would appreciate it if you would get back to us as soon as possible with your suggestions. Awards day is scheduled for June 8, 2022 this year (a tad bit earlier than usual). The committee does need to meet to ultimately decide on the award recipients and then the awards need to be ordered and engraved so please get your suggestions back to us by May 4. If you have any questions regarding any of the award categories, please contact me (Bill S. Kany at 602-7381 or email me at bkany@sbsavings.bank) or the other members of the committee, Joe Moreshead, and Brian Dalliare (neither of whom actually knows they are on the committee and note there may be others but I don’t know who they are). If we do not have any suggestions from you the committee is left to its own devices which is never good. The alternative is to not give out one or more awards if we do not have candidates, but that is silly because there are so many worthy candidates out there. Thanks, Bill Here are the award descriptions. I have also attached a list of the past recipients of each award. The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, while being privately employed or not employed by a government or community entity. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, HUMANITARIAN, AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES AWARD NOMINATIONS Public Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Private Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Bill Kany Humanitarian Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Vocational Service Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination |
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Week in Review 4/20/2022
This Wednesday, we have a new member induction (Shelley Kane), great food and fellowship as always, and speakers on opioid recovery for Red Ribbon week, as mentioned above. PE Brenda will run the meeting while I get the Zoom experience. |
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Week in Review 4/13/2022Our club is busy and doing great work. The Raised Bed Garden project, led by Ken Farley, is going well. We have 12 applications for the 20 raised bed gardens that we have budget for. Speaking of budget, Moody's Nursery has very generously offered to provide us soil and seedlings at their cost, which will help. Please do save the date for the Saturday mornings of 5/14 & 5/21 to help deliver, set up and fill these great little gardens that help provide food security for area families in need. Very pleased to report that the CK Burns School Ukraine Fundraiser was a great success, with students raising more than $1,000, which our Club will match. We will hold a check presentation at CK Burns on Tuesday April 26 at 1:25PM. All are welcome. The Rotaract Club at UNE has wrapped up meetings for the year, with more than 500 volunteer hours! Next week's speakers are John Bouchard of the Saco Bay Club, together with Margo Walsh of MaineWorks. You won't want to miss this meeting, which will be an interesting discussion of opioid recovery in Maine, what other clubs are doing, and how we can help, all part of Red Ribbon week. Happy Dollars: Heather Gendron: oldest daughter promoted to MRI Tech, and bought first house! Kim: happy $10, for Whimsical ME being such a go-to resource of a store; and happy $5, drove over a pylon (not a Pilon) at Chick-Fil-A... and it wasn't the first time 😀 Jen F: Hakim's son got a great job at RW Gillespie Conrad: had a great 11 day trip to Georgia Karen: daughter is doing great and credits "CEO Mom" Jim L: Diverse Anecdote (Karen's company) joined the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce! Cheri: has been living in the area for 2 years now, found a camper site for the summer, and will do a seasonal rental for the winter, it is a real wakeup call about the lack of affordable housing Bill P: back from Corpus Christi TX, great weather, went to air show Melissa: son auditioned for a play with the Portland Players and was cast in a leading role Ken has been busy with his new hobby of winemaking, sounds like time for an after hours event! See you Wednesday at Jim's! |
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Week in Review 4/6/2022We had an excellent and interesting presentation from Amalie Sonneborn & Lily Collins from The Ecology School. There was very good Q&A and discussion. Here is a link to their website. They are growing and hiring. Happy Dollars (the SAA issued no fines but ordered that all, without exception, must give something they are happy about): Amalie from The Ecology School: has a new puppy Lily from The Ecology School: almost gardening season Melissa: great picture of grandchild Dr. Joe: Grandson Noah is coming to visit Mike Burman: spring is here Jeremy Ray: gave a very generous happy $50 to be back at an in-person meeting Jim Godbout: happy for the spirit of Courage and that we are meeting together Cheri: $3 -- had a great visit to California, and Project Alliance Youth Summit is coming up Joyce Valenti, happy $10, a tribute to her late husband who passed away a year ago today, and was a lifelong Rotarian who led a lifetime of Service Above Self Marty: happy to see everybody, good food, good meeting, good speakers CJ: happy to be back Peggy: happy to be back Joe Fullmer: nice to see the ducks and geese back on Peter Pond Jen: Marty forgot to write it down Kathy Shea: happy for the spirit of kindness and pay-it-forward that the Club exemplifies |
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PDG Sergii Zavadskii of RC KyivOn 3/23/2022, we had a very compelling presentation from PDG Sergii Zavadskii of RC Kyiv. This was our largest Zoom meeting ever, with members of our club, and clubs all over the world, adding up to more than 100 people. We had attendees from at least six countries (USA, Ukraine, Canada, Jordan, UK, & Romania). There are 62 Rotary Clubs in Ukraine, eleven of them in Kyiv alone. During the presentation, Sergii, who is an executive in the chemicals business and has two sons in the military, was not in Kyiv but had taken his grandchildren to a rural, hopefully safer area in western Ukraine near Uzhgorod and zoomed in from there. Thanks in particular to Roland Gagne and Melissa Cilley for arranging the presentation, and to Brian Dallaire for capably managing such a large meeting. Sergii showed this map of where clubs are vs the fighting, and attempts clubs are putting together to supply food and medicine: Today at noon, we'll have a follow up meeting, hosted by Melissa Cilley on Zoom. Topic: Conversation with Ukrainian teen and her grandmother who fled to Romania Time: Mar 24, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) PS: missed yesterday's presentation from Sergii? Here's how to access the recording: Meeting Recording temporarily on Zoom: Access Code: ?U4Yj#^V Alternatively Rotary Zone Representative Steve Miller posted it on YouTube for us at this link: |
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Week in Review 3/23/2022We will be back at Dizzy Birds this week and for the foreseeable future. Please join us! We'll have good food, and a good meeting featuring a new member induction and a great speaker, Dora Zuniga of RC Tampa. This would be a great meeting to bring a guest, as well. Lunch is just $17, with everything included. Meeting starts at 12:15 and ends by one so you can get back to your day recharged with good idea sharing and good fellowship. Park in the Dizzy Birds lot or on Main St. We've crossed the $10,000 mark in syrup sales! Thanks for all you are doing. Push to the finish line to raise money for Ukraine and our many projects! The Red Ribbon design award contest winner, whose design will be printed on 6,000 t-shirts... has been selected! Stay tuned for the big reveal! Event: Tuesday March 29 is Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day. The City of Biddeford will hold a brief ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park at 2 Pool Street in Biddeford at noon. Please attend if you can. |
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Week in Review 3/16/2022Speaking of reaching out all over the world, don't miss this week's presenter, Past District Governor Sergii Zavadskii of RC Kyiv (Ukraine). Here’s a link to Sergii’s Rotary Bio: https://rotary-if.club/en/sergii-zavadskii-gubernator-distri/ We'll use our normal Zoom link. Please do register, it is helpful to know how many are attending. We expect a large attendance including many guests from other Clubs. We recently sent $3910 to RC Oradea (Romania); I wouldn't be shocked if we elected to offer a donation to RC Kyiv. Rotary colors are already blue and yellow, so if you have some blue and yellow, wear it. All of this very meaningful international work is made possible by our fundraising efforts, and one of our most important ones is going on right now, and there is only one more week. Surprisingly, we are way behind last year's sales. Please share your Maple Syrup fundraising page with friends far and wide! I've been so impressed with the student participation in the Red Ribbon program. Did you know that we received more than one hundred design ideas from students? Remarkable. Red Ribbon is the nation's largest and oldest substance misuse disorder in-school program. We are really doing a lot this year, please get involved! Here's our action plan. The Raised Bed Garden project is looking for Biddeford-Saco families in need -- thanks to a District Grant, we can supply as many as 20 Raised Bed gardens, filled with rich soil, delivered together with seeds and starts. Who do you know that we can help? Next week, on the 30th, we'll be back in person at Dizzy Birds! We'll have a great program featuring Dora Zuniga of RC Tampa; a new member induction; a guest prospective member, and some good food & fellowship. Plan on it! |
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Week in Review 3/9/2022Zoom only, this week and next! Starting March 30, we will be back at Dizzy Birds. Thanks for all you’re doing for Rotary. I’m incredibly gratified to tell you that on Friday, our Club wired $3,910 to RC Oradea. This money will be used for mattresses, bed sheets, clothes and food for Ukrainian refugees. If you sold minigolf sponsorships back in August, raffle tickets in December, and are selling syrup now, you made this kind of impact possible. Additionally, many Rotarians added on individual donations, including Julie Villemaire who personally paid the wire transfer fee. The Red Ribbon project is hitting on all cylinders. Red Ribbon is a national effort. It is the largest drug prevention program in the United States. I was traveling this week on a plane to Arkansas and I saw someone else with the Red Ribbon lapel pin. Here is what we are doing right now:
Now for the important part, we got to sell some syrup! Here are the latest stats, let’s get after it, we need this funding for some very good causes. Sales end in only 17 days. Here are the team stats: Here are the individual leaders: Thank you Roland for all your work to make this a success. Syrup will be available for pickup or shipment on June 4. This would be a good time to email all your friends with your sales link. Looking forward to seeing you on Zoom the next two weeks. On 3/16, we have Anastasia Juma Sinawa, Children's Rescue Center, Kenya, which is a project we are currently funding. See the difference our funding is making! And we expect a big crowd, possibly more than 100, for 3/23, because our speaker will be PDG Sergii Zavadskyi, RC Kyiv-City (Ukraine). Then, let’s get back in the groove of great in-person meetings, like we’re known for – remember, there are three Rotary clubs in Biddeford-Saco. We’re the fun one :) In closing, it’s Pi Day. Back at engineering school, we had a fight song: Secant tangent cosine sine 3.14159 Kick em in the shins Kick em in the knees We got higher SAT’s :) Marty |
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Aid for the UkraineDear Rotary friends, Following yesterday's presentation by Dacian Coita, Roland and I discussed ways we could help as a Club. Marty is already working on a Club donation. Additionally, we'd like to make it easy for you to personally support Ukrainian mothers and their children who are escaping the violence. If you would like to help through ANY level of donation, please do so through one of the following two methods before next Tuesday, March 8th: 1) Venmo your donation to @Treasurer-BSRC and add "Ukraine support" when it asks you "What's if for?" 2) Drop off your check at Apex Youth Connection. We have a donation box for donor forms in the back of the building if you come by at night or over the weekend. Please write the check to Biddeford-Saco Rotary (NOT to Apex Youth Connection!), and add "Ukraine support" in the note. I will gather the checks and deliver them to Sue on Tuesday. Your donation of any amount will be combined with all other Rotary gifts and we will send them together for a powerful impact! Please dig deep and give. If you have seen the footage of children pulled away from their fathers, brothers, and grandfathers who they may never see again, you know how much they need us. Just to know we care will give them strength. Thank you! |
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Week in Review 3/2/2022Haley led us in the Four Way test, and Marty gave an invocation about using our professions to improve the world. Guests included speaker Dacian Coita and his son Hobdy of RC Oradea (Romania) and Kathi Perkins of RC Westbrook-Gorham. We were pleased to make this meeting the first use of our new Sales Tax Exemption, which saved us about $1 per guest. Thanks to Bill Kany, Kathy Shea and Julie Villemaire for your diligence. I am told we are the first Club in Maine to receive this! Meeting updates: The Red Ribbon Committee is in full swing, planning for a full April of education and awareness about substance misuse disorder. Thank you to Karen Chasse and Jim Godbout in particular for your leadership, and Cheri Sullivan for all your support. Click this link for the meeting and fundraising schedule to help out. This will be one of the highest profile efforts we've had for Red Ribbon in years! The Maple Syrup fundraiser is going well, although it would appear that the Sap Suckers have pulled into the lead, which we really can't allow. To see what team you're on and visit and share your personal fundraising page, click this link. This is real Maine maple syrup at a good price, we have unlimited availability and we ship, and we need the money for our international programs especially now, so please jump on it. Spring is coming, and with our raised bed gardens, we'll be able to get our hands in the dirt: we're getting underway with our program to build, deliver, fill with soil, and provide seeds and starts for up to 20 Raised Bed Gardens for area families in need. Watch for an email from Ken Farley with details on the next planning meeting. In the meantime, have a look at this great video from last year's program, made by Mike Burman's daughter Calla! Happy dollars (thanks to Jim G for being bag-man): SAA Jim LaBelle ponied up $20 to support the Club being back together Bill P had $10, for heading to Tampa and for the Funsters, his hapless maple syrup team Marty was fined $3 per guest he failed to introduce Karen Chasse was happy to see everyone Dr Joe is happy to be a grandfather Joyce Valenti is happy to be back after a nice visit back to home in wine country in Windham NY Ken had $5 in appreciation of his niece being able to bring home a healthy baby after a stressful time in the hospital Haley was happy for Brenda's birthday Phil Mateja had $5 for a good health checkup Frequent host Conrad had $5 for a family visit over the weekend in a snowstorm, and $5 for all the amazing volunteering the Club is doing (hear hear!) Brenda had $10 for the District's Indigenous People's Project, which is working on a project to benefit the Houlton Band of Maliseet (happy birthday Brenda!) Melissa had $5 for a great meeting she had with the OLPS Childrens Rescue Center. Rotary connections around the world! Dacian Coita gave a moving talk on all his Club is doing to help Ukrainian refugees. Stay tuned for more on this as we will be looking for ways to help, most likely by making a donation. |
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Family Garden Project MeetingAs you may know, last year we started a new community project in partnership with Apex Youth Connection and Biddeford Community Gardens to award raised garden beds, with all necessary supplies and training at no cost to recipients in the Biddeford, Saco, OOB & Dayton communities. We delivered 10 raised beds last year and it was a great success. In late 2021, our club was awarded a Rotary district grant for 2022, so we are looking to do even more this year. Although there has been some advance work done already, it is time to begin organizing our efforts for the 2022 project. We will have a meeting on Monday, 2/28/2022 at 4:15pm. Feel free to join if you'd like. Here is the Zoom meeting link. I look forward to seeing you next Monday at 4:15 pm. Meeting ID: 854 0325 6101 Passcode: 4svk5T One tap mobile +13126266799,,85403256101#,,,, +16465588656,,85403256101#,,,, Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 854 0325 6101 Passcode: 354720 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ Best regards, Ken Farley |
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THANK YOU from Apex Youth Connection |
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Week in Review 2/23/2022Our Maple Syrup fundraiser is underway! You've been assigned to one of 5 teams, with a mix of longer term and newer Rotarians. The Funsters, Sap Suckers, Peace Keepers, Sweet Leaf, and Sticky & Sweet teams are already locked in a close sales competition, with some exceeding $1000 in sales already towards our overall goal of $5000. This is a great community program featuring real Maine syrup which will help raise money for the Club, especially our international programs, which are so needed right now. If you haven't tried before, you'll find this real Maine syrup is in high demand and easy to sell! Good luck to all the teams. Our Red Ribbon Committee, which is our Club's largest Committee, is in full swing. The Red Ribbon program seeks to mobilize the community to encourage healthy and thriving behaviors for students, without the influences of illegal drugs and other misused substances. The month of April will be dedicated to these efforts so now is the time to get involved and help with planning. Please help out by sponsoring here, and join our planning meeting this Tuesday March 1st at 4PM here. Raised garden bed program: this year, thanks to a $2,000 District Grant and Ken Farley's leadership, we have funding to build, deliver, fill with dirt and provide seeds for up to 20 area families who could benefit from a raised bed garden. If you like to get your hands in the dirt, learn more at the kickoff meeting, this Monday at 4:15PM. Zoom here. Happy Dollars: Stand-in SAA Joe M was in a good mood and decided not to fine anyone, so here's what we have for Happy Dollars (please do Venmo them in):
We had a great presentation with PDG Marty Peak Helman, on Rotary Peace Centers. Do you know a college student who would be a fit for this remarkable opportunity? It would be wonderful to have someone nominated by our Club. Please take a look at the presentation here and learn how to nominate a student for this graduate certificate program. |
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Pure Maine Maple Syrup Fundraiser Success!We are now open for sell, sell. sell! We are off to a great start almost $1,000 in the first few days. Here are the stats: Member LeaderboardRANK MEMBER NAME AMOUNT RAISED 01 MG Martin Grohman Peace Keepers $2,584 02 WP William Paterson The Funsters $1,215 03 RG Roland Gagne Peace Keepers $1,287 04 SM Steve Morin Sap Suckers $1,000 05 KS Kathy Shea The Funsters $655 Team LeaderboardRANK 01 Peace Keepers $4,820 02 Sap Suckers $3,959 03 The Funsters $2,466 04 Sticky and Sweet $2,356 05 Sweet Leaf $711 |
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Rotary MediaDan Reed gave an excellent talk on gaining media presence for our activities. Dan has also been working with the District filming Rotarians with the goal to develop a promotional video. Dan also works at SCORE (if you need help growing your business, SCORE is a great resource https://www.scoremaine.org/). Thank you Dan for your great work! |
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Week in Review 2/16/2022Karen led the Four Way test and Phil Mateja gave a very nice invocation. Shelley Kane, a prospective new member, joined us. Roland has volunteered to be our club participant in ESSEX Youth Exchange. Thank you Roland! Brenda met w/ UNE Rotaract on Friday to help develop a financial wellness program for college students. Please get involved with the Red Ribbon Committee’s T Shirt design contest. Would you like to sponsor? Find more info here. Happy Dollars: Bill P gives $5 for SAA Jim LaBelle’s good work. Question is, will this head off future fines? Also, Joe M will be SAA on 2/23 because Jim is travelling. This could be interesting. Phil - $5 for his grandson’s success at BC and Duke! Ken – had fun at sledding hill and visiting Common Roots Studio Dan -- $5 for the how much good work we are doing in the Club Justine – fines herself $5 for not getting Bill P his Yankee Swap gift yet (note: Marty is guilty of this too, still has Jess’s, and it’s a drink mix and it’s getting tempting) Melissa -- $5, now offering after school programming at Saco Middle School thanks to recent gift of $1500 we made |
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Opening ThoughtHere is our opening thought, prepared this week by Mark Nahorney of Biddeford City Theatre: As we gather today we are reminded that although we have differences, we are united by our common humanity. When we are together to move our community forward in a spirit of mutual respect and common decency we are showcasing what is best about our organization and being a human. (Would you like to give an invocation/opening thought? Marty is always looking for volunteers). |
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Youth VapingSpeaker: Youth Vaping Cheri Sullivan, Director of CHCC, and fellow Rotarian, invited Alissa Wigglesworth to speak on the concerning rise of vaping products in middle and high school students. Alissa is one of the Tobacco Prevention Coordinators for York County. She works for Partners for Healthier Communities at SMHC, a partner of CHCC’s Project Alliance. Alissa shared the work they are doing in schools to educate youth about the risks associated with vaping, and strategies to empower youth to make healthy decisions. In 2019, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, (MIYHS), found that almost 30% of Maine high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. This was a 15.3% increase from the 2017 survey. Maine’s 2021 youth survey was delayed, however, locally our schools report that vaping incidents have increased. We wanted Rotarians to be informed about how vaping is on the rise with youth in our community. Teenagers are attracted to the flavors being offered by manufacturers and may not be as aware of the amount of nicotine they are consuming, which is highly addictive. Legislation has tried to prevent vaping flavoring and marketing towards teens, but loop-holes in the laws have led to the rise in the expansion of flavors in products not as clearly defined in legislation, specifically, disposable e-cigarette’s. 4 out of 5 kids who have used tobacco products (includes vaping), started with a flavored product. You can help by staying informed and talking to others who may not be aware of this rising trend in teens or aware of the risks associated with vaping and nicotine exposure. Encourage businesses, communities, and schools to create smoke-free policies that include vaping to promote healthy environments. And help your legislators to get the information they need to make informed decisions to support healthy outcomes for youth. To learn more you can go to www.mainequitlink.com, www.wearesidekicks.org , www.chccme.org , or email Alissa at awiggleswo@smhc.org. |
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Week in Review 2/9/2022We have two significant projects that will be ramping up soon -- our raised bed garden project, and our maple syrup fundraiser. We have big goals on both this year! Paulette Bonneau is meeting with students for Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) this week. We have budget to send three students (but if more students are interested, we will find the money, this is a great opportunity. In fact, Emily from Rotaract said RYLA was how she was initially introduced to Rotary. Happy Dollars: Cheri: $5 because Jim Godbout's crew fixed her frozen pipes Conrad: garage door is unfrozen and now he can leave the house Dan: pleased to have a collaboration with other local Rotaries to make videos Dr Joe: enjoyed Rotaract meeting Joe M: having fun, loving retirement, therefore $10 for the children! Marty $10, thanks to Joe M for recommendation on backcountry skis, researching recreational gear is apparently Joe's full time job now $5 from Heather MacLean so many Rotarians have been coming into the store (Whimsical ME, Main Street Saco, seriously good spot for that last minute Valentine's Day gift) $5 Kim R, good to be back. Good to have you back Kim! There was a cutest grandchild contest between Karen and Melissa, it was a tie, they are extremely cute! |
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Week in Review 2/2/2022-Thank you to Joyce Valenti, our guest from the Windham NY club, for a wonderful invocation on the spirit of Rotary and helping others. -Speaking of helping others, our World Community Service projects are going well. Thanks in particular to Roland and Paulette for staying involved with this. We are funding an improved kitchen in Kenya and a survey for a better water system in Uganda. The international spirit of Rotary is very important. A small but meaningful way to help is to use our Clynk bags which you can pick up at Heather's store (Whimsical ME on Main Street in Saco). Every $500 we raise sends another student to school. -The board approved a $1500 donation to APEX Youth Connection (Melissa's very wonderful organization). Happy Dollars -Conrad's cholesterol is at 174. Remarkable, Conrad! -Mike B was promoted, congratulations! -$20 from Dr. Joe to celebrate 20 years of marriage, thanks Vicky for joining us too! -$5 from Jim L, had a great coffee with Justine -Cynthia Giroux thanks Karen for helping with the Esther House -Melissa was very pleased to see the spirit of Rotary happen with a free load of firewood for Winterfest, delivered by Kristen Lane's husband. Thank you! We had a great talk from Dr. Joe. It was a very compelling and moving story. Has Dr. Joe visited Norway 36 times, or did he fail organic chemistry 36 times? Find out at our next meeting. |
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OLPS CRC Kitchen RenovationDear Roland, Thank you so much for your being so concerned about our needs. We are strong in what we are doing because of your support. About the proposed renovation works at the OLPS CRC kitchen, I am glad to share with you some pictures showing the status of the kitchen and which areas need to be renovated and why. See the photos HERE The kitchen area is about 12m2 (4m in length and 3m in width). This is where we prepare food for 93 children daily, it is also our store and washing area. The primary source of fuel is firewood. The kitchen does not have a separate dining area and the children use the classrooms as dining rooms during mealtimes. Continued and prolonged use of firewood as the primary source of fuel produces smoke, which caused blockage along the chimney resulting in a backflow of smoke into the kitchen and into the main house. The kitchen’s inside wall is now black with a thick layer of soot. The roof is equally in a terrible state. Just like the wall, the inside part of the roof is also covered with a thick layer of soot and has caused serious damage to the iron sheets and timber. The roof is leaking whenever it rains and there is fear that it can crumble because the timber is rotten and weak. The floor has cracks where dirt accumulates and this compromises the general hygiene of the kitchen and the quality of food that is prepared in the kitchen. Cracks make it challenging to clean the floor as well. There is a small corridor behind the kitchen, which we use as the store for firewood. This is also a potential risk as dry firewood can catch fire anytime, resulting in big losses for the CRC. To renovate the kitchen, we need to do the following: -
The kitchen, in its current status, is a serious health and environmental hazard and puts the lives of the children and workers in danger of respiratory complications due to prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood. It is a public health concern that we have been warned by the Public Health Officers to rectify before the center is shut down. At the same time, the ministry of environment and natural resources has also directed institutions that use firewood as the primary source of fuel to seek alternative means, which are friendly to the environment. This is why we are seeking support to transition into LPG as the primary source of fuel because it is clean, efficient, and cost-effective. By renovating the kitchen and ensuring the safety of food prepared at the kitchen, grandmothers whose children are beneficiaries of the center will not worry about the health of their grandchildren. I have shared the photos of the kitchen for your information. Kind regards, Anastasia |
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Week in Review 1/26/2022Kathy Shea led the Four Way Test Dan Reed provided an inspirational thought based on Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" Announcements:
Happy dollars and fines were plentiful:
Our speaker was Rob Biggs from Saco Cycles. Rob has developed a great program to engage seniors, and acquired an electric bicycle to bring guests around. It's a fun way to keep the community engaged. Every trip needs a cyclist/tour guide, plus a cyclist out front to help navigate traffic. There was good discussion of how we can support the program, perhaps via connections from Rotaract and Apex. Rob says, "Saco Main Street, Age Friendly Saco and I are very excited about bringing this program to our seniors this summer. Our needs are physical volunteers to help coordinate rides and pedal the electric bike, as well as, financial support for volunteer high visibility t-shirts, safety vests and other ancillary equipment. The Michael Goulet foundation is generously going to provide helmets for our team and our clients to wear." FMY click on the Saco Cycle album at top of Tack Have a great week! Our speaker, on Zoom, this week is Dr. Joe and his remarkable story which you may not know. See you there! |
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Week in Review 1/19/20221/19/2022 - Rotary Meeting – led by (and Tack notes by) PE Brenda Pollock ALL ZOOM President-Elect Brenda Pollock welcomed Rotarians. President Grohman shared a photo from the top of Sugarloaf which Dr. Dallaire shared with all at the commencement of the meeting. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the FOUR WAY TEST was led by Dan Reed. Karen Chasse led the invocation. All recognized and thanked Bill Kany for his diligent work on obtaining non-profit status for the club. Going forward, the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club will no longer be required to pay Maine State sales tax which will save a great deal for the organization. Thank you, Bill Kany, for all you do! Announcements: Rotarians: Order your free COVID tests at COVIDtests.gov Dan Reed, WizardlyMedia.com reminded Rotarians that he scheduled a video shoot for Rotarians of this club to talk on camera about what it means to them to be a Rotarian. Please reach out to Dan if you are able to participate in this project. It will be used to promote Rotary, Rotarians, and the local and global work Rotarians provide for their respective communities. Watch your email this week for a note from President Grohman regarding purchasing dinner/lunch from local restaurants. The effort is to help local eateries navigate this second wave of the COVID pandemic. Karen Chasse was congratulated on the launch of her new business: Diverse Anecdote Michael Burman reminded us all of the UNE Rotaract Meeting: Feb 06, 2022 6:00 PM - Feb 06, 2022 UNE 3rd floor of Ripich Commons, 11 Hills Beach Rd, Biddeford, ME United States of America 04005 Roland Gagne updated the group on the Rotary International ongoing work. At the last meeting, the following presenters spoke of international projects Rotarians are working on: • HANWASH - Water Project in Haiti - Dr Robert Chagrasulis • Safe Passage - Current Fundraiser presented by PDG 7950 Stephen Certa • Erik Greven - Water project in the DR • "Connecting the Dots" - Bob Gravino - District Foundation Committee Sergeant-at-Arms – Jim LaBelle Conrad continues his Happy $ Streak. Happy $$$’s were also shared by by Karen C. Melissa C., Dr. Dallaire, Bill P., Dan R. & Michael B. Sergeant-at-Arms had only one fine: To all the men in the club. Bill Patterson introduced our Guest Speaker: Kristine Taylor – Dietician with Hannaford food store in Biddeford. Your health and nutrition go hand in hand. Our registered dietitians are available to give free advice, in-store or online. They can help with meal ideas, food lists for your pantry and healthy eating tips for a variety of health concerns and topics. For any questions regarding Hannaford’s you can contact Kristin at: Kristine.Taylor@Hannaford.com or Dietitians & Healthy Living | Hannaford |
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Week in Review 1/12/2022Justine provided an invocation. Marty noted he was pleased to see Rotarians collaborating on local projects, such as Jen F and Justine working together on a UNE health care related project. Rotary-related or not, it is nice to see us helping each other out. We are seeking volunteers to help staff the adult sledding hill for Biddeford's WinterFest, on Friday February 4 from 530 to 730PM. The event will be held on Adams Street next to Biddeford City Hall. If there is interest, we may convene for drinks after that. Info about our spring Raised Bed Garden project will be coming soon -- we will need help building, delivering and filling the raised beds. Right now, we need help identifying individuals or families in need. ADG Dennis Robillard was our guest, along with Joyce Valenti from the Windham NY club (Windham is northern New York, she's used to cold :) Happy dollars: Jim L is happy to see such good turnout on Zoom Mike B is happy that his car is back from the body shop after being rear-ended on the way back from skiing; and that the virus has departed his house after hanging around for too long Dr. Joe is happy to see Susan Gajewski, and that he has plans to visit his grandchildren Ken Farley had a great visit to Nashville Conrad happy for his family; including his Rotary family :) Marty happy to see new member Phil Mateja Jen F happy that Hakim's family, including a newborn baby, are all now here in Maine Melissa is happy her granddaughter is doing well, and for the Rotary network which has been helping with some challenges, such as availability of testing, at APEX Bill P is happy that Rotarian Jim G's team helped fix his furnace, brrrrr Justine is happy to be working with Jen Fullmer on a UNE project Brian D happy to have just booked an around-the-world cruise Fines from S-A-A Jim L were copious, at Marty's request: -Can see Don's dusty treadmill in his zoom background -Mark, Marty and Dan R have work branded logos in their background -Phil: welcome fine of a dollar -Ken: featuring ESPN look? Tie up top, sweats off camera -Mike B: looks professorial with books in background, guessing they're probably fake -CJ: fined for being on and off camera -Roland: fined for being cold in Canada Thank you again for a good meeting. Next week we have a speaker: Kristine Taylor, nutritionist at Hannaford, with dietary Q&A, healthy new year ideas and recipes. We'll be on Zoom at 12:15, join a little early if you like. |
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The week in review 1/5/2022We started the meeting with a toast to our sister club in Bideford England. The Bideford club is now coming up on their 100th anniversary. Euan and Jill Eddie from Bideford joined us by Zoom. Euan is Scottish, so there was much discussion of who is more Scottish: Euan, or Bill Paterson. Spoiler alert: it's Bill Paterson. On the volunteering front, this coming Saturday morning we will be looking for help picking up the wreaths for recycling. That's 9-11AM on Saturday the 15th at St Joseph's. Join for part or all of the time if you can and dress warm. We were pleased to induct Phil Mateja into the Club this week. Welcome Phil!!! We know you will do great things. If you haven't gotten your receipts for Adopt A Family into treasurer Susan, please do so ASAP. Please save the date for a Rotaract dinner at UNE on Sunday February 6 at six pm. I know you've always wanted to try the UNE dining hall... and this is a great chance to get all three local clubs together with this great group of students. 50/50 was won by visiting Rotarian Joyce Valenti from Windham NY (in the Catskills), who donated it back to the Club. Thank you, Joyce! Happy Dollars: $2: Bill Paterson, because he got a $61 flight to Tampa / St. Pete $2: Melissa: new granddaughter Lydia Margaret $2: Justine: happy her twins came to visit; happy they went home 😀 $1: Conrad: happy 2022 $1: Brian D: happy 2021 10 pounds: Jill Eddie, happy new year! Our own Dan Reed filled in capably as a last-minute speaker and detailed his new role at SCORE. SCORE provides business advising services by pairing experienced volunteer executive mentors with businesses of any type and size, and Dan is the new marketing manager. It was a very good presentation and led to several possible collaborations with Club members. Learn more about Dan's work, including free webinars for small business, here. |
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Rotary News and Updates for the New YearHappy New Year! I'm excited for 2022, and it gives me a chance to provide some updates on goings-on at our Biddeford Saco Rotary Club:
Internationally, we have two projects underway:
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Christmas |
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Greetings from Bideford! |
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Week in Review 12/15/2021We were pleased to confirm the following officer slate of new officers was unanimously confirmed for the upcoming year, starting in July. (Brenda's year, in which Paulette Bonneau will be President-Elect): Vice President - Melissa Cilley Secretary - Julie Villemaire Treasurer - Susan Gajewski Director - Haley Thompson Director - Ken Farley Thank you again to our nominating committee for putting this great group together! Brenda, you're going to have a great year! Announcements:
Happy Dollars: "OK Boomer" Joe Moreshead is happy to see the Club growing. It's true, we have some great new members! Mark Nahorney: happy that Miracle on 34th Street is doing so well, and that his daughter is visiting Jen F: happy that she is bringing her Afghan colleague and his family to Maine! Cynthia: happy for Adopt a Family, and all we are doing with that effort, nice to be making a difference Don: happy to Dan Reed back Mike Burman: happy for Zoom option Jane: happy for Zoom as well, and to be in person next week Kim R: happy to be in touch with her brother, and to help with Adopt a Family Bill Kany: lives near Jeremy Ray, never saw so many Christmas lights Conrad: happy to see 24 people today at lunch! Melissa C: happy to be stepping up to leadership, and to help with Club activities Sergeant at Arms Jim Labelle notes that it is good to practice gratitude, before exacting numerous fines, and setting up Rotarian Jeopardy which was really very good. The top prize went to the contestant who could identify the Rotarian whose name includes all five vowels. The correct answer is, "who is Fausto Pifferer?". A really fun quiz, Jim -- thanks for setting it up. See you Wednesday for the Swap! |
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Week In Review 12/8/2021Why you didn't get a Clubrunner invite for today's meeting? The short answer is, it's because Brian Dallaire is on vacation... in the Bahamas... no, I am not making that up. No, life is not fair. He's the one that knows how to do the fancy stuff like a Clubrunner meeting invite. But we are still meeting at Ricetta's today at 12:15. They are cooking the food now and it will be a nice hot buffet. There will be plenty so just show up. Especially if you are on the slate of new officers, or would like to be. The only thing on the program is to vote on that slate of incoming officers, and a couple announcements, like:
The Zoom link for today's meeting is here. Kathy Shea and Kim Regoulinsky will be greeters. It should be a fun meeting and I'm looking forward to it. Yours in service, Marty |
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Rotary Leadership NominationsThe nominating committee made up of Paul Deschambeault, Kathy Shea, Morgan Stoner, Kristen Lane and myself have met and agreed to make the following nominations at tomorrow's weekly meeting: Vice President - Melissa Cilley Secretary - Julie Villemaire Treasurer - Susan Gajewski Director - Haley Thompson Director - Ken Farley Once these nominations are made, President Marty will open the floor for nominations. Should you wish to nominate anyone for an open position you can do so at the meeting tomorrow or by forwarding the name of a nominee to President Marty prior to the election at next week's meeting. The election of officers is scheduled for next Wednesday, December 15th during our regular weekly meeting. Should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me or President Marty. |
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Week in Review 12/1/2021Guests included Joy Valenti – Windham, NY Rotary Club & Joe McKail – Jen Fullmer’s Father Melissa Cilley introduced our Guest speaker - John Reynolds of the Saco Food Pantry. Saco Food Pantry Overview: Hours of Operation Monday-Friday 9:00am-10:30am and the last Tuesday of each month from 5:00pm-6:30pm Closed Weekends, holidays and days when school is closed* or delayed for inclement weather. The pantry is open during our regular business hours during this crisis and following CDC guidelines. The all-volunteer staff have changed their procedures by meeting folks in the parking lot and bringing food out to them. The Saco Food Pantry needs two relatively strong people for early Tuesday's pickup from the stores. 7-8:30. A couple could do it; two couples were doing it alternating weeks. And we need a couple of volunteers for Tuesdays for packing groceries 9-10:30. Contact Lynn lsteed203@gmail.com Thanked the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club for their contributions. Club Updates: • Ken Farley is leading the search for the Officer/Director Slate. We are still looking for someone to step in as VP of the club. Her/his presidency would begin in July 2024. • Adopt A Family: The Biddeford School Department has received multiple donations of new coats recently and just received a sizeable grant for winter wear for Biddeford students K-12. If you were assigned a Biddeford family, let's utilize these resources to save some funds on other items by letting me know what you may need, and I will see if we have them in stock or can get them. Email Karen at: kchasse@biddefordschools.me
• Rotary LOGO Clothing: Posted on the website, you will see some items that have been selected to order from Brady’s Screen printing. Please watch your email for items that can be purchased with the Biddeford-Saco Rotary logo. Items should be ordered by emailing Brenda Pollock bpollock@egcu.org by 12/15/2021 and bring payment by that date. We will ask Sue to cut one check for Brady’s once all the orders have been placed. Thank you. • Save the date- help out Wreaths Across America 12/18 9am St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Biddeford. Next Meeting: December 8, 2021 – Guest Speaker – Don Bisson – Biddeford Food Pantry |
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Saco Food Pantry
Pantry Food Sources: We get food from many sources. < >Good Shepherd Food Bank sells us food – roughly 6 pounds of food for each dollar.Hannaford and Shaws donate perishables that are nearing their Use-by Date.TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program from the federal government) gives us significant amounts of food every other month. We average 20,000 – 30,000 pounds of food yearly in donations through food drives (our own, those sponsored by other groups and individual donations).We pay a small annual fee to Wayside (Portland) and pick up food monthly.For items we cannot get from the above sources, we purchase in Hannaford or Shaws (occasionally Market Basket). A board member studies items on sale. Since the pandemic struck, it has not been possible to buy in bulk the way we once did.Other expenses include transportation, energy bills, maintenance, insurance, and cleaning. On average, 70% of our monthly expenditures go to food.
Open Hands, Open Heart: Open Hands Open Heart is an outreach program located adjacent to the Saco Food Pantry. The organization was founded by Elaine Fournier in 2008. Its mission is to provide clothing for needy children in York County. Location: 67 Ocean Park Road, Saco, ME (next door to the pantry) Hours: Tues., Wed. and Thurs. 9:30 – 11:30 am & last Tues. of the month 5:00 – 7:00 pm Phone: 207-286-9939(during business hours only) Mail: PO Box 246, Saco ME 04072 Web: http://www.openheartsaco.org Volunteers Needed We are always seeking new volunteers to help from 1 or more days a week. Almost all work is done in the mornings. There are 4 main types of jobs - food pickup and storage, perishables processed, shelves restocked, and clients helped. If you are interested, contact Lynn (207) 494-8662 lsteed203@gmail.com and/or Sheldon snight52@gmail.com. Ways to donate: Please specify where donation is to be applied (Saco Food Pantry, or Open Hands, Open Heart) < >By check – mail to Saco Food Pantry, PO Box 246, Saco, ME 04072Website – www.sacofoodpantry.org (can donate by credit card)Amazon – go to smile.amazon.com and select Saco Food Pantry for your charity. Amazon donates a portion of their profits directly to the pantrywww.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1283706There is a secure donation slot outside of the pantry. John Reynolds: My wife and I retired from teaching in independent schools in New York City in 2009 and moved full-time to our home in Biddeford. I taught math and computers to middle school students. We wanted to do volunteering here in Maine and took our therapy dogs to visit folks in local nursing homes.We also volunteered at the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk. A dear friend got us involved in the Saco Food Pantry, and I was asked to become a board member around 2015, becoming Corresponding Secretary in 2017. When Covid came along, we had to stop going to nursing homes and AWS, but happily continued with the pantry. We are also part of the Gems (Geriatric Education Mentor) program at UNE, mentoring medical students. We also play with the Village Ringers, a local bell choir. To watch the presentation, click the zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/P6MAT4fVJdN3uw0EXkHCJPZSfEbyI5rU61rZC705n3xMZPvnwYyvJDRHW8lH2S4h.CtbIicl2ejn34BDc Passcode: 1ThpIw@8 |
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Week in Review 11/24/2021There was not a meeting this past week.
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Week in Review 11/17/2021The Movember facial hair growing contest, which promotes awareness of mens' health issues, was won by Brenda Pollock -- no contest! Brenda will donate her $100 winnings to Bravebees.org Amazing work the raffle this year. We sold every ticket! Karen Chasse, Conrad Welzel, and Heather Maclean deserve a ton of credit for making this important fundraiser a success! $500 Winners:
$1000 Winners:
$5000 Winner:
Rotary Foundation: Brian Dallaire gave us a presentation on Rotary Foundation giving. It is important to give a minimum of $100 per year if you can. This money comes back to our community. You can give with your dues or directly. Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Kathy Shea's sister Natalie (thank you so much Natalie for helping out at the registration desk!); PDG Peggy Belanger; and Saco Sunset member Joanne Landry. Welcome! Happy Dollars: Bill P zoomed in from St. Pete to say he was on the beach in the sun Joe M successfully merged his company with Arch Global. Many congratulations Joe! Karen C has launched a marketing communications business, Diverse Anecdote Kim R landed a great new sponsor for her Keep It Local Maine podcast Dr. Joe is pleased with the Oqunquit Club connection which we continue to build Melissa is happy to add to our tribute to Jim Audiffred, who was a great supporter of APEX Jim L is happy to be volunteering at Window Dressers Conrad is happy that our work moving flooring for My Place Teen Center was so successful PDG Peggy B is happy to be a guest and bring her friend Joanne Landry Brenda gives happy $10 to win Movember and to see the American Miss Pageant do so well! Thanks to the Ricetta's staff for throwing a couple extra pizzas in the oven due to our great meeting turnout, and thanks to you for coming! Please do register for upcoming meetings so we can get an accurate headcount. There is no meeting on 11/24! Happy Thanksgiving! -- |
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Note of ThanksTo: , [bdallaire@usa.net] From: Donna Dwyer [donna@myplaceteencenter.org] Dear Rotary, Thank you so much for tearing up that flooring today - like Legos, I guess, and delivering it to 75 Bacon Street. That was exceptional of you to put in that sweat equity for My Place Teen Center. We are so grateful to partner with you and inspired by your community dedication. Happy Holidays, and THANK YOU, again! ~ Donna, MPTC |
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BS Rotary Club WearablesBrenda has worked to develop a catalog of Rotary Logo Clothing through Brady's of Biddeford. Several items are available for purchase. We will be placing the order with them all at once. Now available and place your individual orders online at http://go.rotary7780gives.org/16a793 so Brenda may make the master order. We would prefer to receive payment via cash, check to club or via Venmo(@Treasurer-BSRC). This will save on the website processing fees. |
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NOVEMBER IS FOUNDATION MONTH – THE ROTARY FOUNDATIONThe Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. As the charitable arm of Rotary International, we tap into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into our priorities, such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact. Strong financial oversight, a stellar charity rating, and a unique funding model mean that we make the very most of your contribution. Give and become a part of Rotary’s life-changing work! The collective leadership and expertise of our 1.2 million members helps us tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, locally and globally. We are united by common values and vision for the future as we sharpen our focus with targeted specific causes that will reach communities most in need. GUIDING PRINCIPLES For more than 100 years, our guiding principles have been the foundation upon which our values and tradition stand. The Four-Way Test, Object of Rotary, and the Avenues of Service express our commitment to service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership. AREAS OF FOCUS We direct our efforts in six areas to enhance our local and global impact. Our most successful and sustainable projects and activities tend to fall within the following areas:
HISTORY OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION At the 1917 convention, outgoing RI President Arch C. Klumph proposed to set up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International. GROWTH OF THE FOUNDATIONIn 1929, the Foundation made its first gift of $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children. The organization, created by Rotarian Edgar F. “Daddy” Allen, later grew into Easter Seals. When Rotary founder Paul Harris died in 1947, contributions began pouring in to Rotary International, and the Paul Harris Memorial Fund was created to build the Foundation. EVOLUTION OF FOUNDATION PROGRAMS1947: The Foundation established its first program, Fellowships for Advance Study, later known as Ambassadorial Scholarships. 1965-66: Three programs were launched: Group Study Exchange, Awards for Technical Training, and Grants for Activities in Keeping with the Objective of The Rotary Foundation, which was later called Matching Grants. 1978: Rotary introduced the Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants. The first 3-H Grant funded a project to immunize 6 million Philippine children against polio. 1985: The PolioPlus program was launched to eradicate polio worldwide. 1987-88: The first peace forums were held, leading to Rotary Peace Fellowships. 2013: New district, global, and packaged grants enable Rotarians around the world to respond to the world’s greatest needs. Since the first donation of $26.50 in 1917, the Foundation has received contributions totalling more than $1 billion. |
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Mike Gibney, Commander of American Legion Post 26 and secretary of Vietnam Veterans Post 1044The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. Good Afternoon By definition, a veteran is a person who has served in the military. Every enlisted person takes the following oath: "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." Did you notice, the word “until” does not appear anywhere. I am Michael Gibney. I served 6 years and 28 days on active duty with the United States Air Force and an additional 3 years, 5 months and 24 days with the Maine Air National Guard. I spent 10 months and 4 days in South East Asia. I had two major surgeries performed in a military hospital. I am a disabled veteran. My attempt today is to enlighten you about the Vietnam Veterans of America. Ground forces were removed from Vietnam in 1973 and US involvement ended in 1975. When I entered the United States Air Force there were approx. 2,360,000 Americans on active duty with the various military services, as of 2019 that number was approx. 1.360,000. In 2019 it was estimated there were 610,000 Vietnam veterans still alive. Safe to presume that number is lower today. The veteran of today is honored and respected. When I left active duty that was not the case. We kept our status as a veteran a well-guarded secret. Usually, only family members knew of our service. Vietnam was the first war fought with a dinner audience and being narrated by either David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite or Howard K Smith. The news also provided score cards identifying the number killed that day, week, month and year to date. Although the information presented was factual, it was easily perceived and spun with a negative impact. Support of the war waned and unfortunately, the Vietnam veteran bore the blunt of that disapproval. There were no ticker tape parades, no thank you’s, no acknowledgement or appreciation for their service to country. I can tell you from personal experience, I have been spat on in uniform twice, once in a foreign country and once here in the United States. A lot of those veterans felt lost, thus the formation in the late 1970s of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The Vietnam Veterans of America is the only congressionally chartered national veterans’ service organization dedicated to serving veterans of the Vietnam war. Using 1975 as the end date, if an individual was 18 years old then, that person would be 64 years old today. Safe to say the youngest Vietnam veteran in at least 64 years old. I acknowledge the Vietnam Veterans of America is a dying organization. We know our days are numbered but to the last person, we continue to honor our motto “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another!” The Vietnam Veterans of America provides support to all veterans with a need. There used to be five chapters in Maine, today only one chapter remains. Chapter 1044 of the Vietnam Veterans of America is housed in the basement of the American Legion building at 508 Elm Street in Biddeford. Currently Chapter 1044 has approx. 180 members. I have the honor of serving as the chapter secretary since 2019. Examples of some past services of Chapter 1044, was to provide an honor guard at funerals and perform a fallen warrior ceremony for the public on Memorial Day. Due to decreasing numbers, we had to disband the honor guard. We provide space for fellowship to allow veterans to speak with other veterans. We have provided and will provide heating fuel assistance to veterans in need. They only have to prove they are a veteran with a need and the chapter will provide up to 100 gallons of heating fuel. We contact a company in the servicing area and supply the fuel, we do not give money to the individual. We have and will provide gift cards from a local supermarket to provide groceries to a veteran in need. We have and will provide warm socks and clothing to homeless veterans. We have two certified service officers who will provide assistance to veterans and their spouses to navigate and file claims for entitled benefits from the Veterans Administration. These are not handouts but entitled benefits earned while serving on active duty. Again, the service we provide is to all veterans, not just the Vietnam veteran. We receive no federal funds, no state allocations. Monies received are through donations and fund-raising efforts. Prior to Covid 19 we manned donation tables at various business throughout the area, we manned donation tables at the Kennebunk service plaza off the turnpike. We had public dinners and such. We have a trailer in front of our location on Elm Street for donated bottles and cans which we process at a local redemption center. Covid has certainly put a damper on our fund raising. Currently we offer a dinner, salad, soup/sandwich for sale every Saturday noon to 2:00. That along with the bottles and cans are currently our only source of income. I am not here to ask for donations, however if you feel the desire to donate, we will not refuse. My purpose today is to make you aware of our existence and what we do. If you have returnable cans or bottles you want to donate, just place the bag in the trailer. If you are looking for a meal on Saturday, stop by between noon and 2pm. If you know of a veteran who is struggling, tell them about us and maybe we can steer them in the right direction. Again, the service we provide is for all veterans. The Vietnam veteran of today bears no ill will towards the recognition today’s veteran receives, in fact we honor it! In opening I provided my service history, how many of you thought I was wounded in Vietnam? I was not. I entered the Air Force in October of 1972, after 6 weeks of basic training at Lackland AFB TX, I was stationed at Charleston AFS, ME. A radar site approx. 30 miles NW of Bangor. In June of 1973 I suffered a serious leg injury while playing on the base softball team requiring two major surgeries at Loring AFB. In March of 1975 I was assigned to a Tactical Unit Operations Center at Udorn RTAFB in Thailand. Upon arrival we prepared to support the evacuation of US personnel from Vientiane, Laos; which never happened. Mid-April we supported Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of US personnel from Phnom Penh, Cambodia; end of April we supported Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of US personnel from Saigon, South Vietnam. In May of 1975 we supported the rescue of the SS Mayaguez, a container ship seized by Cambodia. Due to the involvement of the US military stationed in Thailand with the Mayaguez rescue the government of Thailand ordered our removal from Thailand by years end. The rest of my tour of duty was uneventful and I returned back to the states in January of 1976 and was assigned to HQ TACCOMAREA at Langley AFB, VA until my discharge in October of 1978. I then became a member of the Maine ANG at Bangor until April of 1982. In opening, the information I provided was factual, just with a different spin; much like the news presented toward the Vietnam veteran during the time. My disability was awarded in 2017. At the time of my discharge from active-duty veterans were not completely briefed on their benefits. I was not aware I could file for disability. The VVA helped me by letting me know I was entitled because disability is awarded for service connection, not just combat related. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today and thank you for your service to the community!! |
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The Week in Review 11/10/2021Announcements:
Happy dollars: Dr. Joe is happy he got a Custom "Doc" box to go on his dock! Joe Moreshead has a happy $20, as he has successfully merged his company with Arch Global and will be retiring in 6 months! Conrad: his Aunt is doing better and climbing stairs by herself, after breaking her hip a few months back Marty: great community collaboration at West Brook Skating Rink this week, with electrical trades students from the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology helping install new lighting Fines: Jess: for cool new hat she got at the new Sugar Bowl store on Washington Street in Biddeford. Then, Sgt Jim took us back to High School. Really. Our speaker was Mike Gibney, Commander of American Legion Post 26 and secretary of Vietnam Veterans Post 1044 (both located in Biddeford at 508 Elm Street). His speech covered the work of the Vietnam Veterans of America and his service in the United States Air Force. Returning Vietnam veterans were not treated well. Mike was personally spit on twice while in uniform. He went on to have a successful 40 year career at Motion Industries, but has remained committed to helping other veterans and making sure the experience of the Vietnam veteran is not repeated. We also discussed doing more to work together to coordinate veteran support services in the community, including heating oil assistance, using Company B funds. |
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Rotarian James L. Audiffred Esq.James L. Audiffred Esq.
On Monday, November 8, 2021, James Lee Audiffred passed away peacefully at Gosnell House in Scarborough after a lengthy illness.
Born to Joseph and Mae Audiffred Jim was raised in Festus, Missouri one of five siblings.
Jim graduated from Southeast Missouri State College and Brooklyn Law School and was a member of the bar in Maine, Massachusetts and New York.
Jim’s passion for cooking developed at a very young age when his parents owned a restaurant. He put his skills to good use while providing comfort to many people whether through the Thanksgiving dinners at the Salvation Army, cooking Sunday brunch at the Ronald McDonald House for the individuals staying there, or as a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House selling brunches for families to be catered in their homes. Jim was as adept in a fancy kitchen as he was on many of his camping and his white water rafting trips. His passion for camping was only exceeded by his love of family and his dear sweet grandchildren.
Jim was a kind, generous and thoughtful individual with a great sense of humor and was well known for his jokes. He always said when people were talking it would remind him of a joke and he usually told it. Equally he was famous for his banana breads, fudge and chocolate chip cookies.
He was a veteran and a proud longtime member of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club. Extremely active in community service Jim was particularly proud to have received the Paul Harris award and the 6 Who Care award. Jim and his wife, Margo, hosted several Rotary exchange students and had the opportunity to visit them in their native countries. He and Margo loved traveling particularly to St. Martin in the Virgin Islands.
Jim was predeceased by his parents, and his brothers Joe and David. He is survived by his wife, his sisters Frances Cooper and Rosalie Jackson, his son Jim (Elizabeth), his stepdaughters Michelle Snow (Tom) and Melanie Serrano (Irvin) and his grandchildren Finn, Eli, Maya, Balam and Naomi.
Services will be private. Jim will be laid to rest in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Those wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so by contributing to the Ronald McDonald House, 250 Bracket Street, South Portland, Maine 04102 or the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, 11 Hunnewell Road, Scarborough, Maine 04074
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We Want You! Rotary Leadership NominationsOur club has been in existence for 101 years and the continuity of leadership in our club has been a big reason for our longevity. As Rotarians we are leaders in our community and in the organizations in which we work. Each year, a committee is formed to nominate members to take on the challenging, but incredibly rewarding role of leadership in our club. We will present our nominations to the club at a regular meeting in early December where the club will vote on the nominations. For those of you that may not know, the succession planning for our Club President begins anew each year with the nomination committee. The special individual who is elected Vice President will serve as Vice President beginning in July of 2022, become President-Elect in July 2023, assume the role of Club President in July of 2024 then complete their term as an immediate Past President on the Board of Directors in July of 2025. We are also seeking nominees for 2 Director positions. Directors typically meet monthly to review finances, fundraisers, large charitable requests, community projects and new initiatives among other things. Although we have some individuals willing to continue serving as Secretary (Julie Villemaire), Treasurer (Susan Gejewski) and Assistant Treasurer (Kathy Shea) these positions are also open for nominees if you are interested. Finally, we have an Assistant Secretary position that is open. This is a non-voting member of the Board of Directors and supports the Secretary in the many functions they perform. As I often say, this is a Rotary Club not a Country Club - we live by the words Service Above Self. Having served as Treasurer and President, I can tell you that the experience is extremely rewarding and all Rotarians should take advantage of the opportunity. If you are interested in one of the positions please let me or the someone on the nominating committee (Kristen Lane, Kathy Shea, Morgan Stoner, or Paul Deschambeault) know of your interest. Should you have any questions about any of the positions or the nominating process, please feel free to reach out to me, the nominating committee or anyone who is serving (or has served) in these positions. We are all happy to talk with you about these positions. Thank you for your consideration. Yours in service, Ken Farley |
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Week in Review 11/3/2021Committee reports: Raffle: We are only 7 tickets away from having sold every single one! Amazing work. Thank you Karen Chasse and the whole raffle team! Charitable: Jim Godbout will need volunteers on the morning of Monday November 15 to help move foam flooring tiles from XL Sports in Saco to My Place Teen Center's new building in Biddeford. Please watch your email for a signup request. Many hands make light work, especially when moving foam... Joe M has a request from Nick Blunier of Common Roots Studio to help fund his Artbus project. It does not align very well with our charitable giving guidelines. Melissa Cilley or Jess Muise will reach out to see if there's a way to mesh it with their work. Please sign up for a shift at Window Dressers Biddeford Build if you can. Some of us are heading over after the meeting on the 17th. Here is the signup link. UNE Rotaract (Mike Burman/Justine Bassett): Rotaract is having Ann Hussey speak about polio next week. It continues to be a busy and active club. Some Rotaract members may volunteer for the Window Dressers build. Program: next week our speaker is Commander Mike Gibney of American Legion Post 26, on the experience of the Vietnam Veteran. There is no meeting on the 24th (day before Thanksgiving). Happy dollars: Brenda is happy for her husband David's 65th birthday; he looks 45 Ken is happy to have friends who help with construction projects. That's what the Club is for :) Bill P is happy that Susan is back, and his family is getting a new puppy, a Burmadoodle Roland is happy because it looks like snow in Quebec Susan has a happy $20, good to be back, thanks to Club members for attending Chuck's wake and funeral, thanks to Roland and to Heather M for helping out at the last minute when needed... that's what the Club is for... Cynthia is happy to be in the Club, at the $20 level! Conrad is happy to see such great meeting attendance! Melissa is happy to give her last dollar to Rotary! Fines from S-A-A Jim LaBelle: Marty was fined for getting elected to Biddeford City Council, and for driving an EV Mark N was fined for also driving an EV (how did Heather M not also get fined for this, Jim???) Brian D was fined for looking too happy on Zoom, in Florida, surrounded by the beach and palm trees Conrad fined for being happy 52 weeks in a row 50/50 was won by Bill Paterson. Congrats Bill! Our speakers were Stephanie Eklund and Kasey McDonough, of A Home for ME (a program of Spurwink), promoting foster parenthood. There are currently 2200 children in Maine across all age ranges looking for forever homes. It is a statewide problem. There are hundreds of kids just 8 or 9 years old in the program looking for homes. Many foster families will receive a stipend. If you can help please do -- there are ways other than fostering to help out, as well. Save-the-Date: Wreaths Across America (led locally by Graig Morin of Brown Dog Trucking) has requested our help on Saturday December 18 at 9AM to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Biddeford. Here is Steve Morin's invocation for the week, thank you Steve. We are always pleased to have volunteers to give the invocation/inspirational thought, and this is a good one: “To help yourself, help others. Whatever good you do travels a circle and returns to you many times over – but remember, life isn’t about what you get, it’s about you become”- Dennis Gaskill -- |
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Week in Review 10/27/2021Visiting Rotarians and Guests: -Assistant District Governor Dennis Robillard Committee updates: Raffle: sales are going very well. November 3 is the due date. Some members are looking for more tickets to sell. If you do exchange tickets please let Conrad know what number you exchanged so he can track it. We will do the big drawing on Nov 17! Thank you Karen Chasse for your leadership, and I think I heard Carl Goodwin had sold 33 tickets! Amazing! We were very pleased to induct our second new member in two weeks, Justine Bassett! Welcome Justine! Happy Dollars: Jane Foley, $3, one for each of the job offers her daughter, a newly certified Physical Therapist, has received! Ken Farley: $5, for his son getting his Coast Guard Engineer's license Fausto: $10, glad to be back, and apologies for all the "sorry I have to be in Vegas" excuses he gives to miss meetings :) Carl: sold 33 tickets (wow) Brian D: happy/sad -- heading to Florida, so he'll be moving to the Zoom screen for the winter Paul D: me too, same as Brian Jen F: $10, Hakim and his family, who she spoke about last week regarding the dramatic rescue from Kabul, are getting closer to a relocation plan Mike B: happy to see fellow UNE colleague Justine join the club (thanks Mike for sponsoring a great new member!) CJ: happy to be back in person! Kim R: daughter's artwork was a big hit at Saco Pumpkin Fest; and her house is under contract for sale Joe M: took compass navigation class at APEX and very much enjoyed it (note: this happened because Jim LaBelle put together a Chamber bike ride with APEX a few weeks back and Joe met the instructor, thanks Jim that was a cool event!) Brenda: her pageant winning granddaughters had a booth at Pumpkin Fest and it was very helpful. (Marty is happy there was a good reason he was stuck in traffic for an hour :) ADG Dennis: the Saco Bay Sunset Club parked cars for OOB Taco Fest and it was a big success Conrad, $2, happy for family to be together Melissa, happy orienteering classes at APEX are a success Fines from S-A-A Jim L: Marty: $10: Forget to open the meeting with the Four Way Test! That fails the Four Way Test!! CJ: looks too happy and tanned Jane: too cool, drives a truck Our speaker was Phoebe Little from Window Dressers. Window Dressers measures and makes, with volunteers, interior storm window inserts for low income households. In fact, any Biddeford/Saco resident can order them; but they are free for qualified low income people (including tenants). Oil prices are up, and there's still time to suggest people who could use a warmer apartment this winter. This is an exciting Rotary volunteer opportunity and if you can help with the build, which will be held at the Biddeford Church of Christ at 266 Pool Street in Biddeford from Tuesday Nov 16 to Saturday Nov 20, you can (and should!) sign up here. Closing note: PP Joe has announced a Movember moustache/facial hair challenge, to raise money for cancer treatment and men’s health issues particularly testicular cancer, prostate cancer and mental health: 50 BUCKS goes to the person male / female, they / them to the charity of their choice who has the best facial hair on November 17th as voted on by the club. You must be present to win (Zoom attendees included). Stick on moustaches qualify. Anything goes. Just win that vote. And word is just in that Pierre and Cynthia are matching the challenge, so it's up to $100 for the charity of your choice if you win! Speakers this Wednesday are Stephanie Eklund and Kasey McDonough, A Home for ME (Spurwink), and the food is pizza (Ricetta's is famous for their pizza). Looking forward to it! |
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Help Youth with Vital Life SkillsNow recruiting community members to teach vital life skills to area youth! Are there things that you weren't taught in high school that you wish you knew before graduating? Important knowledge is taught in classrooms every day, but there are also practical skills and life knowledge that students can miss out on. Taxes, credit cards, how to do laundry, and renting an apartment are just a few that come to mind. Typically, we learn these things from trusted adults, Google, or through fumbling along on our own. Now, area youth can learn them through Apex. Apex Youth Connection has launched an ongoing series of workshops around these life skills with the help of people like yourself! Zip on over to our form to see if there's a topic you might have interest in sharing. You can also contact Dave Munger, Job Readiness Program Manager, with questions or for more information. Thanks for your support! |
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Jen Fullmer: Saving friend from Kabul airportTalk from Jen Fullmer: Ret USAF Colonel Jen Fullmer was part of a dramatic extraction of an Afghan military colleague Hakim from the Kabul airport in late August as US operations in Afghanistan ceased. She and other military contacts collaborated to get their former servicemate to the right gate at the right time and brought into the airport to catch a flight to Rammstein Germany. Minute by minute the circumstances changed, just hours before the last US flights left the country. We look forward to hearing more about this riveting story and how our Club can get involved and help with the relocation process for Hakim and his family. |
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Week in Review 10/20/2021Meeting recap: Guests: Rotary Foundation Trustee Brenda Cressey PDG Peggy Belanger Kathy Shea's sister Natalie Murphy Phil Mateja – Keller Williams – Guest of Heather Gendron Mike Shea – Kathy Shea's son on Zoom Happy dollars: Carl Goodwin, $5, happy to be back (and we're happy to have you back!) Ken Farley, $5, happy to be at Ricetta's, a familiar spot Dr. Joe: happy to see Brenda Cressey Peggy Belanger: happy to see Natalie Murphy! Natalie: happy to be here and see Kathy and Peggy! Melissa: pleased to be collaborating with Biddeford schools and Karen Chasse to help families Conrad: today would have been his father's 95th birthday Brenda P, $10: thankful for being a Rotarian with all these great people (and won $31 in the 50-50 and donated it to Bravebees.org) Kim, $4, appreciates being a member Jen, $10, appreciates the new location and being a member |
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Scholarship Opportunity
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Meeting Venue ChangeNext week and going forward is at Ricetta's in Saco. Rotarians in the know turn on Hutchins Street by the U-Haul and park in the large lot behind the restaurant, then come in through the Take Out door to our space upstairs... it's a nice spot, seems like it might even work well for Zoom - we did a test yesterday and it worked well. The food will be a buffet with several options including vegetarian and gluten-free. |
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$100 Annual Raffle 2021 THIS IS THE WEEK OF THE DRAWING!Our Rotary $100 Raffle returns and kicked off October 6 with the drawing on November 17th. If you want to support charitable giving while possibly winning some easy money, comment below and we will connect with you or follow-up directly with a Biddeford-Saco Rotarian. We can accept cash, check and Venmo. With fewer Rotarians to sell this year, we need your support to keep doing our great work! |
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Week in Review 9/13/2021Announcements: Conrad talked to Earl Goodwin's wife Anastasia. Earl is struggling with some health issues. Please keep him in your thoughts. The Rotaract Club continues to be active. District 7780 PolioPlus Chair (and polio survivor) Ann Lee Hussey will speak to Rotaract on the 27th about Rotary's polio eradication efforts. The Program Committee added our own Brian Dallaire to the speaking program on Nov 17, on the importance of our involvement with the Rotary Foundation. This meeting will also include the raffle drawing. Raffle tickets are selling well! Mike Burman is currently in the lead with 5 sold. Please check in with Karen Chasse and Heather MacLean if you need more tickets, and thanks for helping out with this important fundraiser! Happy dollars: Melissa: has a new grandbaby on the way Mike Burman: daughter is celebrating 11th birthday, and they are going to NYC to see Hamilton Steve Morin: brother-in-law is visiting, and the Red Sox are en fuego Brenda: happy that her granddaughter Victoria Bombino was named New England American Miss Pageant winner, and at the celebration, Brenda was seated next to Tuskegee Airman Enoch Woodhouse. Conrad: Wife got booster shot Jess: attended the Maine Association of Nonprofits Executive Leadership Institute, which was very valuable, and made lasting connections Kim: happy $10, for the Keep it Local Maine podcast, and her daughter's continued success in the Thornton Academy arts program, where she drew a great sketch of Harriet Tubman. Fines: Joe and Mike for having matching haircuts. Was a Flowbee involved? Karen: for being too happy Jess: for using a poem about wooden boats as the invocation, when she also runs a successful & interesting program teaching kids to build wooden boats! |
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Kids Free to GrowOur speakers were Patrice Leary-Forrey and Danielle Gray of Kids Free to Grow. This program was originally known as York County Child Abuse and Neglect Council, run by executive director Marilyn Staples, and Dr. Joe was a founding board member! As the pandemic continues, families continue to face intense stress. We've all heard recent coverage of child abuse in Maine. It is important, now more than ever, to speak up or act if you are concerned for a child. Patrice and Danielle led us through a couple of eye-opening role playing exercises and we had an excellent conversation on when and how to speak up when witnessing or suspecting child abuse, hunger or neglect. Kids Free to Grow encourages us to get involved and as individuals and Rotarians, be a resource to those around you. |
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Week In Review 10/6/2021Announcements: New member postings: Justine Bassett (sponsored by Mike Burman) Cynthia Giroux (sponsored by Joe Moreshead) Guest: Stewart Smith, guest of Kim Regoulinsky Happy Dollars:
Speaker: Diane Cyr of Biddeford Cultural and Historical Society Diane's remarks centered on the formation of this interesting organization and their goals. Currently located at the J. Richard Martin Community Center, the team is looking for a permanent space and is fundraising right now. It is not purely a Franco-Americain organization -- as a matter of fact they have celebrated many local heritages including that of recent Iraqi arrivals, and a celebration of Maine's first mosque, which is located in Biddeford. The group also coordinates the Biddeford Hall of Fame event each year and many remarkable local people have been celebrated. (You can see the banners on Main Street). They also have a YouTube channel called Voices of Biddeford, with several interesting talks, please subscribe. FMI: www.biddefordculturalandheritagecenter.org Learn more about BCHC and plan to attend their upcoming Open House on October 23 from 9AM-noon, see details here and consider making a contribution to help this local organization and their dedicated volunteers. Next week is our last meeting at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, before we move to Ricetta's starting the 20th. Our speaker will be Patrice Leary-Forrey, Director of Kids Free to Grow. Kim has volunteered to bring lunch. Please wear black & orange to celebrate Biddeford Schools, and all that Paulette and her team have done for us during our 3 months meeting at BRCOT. Let's close out strong with a good meeting! |
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Week in Review 9/29/2021Meeting was Led by Brenda Pollock (President–Elect) in Marty Grohman’s absence today. 4 Way Test: Led by Haley Thompson Invocation: Led by Dr. Michael Burman Pledge of Allegiance Vice President (Paulette Bonneau) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Visiting Rotarian – Rene Menard – Thornton Academy & Justine Bassett - UNE, a guest of Michael Burman. New Rotarian – Kim Regoulinsky. Kim is Co-owner and Sales Manager for Keep It Local Maine. She was welcomed by President-elect Pollock who asked club members to ensure we support and encourage Kim in her new role as a Rotarian. Announcements: · Our Club, the Saco Bay Rotary Club, and the UNE Rotaract Club joined forces and took part in the 2021 Beach Clean Up effort happening throughout Maine on Saturday, September 25th, from 9 – 11 am at Bayview Beach in Saco. Led by Rotarian, Dr. Michael Burman, who shared over a dozen volunteers showed up and did a fabulous job cleaning up the beach. · Public Image Committee encouraging you to visit and join the new Facebook page called Rotary District 7780, please like and share! · Oct 6th meeting will be the $100 Raffle Kickoff, one of the clubs’ annual fundraisers, please join the meeting to get your tickets! Sergeant At-Arms (SAA):
50/50 Drawing: Winner is Dr. Brian Dallaire Meeting adjourned at 1:12pm. Please attend on October 6 for the Raffle Kickoff and speaker Diane Cyr of the Biddeford Cultural & Historic Center! |
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Guest Speaker-Rene Menard of Thornton AcademyThornton Academy is an independent, private day and boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Thornton is co-educational and non-sectarian. Since its founding in 1811, Thornton Academy has been a center of inspiration, innovation, and community in Saco, Maine. They prepare students for a changing world through curriculum, facilities, extra-curricular opportunities, and student support. Students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones, to try courses that challenge and intrigue them, and to take deep dives into subjects that spark curiosity. Engagement continues after-school, through many clubs, activities, community service, and athletics. At Thornton Academy, students can express individuality while discovering their future aspirations. Our school community is warm and welcoming. We are a school where students build strong relationships with dedicated teachers and student friendships that last a lifetime. Our faculty and staff recognize that each child has strengths and challenges, and takes into account the well-being of individuals at each stage of social, emotional, and intellectual development. With students from more than 30 local towns and more than 40 countries worldwide, TA values the diversity and multiculturalism of our community. The geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of the student body creates a unique and dynamic learning environment that fosters a greater appreciation of not only our individual differences but also the values we share. Bearing in mind today's competitive global economy, experienced college counselors work with students one-on-one in grades 9-12 to plan college and career trajectories. The Career Center supports real-world experience through internships, job shadows, and part-time work. The university partnerships offer students the opportunity to test out areas of study even before university enrollment. THE BENEFITS OF A BIG SCHOOL As the largest independent school in Maine serving 1,600 local and international students, Thornton offers unique advantages.
FMI: visit the schools website at - https://www.thorntonacademy.org |
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Week in Review 9/22/2021Announcements: 50/50 was won by Bill Paterson, who donated the $18 to the Red Ribbon Fund Oct 24 is World Polio Day. There is the possibility of a joint Pints for Polio fundraiser with the Saco Bay Club. Our next board meeting is Wednesday Oct 6 - please get word to Marty if you have an item to come before the board (a larger than $500 charitable request, etc). Note: Marty will be away on Wednesday 9/29 getting a generator installed at his camp, and Pres Elect Brenda will run the meeting. Brenda is also bringing lunch. We will need volunteers to be Greeters, for the Four Way Test, Note Taker, and Invocation/Inspirational Message. Please let Marty know if you can help. Dan Reed will bring food 10/6 and PP Don will bring food 10/13. Those will be our last two meetings at the Center of Technology before we transition to Ricetta's on 10/20. Thank you Brenda, Dan and Don! Program Committee: Our guest this week is TA Headmaster Rene Menard. If you have TA gear and want to make Mr. Menard feel welcome, please wear it! Rotaract: Beach Cleanup is Saturday at Bayview Beach (as I write this, it has already happened and was a big success!). The Charitable Committee has approved $250 to go to Recover2gether. Recover2gether will have a Recovery Softball Event this Thursday the 30th at Rotary Park, together with the Biddeford and Saco Opioid Outreach Coordinator (a program which is housed at the Biddeford Police Dept). Rotarians are welcome. Click here for more information. The Charitable Committee is also considering a bigger request that would go to provide reusable water bottles to provide for students, since drinking fountains in the schools are closed. Happy Dollars (apologies for some omissions, and thank you for all the great news and updates): Brian got to visit Bernice Wood $2 from Cheri: one for her guest Morgan Bates of Project Alliance and one for Melissa's guest Biddeford City Councilor Ashanti Williams Brenda for her granddaughter Maddison's continued success in pageants and her remarkable project bravebees.org Also Brian -- $10 for a great trip to Portugal, where he drank plenty of port; and also his wife had successful surgery on her toe $10 Jen Fullmer -- as a welcome to guest speaker, Biddeford Firefighter Chris Aberle $5 Paulette is happy that the COT school's new culinary program has been approved $5 CJ fines herself for not being on mute while pitching some very nice real estate which several in the club were ready to buy! $5 Matt Tuller is happy to have visited his brother in California $5 Mark visited NC for his daughter's white coat ceremony (medical school) $2 Melissa went to a Kansas City Chiefs game; even though they lost it was great to see her team, and pleased to have Councilor Williams as her guest Speaker: Biddeford Firefighter Chris Aberle Chris is seeking assistance, on behalf of the Biddeford Fire Department Relief Association, to improve and update the "Last Alarm" monument at Biddeford Central Fire Station. The Relief Association hopes to raise $75K for this project. Chris showed some project visualizations that were prepared by drafting students at the COT. The team has been selling commemorative bricks in the display to raise money. Please visit here to help out. The EMT program at the COT has a nice tie in with the Biddeford Fire Department. There are currently 14 students enrolled in the EMT program. These students can't graduate soon enough, as hiring has been tough -- at one time, there would be 35-40 applicants per job; now there are far fewer. There are some staff openings at the FD if you know anyone interested. An excellent talk by Chris and we hope to find ways to support this project! |
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Rotarians Organize Beach Clean-up Events Across the StateSACO – Rotarians from the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, the Saco Bay Rotary Club, and the UNE Rotaract Clubs, are joining forces and taking part in the 2021 Beach Clean Up effort happening throughout Maine. Along Maine’s beaches, rivers, and lakes, you’ll find Rotarians and locals taking on the task of cleaning Maine’s beautiful landscapes. Led by Rotarian, Dr. Michael Burman, the clubs are planning the local clean up event on Saturday, September 25th, from 9 – 11 am at Bayview Beach in Saco. “There are many projects that Rotary clubs have adopted to limit society’s negative effects on the planet”, Burman said. “It’s a unique opportunity for the Biddeford, Saco, and OOB clubs to work together to help our community and our environment. We’re especially excited to pair established Rotary members with UNE’s Rotaract students, as they represent the next generation of Rotarians and community leaders.” Located along Seaside Avenue (Rte. 9) and at the end of Bayview Road in Saco, Bayview Beach is a sandy beach that is a popular beach destination in the summer months. In 2018, Age Friendly Saco received an AARP Challenge Grant to provide beach accessibility mats at this location in the summertime to provide ease of access to the beach for all. In 2019, the Saco Parks and Recreation Department acquired beach wheelchairs for visitors to borrow. Anyone interested in helping with the clean-up should plan to arrive for 9am. The city of Saco is assisting with clean-up supplies. Dick Hall, District Governor of Rotary’s District 7780 is excited to see twenty-one clubs organize various clean-up efforts in along Maine’s waterfronts. “Rotarians have always made the environment an area of focus in their respective clubs by adding the environment as our organization’s seventh area of focus, allows a direct channel to global grants, new projects, and innovations tackling this issue”, said Hall. For upwards of 110 years, Rotary has used its vast network to create positive change for its focus areas: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. These six areas act as pillars, each sustaining the extensive global organization by way of focused motivation. On June 25, 2020, Rotary International announced, with unanimous support from the Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors, that it will be adding a seventh area of focus: supporting the environment. For more information on the 2021 clean up event, visit http://www.biddeford-sacorotary.org/or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BiddefordSacoRotaryClub |
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Week in Review 9/15/2020Program Committee: Next week is OOB police chief Dana Kelley, and the week after that (9/29) is TA Headmaster Rene Menard. Charitable Committee (Joe M, Kristen L, Cheri, Jen F, Dan R): This group can quickly approve donations up to $500. The committee has a couple active donations they are considering. Still looking for more requests. There is one active request: Cheri would like to fund a recovery softball game/BBQ being put together by Recover2gether on Thursday September 30th from 7-10PM at Rotary Park (Rotarians welcome). Rotaract: Our Club, the Saco Bay Rotary Club, and the UNE Rotaract Club are joining forces and taking part in the 2021 Beach Clean Up effort happening throughout Maine. Show up Saturday, September 25th, from 9 – 11 am at Bayview Beach in Saco. Bring gloves and good shoes and wear Rotary gear if you have it. You'll get an email invite to sign up. Happy Dollars: Joe M is happy he has the $7 he owes Brenda, but Brenda is on Zoom, so he can't give it to her Dr Joe has $6: going to Chicago for granddaughter's wedding, and the Oqunquit Club's 2 Cent Sale raised almost $6K Mark N is happy to be back after his hip replacement, and also to be going to a White Coat ceremony for his daughter, who is going to UNC medical school. Also, City Theater has "Ghost Train" starting Oct 13, get tickets now Don P: happy to play in a golf tournament with Doug Willette from PC Insurance, Mark Brown of State Farm, and Matt Thompson, and they won! Karen: happy about new grandbaby boy! Conrad: sad dollar that his aunt broke her hip, but happy to see his grandkids Bill P: happy that he is not matchy matchy with Conrad today... although it was close Marty: $5 happy dollars to see Dan Reed back Paul: $2 (hopefully the last of his two dollar bills!): sister State Sen. Susan Deschambault elected to Franco-Americain Hall of Fame Roland: happy his father is settling in at St. Andre's, happy Bill Kany is ignoring me and thinks Bill's zoom name "Billk" is oddly appropriate Heather Gendron: happy her oldest daughter graduated from SMCC's health tech program and just got promoted to MRI Tech Cory (guest speaker): happy to be celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary Jim G: not happy he hurt his back, but happy to be at meeting Melissa: happy she is going to be a grandmother and will be "nana" Brenda (on Zoom): happy Joe is going to finally pay up the $7 he owes her, she will give seven happy dollars that her daughter-in-law is a writer on the movie Hawkeye and two granddaughters are successfully competing in beauty pageants In response, Joe hands over Brenda's $7 to the Club :) Interesting speech this week from Cory Hutchinson, general manager of Funtown Splashtown (26 years at the park). Introduced by Jim Godbout (Rotarian Jim and his team have done a lot of the innovative plumbing work at the park). Cory talked of staffing challenges and the ups and downs of managing through a year of change, and the economics of park operations. Since rides require a minimum staffing for safety, some rides had to stay closed even when the weather's nice. Many missed the evening opening hours, but there wasn't staff to do it this year. -Had to close in 2020 -Planned to open at 50% this year, then 100% was allowed at the last minute. Made planning difficult and lost momentum -Normally has 550 employees in the summer, numbers were down significantly this year -lack of J-1 Visa availability has been a problem, normally have 120 J-1 employees, only able to get 40 this year -far fewer applications this year than normal, announced across-the-board raise, free family four pack season pass for all employees, which helped -guest numbers were good, but had 11 rainouts in July -The business is an area legend and is doing all it can to succeed in these difficult times. They hope to be open in the evenings more frequently next year. -And yes, they still play ELO's Fire on High in the Astrosphere! We hope to see you next week! Food will be provided by Cheri, and we're looking for volunteers for the invocation and to lead the Four Way Test. We will meet at the BRCOT through 10/13, after which we will switch to Ricetta's from 10/20 onward. As always, make the most of your membership, let us know what you are working on and what you need, and stay involved! |
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Saco City Administrator Bryan KaenrathSaco City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath gave an interesting talk on his work. Brian is a UMaine grad and represented South Portland in the Maine Legislature for 8 years until 2014 (serving with PP Don Pilon), then became town manager in Gouldsboro ME and Northhampton NH before joining Saco two years ago. The City of Saco is seeing fast growth, and are pleased with the voter support for the largest bond issue in Saco history. His goals are to help Saco become more of a destination downtown, and expanding on existing strong growth. The City is promoting their Arts Commission to add interest to downtown, and there are several successful downtown merchants (including Whimsical ME owned by Rotarian Heather MacLean). Bryan also hopes for more civic participation, noting several council seats are unopposed. |
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Week in Review 9/1/2021This meeting was the first posting of prospective new member Kim Regoulinsky. Kim is the owner of Keep it Local Maine. We always welcome new members and guests, if you have an idea for a guest, please bring them! The 50/50 of $13 was won by Conrad, who donated it to the Red Ribbon Fund Food was provided by Paulette. And the leftover cookies went to the students and volunteers at APEX Youth Connection. Four Way test was by Jen Fullmer. This was actually Jen's first in-person meeting, having joined the Club during Zoom-only times, and then needing to be away to help with family in CT this summer. Good to see you in person Jen! Committee Reports: Program Committee: upcoming September speakers (all at BRCOT, 10 Maplewood Ave, Biddeford, at Biddeford High School, plus on Zoom):
Venue committee: Exciting news! After a lot of research, many site visits and meetings and several proposals, the group, consisting of Conrad, Heather G and Heather M, has selected Ricettas in Saco as our new location. We will start there on Oct 20! We will have an excellent buffet, and good Zoom capabilities. Thank you team! We are looking forward to our new location. Charitable Committee: Joe Moreshead has a request from the Biddeford Golf Team for support. He sent the charitable request form to fill out. We have a budget to support the community and are looking for deserving people and projects. Rotaract: Mike Burman is working with Emily Birdsall of Rotaract at UNE. They had a good Volunteer Fair at UNE and expect to have as many as two dozen students ready to volunteer. The first project will probably be a beach cleanup, date TBD. The members would like to hold a get-together with us, possibly a dinner. There is also a possible connection to the Rotaract Club of Amman Jordan developing. Lunch volunteers: when meeting at the Center of Technology, which we will do through October 13, we need volunteers to bring in food. You'll receive a projected number of attendees on Monday, and then you can order and bring in food, for which you'll be reimbursed. Joe M volunteered for our next meeting, which is on the 15th, and is going to bring sandwiches from Part & Parcel... which will be a major treat. Cheri Sullivan volunteered for 9/22. If you can arrange lunch on 9/29, 10/6, or 10/13 please let Marty know. Sergeant-at-Arms Jim Labelle coordinated the Happy Dollars: -Haley Thompson gave $5 for five-days-a-week school -Mike Burman described how his daughter has focused on her acting career and has been cast in her first movie! -Dr. Joe was happy to see his grandson Noah, and is pleased that the Oqunquit Club's 2 Cent Sale is going better -- please buy a raffle ticket! They are close to their $6000 goal! -Roland gave $31 for his thirty-first anniversary with Paula! -Ken Farley gave $2 as a thanks for all the help with the raised beds -Jen Fullmer gave $20 as a thank you to the Marines, who helped her bring a friend out of the Kabul Airport to safety (be sure to attend our Oct. 20 meeting for a presentation from Jen, who is a retired USAF Colonel, and will share this remarkable story of veterans working together to help Afghanis) -Conrad gave $2 as a thank you to the Venue Committee, who worked so well together -Joe M gave a dollar as a thank you for the great meeting turnout! -Karen gave a dollar, her stepson has a great new job -Paul D gave $2, because he is retired and feels great to have a day with nothing on the schedule! -Marty gave $5 as a thank you to Paulette and the BRCOT team for hosting us so well -Cheri gave $5 as a highlight of the Naloxone anti-overdose training that is coming up. We may have this as a topic at a future meeting. Fines: Bill Paterson and Conrad Welzel were fined for being all matchy-matchy. Get out the wallet Conrad, and hang ten Surfer Bill: |
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Week in Review 8/25/2021Meeting notes:
Happy Dollars:
We had a fun speaker: artist and teacher Nick Blunier of Common Roots Studio (which is located in Biddeford next to the former Wonderbar). Nick also teaches at behavioral school Sweetser in Saco, and brought us an art project to complete. Our assignment was to draw either a cheeseburger playing baseball, or a banana skydiving. Here are some of the results! Finally, to wrap up, a request. We need volunteers to bring lunch to upcoming meetings on Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6 & 13. If you'd like to bring in something fun and local to feed your fellow Rotarians, it would be a help. Members of the Board: we're on Zoom, Wednesday morning at 7:45AM -- agenda items welcome. -- |
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Week in Review 8/18/2021The Venue committee of Heather Gendron, Heather MacLean, and Conrad Welzel continue to research options for us. Spaces under consideration include Ricetta's, Ferry Beach Conference Center, and the Center of Technology (where today's meeting was held). The goal is to have a decision made at the Board meeting on 9/1. Note:none of our venue choices will be available until mid-October, due to staffing shortages and other reasons. So the venue committee has agreed that we will meet at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology through Oct 13. The Program Committee has an excellent upcoming slate of speakers. September is focused on Saco. Next week 8/25 our guest will be Nick Blunier, Biddeford artist, of Common Roots Studio and the Art Bus. This meeting will be held at the COT and also on Zoom (the COT space works well for hybrid meetings, thanks Paulette for making it available!) Guest: Chris Soulias, Middletown CT Rotary Happy dollars (apologies for any I missed!):
Guest speaker, Community Advocate-Holly Culloton "Why I Do What I Do"
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Week in Review 8/11/2021We had a great ice cream meeting on Wednesday, featuring guest speakers from Sweet Cream and Garsides. They are welcome at our meetings anytime! Unfortunately, there were some free samples left over, and I had to take them.... Our Mini Golf for Good event is this weekend! We have had a great response, thanks to your efforts. Come on out to play some mini-golf at Schooners, Raptor Falls, or Pirate's Cove, and say hi to your favorite Rotarian! Next week's meeting: Please join us on Wednesday the 18th at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology with guest speaker Holly Culloton, Biddeford's 2020 Volunteer of the Year (I think Holly would win this award every year if that was possible). Holly is a big part of the reason why downtown Biddeford has flowerboxes and gardens, and was the founder of Bebe's Burritos, one of the businesses that brought back Main Street. We'll be in person, but Zoom works well for meetings at BRCOT too -- the Biddeford School Department is set up for this. In person, you do need to wear a mask when entering and exiting the building, but not while you're eating. We'll have sandwiches and drinks. |
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Week in Review 8/4/2021Quick Updates from Marty:
Meeting recap (thanks to note-taker Jess Muise of Engine): Guests: Guest Speaker Dr. Don E. Hoenig, consultant and former State Veterinarian Invocation by Melissa Cilley including a land acknowledgement Next week’s meeting is 8/11 @ Sweet Cream at noon, ring bell at 12:15 Pepperell Center, 40 Main St, Biddeford, ME 04005 Fellowship, not a formal meeting – but will include Q&A with the business owners from Sweet Cream and Garsides No lunch, but there is ice cream! The week after that (8/18) will be at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology/hybrid meeting and feature Volunteer of the Year Holly Culloton Announcements and updates • Program Committee Update - welcoming program ideas. • Venue committee working on a space to land. They are touring Ferry Beach Association next week • Mini Golf Fundraiser - 57 hole sponsors, goal is 60 o Two new $1k sponsors o We need volunteers – we made 3k last year from the collection jars at the events alone - sign up sheet o Most of the $$ comes from Raptors and Pirates Cove, those are the target markets • Rotary Park Garden Bed Project cutting party Thurs Aug 5 - have enough people to handle the cutting but please come by for fellowship • Expect to assemble the garden beds at Rotary Park TBD pending corrugated metal materials delivery and location preparation • Today is the first posting for a new member approved by the board the morning: Kim Regoulinsky, owner of Keep it Local Maine • Michael Burman - discussing goals for the Rotaract Club please send suggestions • Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce had a great Chamber Fest event August 3 in Mechanics Park Happy dollars and fines by Sergeant-at-Arms Jim LaBelle:
Presentation on bees • Our food systems rely on bees for pollination. • Bees are insects. Without humans insects would be fine; without insects, humans cannot survive. • Why do bees need a veterinarian? Bees as a food animal are regulated by the FDA. • What is in the smoke used when approaching a beehive? Pine needles in the smoker alert them that something is happening • Colony collapse disorder is likely a multifactor issue, not just RoundUp - many threats to bee populations including American Foulbrood, mites, viruses Of note: Thank you to Paulette and her team at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. The hybrid meeting worked well and everyone on both sides could be seen and heard with the Owl microphone and cameras, even from across the room. And thanks to Dr. Hoenig for a very interesting presentation! |
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From the Peanut GallerySupplement to August 4, 2021 Tack Okay, so the people gallery has been fairly dormant over the last bunch of months, but when it sees or hears an injustice it must wake up and throw a few peanuts. On August 4th, Sergeant at Arms, Jim Labelle, arguably exceeded his paltry authority (for similar actions in excess of one’s authority see Joe Biden) by declaring that since the departure of Jackson Brown Joe Moreshead is now the best looking man in the club (I believe I saw President Marty shed a tear into his mask). First of all, I don’t recall voting on this, and secondly, if voting was employed, clearly ranked choice voting should have been used. Anointing Joe the McDreamy of the club creates two issues. The first was immediate in that Paulette Bonneau needed to demo a wall so Joe could get his inflated head out of the building. Such demolition is not cheap and the State only has so much money to go around. The second problem is that such an announcement objectifies Joe and frankly all men in the club. That point is not diminished in the least by the fact that the announcement was made by Jim Labelle who was clearly serving as a mouth piece for the women in the club. We all need to remember that Joe may actually have feelings and he may actually be more than a pretty face. Those facts are yet to be determined, but we have to leave open the possibility. Jim clearly did not consider the fact that labelling Joe as the club hunk might temporarily boost his spirits, but as his looks quickly fade, where will he be? Sure, Joe occasionally wears the pink (he calls them cranberry, but we all know pink when we see it) canvas pants spotted with ducks or some other form of fowl and he skips wearing socks to accentuate his ankles, but such clothing is not an invitation to ogle. Joe is a man, he is not an animal (the Elephant Man paraphrase is merely a coincidence). Perhaps it is time to start the #mentoomovement. Please remember that every time you compliment Joe’s appearance his head grows in size and his neck can only hold up so much, and the local chiropractors are only so good. So let’s not be so free to throw around such reckless pronouncements unless one is going to consider the inner man as well. We all deserve a recount. |
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Rotary Park Raised Bed ProjectThe BS Rotary Club is having a wood cutting party on August 5th at 30 Gooch St at 5:00PM- BYOB ( my shop ). We are cutting material to make 15 raised bed boxes. We will help assemble those boxes on Saturday at Rotary Park at a time to be determined by the Biddeford Community Garden Committee. Bring a chop saw too if you want- – we already have two to set up. Attached is the plan for the boxes. We are making 15 of the boxes. We hope some Rotarians can come and help. Thanks Joe MoresheadBiddeford Saco Rotary Club |
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Mini-Golf Event Click here to watch video ad: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14z82vPVtLq0NZ4KB-CRcvuQgTx3Khq47/view?usp=sharing |
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Week in Review 7/28/2021Biddeford Saco Rotary Meeting July 28, 2021 4 way test - Matt Tuller Pledge - Marty Invocation - Kristen Lane Guests: none Announcements: Marty - We have established a venue committee of Conrad Welzel, Heather Gendron & Heather MacLean. Please get your venue suggestions to this great group. Suggestions today included McArthur Library, Elks Club, and Blue Elephant’s new facility on North Street in Saco. Thank you for your patience as we find a lily pad to land on. Marty - Next meeting, Wednesday August 4th, is at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, 10 Maplewood Ave, Biddeford. We will have sandwiches. There is a ZOOM option. Please sign up ASAP. Masks required when entering and exiting the building. Don - Golf fund-raiser update Going well with hole sponsors - could use a few more Sign-up sheets are out Dan's video ad is great; Click here to watch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14z82vPVtLq0NZ4KB-CRcvuQgTx3Khq47/view?usp=sharing Brian - Please sign-up for next meeting ASAP. Sergeant at arms - not held this week in order to get directly to the essay contest video. Note: the Chamber is holding a mixer on Tuesday August 3rd at 5PM at Mechanics Park. Info here. Essay Contest: Brenda 26th Annual Essay Contest Impressed with all the young folks who participated Next year’s event will be Wednesday June 8th at TA All who participated in the last 2 years will be invited to attend. The participants found it very valuable to participate with our program. Excellent Video of the contestants was shown. Click here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJbWCTcA5PE After watching the essay video - final thought from Bill Paterson - Don't pen it in - pen it out... Meeting adjourned at 1pm |
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Week in Review 7/21/2021Rotary Meeting Notes July 21, 2021 Meeting Location: Thornton Academy Welcome: President Marty welcomed club members, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, 4-Way Test by Melissa Cilley, and invocation by Paulette Bonneau. Brenda Pollock introduced visitors – Dick Hall, our District Gov., his wife Andi, and Past District Gov. Peggy Belanger. President Marty presented Past President Don with his Rotary Chair, honoring his service to our club. Announcements: Golf for Good – Don reported that the committee is currently fundraising for hole sponsors. The locations have been confirmed (Raptor Falls, Schooners, and Pirate’s Cove). We need volunteers to be at the locations on August 14 and 15. Marty encouraged folks to volunteer to help with the fundraiser. You can sign up at this Google Sheet. Venue search – The club is currently looking for a new venue for weekly in-person meetings. If club members know of any such spaces, please let Marty know. Next week’s meeting – The meeting next week will be via Zoom. Brenda shared that it will be a video featuring the essay contest finalist. The theme of the essay contest was “what family means to me”. Please tune in! Community gardens – Joe shared that he has been working with Holly Culloton to provide support for a project to build raised beds in Rotary Park. He is looking for volunteers to help build the beds on August 3 and August 7 – more details to come via email. 50/50 Drawing: Winner is Kathy Shea! Happy Dollars and Fines: Jim LaBelle led the group in presenting their Happy Dollars. Some highlights were Karen, $5 for becoming a grandmother, and Jim Godbout a very generous $50 for having missed meetings. Don gave $1 for his new Rotary chair, Joe and Jim contributed for getting 10th place in the Adventure Race and having a ton of fun doing it, James Audifred who appreciated an in-person meeting, PDG Peggy Belanger for the warm welcome from our Club, Melissa Cilley $2 for APEX kids getting involved with Rotary, and lastly, DG Dick Hall as a thank you for our raised bed project that the Covid committee developed. Jim then issued fines to Joe (for wearing fancy shoes), Mark (for overpromoting the very wonderful City Theater and all their amazing upcoming shows), Susan (for overpromoting Venmo as a way to pay Happy Dollars), Haley (for having the easiest commute to today’s meeting, across the hall), Dan Reed (for having cool hair) and Brian Dallaire (for being too nice). Speaker: Marty introduced new District Gov. Dick Hall. Dick started off his presentation sharing a video by Playing For Change – Everyday People. He said that is what Rotary is…everyday people all around the world working to make the world a better place. Dick shared that his focus this year will be on the club – service, meetings, fun, public image, foundation and Polio, and membership. The theme for Rotary this year is Serve to Change Lives. Dick encouraged club members to introduce someone new to Rotary. Current Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta has issued a challenge – Each one, Bring one. Worldwide Rotary membership is 1.2 million – the goal is 1.3 million by the end of Shekhar’s year. Dick also reminded folks of the importance of Foundation participation. Some upcoming opportunities/activities to support: Pints for Polio in October and Interact’s Purple Pinky Project. Meeting Close: Please sign up to volunteer at Golf for Good! Information to come on volunteering to help build the raised garden beds – stay tuned! Next week’s meeting (the 28th) is via Zoom, the following week (8/4) will be in person at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology at Biddeford High School, featuring Dr. Don Hoenig on the crisis facing pollinators and how we can help. There will be a Zoom option for this meeting as well, and we’ll be testing some new equipment to make a better hybrid experience. |
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Week in Review 7/14/2021Biddeford Saco Rotary 7/14/21 meeting via Zoom Presiding: Marty Grohman, President Pledge: Marty 4-Way Test - Nelly Rabadi Invocation - Nasri Rabadi Guests: Nasri and Nelly Rabadi from Amman-Cosmopolitan (Jordan) Rotary Announcements: Brian - Please use the registration link on the meeting email announcements, we need head counts - next week we are in person at TA. Marty - District Governor Dick Hall will be at next week's meeting. Bag lunch provided @$6 please reserve your lunch by responding to the appointment email from Clubrunner Bill Patterson - August 4th meeting, in person at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology - featuring presentation on bees & pollinators by Dr. Don Hoenig Conrad - programming:.July 28th on Zoom. Rotary Essay Contest winners will present to us. Don - Mini Golf event...meeting today at Chamber at 4:30 pm. Courses - Pirates Cove, Martels & Raptor Falls. This event is the weekend of August 14-15 Need sponsors #50 $100 hole sponsors needed Need members at the courses to engage the public Will collect donations again at the courses - raised over $3,000 last year GOOGLE sheet will be sent for sign-ups Sergeant at Arms - Paulette Happy Dollars
FINES by Paulette:
Speaker: Dennis Robillard - Crutches for Africa The need is great and hates to see things go to waste. Started the charity in 2004 with small shipments in cars - packed the insides with crutches. Last shipment went to Afghanistan - as will the next. Shipped at no cost to recipients 30k assistive devices sent from our district from 2011 - in 2019 sent 2 40' containers Need new space to store crutches before shipping. Do we know of any space? Monday the 19th from 6 - 8pm at 20 Gooch Street need help packing items Greatest need - new space! Approx 1500 sf. Next meeting at TA - 3rd meeting in our 101st year. Meeting adjourned at 1:03 pm |
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In The Courier |
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Jordanian Rotarians Visit July 11-15, 2021We have 2 Jordanians visiting us from our sister club in Jordan this month. They arrive late on Saturday, July 10th and fly to NYC on Friday, July 16th. Nelly and Nasri will be staying with Roland & Paula. We have planned the following for their visit and would love to have as many Rotarians as possible join us! Event invitations will be sent out, so please register for which ones you would like to attend. Sunday, July 11th 11:30am-1pm Lunch at Freedom Cafe in Naples (Lunch at your expense) 1pm-3pm Songo River Queen cruise. Tickets are $30/pp and are rain or shine (non-refundable). 5 pm BBQ dinner at Roland’s in Standish (11 Busque Blvd). Steak, lobster, steamers, hamburgers and hotdogs. $15/pp to BS Rotary Club. BYOB Monday, July 12th 8am Departure for Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor $22/pp. Lunch and shopping on your own in Boothbay Harbor - van leaves BH at 5 pm. 7:30pm Dinner at TIQAs in Portland (Dinner at your expense). Tuesday, July 13th The Jordanians will spend the day with family. 5pm Potluck dinner at Susan’s in Hollis (Please bring your favorite traditional dish to share so we can show our guests a wide variety of yummy foods! BYOB, no cost for the meal. Wednesday, July 14th 8am Tour of UNE with Mike Burman 10am-12pm Tour of the Biddeford Mills $20/pp. 12pm Rotary Meeting (Jordanians Zooming from Pension Professionals’ Office) 2pm Freeport Trip with dinner on your own Thursday, July 15th 8:30am Saco Train Station - Join Roland and our friends on the Downeaster for a fun day in Boston. (Train tickets, meals and venue admissions at your expense) We need to pre-purchase tickets for the Songo River Queen cruise, BH Botanical Gardens and the Biddeford Mill tour so please let us know by Friday, July 6th if you’d like to attend any of these. We will also need to purchase food for the BBQ at Roland’s in Standish on 7/11 so let us know how many will be attending at $15/pp. Deadline is Thursday, 7/8 to sign up for this dinner. If you’d like to join us at TIQA in Portland on 7/12, we need to finalize that reservation by Thursday, July 8th. Also, by Thursday, July 8th, please let us know if you can come to the potluck dinner at Susan’s in Hollis on 7/13 and what you’ll be bringing for food. BYOB. |
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2020-2021 Swan Song/Year in Review /Week in Review 6/30/21The following are my humble observations related to our June 30, 2021 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club meeting held live and in person (unless you were on ZOOM) at the Run of the Mill (more on them later). Pledge of …………….. Allegiance: The meeting started, as usual, with a resounding version of the Pledge of Allegiance led for the last time (we can only hope) by President Don. The ZOOM attendees were out of sync with us so I intentionally tried to lag behind and speed up just to make them feel welcome. I finished several seconds before Don. Can I Hear an Amen?: Bill Patterson, or who I like to call (at this very moment) the “Master Bill P” led us on one of his original, inspirational, soul crushing, “I wish I were Joe Bassett” prayers that lacked only a Hallelujah. Amen my brother Billy P. Four Way Test: Marty “I’m starting as President tomorrow?” Grohman demonstrated his reading ability by leading us in the four way test. Maybe it’s just me, but I find the 4 way test to be both redundant and cult-ish. Honored Guest: We were visited by Kim Regoulinsky, one of the owners of Keep It Local Maine. Kim mentioned that it was her first Rotary meeting. You always remember your first. You’re nervous, it hurts a little and you’re glad to have it over with. I am taking the time to mention our guest because I was proud I asked how to spell her name. Mini-Golf: One of Don Pilon’s many obsessions (the others include stand-up comedy and the breeding of therapy hamsters) is mini-golf. He has asked me to play golf with him a few times. Of course, he usually mumbles the name of the mini-golf course to hide the fact that he does not play actual golf though he does have a tour sized bag with one rubber-headed putter in it. Well, in any event, the mini-golf fundraiser is back and will be held on August 14-15 at the Raptor Course in Arundel, Schooner’s in Saco and Pirate’s Cove in OOB. Don is a member at all three courses which is how he gets them to participate. We will need to solicit hole sponsors, venue sponsors and volunteer to be at each location to beg for money, I mean ask for donations. The next meeting of the committee will be on July 8th at 4:30 PM at the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce offices. JULY SCHEDULE: I AM TYPING THIS IN ALL CAPS LIKE I AM YELLING BECAUSE I GUARANTY YOU PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP AT THE RUN OF THE MILL NEXT WEEK OR TRY TO TUNE IN ON ZOOM. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CURRY FAVOR WITH US ALL MARTY ANNOUNCED THAT WE WILL NOT MEET NEXT WEEK, JULY 7 ANYWHERE. WE WILL NOT MEET ON ZOOM, WE WILL NOT MEET AT THE RUN OF THE MILL, WE WILL NOT MEET IN MARTY’S LIVING ROOM (AN OPTION WE SHOULD CONSIDER GOING FORWARD). THE BOARD, HOWEVER, WILL MEET ON ZOOM ON JULY 7. CONFUSED YET? THEN MARTY ANNOUNCED WE WILL MEET ON ZOOM ON JULY 14 (DENNIS ROBILLARD WILL TALK TO US ABOUT CRUTCHES FOR AFRICA) AND WE WILL MEET IN THE DINING COMMONS AT THORNTON ACADEMY ON JULY 21ST (ASSUMING THORNTON HAS ITS DOWNED TREES CLEANED UP BY THEN). DISTRICT GOVVERNOR, DICK HALL, WILL BE OUR GUEST THAT DAY SO PLEASE TRY AND ATTEND. THEN WE ARE BACK TO ZOOM ON JULY 28 AT WHICH MEETING THE ESSAY CONTEST, OR SOME ELEMENT OF IT WILL BE BACK. YOU NEED TO REGISTER FOR THE MEETINGS WHEN BRIAN SENDS THE INVITES BECAUSE THAT IS HOW WE TAKE ATTENDANCE (GIVEN OUR “IS IT THE TRUTH” THING PLEASE RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO REGISTER AND NOT SHOW UP). REGISTRATION FOR THE MEETING AT THORNTON IS KEY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ORDER THE FOOD FROM A CATERER. Dues: Dues are technically due on July 1, but if you are like me you will wait for the invoice. It’s Not You, It’s Me: I guess the Run of the Mill wants to see other people this summer so they are breaking up with us for now. Run of the Mill, I am not sure if “our love for you will still be strong after the boys of summer are gone” (sorry Don Henley). In any event we are going to get our freedom to see other venues this summer (I feel so dirty). Marty is working on all of that and we may get back together with the ROTM this fall but who knows. Please try not to drunk text the Run of the Mill at 1:00 AM if you can help it. Run of the Mill, if you want me back you have to do better than a $14.00 wrap. 50/50: Apparently, for a large enough investment you can get unlimited 50/50 tickets these days and Dr. Joe parlayed his investment into a win. Mademoiselle Sergeant at Arms: Heather “where’s the rest of my skirt” McLean then welcomed happy dollars as Sergeant at Arms. Dr. Joe was happy about winning 50/50 and for being able to see his grandson, Noah, after a two year wait. Steve Morin welcomed his second grandchild, Charli, who is the sister of Maverick. I don’t make this stuff up. Was Charli a Top Gun character as well? Don Pilon was happy to be getting done and happy that he celebrated his 42nd wedding anniversary. Linsey Pilon did not give a happy dollar (uh?), but it was announced that Saint Linsey medals were available for sale in the Run of the Mill gift shop. Conrad was happy he is having another 4th of July bash at his house. Heather then fined Brenda for being adorable (I am still waiting for my “adorable” fine). Steve Morin was fined for simply being at the meeting (Steve was just released from the witness protection program). Paulette Bonneau got a congratulatory fine but for what we are not sure. Marty was fined $5.00 for becoming the new president. No announcement of a new Sergeant of Arms was made. Paul Harris Points: I thanked Joe Moreshead for donating some of his accumulated Paul Harris points (like Brian did last year) to enable the Club to give out its Paul Harris awards. The Club used to accumulate lots of Paul Harris points to be able to give out awards, but apparently RI’s (that’s Rotary International and not Rhodes Island) accounting practices have changed so the Club accumulates fewer points so club members who have hoarded more than their share of points have been good enough to share so that the Club can give out the honors. Thanks Joe (and Brian). More Gifts: President Don forgot to recognize Julie Villemaire for all that she does for the Club as secretary so he made up for the oversight with a gift this week from Whimsical Me (where’s that?). He also found some golf balls in the trunk of his car and wrapped them for me. I do actually appreciate the gesture (or Don’s weak moment). Swan Song: A swan song is apparently a song of great sweetness sung by a dying swan. Keep in mind swans are mute and allegedly only sing just before they die. To my knowledge Don has never been accused of being mute and as for his final speech, it was not of great sweetness though it had the intrigue of a recipe for a bunt cake. Brian has inserted Don’s entire spread sheet, I mean speech, below which was recited with the same passion and feeling as the spread sheet itself. To acknowledge Don out a little bit, our Club did a lot in a year of significant challenges. Don ably led us in a pandemic year of virtual meetings, almost impossible fundraising conditions and isolation that affected every one of us. We welcomed several new members to replace those who chose to resign. It was a year of successes at a time when we all needed them and for that we have Don to thank. If anyone repeats what I just wrote I will deny it. Changing of the Guard: In the time honored tradition fit for Buckingham Palace, we then witnessed the changing of the guard which is also referred to as “guard mounting”. Because of the image that conjures up I will not be referring to it as “guard mounting” again. Of course, the changing of the guard is when one group of sentries relieves others on duty while wearing silly furry hats which are impossible to fight in but do make them look really tall. Changing of the guard has a different meaning when one is either really young or really old, but I don’t think Don is quite there yet. There were no hats (other than a Rotary golf hat) involved in the civil transition of power from Don to Marty, but there was the requisite bestowing of the new gavel from Don to Marty and the giving of the gavel plaque from Marty to Don. Marty’s Inaugural Speech: I am guessing Marty came up with his opening speech while he was eating lunch. I say that because during lunch he was asked about his goals for the year and he admitted he had not given that any thought. Did they teach you nothing at PETs? Marty did graciously acknowledge all that the club accomplished in Don’s year and thanked the club members and Don for their hard work. He acknowledged the great publicity we received this year, thanks to Brenda, as he held the cell phone up to make sure all the ZOOM callers could see and hear him. His goals included making sure we can meet in a fashion that will allow hybrid meetings so people can be in person or attend by ZOOM (I was happy to explain to Paul Deschambault what ZOOM is). He wants to continue to use ZOOM so we can have international participation at our meetings. He wants more interaction with Rotaract and Interact. He again explained the July meeting schedule (see above) and expressed his hope that we will be able to complete: the mini-golf fundraiser, our $100.00 raffle in late fall, our adopt-a-family program, another maple syrup fundraiser and a RV raffle in the spring. That will be a busy schedule. He encouraged people to look at our committee list and get involved. Marty then asked what he was missing which elicited a bunch of responses. Marty also announced that the Jordanians are coming for a one week visit and Roland Gagne will be hosting a BBQ for them on July 11 after which there will be a week of activities planned for our guests. Stay tuned for more details. Marty, we wish you the best of luck in your upcoming year. Don’s Song: The following is Don’s “speech”. It has a great beat but it is tough to dance to. All as respectfully submitted by your lowly scribe, Bill Kany. |
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Annual Awards MeetingPresident Don started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance which was then followed up with the invocation by Joe Bassett. VP Brenda Pollock then led the group in the Rotarian 4 Way Test. President-Elect Marty Grohman introduced visiting guests and Rotarians. Dennis Robillard stopped by from the Saco Bay Sunset Club. Past President,and FIRST woman President of our Club, Helene Plourde was in attendance today with her husband John McDonough, Tricia Heidelbaugh, Roland Rousselle, Buffy Rousselle, Tyler Rousselle, Aaron Rousselle, Ann Marie Martin Rousselle and Ryan Sommer. The 50/50 drawing ($26) was won by Joe Moreshead who quickly donated his winning proceeds back to the club! There was no Sergeant at Arms today as it was “Awards Day”. Have your wallets ready for next week! Also, if you’d like to bring a little extra cash with you, we typically “pass the hat” for a collection “tip” for the waitress who served us at the few on-site meetings. We normally do this around the holidays but seeing as we were “Zooming” then, this would be the next best time as we finish up this Rotarian year. This is one of the easiest weeks to take the minutes for the TACK because Bill Kany happens to do all of the work! Thanks again Bill for sharing your awesome notes!! From the Desk of Bill Kany: Welcome to the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club’s annual awards meeting. At the outset I want to thank all the Rotarians who took the time to suggest some incredibly worthy candidates for these awards. Your input to the committee was invaluable and all of this year’s winners came from your suggestions. Unfortunately, we cannot honor all of the people you suggested, but I can assure you they were all worthy of recognition. I firmly believe that two of the most powerful and yet under-utilized words in the English language are “thank you”. In an effort to say thank you, each year since 1988 (except for last year) our Club has given out our Public, Private and Humanitarian awards and we have been giving out our Vocational Service Award since 2000. The awards have gone either to club members or to individuals or organizations outside the club whose acts of kindness, generosity and caring help to make our communities and the world a little better. I have had the privilege of chairing this committee for longer than I can remember, and I know that most of our past recipients have not been people looking for recognition, and in fact, most of them would prefer to keep doing what they do away from the spotlight. Our club, however, feels that our award recipients deserve a resounding thank you for their good works and it is our hope that by acknowledging the wonderful things these folks do we will inspire others to get involved and do great things. PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment usually in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, outside of his or her employment. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. In the past I have read off some of our most recent winners of this award but this year I thought I would go back to 1988 and list off some of the early winners. They included: 1988 Tobie Nathanson 1989 Robert Melville 1990 A. William Kany, Jr. 1991 Myra Van Fleet 1992 Conrad Crepeau The singer, song writer and activist, Harry Chapin performed a song called “Mr. Tanner”. In that song he describes a dry cleaner who is a talented singer, saying of Mr. Tanner that “music was his life it was not his livelihood, it made him feel so happy, it made him feel so good. He sang from his heart, he sang from his soul, he did not know how well he sang, it just made him whole.” Fortunately for all of us, many people develop talents during their lifetimes that give their lives meaning. Some, like this year’s private ward sector winner, use their beloved talents to help others. This year’s private sector award winner developed a talent for sewing and knitting at a young age and has used those talents to help others for a long time. She has helped make hundreds of quilts to provide comfort for kids at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital; she has knit hats to keep the less fortunate warm and she has collaborated with others to make dresses for young girls all over the globe for “Dress a Girl Around the World” which makes those girls safer and helps them to feel loved and better about themselves. She also works to garner support for those efforts when she is not sewing. Her commitment to her creative talents and using them to help others is truly an inspiration. We are pleased to recognize those efforts by giving this year's Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Private Sector Award to Anne Marie Martin Rousselle. PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. Past Winners Include: 1988 Joan Susi 1989 Clayton Cartmill 1990 Dennis Dutremble 1991 Robert G. Dodge 1992 Debra Choroszy It is said that when life gives you lemons make lemonade. Over the last year life, in the form of COVID, has certainly given us a whole lot of lemons. Not only have thousands died from the pandemic, but it has had other impacts as well including incredible isolation, lost jobs and businesses, hunger and a sense of hopelessness. Some people have had the vision to not only see these problems but to come up with creative solutions designed to help as many people as possible. This year's Public Sector Award winner is a person with that kind of creative vision to help fight local hunger and isolation while helping local restaurants that struggled so mightily during the pandemic. This person found local sponsors to pay restaurants to provide meals and then collaborated with volunteers and resource officers to distribute those meals to people in need of not only a meal but company as well. Those efforts addressed so many needs at the same time including providing residents and businesses in our communities with hope. This person took lemons and made a proverbial lemonade stand. In the midst of a crisis such creativity has to be applauded and encouraged, and as a result I am happy to announce that Biddeford Saco Rotary Club's Public Sector Award is given to Amelia Meier, the Assistant Director of Saco’s Parks and Rec Department. HUMANITARIAN AWARD The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. Past Winners Include: 1988 Richard Nason 1989 Dr. Andre Fortier 1992 Agnes Flaherty 1994 Dr. Francis J. Kleeman 1995 Donald W. Charland Recently the Marathon Bomber, Tsarnaev was back in the news and I again saw the film footage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The thing that struck me was when the bombs went off the instinct of most people was to run from danger, but for the first responders in the area their instinct was to run to the danger to see if they could help. That image has always stayed with me. This year’s Humanitarian Award winner is someone who is always willing to go where he is needed and he is always willing to work to get things done. It seems instinctual to him as well. I have known a lot of doers in my day, but this person not only says he is going to do things but he gets them done every time. Furthermore, when it became clear that COVID was here to stay for an extended period of time, he stood up and directed our efforts to support our communities in such a time of need. He provides all of this help with an incredible sense of humility and family and with a sincerity that is unsurpassed. For his willingness to put his family, his communities and those in need ahead of all else, this year’s Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Humanitarian Award goes to Conrad Welzel. VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. Past Winners Include: 2000 Carl Goodwin 2001 A. William Kany, Jr. 2002 Ron Gagnon 2003 Steven Foran 2004 Frank Paul Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher, said that “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” This year’s recipient of our Vocational Service Award is such a quiet leader who quite frankly has had an incredible career as an educator that many of us probably don’t know about. Jeremy Ray said that this leader “has been a respected educator and leader in the Biddeford’s School District for over 27 years. Starting as a School Social Worker at John F. Kennedy School, she worked with children from kindergarten through high school. Anyone who knows her will tell you she has a big heart, and her compassion and ability to see behind the behavior are key elements in her success as a leader and colleague today.” While, by now, most of you know who I am talking about, it is hard to believe this person has been the Director of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology for 8 years. During that time: “She not only fixed a broken culture shepherding a team of leaders to move BRCOT towards standards-based assessments and expanded programs but she also established unprecedented collaborative relationships among other school districts, community stakeholders, state agencies and legislators, and more.” Those added programs include upgrading the precision machining program, an Emergency Medical Technician Program, plumbing and heating, new engineering programs and the creation of Career Pathways and Student Services positions to support student success. At a time when technical education and a renewed commitment to our students have become so important this person has shined in providing the leadership and vision to move the COT into the 21st Century. This year’s Vocational Service Award goes to the Director of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology and the newest member of Maine’s State Board of Education, Paulette Bonneau. GOODWIN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Back in 2007 our Club decided to honor all of the dedication and contributions of Carl and Earl Goodwin by creating an award in their honor. In my opinion it is truly the highest honor our club can give to one of its past or present members. I should note that the committee’s nominee is not here, but I have decided to go ahead with the award anyway. Based on the significance of the award I will read the names of Past Winners 2007 Carl and Earl Goodwin 2008 Richard Buffum 2009 David Lowe 2010 Robert Begin 2011 Roland M. Eon 2012 Roland P. Gagne 2013 Helene Plourde 2014 Julie Villemaire 2015 Jim McAllister 2016 Paul H. Deschambault 2017 Karen Chasse 2018 Jim Godbout 2019 PDG Ronald Drouin If you think of the Goodwin brothers you know that they always stepped up when the Club needed them to do so. This year’s recipient is no different having done what was needed time and time again. A true veteran of the club, this person has been a regular Board member, was a huge part of our TV auction on air and behind the scenes, but most importantly when we needed a President with essentially no time to prepare, this person stepped up big time and took on the job. This club member has provided a voice of reason to the club while always making us smile. His commitment to Rotary cannot be questioned, after all it’s all for the children. This year’s Goodwin Outstanding Service Award winner is Joe Moreshead who had no idea about this even though he is on the Awards Committee. Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients!! |
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Essay ContestRotary club announces essay contest winners The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club announced the winners of its 26th annual Rotary Essay Contest. Eighth-graders from five middle schools were asked to write a 500-word essay on the topic, "What the Word 'Family' Means to Me," with the faculty at the schools judging the essays. The top three winners of the contest, placing from first to third respectively, from each school, include: •St.James School, Biddeford: Samuel Allain, Anya-Ava Allain and Daphne Blake.
The first-prize essay winners received $100, second-place winners, $75, and third-place winners, $50. Watch the students read their winning essays at youtube: |
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Week in Review 6/16/2021Presiding: Don Pilon Pledge: Don 4-Way Test: Kristen Lane Prayer: Marty Guests: Brad Favreau, Economic Development Coordinator, City of Biddeford Mayor William Doyle of Saco Announcements: Don - Next week's meeting is at Run of the Mill @12:15pm. Lunch will be $14. with $2 for 50/50 raffle. Zoom will be offered - not sure how yet. Sign email will be forthcoming...please RSVP quickly. Bill Kany - Awards Ceremony next week - please attend and see other people get awards. Don - Pick-up your Maple Syrup at Roland's office on Pool Street. Marty reports we will do the sale again next year. Conrad - No covid of gardening meeting. Covid Committee folded in charitable projects committee. Heather - Scholarships have all been given out at the recipients awards assemblies. Marty - July meetings - none on the 7th...14th & 28th are Zoom...21st at Thornton Academy. We will not be going back to Run of the Mill this summer. Heather mentions Ferry Beach as a possible option. Jim LaBelle - Live Business After Hours 5 pm Thursday at Attache Business Center. Dan Reed will be there and Blue Elephant will be catering. Sergeant at Arms - Heather Maclean Happy Dollars - Conrad - $5 - Nicolle Carroll says "hell" and he got see his grandkids. Don - $1 - Happy the Mayor of Saco is here Dan Reed - $5 - happy he is doing a project with HOB Karen - - sold house to daughter and all the feelings that go with that... Jane Foley - $2 - daughter graduated Jim LaBelle - $5 - son is out of the army and coming home Cheri Sullivan - $5 - son graduated from USM and heading to Toronto Fines: $1 - Jim LaBelle - back away from your computer screen $1 - Bill Kany , for making people laugh $1 - Bill Kany - for his comment on Heather's hair $1 - Heather Gendron - for using the non-word idear and not idea... Guest Speaker: Mayor William Doyle of Saco Conrad introduces the Mayor - elected in 2019..councilman for 4 years...lived most of his life in Saco...Thornton grad. Two areas of concern and work - mil rate decrease and work on food insecurity program. Areas of work as Mayor - Business Relief program of $10k loans with SMFA Outdoor seating ordinance for restaurants etc... Camp Ellis plan Oak Point to work on new school siting Superintendent search Planning staff increase Events - Saco Scoop anniversary Sidewalk Arts Sale Q&A Conrad - turnpike interchange change Don - homeless issue - given the county shelter is closed Don - noting children also couch surf Dan asked about affordable housing for young families. Meeting adjourned at 1:05 pm |
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Week in Review 6/9/2021Welcome-President Don Pledge of Allegiance Four Way Test-Jim Labelle Introduction of Guests-Guest Speaker-Mayor Allan Casavant Announcements; Fireside Chat on 6/8/21 at President Don’s house was well attended. Thank you to all the speakers: District Governor Peggy Belanger, Bill Kany, Sue Gajewski, Brian Dallaire, Jim Godbout & Roland Gagne. Thank you to Haley Thompson for arranging with Thornton Academy the use of the table and chairs as well as pick-up and delivery. Conrad the grill master for cooking all the food. Maple Syrup has arrived and is ready for pick-up at Roland Gagne’s office, 180 Pool Street in Biddeford. Please contact your customers to encourage them to stop by to pick up their syrup. The Maple Syrup Fundraiser netted the club $4,000.00. Thank you Roland. Great Job! June 23rd is our clubs Awards Ceremony. Everyone should attend. You may be a recipient of an award. It will be at Run of the Mill. Meeting will begin at 12:15pm. Lunch will be available. Cost will be $13.00PP. Brenda Pollock reported on the Essay Contest which will be zoomed on 6/9/21. Conrad reported on the Raised bed garden project. All gardens have been installed. One recipient gave the club a $100.00 donation as a thank you for their garden. Mike Burman’s daughter did a video of the club members and the APEX volunteers installing the gardens. It was an exceptional video by Mike’s daughter showcasing everyone’s effort with this project. Happy Dollars; Dr. Joe, Sad Dollars- recently lost his cat $16.00. $11.00 from Brian for 100% club participation to the Rotary Foundation. Conrad $1.00 3 weeks in a row with his grandchildren having lots of fun with them. $5.00 Mike Burman for Fireside Chat. $3.00 from Sue has 3 new goats. Bill Paterson $16.00 for the loss of Dr. Joe’s cat, $5.00 for Mrs. Maisel, $3.00 23rd B Day. No Fines. Today’s speaker is the Mayor of the City of Biddeford, Mayor Allan Casavant. Next week the speaker will be the Mayor of Saco, Mayor Bill Doyle. Please attend. Don Pilon editor |
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Thank You Notes |
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Scoop Event 6/20/2021LOCATION & TIME CHANGE to the SCOOP EVENT! VOLUNTEERS needed...arrive by 9:15 Filling starts at 10:00 Email or text me at 207-318-7330 to confirm SACO MAIN STREET is celebrating the 3 year anniversary of The Saco Scoop! To mark the occasion, we are building the largest banana split in Maine. It will be 120 feet long, breaking the current record of 60 feet, held by the City of Portland. Maine's Longest Banana Split Date: Sunday, June 20 Location: Post Office Park beside the SCOOP Time: 10-12 We expect to start "loading the Banana Boats" at 10 am... the volunteers will work fast and as soon as the last cherry is placed, the official measurement will be taken and then the individual banana split boats will be passed out to all! This will be a great opportunity to get out in the community again.... we are excited to share this time ( and Ice cream) with you!! Thank you, as always Kathie Purdy |
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Past Presidents LuncheonThe following PP attended the luncheon at Run of the Mill: Al Carignan 1973-74 Richard Reny and his wife Rachel 1079-80 Steve Fennell and his wife Cathy 1990-91 Mark Tuller 2000-01 Keith Jacques 2001-02 Paul Deschambault and his wife Carole 2004-05 Rollie Eon 2005-06 Denis Elie 2007-08 Frank Gooding 2009-10 Steve Morin 2009-10 Karen Chassse 2012-13 Roland Gagne 2013-14 Jackson Brown 2017-18 Joe Moreshead 2018-19 Fausto Pifferrer 2019-20 |
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Biddeford sixth graders to help Rotarians place flags at veterans’ gravespressherald.com/2021/05/27/biddeford-sixth-graders-to-help-rotarians-place-flags-at-veterans-graves/ May 27, 2021Sixth grade students from Biddeford Middle School will help Biddeford-Saco Rotarians place flags at veterans graves at St. Joseph Cemetery in Biddeford on Friday, ahead of Memorial Day. In this 2019 photo, Rotarian Martin Grohman helps Biddeford Intermediate School fourth-grader Madison Colomb place a flag. Liz Gotthelf/Journal Tribune file photo BIDDEFORD — Biddeford-Saco Rotary club President-elect Martin Grohman said the annual Rotary event which honors fallen veterans by placing flags on their graves will have a little extra help this year. On Friday, May 28, between 8 and 10 a.m., club members will gather to place an American flag on the final resting places of veterans at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford, beginning at the West Street entrance. “This year, the club will be joined by sixth-grade students from Biddeford Middle School who will learn firsthand, this event is a symbol of respect, a thank you, and a reminder of the price of war,” said Grohman. “Sometimes it is not the big or large things that we give to others that mean the most, but rather the small or the little things that linger long in our hearts and in our minds.” Rotarians from the Biddeford-Saco Club will arrive at 8 a.m. and the first group of BMS students will arrive shortly after, organizers said. Each student will be taught how to properly place the flags at veterans’ graves and will be assigned an area within the large cemetery to place flags. “There are many hundreds of veterans buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, going back generations,” Grohman said. “It is even more exceptional this year, to have the sixth-grade students from Biddeford join us for this very important mission.” The event precedes annual Memorial Day services in Biddeford and Saco. This year’s event, which is open to the public, takes place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, at 10 a.m. at Mechanics Park, at the intersection of Main and Water streets in Biddeford |
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Week in Review 5/26/2021Don Pilon, Prescient presiding Pledge - Don Prayer - Joe Bassett 4 Way Test - Marty Guests: Jim Labelle introduced Jess Knowlton of Key Bank Announcements: Don - The board has voted to use $5k of Company B funds to support Honor Flight Maine with their September veterans flight to Washington DC. The check will be presented Friday at the Memorial Day flag placement at St, Joseph's Cemetery. Don - June 23rd at Run of the Mill will be our Awards Ceremony - more info to come. June 8th - New Member Fireside Chat at Don's house June 2nd - Past President's meeting - Live & Zoom at Run of the Mill. Brian will send out invites - we need a count. Dan Reed has offered to video record the meeting. Keith will be the master of ceremonies. Marty - Memorial Day flag placement at St. Joseph's Cemetery - arrive at 8 am. Biddeford middle school students will be assisting. Plenty of flags. Sign up is going out. Heather - Scholarship award letters have gone out. Awards will be given at the respective awards events. Conrad - 2 days of raised garden delivery and set-up have gone well. Aex students have been great. There are 3 more beds to deliver. Ken has been coordinating. Sergeant at Arms - the Honorable Joe Moreshead This is Joe's last meeting as Sergeant at Arms and he is concerned for the children as we are $250 short of our/his budget. In addition, folks are not sending their fines to the treasurer in a timely fashion. We need the money for the children... Biddeford Saco Rotary PO Box 298 Saco, Me 04072 or Bill Patterson - $10 - for the children Dr. Joe - $10 - the dock is in! Melissa - ?$ - youngest child's graduation Conrad - $10 - daughter born on this day Don - $10 - for the board giving $ to Honor Flight Maine Jim LaBelle - $10 - Happy Jess can join us Karen - $10 - purchased a kayak, met a financial advisor and attending a Chamber event tomorrow. Marty - $5 - in celebration of his wife's birthday...I will help keep Marty out of the dog house by not reporting that he gave her age. Dan - Thank you all for Happy Dollars! Guest Speaker Conrad Letellier Bidderford Vietnam Vets President Presenting on what they do to assist Vietnam era vets. They conduct a fuel assistance program Every Saturday they provide a full meal for a very reasonable price for vets. Open Memorial day with a free meal for vets. Assist vets in finding resources and benefits. They are a phone call away for help. They are the only Vietnam Vets organization left in the state. Still supporting the MIA mission. The club thanks Conrad and his organization for the work they do. Final remarks and information: Brian - Maple syrup will be delivered soon...pick-up at Roland's office. Joe asked if he was still shipping out from his business? Brian - Foundation contribution to be sent out soon to RI. Conrad - Covid meeting to follow Meeting adjourned at 1:04 pm |
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First In-Person Meeting 6/2/2021The annual Past-Presidents Luncheon will be held in-person at Run of the Mill on June 2 at 12:15PM. 22 Members have signed up to attend. So plan to join us at Run of the Mill for lunch on the patio. We will also have the meeting available via Zoom. Hope to see you all there! |
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Join the Bideford Club for a toastIt is our Charter celebration meeting This week - 27th May - via Zoom of course, and we thought perhaps you might like to drop in? Your club’s was one of the first letters of congratulation we received, 95 years ago! I know it’s a bit early for you, though...😊 We have a speaker, Nahla Summers, who will talk about being happy and positive,I think. The link is below - it’s always the same, by the way, which is useful. “See” you soon. YiR Jill Meeting ID: 694 543 6937 PASSWORD: 1175 |
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Week in Review 5/19/2021WELCOME-PRESIDENT DON PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE-DON PRAYER- JOE BASSETT 4 WAY TEST-HALEY INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS-NONE (DELAYED INTRODUCING OUR SPEAKERS UNTIL THEIR PRESENTATION) ANNOUNCEMENT-CONRAD AND KEN FARLEY ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS ABOUT THE RAISED BED GARDENS TO BE INSTALLED TODAY. THE 3 RAISED BED GARDEN INSTALLATIONS ARE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS; 167 CLEAVES STREET IN BIDDEFORD. 1 FORTUNES ROCKS BEACH ROAD IN BIDDEFORD (DONATION TO THE DYER LIBRARY/SACO MUSEUM FESTIVAL OF TREES ONLINE AUCTION IN DECEMBER 2020), 20 FOX FARM ROAD IN BIDDEFORD. PLENTY OF ROTARIANS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM APEX WERE ON HAND TO INSTALL ALL THREE RAISED BED GARDENS. A GOOD START TO A GOOD PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. MARTY REMINDED EVERYONE TO GATHER AT SAINT JOSEPH’S CEMETERY MAY 28TH FROM 8:00-10:00AM TO PLACE AMERCIAN FLAGS ON THE GRAVESITES OF OUR VETERAN’S. THE CEMETERY IS ON THE CORNER OF WEST STREET AND GRANITE STREET NEXT TO RAY’S MARKET. PLEASE PARK ON MARION AVE., OFF OF WEST STREET AND WALK INTO THE CEMETERY. NEW MEMBERS’ FIRESIDE CHAT JUNE 8TH FROM 6:00PM TO 8:00PM AT PRESIDENT DON’S HOUSE AT, 16 GLENHAVEN CIRCLE WEST IN SACO. (FERRY ROAD ONTO GLENHAVEN CIRCLE BEAR TO THE RIGHT). LOOK FOR THE BLUE & YELLOW BALLOONS ON THE RIGHT. WE INVITE ALL NEW MEMBERS TO ATTEND FOR FELLOWSHIP AND LISTEN TO BILL KANY TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB. OUR DISTRICT GOVERNOR PEGGY BELANGER EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISTRICT 7780 AND ROTARY INERNATIONAL. ROLAND GAGNE WILL DISCUSS HOW HE BECAME INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR HIS FIRST INTERNATIONAL ROTARY GRANT AND JIM GODBOUT WILL DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS. DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED. PLEASE BRING YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE AND A SALAD OR DESSERT. PLEASE RSVP BRIAN BY JUNE 4TH . HAPPY DOLLARS BRIAN DALLAIRE MADE IT BACK FROM FLORIDA WITHOUT RUNNING OUT OF GAS. FOUND GAS ALL THE WAY HOME $1.00. DR. JOE HAPPY TO BE WITH HIS SISTER WHO CELEBRATED HER BIRTHDAY AT AGE 92. CONRAD $5.00. Mike BURMAN $5.00 UNE GRADUATION WAS SUCCESSFUL AND OVER. BILL KANY HAS A NEW CAMERA AT THE BANK (WE CAN SEE HIM CLEARLY NOW) $5.00. KEITH $1.00 FOR T-SHIRTS. JOE BASSETT SPECIAL FAVORITE GRANDDAUTHER GRADUATED FROM MANHATTEN COLLEGE RECENTLY. FINES MIKE BURMAN A DOLLAR FOR NO GUEST INTRODUCTIONS. HALEY AND BRIAN A DOLLAR EACH. JESS A DOLLAR FOR NO PERSONAL EMAIL OTHER THAN THE ENGINE EMAIL ACCOUNT. BRENDA $5.00 CANADIAN/MACHINE? MARTY GROHMAN NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT HIMSELF IN THE PAPER. CONRAD AND KEN FOR THE CONFUSION OVER WHEN AND WHERE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE GARDEN PARTY RAISED BEDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. $2.00/EACH. IN SPITE OF THE CONFUSION A GREAT START AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED ON THIS PROJECT. THANK YOU ALL! Speakers were from Saco STEAM: Dr. Mike Burman (club member), Tony Palleschi and Christina Michaud. About Saco STEAM The Saco Alliance for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (Saco STEAM) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation designed to support K-8 education in Saco, Maine. It was founded when a small group of parents and other interested Saco residents started noticing each other repeatedly at school board and city council budget meetings. As we realized that Saco Schools lacked the strong public advocacy foundation seen in our neighboring communities, informal conversations become formal meetings. We went full speed ahead and SacoSTEAM was born. With a passion for supporting our kids and their teachers, Saco STEAM has a three part mission.
Our primary activity is distributing grants to fund teacher-initiated projects. Sometimes the school budget just isn’t enough. A teacher may have an initiative that just doesn’t fit into the normal system. Innovative, small scale or high-risk projects can sometimes fall through the cracks. This is where we step in. Raising funds from the community, we will fund small to medium sized teacher-initiated projects that are likely to have an impact on STEAM education in Saco K-8 schools. Adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Don Pilon, Editor |
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Week in Review 5/12/2021Don Pilon, presiding 4 Way Test - Don Pledge of Allegiance - Conrad Prayer - Marty Guest; Jeannie Jackson, NYC Rotary Member visiting Announcements: Don - Fireside Chat - All about Rotary, local, national and international - with new Members on 6/8 at Don's house. Presentation by Roland. Cookout & byob Marty - Memorial Day flags at St. Joseph cemetery, Friday May 28th from 8 - 10am. The envy will open with a presentation and a photo. Two middle school classes will join us. Rain or shine event. Evite sign-up will be sent out. Brian's question about one flag per grave site...Yes one flag. Brian noted his family plot has 8 vets buried there. Don - speaking with Honor Flight Maine about a check presentation on 5/28 with TV6 present. HFM is looking to do a flight in September. Brian - Foundation news - our club is at 100% contribution! Ken - Raised bed project news . Good response from volunteers. They will need to bring rakes and shovels for delivery. There will be 2 & 1/2 yds of loam for each bed. Delivery is on 19th and 21st, Ken will have a dump truck to use . The 3rd date no dump truck - looking for ideas? Wood is precut and delivered are seeds and starter plants. Volunteers will : 1. assemble the beds 2. line the beds with paper 3. load loam 45 - 60 minutes per delivery. Apex members will participate. Bill Kany - Awards report. Deadline is Monday. Private Sector Public Sector Humanitarian Vocational Many good nominations received Heather Gendron - Scholarship update. Committee met and selections were made from each school. They will find out at their school awards assembly. Conrad -- Covid Committee - meeting after this meeting. Saco Food Pantry sign up is out, please consider. Sergeant at Arms - the esteemed Joe Morshead Welcomed and issued a warning to Jeannie Jackson. She gets a pass today but if she attends again she will certainly be welcomed but Joe will fine her. Joe is removed from consideration for a Rotary Humanitarian award. Happy Dollars: Joe - $5 - Son Evan started an adventure race in Oregon. Conrad - $5 - new dishwasher arriving hopefully today Dr. Joe - $5 - 100% participation in the Foundation Brian - $5 - asking the club to pray for Brian to get gas to drive back to Maine Karen Chase - $10 - First vacation in yeats Wedding of daughter sold her house to her daughter I moved in with my boyfriend In the new house all appliances need to be fixed. Don - $ 5 - Foundation contributions Roland - $5 - Members of the Jordanian club are planning a trip in July to see us. Jeannie - $5 - NYC club does Happy Dollars and sends it to a local not for profit. Happy she Googled local Rotary and found us *Venmo was mentioned for donations - send to - treasurer-bsrc Cheri - $10 - saw parents in CA. Stopped in Ithaca NY to see my daughter. Went to her first native american casino. Mark - $5 - City Theater is reopening in July and will have a full 21-22 season Announcement - June 2nd meeting will be Past President meeting - IN PERSON - on the deck at Run of the Mill. Fines: Cheri- $1 Fausto - $1 Marty - $1 - for the amount of $$ as Sergeant of Arms last week! Heater - $2 - Scholarship committee could have met in person CJ - $1 - use of false Zoom background Guest Speaker : Jess Muise Executive Director of ENGINE Shared powerpoint presentation Jess asked us to remember a time you have been inspired by art in your community. Write the occasion down on paper. Don - City Theater Marty - building mural Brian - Saco museum large mural Conrad - La Kermesse Don - BHS and Thronton jazz bands ENGINE does: Community development arts education provides workspace for artists collaborates in sponsoring events Art Walk sponsor Public art display guidelines IGNITE - turn your ideas into reality Compass Project - boat building Maker Faire $1 investment in the arts returns $8 to the local community in spending Riverjam and Fringefest will return in some form this August ENGINE is located at 161 Main Street - Gallery will be open in June. Don asked what is new with the marble Block building. Jess reported that it is under contract with a buyer...soon they will know what the building might be and if renovated will be a phased approach. Meeting was adjourned at 1:20 pm |
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Family Garden Project
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Week in Review 5/5/2021Don Pilon, President presiding meeting began at 12:15 pm 4 Way Test - Marty Pledge - Don Prayer - Conrad Guests - none Announcements: Mike Burman - UNE Interact has been busy...classes are over but the club has been thankful for our support. They did the greeting cards for Maine VA, volunteered at the vaccine clinic in Biddeford and they are working on their charter with the Rotary District Governor. Marty - at the FEMA vaccine clinic in Biddeford (BHS) the club had over 8 members involved taking various shifts. Paulette reported that it was a very productive time for the community and club. Mike - he was there for the 1000th shot of J&J. FEMA members were from all over the US. Don - Club data - 7 new members....4 resigned...net of 3 new members 59 active club members Don is going to have a fireside chat with the new members in June at his house - TBD Marty - Flags at St Joseph's cemetery for Memorial Day on May 28th at 8:30 am. Club info and sign-up to come. There will be student participation this year and it will rain or shine. Heather Gendron - Only 5 applications for scholarships. Conrad - Raised beds to be placed at 10 locations in May - help will be requested. Sergeant at Arms - Marty - filling in for Joe Marty - $5 - for Randy's article about the club $5 - for all of Carl Goodman's help at the Westbrook skating pond. Matt Tulley - $5 - for being vaccinated Dr. Joe - $5 - great call with grandson Conrad - $5 - spend nights at hotels with his wife Jess - $5 - happy to here Jen - $5 - for sitting in her car and listening to all the things Marty does Bill Paterson - $5 - family birthdays and Cinco de Mayo Randy - $5 - celebrate the return of his newspaper column in Saco Bay News Jim LaBelle - $5 - More Chamber Activities coming...bike ride today starting from behind TA @5:15 pm Don Pilon - $5 - for Randy stepping up as a new member Brian - $5 - on the island of St. John and being rested Melissa - $5 - new staff started at Apex Keith - $5 - not happy - "I'm a lawyer." But happy about club activities. Bill Kany - $5 - father would have been 90 - happy and sad. Guest Speaker: Kate Colby, epidemiologist to speak about ticks Mt Holyoke grad Emory U - global health degree Worked at US CDC Powerpoint presentation on Tick borne diseases in Maine 2021 14 different tick species found in Maine in spring to fall and they are moving north/east through Maine Cautioned to do tick checks every day - use products to repeal and/or kill ticks - she reviewed how to remove ticks. Careful ticks are not falling off in your house For more information go to Maine CDC of UM cooperative extension The powerpoint was shared with club members via e-mail. Meeting adjourned at 1:12 pm |
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Help the Food Pantry |
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Week in Review 4/28/2021Don Pilon presiding Pledge of Allegiance - Don Pilon 4 Way Test - Bill Patterson Prayer - Jen Fullmer Guests - none Announcements: Mike Burman - UNE Interact volunteered at the Covid vaccination site. Last week the club met with the Bideford UK club Heather Gendron - Scholarship update... getting the application out but so far only 4 submissions - very low. Wondering if the lower amount per grant is the problem - wne from $4k to $1K. Don asked if we need to redo our process. Also the possible effect of remote learning. Place applications online and allow online submission? Mark mentioned contacting area colleges financial aid offices, they are always alerting students to p[ossible aid. Also mentioned the change on amounts given the price of attending college. Dan offered the idea of video submissions. Roland said if we open applications to kenyan students? Don will discuss with the board. Roland Gagne - Maple Syrup Sale reaped over $11k (estimate) - way above expectations. Conrad Wetzel - Covid meeting today Raised garden beds - 9 -10 families to get beds. Food pantry sign up - tbd Bill Patterson - Ocean Park Org. needs masks New Member Induction - Don with Cheri Sullivan..sponsored by Bill Patterson Sergeant at Arms: Joe Morshead Don was fined $? from promoting the use of paper which has been known to kill trees. Happy Dollars: Joe - $5 - went to his bank and made a deposit of $89 million - didn't have $89m blames the bank for the error. Dr. Joe - $5 - cut a meeting and outside robins are nesting. Bill - $5 - Welcome Cheri $5 - Sheriff King to speak Heather McClain - former member Ellen Ford gave $5 to the club Conrad - $10 - for a lunch with 2 clollege buddies Jess - $5 - brother had surgery Julie - Cold hear her?? Wrote later - $20 for honest bank customers (Joe?) Dan - $5 - 91 year old grandma had surgery FINES: Marty - to be fined every week until he becomes president. Conrad - no excuse for no sign up sheet Roland - syrupy smile? Jen - for having a prayer ready Jess - new member Cherie - new member Mark - for supporting education Guest Speaker - Sheriff Bill King Introduced by Bill Patterson Sheriff since 2014 Powerpoint presentation Last August the county jail experienced a significant covid outbreak. Since then they have become the model on how to manage a jail outbreak. Mitigation measures still in place. Spoke quite a bit about the difficulty in the recruitment of officers. Drug trafficking is still a problem in York county. Only jailing serious offerners - diverting minor offences. Covid has been a major contribution to overdoses - isolation during the pandemic. Cornad asked how Rotary can help...Sheriff mentioned the possible building of a walking tail - he will be in touch. Mike Burman asked about the $40 mil coming to the county from Covid funds. Joe asked questions regarding hiring - marijuanna use - case by case ...High school diploma - yes...how long at the academy? 5 weeks... Joe adjourned the meeting - cause Don left early - @1:17pm |
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Week in Review 4/24/2021Don Pilon President, presiding (noted: term ends June 30th) Zoom meeting comes to order at 12:15 pm Pledge of Allegiance - on Pilon 4 Way Test - Brenda Pollock Prayer - Bill Patterson Guests: None The new member Jessica Muise was sponsored by Roland Gagne. Jessica is the Executive Director of Engine. Announcements: Marty - Earth Day is tomorrow and we will not have any organized thing to do but maybe something in future years. Rotary is focused on sustainability. Marty - Volunteer day at Westbrook Skating Pond this Saturday. Also cemetery flags for Memorial Day will be done again this year. There may be an expansion of the places. Day and time to be announced. Conrad - Covid committee is meeting after and had met last week. Saco Food Pantry is seeking volunteers - Jen Fullmer, who volunteers there, added information about the possible tasks and times.Sign-up sheet will be sent. She said they need help from folks on a consistent basis for tasks that most can find easy to do. Garden Committee, Ken Farley reports that 10 raised garden boxes, 3' x 8' , have been made. Seed list done and loam secured - thanks to Rob Moody. The approach is - pre build the boxes, deliver to site then loam and seeds on another day. Ken will send out information and a volunteer sign-up sheet. Don Pilon then presided over the induction of new member Jessica Muise, sponsored by Brenda Pollock. Sergeant at Arms: the esteemed Joe Morshead... Joe noted that though close to the budgeted amount he is to raise, we aren't there yet. He said that just $42 dollars a week, until the end of June, is all he has to raise to meet the budget for the club and the children. Brenda - stepped right up and offered the $42 for time spent with her grandson. Also for the volunteer work of her granddaughter, Madison. Madison created the Brave Bees .org to raise support and money for the New England Shriners Hospital. She invited us to visit the website. Brian - $2 - for the 2 newly inducted members - and that these new members significantly lowered the average age of our club. Which Brian said was a good thing. Jill Eddie - will give us some amount $$ when she visits us in the colonies for being able to make a hairdresser appointment. Dan Reed - ?$ - cause he was vaccinated! Bill Paterson - $10 - for all the folks doing Zoom meetings Brian Dallaire - $10 - for 2nd vaccination and heading off to the Virgin Islands. Dr. Joe - $5 - grand daughter's wedding in September and Peggy is at the Zoom meeting! Marty - $10 - the Biddeord solid waste committee has 2 new members. Conrad - ?$ - time with grandchildren Mark - $5 - just got back from visiting the daughter at UNC Med school and for the vaccine 2nd dose +14 days Jen - $10 - just to join in the fun of giving! Randy - $20 - Yeah new members! Guest Speaker - Conrad introduces Lori Gosselin speaking on Creating Community Powerpoint presentation on the basics of community building. Made special mention of building community within the workplace. Noted the importance of building not only physical communities but emotional ones as well. Shared the 7 characteristics of community... Outcomes of community building are always relationship building! It makes everyone part of "us." Q&A Bill noted the Robert Putnam book, Bowling Alone - Lori recommended his later one - the followup to Bowling Alone. Conrad noted that Rotary is a solid community... Brenda mentioned her granddaughter's work in Brave Bees .org in building a community. Don adjourned the meeting at 1:13 pm |
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Mary Glasglow-Oz MuseumGUEST SPEAKER: Mary Glasglow Curator of the OZ Museum in Wamego, KA This is the only OZ museum in the U.S., and she believes in the world which was created because of the wildly popular movie “The Wizard of OZ.”. The Wizard of OZ movie was loosely based on L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. This was first book of a series of that grew to 40 books. And now the series has grown to 80 books. L. Frank Baum traveled often to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. When he returned, he would tell a fairy tale to his children every night. His inspirations for the story came from his visits to the World Fair and the questions his children would ask. This is how Emerald City was born. In 1893, J.C. Rogers came from Spring Hill to Wamego. He was an entrepreneur and established the first national bank in Wamego. He too visited the Chicago World’s Fair and wanted to recreate a first-class music hall in his hometown. So, he built the Columbian Theatre. These two attractions, the OZ Museum and the Columbian Theatre draw 40,000 visitors annually from around the world. Many visit in costumes and consider themselves OZies. And many local businesses such as the OZ Winery have developed because Wamego has become a tourist town. In May of 1970, MGM studios auctioned many of the props and wardrobe. Some items were junked. Screen tests, film outtakes, and songs ended up in the Pacific Ocean. Other items were tossed into the studio trash. A lot of history was lost, but the items that could be salvaged can be viewed at the Museum. Brenda Pollock’s son is a movie producer and she shared with us when her son attended college, the students had to list their favorite movie, and more than half the students listed The Wizard of Oz. The original cast of the little Munchkins have visited the museum as special guests. The last munchkin, the Lollipop Boy, passed in May 2019 at age 98. Their annual OZtoberFEST is held on the first weekend of October. Highway 99 is closed for 3 blocks for this 2-day street festival of music, hot air balloon rides, Yellow Brick Road Bike Ride, and much more. People come in costume as far as Australia to celebrate. There is an annual firework display name “Over the Rainbow.” And the most popular attraction may be the full-size Glenda the Good Witch, as well as, the Wicked Witch of the West. If you are ever in the area, Mary would be happy to show you around. Here is a video link they can watch it at their leisure to get an overview of what is in the museum, after the presentation today. Go to ozmuseum.com. Click on Visit, then About to access the latest virtual tour video. We are on facebook as well, with our monthly video blogs by OZ Historian John Fricke. Check it out! |
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Week in Review 4/14/2021Meeting Opened: 12:15 PM Pledge: Vice-President Marty Grohman. 4 Way Test: Jim Labelle Invocation: Joe Mooreshead led the invocation with a YouTube video. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sargent at Arms Joe Mooreshead HAPPY DOLLARS:
FINES:
Meeting adjourned 1:16PM |
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Week in Review 4/7/2021President Don Pilon led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test somewhat led by Heather Gendron. Joe Bassett led us in the invocation and Vice President Marty Grohman was muted so we had no guests to announce.
Dates to Know/Announcements: · Rotaract: Mike Burman noted they do not have any plans for Earth Day – Thursday, April 22nd and we would like to participate in anything Rotaract may have planned. · CLYNK Bags – Help support the children attending the school in Kenya. Let Don know if you need any bags. · New Members - First Posting for the following two new potential Rotarians: Jessica Muise, Executive Director of Engine, sponsored by Roland Gagne and CHCC by Bill Patterson. · Scholarships – Heather Gendron gave an overview of the Scholarship Program to area high schools. She gave a shout out to Paulette Bonneau for already getting the information to the school counselors ahead of schedule. · Maple Syrup Fundraiser – Roland Gagne reported we had sales over $11,000 (22% OVER GOAL!). The Gold Medal goes to Bill Patterson with sales of $1401 raised and Fausto at $1,388 and Joe at 1332. Profit margin is about 47% so we generated over $5,000 net to the club. Participation was 33 members with 141 purchases. · Essay Contest – Mark your calendar for this year’s event which will be held on June 9 at 6pm.
Conrad was the featured sub for SAA Joe Moreshead Happy Dollars: · Bill P.– 10 happy dollars his son is getting married this Saturday. · Marty – He has the official district flag to hang if we ever back to in-person meetings. · Don – Congratulated Roland and a great job by everyone on the Maple Fundraiser. · Morgan – 5 happy dollars for the spring weather and being beautiful outside. Fines: · Everyone who has not given a Happy Dollar in the last 6 months – you must be awful to live with and should be fined – pay up! · Heather – That 4-way test was BAD! · Don – Gracious in giving CLYNK bags but you have been promosing Heather a nuch of bags to hand out and you haven’t yet delivered them? · Bill P. – Being so competitive in the fundraiser (but thank you!) · Morgan – Welcome Back! Heard one of our members received some bad product from you (talk to Joe on that one!). · Jen – For stealing the show with your dogs · Conrad – Fined himself for sharing more than he should have (refer back to Morgan’s fine). Meeting adjourned @ 1PM |
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The 26th ANNUAL ROTARY ESSAY CONTEST |
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PAST PRESIDENTS' SCHOLARSHIP AWARDGUIDELINES FOR BIDDEFORD - SACO ROTARY CLUB PAST PRESIDENTS' SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ELIGIBILITY The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club awards a Scholarship of $1,000.00 for either a four (4)-year or two (2)-year degree to a Senior graduating from Biddeford High School, the Regional Center of Technology, Thornton Academy and from Old Orchard Beach High School who is planning to continue his/her technical or academic education at an accredited certificate or degree granting, post-secondary school and who is not an immediate family member of a Biddeford-Saco or Saco Bay Rotarian. SELECTION PROCESS An Application form shall be completed by the candidate and submitted to his/her guidance department no later than Friday, APRIL 17th, 2021. All applications will be submitted to the Scholarship Committee by all Guidance Departments by Monday, April 27th, at 3:00 p.m. The Scholarship Committee will select three seniors from each school and notify the Guidance Offices of their identity by FRIDAY, MAY 3rd, 2021. The final selection will be by personal interviews of the three Finalists done by Members of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club's Scholarship Committee. The Guidance Offices will be notified of the specific day and time for each Finalist to be interviewed, which will be either Tuesday, May 11th at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. OR Wednesday, May 12th at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. *Please note these interviews due to COVID-19 may need to be conducted via Zoom or Skype. If we meet in person, the personal interviews for two schools will be held in the Conference Room of Bangor Savings Bank, located at 270 Main St. in Saco. The Guidance Offices will be notified of the Scholarship Recipient by Friday, May 21st, 2021. SELECTION CRITERIA The Candidates will be selected based upon: 1. Community activity and involvement; 2. Academic Standing; 3. Interview rating; and 4. FINANCIAL NEED - a photocopy of EFC Determination should accompany the application, providing the “Estimated Family Contribution” (EFC). CONDITION OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARD The Scholarship Recipient shall furnish a transcript or other proof of successful completion of the first semester of post-secondary education for each year. That documentation should be mailed to: ATTN: Sue Gajewski, Treasurer – Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, P.O. Box 298, Saco, ME 04072. A check for the $1,000.00 scholarship awarded will then be forwarded directly to the Student at his/her home address for payment toward the Student’s second semester. These same Guidelines also apply for the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Scholarship of $1,000.00 to a student who attends York County Community College as a full-time student the fall semester of 2021. |
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Command Sergeant Major Gretchen EvansPresentation: Conrad introduced our speaker Command Sergeant Major (RET) Gretchen Evans. Gretchen started out by thanking us for our support of Vet2Vet Maine and noted now that many veterans have received their vaccine, they are able to get out and volunteer again which is paramount to their mental health and wellbeing.
Gretchen served 27 years in the United States Army and endured nine (9) combat tours! In 2006, she was the Command Sergeant Major and later became the Ambassador for Afghanistan. She painted a picture of the moment that changed the trajectory of her life at age 46.
“The most dangerous time for a soldier is the last 30 days before they return home. They start counting down, known as the short-timers calendar because they lose focus they are in a dangerous place.” On this particular day, she told us of the story about getting her troops into the bunkers during an attack. Unfortunately, a rocket landed to her right and, within moments, killed her two security-detail officers. The blast flew 105-pound Gretchen horizontally onto the top of the bunker causing a serious head injury. She was flown to a hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma.
On the day they woke her up, they wrote on a white board, “You are deaf.” At that moment, she realized her military career was over and didn’t have a back-up plan. She was unsure how she would take care of herself and readjust to civilian life after 27 years in the military and nine tours of duty. She had no landing place, no permanent address, no life beyond being a soldier. She thought, “Who would hire a deaf veteran with a traumatic head injury and PTSD despite my prestigious military career?”
She began Rehab and did everything she could think of to get better. She was told she would be better off learning how to read lips at age 46 than learning sign language. She did. She tried medications, No Barriers, swam with sharks, and more. She has a dog named Rusty who alerts her to sounds and has been a game-changer for her adjustment to living with hearing loss. Upon looking for a job, she was right - she couldn’t secure one. She felt she was cast aside and decided it was time for a new passion.
Gretchen began advocating for others whose life was altered by trauma, injury, combat, etc. to engage in their community and continue to serve their country. She started with veterans but expanded beyond. She formed the team UNBROKEN and entered the world’s toughest race (still viewable on Amazon Prime). Her mantra: Don’t let your disabilities define who you are and what you can accomplish.
If you would like to read more, Gretchen has a book on Amazon titled Leading from the Front about the soldiers she served with and the legacy she hopes to leaves about leadership.
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Invite from Bideford England |
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Week in Review 3/31/2021Rotary Meeting Minutes March 31, 2021
Sergeant at Arms - Joe
SPEAKER
District News
Public Relations
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Past Presidents 2021 |
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Vaccine Clinic Helpers Sign-upThank you for sharing Volunteer Local. For those interested in helping at the Sanford Clinic. Thank you once again for all your support of this clinic. It is much appreciated. Diane Hartwig York County Emergency Management Agency 149 Jordan Springs Road Alfred, Maine 04002 C: 207.468.4749 |
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Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club: Thinking outside the boxBiddeford-Saco Rotary Club: Thinking outside the box and serving their communities pressherald.com/2021/03/25/biddeford-saco-rotary-club-thinking-outside-the-box-and-serving-their-communities/ SACO — The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club has never let the pandemic slow them down. If anything, it helped solidify their motto — Service Above Self, according to an organization press release. A year ago, they were re-allocating funds and organizing a new COVID crisis sub-committee that still today helps provide food and funding for community members with food insecurities and other needs. Led by Conrad Welzel, he believes this committee will be around for the foreseeable future. “If we learned anything from helping our follow citizens during this crisis, is that when something causes a state to shut down, the needs are even greater for the most vulnerable,” said Welzel. “This committee has learned a lot over this past year, and we’re much better prepared to assist in the face of any other crisis.” The old phrase, give a man a fish, resonated with the group. And so, members developed the Family Garden Project 2021. The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, Apex Youth Connection and Biddeford Community Gardens partnered to award a select 10 families with the necessary materials; lumber, soil, nutrients, and seeds and starts, for a three by four foot or three by eight foot raised garden bed to be placed at their home. The Rotarian’s goal is to help families acquire the materials and tools they need to grow and prepare healthy food for less money. To be eligible, families must reside in either Biddeford, Saco, Dayton, or Old Orchard Beach. They will require an approximate 10 by 10 foot area available with lots of sunlight and have access to an outside water source. “For many of these families, they will need to gain permission from their landowner before we can set up their raised garden,” said Ken Farley, the Rotarian heading up this project. “They must also be willing to learn. Information, help, and materials are provided, but they will be the gardeners.” Participants can select from a list of vegetable like celery, cucumber, lettuce, onion, peppers, radish, swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and spinach. Also, they can select he size of the raised garden bed. As part of the program, Rotarians will be checking in on the gardens from time to time and will offer recipes for the vegetables they are growing. Melissa Cilley, executive director of Apex Youth Connection in Biddeford, said “Like Rotary, Apex also has a focus on service and our youth and were already planning a garden project. This collaboration, however, has taken the project to an entirely new level. Our youth can serve side-by-side with Rotarian mentors … we are very excited to be part of this project.” For more information on this project, email Ken. In a year of challenges for the club, Rotarian Roland Gagne launched a new project that could help raise money to support community projects and provide a traditional Maine treat. Together with Rotarian, Dr. Brian Dallaire, they coordinated a new event, the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club’s Annual Maine Maple Syrup Fundraiser. “With the pandemic, our club had to come up with other ways to raise funds. Our in-person sponsored events were not possible so we created an event with limited human interaction,” said Gagne. “The proceeds from this fundraiser will allow us to continue supporting the many needs and causes within the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach communities.” Maine maple syrup can be purchased on the club’s website: https://go.rotary7780gives.org/6aff17. The fundraiser runs through the month of March ending on Maine Maple Syrup weekend (March 27-28). The items purchased online will be filled with Maine Maple Syrup freshly harvested this season by Dole Pond Maple Products (organic certified), established in 1990. They are a family run bulk maple syrup producer located in deep in the woods of Jackman. They maintain 37,000 taps on 600 acres of land producing around 13,000 gallons of syrup each year. The items through the fundraiser will be available for pick-up/delivery on Saturday, June 5. Anyone purchasing items will be notified with location information or with shipping instructions. For more information on the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club and their COVID-19 subcommittee, contact them at: www.biddeford-sacorotary.org or on Facebook: Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco. Courier Community © 2021 |
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Week in Review 3/24/2021Don Pilon Presiding Pledge - Don 4 Way Test - Jen Prayer - Joe Announcements: Don - Face masks are still available 500 children's too Who needs them? Marty - Mary's Walk Team Rotary raised almost $900 Bill led the Ocean Park 5k walk Joe enjoyed his time with Bill - now bff...learned a lot about Ocean Park and Chautauqua movement. Good community involvement. Roland - Maple Syrup Fundraiser at 144% of the goal Bill P. in the lead with $810 Can all members make at least a token purchase Thanks to businesses like Neil Motors Conrad - Covid Committee meets next week Give out masks...and we still have grant money left Community Garden ...Channel 13 did a great piece on the initiative - great press for us and Apex (interviewed Rebecca Cote) Apex students will be building the box garden structures Don - Sanford Rotary is involved in the vaccine distribution in Sanford(see story if you would like to help) Roland - Josh Ellis's mom died - club connection - Don will send something to the family from us. Brian - Question on past fruit sales vs what we are making with the syrup sale Brenda - Spoke with Fausto about the Club's 100th anniversary events - no new date yet Don - Induction of Randy Seaver will be next week Sergeant at Arms - Joe Happy Dollars -Joe - $5 - for time spent with his new bff Bill and $1 for being pissed off at Dish TV for the difficulty in cancelling the service Kathy Shea - $1 - got the vaccine today Conrad - $5 - for the garden project & silent time with the family Bill - $5 - for his new bff Joe Bill Kany - $1 - pissed off that Bill Patterson has help selling his syrup Don - $1 - Pay yours dues folks!! Brian $5 - moderna vaccine, tooth out, maple syrup goal and something about Biddeford Internet and an extra $5 for having two BD's on Zoom today CJ - $1 - vice came back and a grandson visit Brenda - $1 - binge watching Monk and a grandson phone call Fines: Joe thinks he is over budget - so none. Meeting adjourned 1:20 pm |
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Margaret F. Norbert MSW, LCSW, LICSWGuest Speaker: Mellissa introduces Maggie Norbert, social worker and a consultant at Sweetser to speak about; Urgent youth mental health during the pandemic In spring 2019 Maine had the highest rate in the country, per capita, of school children with some mental health issue or already in mental health crisis @ 1 in 4. Suicide rates are up in the 10-34 year olds, now the 2nd leading cause of death in Maine in that age group From past major world wide events Maggie says we know a bit of what to expect in our children's lives. Food insecurity was brought up as an underlining problem. Mental health for all should be supported in these difficult times - discussion about resilience. Resource offered - "Intentional living for balanced life" Her bio is below: Margaret F. Norbert MSW, LCSW, LICSW Maggie received her Master of Social Work from Boston College in 1992, receiving a degree focused on clinical work with a minor in Family Therapy. She is currently licensed as a clinical social worker in Maine and New Hampshire, and she teaches at the Graduate School level for a variety of Social Work courses, but specialize in Field Work. Maggie enjoys supervising and developing clinicians as they work towards their independent licenses. Maggie has a rich background working with children and families and has collaborated in school systems throughout her career providing outpatient therapy; Individual Education Plan social work support; training; supervision and consultation. Over the last 7 years working at Sweetser, Maggie has been a Supervisor for not only School Based Clinicians but also those working in Primary Care Offices. Currently, she works with Sweetser providing consulting and training, utilizing her certifications in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychological First Aid. Maggie also volunteers for the FrontLine/WarmLine through the State’s Maine Responds system supporting health care workers. In June, 2019 Maggie was recognized by the Choose to be Healthy Coalition at York Hospital, for her work in the community. The organization’s director, Sally Manninen, noted, “Maggie is our North Star when it comes to teaching and reminding us of the importance of good mental health. She collaborates with us on many projects including providing training to schools and parents on the connection between youth mental health and substance issues. She is a relentless advocate for understanding the true harms of adolescent marijuana use on mental health. Maggie is helping change our local culture by providing Mental Health First Aid to schools and to all York Hospital staff. She serves on our Advisory Board and the Opioid Round Table. Above all, Maggie role models that relationships matter, and that we all need to take time for each other.” |
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Margaret F. Norbert MSW, LCSW, LICSWOur speaker tomorrow, March 24, will be Maggie Norbert from Sweetser who will present on youth mental health during these difficult times. Her bio is below: Margaret F. Norbert MSW, LCSW, LICSW Maggie received her Master of Social Work from Boston College in 1992, receiving a degree focused on clinical work with a minor in Family Therapy. She is currently licensed as a clinical social worker in Maine and New Hampshire, and she teaches at the Graduate School level for a variety of Social Work courses, but specialize in Field Work. Maggie enjoys supervising and developing clinicians as they work towards their independent licenses. Maggie has a rich background working with children and families and has collaborated in school systems throughout her career providing outpatient therapy; Individual Education Plan social work support; training; supervision and consultation. Over the last 7 years working at Sweetser, Maggie has been a Supervisor for not only School Based Clinicians but also those working in Primary Care Offices. Currently, she works with Sweetser providing consulting and training, utilizing her certifications in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychological First Aid. Maggie also volunteers for the FrontLine/WarmLine through the State’s Maine Responds system supporting health care workers. In June, 2019 Maggie was recognized by the Choose to be Healthy Coalition at York Hospital, for her work in the community. The organization’s director, Sally Manninen, noted, “Maggie is our North Star when it comes to teaching and reminding us of the importance of good mental health. She collaborates with us on many projects including providing training to schools and parents on the connection between youth mental health and substance issues. She is a relentless advocate for understanding the true harms of adolescent marijuana use on mental health. Maggie is helping change our local culture by providing Mental Health First Aid to schools and to all York Hospital staff. She serves on our Advisory Board and the Opioid Round Table. Above all, Maggie role models that relationships matter, and that we all need to take time for each other.” |
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Maine Maple Syrup FundraiserGingerbread Man, Maple Leaf and Bourbon Barrel have sold out! Thank you for your support! If you have sales not made on the website, please send you sales sheet to Brian Dallaire at bdallaire@usa.net. Also please record the purchasers email. Funds should be given to Treasurer Sue G. Thank you for supporting the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club's Annual Maine Maple Syrup Fundraiser. The proceeds from this fundraiser will allow us to continue supporting the many needs and causes within the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach communities.
The fundraiser runs through the month of March each year ending on Maine Maple Syrup weekend (March 27-28). The items you purchase will be filled with Maine Maple Syrup freshly harvested this season by Dole Pond Maple Products (organic certified), located deep in the woods of Jackman, ME; where they maintain 37,000 taps on 600 acres of land producing around 13,000 gallons of syrup each year.
Your items will be available for pick up on Saturday, June 5th. We will notify you of the location once the items are available. Member Leaderboard for Sales (Top Five) |
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Week in Review 3/17/2021St Patricks Day Don Pilon President presiding Pledge of Alligence - Don 4-Way Test - Conrad Prayer - Joe Bassett Guests: Cheri Sullivan of Coastal Healthy Communities @UNE...possibly a member in the future Announcements: Don - Rotary District Newsletter - How many folks read it? Our club was featured in a recent edition regarding our twinning with teh Aman Jordan Rotary Club. Roland was mentioned too. Don - Rotary House report that 24 folks attend the open house. It sold for $400k with the club realizing $25k from the sale. Don - we have 2700 more masks to give out - asking Jim LaBelle to see if any Chamber members might need some. Roland - Maple Syrup Fundraiser update... Bill Patterson is WAY in the lead. The Gingerbreadman has sold out Questions about out of state shipping...cost, who pays, how they will be packaged. Brenda offered information on USPS prepaid small boxes @$12.95. Joe offered to help with UPS shipping from his place of business. Marty - Mary's Walk $705 has been raised (target was $500) by the Rotary Team of Mike Burman, Bill Patterson, Jen Fullmer & Matt Teller Conrad - Covid Committee Met Monday discussing - reaching out to Food Pantries Mini grants of $100 each are still available - total available is $1000. Jim mentioned the Sanford vaccine clinic is looking for volunteers Sergeant at Arms: Joe Moreshead Brian cues the music - I'm a Little Leprechaun song... Happy Dollars: Joe - $2 - got his first vaccine shot Bill - $5 - some important male in his family ( I could hear) was born this day 15 years ago Dr, Joe - $20 - 1st B&S Rotary meeting in 5 weeks& 45th year as a Rotarian Conrad - $10 - Irish for 1 day a year & daughter bought a house Karen - $5 - Happy to have her own money...??? Haley - ?$ - today's speaker is from Thornton Academy as well as Giselle Tardiff who is listening in Joe B - $? - Scarborough Downs a great place to get a vaccine! Melissa Cilley - ?$ - for youth presentations Fines: Don - late meeting start Don & Roland - using facebook to sell syrup Marty & Fausto & Rueben because of a facebook picture Brenda - Happy Birthday - she got a vaccine shot for her birthday! Brian - for his looks Bill - who mentioned the guest speaker before he should have Haley - for inviting Giselle Karen - for multi-tasking Mike - for selling syrup...? Guest Speaker: Julia Pisani, Dayton resident Thornton Academy Student Topic: How Covid-19 has impacted me as a high school senior Powerpoint presentation Discussed have the modified learning environment affected her and her classmates. Shared her experiences and thoughts on her home life, school, church, social and extracurricular activities in a pandemic. Also spoke about the effect on her college application process. Q&A: Joe mentioned that Julia should apply for a Rotary scholarship Brenda asked what she will study in college and where? Elementary education hopefully at Mcgill, St. Anselm or Assumption Don asked if she was able to maintain friendships? Julia thought the silver lining was that she got to forge a closer bond with family and was grateful for little things. Meeting adjourned at 1:15 pm |
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Week in Review 3/10/2021Marty Grohman President Elect chaired the meeting Pledge of Allegiance was led by Marty Prayer was offered by Joe Bassett 4-Way Test, Dan Reed No Guests Announcements: Marty - 2nd posting of Randy Seaver as a potential member Paul reported on the Rotary House Open House. The original building was razed and a new structure built on it's foundation. The yard was cleaned and goes right down to the river. All new inside and it is under contract for $400k. Great job by Jim Godbout and ALL involved. Roland reported on the maple syrup fund raiser. Leader in sales is now Bill Patterson passing Joe. Conrad reported on the Covid-19 committee work. Mini grants are still available and there are 700 masks still to distribute. Also the community garden is proceeding. Marty reported on the blood drive - 35 regular blood donors and 5 power donors. Kudos to New Life Church for their work. Marty spoke about the club's new effort with regards to Mary's Walk, a fund raiser for Maine Cancer Foundation. Check out the Rotary team's page. Roland asked Brenda about the club's 100 anniversary celebration. Brenda reported that she thought the best dates for it would be summer of 2022. Board needs to decide. Sergeant at arms - Joe: Happy Dollars: Marty $10 for those helping out at the blood drive Brenda $10 for getting the first shot of the vaccine and getting to see her grandson. Bill $5 - 1st vaccine Dan $5 his parents were vaccinated Conrad - sorry I missed his amount and item Mark $5 for 1st vaccine and $5 for the Rotary House project Paul $10 for the vaccine experience Jen gave a $1 for all the folks who got their vaccine already Joe Bassett $5 for his son arriving in Saudi Arabia for a year of deployment Fines: Marty - for bullying Joe into giving blood but Joe couldn't because of a medication he is taking. Roland - calling him on his comment about Brenda..?? Jim LaBelle for being in the newspaper Joe was kind - that was all.... Guest Speaker: Sharon Trace Network Coordinator Biddeford Ready (since 9/2020) United Way, Maine Community Fund and Sam Cohen Foundation supported Gave a PowerPoint presentation on: Community wide efforts to help the youngest members (birth to 5 years old) of our community Purpose - Increase access to affordable, high quality early childcare increase awareness of social readiness address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) supports social and emotional readiness besides academic 90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5 1000 school children in Biddeford are under the age of 5 ACE's issues have effected 27% of those in Biddeford under the age of 5 Childcare offerings in Biddeford have fallen with cost as a major barrier. Avg. cost of childcare is $12k a year. Recent actions: Covid grants to childcare providers Helped 3 childcare providers move up the quality scale Gave free ACE's identification training. Meeting adjourned at 1:13 pm |
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Week in Review 3/3/2021First posting for new member Randy Seaver. Marty Grohman sponsor. Roland introduced Jess Muise the new Executive Director of Engine in Biddeford. Apex Youth Connection introduced students who discussed Cocoa Loco a bicycle beverage cart they will use to sell refreshing drinks at various functions this Spring and Summers season throughout Biddeford and Saco to attendees. Cocoa Loco is the entrepreneurial creation of Apex Youth Connection's Trek2Connect 9th grade cohort. The group decided they wanted to start a business to help pay for the activities they do through Trek2Connect. (Trek2Connect is a mentor-based aspirations program starting with a cohort of youth in 7th grade and staying with that same cohort through high school graduation. At this time, there are cohorts for the Classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027.) Last Wednesday, four members of the Cocoa Loco team presented to Club members about their roles in the business, their experiences starting it up, as well as the mentors that have helped them so far. Included in their mentors are two Rotarians, Roland Gagne and Matt Tuller. The youth shared their plan to take Cocoa Loco to community events like sports games and Music in the Park, as well as their availability for hire at staff appreciation events and/or other business gatherings. For more information on Cocoa Loco, contact Apex's Trek2Connect Program Manager, Rebecca Cote, at t2c@apexyouthconnection.org. At the end of the meeting the Club decided to award Cocoa Loco a grant to start up the program in the amount of $500. |
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RC/Red Cross Blood DriveThe blood drive was a big success! 35 units of whole blood, and 5 of power reds were collected. Joe , Paulette, Mike B, Jim L, Bill P and CJ were wonderful volunteers Jim L and Heather M donated blood. They had to tap Jim twice, he’s an old tree. Paulette gave blood for the first time ever. Joe tried to give but they rejected him. Jenn Leech of New Life Church was wonderful and deserves our appreciation and thanks |
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RC Project House 202124 people attended the Rotary house Open House on Saturday March 6, 2021. The house has sold and the closing is on March 15. Great job to Jimmy Godbout, his crew and all the in-kind work from local contractors! |
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Week in Review 2/24/2021Welcome – all Rotarians and Jordan Friends Pledge of Allegiance 4 Way Test led by: Martin Grohman Invocation by: Joe Bassett Announcements:
Dan Reed – new member, sponsored by Jim Labelle. Don inducted & welcomed Dan into Biddeford-Saco Rotary. SAA Happy Dollars & Fines: Sad dollars – Joe $5 Happy dollars – Conrad - $1; Don Pilon $5; Brenda Pollock $5; Marty $1; Roland Gagne $1; Jen Fullmer$5; Fines – Conrad $1; Bill Patterson $1; Bill Kany $1; Jim Labelle $1; Mike Burman $1; Roland Gagne $1; Dan Reed $1; Paulette Bonneau $1; Guests – Steve Dalvet – friend from Melissa Cilley teaching at Kings Academy in Jordan Speaker Summary: Nasir Robadi/Ibrahim Kattan – Jordan Twin Club Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to all Rotarians 116 years! Jordan is a haven of peace in the troubled Near and Middle East. Jordan maintains good relations with all of its neighbors. It is about ¾ the size of PA. Ahlan wa Sahlan - in English “welcome” “make yourself at home” Population 10.2 million 98% are Arabs 2% ethnic minorities 2.9 mill not citizens 2nd poorest country in world in terms of water – shortage is worsening year by year, under the effect of population growth and global warming (other contributions chronic drought; high consumption of water by agriculture To find out more about the National Water strategy: http://www.mwi.gov.jo/sites/en- Every few years they get snow in Jordan. Olive Tree – most important tree in Jordan 10.5 million olive trees planted in Jordan. 24,000 tons of olive oil in 2020. Plays an important role in their food Jordan national dish Mansaf – rice/lamb/special sauce – dry yogurt/water Civil war in Syria has caused a mass influx of Syrian refugees - 1.2 million Syrian people have moved to Jordan mostly woman, children and elderly. Al Zaatari Refugees camp is considered one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Jordan diplomacy- 3 pillars:
Very advanced health care services in the country. They have built field hospitals to help deal with the COVID pandemic- only for COVID patients. These field hospitals are very modern and were built in only 2 months. Unemployment rate 23.5% with COVID Excellent friendship between US and Jordan and our clubs! Rotary of Amman Cosmopolitan – 6/23/1995 – only English speaking club in Jordan 20 members -7 females, 13 males |
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Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club linking locally and internationallyBiddeford and Saco Rotary Club linking locally and internationallyFebruary 18, 2021BIDDEFORD — Donald Pilon, president of the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club, officially signed a twinning agreement with the Cosmopolitan Rotary Club in Amman Jordan. The two Rotary groups met via Zoom to officially join as sister clubs. This is the second twinning outreach of this sort for the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club. The other sister club is the Rotary Club of Bideford, England. “It’s an honor for us to connect with such a talented group in Amman,” Pilon said. “We have a great deal we can learn from one another.” Rotary clubs around the world have a unique opportunity to learn about other cultures and foster goodwill through the global family. Establishing a twinning partnership can involve forming relationships, arranging international exchange visits and programs, and cooperatively undertake international and community service projects. Roland Gagne represented the BSRC on a previous Rotary International Outreach mission and travelled to Amman, Jordan. “I am thrilled to witness the formation of a Sister Club relationship with the Amman Cosmopolitan Club in the middle eastern country of Jordan. This will allow us to form a long-term relationship in the promotion of international understanding, goodwill, fellowship and likely result in continued service projects between our two countries.” Donald Pilon introduced the president of the Amman Rotary Club, Ibrahim Kattan, and the District 2452 Governor Shawkat Tadros. Maine Rotary’s 7780 District Governor Peggy Belanger was also on the Zoom call to welcome the group and commend both clubs for joining together. “District 7780 is comprised of 41 clubs and 1,500 members throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire,” Belanger said. “Our Rotary District remained very active throughout the pandemic and I couldn’t be more proud of the way Rotarians stepped up to serve their communities through this crisis.” Lawrence Furbish, District 7780 Foundation chair, was also present on the call celebrating this new relationship. “I am looking forward to seeing what future projects your clubs will work on and thank everyone for supporting The Rotary Foundation.” As the 100-year-old club continues to expand their reach globally, additionally, they continue to be major contributors in their communities. Club President Donald Pilon, along with the chair of the COVID sub-committee, Conrad Welzel, recently delivered 1,000 masks to Hailee Flaherty, communications director for SMHC. These masks were donated from the Rossi Foundation of East Hampton, Connecticut, as part of round II of the Million Mask Challenge. More than 100,000 face masks were delivered to local Rotary clubs and for the first-time, children’s face coverings were also provided. “It’s a commendable contribution and important for our communities,” said Pilon. “Local Rotary clubs contribute so much in goods, and services. This pandemic hasn’t slowed our club down at all. It added to our motivation inspiring us to expand on the services we already provide to our communities.” “Volunteer service hours have risen by 452 hours in January alone,” said Julie Villemaire, secretary of the club. “The total service hours recorded since July 1, 2020 through January 31st, 2021 is at 2,415 hours. That truly is commendable and demonstrates Rotarians are available to help whenever and wherever possible.” For more information on the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club, visit their website: http://www.biddeford-sacorotary.org/ or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BiddefordSacoRotaryClub filed under: © 2021 |
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Week in Review 2/17/2021Don opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance The invocation was done by Joe Bassett The 4-Way Test was led perfectly by Mark Nahorney. Marty Grohman introduced the guests; Randy Seaver Marty Helman President Pilon announced: There will be a new member induction at next week's meeting. Don then reported that Mike Burman and he had met with the UNE Rotaract Club. They were pleased with their interaction. The UNE club begins their meeting with Happy Thoughts. Among the involvement and activities they wish to engage in are - volunteering at Rotary APEX, making cards to send to vets at the Scarborough Vet Center and have connections with the international clubs we do - Biddeford and Jordan. Don then asked Marty to report on the Blood Drive. It was announced that we have a good amount of volunteers but need more power red donors. Roland then reported on the Maple Syrup Fundraiser. Order form will be shared in the next Tack. There will be a Rotary information tag on each bottle. Our website has all the information on the sale. Conrad mentioned that the Covid Committee will meet after this meeting. He also reported on the garden project - a garden to table initiative with families. To provide nutritious home grown food and education on nutrition. Conrad also reported that we will donate $500 to Saco Parks and Rec to support their meal delivery program. Sergeant of Arms: Joe magnanimously pronounced a Fine Free Meeting...but all must pay last week's fines. Happy Dollars; Conrad - $10 - for his granddaughter visiting Randy Seaver at the meeting and that there are 2 Conrads at the meetings. Dr Jpe - $5 - granddaughter still visiting Bill - $5 - for the tv story on West Brook Skating rink story - shout out to Marty. The Sergeant of Arms asked when the Buxton roof would be replaced? Mellisa $10 - for her work with children and $5 for the guests Don - $5 - granddaughter visit & $5 for the guests...mentioned that this might be the largest attendance at a Zoom meeting - 57. Presentation: Guests are from the Kajjansi Club District 9214 Presentation by DGN Peace Meeting was adjourned at 1:15 pm. |
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RC Garden Project for the UnderservedWould you or someone you know like a small garden to grow vegetables? The Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco has partnered with Apex Youth Connection and Biddeford Community Gardens to offer 10 residents of the Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach areas an opportunity to win a free raised garden bed. We will provide all of the materials including a raised garden bed (choose between a 3'x4' or 3'x8' bed), soil, nutrients, seeds and/or starter plants and the training to grow the best garden with healthy and fresh vegetables. All you need to provide is a space for the garden (approximately 10'x10' with plenty of sun), a commitment to help install the raised bed (volunteers will help you install) and approximately 15-20 minutes per day to water, weed and harvest your garden. Do you rent your home? No worries, get written permission from the property owner and we will be happy to consider your request. Applications will close on February 28th - click on the link on the Club's Home page or on the link below for an application and submit to the email addresses or mailing addresses on the form. Financial needy applicants will be considered. https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000006953/en-ca/files/homepage/family-garden-application-form/Family-Garden-Project-2021-Application.docx |
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RC Home Garden Project for the UnderservedWould you or someone you know like a small garden to grow vegetables? The Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco has partnered with APEX Youth Connection and Biddeford Community Gardens to offer 10 residents of the Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach areas an opportunity to win a free raised garden bed. We will provide all of the materials including a raised garden bed (choose between a 3'x4' or 3'x8' bed), soil, nutrients, seeds and/or starter plants and the training to grow the best garden with healthy and fresh vegetables. All you need to provide is a space for the garden (approximately 10'x10' with plenty of sun), a commitment to help install the raised bed (volunteers will help you install) and approximately 15-20 minutes per day to water, weed and harvest your garden. Do you rent your home? No worries, get written permission from the property owner and we will be happy to consider your request. Applications will close on February 28th - click on the link on the Club's Home page or on the link below for an application and submit to the email addresses or mailing addresses on the form. |
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Mary's Walk 2021Mary's Walk and the Kerrymen 5K! This year's event will be held VIRTUALLY on Sunday, March 21. In the interest of everyone's safety, and with no way to be certain what March of 2021 will bring, the Mary's Walk Committee made the decision to transition to a virtual run and walk again for year 23. We hope you will join us as recognize that cancer has not stopped in the midst of the pandemic and the people of Maine need our help more than ever. Register to walk or run on or before January 31 and you'll receive a free long sleeve t-shirt. Here is the link to our Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Mary's Walk team: |
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Rogelio Teran of RC Playa Coronado in Panama Rogelio and his Club are the hosts of a Virtual Project Fair - Uniendo America - that will be held on February 18th - 20th, 2021. This virtual fair allows Clubs from countries throughout Central America to post projects, recruit volunteers, and gain financial support. Rogelio explained that Playa Coronado is in the "Pacific beaches" area of Panama and offers gorgeous, clean beaches and urban attractions. He lives in that community. Just outside Playa Coronado is a mountainous "district" where many of the indiginous people of the region live. RC Playa Coronado spends much of its time and resources supporting the people of those mountain communities. In those communities, access to education is inconsistent as is access to health care and other necessities. RC Playa Coronado helps particularly with food distribution to these communities and has made special efforts through COVID-19. Rogelio shared the pride of the people on the mountain; in fact, the pride of all the people in that region. Panama is an extremely culturally and racially diverse country -- many people in Playa Cornonado are "expats," moving there from around the world and making it their home. RC Playa Coronado is an English/Spanish-speaking Club comprised entirely of expats! While each country in the region experiences unique challenges and opportunities, they also share many which is part of why they join one another to learn about regional Rotary projects (e.g. projects in Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica). If you are interested in learning more about the projects shared through the Virtual Project Fair, visit their website at https://projectfair4240-4250.org
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Week in Review 2/10/2021Welcome by President Don Pledge of Allegiance Prayer of the Day-Joe Bassett Four Way Test-Brian Dallaire Introduction of Guests-Marty-No Guests Presidents Announcements; Second Posting for Membership of Dan Reed UNE Rotaract. met online February 2/5/2021. In attendance was Emily Birdsall, UNE student coordinator and a half dozen students, Mike Burman, Biddeford Saco Rotary Member, Faculty Member and Rotaract Advisor. Phil Hatch PE of the Saco Bay Rotary Club, Tyler Stewart Rotaract Advisor and myself. The UNE Rotaract Club has been very busy electing it's executive committee and board of directors. They have 17 members as of this report. The club members are identifying projects that will have the greatest impact on children and residents in the Biddeford/Saco communities. American Red Cross and The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club will be sponsoring a Blood Drive March 3, 2021 at The New Life Church, 551 Alfred Street, Biddeford across from HomeDepot. Begins at 11:45am until 6:00pm. It's best to call the American Red Cross to schedule a time. No walk-ins. Our Club's CLYNK account supports a one room school house in Kenya. These children are dirt poor. Please make an extra effort to take your bottles and cans to the CLYNK depository in Hannaford's parking lot with the special green bags available from Whimsical Me on Main Street Saco or call me. We'll deliver you bags and cart your cans and bottles away. Biddeford and Saco only. Happy Dollars and Fines. Everyone enjoys listening to our happy events and occasions. Also Joe's quick wit and Heather's charming sense of humor but we have to send the money in folks. I'm guilty too. I write a check each month for $20-$40 dollars to cover this. Lastly, 6 members have sold close to $1,000 of maple syrup. There are 54 members in our club. If all members sell 5 bottles we will surpass $10,000. Please look at the order form Roland has created. It looks just like the Girl Scouts order form. If you just ask your neighbors, family, friends and children we'll surpass the Girl Scouts. And we know how many cookies they sell. Don't wait until the last minute to ask. It may be too late. If you have any questions please contact Roland. Thank you for your help. . |
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Blood Drive Sign upHere is Marty's Google sign up link for the March 3rd blood drive: Blood Drive Volunteering Sign up Sheet: Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns! Thank you, Jenna Palladino Account Representative American Red Cross Blood Services - Northern New England Region 524 Forest Avenue Portland, ME 04101 Mobile: 207-274-0371 jenna.palladino@redcross.org |
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Rotaract @ UNEHello Fellow Rotarians: Last week was our first informal meeting with the Saco Bay Rotary Club's PE Phil Hatch, Tyler Stewart, Mike Burman from the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club and Associate Professor of Psychology at UNE and myself. We had a Zoom meeting with Emily Birdsall a Sophomore at UNE and the lightning rod who has been anxious to launch a Roteract program at UNE. Already she has formed an executive committee and has accumulated a dozen members. They are continuing to recruit members and have begun to discuss projects to support the Biddeford Saco communities. Mike Burman will be a good resource for them and will be able to keep us informed of their projects as well as keeping them informed of our fundraisers. They will be a pool of volunteers for both clubs as we offer events throughout the year. Mike, will for sure email all of them the Maple Syrup order form for their parents. This is an opportunity to partner with the Saco Bay Rotary Club and impact the lives of these young people. Yours in Rotary Don |
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Week in Review 2/3/2021Rotary Notes February 3, 2021 ZOOM Meeting Welcome & Pledge of Allegiance: President Don 4-Way Test: Conrad Invocation: Joe B. President Don welcomed everyone. Special guests Steve Wight and Assistant District Governor Bob Wester. Roland Gagne gave a brief update on the Maple Syrup project. Sales should be commencing soon. Kuddo’s to all who have worked on this project. Brian has just made the site to purchase the syrup live, so Rotarians are encouraged to test the site up. The launch is scheduled for now. If you have any questions, please reach out to Roland. First posting for Dan Reid new member, sponsored by Jim LaBelle. We have a contract for main street building Jim Godbout has spearheaded. The project will close on or about March 15th. The project is a beautiful project, and we plan to hold an open house prior to closing. The BSRC is working with Saco Bay Rotary to introduce on a new Rotaract Club with UNE. President Don mentioned a meeting to discuss setting up a new start up in conjunction with both clubs and UNE is scheduled for later in the week. The Rotaract club requires students engage in community service, so pursuing this prospective joint project could be a great addition for both clubs. Superbowl weekend so as a reminder, please take some clynk bags to support the Kenya projects. All the funds raised through this program helps the children in Kenya. You can get some of the bags in Heather’s shop Whimsical Me. Stop by there or reach out to Don for Rotary clink bags. Thank you. Mary’s Walk is coming up this year. If anyone wants to participate, reach out to Marty, and see if we can get a small Rotary group together to support this event. The virtual event is scheduled for March 17th. Blood Drive: March 3rd. Watch for links to sign up or donate coming soon. It will be held at the New Life Church from 11-5. More to come. Heather – Sergeant of Arms: Happy dollars:
Fines:
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Zambia Water ProjectMelissa C. is honored to introduce today’s special guest speakers: Dickson Ngoma, 23 years old, a student living and studying to be a math teacher in Zambia. He is founded a clean water project in Nsefu found in Mambwe district of Eastern Province of Zambia. Since he was in secondary school he has wanted to make his water dream a reality. He was introduced to Steve Wight, a Rotarian with the Bethel Rotary Club who quickly was on board to help make his water project dream a reality. The Bethel Rotary club group and has worked on many international outreach missions and is in contact with the local Rotary Club in Zambia to help raise the funds for this well. Wells in the area are 27 – 30 meters deep. The group is looking to raise $7k for the first well and use it as a model for other community water projects. To date, they have raised $500 for the initial project. Water and sanitation hygiene education is essential to the members of these communities. Approximately 9 households, each with about 7 family members, make up the 31 villages affected by inadequate and unsustainable clean water. They share the only water supplies found in the streams and rivers with wildlife. Peter Mazombwe spoke of the economic benefit that the Malaila Kunda traditional ceremony has proved to be for tourism promotion. He shared that villagers can provided a role in tourism activities. Isaac Given Njobvu also was on the call and is part of this team to help bring fresh water to the community. This one well project is critical to the entire region and will serve as a model for many others well projects in the future. Steve Wight from the Bethel club shared the remoteness of the village. The Bethel club has been working with Dickson and his team to help bring water and sanitation to his community. They currently share their water supply with the many animals in the region. Donations can be made to the Rotary club in Bethel who coordinates fund raising efforts with the local Rotary Club. It is a 100% pass through Rotary initiative. To listen to a partial presentation by the group click here: |
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February is International Month for B-S Rotary Club Programs!As you may have noticed, the Program Committee has developed a calendar for 2020-21 that has a different theme for each month -- February's theme is International! With the magic of Zoom, we all have a unique opportunity to learn from people across the globe who would not otherwise be able to present in person. This email will hopefully serve as a tease to get as many members as possible to sign on for meetings, and will provide you with some additional information. |
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Week in Review 1/27/2021Welcome & Pledge of Allegiance: President Don
4-Way Test: Roland
Invocation: Bill P.
President Don Last week we had a twining event. The Amman Cosmopolitan Rotary Club, Amman Jordan. It will be a great opportunity for our clubs to share ideas and join with them in creating international projects in the future. Roland Gagne is working on building an tourism academy north of Amman, Jordan. We met with a university and signed a management contract to get this academy up and running. We are working on the funding part of this grant now. There are several clubs that have already signed on to help. The goal is $200k. Contact Roland if interested in helping on this international project. Morgan Stoner and Dana each received a Paul Harris Award. Congratulations for this Rotary honor. Roland showed the update on the Maple Syrup project. He and Brian created a website to help with the sales. Please take a look at the site and feel free to call Roland and Brian a call if you have any questions. Start date: March 1st. Delivery date: June 4th. https://go.rotary7780gives.org/6aff17 Well done Brian and Roland!!! Conrad mentioned the meeting for COVID sub-committee. Ken Farley has taken the lead on a community garden project which will be announced shortly. Thank you also to Melissa and her staff for their assistance in this project. If you’re interested, please reach out to Conrad, Ken, or Melissa if you would like to be involved. Don complimented the committee members for all of the good work Sergeant At Arms: Heather M. Happy Dollars: • Dr. Joe – Happy because I was able to receive the Paul Harris +6. • Mike – $5 for Ed Bilsky is my friend • Bill P. - $5 for Ed as well. • Conrad – Very excited about the fact that he connected • Don – $5 For all the Paul Harris Awards and the work Conrad, Ken are doing. • Mark – Happy for Ed to be here as well. FINES • Don – Message in tack. Happy joining anniversary for another dollar • Brian –$5- For being in Colorado skiing. • Bill K – For your join anniversary. And pay for Keith as well. Jan. 1stentry. • Dr. Joe – fined for your cute cat. • Whoever was playing the 80’s music. • Marty – for your new TESLA - $5 • Morgan - $1 for not seeing you forever.
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Dr Ed BilskyGuest Speaker: Dr. Ed Bilsky –With the constant stream of information about COVID-19, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.Dr. Bilsky presented an evidence-based understanding of COVID-19 and its impact specifically on people with chronic pain. Dr. Edward Bilsky serves as the Provost at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU). He received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Arizona in 1996. Prior to joining PNWU he had a distinguished academic career as a medical educator and scholar. He earned the rank of Professor at the University of New England COM and held leadership positions as the inaugural director of the Center of Excellence in the Neurosciences, and as Vice President for Research and Scholarship. He is an author on 85 scientific papers and given hundreds of talks nationally and international in the fields of opioid pharmacology, pain and addiction. In the role of the Chief Academic Officer at PNWU, Dr. Bilsky oversees teams who have achieved regional accreditation and are planning for new academic programs as part of the University’s strategic plan.
SARS-CoV-2 Air b Coronavirus caused by 5g about COVID-19 on YouTube Scitable by nature Education Be careful of people’s opinions in the news and on social media.
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Dana Lane Achieves +2 PHFDana Lane receives his +2 Paul Harris from President Don today! |
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Masks to SMHCConrad and I delivered 1000 facial masks to Hailee Flaherty Communication Director for SMHC today. The masks are a donation to our district from the Rossi Foundation and the East Hampton Rotary Club in Connecticut. This is the second round of masks donated to New England Rotary Clubs by the Rossi Foundation. |
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Morgan Stoner Receives PHFPresident Don awarding Morgan Stoner a Paul Harris Fellow Award at his business today. Morgan said his grandfather would be proud to see him receive this Award because his grandfather was a past recipient of a Paul Harris and a longtime member of Rotary.
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Club Twinning with RC of Amman CosmopolitanRecording of the Club Twinning ceremony between the Rotary Clubs of Biddeford-Saco and the Amman Cosmopolitan, Jordan held on 20 January. Presidents Don Pilon and Ibrahim Kattan signed an official Certificate of Recognition establishing this new bond between our Clubs. Please find a link to the Twinning Ceremony. https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ap8IAZC8sogzhIpsOVJR2Q6lWtLMXA?e=bmw9bJ |
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Week in Review 1/20/2021Welcome & Pledge of Allegiance: President Don
4-Way Test: Marty
Invocation: Bill P.
President Don welcomed everyone for this very special meeting. On this day, two Rotary Clubs will join as sister clubs. The Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club, Biddeford, Maine and The Amman Cosmopolitan Rotary Club, Amman Jordan. Roland Gagne who traveled to Amman, Jordan on a Rotary International outreach project, introduced Rotary royalty participating in this twinningevent:
Lawrence Furbish, District 7780 Foundation Chair, was also present on the call. He celebrates the relationship shown here today and was honored to see these two clubs, come together to work on future projects together as well as continue to support the foundation. Ibrahim Kattan, President of the Amman club, stated he was optimistic about the new twinning agreement and hoped this new relationship would bring these two partners together. He also is hopeful about developing tourism projects between the two clubs. Also in attendance was 2452 Past District Governor, Shawkat Tadros. The Rotary Club of Amman Cosmopolitan was founded 25-year ago and is to be the only English-speaking club in Jordan. This district is more than 84 years old and bridges three continents, nine countries, and four languages. Bashar Haddad, 2452 Assistant District Governor, was also present for the twinning ceremony. Lawrence Furbish presented the Paul Harris Fellowship Award to the President of the Amman Cosmopolitan Club, Ibrahim Kattan, on behalf of the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club. The Presidents of both clubs then participated in the signing of the Twin Club Program Agreement. Twin clubs are two clubs from different countries that have established strong ties and have agreed to team up to complete a special program, be it an international service project, Rotary Youth Exchange, or Friendship Exchange. Goals are: • To emphasize the International avenue of Rotary service and friendship • To establish a long-term relationship with another club that will lead to complex ongoing projects • To enhance understanding of another culture • To further international understanding and foster goodwill Sergeant At Arms: Joe M. Happy Dollars: • Brian – Was happy to see 40 Rotarians participating on this Zoom meeting. • Don - $10 for our new Rotary Friends from Aman and for the Paul Harris award recipients from our club. • Jim L – Chamber Annual Meeting was scheduled for the following day via Zoom and invited anyone interested in participating, to please contact him for a link to the event. Also, they were to present the Kany Award and looked forward to hosting the annual event. • Brenda – $10 to celebrate the first female Vice President of the U.S. and how this momentous occasion celebrates women. It is a historic moment that serves as an inspiration for young woman everywhere. • Conrad – Honored his father and was grateful for a peaceful transition of power at our nation’s capital. • Nadia – Guest from Jordan, Happy to be here to participate in this event and to see the US protecting democracy. The international vision is one that promotes peace and celebrates women. If the USA democracy is protected, it is so around the world. • Roland – Happy thoughts of his trip to Jordan and is reminded of Susan G. attempting to get on and off her camel.
No Fines were issued at this meeting: Additional Comments: • District Governor Peggy Belanger congratulated Susan Gajewski for stepping into a position on the District Finance Committee. Guest Speaker: Amelia Maier & Ryan Sommer – City of Saco Food Sharing Project Contact: ameier@sacomaine.org In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Saco Parks and Recreation Department offered a free meal for senior residents in the Saco community. From March 2020 to June 2020, the group raised $15k and served more than two-thousand meals. their goal was to offer a weekly to-go meal program in partnership with local restaurants to support and highlight their business. Meals were distributed as take-home meals at the Saco Community Center. Following social distancing recommendations, individuals were able to easily pick-up meals curbside in our parking lot. They are also focused on seniors and homebound citizens regarding isolation. They are working on a new program that will offer home deliveries in addition to the drive through service available at the community center. They are currently seeking sponsorship. For more information or to volunteer, contact Amelia.
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Maple Syrup Fundraiser Minutes |
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Tack 1/13/2021Rotary Notes January 13, 2021 ZOOM Meeting Welcome: President Don 4-Way Test: Brenda Invocation: Joe B. Announcements: Follow up on Vets Wreaths: Pick-up wreaths at St Joseph Cemetery on Friday morning. Million Mask Initiative: President Don received 1000 PP Masks from Rotary District, 1000 will be donated to SMHC. Don asked members to let Conrad know if they know of any organization, nursing home, non-profit that needs masks. Don awarded Joe M a +4 Paul Harris pin at his business. Don has a multiple Paul Harris pin for Jim Godbout and Dana Lane to award. Also, a new Paul Harris will be awarded to a member. Does anyone need CLYBK bags? Sergeant At Arms: Joe M. Happy Dollars:
Fines:
Fines were brought to you by Hard To Port Fishing Company. Guest Speaker: Chief Bob MacKenzie of the Recover Initiative Committee Contact: MacKenzie@Kennebunkmaine.us M. 207-604-1339 There have been 28 deaths due to substance abuse. The Options Program has recently appointed a new representative for York County. They are currently looking for office space, preferably in the Biddeford – Saco area. Please contact Chief MacKenzie if you would like more information about their program or if you are interested to become a volunteer with the Options Program. |
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Publisher's NoteOriginally the Tack was distributed in printed form at the following meeting. Then came ClubRunner and the ability to publish online. This version has been known as the e-Tack as we had both forms distributed for a while. It now has been several years since the printed version has been issued. Therefore we will now rename the online e-Tack to plainly "THE TACK" Thank You |
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Week in Review 1/6/2021Attendance: Joe Bassett, Paulette Bonneau, Joe Boyle, Michael Burman, Karen Chasse, Melissa Cilley, Sarah Curley, Brian Dallaire, Paul Deschambault, CJ Dubois-Cote, Jane Foley, Jen Fullmer, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Heather Gendron, Martin Grohman, Bill Kany, Jim LaBelle, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Mark Nahorney, Bill Paterson, Fausto Pifferrer, Donald Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Kaitlin Tito, Matthew Tuller, Julie Villemaire, Conrad Welzel President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Invocation by Joe Bassett Haley led the 4-Way Test New Year Toast to Bideford, England Club, led by Paul Deschambault Announcements: GENERAL DISCUSSION
APPROVAL OF REVISIONS TO BY-LAWS Paul makes motion to accept Marty seconds the motion Approved by majority HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
MATT TULLER - CLASSIFICATION Talk
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 1/6/21Attendance: Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, Paul Deschambault, CJ Dubois-Cote, Ken Farley, Donald Pilon, Kaitlin Tito, Conrad Welzel FAMILY GARDEN PROJECT
MISCELLANEOUS
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Club Meeting Minutes 12/23/20Attendance: Joe Bassett, Mike Burman, Brian Dallaire, Jen Fullmer, Mark Nahorney, Joe Moreshead, Bill Paterson, Donald Pilon, Kaitlin Tito, Matt Tuller, Conrad Welzel President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Invocation by Joe Bassett Conrad led the 4-Way Test Announcements: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Everyone is immune from fines this week. HAPPY DOLLARS
HOLIDAY TRIVIA GAME Meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 12/23/20MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION
Thank you, |
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Adopt-A-Family ProgramFor Immediate Release Contact: Brenda Pollock, VP Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club M. 207-653-4358 The Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club’s Adopt-A-Family Program Makes Christmas Lists for 81 Local Children Come True Biddeford-Saco – Every year, the 100-year-old-Rotary Club reaches out to local schools who connects them with local families with children, who may need a hand during the holiday season. It is a tradition that has been shared with these Rotarians and their families for centuries and one of the staples of this organization that continues to impact everyone involved. Each December, Rotary club members gather as part of the Adopt-A-Family event for an evening of shopping where committee organizers distribute the wish lists of local children in need. For those children, Christmas without gifts is their reality. Heather Gendron and Karen Chasse, co-chairs of this Rotary event, recognized there would be no opportunity for gathering as a group this year but the club was determined to find a way to make certain this event happened. “The Rotarians really stepped up this year and our club was able to deliver Christmas presents to 81 children in the Biddeford and Saco Communities,” said Gendron. “That was the most number of requests we ever received.” The Rotary club allocates spending $100 per child. Rotarians who participate, can choose to contribute any amount on top of that. “We partner with school faculty, community members, friends, business owners and family members to make this possible,” added Gendron. Each of the children selected for the Adopt-A-Family program are asked to complete a Christmas wish list of clothing, toys, and other items they wished for. Then, organizers distribute the wish lists to volunteer Rotarians and other local volunteers who went to work making wishes come true. “Many of the volunteers who participate in this program, offer to sponsor these children on their own, without Rotary funds. Their generosity allowed our Rotary Club to adopt even more children,” added Gendron. Julie Villemaire, Secretary of the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club and longtime member stated “This is one of the most heartfelt and rewarding programs that I’ve been honored to take part in with my fellow Rotarians. Being able to help put smiles on the faces of these families, during what can often be a very difficult time of year for some, gives you this incredible feeling and truly opens your heart.” Vice President of the club, Brenda Pollock said, “My twelve-year-old granddaughter wanted to be involved in this project. It was important to her that we purchase everything on their wish list ... and then some. It was an experience that reinforces gratitude and the importance of helping those less fortunate.” This year, every Rotarian had to be responsible for every aspect of shopping, wrapping, and delivering on their own. Karen Chasse, co-chair of this program stated, “This year certainly is different in how we served the many families in our Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program. We were not able to work together as a group but, that didn’t deter our Rotarians. Once the Biddeford and Saco School Departments identified families in need, we assigned them to those willing to help.” Family and friends of volunteer Rotarians who learned of the program also wanted to volunteer. “It was no surprise that the need this year was significant,” added Chasse. “We are grateful for the help of school department staff, local businesses, Rotarians, and local citizens who sponsored a family on their own so all the families identified would have smiling children on Christmas morning." In addition to the providing children’s wishes, the Biddeford and Saco Rotary Club also delivers a $100 Hannaford food gift card to the parents/guardians. “So many people are struggling to put food on the table,” Gendron added. “The grocery gift card will help ensure these families also can enjoy a holiday dinner.” The club budgets $5,000 each year for the Adopt-A-Family program. The gift lists received by families each year always exceed that. “It’s a tribute to the Rotarians and other volunteers who step up and graciously give generously each year,” Gendron commented. “Without them, this would not be possible. We are fortunate that we can come together as a community to make a positive impact in the lives of so many of our community’s children this holiday season.” For more information on the Rotary Club of Biddeford and Saco or to learn more about the Adopt-A-Family program, visit: http://www.biddeford-sacorotary.org/ or visit their Facebook page at: Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco. |
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Holidays |
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Toolbox for Vet |
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Club Meeting Minutes 12/16/20
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Guest Speaker on ZoomThe Sanford-Springvale club will be welcoming guest speaker – Vitaliy Bezrodnov, Founder of the Rotary Children’s Fund, 501c3 and Coordinator for the Cultural Youth Exchange “Golden Gates” program next Thursday December 17, 2020 via Zoom at 7:45am We welcome you to join us! Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85207599139?pwd=Z0dBa3lIVjl2c1p4bE1jSW5PM2RoQT09 |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 12/9/20YOUTH FULL MAINE
FAMILY GARDEN PROJECT
MEALS ON WHEELS / SACO FOOD PANTRY
Have a great weekend! Thank you, |
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Club Meeting Minutes 12/9/20
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Meals on Wheels Volunteers Needed!Hello Friends, We have more Meals on Wheels openings available! Please see the information below and feel free to contact us if you are interested: Drivers needed at Biddeford Biddeford Meals on Wheels is in need of delivery drivers on Tuesday mornings from 10:00AM-12:00PM. These delivery routes would be primarily in the Biddeford/Saco area. The site is located at 189 Alfred Street in Biddeford. Packagers needed at Portland/Westbrook (Temporary) Portland/Westbrook Meals on Wheels is looking for two volunteers to assist with packaging food on Thursday mornings from 9:00AM-12:00PM. Please note that this is a temporary volunteer role from 12/17/20 – 1/28/21. This role does require volunteers to work in close proximity with each other in the kitchen – so for safety purposes we encourage members of the same household to contact us with their interest. The site is located at 426 Bridge Street in Westbrook. SMAA Volunteer Services 136 US Route One Scarborough, ME 04074 207-396-6595 Also please ask if they could choose to help out to include myself or Julie on the communication so that they can be recognized for their service hours. Thanks Conrad Conrad Welzel <cwelzel2017@gmail.com> Julie Villemaire <JVillemaire@sbsavings.bank> |
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2021-2022 RC OfficersIncoming officers for 2021-2022 Year
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Club Annual Meeting Minutes 12/2/20
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Annual Salvation Army BellringingHappy Post Thanksgiving Greetings to all, Attached is the sign up sheet for the Salvation Army Bell Ringing to take place on December 12 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Walmart in Biddeford. There are two entrance points to the store that we will cover. The sign up sheet allows for two people to be at each entrance. However, Salvation Army is recommending one person especially if social distancing is not possible. The shifts are one hour long. If you want to participate this year the Salvation Army is requesting that you watch the attached, https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/metro/volunteer-today-be-a-bell-ringer/ video regarding Covid protocols. Hope to see you at the bell ringing!!! Contact Joe to sign up at jmoreshe@psmp.com Warm Regards, Joe Moreshead PP |
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Thanks from Vet2Vet |
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Festival of Trees Auction is NOW LIVE!2020 Auction Benefitting the Dyer Library & Saco MuseumI just wanted to give you a heads up that our online auction is live and open for bids! Here's where the action is: Thank you for the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club's donation of the Raised Bed Garden. Here is the direct link to your auction item: Note the icons, upper right, enabling you to copy to the link to emails (feel free to share with the Club!) or post it on your Facebook or Twitter. Please share these links on your Facebook page as well as with friends, associates, and people who might be hankering for your item or might do some shopping at the auction. Be loud and proud of your support for the Dyer Library/Saco Museum's Festival of Trees! Bidding closes on Sunday, December 13 at 5:00. Thanks so much again. Linsey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linsey Pilon Chair, Festival of Trees Online Auction 2020 President, Board of Trustees, Dyer Library Association linsey.pilon@gmail.com |
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Rotary Annual Meeting December 2Good evening fellow Rotarians! President Don asked me to send an email out to remind everyone that this Wednesday, December 2nd, is our "Annual Meeting". This is the meeting where the nominating committee presents the list of candidates for the slate of officers for the 2021-2022 Rotarian year. This is another opportunity to voice your opinion and/or propose additional candidates for office for the upcoming Rotarian year. After the discussion is complete, the club will vote in the new slate of officers. We need to have a quorum of 1/3 of the membership in order for the vote to be valid. Please do your best to attend this Zoom meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at 12:15 p.m.to show your interest and support in electing next year's leadership team. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me at jvillemaire@sbsavings.bank or call me at 207-602-7850 (after 11:00 a.m.). Thank you! |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 11/24/20FAMILY GARDEN/APEX YOUTH CONNECTION
GIFT CARDS
Next meeting 1pm Dec 9. Thank you, |
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Toobox for VetWe were going to buy it from Harbor Freight in South Portland and have them ship it to him in Bangor. HF said we had to buy it in Bangor. Short of driving to Bangor I contacted our district governor Peggy Belanger to ask her for the president of the local Bangor club. She put me in touch with Caroline King of the Bangor Rotary Club. I called Caroline to ask her if she could buy the tool box and deliver it to this veteran. She did all of this. We sent her a check for the cost of the tool box and all is good. She and I talked afterwards and she was grateful I reached out to her. She replied this is the power of Rotary. The ability to network within the organization for situations like this and support our communities. Service above Self Don Toolbox update - the Bangor Rotary Club purchased and delivered the toolbox Vet: I just picked up the tool box it’s in a huge box I am going to open it up this Sunday to put some of my tools in it. So on Sunday when it is nice and flashy I’ll send you a good pick. Thank you so much. I just got my tool box delivered to C&L aviation today. I can’t thank you guys enough for all you have done for me. This is a professional tool box for a professional aircraft mechanic. Best regards, D.Ryan Neville |
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Presidential Volunteer Service Awards |
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Week in Review 11/18/2020
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Volunteers for Biddeford Middle School food distribution Wed. 11/18For our food distribution happening at the Biddeford Middle School next Wednesday, Nov 18, we're looking for 2-3 volunteers from the span of 10:30 until 11:30 (knowing Rotarians will want to attend your weekly meeting at noon); and then to be on stand-by after the distribution to make any local home deliveries if requests come in from folks without transportation or for whom the timing doesn't work (say, 1:30-2:30). The distribution runs from 11am-1pm and the earlier group would be helping us to steer traffic or load boxes into cars during the anticipated rush at the beginning. Rotarians can contact me at katiebrownmaine@gmail.com or call or text me at (207) 409-0327 if available. Details of this and the Saco distribution is attached. Thanks for getting the word out to members if you're able to do so. Katie Brown Youth Full Maine (207) 409-0327 |
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Hampton Cornhole Raffle |
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GUEST: PATRISHA MCLEAN OF FINDING OUR VOICES
PS: I very much enjoyed meeting you and your Rotary Club and thank you again for the invitation. I am excited about the assistance that was offered to bring domestic abuse awareness to the Saco/Biddeford community in 2021. Thank you for sharing my contact info with the group from today, and particularly the two men that said they will help me with legislators and the downtown group. My email address is hello@findingourvoices.net and cell number 207 322 6460. On the web at: https://findingourvoices.net Kindest regards, Patrisha McLean Founder/President Producer/Host Let's Talk About It on WERU |
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Week in Review 11/11/2020
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 11/11/20
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Week in Review 11/4/2020
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Week in Review 11/4/2020
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November is Rotary Foundation MonthPLEASE SEND ME YOUR PLEDGE FORM TO INDICATE YOUR INTENTIONS FOR THIS YEARS CAMPAIGN bdallaire@usa.net A Foundation to build onThe Rotary Foundation is recognized as one of the most effective and well-managed charitable organizations in the world, with 12 consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator and an A-plus rating from CharityWatch. We know that the Foundation is helping Rotarians do good in the world, but it can be difficult to convey the full scope of its work. So we’ve put together some figures from the past five years — 2014-15 through 2018-19 — to tell the story of the generosity of Rotarians and the good work that the Foundation supports. November is Rotary Foundation Month; to make a contribution, go to rotary.org/donate. As a convenience, we have included a line item of $50 for the Foundation in your semi-annual dues statement allowing you to pay them together. Feel free to adjust the amount! Amounts up to $100 are matched by your club.
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Club Mailing AddressSince many of you keep asking: PO Box 298 Saco, ME 04072 |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 10/28/20
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Week in Review 10/28/2020
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Thanks from TA |
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Week in Review 10/21/2020
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Note of Thanks |
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Volunteer Opportunity - Saco Food PantryIt has come to our attention that the Saco Food Pantry could use some assistance with Friday morning donation pick-ups from Shaw's and Hannaford, from 7 AM - 8 AM. A sign up sheet is available here: If you are unable to view the spreadsheet but would like to sign up for a time slot, please let me know and I will add your name. Volunteer opportunities are also available at the following times - The Saco Food Pantry has 4 distinct jobs during 3-time frames.
Thank you, |
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Week in Review 10/14/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Paulette Bonneau, Karen Chasse, Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, CJ Dubois-Cote, Ken Farley, Jane Foley, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Heather Gendron, Martin Grohman, Bill Kany, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Bill Paterson, Donald Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Haley Thompson, Kaitlin Tito, Matthew Tuller Guest: Roger Louiselle President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett - Invocation Ken Farley led the 4-Way Test Announcements: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Heather MacLean - Substitute Sergeant-at-Arms HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER: ROGER LOUISELLE OF RUTLAND, VT ROTARY CLUB Meeting adjourned at 1:10 PM |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 10/14/20SACO FOOD PANTRY
MASK DONATIONS
MISCELLANEOUS
Thank you, |
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SPEAKER: ROGER LOUISELLE OF RUTLAND, VT ROTARY CLUBSPEAKER: ROGER LOUISELLE OF RUTLAND, VT ROTARY CLUB
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Father & Son |
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Week in Review 10/7/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Joe Boyle, Karen Chasse, Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, Jane Foley, Keith Jacques, Bill Kany, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Bill Paterson, Fausto Pifferrer, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Kaitlin Tito, Matthew Tuller, Conrad Welzel Guest: Erin Sheehan of Lorne Wine President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with the invocation 4-Way Test led by Joe Moreshead Announcements: MISCELLANEOUS
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER: ERIN SHEEHAN OF LORNE WINE
Meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM |
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100th |
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World Polio Day |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 9/30/20MISCELLANEOUS
VICTORY GARDENS
YOUTH FULL MAINE
GIFT CERTIFICATES / FOOD PANTRY
Thank you, |
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Week in Review 9/30/2020
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Week in Review 9/23/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Martin Grohman, Bill Kany, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Bill Paterson, Donald Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Haley Thompson, Kaitlin Tito, Mark Tuller, Matt Tuller, Conrad Welzel Guest: Robert Biggs of Main Street Saco President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with the invocation Roland led the 4-Way Test Announcements: RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
COVID-19 SUBCOMMITTEE
100TH ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
FIRST RESPONDER APPRECIATION
BLAIS MASSAGE AUCTION
HAPPY DOLLARS / FINES
Matt Tuller induction and welcome message from Don President Don announced that a gift was made in Past President James Pastorelli's honor - $250 to the Polio Plus Program |
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SPEAKER: ROBERT BIGGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAIN STREET SACOSPEAKER: ROBERT BIGGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAIN STREET SACO
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100th Anniversary Meeting Notes September 18, 2020100th Anniversary Planning Meeting Minutes (Zoom) September 18, 2020 at 2pm Attending: Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Conrad Welzel, Don Pilon, Fausto Pifferrer, Brenda Pollock
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Jim PastorelliFellow Club Members: I had intended to attend our last meeting but was prevented by technology from tuning in. I particularly wanted to attend to share a couple of thoughts about Past President, James Pastorelli, who recently passed away. Jim was born on August 22, 1920, the same year our club was formed. He joined our club in 1968. When I went to my first Rotary meeting in 1987 in a smoke filled large room at the Colonial Hut in Biddeford (where the 7-11is today) Jim was the President. Jim was a quiet leader among a group of very loud, larger than life men (no women in Rotary then) in a club with over 120 members. Jim clearly had the respect of the club. By the time Jim served as President he was actually retired from the automobile business. He was the founder of Coastal VW in Saco for any of you old enough to remember that dealership which is long gone. He lived in Kennebunk with his wife of 61 years, Vernita. If you read Jim’s obit you would know that Jim was a World War II vet and the recipient of two Bronze Stars. He was a true hero. I always found Jim to be a true gentleman who enjoyed a good laugh. My favorite memory of Jim came from the 2019 Past President’s Day when Jim drove himself to the meeting at age 98, parked in lower parking lot and walked up to the meeting. How cool was that? Bob Begin and I sat across from Jim, and we talked a lot about the old club days. I was not surprised to learn that Jim lived a couple of weeks after his 100th birthday. They simply don’t make many people like Jim any more. It was an honor to have been in the Club with him. Thanks for reading this. Bill |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 9/16/20MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
MISCELLANEOUS
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Week in Review 9/16/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Sarah Curley, Brian Dallaire, Jane Foley, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Martin Grohman, Keith Jacques, Jim LaBelle, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Mark Nahorney, Bill Paterson, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Haley Thompson, Kaitlin Tito, Conrad Welzel Guest: Randy Morrison of Maine Behavioral Healthcare President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Invocation Joe Moreshead led the 4-Way Test Announcements: MISCELLANEOUS
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER - RANDY MORRISON OF MAINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE Randy Morrison is the Director of Peer Services at Maine Behavioral Healthcare since late 2015. Over this time, peer services have expanded greatly to now comprise over 50 positions. In York County, he oversees two Peer Support Centers, substance use peer recovery services within the Emergency Department at Southern Maine Health Care and their outpatient treatment service, multiple peer support specialists within MBH's case management and other services.
Meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM. |
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Passing of Past President |
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Church Kitchen Painting |
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Polio + |
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Week in Review 9/9/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, CJ Dubois-Cote, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Martin Grohman, Bill Kany, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Bill Paterson, Fausto Pifferrer, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Haley Thompson, Kaitlin Tito, Conrad Welzel Guest: Irene Lim of Fernleaf Bakery President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with invocation Brenda led the 4-Way Test Announcements: MISCELLANEOUS
BLOOD DRIVE
COVID-19 SUBCOMMITTEE
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER - IRENE LIM OF FERNLEAF BAKERY
Meeting adjourned at 1:05 PM |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 9/2/20MISCELLANEOUS
VICTORY GARDEN INITIATIVE
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Week in Review 9/2/2020Attendance: Joe Boyle, Melissa Cilley, Brian Dallaire, Jane Foley, Roland Gagne, Heather Gendron, Martin Grohman, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Mark Nahorney, Bill Paterson, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Kaitlin Tito, Julie Villemaire, Conrad Welzel President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with invocation Marty led the 4-Way Test Guests: District Governor Peggy Belanger and Assistant District Governor Bob Wester Announcements: COVID-19 SUBCOMMITTEE
BLOOD DRIVE
MISCELLANEOUS
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER - DISTRICT GOVERNOR PEGGY BELANGER
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Rotary Olympics |
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AFRICAN REGION CERTIFIED WILD POLIO-FREE
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Week in Review 8/26/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Joe Boyle, Brian Dallaire, CJ Dubois-Cote, Jane Foley, Roland Gagne, Keith Jacques, Jim LaBelle, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Mark Nahorney, Fausto Pifferrer, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Kaitlin Tito, Conrad Welzel President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with invocation Roland led the 4-way test Guest: Jill from the Bideford, England club Announcements: BON APPETIT KITCHEN
MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
SPEAKER - FAUSTO PIFFERRER OF BLUE ELEPHANT EVENTS AND CATERING
Meeting adjourned at 1:10 PM |
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The Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco Helps Bon Appétit with Kitchen Renovations
Biddeford - The Second Congregational Church, or "White Church", on Crescent Street in Biddeford leases their on-site kitchen to Bon Appétit, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve folks in the community since 1989. Every weekday, a group of devoted volunteers provide nutritious meals to those in need. For more than thirty years, anyone with food insecurities from any area, has been welcomed to share a hot meal while building meaningful relationships with attendees and volunteers in the community. Repairs to the kitchen facilities were essential for the organization to be permitted to continue to serve the free dinner service. The Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco learned of the condition of the kitchen and evaluated the work that had to be completed. Quickly, a Rotary team was organized by Conrad Welzel, a Rotarian himself for more than five of years, and within a couple weeks, he had a project confirmed and scheduled. Rotarians would commit to completing the necessary repairs that would permit Bon Appétit to continue offering its free meal program from this site. For two consecutive weekends, Rotarians of the Biddeford-Saco club cleaned, replaced, scraped, and painted. “There was a lot of labor-intensive work that was required to get the kitchen up to code,” said Welzel. “Our club is fortunate to have several building industry professionals who are Rotarians. They not only donated their time, they also donated some of the resources required to get the kitchen to more modern-day standards.” Bon Appétit welcomes neighbors who are dealing with food insecurity. Prior to COVID, meals were served inside the church by a group of dedicated volunteers. Attendees felt welcomed, and were treated to restaurant style service by devoted helpers. “It’s like a big family here,” said one of the attendees. Providing a hot meal for those with food insecurity is important. The conversations around the table and the social connections and interactions are priceless. Since COVID, the volunteer group at Bon Appétit have been able to continue to provide free hot meals, however, they are now boxed up and are collected at the door of the Bon Appetite kitchen. Bon Appétit Community Meal Program began with a Christmas dinner put on by members of the community who were concerned for those in need making it through the holidays. The meal was held at the Riverworks restaurant on Main Street in Biddeford in 1989. However, their job didn't end there. After seeing the needs of the community, these dedicated community members sought to provide even more meals to those in need. Within a year, the attendance for the free hot meals almost tripled in size. Meals were served five days a week. In September 1991, the program began looking for a new space. St Andres Parish council graciously offered the former credit union on high street as a temporary home for the kitchen. Four years later, they moved to the Fremont Club where they quickly outgrew the facility. The Second Congregational Church became their new home and volunteers continue to feed approximately 65 people every day for dinner. The Bon Appétit Community Meal Program is offered Monday through Friday starting at 4:30 p.m. The nonprofit receives their funding from the generous donations of community friends. For more information on The Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco www.Biddeford-SacoRotary.org / www.facebook.com/BiddefordSacoRotaryClub, or to support the Bon Appétit Community Meal Program, contact: bonappetitmeals89@gmail.com or visit their website at: https://www.bonappetitmealprogram.com. |
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Church Kitchen Painting ProjectThank You all for all the work you did to paint the kitchen at the Biddeford 2nd Congregational Church. For all the pictures go to our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BiddefordSacoRotaryClub/?view_public_for=285717768226317 Thank You Again Conrad |
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K'bunk Riverfest |
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Covid subcommittee minutes 8/20/2020NEW SCHEDULE
SCHOOL RE-OPENING
HAND SANITIZER
VICTORY GARDENS
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Week in Review 8/19/2020Attendance: Joe Bassett, Lawrence Boyle, Karen Chasse, Melissa Cilley, Paul Deschambault, CJ Dubois-Cote, Roland Gagne, Susan Gajewski, Heather Gendron, Martin Grohman, Bill Kany, Jim LaBelle, Kristen Lane, Heather MacLean, Joe Moreshead, Mark Nahorney, Bill Paterson, Don Pilon, Brenda Pollock, Kathy Shea, Kaitlin Tito, Conrad Welzel President Don welcomed everyone Pledge of Allegiance Joe Bassett with invocation Marty led the 4-way test Announcements: BLOOD DRIVE
GOLF UPDATES/MISC ACCOUNTING
BON APPETIT & COVID SUBCOMMITTEE
APEX YOUTH CONNECTION
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
GUEST SPEAKER - TOM PEACOCK OF DIZZY BIRDS ROTISSERIE
Meeting adjourned at 1:10 PM |
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Bethel Rotary Yard Sale |
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COVID SUBCOMMITTEE STATUS 8/9/2020Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Members, 8/9/2020
We hope you are doing well!
At the August 6, 2020 club’s COVID-19 Subcommittee meeting it was decided that the Subcommittee should send the Club a letter updating everyone about what the subcommittee has been doing. This will be short and hopefully a sweet letter.
To begin, Thank You for all your time. You are a volunteer and the Club THANKS YOU for doing what you can.
The update: The COVID-19 Subcommittee has been trying to wisely share the funds we have with appropriate organizations in need. Groups that use the additional funding for their clients, to help people truly in need, mainly kids, the elderly and our veterans. We are also doing what we can to support small businesses with unforeseen expenses brought on by this pandemic by buying locally whenever possible.
Our Rotary Club has given us $6,045 since this March to spend.
This is what we have done so far with the funds:
In addition we:
At the last meeting we discussed what should be done with the remaining funds. All in attendance felt that an increased focus should be placed on addressing food insecurity in our communities. An idea that was discussed was writing simple how-to educational guides about small space farming and teaching children how to grow vegetables. We added this to our Rotary grant as well as a way to create long lasting influence.
When this Subcommittee started there were approximately 16 active members. Presently that number is about 7 people (and understandably so). This letter has two purposes:
We will need help in so many ways. Here are a few areas to consider:
We know that as Rotarians we all want to help others and as was stated earlier we are also volunteers. The Club and Subcommittee are trying to find ways that you can make every effort you choose to volunteer for, be of value to you and those we are trying to help.
Several of you have expressed your willingness to help but have scheduling conflicts. There are many things that often can be done that help likeminded people, pull off some pretty amazing things that benefit so many.
Whatever it is that motivates you to volunteer during these times, is of interest to us. Whatever time you have to volunteer, please call us. Every little bit of time helps someone, somewhere. Please check in with us to see how you can help!
Thanks,
COVID-19 Subcommittee
Conrad Welzel, Subcommittee Chair E: cwelzel2017@gmail.com | P: 831-5832
Kaitlin Tito, Subcommittee Co-Chair E: kaitlin.tito@nemoves.com | P: 590-8474 |
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Week in Review 8/12/2020Attendance: Sue, Brian, Conrad, Paul, Joe, Roland, Heather G., Lawrence, Kristen, Bill, CJ, Mark, Kathy, Heather M., Marty, Bill K, Jim L., Don, Joe M., Kaitlin. President Don welcomed everyone. Pledge of Allegiance Joe B. with invocation. Joe M. – 4-way test Announcements:
Joe Sargent at Arms
Meeting adjourned at 12:53 |
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Vet2Vet Maine
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 8/6/20SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
LOCAL SCHOOLS UPDATE
FOOD INSECURITY & AGRICULTURE
MISC UPDATES
Thank you, Kaitlin Provided by: Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco |
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Venmo for club paymentsThe Biddeford Saco Rotary Club now accepts Venmo! You can pay your dues, the golf fundraiser, fines & happy dollars, foundation giving or anything else you’d like to pay directly to our bank account. If you don’t have Venmo, please download the app and set up an account. It’s very easy. And it’s especially helpful that you can pay with your phone while we don’t meet in person. Please send payments to @Treasurer-BSRC and put a note with your name (if it’s not identifiable) and what you’re sending money for. I can also try to answer questions if you respond to this email. Thanks all and be well. |
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Rotary FoundationGive where the need is greatestWhen you give to The Rotary Foundation, you fuel our service projects - projects that eradicate polio, promote peace, and improve developing communities. |
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Mini-Golf |
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Golf for Good FundraiserTo All Rotary Members; Please give a few hours of your time to support your club so we can serve the residents of our communities affected by Covid-19. We need everyone to pitch in to make this a successful event. Please go online or contact me, Haley, Joe, Jim Labelle, Jane or Jackson to sign-up for a few hours. Have your family and friends meet you at a mini-golf facility and play a round. It's a game for all ages. Thank you. President Don 590-0507(c) |
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Covid Subcommittee 7/23/2020Hi everyone, Here are the minutes from yesterday's meeting: ATTENDANCE
THERMOMETERS & HAND SANITIZER
APEX YOUTH CONNECTION
Have a great weekend! Thank you, |
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ACEs Master-Trainer ProgramGood news! The ACEs Master-Trainer program your Rotary Club has helped to fund will launch in September. I’m grateful for your contributions. I want to be sure that your Club is aware applications are still open, and I hope Rotarians will submit names of community members who could be champions and trainers. Full information below, please share with your members, and thank you again for supporting the Rotary Recovery Initiatives and funding the Master-Trainer launch. Donors (so far!) have included the Rotary 7780 District Recovery Fund, and the Rotary Clubs of Biddeford-Saco, Dover, Exeter, Kennebunk, Portsmouth, Rochester, and York. These contributions were matched by non-Rotary donors to fund the $60,000 in launch costs. Thirty people will be trained in York, Strafford and Rockingham Counties. Many thanks to all of you, and very best wishes to stay safe and healthy and improve the chances for others to do so as well. Dave Underhill
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Week in Review 7/22/2020Welcome-Don Pilon Meeting called to order at 12:19pm Pledge of Allegiance Invocation-Marty 4-Way Test-Conrad No visiting Rotarianns or Guests Announcements: Don; The Portland Sunrise Rotary Club has invited our club to participate in a Global Grant in Abuja, Nigeria. The grant is to assist with Covid-19 response in Nigeria with the National Hospital in Abuja, the Capital of Nigeria. I've given the grant proposal to Roland to review and report back to me and the board. Also, the Global Grant contact at the Portland Sunrise Rotary Club is available to answer any of our questions. Conrad; Covid-19 meeting Thursday @ 3:00 online Sign-up sheet is online to paint the ceiling of the Second Congregational Church located on Crescent Street in Biddeford or Contact Conrad for more information Don; Bath Rotary Club is holding it's 29th Annual golf tournament at Bath CC. September 29th. Contact Brigit Cavanaugh at, 841-3141 to play or enter a foursome. Marty: Working with the American Red Cross to host a Blood Drive in September. Rotary volunteers will be needed Sargent of Arms-Joe Morsehead The following had Happy Dollars and/or received Fines; Paulette, Bill Kany(actually was in attendance) Conrad(HD) Jim Godbout, Pierre', Sue G, Heather Mc, Haley, Roland & Don Guest Speaker; Briana Campbell, owner of Time & Tide, 35 Main Street, Biddeford. Married to John originally from Brooklyn, NY. john has 20+ years in the coffee industry. Briana and her family have vacationed in Saco for many years and a few years ago Briana and John were walking around in Biddeford and Saco and were intrigued by the resurgence in the mill district. They inquired what incentives would be available to them if they were to open a business locally. They purchased a roaster to blend various kinds of coffee which is located in Mill Building 10 and have Time & Tide coffee shop on Main Street in Biddeford. Marty likes their lemon cake. Mini-Golf for Good Fundraiser-August 8th & 9th. We will be at; Schooners, Ocean Park Road, Saco Pirates Cove, Old Orchard Beach Raptor Falls, Route 1, Arundel We need volunteers to be present at these locations and to sell 50/50 raffle tickets. Please go online and sign up for a few hours at a location Please. Meeting was adjourned at 1:15pm |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 7/16/20GRANT REQUEST/FUNDING
HAND SANITIZER
UPDATES FROM GRANTEES
Have a great weekend! Thank you,
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Week in Review 7/16/2020ROTARY MEETING MINUTES July 15, 2020 President Don started the meeting promptly at 12:15 Ken - recited the Prayer Jim – 4-way test Don announced the District Governor will be joining our club for a meeting on September 2nd. We should consider making a gift to Polio Plus in his name for his visit. Brenda Updated the club on the upcoming ZOOM event of the Essay contest. Thursday, July 16 at 6:30pm. Don announced we were not successful at getting the $5k district grant for the Covid-19 committee. They had approximately $158,000 total. Most of the clubs did submit applications and they heavily weighted NEED of the club when deciding how to award the grants. We did not score well in that area. They did notify me to say that there may be something coming to us however it would not be for a large sum of money. Don announced the upcoming gold tournament is confirmed with the following locations committed to participate: Schooners, Rafter Falls & Pirates Cove. We will have a 54-hole tournament this year. This is how we feel we can raise money this year:
We hope we can raise $10k this year. Please volunteer if you’re available for this event. We’re getting some Rotary hats to further promote the club. We will need some additional Raffle items. Red sox tickets will be great. Please let Don or Hailey know if you’re able to donate or help in any way. Joe M. Sent out the sponsorship list from last year to the board. We will all be soliciting on behalf of this event. As you are successful at soliciting sponsors, send Joe and email and CC Susan so she can send the invoice out for sponsorship. Thank you! Don received the Paul Harris +1 for Mark Tuller – Don will be delivering this award to Mark this week. Conrad - COVID 19 committee meeting tomorrow at 3pm. Conrad - August 15 and 22nd will be the two days that we are painting the congregational church kitchen. Please sign up to help if you can help. It’s a lot of work. Speaker today: Summer on Main Street with Heather MacLean. Heather MacLean has a shop on Main Street in Saco and graciously shared her experience as a new business owner during this pandemic. We were treated to a video of a tour of her store. “More than 70 percent of our products are from Maine. We sell Sea Bags, made on the waterfront in Portland; Seawicks Candles, made on the waterfront in Boothbay Harbor; and pottery, jewelry, cards, wall art, specialty foods, and dog treats and toys all made in Maine. Two of our featured artists live right here in Saco and two others are from OOB and Scarborough. We love local artists”! Heather went on to share some of the challenges she encountered being a small business owner. Having to run every aspect of the business alone is a challenge. She’s appreciative of the support shown to her from the locals. They help get her through the slow months. The pandemic hit and luckily, she had just updated her website that helped with keeping the doors open, so to speak. “Finding time for myself and my family is difficult. I love what I created here. I’ll be drawing a $25 gift card for someone who attended this meeting”. Thank you, Heather. Please be sure to visit whimsicalmaine.com or stop by her shop at 239 Main Street, Saco. JOE – Happy Dollars
FINES
Thank you everyone! |
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2nd Congregational Church in Biddeford Painting ProjectDATE 8/15 & 22 Please sign up if you are interested. To date 12 have. Conrad is looking for someone to lead this project. The Covid-19 Crisis Relief Subcommittee has found a need for a community service project that will help the Bon Appetit meals program.
It will be to paint the kitchen at the 2nd Congregational Church in Biddeford this Summer and we need volunteers to plan out the program.. We are also asking if any one wants to take on a role of helping to manage this project.
It will take several different days because it will need to be done in sections, first scrape and washing, then painting. Lots of area to paint but not a lot of space to do it.
Saturday’s work well for the church and a couple of hours most weekday mornings if they have enough notice.
We encourage all club members to participate and to bring family(spouses) to help. Brian has sent out an event invitation to gage the number of interested participants.
Thanks for you help! Conrad
PS:
Hi everyone,
I created a Google doc to sign up for re-painting the Bon Appetit kitchen at the Second Congregational Church in Biddeford.
Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RIhU-wcO3mcSF6DmtM4-LzHW5JJU-twIu0IPJUrb2yI/edit?usp=sharing
On August 13th and 14th we'll clean and scrape the old paint; August 15th and 22nd are for re-painting.
It is a fairly large job so any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Kaitlin Tito |
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Ronald McDonald HouseI wanted to share the letter I received for the donation the made to the Ronald McDonald House in Portland. Don, for you information, one of the winning essay winners contacted me after the funds had been disbursed to the COVID committee, that she wanted to make her matching contribution to the Ronald McDonald House. Fausto and I decided we would just pay for it ourselves in her name. Thank you Fausto for paying $40 of the $75 donation. 😊 Cheers! Brenda |
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Week in Review 7/8/2020ROTARY ZOOM MEETING – July 8, 2020 Don called the meeting to order at 12:16 Joe Invocation Mark 4 way test Visiting Rotarians Jill visiting Rotarian Announcements: Conrad – COVID subcommittee has been on a 2-week vacation. Meeting next Thursday and remind the members who had tasks to please have them Biddeford City Council has sent out request about how everyone is doing Melissa will update with any information. Congregational Church Kitchen Rehab– Please call or email Conrad to volunteer to help the church clean up the kitchen. The Rotary House in Biddeford – The contractor will begin the end of July beginning of August and they will begin the work. We will let the club know when Jim will be looking for volunteers. Center of Technology kids are currently not working because of school being out, and the processes at school, it is hard to make this happen. We will be having a discussion with the school about building sheds again. Marty – No update on the Blood Drive with the American Red Cross for a September date. There was discussion regarding location. Marty will be in contact with the coordinator and will be looking for Rotary volunteers to help Joe M. – Looked at the by-laws and has made some recommendations regarding a few changes. He will send those recommended changes to Don – Pirates Cove is the only golf course that has not gotten back to us regarding the event. He is looking to find a third course for the event. Two have confirmed. I’ll know later today. Sign up sheets will be sent out as soon as the courses are confirmed. Don will be reaching out to the major sponsors. Don and Haley are working on signage for the event. Joe will be dividing up the list of sponsors from last year and will send them out to all of the board members. Each board member will be responsible to call at least 5 sponsors. Sargent of Arms Joe M. asked for Happy Dollars Marty – Got a haircut Conrad – Spent the weekend at a ranch house and they all still like each other. Don – Missed the opportunity to see Joe at the cottage. Brenda Sailing finally went out for a 4-day sail, first day it was too rough so we turned around and stayed in Cocktail Cove by Don’s home. Day 2 and 3 were foggy but day 4 was a beautifully sunny day for a sail back to Saco. Jim – Happy because the chamber has a ribbon cutting AAA Car Detailing located at Millbrook in Saco. FINES Don – Our meetings are supposed to start at 12:15. Roland – Everyone stand and praise Roland sitting there with the crown background (Statue of Liberty) Sue G. – You didn’t bother to invite us to your party Heather M & Julie V – That’s a dollar each for joining our meeting without video. Jill – IPAD 2 lady from England – Wish I could fine you for your name on display. Mark M. – Was that a “computerinturuptus” of the 4-way test? Interruption cost you a buck. Jim – Invoice for chamber membership – nothing personalized in that envelope. Only the invoice. So, that will cost you a buck (Was hoping it would only be seen by your accounting team Jim replied) Don – International foundation on the invoice – I got sticker shock by the invoice that was sent to the Rotarians for dues. You pay a buck for that. Conrad – you need to let Jim G. know he owes us a fine. Conversation: Jill echoed that the COVID conversation is greatly familiar to what is happening in England. Being a holiday destination like us, we are concerned with the number of tourists arriving and bringing the virus with them. Marty – is having a antibody test tomorrow. Reminded everyone that you can get a free test when you sign up to give blood at the upcoming Red Cross blood drive in September. Our guest speaker today is Brian Dallaire Rotary International finally recorded the donations made by our club to the foundation: $8,888.15 Thank you everyone who donated! Club Runner lesson for today. Go to – www.biddeford-sacorotary.org You can look at the calendar, charitable request forms and speakers. This is the public area where anyone can see what our club is doing. There is a lot of information on the site, so I encourage you all to go see this site. Member area in the upper right – Member login It is a tool that we could use to communicate with other members. You can look up your login name. You can change your name and your password once you’ve logged in. If you have any issues, please send Brian an email to obtain your information. They have a dashboard page. Please take a few minutes to look at your own profile and update your information. It’s great to add a recent photo and fill in your bio information. Click EDIT if you want to change anything. Be sure to go to the bottom of the page or section and hit SAVE before logging out. 37% of us have not logged in in over a year. It is important to update your information. It is only visible to members of our club. If you have any questions, please reach out to Brian. Alexa chimed in with some unprovoked information – That is sure to be a fine next week. Meeting adjourned at 1:03 pm. |
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The Rotary Foundation Giving 2019-2020THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for all of that contributed. Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco, ME (6294), District 7780 Members 57 Goal $7,000.00 110% AF per capita $135.53 Annual Fund $7,725.15 Polio+ $1,163.00 $0.00 $0.00 Total Foundation Contributions $8,888.15 All Active Rotarians 52 Existing Active Rotarians 49 Sustaining Member Rotarians: 24 Percent Sustaining Members: 49.0% 1 July Members 57 Annual Fund Per Capita: $135.53 Average TRF Giving: $155.93
In the future, there will be a line item for a $50 contribution on your twice yearly club invoice. Of course you may increase that if you wish when you remit! Congratulations to the following multiple Paul Harris Fellows for this year: Sue G 1+ Mark T 1+ Joe M 3+ Roland G Beyond counting! |
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Essay Contest |
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Week in Review 7/1/2020ROTARY MEETING June 1, 2020 Respectfully submitted by Brenda Pollock Meeting was called to order at 12:15 President Don opened his very first meeting with a welcome to our guests over the pond; Jill and Jacquie. Thank you for joining us and we look forward to meeting you in person next year. He spoke of his previous involvement as President of a Rotary Club in Connecticut. It was prior to 1987 when women were allowed in the club. He was always an advocate of allowing women to join. President Don - Per Board meeting, some of the GOALS during this year:
Conrad Update
Brenda – Essay Contest An official ZOOM event of the Essay contest will be held on July 16th at 6:30 pm. Please be watching for an email invite. Brian and Brenda will work to come up with an agenda for the meeting. Participating students, teachers and parents will also be invited to participate. Please try to attend. It will be great to have our club well represented for this 25th Anniversary of this event. Conrad – My Teen House in Biddeford
Mini Golf Tournament Last year, this event raised approximately $12,000
Don introduced Joe M. who will serve as the Sergeant At Arms for his presidency. HAPPY DOLLARS
ROTARY FINES
Joe M. - Thank you Don for asking me to serve as Sergeant At Arms this year. It’s for the kids!!! President Don asked Joe M. to recite the 4-way test – Joe M deferring that duty to Dr. Joe Meeting adjourned at 12:57 |
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RYLA is Canceled this yearI am sad to announce that we have to cancel RYLA 2020 due to the pandemic. Attached are two letters. The first is to Rotarians explaining the decision and to prepare for RYLA 2021. We are looking to expand RYLA to 192 campers from 144, as well as, open RYLA to both sophomores and juniors in high school. The letter also announces two new RYLA co-directors that will be joining me officially for 2021. They are both staff members with over 10 years of RYLA experience and Rotarians with our New Voices Club. In anticipation of cost increases, we also will potentially be increasing the cost per student by $25.00 for RYLA 2021. The second letter is the communication that is being sent to students that have been registered this year. We held a virtual RYLA for our staff over the past week and I am pleased to say that our RYLA community is active and helping to create positive change in this world even in the midst of the pandemic. The RYLA staff will be updating the www.ryla7780.org website with information over the next few weeks as we book RYLA 2021. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Yours In Service, Phil Phil Giordano RYLA 7780 Chair Cell 207-636-6500 |
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Future Meetings will be via ZOOMThe Zoom option will be available for every meeting. The club will hold meetings in a hybred fashion with some Zoom only and others as in-person with a Zoom option. For the Zoom option: Start signing on at 12:00 PM. Meeting starts at 12:15 PM.
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Week in Review 6/24/2020Meeting Notes of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club June 24, 2020 - In person from Run of the Mill President Fausto led his final meeting as President of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club. Thank you for an amazing year Fausto! Invocation - Joe Four Way Test – Joe M. Sargent At Arms Heather asked for Happy Dollars and then issued fines. 😊
Fireside Chat will be rescheduled. A notice will be sent ASAP.
Conrad
Brian
Don
Brenda
Jim
PRESIDENTIAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS - Brenda My company, BLP Associates, is an authorized representative of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. (PVSA) The President's Volunteer Service Award is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. Established by executive order by George W. Bush, the award was established to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping others through the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The award can be granted to individuals, families and organizations located throughout the United States. Depending on the amount of service hours completed, individuals can receive the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and/or the President's Call to Service Award (also referred to the President's Lifetime Achievement Award).[1] Awardees receive a personalized certificate, an official pin, medallion, and a congratulatory letter from the President depending on the award earned. Presented with a GOLD PVSA is Fausto Pifferrer Presented with a SILVER PVSA award is: Julie Villemaire & Susan Gajewski Presented with a BRONZE PVSA award is: Don Pilon & Marty Grohman Congratulations. Well deserved. President Fausto
Presidential Handoff Fausto to Don Board Meeting: July 1st via ZOOM at 7:45 am COVID Crisis Meeting: Thursday 6/25/2020 at 3:00 via ZOOM. Next meeting: Wednesday July 1st at 12:15 via ZOOM. Meeting Adjourned at 1:20pm Respectfully submitted: Brenda Pollock |
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COVID-19 Relief FundThe Rotary Club of Biddeford – Saco In March of 2020, the Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco launched a COVID-19 Crisis Subcommittee to address the immediate needs the pandemic caused in the communities of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach. In phase one of their response program, the committee addressed the immediate need for food and PPE supplies for the elderly, at-risk youth and for our veterans. In the second phase of their crisis project, the committee will continue their focus on ensuring food and PPE supplies are available to our seniors, at-risk youth, and veterans. In addition, the project will support organizations and small day cares that will be overwhelmed by an increased demand for basic needs: PPE supplies, food and other requirements or changes to their facilities as a result of executive orders. They will also add an education initiative for children and at-risk families, that will address food insecurities by teaching small scale agriculture in the production of crops and livestock. To volunteer, donate to the Rotary Club or for more information on the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, please email us. To apply for crisis assistance and consideration for help with food, PPE supplies or for more information regarding the agriculture education initiative, download the COVID CRISIS Subcommittee Request Form.
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 6/18/20Hi everyone, Here are the minutes from yesterday's meeting - please note the request in the "tasks" section: THERMOMETERS
BON APPETIT RENOVATIONS
TASKS
Thank you,
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 6/18/20Hi everyone, Here are the minutes from yesterday's meeting - please note the request in the "tasks" section: THERMOMETERS
BON APPETIT RENOVATIONS
TASKS
Have a great weekend! Thank you,
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25th Annual Essay ContestToday’s Speaker 6/17/2020: The presentation of the 25th Rotary Essay Contest video was played. The video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/9QfkGKBCqoY And the winners are: From St. James School in Biddeford, First place, Madelyn Gelinas. Second place, Matthew Gonneville and third place, Jeffrey Lafrance. From Saco Middle School, First place Maia Gustafson, and second place, Lindsay DesRoberts. From Thornton Academy Middle School, Julie Elie, Second, Caleb Morin and third, Rose MacWhinnie. From Biddeford Middle School, first is Hannah Grohman, second place is Tyanna Caron and third place is Brooke Girard. Loranger Middle School winners are, Madison Bell in first, Asher Hubert in second and Makenzie Stadig in third. The charities the students selected to donate to are; Hospice of Southern Maine, The Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Biddeford Food Pantry, The Ronald McDonald House and the Biddeford-Saco Rotary COVID-19 Crisis Project. |
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Rotary Scholarships 2020As a committee we only had a total of 12 applications, approx. 3 per school. Due to COVID-19 and the small amount of applications, we decided to forgo the interview and choose the final candidates as a committee by reviewing their applications together. When choosing the final candidates we are reviewing/discussing: academics, community service/volunteerism, financial need and overall application preparedness/write up. Each student that applied excelled academically, committed to their communities through volunteerism and have great aspirations. We are happy to share with the club the following scholarship award recipients are for this year fiscal year: Biddeford High School- LillyAnne Melton-attending Michigan Technological University- a 4 year college pursuing an Engineering degree. She has been an active Interact member, VP of Studnet Council (12 grade), Debate Team member and athlete-Cross Country, Hockey and track. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. Center of Technology Student-Kurtis Edgerton-attending Maine Maritime and studying Marine Engineering. He was an Interact member his senior year, a 4 year athlete playing football, basketball and baseball. Kurtis is a member of the National Technical Honor Society. Thornton Academy: Christine Casvikes plans to attend Clark University. She has been a 4 year Interact Club member as well as additional voluntaeering in the community at Saco Meals Program and a Literacy tutor; She is a National Honor Society Member. Vernon Wells: OOB- will attend the University of Pennsylvania, He is a musician and a member of the Ocean Park Brass, volunteers at the Ocean Park Ecology School and Ocean Park Association. He is a National Honor Society member and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Heather Gendron and Paulette Bonneau |
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Week in Review 6/17/2020Meeting Notes of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club June 17, 2020 President Fausto was out of the internet coverage therefore, President Elect Don led the meeting. Invocation - Joe Four Way Test – Joe M. Assistant Sargent At Arms Conrad asked for Happy Dollars Happy Dollars
Fireside Chat on the 22nd at 1 – 2pm, 1 Davis Drive(Hills Beach), Biddeford
Conrad
Brian
Don
Today's Speaker: Essay Contest Meeting adjourned at 12:53 Next regular meeting will be held on June 24th at The Run of the Mill Main Street, Saco Board Meeting: July 1st at Paquin & Carol Main Street, Biddeford Special Meeting: Fireside Chat Monday June 22nd from 1 – 2pm. One Davis Drive, Biddeford. Please RSVP with Brian. |
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2020 Foundation Accomplishment!Great news.! We made our goal! Checks collected by Sue $1890. Online giving of $2145.15 Club matching contributions of $2,515 which is almost exactly the $2500 that was budgeted. Presidents Faustos contribution from his budget of $1275 A grand total of $7825.15 exceeding Fausto's goal of $7,000 for this year. Nice job everyone. We had 29 Rotarians step up to give money to Your Foundation. An additional $1,163 was contributed by 4 Rotarians to Polio+. This will go a long way towards us gaining approval for a District Grant for the Covid-10 Committee. As a stipulation of membership, each member pledged to make at least a $100 contribution/yr. There is still time to make online contributions before June 30 at Rotary.org. Thank you again for all who contributed. Dr Brian Dallaire Club Foundation ChairWe invite you to make a contribution in any amount to the Rotary Foundation. We have a goal to increase the rate of participation in this year's campaign. Even a $1 will help. We realize that these are difficult times, but the Foundation is responding to the Covid-19 crisis. As a result of social distancing we will be conducting this years appeal remotely. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more.prestigious international fellowship programs in the world. Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more. It's quite easy. Make your checks to the Rotary Foundation or even better yet, you may contribute on line directly on the RI website. (link is found on our website home page or at www,https://my.rotary.org/en/donate). Please designate the Annual Fund- Share so funds come back to our District. If you use this method, please let Sue G at (biddsacotreasurer@gmail.com) know about your donation as recording on the RI system will be extremely delayed. Please make you contributions to Sue G. by the end of April so they may be recorded for President Fausto's year. Under current circumstances checks should be mailed our PO Box 298 in Saco, ME 04072. Just put foundation in the memo area. As an added benefit, the club will match your contributions up to $100, accelerating your achieving year-after-year total contributions towards the $1,000 mark with the recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. Thank you for your consideration. Brian Dallaire BS Rotary Foundation Chair
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 6/11/20VET 2 VET
MISC UPDATES
Have a great weekend! Thank you,
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Week in Review 6/10/2020Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Minutes Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Attendance: CJ Dubois-Cote, Brian Dallaire, Fausto Pifferner, Don Pilon, Karen Chasse, Roland Gagne, Ken Farley, Kaitlin Tito, Kirsten Lane, Heather Gendron, Mark Nahormey, Conrad Welzel, Joe Moreshead, Joe Bassett, Brenda Pollack, Bill Patterson, Melissa Cilley, Marty Grohman and Jill from England Pledge of Alligiance lead by Fausto; followed by 4 Way Test lead by Karen and Joe did the Invocation Happy Dollars $2 Joe Moreshead; $1 Karen Chasse Rotary Foundation donations have been met. England visit dates are mid-May, 2021 (perhaps May 13th, 14th, 15th); Jordan and Kenya may also come – Roland will get back to club. Fausto thanked everybody for this year. Hard since March not seeing everyone. Zoom should end with physical distancing; miss seeing everyone face to face. $2,000 under budget this year. Made money for foundation; happy that kids stepped up for Essay contest; Biddeford England has joined 2 meetings; rotarians partake in weekly meetings. Thank to Brian and Don while I was in hospital and Joe in directors seat. Thanks to entire club during my presidency – I will hand off gavel on 6/24 and would like everyone there to see Don as he begins his year as President. Karen has helped behind the scenes with technology/emails, etc. Julie has been getting awards together (gavel); used award money for COVID-19 and thanks to Conrad for chairing COVID-19 subcommittee ; thankful I can depend on club and support is there. Appreciated all calls when I was in hospital. This has been a big learning journey and opened me up more. Joe/Karen sponsors and fellowship was enjoyed the most. Putting the flags down, Christmas are most joyous even how difficult it is to see the poverty and hope this year we go more above and beyond – another big thing was my teen center donations to TA and projects we’ve done mini golf tournament to give money out to our project and international. So thankful to everyone. Brenda doing awards 25th anniversary – parents taught her integrity and to work hard and to pray attributes her success to them. COVID-19 what family means – we put it together Paulette, Sue and Karen did it through video conference – Fausto will ask for help to delivery packages. Certificates have been created and awards medals part of packet and check for $100 winner $75 2nd place $50 3rd place St. James matching charity – Brenda has details on where donations were made – thanks everyone for your part to make it happen. Videos will be made – 5 videos one of each school depending or 1 video. Thanks for support. Fausto when will help be needed? Friday morning to deliver packets – 3 in OOB; 3 Biddeford and 5 students in Saco. Don will do Saco; Fausto Biddeford and Joe in OOB meet at Fausto’s at 8:30. Notify families first. Leave packets at door. Provide your own masks and Fausto will have gloves. Parents have signed release form. Don will send us the address list prior to picking up at Faustos – Anything mostly thankful for this year or last year, for a rotarian that stood out – verbal pat on the back would love to hear everybody’s take. Brian thanking everyone contributing to Foundation. Sue needs checks by Friday to send to international. Conrad – 2 things – thank Kaitlin for jumping in with subcommittee – new to club willing to be there and anticipating what needs to be done and working with me re: agendas, etc. 2nd is Brenda with grant process was very quick and we did in 2 weeks got it out with help with Roland and others spending hours over weekend; follow up with teen center meeting with Donna this Friday to get moving again. House in Biddeford Jim will have completed by end of Don’s year is anticipated. Still physical work needed Helping Bon Apettite process – kitchen needs some repair work Jim and Conrad will check out for Sat. over the next few months – will need some help. Heather – COT scholarships gone out – yes worked with guidance councilors and students got copies. Thanks to people from Jordan great to hear their interactions. Anyone else have anything: Roland shared screen for a few images club sent $1,500 to Jordan for food distribution. Showing a few photos. Jill – was it same project? No, it was a spinoff project that developed from COVID-19. Dr. Joe – send in fine for being in late happy dollar classmate from dental school that is why I was late; helping her aunt celebrate 100th b-day – Bill Patterson – haven’t reported out on district’s recovery initiative. Chief Mckenzie working behind scenes with David Underhill to explore adverse childhood program and how it impacts young people tie into red ribbon = uptick in state – issues with substances scene an increase because resources are not available due to COVID. Club still involved. Also, once a week volunteer at Saco Food pantry – not enough people coming in so food is given to pig farms. Fausto can it be delivered to them? Instead of zoom next wed we can all deliver if people are afraid to go pick up due to COVID Melissa – mental health seeing started in person programs yesterday; grief training already showing up also, seeing that numbers have gone down from food distribution – hearing that families don’t always like what is being offered. Might be specific needs that food banks don’t carry. Food certificates seem to be well received. Some feedback received. Fausto feels we are a spoiled country and folks should accept what they get. It’s wrong. Melissa appreciates what is being said – some cultural differences Karen, don’t eat meat due to culture. Brenda, thank you for an amazing year. Made year fun in light of crazy tide we’ve gone through. Fausto and Don will coordinate transition. Bill and Conrad wills stay after meeting. Potential fireside chat: Brian still interested? Mentioned last week and Brenda has also offered as well. Either way we can use the beach – week of 6/24th – Monday practice social gathering/physical distancing taking a photo of Don getting gavel – have some fellowship and gathering – Ok? Can discuss later. Thank you everyone – Jill -Cheers peace the world over! Meeting adjourned 12:43 |
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Week in Review 6/3/2020TACK Minutes 06/03/2020 President-Elect, Don Pilon, led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Joe Bassett with the invocation. Conrad Welzel led the way with the 4 Way Test. If you haven’t had a chance to join in on one of the weekly Zoom meetings, you should give it a shot. It’s kind of fun and looks like you are playing that old game show “Hollywood Squares”. For those of you who have no idea what I am referencing, check with your old friend “Google” and he’ll let you know what I’m talking about. Our Treasurer, Susan Gajewski, was called upon to give a brief overview of some of the finances discussed at the recent Board meeting. The focus was on the Rotary Foundation and a plea to get those donations in! We have a $7,000 budget which includes a $2,500 match. Rotarians, your help is needed to raise a minimum of $3,500 more! Our Club has applied for a COVID District Grant and the committee won’t look favorably on us in we don’t have a good showing for our annual fund. Board members were reminded that they normally make at least a $100 donation every year to the Rotary Foundation. Happy Dollars and Fines were up next: Past President Joe Moreshead gave $5 Sad Dollars for the passing of a long term employee of his, Jeff Emerson. Jeff was part of Joe’s team for 38 years. He was only 58. Our condolences go out to the family. President-Elect Don Pilon gave a Happy Dollar for the new Board. Joe Moreshead did a fantastic job pulling things together. Don welcomed the new members to the Board. Conrad Welzel gave $5 Happy Dollars for the “Grant Proposal” getting out in time. Jim LaBelle preempted SAA Heather but handing over $5 for what he thinks she will call his “horrible goatee”. Marty contributed to the cause for Brenda Pollock who joined the Zoom meeting from her car where he sun roof was visible for all to see. Joe Bassett was happy that he was finally able to get his cut and beard removed. Melissa Cilley was happy that as of Monday Apex Youth Connection would be opening again with limited capacity programs all of which will be held outdoors. Brenda Pollock was happy to report that her daughter and family would be temporarily moving in with her and her husband. Melissa Cilley wanted to make sure the group was aware of the increased fraudulent unemployment claims that were happening all around. Heather Gendron gave a brief overview of how things were going in the banking industry and what an impact the PPP were having. Roland Gagne briefly gave his thoughts on the current market. Volatility is expected. He ended with, “Just relax. This will pass.” He mentioned he was having problems leasing office space in his newly renovated complex on Pool Street in Biddeford. CJ Dubois-Cote mentioned that with a lot of people working from home, there may not be a big demand on leasing/renting space. Conrad mentioned that the $5,000 COVID Grant Proposal was recently submitted and thanked the committee members for their effort in pulling it together. The COVID-19 committee, which meets each Thursday via Zoom, is now considering the following: Where do we go in the future with the donations we have? What are the community needs? Have distributed $5,000 in donations thus far! The business community in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach may be a good indicator as to where we can help. Today’s speaker was our very own, Jim LaBelle, the Executive Director of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of commerce. Jim has been Executive Director of the Chamber for almost 3 years now. Jim did a presentation on the Chambers “Local Perceptions” (Generally Speaking). The actual power point/slide presentation was emailed to all members. If you did not receive the power point presentation, send an email to either bdallaire@usa.net or jvillemaire@sbsavings.bank and we’ll make sure you receive a copy. |
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This is Your Rotary - Special Guest Speaker IPPC Chair Michael McGovern
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 6/4/20GRANT APPLICATION
BON APPETIT
GARDENING
MISCELLANEOUS
TASKS
Have a great weekend! Thank you,
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Peace and Conflict ResolutionNo Tolerance For Racism |
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Letter of Gratitude |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 5/28/20Hi everyone, Here are the notes from today's meeting: BON APPETIT
GRANT APPLICATION
MISCELLANEOUS
RE-OPENING CONCERNS
Have a great weekend! Thank you, Kaitlin |
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Week in Review 5/27/2020Biddeford – Saco Rotary Club Meeting Notes – May 27, 2020 President Fausto called the meeting to order at 12:00 Heather G. – Four Way Test Joe B. – Invocation We had three people join the meeting:
Sargent Of Arms Heather: There were several HAPPY DOLLARS at this meeting. Thank you to everyone who did take a moment to find something to be grateful for during this trying time. Fines and Happy Dollars are to mailed to Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club – PO Box 298 – Saco, ME 04072. All thanked Marty for his work to organize the Flags for Veterans event last Friday. Well done Marty! No announcements today. Ghada gave a brief overview of their Rotary Club. 25th anniversary of the club. Founded 25th of June 1995. They have 22 members of their club. Working on anti-drug workshop. Planted over 100 olive trees for Arber day. Results of the COVID-19 Pandemic in their country meant a strict curfew went into effect on March 19th. To date Jordan has: 718 confirmed cases 479 recovered 9 deaths. Because of the full curfew and quarantine, 45% of the nation’s workforce were unable to work. For most, it was their only source of income. 60% of laborers work in the private sector and work remotely. These are some of the hardest his people who need the very basics to survive. The Rotary Food Boxes help to support those families. The club raised $3,400 which covered the cost to prepare 102 food parcels. Tito’s Vodka made a $5,000 donation to this project. Roland Gagne, Beverly Edwards, & the Biddeford Saco Rotary club donated another $1500. Samuel thanked the club for the opportunity to speak and to share their story of this project. There were many people who had no income. With the strict curfew imposed in the country, it did keep the deaths down, but it was catastrophic to the economy and to the people of Jordan. They were very insistent on putting the Rotary label on all the boxes and giving credit to this international organization. Samuel shared some very heartwarming stories about the need of the hardest hit people in Jordan. Nasri spoke of Al-Awen Jordanian Society for Widows $5350 to supply sewing machines so they could make a living for themselves. $1400k health and nutrition for children in Bani Kinanah. $3150 Disaster response Grant for supplies to help hospitals in North Jordan. Building a hospitality school in Jordan is the next big project. Roland is actively involved in this project. Regrettably, the crisis has limited their ability to move forward for now but they all are excited about the opportunity it will bring to their country. Roland extended an invite to our esteemed guests to join us as we celebrate our 100th Anniversary scheduled for May 2021. Joe Moreshead reminded everyone to please vote on a slate of officers. We are looking for 2 board members. Please have your votes in to Joe by Friday, May 29th if possible. President Fausto reminded everyone the next Board meeting is scheduled for June 3, 2020 at 7:45 am. Meeting adjourned at 12:55. Respectfully submitted: Brenda Pollock |
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IMPACT FROM ANNUAL FUND GIFTS
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 5/21/20Here are the notes from Thursday's meeting: BON APPETIT
RAY'S MARKET
OTHER BUSINESS
Thank you,
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Week in Review 5/20/2020Biddeford – Saco Rotary Club Meeting Notes – May 20, 2020 President Fausto called the meeting to order at 12:00 Brian – Four Way Test Joe– Invocation We had three guests join the meeting:
President Fausto announced there would be additional funds available for the COVID-19 sub-committee. Rather than purchasing his President’s Chair, he was donating that money to the committee. He was proposing the Past President’s meeting funds that were allocated be redirected to the committee as well. In addition, rather than use money to purchase awards this year, that was also earmarked for the COVID-19 committee work. Fausto did thank everyone who truly was worthy of awards but felt that money, given our current crisis, would be needed to help the committee and the people in need in our communities. Sargent Of Arms Heather requested we each donate to her budget. Heather was contributing $100 to Sargent of Arms fund and asked all Rotarians to please make a contribution, of any amount, as well. There were several HAPPY DOLLARS at this meeting. Thank you to everyone who did take a moment to find something to be grateful for during this trying time. COVID-19 Crisis sub-committee Conrad updated the group of the work the COVID-19 Crisis sub-committee doing. This week, they were able to purchase food only gift cards from Ray’s Market in Biddeford and donated 10 food cards to the city of Biddeford’s general assistance program. Conrad, Kaitlin and Brenda are currently working on a grant proposal and will be reaching out to Roland and others for assistance with the final document. The committee also made a $500 contribution to the Amman Cosmopolitan Rotary Club in Jordan. Roland elaborated on their efforts: Roland spoke of an extreme need in Amman Jordan. The country of Jordan has implemented one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, forcing most people to stay indoors, grocery stores to close and many people losing their only source of income. An effort by the Amman Cosmopolitan Rotary Club directed by Dr. Nasri Rabadi, assembled boxes of food for the poorest communities in Jordan. “Each box of food they deliver to these hard-hit areas can feed a family of 4 for an entire month”, said Gagne. “Their organization is doing some impressive work. I personally made a donation to the club in Jordan and shared their story with our club,” said Gagne. “They were very impressed with how quickly the Rotarians in Jordan were able to organize this effort under these conditions and donated $500 to their program”. FLAGS at St. Joseph’s Cemetery – Biddeford Marty asked everyone to please report to the cemetery around 7:45 for an 8 am start. He reminded everyone to wear masks to pick up the flags. Everyone will be assigned a section. He asked everyone to be available for a short briefing on proper flag placement. Essay Contest Brenda mentioned the Essay Contest deadline to submit the names of the winners is Friday, May 29th. She will be contacting everyone on the committee to discuss a possible ZOOM presentation. Four of the five schools have submitted the names of their winners. GUEST SPEAKER: Jeanne Davidson is a highly rated Physical Therapist with Your Hospital in York, Maine. She provided some much-needed information about Ergonomics - the dos and don’ts of working from home. If you would like to receive hand outs of her presentation, please contact Brian Dallaire. Respectfully submitted: Brenda Pollock |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 5/14/20Hi everyone, Here are the notes from yesterday's meeting: GIFT CARDS
STONE SOUP / BON APPETIT
AMMAN COSMOPOLITAN ROTARY CLUB
Next Meeting May 21 3PM Thank you,
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Flag Placement at St Joseph's CemeteryI've confirmed that Ralph Goulet will be at St. Joseph's Cemetery (on West Street, entrance across from Marion Avenue) next Friday morning the 22nd at 8AM. He will have flags for us to put out on Veterans graves. If you can dedicate an hour or two that would be great. We'll work on some kind of social distancing protocol. All the work will be outside. (I can pretty much guarantee it will be raining, because it always does.) Thank you! Marty 423-8260 |
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JOIN THE FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING 6/24/2020Our next club meeting on June 24, 2020 will be held in person at the Run of the Mill at noon. It will also be available as a virtual video meeting on ZOOM. PLEASE Note that a new Zoom number will be sent to you. I have previously sent you an email invitation with the ZOOM link. Simply click on the link starting at NOON. This will give you time to check your computer for connection, and to see if your camera and microphone are operating. To avoid stray noises and feedback on the mic, it is recommended that you use an earpiece with mic. Also at the bottom of the email, there is a link for you to register or decline and not if you are coming in person so that we know to expect you as we need to make a reservation at ROM . If you need any help, feel free to give me a call at 207.289.8375 Thanks Brian Dallaire |
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100th Year Week in Review 5/13/2020MINUTES OF THE 100th-ANNIVERSARY of the BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB May 13, 2020 Marty opened the meeting at 12 noon with the Pledge of Allegiance 4-way test – Mark N. Invocation – Roland – Moment of silence Sargent of Arms: HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
Don Pilon joined the meeting and resumed the duties of President Elect. Announcements:
On the 100th Anniversary of the club, Rotarians stated why they belonged to the club.
Please send Happy Dollars, Fines and donations to the Foundation to: Biddeford – Saco Rotary Club - PO Box 298 - Saco, Maine 04072 |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 5/7/20Hi everyone, Here are the notes from yesterday's meeting: MISC
GIFT CARDS
Have a great weekend!
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This Is Your Rotary!The Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise is pleased to host the speaker series titled, This Is Your Rotary! on behalf of Rotary Disitrict 7780. We are excited to have RI President Mark Maloney join us as our special guest speaker on May 13, 2020. See attached. We do hope that you can join us Wednesday at 5:30pm eastern time on Zoom. Simply click on the meeting link below for this wonderful opportunity to connect with a Rotary leader, hear an update on how Rotary is doing in this time of Covid19 and ask a question of your RI Rotary President. Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 916 4800 9263 Or by phone: 877 853 5257 US Toll-free If this is your first Zoom meeting please watch this short tutorial before Wednesday. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday! |
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Biddeford Saco Rotary Officers for 2020-2021
Joseph A. Moreshead for the Nomination Committee |
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Week in Review 5/6/2020 |
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Covid Letters of Thanks |
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Adverse childhood experiences predict adulthood troubleInformation about last weeks speaker from the Seacoast Sunday / Seacoastonline.com. Biddeford-Saco Rotarians, thank you again for letting Larry present his organization’s ACE Master-trainer initiative to your Club this past week. Here’s an article about it in this morning’s Seacoast Sunday / Seacoastonline.com. As I said Wednesday, we are still about five thousand dollars short of the full funding that Rotary has committed. Nobody knows more than I the many competing pressures of Covid-19 on Club resources. I continue to believe this is relevant and vital to our longer-term community stability, and I hope your board might consider contributing to this in whatever modest way is fair and appropriate. Thank you for all you’re doing to keep Rotary focused through these challenges, Dave Underhill By Hadley Barndollar Posted May 2, 2020 at 5:34 PM ELIOT, Maine – Across York, Strafford and eastern Rockingham counties, approximately 13,800 school-aged children are currently at greater risk for future health challenges, based on their ACE scores. Some call an ACE, or adverse childhood experience, score a “cholesterol score” for childhood trauma. For example, people with an ACE score of four are twice as likely to be smokers, and seven times more likely to be alcoholic. Scores of four or more are 12 times more likely to have attempted suicide, and 10 times more likely to have injected street drugs. For scores of six or higher, there is an almost 20-year shortening of one’s lifespan. Though delayed because of the ongoing coronavirus emergency, the Eliot-based Pinetree Institute is set to launch a three-year community engagement initiative on adverse childhood experiences in the fall, focusing on the three counties covering Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine. The two-state geographic area in question, says Dr. Larry McCullough, founder and executive director of the Pinetree Institute, has approximately half a million people, with 142 schools and 63,000 students. This means in classrooms across the region, each one will see students affected by ACEs, and some with very high ACE scores. “If I had a goal, it would be that every adult engaged in community work of any kind would hear about this over the next three years, which I think is pretty realistic,” said McCullough. The higher a child’s ACE score, the more likely they are to experience serious health issues when they become an adult – as a result of household dysfunction, neglect or abuse during their childhood. McCullough said the recognition of ACEs, and their life-altering impacts, changes the community conversation from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” “There are reasons to why people do what they do,” he said. Pinetree’s new “master trainer” initiative will include a kickoff in September with Dr. Robert Anda and Laura Porter, co-founders of ACE Interface, a company working to improve overall well-being and prevent ACEs from occurring. Anda was a lead investigator in the original ACE research study conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention starting in 1995, while Porter is a leader of the national ACE movement and known for her successful implementation of ACE study concepts in Washington state. The Pinetree Institute has a mission to “promote a sustainable sense of health, prosperity, happiness and lifesatisfaction in individuals, families and communities.” It works to do so through educational workshops, retreats, and strategic facilitation of community-based collaboration throughout the Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine regions. A worsening opioid and substance use epidemic in the area has become a particular area of focus for Pinetree, the organization states, and its ACEs initiative builds on its trauma-informed care community efforts already in motion. McCullough said the three-year community engagement initiative will seek to “train trainers,” by identifying key people in a community, “local community champions,” and educate them on ACEs, with the expectation that their newfound knowledge will be the starting point of a chain reaction in their community. “The goal is to train roughly 10 people in each county area, and then they have the mission to go out and disseminate it as widely as possible,” McCullough said. He noted education, social services, law enforcement, health care, community leadership, and concerned individuals as some of the populations they’ll be looking to reach. The effort is funded by 12 area rotary clubs and a $25,000 Kennebunk Savings Bank Spotlight Fund grant. McCullough said it took the United States 20 years for knowledge of the dangers of smoking to begin to have an impact on human behavior. It generally takes 50 years for the discovery of a medical finding to see implementation in the whole society, he said. “We’re at the 20-year point in ACEs,” McCullough noted. “And opiate death rates have soared, and the suicide rate has continued to climb.” Approximately 22% of the student population in eastern Rockingham, Strafford and York counties has an ACE score of two or higher. These same areas have a total of 40 police departments, 142 schools and more than 820 primary care physicians who can play a part in community education of childhood traumas, among other sectors. “There is a temptation to think that this is another new program. And what all of the people working in the field have emphasized is it’s really a change in mindset, a different way of thinking about things,” McCullough said. Recognition of ACEs helps communities more deeply understand issues like the opioid crisis, incarceration, mental health and education achievement, for example. Many schools have begun to realize trauma can act as an obstacle for students when it comes to academic success, so they’ve implemented robust social and emotional learning curricula social and emotional learning curricula curricula. Others have taken trauma-centered trauma-centered approaches. Currently, Pinetree Institute is looking for nominations nominations of community members who could become “master trainers.” People are invited to nominate themselves, coworkers, friends and others individuals they believe to be in unique and important positions to disseminate the information. “The first step in addressing any of this is awareness,” McCullough said. “The whole idea is tell everybody.” For more information, visit https://pinetreeinstitute.org/masterhttps:// pinetreeinstitute.org/masterhttps:// |
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Thanks From Saco Seniors |
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Check presentation picture - $1000 to Seeds of HopeShirley and the team are extremely appreciative. The check is going in the bank today! Marty
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 4/30/20Hi everyone! Here are the notes from yesterday's meeting: ASSORTED UPDATES
OUR ROLE MOVING FORWARD
TASKS
MISC
Thank you,
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Rotary in ActionBIDDEFORD-SACO-OOB COURIER Posted Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club continues serving local communitiesMembers meet through Zoom. SACO — This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club. As they learn to navigate through this crisis, meeting regularly to discuss ways to continue their spirit of giving, changed. Like many businesses and organizations, since the state shutdown, the club continues to connect weekly using the Zoom meetings platform. Club President Fausto Pifferrer stated, “Meeting every week keeps our Rotarians engaged and informed. It is important for us to continue the foundation our forefathers established and reach out during to our communities in this time of crisis”. The club reallocated funds and organized a COVID-19 subcommittee with a mission to provide financial help to those organizations who characteristically are first line providers. Conrad Welzel, chair of the COVID-19 committee, announced $500 was allocated to Apex Youth Connection in Biddeford. The group has been distributing free Healthy and Active Care Packages to area families every Friday for the past four weeks. Items such as food, personal care products like soap and toothbrushes/toothpaste, a physical activity to help keep kids moving, and an at-home service project. “All year long, Apex Youth Connection is getting area youth ‘out there,’ connecting with their community, the outdoors, and their futures,” said Melissa Cilley, executive director of Apex. “We are still connecting remotely with our youth, but it became clear very quickly that area families needed more support — especially around weekend food needs and personal care items. We are so grateful to the Biddeford-Saco Rotary, Biddeford Walmart, and other area businesses and organizations who have helped make that support possible.” The packages will continue at least through the month of May every Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. at Apex’s satellite location at 46 Sullivan St. in Biddeford. “Unquestionably, providing $500 to the Biddeford food pantry and the Saco food pantry was important,” Welzel said. “They already serve our communities and the closure of some of the smaller pantries due to the pandemic, they have both seen increased traffic at their respective facilities.” They also approved purchasing ten $50 in grocery gift cards to help local families living in Old Orchard Beach. An additional $1,000 in funding was approved for Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center in Biddeford. “They support everyone who passed through their doors. They know the immediate needs of our citizens and are able to stretch every dollar donated to their organization,” Welzel said. The club meets every Wednesday from noon to 12:45 p.m. via Zoom. For more information on becoming a Rotarian, visit Biddeford-sacorotary.org. |
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery Part 4Days 23-25 of the Maine Lockdown. A couple of more notches in the 2x4. Hey look I can see outside. A few more rambling random thoughts….. This past weekend, I kid you not, I watched Snoop Dog playing in a Madden NFL 2020 tournament broadcast on ESPN. I am totally serious. It was sad enough that ESPN was actually analyzing a video football game between Snoop Dog and Hollywood Brown, but it was even more pathetic that I was watching it! It was almost as bad as those old electric football games where you would set up your tiny plastic men, then turn on the vibrating table and watch them all congregate in a pile. What I would give for one of those games right now. I was a little late getting this to Brian. I took the President’s advice and tried swallowing an old lava lamp to see if it would ward off the virus. I will probably never know whether it works or not, but boy did I feel like crap for a couple of days. Every time I turned it on I got terrible indigestion. I may try fighting the indigestion by swallowing a few Lizol wipes. While you can’t flush them, if the President said so I am sure it is safe to swallow them. They’re nice in a salad. Hey, the Governor is supposed to start unveiling her re-opening plans in the next couple of days. This is like Christmas. I sat on Governor Mills virtual lap and told her I wanted the golf courses to re-open along with massage parlors and Zumba studios. I can’t wait to see what I get. If you want, you can write to Santa Mills at the Blaine House and tell her what you want. I’m afraid she is going to come out of the Blaine House and see her shadow and announce another month of lockdown. This social distancing has really magnified how not funny Saturday Night Live is now. It is even worse without a studio audience which is told when to laugh. How I long for the days of Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner and John Bellucci. Catching up on some of the classics while on lockdown. Just finished The Catcher in the Rye. Misleading title for a really good book. I have also watched Talladega Nights twice, another American classic that elevates NASCAR up onto the pedestal it deserves. Will Ferrell at his best. Does the lockdown cause insanity? I am going to self-diagnose and get back to you on that. No you’re not. Days 23-25 of the Maine Lockdown. Three more notches in the 2x4. If you squint when you look at the 2x4 it looks a little like Richard Nixon. A few rambling random thoughts….. Have any of you forgotten what day it is? I had no idea Patriots Day had come and gone or what is usually you get extra time to file your taxes day in Maine in Massachusetts. The only significance of Patriots Day this year is no Boston Marathon and no early Red Sox game, oh and there’s a pandemic going on. I have to say that Nancy Pelosi was styling in her silk handkerchief she wore for a facemask. Nancy, it is more about safety than style, but she’s got a foot in the grave anyway. I would say the blame game is on full display right now. Trump and the republicans did not act quickly enough and the democrats criticized every step they took as being too late or too soon. It is like when your window gets broken and all of your kids deny it and accuse the other kids. At the end of the day the window is still broken and it is raining outside. It just needs to be fixed no matter whose fault it is. If you think about it we spend our entire lives trying to avoid taking tests and now all people want to do is take a test. Go figure. Do you think Nora O’Donnell says “breaking news” when she breaks wind? Everything, and I mean everything, is breaking news with that woman. I have lots of time to read the paper now. Do you read the obituaries? First of all who decides on what picture to use? Some of the pictures are from 50 years ago. Who are they fooling? I think people should use a picture as close to when they die as possible (or after they die) because that is the image most of us remember. Maybe a chalk outline would be appropriate in some instances. Obituaries also always make the decedent seem saintly. I would love to read one that says that Mr. Smith was a dink to everyone he ever met or Mrs. Jones drank too much and could not help but be a bitch most of the time. I’ve got some time, I am going to write mine now and be as honest as I can be while still being brief because I swear obituary fees are the only things keeping papers afloat. Why to people wear PPE masks while driving in their cars alone? That’s like putting on a football helmet and sitting in the middle of the football field all by yourself. If you say better safe than sorry I think the answer is that it is just sorry. While I am anxious to play golf and to otherwise have a return to normalcy, we have to wonder what the new normal will be. When will we be able to meet again as a group, in person, and when will we really be comfortable in doing so? Will waiters and waitresses have to wear personal protection equipment for the indefinite future? When will shopping not entail guessing on a size and color or hoping that the part will work? Will we stay 6 feet apart forever? How big will king size beds become? I think I have the same cash in my pocket that has been there for a month. Now some of you would suggest that that is not unusual for me, and you might be right, but I would not mind circulating in some new cash inventory from time to time. Vincent Van Gogh once said: “Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” I’ll take a paved road right now and let the flowers come later. Perhaps this quote from William James captures where we are the best. He (I have no idea who he is) said: “To study the abnormal is the best way of understanding the normal.” If we reflect on the coronavirus pandemic world we can better appreciate and perhaps even better understand the world pre and post-pandemic. Apparently, the sale of alcohol is way up. What else do we have to do? |
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Food Pantry NeedsSaco – spoke with Toni. She said her pantry is getting people from outside of Saco now but they’ve been able to manage so far. Hannaford and Shaw’s no longer allows her to purchase case of food. She said funding is great but what her pantry is in need of most are the following items: 1. Jars of jelly 2. Complete pancake mix 3. Syrup 4. Chicken soup in the can 5. Tuna and chicken in the can 6. Hand sanitizer 7. Clorox wipes Biddeford – spoke with Don Bisson He said any funding allows them to purchase a lot of food. If we were to donate food items, here is what his pantry needs most: 1. Hamburger helper 2. Taco meals 3. Canned fruits and vegetables 4. Baked beans 5. White spaghetti only (they return any other pastas) 6. White rice 7. Soup and crackers 8. Canned ham, fish or chicken 9. Mac & cheese 10. Peanut butter 11. Raisins and other dried fruit 12. Cereal Drop off at Fausto’s home: 3 Libby Drive Biddeford, ME 04005 You can leave the food in the vehicle in the driveway or on the front step. Delivery will be on THURSDAY MAY 7th in the morning. If donating, please have it there prior to 10am on Thursday. It’s Mother’s Day weekend. It would be nice to have the food we donate available for the weekend. |
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Maine Assoc of Realtors Scholarship |
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Week in Review 4/22/2020 |
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Covid-19 Subcommittee 4.23.20Minutes: Hi everyone! Here are the notes from yesterday's meeting: GRANT PROPOSAL
APEX UPDATE
FOOD BANK UPDATE
CITY OF OOB
VOTING RESULTS
TASKS
MISC
Thank you, Kaitlin Responses: From Don: I dropped off 3 bottles of sanitizer at the Saco Food Pantry today From Marty: Kaitlin, thanks so much for these very well done minutes. I'm sorry I had to jump off before the end of the call. How did we decide to notify grantees? From Brenda: If I recall correctly, We’re planning on donating food. I am contacting Toni to see if they will take bulk food. If not, I will contact Melissa, and see if we can piggyback with her Walmart for the things on the Saco Pantry list. CJ – I think if you could do the same in Biddeford with Don and let me and or Melissa know, that would be great. Conrad will ask for the money from Fausto and Sue since he is committee chair. Conrad, can you also give the check the $500 check to Melissa for APEX? Marty should be the one to bring the check to Seeds of Hope. Conrad will bring the 10 $50 gift cards to OOB. The checks for the Saco and Biddeford food pantry, $500 each, will be made to either Walmart or Apex or Sysco. That still needs to be determined. Sound good? From Conrad: Marty, Kaitlin, Brenda, CJ, Yes we should have discussed it yesterday. I would agree that the Rotary contact person should notify the recipient agency contact person. We also will need to know who the check should be made out to and a mailing address to send/ deliver the check to. Please send that to me and I will work with Susan to get the checks. Thanks everyone for jumping in I was delivering food to my 96 year old Aunt. ( I think that counts as a trip I can leave the House for). Stay Healthy, Conrad |
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Covid-19 Subcommittee 4/16NEW BUSINESS
APEX
UPDATES
TASKS
Thank you, |
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery Part 3Day 15 of the Maine Lockdown. One more notch in the 2x4. Starting to look like a totem pole, wait can I say totem pole? I saw this quote this morning and thought I would share: “Went to this restaurant call THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.” I am sure that if you are watching sports on TV you now know that Tiger Woods won the 2019 Masters again. The Patriots won the 2019 Super Bowl again and Tom Brady is still going to play for Tampa Bay. It is reassuring to know that no matter how many times they replay an event the results are still the same. I am hoping they will eventually invent a television that allows us to alter the results of events on TV. If I had that power Big Bang Theory would still be making new episodes and the Red Sox would have won the 2019 World Series for back to back world championships. Okay, the second one is an extreme stretch, but the Washington Nationals, come on! On Sunday, ESPN was actually showing the 1997 National Spelling Bee. A freakin’ spelling bee on ESPN. Stuart Scott would be rolling over in his grave after a contestant failed to spell “Boo Yah” correctly. I checked out the TMZ show about the Tiger King. The notoriety of the Tiger King is proof positive that America does not do well in lockdown, and collectively we are losing our minds. Sure, after the fact it is easy to question whether the country should have started imposing social distancing requirements sooner, but I feel Americans resist such impositions on their freedom with all of their might and when their freedom is limited they react by starting to do things like hoarding toilet paper and watching the Tiger King. New Hampshire is changing its license plates to “Live Free of Charmin” and Patrick Henry’s famous quote has to be changes to “Give me liberty or give me the Tiger King!” Hang in their Rotarians, spring reruns are coming and guess what they come out the same way. Days 16-19 of the Maine Lockdown. Four more notches in the 2x4. I told Holly we have carpenter ants. I don’t know about you but my hands are as dry as Denis Elie’s sense of humor. An armadillo would not let me pat it. Okay, don’t ask me where I found an armadillo in Maine. I have washed my hands and sanitized so much that there is no moisturizer on earth that will help. I really hate that I wrote that last sentence. What is happening to me? While we are in lockdown don’t let it lockdown your common sense. The following is an absolutely true story. A woman received a call from what she thought was the Westbrook police. They told her they had arrested her grandson and she needed to bail him out. So far I can only tell you that cops don’t call anyone to have them come bail someone out, that is the arrestee’s responsibility, but I will let that part go. The alleged police officer told the lady to go to Lowe’s and buy $5,000.00 worth of gift cards and then bring them to an address and they would let her grandson go. Maybe the Westbrook police are building something. I am surprised they didn’t ask her for a truckload of plywood. Granny heads right over to Lowe’s with $5,000 in cash and indicates that she wants to buy $5,000.00 worth of gift cards. Well thank God for the pandemic because that meant one of the three workers usually in a Lowe’s store was available to wait on her, and they questioned why she needed so many gift cards. I suspect that employee has since been fired. In any event, the employee called the Westbrook police, they confirmed that they are not putting an addition on the station, and therefore it must be a scam. No shit. Actually I am trying to get the lady’s name because I have time on my hands and have a few home improvement projects to tackle. In reality there are a number of scams out there so please make sure that you and any of your elderly friends (Don Pilon be aware) do not fall victim. We all have time to kill so why not click on the link from that Nigerian Prince or Princess? If any of you do have elderly parents or grandparents check in on them from time to time. I set my mother up with one of those hamster water bottles so I don’t have to go down there too often. She refused to get in the giant exercise wheel I got her, but she likes the saw dust I spread in her living room. I cannot imagine having a parent or a grandparent in a nursing home right now. This is one of the few times I am happy my Dad has passed. My father was the king of handshaking and I am afraid he would not understand that shaking hands is simply something we cannot do right now and may never do again. What will we replace handshaking with? Butt sniffing like dogs? A subtle nod like our club members who used to sit at the cool table? Greeting cards you can hand out at the end of a stick (good for the paper industry which will have to stop making toilet paper for two years since people have hoarded so much)? Perhaps buzzing people you meet on the street with your own personal drone which constantly flies over your head? Maybe just waving from 6-10 feet away will become the norm. That will cut down on the spread of lots of diseases including STDs, but it will also have a dramatic impact on the world’s population if people aren’t touching each other. I guess if we don’t wave we can always text each other when we walk by, hell people do that now so it will not be a big adjustment. Again, thank God my Dad is not around to live through this insanity. Take care folks and if you think you see light at the end of the tunnel it might really be a train. Days 20-22 of the Maine Lockdown. Three more notches in the 2x4. I think I am developing carpal tunnel syndrome from all the notching, or at least I think that’s why my wrist hurts. I certainly hope that all of you who wanted to get a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan were able to get one. A few fun PPP facts. The SBA approved 1,066,000 loans with about 60% of those coming from community banks. 4,975 lenders participated. The average size loan was $206,000.00, but 74% of the loans were for under $150,000.00. The construction sector led the way with 13.12% of the loans which is interesting because that sector is not necessarily shut down. The professional, scientific and technical services sector (again not shut down) received 12.65% of the loans; manufacturing 12.65% (again still operating) and health care and social assistance (clearly operating) receive 11.65% of the loans. I certainly hope it will help, but only time will tell. I spent part of my weekend rebuilding my daughter’s chicken coop which including wrangling 23 young chickens and one dick head rooster who is doomed to be barbecued once he is big enough. We had to remove them from the coop so the hammering and sawing would not give them heart attacks. We moved them into a temporary pen and the rooster immediately escaped resulting in a mad scramble to capture the little bastard. Frankly, I would have let him go. I am hoping that having 24 grand-chickens will be good training for grandchildren, but then again I just advocating barbecuing one of my grand-chickens so maybe I am not ready to be a grandfather yet. Brian Dallaire circulated the Bideford, England February Club Bulletin. Take a look at it. They donated funds to the Seashore Trust and the Australian Bush Fire Fund (I am guessing they still think Australia is part of the British empire). The pounds came from their Club Quiz and Frugal Lunch. I have to know what those are. Brian D, can you find out? I love that fact that their weekend in Gloucester was cancelled due to a lack of interest. Apparently Covid-19 had nothing to do with it. I also love that fact “Jill passed around two boards”. I am imaging 1x10s six feet long for social distancing, but I am not sure. One was for “Moirag on her Night Walk.” I am not sure about Moirag, but if she is raising money on Night Walks then some of our members are going to have to step it up a little. Lucie Kay, head out each evening in Hills Beach and see if you can raise a little money. Lucie, it’s for the children. Apparently they still donate dictionaries in England. Perhaps we should do a fundraiser to send England some computers or money to expand their broadband so they too can look up anything they want on the web. They were told to put the Water Festival in their diaries. I don’t know about you but I put things in my diary that I have already done. No wonder they lost the Revolutionary War. Water Festival? I am guessing that is when the water board a bunch of Kiwanis Club members. Jill already has the boards. They also reported the crocuses in the Heywood roundabout which made me feel so inadequate because I have not been updating you on vegetation developments here. For those of you who care, there are millions of daffodils in bloom in the Laurel Hill cemetery, but of course that is a non-essential trip, but I won’t tell. There I feel much better now and I will continue to keep you posted on our flora and fauna. Our days are currently as long as they will be in late August, but sometimes they seem much longer than that. I look forward to passing a board or two when we meet again. Stay safe and keep laughing. |
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2020 Foundation AppealHELP! We are currently applying for a District Grant for the Covid-10 Committee. We are currently doing better but only 22 members have contributed $5,755(with club match) towards our 2020 Foundation Goal of $7,000. It will not be looked at favorably in reviewing the Grant application. Sue needs to submit the clubs contributions by June 11. The club will continue to match your contributions up to $100. As a stipulation of membership, each member pledged to make at least a $100 contribution/yr. Attached is how other clubs are tracking and you can see we are not in good standing. Thank you for your consideration and help. Dr Brian Dallaire Club Foundation ChairWe invite you to make a contribution in any amount to the Rotary Foundation. We have a goal to increase the rate of participation in this year's campaign. Even a $1 will help. We realize that these are difficult times, but the Foundation is responding to the Covid-19 crisis. As a result of social distancing we will be conducting this years appeal remotely. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more.prestigious international fellowship programs in the world. Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more. It's quite easy. Make your checks to the Rotary Foundation or even better yet, you may contribute on line directly on the RI website. (link is found on our website home page or at www,https://my.rotary.org/en/donate). Please designate the Annual Fund- Share so funds come back to our District. If you use this method, please let Sue G at (biddsacotreasurer@gmail.com) know about your donation as recording on the RI system will be extremely delayed. Please make you contributions to Sue G. by the end of April so they may be recorded for President Fausto's year. Under current circumstances checks should be mailed our PO Box 298 in Saco, ME 04072. Just put foundation in the memo area. As an added benefit, the club will match your contributions up to $100, accelerating your achieving year-after-year total contributions towards the $1,000 mark with the recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. Thank you for your consideration. Brian Dallaire BS Rotary Foundation Chair |
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery Part 2Days 8-10 of the Maine Lockdown. Three more notches in the 2x4. Had to sister another 2x4 to the notched one to keep it in one piece. I have smartened up and I am now making the notches with a utility knife instead of an axe. That should prolong the life of that side of my garage. With the social distancing and time spent either at my desk processing literally 100’s of SBA Payroll Protection Program Loans which is like making widgets on an assembly line, I have time to reflect on the “can you image” things in the world. Think back to the end of 2019 when we started hearing about the fact that the Chinese may have discovered a new virus that could be serious. They started talking about a City named Wuhan and there were references to someone eating a bat. Hey, China is a huge country with more people than Carter has little pills so that all seemed insignificant to us and the world. Well fast forward about 6 months, holy crap! Who would have believed we would be where we are today. It is the definition of this being a small world. As I daydream I imagine………… A few years ago my wife gives me a gift certificate to a fortune teller and I humor her and go in for my session. The fortune teller is an older woman with thick eyebrows, a silk wrap on her head and a dire disposition. The room is dark with tapestries hanging over the windows so only a small amount of light leaks into what appears to be a room with book cases lining the walls. The air smells of a combination of incense and body odor (perhaps that is me because I am a little nervous) I ask her to predict the future and after a lecture on how that is not how this works she precedes to do just that. She tells me that Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer on the planet, is going to fall from grace, sleep around on his smoking hot wife with a Denney’s waitress among dozens (look no letters please if you happen to be a Denney’s waitress on the weekend or some, I have no issues with Denney’s waitresses and I am sure that they are all attractive enough to pique the interest of Tiger Woods), get beaten up by is now ex-wife and his game will go to crap because of injuries. The guy is one of the best conditioned athletes on the planet. Gypsy Lady, you are not only a fraud, you’re insane. She says that Tom Brady will still be playing quarterback in the NFL at age 43 but he will be playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Okay lady do you have a drinking problem. Joe Moreshead will buy a toilet that actually washes and dries your ass when you are done. Come on Lady, Joe is extravagant but who would ever need a toilet like that? (Side note here, Joe has one of these toilets, but apparently he does not use the dryer. I thought he had ass sweat, but I guess he just needs to stay of the dry cycle a little longer) Then she tells me Mayor Don Pilon will join our Rotary Club and become president for two years in a row. Lady that is just crazy talk on so many levels. Our club has standards you know, but even if we let him in no one is president for two years in a row. That’s when she mentioned something about a bald Cuban and I almost left the session. Then she got all political on me predicting the Donald Trump would become president beating Hillary Clinton in a close election upset. I called 911 requesting medical assistance, but during my call she went on. She said that in 2020 Joe Biden would run for president along with about 15 other people including some old fart from Vermont, Biden would get smoked in Iowa and New Hampshire and then go on to win the Democratic nomination. He then debates Trump who apparently runs for re-election and at the debate he challenges Trump to a pushup contest and starts by doing ten one arm pushups. At that point I am looking for the hidden camera in the room because I am clearly being Punk’d. Finally she tells me that in 2020 a virus which originates from a bat in China essentially shuts down the world, causing markets to tank, precipitating recessions and forcing all of us to stay home for extended periods of time. I cry out: “Come on lady, I think you ripped my wife off when you sold her this gift certificate, you’re just making stuff up based on some movies you’ve watched!” And I leave. What a hack. Okay, I have weird daydreams. I will leave off these 3 days with this thought. After 9/11 we finally started to recognize the contributions to society by our first responders. You know, the people who run at a catastrophe instead of running away from it. It is during times like these that we must acknowledge that everyone who works in our healthcare system should also be honored for putting themselves at risk to help others. The doctors, nurses, aides and facilities people are all risking serious illness to help those who cannot help themselves. My daughter is a pharmacist at the Togus VA Hospital. As a clinical pharmacist she is not in a back room filing prescriptions, she is on the floor treating the patients. She has been assigned to a team to the ICU and I worry about her every day, but I also need to thank her for doing what she does because so many take granted the risks healthcare workers take every day and especially now. If you know a healthcare worker thank him or her just like you would thank any other first responder. They deserve our gratitude. Days 11-14 of the Maine Lockdown. Four more notches in the 2x4. My neighbor thought I was marking the heights of my three kids who are grown and have not lived at home for a while. My neighbor is a dumbass. Another weekend at home. I have raked my lawn so many times it is bald. I have started clearing underbrush in my woods and the effort is getting personal. I swear I have cut every small tree, twig and plant in an area and I come back a little while later and there is still one solitary bastard just standing there twitching in the breeze. At that point the hell with the snippers, I fire up my Stihl chainsaw with the 18 inch blade and I send that little twig to oblivion. Yes, the lockdown can get to me. Hell, I was incredibly excited to drive to Dayton (not sure I have ever said that before) to see if Gonneville’s Farm was open and it was! Holly and I got a soft serve cone and were as happy as if we had spent a weekend in NYC having seen three Broadway shows. Did I mention the lockdown is getting to me? How many of you remember the episode of I Love Lucy when Lucy is working the assembly line at a candy factory and can’t keep up. For you younger members in the club “I Love Lucy” was an early black and white sitcom featuring Lucille Ball. Oh wait, television used to just be in black and white in case you did not know that. In any event, I have been processing SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans by the 100s and I feel like I am on an assembly line. Every business I can think of from churches to manufacturers and everything in between is applying and getting these loans which if you do it right are not loans at all but instead are grants. For the churches, and for every other business for that matter, this program is pennies from heaven. I love looking up churches on the Secretary of State’s website. They are not in “good standing”, instead they are “legally existing”. I fully expected more than that. Their existence seems to transcend the law. Shouldn’t they be divinely existing or something? I can tell you at the end of each day processing these loan documents I feel like Fred Flintstone punching out at the end of the day of the Rockhead and Quarry as I flip Mr. Slate off on my way out the door. I don’t know about you, but I find myself talking to myself a lot during this lockdown. “No you don’t, yes I do and you know it. Seriously, I never hear you talking to me at all. Then you’re not listening, you dink!” I can be pretty hard on myself, I have a hard time winning an argument and I am funny as hell when there is no one around. I am guessing Heather McLean can talk to herself for hours. She probably has her own book club. This PPP loan program is a wonderful thing. It will really help a lot of businesses, but there are some businesses that are still flourishing and they are applying for the loan as well. We all rail against socialism, but when we get a chance to feed at the free trough we wiggle our way in for our share of the feed. That, my friends, is the American/Russian way. The “experts” (known in most parts of the world as peeping Toms) claim there will be a significant increase in births starting in late December and early 2021. Hell, not much else to do. I just hope to God no one names their kid Covid or Pandemy. I imagine those kids will be a little shy and introverted. They will probably stay away from crowds and many will be germaphobes. I have no idea why I think that. We all have to sympathize with high school seniors. They are missing out on their spring sports, prom, senior night and graduation. Hell, with social distancing how many more kids will start their freshman year of college as virgins? Seriously, they are missing out on some of the greatest days of their entire lives due to a freaking virus that started a whole world away. It is beyond unfair. Hang in there Rotarians, debate with yourself about the inequities that have been fostered upon our high school students, and try to laugh when you can. What else do we have to do? Oh wait, I forgot about all those kids who will be born in about 9 months. |
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COVID-19 Subcommittee Notes - 4/9/20A meeting of the COVID-19 Subcommittee was held on 4/9/20 and chaired by Conrad. JIM GODBOUT'S EFFORTS
SACO COMMUNITY CENTER
HOSPITAL
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS
PRIORITIES
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PAST PRESIDENTS' SCHOLARSHIP AWARDGUIDELINES FOR BIDDEFORD - SACO ROTARY CLUB PAST PRESIDENTS' SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ELIGIBILITY The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club awards a Scholarship of $1,000.00 for either a four (4)-year or two (2)-year degree to a Senior graduating from Biddeford High School, the Regional Center of Technology, Thornton Academy and from Old Orchard Beach High School who is planning to continue his/her technical or academic education at an accredited certificate or degree granting, post-secondary school and who is not an immediate family member of a Biddeford-Saco or Saco Bay Rotarian. SELECTION PROCESS An Application form shall be completed by the candidate and submitted to his/her guidance department no later than Monday April 27, 2020. All applications will be submitted to the Scholarship Committee by all Guidance Departments by Monday April 27, at 2:00 p.m. The Scholarship Committee will select three seniors from each school and notify the Guidance Offices of their identity by FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020. The final selection will be by personal interviews of the three Finalists done by Members of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club's Scholarship Committee. The Guidance Offices will be notified of the specific day and time for each Finalist to be interviewed, which will be either Tuesday, May 19 at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. OR Wednesday, May 20 at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. *Please note these interviews due to COVID-19 may need to be conducted via Zoom or Skype. If we meet in person, the personal interviews for two schools will be held in the Conference Room of Bangor Savings Bank, located at 270 Main St. in Saco. The Guidance Offices will be notified of the Scholarship Recipient by Friday, May 22nd, 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA The Candidates will be selected based upon: 1. Community activity and involvement; 2. Academic Standing; 3. Interview rating; and 4. FINANCIAL NEED - a photocopy of EFC Determination should accompany the application, providing the “Estimated Family Contribution” (EFC). CONDITION OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARD The Scholarship Recipient shall furnish a transcript or other proof of successful completion of the first semester of post-secondary education for each year. That documentation should be mailed to: Sue Gajewski, Treasurer – Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, P.O. Box 298, Saco, ME 04072. A check for the $1,000.00 scholarship awarded will then be forwarded directly to the Student at his/her home address for payment toward the Student’s second semester. These same Guidelines also apply for the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Scholarship of $1,000.00 to a student who attends York County Community College as a full-time student the fall semester of 2020. A pdf Application may be downloaded by clicking link on left side of Home Page under downloads: Scholarship Application Form |
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Observations from the Peanut Gallery Regarding the COVIC-19 Related LockdownI realize that the Peanut Gallery has been on hiatus for a while, but with all that is going on I felt that it was important to share the Gallery’s twisted view of all of this crap and particularly the lockdown imposed by the Governor for the month of April. While some appear to perceive the lockdown as a wicked April Fool’s joke, I think most of us know that this is real. So real, in fact, that I must issue a disclaimer. I know that this entire coronavirus pandemic has hit some of your businesses hard so if I am poking fun at the situation it is not intended to minimize what you are going through in any way. While we all need to keep washing our freakin’ hands we also need to laugh a little. Day 1 of the Maine Lockdown. I started my day by carving a notch on one of the 2x4s in the garage to mark the first day of the lockdown. I have no idea how long this will last so I might as well keep track of the days. Of course, I do have access to a calendar, TV and the internet, but I intend to keep notching that 2x4 until this is over or I have chewed all the way through it. I am out on work release each day, yes banks are an essential business along with real estate agencies, bike repair facilities and garden stores and green houses. While I get that people need access to their money and credit, I am not sure why we really need access to pansies and can’t people fix their own bikes for a month. Other than work release I kind of feel imprisoned. Perhaps that is because most TV shows have had their spring finales already, heaven forbid they film more than 12 episodes of a show in any one year, or perhaps it is because I cannot go buy a car if I feel like it. No, I think it is just a lost sense of freedom. You know, “freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose….” What the F, oh yeah, Joplin was a drug addict. I guess we all take being able to go wherever we want for granted. Like I really need a haircut. Well, barber shops and hair salons are non-essential business along with my usual back up of dog groomers so I am getting a little shaggy. I guess it is okay to have your cat groomed but dogs are shit out of luck. I can tell you that when you throw nail technicians, cosmetologists, electrolysis services and laser hair removal into the mix of non-essential businesses we are not going to have to worry about social distancing because who will want to get close to a bunch of hairy mustachioed women with chipped nails. Six feet my ass, try 20. Who the hell eats bats anyway with the possible exception of Fausto who said: “I grew up really poor Cuban in Philadelphia. We ate anything we could get our hands on including rats and bats, and it didn’t affect me in the least. Did I mention I grew up poor? Did I mention I’m Cuban?’ But I digress. Good news for many, medical marijuana dispensaries are classified as essential businesses. So if you are out and about and driving around a little stoned and you get pulled over by the cops just tell them you’re on the way to Stoner & Company and you’ll be fine. Just a little free legal advice. I am worried about the Moresheads. They are going to have to eat at home for at least a month and a half. How barbaric! I understand that the Maine State Golf Association is lobbying the Governor to move golf courses into the essential business category. Hell, the Governor said we can go for walks, so why f up a good walk by throwing in a set of golf clubs. Frankly, if I am deprived of the ability to wear plaid in public for a month I may go mad. I swear to God if my neighbor looks at me funny again for burning tires in my backyard I am going to fashion my shovel into a shiv. I will get him before he gets me. Whoa, time to drink some more Purell, beer ran out on day 0 of the lockdown – poor planning on my part. All right, back to work release. Stay safe, stay home and laugh when you can. I will check in later to discuss all the f’ers who have stashed away enough toilet paper to wipe every ass in China three times, and frankly that is where I would like to send them and what I would like to require them to do. Day 2 of the Maine Lockdown. Notched the 2x4 in the garage again. My wife is looking at me kind of funny, but I long ago became used to that. I have noticed that when I have a bit of down time, like this entire month of April, I tend to read things on line, or in the actual newspaper that still gets delivered in a tube next to my mailbox, that I would not usually read. Yeah, I still get a real paper. Old school I know, but think of this. Gilligan’s Island aired for 3 years and every day Thurston Howell, III got the Wall Street Journal claiming his paper boy had a really good arm, but the same paper boy failed to tell anyone he was throwing the paper to a customer marooned on an island in the middle of the Pacific. Of course, that is completely irrelevant, but think about it anyway. So, as I said, I have some time to read things I usually don’t read, and I decided to read Jim Labrie’s Chamber Newsletter. Yes, Jim I know that admission may have cut you to the core, but you’ll get over it. In reading the newsletter I came to Jim’s Closing Thoughts in which he wrote: T.S. Eliot’s epic poem The Wasteland starts with: “April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.” Dude was right! [Only Jim Labrie refers to T.S. Eliot as “dude”] And this April is going to be an especially cruel month. We’re hoping that you stay well and can help other community members in need whenever possible. Our collective health is the most important priority right now as we all continue to do what’s difficult but necessary to beat this virus. Here’s a more inspiring thought from T.S. [Jim is clearly very close with T.S. Eliot because he gets to call him T.S. and dude]: “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” Don’t exactly know that that means, but how great is it going to be when we can all re-engage as a community once again and rebuild our collective momentum? We still have a challenging journey in front of us, but Spring’s eternal promise of renewal will come eventually – and with it a refreshed perspective and appreciation for what we’re all missing right now … each other! Well said, Mr. Labrie, well said. And with that I will head back to work release to make sure all of you have access to your stinkin’ money and credit. Days 3-5 of the Maine Lockdown. Starting to weaken the structural integrity of the 2x4 in my garage with three more notches. Forgive me, but it was the weekend so I will consolidate days 3-5. Before I go any further (pun intended) I have to address the toilet paper shortage. Let’s face it, while horrible in so many ways Covid-19 does not cause diarrhea in most people. Notwithstanding that fact, when I went to the grocery store this weekend I found more unicorns in the unicorn isle than I found toilet paper in the paper goods isle. So what the hell? It’s like buying extra life jackets to head off on a desert safari. The so-called experts call it panic buying and apparently if one person panic buys then it becomes the instinct of everyone who sees that person buying to want to buy the same thing. I would love to get my hands on that first person who headed into a Costco and bought up 5 jumbo packs (that’s 48 rolls each) of Charmin. Why couldn’t that same bastard have panic purchased 5 huge cans of lima beans or tapioca pudding? What the hell does one person do with 240 rolls of toilet paper? Let’s do some math. Believe it or not there are toilet paper statistics and a roll of toilet paper is supposed to last the average person 4 days. Now Jackson Brown is so full of crap his last name is Brown so we’ll assume he uses one every two days, but he is the exception and not the rule. So 240 rolls will last the average person 960 days or a couple 480 days. For a single person that is over two and a half years! For a couple we are looking at about a year and a half. I am only speculating here, but I am thinking that there will be plenty of toilet paper a month from now, so the compelling need to stock up for 2 years mystifies me. The average jumbo pack of toilet paper is also about the size of a shopping cart. Where does one store 5 grocery carts in your apartment? Frankly, so much toilet paper has been purchased I am picturing Aroostook County completely clear cut and now we are heading for the Amazon rain forest for our next round of 2 ply. Are there other uses for 240 rolls of toilet paper? Gymnasts cannot go to the gym to practice so maybe they are filling foam pits with rolls of toilet paper in their basements. Maybe the jumbo packs make great beanbag chairs that you never, and I mean never, have to leave. Now I understand that the Sears and Roebuck catalogues are long gone so we don’t have the same backup system we used to have, but I am guessing a lot of people still have those Encyclopedia Britannica’s on their bookshelves for decorative purposes or that old edition of Moby Dick that they will never going to read, so they’re covered in a pinch (pun intended again). With that kind of paper reserve please leave a roll or two on the shelves for the next guy. The government keeps saying that we are all in this together (actually that is Saco & Biddeford Savings’ tag line so I am considering a trade mark suit) while Maine’s translator for the deaf stretches her face in ways that were never intended for the human body (Sponge Bob Square Pants was never that distorted). If we are all in this together please leave a couple of rolls for the next guy or invite him into your house to use the head. April 4 and I did get my haircut. No, I did not go to some back alley illegal barber shop or bring in my own stylist. First, I normally go to Supercuts so I do not have my own stylist and second I don’t have a stylist. No, Holly cut my hair. She used to cut it all the time, but it has been a few years. I strategically need to wait until I have not pissed her off because there is nothing worse than a spouse hovering over you with a sharp pair of scissors in her hand (remember they are so sharp you are not supposed to run with them in your hand), and your appearance for the next month or two entirely is entirely at her mercy. Since it had been a long time since she had cut my hair I lowered my expectations to having it look like something between Sinead O’Connor and Ed Sheeran (does he own a comb?). It actually came out quite well, and I now figure I can make it through a couple of months without my hair offending too many (but hell no one is going to see me anyway). Finally, I noticed over the weekend a bunch of motorcycles on the road. Frankly, I never really pay any attention to motorcycles, but I had to wonder where does one go on an essential trip on a motorcycle? But then I realized that this whole lockdown thing has heightened my sense of freedom just a little bit more, not unlike a blind person having a far greater sense of smell or hearing. Trains on the tracks across the river from my house seem that much closer, as I wonder where they are heading. I find myself pondering where the few cars on the Turnpike are going and why, and yes, I wonder where the hell those Harley’s could possibly be going that is so important, followed by a sense of envy that they seem free to go where they want. I suspect we are all craving freedom a bit these days, and perhaps one small benefit of this whole horrible nightmare may be that we won’t take our freedom so much for granted any more, but then again maybe I have just always wanted a motorcycle. Stay healthy and stay home. |
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Sub Committee for Coronavirus Community Service/ProjectsHope you are HEALTHY! The Biddeford Saco Rotary Board of Directors met today 4/1/2020 (via Zoom) and discussed what we should be doing as a club to help out in our community during the 2020 Coronavirus Crisis. It was decided to create a small sub-committee to determine a list of projects/priorities that the club could support during this crisis. These could be in the short term immediate and /or long term and are needs now or will be most likely needs in our Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach community. Once we have a list the Board or Club can decide if this is appropriate. Don Pilon and Haley Thompson both volunteered to join me on the Sub-committee. We are looking for a some more volunteers. We can meet using Zoom. Please email or call me if you are interested or have any ideas, or questions by this Friday morning at 10 am. Thanks Conrad 831-5832 |
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In-Person Meeting Cancellations Until Further NoticeThese are certainly crazy and scary times with many businesses closing, folks staying home, mixed messages on the news and the uncertainty of what we can buy for food and supplies. I hope everyone is feeling okay and helping neighbors and older folks as best as they can. Be safe. Our 25th annual Essay Contest was to be held on April 8th will be postponed and is dependent on the school schedule and whether or not the students go back to school this spring. We haven’t made any definite plans yet. Our centennial celebration is postponed and will hopefully be scheduled this fall. Fausto is going to talk to Gina at the farm about their available dates and we will keep you posted. All of the Rotarians from the UK have had to cancel their travel plans to attend in May but I hope they can make it in the fall. Stay healthy and we hope you can enjoy this time with your families. I think that’s everything but if anyone has questions, please reply to this email and I’ll do what I can to get your answers. All the best to everyone. Susan |
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Revised District Grant PolicyRequest for Exceptions to Grant Policy to Allow Quick Response to Covid-19Background: The World Health Organization has declared the Covid-19 virus to be a pandemic. Rotary provides several options through which Rotarians can demonstrate their care and concern for their own communities and those around the world. Below is a range of grant options available to Rotarians to address this pandemic, including two decisions that allow flexibility to current policy. District GrantsDistricts can use district grant funds to support activities like the purchase of thermometers, masks, etc. Districts can use contingency funds from an open district grant, or repurpose previously planned activities for a Covid-19 response. Regional grant officers will be ready to answer questions to help districts with this option. As of 12 March, US$30.3 million still remains unreported in district grant funding for 2019-20, indicating districts may have a substantial amount to immediately apply to Covid-19 projects if so desired. As districts prepare to submit new district grant applications for 2020-21, we encourage them to designate funds for a Covid-19 response. For those districts that may have exhausted their 2019-20 district grant funds, the decision below allows them to be reimbursed for Covid-19 related expenses dated back to 15 March 2020 out of their 2020-21 district grant funding. Global GrantsGlobal grants are an excellent way to respond effectively to Covid-19. For example, if your community needs medical equipment, global grants offer a way to pay for these expensive items. The Rotary Foundation is expediting any applications for these types of Covid-19-related projects. Regional grant officers can be contacted to help. In global grants, at least 30% of the financing must come from outside of the country where the project takes place. If the Trustees agree to waive this requirement for Covid-19 projects, it would greatly expedite the speed at which these grants can be developed. Disaster Response Fund & GrantRotary’s Disaster Response Grants provide a fast and effective way to respond to local disasters. Districts can apply for up to $25,000 at a time, depending upon the availability funds. The Rotary Disaster Response Fund makes funds available through Disaster Response Grants to help districts around the world respond to disasters. The fund accepts online and offline cash contributions and DDF. While the Foundation anticipates an increase in grant requests for Covid-19, this fund remains general and contributions of both cash and DDF will be used where Rotarians stand ready to respond to the disasters they are confronting. The Philanthropy team will coordinate an announcement on Rotary.org alerting the Rotary world that Rotary supports districts in their efforts to address immediate coronavirus pandemic needs using Disaster Response Grants. This story can highlight Disaster Response Grants as a flexible resource in need of support by donors to encourage giving to supply funding for disasters around the globe. Philanthropy can also circulate a Covid-19 specific email appeal to generate giving towards this general fund. We have seen some success with this approach over the past year; however, given recent economic turbulence and donor uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, an emphasis on gifts of DDF with secondary focus on giving from individuals is prudent. Trustees may consider allowing districts to designate that their DDF contribution to the Disaster Response Fund is to be held exclusively for Covid-19 activities. This would not apply to cash contributions because at this time our system is not configured to direct cash contributions to a separate fund, and we want to provide options Rotarians can act on immediately. Request to transfer $1 million from World Fund to Disaster Response FundBackground: The executive committee is giving consideration of steps to increase options for Rotarians to utilize The Rotary Foundations grants – including district, global and disaster recovery – to support Rotary’s response to COVID-19. Unfortunately, at this time, the disaster response fund has a balance of less than $10,000. The general secretary recommends transferring $1 million from World Fund to the Disaster Response Fund. This decision offers the following benefits:
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Covid-19 and The Rotary FoundationThese are trying times, both health wise and financially. This is very evident at Rotary International headquarters in Evanston, IL where personnel are not being permitted to enter the building. Should you be able and willing to make a contribution to the Foundation at this time, Elizabeth Davis, our Rotary Annual Fund Giving Officer, has sent the following guidelines. 1. The Rotary Support Center does not have phone or contribution processing capabilities at this time. They are only available to answer inquires via email. Their email address is rotarysupportcenter@rotary.org. Members should not email contributions to this email address. 2. Any contributions sent to One Rotary Center will not be processed for some time. Additionally, our capability for accepting faxed contributions has also been placed on hold indefinitely. We highly encourage members who would like to contribute to do so online at myrotary.org/donate. 3. At this time, our lockbox address, The Rotary Foundation 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL, 60693, listed on contribution forms is active. However, should USPS discontinue service this will become an issue as well. Again, the best place to make a contribution is online at myrotary.org/donate. I also know that some of you are using Rotary Direct to make your contribution. Others have already made this Rotary year’s contribution. I thank you very much for having done so. If you have not yet made a contribution, please consider doing so. In this time of worldwide crisis, our Rotary Foundation needs your help more than ever. The Rotary Foundation Trustees recently met and made a number of decisions regarding grant options to give clubs and districts increased flexibility in dealing with the pandemic. These changes involve both District Grants and Global Grants and allowing Rotary Disaster Response Fund grants to be used in fighting Covid-19. (See separate story for details) Meanwhile, despite the practical problems we are all experiencing regarding meetings, we want to strongly encourage clubs to go forward with planning for a District Grant application this year. A District Grant proposal can involve a Covid-19 response. I will shortly be sending out an invitation to join our live Zoom on-line Grant Management Seminar on March 31. Stay safe and be well. Lawrence Furbish District 7780 Foundation Committee Chair |
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Words of Encouragement from District Governor Andy GlazierThese are crazy times. This is seriously testing the ability of all of us to adapt and substantially restructure our lives. But, we can do it. We will do it. We will survive!
BElieve THEre is GOOD in The World Thank you very much, for taking care of yourself, and for taking care of others. Please remember, We, here on earth, are one family. Elbow bumps and love to you all, DG Andy |
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PDG Drouin in the NewsLook at what appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram this past weekend. I feel a big fine coming especially since it was on the top of the front page! |
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Week in Review 3/11/2020 |
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Charitable Funds CommitteeHappy March 5, 2020. I am writing to let everyone know that the Biddeford Saco Charitable Funds Committee is rising from the ashes like a Phoenix. At Wednesdays BOD meeting it was discussed to bring the committee back. Dennis Elie and I will co-chair the committee. We also have two members, our newest Rotarians- Jane Foley and Melisa Cilley- welcome! The board thought it would be a great way to get new Rotarians and give them a sense of what we do. But wait there is more, ( I love sales folks who keep using that phrase- but wait there is more ). The four of us want you to join us. If you have any interest in being on the committee just send me an email at jmoreshe@psmp.com . I will add you to the list. We plan on sending out our giving guide lines to committee members so they have a road map for giving. It is pretty simple we have a budget that can be from $5,000 to $15,000+++ a year to use in support of our charitable requests. I’ll explain our funding sources at our first meeting. Our charitable request form can be found on our website http://www.biddeford-sacorotary.org/ , located in the top right hand corner of the front page. Check out the website, you can connect with other Rotarians, etc. Most folks will hear about us and get directed to the website to download the application and submit it. We will also regularly get requests from American Lung Association, Alzheimer’s, etc.- all of the big not for profits send appeals to our club. As funds get requested, you will receive an email from the co-chairs that will have the filled out charitable application form, ( just as an aside- you will see information, SSN’s, discharge papers, etc. This information must remain confidential ), and any other supporting information. Read the request, do they mesh with our guidelines? Yes / No, not to worry that is what our meetings are for. If we have requests a meeting will be scheduled to follow a regular Wednesday meeting. Our regular meeting ends at 1:30 our committee will meet right after that. As co-chair I will send out a meeting agenda with a copy of all of the requests we will be discussing at least a week in advance. Our meetings usually last 10 to 15 minutes- not very long. We only meet if we have business to vote on. On occasion there are those emergency requests where the above meeting guidelines will take too long. On those occasions the co-chairs will send out the requests and follow up with email votes, etc. Lastly, as a committee we only have authority to grant a maximum of $500.00 per request. Any requests larger than that will go to the Board of Directors for approval. Please join the committee and see where your money is going. Don’t you know that it is better to give then receive! Yours in Rotary, PP’s Dennis Elie and Joe Moreshead PS: But wait there is more, I want to see how many people are reading the E-Tack- I have 25% discount on lift tickets at Sunday River- anybody want to go skiing? But wait there is more, discounts on food and beverage as well—MMMMMMMMMMM, cinnamon buns at North Peak mid morning! |
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Centennial CelebrationPOSTPONED until the Spring 2021. |
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Biddeford Mill Clock TowerSpeaker Presentation: Conrad W. introduced the speaker – Louise Merriman, Chair – Biddeford Mill Clock Tower One for the Clock – Friends of the Historic Biddeford Mill Clock Tower Showed a 1940 picture of the clock tower on the mill History - 1831- Samuel Bacheldor came here as a developer and in 1840 purchased land. In 1850 the Pepperell Mill opened. In 1853 the Clock Tower was built. The Clock Tower weighs 26,000 pounds without the bell. The bell was manufactured by the Pepperell Mill. The population at that time was 4,200 people in Biddeford and Saco. The Clock Tower chimed for over 140 years. In 2007, the Clock Tower is chain sawed from its belfry. Support from Biddeford High School students, passionate citizens and organizations. In 2014, endangered piece of history In 2019, Group of Volunteers came together and their goal was to restore and preserve history On January 3, 2020 the Clock Tower was moved to the Lincoln Mill waiting for restoration. 2021 is the date of its resurrection. THE BIDDEFORD MILL CLOCK TOWER ON THE RIVERWALK IN 2021 Buy A Brick: Commemorate a Mill Worker or loved one by buying a brick at the Clock Tower’s Foundation on the River walk. 4” x 8” Brick = $100 8” x 8” Brick = $250 12” x 12” Brick = $325. Powerful Historic Icon- Built in 1853 8-sided clock tower is unique in New England Communications center for all of Biddeford for over 140 years Mill workers timed their lives by the Clock Tower Alan Casavant – Mayor of Biddeford –Resurrect Biddeford Mill Clock Tower- “The Biddeford Mill Clock Tower is symbolic of the waves of Biddeford Mill workers who made our city what it is today. By restoring it, we pay deep respect to this innovation and the mill workers who made this possible.” If anyone would like to join – BIDDEFORDCLOCK.ORG Volunteer- contact (207) 391-3091 or BiddefordMillClockTower@gmail.com The cutting down of the historic Biddeford Mill Clock was Biddeford’s union station moment. “Together let’s right this terrible wrong” |
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Week in Review 2/19/2020Pledge of Allegiance: Led by President-Elect Don Pilon Invocation: Joe Bassett 4 Way Test: Bill Richardson Visiting Guests: Joe Bassett’s Son –in- Law Announcements Upcoming Event -Alicia Girard spoke about the tickets for the 100th Anniversary event coming up in May. Tickets are $25.00 each. President- Elect, Don Pilon spoke about an event on Thursday, February 20th, from 5 to 9 pm at the Portland Sheraton- Sable Oaks about “World Understanding & Peace Dinner”. Roland Gagne will be attending. The keynote speaker is Rachel Davidson, Esquire. Upcoming Speakers: Morgan Stoner from Stoner & Company and Sterling Roop, from 2020 U.S. Census & Bureau will be our speakers at our next Rotary meeting. Conrad Welzel spoke about having several 6 packs of beer left over from our last event and was looking for donations. Joe Moreshead – asked Conrad to keep the beer for the 100th Anniversary event that was coming up and Joe would donate $160.00. 50/50 Drawing -was won by Carl Goodwin – He donated the money to the Red Ribbon. Happy Dollars and Fines – Heather MacLean accepted happy dollars and handed out the following fines. HAPPY DOLLARS:
FINES:
Meeting Adjourned |
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Leftover Wine Tasting Beer AuctionOn the meeting of 2/19/2020, we have leftover Wine Tasting Beer to auction off. Total Beer Value $160 Wholesale Or we can Auction off each type of Beer. Bellow I have listed the 5 different beers and their cost to Rotary. 3 Lone Pine Brightside IPA 4 pacs @ $11.50 ea. 2 Anchor Steam 6 pacs @ $10.00ea. 3 Geary London Porter 6 pacs @ $8.00 ea. 3 Nightshift Whirlpool 4 pacs @ $10.50 ea 5 Nonesuch River Blonde Golden Ale 4 pacs @ $10.00 ea. Thanks for your help! Conrad |
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Wine Tasting 2020Thank you to everyone who helped with the 2020 Wine Tasting. The club really pulled together and made it all work...from set up to clean up the participation was exceptional. A special thank you to Ken Farley who helped out as MC; Karen Chasse, who was efficient with the silent auction; and Fausto and Julie who sold raffle tickets like mad. We had a fun evening and the cheese and chocolates were a huge hit. Please get your ticket money in ASAP and Conrad and I will pull all the numbers together (actually Susan will) and let you know how we made out. Cheers! With thanks, Heather and Conrad |
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From District Foundation ChairGood day, Here is an opportunity for you to give a happy dollar at your next club meeting celebrating the great ways our Foundation dollars are being spent. In 2015 we sent a team of 6 Rotarians led by David Kitchen of the Yarmouth Rotary Club to Bulgaria on an International Outreach visit. We then hosted a team of 5 Bulgarian Rotarians here. As a result of the close relationships formed, our District and Bulgaria collaborated on a Global grant entitled "Life is Born in Petrich." It involved updating neonatal care for preterm newborns and providing equipment for prenatal treatment and monitoring for early diagnosis prevention. The total budget of the project was $75,273. Six of our clubs (Yarmouth, South Berwick-Eliot, South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Sanford-Springvale, Saco Bay Sunset, and Portsmouth) provided $7,714 and it was match with $7,714 of our District Designated Funds. The project is completed and the new wing opened. David Kitchen was invited to Bulgaria to share in the celebration. The night before the opening a baby was saved because of the new equipment and a set of twins was born. Thank every member of your club who donates to the Foundation. Lawrence K. Furbish District 7780 Foundation Chair |
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Peanut Gallery’s Musings on Pouring Wine I wrote this piece for the Tack a few years ago before our wine tasting event. Nothing about the Maine’s Liquor Liability Law has changed (I actually checked), so if you are going to be a pourer at the wine tasting event please take a moment and read this. The bottom line for those people who only read the first paragraph or two of newspaper articles (assuming some of you still read papers), if you serve a visibly intoxicated person and then they leave and injure someone then you, personally, and the club can be held liable under the Act. “Visibly intoxicated” means the person you are giving a “taste” to is in a “state of intoxication” (for some of us the 51st state) and they do some perceptible act or series of acts which would lead you to believe they are drunk or have the appearance of someone clearly intoxicated (haven’t I described a large portion of our wine tasting crowd?). So have fun, but let’s be careful out there. So picture this: You’re standing at your wine pouring station at the Rotary Wine Tasting Event. You’re looking sharp. You’ve memorized the sheet of your red wines and you’re killing it dispensing information about varietals, breathing and debourbage (a white wine term but what the hell do you or they know?). It’s getting a little later in the event, you’ve opened more bottles than you care to count right now and up walks: 1) a buddy of yours, 2) a good looking guy or woman who you would like to impress, or 3) a fellow Rotarian. The conversation goes something like this. Hey, how’s it going? Great, you Rotariaaans are greaaat! Thanks, we do like having a good time. Yeah, don’t you guys sometimes wear those funny hats and drive little cars in parades? (with that question I am hoping it is not a fellow Rotarian unless they are really new). No, I think you’re thinking of Shiners but you were close. What can I interest you in? I have some great red wines including a merlot, a pinot noir and two Zinfandels you can try? Would you like to know anything about any of them, I’m a bit of a wine tool. Oh, I don’t care, but fill me up, will ya, I’m here for quantity not quality or whatever you winos call it. You think, clearly a little drunk, but hell so am I and so are most people here so she’s not going to care what I pour. I’ll pour from the fullest bottle I have so I don’t have to waste it all at the end of the night. She’s not going to taste it anyway. Why don’t you try this merlot, I think you’ll like it. Here, let me rinse your glass. Wait, there’s a sip left in there, don’t dump it yet, that’s waste. You know there are people in Africa who don’t get to drink wine very often. She gulps the last few drops in the glass. There now you can rinse it. So you rinse the glass and pour a taste, a couple of ounces, and hand it back to her (please note you can substitute him for her here if you want). She looks at you in a disgusted way with her head tilted slightly to the left, she throws back her hair (if it is a guy I am not sure he would throw back his hair) and says: Dude, I asked you to fill it up. It takes a lot for me to really taste a wine. So hit me again please. At that point you’re conflicted. You really don’t want to stand there and take crap from this person and you certainly want to send her away happy, but on the other hand this is a wine tasting not an all you can drink buffet. The angel and devil go at it on your shoulders for exactly 3 seconds and you pour some more of the $10.00 merlot in her glass. She says, Dude you’re the best, spins, stumbles a little, a bit of the wine sloshes out of the glass onto the floor and off she goes. And you’re left wondering. OK, let me put on my lawyer hat and introduce you to the Maine Liquor Liability Act. The Act is intended to prevent intoxication-related injuries, deaths and property damage. Let’s assume (not a big stretch) that, by definition, the person you just served is an “intoxicated individual,” and, by definition, she is “visibly intoxicated” (yes, there is a state definition for that). The Club is a “licensee” for the wine tasting event meaning we got a liquor license for the event. You are a “server” under the law. Let’s spin the facts out a little. You may think that anyone that drunk can’t be driving. We all know better than that. We may all know better, but she didn’t think she was that bad and she hops behind the wheel. Hell, she only has to go a few miles and she is certainly of the opinion that she only had a few tastes. On the way home she drops her cell phone and as she is fishing for it between the console and her seat she goes through a stop sign, t-bones another car and the passenger of that car is seriously injured. She has the minimum amount of liability insurance and the passenger has serious injuries with huge medical bills and what will be a permanent impairment. Dong! Joe Bornstein is now involved and he is looking for other sources of money to cover the passenger’s damages and increase his contingency recovery. That’s when they find out she had just left the Rotary wine tasting event. Under Maine’s Liquor Liability Act the passenger is an appropriate plaintiff (incidentally our drunk wine taster cannot sue us under that Act). Guess who the appropriate defendants are. The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club and YOU personally! You can be held personally liable if you negligently serve liquor to a visibly intoxicated individual and the intoxication proximately causes the damages. In this case if the woman was not drunk she would not have dropped her phone, run the stop sign and crashed into the other car. You can also be found to be reckless because the woman was visibly intoxicated, and you gave her more wine than you should have done, and you had no idea whether the woman was driving or not. So the Club gets sued and you get sued. That is absolutely horrible. I guess the good news is that the Rotary International insurance we purchase apparently includes liquor liability coverage, or so I am told. Second, the damages under the Act are capped at $350,000.00. Still a very large amount of money but not infinite dollars either. The bottom line is, however, that a person got seriously injured and you and the Club contributed to that. The Club’s reputation and yours are trashed by this incredibly unfortunate event. The other bottom line is such an accident might be avoided by not giving into the temptation to fill glasses during a tasting event and by making sure that people who have had too much to drink have a way to get home. Our beer and wine events are really fun, and I don’t mean to be a “buzz kill” (unfortunate saying here), but I was asked to share the law with you. The good news is that we have insurance and we all know that if we pour properly everyone should be able to make it home safely. Let’s try to avoid being defendants while having a great time. |
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World Understanding and Peace Dinner |
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Week in Review 1/29/2020
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Nate Howell, President/CEO of SMHC.Conrad Welzel introduced today’s speaker, Nate Howell, President/CEO of SMHC. Nate joined SMHC in 2018 bringing more than 10 years of progressive executive leadership experience in national healthcare systems, most recently serving as President and CEO of North Star Health Alliance and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, New York. He is a graduate of Colby College and received a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University. Howell has strong ties to Maine. He was born at the former Goodall Hospital in Sanford and spent many summers at the family’s vacation home in Brunswick. Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) is a nationally accredited, award-winning not-for-profit healthcare system offering a comprehensive array of medical care and services including: a full-service medical center in Biddeford and emergency departments in Biddeford and in Sanford. A multi-specialty physician services group, SMHC Physicians, comprised of more than 125 physicians providing comprehensive primary and specialty services; non-emergency Walk-In Care; Centers for Breast Care, Sleep Disorders and Wound and Ostomy Care; behavioral health; eldercare services and a wide range of diagnostic and rehabilitation services. SMHC has more than 20 offices located in Biddeford, Kennebunk, Saco, Sanford and Waterboro. SMHC's mission is to improve the health and health care of the communities we serve. SMHC has the only acute behavioral health unit in York County. That unit will be moving to Sanford for more space and will occupy the entire former Goodall Hospital building. Maine Medical Center is currently undergoing a ½ Billion Dollar renovation. SMHC is getting some of their business. Nate mentioned that they have been restructuring things which will now enable them to get out into the community more. They want to know what the perception is of them out in the community. |
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Goodwill
Goodwill Northern New England is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates jobs, delivers needed services for people with diverse challenges, uses environmentally friendly products and processes – all while earning revenue to pay for and expand innovative workforce services in all three states. Goodwill NNE operates retail stores, health care and cleaning services which help fund the innovative workforce programs that empower individuals and families to find personal stability through work. Our mission is to enable persons with diverse challenges to achieve personal stability and community engagement. Headquartered in Gorham, Maine, Goodwill NNE has a three state service area comprised of Maine, New Hampshire and nine northern counties in Vermont. An autonomous 501 (c) (3) organization, governed by a volunteer local board of directors with members from throughout our three state region of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Goodwill NNE is a member of Goodwill Industries International (GII), which is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. There are 165 community-based Goodwill organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Each Goodwill organization is independent and autonomous, managed by local staff and a local Board of Directors. |
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Week in Review 1/22/2020Rotary Meeting of January 22, 2020 @Run of the Mill Presiding was Don Pilon, President Elect Joe Bassett produced the prayer Joe Moreshead led the 4-way Test Guests: Jane Foley from SMHC who wished to join the club Renee Hewitt Chrissy of Key Bank 50/50 won by Jeremy Ray Wine Tasting announcements: February 8th at Duffy's in OOB Sell Tickets!!! Need more Volunteers Need more auction items Marty spoke about attending the District meeting at the Fireside restaurant with Don and Fausto Marty also said the Westbrook Skating rink is up and running and needs volunteers Sargent at Arms - Heather McClean Jim Godbout is happy with a new grand daughter Jeremy Ray was happy but I could not hear??? Joe Bassett - a birthday and an anniversary - 50+ years...wow Conrad Wextal has 7 days till he retires....AGAIN...next week he will tell us where he will work next And Ken Farley went snowshoeing Fines were paid by Caitlyn, Ken and Joe Moreshead Presentation: Michelle Disotto of Goodwill Meeting Adjourned at 1:12 pm |
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Week in Review 1/15/2020Miss a meeting miss a lot- last week we had the pleasure of having Jim G’s wife Lynne and his son John and daughter -in-law Vero and baby in the oven. Last night Jim became a grandfather to little Annabelle - sorry Jim and Lynn if I got it wrong. Last week’s meeting was pretty good even though it had political overtones. I was told before and during my reign with the crown by a few well-meaning Rotarians that we don’t do political shit so I was surprised that Ross LaJeunesse was the program speaker for the day. Check Roger out at, https://www.rossformaine.com/ . I liked this guy; will he be able to beat Sarah G and then my girl Sue. Time will tell; I wish him good luck. He is running for the right reasons; his heart is into it. The other option is that this guy is a masochist and is just looking to get beat up. He knows what he is getting into- he has the guts to jump into something where he knows 50% of the people probably don’t like him and don’t even know him. Oh- the state of affairs today. Let me quote a King, as in Rodney- “Can’t we all just get along? “ So, the web we weave- turns out that Ross is Jim Godbout’s wife Lynn’s first cousin. Lynn brought Pam Cardin to meeting also as well as the 2 ½ kids mentioned above. Morgan Stoner brought his wife and the other guest was ????? Heather did her Sargent at Arms thing fining a number of people and collecting a boatload of happy dollars- I think she might be over budget. I got fined because she thought I might have missed my dog while he was away at school. Bill Kany the bully got fined, yeah bully, he made fun of me and my dog. I think he got fined for being besties with Keith Jaques but not willing to acknowledge it. Jim L showed up in a nice however, very wrinkled shirt. Jim, your young, hip- Joe Biden “C’mon man!” Can’t remember who else got fined- maybe Conrad for having a party and not inviting Heather. Conrad and Heather announced the Wine Tasting for February 8th at Duffy’s- sell your tickets- if you get lucky you might meet Dan the bartender who is winning on Jeopardy- tonight is night 4 Jeremy Ray got up and spoke of his experience over the last few days speaking with principals and other administrators. Of course, when you see someone after the holidays you always ask- “so, how were your holidays”, suffice it to say that anybody reading this probably had pretty decent holidays with family, friends, food, etc. That isn’t the case for some of our local kids. Jeremy recounted the stories he had heard. Kids were talking about how dad got arrested or mom OD’d on Christmas eve or their family got broken up or if “I cleaned my room more Dad wouldn’t have left mom”. Ross’s comments included talking about him saying we need to do more; we can do more. Jeremy echoed, quoted Ross’s remarks. As a result, Jeremy wants to hit this problem head on. He is not really sure what he is going to do except to somehow have a place open during February and April breaks so kids can go there, have food, have counselling, a safe space, etc. He thinks he can do a February program for around $6,000.00. Rotarians are not going to sit idlily by and quickly sprang into action. Jim Godbout motioned to spend $1,000.00 from Red Ribbon, Fasuto committed $1,500.00 of his President’s Fund and other folks stepped up. The investment committee met after the regular meeting so I hung around to meet with Kristen Lane, Dennis Elie, Todd from Charter Oaks Capital Management, and – I am sorry- I can’t remember who the other person was. Todd reported out on the two funds we have with the recommendation to stay the course. The Company B Fund has a balance as of Jan 13,2020 of $ 213,747.92. We started this fund on Nov 28, 2010 with a $150,000.00 beginning balance. We have also withdrawn a total $36,850.00 since the plan’s inception. The CBF’s mission is to provide financial aid to local needs with an emphasis on military / veteran’s needs. The Past Presidents Fund has a balance as of Jan 13,2020 of $ 218,307.76. We started this fund on July 20, 2011 with a $147,948.66 beginning balance. We have also withdrawn a total $16,369.00 since the plan’s inception. The PPF’s mission is to provide scholarships. And another take on the Jan 22 Medeting. Don Pilon started the meeting promptly at 12:15, Joe B did the invocation while I did the 4 Way Test. Marty Grohmam introduced Jane Foley and Reny (Jackson I hoped I spelled it correctly). We had another guest who was supposed to meet Alicia – where are you Alicia??? Heather, I hope you made note of that fact. Marty wasn’t around last week because he was in South Korea on an education mission represent Lee Academy. While there Marty visited a local Rotary Club. He said that there were at least six clubs just in the town he was in; of course, the town had 3.5 million people. Marty brought back the club’s flags. He enjoyed the meeting, the singing and fellow ship. You read above about Jim’s granddaughter. Jeremey was ecstatic- he should be- he won the 50/50. He also announced that as of last week’s wanting to “do something”, he received enough money to fund both the February and April programs that he wants to do. I applaud him for his efforts and those members of the of the club that stepped up. Heather was on the mark today not collecting Happy Dollars but, happy ten’s and fives and maybe even a twenty. Jeremy donated back his winnings; Joe B got another year on his contract to Mrs. B- this will mark 58 years together- pretty amazing. You know Jim G was happy, Conrad was happy for Jim and the money just continued to flow. Fines followed, Catlin Tito for fashion, Ken Farley for fashion – I should have taken notes- sorry. I also was not planning on writing this so you get what you pay for. Honestly, I am writing because I want to do more for the club too! Today’s program was about Goodwill and the great work that they do. Our Goodwill is part of Goodwill of Maine, NH and Vermont. Check them out at https://goodwillnne.org/ . They do more than you think. It was kind of cool to hear that Goodwill actually started in Boston in 1909 serving the immigrant Irish population. It is a good story how they have grown from their small beginnings in Boston. The meeting adjourned at 1:15 |
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Ross LaJeunesseDemocratic candidate for Senate Ross LaJeunesse spoke to our club today about his plans to move Maine forward. |
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Rotarians on the Street“ I had the pleasure of visiting Whimsical ME” a great gift store owned by Rotarian Heather McLean. It’s located on Main St in Saco right next to Agren’s. What a wonderful shop with all kinds of unique items. Wish I’d gone before Christmas! But thankfully there’s so many other holidays & special occasions coming up. But why wait til then. Treat yourself. I highly recommend Whimsical ME!” Helene Plourde PP |
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Rotarians on the StreetSo, you know you can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. The other day I was picking up lunch at Part & Parcel on Alfred Street, https://www.partandparcelme.com/ , for my wife Andrea who was convalescing at home from some surgery. While I was waiting for her lunch to be made a women came in and spoke to Ally, the owner of P&P. The women introduced herself to Ally and said that she ran a local store ( didn’t catch the name ) and that her partner had cancer and needed to go to Dana Farber for treatment at the end of the month. The women needed hotel accommodations in Boston during the treatment. This women decided to go door to door, business to business and explain her situation and ask for financial help. Of course I was eavesdropping on the conversation a that point. Ally reached in her pocket and pulled out all of the cash she had and handed it to the women and said “this is all I have, good luck”. As the women started to leave I stopped her and said, “I was listening in on your conversation and I can help”. I gave her our Rotary website address, told her where to find the charitable request form, gave her my name and email address, she wrote this all down----- radio silence. I wish I knew her. I told her our Rotary Club is all about helping people particularly ins situations like this. Isn’t it a shame that we want to help but some people just don’t see it. I always think about this story that Angus King use to tell. It was about being from the government and being there to help. The story went something like this: There was this massive flood coming form unrelenting rain and people were being evacuated. The police went door to door to tell people to evacuate. This one guy refused. He told the police that he was a righteous man, live by the Lord’s law, went to church—God was going to take care of him. A few hours later the rain waters had risen to his first floor windows and now the firemen were in boats telling people to leave. When they came to this guy’s house he was hanging out the second floor window. They told him he must leave. He gave them the same story about being righteous, followed the commandments, God would protect him. so the firemen moved on. Later that day the flood waters had reached the second floor and now a helicopter came by and saw this man hanging onto his chimney on the roof. They told him to grab the line they threw and they would lift him to safety. He refused while reciting psalm and biblical passages- he was not leaving. The helicopter had no choice but to leave. Sad to say the flood waters continued to rise and the man was washed away and drowned. When he got to heaven he was pissed that he was dead. When he finally met God he asked WTF- why did I die- I lived by your rules, went to church every Sunday, tithed 10% of my gross, you were supposed to protect me at which point God interrupted him and said “ I sent you the police, a boat and then a helicopter.” Past President Joe |
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Annual Toast to Sister ClubA toast at today’s lunch to our sister club In Bideford, England. We look forward to seeing many of you at our club’s 100th anniversary dance and silent auction in May. Cheers! |
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Annual Bell RingingDon't forget the annual bell ringing for the Salvation Army will be on Friday, December 20, 2019 at the Biddeford Walmart. Below is the sign up list. |
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Annual Christmas PartyFun was had by all who attended the annual Christmas Party on December 12 at Don Pilon's Home. Food and a good old Yankee swap filled the festivities. Go to our home page to see the full album of photos.
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Jake HolmesJake Holmes was our speaker. He was an absolutely phenomenal speaker- articulate and FUN! |
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A Christmas poem from the peanut gallery.Twas December 5th and all through the ‘Mart Rotarians were shopping with nary a fart Heather was positioned in the front of the store Hoping we’d hit budget and not a dollar more The families we shop for had given their lists We needed to do well so they wouldn’t be pissed Heather M in her mini and Jackson in his suit Roomed the Walmart isles for a child’s toy flute At the front of the store there was so much roar Lucky Kristen’s daughter knew what the dots were for The gifts were whisked to York County CU Where wrapping would soon be well overdue Paper and bows by the rolls were all soon there And club members wrapped with barely a care Then what did eventually come from such flow Sabine’s blue sacks all full and ready to go With a bunch of Rotary drivers, slow and thick I knew in a moment they weren’t St. Nick Slower than turtles they crossed the CU ice As Heather yelled out their names, she wasn’t real nice Go Jimmy, Go Jackson, Go Sabine and President Joe Go Karen, Go Julie, the hell with the snow To the top of Graham Street and on to Hill Deliver those packages with joy and skill Just as FedEx and UPS drivers will do Rotarians took off from out of the blue Off to houses and apartments they quickly flew With a bag of toys and a food gift card too And then in an instance they heard on the stairs Club members lugging themselves and their wares Each of the worthy families ran to their doors Just as we arrived at their porches or floors We were dressed for our work in our coats and our dresses A little disheveled but definitely not hot messes A bundle of presents lay slumped at our feet We looked like postal workers, oh how sweet But each Rotarian was filled with warmth and some cheer As we knew an unexpected Christmas was near The smiles on our faces evinced a feeling of joy Not unlike a child opening a shiny new toy The reactions they varied, some nervous, some happy Most were overjoyed without sounding too sappy Most welcomed us in while others stood in the door All thanked us in their way, we could not ask for more They knew we meant well and appreciated the hand It is hard to think of such need in this rich land The packages were delivered and greetings exchanged Then off we all went for a second visit, prearranged They waved as we left, behind the curtain they’d peak We helped make their Christmas, we got what we seek Not gifts or material things, but something worth twice Knowing we all did something incredibly nice We all thought as we headed to our Christmas fun Service Above Self, and a job very well done. Happy Holidays everyone, from the peanut gallery. |
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Gift wrappingRotarians in action for the holidays! |
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Rotary Club collects food for 79 families in needThe Biddeford Saco Rotary Club did a little something extra special this year for Thanksgiving. Rotary President Fausto Pifferrer asked each member to fill a grocery bag with nonperishable food items that families use at Thanksgiving. Those donations yielded more than 30 shopping bags, each filled with a variety of food items that were donated to the Biddeford Food Pantry. Don Bisson, who has worked as the volunteer manager with the organization for the past 11 years, said those donations helped out 79 local families who came in to the pantry for assistance for their Thanksgiving Day meal. “The Biddeford Food Pantry serves approximately 600 families in our area,” Bisson said. “When an organization like the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club makes a donation of this size, at a time when sharing a family meal is so important, and the need is so great, it truly is a blessing.” Pifferrer said, “Our Rotary Club is involved in so many projects, behind the scenes, supporting them financially and by volunteering hundreds of hours each year to create lasting change in our communities. A donation of one bag of groceries so local families can partake in a Thanksgiving meal is something each of us could do easily. It’s projects like these that have a far-reaching impact on families, that we as Rotarians should be most proud of.”
From Portland Press Herald Dec 9, 2019 |
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Congratulations to this year's $100 Raffle Winners:
$5,000 GRAND PRIZE: Michelle Blais sold by Don Pilon $1,000 PRIZES: Roberge Construction sold by Carl Goodwin; Chris Boisvert sold by Carl Goodwin; and Jim Wiley and Debbie Hubbard sold by Brenda Pollock $500 PRIZES: Melissa Johnson sold by Jim Audiffred; Suzanne Austin sold by Keith Jacques; Carole Deschambault sold by Paul Deschambault; Michelle Morin sold by Steve Morin; Chuck Gajewski sold by Susan Gajewski; and Varah Wells sold by Carol Goodwin. Subsequently the ticket sold by Jim Audiffred, Todd Johnson from Lewiston won $500.00. When Jim called him to tell him that he had won $500.00, he asked me what our club did. He told him about our house projects, charitable funding and our other activities. Todd told Jim he was donating the $500.00 back to the club. His office address is 134 Main Street 5th Floor Lewiston, ME 04240. Jim thinks it would be cool if as many of the members would send him a thank you note. |
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Holiday Shopping a Success!
Well the shopping is a wrap! Two hours shopping for 42 kids! The only snafu was when the cash register did a hard stop and rebooted after about 20 bags filled with clothes and toys had been scanned. So much fun the first time, they had to be all emptied and rescanned! Thanks to all my fellow Rotarians and special friends who came out to support this fun effort. If you missed tonight but want to help, next Tuesday at 5 pm we will be at Saco Biddeford savings bank at Biddeford Crossing hosting a wrapping party! Paper, tape, bows and gift tags will be provided; just bring your wrapping skills! |
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PM MEETINGOn December 4 we will be meeting only in the evening for the Raffle party at Duffy's |
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Rotary Service Hours NeededI hope everyone had a great day & didn't have too much trouble with part I of this latest winter wonderland! The next board meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, December 4th. I need to updated the board on the amount of service hours worked by each Rotarian. I didn't received many updates last time so I'm hoping that we can blow the past updates out of the water this time around. Every little bit you do counts so PLEASE update me with your hours for the month of November. This includes any District events/meetings you have been a part of. You can send a quick email to me at jvillemaire@sbsavings.bank or Villemaire@maine.rr.com or send me a text to 207-286-5474. I need this info no later than early tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter! Thank you for all that you do! Yours in Rotary, Julie |
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REMINDERS - Christmas EventsDear Rotarians, A few reminders as we have a BUSY few weeks ahead so please take the time to read this:
Thanks, and Happy Holidays! Karen |
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Week in Review 11/13/2019President - Elect, Don Pilon, called the meeting to order and led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Joe Moreshead gave the invocation and Conrad Welzel led his fellow Rotarians in the 4-Way Test. There were no guests. Jeremy Ray won the 50/50 raffle and generously donated his $18 winnings back to the club. Announcements: Don Pilon reported that Sue Gajewski will not continue her service as Club Treasurer next year. Don is looking for a replacement and would like to find someone who is willing to train with Sue over the next several months. Bill Kany thought it might be fun for Don to be the first Rotarian ever to serve as BOTH President and Treasurer in the same year… Heather Gendron shared important information about the Christmas Family program. Shopping for the families will take place on Tuesday, December 3 at 5pm at the Biddeford Wal-Mart. Club members will also meet on Tuesday, December 10 to wrap gifts at the SBSI Biddeford Branch. Delivery to the families will take place on Thursday, December 19, with gift pick up taking place again at the SBSI Biddeford Branch. Heather will have a sign-up sheet at our next club meeting. Karen Chasse passed out raffle tickets at the start of the meeting. There is a quick turn around this year – please sell all your tickets prior to Wednesday, December 4, the day of the drawing. The event will be held at Duffy’s from 5-7pm. Heather MacLean announced that the Rotary Christmas Party will be held on December 12 at 5pm at Don Pilon’s House (16 Glenn Haven Circle West). There will be an “America” themed gift exchange – one gift per attendee and a $30 or less gift limit. Sue Gajewski sent around a potluck sign up. Happy Dollars: Dr. Joe was happy to report that the Ogunquit Rotary Club bought a $100 raffle ticket. He was also fined for being late… Bill Patterson was happy that his granddaughter turned 1! Conrad Welzel was happy that he spent 3 days with his granddaughters and had a great time. Karen Chasse was happy that her dog is healing from a torn ACL and lives another day! Marty Grohman was happy that they allowed him to order lunch even though he was late. Fines: Heather Gendron was fined for apparently honking at and picking up attractive men walking down Main St. (Bill Kany). Joe Moreshead was fined for talking to Heather Gendron when he was supposed to be paying attention. Jim Godbout was fined for his being away on a fabulous trip. Keith Jacques was fined for complaining about it being cold – put a coat on Keith. Karen Chasse was fined for having the cutest outfit! Joe Moreshead was fined for being the best dressed man of the day – he fined himself an extra dollar. |
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Living Innovations – SacoSpeaker: Conrad Welzel introduced Dan Darigan from Living Innovations – Saco. For 23 years Living Innovations has partnered with thousands of families in New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Connecticut to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead good lives at home and in their communities with innovative programming and services. A MISSION & VALUES DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONLiving Innovations provides support to people of all ages and abilities to have a good life at home and in the community.SUPPORTING PEOPLE IS FIRST HONOR ALL SUPPORT PROVIDERS STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES UNCOMPROMISING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY NEVER GIVE UP OPTIMISTIC AND CHEERFUL GROWTH THROUGH INNOVATION TEAMWORK
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Annual Christmas PartyDear Fellow Rotarians, The Christmas party at Don Pilon's is quickly approaching. The theme this year is 'Merica. This has a wide interpretation and can mean anything to do with America. For example: 1) Presents made in America 2) Presents that represent America: baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet 3) Presents that represent something that YOU love about our country It's really up to you and I hope you all have fun with the theme. Presents should be $35 or under. (I do happen to have a few excellent selections fitting our theme and price range at Whimsical ME, 239 Main St. in Saco.) Remember: please bring one present per person in your party. See you all on Dec. 12. Blessings, Heather M |
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Annual $100 RaffleHello Rotarians, The $100 Raffle night has been set for Wednesday, December 4th, 5-7pm at Duffy's in Old Orchard Beach. It will take the place of our regular club meeting for that week so please mark your calendar and attend if you can. This only leaves you TWO WEEKS to sell them before the event! Please consider this as my plea to start asking your family and friends now (and collect the money while they are in a Turkey coma). The $100 Raffle tickets were distributed at this Wednesday's meeting. For those who weren't in attendance, please email me or text me ASAP so we can arrange a drop-off/pick-up. We only have two weeks to sell the tickets as the drawing is on Wednesday, December 4th at 5pm at Duffy's in OOB (no noontime meeting that day). I have extra tickets if you need any and will have a more accurate count at next week's meeting in which I will start having anxiety for those not yet sold. Also, I need ticket #173 and I must've accidentally placed it in someone's envelope. Can you look and let me know if you have it? The club's expectation is that every Rotarian will sell (or buy) at least one ticket. I guarantee you all have at least one friend, co-worker, or stranger you can split a ticket with so please make an effort to support our club. We use these funds to support Charitable requests and we cannot do all that we do without this fundraiser. Thank you, Karen and Kaitlin Co-Chairs |
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Saco Fire Dept ChiefChief – John Duross & Lieutenant Karl Finley Chief Duross
Lt. Finley
President Elect Don presented Chief Duross with a Rotary coffee mug. |
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Week in Review 10/16/2019President Elect Don rang the bell at 12:17 Mark N. – Four Way Test Joe – Invocation Conrad introduced visiting Rotarians and Guests: Kim Veilleux – guest of Alicia Girard President Elect Don:
50/50 $23 was won by Sarah Curley. She donated it to Red Ribbon. Announcements:
Sargent At Arms Heather Happy Dollars:
Fines:
Meeting Adjourned. 1:30 |
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Dine to Donate fundraiserDon't forget! This Thursday evening from 5 to 8 pm is our fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse in Scarborough. Whether you dine-in, order take-out or buy a gift card between 5 and 8 pm, the Biddeford Saco Rotary will get 15% of your purchase donated back to us from Texas Roadhouse when you show the attached flyer. Good food, friends and raising money for charitable giving - it’s a trifecta! Thanks to all the raffle/information table volunteers: 5 to 6 pm: Fausto and Morgan 6 to 7 pm: Joe B and Paulette 7 to 8 pm: Susan and Roland Fausto will bring copies of the flyer to the meeting tomorrow or you can show the attached flyer on your phone. It’s that simple! Please join us tomorrow night and let’s raise a bunch of money for our charitable giving. Thank you! Susan
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CLUBRUNNER MOBILEEveryone’s Phone Number at Your Fingertips Have you done the easy ClubRunner download yet? How would you like to have not only your own Rotary Club members contact information but also the entire District at your fingertips? You can and so much more by downloading the new and improved ClubRunner Mobile App. You can also access club and district leadership, stories and events all with just a few clicks. Connecting to them is as easy as clicking on the phone number or email address.You can download it on the AppStore or GooglePlay and be on your way in minutes. Now would also be a good time to make sure that your profile is current, and if you do not have a picture saved, or your birthday listed, considering updating your information now! Reach out and collaborate with other like minded Rotarians from around our district and be the People of Action that your are! Click to: Download on iTunes App Store (free) Click to: Download on Android App Store (free) |
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Week in Review 10/02/2019Our visiting rotarian this week was Peggy Belanger who will be our District Governor for 2020-2021 Peggy Belanger pulled the 50/50 ticket and the winner was…Peggy Bean!
Happy dollars started with Dr Joe giving a happy dollar for getting a prime parking spot out front. Joe M gave a sad dollar for the Journal Tribune paper announcing it will be closing down. A sad day to see a paper that has had such a long run close its doors. Kathy gave a happy dollar simply for just having a good day! She was also grateful to be in such a great group of rotarians. Brian gave a happy dollar because he is gearing up to drive down to Naples for the winter Visitor Peggy gave a happy dollar for having the chance to attend one of our meetings. She also reminded everyone that October is breast cancer awareness month so reminder to all the ladies to get checked. Peggy Bean gave all of her 50/50 winnings back to the club, assuring us she will not starve without it!
Fines! Joe got fined because he offered to do this weeks prayer, then dashed out of the room to visit some friends in the restaurant and completely missed the whole prayer. Fausto got fined for being the cutest man of the day And lastly Julie got fined for messing up last weeks tack.
Some housekeeping notes: Our 100th anniversary celebration will be May 14-17 at Riverwinds Farm & Estate. If anyone is interested in a tour of the facilities reach out to Fausto and he can set something up. We are also going to be making that Saturday’s party into a fundraiser, selling tickets and tables to help raise money for the lub. Sue told the club October 24th we will have a fundraiser going at Texas Roadhouse, all people have to do is print off (or show on their phone) the flyer that is posted on our facebook page and 15% of peoples bill will go towards rotary. With that being said we need some volunteers from 5-8 on that day to help with a table we will have set up outside selling 50/50 tickets and telling people about our club. Run of the mill will also be doing a similar fundraiser for us in November with more details to come.
October 5th is Rotary Rocks event for anyone interested in going.
The presentation today was a little jumbled…since 2 out of the 3 members signed up to talk today didn’t show, I’m sure they will have a fine waiting for them when they get back. The one who did show is our newest member Kaitlyn Tito. She told us about her history of growing up in Maine, then moving to LA, and then returning to Maine about a year ago. She is a real estate agent fo Coldwell Banker and loves being able to help people during a huge decision of buying a house. We learned how Coldwell uses different technologies to find the best houses and she did a lot of research regarding their standards and picked Coldwell because of their high standards of Ethics, which was also a reason why she choose to join Rotary.
After her presentation, Conrad spoke to fill in the spots of those who didn’t show. His presentation I think was just as interesting as everyone thought it would be. I think my favorite part was learning his nickname used to be Radical Rad. Or maybe the backstory between him and Jim Goodbout in the parking lot of a burger king? That sounds like it could be a whole presentation in itself. Conrad is such a people person, and over the years he has learned how small the world truly is with people from his past overlapping into the people from today. Growing up as a German Italian in Boston and both illegal and legally running in the Boston Marathon he has a lot of stories to tell. He wrapped it up with the joy and confidence rotary has brought him in helping him become a better speaker, and the happiness of giving back to the community.
Meeting adjourned at 1:15 |
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Rotary World Polio DayPolio Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated. PolioPlus For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Our PolioPlus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building. Rotary members have contributed $1.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $8 billion to the effort. Polio Today With our partners, we have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 125 countries in 1988 to just 33 cases caused by the wild virus in 2018. Only two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases and create lasting impact in other areas of public health. Challenges Rotary and our partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases is going to take even more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, logistical barriers. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, we are optimistic that we can eliminate polio. Ensuring Success Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding. Rotary in Action More than 1 million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of member’s work with health workers to vaccinate children in countries affected by polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute informational materials for people in areas that are isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. They also mobilize to recruit fellow volunteers, assist in transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support. Celebrity Support Rotary has a growing list of public figures and celebrities who support our fight against polio, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; actor and wrestling superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action-movie star Jackie Chan; actor Donald Sutherland; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angélique Kidjo, and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help Rotary educate the public about the disease and the fight to end polio for good. |
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Week in Review 9/25/2019TACK September 25, 2019 Respectfully submitted by Julie Villemaire President Fausto was MIA so today’s meeting was presided over by President-Elect, Don Pilon. Don started the meeting at approximately 12:17 p.m. Apparently, the presidential gavel was also MIA. It sounded like Don was using a piece of cutlery to ring the bell. Joe Bassett was called upon once again to provide a moving invocation and Jackson Brown showed the crowd that he knew what he was doing when he flawlessly led the 4 Way Test with a strong air of confidence. Vice President, Marty Grohman, introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. We were pleased to have Past District Governor, Dave Underhill, and Jim Far (?-Not sure of his last name-I couldn’t hear very well.) from Kiwanis join us today. The 50/50 Drawing was won by Karen Chasse. The pot reached $22 today! Announcements: Conrad announced that Classification Talks will start next week. Due to the fact that he had zero volunteers, Conrad put everyone’s name into a “baggie” and he pulled 3 out. The lucky winners, or “presenters” for next week, which is actually tomorrow 10/02, are: Kaitlin Tito, Bill Kany and Paul Deschambault. Unfortunately, Paul announced that he will be absent for the next 3 weeks so Conrad had to go back to the baggie. Heather Gendron was the lucky winner this time. Don’t forget to thank Paul, Heather! Each of the presenters will have 10 minutes to talk about themselves or whatever topic they choose. Although the purpose of these classification talks is for the other members of the club to get to know you a little bit better. Just keep in mind that someone, probably not me, will be taking notes for publication so you want to keep it family friendly! Don forgot to call on SAA Heather MacLean so that cost him dearly. Happy Dollars were collected for: Dr. Joe Boyle gave $5 for 5 days of bliss during a solo stay at the Samoset, where he had an incredible room with an excellent view while his 3 step daughters were visiting his wife. PP Joe Moreshead was happy for a Sea Bag at Whimsical ME that Andrea likes. Brian & his wife Debby are celebrating their 15 year wedding anniversary. Mark Nahorney & his wife Valerie celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary at the opera. Julie & her husband Dan are celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary. Jim LaBelle was happy to be the Greeter today. PP Karen Chasse gave a “poor Don” dollar for enduring spending time with her ex-husband while he power washed Don’s house. She also donated back a portion of her 50/50 winnings. Past DG Dave Underhill was happy for his “past” title & happy to give away money as the Global Grant Coordinator. Watch out Lucie Kay, Dave is Roland’s new BFF! PP Roland is happy for Past DG Dave Underhill & future Global Grant opportunities Conrad was happy for having a great Birthday weekend and of course a party. PP Ken Farley was happy he survived “Homecoming Weekend” at Maine Maritime. Fines were collected for: Happy Birthday Jim Godbout! PP Julie for 15 year anniversary in Rotary Mark Nahorney for 4 year anniversary in Rotary Jim LaBelle was hit up for something but I was only able to write his name down before SAA Heather was on to the next victim L I’m sure it was a doozy! PP Keith Jacques and Brenda Pollock were the recipients of the “cute outfit” designation club. SAA Heather named both a male and female recipient because she wanted to be fair to all concerned. Bill Kany was fined for his “look of horror” when Conrad drew his name from the baggie for the official round one of Classification talks. PP Roland was fined for SAA Heather not knowing why he had a “buffalo” in the back of his car. I’m not sure if I heard that one right but it sounds like something Roland would be carrying around with him. Our speaker today was the CEO & Founder of Our Lady of Perpetual Support for People Living with Aids and Orphans (OLPS), Sister Anastasia, also a Rotarian. PP Roland introduced Sister Anastasia. We have done a lot of projects in Kenya & formed a wonderful partnership since the early 2000. Office equipment for her NGO, education sponsorship for orphaned children, support for post- election violence in her community, Microlending program supporting HIV + individuals and our current educational sponsorship of two young girls, Judith and Antoinette. Sister Anastasia said her Tribe wanted to thank Roland and our Club. We have built a strong relationship that was started in Faith and is also built on Trust. In 2001, their priority was having a means to communicate to make their working environment easier. Our club helped provide funding to purchase a computer, printer and fax machine. Sister Anastasia mentioned that there were many “vulnerable kids”. These were high school age kids who were unable to attend school because they couldn’t afford it. We were able to send enough money to support 10 students. One of the students is now working in Chicago. Juliana was born with HIV and is now residing in Boston. She is a champion for kids living with HIV. Another student, Brian, is a land surveyor. One student went into politics. Another student is working with people with HIV & TB & helps with organizing fundraisers. 2007 was the year of the Microlending Project. They received $10k from our Club and another $10k from the District. This program empowered the Women & some men. The men received support from the women. This program allowed the women to have some independence so they did not have to rely on the men for everything. They were able to buy medicine. Sister Anastasia said, “No one beats you because you are able to live on your own.” “Dependency Syndrome”, which used to be, is no longer there. High school is expensive but they were able to go to the bank and borrow money. Sister Anastasia’s Tribe still honors the Bible in that “man is head of the house” but there is a big difference from then and now. December, 2007, election for President was a very tough time. Accepting defeat was not easy. More violence was created because of this. People died. It was hard for people to go out. They started a camp & encouraged other people to join. Our club was able to send some money to help support and feed some of these people. Some were also able to attend school. Sister Anastasia said, “HIV/Aids is the leprosy of my time.” She said it was now harder to contract the disease due to “Prevention Positive”. If I’m positive, I’m not going to spread it. Their bishop is on board with promoting the use of condoms. Sister Anastasia is good at identifying the needs but finance is not her thing. She works with another person who is very good with money and puts it where it needs to go. Two of the students mentioned above, Judith and Antoinette, wanted to send their Thanks and appreciation for the support of our Club. They are very grateful and said, “You have made us what we are today!” Note: The money that we raise with the CLYNK program goes to help support the education for Judith and Antoinette, so drink up and put your empty bottles in the green CLYNK bags earmarked for our Rotary club! If you’d like to learn more about Sister Anastasia and OLPS please visit their website at www.olpskenya.org or you could tap into the knowledge and experience of our own Past President, Roland Gagne. |
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Note From The PublisherTo all Tack note takers, As a favor since I am remotely compiling the tack, please shoot me an e-mail once you have taken the notes. That way I will know who to anticipate sending me the typed up version later on. Please submit your Tack notes to Brian Dallaire at bdallaire@usa.net and with copy to Julie Villemaire at Jvillemaire@maine.rr.com, no later than the Tuesday AM before the next meeting. Thanks Brian |
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Week in Review 9/18/2019Conrad conducted the 4 way test, and Joe Bassett gave the invocation. Visiting Rotarian: Phil Smith, Saco Bay Guests: Todd & Rocco from Charter Oak Financial Don Pilon won the 50-50 and donated it to Red Ribbon Phil from the Saco Bay Rotary would like us all to enter their club’s Duck Pluck raffle Happy dollars:
Happy fines from Sgt at Arms Heather M:
President’s report: -Investment committee meeting follows lunch -Fausto has worked out a proposed deal with Run of the Mill to donate a portion of Tuesday sales to fund a free community Thanksgiving meal -Jim G reports that a portion of the project house is demolished (thanks Sabine) and foundation work is beginning. Watch for an email with more volunteer opportunities. -As the year shapes up, our big projects are the raffle with the $100 tickets, the wine tasting, and the 100th anniversary visit from the Bideford, England club (likely held in May 2020) -There will be an important speaker next week 9/25 which you should not miss, Sister Anastasia from Kenya. Arranged by Roland. We have been funding her work for many years and it will be a nice chance to see the impact of our efforts. Don’t miss it. -In sad news, Harold Boudreau (Company B Fund) passed away. Speaker updates from Conrad: -There will be classification talks on Oct 2 & Oct 30. We need 2-3 Rotarians to volunteer to speak at each. |
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CBC Melissa CilleyGuest speaker: Melissa Cilley from the Community Bicycle Center located at 45 Granite Street in Biddeford gave a talk. The CBC provides mentorship and growth opportunities to more than 700 kids from Biddeford and Saco. Melissa has been the interim Executive Director since last November. The CBC will be changing their name and logo, and will hold a launch party for their rebranding effort on 10/24 at 5PM at Banded Brewing. All are welcome. Please plan to attend. A signature effort of the CBC is the Kids Bike Factory in which the kids in the program work in teams to fix up old bikes and sell them to fund programs. Kids Bike Factory student Kruze spoke of how the CBC had helped him grow and feel more comfortable in groups and around adults. Also, he is considering a career in the trades or possibly engineering because of his experience at CBC. His dad Neil attended as well so that Kruze, who is in 8th grade, could miss school to come speak to us. CBC has their signature fundraising event “Applecycle” on Saturday 10/5. Reegan and Marty are riding. The length is 40 miles, fueled by cider donuts. Register at https://www.communitybike.net/applecycle2019 Kruze’s remarks were moving, and Fausto gave $500 from the President’s Fund to the CBC on the spot, which is entirely grant funded, as all the programs are free for kids. The CBC may also apply to us for further support as they hope to expand the Kids Bike Factory program into more space and to accommodate more students. Pictured: Neil Maynard, Kruze Maynard, Melissa Cilley |
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Week in Review 9/11/2019Bell rang at 12:15 Pledge of Allegiance Susan lead our banner-less 4 way test Paul lead the prayer
Don Pilon announced the handful of guests that attended including a Rotarian from Smokey Hill Colorado; Bev Edwards. Most guests were brought from Roland, Bonita Pothier, Nyles Edwards, Jim Farr, Michelle, and one guess of Heather Grendron; Josh Precourt.
Heather started up with the happy dollars and Jerry was first to talk about new changes coming from the Biddeford School Department and the three pillars the schools are sticking to, 1. They will not be a “one size fits all” and will cater to each students needs 2. They will continue to educate themselves and the community about serving the whole child, keeping in mind things like trauma and substance abuse and the direct relation these things have with the child. 3. They will support all learners, those who struggle as well as those who excel will be taught in a way that fits them best.
On a less serious note, Roland gave what he called a “kiss up dollar” for a raffle he had won and walked away with a product from Whimsical ME, probably hoping he can cash that in as a token when he gets fined in the future.
Visiting Rotarian Bonnie gave a happy dollar, happy to be surrounded by rotarians again.
Regan gave the last happy dollar excited that her new season about to kick off!
Plenty of fines, as always!
Peggy and Mark both paid $1 for having birthdays
Fausto paid $1 for having the shortest presidents message which was the inspiring presidential words of “Have a great day!”
Roland paid $1 for his outfit in the picture posted on facebook which Heather stated was “probably culturally appropriate but still need to pay”
Karen paid $1 for being the cutest dressed for the day
Joe paid a very questionable $1, something about his inappropriate language that had him and heather both sharing shifty eyes so who knows what he said, he stated it was for telling Kaitlyn she looked nice, but Heather quickly argued no no it wasn’t that….
Bill Patterson paid $1 for winning the 50/50
Ken paid $1 for being the last one to arrive
Although Fausto didn’t get fined this week, he got a warning that if he has to sit by himself with all his friends one more time heather will have no choice but to fine him.
Some general housekeeping notes from Fausto: -Rotary Rocks will be held on October 5th for anyone wanting to attend -The Rotary investment committee meeting will be on September 18th -Please send Julie any service hours still floating around -A church program called “In a Pinch” is looking for toiletries. It was suggested that rotarians pick up 2-3 extra toiletries next time they go shopping (Shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc) and bring it to meetings for a hopefully continuous flow of donations from the club -Jim briefly updated us on the progress of the Biddeford rotary house, he let us know the demo permit has been approved and they will start tearing down the back end of the house -Still more detail to come, but this year will be the 100th year anniversary of our club and the Bideford, England Club who will come visit, as well as Rotary’s Bi-Centennial Year. So brainstorming for an amazing party soon will happen!
After lunch we had a great presentation via video chat thanks to Roland. We got to listen to Amanda talk about all the great work Rotary is helping with in Jordan. The grants we have given to help has helped them improve the much needed youth program which impacts 2500 youths. The grant has allowed for them to hire 75 staff members as well as train them to be the best fit. She told us about their “All Star Program” which focuses on vocational trainings to help prepare them for the future, but also makes sure they are educated in English, literature, and basic IT skills. It is always great to hear about how what we are doing is truly making a difference and making the world a better place.
Meeting adjourned at 1:15
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Week in Review 9/4/2019President Elect Don Pilon presided at the meeting in the absence of President Fausto The bell rang at 12:15pm Pledge of Allegiance Prayer: Larry Boyle 4 Way Test: Lucie Kay Visiting Guests: Marty Grohman introduced our guest and announced our meeting location and time of each meeting. Jeremy Ray's daughter Kennedy Ray 50/50 Raffle: Karen Chasse(winner) $24.00 Happy Dollars: Numerous happy people/many happy dollars. Prior to the commencement of lunch Conrad Welzel announced there would be no guest speaker but we would be playing the game "Who Is It". instead. After lunch Conrad explained the objective of "Who Is It" and each table would be a team. The team with the most points at the end of the game was the winner. Everyone was given a piece of paper and was asked to put their name at the top and write one unusual thing about themselves.(and the answer if it was a multiple choice or true false question) Conrad collected all the papers and added additional names to the bottom of each paper. For example; Of the following 3 people which one is younger than Bill Kany? Ken Farley, Roland Gagne or Keith Jacques? Of course Bill struggled accepting the fact this person is younger than him but he did include the correct answer. It was a good game with lots of laughs. Thanks Conrad. Meeting adjourned 1:15pm |
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Week in Review 8:21:19Rotary Tack Notes 8/27/19 from Reegan Hebert Visiting Rotarians- Chris Soulias, visiting from Middletown, CT. Jackson Brown wins the 50/50 Sargent in Arms, Heather M., begins with happy dollars: Brian is going to fine himself because of no lobster bake, Jeremy is happy because school is open!, Brenda is happy that Madison’s last doctor visit went well and she has full mobility of her hand and started school today. Jim is happy to be leaving for vacation tomorrow. Heather M. Then moves on to fines: President Fausto is fined for boxers or briefs, Mark is fined $2for being away on vacation and enjoying anchovies. Gross! Brian is fined for his gracious lead in the 4-way test, Alicia is fined for having a birthday recently in which she argues was over a month ago!, Brian is also fined for being away for so long and Heather shares that she is never able to pay a fine again because she has adopted a very sick German Shepard and the vet bills are costly. Brenda is also fined. President Fausto moves on to housekeeping related topics: Conrad shares that moving forward we will begin to share classifications one time per month. Someone will be reaching out to individuals to schedule these presentations at least one time per month to help us all get to know each other. Fausto took the lead by volunteering to do his during todays meeting. Wine Tasting- save the date for February 8th. We will host at Duffy’s again and the event will run similar to how it did this year. There will be an auction as well. Julie would like members to share volunteer hours as soon as possible for the board meeting next week. Email your hours to Julie! Jim provided updates on the next Rotary House project. Saco River has signed off and we have obtained certification of no Asepsis. Plan to begin demolition soon. President Fausto shared that there is a board meeting next week on Wednesday morning and all are able to attend. He also shared that Karen Chasse is doing well since her recent surgery and is back to work part time. My Place Teen Center is hosting a high end dinner fundraiser at their location in Westbrook. 60 people can attend at $1000 per ticket. United Way of York County has toiletries to donate to organizations that need them. Reegan will make sure Biddeford School Dept and Seeds of Hope in Biddeford get these resources. Fausto shared his compelling story of how he ended up in Maine and a leader in the catering industry. |
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Week in Review 8/21/2019President Fausto opened the meeting with the customary Pledge of Allegiance. Jackson Brown was so good at leading the 4-way test the prior week that Fausto called on him to do the honors this week and he crushed all four of them once again. Joe provided us with a heartfelt invocation. Two guests attended: Conrad's granddaughter Whitney, who wore a striped shirt that was similar to her grandpa's (planned ahead of time?), and Paul, a visiting Rotarian from the Saco Bay Sunset Club. Kaitlyn Tito is a potential new member that Jackson is sponsoring. It was noted that this meeting represented her second posting. If any Rotarian has any comments/objections to the posting they need to reach out to President Fausto as soon as possible. If there aren’t any objections the next step in the process is the “Induction Ceremony”. We were disarmed by the lack of a Sargent at Arms, as both Heather and Heather's designee Sarah were absent (possible self-fine next week?), so Fausto asked who was happy, eliciting the following: * Joe Moreshead was thankful about the successful auction item redemption of a lobster bake with Jim Godbout... he was impressed with Jim's wine selections and had nice things to say about everyone's contributions, especially his own. * Mark Nahorney was happy about his successful singing tour of the Netherlands with wife Valerie. The group performed 5 concerts, saw fantastic sites, and met many people including the Dutch and people from Holland too. It was helpful for Mark that this wasn't a country our President wants to buy currently. * Jim LaBelle was happy to invite all fellow Rotarians to the Chamber of Commerce's annual appreciation event on Thursday, 8/22 at Mechanics Park in Biddeford. * Haley Thompson recently celebrated both her 15th wedding anniversary as well as the birthdays of her sons aged 8 and 10 - a big August. * Bill Patterson was proud to announce that his daughter got married last weekend - a storm passed through just minutes before the event, which was fitting since his daughter married a meteorologist. * Dr. Joe was thankful to be back after a 5-week absence due to what we inferred was excessive demands on his gracious hosting by summer guests. * Fausto shared that Sophia turned 13 recently - the teenager years are marked by grace and gratitude so he should have no problems going forward. * Bill Kany enjoyed working the mini-golf fundraiser with Dr. Joe, and also announced that he recently celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary. * Not to be outdone, Conrad was happy to trump the others by sharing that he recently celebrated his 38th wedding anniversary. * Jeremy was happy that his kids are heading back to school and that daycare bills are a thing of the past. * In addition to winning the 50/50, Morgan Stoner announced that he (well, his wife technically) recently had a baby boy, with a name that makes it likely this child will be famous one day: Vaughan Banks Stoner! * I believe another guy was happy too but I couldn't keep up with all the excitement. The only fine levied was Fausto who gave himself a blanket fine for all past, present and future transgressions on his Facebook account. Our guest speaker was Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck. It was an engaging presentation, with Henry detailing the many responsibilities of his office, including cash management, board participation, trust fund account management, and inviting bond rating flunkies from New York to Maine to be wined and dined on microbrews and lobster rolls so as to maintain our strong credit rating. The state's cash reserves are strong, as are monthly yields on balances in the 2.4% annualized return range. Some of the state's demographic challenges were mentioned, though it was noted that York County and Biddeford in particular are bucking the trend. Henry concluded by reminding everyone about Unclaimed Property that the state is more than happy to return to rightful owners. Marty Grohman indicated that he's got about $25 he's been working to retrieve for a while, good cash for future club fines potentially if he can navigate his claim successfully. Overall, it was an interesting presentation - the club thanked Henry and welcomed him to Biddeford as a recently arrived resident living now in the Pepperell Mill. Meeting adjourned by Fausto. |
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Saco SteamSpeaker Presentation: Conrad W. Introduced the speaker- Tracy, Mike & Matt from the Saco Steam – which stands for Saco Alliance for Science -Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Focusing on K through 8
Spoke about the History of Saco: 21% of Saco residents are >18 31% Free Reduced Lunch 53 English as 2nd Language 17.2 % Use special services
Funding: 15th out of 18th in neighboring counties
Mission Success: 1st 2 years 3 Parts
Successes:
1st Grant : Distributed to CK Burns school $2,500 for Robotic Program Other Grants: Let’s Go Code- Grade 1 & 2 Engineering- Grades 3-5 Ecology- Grade 6 Maine Learning Field Trip Grades 6-8 Mapping- (Camp Ellis) Grade 7
Sponsors: Jim Godbout, Paquin & Carroll Insurance, Saco Biddeford Savings Bank, Peoples Choice Credit Union, etc.
Press: Courier, Tribune & WMTW
Matching Grant Opportunity: Music & Coding Wall at Saco Middle School – Incorporate in cell phones or other technology, Code in Windchimes. In fences with metal of all different sizes. We have ½ the money to fund this project. Funding Levels- Founders Circle $5,000 a year and Innovators Corner $2,500 a year.
501 C Status A Teacher Initiative Project
Saco Steam Open for Grants !!!! Teacher Applications will close November 15. Grants Awarded in the Spring To apply: https://www.sacosteam.org/grant-application/
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Week in Review 8/14/2019Date: Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 Pledge of Allegiance: Lead by President Fausto Pifferrer President Fausto requested a moment of silence in the honor of Bill Kany who recently passed 4 Way Test: Jackson Brown Invocation: Joe Bassett President-Elect Don Pilon: informed us that there were -No visiting Rotarians & Guests 50/50 Drawing: Won by Peggy Bean. Peggy donated $17.00 to the Red Ribbon Sergeant at-Arms- Heather MacLean- ** Happy Dollars: Joe B. – Had a wonderful weekend. Ron D.- Happy that he felt well enough to be with us. Paul D.- Donated $5.00. Excited for this weekend -- he will be attending his 50th Class Reunion. President Fausto- Had a stressful weekend. He is happy it is over. ** Fines: Joe M.- Fined for taking his wife out on a date – Brought Andrea to Rotary- ( She does not like the Rotary) . At Bill K. funeral he bumped his head so he was fined for not paying attention. Sara B.-Fined because her birthday is this month. President Fausto- For exercising and building up his muscles. Julie V.- Paid $1.00 for several missing badges at today’s meeting. Announcements: Golf for Good Event: President- Elect Don Pilon spoke about the Golf for Good Fundraiser held on August 3 & 4th, at Schooners, Martels and Pirates Cove. A very successful event. Raised $9,200.00. He thanked all the Committee members, Sponsors and Volunteers for their help in making the event successful. Charitable Fund: Denis E. Spoke about the individual in need of $700 to be able to maintain his rent. The request was approved and money was distributed. Two other requests that were approved.
Sweetser: In need of volunteers for grilling for an event on September 8th – Cycle or Stroll for Suicide Prevention. Anyone interested, please call Sara at (207) 294-4482 or email stowle@sweetser.org St. Andre’s-My Place Teen Center: Jim G. who is involved in this project expressed that there is going to be a lot of work available to be done in the very near future. This will be a club project. Get Well Card: President Fausto announced that Karen C. is recovering very well after her surgery. A Get Well Card is being circulated for Rotary members to sign and send good wishes her way. New Menu: This week, we had a few new menu options – half sandwich/half soup, two hot dogs with fries, etc. |
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Week in Review 7/31/2019President Fausto Pifferrer led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test somewhat led by PP Joe Moreshead. Paul Deschambault led us in the invocation and Vice President Don Pilon announced we had no guests. The 50/50 was won by Jackson Brown for the second week in a row (it comes in threes!) but it was only $23 so he probably won’t get too far on buying much with those winnings. PP Bill Kany presented Paulette Bonneau with a Paul Harris Award. Although her attendance is not 100% - her giving nature and love for our community is. Bill stated in his presentation that “while there are many members of our club who unfortunately neither have the time nor the commitment to do what it takes to support the efforts of our club, there are many members who quietly do what it takes event after event to make sure that what we undertake is successful. Some of those hardworking people have schedules that simply do not allow them to come to meetings on a regular basis but when Rotary really counts they are there to support each and every event. This recipient is one of those quiet doers who also is our invaluable connection to the Center of Technology and the programs at the COT that we support.” We are very fortunate to have someone like Paulette in our club. Happy Dollars & Fines – SAA Heather accepted happy dollars and handed out the following fines: · Joe – Was thrilled the meeting boasted two more “lovelies” (as Richard J. Martin often referred to the woman of Rotary) than men. SAA Heather quickly reminded Fossil Kany that us women are taking over and then fined Joe for his terrible leadership skills in announcing the 4-way test. · Ken – Climbed Mount Katahdin this past weekend and it was amazing views. · Julie – Happy that Karen Gendron (aka Heather Gendron and Karen Chasse) took the TACK notes the last two meetings. It appears we tied the knot this past weekend in Mount Katahdin with Ken as our witness. President Fausto was happy we finally came out of the closet to join him. · President Fausto – He appeared to have a great week on Facebook, was showcasing his ginormous thighs this week thanks to the heat, and for not informing his partner that he cannot pull off the same look as himself. · Sarah – Should be happy that she has a new fluffy German shepherd puppy · Jackson – For his 50/50 winnings but more importantly, he received homemade cookies and then others in the club wondered why he was so special and why couldn’t they have cookies too. · Bill K – Looking a bit casual for a large bank lawyer in his golf outfit · Paulette – Poor Bill had to carry her Paul Harris award around for a month and be prepared to speak at a moment’s notice each week in hopes she would be able to attend a weekly meeting · Haley – Super cute dress that SAA Heather wanted to buy for $1 · Lucie – She showcased a photo in the TJ Maxx parking lot in which an SUV with the plate “KANY” was in the handicap space but half way on the grass island. She immediately sent it to Bill and told him nice parking job and he replied, “It’s my Mom!” Way to throw your Mom under the bus for your bad parking skills Bill! Dates to Know/Announcements: · Golf for Good: August 3 and 4 – all day at Schooners, Martels and Pirates Cove. We have 57 Hole Sponsors with RP Bell being a major sponsor at Schooners. We currently only have 12 Rotarians out of 65 signed up to help sell 50/50 tickets! We need to staff these sales because it is an easy way to boost this fundraiser and make easy money. The facilities will also contribute $1 for every game played by patrons. PLEASE HELP!!! · New Menu: Next week we will have new menu options, such as burgers, chicken salad, half sandwich/half soup, etc. You have spoken and President Fausto is listening. · Board Meeting: The Board Meeting this month is not on the first Wednesday. It will be held on August 7th at 7:45am at P&C Insurance in Biddeford. All are welcome to attend. · Annual Kinney Shores Black Party to support Red Ribbon Committee: Jim thanked Joe M. and Bill P. for coming out on the hottest day of the summer to help with this event which raised over $2,000 for Red Ribbon. · Rotary House: Jim announced he is waiting for the final judgement from Keith prior to the teardown of the back in the near future. The plans have been approved by the Code Enforcement Office and construction should start this Fall. He thanked a local architect for donating her time and alerted Paulette that the COT students can continue working on the on-site house that will be moved as we work on this one. He will look into using the COT students for plumbing and heating and look into if electrical kids can assist. · My Place Teen Center: Jim is also involved in this project (I’m sure you are not surprised!). He stated that Biddeford Housing Authority will cover the majority of the renovation costs and the kitchen should be covered by the club’s $25K commitment and other local donors. There are 30 sets of pews that will need to be removed so labor will come up as a club project but he would like to keep some for the dining room to preserve history and Fausto mentioned connecting with rental companies as they would potentially purchase them for use at events. There was no scheduled speaker this week so we were able to leave after lunch and good conversation. |
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Red Ribbon Committee at Kinney ShoresWhat a beautiful afternoon at Kinney Shores on Sunday. Bill Paterson and I helped Jim Godbout’s Kinney Shores annual summer fling and fund raiser for the Red Ribbon Committee. Bill and I were tasked with running the dunk tank. I got a little wet because I was the guy fixing the bench for the kids to sit on. Bill got soaked with sweat keeping kids in line and handing them the balls to throw. Gotta say- these were some good kids- kudos to their parents. Not sure how much money got raised but , I did see a few guys walk up to Jim and hand him a check. Jim’s wife Lynne was selling T-shirts. I should have bought one they were really nice. Jim’s street was closed to traffic so that ping pong tables could be set up for a tournament in the middle of the street. There were a bunch of games set up for kids as well. A ton of food including pulled pork, hot dogs, chicken, Jim’s favorite Kale salad- ( who eats that stuff besides Jim ) and a bunch of other choices. We as Rotarians and citizens owe Jim and Lynne a big thanks for opening up their home and hearts to address a problem that is the scourge of everybody’s community- the opioid problem. So Jim owns a dunk tank- I say we have a meeting- bring your bathing suits and we have a dunk tank meeting- how much money could we raise at lunch dunking guys like so and so …….. I’ll let you fill in the blank. I know I would throw some money at that!! Respectfully Joe Moreshead Dunk Tank Operator |
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Rotary Rocks |
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Week in Review 7/24/2019Pledge of Allegiance: Lead by President Fausto Pifferrer 4 Way Test: Jim McAllister Invocation: Lucie Kay President-Elect Don Pilon Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Visiting Rotarians; Andy Glazier (Rotary District Governor) and his wife Pam Gray, guest Kaitlin Tito 50/50 Drawing: Jackson Brown $$ Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Heather MacLean Happy Dollars: Kristen Lane’s daughter made $43 on her lemonade stand, Mark Nahorney happy about the now playing musical within a comedy, called The Drowsy Chaperone at the Biddeford City Theater, playing through August 4th, CJ Cote happy her recent surgery for her carpal tunnel was a success, Matt Simmons happy his son made the Travel Elite Baseball team this summer, Bill Kany celebrating the “good ole days” when there was no women in the club (Yup, he pays for that one!), Conrad going on vacation and Fausto so happy to visit with mom and received yet another award at the International Caters Award ceremony for being so awesome and 3 major events one weekend and was successful! Heather Fines: Bill paid for being a “fossil” for his comment, Fausto for going on vacation and not sharing any fun photos on social media, Jim LaBelle for not helping Heather M. out at the beach when it was needed and for your phone going off during the meeting, Karen for having too much fun this weekend with her girlfriends, Conrad for not inviting Heather to yet another party he hosted, Don Pilon for being “sassy”, Kristen Lane fined for being gorgeous, Ray Demers for a perfect goatee and Marty Grohman for being last one in! Speaker Presentation: District Governor Andy Glazier. Starting the presentation with thanking all Rotarians for stepping up in club roles; committees, board, fundraisers, past or present. He shared that he loves the weekly newsletters (tack) that he gets to read from our club weekly, makes him feel like he is at the meetings with us. He continued to share that he is thoroughly impressed with this clubs enthusiasm, he feels it is the most enthusiastic clubs he has ever attended! Please consider attending “Rotary Rocks”, a one day hosted by the Rotary District 7780 Grow Rotary Team, Featuring the projects of the Rotary Clubs of Southern Maine and Coastal New Hampshire. Open to the public, open to all current Rotarians and future Rotarians, Saturday, October 5, 2019, 9am – 4pm at the Abramson Community Education Center, USM, 88 Bedford Street, Portland, ME. FMI: www.rotaryrocks.info |
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Rotary Foundation in ActionLatest Global Grant Approval For your consideration - at your next club meeting contribute a happy dollar to celebrate our latest approved Global Grant and remind your members of the good use to which their contributions are put. The small city of Petrich is located in southwestern Bulgaria, near the border with Greece. It's lone hospital has grossly inadequate and old maternal health equipment which results in many women with complicated or difficult pregnancies travel to distant cities for services. A real problem for women of limited financial means. The Grant, approved last month, will provide new and up-to-date neonatal care equipment allowing early diagnosis of possible complications and effective treatment and provide training for staff. As you know, Maternal and Child Health is one of Rotary's Six Areas of Focus. The grant totals $72,273. Six District 7780 clubs contributed (Portsmouth, Saco Bay Sunset, Sanford-Springvale, South Berwick-Eliot, South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, and Yarmouth), and the District put in $7,714 in DDF. This grant is a direct consequence of the International Outreach exchange we had with Bulgaria in 2014-15. One of the Bulgarians who visited us on the exchange and hosted our team that went there is now District Governor in Bulgaria and reached out to us. It is very important that Rotarians know about how their money is being spent and this is another great example to remind them. Lawrence Furbish District 7780 Foundation Committee Chair |
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e-Tack 7/17/2019President-Elect Don Pilon chaired the meeting Paul Deschambault lead those in attendance in the Four Way Test Joe Bassett gave the invocation There were no guests 50/50 was a whooping $14 and won by Alicia Girard
Announcements: -Don sent around a Thank You card from Thornton Academy
-Jim Godbout spoke about his presentation oat RYLA
-Don then gave an update on the Mini-Golf Tournament August 3 & 4: Need more sponsors We have 4 $1000 sponsors Need more $100 hole sponsors Need more volunteers for 3 hours blocks of time during the 2 days May not be using Aquaboggon because it is not the destination for mini-golf that Martels, Pirates Cove and Schooner are
-Sweetser is seeking help with their Suicide Prevention cycle/stroll/walk on 9/8/2019 – contact Don Pilon
-Bill Paterson represented our club at the Governor's Opiate Summit
-Jim Godbout passed around the preliminary plans for the new house to be renovated/rebuilt on Main Street (with river views.) It is almost to begin.
Sargent at Arms: Heather McClean Happy dollars and fines!
Presentation United Way York County Office Sarah Hoover & Reegan Hebert
Tools4School Program Backpacks and supplies for school children in the area Plans are to distribute over 1000 backpacks with supplies Has been well received in previous years Donations of backpacks and supplies are made but they needed additional financial assistance Questions and answers I wanted to thank you and the whole Rotary club for giving me the opportunity to speak last Wednesday. It was wonderful to meet you all and learn more about the work your Rotary club accomplishes in our community. I wanted to send over digital copies of our registration form and supply list, as well as the link below to apply for backpacks online. Registration Link: https://www.buildcommunity.org/application-backpack-request Wishing you a wonderful Monday! Best, Sarah Sarah Hoover Community Impact Project Manager United Way of York County Office Ph: 207-985-3359 Fax: 207-985-3564 36 Water Street, PO Box 727 Kennebunk, Maine 04043-0727 Meeting adjourned
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Rotary Mini Golf Fundraiser- Hole Sponsors Needed ASAP!
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West Brook Skating RinkMarty gave us a presentation about the West Brook Skating Rink. Here is a story from the Journal Tribute from January 2018. BIDDEFORD — West Brook Skating rink will not open this skating season, but those involved with the rink say they’re looking to opening again next year — and celebrate its centennial. “I am very disappointed that we were unable to open the rink,” said Dave Gagnon, president, Friends of West Brook Skating Rink in a news release. “The rink depends on an army of volunteers to get it up and running and maintained throughout the season, and we simply were unable to accomplish everything we needed to do before the cold weather set in.” Early in December, Friends of West Brook Skating Rink asked the public’s help in preparing the rink for opening day, but Gagnon said the early snow and cold weather inhibited the rink’s volunteers from completing all improvements that were needed. About a dozen people turned out to help mow, chop and rake cattails from the rink area at West Brook — some more than six feet high — to try and get the rink in shape during a Saturday in December. They wanted to be able to lace up their skates and glide across the ice just as Biddeford folks have been doing at West Brook Skating Rink for nearly 100 years. “We will resume our efforts as soon as the snow and ice thaws in the spring,” said Gagnon. “With any luck, we will continue to have support from the greater Biddeford community and will have the rink in better shape for its 100 year anniversary.” The rink opened in 1921. The walls of the concession stand and skate rental shop — a converted house that could also use some work, volunteers say — show old photos and old newspaper clippings of past skaters and winning hockey teams, like the 1933 West Brook Athletic Club Hockey Team. The Friends of West Brook Skating Rink in December had approached Mayor Alan Casavant to see if there was anything the city could to do assist this year — the city owns the property. Casavant on Tuesday said there had been no money budgeted for the rink, the council had not discussed the matter and the Friends had not made a presentation to them. He said it is his understanding that there are structural issues with the dam and that some permits the city had helped attain to make repairs about four years ago had expired and must be sought again before work can be done. As to whether the city can help in the future, Casavant said it depends on costs and other factors. “It is really difficult to look at future budgeting because there are so many pressing needs,” said Casavant. “It depends on the cost, what it would take, and with one rink in the city already … if the cost is going to be expensive, to expend a lot of money for that for a number of days in a year creates a problem.” Friends of West Brook Skating Rink is looking to form a 501 (c)(3) to help raise funds for the rink’s needed improvements. Volunteers will also turn to the community again in the spring and summer months for help with clean up and construction at the rink, Gagnon said in a statement. Gagnon said West Brook Skating Rink will celebrate its centennial year during the 2018 – 2019 season. The rink is a community gem and we plan to keep it alive for more generations to enjoy,” said Gagnon. “I understand many will be disappointed with our decision, but I can assure you we are working hard to build a better rink. We need volunteers and I hope many will be willing to lend us a hand in the new year.” — Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 ortwells@journaltribune.com. |
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Mini Golf Fundraiser |
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2018-2019 RI Foundation CampaignOn behalf of the Rotary International Foundation, I would like to thank all of you that have contributed to the Annual-Share Fund. President Joe's goal 0f $7,000 has been far exceeded! This year, 57 members contributed as follows: Annual Fund $10,198.19; Polio Plus $1,008 for a total of $11,206. This represents 145% of goal! All time giving by our club amounts to an impressive $261,316. Membership recognition for contributions break down as follows: Category Number of Members Total Rotary Foundation Giving(TRF) of $25 or more 36 Every Rotary Every Year (EREY) of $25 or more 36 Sustaining Members of $100 or more 30 New Paul Harris Eligible (Each $1,000) 3 The average TRF Giving was $157.83 and Annual Fund per Capita $143.64. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities.
Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more.
Thank you again. Brian Dallaire BS Rotary Foundation Chair
4 Star Charity (highest Level)
92% of funds are spent on programs and operations
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Global Grant Update May 2019 |
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President's Inaugural SpeechDon’t let this suit throw you off – I’m still the same fun Fausto – but I am doing an experiment to see if you will give me the same respect as Mr. Kany if I dress like him. I have come a long way from growing up in a very poor neighborhood. I learned really quick that you can beg, borrow or steal—or work really hard—to succeed in life. For this Rotary year, I am pulling from my experience and have settled on the tactic of borrowing from the many wise Presidents before me to ensure success. Of course, this does not rule out the need to beg on occasion so I hope you will all indulge me when it comes to that. To kick-off my year, I will emulate Past President Roland Gagne by giving you all a glimpse into what it is like to have me as your new President. Then suddenly in August, I will disappear and my fellow Leadership will reign over you in my absence. No, I am not going to another country like Roland opted to do but rather making dreams come true for 10 lucky couples – five of whom, according to divorce statistics, may look back and regret this August. From Ken, I am going to see if he would like to join me in keeping the speedo alive. No? Well, it was worth the ask. Do you remember Ken videotaping every meeting? Yet, none of us have ever seen them so we are all wondering if he forget to press play? From Bill, I will borrow the key to the bank so I don’t have to keep going to Lucie for loans. I know you’re all surprised I’m switching sides. I’d like to take a moment just to thank Bill for kicking-off my award-winning with my cherished Paul Harris Fellow. Since that confident boost, I have managed to reinforce my office wall with 25 plaques. I hope one day to have the medallion to go with the award. From Lucie, I will borrow the enthusiasm and strong desire to be in the community working on projects. As much as Jackson and I (Jackson more…) appreciated her free entertainment of UNE college girls undressing on the way back to our cars from the Fireside Chat, I will opt for more appropriate behavior my year. In all honestly, one of the things I admire most about Lucie is her ability to laugh at herself. I plan to continue that legacy. From Jackson, I won’t need to borrow anything because it is obvious we are both cursed with the same attractive qualities that catapulted our success. Comparative to the magic of Mary Poppins when the messy bedroom suddenly becomes tidy, I believe you will all magically want to plan and participate in the many service projects about to unfold. From Joe, I will borrow the focus on service hours over meeting attendance. As a small business owner, I know work has to come first in order to be able to serve Rotary so if you can’t make a Wednesday meeting—serve! Yes, we get a lot out of the fellowship and forming of friendships while we talk at lunchtime but we get even more when we gather for service projects. Read the Tack and emails. Be aware of projects coming up and give an hour or two. Bring your family and friends. Just get involved and keep track of your service hours. This is far more important to me and the club than breaking bread together. And, yes, I have some ideas of my own. After all, I am not like anyone else in this club, right?
I also want to increase membership and awareness of our good work in the community. I’d like to bring back Fireside chats and mentors so new Rotarians feel engaged and involved but we also need to prove that service organizations are not dead yet! It is important to expose the younger generation to the selfless feeling volunteering can provide them—through family-friendly service projects, working with the schools on projects or strengthening our connection with Interact and Rotaract students. I’m keeping committee assignments as they’ve been the last two years unless you speak up (thanks Conrad, Heather, Bill and more). If you’re not sure what committees you’re on, just assume all of them. No really, if you want to be involved, just speak up or stay after a club meeting when they gather and be part of it. Anyone can jump in and be on any committee they want—PLEASE JUST SERVE! In closing, my ultimate goal is to BE IMPACTFUL! Rotary has most definitely had an impact on my life—through friendships I’ve made and service we’ve done together. I want each of us to walk away from my year as President feeling like we made a significant impact on individuals, our community and the world. We will all be better for reaching that goal together. Thank you for entrusting me as your next President. |
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Week in Review 7/3/2019Hey, I just left my position as president and now I am writing the Tack. So our new President Fausto started his day at the BOD meeting. Not to be outdone by any of his predecessors he presented all of us with our very own 3 ring binder so we can keep all things Rotary in our notebooks. I must admit it was a nice touch. Too bad there were only 4 of us at his first meeting. As a result no actions were taken. Fast forward to lunch….. The meeting was promptly started at 12:15. Ron Drouin insisted that we de-bell Fausto’s first bell ringing. So I got a towel from Bee, the hostess and gave it to Karen. She took the bell and stuffed it. Poor Fausto had that deer in the headlight look not knowing what happened to his bell. Fausto gave his Inaugural Speech. Fausto then introduced his SAG, Heather Maclean. She quickly cleaned up with happy dollars from just about the 21 people at the meeting. Joe Boyle is always happy, Bill Kany know has a legit pill pusher in his family. Dr. Erin Kany received some license or something to push pills, while young Andy Kany turned 30- man the time is flying. Jeremy Ray celebrated his 12 years of wedded bliss with a buck. Of course Fausto was happy a few times. Joe Bassett’s son Joe hiked all of the presidents while he was here visiting his dad. Our visiting Rotarian Jim ??? from Connecticut won the 50/50 and was so happy that he donated it back to the club. There were too many happy dollars to continue on here suffice it to say that Heather is already on track to exceed her budgeted goal and she hasn’t even started her fines yet. Nobody was safe from her ability to separate people from their dollars. Don Pilon had a Mini Golf Fund Raiser meeting. We have 5 courses and opportunities for course sponsorship at $1,000.00, we have 3 left. We also have 90 holes with a $100.00 sponsorship level. WE have sold over 20 holes at this point. We need all the club members to help find additional hole sponsors. The event is scheduled for August 3 and 4th so we need sponsorships within the next week or so, so we have time to make signs, etc. We are going to need folks to also be at the courses in 3 hours shifts. I have already signed up for August 3rd with my wife Andrea. This is a good event for service work. This is also going to be one of our largest fund raisers of the year so we really need your commitment. Yours in Rotary, Joe Moreshead PP |
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2019-2020 Tack and web Advertising availableAds space is available in the Tack & eTack newsletters. Also included is ad placement on the website. Rates are $100 for 1 year. Please contact the webmaster, Brian Dallaire for more info. Thanks! Our goal is to have 7 to fund the expense for ClubRunner.
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Front Desk Duty RosterMarch 4: Heather M and Kathy Shea March 11: Heather M and Jim L March 18: Heather M and Haley Thompson March 25: Heather M and Conrad April 1: Joe B and Morgan |
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Week in Review 6/26/2019Presidential 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. Thornton Academy, founded in 1811, is a co-educational, private boarding and day school serving grades 6 through 12 in beautiful Saco, Maine. 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:
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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James Visits Oceanside, CA RCPP MIKE CURTIN introduced visiting Rotarian JAMES AUDIFFRED who is a two-time Paul Harris Fellow from Biddeford Saco Rotary club in Maine. He was out visiting a new granddaughter in Oceanside. |
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Paul Harris Fellows 2019The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more. Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more. Rotary established the recognition in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. Paul Harris Fellow recognition is given to anyone who contributes (or in whose name is contributed, using Foundation recognition points) a gift of $1,000 or more cumulatively to the Annual Fund, the Polio Plus Fund, or an approved global grant. Each year the club awards Paul Harris Fellows to a few club members who have made significant contributions of effort by donating $1,000 points in their names. This years meritorious Paul Harris Fellow are awarded to Mark Nahorney and Bill Paterson. Each recipient is presented with a Paul Harris Fellow certificate and pin. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world. Our missionThe mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. What impact can one donation have?
Thanks for all you do. Brian Dallaire Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Foundation Chair |
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Rotary Awards 2019First, thanks to all the club members who did show up for the meeting and stayed. It was a very crowded room and an even more crowded parking lot (Keith Jacques didn’t even come in because he could not find a place to park and Haley Thompson parked at the train station). Clearly, the good crowd and the warm applause after each award made the recipients feel appreciated. Second, thank you again for all of your thoughtful nominations (except one of Heather’s which will never fly). Finally, thanks to all of the people who fibbed to get our recipients there. The winner of our Private Sector Award, past club member, Tammy Ackerman, thought she was the speaker for the day and even brought her laptop and set up the projector and screen (never play poker with Conrad). The Public Sector award winner, Martha Jacques from Biddeford’s Alternative Pathways Center, thought she was speaking (thank you Karen, you liar). I called Elaine Fournier, our Humanitarian Award winner, and told her we were giving Open Hands Open Heart an award and she thought we were giving them money and I did little to dissuade that impression (hell, it comes natural to me, I’m a lawyer). Finally, Jeremy Ray received the Vocational Service Award and Jeremy came and stayed with his young son (no daycare) because Karen told him Martha was getting an award. Oh my God, the truth! Tammy was surprised. Martha was very appreciative and indicated that when she graduated from high school one of her goals was to receive a Rotary Service Above Self Award because I think her grandfather was a long time Rotarian. We were happy to make that goal come true though in reality Martha herself made it come true. Elaine was thankful but made sure to thank her volunteers who prefer to stay well out of the limelight. Finally, Jeremy thanked us and invited everyone to come and check out the improvements being made at the COT. I also had the privilege and honor to give Ron Drouin the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award which was a bit difficult for me and chocked me up. Ron is a true gentleman who has done so much for Rotary and our club. His work as District Governor was tireless and Ron truly deserves our respect and our incredible appreciation for all that he has done. We also gave Paul Harris Awards to Mark Nahorney and Bill Paterson. Both work hard for our club and are very deserving. President Joe then gave out his Presidential Awards to Heather MacLean for consistently working check in every week, filling in as sergeant at arms and for the wine tasting event to just name a few of her contributions to the club. Joe also gave a Presidential Award to Karen Chasse. Trust me, Karen is like an iceberg. You only see the tip of what she does for the club. Because Joe had Julie order the awards he got flowers for Julie instead of a plaque. Joe, did it every dawn on you that I was ordering awards too? Joe then thanked Heather for helping him pick out tokens of his appreciation for each of his Board members which was a classy gesture. Finally, Joe named Conrad as Rotarian of the Year. While it is absolutely true that Conrad did a great job coordinating programs (he was either related to, sleeping with or worked with most of them), the fact is that Conrad is the consummate hardworking, can do, volunteer who makes our club what it is and we all owe Conrad a huge thank you. Rotarian of the Year was well-deserved recognition for all that Conrad does. ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR- Conrad W Again, thank you all for helping make awards day a success including getting all but one of our recipients to the meeting. As I stated earlier, below is my awards presentation, though I have to chuckle because I suspect the only people who read the Tack are the people who were at the meeting anyway. Each year we give out our Public, Private, Humanitarian and Vocational Service awards either to club members or to individuals or organizations outside the club whose acts of kindness, generosity and caring help to make our communities and the world a little better. Year in and year out I can assure you that most of our recipients have not been people looking for recognition, and in fact, most of them would prefer to keep doing what they do outside of the limelight. Our club, however, feels that our award recipients deserve a resounding thank you for their good works and it is our hope that by acknowledging the wonderful things these folks do we will inspire others to get involved. PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment usually in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, outside of his or her employment. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. Past Winners 2014 Leo P. Menard, Jr. 2015 Leon Chick 2016 Andy Greif 2017 The Esther Residence 2018 Laurie Bruce The revitalization of a downtown is not inevitable. It only occurs if a number of factors come together to create a new pride and a renewed energy. In the case of Biddeford we had the removal of MERC, the acquisition and development of the mills, a renewed commitment to City Theater and a number of other factors that led to vast improvements to the downtown. In the midst of all of that were the Heart of Biddeford and Engine, serving as catalysts to all of the change. Whether it was raising money to encourage downtown improvements or sponsoring increased pride in the revitalization efforts or promoting and cultivating a new interest in the creative community which is itself helping to revitalize downtown Biddeford, the Heart of Biddeford and Engine were and are at the core of a transformation. Those efforts were not accidental and instead came through the vision and commitment of a number of individuals led in large part by this year’s private sector award winner. This individual is a shining example of someone with the vision to see how creating collaborations and funneling varying degrees of energy can truly be transformative. We are pleased to recognize those efforts by giving this year's Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Private Sector Award to Tammy Ackerman. PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. Past Winners 2014 Carlton D. Pendleton 2015 Michael Tremblay 2016 Alan Casavant 2017 Bill Paterson 2018 Chief Robert MacKenzie It is so easy to focus our attention on student athletes, outstanding academic students who are off to prestigious post-secondary schools, or young people whose community efforts help to improve the lives of others. By doing so it is also easy to forget the students who struggle for a variety of reasons including homelessness, abusive families substance misuse or bullying to name a few. The fact is that all students deserve our attention, support and encouragement to enable them to achieve what they want in this world. This year's Public Sector Award winner is a person who strives every day to make a huge difference in the lives of students who have significant real life challenges. The person who nominated this person stated: “She helps these students build resilience and cope with significant issues no child should have to overcome – homelessness, anxiety, mental illness and more.” However, the words of the students are a better tribute: [She] is probably the most genuine person I have ever met. No one at the Alternative Pathways Center will tell you differently. Her heart is so full of love for each and everyone one of us.” “If it wasn’t for [her] I wouldn’t be graduating.” “[She] really cares about her students like no other teacher I have had in the past. She is one of the major factors why I enjoy coming to school. She always makes sure we are okay and it feels really good. I’m going to miss her so much when I graduate!” The results of such caring and thoughtful efforts can be measured. School attendance of students in Biddeford’s Alternative Pathways Center increased 27% to an almost 89% rate this year. Students who previously dropped out have come back to school. The person who nominated this recipient said that she does all of this without reward, but I suspect that every student who stays in school and graduates is her reward. That fact is that we desperately need more such inspirational mentors and educators and this year’s Public Sector Award winner is a shining example of what caring and dedication can do. This year's deserving recipient of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club's Public Sector Award is the Director of Biddeford’s Alternative Pathways Center, Martha Jacques. HUMANITARIAN AWARD The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. Past Winners 2014 Paul Deschambault 2015 Dennis P. Robillard 2016 James Godbout 2017 Jim McAllister 2018 Reverend Shirley Bowen It is fairly common to hear: “But what can I do, I am only one person and the need is so immense.” Well, thank goodness not all people feel that way and thank goodness for people like this year’s Humanitarian Award winner who clearly knows that one person can make a difference. The reality is that many of the world’s problems are huge, but if we all take the position that problems are too big so why even bother, we will never start to address those problems little by little. This year’s honoree is an individual who recognized a significant need in our communities and decided to do something about it. She saw that many children simply don’t have the clothing they need for living in Maine. She started by working with the Saco Food Pantry to distribute clothing and now, with the help of the local Rotary Clubs, her organization has its own home adjacent to the Saco Food Pantry. The organization is Open Hands Open Heart and it was the vision of and sustained by the efforts of this year’s winner whose can do attitude is helping cloth infants through teenagers in York County. She is living evidence that one person can make a huge difference. In recognition of her vision and leadership for and her dedication to Open Hands Open Heart the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club is proud to give year's Humanitarian Award to Elaine Fournier. VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. Past Winners 2014 Marcel Bertrand 2015 Kenneth Crepeau 2016 Thornton Academy 2017 Biddeford City Council 2018 Kristy Kendrick I think we can all agree that the need for vocational education is as great as it has ever been. The demand for the trades is growing yearly and it finally seems that secondary schools are recognizing that the pursuit of four year post-secondary degrees is not for everyone. All we need to do is look at the exploding student debt associated with sometimes questionable educations while the demand for good paying skilled jobs is ever increasing, and we all know that technical education is simply becoming more and more important. While we can all agree with those facts, vocational programs and opportunities for our students have to come from the people in a position to both recognize the need and to do something to address the need. They have to find the money and they have to be willing to be creative and not just accept the status quo. Getting permission to allow students to work on our off campus Rotary house was not a given. In fact, convincing the City Council to convey the house to our Club was not a given. While we can all agree that the Main Street Rotary house was a huge success, it took people with clout to make that happen and at least one person had to stick his neck out to make all the pieces come together. This year’s vocational award recipient is someone who time and time again has demonstrated an uncharacteristic willingness to think creatively to make things happen with the vocational curriculum or even in doing such things as figuring out how to fund significant improvements to Waterhouse Field. He is the kind of leader we must thank because he does not just see a need, he also tries to figure out how to address it. This year’s Vocational Service Award goes to Biddeford School Superintendent, Jeremy Ray. GOODWIN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Back in 2007 our Club decided to honor all of the dedication and contributions of Carl and Earl Goodwin by creating an award in their honor. In my opinion it is truly the highest honor our club can give to one of its past or present members. Read names of Past Winners 2014 Julie Villemaire 2015 Jim McAllister 2016 Paul H. Deschambault 2017 Karen Chasse 2018 Jim Godbout Sometimes it is difficult to admit when you have screwed up, but in this case it is easy. As many of you know I have been the Chair of the Awards Committee for a long time, long before the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award was created. In all that time there was an individual in this club who truly should have received this award probably right after Carl and Earl. This club member is someone who has lived Rotary every day of this person’s existence and has poured his heart and soul into Rotary and all that it stands for. This person is the Rotarians Rotarian who has led with conviction and grace for a very long time. It is with my deepest apologies that this has been so long in coming, and it is my humble honor to give this year’s Goodwin Outstanding Service Award to Past District Governor Ronald Drouin. |
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Week in Review 6/19/2019Our 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:
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. |
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Annual Rotary Awards DayClub Members: This is a friendly reminder that this Wednesday (June 19) is our annual awards day during which we get to acknowledge the community contributions of people in and out of our club and President Joe gets to thank some members in the club for their efforts this year. Please make every effort to attend the meeting if you can so we can thank the people who do so much to help our area or who make our club so strong. Thanks Bill |
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Annual Presidents DayOur June 12, 2019 meeting was our Past Presidents’ day meeting which is always a fun meeting even with a minimalistic program as our host, Keith Jacques, called it. More on that later. We met outside under the awning which is always interesting because there are people eating all around you. I feel like I am an exhibit at the zoo. One of the other diners tried to feed Lucie so we had to put up a sign that said “Please do not feed the Past Presidents”. President Joe did not even mention he only has two meetings left. Being outside must have thrown him off his game a little. He did introduce Mark Nahorney to lead us in the 4 way test. Several of the diners on the perimeter appeared to join us and quite frankly did a better job than Mark who seemed to be sporting a new hairdo or perhaps a comb touched his hair for the first time in several years. In any event, Mark clearly forgot most of his lines (there was not 4 Way Test banner out on the patio) so he had to fall back on his improv training and his first grade counting skills both of which seemed a bit rusty. Joe Bassett led our invocation and he appeared to ask God to bless the Past Presidents which seemed to be a significant request given the past transgressions of some of us. President Joe did introduce visiting Rotarians and guests other than our past presidents and their spouses. Our visitors were Andy and Justine Grief visiting us from the southwest. It was great to see them. Andy has not changed a bit and has come out of retirement to again work with kids, this time helping kids dealing with tragedies. You have to keep doing what you love for as long as you can. Andy said his Rotary Club in the southwest had no Sergeant at Arms (huh, maybe Simmons is a member of that club too) and no Tack so he has to live vicariously through ours. President Joe announced that it was the birthday of the Run of the Mill hostess, Bee, Bea or B or some derivation of “B” so we violated copyright law and sang happy birthday to her. Not sure what “B” stands for (any guesses?). President Joe welcomed the past presidents and their spouses (Ken Farley did not bring a date this year probably because he brought a date last year and because of that she never wanted to see him again). Joe thanked Keith for chairing Past President’s day (he forgot Mark Tuller’s tireless work on Keith’s committee, they met at least zero times). He then had a moment of silence for Joe Grondin who passed away a while ago. Joe was the President of our Club in 1964-65 and a club member since 1959. President Joe then recounted his year and told of all of the things that happened under his leadership (as Joe is fond of saying). The highlights included:
Joe failed to mention a number of other things that occurred under his leadership.
Good work Joe. Carl Goodwin won the 50/50 drawing and donated the money to the Past President’s fund which now exceeds $204,000.00. Joe then introduced Past President chair Keith Jacques to no applause. I clapped in my mind and it is the thought that counts. Keith did fail to thank his committee members for all of their hard work but the oversight was justified. Keith then mentioned that we would have a minimalistic program. “Minimalistic” in the dictionary of Keith is defined as: microscopic; non-existence; much smaller than a bread box; we didn’t want to bother, etc. Keith indicated that the club kind of runs itself and that is because of the all of the good work that the past presidents have done to build up and nurture the Club over the last 99 years which of course attracted those begged for cheap applause that we all like to get when we are at the podium. Keith then introduced the past presidents at the meeting starting with the earliest presidency present and working up until today. They included: Al Carigan and his wife Jackie. Al was president in 1973-74 and has been in Rotary for more than 50 years. Al is a Rotary fossil and a strong impetus for spinning off the Saco Bay Club. Ron Drouin, Past District Governor and our president in 1983-84. Jim Pastorelli, 1986-87. Jim was president when I joined the club and I still had brown hair. Jim is freaking 99 years old and drove to the meeting and parked in the lower parking lot. Take note Fausto! Jim looked great and it was nice having a chance to sit with a guy who was born in 1920, the year women got the right to vote. Jim was too young at the time to stop that. Steve Fennell, 1990-91 and his wife Kathy. Steve was president when Saco Bay was formed. Dick “Captain Ahab” Legarde, 1999-2000 and his wife Janette. During Dick’s year a delegation from our club visited our sister club in Bideford, England. I think they spell it correctly. Mark Tuller, 2000-2001. It was amazing to see Mark at a meeting without the Charter Oak guys. Mark pooled money with other presidents and we helped fund the Truslow Adult Daycare Center which was located at the Kimball Health Center but has since been moved. Keith Jacques, 2001-2002, at the time of 9/11, though 9/11 happened under Joe’s leadership. Bideford, England came over to visit us that year despite it being a very scary time to be traveling because Bideford recognized that they needed to support us the most. Paul Deschambault, 2004-05, the year we recited the 3 Way Test, dropping the “Is it the truth” line. Keith pointed out we had 127% attendance in Paul’s year. During that year if you thought about Rotary in the car it counted as a makeup. Rollie Eon, 2005-06. Denis Elie, 2007-08. Denis’ deficient spending record was finally broken by Joe, but Joe didn’t have the auction funds so Denis may still have the overall spending record. Frank Gooding, 2008-09. I went an entire year not understanding one word Frank said. Steve Morin, 2009-10. Julie Villemaire, 2010-11. Karen Chasse, 2012-13. She made money her year because Carl sold two houses and we were encouraged to sell vital organs and contribute the money to the club. Ken Farley, 2014-15. Bill Kany, 2015-16 (and 2016-17, Lucie’s year). Lucie Kay, 2016-17. We did the offsite Rotary house that year. Jackson Brown, 2017-18. Of course, many of our past presidents could not make it or have passed on (which means they could not make it), but we all owe each and every one of our past presidents our thanks. Keith and Joe have suggested that the club runs itself. In reality our past presidents have built a wonderful car but week in and week out someone has to drive the car and those drivers are our presidents. It is not good enough to just sit in the driver’s seat looking good in the parking lot. The car needs to be driven and the engine occasionally needs to be pushed to the proverbial red line. It is our presidents who take us where we need to go. I, for one, thank them all for the ride. Two weeks of Tack writing left but who’s still counting? |
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Final from President JoeWOW-WOW-WOW- 52 weeks in the flash of an eye. I can’t believe my year is over as president. I can’t thank all of you enough for making the year what it was. The greatest part of my experience was to see the depth and breadth of talent, passion and commitment from all of you. Our club is amazing only because of you. I think our level of camaraderie and fellowship is why I keep coming every week. I have had more guests come up to me and say that our club is the funniest and most enjoyable they have ever been to. Somebody told me we were like a big family teasing each other, engaging in good conversations, etc.; I really like that sentiment. So again, I want to really thank all of you for everything you do for the club and the community. You do make a difference in a lot of lives of people we have interacted with. I look forward to the 2019/2020 year as we get ready to celebrate 100 years as a club. That is a lot of history. Warmest Regards, Joe |
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Week in Review 6/5/2019Our June 5, 2019 meeting began with President Joe celebrating that he only has 3 meetings left and then insisting that it really has been fun. I always regret when fun things are about to come to an end instead of celebrating their impending termination. Speaking of celebrating, I only have to write the Tack for 3 more weeks at which time I am sure President Elect, Fausto, has someone lined up to take my place. I am gladly counting the weeks. Joe switched things up a little and had Joe B. lead us in the invocation after the Pledge of Allegiance. Joe started with such a long dramatic pause I turned around to start CPR and then realized he was just looking for a little divine guidance. Jim Labelle followed with his attempt at leading us in the Four Way Test which went fine as long as no one stood in front of the numbers. Apparently, Jim has not yet memorized First through Fourth. Our President Elect, Fausto, again appeared and introduced James Audiffred’s guests, David and Chris Dilly who apparently invented Bud Light. Actually, you may recall that David Dilly is a climatologist of some acclaim who spoke to our club about his opinion that we are not experiencing man aided climate change, but instead we are in a very long climate cycle that the earth has seen before. By analogy, Jackie Bradley Jr. is not in a batting slump, he is in a poor batting cycle that he should come out of in about 1,000 years. Announcements were limited. President Joe let us know that the Board of Directors approved Paul Deschambault changing to the Rule of 85 status. That either means that Paul is claiming he is 85 years old or be feels like he is 85 years out or he is a combination of 65 years old and he has been in the club for at least 20 years. James Audiffred claims he has qualified for the Rule of 105. Jim McAllister won the 50/50 drawing and quietly gave the money to Jim Godbout as our Sergeant at Arms bagman. I am sure you were as shocked as I was to notice that Jim M. did something quietly. Matt Simmons was apparently kidnapped while substitute teaching and glued naked to the Noble High School’s flag pole. He has since been covered up and they are hoping the combination of the sun and rain will dissolve the Superglue. In the meantime, our newly designated Sergeant at Arms, Heether, Hester, Harriot or Henrietta MacLean, not to be confused with Mclean, McLean, Mayor McCheese or Mack the Knife, took the podium to find out who was happy. For the second week in a row people took pity on Heather M. and at least feigned happiness, including:
The fabulous Ms. Heather M. then fined Jackson for missing a meeting. If we reverted to that old practice we would never have to do another fundraiser. She fined President Joe for no belt. Again, if we fined him each week for that wardrobe malfunction we would be way ahead financially. She also fined President Joe for the company name “Precision Screw”. I am not sure why. She was too afraid to fine Denis Elie, but she did not hesitate to fine me for my fine wardrobe or the fact that I have spelled her name incorrectly for weeks. I promise you that will end in 3 weeks. Brian Dallaire then announced that we were $168.00 short of our $7,000 annual foundation goal. Who the heck gave $2.00? In any event Fausto agreed to contribute the rest to get to our goal and then others starting throwing money at Brian. Did I mention he was dancing on a chair? So far, 60% of the club has donated to the foundation. Heather Gendron (did I spell that right?) in the true spirit of Rotary, apparently channeling Paul Deschambault, suggested we cheat and put in a dollar for everyone else. Now I know why bankers have a bad reputation and she doesn’t even work at a credit union. If you have not given and you would like to legitimately give to get us up to 100% participation you can give on line or you can give your contribution to Brian “Bubbles” Dallaire. Otherwise, it was a so-called open meeting which is what a lame duck president calls a meeting when he doesn’t give a damn anymore. I do want to make one last pitch to have as many members attend the next two meetings as possible. I realize I may be just beating my fingers against my keyboard but please try to attend the June 12 and 19 meetings. On June 12 we will have Past President’s Day when we get to thank our past presidents for creating the huge coattails of a great club that President Joe got to ride on. On June 19 our club gets to thank both people in and outside our club for their good work in helping our communities and people in need by honoring them with our annual awards. At the same time President Joe gets to give out his club awards. Please, please try and make both of those meetings if you can. Three weeks to go but who’s counting? |
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Rotary Service Hours and Make-UpsThis Wednesday, June 5th, will be the final board meeting for this Rotarian year. I would like to make sure that our records are as accurate as possible. With that said, if you have not reached out to me recently, I am asking you to please send me an email (jvillemaire@sbsavings.bank) by end of business tomorrow (Tuesday) with any service hours that you have put in. If you were part of putting the macaroni dinners together, I've got you covered there as I was also in attendance. Heather Gendron also provided a listing on behalf of the scholarship committee. Also, if you have been attending any committee meetings, outside of our normal weekly meeting, please let me know that as well so I can make sure you get credit for a make-up. This goes for any district meetings as well. I am only aware of Marty, Peggy Bean and Fausto attending the Flags for our Veterans project. If you were able to help out & aren't listed, please let me know so I can log your time. I will be putting the final touches on the report by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow evening so any updates you can provide asap would be greatly appreciated! If you don't have access to send an email, you can send a text message to me at 207-286-5474. Thank you all for everything you have done this year for the continued success of our club! Yours in Rotary, |
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Mini-Golf Joe introduced Don Pilon who talked about our mini-golf fundraiser which will be this August or September. Don announced that so far Schooner mini-golf and Martel’s mini-golf have agreed to participate by donating $1.00 from each round that day to Rotary. Don is still working on Pirates Cove in OOB where Don is apparently a member. RP Bell has agreed to sponsor one venue for $1,000 and Don is looking for another major sponsor. Don will also be looking for hole sponsors and volunteers to work at each venue. Stay tuned, more to come. I am hoping we will have a chance to put some teams in this mini-golf tournament with a team fee to go to Rotary as well. |
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Week in Review 5/29/2019Our May 29, 2019 meeting, started like all previous meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Sabine’s rendition of the Four Way Test which President Joe seemed to surprise her with much like the Socratic method frequently used in law school. Sabine passed, though I think she was looking to phone a friend. Joe Bassett led us in an invocation and then we got down to business. Our President Elect, Fausto, made a cameo appearance and introduced Carol Deschambault. It must have been a big anniversary or something if Paul was bringing her out for a Rotary lunch. Instead of President Joe counting his number of elapsed weeks he kind of summarized the four he has left. He impressed upon the reasonably sized group to try and make the Past Presidents’ meeting on June 12 at which we get to thank our past leadership for building the foundation of our club. Sabine pointed out the real significance of that meeting is that we get lobster rolls. Joe also asked people to attend the Awards Day meeting on June 19. For those of you who have been in hibernation for the last few years, Awards Day is when we get to thank people in and out of the Club for their good work in helping those less fortunate or otherwise making our communities better. It is also the opportunity of the President of the Club to give out a few club awards to thank people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for the club and the people we help. So, while we will not be giving out free stuff that day (unless you are an award winner), please try and attend to help honor the people who do win awards. I should also note that the loudest applause of the day came when Joe reminded us that his presidency is winding down. I suspect in the next few weeks we may start to hear about the budget and committees for next year as we transition to President Fausto, or maybe not. Carol Deschambault then drew the 50/50 and I won and gave it to stand-in Sergeant of Arms, Heather McLean who was concerned that she did not have a lot of material. As it turns out a lot of people were happy including:
Heather did have a few fines including fining Fausto who apparently only has to wave and he gets whatever beverage he wants delivered to him and because when the sun comes out the guns come out. I have not seen the sun so I have no idea what she is talking about. She fined Sabine for needing help with the 4 way test and she fined Brian for being adorable at which point I threw up in my mouth just a little. The rest of the meeting focused on thanking people for donating to the Rotary Foundation. We had a good crowd which President Joe suggested was because there was free stuff to give away (though it was technically not free because you had to donate to the Foundation to get into the drawing). Club members brought in some nice stuff from shower heads, to small trees, to wedding magazines to gift bags. Numbers were drawn and people could either select an item from our vast selection or steal an item already selected and the exchanges were spirited. Heather McLean’s Whimsical Me canvas bags changed hands more than, … well it was stolen a number of times as was Morgan’s Stoner and Company sweatshirt. Everyone (or almost everyone) seemed to have a good time and most people there seemed to have donated. So miss a meeting and you can miss a lot including a good time. Since I have the pen, I would like to echo President Joe’s appeal to have club members try and attend the meetings on June 12 and 19. June 12 is Past Presidents’ Day. We have had some very impressive and dedicated past presidents who have done so much to make our Club what it is. The least we can do is show up and thank them. Awards Day is our chance to use two of the most powerful words in the English language – “thank you”. There are so many people who do great things for others and who never get recognized for their contributions. They don’t do what they do for recognition. Their motivations are varied but the end result is that they make our communities and/or the lives of others better. They deserve our thanks and they deserve our presence at the meeting without a bunch of members scooting out on them. At the same time, Awards Day is a chance for our president to thank members of the Club who have stepped up during the year. These awards recipients are the ones who pick of the slack for the rest of us. Again, they deserve all of us being there to thank them for what they have done. So, if you are one of those members of the club who finds it hard to make meetings, please make a little extra effort to be there on June 12 and 19. You will be glad that you came. |
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Annual Club Foundation Day Yankee AuctionClub Members: So you like supporting the Rotary Foundation and you have always wanted a Precision Screw Machine t-shirt (I have one and wear it proudly) or a York County Federal Credit Union blanket (Lord only knows what goes on under those things). Well you are in luck! If you attend our meeting on May 29, 2019 and you donate at least $10.00 to the Rotary Foundation (we are shooting for people to donate $100.00 each to the Foundation) then you will receive a raffle ticket. We will then draw raffle tickets and people will get to select from a table of fabulous swag donated by our members, but don't get too comfortable with that Saco and Biddeford Savings gift bag because people who have their tickets pulled after you can trade items with you. It is a lot of fun and a great way to support the Foundation. For those members who have company swag like coffee mugs, t-shirts, blankets, Thornton Academy stuff (Haley?), etc., please bring in some things so we have plenty to give away. If you or your company do not have any swag then re-gift a gift card you have kicking around, or buy an inexpensive item or gift card and add it to the wonderful pile of items to be won by all who participate. So, please attend our meeting on the 29th, bring a minimum donation of $10.00 to the Foundation and hopefully more, bring swag if you have it and plan to have fun time. Thanks |
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Students honor veterans in BiddefordBiddeford students place flags on veterans's graves
| May 25, 2019 By LIZ GOTTHELFStaff Writer Rotarian Martin Grohman helps Biddeford Intermediate School fourth-grader Madison Colomb place a flag next to a grave site at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford on Friday. LIZ GOTTHELF/Journal Tribune BIDDEFORD — Memorial Day is more than a day off from school or work, or an excuse to barbecue and eat burgers. It’s a time to pause and honor members of the armed forces who died serving our country during military service. Pupils from Biddeford schools on Friday made recognizing veterans a priority. Through a collaboration between the American Legion, Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco and the Biddeford School District, students from Biddeford Intermediate School and Biddeford Middle School put flags on veterans’ graves at St. Joseph Cemetery. Early Friday morning, about 15 students from the fourth and fifth grades at Biddeford Intermediate School gathered at the cemetery and discussed the meaning of Veterans Day with Rotarian Martin Grohman and local veteran Raoul Goulet who served in the army as a combat photographer. School Counselor Kelsey Stephenson said students were selected by the school and had a discussion about Memorial Day before walking from the school to the cemetery. Students were doled out bundles of flags and were given the task to find veterans’ graves. Careful not to let the flags touch the ground, students sought out graves and placed the flags in the appropriate spots. Fourth-grader Madison Colomb said she liked the project because it was important to remember those who had served our country and those who had died in service. Biddeford Intermediate School fourth-grader Logan Drake places a flag at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford on Friday. LIZ GOTTHELF/Journal Tribune Fourth-grader Logan Drake said he and his father, who is a veteran who served in the Marine Corps, had discussed the project on the ride to school that morning. He said they discussed the importance of honoring veterans and his father was proud that he was participating in the flag placing. In total, Grohman said, about 1,800 flags were placed on veterans graves on Friday. Members of the American Legion Post 26 collect them after July 4. If the flags are in good condition, they are stored at the Legion for use the next year. “If new flags are needed the city of Biddeford is generous enough to cover the cost,” said Grohman. — Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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BHS InteractBiddeford High School’s Senior Interact students visited us today and shared their plans for the future while receiving their graduation medallions. Special thanks to Ms. Shaw and Ms. Johnson for being Advisors to this great group of students in our community! |
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Service Projects May 24We have two service projects for Friday May 24. The first is placing flags on veterans graves at St. Joseph's Cemetery on West Street. We need 6-8 dedicated Rotarians to participate from approximately 8:30 to 10:30AM to assist both placing flags and with helping students from Biddeford Intermediate & Middle schools place flags. Although the weather is often bad, this is a rain or shine event which is a lot of fun and very rewarding. You can come for all or part of the time. Contact Marty at martin.j.grohman@gmail.com or 423-8260 for more details. The Heart of Biddeford also seeks two or more Rotarians for a downtown Biddeford parks cleanup from 10AM-1PM. You will be working together with students from Biddeford schools, beautifying the area of Mechanics and Shevenell and possibly other 'pocket' parks. Contact Delilah Poupore at director@heartofbiddeford.org for more information on this one. You can come for all or part of the time. |
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Week in Review 5/15/2019Our May 15, 2019 meeting, or as President Joe affectionately calls it, week 47, started with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Paul Deschambault’s version of the Four Way Test and Joe Bassett regaled us with yet another off the cuff prayer. I do enjoy setting with Joe B. He is one funny guy. Our unknown President Elect, Fausto was another no show apparently saving up his Wednesdays for his presidency so President Joe introduced former member, Tammy Ackerman, who was visiting us. Joe introduced Don Pilon who talked about our mini-golf fundraiser which will be this August or September. Don announced that so far Schooner mini-golf and Martel’s mini-golf have agreed to participate by donating $1.00 from each round that day to Rotary. Don is still working on Pirates Cove in OOB where Don is apparently a member. RP Bell has agreed to sponsor one venue for $1,000 and Don is looking for another major sponsor. Don will also be looking for hole sponsors and volunteers to work at each venue. Stay tuned, more to come. I am hoping we will have a chance to put some teams in this mini-golf tournament with a team fee to go to Rotary as well. For the record, Joe thanked the members of the Scholarship committee for their good work and invited anyone who wanted to attend the last round of interviews for scholarship candidates to show up that afternoon. It is my understanding that our potential scholarship winners are incredibly impressive which perhaps means that we will have a strong next generation of leaders to keep social security going for us. Joe again mentioned the Saco Bay Rotary Club’s murder mystery production called “A Pryce in Blood” which has a pirate theme. The information related to that event was in the May 8 Tack. As a reminder, Brian Dallaire announced that May 29 will be Rotary Foundation Day which can be a lot of fun. The day is designed to encourage everyone to give to the Foundation. For everyone who brings in a donation to the Foundation (Brian is encouraging $100 gifts) they will receive a raffle ticket (minimum donation to get a raffle ticket will be $10.00). We ask members of the club to bring in their company swag such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, umbrellas, you name it. If your business does not have swag bring in a gift certificate you have laying around or go buy one to donate, but nothing too big. We will then draw raffle tickets and each winner drawn will be able to pick an item from the table full of stuff and then they can keep that item or Yankee swap with someone who has already picked something. It really is a fun meeting and everyone should plan on attending. Visitor Tammy Ackerman drew the winning 50/50 number and it was hers, but then she donated it back so we stopped the Congressional investigation which would have cost millions and disclosed nothing. Since President Joe talked non-stop for months about the May 11 Rise Against Hunger hands on event I felt I should comment on it. It was held at the Elks Club in Saco and we got to work with a bunch of Kiwanis Club members putting together dry packets of macaroni and cheese, 1000’s of them. We had a reasonable number of Rotarians there though I would still characterize the showing a weak. Of course Lucie Kay showed up when we were all done. The process included working on an assembly line putting together carefully weighed packets of dry ingredients while a former pastor preached about food insecurity, begged us for more dollar donations and told us that Maine (insert whatever state he is in) volunteers are the best volunteers in the world. This organization has raised money and put up somewhere around 1,000,000 meals this year which are donated to local food pantries so all of the packets we put together went primarily to the Biddeford Food Pantry. It was quite the process and not as easy as it may sound, especially if people don’t follow instructions, but it was fun and worth doing. Mary Grohman announced that we will be putting flags on veterans graves in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford on May 24 starting this year at 9:30 so that some Biddeford students can join us. Please try to make it if you can. It was also announced that the Heart of Biddeford is looking for some volunteers to do a Clifford Park clean up on May 24 from 10:00 to 1:00. For more information contact the Heart of Biddeford. Finally, it was announced that this year’s United Way Day of Caring will be on June 5th and if you need more information about that contact Reegan Hebert. Matt Simmons was MIA, again, I guess he is now a substitute teacher which means he was duct taped to the back of a classroom door somewhere covered in spit balls, so President Joe had Heather McLean ably fill in as sergeant at arms. A lot of people had pent up happiness after missing a week including:
Heather did fine Mark Nahorney for his new Tesla. I saw the long extension cord in the parking lot. He got the one without the batteries. She fined Sabine for some Facebook pictures. What is Facebook again? And she fined President Joe for shutting the doors on her and Don at the beginning of the meeting. Don I can understand. Our program had to cancel so Conrad shared with us some stories about his Dad’s life after his Dad’s recent passing. The life of Conrad’s Dad could easily be a movie or a 6 season mini-series. His life was hard, adventurous, dangerous at times and rewarding. I loved the fact that Conrad’s Dad would be doing something or hear a song and that would remind him at times about something that happened to him in his life, and that would inspire him to tell Conrad a story and Conrad shared some of those stories with us. His Dad was born in Ohio so he was a US citizen but he grew up in Nazi Germany and became a medic in the German army during WWII. He was captured twice, spent 3 years in a US POW Camp in the US having survived the voyage to America at a time when German U-boats were sinking ships left and right (or port and starboard) and he spent 3 years under the Marshall plan in France before heading back to his family in Germany who thought he was dead. He then escaped Germany (long story from season 3, but I don’t want to spoil it for you binge watchers) and headed back to the US. He was eventually drafted into the US Army and was a medic in Korea but first married Conrad’s Mom. In Korea he saved Dan Blocker’s (Hawse or Horse on Bonanza) life. When he got back he made up for lost time and had 5 kids in 6 years or 6 kids in 5 years, not sure (season 4, mature audiences only). He worked in the plastics industry molding anything from things for NASA to BOSE speakers to toys for McDonalds (befriended Ronald McDonald who at the time was Willard Scott). He eventually moved to Maine, built his own house, worked at BIW and began a life of public service including helping veterans whenever he could. At 88 he became a Brunswick folk hero for beating up a young impolite truck driver in a Hannaford parking lot. The stories came fast and furious. Conrad is understandably proud of his incredibly resilient father who survived and succeeded under conditions that would have crushed any of us. Clearly, we now know where Conrad’s sense of family and desire to help others comes from. Thank you for sharing Conrad. That talk was quite special. For most of you, you will simply have to wait for the HBO re-runs. |
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2019 Rotary Foundation CampaignWe invite you to make a contribution in any amount to the Rotary Foundation. We have a goal to increase the rate of participation in this year's campaign. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more.prestigious international fellowship programs in the world. Donating to Rotary means clean water and sanitation. Health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Economic development and new opportunities. Your financial help makes all this happen, and more.
It's quite easy. Make your checks our to the club or even better yet, you may contribute on line directly on the RI website. (link is found on our website home page). We are currently at total contributions of $7,946 of President Joe's goal of $7,000. So far 44 members have contributed. If you are not able to make it on the 29th, please make you contributions either to me or Sue G. ASAP so they may be recorded for President Joes year. As an added benefit, the club will match your contributions up to $100, accelerating your achieving year-after-year total contributions towards the $1,000 mark with the recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. Thank you for your consideration. Brian Dallaire BS Rotary Foundation Chair |
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The ecology schoolConrad Welzel then introduced our speakers and of course Conrad had some spiritual connection to the ecology school because it called him to Maine in a dream 40 years ago or something like that, I was not listening. Did Conrad even do the introduction? In any event Drew Dumsch and Bryan Matluk from The Ecology School came in to talk to us about the new campus they are building on the old Merrill farm known as River Bend Farm off the Simpson Road in Saco. They are in the midst of a $2.9 Million capital campaign and they have raised $1.8 Million so far. They will be building 3 interconnected buildings that will serve as dorms and a new dining commons. The school will be the greenest school in the country generating all of its own energy by solar on site with no combustion systems. All water for the school will come from wells and will be circulated back into the ground through a large septic system. The plans for the school and the site are incredibly impressive. Some information about The Ecology School is set out below including a reference to their website. I believe they hope to have the school open by 2020. |
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Week in Review 5/8/2019Our May 8, 2019 meeting, or as President Joe calls it, week 46, started with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Brian Dallaire slowly enunciating the Four Way Test after an extended absence and Joe Bassett led us in prayer. In the midst of chaos which frequently characterizes Joe’s leadership “style”, Joe announced that there were no visitors this week other than our speakers. Joe also reminded us for the 46th time that on May 11 we would be helping with Rise Against Hunger which is a hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals. The event will be at the Saco Elks Club on the Ocean Park Road starting at 9:00. Of course, if you failed to attend that event and you’re reading this now, you missed it! Joe also told us that the Scholarship committee is meeting on May 14 from 3:00 to 5:00 to conduct interviews of Biddeford High School and COT students and the committee is meeting on May 15 from 3:00 to 5:00 to interview TA and OOB students. Both sessions will be at Bangor Savings on Main Street in Saco. I understand the students are quite impressive so if you can make it or need more information please reach out to Heather Gendron. It was reported that Roland Gagne is either in Hungary or he is hungry, I am not sure which. Joe also reported the Randy Forcier tendered his resignation because of his busy work and family schedule. Joe acknowledged all of Randy’s hard work for the club including being treasurer. I believe there are still a few Rotary checks driving around in Randy’s car. It was announced that the Saco Bay Rotary Club is continuing is magical murder mystery tour with a production called “A Pryce in Blood” which has a pirate theme. The information related to the event is below. It was also announced that the Saco Bay Sunset Rotary Club was inquiring as to whether there are any organizations who collect previously worn suits for men so that men might be able to find a suit to use on job interviews or say to work in a bank. If anyone knows of any such effort please reach out to Bob LaPauloue at buffettbob75@gmail.com. He either loves Jimmy Buffett or he loves the Tin Tin Buffet and does not know how to spell. The Club then considered and voted on two donation requests which could have been handled at the Committee or Board level, but what the hell. The first was to donate to a Veterans Wall that has been set up at Volk Packaging, not sure why. We voted to donate $500 from our Company B fund to support the wall which is definitely an appropriate use of those funds. The second request was for money to help find and restore grave sites scattered throughout Clifford Park. Our club has supported renovation work at Clifford Park having done a hands on project there years ago and having helped fund the gate to the park. We discussed the pros and cons of the proposal and ultimately voted not to support it. Another proposal to give a woman $350.00 to register her car was tabled until we got more information and until I could get some information. MAY 29 will be Rotary Foundation Day which can be a lot of fun. The day is designed to encourage everyone to give to the Foundation. For everyone who brings in a donation to the Foundation (Brian Dallaire is encouraging $100 gifts) they will receive a raffle ticket. We ask members of the club to bring in their company swag such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, umbrellas, you name it. If your business does not have swag bring in a gift certificate you have laying around or go buy one to donate, but nothing too big. We will then draw raffle tickets and each winner drawn will be able to pick an item from the table full of stuff and then they can keep that item or Yankee swap with someone who has already picked something. It really is a fun meeting and everyone should plan on attending. Do you know the definition of lucky? You leave the room to take a phone call and you are picked as the 50/50 winner – Jim Godbout. Matt Simmons was MIA and did not let anyone know so we skipped the sergeant at arms part of the meeting. |
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4th annual Murder MysteryThe Rotary Club of Saco Bay Will host its 4th annual Murder Mystery at the PeoplesChoice Credit Union in Saco, Maine Date: Saturday, May 18th Time: Doors Open at 5:30 PM Location: PeoplesChoice Credit Union 23 Industrial Park Rd Saco, ME 04072 (207) 282-4156 All proceeds from this event go to the Rotary Club of Saco Bay Foundation that supports charitable causes in our local OOB, Biddeford and Saco communities. Prizes will be awarded for the person who Guesses the Murderer as well as Best Actor, and Best Costume. If more than one person guesses the correct murderer, all the winning names will be put into a hat and the final winner will be drawn. The story this year is entitled “A Pryce in Blood” and has a Pirate Theme. The best costume contest is for everyone, not just the actors or staff; so if you’d like to try to win the prize be sure to wear your best pirate outfit for the evening. Tickets are $45.00, nonrefundable, and must be prepaid by to May 15th. If you leave a voice message, or email us, please make sure to provide your name and a phone number or email contact info in your message.Sign up is available now at www.sacobayrotary.org under upcoming events. or Contact John at: Phone: (410) 953-9638 Checks should be made payable to The Saco Bay Rotary Foundation Menu Selection: The meal is a buffet with non-alcoholic beverages included.Beer and wine will be available for sale at the event.Historically this event has sold out quickly, so please sign up today. Let the Fun Begin! |
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Biddeford Saco Rotary Award RecipientsPAST RECIPIENTS Private Sector: 1988 Tobie Nathanson 1989 Robert Melville 1990 A. William Kany, Jr. 1991 Myra Van Fleet 1992 Conrad Crepeau 1993 Dennis Flaherty 1994 David Lowe 1995 Robert Provencher 1996 Andy Michaud 1997 Edward Caron 1998 Ester Emmons 1999 Rene Fredette 2000 John Wasileski 2001 Carrie Shaw 2002 Alan Nelson 2003 Joe Grondin 2004 Lou Chantigny 2005 Curtis & Sonya Gerry 2006 Wayne A. Sherman 2007 Kevin Savage 2008 Robert H. Begin 2009 Roland Eon 2010 Robert Nichols 2011 William Douglas Sanford 2012 John Andrews 2013 Paul Remmes 2014 Leo P. Menard, Jr. 2015 Leon Chick 2016 Andy Greif 2017 The Esther Residence 2018 Laurie Bruce 2019 Tammy Ackerman Public Sector: 1988 Joan Susi 1989 Clayton Cartmill 1990 Dennis Dutremble 1991 Robert G.Dodge 1992 Debra Choroszy 1993 Ellen Dunton 1994 Bryce Milne 1995 Dr. Thomas H. Reynolds 1996 Rebecca Dyer 1997 Donna Dion 1998 Tom Lizotte 1999 William Soucy 2000 Roland “Ron” Michaud 2001 Carl J. Stasio, Jr. 2002 Dick Tryon 2003 Gen. Wallace H. Nutting 2004 William Johnson 2005 Mark Johnston 2006 Renee S. O’Neil 2007 Sherry Sabo 2008 Eric Cote 2009 Carl Walsh 2010 Senator Barry Hobbins 2011 Chief John Duross 2012 Jerry Lapierre 2013 Roger Beaupre 2014 Carlton D. Pendleton 2015 Michael Tremblay 2016 Alan Casavant 2017 Bill Paterson 2018 Robert F. MacKenzie 2019 Martha Jacques Humanitarian: 1988 Richard Nason 1989 Dr. Andre Fortier 1990 1991 1992 Agnes Flaherty 1993 1994 Dr. Francis J. Kleeman 1995 Donald W. Charland 1996 Rita Riley, Dick Lagarde 1997 David Beattie 1998 Roger Coulombe 1999 Tony Gatti 2000 Ruth Anderson 2001 James Audiffred 2002 Mary’s Walk 2003 Roland Gagne 2004 Thomas Haley 2005 Leon Tranchemontagne 2006 Father Reynald Labarre 2007 David & Carolyn Flood 2008 Andy Greif 2009 Burton Howe 2010 Julie Villemaire 2011 Rick LaChance 2012 David Lowe 2013 Phillip Dennison 2014 Paul Deschambault 2015 Dennis P. Robillard 2016 James Godbout 2017 Jim McAllister 2018 Reverend Shirley Brown 2019 Elaine Fournier Vocational Service Award: 2000 Carl Goodwin 2001 A. William Kany, Jr. 2002 Ron Gagnon 2003 Steven Foran 2004 Frank Paul 2005 Wayne Hapgood 2006 Dr. John Fitzsimmons 2007 Arthur R. Willey 2008 James McAllister 2009 James Godbout 2010 Denis Elie 2011 Mark Boissonneault 2012 Officer Jeffrey A. Cook 2013 Joseph Moreshead 2014 Marcel Bertrand 2015 Kenneth Crepeau 2016 Thornton Academy 2017 Biddeford City Council 2018 Kristy Kendrick 2019 Jeremy Ray Goodwin Outstanding Service Award 2007 Carl and Earl Goodwin 2008 Richard Buffum 2009 David Lowe 2010 Robert Begin 2011 Roland M. Eon 2012 Roland P. Gagne 2013 Helene Plourde 2014 Julie Villemaire 2015 Jim McAllister 2016 Paul H. Deschambault 2017 Karen Chasse 2018 James Godbout 2019 Ronald Drouin |
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Week in Review 5/1/2019Hayley Thompson led the 4 way test Marty led the invocation. Guests: Matthew Reback- department of public works Portland Maine Joe Moreshead shared some results from the Board Meeting. Dr. Joe Boyle was named an honorary member of the club. He’s being recognized for his 42 years in Rotary and for his work with the Maine Humanities Council. Also, Dana Lane was made a member under the rule of 85. Joe gave the club a high level budget update that shows this fiscal year we have a shortfall of $14,000. Karen Chasse was contacted by a family interested in having their child be a part of the Rotary exchange student program. They are also willing to host an exchange student in return. Jim Godbout reported on his site visit to St. Andre’s church, which was considered as a site to replicate the teen center model we visited in Westbrook. Because of the degraded condition of the church and the abatement that would be necessary to transform it into a safe environment Jim considers it a better idea to be scouting for a different location. Jeremy Ray discussed his recent discovery of one of his teachers having been homeless for the last few months. The high cost of rents combined with the young teacher’s student loan debts make it difficult to get by on a starting teacher’s salary. He has asked the club to discuss ways to solve this problem. The scholarship committee met. Paulette Bonneau and Heather Gendron are reviewing 15 applications. The interviews will take place on the 14th and 15th of May. Joe reminded us of the meal packing volunteer Opportunity on May 11. Sergeant at arms: Heather MacLean Happy dollars: Dr Joe for becoming an honorary member, Paul Deschambault because Brian is back, Kristen Lane is happy tax season is over, Jeremy is happy that there was a girls soccer scrimmage at Waterhouse Field, Brian is happy to have received a standing ovation welcome back, Marty is happy that his daughter Hannah is going to the world championship for Odyssey of the mind. Fines: Lucie was fined because of her tan and her Barbie purse, Brian for his welcome, Marty for parking at the top parking lot and Susan for her curly hair. Meeting adjourned at 1:00. |
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Essay Contest in the Journal TribuneBiddeford-Saco Rotary honors essay contest winners| April 24, 2019 from the Journal Tribune The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club has honored winners for its 24th annual essay contest. First-place winners, from left, are Lizzie Johnson of Loranger Middle School, Mackenzie Day of Biddeford Middle School, Marielle Rue of St. James School, Antonia Farago-Dumsch of Saco Middle School, and Jack Tripp of Thornton Academy Middle School. SUBMITTED PHOTO SACO — “Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten” A quote from the Disney Classic Lilo and Stitch was how first-place winner Lizzie Johnson started off her essay quote about “What the Word Family Means to Me.” This was the prompt for the 24th annual Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club essay contest where eighth-grade students from Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach were asked to write a 500 word essay and were judged on the relevance to the topic, quality of composition, creativity, and grammatical and spelling accuracy. Three winners were selected from each school with the first place winners receiving a medal and $100 prize as well as being invited to read their winning essay to the Biddeford-Saco Rotarians. “Our goal is to promote the significance of family. Families are the compass that guides us and points us in the right direction,” said Rotarian Brenda Pollock. Rotarians enjoyed listening to the group of winners talk about why family is important to them and the different ways family has supported them. From loving moments, to sticking by their side on the darkest of days, it was clear to hear the love and passion that the students put into words as they each read the winning essays. The first-place winners in this year’s Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Essay Contest are Mackenzie Day of Biddeford Middle School, Lizzie Johnson of Loranger Middle School, Antonia Farago-Dumsch of Saco Middle School, Marielle Rue of St. James School, and Jack Tripp of Thornton Academy Middle School. Other students also received $75 or $50 prizes for their essays including Camryn Blatchford and Alex Nguyen of Loranger Middle School, Casey Ouellette and Ivy Turbide of Thornton Academy Middle School, Olivia Toppen and Alexyia Talarico of Saco Middle School, Madisyn Ayers and Rose-Mary Blake of St. James School, and Brittany Baumgardner and Cecelia Keller of Biddeford Middle School. For more information about how to become involved with the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, visit www.biddeford-sacorotary.org
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Week in Review 4/24/2019Dr. Joe led the invocation. Guests: Al Shinkel - Biddeford Housing Authority Pat Boston - Hills beach association Joe Moreshead reminded us of the meal packing volunteer Opportunity on May 11. Don Pilon will be launching a mini golf fundraiser. The scholarship committee will be meeting Tuesday, 30 April, at 3 o’clock at Bangor Savings on Main Street in Saco. Sarah Curley won the 50-50 and contributed it to the red ribbon committee. Sergeants at arms - Sarah and Fausto Happy dollars were received from Sue G. who has a new granddaughter born on Easter Day, Dr Joe is happy to be back in Maine after visiting New York City, Brenda is happy to be visiting the Teen center, Marty is happy with his new job at E2Tech, Sabine is happy to have received a new vintage rotary iron, Reegan is happy that her son’s little league merged with Saco, Fausto is happy his mom got the Jean Nate gift he sent, Jeremy is happy that the jumpstart reading program has been fully funded in August. This week our meeting was held at Westbrook’s my teen place. We had our lunch in their café and had a delicious gourmet meal cooked for us by their chef Christian. Then we heard a presentation from its director, Donna Dwyer, as well as receiving a tour of the facility. Donna was excited to share with us what has been accomplished in Westbrook and is being used as a model to be replicated hopefully in Biddeford by July 2020. The café in which we were seated is used to feed up to 40 kids dinner every night during the week. Not only are the children fed delicious meals they are also trained to work in the kitchen and taught valuable lessons in social etiquette during their dining experience. Donna also introduced us to Christian, the chef, who used to be the chef de cuisine at Fore Street in Portland. He left that post to work at the teen center and follow something that was near and dear to his heart. We also met Mark Woodbury, who is responsible for public relations and marketing for the teen center. Donna estimates that 90% of the population using the teen center has experienced some sort of trauma, hunger or poverty. The goals and philosophy of the teen center is to give these kids not only a wonderful safe space in which to spend their afternoons but also to show them on a daily basis that they are cared for and loved. The entire place is very well appointed in stark contrast to many of these kids’ home surroundings. The center also has a washer and dryer to accommodate not only laundry needed to run the place, but also for kids who are finding themselves in between permanent housing. There is a shower as well for those who need to use it. The center has 10 paid staff and and relies heavily on a core of volunteers, who have participated in spending 6000 volunteer hours last year. That also partner with UNE and USM so students of those universities can work directly with the kids at the center. After Donna‘s presentation and our tour of the facility, much discussion ensued as to how we can move forward with next steps to be able to bring the similar program to Biddeford. Meeting adjourned at 1:25. |
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Week in Review 4/17/2019Our April 17, 2019 meeting, or as President Joe calls it, week 43 started like most of Joe’s meeting with Joe leaving us guessing about the meeting agenda. I liken him to a boxer who has been hit one too many times and he is staggering to the bell, though Joe has seemingly staggered most of the year. Oh, now I get it. When we did get back on track Heather Gendron led us in a rousing version of the 4 Way Test and Joe Bassett inspired us with prayer. Our visitors for the week included Tyler Simmons. Apparently it is not penance enough that your Dad is Matt Simmons but you also get dragged to Rotary during your vacation when Mr. Mom is in charge. We were also visited by Kathy Shea’s sister, Madeline (I think), Bob Lester ( a retired credit union guy) and our past President, Dick Lagarde who was part of the presentation. Joe announced he had to leave early so he would leave the meeting in the capable hands of Conrad Welzel (week 1 for him). REMEMBER NEXT WEEK’S MEETING IS AT THE MY PLACE TEEN CENTER LOCATED AT 755 MAIN STREET, WESTBROOK. THE MEETING WILL START AT 12:15 AND IT WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CLUB TO SEE WHAT COULD BE REPLICATED IN BIDDEFORD. Joe also reminded us for the 43rd time that on May 11 (that’s a Saturday) we will helping with Rise Against Hunger which is a hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals. The event will be at the Saco Elks Club on the Ocean Park Road starting at 9:00. Joe also announced the Don Pilon was holding a meeting right after our meeting to discuss plans for a miniature golf tournament fund raiser. If you want to help out see Don. Otherwise dust off your rubber headed putters (that’s a type of golf club with a rubber coating on it), press your knickers and get ready for some golf. Finally Joe reminded us that the Scholarship committee is meeting on April 30 to review applications. For more details about the meeting and how you can help please contact Heather Gendron. President Joe then thanked Conrad for his great work on programs, informed everyone that Roland now has a Romanian Rotary badge for his trip to Romania, and encouraged everyone to pull their Rotarian Magazine out of their recycling bins and look at the District 7780 article on the Opioid Crisis with pictures of Chief MacKenzie from Kennebunk and a picture of John Bouchard from the Saco Bay Club. The article also references our Red Ribbon Committee and its efforts. Steve Morin claims he has the Rotarian Magazine in his lobby because his customers read it, fall asleep and don’t realize how long they have been waiting to pick up their car. Joe circulated his copy of the Rotarian Magazine which had his Chinese takeout order and a little Duck Sauce on the back of it. It was announced that we might try to do a Seadogs day again. Visiting Rotarian Bob Lester mentioned that the District is trying to put a Seadogs day together with details to follow. Tyler Simmons drew the winning 50/50 ticket which was won by Kathy Shea who seemingly wins every time she attends a meeting. It also happened to be her birthday. Matt Simmons then did is sergeant at arms thing. He asked his son to collect the fines and he declined. Smart kid. Matt then solicited happy $:
Matt then demonstrated his weekly level of preparation to his son by fining President Joe for still not having it down after 43 weeks (he initially forgot the 4 way test) and for his pink shirt and hospital slippers. Now I understand why President Joe had to leave early, he was due back at the hospital. And that was really it for fines. |
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Biddeford Food PantryPeggy Bean then introduced our program which included past President Dick Lagarde and Don Bisson talking about the Biddeford Food Pantry which is the oldest food pantry in Maine having been founded by Rita Reilly in 1981. Our club has regularly supported the Biddeford Food Pantry and Dick acknowledged that fact. Dick is now retired from the world of business and municipal finance and he is volunteering at the food pantry while growing a wicked nice captain’s beard. Don Bisson has run the food pantry for the last 11 years. He indicated that demand is up 3% this year and people are typically given 3 weeks’ worth of food when they come in. They serve Biddeford, Dayton and Arundel and any communities that do not have their own food pantry. Don informed everyone that the Biddeford Food Pantry bought its building after raising $55,000.00 in two months in a capital campaign. He thanked Saco and Biddeford Savings and Rick Hull for making hat happen. Dick tried to thank Lucie as an employee of Saco and Biddeford Savings at which point I really reached for a barf bag. He said the purchase of the building was a miracle because otherwise their rent was going to become unaffordable. Dick announced the pantry’s Miracle of Sharing initiative in which local businesses can support the pantry with a payroll deduction program and a company match. He indicated that his former employer, Prescott Metal started such a program about a year and a half ago and they have already funded 1,500 meals for the pantry which has ongoing costs like spending $2,200 monthly on food purchased from the Good Shepard Food Bank and over $600 in electric bills for their lights and refrigeration. Don did point out that all of the workers are volunteers. If your business might be interested in a payroll deduction program for the food pantry please see the information below and contact Dick. The highlight of the meeting was the apparent result of a Rotarian’s consumption of a special order meal of the Run of the Mill burritos with extra black beans. While the Rotarian tried to pass off her (no it was not Lucie … this time) gas (pun intended) as the sounds of a construction reciprocating drill the tears in my eyes indicated otherwise. The woman could be a chemical weapon. I should note that she was very polite and repeatedly said “excuse me” though it was frequently difficult to hear Dick and Don over the noise. Reduced fiber might be in order. |
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April 24th Meeting in WestbrookGood Morning, We had a great program the other week with Donna Dwyer of “My Teen Place” , https://myplaceteencenter.org/ . Everybody pretty impressed with their approach to teens. The Westbrook Rotary club has been huge supporters of My Teen Place. As a result we got an invitation to meet there and have lunch. We will hold our April 24th meeting at “My Teen Place” located at 755 Main Street, Westbrook. We will meet at 12:15. Folks may want to carpool to the meeting. We will talk more about it at our meeting tomorrow. It would be cool if we could get a school bus or something to take us up as a group. Regards, Joe |
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Week in Review 4/10/2019Our April 10th meeting was held at PeoplesChoice Credit Union. For those of you who went to Run of the Mill how long did it take you to figure out we weren’t there? I did ask Paul Deschambault and he said mistakenly going to the Run of the Mill constitutes a makeup because it is the thought that counted. While I confess that I was downstairs manning the worlds slowest elevator (I climbed up the outside of the building in less time than it would have taken me to ride the elevator) I understand that we dispensed with most meeting formalities other than the Pledge of Allegiance which they did while looking at the image of an American flag on someone’s cell phone. Really, what’s next watching movies on a phone? I guess Joe did remember to pull the 50/50 and in an upset Peggy Bean won stopping Jackson’s winning streak at 3 weeks. Joe did again mention the May 11 (that’s a Saturday) Rise Against Hunger hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals. The event will be at the Saco Elks Club on the Ocean Park Road starting at 9:00. Of course, the reason we were at PeoplesChoice is because it was our annual essay contest meeting. A big thanks to Sue Gajewski for picking up food at Panera Bread for the meeting. The spread was very good and with only about 20 Rotarians in attendance there was a lot left over. Elaine Palmitessa and Brenda Pollack did a great job coordinating the essay contest and running the meeting. We the exception of some confusion related to the winners’ certificates, the event went very smoothly. The essay contest has as its theme “What Family Means to Me”. Eighth grade students from St. James, TA Middle School, Loranger Middle School, Saco Middle School and Biddeford Middle School write essays on their thoughts on family and they are judged at the school level. The 3 winners from each school are identified and the top winners from each school get to come with their families and teachers to read their essays. A list of all the winners is set forth below. The top winners received $100 from the club, the second place finishers got $75.00 and the third place winners received $50.00 but far more important, each winner received a certificate signed by President Joe. Joe made me write that. My overall impressions were that the essays were very well written, very creative and well read. With a few exceptions, I found the essays far less likely to invoke tears than essays from past years. Themes revolved around unconditional love, no matter what ( I don’t remember that but I am so old I remember little about my youth); family means far more than a Mom, Dad and siblings and includes friends, aunts (my only aunt was a democrat, need I say more?), uncles, grandparents and boy bands (seriously). A predominant theme throughout the essays was the fact that whoever constitutes your family has your back which is refreshing to hear from young teenagers. For those who went I hope you were impressed. For those who missed the meeting, you missed some inspiration and a reminder that we have some really good kids who will grow up to take care of us by paying excessively high taxes and perhaps having the right to put us to sleep if the law changes. And the winners are: Loranger Middle School 1St Place - Lizzie Johnson 2nd Place – Camryn Blatchford 3rd Place - Alex Nguyen Thornton Academy Middle School 1st Place – Jack Tripp 2nd Place – Casey Ouellette 3rd Place – Ivy Turbide Saco Middle School 1st Place – Antonia Farago-Dumsch 2nd Place – Olivia Toppen 3rd Place – Alexyia Talarico St. James School 1st Place – Marielle Rue 2nd Place – Madisyn Ayers 3rd Place – Rose-Mary Blake Biddeford Middle School 1st Place – MacKenzie Day 2nd Place – Brittany Baumgardner 3rd Place Cecelia Keller |
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4/10/2019 MeetingJoe reminded us that our essay contest meeting will be next week on April 10 at PeoplesChoice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. If you can carpool to that meeting please do so as there is limited parking. It is always a great meeting when we get to hear the essays of the various middle school winning writers who will share their views on what family means to them. Please note that if you do drive please park away from the side of the building so that credit union members will have places to park. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MEETING STARTS AT 12:00 AND NOT 12:15 to accommodate the student schedules. |
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Week in Review 4/3/2019Our April 4th meeting was an open meeting. I cannot comment on the parking because I walked but it is my sense that things are still tight. After a two year absence from doing the 4 way test Julie V. led us in the 4 way test and flawlessly counted to 4. Paul Deschambault and the Masons led us in a prayer. Paul is the supreme architect of prayers. Fausto introduced himself and then introduced our lone visiting Rotarian, David Fletcher who was apparently a Calais Rotarian who has moved to Scarborough and is looking for a new club. Joe reminded us that our essay contest meeting will be next week on April 10 at PeoplesChoice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. If you can carpool to that meeting please do so as there is limited parking. It is always a great meeting when we get to hear the essays of the various middle school winning writers who will share their views on what family means to them. Please note that if you do drive please park away from the side of the building so that credit union members will have places to park. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MEETING STARTS AT 12:00 AND NOT 12:15 to accommodate the student schedules. Joe also mentioned the May 11 (that’s a Saturday) Rise Against Hunger hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals (Joe said 100,000 meals. He is now competing with McDonalds) in 2-3 hours. The event will be at the Saco Elks Club on the Ocean Park Road starting at 9:00. We had a moment of silence of club members who had recently lost family members. Our condolences to Brenda Pollack and Conrad Welzel. Fausto reminded everyone that the Scholarship Committee will be meeting soon to start reviewing applications for scholarships. Lucie Kay was way too loud, and apparently she and Fausto were doing their best impression of the Mean Girls. Remarkably Jackson won the 50/50 for the third week in a row. One more and there will be an investigation. Matt Simmons made an appearance and solicited happy dollars. They included:
Matt then actually fined some people including President Joe for not following the script. He has not been able to do it for 41 weeks so why start now? There were 4 April birthdays, Matt, Sarah N., President Joe and Julie V. And Fausto had to pay extra for his special meal. We then discussed two major gifts both of which the Board approved at its April 3 Board meeting.The first was a $25,000 donation to Thornton Academy to help with its capital campaign for a new athletic complex.The proposal was for Red Ribbon to give $10,000 and for the club to give $15,000 from charitable funds and then one club member was going to match that $25,000 gift.President Joe also indicated that his family was donating $5,000 to the campaign.A spirited discussion about the pros and cons of this kind of gift took place including comments about the fact that the gift would help support a multi-purpose room that will be available for students and the public to pursue healthy living choices and to be educated about healthy choices which we hope will keep students engaged and less likely to fall into substance misuse.It truly was a healthy discussion and in the end the club voted to approve the gift. The second major gift discussed was a $25,000 donation to the My Place Teen Center to help fund its kitchen as long as the kitchen can be used to help start a culinary arts program for local students.The gift would help get the teen center off the ground, would help the COT start a new culinary arts program in a brand new commercial kitchen and might eventually provide us with a new place to meet.Everyone was very supportive of the idea though it was acknowledged that there is a long way to go before all of that can become a reality.In the end the club unanimously endorsed the gift which would come from our vocational fund. On behalf of Thornton Academy, Haley Thompson, our TA Development Director, and the entire TA Capital Campaign Committee, I want to thank the Club and the Red Ribbon Committee for their very generous gift to the Thornton Capital Campaign which will enable TA to name the large multi-purpose room in the new athletic facility for Rotary and Red Ribbon.We all know that student athletes and students involved in extra-curricular activities are more likely to stay in school and avoid other issues like drug misuse.Sports and extra-curricular activities should not be only for those who can afford them.They should be available to all students and the fact is that TA’s athletic facilities are just too small for our student body.This project will allow more students of all demographics to have a place to be physically active and engaged outside the classroom.This gift is yet another shining example of the Biddeford Saco Rotary’s Club’s commitment to our communities and our students. Again, thank you all for your support of TA’s project. Finally, Karen let us know that there will be a speaker at Thornton in the morning on April 10 and in the afternoon on the same day at Biddeford High School talking about a drunk driving tragedy which is part of Red Ribbon week.If you would like to attend either session please contact Karen. |
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Week in Review 3/13/2019I am writing this Tack but I have no idea whether anyone will ever see it due to technical difficulties which may render it impossible for any of you to ever see it so I might as well write it like I am talking to myself. Joe called the meeting to order. Huh, every week he tells us what week number it is like he can’t wait to get done. That seems inherently inconsistent with his assertions that the job is not that hard and everyone should run for President. While it is not the hardest thing anyone will ever do you can actually work hard at the job if you want to. Lucie Kay did the four way test. My God did she join Rotary last week? It’s not that hard and she was reading it. I swear she had to sound out each number. Oh, I forgot, English is her second language. Joe Bassett did the prayer. Man is he good at that or what? It’s almost like he has been doing it his whole life. Conrad introduced visiting Rotarians and guests including Joe Boyle who must have 200% attendance. Presidential Announcements: President Joe reminded us that we will be doing a hands on project with the Kiwanis Club on May 11 at a time and place to be announced. Jackson indicated the project will take about 2 hours and we are putting together 10,000 meals. Let me see if I can do the math (can you tell I was not really listening?). If 25 Rotarians show up (doubtful) and 25 Kiwanis show up we will have 50 people. That means we each will need to put together 200 meals in two hours or one meal every 36 seconds. I hope we have the Barber foods assembly line to work on. Jackson was able to confirm the Elks Lodge on Ocean Park Rd., Saco for Saturday, May 11 from 9-12:30 or so for the meal packing project. The actual meal packing will start around 10 and it takes about 2 hours or less to finish 10,000 meals! They have tables there, so It should be relatively easy to set up. I hope you can all make it. I got to live auction Sabine’s book bag and David Howard’s (ask Heather McLean who he is but don’t ask Heather G) book. Doing a live auction at our club is like doing a live auction at a funeral home. It’s like trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos who don’t drink. No one bids and no one wants to make eye contact. Well the bag and book sold for $1,000, not bad. If you believe that I have a bridge to auction off next week. Joe acknowledged that parking continues to be a problem and suggested that perhaps someone might want to find another place for us to meet. I suspect we will just have to put up with the parking issues which will be compounded by the new apartments being built. Urban planning at its best. Sargent at Arms: Matt Simmons took to the podium with his copious notes related to fines. I don’t have any idea how he finds the time to prepare like that before every meeting (sarcasm, yes) and I can’t imagine how he has exceeded his budget. Has he been getting the Red Ribbon money? I guess we are all happier than we have been in the past so he gets a lot of happy dollars each week. Some examples include:
Matt then fined Roland for parking on top of Lucie. She did look tired and a bit run down. He also fined Lucie for putting sugar in Roland’s pants. Those two should get a room. Finally (and I mean finally) he fined Denis for saluting the full parking lot on March 6 by indicating that the parking lot was number one if you know what I mean. While sitting here I happened to notice the banner hanging from the podium, “Be The Inspiration”. Damn, that’s a lot of pressure. I can see being AN inspiration but to be THE inspiration is a tall order. What the hell was the RI president thinking? Well, I guess he is the RI President so maybe he is THE inspiration. I will settle for being inspired every now and then and call it good. |
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My Place Teen Center in WestbrookCheck out the magic behind our red doors! 755 Main Street | Westbrook, ME 04092 | 207-854-2800 myplaceteencenter.org WCSH 6 Who Care Agency of Distinction | United Way Partner Agency | Mainebiz’s Nonprofit Business Leader of the Year | Maine Children’s Alliance Giraffe Award |TD Beach to Beacon Charitable Recipient The program was about the My Place Teen Center in Westbrook and their efforts to establish such a center in Biddeford as well. We heard from Deb Shangraw who is the current president of the Westbrook Gorham Rotary Club which has been instrumental in support to the success of MPTC. Deb serves as a consultant for MPTC and is excited about the prospect of setting up a MPTC in Biddeford. She maintains that the loving atmosphere at the MPTC saves lives and that it is one of the most unique places on earth. The MPTC is located in a former church which has been renovated into a shining facility with a commercial kitchen from which they serve many meals each week. We also heard from Donna Dwyer who is he President of MPTC. She is clearly passionate about the program and would love to see a new MPTC in Biddeford in the former church located at 75 Bacon Street owned by the Biddeford Housing Authority. She said the MPTC in Westbrook serves 40-70 kids each day from ages 10-18 with the only qualification being that they are a kid. We also heard from Guy Gagnon, a former club member and the head of the Biddeford Housing Authority. They would like our hands on help to convert space in the former church to a new MPTC for Biddeford and Saco kids. They would like to open it in the summer of 2020. They will need money for the space and a new kitchen but they will also need hands on help. Sounds like a great project. Below is some additional information provided to us about My Place Teen Center.
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President Joe's Message for FebruaryHey Folks, Can you believe February is over. We ended the month with a great meeting at Biddeford Middle School. Our first order of business was to nominate and elect Haley Thompson of Thornton Academy to our board. I am really excited about her coming on the board for a 2 year term as a Director. Thank you Jeremy Ray and Karen Chasse for making the meeting happen today especially after two snow days. I really want to recognize Ms. Lee the teacher and her students for putting on a fantastic lunch at the Tiger Café. The 6th, 7th and 8th graders started us off with small Caprese Salad on a tooth pick or cherry tomatoes with a leaf of fresh basil. Lunch consisted of a choice of three soups a pasta fagioli, chicken with orzo and a corn chowder. I had the chowder and then followed that up with the chicken and orzo. Both were served with homemade crackers. I passed on the garlic bread but it did look good. My favorite was the chicken with orzo. The hot bowl of soup was chuck full of chicken and orzo that had a really nice balance of herbs and spices. The students finished us off with a choice of mini cheesecakes with fresh fruit on top or a fruit cup. After lunch we got to ask students questions. These 16 students that worked for us, some were servers, some were cooks, etc. were really excited to participate in the program. These students are also cooking at home for their families. All 16 Rotarians at the meeting had a really good time being there. We got to meet Marty G’s 7th grade daughter who is participating in the STEM program at BMS. We also got to watch Sabine drool over all for the sewing machines that were in the class, I mean dining room. We also learned that the culinary program ends at 8th grade. I was surprised to learn that the Center for Technology does not have a program for kids wanting to pursue a career in the food and hospitality industry. The reason is pretty simple, they don’t have the space or the money to build a kitchen. Jeremy Ray mentioned that they would be happy if they even had an offsite space for a kitchen. This is a nice segue to bring up what I think are two great opportunities in front of us. The kind of events that don’t happen all that often. I would like to start a conversation with all of you about two initiatives that we can share in. Obviously I am still on my sugar high from the extra cheese cake I had yesterday; we should talk about helping BRCOT get a culinary program going. The other initiative we talked about Monday night at Red Ribbon Committee meeting on Monday night was Thornton Academy’s campaign to build a new field house. Lionel Gym was designed for a school of 650 kids, TA now has over 1700 kids. Our club has a rich history of supporting our communities by participating in projects that have a high level of permanency and visibility. Examples are MacArthur Library, The Truslow Center and more. Yesterday, I drove by Rotary Park and I was honored to see our sign at the entrance. It was Rotarians that were behind converting a dump into a year round playground for everybody. So let’s start those conversations about Biddeford and Thornton and do we want to be a part of it. I plan on addressing these initiatives with the Board at our next meeting on March 6th before I present them to you, the membership. I ask that you keep your minds open so that we can have meaningful conversations on these issues and whether we want to get involved. As Rotarians we can be the inspiration for our community. There is no other group like us. Regards, Joe Moreshead |
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District AssemblyGood morning Rotarians! We have a terrific District Assembly planned for Saturday morning, April 6th!! While this Assembly is highly recommended for all Club officers and committee chairs, all Rotarians are encouraged to attend. Our sessions include workshops for: $20 gets you breakfast, and a fun-filled Rotary experience! Please register here, today: Note: pre-paying with your credit card will speed your entry into the event. The Assembly is 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Saturday, April 6th. We hope to see you there! |
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Week in Review 3/27/2019At the outset I want to thank Julie Villemaire for filling in so admirably in preparing the Tack for March 20. I would love to have one or two more volunteers write the Tack for a few weeks each. It can be as brief or as long as you want it to be. Have you ever put bread in the toaster and let it sit in there so long it almost sets off the smoke alarm and then when you take it out, burning your fingers in the process, you realize you have no butter so you eat it plain? That is how dry this Tack will be. Bonneville Salt Flats dry. Our March 27th meeting was a bit of an intimate affair with light attendance. President Joe again apologized for the parking. I walked down so I did not contribute to the parking lot gridlock but I know people struggled to find spaces. It is not really going to get better with improved weather coming and more and more people going out to lunch. Carpooling may become necessary. Karen Chasse led us in the 4 way test and Joe Bassett led us in a prayer. Surprisingly both seemed to have done it before. Our recently clean shaven President Joe introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. Fausto is apparently saving himself for his Presidential year and Don Pilon was among the missing as well. Former club member, Guy Gagnon, and Dr. Joe Boyle were introduced as a guest and visiting Rotarian, respectively. Joe reminded us that our essay contest meeting with be on April 10 at PeoplesChoice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. If you can carpool to that meeting please do so as there is limited parking. It is always a great meeting when we get to hear the essays of the various middle school winning writers who will share their views on what family means to them. Joe also mentioned the May 11 (that’s a Saturday) hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals in 2-3 hours. Bring your aprons. President Joe also announced the creation of an ad hoc committee to review major asks for club donations and to perhaps work on a larger gift policy. The members of the committee so far are Paul Deschambault, Don Pilon, Karen Chasse, Jackson Brown (maybe) and me. The committee has been invited to next week’s Board meeting on April 3 at 7:45 at P&C Insurance. Heather Gendron announced that the Scholarship Committee is reaching out to our area high schools and the COT to solicit applicants for our $1,000 post-secondary scholarships. The Committee will meet on April 30 at Bangor Savings from 3:00 to 5:00 to review applications and narrow the pool of applicants to the students who will then be interviewed by the Committee. If you have any interest in helping to screed the scholarship applications please plan on attending the meeting on April 30. Ron Drouin asked if we were planning anything for our Club’s 100th anniversary next year. Jackson indicated that he invited our sister club in Bideford, England to come over for the celebration though no celebration as yet is planned. It was suggested that we combine a gala with a fundraiser to be held in March to raise money and celebration our 100 years in existence. Marty Grohman learned that he would be chairing any such event as our vice president. Good luck Marty. Jim Godbout announced that we are getting close to clearing the title on the next Rotary House to work on located on Main Street across from the COT. Jim thought that we may have a judgment as early as next week, but the emails I have seen from Keith Jacques would indicate that we may incur a bit of a delay. Don’t start swinging the wrecking ball just yet. Stay tuned. Matt Simmons failed to appear and I suspect he is still circling the parking lot looking for a space. President Joe solicited happy dollars which seems to be most of the Matt Simmons show anyway. The happy dollars included:
Jackson won the 50/50 for the second week in a row. |
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Veteran Services for Volunteers of AmericaToday’s Speaker was Michael A. Merrill, Program Director of Veteran Services for Volunteers of America. The Assistant Program Director, Brian Bouthot, was also visiting with us today. Over the years, Volunteers of America has established itself as "The Place to Turn" for our country's most vulnerable individuals. Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 by social reformers Ballington and Maud Booth. They envisioned a movement dedicated to “reaching and uplifting” the American people. On behalf of the organization, the Booths pledged to “go wherever we are needed, and do whatever comes to hand.” That declaration continues to guide Volunteers of America’s outreach efforts today. At Volunteers of America Northern New England they serve the people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with the promise to reach out and uplift the human condition and provide opportunity for individual and community involvement. Volunteers of America has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Volunteers of America is also proud to be the largest provider of affordable housing in the country. Willingness. Creativity. Compassion. These underlying values of our founding vision have led Volunteers of America Northern New England to serve more than 8,000 people annually in Maine. Cabin in the Woods: 21 veterans and their families can finally say “we are home” as Cabin in the Woods opens its doors and offers peace of mind to residents. After serving our country, our veterans deserve more than just a thank you, they deserve a home and a community that will fight for them the way they have fought for us, and now they have just that. Cabin in the Woods Community is the first project of its kind in the state of Maine, and the only program in Maine that will offer permanent housing for homeless male and female veterans, as well as their families. The cabins have been built on 11 wooded acres on the grounds of Togus VA Medical Center in Chelsea, Maine and are within walking distance of services. There are 16 one-bedroom and five two-bedroom 550-square-foot cabins, all less than 800 square feet, as well as a 700-square-foot two-bedroom cabin for office and community space. The program has an emphasis on family reunification and employment, Cabin in the Woods will work with many local, regional, state and federal agencies to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The $4.2 million development cost of the project will be funded primarily by Maine Housing Tax Credit Allocation. Our work continues with MaineHousing to finalize the timeline and construction documents. We have partnered with the Veterans Administration to secure a 75 year lease on the land and the Home Depot Foundation is generously funding a portion of the cabin construction costs. The land for the Cabin in the Woods development was acquired through the Department of Veterans Affairs Enhanced Use Lease Program, where the VA leases underutilized real estate to the private sector for the purpose of developing housing for homeless veterans. If you are interested in contributing to Cabin in the Woods please contact Michael Coon at 207-373-1140. Additional information about Cabin in the Woods and our partners can be found in our Media Kit. Behavioral Health We serve individuals who are 18 years or older and who have been diagnosed with persistent mental illness or co-occurring conditions. Our programs welcome people whose behaviors have frustrated the best efforts of other care givers. We use evidence-based programming to foster new thinking, attitudes and behaviors that lead to positive personal changes, independence, maturity and self-responsibility. Our goal is to help break the cycle of hospitalization and homelessness and create a path to self-realization and community engagement. A team of trained and caring staff members at each residence helps residents learn to cope with the challenges of everyday living by developing daily living skills, maintaining counseling, obtaining education regarding mental illness, improving, and learning how to manage symptoms, with an individual rehabilitation and treatment plan. For many of these individuals, it is a major step to greater independence. Camp POSTCARD (Police Officers Striving To Create And Reinforce Dreams) is a free week-long program for Maine kids. Counselors are volunteer Police Officers from across Maine. Sheriffs, Troopers and Municipal Officers all come together to mentor and encourage kids while improving their perceptions of law enforcement. In June, 161 children from all 16 Maine counties joined forces with over 80 Law Enforcement volunteers for a week of exploration, healthy activities, outdoor recreation, and education. Campers adjust to new places and people – all while being mentored and cared for by officers of Maine law enforcement and public safety organizations. Law enforcement professionals (current and retired) from all 16 counties in Maine spend the week 24/7 at Camp POSTCARD; Many have been Camp POSTCARD leaders for 5,10, 15, even 20 years. Their goal is to give children an experience that will enrich their lives and give them hope for the future. During this week, campers experience officers as caring and fun-loving people primarily concerned with the well-being of children. Camp POSTCARD gives children a new perspective on what’s possible for them to achieve; the adults who are providing these many experiences and cheering them on are officers and many other caring adults. Camp POSTCARD gives children a boost to their confidence; they broaden their horizons and have the world open up to them in ways they could not imagine. Camp POSTCARD is a long-term partnership between the Maine Sheriffs' Association and Volunteers of America Northern New England. Qualified officers are invited to become volunteer leaders at camp. Campers are unaware that the counselors are from law enforcement until the last day. Many of the campers come from homes where there has been negative interaction with law enforcers. Senior Services Our senior services and programs promote health and independence for the elderly. We encourage seniors to be active and healthy through a host of support services. We are one of the nation's largest nonprofit providers of quality, affordable housing for seniors and a major provider of professional long-term care. For seniors, maintaining independence is very important. We provide housing for seniors who want to live independent lifestyles where they can thrive and age in place. Our senior residents deserve the quality of life that they desire and our commitment to service-enriched housing offers them just that. Paul Hazelton House I & II : The Paul Hazelton I & II Houses, located in Saco, Maine, provides a combined 66 units of high-quality, affordable housing for low-income elderly people, with disabilities and other needs. Bayview Heights: Bayview Heights is located in Portland, Maine and provides 59 units of high-quality, affordable housing for low-income elderly people, with disabilities and other needs. Our Rotary club donated $500.00 to help Veterans coming out of programs with moving expenses. They were able to help 3 Veterans with our donation . There are no municipalities helping them out. They run off of public and private donations & grants. Seeds of Hope offers a loan program for security deposits for rents. They work very closely with Reverend Shirley. Veterans in their programs are required to volunteer in the community. There are some Veterans that volunteer for the Heart of Biddeford. President Joe let Michael know about our upcoming community project with the Kiwanis club on May 11th. If anyone would like to join us in this effort they are more than welcomed. Donations from our Company B fund have been instrumental in helping these men and women. The donations have helped start new lives for some and new careers for others. Michael said they couldn’t thank our club enough for our part in helping out. If you’d like more information about the wonderful organization you can visit their website at www.voanne.org. |
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Week in Review 3/20/2019President Joe promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. In case anyone was wondering or counting the weeks under Joe’s leadership, he announced that it was the 39th week in this Rotarian year. He called upon Conrad Welzel to flawlessly lead the group in the 4 Way Test. Joe Bassett was on deck with the invocation. President-Elect Fausto was present prior to the meeting but went MIA when it was time to introduce visiting Rotarians and Guests. Vice President, Don Pilon stepped up to the plate to introduce the visiting Rotarian with the best attendance in this club, Dr. Joe Boyle and also Paul Deschambault’s better half, Carole. Jim Audiffred was pleased to introduce Pauline Van Haynes from South Africa. Pauline was a Rotary Exchange Student many years ago and one of her host families was Jim and Margo Audiffred. Pauline is married and has two girls. She went onto to medical school and is an OBGYN. Jim and his family went to Australia to visit with Pauline and her family. Pauline was at a conference nearby and took the opportunity to step away from the conference to visit with us. Rise Against Hunger Community Project: Jackson Brown informed the members that on May 11, 2019, we will be joining forces with the local Kiwanis club at the Elks Lodge in Saco from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. to put together 10,000 meals to be delivered to the local food pantries. This is a wonderful project to bring families and friends together for a great cause. Our club made a donation of $1,250.00 to this project. AD-HOC Committee for Major Giving: Paul Deschambault and Don Pilon have agreed to co-chair this new committee. President Joe asked that they meet soon to discuss whether or not the club should get involved. More information to come. The 50/50 pot of $27 was won by Jackson Brown. I heard Jackson say that he wanted to give some to the SAA Matt Simmons but I’m not sure what happened to the rest. Like so many others, it probably went to the Red Ribbon effort, another very worthy cause. Sabine McElrath recently returned from a trip to Guadeloupe. She was able to make arrangements to visit their local Rotary club and exchange the “Rotary Flag”. This was her third time visiting Guadeloupe but only the first time she was able to attend. She said that they meet every two weeks in person and that they skype the rest of the time. She said they had the most beautiful table setting that she has ever seen. The menu that was presented cost about 35 Euros ($40 US approx.) but she said the Rum Punch was well worth it! She explained some of the projects that our club has been involved with. She was amazed at how impressed their club was with the work we have done and continue to do. They have two major efforts. The first is “The Sea for Everyone”. Sabine mentioned that they have people with handicaps that actually like to go into the water & not just look from the sideline. One of their fundraisers is a race from France to Guadeloupe each year. They will get some info over to us so we can see about sending some funding their way to help with this cause. Their second initiative is to change snacks from baguettes and salty items to fruit. It was time for SAA Matt Simmons to take center stage in hopes of boosting his budget with happy dollars and fines. Jackson was one of the first members to raise his happy dollar. He is very happy that our Treasurer Susan will be heading back from her winter travels. Jim Audiffred was happy to have Pauline visiting for a few days. Bill Paterson was happy for his 13 year old grandson whose Dad happens to be a paramedic. Dr. Joe was happy that he was able to make the meeting on time after thinking he would be late. Not only was he on time but he was able to secure a premiere parking spot in the front of the building. President Joe was happy that Dr. Pierre Giroux was the best vet in town because he just expanded his family to include a new German Shepheard puppy named Phil. Roland Gagne gave a dollar and announced that Ron Drouin wasn’t feeling well . Julie was happy to not only see Heather MacLean in the Saco & Biddeford Savings newest commercial, but also Mark Nahorney. Conrad was happy that he was able to spend some time with his two ailing parents. Roland Gagne was also impressed with the Mark Nahorney’s use of the “Italian” language in his recent performance at City Theater. Matt was feeling the love today so he didn’t impose too many fines. Of course, President Joe wasn’t so lucky and was fined $3 for picking fights. Matt then charged the following Rotarians for money owed for either meals or dues: President Joe, Sherry Norton, Alicia Girard and Peggy Bean. |
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Karen Chasse- Classification TalkOur speaker for the day was Karen Chasse who gave her “classification talk” which could have been entitled a “classification dissertation, novel or treatise”. My life couldn’t fill two minutes. The entire talk is set forth below. Karen has truly overcome a lot of challenges to accomplish what she has including having to type her talk on her phone on a treadmill at 5:00 Am next to Jackson. Talk about challenges! Perhaps she will get up in another 10 to 20 years and tell us how her book finally ends (I don’t mean finally ends, well you know what I mean or at least I know what I mean). Nice job Karen. I will start with my personal life because it is much more entertaining and dramatic. My life began in turmoil. As you’ve probably heard Trojans and Tigers didn’t mix well in the 70’s. My Dad is a TA graduate: Mom is a BHS graduate. They divorced by the time my Mom was 20 but kudos to Jim and Lynn for their success! I grew up in New York with my Dad (who was in the Air Force), stepmom, brother and sister. My mom suffered from Lupus, lived in Biddeford, and we only saw her at Christmas and summertime. Throughout my youth, I had some of my own health issues: at four years old, I was hit by a dump truck and had to be in a full body cast for six weeks (that was not fun--for me or my parents), and I’ve had multiple surgeries on a congenital branchial cleft cyst in my neck. Otherwise, I grew up as a classic rule-following, introverted, middle child. My Dad’s alcohol and drug abuse eventually led to his second divorce and at 16 I left behind my PHS Hornets’ Track and Cheerleading friends to move to Maine to live with my Mom and my Dad went to rehab. Unfortunately, six months later my very good friend died in a drinking and driving accident on New Year’s Eve. As you’ve heard from our fun “Name that Rotarian” game last year, I met my ex-husband, his cousin, at the funeral (a sure sign it was a match made in heaven, right?). And guess what was the cherry on top? He had a one-year-old son born on his 18th birthday. But Casey taught me how to love unconditionally and is by far the best “inheritance” I will ever receive. After graduation, I went on to UMF but missed my ex-husband so terribly that I moved back to Biddeford after my first year, got an apartment together, got pregnant with my son, Tyler (the best “mistake” I ever made), got married, and managed to complete an Associates from UMA. (Yes, in that order – However, I don’t recommend this life plan). Two years later I lost a child, another little boy, and fortunately a year later had my daughter, Julia - my only planned child, and during her teenage years I often wondered if I was crazy for that decision. My Mom passed away shortly after that from Lupus complications at age 43. Honestly, this was my hardest hurdle to overcome. She was, by far, the strongest and most positive individual I will ever encounter. We then built a house in Dayton and I went to back to UMA to get my Bachelor’s Degree which I finally finished at age 42. Both my kids graduated from TA with Julia also attending the CNA program at COT. Following her graduation, I filed for divorce--which you all learned in the TACK thanks to Bill Kany’s creative writing. I guess Tigers and Tigers can get on each other’s nerves after 26 years. Now, my son, Casey, is 29 and lives in Biddeford with his wife, Elizabeth. He is a foreman for a landscaping company in Kennebunkport. My son, Tyler, lives in Florida and manages the Warehouse for Titan Supply. My daughter, Julia, lives with me (and her boyfriend--who drew up the architecture plans for our rotary house!). She works at MMC and will graduate next year from USM’s Nursing Program. My professional life is much more boring so hope you can stay awake through this part. My first real job was Rich’s Department Store at 14 making $4.10 an hour. I hit the jackpot when, at 17, I was hired as a Switchboard Operator at $6.10 an hour thanks to Jobs for Maine’s Graduates. I bought my first junker car and my ex-husband taught me how to drive (so if you don’t like it, you can blame him). I was fortunate enough to work at SMMC, now SMHC, for 25 years moving my way up the ranks from Switchboard & Admitting to the Marketing assistant, coordinator, specialist, manager and ultimately working in Development. I joined Rotary at 28 when my boss suggested in my annual review that I get involved. Joe stopped by the office one day and I asked him about Rotary. He invited me to a meeting and gladly sponsored me. This is where I learned the true value of giving back. Rotarians immediately involved me and back then we had a lot of family-oriented, hands-on projects so my kids were able to participate. I was on the Board of Directors for 10 years holding every position except Treasurer (which is good for the club since Business Finance was the only class I ever received a “C” grade). I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Rollie Eon for being persistent and asking me three years in a row to be President before I finally conceded. I didn’t realize it was going to be the same year my son graduated and I would be back in college but it truly was my best year in Rotary. I then met Jeremy Ray through Rotary. He asked me to be on the hiring committee for a Community Outreach & Development position at the School. Long story short, he asked me to have lunch one day when he learned I was job searching. Here’s your warning - Jeremy is the most skilled negotiator I have ever encountered but, also, if you are on a hiring committee and then you need to go through the interview process, it is 10 times harder and includes a laptop, writing a plan of what you would do in three very different scenarios in 10 minutes or less, and then presenting it to a jury of your peers. So, you are probably thinking mid-life crisis. Extreme stability for 25 years and in a one-year time span I had graduated college, had a new job, got divorced, bought a new car, completely renovated my house and the kids were off to college. But, I was 42; my Mom died at 43. For me, it was a wake-up call that life is too short to not be truly happy. My current job grew to include oversight of the Biddeford Education Foundation and duties for Dayton School (so technically Denis Elie is also my boss now). My next goal is to start classes this fall for a Master’s Degree in Education Psychology with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. So it is likely I will start analyzing all of you out of habit--sorry in advance. Other committees, boards, and recognitions include: Tri-Community Little League Secretary, Saco Junior Trojans Cheerleading Fundraising Chair, Girl Scout Troop 236 Leader, Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union Vice President, Northeast Credit Union Marketing Chair, SMHC Auxiliary Board, CHCC’S Project Alliance Board, United Way Campaign Committee, Rotarian of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow, and the award I am proudest of - the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award. So, that’s it. I did write this but I am guessing none of you will see it and if some of you see it you won’t read it anyway. There I feel better. |
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President Joe's Message for February 2019Hey Folks, Can you believe February is over. We ended the month with a great meeting at Biddeford Middle School. Our first order of business was to nominate and elect Haley Thompson of Thornton Academy to our board. I am really excited about her coming on the board for a 2 year term as a Director. Thank you Jeremy Ray and Karen Chasse for making the meeting happen today especially after two snow days. I really want to recognize Ms. Lee the teacher and her students for putting on a fantastic lunch at the Tiger Café. The 6th, 7th and 8th graders started us off with small Caprese Salad on a tooth pick or cherry tomatoes with a leaf of fresh basil. Lunch consisted of a choice of three soups a pasta fagioli, chicken with orzo and a corn chowder. I had the chowder and then followed that up with the chicken and orzo. Both were served with homemade crackers. I passed on the garlic bread but it did look good. My favorite was the chicken with orzo. The hot bowl of soup was chuck full of chicken and orzo that had a really nice balance of herbs and spices. The students finished us off with a choice of mini cheesecakes with fresh fruit on top or a fruit cup. After lunch we got to ask students questions. These 16 students that worked for us, some were servers, some were cooks, etc. were really excited to participate in the program. These students are also cooking at home for their families. All 16 Rotarians at the meeting had a really good time being there. We got to meet Marty G’s 7th grade daughter who is participating in the STEM program at BMS. We also got to watch Sabine drool over all for the sewing machines that were in the class, I mean dining room. We also learned that the culinary program ends at 8th grade. I was surprised to learn that the Center for Technology does not have a program for kids wanting to pursue a career in the food and hospitality industry. The reason is pretty simple, they don’t have the space or the money to build a kitchen. Jeremy Ray mentioned that they would be happy if they even had an offsite space for a kitchen. This is a nice segue to bring up what I think are two great opportunities in front of us. The kind of events that don’t happen all that often. I would like to start a conversation with all of you about two initiatives that we can share in. Obviously I am still on my sugar high from the extra cheese cake I had yesterday; we should talk about helping BRCOT get a culinary program going. The other initiative we talked about Monday night at Red Ribbon Committee meeting on Monday night was Thornton Academy’s campaign to build a new field house. Lionel Gym was designed for a school of 650 kids, TA now has over 1700 kids. Our club has a rich history of supporting our communities by participating in projects that have a high level of permanency and visibility. Examples are MacArthur Library, The Truslow Center and more. Yesterday, I drove by Rotary Park and I was honored to see our sign at the entrance. It was Rotarians that were behind converting a dump into a year round playground for everybody. So let’s start those conversations about Biddeford and Thornton and do we want to be a part of it. I plan on addressing these initiatives with the Board at our next meeting on March 6th before I present them to you, the membership. I ask that you keep your minds open so that we can have meaningful conversations on these issues and whether we want to get involved. As Rotarians we can be the inspiration for our community. There is no other group like us. Regards, Joe Moreshead |
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Week in Review 03/06/2019Please note tomorrow's meeting (3/13) will be at Run of the Mill and we will reschedule our meeting at Center of Technology at a later date when we can have some students available to showcase the programs (no, not because of an expected snow day).
Opening Ceremonies: President Joe “Movember will never end” Moreshead opened the meeting and asked Past President Steve “near perfect attendance” Morin to do the Four Way Test which he handled like an old pro. Conrad “I need longer arms or glasses” Welzel then led us in an invocation which he ably read from an index card held secretly at arms’ length. Visitors: We were visited by past member, I think, Tim “I don’t have enough needhams because Heather M took them all” Keene and Nicki Wyman, the branch manager of Bangor Savings in Biddeford. Presidential Announcements: President Joe happily announced that Haley Thompson had agreed to fill the last Board vacancy but her election the week before was not effective because of a lack of a quorum. He also announced that Marty Grohman has agreed to take on the role of vice president in the club which means he should be club president three years out. After Pierre Giroux and Kathy Shea came in late we had an official quorum (1/3rd of the members in the club) and we were able to successfully vote in Haley and Marty. Congratulations to them both. This is proof that if you campaign hard and live a clean life you can get elected to higher office. Joe also announced that Roland “where the hell is Romania” Gagne has been chosen to be part of the Rotary Cultural Exchange to Romania. Roland summarized the trip demonstrating that as of now he knows little about where he is going or what he will be doing. Joe also announced that the Board approved a $1,000 donation to help support the renovation of a bathroom by Jim Godbout’s company for a family with a member with a serious illness. The Board also approved a $1,250 donation to a Kiwanis Club Rise Against Hunger initiative which will provide 10,000 meals to food pantries in the area. There will be a hands on component to this project on May 11 when we will be asked to help deliver meals. I do hope we are not delivering 10,000 meals that day because if there are about 25 active Rotarians and an equal number of Kiwanis that would mean 200 deliveries for each of us. The food might get cold. Joe announced that the club has logged about 600 service hours so far so we are getting there. He also announced that the Board voted to approve a $1,200 donation to the Biddeford primary school and a school in Dayton so they can buy washers and dryers for kids who come to school with dirty clothes or who get dirty during the day. I am not sure what those kids do while their clothes are in the laundry, but perhaps school rules have changed a lot since I attended. Joe also indicated the Club and Red Ribbon are considering a donation to Thornton’s capital campaign to renovate and expand Linnell Gymnasium or as Joe calls it “Lionel Gymnasium” undoubtedly named after the train. Joe was also so impressed with the culinary arts program at Biddeford Middle School that he thinks we should support a culinary arts addition to the Center of Technology. I am sure we will hear more about that in the coming weeks. Parking Problems: Parking continues to be an issue at Run of the Mill resulting in some very creative parking jobs and also resulting in Denis “the hell with this” Elie driving into and out of the parking lot without staying. Perhaps when all of the snow melts things will get better. Sargent at Arms: Matt “I spend hours each week preparing” Simmons welcomed happy dollars which included:
Matt announced a couple of anniversaries which are always cheap fines. Alicia for one year and Elaine for 7 years. Matt also fined past member Tim Keene or Keane for not bringing enough needhams. He fined President Joe for not knowing the bylaws, etc. He fined Peggy for losing her car in the parking lot. Hey who has not done that? He fined Julie for pouring a whole bottle of ketchup on her meal (actually the cover came off and I did not do it though I wished I did). Guest Speaker: Surprisingly, our guest speaker was not someone that Conrad has known since he was a child like all of our past speakers. Conrad introduced Past District Governor, Lawrence “I own 30 bow ties” Furbish who visited us to talk about the Rotary Foundation. Our district is a strong supporter of the Foundation and our club is an even stronger supporter. The Foundation is one of the highest rated charities in the world and has a lot of money to support district and global grants. He announced that polio plus has eradicated polio from everywhere except Afghanistan and Pakistan where the terrorist factions make it impossible to treat everyone. He encouraged our club to send someone to the Grants Management Seminars so we can apply for grants. If you are interested see our Foundation Chairs, Brian Dallaire and Matt Simmons, yes, Matt you are a Foundation Chair and that has nothing to do with the Rotary House. 57% of our club donates to the Foundation. Let’s try and make it 100%. Reminder: Our annual essay contest meeting will be on April 10 in the function room at People’s Choice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. Please make every effort to attend. |
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Week in Review 2/27/2019Steve Morin lead our club in reciting the four-way test Guests: Visiting Rotarian- Joe Boyle Joe Moreshead announced that Hayley Thompson volunteered to be on the Board of Directors. Jim Godbout made a motion to accept her candidacy and Matt Simmons seconded. All in favor. Joe relayed a message from Jean Saunders of Age Friendly Saco: there will be a meeting at Old Orchard Beach Town Hall on 12 March at 4:00. Members from local Rotary clubs will meet to discuss volunteer efforts in the community. The club received a thank you note from Dennis Robillard for our contribution in buying his club 2 knee walkers. Conrad announced that the wine tasting has netted about $3340 to date with a bit more expected from ticket sales to be turned in and the beer auction last week. Jim Labelle won the 50/50 And donated it back to the club. Matt - Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars came from Dr Joe who was happy to be visiting and also to have survived being a pedestrian when Lucie Kay raced into the parking lot and almost him him and others. Joe enjoyed his first welding class at the COT and is donating a new floor drain cover to the school, Conrad had a good visit with his granddaughter, Marty is happy to be at a meeting at his daughter’s school, Jim is happy to be having lunch with his friend Scott Descoteaux and Matt is happy to be switching careers back to education. Fines: Jackson for telling on Lucie, Sabine for trying to run the meeting, and Joe for missing the nuances in pronunciation of kneeling vs nailing. Our lunch today was hosted and catered by the students at Biddeford Middle School enrolled in the Family and Consumer Sciences courses. Scott Descoteaux (principal Biddeford middle school) and Vicky Lee (family and consumer science teacher). The middle school has about 560 students. Biddeford Middle School has developed a rigorous and unique program emphasizing mathematics and science with the integration of technology and engineering (STEM Academy). Students in Vicky’s class benefit from 80-minute sessions, compared to the regular period of 40 minutes. That gives them the time to create and cook recipes. The students were very enthusiastic not only in preparing and serving us a delicious meal, but also in answering the many questions posed by club members. Several have noted their love of culinary arts is leading them to consider a career in the field. Many others shared how they help at home in preparing meals for their family. Meeting was adjourned at 1:30 |
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MeetingThis weeks Meeting will be held at Biddeford Middle School.
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Age Friendly SacoPresident Joe signed up for a meeting on March 12 @ 4:00PM @ OOB Town Hall with Saco Bay and Sunset Club- any and all are welcome to talk about Age Friendly initiatives. |
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New Officers for 2019-2020Hello Fellow Rotarians, We finally voted on a slate officers at last week’s meeting. One of the highlights was that Alicia G was nominated for a director’s position on the Board and she accepted. I am proud to announce that we have a slate officers for the 2019/2020 Rotary Year. The list is as follows: President: Fausto Pifferrer President Elect: Don Pilon Vice President: Martin Grohman Treasurer: Sue Gajewski Secretary: Julie Villemaire Past President / Board Joe Moreshead Directors: Heather Gendron Conrad Welzel CJ Cote Dubois Alicia Girard Haley Thompson Thank you to all, especially the folks who have stepped up to assume stewardship of our great club. We still need a Vice President though. It is my goal to have someone in the role before my term ends this summer. The strength of our club is us, it is us who determines the future of this club. Think about serving for a year, think about your commitment to service- maybe this is a way of achieving your own personal goals developing leadership skills, communication skills, building a network of friends and peers all while stewarding a great organization and getting a firsthand view of how important this club is to our local community, statewide, nationwide and global communities as well. It all starts here in the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club. Respectfully, Joe Moreshead |
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Week in Review 2/20/2019Lucie Kay lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: Visiting Rotarian- Paul Smith Dr. James Herbert Mitchell Brown Our weekly meeting to take place at the Biddeford middle school has been rescheduled for the 27th. Joe relayed a message from Jean Saunders of Age Friendly Saco: there will be a meeting at Old Orchard Beach Town Hall on 12 March at 4:00. Members from local Rotary clubs will meet to discuss volunteer efforts in the community. Mark won the 50/50. Heather, Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars came from Sabine who was happy that her 5 month tenure as scribe is almost over, Dr Joe was happy to see foxes in his backyard, Conrad is looking forward to a visit from his granddaughter, Joe Bassett is happy that his great granddaughter will be performing with the traveling drama group, Roland is happy that Ron Drouin shared a website with him, Bill Kany is happy that his daughter is engaged, James Hebert is happy that he recently adopted a Maine coon cat. Fines: Don Pilon for standing Heather up, Conrad for not giving chocolates to his wife and for asking the club to expose themselves, Joe for Not being able to pronounce Alicia, and Lucie for sporting a Trump-like tan. Guest Speaker: Dr. James Herbert, President of UNE Dr. Herbert spoke of his great love for the area and discovering all things Francophile, la Kermesse festival, kayaking, and local area restaurants like Yeto’s. Originally from corpus Christie Texas he came from a working family who ran a shrimp boat and was the first generation in his family to attend and graduate from college. He spoke of the history of UNE as it merged three schools over the years, Westbrook Seminary, St. Francis College, and the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. It has become Maine‘s largest private university and the only medical school in the state. UNE has become more than a place to get an education, but its mission is to help students transform their lives. While working on the university’s strategic plan, Dr. Hebert is also focusing the school on the health of individuals and also the broader community. The school has placed a new emphasis on Marine sciences and is currently ranked the number seven school in the nation in that discipline. They are working on developing a healthy aquaculture business and also researching kelp farming. The school’s enrollment has grown to 14,000 students with approximately half of them pursuing a degree online. Meeting was adjourned at 1:30 |
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Week in Review 2/13/2019Karen Chasse lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Boyle - invocation Guests: Visiting Rotarian- Paul Smith Joe Moreshead shared an opportunity with the club. There is an upcoming trip to Romania in May as part of Rotary’s cultural exchange program. Roland Gagne has applied. Our weekly meeting on to take place at the Biddeford middle school has tentatively been rescheduled for the 27th. Nominations were reported by Ken Farley: President elect: Don Pilon Directors: Heather Gendron and Conrad Welzel. There were no nominations reported for the position of vice president. Conrad Welzel provided a recap of the Winetasting event. He estimated about 200 attendees and received excellent feedback about the event. The silent auction was also very successful. Jackson won the 50/50. Matt, Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars came from Sabine who was happy that Paulette was honored by Senator Angus King, Ken was happy to be going skiing, Jeremy was happy to have attended the Super Bowl, Fausto was happy to have Karen help him raise money for the Center for grieving children, Karen enjoyed a great weekend away, and Dr Joe had an excellent workout session with his trainer and survived. Conrad is very happy the winetasting is over! Fines: Marty for posting on Facebook that he has playing hookey. Meeting was adjourned at 1:00. |
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Slate of Candidates for 2019-2020Fellow Rotarians, I erred in my earlier email listing Jim McAllister as a director. Jim is actually coming off of the board. As a result we have additional openings on our board. We need a replacement for Jim; are you interested in a two year term? We still need a Vice President, any takers? All is not lost you have a chance. According to our resident Esquire, Bill Kany, he conducted a detailed analysis of our by-laws. According to the by-laws, the president must ask for additional nominations at next week’s meeting. We can then close nominations and elect the slate as presented after closing the nominating. Thanks, Joe, Fellow Rotarians, The nominating committee put forth a slate of new officers for the 2019/2020 year. The slate was accepted to present to the membership for a vote at the next scheduled meeting, February 20th at Run of the Mill Public House. There were no other nominees and so nominating was closed. The slate of officers is as follows: President: Fausto Pifferrer President Elect: Don Pilon Vice President: open Treasurer: Sue Gajewski Secretary: Julie Villemaire Past President / Board Joe Moreshead Directors: Heather Gendron Conrad Welzel Dennis Elie CJ Cote Dubois OPEN Please try and make this meeting and cast your vote for our new slate of officers. Thanks, Joe |
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Meeting Reminder 2/13/2018No meeting this week. |
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Big Thank YOU!A BIG THANK YOU to all the Rotary members who helped in any way with the Wine Tasting. Thanks, Heather & Conrad |
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e-Tack 2/6/2018Joe Moreshead lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: Dave Howard Melissa Cilley Joe Moreshead shared an opportunity with the club. There is an upcoming trip to Romania in May as part of Rotary’s cultural exchange program. Anyone having interest, just send a Joe an email. Our weekly meeting on 13 February was scheduled to take place at the Biddeford middle school but with the impending storm, the meeting will be held at Run of the Mill instead. Joe Moreshead inducted two new members into the club; Reegan Hebert and Jim Labelle. Conrad Welzel provided more details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9 at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. All tables have been sold. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PMand will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, thanks to The Cheese Iron and Haven’s Candy, along with a silent auction. Any silent auction items can be dropped off at Joe’s shop or if they are small items they could be brought to the meeting and given to Heather. We are still looking for volunteers to help setup. The Board approved 2 $1000 requests for help with heating system upgrades. One was for a man suffering with ALS And the other for a mom with 2 kids facing a slew of medical bills. The club also voted to fund two charitable requests; one for $150 to buy a pass to bounce zone for the child of disabled parents and the other to the Saco Bay Sunset Club to purchase 2 knee walkers for $237.98. The date for our essay contest awards is 10 April. Location to be determined. Conrad won the 50/50 and donated his share to Red Ribbon. Heather, Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars came from Roland who was happy to see Ron Drouin, Bill Kany, happy the fundraiser for Center for Greiving Children raised $350,000, Jim Labelle, happy to be a new member of the club, Brenda, happy her son and his crew are visiting. Fines: Don Pilon for missing board meeting, Joe for not going to wine tasting, Reegan, for joining the club, Brenda for being late, and Keith for the closing of Heather’s favorite restaurant. Meeting was adjourned at 1:23. |
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Rotary Volunteers/ Habitat for HumanityWhen I spoke to your Rotary Club about our next volunteer opportunity with Habitat for Humanity, some rotarians expressed interest in knowing the date/ time of the weatherization project. We ( Age Friendly Saco) are again teaming up with the Interact Club at Thornton Academy on Saturday, March 2nd from 9-11 in the Atrium at Thornton Academy to build window inserts for some of our low income older adults in the Saco/Biddeford/ OOB area. We were hoping that some Rotarians might be interested in helping for this event? We welcome any/ all assistance! Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Jean Saunders Age Friendly Saco (207)651-9073 |
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Week in Review 1/30/2019Heather Gendron lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: Jim Farr Joe Moreshead shared an opportunity with the club. There is an upcoming trip to Romania in May as part of Rotary’s cultural exchange program. Anyone having interest, just send a Joe an email. Our weekly meeting on 13 February will take place at the Biddeford middle school and the students in the culinary program will be feeding us lunch! In the event of storm-related school cancellations, the meeting will be held at Run of the Mill. Conrad Welzel provided more details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. All tables have been sold. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PMand will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, thanks to The Cheese Iron and Haven’s Candy, along with a silent auction. Any silent auction items can be dropped off at Joe’s shop or if they are small items they could be brought to the meeting and given to Heather. We are still looking for volunteers to help setup. Morgan Stoner won the 50-50 and donated the proceeds to the club. Matt, Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars came from Dr Joe who donated a happy 10. He was happy that Sabine is taking notes and that his grandson visited on his 23rd birthday. Lucie is looking forward to her upcoming trip to Aruba, Karen had a great trip in Florida and wants more travel in her future. Don is happy to have sold his house in Florida Conrad is happy his house didn’t burn down. Reagan logged 67 miles running last month, and Jim far is happy to be visiting our club today. Matt is happy to be moving over to Prudential. Fines: Joe for mispronouncing our new member’s name, Roland because his daughter stole a pillow, Marty for plugging winter fest this weekend, Lucie for the upcoming merger with Atlantic credit union, Jeremy for the two hour school delay today, and Jackson for being awesome. Meeting was adjourned at 12:54 |
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Meeting ReminderTODAYS MEETING IS BACK TO RUN OF THE MILL! Due to the weather coming in later and the uncertainty of a late start for students tomorrow, we have moved our meeting back to Run of the Mill instead of the Biddeford Middle School. We did not want to call it at the last minute and waste food that was prepared. Therefore, the new date we will be at BMS for the Culinary students to serve us will be February 13th so please mark your calendars. Thanks for understanding. Karen |
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Week in Review 1/23/2019Pierre Giroux lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: Bob Wester Joe Moreshead welcomed new Paul Harris Fellow, Heather Maclean. Our weekly meeting on January 30 will take place at the Biddeford middle school and the students in the culinary program will be feeding us lunch! In the event of storm-related school cancellations, the meeting will be held at Run of the Mill. Conrad Welzel provided more details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. There is also an opportunity to sponsor a table. There are 2 remaining tables, seating 10 people each, that are available for $350 apiece. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PMand will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, thanks to The Cheese Iron and Haven’s Candy, along with a silent auction. Any silent auction items can be dropped off at Joe’s shop or if they are small items they could be brought to the meeting and given to Heather. We are still soliciting sponsors for the $100 and $500 levels. Joe Moreshead reminded members that he deputized all of us to spend $50 each to support any need we may see in our community. He shared the story of an immigrant family in Biddeford that had only one chair in their living room for a family of 7. Sabine learned of this and found a couch and loveseat set at Threads of Hope in Sanford, purchased it and arranged for it to be picked up and delivered. The kids were thrilled! Joe asked if anyone wanted to contribute their $50 allowance to defray the costs and Steve Morin and Pierre Giroux volunteered. Joe Moreshead won the 50-50. Fausto, Sargent at Arms: Solicited gratitude dollars from the club: Dr Joe is grateful that the patriots are playing in the Super Bowl, he celebrated a anniversary, and is expecting a visit from his grandson soon. Joe Moreshead was grateful that Jim Godbout was able to restore water service to his house, Cathy Shay is grateful to be going to a warm vacation spot soon, Steve Morin is celebrating a one-month-old grand baby, Sarah is happy Sabine is doing the minutes in February, Hayley is grateful her child had a successful heart surgery recently. Sarah Neault is grateful for having healthy kids, Joe Bassett was happy to be alive, Peggy being was happy to be at the meeting. Our speaker was Dennis Robilliard, a fellow Rotarian from the Saco Bay club. He spoke to us of his efforts to reclaim medical mobility devices here in the US to be shipped to Africa. Starting in 2011, they sent the first container with 5000 units of medical devices to Africa. Joe Moreshead has been instrumental in letting them store the equipment as they build up enough inventory to send. In the meantime, before a container is filled to send, Dennis has been helping many local people needing devices such as portable commodes, shower chairs, hospital bed, walkers, wheelchairs, transfer chairs, blood pressure machines, and knee walkers. Meeting was adjourned at 1:20. |
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Annual Wine TastingEveryone: Please mark your calendars for the Wine Tasting on Feb. 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Duffy's. We have a new location this year and the format will be a bit different with wine and cheese and chocolate pairings. Beer will also be available.
The more people who come, the more fun it will be so please pick up tickets from Heather M or Conrad and sell them to your co-workers, friends and neighbors.
We are hoping to have a fairly large silent auction this year and we need your help! Please consider donating a new product, item or service. Contact Heather M or Karen C with donations or questions.
We also need help with set up and clean up; front desk; raffle ticket sales; and we need four wine pourers for the second hour (8-9). Please let Heather M know if you are able to help.
And lastly...consider a sponsorship. Talk to Heather, Conrad or Karen about that!
Happy New Year.
Heather and Conrad |
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Week in Review 1/16/2019Ron Drouin lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: Carol Deschambault Beau Gaudreau Joe Moreshead announced that two new members have been posted; Jim Labelle and Reegan Hebert. The board has allocated $700 to purchase sleeping bags and wool socks for the homeless in our communities of Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach. We are working with Seeds of Hope to distribute them. The club also voted to grant $500 to help military veterans defray some of the costs of moving into permenant housing. This money will be administered through the work of Volunteers of America. Jim Godbout shared the story of a local family dealing with the health challenges of ALS. He and his crew recently installed a new boiler in the family home. Our weekly meeting on January 30 will take place at the Biddeford middle school and the students in the culinary program will be feeding us lunch! Conrad Welzel provided more details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9 at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. There is also an opportunity to sponsor a table. There are 3 remaining tables, seating 10 people each, that are available for $350 apiece. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PM and will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, along with a silent auction. Any silent auction items can be dropped off at Joe’s shop or if they are small items they could be brought to the meeting and given to Heather. We are still soliciting sponsors for the $100 and $500 levels. Conrad was also recognized and appreciated for bringing quality speakers to our weekly meetings! Paul Deschambault won the 50-50. Matt Simmons, Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars: Joe B. Is happy his wife renewed their contract for another year, Paul was happy to win the 50-50, Denis was happy to see Ron Drouin, Ron was happy to celebrate his 85th birthday and 42 years in Rotary, Matt was happy to announce he is leaving Edward Jones. Fines: Sarah Neault was fined for showing up. Steve Morin was fined and welcomed back. Our speaker was Deb Nelson, a health coach and author of the book, Finding Health after Cancer. She shared with us many inspiring stories of peoples’ journeys after receiving a diagnosis of cancer. Meeting was adjourned at 1:25. |
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Community ACEs Training 101Dear Rotarians, As this goes hand-in-hand with our Red Ribbon Committee focus on our local youth, I would like to have at least a handful of Rotarians attend this training. As a community, we need all partners involved to build resilience among our youth, especially as many are affected by the opioid epidemic. The Biddeford School Department is working on putting together an evening event on January 24 with a focus on student trauma. Brittany Ray specializes in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and is working with us in Biddeford to become trauma-informed but it takes more than just teachers to nurture relationships with students. This conversation is designed for principals, school committee members, state elected officials, city council, community groups, police departments, etc. Participants will learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the corresponding policy changes most needed in our schools and communities in order for students to thrive. We know this is a quick turn around, but Brittany is in town working with Biddeford and the charge for her presentation would be zero. Please see the attached flyer, share as appropriate, and let me know if you are willing to attend. As this is a training relevant to Red Ribbon, it will fall under a make-up/service hours meeting. Sign Up Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/ Thank you, Karen |
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Week in Review 1/9/2019Adam P. lead our club in reciting the four-way test Karen Chasse - invocation Guests: Reegan Hebert Jim Labelle Joe Moreshead announced that he will be presenting an AED machine purchased by the club to McArthur Library this afternoon. One AED machine has already been donated to Dyer Library in Saco. Denis Elie is heading the nominating Committee that will select the president elect, vice President elect, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, and two directors elect. Our weekly meeting on January 30will take place at the Biddeford middle school. Conrad Wenzel provided more details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. There is also an opportunity to sponsor a table. There will be six tables seating 10 people each that are available for $350 apiece. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PMand will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, along with a silent auction. Any silent auction items can be dropped off at Joe’s shop or if they are small items they could be brought to the meeting and given to Heather. Dr. Joe Boyle won the 50-50 and donated the proceeds to the club. Bill Kany, guest Sargent at Arms: Happy dollars: Steve Morin Just had his first grandchild, Adam Parent is happy for his vacation, Joe Boyle is happy to be going back to the Ogunquit Rotary club, Jeremy Ray is happy to have a kitchen again, Fausto is happy his new magazine came out, Marty is happy that today is law-enforcement appreciation day, and Julie was happy to have delivered lunch to the Biddeford Police Department. Fines: Sabine was fined for suggesting we impeach Joe as club president. Steve Morin gave Bill Kany a Kennebunk savings bank pen. Karen was fined for having God text her a prayer to open the meeting with. Dr. Joe was fined for leaving the club because he was asked to take minutes at the meetings in January. CJ Dubois-Cote was fined for parking in handicapped spot out front. Sara Neault was fined for winning in last years raffle. Our speaker Was Jean Davidson, a physical therapist at York Hospital. She gave an informative and demonstrative segment on ergonomics and the importance of keeping people mobile and safe in the workplace. She provided us with several handouts showing exercises for people who sit at work, how to prevent repetitive strain injuries at the keyboard, as well as having us participate and follow along doing some stretching exercises. Meeting was adjourned at 1:25. |
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Jean Saunders, Director of Age Friendly SacoJean Saunders, Director of Age Friendly Saco was our speaker. She shared with us some statistics about the aging population in Maine and specifically what the city of Saco is doing to care for its older residents. Some highlights of the recent accomplishments are making the Bayview beach wheelchair accessible. The Saco Bay Rotary club donated a beach wheelchair. The group has also developed a handy neighbor program, providing small repair and home maintenance for seniors. In conjunction with Thornton Academy, they have worked on weatherization projects like building window inserts that can cut down on drafts. To combat the social isolation frequently experienced by seniors, they hold dinner/dances two times a year and have held a wellness and vendor fair. In conjunction with the Saco public works department and Interact students, they offer residents free buckets of treated sand in the winter. The group is also seeking ways to fill Gaps in transportation by developing options beyond public buses and cabs. They organize grocery trips two times a month. Jean Saunders Chair, Age-Friendly Saco Age-Friendly Office 75 Franklin St. Room 204, Saco, ME 04072 agefriendlysaco@gmail.com (207) 710-5029 http://agefriendly.community/community/age-friendly-saco/ |
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Week in Review 1/2/2019Jim Mcallister lead our club in reciting the four-way test Jeremy Ray - invocation Guests: Speaker: Jean Saunders Joe Moreshead announced that Bernice Woods resigned from the club and that former member Joe Grondin passed away. 5 people were chosen to head the nominating Committee that will select the president elect, vice President elect, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, and two directors elect. The nominating committee will consist of Ken Farley and Denis Elise, as well as Adam Parent, Don Pilon and Kathy Shea. Our weekly meeting on January 30 will take place at the Biddeford middle school. Conrad Wenzel provided some details about our wine tasting event that will be held on February 9 at Duffys in Old Orchard Beach. Tickets will be $25. The event will take place from 7 PM to 9 PM and will also include chocolate and cheese pairings, along with a silent auction. The 50-50 drawing was won by Marty Grohman and he donated it to Red Ribbon. Sargent at arms: Collected happy dollars; Luck had a great New Year’s Day. Marty enjoyed a great visit in Quebec with Roland. Joe M. Is happy the club is still in the black during his presidency. Conrad happy to have celebrated a great Christmas. Jeremy had a great Florida family vacation. Bill P. Had a great visit with his daughter from Texas. Meeting was adjourned at 1:25. |
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Note from President Joe 12/2018“Miss a week, miss a lot” While I was out in Jackson Hole with my sons and best friends you Rotarians were busy working away. I missed the wrapping party that looked like fun. I missed the raffle drawing; really didn’t miss much- I didn’t win. I saw Carl Goodwin Saturday night at a make-up meeting at Pierre Giroux’s home and he said the Goodwin’s were denied a win as well. First time in a long time without a Goodwin winner. I did hear that Jim G picked up another $500 for Red Ribbon; someone donated their $500 back to the club. Seriously, major kudos to Karen for pulling off a successful raffle. She is a one woman show who really cares about the club. Don’t know how you pulled it off Karen, but a big thank you to you!!!! We need to recognize those folks that filled the Earl Goodwin void selling his tickets- thanks to all of you. I also want to recognize all the folks involved with the wrapping party. Thanks to Lucie K and the folks at the YCFC for supplying the space. I had a good time seeing everybody the week before at Walmart for the shopping. We made quick work of that. According to Julie it was one of the biggest turn outs for shopping by Rotarians. Reagan was great packing the new bags that Sabine purchased. They are so much better then green trash bags. Lastly, the bell ringing for Salvation Army, slots are filling up fast. We do have a few more openings. The list was emailed to everybody on Tuesday. I plan on bringing it to the meeting on the 19th at ROM. Looking forward to seeing all of you at tomorrow’s meeting. Regards, Joe |
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RIP PP Joe GrondinI wanted to write to let everyone know that we lost a Past President, Joe Grondin. Joe has been a member of our club for 60 years. He and his brother Babe were great Rotarians in every sense of the word. They were responsible for a lot of great projects both locally and internationally. Now as I find my self an "old guy", these "old guys" were my inspiration back in the nineties. God grant them the peace they so deserve. Regards, Joe Moresehead
SACO - Joseph "Buster" Grondin, 91, of Saco and formerly of Biddeford, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, early Saturday morning Dec. 22, 2018. He was born in Biddeford on June 22, 1927, the son of Oscar and Corona Bergeron Grondin. He graduated from St. Louis High School in Biddeford, in 1944 and then joined the U.S. Navy and became a radioman gunner. When he returned from the Navy, Joe worked in his father's plumbing business, Oscar J. Grondin & Sons. With his father's encouragement, he converted an old Navy Surplus van into the "Copper Cart," a copper-colored truck filled with plumbing and heating supplies. Using a phone book as his guide, he called on potential customers, took orders, went to Boston to purchase what was ordered and he delivered items the next week. Over time, Grondin Supply Company was born and, at various times, Joe's brothers all joined in this mission. His guiding principle was superior personal service. After retiring from Grondin Supply in 1985, he formed Grondin Associates, Inc. offering his services as a consultant. He then became an insurance agent in order to help others, offering life insurance, annuities and health insurance. In the last 20 years, Joe's concern about the high cost of prescription drugs led him to develop a program to help low-income people get help to pay for these medications. The thread of service to others, of service above self, ran throughout his entire life. He also served on the St. Joseph and St. Louis High School Boards as well as the Diocesan School Board. He joined the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club in 1958 and became its youngest Club President in 1964. He served as Rotary District Treasurer from 1968 to 1971. Joe was also named a Paul Harris Fellow. Mr. Grondin was a man of great faith in God and was a parishioner of Most Holy Trinity Church. He was always active in the life of the parish and eager to talk with others about his faith and beliefs. He served on several parish councils and as a lector and Eucharistic Minister. Most recently, he worked with Sister Theresa Couture to help immigrants in the area. He was predeceased by his wife Ruth (Morin) Grondin on June 14, 2017, one son, Joseph Martin Grondin, and by five siblings, Sister Rita Grondin, Conrad "Babe" Grondin, Theresa Bouthot, Normand Grondin and Robert Grondin. He is survived by three children, Patricia D. Grondin of Biddeford, Kathleen G. St. James of Saco and William J. Grondin and his wife Brenda of Durham; three grandchildren Tiffany Downing, Derek Downing and Aimee St. James; one sister Precille Beebe of Biddeford; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, Joe has requested that donations be made to Sr. Theresa Couture, 409 Pool St., Biddeford, ME. 04005 Visiting Hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, 87 James St., Saco. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, at Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco. Joseph will be buried next to his wife, Ruth, in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Biddeford. To view Joseph's memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com Published in Journal Tribune on Dec. 27, 2018
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Club Success with SA Kettle DriveThank you friends for all of your efforts out on the Kettles for us... Last year it was a blizzard and this year it was unending rain - but you still raise a great amount for the work of The Salvation Army in the Saco Bay area... Your group raised a total of $2,119.10! On December 5th a few of your members went out at lunch time and raised $225.18 and then on Friday 32 members raised $1,893.92. We truly appreciate your partnership - helping us to raise funds to off-set our Christmas assistance expenses as well as year-round Social Service Program expenses. Happy New Year everyone!!! God bless you, Beverly R. Smith, Major beverly.smith@use.salvationarmy.org The Salvation Army Old Orchard Beach Citadel Corps Officer 2 Sixth Street OOB, ME 04064 207 - 934 - 4381 x104 http://nne.salvationarmy.org/oldorchard facebook.com/thesalvationarmyoob |
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$100 Raffle Winners100 Raffle Winners:
This was actually an easier year to sell the tickets as people were very generous but it was MUCH HARDER OVERALL as we had to spread out Earl's tickets. Thank you to everyone who sold some of Earl's tickets and a huge shout out to the following Rotarians for going above in selling their share of theirs and Earl's: Bill Kany (26 tickets), Carl Goodwin (31 tickets), Jim Godbout (15 tickets), Jim McAllister (9 tickets), Karen Chasse (14 tickets), Keith Jacques (10 tickets), Laura Warner (9 tickets), Roland Gagne (9 tickets), and Steve Morin (11 tickets). |
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A Christmas poem from the peanut gallery Twas December 5th and all through the ‘Mart Rotarians were shopping with nary a fart Heather was positioned in the front of the store Hoping we’d hit budget and not a dollar more The families we shop for had given their lists We needed to do well so they wouldn’t be pissed Heather M in her mini and Jackson in his suit Roomed the Walmart isles for a child’s toy flute At the front of the store there was so much roar Lucky Kristen’s daughter knew what the dots were for The gifts were whisked to York County CU Where wrapping would soon be well overdue Paper and bows by the rolls were all soon there And club members wrapped with barely a care Then what did eventually come from such flow Sabine’s blue sacks all full and ready to go With a bunch of Rotary drivers, slow and thick I knew in a moment they weren’t St. Nick Slower than turtles they crossed the CU ice As Heather yelled out their names, she wasn’t real nice Go Jimmy, Go Jackson, Go Sabine and President Joe Go Karen, Go Julie, the hell with the snow To the top of Graham Street and on to Hill Deliver those packages with joy and skill Just as FedEx and UPS drivers will do Rotarians took off from out of the blue Off to houses and apartments they quickly flew With a bag of toys and a food gift card too And then in an instance they heard on the stairs Club members lugging themselves and their wares Each of the worthy families ran to their doors Just as we arrived at their porches or floors We were dressed for our work in our coats and our dresses A little disheveled but definitely not hot messes A bundle of presents lay slumped at our feet We looked like postal workers, oh how sweet But each Rotarian was filled with warmth and some cheer As we knew an unexpected Christmas was near The smiles on our faces evinced a feeling of joy Not unlike a child opening a shiny new toy The reactions they varied, some nervous, some happy Most were overjoyed without sounding too sappy Most welcomed us in while others stood in the door All thanked us in their way, we could not ask for more They knew we meant well and appreciated the hand It is hard to think of such need in this rich land The packages were delivered and greetings exchanged Then off we all went for a second visit, prearranged They waved as we left, behind the curtain they’d peak We helped make their Christmas, we got what we seek Not gifts or material things, but something worth twice Knowing we all did something incredibly nice We all thought as we headed to our Christmas fun Service Above Self, and a job very well done. Happy Holidays everyone, from the peanut gallery. |
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Gift Wrapping Party |
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Thanks for Christmas FellowshipWhat a wonderful way to welcome December with great friends, food and spirits. Our Rotary Christmas party on Saturday evening was so much fun! Thank you to all who made the trek to Casco and brought a delicious assortment of food. I had seafood chowder and a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast! I confess, there were a few of Roland's cookies left. Thank you Joe and Jim for providing the bus. What a great idea! I invited the bus driver in for some dinner but he politely declined. And we missed our fearless leader at the party. Hope you're feeling better soon Joe. I loved all the Maine and New England themed gifts. Very creative! Heather did a super job coordinating the gift swap and refereeing the exchanges. It got a little exciting at the end! Thank you Heather! There was one gift left at the house. It's a Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Drop Mix with two etched Maine glasses. Please let me know who left it and I'll get it to you. I'm happy to be part of such a generous group of Rotarians and I hope we plan more gatherings like this soon. Thanks again for all you do. Merry Christmas. Susan |
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Week in Review 11/28/20184 way test: Jim G Invocation: Joe Bassett 50/50 Drawing: $25 Jackson Brown Sergeant At-Arms: Happy Dollars
Fines
Announcements:
Speaker: Dave Howard – auto and magazine editor GO BUY AND READ HIS BOOK “Chasing Phil”!!!! |
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Note from President Joe 11/2018So I would rather be lucky than good. For example last Saturday at “Stuff the Bus” I was totally aware of the N’oreaster coming and thought “this is gonna suck” . The rain didn’t come until 10:00ish. By time my shift was done at 11:00 Paul D and his wife Carole would have to deal with the crappy weather joined by Tony Leblanc. I can’t wait to hear how the rest of the day went in the wind and rain. I want to thank Lucie K and Dave Lapaulo from Saco Bay for pulling this off. I had a blast hanging out with Lucie and Lucie. It was cool to say “ hey Lucie” and both would respond. Of course I am talking about Lucie Kay and Lucie Hatch. Phil Hatch was there too. Phil and Lucie have been in Rotary forever. I wonder how many husband / wife couples are in Rotary? I can’t believe that CJ Cote Dubois showed up. After all, every development in town has her face plastered all over the place. Andrea and I drove through the new development right after the bridge on Route 5 in Saco and every lot had a CJ sign on it. Kathy Shea and Conrad worked the other door without the benefit of a vestibule or covered area like us. They got really wet. However, Conrad had the whole foul weather gear outfit from the boots to the waterproof pants and coat. I watched Kathy push a cart full of canned goods across the parking lot in the rain- she looked a little washed up and still had an appointment at 11:00- that is dedication! For all of those that volunteered thanks. Our little effort netted some food, cash and most of all fellowship and camaraderie. My biggest thrill was to see the reactions of the people that donated food or money. They left Market Basket feeling good- that they too had made a difference. You could see it in their face faces, their smiles, their eyes; I think it is pretty powerful medicine for the soul. I guess that is one of the main reasons I belong to Rotary. I really like the positive feedback from people when we engage them. Whether it is fellow Rotarians or the people we connect with through service there is always this positive vibe happening. So that is another service project in the bag for our club. I think it is safe to say that the “Stuff the Bus” project was far more successful than our beer fest. Had you been at the meeting last week and joined the 15 or so Rotarians there was a lively discussion about it. Maybe this is our last festival, maybe we combine it with the wine tasting, maybe we try and get more volunteers to help, to show up, maybe a lot of things. Ken worked really hard on the fest we owe him a big thank you. I can’t point fingers because then I have 4 pointing back at me. However, I could feel and hear the frustration from folks who did work or attend the event. I hope to have a report on the fest this Wednesday at our meeting. Our next project is our second largest fundraiser and will require everybody’s participation. I am talking about the $100.00 raffle. We have talked about this being Earl the Pearl’s raffle after all he would always sell 70+ tickets out of the 250 we print. We need to come together this year and sell Earl’s tickets. That means that each of us will get extra thickets this year to sell. The good news is that Earl’s tickets should be an easy sell. We will need to contact those people associated with a particular ticket number and see if they will buy it aging this year. It won’t be a cold call whereas they have a history of buying a particular ticket number. Karen should have tickets available this week or next. The drawing will be December 12th at Duffy’s from 5:00 to 7:00. We will serve light hors d’oeuvres and have a cash bar available. The raffle drawing is also going to serve as our regular Wednesday meeting. Hope to see you this Wednesday. Regards, Joe |
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MeetingNO MEETING THIS WEEK December 5, 2018 Instead Christmas Shopping at Walmart 5PM |
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Christmas Fellowship
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Crutches 4 AfricaDennis Robillard and Anton Wagner finalized a date yesterday for this event. See Dennis' note below. It is a tough time for volunteers. Shipping Container #9 from our District needs to be filled with materials remaining from the last load a month of so ago. It is a tough time with tree sales going, travel, and holiday prep. It will take about 3 hours for just loading, this time. Please consider coming for part or all of the event. Even an hour would help. Please pass the word to your Clubs and let either Dennis or I know if you can make it. Saco Bay Sunset will need your help. COLLABORATION AT WORK.. Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving. Tony and Dennis PS Weather date will be December 15th. We are planning on filling another container on Saturday, December 8 starting at 9 AM, at 20 Gooch St., in Biddeford. I am concerned about having enough volunteers to load, being so late in the season. You and your club have been tremendous supporters of the C4A's program in the past and am asking for your continued support. Could you check with your members to determine the potential interest in helping that morning and then getting back to me. Please call or write with any questions. Thanks Dennis Dennis Robillard |
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Week in Review 11/14/20184 way test: Alicia Girard Invocation: Joe Bassett 50/50 Drawing: $18 Denis Elie Sergeant At-Arms: Happy Dollars
Fines
Announcements:
Speaker: Chief Bob Mackenzie Rotary District 7780 Recovery Initiative Committee Training to recognize & respond to an opiate/heroin overdose – Thursday, November 15th 5-6:30pm @ 112 College Drive, Wells (not Portland …Joe) |
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Week in Review4 way test: Brenda Pollock Invocation: Ken Farley Announcements: Open Meeting 50/50 Drawing: Jeremy Ray $26 Sergeant At-Arms: Happy Dollars
Fines
Open Meeting: *EVERYONE BRING MONEY NEXT WEEK SO JIM CAN BUY THANKSGIVING FOR 12 FAMILIES*
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November is Rotary Foundation Month"The Rotary Foundation is not [designed] to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish; it we work with brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples they will crumble into dust. But if we work upon immortal minds, it we imbue them with the full meaning of the spirit of Rotary ... we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity." -- Arch C. Klumph, 1916017 President of Rotary International. Here is how our Global Grant has made an impact on the world! Biddeford-Saco and Amman Cosmopolitan Rotary Clubs About two years ago, Roland Gagne, Past President of the Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco, was appalled by the daily onslaught of newspaper photographs and TV coverage showing the plight and suffering of so many children - refugees from the horrible and ongoing conflict in Syria. You probably remember those photographs yourself. Roland decided he could no longer be just an onlooker and that he had to do something. He reached out and made contact with the Collateral Repair Project, a nonprofit organization that operates a community center in East Amman, Jordan. Working with Jordanian Rotarians, they put together a program to assist refugee children. The project provides school supplies, uniforms, and fees to enroll about 200 students in school. It furnishes special help to at-risk children falling behind in school and to 30 teens who have been out of the formal educational system for some time. The program also developed a child-focused literacy center with books, materials, and other technology and a special teen-leader training program to encourage mentoring of younger children. This grant ended up being $187,301 and was the first Rotary Global Grant to assist refugees in front line situations. Ten District 7780 clubs contributed to the grant and $20,000 in District Designated Funds went toward it. So, any of you who contributed to the Annual Fund supported this grant. It is a wonderful example of the tremendous work being funded by our Foundation and how one person’s idea or concern can bring about life-changing opportunities for those in need. |
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Wine Tasting CommitteeCalling all Rotarians, On 11-7-18 after the Rotary Meeting we will have a Wine Tasting Committee Meeting for about 15 minutes. Anybody interested in joining the Committee is welcome along with their ideas. Thanks, Conrad |
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Week in Review 10/31/2018The following, I hope, will be my last minutes for a while. November will usher in Sarah Curley as your reporter and Sabine volunteered to take December (more on this below). I believe Dr. Joe has January and who knows from there. Enjoy. 4 Way Babble: For weeks now we have been told by Conrad that he spent tons of time lobbying in Augusta. Perhaps that is why he is such a silver tongued devil who is apparently bilingual because his introduction to the four way test was not in English. It is a wonder the Turnpike was ever widened. Earl Goodwin: Carl Goodwin was at the meeting and updated everyone on Earl. Unfortunately, Earl had another fall and suffered some new injuries. He is not doing too well and will probably not be back. In so many ways the success of our club can be attributed to the energy and spirit of Earl. Our club truly owes its stellar reputation to Earl and other leaders like him who worked so hard to support our communities. We all owe Earl our thanks and our prayers. It is truly difficult to see our veteran leaders move out of the club, but we should never forget what they gave to our club and to each and every one of us. Cool Kids Table: Roland Gagne invaded the cool kids table and clearly the cool kids did not know what to do in his presence. Roland don’t get too comfortable there. Halloween Costumes: Sarah Curley came to the meeting as Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch. Her costume as awesome and easily recognizable to most. Of course, Fausto asked her if she was a St Pauli’s Girl. Apparently they had no Dr. Seuss in Philadelphia. Lucie Kay came as an angry credit union manager and no one really knew what Don Pilon was but it was scary. Heather MacLean claimed she dressed as a school girl, and we’ll all go along with that even though I think she wore the same outfit the week before and the week before that. President Joe: Either demonstrating his early onset dementia or his attention deficit disorder or both, Joe wowed us with his announcements. First, he did not realize it was still October and he started growing his “Movember” beard, arguably an illegal head start on the facial hair growing contest. Second, he had no idea regarding the dates of events in December, but I think these dates are accurate: December 1st will be the club Christmas party at Sue Gajewski’s in Casco. President Joe is trying to arrange for a quote/ unquote “drunk bus” (the expression impresses our guests) to transport us to and from Casco. Of course, Lord knows how you get home once the bus drops you off in some local parking lot but apparently that is your problem. December 5th we will be ringing the bell at Walmart as fill-ins for 1 and ½ hours and then that evening we will be shopping at Walmart for the families we support at Christmas. There will be no meeting at the Run of the Mill on December 5th though I have no doubt President Joe will show up. Our shopping will count as our meeting that day and Sabine will have no Tack to write. December 11th will be the wrapping day for the Christmas gifts in the evening with more details to come. December 12th will be the $100 raffle party at Duffey’s or as Joe calls it, “the 50/50 event”. There will be no meeting at the Run of the Mill on December 12th. The event on the 12th will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM and Sabine will have no Tack to write. December 26th for those of you who are paying attention is the day after Christmas and my wild guess is that we are not meeting that day so Sabine will have no Tack to write. So now I know why Sabine volunteered to write one Tack in December! Finally, to truly demonstrate that he is losing it, Joe struggled with closing the sliding doors behind him to a point where he needed assistance from our guest speaker. Yikes! Stuff the Bus Report: Keeping with his confused theme Joe referred to our Stuff the Bus food drive on October 27 at the Biddeford Hannaford and Market Basket. To my knowledge there were no buses involved, but more on that in a minute. Joe told everyone with great glee that his shift ended before the monsoons started (way to leave your troops in the heat of the storm Captain). Despite the bad weather, it sounded like the food drive was a success. Lucie reported that the drive collected $550.00 and 1,500 pounds of food that went to the Saco Food Pantry and an undetermined amount of food that went to the Biddeford Food Pantry. Apparently, the food trucks were able to park close to the collectors which helped a little. When things got slow at Hannaford the food truck actually plowed right into the building which facilitated a greater haul since they had direct access to the food. Lucie blamed it on the food pantry driver but the inside information is that Lucie did not understand the “Hannaford to Go” concept and thought Hannaford had a real drive through. She now knows that is not the case though she temporarily created one. We were also told that the cash will be donated to Bon Appetit and both our club and the Saco Bay Club will serve at one of the Bon Appetit events and donate the money. Nice job Lucie and everyone who braved the weather to help out. Joe ultimately thanked “Sue” for all her hard work on the food drive. I guess “Sue” is Lucie in Joe’s quickly deteriorating mind. $100 Raffle: Karen Chasse distributed the $100 raffle tickets at the meeting. If you weren’t there Karen will undoubtedly track you down. We all got some of the many tickets Earl used to sell. Please make every effort to sell your tickets. We need to keep up the tradition of selling them all to make the $100 raffle a success. Remember, people can split tickets so they don’t have to come up with $100. When you sell a ticket, put the person’s name on the ticket and then you sign the ticket on the “Authorized signature” line. Most importantly, however, retain the stub and fill in all of the information legibly and give the stubs and the money to Karen. Sell, sell, sell. Please get the sold tickets back to Karen as soon as possible. Earl was scary but Karen, well you know. AED Devices: Jim Godbout announced that two AED devices (Automated External Defibrillators for you non-EMTs) were donated by our club, one to MacArthur Library and one to Dyer Library. We were able to purchase them through the Biddeford School Department at the discounted price of $1,200 each. Those are great donations which could save an overstimulated library visitor’s life. The real 50/50: Carl won the real 50/50 and donated it to Red Ribbon. Karen “Can’t Say No” Chasse: Matt Simmonds apparently had an emergency stock buy or something so he had to leave the meeting and Karen filled in as sergeant at arms (though Joe announced your humble Tack reporter as the fill in). Karen solicited happy dollars and got the following:
Karen then started in on a few fines which was fairly impressive given the notice she was given. In fact, she was arguably better prepared than our real sergeant. She fined Roland for his illegal parking job, apparently there was no “no parking” sign behind the huge construction trucks so Roland parked there. Roland there are no “no parking” signs in the middle of the Turnpike but I am guessing you are not going to park there. She fined President Joe for getting a head start on his beard and for not knowing what the hell was going on. She also fined Joe for thanking Sue for doing such a great job with the food drive. Of course, “Sue” would be Lucie. She fined Sarah for her awesome Cindy Lou Who costume. She pointed out that Conrad claimed to be Alan Caron’s friend and he dropped out of the race. She fined Sabine for her upside down name tag which Sabine said made it easier for Sabine to read. She fined Lucie for having a Porsche as a loaner car (with New Hampshire plates I might add). Nice job Karen. |
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Terry Hayes, gubernatorial candidateGuest Speaker: Our guest speaker was the last in the series of gubernatorial (weird word, sounds like we are electing Gomer Pyle) candidates, Terry Hayes. Conrad got to know Terry in Augusta when she was in the legislature. One day, she apparently felt Conrad was stressed and she invited him in to make a puzzle. The puzzle apparently had 20 large pieces and Conrad was more stressed when he left Terry’s office than when he went in. Terry Hayes was very engaging and said that the election is like an 18 month job interview and she preferred to handle her presentation to our club like a job interview, so we asked her questions. She is an independent and a clean elections candidate so we paid for her campaign. She has run a very positive campaign with no negative ads. The following are some of her answers to our questions.
As a bit of a political junky I found Terry to be a breath of fresh air. Having said that, I am afraid that she has no chance of being elected because she has been outspent and unfortunately in many instances money wins. While Maine may be pissed off at Governor LePage’s approach, that fact remains that unemployment is incredibly low so things are probably not bad enough to create the ground swell of support needed to “throw the bums out” and elect an independent candidate like Terry. Who knows, she lost in her first shot at the State House, maybe she will take another shot at the Blaine House in 4 years. |
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President Joe's Message 10/29/2018So I would rather be lucky than good. For example last Saturday at “Stuff the Bus” I was totally aware of the N’oreaster coming and thought “this is gonna suck” . The rain didn’t come until 10:00ish. By time my shift was done at 11:00 Paul D and his wife Carole would have to deal with the crappy weather joined by Tony Leblanc. I can’t wait to hear how the rest of the day went in the wind and rain. I want to thank Lucie K and Dave Lapaulo from Saco Bay for pulling this off. I had a blast hanging out with Lucie and Lucie. It was cool to say “ hey Lucie” and both would respond. Of course I am talking about Lucie Kay and Lucie Hatch. Phil Hatch was there too. Phil and Lucie have been in Rotary forever. I wonder how many husband / wife couples are in Rotary? I can’t believe that CJ Cote Dubois showed up. After all, every development in town has her face plastered all over the place. Andrea and I drove through the new development right after the bridge on Route 5 in Saco and every lot had a CJ sign on it. Kathy Shea and Conrad worked the other door without the benefit of a vestibule or covered area like us. They got really wet. However, Conrad had the whole foul weather gear outfit from the boots to the waterproof pants and coat. I watched Kathy push a cart full of canned goods across the parking lot in the rain- she looked a little washed up and still had an appointment at 11:00- that is dedication! For all of those that volunteered thanks. Our little effort netted some food, cash and most of all fellowship and camaraderie. My biggest thrill was to see the reactions of the people that donated food or money. They left Market Basket feeling good- that they too had made a difference. You could see it in their face faces, their smiles, their eyes; I think it is pretty powerful medicine for the soul. I guess that is one of the main reasons I belong to Rotary. I really like the positive feedback from people when we engage them. Whether it is fellow Rotarians or the people we connect with through service there is always this positive vibe happening. So that is another service project in the bag for our club. I think it is safe to say that the “Stuff the Bus” project was far more successful than our beer fest. Had you been at the meeting last week and joined the 15 or so Rotarians there was a lively discussion about it. Maybe this is our last festival, maybe we combine it with the wine tasting, maybe we try and get more volunteers to help, to show up, maybe a lot of things. Ken worked really hard on the fest we owe him a big thank you. I can’t point fingers because then I have 4 pointing back at me. However, I could feel and hear the frustration from folks who did work or attend the event. I hope to have a report on the fest this Wednesday at our meeting. Our next project is our second largest fundraiser and will require everybody’s participation. I am talking about the $100.00 raffle. We have talked about this being Earl the Pearl’s raffle after all he would always sell 70+ tickets out of the 250 we print. We need to come together this year and sell Earl’s tickets. That means that each of us will get extra thickets this year to sell. The good news is that Earl’s tickets should be an easy sell. We will need to contact those people associated with a particular ticket number and see if they will buy it aging this year. It won’t be a cold call whereas they have a history of buying a particular ticket number. Karen should have tickets available this week or next. The drawing will be December 12th at Duffy’s from 5:00 to 7:00. We will serve light hors d’oeuvres and have a cash bar available. The raffle drawing is also going to serve as our regular Wednesday meeting. Hope to see you this Wednesday. Regards, Joe |
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Alan Caron, independent gubernatorial candidateConrad Welzel, who apparently went from turnpike toll taker to lobbyist in the same year (a meteoric rise), introduced Alan Caron, independent gubernatorial candidate. Conrad first met Alan when Alan led the opposition to the widening of the Turnpike. Of course, when I heard that I immediately stopped listening. I would hope Mr. Caron would now concede that widening the turnpike was a good thing, but who knows? Alan Caron is an interesting individual whose self-funded campaign frankly has no chance, but that does not mean he does not have good ideas. He believes that people who disagree should still be respectful to one another and it is hard to argue with that though I think anyone who suggests that is an idiot. Alan said his campaigning has given him a Phd in all that is Maine as he has traveled the state. He feels that opponents need to listen to each other and have affection for one another. I believe that is the same philosophy followed by Mike Tyson. Actually, we can learn a great deal from our opponents, and we can like each other even if we disagree on substantive points. The is truly a cornerstone of the legal profession. So far Mr. Caron seems like a good guy. He grew up in Waterville in a poor family with many challenges. He dropped out of high school. He developed two successful businesses and has done a lot of volunteering in his life. He feels the best way to build our economy is not to focus on the past and hope that the mills and farms will come back. Instead, we need to look to the future and build our economy from the bottom up. He feels we need to plan for sustainable prosperity. We need to grow new jobs and not try to steal jobs from other states. He cited LL Bean, Poland Spring, Stonewall Kitchen and Toms of Maine as examples of companies that have grown jobs. But he feels that the biggest job creators in Maine are the small businesses who need the incentives to create more jobs. Don’t give tax breaks and low interest loans to big businesses and hope that they create jobs, tie the incentives to job creation. Mr. Caron mentioned that 35 years ago a bunch of people moved to Maine hoping to become organic farmers. Some succeeded and some didn’t, but they collaborated and formed the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers which is one of the more powerful groups in this state. It started the Common Ground Fair. Those organic farmers put Maine on the map for growing quality products which attracted national chefs to Maine. Those chefs started Maine’s restaurant boom which has made Maine a foody destination. That foody component of our economy has spawned 80 microbreweries. This growth came from the bottom up. Mr. Caron described himself as an incurable optimist who has the courage to promote new ideas. He observed that the partisan system is broken because it focuses more on each party blocking the other as opposed to trying to get things done. All of that is why he ran as an independent. While it is clear that Mr. Caron has no chance of being elected governor, we can only hope that his opponents do take the time to listen to him and learn from him because he has some great ideas which deserve our attention. My Plan for Sustainable ProsperityBelow is the outline to my Sustainable Economy Plan for Maine. GROW A NEW ECONOMY FROM THE BOTTOM UP FIX OUR ELECTIONS BUILD A TWENTY FIRST CENTURY GOVERNMENT FOCUS ON SCHOOLS THAT WORK EXPAND ACCESS TO COLLEGES AND TECH TRAINING MAKE HEALTH CARE MORE AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE COMMIT TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE IN THIRTY YEARS BUILD TOMORROW’S INFRASTRUCTURE MAKE MAINE A WELCOMING STATE
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Week in Review 10/24/2018The following is my summary of the meeting on the 24th of October. Since there were about 17 Rotarians in attendance at the meeting I am really hoping some of you will read this to learn what is happening at the club. It was kind of nice, we each sat at our own table. It will go without saying that we had greeters, we did the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4 Way Test and all were done well. I should note that Don Pilon read the name of our one visiting Rotarian and did a fine job pronouncing “Slayton” because Heather had spelled it out phonetically for him. Joe was Lost: President Joe could not find his agenda (Lucie had it) and could not keep track of time apparently because of his enthralling conversation with Don Pilon so the speaker got short changed. Polio Plus Guy: October is apparently Polio Plus month (who knew) and Jeff Slayton, past president of the Saco Bay Club or Jeff Slayter as Joe calls him, made a special visit to our club and Joe forgot to mention him until the end of the meeting. Let’s just assume Jeff would have given us some amazing facts about the eradication of polio and asked us to do our part to support Polio Plus. Sound Effects: Joe Bassett did his prayer with the accompaniment of construction noises on the second floor of the building or God farted during the prayer. He does work in mysterious ways. Random Presidential Announcement: President Joe announced that one of our members, Nicole Carroll, gave birth to her fifth child (she now can either run a farm or have her own basketball team) named Matthew Brandon. I guess Mom and Matt are doing fine. Lucie Kay: Lucie Kay survived her fifth root canal of the year on her remaining tooth. She was still under the influence of valium. Where have all the Rotarians Gone?: President Joe commented on the sad showing at the beer festival by club members. By my count there were about 20 Rotarians there out of 70 and I have no idea how many Rotarians sold tickets. Ken Farley’s committee of one worked hard on the event, but the club’s support was woefully deficient. When I graduated from college I was inducted into an honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. I wasn’t expected to do anything but I got a pin and a sash to wear at graduation which I forgot to wear. It was a nice honor but nothing more than that. While it is an honor to be a member of Rotary it is so much more than that. It’s a commitment to the community and to the club. While it would be nice to see more people at meetings, it would be even nicer to see more people get involved. It is easy to predict who will work on projects because it is the same Rotarians all the time: Karen Chasse, Julie Villemaire, Jim Godbout, Sue Gajewski, heck you know who does all the work, and that is simply not right. You don’t have to do everything but you really need to do something if you want to be a Rotarian. If you want to honor I will give you my Phi Beta Kappa pin, I’m not using it, but if you truly want to be a Rotarian please get involved. Speaking of Getting Involved: Very soon you will be receiving an envelope with some $100 raffle tickets in it. Please sell them or buy them or both. Our $100.00 raffle is our second largest fundraiser. Created by Earl Goodwin, we have netted $14,000.00 each year to support our charitable giving. Unfortunately, Earl is still recovering so we all need to step up to sell the 70-90 tickets that Earl usually sells. Please don’t assume that the next Rotarian will pick up an extra few tickets. Get your friends and family to split a ticket or two, sell one to your co-workers, stand outside a Gamblers Anonymous Meeting, I don’t care. Your buyers have great odds of winning and they are supporting great causes. I know that some of our members neither sell any tickets or buy any, but yet some of those same people ask our club to support their causes each year. I really don’t think you want to hear what I think of that hypocrisy. Please, let’s all do our share Karen Chasse (there’s one of those names again) did announce that we should pencil in December 12 from 5:00 to 7:00 at Duffy’s in Old Orchard Beach for the raffle party. That will be our meeting that day so come after work, have a drink and see if you or one of your buyers will win. With Earl not selling all the winners this year, some of the rest of us might stand a chance. 50/50: Dr. Joe won the 50/50 and donated his whopping $17.00 to Polio Plus and then President Joe forgot.(there was a theme to this meeting). Club Christmas Party!: It has been confirmed that the club Christmas party will be held on December 1 at Sue Gajewski’s house in Casco. President Joe is looking into renting a bus. So at this point start decorating your best lamp shade to wear at the party and set aside December 1 to party upta Casco. Banner’s Up: Alicia Girard and President Joe unveiled our new portable, non-felt banner that we can set up at Rotary event to trumpet what Rotary is about. Alicia designed the banner which looks fantastic and cost the club less than $200.00. It focuses on the theme of “Together we Connect”, a common Lego saying. Nice work Alicia and good job Joe. Sergeant at Arms: Joe has started using the same introduction each week for Matt which is like Joe using the same prayer each week. Let’s try and keep it fresh. Matt claimed to be over his Irish jet lag, but I’m not sure because he had very little which could be attributed to the small crowd. He did, however, collect some happy dollars.
I am sure Matt fined someone for something but they were not worth writing down. |
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Celebration of Suds 2018 |
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Week in Review 10/17/2018These are my version of the minutes for our meeting on October 17, 2018 which took place at Run of the Mill, a fine example of a rustic brew pub in an old mill with lots of new white PVC piping protruding through the ceilings. As Jim Godbout said, wait until they start flushing! We’ll have the ambiance of a sewerage treatment plant. Greeters: We were greeted by Heather Gendron and Keith Jacques who is practicing for his retirement job as a Walmart greeter. It will take him awhile to learn the job so thank goodness he has a little time. Four Way Test: Karen Chasse did an impeccable job leading us in the 4-way test. I should note that I believe I have become a Pavlovian Rotarian. As long as the leaders of the 4-way test say First, Second, etc. I recite the 4 way test just fine but when a leader goes rogue and says one, two, three, etc. I screw it all up and I have notices the Paul Deschambault starts to drool. So let’s stick with First, Second, etc. Thanks. District Governor In the House: District Governor, John Lobosco was in attendance to give our club and Jackson the RI Presidential Award for the 2017-2018 year or what I like to call the: “If your club can fog a mirror you get one of these award”. Congrats Jackson, we’re still breathing. Up Tempo Meeting: Joe Bassett did his prayer with musical accompaniment from the restaurants PA system. I felt like I was in a Southern Baptist Church and I was waiting for Joe to break into a dance and to ask for several AMENS. It didn’t happen ………… yet. Lucie Kay: Joe announced that Lucie Kay was having root canal to save her remaining tooth. Apparently if you give Lucie enough valium she’ll go anywhere. Stuff the Bus: In Lucie’s valium aided absence, Joe announced that we will be doing a food drive at the Biddeford Hannaford and at Market Basket on October 27th from 9:00 to 2:00. Sing up sheets were circulated and I am sure they will make their rounds again next week. We are doing this in conjunction with Saco Bay, Saco Bay will be in Saco and perhaps OOB on the same day collecting food and donations. This is our opportunity to help out the local food pantries at a time of year when demand goes up substantially. If you have not have a chance to sign up please do so and dress warmly on the 27th (Heather M) because it can get a little chilly out there. This is a great chance to help the community, enjoy some fellowship and increase the visibility of Rotary. Bucking Xmas Tradition: For years we have donated gifts to families in need at Christmas and we have delivered them in the traditional black garbage bags. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a fully stuffed Glad bag. Sabine feels that our Christmas garbage bag tradition has to go so she displayed a white cloth draw string bag that said “Property of S. Claus, North Pole”. I am not sure, but I think she stole it from you know who. The Democrats are asking that the FBI investigate the matter. In the meantime, Sabine has suggested that we use the white cloth bags for delivering our Christmas packages. Another tradition thrown in the dumpster. 50/50: Keith Jacques sold the 50/50 tickets and miraculously he won the $30.00 and donated the money to the Red Ribbon Committee. Sergeant at Arms: Matt claimed to be jet lagged from his trip to Ireland where he apparently contributed to the delinquency of a minor by letting his 11 year old son drink in the local pubs until all hours. What could possibly go wrong? Being jet lagged, Matt claimed he was not prepared so he relied heavily on happy dollars. I can just imagine Matt in school. He clearly did not rely on the old standards like “my dog ate my homework.” He used things like: I was jamming with Springsteen all night last night and just didn’t get my geography homework done.” “I stopped and pulled a man from a burning car so my senior year coloring book is not quite done yet.” “How can you expect me to finish my senior year fun with phonics when I was campaigning for Dukakis?” He has all the excuses and he has used them for a while. In any event here are some of the happy dollars he collected.
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Tom and Catherine WilburDr. Joe Boyle introduced our speakers, Tom and Catherine Wilbur who I believe are from the Freeport Club. They are friends of Joe’ he met while chairing the Rotary Youth Exchange for the District back when the district included parts of Quebec and the glaciers were still receding. Tom and Catherine came in to tell us about the efforts of the Freeport and Bethel Rotary Clubs to support the Kakamego Child Care Center and associated programs in Kakamego, Kenya located in the western part of Kenya. They described Kakamego as having about 500,000 people but it is very rural, kind of like Banger but it has 25,000 people. They were also impressed with the modernization efforts in Kenya thanks to Chinese investments. They went from 15% paved roads to 65% paved road in just 10 years which is a higher percentage of paved roads than Aroostook County. They also have high speed rail in Kenya. The Kakamega Child Care Center originated as an orphanage for children of AIDS victims. The Freeport Rotary Club began supporting the facility in 2002 and by 2005 they had built a building that houses 48 children. The program supports about 400 kids. The program is also promoting self-sufficiency through home based programs that provide families with seeds, fertilizer, and agricultural training. I can only imagine how much fertilizer our club could supply them. The children in the sponsored homes get school uniforms and books along with a mattress, blanket and a solar lamp (many areas of Kenya still do not have electricity). It costs $450.00 to sponsor a home for a year. All of this is done in coordination with the Kakamega Rotary Club. The Bethel and Freeport Rotary Clubs have sponsored what they refer to as 26 Strong Young Women, apparently the weak ones are not worthy. These young women receive agricultural training, along with health and entrepreneurial education. They receive seeds and fertilizer to grow crops for their families and to sell. Some have been successful enough to purchase pigs, chickens and even cows which traditionally are only owned by men in Kenya (so much to say, but I will hold my pen). Some of the young women were widowed and some were married but their husbands worked elsewhere to help support their families. The program seems very successful in promoting self-sufficiency and a sense of pride and accomplishment while promoting their self-image. The program is also providing materials to help families build homes. The Freeport and Bethel Clubs will be pursuing a Global Grant and they are letting us know about their efforts, The Wilbur’s were a fun and interesting couple. I thought they were going to come to blows over who was going to do what part of the presentation, but they got the message out in the end. The bigger message was the Rotary is clearly international, helping individuals, one person and one small farm at a time. |
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World Polio Day Oct 24 |
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New Member InductionSherry Norton, our newest member. |
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Week in Review 10/10/201812:15 Pledge of Allegience
Sue Gajewski led us in reciting 4 way test Joe Moreshead gave the invocation President Joe Moreshead passed around a thank you letter from Thornton Academy thanking us for the saplings we donated this spring. Ken Farley made announcement about Celebration of Suds to be held on 20 October. - Please promote it on social media - Set up time will start at 1:30 - Will be getting pizzas delivered from Portland Pie - Need silent auction items still - Will need 6 large coolers Lucie Kay gave an update on the food drive scheduled for 27 October. - It will be held from 9 to 2. - Need volunteers - Joint effort with Saco Bay Rotary Club Joe announced that starting 1 January 2019, the 1st Wednesday meeting of each month will be held in an area school. There is still space in the Tack fro those looking to advertise. 2 spots are available at $100 each. See Don or Brian Dallaire. No Sargeant at Arms since Matt Simmonds is on holiday, but Joe solicited some happy dollars: - Adam moving to new house on Friday. - Bill Patterson heading to Corpus Christi - Joe M. heading to DC. - Laura Warner - son scored winning soccer goal - Kristen Lane - daughter lost her first tooth - Dr. Joe - had great visit with his family in Maryland. Peggy Bean won $20 in the 50/50 New member, Sherry Norton, was inducted. Dr. Joe introduced our guest speaker Hayden Anderson, Executive Director of the Maine Humanities Council. Hayden began his presentation reminiscing about his grandfather who was a Rotarian in Amsterdam NY. He would sometimes bring young Hayden to meetings in noisy rooms much like our setting today. The Maine Humanities Council is one of 56 councils in states and territories of the United States. The mission of the council (as per their website) is to "use the humanities— literature, history, philosophy, and culture — as a tool for positive change in Maine communities. Our programs and grants encourage critical thinking and conversations across social, economic, and cultural boundaries." They do this thru various initiatives; partnerships with public libraries in 85 towns across Maine, as well as working with Adult Education programs in the state. They support local efforts through grants. Annually the spend about $200,000 in grants; but the median grant amount is only about $1000. They are starting a Veterans Book Group here in Biddeford. It will start November 1st and be held at the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center on South St. The council is also evaluating how to prepare for Maine's becentenial in 2020; seeking answers to the question, "How can history inform the future of Maine?" Meeting adjourned at 1:15. |
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Week in Review 10/3/2018None of the members of the Tack Committee stepped up to do the Tack in October (I have to thank Sabine for offering to still do it at the meeting) so you are stuck with me. I will do my best to report the facts (no I have lied already). Where: The October 3 meeting was at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology so for those members who went to the Run of the Mill I am assuming you eventually noticed that there were no banners, no bell, no President and no meeting there. The COT is really nice and we had this meeting in a large classroom with incredibly comfortable chairs (now I know what a $35,000,000 bond can buy). Greeters: We were greeted by the York County Federal CU TV star, Moriah who does a fantastic job in their TV ads about putting you more in debt or something like that. Oh, yeah, Lucie Kay was a greeter too. Recess time? Since we were in a school, the bell rang and Joe Bassett immediately got up and went out for recess. Formalities: Brian Dallaire led us in the 4 way test and Joe attempted to violate the concept of the separation of church and state by having Joe lead us in a prayer but the kids’ constitution rights were protected and we were without a prayer. Earl: It was announced that Earl Goodwin continues to recover from fall earlier this year and he will not join us until after the holidays. That means we all need to fill the Earl’s huge shoes and step up and sell a lot more raffle tickets to insure that we continue to sell 100% of the $100 raffle tickets when we start that effort later this fall. Member Changes: Rae Smith will be leaving our club and we wish her the best. She promised that she would continue to volunteer for events whenever she can. Fear not, however, because YCFCU employee Sherry Norton hopes to join the club so we will have at least one good member from the CU. BEER: No, not a reference to Justice Kavanaugh, but instead the beer festival is coming right up on October 20 from 7:00 to 10:00 at the Pepperell Mill Campus. Tell your friends, sell tickets, volunteer the night of the event, drink beer. I drank beer in high school. I drank beer in college, I still like beer. A quote from the Kavanaugh hearings? Maybe, but I believe those are the same words that 95% of people who attended college would say if asked. Tickets are now $30.00. Please sell all that you can. Incidentally, if you missed the meeting on the 3rd you missed a very nice cat fight between Sue G. and President Joe over the signup sheet and Sue won! Stuff the Bus: We will be stuffing the bus, truck, car, plane, not sure on October 27 at Hannaford in Biddeford and probably Market Basket but there is nothing official from them yet. More details to follow but we need to do our part to help to feed the hungry and this drive brings in a lot of food and money for the local pantries. New Banner: A new banner featuring our club and our very own Denis Elie and Jim Godbout has been ordered and will be displayed at various events. Shocking: The Board voted to fund two new defibrillators, one of which will be placed at McArthur Library and Biddeford and the other may be placed at the Dyer Library in Saco. People sometimes get overstimulated reading so it is a good idea to have the paddles ready. Jeremy Ray indicated we may be able to purchase them through the schools at a discount. This is a nice gift for our communities. Presidential Appeals: Joe indicated that while he said attendance requirements are relaxed we really should make more of an effort to attend meetings to see great programs like the one we saw on October 3. He also announced that a number of members are in arrears on their dues for a few billing cycles and he was going to call them and see if they want to pay or if they wish to bow out of the club. It would appear that some house cleaning may be appropriate. Joe also thanked Matt Simmons for setting up and bringing everything over for the meeting. 50/50: Brian Dallaire won, but lest you sigh too loudly take solace in the fact that it was for some reason a small pot. Perhaps some members felt it was inappropriate to gamble in school or they are just cheap. Sergeant at Arms: Matt decided to turn things down a notch (after all we were in school) and go with happy dollars instead of fines. Lots of people were happy and here are a few:
Program Last year our club helped finance the BHS Odyssey of the Mind Team when it attended the World Championships at Iowa State University. Our program featured the coach of the team, Vicki Salo and three of the team members, Jerod, Gabe and Lucas. All three of the young men were very well spoken, incredibly well rounded and thrilled to be a part of the team. It was clear that they work hard as members of the team while playing sports, participating in Interact, participating in plays and taking difficult course loads. At least one of them described going to the World championship last year as the greatest experience of his life. The team is built to problem solve and they have selected a structural problem in which they have to hold up 100’s of pounds with a balsa wood structure. Last year their balsa wood structure held up around 800 pounds which was 10th best in the world. They also must use their imaginations to come up with a skit for a particular theme and then they have to participate in a secret spontaneity part of the competition. Last year they were 17th in the world competition and they are hoping to crack the top 10 this year. They gave members of the club a pipe cleaner and a poker chip and asked each member to make something with them. I was impressed with our club’s creativity in the two minutes though Mark Nahorney’s sperm model may have been a bit over the top, but funny. Biddeford High School will host the regional and state Odyssey of the Minds this year and the top 2 teams from the state go to the World Championships at Michigan State. BHS has qualified for the world championships for the last 4 years and hopes to make it 5 in a row. This is a great opportunity for these kids and we should be proud that we helped them in their endeavors. Respectfully submitted by your lowly, and I hope temporary, scribe. |
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Belated Observations from the Peanut Gallery Okay, so the Peanut Gallery has been on hiatus for a while. The Gallery has a few belated and a few current observations to share. It was heartwarming to walk into the Tin Tin Buffet with Matt Simmons like we were walking into Cheers. Every employee there yelled “Matt” and I walked by a table with a brass plague on the back of a chair saying reserved for Matt Simmons. I just love celebrities. Speaking of the Tin Tin Buffet, I am betting you are wondering where the name came from. I did some research. Apparently, the original name was the Rin Tin Tin Buffet and it was co-owned by, you guessed it, Rin Tin Tin. You have to invest those residuals somewhere. That name stuck for a while, but then they had a German sausage night and the co-owner mysteriously disappeared so they shortened the name to Tin Tin Buffet. Now you know. Ken Farley has announced that he is trying to recruit a celebrity guest for the beer festival, Brett Kavanaugh. I could only imagine that throughout the Senate hearings Justice Kavanaugh had one of those thought bubbles over his head with Homer Simpson in it sighing “BEER”. I kept waiting for his Dr. Seuss beer rhyme to come out. One Beer, two Beers, three Beers, four I love my beer until I hit the floor Five Beers, six Beers, seven Beers, more That hoppy flavor I do adore. Stay tuned to see whether he shows up on October 20. Now I realize that Matt Simmons’ marketing life blood is contained in the Journal Weekend addition, a newspaper hurled in our driveway, run over by 1,000’s and read by dozens. I am wondering if the Journal really thinks that putting its paper in a baggy and then throwing it on the ground really protects it from getting wet. Short of hermetically sealing those bags, it seems to me that all the baggies do is hold in the water long enough to completely blur Matt’s face and insure that we will be taking the wet sack directly from the driveway to the trash can. Sorry Matt, that means I missed your article on the benefits in investing in Pokémon cards. Finally, I have a social experiment I would like to try. At the next meeting at Run of the Mill, some members should get to the meeting early and sit at the cool kids’ table. I want to see how they react if they can’t sit there. I love social chaos. That’s all the peanuts to be hurled right now. Enjoy the rest of the week. |
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President Joe's Message 10/1/2018I guess words mean things. When I said I was not going to put a lot of emphasis on meeting attendance I should have been a little more articulate in explaining my thoughts. I miss you guys. Last week we had a great meeting all 15 or so of us. Roland and Sue gave a program on their trip to Jordan; it was a great presentation. One reason to go to meetings is to talk, hang out, laugh and exchange ideas, get out of the office, get a break. I think I can easily speak for all of us when I say we are all working too damn hard, we need a break. I want our meetings to be that break. I know that we don’t have the greatest venue for our meetings. I just hope that some of these hotels get built around town and have restaurants that would love to have our business. I hope to go back to Rotary’s roots. It has been suggested by a number of folks to rotate meeting places. I will bring it up to the board at our next meeting. Keep in mind that it takes work to arrange meeting places, etc. So if we pursue this avenue I will need help pulling it off. Any takers out there? We have what I think is a rather important meeting this week, 10/03. I hope you can attend. First, the location is the Biddeford Center of Technology. We are going to reap the benefits of the $4000.00 we spent to send a team of kids to participate in Odyssey of the Mind by hearing about their experience. We should show these kids that we not only support them financially but really do care about them individually and collectively. We might have some future Rotarian’s; maybe their participation in this great experience could potentially change the trajectory of their life. You can just never know the impact we can have as Rotarians. At the meeting you will also be presented with a request to support the purchase of two AED’s for McArthur Library. We need you there to hear your voice and vote. Lucie K is going to follow up with signup sheets for “Stuff the Bus” for October 27th . She is also emailing all of you. Did you buy or sell any Beer Fest tickets? Ken is looking for sales and volunteers for our October 20 Celebration of Suds. The board will also be meeting that morning at Paquin & Carroll at 7:45, please feel free to join us. I hope to see a great at BRCOT. Yours In Rotary, Joe |
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Week in Review 9/26/2018Jim Godbout lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: None Joe Moreshead announced new member posting for Sherry Norton. On 17 October, District governor John LoBosco will be visiting to give Jackson Brown a Presidential citation. Reminder that the Celebration of suds event will be held on 20 October. All members have been given tickets to sell and the price for the ticket will be $25 until September 30. Starting October 1 the ticket price jumps to $30. Our meeting on October 3rdwill be held at The Center of Technology at the Biddeford high school. There will be a presentation on Odyssey of the mind. Stuff the Truck food drive is being held on 27 October. Ray Demers’ father passed away. Rotarians are invited to attend the wake at Hope Memorial on 27 September at 6 pm. The 50-50 drawing was won by Peggy Bean and she donated it’s Red Ribbon. Sargent at arms: Collected happy dollars; Joe M. Is offering $1000 reward for anyone finding him a skilled machinist. Joe B. Is happy for his new great-grandson. Don is happy Jackson is getting award. Conrad happy to have celebrated his 65th birthday and is also grateful his daughter had a fire extinguisher to put out her furnace buyer. Luci is happy to have gone on vacation. Fines: Jeremy for looking so sharp; Heather M. for reserving her table; Jackson for delaying deposits and Adam for finally making a meeting. Presentation by Roland Gagne and Sue Gajewski giving an overview of their travel to Jordan and the Collatoral Repair Project. Sue began with some of the travel highlights with many photos of fellow rotarians and their exquisite hospitality in hosting Roland and Sue! She also shared with us some of their tourist travels visiting sites like Petra and the Dead Sea. Roland shared the practical points of the grant as well as some staggering numbers. Jordan is a country with about 10 million people in it of which about 4 million are refugees from other countries. Only about 1% of refugees are resettled. He shared with us some personal stories about some of the refugee families they visited with. Meeting was adjourned at 1:25. |
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Week in Review 9/19/2018Joe Boyle lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation Guests: None Joe Moreshead inducted new member Morgan Stoner. Reminder that the Celebration of suds event will be held on 20 October. All members have been given tickets to sell and the price for the ticket will be $25 until September 30.Starting October 1the ticket price jumps to $30. Our meeting on October 3rdwill be held at The Center of Technology at the Biddeford high school. There will be a presentation on Odyssey of the mind. Our meeting this week is a service project. Several members have gone shopping for items to prepare a birthday cake and wants these bags are packed we are donating them to local food pantry’s. There was a call for Volunteers to drive them to the pantries and Matt, Joe Moreshead, Morgan, Don and Brenda volunteered. The 50-50 drawing was won by Denis Elie and he kept most of it. Sargent at arms: Collected happy dollars; Denis was happy to win money; Brenda is happy her husband is returning from Amsterdam; Joe M. is sad he will not be able to ski this season because he needs shoulder surgery; Don is happy that he and Jackson won the golf tournament; Conrad is looking forward to celebrating his birthday; Karen is delighted her daughter is studying nursing. Paulette is happy that Biddeford schools were chosen to Be the pilot site for middle school career and technical education. Also the Department of Education approved an EMT program at the school, and she was very grateful for Karen Chasse’s work on Waterhouse field. Jeremy wanted to thank the Rotary club for donating for cross-country T-shirts for kids. Matt was happy to see Ken Farley and Keith Jacques at the meeting as well as being grateful Sabine was able to get out of her driveway given all the construction on South St. After lunch was completed the group and participated in assembling all the materials for a birthday party into gift bags. The bags will be donated to local food pantrys. This will allow people who use the food pantry to request a birthday bag for children celebrating a birthday. Meeting was adjourned at 1 o’clock. |
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Walk for Alzheimer’sBiddeford Saco Rotary is walking to End Alzheimer’s today 💜 Thank you Mary, Debbie, Paulette, Kristen, Moka, Roland and Paula for walking and helping us raise $1625 for Alzheimer’s research. |
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Week in Review 9/12/2018Luci Kay lead our club in reciting the four-way test Paul Deschambault - invocation Guests: Cashel Stewart Shawn Moody Kevin Kaserman Chuck Gajewski Katie Orlando Luci Kay announced that the Stuff the Bus event will be held on 27 October. Volunteers will be at the Market Basket and Hannaford locations in Biddeford gathering donations to support local food pantries. The Alzheimer’s walk is taking place on Saturday, 15 September. As of the meeting time only four walkers have signed up. Looking for more people to attend and participate in this short walk. Bernice distributed tickets to the Celebration of Suds event to be held on 20 October At the Pepperell Mill campus. Ticket prices are $25 until the end of September and then the price increases to $30. Julie Villemaire spoke to the club about this year’s concentrated effort to collect better records of service hours. Members are encouraged to report their volunteering time for various events during the year. This information can either be emailed to Julie, or reported to her at a meeting. The 50-50 drawing was won by Conrad Wenzel and donated to Red Ribbon. Sargent at arms: Collected happy dollars; Dr. Joe Is happy he made the meeting, and made an announcement about donating books to school projects. Brian Dallaire is happy to be back but suffering from jet lag. Denis Elie beat the school bus on early release day. Fausto is celebrating his 12 year anniversary of living in Maine. Conrad is celebrating the 37th anniversary of his body work job done by Shawn Moody. Fines; Fausto didn’t order the Cuban Sandwich; Jim Godbout should have placed the field posts further apart at Waterhouse Field; Alisha for stabbing someone over a tater tot; Luci and Heather Maclean for wearing matching outfits; Dr. Joe for his Mr. Rogers sweater; Roland celebrates 20 years in Rotary; Julie 14 years. Guest Speaker: Sue Gajewski gave a warm Introduction to our speaker, Shawn Moody, the republican Gubernatorial candidate. Shawn spoke about the growth of his auto body business over the years. He was 17 years old in 1977 when he pulled his first building permit. Things were very different back then compared to the present. His new building under construction in South Portland cost over $60,000 just in permitting alone. He attributes the success of his business to his policy of empowering his employees. He has gone so far as to structure of the company so that employees are also part owners. He spoke of the primary challenges facing the state of Maine and it’s elected officials. Healthcare costs – not sustainable Taxes - property taxes, a primary source of educational funding,are too high. Educational costs are very heavy on bureaucracy, not on the classroom and teachers. He stressed the importance of giving vocational and technical programs high priority; critical to the successful future of Maine. Meeting adjourned at 1:25. |
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James Bennett Biddeford City ManagerGUEST SPEAKER Biddeford City Manager, James Bennett, was introduced by Conrad. Conrad has a great respect for James. He’s a mover and a shaker. It is noteworthy to mention that James volunteers as a Shriner’s clown. Suite 107 205 Main Street, Biddeford, ME 04005 Phone: (207) 284-9313 James gave $5 happy dollars in honor of his Mom. James presented the city’s long term and short-term goals. Some of the projects ongoing in the city:
Private Sector Update
Program Evaluation / Improvements
There is also a large renovation project upcoming for City Hall and City Theatre. We thank James for his update on the many projects underway in the city. It is an exciting time for Biddeford and we look forward to hearing more about the city’s projects and progress. |
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Week in Review 9/5/2108Bill Kany lead our club in reciting the four-way test Joe Bassett - invocation
Guests: Doug Kay Reagan Gauthier
This week our club met for lunch at TinTin Buffet since our usual location was closed. We began immediately with lunch and meeting began at 12:40.
President Joe Moreshead announced that the club had approved $600 to place a advertisement in the Biddeford city theater program book. Also approved was a $1000 donation to the pillars of pride program for Biddeford school system.
Lucie Kay announced that the Stuff the Bus event will be held on October 20th. Volunteers will be at the Market Basket and Hannaford locations in Biddeford gathering donations to support local food pantries.
The Alzheimer’s walk is taking place on Saturday, September 15th. As of the meeting time only five walkers have signed up. Looking for more people to attend and participate in this short walk.
Waterhouse Field inauguaral event is taking place 7th of September starting at 5 o’clock.
The Rotary club board has decided to combine committees of both the company B fund and the past presidents fund. Kristen Lane will head the committee.
The 50-50 drawing was won by Mark Nahorney.
Sargent at arms: Collected happy dollars; Heather will be spending her birthday watching the Red Sox, Joe son came in first place in a 24 hour race in the Catskills, Joe Boyle was happy the Saco police retrieved his kayak, Paul was happy his son got six tickets to have dinner at the lost kitchen, Conrad was happy he had 25 people at his party, Marty beat Chellie Pingree in a cow milking competition, and Fausto is just happy!
Fines; Joe had to pay because of his choice of decorated pants, Jackson was fined for using a two dollar bill, Bill Paterson and Fausto were fined for wearing the same outfit, Marty was fined for having too many signs around town. Bill Kany and Jim Godbout were fined in connection with the missing Tiger Pride sign.
Sue Gajewski gave a presentation outlining our charitable giving for the period of the last 18 months from January 1, 2017 through September 4, 2018. Some of the larger recipients of our charitable giving were to fund T-shirts for red ribbon committee events at the local schools, our club’s funding for red ribbon and Rotary Foundation, scholarships and Christmas gifts for local families in need.
Brenda Pollock finished our meeting by giving an extensive talk and slideshow of her years living aboard a boat.
Meeting adjourned at 1:25.
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Week in Review 8/29/2018President Joe promptly rang the bell at 12:15 – Four Way Test Joe B – Invocation President Joe’s Opening Comments: REMINDER: Meeting WILL NOT be held at the Run Of The Mill next week because the Run of the Mill will be closed. We are meeting at the Tin Tin Buffet in in the 5 Points Shopping Center at 420 Alfred Street in Biddeford. I had thought we would be meeting at the Quiero Café in Pepperell Square in Saco but those plans did not work out. Please make a note of change of meeting place. At the Meeting with the District Governor last week, John gave a very motivating talk. One thing that impressed me is that John allocates up to $50 for any Rotarian to give on the spot and they’ll be reimbursed. When you become President, you receive funds to allocate as you see the need. I would like to follow that same directive and invite any of you to help on the spot, in our communities, up to $50, then send me a note and I’ll reimburse you. For example, you’re at the grocery store and someone doesn’t have enough money, you can pay for it. I believe this will be a great way for us to help people in need. Announcements
Jim M Charitable Requests
The winning 50/50 ticket was pulled by Jim M – and the winner of the $20 pot was Jim M. That was a lucky pick! Sargent-At-Arms Matt S. HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
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Active Biddeford Saco Paul Harris Fellows
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Cruising for a Cause: Ride for Red RibbonRandy Forcier's annual charity fundraiser this year will support our own Rotary's Red Ribbon Efforts! Thursday August 23rd from 6-9 Casablanca Cruises out of Portland. Hello Newman is the Band Tickets are $40 per, all proceeds go to the Red Ribbon Committee Here is the link to purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cruise-for-a-cause-ride-for-red-ribbon-tickets-46620551324 21+ event ONLY. Boat sails at 6:00pm sharp. Suggested arrival time & boat boarding begins at 5:30pm (Tickets are non-refundable). Come and enjoy an evening on the Casablanca! Cruise through Casco Bay, circling the islands and jamming to the music of Hello Newman, while mingling with local professionals and friends. This year all proceeds will go towards Red Ribbon Committee of Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club whose organization is working diligently to educate the local youth about making healthy decisions free of the harmful influence of misused substances. NOTE: Please bring paper ticket with you to board the boat NOTE: If you purchased tickets for tentative guests, be sure they arrive to board the boat with you, in person. Otherwise, they could be denied access. NOTE: Cash bar available onboard, as well as light food/pizza.
ORGANIZERS JORDAN FIELDS & RANDY FORCIEROrganizer of Cruise For A Cause - Ride For Red Ribbon Jordan Fields - MetLife Auto & Home Insurance (Portland, ME area) (207)494-8510 https://agents.metlife.com/jordan-fields/ Randy Forcier - Norcom Mortgage NMLS#322749 (Saco, ME area) (207)590-0337 https://randyforcier.norcommortgage.com/
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Dr Brian K Dallaire, Classification TalkGUEST SPEAKER Our very own Brian Dallaire. Brian graduated from Thornton Academy. He lost a family member to cancer at a young age, so Brian decided then to do study and have a career in cancer research. He attended Pharmacy school at the University of Rhode Island and obtain his doctorate’s degree(Pharm.D.) at University of Cincinnati. Brian began his career in cancer research Park Davis then on to DuPont then to IDEC in San Diego. Winner of a Nobel Prize in 1908, Paul Ehrlich completed successful research in the area of Chemotherapy. He proposed the first antibodies that were approved in 1986. In 1993 Brian was lead a small team their first successful human trail and carried on to complete all the trials that resulted to it's approval. In 1997, they submitted their research to the FDA and received approval later that year. RITUXAN is a $9 billion-dollar drug used around the world, number one for fighting cancer and number two for all drugs used worldwide. Combined with CHOP (classic Chemo medication) RITUXAN has cured more than fifty-thousand people per year with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. President Joe presented our speaker with an official Biddeford Saco ROTARY coffee mug for his presentation. Thank you, Brian, for your informative presentation and your dedication to a career in cancer research. |
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Week in Review 8/15/2018President Joe promptly rang the bell at 12:15 Jackson – Four Way Test Joe B – Invocation President Joe:
The winning 50/50 ticket was pulled by our young visitor Tyler – winner Tammy. She donated the $26 winnings to Red Ribbon. Sargent-At-Arms Matt S. HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
REMINDER: No ROTARY Meeting next on Wednesday. The joint meeting will be held on Thursday August 23 @ 6pm at Duffy’s in OOB. |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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President Joe's Message for Aug 2018Just another observation from where I sit. So, I thought meeting number 5 was going to be sketchy. We did not have a program so I started emailing people to give classification talks. I emailed friends, authors and more; it was a short notice I know. Brian D responded to my request right away. He asked if anyone else had responded yet and I said “no”. Brian said he could easily fill 20 minutes. I thought I knew a little bit about Brian. What I did know I soon realized was just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. You can read about Brian’s presentation in the TACK from Brenda Pollock’s notes. On a personal note: once again Brian, that was a really great program. Made even better to think that I know you and to also now know the contribution that you have made to mankind; I am simply amazed and honored to know you. I know you will say you were on a team however, the last time I checked when a team wins they all get the gold medal. You should also know that a bunch of the members said it was one of the better programs we have had. Thanks again for everything you have done and continue to do for the club. Now with your reputation we should have plenty of volunteers for Jim G’s lobster bake when he picks a date. Some people probably don’t know that your vitae also includes Maine Lobster Cooker Extraordinaire! |
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President Joe's August MessageJust another observation from where I sit. So, I thought meeting number 5 was going to be sketchy. We did not have a program so I started emailing people to give classification talks. I emailed friends, authors and more; it was a short notice I know. Brian D responded to my request right away. He asked if anyone else had responded yet and I said “no”. Brian said he could easily fill 20 minutes. I thought I knew a little bit about Brian. What I did know I soon realized was just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. You can read about Brian’s presentation in the TACK from Brenda Pollock’s notes. On a personal note: once again Brian, that was a really great program. Made even better to think that I know you and to also now know the contribution that you have made to mankind; I am simply amazed and honored to know you. I know you will say you were on a team however, the last time I checked when a team wins they all get the gold medal. You should also know that a bunch of the members said it was one of the better programs we have had. Thanks again for everything you have done and continue to do for the club. Now with your reputation we should have plenty of volunteers for Jim G’s lobster bake when he picks a date. Some people probably don’t know that your vitae also includes Maine Lobster Cooker Extraordinaire! |
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Week in Review 8/8/2018President Joe promptly rang the bell at 12:15 PJ – Four Way Test Joe B – Invocation President Joe:
Brenda Pollock introduced a special guest, her granddaughter, Maddison Thayer. Maddison was a recipient of the Charitable Contribution after she suffered an accident to her hand. Maddison Thayer Nine-year-old Maddison is going into fourth grade at Biddeford Intermediate School. She has a younger brother (3 yrs. old), Hunter and “Fabulous Mom & Dad”. Maddison came today to thank the Biddeford – Saco Rotary club in person, for “your” generous donation. On May 19th, Maddison’s left hand got caught in a running treadmill resulting in full-thickness burns to her left hand. She and her family traveled to Shriners Children Hospital up to three times per week for treatment. Her recovery is expected to be a long, up to seven years, but her wounds have closed. She now wears a compression glove twenty-three hours a day for the next year. At Shriners, she is treated by eight top specialists. As her way of saying thanks to everyone, Maddison made “a traditional family favorite recipe” Peanut Butter Fudge. We thank Maddison for coming in and for the treat! Her experience has impelled her to be an advocate for treadmill safety and is requesting companies to add a release bar feature on new treadmill devices. Sargent-At-Arms Matt S.
HAPPY DOLLARS
FINES
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Announcements 8/8/2018
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Betsy Fleurent, Hotline/Volunteer Co-Coordinator for Caring UnlimitedBetsy Fleurent, Hotline/Volunteer Co-Coordinator for Caring Unlimited PO Box 590, Sanford, ME 04073 207-490-3227 x102 Their 24 Hour Confidential Hotline is: 1.800.239.7298 PJ introduced our speaker. Betsy is Coordinator for one of nine centers of a Maine coalition to end domestic violence. Before coming to Maine, Betsy worked as a Victim Witness Coordinator in Manchester, NH for six years and three years in Dover NH as Domestic Violence Specialist. Betsy began with some by presenting startling stats: One in three women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence. Their agency receives more than 300 calls per month. Some of the services the organization offers are:
Fifty percent of all Maine homicides are domestic violence related. This number is one of the highest in the country. It would not be impossible for this organization to be able to operate and meet the needs of the communities we serve if not for the organization’s volunteers. Last year, 1,500 calls came from York County alone. 245 were from Biddeford and 113 from Saco. Their agency is the busiest agency operating in the state with the least amount of resources. Last year stats were:
Two of their fund raisers include Nicole’s Run ( in honor of Nicole Oliver whose death resulted from domestic abuse ) and the Atlantic Plunge. There is an upcoming training session on Sept 8th to volunteer for Kids Watch and on Sept 11th for anyone interested in serving as a phone volunteer. Please contact Betsy if you are interested in attending a training session. PJ added that the organization is working diligently within the educational system as a way to educate our youth. President Joe added that Seeds Of Hope in Biddeford has a $50,000 loan pool to assist people transitioning to new housing. President Joe presented our guest speaker with an official Biddeford-Saco ROTARY mug. Thank you, Betsy, for everything you do for our communities and for taking the time to share this information with our club. |
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Club History2018 Joe Moreshead |
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President’s FundComing up to the 100-year anniversary of the Rotary, it is clear this organization has a long consistent history of giving back to the community and international service. Many of the archives featuring the men and women who have made this possible may be seen in the Richard Martin room at the Community Center in Biddeford. In a financial report from May 1987, there was a balance of $5,875.72 with Edward D. Jones. No additional records were found prior to this. In February 1993. the club invested $25,000 to the fund and in 1996 added another $10,000. In 1998, the fund grew to $58,290. In October – November of 1998, there were some bequests and transferred $10,0000 from the house fund. The money was moved to Key Financial that year. The year-end 1998 was $105,370. In 1999, an investment policy was written with a goal of growth and preservation of principle. The Past President scholarship fund committee was appointed to oversee the investment. From 1999 – 2011, the fund dropped below $100,000 prompting a spending policy to be added. In 2011 – the fund, $147,949, was moved to Charter Oak. Today the fund is at $208,293.52. This year, this fund will be providing $10,600 in scholarships. Mark read from a paper copy of The TACK Re: Harold Boudreaux made the largest in Rotary’s history to the organization. In 2009 Company B was established. In 2010 an investment policy and spending policy was created based on CPI and a 3-year rating average. The monies are invested in Chamber Oak as of August 1st and the balance is $195,132.70. To date, this fund has donated back $37,000 to the community. President Joe presented Mark with a Rotary coffee mug for his presentation. President Joe announced the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club’s Charitable Funds committee has received $8,600 from Company B and another $5,000 from the club.
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Observations from the Peanut Gallery 8/1/2018 Okay, Mr. President (President Joe that is) which is it? Does attendance (like size) matter or not? You campaigned on a platform of more service and less attendance requirements and you were unanimously elected. Okay, in reality Bernice stepped aside, we begged you to step in, and you agreed, but we still had to vote you in. But, you have said repeatedly that we don’t have to worry about attendance and instead you want an aggregate of 1,200 Rotary service hours out of the club. We were all feeling warm and fuzzy about that. Now, when I say “we” were all feeling warm and fuzzy I mean the 6 people (I doubled my earlier estimate) who read the Tack (same readership as the Journal Tribune) and the 30 or so members of the Club who come to the meetings because the rest of the club has no idea about this alleged shift in focus from attendance to service. On August 1, however, you made a point of telling the Club that when the Board met on August 1 it spent time talking about the members of the Club who have poor attendance. Now, I realize we have to pay the RI dues for all of our members, but if the members are paying their dues and not showing up for meetings it is not a dues issue, it’s the old attendance issue. Now, if members are not paying their dues then they should not be members of the Club at all. So Mr. President what’s the true story, does attendance count or not? Having busted the President’s hump about whether attendance is required or not, let me make a few observations. Three weeks ago I sat across from Chuck Hennessey. Chuck has been in the club forever but I am sure many of you do not know Chuck who was career military and then the owner of an insurance agency until he retired. I had no idea that Chuck has lived on Little Sebago Lake for years and that he has a bunch of grandkids. I only learned that because I went to a meeting. Two weeks ago we played Rotary trivia and learned some cool things about some of our members. We learned those things because we were at the meeting. We also laughed a lot and got a great break from the day. This week we heard all about our Past Presidents’ Fund and our Company B Fund. We learned about those funds because we are at the meeting. Our Club is very unique in having that kind of money available. Other Clubs have little or no reserves to use or fall back on. I know about the funds because I was at the meeting. Furthermore, Sabine gave a great classification talk. She was very funny and she has led a cool life. She has done things about which I had no idea and she has started a business/ community service organization which is absolutely incredible. She set goals at a young age and achieved them. I would not know all of that, and I would not have enjoyed her delivery if I missed the meeting. In the end it is nice to think we are not going to get drummed out of the Club for missing a few or a lot of meetings if we are otherwise contributing to the overall good done but the Club, but there are the intangible benefits of laughter and knowledge that come from showing up at a meeting every now and then. Another peanut thrown from the gallery. |
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Sabine McElrathClassification Talk: Sabine – her three wishes were always to move to Maine, have a Boxer and to buy a special Volvo. Although she always hoped to be an architect, she graduated with a degree in economics. She moved to Maine and purchased The 1964 House in Biddeford and operates a B n’ B welcoming guests from around the world. Sabine has been a Real Estate agent for 18 years and has purchased several homes. She is pleased to announce the launch of her newest company Clean Slate Builders. Their Motto is Renovate Homes; Rebuild Lives & Strengthen the Community. Welcome Sabine! |
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Week in Review 8/1/2018President Joe promptly rang the bell at 12:15 Paul D – Four Way Test Joe B – Invocation Sue G introduced visiting Rotarians and Guests: Carol Deschambault – guest (and wife) of Paul D Debbie Dallaire – guest (and wife) of Brian D Morgan Stoner – guest of Mark President Joe:
50/50 was won by Ken F. Announcements:
Sargent At Arms Bill Kany: Happy Dollars:
Fines:
Scooters - $2.00 |
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Walk to End Alzheimer’sCalling all walkers! We need you and hope you can join us on September 15th to Walk to End Alzheimer’s. We’re meeting at York County FCU in Biddeford at 8 am on 9/15. We’ll car pool to York to register before 9. The ceremony begins at 9 and the 2 mile walk begins at 9:30 at the York Beach Ball Field on Railroad Ave. Please go to act.alz.org, click ‘find a walk’ at the bottom of the page and type in Biddeford Saco Rotary. You can join our team or donate to our team if you’re not able to walk with us. Our club is trying to raise $2000 for Alzheimer’s research. Invite your friends and family! It’s a fun morning. Roland usually brings donuts! Please email me at biddsacotreasurer@gmail.com with questions. Thank you for supporting our club activities. Susan |
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Dates to Know/Announcements 7/25/2018Dates to Know/Announcements: · Business After Hours: August 2, 5-7pm at Run of the Mill. Two drink tickets for beer or wine will be provided, along with some hors d’ouvres. Please bring potential new Rotarians to get to know us and talk about our good work in the community. · Joint Meeting with District Governor: We will have a joint meeting with Saco Bay and the Sunset Club on August 23rd, 6pm at Duffy’s. The District Governor John Labrosco will be the speaker and will be heavy hors oeuvres and cash bar for $15 per person. · Red Ribbon Cruise for a Cause: Randy Forcier noted this year’s cruise of Casco Bay will support our Red Ribbon Committee. Last year they supported Waterhouse Field donating over $3,000. It is also August 23rd from 6:30-9:30pm. Tickets are $40 each and includes the cruise, pizza, cash bar and the band Hello Newman. · Annual Kinney Shores Black Party to support Red Ribbon Committee: Jim announced they will hold this major fundraiser again on Saturday, July 28th and will need Rotarians to help starting at 1pm. Last year we raised over $4,000 for Red Ribbon! Bring your family and after party at Jim’s house! · United Way Tools for Schools: Our club donated $1600 to provide backpacks to Biddeford/Saco students in need. The bags will be put together on August 28th from 12-4 (2 shifts). We will need 6 volunteers and a sign-up sheet will be passed around next week. · Waterhouse Field Renovation Opening Night (or Tiger Field as Kany says): The club was a major sponsor of this renovation and has agreed to help with volunteers on opening night. Please mark your calendar on Friday, September 7th. Gates open at 5pm; game starts at 7pm so need some positions 5-7pm and some 5-9pm. We need about 15-20 volunteers and will have donated fireworks that night too! Volunteer jobs will consist of ticket and apparel sales, ushers for reserved seating, concessions and more. · Birthday Bag Service Project: Mark your calendar for the meeting of September 19th. Linda Verville and Haley Thompson will be coordinating this project to make birthday bags for kids in need. We will need a few volunteers to do the shopping in advance and then put the bags together at our regular Wednesday meeting on the 19th.
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President Joe's Message 7/18/2018Meeting number 2 down and a few more to go. I thought today’s meeting went pretty well. We even had Turkey on the menu. Every past president I have talked to has said they had such a good time as president of the club. I was always a little hesitant to let anybody offer up my name for the position. I can say after a few weeks in I am glad they did. Ask me in a few months how I feel, I think it will still be fun. I have always enjoyed building things and was never satisfied with the status quo; I hate maintenance of an organization, a necessary evil to a certain extent. Part of our mission statement at my company deals with our commitment to continuous improvement in our process and people. We actually measure those metrics. I hope we can share the same passion and commitment to continuously improve our club as past presidents and members have. We are off to a great start- thank you! I am looking forward to sharing with all of you how many actual service hours we provide over the year- a real measure of success; not how many meetings you were at. If we have 75 members and each member gives 16 hours a year in service work, that is 1200 hours. We can do a lot in 1200 hours! Think “Earl the Pearl Goodwin” selling over 70 raffle tickets- how many hours did that take him? Jim Godbout’s beach extravaganza on the 28th, how many hours is he and all of the other volunteers putting in? I want to know, so doesn’t Julie our secretary. I want to be able to show people what we really do. So let’s figure out a way to record those hours. The base line metric is 1200 hours- the challenge is now! I had a member email me today apologizing for not having been to the last few meetings and with the intention of missing a few more; work and family sometimes can get in the way of Rotary. I told her the same message I have been telling you- let’s focus on service and not attendance. What she doesn’t realize is that I am going to ask her to put together our first in service meeting project for 09/19. The project will be to make birthday parties in a bag for the shelters and food pantries. After listening today to Elaine Fournier from Open Hearts / Open Hands, she even mentioned that she gives new items as birthday gifts to children. One thing Elaine did not mention is that the building she is housed in also houses the Saco Food Pantry. Elaine’s organization is an addition that was added to the food pantry. It was built by Rotarians like Carl Goodwin and others. In closing, if any of you have some kids clothes you want to finally get rid of than bring them to the meeting and I will make sure that the items get to Elaine. If you have a “crappy” bike bring that too. We can throw it in the back of my truck and deliver it to Bronwyn. See you all at the meeting! Regards, Joe |
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Dates to Know/Announcements 7/18/2018· Business After Hours: August 2, 5-7pm at Run of the Mill. Two drink tickets for beer or wine will be provided, along with some hors d’ouvres. Please bring potential new Rotarians to get to know us and talk about our good work in the community. · Joint Meeting with District Governor: We will have a joint meeting with Saco Bay and the Sunset Club on August 23rd, 6pm at Duffy’s. The District Governor John Labrosco will be the speaker and will be heavy hors oeuvres and cash bar for $15 per person. · Red Ribbon Cruise for a Cause: Randy Forcier noted this year’s cruise of Casco Bay will support our Red Ribbon Committee. Last year they supported Waterhouse Field donating over $3,000. It is also August 23rd from 6:30-9:30pm. Tickets are $40 each and includes the cruise, pizza, cash bar and the band Hello Newman. · Annual Kinney Shores Black Party to support Red Ribbon Committee: Jim announced they will hold this major fundraiser again on Saturday, July 28th and will need Rotarians to help starting at 1pm. Last year we raised over $4,000 for Red Ribbon! Bring your family and after party at Jim’s house! · Budget: President Joe announced we are taking $150,000 and placing it in 3 CDs for 6, 12, and 18 months to make some money on our current funds. · Paul Harris Fellows: Brian Dallaire presented Lucie Kay with a Plus One (sapphire) Paul Harris pin and Chuck Hennessey with a Plus Two (sapphire) Paul Harris pin (now you see why Sue needed a ride? We’ve missed you Chuck!) · Thank You: President Joe announced a $50 donation to Red Ribbon given by Past President Helene Plourde in honor of the Goodwin Brothers. He also passed around thank you notes from scholarship recipient Madison Lachance, Biddeford’s Odyssey of the Mind team and the YMCA.
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Speaker – Elaine Fournier of Open Hands, Open HeartsElaine is a Saco Bay Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow who runs Open Hands, Open Hearts which is a free clothing store for infants to age 18. They have been serving families since 2008 and thanked our club for our partnership with Saco Bay to build their current building. They are open Monday through Friday from 9:30-11:30am and the last Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm. They serve local communities one child at a time.
Participants from all over York County register their first visit – name, address, phone, kid’s names and dates of birth but no financials are collected. A comment section is maintained and the items they “shop for” are logged. They accept donations of all items and sort by size, gender and season. They also maintain a shoe department of new shoes thanks to their golf tournament fundraiser and take full advantage of clearance sales as the seasons change. They provide some news toys for families who need birthday presents as well.
To date, they have helped over 3,000 kids in York County. Last year they gave out 11,000 items to 102 new families with 230 revisits. Their oncome was $12,292.91 and expenses were $10,370. If you would like to help, please consider playing in or sponsoring their Golf Scramble fundraiser on September 22 at Deep Brook Golf Course. It includes breakfast, lunch and prizes are $25 to area restaurants. |
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Observations from the Peanut Gallery:Okay, so we have a new Rotary theme this year, “Be the Inspiration”, with what appears to be a tidal wave on an orange background. I believe the tidal wave is actually a copy of Judy Jetsons’ hairdo. I will return to “Be the Inspiration” in a bit but I would be remiss in not reviewing some recent Rotary themes which led up to “Be the Inspiration”. Looking back over the years we have had some interesting Rotary themes. In my year as President it was “Be a Gift to the World”. WTF! The RI president was clearly paid off by Amazon to come up with that one. I have to confess that I wrapped myself up and attempted to mail myself to a supermodel’s house in an attempt to live up to the theme, but I was arrested trying to climb into the mailbox. So much for being a good Rotarian. In 2014-15 it was “Light up Rotary”. I think they pulled Debby Boone out of retirement to sing at the International Convention and the image was of a terrorist lighting a fuse. Nice. Clearly the RI President in 2011-12 was a surgeon when he or she came up with “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” or to take out your gallbladder. Then you have the RI President in 2005-06 who clearly was going to get his theme in late so he came up with the novel saying of “Service above Self.” Uh, I’m wondering if it sounded at all familiar when he threw it out there. The RI President in 2003-04 owned a prosthetics company and came up with “Lend a Hand”. In 2001-02 the RI President fancied himself a secret agent when he used the phrase “Mankind is our Business”. His name was Richard King and he introduced himself as “King, Richard King” and preferred his Manhattans shaken and not stirred. In 1998-99 the them was “Follow your Rotary Dream”. A few of our members tried that and were arrested for stalking. Apparently, Mr. Rogers was RI President in 2007-08 when the theme was “Rotary Shares”. I like the way he said that. Now you may not remember this but last year the theme was “Rotary Serving Humanity”. They tried “Rotary Serving Inanimate Objects” but it just wouldn’t catch on. So here we are with “Be the Inspiration”. That is daunting to say the least. It is not “Be an Inspiration. We have to be THE inspiration. That is a lot of pressure and I am not sure I can do it. Clearly, Joe is going to give it his best shot, and I have to admit a little thrill going up my leg like my good pal, Chris Matthews, but still being THE inspiration is a tall order. We will have to wait and see if we are inspired and if we can be the inspiration. I would have gone with a 2018-19 theme of “Attendance Doesn’t Count Anymore” below a picture of an empty chair, but no one asked me. If inspiration happens the peanut gallery will be sure to let you know. |
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Week in Review 7/18/2018President Joe Moreshead led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by our visiting Saco Bay Rotarian Elaine Fournier. Famous Actor Mark Nahorney led us in the invocation. President-Elect Fausto Pifferrer introduced visiting Rotarian Haley Thompson who will be transferring from the Belleville Illinois Rotary Club and Assistant District Governor Bob Wester. The 50/50 was won by Laura Warner.
The SAA Matt Simmons made his way to the front of the room with his usual cheery disposition excited to start the fining process.
Happy Dollars – SAA Matt accepted happy dollars from: · Laura Warner for her winnings. · Tim Keene announced he brought Needhams for Alicia Girard’s birthday but she didn’t seem to share them as they never made their way around the room. · Alicia Girard gave her happy birthday dollar before she was fined. · Chuck Hennessey thanks Susan Gajewski for making him drive her to a meeting. · Jeremy Ray was happy that his wife, Suzanne, is coming home after a week alone with the kids. · Rae Smith was thoroughly enjoying her vacation. · Karen Chasse gave a sad dollar for the theft of her wallet this morning which also meant Jeremy Ray’s school credit card would be cancelled. · Ray Demers was happy the crime occurred in Biddeford, not Saco. · Bob Wester was happy to be at our meeting as our AG. He announced that RI is hosting a Sea Dogs Game similar to the one we just held on August 19th if we would like to attend. It is $26 and all you can eat – see the District newsletter for more information. · Fausto Pifferrer was happy his deck is almost complete and he finally had his property surveyed so the fighting with the neighbors has ended. · Sue Gajewski loved the TACK was useful and included a President’s Message, minutes and a funny recap by Bill Kany.
Fines– Then SAA Matt handed out fines to: · President Joe for no flag last week, a to-do list that Matt is sure his wife did for him and we are three weeks into his presidency and there haven’t been any fundraisers yet. · Bill Kany was fined for his wealth of “helpers” to do the TACK and calling us all the “peanut gallery”. · Heather MacLean for not knowing the price of things in her store and complaining that her graduation outfit was not cute. In which Matt responded, “Why? Cause it wasn’t skin tight black?” · Jackson Brown for being a special guest star in a real estate commercial. Those pearly whites are being put to good use. · Fausto Pifferrer for her photo of wood art. No more needs to be said. You don’t understand? Become his friend on Facebook if you dare to weather the speedy photos. · Ray Demers for his cop cars side swiping vehicles. Biddeford sounds better now, doesn’t it Ray? · Sarah Curley’s dress was confusing to Matt. He couldn’t determine if it is was designed by SpongeBob Square Pants or Jimmy Hendrix. · Jim Godbout for his photo on Facebook with the kids and his balls. |
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President Joe's Agenda for the YearHI, First, thank you all for making my first meeting great. I really am honored to hold the position. I get to follow some fantastic folks who have served as great stewards of our great club. I wanted to write an article for the TACK because sitting outside on the deck for our first meeting was not really conducive to giving some words about what I would like to see us accomplish over the next 12 months. Our motto this year is “ Be the Inspiration”. I will make sure to put the banner out this week. So, what are some of the goals we need to accomplish so we can “Be the Inspiration”- more meetings; not really. One of my biggest goals is to not waste your time. You are willing to give one of the most precious possessions you own, your time. I recognize that fact and will do my best to utilize your time to the fullest. Seriously, as president elect everybody feels that they can give me their advice regarding what is wrong with the club and I have to agree with them on some issues. Even little ones like the check in sheet that we use to check in members every week, it was not working for everybody so it was reformatted and updated; you can thank Julie, our Secretary. People are not crazy about our meeting space, the food, the acoustics, the temperature, the number of meetings we have, etc. Until someone can come up with a better venue we will be at Run of the Mill for a while. I secretly fantasize that a nice hotel with a great restaurant will open with a beautiful dining room, perfect for hosting meetings. A guy can dream. With respect to meetings, we will still have some 50 or so. I will do my best to be there every week however, I don’t expect you to. I will be proposing a new focus on service work instead of attendance. In order to do that I will need help with a lot of ad hoc committees for the in meeting service projects I want to propose. For example, I want to make a “birthday party in a bag” geared towards children, for the local food pantries. The bags will have everything for a child to have a birthday party. It will include, cake and frosting mix, table cloths, candles, etc. My vision is that 3 to 4 people will go shopping for the items on a Wednesday meeting day instead of coming to the meeting. The following week the club will assemble the bags at lunch- that will be the “program”. I plan on having at least 3 in service meetings such as the birthday bags, hygiene kits for some of the shelters, writing cards and letters to service men and women serving. Help me think of some more. Another project will be field trip meetings. I have already contacted the 3 principals in the local elementary schools, just realized I did not contact St. James… I told the principals that we have 20 to 30 volunteers that would love to show up at their schools on a Wednesday from 12:15 to 1:30 to participate in a project. We could read to the kids, have lunch with them, rearrange furniture, etc. . One principal has already emailed me and is very excited about the idea. We will still have a club assembly meeting the first Wednesday of the month. The meeting will be a briefing on what happened at the Board meeting earlier in the day, a classification talk or two, charitable fund committee discussion and vote and any other issues that need to be dealt with. In order to accomplish all of the things we want and keep people informed it is going to take communication. Bill Kany has agreed to take over the TACK this year. He has 12 volunteers who will each be responsible for the month. The TACK, Facebook and other social media will be important this year as we tackle our ambitious meeting schedule and goals. We have also added all of our past presidents to our email list so that they get the TACK and can be aware of the club happenings. I have not planned any new fundraisers. If you have an idea let’s hear about. I have picked the following people for committees, if I am wrong and you are not interested please let me. My goal with most of the committees is to leave it up to the chair to recruit members. The list is as follows and is not complete: TACK Bill Kany Charitable Giving Jim McAllister Scholarship Heather G and Fausto Front Desk Heather M Foundation Brian D Website Brian D Past President Keith J Awards Bill Kany Stuff the Bus Lucie K Alzheimer Walk Sue G Beer Fest Ken F Wine Fest Conrad, ? $100 raffle Karen / Earl Prom / Dance Bernice Program Chair Conrad W Youth Protection Officer Chief Ray Demers Youth Service Paulette B In closing, 2018/2019 will be a good year to be a part of Rotary; to be the inspiration for people we interact with. I know people get a chuckle when I say my prayer “ Dear Lord, you give us so much yet expect so little in return. Let us live through your example.” I am not overly religious but, I do realize how lucky I am, how fortunate I am. I have been given so much. And as a result I have a deep need to want to give back; I know you feel the same way. Isn’t that why you joined Rotary. Regards, Joe |
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President Joe's AgendaPresident Joe unveiled this year’s Rotary International theme of “BE THE INSPIRATION”. He talked about his vision of doing more service work instead of club meetings so we will be offsite a lot. With that said, READ THE TACK WEEKLY or you might be sitting at ROTM alone having lunch while we are putting together back packs somewhere else or holding a scholarship review committee meeting. Consider yourself warned! Please read his President message in the TACK for more information.
Observations from the Peanut Gallery: While Karen Chasse is ably reporting all of the club news that is fit to print I figured I would weigh in from time to time with some random observations.
Incidentally, while I am sure Mark Nahorney knows this, the term “peanut gallery’ dates back to the vaudeville days. The peanut gallery was typically the highest and cheapest seats that attracted the rowdiest patrons. Those patrons typically heckled the performers and threw peanuts at them and hence the name. Howdy Doody later adopted that name for his live kids audience though I prefer to think of myself as a heckler so I will continue to use the term in its original context.
Change, few people carry any in their pockets anymore, and yes, it is inevitable. Heraclitus (no, that is not a STD) once said: “There is nothing permanent except change.” Maya Angelou observed: “If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
So, every year a new club president comes in and attempts to make changes. For example, yesterday we had Joe’s first meeting outside on the patio at Run of the Mill. Nothing like having a meeting outside in the midst of dozens of other restaurant patrons who don’t care too much about our cultish four way test or the pledge of allegiance to an invisible flag while they are nibbling on their fish tacos. There’s nothing like welcoming our new Sergeant at Arms, Matt Simmons who none of us in the peanut gallery could hear so of course we could not heckle him … yet.
For those of you who missed the meeting yesterday Joe also changed up the order a bit doing the 50/50 a little earlier; he did not recite his own prayer; and he spoke before our food came. He also announced that we are going to do some hands on projects on Wednesdays instead of lunch so remember to dress accordingly if we are going to paint a school one Wednesday. Nothing like getting paint on your tie. Bill, change your attitude.
The fact is that change is good. It keeps things fresh. It keeps us guessing. Joe emphasized that Rotary is not about attendance any more. It is about service. Of course, Rotary has always been about service, but for way too long it has been about attendance too. Now it is more about service and less about whether you can make it to lunch on a particular Wednesday which should be a huge relief to about half our club. Let’s not give up on lunch because that is where we will be able to heckle Simmons and find out what is going on with our fellow Rotarians, but let’s all try and make things more about service as well. That is a nice change and one I hope to embrace.
Sure, we will have to put up with other changes too. A president who wears a pink shirt or alleged burgundy paints. A president whose teeth are simply not as white as his predecessor. If you can’t change Joe’s changes, change your attitude.
Finally, I will leave you with this random thought. The State Fire Marshall’s office determined that the fire at the sheep barn at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds was caused by an electrical issue. Everyone knows that if you rub wool together you get static electricity. If you have a bunch of sheep in a barn you’re going to have bolts of static electricity flying everywhere, so clearly it was an electrical issue. We did not need the Fire Marshall’s office to make that finding.
Respectfully thrown by a member of the Peanut Gallery.
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Week in Review 7/11/2018President Joe Moreshead led us in the Pledge of Allegiance (with no flag as we were outside and set-up crew forgot to get it) followed by the 4-way test led by an enthusiastic Alicia Girard (again, no flag). Conrad Welzel led us in a great invocation that he conveniently pulled out of his wallet. President-Elect Fausto Pifferrer introduced guest Morgan Stoner (and then giggled as if someone just said fart) and Rotarian guest Haley Thompson from the Belleville Illinois Rotary Club. The 50/50 was won by Jeremy Ray who graciously donated it back to the club.
President Joe then revealed this year’s SAA (drum Roll)… Matt Simmons – back at it again!
Happy Dollars – SAA Joe accepted happy dollars from: · Susan Gajewski was happy to be back from the Wyoming Dude Ranch vacation (I think she meant to say sad dollar) and Andy Grief told her she should go because he worked there as a young man. She highly recommends we all go to a Dude Ranch! · Joe Moreshead gave $5 happy dollars for his appreciation for the board and club. · Brenda Pollock’s granddaughter is healing well. · Conrad Welzel for the 4th of July celebrations and living in America. · Mark Nahorney gave a shameless plug for the July 19th opening of seeing him in a dress – get your tickets now! · Joe Bassett for sending his family back home (feel the love?) and meeting his great granddaughter for the first time. · Karen Chasse for her recent birthday and peaceful vacation at Jeremy Ray’s place Downeast thanks to his donation to our Rotary Auction. · Bernice Wood for her son coming home for China for nine days.
Fines– Then SAA Matt handed out fines to: · Alicia Girard because she went to the happiest place on earth and didn’t give a happy dollar. · Joe Moreshead for not knowing who the District Governor is despite his many high and mighty dinners with the Rotary Leadership prior to taking over as President. · Sue Gajewski for giving Matt grief for missing the Board meeting when he isn’t even a Board member anymore. · Jeremy Ray for sucking up to President Joe by wearing his “Joe-inspired” shorts (visual for those not there – salmon). · Heather MacLean for not paying attention at meetings and missing Joe’s banana hat moment. · Fausto Pifferrer for going from banana hat to banana hammock and giggling during introducing the guest whose last name was Stoner. · Lucie Kay for directing Joe Moreshead when she could barely run the meetings when she was President. Also for a FB post that notes YCFCU is hiring and for some reason she has a big “X” marks the spot on her chest in the photo. · Guest Haley Thompson for ditching her duties as President of the Belleville Illinois Rotary Club five weeks early to relocate to a job at Thornton Academy. |
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Announcements 7/11/2918
· Center for Grieving Children Fundraiser: Our club has two tickets to their event this evening at Vinegar Hill at 6pm. See Joe if you are able to attend. By the time this TACK comes out, this is old news. · Business After Hours: August 2, 5-7pm at Run of the Mill. Two drink tickets for beer or wine will be provided, along with some hors d’ouvres. Please bring potential new Rotarians to get to know us and talk about our good work in the community. · Joint Meeting with District Governor: We will have a joint meeting with Saco Bay and the Sunset Club on August 23rd, 6pm at Duffy’s. The District Governor John Labrosco will be the speaker and will cost $25 per person. · United Way “Tools for Schools” Distribution: At the end of August, backpacks will be distributed to students in need at The White Church (date and time to come). Due to our club’s large donation, we have been asked if we would like to help hand them out. · Annual Kinney Shores Black Party to support Red Ribbon Committee: Jim announced they will hold this major fundraiser again on Saturday, July 28th and will need Rotarians to help. Last year we raised over $4,000 for Red Ribbon! After party at Jim’s house! · Committee Assignments: They are still being worked on but it is safe to assume you will stay on the same committees as last year if you do not hear otherwise. · Budget: The budget is approved with $13K allocated for Charitable Giving. There will be no major fundraising changes. If you would like a copy of the budget, please ask President Joe.
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Center of Grieving Children BenefitHey fellow Rotarians, The Center for Grieving Children is hosting an event at Vinegar Hill tomorrow night. We have free tickets available. Please let me know ASAP if you would like to attend. We have a limited amount of tickets available. Blue Elephant is catering, Bill Kany is "MCing", silent auction items, cash bar, etc. From the Center of Grieving Children: Join us on Wednesday, July 11, for the second annual Midsummer Night's Soiree Benefit Concert at Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel. Featuring the Don Campbell Band, this beautiful evening of music, conversation, and community will begin at 6pm with a reception. |
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Annual Rotary Foundation Year End ReportWe reached our Club Goal for 2017-2018! Thank you to all of you who made our annual Foundation Campaign such a success! President Brown's goal was to raise at least $7,000 this year and to have every member make some form of contribution, large or small. For the Rotary Year 2017-2018, contributions from 62 Rotarians totaling over $7,000 achieving 125% of the goal . Such a generous group! These contributions have also been matched by the club to bring the total contributions to $9,450! A record for our club on a year to year basis. In addition, the Annual Fund reached $120 per capita. 50% gave more than $25, with 38% giving $100 or more. 50% of the membership have sustained giving with Every Rortarian Every Year status. All-Time Giving for our club has reached $250,026.28! Six members achieved multiple Paul Harris Fellow status. They are: Lucie Kay PHF +1 sapphire stone James Godbout PHF +2 sapphire stone Charles Hennessey PHF +2 sapphire stone Joe Moreshead PHF +2 sapphire stone Denis Elie PHF +3 sapphire stone Carl Goodwin PHF +6 ruby stone You can still make a contribution to RI directly online before June 30, 2018 for it to count further towards our tally. (link is found on our website home page) As an added benefit, the club matches your contributions up to $100, accelerating your achieving year-after-year total contributions towards the $1,000 mark with the recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. Thanks again. Yours in Rotary, Brian Dallaire B-S Rotary Club Foundation Co-Chair |
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2018 Annual Biddeford Saco Rotary Awards |
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2018 Rotary AwardsFor those members of the club who could not make it to the meeting on June 20, 2018 here is the transcript of the awards I presented excluding the Public Sector Award and one Paul Harris Award because those people were not at the meeting. Thanks to the members of the club who used some form of deception to get our recipients to the meeting. At the outset I want to thank all the Rotarians who took the time to suggest some incredibly worthy candidates for these awards. Your input to the committee was invaluable and all of this year’s winners came from your suggestions. Each year we give out our Public, private, humanitarian and vocational service awards either to club members or to individuals or organizations outside the club whose acts of kindness, generosity and caring help to make our communities and the world a little better. Year in and year out I can assure you that most of our recipients have not been people looking for recognition, and in fact, most of them would prefer to keep doing what they do outside of the limelight. Our club, however, feels that our award recipients deserve a resounding thank you for their good works and it is our hope that by acknowledging the wonderful things these folks do we will inspire others to get involved. PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment usually in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, outside of his or her employment. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. Read names of Past Winners 2014 Leo P. Menard, Jr. 2015 Leon Chick 2016 Andy Greif 2017 The Esther Residence Our private award winner this year is someone who has very quietly helped hundreds of people through countless acts of kindness. Her efforts have included soliciting food items to give families food for Christmas. She has helped feed an incredible number of families at Thanksgiving by seeking donations. Mind you, this person is doing this without a large organization like Rotary helping her. In 2010 this former school employee started a program called “Locker of Love” to accept donations of school supplies, snacks, clothing and hygiene products for students who needed that kind of help. That program has provided badly needed items to 100s of Biddeford school kids over the last 8 years. The person who nominated this recipient said: “Although she has given a lot, she has leveraged her heart and her compassion to facilitate others to give. She has always given thanks to those that gave while protecting the identities of those she has given to. Her accomplishments are remarkable and have made a real difference in peoples’ lives.” This individual is a shining example of the fact that one person can truly make a difference and her quiet generosity deserves our thanks. We do so by giving this year's Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Private Sector Award to Laurie Bruce. HUMANITARIAN AWARD The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. Read names of Past Winners 2014 Paul Deschambault 2015 Dennis P. Robillard 2016 James Godbout 2017 Jim McAllister The person who suggested this year’s humanitarian award winner wrote: “It is one thing to have a job, a career, it is another to have a vocation and to let something be such an integral part of your life. She feeds the hungry, clothes the unclothed and loves the unloved.” We have all heard the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The organization in Biddeford known as Seeds of Hope has attempted to capture that proverb and use it to help people in our area. Their mission statement says “ Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center collaborates with our local communities and neighbors to find meaningful solutions to poverty, isolation and despair in a welcoming and compassionate environment.” As an example, one of their recent programs is to loan people money for their rental security deposits so they can have a place to live. It is a simple but ingenious way to get people back on their feet and help them grow their self-esteem. Organizations like Seeds of Hope do not happen by themselves. They need leaders with vision and a commitment to the cause. This year’s Humanitarian Award winner is the driving force behind Seeds of Hope and a person who has clearly dedicated her life to helping those who need a hand. In recognition of committing her life to help others the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club is proud to give year's Humanitarian Award to Reverend Shirley Bowen VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. Read names of Past Winners 2014 Marcel Bertrand 2015 Kenneth Crepeau 2016 Thornton Academy 2017 Biddeford City Council When I think of the vocational service award my tendency is to focus on those people or organizations who promote the trades and other vocations. Clearly that is a narrow view of the concept of vocational service. Vocational service is also about helping people of all ages find their vocation, to identify their passion or skill and make it a career. That can be in the trades but it does not have to be. This year’s Vocational Service Award winner is a Transition Coordinator. What is that you say. I am told that a transition coordinator has the goal of creating relevant, realistic and career ready opportunities for students. This particular individual took that concept and in her first year turned it into a thriving support system for students. She works with her school colleagues to identify and create a student’s desired post-secondary blueprint, by implementing individual transition activities. She works with Thornton’s Career Center to maximize the potential of students with disabilities to network within the community and garner career-ready skills to help each student achieve their transitional goals. In other words she is teaching them how to fish and she is helping those students to find jobs they can get excited about. That is truly vocational service. The person who suggested our winner wrote: “she is responsible for guiding students in the realm of functional life skills. There are no boundaries to what she incorporates in preparing special needs students for life. She has a knack for seeing each student as an individual with their own challenges and strengths, then, applies those qualities to appropriate matches she cultivates within the community”. In addition, this individual was instrumental in starting TA’s Unified Basketball team and is one of the team’s coaches. Again, I will read this description of what has to be one of the greatest programs being offered by many high schools in Maine: “Unified basketball is a co-ed team that combines athletes (students with developmental disabilities) with partners (students without disabilities who help sustain the flow of the games). Together they make a great team, both on and off the court. As an audience member, it is heartwarming to witness the pride from every player on the court. Not to mention, the smiles beaming from the parents. [This year’s award winner] is responsible for bringing complete joy to a gym where for one hour, everyone feels like a winner.” She has only been at Thornton for a short period of time but her commitment and dedication to the students is truly inspirational and worthy of our thanks. And while I am going to sound like I’m 100 years old, the fact is that us old folks find lots of things to complaim about young people, but the fact remains that people like this year’ Vocational Award Winner can teach us all that really caring about what we do can make a huge difference. This year’s Vocational Service Award goes to Thornton Academy’s Kristy Kendrick. GOODWIN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Back in 2007 our Club decided to honor all of the dedication and contributions of Carl and Earl Goodwin by creating an award in their honor. In my opinion it is truly the highest honor our club can give to one of its past or present members. Read names of Past Winners 2014 Julie Villemaire 2015 Jim McAllister 2016 Paul H. Deschambault 2017 Karen Chasse When this award was created in honoring Carl and Earl Goodwin and all that they have done for the club and the community, the idea was that it would go to long term Rotarians in or out of the club who over their tenure have done a lot to make our club great while working to address the needs of our area. There is a lot to be said for longevity but there is a lot more to be said for unlimited caring and generosity. There is a lot more to be said for putting one’s heart and soul into everything one does to a point at which we have to wonder how does this person do it all. This year’s Goodwin Award is given to someone who has been consistently nominated for all 4 awards we give out (though I have found it hard to figure out the Public Service angle), but I suspect receiving this award will be the most meaningful to this individual. It should be no surprise that this year’s Goodwin Outstanding Service Award goes to Jim Godbout. Paul Harris Recipients Paul Harris Awards are arguably the highest distinctions that can be given to Rotarians by Rotary. Our Club has had a practice of recognizing deserving members and non-members for their work in and outside the Club. Each past Paul Harris recipient has been very worthy and this year we have three more equally ntable winners of the award. In no particular order: Sometimes being a good Rotarian is as much about what one does outside the Club as it is about what one does in the Club. While this Rotarian has been a strong member of our Red Ribbon committee and a consistent volunteer, the role this person plays in our community so promotes the ideals of Rotary that it is those efforts that make this person a worthy recipient of a Paul Harris award. Her enthusiasm and caring leadership of an organization that improves the lives of so many children is truly an inspiration. Her every day commitment to providing healthy alternatives to kids is what Rotary and our Red Ribbon Committee are all about. Based on all of that I am pleased to announce that our next Paul Harris Award goes to Bronwyn Barnett. Our last Paul Harris Award is given to a consistent volunteer and a Board member of the Club. Having said that, however, one of the things that has made our club stand out over the years has been the fact that it is a welcoming, fun group of people. Many of our meetings are simply a chance to laugh and talk about something other than work. There are club members who are really good at making everyone feel welcome and who are good at making people laugh. Generosity can take many forms and this person is generous in a number of ways including sharing smiles, handshakes and quick little jabs that make our club one of those places people want to go. Our last Paul Harris Award is given to a really nice guy and a sharp dresser, Matt Simmons. Thanks Bill Brian Dallaire presented the following Rotarians with Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Awards: Paul Harris Fellow x 2 to Jim Godbout (sapphire stone) Paul Harris Fellow x 2 to Joe Moreshead (sapphire stone) Paul Harris Fellow x 3 to Denis Elie (sapphire stone) Paul Harris Fellow x 6 to Carl Goodwin (ruby stone) President Jackson also presented the following Rotarians with Service Above Self Awards: Fausto – Fausto deserved the service above self-award for his dedication to the new annual fundraiser for the club with the TV auction falling through with Time Warner. Fausto went above and beyond anyone else for that fundraiser in helping us fundraise almost as many dollars as we did with the auction. Susan Gajewski – There is no job harder in the club than the treasurer job. Not only did Susan take on this role but she helped clean up the books to make it more streamlined for the board members and the accountant. This is one job that doesn’t get recognized by the club and deserves a ton of credit. Conrad Welzel – Not only did Conrad run another successful Wine Tasting event this year but he worked as my Guest Speaker invite list throughout the year. This is not an easy task and we had a successful year with a lot of great guest speakers. Karen Chasse – One person who has been under the radar this year but is everyone’s “Go To” person is Karen. Without the help of Karen, our major fundraiser would not have been as successful as it was. She is the person that everyone always turns to when they need help with something. President Jackson also announced this year’s Rotarian of the Year: Joe Moreshead! Joe – There was not another person in the club that deserved the Rotarian of the Year as much as Joe did. Not only did he volunteer for many different committees at the beginning of the year but he stepped into the President role when Bernice needed someone to sub in for her this year. Congratulations to all of the award recipients!! |
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Week-in-Review 6/20/2018President Jackson promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by past Past President Ken Farley flawlessly leading the group in the 4 Way Test. Joe Bassett provided the invocation. President-Elect Joe Moreshead announced visiting guests; Kristy Kendrick, Shirley Bowen from Seeds of Hope, Laurie Bruce, Carol Taranko and Brent Lane (Kristen Lane’s husband) Fausto thanked the club for the $500 donation that we made to the CK Burns School reading program. He said it was an excellent program and he brought in a book for everyone to view. 50/50 Raffle of $24 was won by Carl Goodwin who graciously donated the funds to the Red Ribbon Committee. SAA Denis Elie was up next. He already surpassed the budget from what I heard so today’s take is all gravy! PP Karen Chasse was happy about a recent trip to Canada and that they let her back in the US. Brenda Pollock thanked the club for their support of her granddaughter who was in a terrible accident and had gone to the Shriners hospital. Madison is doing better and will be joining us for lunch soon! Brenda was also happy for receiving a certificate for financial counseling and happy to be back. Kristen Lane gave $5 to finally getting her cast off after breaking her ankle. PP Ken was happy to make 2 meetings in a row. Matt Simmons was happy that his 11 year old son was one of two 11 year olds who made the 12 year old All Stars. Joe Bassett was happy to spend time with his grandson and Conrad Welzel was happy that his wife was retiring. That was enough happiness for SAA Denis so he moved on to the fines. PP Keith Jacques was fined for “running out of seats” at the recent Past Presidents luncheon. PP Ken was fined for bringing a date to the Past Presidents luncheon. PP Bill Kany was fined for taking the 50/50 from him and also for not fining Al C. during the Past Presidents luncheon. Susan Gajewski was fined for making Denis feel bad about not seeing PP Paul Deschambault either. Paulette Bonneau was fined for not putting in a Happy Dollar for school being out. Denis paid a “departure” fine for himself and Jeremy Ray as they had to go to a contract negotiations meeting. |
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Awards DayClub Members: I wanted to write and remind everyone that this Wednesday, June 20th, is our annual awards day during which we get to recognize people in our Club and in the Community for their fine work in helping others. We give out the private, public, humanitarian and vocational service awards along with a number of Club awards including Paul Harris Fellows, the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award and Rotarian of the year, to name a few. Please make every effort to attend on Wednesday if at all possible because all of our recipients deserve our applause and appreciation for all that they do. Thanks and I hope to see you this Wednesday. Bill |
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Prom Silent Auction Part 3
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Prom Silent Auction Part 2
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Rotary Prom Silent Auction Items Part 1
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Rotary Prom Live Auction Items
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The Portland SeadogsNext month on Sunday June 24th, we will be having a Rotary club outing at the Portland Seadogs. The tickets to the game will be $26, which will include food (Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, BBQ Pulled Chicken, Veggie Burgers, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Sea Dog Biscuits and bottomless fountain drinks. Feel free to invite family and friends to the game as well. I've included the link to purchase your tickets for the game for the group outing. I hope to see everyone there! Jackson |
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The Rotary FoundationToday is the Day! Thank you to all of you who made our annual Foundation Day on April 18, 2018 such a success! To date for the Rotary Year 2017-2018, contributions from 31 Rotarians total $6,330. Such a generous group! For those of you we may have missed, there is still time and would you please consider making a contribution to this year's campaign? President Brown goal was to raise at least $7,000 this year and to have every member make some form of contribution, large or small. It's quite easy. Make your checks our to the club or even better yet, you may contribute on line directly on the RI website. (link is found on our website home page) Time is running out for this year's campaign. Books will be closed and reported to RI on May 31, 2018! As an added benefit, the club will match your contributions up to $100, accelerating your achieving year-after-year total contributions towards the $1,000 mark with the recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. Thanks again. Your in Rotary, Brian Dallaire B-S Rotary Club Foundation Co-Chair |
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Local Rotaries Donate to Tools4Schools |
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Party & Auction for Maine Children's CancerDear Rotarians, As many of you know, each year Portland Sunrise Rotary holds its Party With a Purpose fundraiser auction for Maine Children's Cancer Program. In this our 20th year, we've set the goal of raising a record $50,000, and we'd like to invite you to be part of it. This magnificent annual event takes place at the gorgeous DiMillo's Restaurant in downtown Portland, with sweeping views of the Portland Harbor. This year we've moved the event to May so that we can better enjoy the beautiful views. Items in this year's live auction include a photo safari in Africa, a diamond necklace and Tag Heuer men's watch from Springer's Jewelers, catered lunch in the tower at Victoria Mansion, a week's stay in Tuscany, and more! There's also a silent auction packed with amazing jewelry, artwork, and one-of-a-kind experiences. All this with complimentary food, beer, and wine, for just $30 per person. Best of all, proceeds benefit the unequaled work of Maine Children's Cancer Program, through Portland Sunrise Rotary. Please consider purchasing a ticket today at https://fundraising.mmc.org/mccp/rotarysocial. I hope to see you next Wednesday May 16, 2018 @ 5:30PM. Sincerely, President Sam Heck, Portland Sunrise Rotary |
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News This WeekAt this week’s meeting the charitable fund committee presented a $500.00 request to the membership present. The request was submitted by Janice Budzik-Conley and Nancy Smith of CK Burns School. Their $2500.00 project, funded in part by CK Burns PTO at $250 and two parents that have donated a total of $1000. “The 5 teachers on the team are creating an anthology of student writing to mark a milestone in their education. Each student works on a piece of writing that he/she wants to publish. After publication, students and families are invited to the big reveal and share . All of the stories are either posted or read aloud.” After a little discussion Dennis Elie moved the question, there was a second and all in attendance approved. Once again, great to see everyone participate in spending the money we work hard to raise. The charitable fund has $1795.17 left in the account for this fiscal year. Speaking of raising money we received a CLYNK check last week for $99.15- stay thirsty my friends An update on the trees- Linda Verville reported : TA will be the new home of some of the trees and they are looking into planting some at Goosefare Brook Watershed. Hey Earl- if you are reading this we hope you are well! |
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Annual Rotary AwardsFinal appeal!
I know you are working on Prom solicitations, but believe it or not we are approaching the end of another Rotary year. That means it is time for the Awards Committee to get together to select worthy recipients for the Club’s public sector, private sector, humanitarian and vocational awards. Included herewith is a description of each award and some past recipients of each award. What the committee needs from you are suggested award recipients in each category. I should point out that in almost every instance, the awards are given to people suggested to the committee by members of our club. Please note that while award recipients are frequently members of our club, they do not have to be members. In fact, most of the time the recipients are not members of the club. I would also point out that even if you do not have an idea for an award recipient for one particular category, please give us as many suggestions as you can for the other categories. We would appreciate it if you would get back to us as soon as possible with your suggestions. Awards day is tentatively scheduled for June 20, 2018. We do need to meet to ultimately decide on the award recipients and then the awards need to be ordered and engraved so please get your suggestions back to us by May 16. If you have any questions regarding any of the award categories, please contact me (Bill S. Kany at 602-7381 or email me at kanyw@sbsavings.com) or the other members of the committee, Joe Moreshead, and Keith Jacques. Here are the award descriptions. I have attached a list of the past recipients of each award. The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, while being privately employed or not employed by a government or community entity. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, HUMANITARIAN, AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES AWARD NOMINATIONS Public Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Private Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Humanitarian Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Vocational Service Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination From Bill Kany |
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Scholarship TimeMay 1 & 2 3PM 2018 Scholarship application review. Come join Heather G, Joe M, Fausto and Paulette for today's meeting at Bangor Saving Bank in Saco. We only need 2 more volunteers to have a good review panel. Paulette confirmed we have 20 applications for all 4 schools. If we stay on track, we should be able to complete the review of all 4 schools Tuesday and not have to meet again on Wednesday. The next step will be to interview the selected candidates. |
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Community Service Project-Tree PlantingJust thought you would like to know---- On April 21st, two thousand seedling trees will arrive in Freeport from the Arbor Foundation. Rotary International President Ian has challenged every Rotary Club to pant one tree per member. The tree planting is part of Rotary’s sustainable commitment to the world’s environment: “ Together, We Make a Difference”. The project came up rather quickly and we did not have time to plan on our own tree planting project. So, we reached out to the twin cities and both high schools. Thornton had a project in mind. I picked up our 80 saplings on Saturday, 20 each or red maple, sugar maple, white spruce and red oak, and today delivered them to Linda Verville at Thornton Academy. Our club worked with Linda and was able to donate our trees to the Thornton Academy Ecology Club. The club plans on a tree planting project. Hopefully we can work with Linda to see if we can get some photos of the project. Even better would be to get some pictures with Rotarians. I would really like to see some good shots of kids and Rotarians planting trees. I would like to use some good photos, even staged if need be, to use in a new Rotary campaign “People of Action”. I hope to introduce this campaign in our club and welcome any feedback you have. The following information is from Rotary.org Help launch our new global ad campaign, "People of Action" While many people have heard of Rotary, few people actually understand what Rotary clubs do. In fact, 35 percent of the public is unfamiliar with any Rotary program, including their local club. That’s why Rotary has created a new global ad campaign called “People of Action.” The ads are available for download at Rotary.org / brandcenter, where you’ll also find guidelines on how to use and localize each element, making it easier for clubs in any part of the world to tell their story in a consistent, compelling way. Work with local print media ad representatives to place these full-color ads in community magazines and newspapers. Here’s what you need to know Who are we trying to reach? This campaign is for people who do not know about Rotary or why it’s relevant to them. We hope the campaign will appeal to potential members who want to make a difference in their communities, those interested in Rotary’s causes, and people looking to establish relationships with others in their communities. Why is the campaign’s theme “People of Action”? Rotarians share a unique passion for taking action to improve their communities and the world. Where others see problems, we see solutions. This is our chance to show others how Rotarians see what’s possible in their communities and to highlight what we can achieve when more community leaders join Rotary. Here's how you can help:
Download the People of Action campaign assets
Particularly advertising professionals who can help place ads locally
Work with your district public image coordinator for additional guidance
Share campaign videos and graphics on your Facebook and Twitter accounts
Email Rotary's marketing team with success stories and questions. What materials are available? At Rotary.org/brandcenter, you’ll find videos, social media graphics, and advertisements for print and digital. Campaign guidelines are also provided to help districts and clubs localize the assets. Who are the people/projects featured in the campaign? The first ads in the campaign feature real Rotarians in Colorado and Brazil, and the stories shown were inspired by actual projects. More stories from Rotarians will be featured in upcoming ads. Can clubs or districts modify campaign materials with pictures of their own projects? Yes. Guidelines are provided at Rotary.org/brandcenter to help districts and clubs localize the campaign with photos of their own communities. Is there guidance for taking photos for the ads? Yes. Rotary.org/brandcenter has a checklist and information on how to capture photos that focus on connections and community. Inspire your community in any language by posting one of these social media graphics along with an update about the work your club is doing locally. On Facebook, you can boost posts by ZIP code for less than $100 and substantially increase the number of people you reach. What are some ways we can place the campaign locally? Campaign placement tips are on Rotary.org/brandcenter. There are also other ways to use the materials – consider adding campaign graphics to club and district websites, posting them on social media, and displaying the ads at events. What kind of support will be provided to members who don’t know how to buy ads or secure donated space? RI provides guidelines on how to develop media plans, buy ads, and secure donated ad space at Rotary.org/brandcenter. In addition, the RI marketing communications team will host a series of webinars to help club and district leaders with media planning. How does the campaign work with the existing Rotary brand positioning of “Join Leaders,” “Share Ideas,” and “Take Action”? The People of Action campaign brings the Rotary brand to life by highlighting what happens when community leaders within Rotary join together, share their vision, exchange ideas about solutions, and then take action to make it a reality. Who do I contact with questions about this campaign? Please send all questions regarding the People of Action campaign to pr@rotary.org. Rotary's billboard ads will be available later this year. For guidance on how to buy billboard space, visit the Brand Center. President -Elect Joe |
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Red Ribbon WeekHello Rotarians, Please make every attempt to join us for this week's free community presentation (see attached). It is this Thursday, April 26 from 6:30-7:30pm at BHS's Little Theater (entrance near Tiger Gym). I would ask that you talk it up with your family and friends and share the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/573911536341224/ RSVP needed: We will be taking the Sullivans to Traditions for dinner like we did when Tony Hoffman came to town. We only have a limited timeframe so we have a 4:30pm reservation in which Jim has agreed to cover the cost of dinner (no alcohol). I need to know exact numbers of who plans to attend so please email me. All high school and middle school students will be given their free t-shirts and encouraged to wear them on Thursday. [On a separate note - Prom Auction items and tickets are due by Friday and we are far from goal! Saco Bay is making us look bad on ticket sales already turning in $800 in ticket sales cash compared to our $275. Please get your money and auction slips in so Fausto can sleep at night.] My Best, Karen |
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Rotarian Bruce RubinBruce Lawrence Ruben, 77 MANSFIELD, Mass. - Bruce Lawrence Ruben passed away peacefully on April 18, 2018, at the age of 77, after a long and courageous battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Through countless setbacks and struggles, Bruce never gave up his over-five-year struggle to beat this disease, so he could have more time with his family and friends. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Ellen Rose (Kaplan), in 2012. Bruce is survived by his two daughters, Lori (Beth) Ruben Powers, of Mansfield, Mass.; and Sherri Ann Poirier, of Upton, Mass.; his sons-in-law, Mark Powers and Jamey Poirier; his four grandchildren, Madison and Rylie Powers, and Ryan and Jacob Poirier; his brothers, Stuart Ruben and Matthew Ruben; his sister-in-law, Sharon Ruben, wife of Stuart; his partner, Claire McCarthy; and his nieces and nephews. Bruce was born in Belfast on Oct. 8, 1940, to Max and Gladys Ruben. He was raised in Saco, and graduated from Thornton Academy and then Boston University. After graduating from Boston University, he moved to New York City where he met his wife, Ellen, at a dance. They married in 1968 and moved to Maine in 1971, settling in Cape Elizabeth where they raised their two girls. Bruce worked alongside his father, running the Ruben-Biddeford Insurance Agency in Biddeford, eventually becoming president and running the agency on his own, until he retired in 2012. He was an active member of the Biddeford-Saco community. He was a member of the Biddeford-Saco Country Club, Biddeford-Saco Rotary, Temple Etz Chaim in Biddeford and Temple Beth El in Portland. Besides golf, he enjoyed racquetball and playing poker with his friends, but most of all, he loved spending time with his family and friends. The funeral will be Friday, April 20, 2018, at Temple Beth El at 1 p.m. Burial will immediately follow at Temple Beth El Memorial Park. Arrangements were made by Portland Jewish Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Bruce's memory to Dana Farber, or B'nai Brith. |
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Rotary International FOUNDATION DAYWednesday April 18, 2018 will be our annual FOUNDATION DAY. So calling on all members to bring in any of your company promotional bling that we could use for the Yankee raffle. And bring your checkbooks so that you may make you annual donation to the Rotary Foundation. It should be a fun time for all. Thank you for your consideration. Your Rotary Foundation co-Chair Brian Dallaire |
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Rotarians Honor Student Essay Winners on Family LifeBIDDEFORD, MAINE – April 12, 2018 - Each year the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club sponsors an annual essay contest for all eighth graders in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach schools. This year marked the 23rd year they have held the contest based on the Rotary International theme in 1995 of “the year of the family.” The topic of the essay is “What the Word Family Means to Me,” which focuses on the students’ views of the importance of family life, their understanding, and appreciation of differences that exist with other families. The best essays are selected by the school’s faculty of teachers based on the established criteria: relevance to the topic, quality of composition, creativity, and grammatical, spelling accuracy. “Families are the compass that guides us,” said Elaine Palmitessa, Biddeford Saco Rotarian and Essay Contest Co-Chair. “They are the inspiration to help us reach great heights and are our safe haven when we occasionally falter. No matter how different each family may be, family is the link to our past and the bridge to our future.” On April 11, the first place winners from each participating school were invited to read their essay before an assembly of Rotarians, parents, school principals and teachers. Each was awarded a medal and a $100 prize. Biddeford Middle School teacher Carolyn Gosselin said, “This is a powerful assignment for our students and some incredible stories and writing come from the task. Thank you for doing this project.” The first place winners were: Jillian Boilard, Biddeford Middle School; Grace Sommer, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Lilly Desroberts, Saco Middle School; Gabrielle Perry, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Chloe Harding, St. James School, Biddeford. Congratulations to the other prize winners who received $75 or $50 prizes as well: Jillian Burnell and Haillie Gosselin - Biddeford Middle School; D.J. Hodgkin and Ava Leary - Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Izabela Roughton and Damian Heath - Saco Middle School; Emily Tucker and Norah Slattery - Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Avery Cadorette and Grace Poirier - St. James School, Biddeford. The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is pleased to be part of community involvement. If you would like more information on how to become involved with Rotary, please visit their website at www.biddeford-sacorotary.org. PHOTO CAPTION: The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recently awarded winners for their twenty-third annual essay contest (l-r): Jillian Boilard, Biddeford Middle School; Gabrielle Perry, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; Chloe Harding, St. James School, Biddeford; Lilly Desroberts, Saco Middle School; and Grace Sommer, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco. |
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Meeting ReminderTomorrow's meeting will be the annual essay contest and will be held at Peoples Credit Union in Saco.
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Charitable Fund Committee in ActionLet me quote a famous Pilot, as in, Pontius- “ so it is said, so let it be written”; actually it was Yule Brenner in “The Ten Commandments”. I have written a few posts regarding charitable fund committee giving and what I would call regular club giving, i.e. scholarships, the “Y”, etc. I thought you would like an update on our giving. Last week at the BOD meeting it was agreed that the club would give the “Y” $1500.00 for camperships, Camp Laughing Loon $500.00 for camperships for two local kids, TA Auction $500.00 and an additional $1100.00 for the United Way. A few weeks ago the United Way presented a program on their back pack program. See the tack from a few weeks ago from 02/28 for more details. The club through the charitable fund committee agreed to fund the program with a $500.00 donation. At last week’s BOD meeting Bernice requested that we underwrite the entire program for the Biddeford Saco area. As a result the board agreed to another $1,100.00 for a total of $1600.00. The money will be used to purchase 800 back packs and all of the items that go in them. They will be distributed in our two towns. We may also have an opportunity to turn our donation into a service project as well whereas, we may have the opportunity to actually help stuff the bags and distribute them to the kids. Look for more information on the project this summer. The bags are handed out at the beginning of the school year. Sounds like it could be a fun project. On another subject- the community service committee is working on a project. We may have a service project in a few weeks planting trees. Our club is getting a tree for every member. It is part of a national Rotary Project; every Rotarian in the states is getting a tree. We have reached out to the both municipalities without a lot of luck. We have since reached out to BHS and TA to see if we could plant the trees or donate them to the schools for the kids to plant or to work together with the kids. We will keep you posted on our progress. Regards, Joe |
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Charitable Funds CommitteeHi, So I have written a couple pieces about our club’s Charitable Funds Committee. This week I thought I would give all of you a copy of our giving guidelines and a copy of the funds request form. Please take a look at the information. After all, it is your money we are giving away. We want to do it in the most efficient and fare way possible. Our two funds, the “regular” charitable fund and the Company B fund are controlled by the board. Each year the board determines how much money will be allocated to the charitable fund while our investment group Charter Oaks, handles our Company B fund. The Company B Fund has approximately $ 150,000.00. Our investment committee, yes - we have one, works with Charter Oaks on a formula that allows for preservation of principal, inflationary cap / target, etc. and then any residual income comes to the committee for disbursement. Company B funds can only be designated for veteran associated requests. The clubs other giving includes over $21,000.00 for scholarships, Mary’s Walk, YMCA Camperships and so much more. We really do a lot of good in our local community not to mention the national and international stage. If you want any more information just drop me an email jmoreshe@psmp.com Regards, President-Elect Joe Link to Charitable Request Form on Home page: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/6953/documents/en-ca/fae9c576-dbf8-4b3a-b4f0-849dd0476f17/1 Guiding Principles for Charitable, Company B & Matching Funds Distribution Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Purpose Charitable Giving Fund: Primary - Provide emergency needs of individuals. Secondary - To provide emergency assistance to local, registered non-profit organizations with necessary repairs and/or upgrades. Special Consideration Request - Must be relative to local events/issues with a broad base effect on the community-at-large. Purpose Company B Fund: Primary – To assist Active Service Men & Women or Veterans, including their widows and orphans in need. Secondary - To assist local families on an emergency basis for life-safety needs. Special Consideration Requests – To assist Veterans Organizations with scheduled events/issues. Funding should remain within the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach communities. Specific Matching Fund: Intended use by the initial donor for heat, food and clothing to local families in need. Applicant Types:
Guiding Principles:
Application to Decision Process: Request form obtained from a Rotarian member to be completed by applicant (required) and submitted to any club member via regular mail or electronically.
Draft 01.12.13 AG Draft #2 1/14/13 PD Draft #3 1/16/13 DL Draft #4 1/17/13 KC Draft #5 1/17/13 KR Draft #6 1/25/13 Committee |
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Red Ribbon Community Event |
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Charitable Giving Committee In ActionSo if you missed the meeting last week you missed our club in action. It just so happens that the Charitable Funds Committee had a request from the United Way. They were seeking $5000.00 to purchase and fill back packs with age appropriate school supplies. The little kids get colored pencils while the older kids get some digital stuff. The mission is to give kids backpacks so when they begin their school year they have most of the things they will need. It just so happened that the program for the day was this guy from United Way. I think his name was Jayson- ask Bernice- she will know. There was a small turnout for the meeting and I had had the request for the United Way for a few weeks. We were done early; even with the program we were finished by 1:00 so I talked to Jackson and he allowed us to have a Charitable Fund Committee meeting with all members in attendance. I told Jason if he scooted we would discuss his request. I figured at this point everybody heard the why’s what, where, etc. of his program. They will supply up to 1500 back packs to kids who probably would never get one. This is up from 500 packs just a few years ago. All of these kids are already starting school with a deficit. There is no means testing, the bags are handed out on the honor system. The Rochembeau Club was a drop off point for our local kids to get their packs. The distribution point has now moved closer to town because of the growth, lack of a bus / transportation for the kids, etc. . If it has anything to do with kids it is a pretty easy sell. After Jason left we discussed the Charitable Fund Budget; we had $ $3253.50 left. We discussed the fact that the committee only has decision authority on $500.00 and any request larger then that has to go to the full board for a vote. We have twelve folks on the committee, Pierre Giroux and I are co-chairs. We had about 20 members at the lunch meeting. The request was introduced to the club. I asked for a motion, got it and a second. I have to apologize I can’t remember if it was Bernice or Deb Burrows, CJ or Julie- everybody was pretty excited to get in on the action. Asked for more discussion, polled the group and we had a unanimous decision. Sue G was there and wrote the check for $500.00 and gave it to Bernice to deliver to the United Way. I must say it was nice to hear the request in person and then act as a group on whether we wanted to support it. We have $2753.50 left in our budget. For new members, if you want to know more about our charitable giving drop any of us a line. The application for requests is on the website. We would love to hear your input. If you want to be on the Charitable Funds Committee mailing list send me an email and I will add you. jmoreshe@psmp.com Regards, Joe |
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Rotary Prom through the DecadesDue to the merger of Time Warner and Spectrum, the Rotary TV Auction will no longer occur. This new event will replace that joint fundraiser to continue to support your local communities. So, gather some friends, dress the decade and come enjoy the music of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s (one decade played each hour). Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 6:30-10:30pm in the new Pepperell Mill Campus Event Room upstairs at 40 Main Street in Biddeford. There is plenty of parking in the York Street Lot and there will be a silent and live auction component. Hors d’ouevres will be donated by Blue Elephant Catering, a cash bar available, and music donated by DJ Webber. Tickets are $25 each (plus online surcharge) or by contacting a Biddeford Saco or Saco Bay Rotarian.
Tickets by Eventbrite
#RotaryProm2018
Thank you to all the sponsors Jim Godbout Plumbing and Heating Joe Moreshead Blue Elephant Events & Catering York County Federal Credit Union @Biddeford Saco savings Institute Harbor View LendingNorcom Mortgage Saco @P&C Insurance Biddeford savings @McAllister machines Dennett,Craig & Pate Funeral Homes @ commercial credit training services
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New England President Elect Training SeminarHi, I wanted to write about the New England President Elect Training Seminar that I attended last week. So everybody, mostly past presidents, told me “good luck”, “don’t drink the cool aid” , etc. It was all said in good fun. Now that I am back- I am really glad I was asked to serve. So, I had a really good time, participated in a half dozen workshops and hit a few hospitality suites at night. I spent some time with the Lepauloue brothers, Dave and Bob, president elects of the Saco Bay Club and the Sunset Club in OOB at Dunegrass. These guys are great, super funny and fully engaged with the idea of Rotary. I hope we do something with their clubs this year. Did you know that we, the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club is one of the most “kick ass” clubs in New England. It was almost embarrassing to be so front and center. We were mentioned regularly whether it was Paul D and Roland G’s work on the Lac-Megantic rail disaster, the Red Ribbon Committee’s work, etc. I also got a lot of validation about our club vis a vis our succession planning, foundation giving, the amount we give back to our community, our outreach, our international projects, etc. While there were some themes that were introduced at NEPETS, I did not necessarily agree with them. For example there was a lot of emphasis in getting millennials involved while myself and a number of fellow Rotarians think we should just get people involved and not infer a separation of folks, i.e., millennials, generation x-ers, snow birds, etc. To quote a famous King as in Rodney- “can’t we all just get along”. What I did find funny is that on two occasions Rotary was described as a bunch of “stodgy old white guys” and “pale, male and stale”. While I may be pale and male- I am not stale! However, I was surprised at the lack of diversity in a room full of 500 people especially whereas there were clubs from Maine to Connecticut. I was blown away when I heard that there are still a few clubs that are men only. I think our club would suck and probably not be viable if it wasn’t for our Rotary sisters. There is some great innovation going on with attendance policies, in meeting service projects, new looks for clubs promotional material, new fund raising ideas, more opportunities for socializing and increasing fellowship and comradery. I am looking forward to presenting some of these ideas to the club so we can decide what direction we want to go. I am also looking forward to a great year serving as your steward of this great club. Go to any Rotary District event and you will see how other clubs view us- it is pretty good. I always try to hook my wagon to winners- Biddeford Saco Rotary Club is all of that and more!! Regards, Joe Moreshead |
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Week in Review 2/21/2018Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown Patriotic Song & who led it: Only sing at the end of the month 4 Way Test & who led it: Mark Nahorney Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Bassett Announcements: -There will be an Auction meeting on February 22nd at 4:00pm at York County Federal Credit Union in Biddeford. 50/50 Drawing: Joe Moreshead won $14 this week, but since he didn’t pick an ace, the winnings are rolled over until next week. Sargeant At-Arms (SAA): Joe Moreshead Happy Dollars: Lucie is leaving for Antigua on Sunday, Don Pilon is happy he now receives Rotarian Magazine at his home so he can enjoy it, Tim Keene is excited to meet his girlfriend’s parents this weekend, and is also happy that Martinez just signed on. Joe Boyle is happy he doesn’t have to wear a coat today! Fines: Jackson was fined for starting the meeting one minute late (Joe, let’s cut Jackson some slack!) and was also fined for texting Joe; Sabine for her one year anniversary with the club. Nicole was fined for no tack and Matt covered her fine, and he was fined for being kind! Speaker Presentation: Seeds of Hope This week, we had Linda Edgerton here to speak with us about her organization, Seeds of Hope. They are proudly celebrating their 10th year in 2018. Their mission is to provide meals to people in need in our community. Unlike a food pantry, this organization prepares the meals, so people walk in to a freshly prepared meal, no questions asked. This service not only feeds their bodies but also their souls. Many people who enter find great conversation and companionship. Feel free to call ahead or stop in during their operating hours, Monday thru Friday, 9am til 1pm, at their location at 35 South Street in Biddeford. Seeds of Hope also welcomes donations of gently used seasonal clothing, shoes, purses, etc, so please remember to donate! For more information, call 590-2627 or check out their website, www.seedsofhope4me.org. Have a great week everyone! |
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Wine TastingDear Rotarians, The wine tasting is Saturday night and now is the time to sell, sell, sell! The more tickets we sell, the more we make and it’s all for the children! Also, if you have a silent auction item you’d like to donate, please let us know ASAP. We could really use a few more things. All-hands-on-deck for clean up, please. The more who stay to help, the faster it will go! See you all Saturday night, Heather and Conrad |
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Wine & Beer Tasting YouTube SiteThe Biddeford Saco Rotary is hosting our 12th Annual Wine and Beer Tasting on Saturday January 27th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Pepperal Mill Campus in Biddeford next to Portland Pie. Check out our YouTube site http://youtu.be/aEXgRDpM1EQ created by Joe Genender for our event. Also please share this YouTube site with your Facebook and other Social Media friends as well as any appropriate email sites like your neighborhood email list. On the You Tube site to make it easier we decided to drive people to buy tickets on line. Feel free to sell them yourself also. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Heather MacLean or my self. Thanks, Heather & Conrad |
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12th Annual Rotary Wine and Beer Tasting
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Happy Holidays |
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Christmas Gift Delivery
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RI International Convention 2018Fellow Rotarians, The early registration deadline for the Toronto Convention, June 23-27, expires this Thursday, December 15th. After that, registration goes up $75, from $345 US to $420 US. To register for Toronto, click on this link: riconvention.org. Why should you sign up? 1. Toronto is a wonderful city. We will have FUN! 2. Your bucket list. Every Rotarian should attend at least one international convention. This one is really close! 3. Check off 2 bucket list items. Take the Maid of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls on the way to the convention. It is really cool! 4. Thank our Canadian neighbors. Hundreds of Canadians streamed into Maine to help us with our recent power outage. Let's say thank you and help support the convention hosted by these good neighbors. 5. Make new friends. During recent Rotary meetings in Hartford, my wife became fast friends with the wife of one of the incoming district governors from the Toronto area. They've been texting ever since about their favorite tv show (This is Us) and lots of other things. You will make new friends from around the world! 6. Get great ideas. The convention brings together many wonderful people who are doing wonderful things. We can get new ideas for our clubs and our district. I need your eyes and ears to help find these new ideas. 7. Engage with others. You will be able to meet and engage with others who share your passions or spark new passions. We can bring this energy back to our clubs and our district! 8. Celebrate with our District Governor Nominee, Andy Glazier, as RI officially elects Andy our District Governor for 2019-20 and elects more than 500 other governors from around the world. 9. Our district will hold a special event on Monday June 25 at the Second City Toronto improv center (more details and an opportunity to sign up coming after the holidays) and our zone will hold a special event at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sign up for the Hall of Fame event at http://tinyurl.com/B 10. Experience the “internationality” of Rotary. Our district is planning a get-together in the Portland area prior to the convention to coordinate our plans and ensure we maximize our Toronto experience. Be part of the fun! John John LoBosco District Governor Elect, District 7780 207-838-3554 (c) |
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THE SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS KETTLE Sign up |
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Christmas Gifts for Local FamiliesBiddeford Saco Rotary Club, I wanted to send out a reminder to everyone on what's going on over the next few weeks with Gift Shopping, Gift Wrapping, and the delivery of gifts to the families in need. 1) We will be shopping tonight at Walmart, starting at 5PM. We have a lot of children we will be shopping for so if you can't make it until after 5PM, we will most likely need the help so please come when you can. 2) We will be wrapping the gifts next Wednesday, the 13th starting at 5:30PM at York County Federal Credit Union, the branch right next to Walmart. This takes the most time so the more volunteers we have, the better. Feel free to bring your kids or significant other to help as well. 3) In two weeks, Wednesday December 20th, we will be delivering the gifts to the families in the morning. I don't have an exact time yet but we will be meeting at the York County Federal Credit Union branch to pack up our cars to deliver the gifts to the families. We usually start around 8:30AM - 9AM and will confirm an exact time next week with everyone, so please keep that morning open if possible. Thank You! Jackson |
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If You Were Busy Being KindBy R. Foreman If you were busy being kind, Before you knew it you would find You’d soon forget to think ’twas true That someone was unkind to you. If you were busy being glad And cheering people who seem sad, Although your heart might ache a bit, You’d soon forget to notice it. If you were busy being good, And doing just the best you could, You’d not have time to blame some man Who’s doing just the best he can. If you were busy being true To what you know you ought to do, You’d be so busy you’d forget The blunders of the folks you’ve met. If you were busy being right, You’d find yourself too busy quite To criticize your brother long, Because he’s busy being wrong.
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$100 Raffle Details
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Crutches 4 AfricaCONTAINER TO BE LOADED NOVEMBER 18TH District 7780 will be loading its seventh 40 foot container on Saturday, November 18th at Precision Screw Machine Products Inc. 20 Gooch St. A time has not been set up at this point in time but if you are interested in helping or coming by and watching please send an email to risc@maine.rr.com and Dennis Robillard will update you on the start time. Except for once we have finished in less than two hours and that one took less than three hours. |
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$100 RaffleThe $100 Raffle is back on! Stay tuned for details.
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November is Rotary Foundation Month
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Communities converge to battle student substance useBy Grant McPherson Staff Writer Courier SOUTHERN MAINE – Local volunteers will participate in a national campaign next week to address substance use among young adults and encourage prevention at an early age. The BiddefordSaco Rotary Club will bring the Red Ribbon Campaign to Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach schools for the third year in a row and to elementary age students for the first time. The Red Ribbon Campaign, which will run locally from Monday Oct. 23 to Tuesday, Oct. 31, was started in 1985 by the National Family Partnership in response to the murder of Drug Enforcement Agency member Enrique Camarena in Mexico. His 1985 death sparked communities in the U.S. to wear red ribbons as a symbol of the violence caused by the war on drugs. Karen Chasse, cochairman of the Red Ribbon Committee of BiddefordSaco Rotary Club, helped form the group with Jim Godbout three years ago. She said the club saw substance use as a problem in the community and one everyone ended up paying for. “We ultimately decided our mission was to encourage healthy and thriving behavior without the influence of illegal drugs and other misused substances,” Chasse said. This year Ryan Esbjerg of Flex Your Face, a Portland based organization focused on encouraging positivity among children, will hold an assembly at the high schools to talk about finding something in each day to smile about. Representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency will also bring canine units to talk about substance use prevention. The emphasis with younger students will focus on developing healthy habits that they enjoy. “If kids get involved in something they’re passionate about they’re less likely to be derailed by drugs,” Chasse said. “If you’re finding those good, positive moments you tend to be more positive and not turn to drugs and alcohol.” Godbout said he wanted to form the Red Ribbon Committee because he’d seen too many people he knew fall victim to substance use. He said he watched children he coached in youth sports die in their early 20s and 30s from addiction. “I firmly believe we need a culture change,” Godbout said. “Substances are used and accepted on such a wide basis. Pain management is a big factor in the opioid crisis and we haven’t taught people how to do pain management properly. If you’re going to use substances there is a time and place.” The Rotary Club spent about $700 on three pairs of drunksimulation goggles, one each for Thornton Academy, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach High Schools. There will also be a Tshirt design competition, the winner of which last year received a $500 cash prize. All three schools will also be able to compete in a national photo contest for a grand prize of $1,000 and an iPad. “We have the money to give back to make this happen thanks to large donations and a lot of different local businesses,” Chasse said. “Promoting healthy behavior will lead kids down the right path.” The Rotary Club itself doesn’t get involved in school activities but helps departments with funding and education resources. “It’s been a focus of mine to make sure we are able to maintain the education process and create success stories of students struggling with substance use,” Godbout said. The Rotary Club partners with Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition to provide information to school systems. The coalition is part of the University of New England and promotes healthy lifestyles throughout York County. Its Project Alliance advisory board was formed three years ago to address youth substance use in York County. The program’s new director, Laura Overton, took over the position in September and will work in the Biddeford Intermediate School to help students better understand the health implications of substance use. “We use a module of having kids identify their values and goals as reasons to stay drug free,” Overton said. “It’s really important to teach kids there are risk factors they can’t change, such as their family’s behavior. We want to make sure people understand this is a health issue.” Overton said heart disease is an example used with young students to demonstrate how family history can play a role, but changes in behavior can mitigate risk factors. She said often students feel pressured into using substances because it’s perceived as normal. She wants to send children the message that there are other outlets for them. “They’re not alone if they don’t want to be using,” Overton said. “Lots of student groups, athletes and kids their own age are not using. What they see in the media or hear in their music might not be the norm. We’re not saying drugs are bad, those messages don’t work. One effective strategy is having them be as open as they want. We know kids are seeing it in homes and some data shows kids in intermediate school are using substances.” Marijuana legalization has been a challenge for Chasse and other rotary club members. She said children receive different messages depending on who their parents are and navigating those conversations can be difficult. The rotary club will continue to focus on providing resources for schools to help students and parents make decisions around what’s right for each student. “We want to be sensitive to each family,” Chasse said. “We’re not going to change everybody. But if we help one kid that’s more than nothing.” Contact Staff Writer Grant McPherson at news@inthecourier.com |
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Past Past President's MessageFor those of you who thought I had forgotten how to write, you were correct, but after a refresher I am back for at least one week’s worth of rant for the Tack. Have you noticed that as you grow older change is more and more inevitable, but, with each passing year, you attempt to resist change with every ounce of your being? Or maybe that is just me. Well, our Club is about to experience some significant changes which many of you know about, but about which I only recently became informed. Before last year’s TV auction, Time Warner became Spectrum. Right after the auction Spectrum fired all of the employees who used to help us with our auction and announced that it would be discontinuing that type of public support going forward which you can do when you’re a monopoly. That left our Club and Saco Bay wondering what we would do to still put on the auction or do we scrap it and come up with a new fundraiser to replace the $25,000.00 +/- we received each year from the auction. There was some inquiry to Thornton Academy and Biddeford Public access about continuing the auction on the local public access channels without Spectrum, but ultimately our Board voted to end the auction and replace it with another fundraiser. The fundraiser suggested by Saco Bay is a much larger $100 raffle. The details of the fundraiser must be worked out, but the concept is truly promising. I would encourage everyone to be open minded and really step up and support the new fundraiser which we will continue to do with Saco Bay. It is incredibly important, however, that we recognize that this new fundraiser means that we will no longer do our traditional fall $100 raffle that has been an incredibly successful fundraiser for the club for about 40 years. It was successful because of Earl and Carl Goodwin and it was the brainchild of Earl. It was an event that poured $14,000.00 +/- into our coffers every year without fail. The fact is that it does not make sense to do a $100 raffle in the fall and another larger raffle in the spring. What does make sense, however, is to stop and acknowledge what the $100 raffle has meant to our club and to thank the Goodwin’s for their years of devotion to that event before we bury it. Yes, change is inevitable but respect what preceded the change. It is also important that we acknowledge the death of our TV auction after 28 years. Our auction was the envy of the district and often imitated. I was involved in all of them and Bob Begin and I hosted the first bunch of auctions staying on the air all day. The auctions were hard work, collaborative, successful, but most of all fun. We used the auctions as training for our vice presidents and we quickly realized if you can pull off the auction you can certainly run the Club. The auction brought out the best in our best Rotarians. Julie Villemaire, Karen Chasse, Denis Elie, Rollie Eon, and many more stepped up every year to make the auction a huge success. Unfortunately, our auction is another victim of corporate American, but in this day and age of social media and instant gratification, let’s pause for at least one second to acknowledge that the auction was and will always be a huge part of the history of our Club and should not be summarily discarded like yesterday’s trash without at least some acknowledgement. Yes, change is inevitable, and it is caused by all sorts of factors. We need to embrace and welcome change, but not at the total expense of history. I, for one, will miss the old $100 raffle and the auction and what they meant to the Club, but I will do all that I can to support our new fundraiser, the success of which will come from all that we learned from our past efforts. Okay, now I can kick the dirt onto the old $100 raffle and the TV auction knowing that at least I have given their proper respect. |
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Celebration of Sudshe 3rd Annual Celebration of Suds will be held on Saturday, October 21 from 6-9pm at the Pepperell MIll Campus Community Room (near Portland Pie). It will bringslocal craft brewers and craft beer lovers together to experience the best craft brews in the area. This event supports the charitable giving of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club who has been making a difference in our community since 1920. Support Rotary and have a great time doing it! Tickets only $25 each! Must be 21 to attend and bring ID. DATE AND TIMELOCATIONPepperell Mill Campus 40 Main Street (Next to Portland Pie) Biddeford, ME 04005 NO TICKETS AT THE DOOR! The link to purchase tickets online is below: |
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HELP! Celebration of Suds
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Week in Review 9/6/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown 4 Way Test & who led it: Brian Dallaire Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Moreshead President-Elect (Bernice Wood) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: There were no visiting guests this week Announcements: 50/50 Drawing: Pfausto won this week, but since he didn’t choose an Ace, the winnings are once again rolled over until next week. The 50/50is up to $284.00. Sergeant At-Arms (SAA):Denis Ely- Happy Dollars: Joe Boyle is happy that so many women were concerned about him at Rotary last week when we thought something happened to him; he had just taken a nap, he is also happy that the club donated an extra $3000. Conrad is happy that he had a great BBQ, a nice canoe trip, and an extra week off; Matt is happy school is back in session, and its football season; Don Pilon is happy that he is officially a candidate for Mayor; Denis is happy that the TA varsity team won and the JV team won on Monday. FINES: Mark Tuller for his long vacation from Rotary, Joe M. for his lack of Prayer notes, Ron Gagne for speeding past Denis, Bernice for posting year old news on FB, Lucinda as a new member, Don & Heather for talking during induction of a new member, Randy for a corn hole board with his company Norcom name on it, and Pfausto for parking out front. Speaker Presentation: This week we had a visit from Kristin Pollard and Judith Vardamis with the American Red Cross. They educated our members about their mission, which is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Did you know that 94% of their workforce is made up of volunteers in our communities? They provide blood services, service the armed forces, health and safety preparedness, CPR services, and disaster services to those in need. You can become a Red Cross volunteer. Volunteers are currently needed to go to Texas for a minimum of 10 days at a time. You can also donate blood, and there are other ways to help as well. For more information, check out their website at www.MaineRedCross.org. You can also reach Julie at 874-1192 ext 102. Have a great week everyone! |
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Rotary Foundation Establishes Gulf Coast FundDistrict Governer, Dave Underhill, recently sent me an updated email in regards to the help needed in Louisiana and Texas. Below is his message: Dear Fellow Rotarians in District 7780, Since my latest message to our Club Presidents and my update in yesterday's district newsletter, The Rotary Foundation has established a single fund to support Rotarians in their relief efforts for the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coast. It's called the Gulf Coast Disaster Relief donor advised fund (DAF). This DAF has been established by Past RI Director Greg Podd and President-Elect Barry Rassin in consultation with the District Governors of the Gulf region, through The Rotary Foundation. The fund is collecting relief contributions; Don and Greg are working with leaders from the affected districts to create a process for disbursing DAF funds to their respective district foundations or local 501c3 organizations to support local relief efforts. I've just made an online donation to this DAF - it's easy to do. Will you please consider joining me? Updated information about contributing to the Gulf Coast DAF is available on the Rotary website. Club Presidents in particular, save this link: this page will continue to be updated as needed. You can send a check, or you can make a credit card donation from a link on this web page: just specify that it is for the "Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund" account #608. Other ways to help: ShelterBox, Rotary’s partner for disaster relief, is providing tents for use as ‘privacy tents’ to be pitched within the convention centers housing families that have been evacuated. Clubs may contact me at any time, and you can reach out to RI about specific initiatives by writing to relief@rotary.org. Thank you for caring and Making a Difference. Jackson |
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Celebration of Suds
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Sponsorship Opportunities-Celebration of SudsSponsorship Opportunities Saturday, October 21 2017 6 – 9 pm Pepperell Mill Campus, 40 Main St, Biddeford Keg: $500 Proceeds benefit our charitable fund
Growler: $250
Any other amount is appreciated. Company Name (as you wish it to be publicized): ______________________________________________ Contact Person: _________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________ Town/State/Zip Code: ____________________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________________ Email: _______________________________________________ Please make checks payable to Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco and mail to: Celebration of Suds Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco PO Box 298 Saco, ME 04072 |
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Week in Review 8/16/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown Patriotic Song & who led it: Only sing at the end of the month
4 Way Test & who led it: Matt Simmons
Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Conrad Welzel
Announcements
-The Fellowship Meeting in Hills Beach is on August 26th at 4pm, at Lucie Kay’s house. This is a potluck and BYOB event. There is a sign up sheet circulating around if everyone who is attending could please sign up for a dish or dessert. You may also contact Lucie directly.
-Jim is happy to announce that the Rotary house is under contract and is scheduled to close the end of September.
-The newest Rotary house project at 518 Main Street in Biddeford is currently in demo mode, if anyone would like to help out. Please don’t touch the back of the house, but there is plenty of demo to be done inside.
50/50 Drawing: Jim McAllister won the 50/50 this week in the amount of $29, but since he didn’t pick an ace, the winnings are rolled over until next week…the total has reached $188!
Sargeant At-Arms (SAA): Joe Moreshead & Bill Kany:
Happy Dollars: Steve is happy to be fully staffed after many employees took vacations, and announced his daughters white coat ceremony at UNE, Karen is happy that her daughter’s boyfriend is moving out and that her home renovations are almost done! Conrad celebrated 36 years of marriage this week! Fausto put in 11 happy dollars to celebrate Sophia’s 11th birthday! Joe Boyle is happy to have had a wonderful vacation with his family to Norway, Sweden, & Denmark, and is wishing his wife a fast recovery after a fall.
Fines: Karen for her June Cleaver dress and for her lobster bake blow off, Lucie & Rae for stealing bank terminology, Rae for the spelling of her name, and Rae again for a late fee; Jackson for his friendship with a Pats guest, and an additional dollar for being too pretty, Matt for his mistakes in the 4-way test, and for comparing investing to a roller coaster ride. Sabine was fined for getting her sweat on Joe M.’s hand, Sarah C. for not enjoying last week’s presentation, Nicole for getting Spring St back under contract, Jim G for the rotary house price being too low, Peggy fined for a “better offer”, Bernice for tripping again…though Joe said she wasn’t fined..he was just making fun of her! Sabine for “yours looks better than mine”, Mark N. for his shoes, and Heather for the cool kids club.
Speaker Presentation:
Crossroads, Back Cove Women’s Residential Program
This week we had Leslie Rawlings and Dr. Marianne Roy visit our club to discuss the Crossroads program that they run, which is a non-profit founded in 1974. They operate 2 residential programs in Portland’s Back Cove, which houses pregnant mothers as well as mothers with children under 5 years of age, while they recover from alcoholism. There are 30 and 60 day programs available. These homes have 8 and 10 beds each, with 2 additional outpatient counseling centers in Scarborough and Kennebunk as well. Their mission is to provide gender responsive addiction and behavioral health treatment services in a safe and respectful environment so individuals and families can lead healthy lives.
To learn more, visit their website @ www.crossroadsme.org Email at intake@crossroadsme.org or call 773-9931.
Have a great week everyone!
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International ProjectI just received this email from our Assistant District Governor and wanted to pass it along to the club in hopes we can get a few volunteers: District Crutches 4 Africa Long Term Chair Dennis Robillard (Saco Bay Sunset) asked for my help in rounding up support. You do NOT need to raise money or buy overseas travel tickets!!! We are asking you to canvass your clubs THIS WEEK at the regular meeting and via Club Runner email to see if you can get 2 members to help package Crutches, Walkers, Canes and other items in order to pack the next 40' shipping container. Once we have the names we will set an evening date during the week of 8/22 or 8/28/17, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. The work will be in Biddeford at the storage facility on Monday thru Thursday (TBD). What better way to support the District's efforts to promote inter-club collaboration as a result of the recent District vision and long term planning work. PLEASE RESPOND TO ME NO LATER THAN SATURDAY AUGUST 19TH. WE WILL TAKE THE NAMES AND WORK THE DETAILS QUICKLY, WITH THAT GROUP. Many thanks to you for passing the word to help Dennis and the International Crutches for Africa program. Please let me know if you are interested and I can pass your name along. Thank You! Jackson |
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Rotary Auction Lobster Bake Successfully Fulfilled!WE DID IT!!! Probably one of our most successful Lobster Bakes eva!!! We had our Rotary Auction Lobster Bake on Saturday at Ron Giles lake house in Lyman. We cooked 44 lobsters, 10 steaks, 12 pounds of steamers, 2 dozen ears of corn, 6 pounds on new red bliss potatoes, a ½ dozen eggs and a few hot dogs in 35 minutes!!! And the food was perfect- The dessert was a killer Strawberry Shortcake done by Lucie Kay and her other half Doug; we almost ran out of dessert J. Brian does a killer job with his cooker and Sabine was there to help with everything. This would not have happened if it wasn’t for Brian, Sabine and Saco Biddeford Savings- thanks to all!!!! When we left, Ron said it was excellent, better then he thought. He wants to bid on it again next year!! Ron’s father-in-law said his steak was perfect, just the way he likes it. The food was so good a few folks thought we did this as a business. Regards, Joe |
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Win a Trip to World Polio Day in SeattleI received this email from our District Governor earlier today and wanted to pass along to everyone: Win a trip to World Polio Day in Seattle! Give to PolioPlus between July 1st and September 30 and you’ll be entered into a drawing – you could be Sleepless in Seattle to commemorate World Polio Day! Perhaps you watched Rotary’s World Polio Day Live Streaming Event on your computer during the last couple of years. It has been a terrific way to learn more about the status of our signature campaign to End Polio Now. Two years ago it originated from New York City and last year from the US Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. This year, World Polio Day will be held in Seattle in recognition of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. A generous District 7780 Rotarian has donated airfare and a hotel room for one of us to travel to Seattle for World Polio Day on October 24. This is a chance to be in the audience and see “up close and personal” what major players in this field have to say. We don’t promise that you will be able to meet Bill Gates, but just maybe! All you have to do to enter: Make a donation to Polio Plus of at least $25 between July 1st and September 30, 2017. Each individual donor, regardless of the amount given, will be eligible for the drawing and the lucky winner will be heading west in October. Actually, the really lucky winners will be the children in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where we are on the brink of eliminating this disease forever! If you make your donation on-line, which is very easy to do, it can be made any time right up to September 30. If you choose to do it by check, mail it by September 22 to be sure it will get to Evanston in time to be processed. This is a unique and very fun way to encourage donations to help End Polio Now, and we hope many of you will jump in and participate. And please note, it is "at least $25" but there is no prohibition on larger donations. Every donation is eligible for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2:1 match, so your contribution is tripled. Let’s keep up the effort and soon we will be celebrating Rotary’s tremendous achievement - the eradication of this dread disease. What’s Included: round trip airfare from Portland or Boston to Seattle, hotel room for two nights in Seattle. You are responsible for meals and other incidentals. Please donate online today: Thank you for helping Rotary to End Polio Now. Dave Underhill, Portsmouth Rotary Club, District 7780 Governor (2017-2018) |
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Front Desk Duty RosterJune 26: Heather M and Bill P |
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Don Crissman 51 Superbowls and Counting www.pressherald.com/2017/01/31/as-promised-super-fan-from-maine-keeping-his-attendance-streak-alive/ KENNEBUNK — Fifty was the goal for Don Crisman. As a select member of the Never-Missed-A-Super-Bowl fan club, Crisman had planned to end his streak last year with the 50th Super Bowl in San Francisco. But he did leave himself an out, as he mentioned two years ago when the New England Patriots were preparing to play Seattle for the NFL championship: “If the Patriots get into 51,” said Crisman, a lifelong Pats fan, “I’m going to have to get to that too.” Well, here we are, Super Bowl LI – that’s 51 for the Roman numeral-challenged – in Houston, where the Patriots will face the Atlanta Falcons at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Crisman will be there along with his daughter, Susan Metevier, and two other members of the exclusive club, Tom Henschel of Pittsburgh and Larry Jacobson of San Francisco. Patriots or not, it’s a hard habit to break. RelatedTruth be told, Crisman, 80, made his hotel reservations last May after talking with Henschel and Jacobson – not knowing, of course, who would be playing. He had to talk to his wife, Beverley, because he had “made a promise to her that I was going to bring this to a close.” But his family wants him to keep going as long as he can. “‘Please don’t stop.’ That’s what we told him,” Metevier said. “It’s become more than just a football game. It’s about our family. It’s about what he’s done.” Beverley has attended 28 Super Bowl games with him, including last year’s. Crisman was feted along with the seven other fans who have attended each Super Bowl, and had seats on the 50-yard line. The tickets were valued at $2,500, a far cry from the $12 it cost to attend the first Super Bowl in 1967. For Crisman, the Super Bowl is more than just a game. “The feel and being there is just different,” he said. “Now I think I’ve placed a higher level of importance on it than I should have earlier in my life. It’s just as important to meet the guys as it is to go to the game. We relive every game over and over again. We just enjoy one another’s company.” He finds it almost surreal that he’s seeing the Patriots play in a Super Bowl for an NFL-record ninth time. And while he’s thrilled to see them again, their participation adds an almost-tangible level of stress. “It just brings it to a different level,” he said. “They’ve been my team since they were created.” Patriots fan Don Crisman holds a Super Bowl 50 football at his Kennebunk home, which features a room dedicated to sports memorabilia, including items from his 50 trips to the Super Bowl. Staff photo by Gregory Rec The streak started on a whim in 1967 when Crisman and his wife were living in Denver. A friend, Stan Whitaker, got complimentary tickets from the bank he worked at, then convinced the Crismans to go to with him to Los Angeles for the game. Crisman has had two close calls, the first just a year later. “The streak almost ended before it began, in Super Bowl II,” said Crisman, who had moved to Maine in 1968. That year, while on a business trip for Gabriel Electronics, weather and plane issues forced his group to land at an abandoned airfield in South Carolina. Three days later he had to take a train from Columbia, South Carolina, to Miami, where he arrived just 2½ hours before kickoff. Then in 1998, he couldn’t secure a ticket at Super Bowl XXXII. Desperate, he placed a sticker on his shirt that said, “Member of Never Miss A Super Bowl Club. Need One Ticket.” Soon after, while in an elevator with Beverley, someone noticed his sign and said a member of his group had to bow out and they had one ticket for sale at face value. He paid $300 and kept the streak alive. A year later, there was a story in the Super Bowl program on Crisman’s group. Starting the next year, with Super Bowl XXXIV, the NFL has set aside two tickets for each member of Crisman’s club at face value.
Their basement has a treasure-trove of Super Bowl memorabilia. Of note, there’s a framed photo of a license plate from Don Crisman’s rental car in Phoenix two years ago when the Patriots played Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX. Why? The plate’s number was 207KPT. “Area code, abbreviation for my town,” said Crisman. “I saw that and said, ‘We’re in.’ But of course it wasn’t until the last 20 seconds that (the Patriots won). Coincidence? Maybe. But it had some meaning to me.” Everything in the man cave has meaning to him. There are ticket stubs from every Super Bowl played. Footballs autographed by the Super Bowl MVPs – including his favorite, from Super Bowl XII, signed by co-MVPs Randy White and Harvey Martin. Programs, including one from last year’s 50th featuring a centerpiece story on Crisman and his friends. Pennants. Pins. Patches. Ribbons. Beanie Bears. Autographed jerseys and photos. There are encased autographed hats, including two from Super Bowl halftime performers Diana Ross – Crisman’s favorite singer – and James Brown. Crisman noted that Ross’s halftime show, which ended with her being lifted out of the stadium by helicopter, was “the greatest of all-time.” Don Crisman’s ticket stub from the first Super Bowl – before it was even called the Super Bowl – played in 1967 in Los Angeles. Crisman has been to every Super Bowl since it started and he’ll head to Houston this year to see if his team can beat the Atlanta Falcons and earn its fifth Super Bowl victory. Staff photo by Gregory Rec “I’ve sold a few things,” he said of the memorabilia. “I have too much stuff.” None of his collection will replace his memories. He misses his friends who have died, including Whitaker and Robert Cook of Wisconsin. Cook became ill shortly before Super Bowl XLV in Dallas and couldn’t attend. He died four days after the game. Crisman choked up and became teary-eyed when he recalled Cook’s daughters sitting in his seats, holding a likeness of their dad’s face during the game. “That’s one of the more moving moments I’ve been at,” Crisman said. “It was a very emotional situation.” He’s seen history made every year, including Joe Namath’s guaranteed victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III – the biggest victory in his opinion, legitimizing the AFL – and each of the Patriots white-knuckle wins – his most gratifying games. Beverley Crisman isn’t traveling with him to the game this year. While she’s often accompanied him on the trips, she hasn’t always gone to the games, instead spending time with the many friends she’s made over the years. “I like to people-watch,” she said, and remembers fondly the time she was sitting on a bench at the Patriots’ team hotel when Tom Brady sat next her, opened a styrofoam box and ate his lunch. Fewer of those friends are attending the game lately, so she will remain behind. But she will never ask her husband to stop his streak. “He loves sports,” she said. “And … I like to hear him when he gets all excited and talks about it.” Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or:
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Week in Review 8/2/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown
4 Way Test & who led it: Roland Gagne
Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Bassett President – Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bernice Wood introduced visiting guests. This week we had William (Bill) Ferrigno join us.
Announcements & Upcoming Dates to Remember:
-August 12th-The lobster bake at Buganut! Joe Moreshead needs 4-5 more volunteers to help out from approximately 12:30-4:00. Contact Joe to get involved.
-August 26th- Fellowship Gathering at Lucie’s House! Pot luck event and BYOB. This will be a good time! Families are welcome.
-September 13th- District Red Sox day! More information to follow
-The New Rotary house is now safe to enter, and Jim could use help with demolition. Please wear gloves, and remember the power is turned off, so if you wish to help, please do so during daylight hours.
50/50 Drawing: Bill Kany won the 50/50 this week in the amount of $29, but since he didn’t pick an ace, the winnings are rolled over until next week. So far the total amount is up to $127! Who is going to win?
Sargeant At-Arms (SAA): Denis Elie:
Happy Dollars: Maureen was here for Jessica Holland and is happy to announce TruChoice opens on Monday! Nicole is happy to have attended the Wizard of Oz and congratulated Mark Nahorney on a great performance. Matt Simmons had a great vacation. Bill Peterson is happy his son is here to visit. Fausto is happy to have a bid on a house! Congratulations! FINES: Lucie for her sunrise cruise, and also for comparing Jackson to Trump and teasing him about his hair; Jeremy for skipping the school board meeting in order to go to a Seadogs game, Sabine for finally getting rid of her tenant, and Adam for the SMMC ad.
Speaker Presentation: David Dilley was our guest speaker. He is the C.E.O of Global Weather Oscillations, and has 42 years of meteorology experience, which studies climate changes. He came prepared with a power point presentation and explained how temperature and weather patterns affect our local weather and daily lives. He went on to tell us that we will be experiencing a major global cooling in 2020. These cycles occur every 230 years. He spoke about gravitational cycles, and how global warming is dangerous, yet global cooling is not, and explained in detail about these cycles known as “Milankovich cycles.” Mr. Dilley was very knowledgeable and we were grateful that he joined us this week. For more information, check out his website at: www.globalweatheroscillations.com. You can also look up his 2018 winter weather predictions!
Cheers to a great week!
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Week in Review 7/19/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown4 Way Test & who led it: Paul Deschambault Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Moreshead President – Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bernice Wood introduced visiting guests. This week we had William (Bill) Ferrigno join us once again. Announcements:-Please note there will not be a rotary meeting on Wednesday, July 26th. Instead there will be a dinner meeting on Thursday, July 27th at Duffy’s. Jackson emailed the details to all Rotarians, please review the email and make sure you let him know if you can attend. -July 29th is the Red Ribbon event at Kinney Shores, from 12-5pm. Lunch will be served, and there will be a clown, children’s games, sandcastle competition, ping pong, dunk tank, and Jim mentioned that he needs bodies to help with the scavenger hunt. If anyone goes missing, we will know they are buried in the sand!! Jim needs plenty of helping hands for that day, please reach out to him for more information or to volunteer. Thank you in advance. -Lucie is making plans for an annual Fellowship Meeting in Hills Beach on August 26th. More information to follow. -Wishing our president Jackson Brown a Happy Birthday this week! He turned 36 on July 15th and still has great hair. -Two new members were pinned today! Please welcome Bill Patterson, and welcome back Dennis Elie! Welcome to our Club! -Rotary House Update: There will be an Open House on Sunday, July 23rd from 12-2pm. The completed Rotary house located at 471 Main Street in Biddeford has been listed for sale and is now on the MLS. The list price is $240,000. Please contact Sabine with the Maine Real Estate Network for a showing at 415-8730. 50/50 Drawing: Jackson won the 50/50 this week, but since he didn’t pick an ace, the winnings are rolled over until next week, we are now up to $97! SGT At-Arms (SAA): Dennis Elie: Happy Dollars: Sabine is happy not to be SAA today, Jackson is happy that Dennis is back! Paulette is happy to be back from vacation, and Jim is proud to have trained a young student who is now helping with demo at 518 Main St! Fines: Sarah C. for her last SAA, Bill was fined because he won’t live up to the club’s expectations, Joe M. for talking during Lucie’s swan song, and trying to run with the young bucks, Karen C. was fined for not burning the banana hat, Elaine for not purchasing a rocker style chair, Peggy for not missing Dennis, and Jackson for his birthday. Paulette was fined for her boss, Jeremy. Bernice was fined for following Jackson around, and any new members who joined rotary since Dennis left were also fined. Ed was fined $2 for having a building named after him. Speaker Presentation: This week our guest speaker was Ed McGeachie, who is the president and C.E.O. of Southern Maine Medical Center. He is a past rotary member of our club. Ed showed us a presentation that outlined the challenges that healthcare facilities are facing in southern Maine. He explained the reasons behind the increased costs of healthcare and the role in which private healthcare companies play, when they have to make up the difference in cost that the hospitals lose with Medicaid and Medicare. SMMC is a part of Maine Health, the largest employer in southern Maine, with over 2200 employees. Their mission includes never turning anyone away regardless of their ability to pay, as well as improving health and healthcare within our communities. More information about this local hospital and the merge with Maine Health can be found on their website, www.smmc.org. Have a great week everyone! |
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July 27 District Governor MeetingAs a reminder, we will not have our regular scheduled meeting next Wednesday, July 26th at the Run of the Mill, instead we will be meeting on Thursday July 27th, at Duffy's, where our District Governor will be attending a joint meeting with us, Saco Bay Rotary Club, and the Saco Bay Sunset Club. There will be a social hour from 5PM - 6PM and the meeting will start at 6PM and run till 7:30PM or so. For the meal, there will be a two entrée option, salad, two sides, and a dessert. The cost of the meal will be $29 for that night. I will be asking for a head count at the July 19 Meeting so if you are unable to make the meeting then but will be attending next week's meeting, could you please let me know by the end of the day July 19. Thank You. Jackson |
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Week in Review 7/12/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown 4 Way Test & who led it: Earl Goodwin Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Moreshead President – Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bernice Wood introduced visiting guests. This week we had William (Bill) Ferrigno and Joe Bassett join us. Announcements: -Please note there is NO rotary meeting on Wednesday, July 26th. Instead there will be a dinner meeting on Thursday, July 27th at Duffy’s. Jackson emailed the details to all Rotarians. -July 29th is the Red Ribbon event at Kinney Shores, from 12-5pm. Lunch will be served, and there will be a clown, children’s games; sandcastle competitions, and more. Jim Godbout needs plenty of helping hands for that day, please reach out to him for more information or to volunteer to help with this. -Lucie is making plans for an annual Fellowship Meeting in Hills Beach on August 26th. More information to follow. 50/50 Drawing: Fausto won the 50/50 this week in the amount of $54, but since he didn’t pick an ace, the winnings are rolled over until next week. Sargent At-Arms (SAA): Sabine & Bill Kany: Happy Dollars: Nicole is happy that Coldwell Banker is moving next week to their new office in Mill 4! Earl is happy to be celebrating 53 years of marriage. Brenda is happy that her sister’s health is improving, Don is happy to be back in Maine after visiting very hot Florida. Joe Boyle is happy to be on vacation, Mark Nahorney is happy that the play The Wizard Of Oz is now in session and he also noted that he met his wife on stage many years ago, a fun fact! Fausto was happy he went to Banger, not happy he got a ticket for $250! Fines: Ray Demers put in a dollar to the “Fausto ticket fund”, Bernice for opting to take the stairs and then tripping on the first one, Jeremy, for his salmon colored shirt, Bill for blood stains on his shirt, Nicole for finally putting Spring St. under contract, Fausto for drawing on a mirror in a girl’s store, Sarah because she was supposed to be Faustos DD, and Don Pilon; he’s needed for the dunk tank at the Kinney shores event. Jeremy was also fined for working in Biddeford and living in Saco, Matt Simmons, Sarah, and Fausto were also fined by Bill “just because”, and Jackson was fined for making rotary great again. Speaker Presentation: We didn’t have a guest speaker this week. Have a great week everyone! |
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2017 Rotary CommitteesPresident Brown has attached the 2017 Committees so please take a look to see what committees you are on. Feel free to jump aboard other committees that you are not currently on to help out if you are interested in a certain committee. The more help the better the committee does. Editor / Publisher Jackson Brown Officers Jackson Brown, President Lucie Kay, Past President Bernice Wood, President Elect Fausto Pifferrer Sue Gajewski, Treasurer Joe Morsehead, Assistant Treasurer Board Lucie Kay Jim Godbout Matt Simmonds Jackson Brown Peggy Bean Bernice Wood Elaine Palmitessa Sue Gajewski Joe Moreshead Fausto Pifferrer Sergeant-at-Arms Denis Elie Assistants – Bill Kany & Sabine McElrath $100 Raffle Karen Chasse / Co-Chair Sabine McElrath / Co-Chair Earl Goodwin Matt Simmons Lucie Kay Adopt a Family Julie Villemiere / Co- Chair Heather Gendron / Co-Chair Laurie Jo Ready Bernice Wood Paulette Bonneau Heather MacLean Bronwyn Barnett CJ Dubois Cote Alzheimer’s Walk Do we want to continue doing this? Lucie & Sue will not be able to help with this year. Does anyone have any interest in taking the reins on this one? I will announce at next week’s meeting as well. Auction Fausto Pifferrer Karen Chasse Ken Farley Sue Gajewski Bill Kany Laurie Jo Ready Julie Villemaire Lucie Kay Conrad Welzel Awards Bill Kany / Chair Keith Jacques Joe Moreshead Beer Festival Denis Elie / Co-Chair Ken Farley / Co-Chair Adam Parent Heather MacLean Paulette Bonneau Mark Nahorney Polio Plus Bingo Julie Villemaire / Chair Ray Demers Rob Moody Earl Goodwin Charitable Fund & Company B (Disbursements) Joe Morsehead / Co-Chair Pierre Giroux / Co-Chair Peggy Bean Karen Chasse Adam Parent Nicole Carroll James Godbout Elaine Palmitessa Community Service Projects Sabine McElrath / Co-Chair Joe Morsehead / Co-Chair Sarah Curley Matt Early James Godbout Carl Goodwin Keith Jacques Bill Kany Jim McAllister Company B Investment Denis Elie / Co Chair Mark Tuller / Co Chair Kristin Lane Matt Simmonds Roland Gagne Essay Contest Brenda / Co-Chair Elaine Palmitessa / Co-Chair Fellowship Sue Gajewski / Co-Chair Lucie Kay / Co-Chair Conrad Welzel Matt Early Andy Grief Steve Morin Elaine Palmitessa Heather McLean Matt Simmonds Foundation Brian Dallaire / Co-Chair Matt Simmons / Co-Chair Roland Gagne Denis Elie Bill Kany Rob Moody Steve Morin Matt Early Interact Club Paulette Bonneau / Chair Karen Chasse Chris Indorf Jeremy Ray Fausto Pifferer Jessica Holland International Youth Exchange Roland Gagne / Chair Susan Gajewski Jackson Brown Invocation James Audiffred Joe Bassett Joe Morsehead Marketing Sarah Brouillard / Chair Sarah Curley Brian Dallaire Chris Indorf Elaine Palmitessa Mark Nahorney Membership Heather Gendron / Co-Chair Bernice Wood / Co-Chair Bill Kany Nicole Carroll Brenda Pollack Stuff The Bus Tammy Ackerman / Co-Chair Sabine McElrath / Co-Chair Jessica Holland Randy Forcier Steve Morin Fausto Pifferer Jeremy Ray Lucie Kay Past Presidents Day Keith Jacques / Chair Bill Kany Roland Eon Ken Farley Frank Gooding Mark Tuller Past Presidents Scholarship Investment Denis Elie / Co-Chair Mark Tuller / Co-Chair Randy Forcier Matt Simmons Programs Conrad Wenzel / Chair Brian Dallaire C.J. Dubois-Cote Matt Early Josh Ellis Sue Gajewski Heather Gendron Chris Indorf Keith Jacques Lucie Kay Jeremy Ray Red Ribbon Committee Jim Godbout / Co-Chair Karen Chasse / Co-Chair Conrad Welzel Bernice Wood Don Pilon Bill Kany Registration Heather MacLean / Co-Chair Peggy Bean / Co-Chair Roster / Website Brian Dallaire / Chair Bill Kany Rotaract Club Don Pilon / Chair Fausto Pifferer Mark Nahorney Tammy Ackerman Scholarship Denis Elie / Chair Rae Smith Paulette Bonneau Sara Brouillard Joe Morsehead Fausto Pifferrer Karen Chasse Tack Nicole Carroll / Chair Sarah Curley Paulette Bonneau Don Pilon Sabine McElrath Delilah Poupore Heather Gendron Chris Indorf Adam Parent Bill Kany Linda Verville Vocational James Godbout / Co-Chair Carl Goodwin / Co-Chair Ray Demers Denis Elie Chris Indorf Jeremy Ray Jim McAllister Steve Morin Paulette Bonneau Wine Tasting Heather MacLean/ Co-Chair Conrad Welzel / Co-Chair CJ Dubois Ken Farley Randy Forcier Heather Gendron Chris Indorf Paulette Bonneau Mark Nahorney World Community Service Roland Gagne / Co-Chair Rob Moody / Co-Chair James Audiffred Joe Bassett Jeremy Ray Youth Protection Officer Ray Demers |
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Week in Review 7/5/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown 4 Way Test & who led it: Jackson Brown Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Moreshead President – Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bernice Wood introduced our visiting guests. We had Sabena Allen, Libby McGahey, Renee Huot, Taryn Wentworth, Rick Nadeau, and Deborah Brown join us today. Announcements: Today was Jackson’s first meeting as our new president. Christian Doyon sponsored him, way back 13 years ago. He announced some changes he will be making throughout the upcoming year. He plans to “make Rotary great again” and had many of us laughing out loud. This year’s theme will be “making a difference.” He is eager and excited to lead the group and he’s going to do a wonderful job! Congratulations, Jackson! Rotary House Update: The property will be listed with a real estate agent from our club, Sabine! More details to follow. July 29th- Red Ribbon Event @ Kinney Shores. More information to follow per Jim Godbout. August 12th- There will be a lobster bake at Buganut at lunchtime, see Joe Moreshead FMI. 50/50 Drawing: Brian won the 50/50 this week, in the amount of $27. Since he didn’t pick an ace from the card pile, his winnings are carried over until next week! The winnings will carry over each additional week as well, until an ace is picked.. imagine how much the winnings will be at that point! Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Happy dollars: Ken is happy to be on vacation, Carl for celebrating 46 years of marriage (congratulations!) Peggy was happy she didn’t have to take the minutes at the board meeting. FINES: Sarah and Matt for being immune to fines for a year, as SAA. Chris was fined for his outfit, Jackson for his SAA not showing up for their first meeting, Fausto for his animated Facebook posts, Bill Kany for not standing with Sabine, and Ken Farley was fined for wearing his “Brunswick” outfit. Speaker Presentation: We did not have a guest speaker at today’s meeting. Wishing all of you a great week |
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National Night OutSaco PD request for donations. If this is possible we will take money (of course), prizes or food donations. Monetary donations will give us more options, but we will take whatever people are able to provide. If this could be done it would be appreciated. |
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President Lucie's Swan Song |
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Annual Rotary Awards 2107 Press ReleaseBiddeford Saco Rotary Club Recognizes Community Members for their Outstanding Work BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recognized eighteen outstanding community members for their commitment to serve the community. The awards included: Rotarian of the Year, Private Sector, Public Sector, Humanitarian, Vocational Service, 11th Annual Goodwin Outstanding Service, Paul Harris Fellowships, Presidential, Service Above Self, and special club recognition awards. Karen Chasse, of Biddeford School Department, was named Rotarian of the Year in sincere appreciation and recognition of distinguished service, loyalty and devotion to the ideals of Rotary. President Lucie Kay states, “Karen truly exemplifies what it means to be a Rotarian with her hard work, dedication and kindness. She was my Rotary ‘go to’ always willing to help and working on every Rotary event and fundraiser. She is instrumental to our Club, and I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done.” The Esther Residence was presented with the Private Sector award for breaking the cycle of recidivism by providing a safe and structured place to live while women get back on their feet and work to become productive members of society. The Private Sector award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, while being privately employed or not employed by a government or community entity. Bill Paterson was presented with the Public Sector award for sharing his extensive knowledge in an effort to lead the battole against the imposing threat of drug misuse. The Public Sector award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. Jim McAllister was presented with the Humanitarian award for his dedication to people in need while being a good steward of Rotary’s charitable funds. The Humanitarian award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Biddeford City Council was presented with the Vocational Service award for demonstrating courage and creativity to support technical education via the Rotary House Project. The Vocational Service award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. Karen Chasse, of Biddeford School Department, was presented with the 11th Annual Goodwin Outstanding Service award. This award was created to acknowledge the contributions of Carl and Earl Goodwin to the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club and to the Biddeford and Saco areas. The Goodwins’ commitment to Rotary and to making the Biddeford/Saco area a better place to live has been an inspiration to a number of people and this award acknowledges the contributions of individuals in Rotary. Chasse was acknowledged for her years of continued community service and infectious enthusiasm in promoting the ideals of Rotary while helping those in need. Paul Harris Fellowships, named for Paul Harris who founded Rotary over 100 years ago, were presented to Conrad Welzel, of Maine Turnpike Authority, Jeremy Ray, of Biddeford School Department, and Jim Godbout, of Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating, for exemplifying the humanitarian and educational objectives of the Rotary Foundation. Welzel was recognized for consistently taking the initiative to ensure details of multiple fundraisers were successful. Ray was recognized for being a true connector who consistently brings parties together to promote better results and improve technical eduation. Godbout was recognized for his endless giving to our community above and beyond reasonable expectations and presented as the first multiple Paul Harris Fellow the Rotary Club has ever awarded on a Rotarians behalf. They were presented with a pin, certificate and $1,000 was donated by the Club to the Rotary Foundation in their honor. Bill Kany, of Biddeford & Saco Savings Institution, was presented with the Presidential award for being “the backbone of the club” helping President Kay navigate difficult situations, juggle countless activities and being a sounding board. This award is presented to a Rotarian who went above and beyond in demonstrating immense dedication to the President during their term. Service Above Self Awards were presented to Susan Gajewski; Laurie Jo Ready of Goodwill Industries; Fausto Pifferrer of Blue Elephants Catering; and Roland Gagne of Pension Professionals. This award is presented to Rotarians who have displayed exemplary humanitarian service to the ideals of Rotary with a focus on active involvement in putting others needs before their own. Gajewski, Ready and Pifferrer were recognized for being engaged, involved, and consistently providing support for Rotary events and club activities. Gagne was recognized for leading the Club’s efforts in the Rotary International community securing funds to help those less fortunate in other countries. Other special club recognition awards related to club duties were also presented to the following individuals for their outstanding efforts: Elaine Palmitessa of Goodwill Industries; Joe Moreshead of Precision Screw Manufacturing Products; Jackson Brown of Harbor View Lending; Ken Farley of MEMIC; and Bernice Wood of Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution. |
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Week in Review 6/21/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Lucie Kay 4 Way Test Jackson Brown Invocation Paul Deschambault
Jackson Brown introduced visiting rotarian Suzanne Iksley, and visiting guests Mayor Alan Casavant, Joanne Roy, Chuck Gajewski, John McCurry, Keyarrah McCurry, Bill Paterson, Lucinda Clark, and Erika Penrod.
Announcements: This week’s meeting was our Annual Awards day.
Lucie is making plans for an annual Fellowship Meeting in Hills Beach this summer; Date, time, and details to be determined.
A reminder that on June 29th, Funtown will be donating $1 of every admission to our club, all are encouraged to spread the word and attend for a fun day of amusement park activities.
Jim Godbout had a few announcements as well:
-He is in the process of arranging a Red Ribbon event at Kinney Shores, on July 29th; more information to follow. -Advised all of us not to enter the new rotary house, at 518 Main St, due to a mold issue. -Showings on the completed house are taking place. Appliances are going to be delivered within the week.
50/50 Drawing: Mark Nahorney won the 50/50 this week in the amount of $34.00, and he donated the winnings back to our club.
Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Happy dollars: Randy is happy to announce the birth of his new baby, Nora Grace! Karen is happy that her son is coming back home. Joe Boyle is happy that he visited Mahoney Jr. High School and supported the 8th graders. Tammy is happy to have completed her longest bike ride, 60 miles! Conrad is now retired from the Maine Turnpike Authority, (Congratulations!) Dana was happy that he had a nice vacation in the British Isles, and Susan was happy for her daughter, who is getting married! Jeremy was also happy this week, announcing that the Biddeford city council approved a transfer of bond money to fund a new track! Fines: Fausto was fined for a special meal, Bill Kany was charged “Just because”, Joe Moreshead for 11 years in rotary, and Jackson was fined for forgetting to announce the Mayor as a visiting guest.
This week was our Annual Awards presentation and therefore, we had no guest speaker. Have a great week!
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Annual Rotary Awards 2017BIDDEFORD-SACO ROTARY AWARDS DAY PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD There are institutions throughout our communities that do great work and we are familiar with most of them. Last year, we learned of an organization that has been quietly serving a segment of our population long overlooked. How many times have we heard of people going to jail and getting stuck in a vicious cycle of getting out, committing crimes and going back to jail. One group is helping to break that cycle by giving women leaving incarceration a safe and structured place to live while they get back on their feet and work to become productive members of society. Through the promotion of faith, discipline, hard work and interactions, this organization has succeeded in saving women from inevitable repeated incarceration which is not only good for those individuals but great for society in general. As Rotarians, we should embrace and recognize such quiet examples of success. We do so by giving this year's Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Private Sector Award to The Esther Residence. PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD There are people with the knowledge and tools needed to help solve problems who for whatever reason choose not to use their expertise to address the issues which confront us. There are others who use their skills to run headlong into a crisis in an effort to improve the world. Our Club knows all too well that drug misuse and addiction are at epidemic levels. While organizations like our Red Ribbon Committee can work to raise awareness and promote healthy alternatives, our Red Ribbon Committee is much more effective when armed with information. This year's Public Sector Award winner is a person who has been more than willing to share his extensive knowledge in an effort to lead the battle against the imposing threat of drug misuse. His career has focused on addiction, but he has volunteered an incredible amount of his time to lead efforts locally and at the state level related to the dangers of drug use. He has been an incredible resource to our Red Ribbon Committee in its efforts to raise drug awareness. We should all be grateful that we have this person on our side of this incredibly important fight. This year's deserving recipient of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club's Public Sector Award is Bill Paterson HUMANITARIAN AWARD Over the last several years, this Club has had the privilege of donating 10s of thousands of dollars to individuals and other charities from our Charitable Fund and the Company B Fund. It is essential that we insure that the funds we work so hard to raise are responsibly distributed to those who most need it. It is important that we are good stewards of all of our charitable funds so that they get into the hands of those who really need them. While it is wonderful to give away large sums of money it has to be done in a systematic and caring way. Those efforts require a compassionate person who thoughtfully reviews requests in an objective manner. We are really lucky to have someone so dedicated to the Club and to the effort of giving. For doing such a tremendous job for so long while truly caring about all who approach our Club for money, this year's Humanitarian Award goes to Jim McAllister VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD In order to improve anything, frequently we must think outside the box. After decades of building modular-style homes as part of the COT's building trade curriculum, some felt that a change was needed to bring the building trade education to the next level. When asked if the City of Biddeford would think outside the box and create what Jeremy Roy called a win, win, win situation, this group said yes. Yes, let's promote technical education by letting students work on a real house, yes, let's get an abandoned property fixed up and back on the tax rolls and yes, let's help Rotary raise money to continue to support young people entering the trades. It would have been easy to do the same old thing and just try to sell the tax acquired property at auction but this group took the bold step of entering into an agreement with our Club to let us develop 471 Main Street which has clearly been such a huge success that we have another house coming our way. For demonstrating the courage and creativity to support technical education, this year's Biddeford Saco Rotary Club's Vocational Service Award goes to the Biddeford City Council. GOODWIN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD I am going to make this perfectly simple. If I was starting a Rotary Club, I would do two things: 1) Pick a name; 2) Recruit this person to be the first member of the Club. No more needs to be said. This year's Goodwin Outstanding Service Award winner is Karen Chasse Paul Harris Recipients Paul Harris Awards are arguably the highest distinctions that can be given to Rotarians. Our Club has had a practice of recognizing worthy members of the Club and non-members for their work in and outside the Club. Each past Paul Harris recipient has been very worthy and this year we have three more equally worthy winners of the award. In no particular order: In order for a club of our size and level of accomplishment to do all of the things that it does, it takes the dedication and commitment of club members to get things done. They not only need to take the tasks on but they have to do them well and they have to take the initiative to make sure that all of the details are addressed. Our first Paul Harris recipient is a person who has taken on projects with enthusiasm and seen them through to successful conclusions. From the Wine Tasting event to the Rotary house thank you celebration and many other events in between this person is truly a go to person in the Club who works to make our Club so successful. Furthermore, this member does all this with a smile and a “can do” attitude which is infectious. Our first 2017 Paul Harris Award goes to Conrad Welzel. In Malcolm Gladwell’s Book, The Tipping Point in which he discussed how little things can make a big difference, he talked about people who are connectors. Connectors are people who can bring parties together to get things done. Our next Paul Harris recipient is a true connector in that this person has consistently demonstrated a willingness to bring parties together to promote better results. Through this person’s leadership and willingness to be creative our club has been able to vastly improve technical education by giving students new opportunities to learn skills. This member has gone to bat many times in an effort to have the students learning a trade work on a real house. At the same time this person has demonstrated a willingness to roll up his sleeves and get the job done when needed. The person’s efforts have benefitted our communities while extending the influence of our club. Our next Paul Harris Award goes to Jeremy Ray. Last and certainly not least, it is simply a fact that our club has very infrequently, if ever, given more than one Paul Harris Award to a member. Being a multiple Paul Harris recipient is clearly a high honor and most of this Club’s multiple Paul Harris recipients have achieved the distinction through their giving to the Foundation. There is a member of our Club who just keeps on giving to our communities way above and beyond anyone’s reasonable expectations. Whether it is with this person’s hands, back, wallet or heart, this person’s tireless efforts help so many in so many ways. Another plaque seemed inadequate and I am guessing there is no room on this person’s walls for another plaque. Making this person a multiple Paul Harris winner from our club, however, is a distinction worthy of all that he does. Our last Paul Harris winner for the second time from our club, with our sincere thanks and extreme gratitude for all that he does for our club and for Biddeford and Saco goes to Jim Godbout. |
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Week in Review 6/14/2017Pledge of Allegiance: Lucie Kay 4 Way Test Jim McAllister
Invocation Joe Bassett
Jackson Brown introduced our visiting guests. This week we had Nicole Schmidt, and Ed & Carol Lincoln join us. Welcome guests!
Announcements: This week was a special meeting, as we celebrated our past presidents of the club. We enjoyed an outdoor lunch on the deck.
Congratulations to Paul Deschambault, Jim McAllister, and Dennis Ely who are recipients of the Paul Harris Award.
Keith Jacques, (Past president 2001-2002) spoke to the club members about how wonderful it is to have the past presidents join us for fellowship as well as to find out the progress of the club. All past presidents of our club were invited along with their spouses, and while some were not able to attend, it was a great time had by all. Keith introduced each one and an applause appropriately followed. It is because of their commitment and dedication that the Club has been so successful over the years.
Jim Godbout will be hosting a Red Ribbon fundraising event on July 29, 2017 at the beach, more information to follow.
Please be in attendance for our next meeting on June 21st; this is our annual awards meeting.
50/50 Drawing: Matt Simmons won the 50/50 again this week (two weeks in a row!) His winnings were $36, and he made a donation to the Red Ribbon.
Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Matt, Fausto, & Sarah Happy dollars: Ken Farley was happy his son graduated from high school, Bill Kany was happy he got a free lunch, Joe Boyle was happy that the Letters for Literature program chose someone from Maine as the winner, and he had a nice trip to Eastport; Joe Bassett happy to have his visitors here from NY where they are also Rotary members. Bronwyn was happy for a great weekend and a nice trip. Julie was happy that a lot of people had already signed up for the new Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital license plates and encouraged more of us to do so. They were hoping for 100 more to reach their goal. Lucy is happy that Nicole Schmidt was her guest today.
Fines- Jackson was fined for chewing gum during the guest introductions, Lucie for backtalk, Josh Ellis for finally attending a meeting, Fausto for his dance moves and missing a meeting, Elaine for laughing at Peggy, which is not fair to all concerned..! Many others were fined for not placing their food orders in a timely manner. Sue, Jim M, Sabine, and Bernice for matching outfits, Bill for his Rotary house comment “It’s in Biddeford!” and Carl for being late for the meeting.
Adam Parent, Linda Verville, and Sarah Brouillard were fined for having birthdays.
Speaker Presentation: Due to the past president event, there was no guest speaker this week.
Have a great week everyone.
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Week in Review 6/7/20174 Way Test & who led it: CJ Cote Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Jeremy Ray President – Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bernice Wood introduced visiting guests. This week we had Bill Patterson, Brenda Cormier, and William Ferrigno join us for lunch. Announcements: Lucie informed us of an upcoming past Presidents luncheon at our next meeting, June 14th. Lucie is making plans for an annual Fellowship Meeting in Hills Beach this summer; Date, time, and details to be determined. On June 29th, Funtown will be donating $1 of every admission to our club, all are encouraged to spread the word and attend for a fun day of amusement park activities. Jim Godbout had a few announcements as well. He needs helping hands to spread sod at the rotary house on June 10th, this Saturday, the more help the better. Jim also gave us an update on the sale of the house. The property is for private sale, for $239,000.00. A buyers broker fee will be paid to a real estate agent in the amount of 2% of the sale. The property has a lockbox for accessibility, and Bill & Keith will be assisting with legal paperwork for the transaction. Some Rotarians will be available for showings as needed. More information to follow. Polo shirts have all come in, the second order was picked up this week. A reminder to please bring $30 for the gentlemen and $37 for the ladies, if you haven’t paid yet please do so. Checks can be made out to our club, please turn in to Nicole, and grab your new shirt. She will have the shirts at our meetings for you all to claim. We are all going to look so sharp! 50/50 Drawing: Matt Simmons won the 50/50 this week and we didn’t catch the amount, but he was generous and donated the winnings to the Red Ribbon. Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Happy dollars: Joe Boyle was happy he attended his old club and had a great time. RaeAnn for playing soggy golf last Tuesday, Joe Bassett was happy for grandchildren and one of them is starring in a Charlie Brown performance. Conrad is happy for the efforts of our group in the Rotary house celebration last week, and is grateful for two great weekends in a row. Brenda is happy her friend Brenda Cormier attended our meeting as a guest this week. Mark Nahorney was happy he had a great trip, and his wife sang at Carnegie Hall! CJ is happy and looking forward to her daughter’s wedding next week. Brian Dallaire is happy this week because he is headed to Alaska for vacation, lucky guy! Jim G. is happy his friend Bill Patterson joined us today. Sabine is happy to have had help with laying sod last week, Sarah is thrilled to be under contract with her first house, Matt Simmons enjoys Chamber events and is happy to have such a great rotary club. He is also thrilled to have made budget for SAA, and his son made the All Star Team! Matt had a happy week. Matt Simmons and Sarah Curley fined members who haven’t paid for their new rotary polo shirts, please be reminded to pay for yours if you haven’t already. Lucie for starting the meeting late. Nicole and Fausto for teasing Matt on FB, Nicole actually had to pay Fausto’s fine because he wasn’t in attendance. Bernice for not announcing visitors correctly. Linda was fined for her birthday, Rotarians celebrating an anniversary date were fined, as well as all new members in attendance to include Nicole, Jessica H., Joe G, and Linda V. Speaker Presentation: This week CJ Lassek from the Biddeford+Saco Chamber of Commerce spoke to our club about the upcoming 90th Anniversary, to be held on Saturday, October 14 from 5:30-9:00pm at Thornton Academy. The event will include business awards, a silent auction, dinner, cash bar, a keynote speaker, entertainment, and more. The Chamber is soliciting nominees for their event, and the nominee must be an active Chamber member. A nominee form was handed out at our meeting. Contact PJ if you need a new form or didn’t receive one and wish to fill one out. Rotarians are encouraged to submit the 2017 Nomination form for the event by August15. PJ may be contacted by calling 207-282-1567, or email pj@biddefordsacochamber.org |
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Musings of a Former President 6/5/2017For those of you who missed last week’s meeting at the Center of Technology, you missed a fantastic job by the committee that put it all together. Conrad Welzel and company worked long and hard (there was less planning for the first moon landing). Everyone looked wicked sharp in their new Rotary shirts, the house looked great (even Lucie cleaned and Doug says she does not clean their house!) and the few contractors or suppliers who did show seemed incredibly appreciative. Unfortunately, since it was one of the few non-rainy days we have had this spring I suspect many of the generous contractors and suppliers who contributed their time and expertise to the latest Rotary house were making hay while they could. We should all applaud the committee for doing such a wonderful job of putting the whole celebration together. Now comes the fun part, selling the incredible house that came together with the leadership and vast energy of Jim Godbout (when does this guy sleep?). If you know anyone who would like a really nice house (okay, it’s in Biddeford) please let Jim know. Oh, again for those who missed the meeting last week, there is now a dumpster in the yard of our newest Rotary house. I am guessing that demolition may commence soon. Let the games begin again! As we approach the end of Lucie’s year I am certain that she is thrilled, but of course we will be heading right into Jackson’s year. It is my assumption that Jackson has or will be reaching out to you to ask you to be on a particular committee or to even head up a committee. If you can make the time please say yes. Getting involved in a committee is a great way to feel engaged in the club and a great avenue to really give back to the community in some way. Furthermore, I am guessing that some members of the club have been serving in their club positions for a long time and they may want a change. So if Jackson approaches you please don’t run the other way. In case you are paying attention, this week’s meeting is an open meeting. We may try and do some more classification talks, but otherwise it will be an open forum. The following week is Past Presidents’ day during which we have a chance to thank our past presidents for their service to the club. On June 21 we will have our annual awards meeting. That meeting is our opportunity to honor both club members and people from the community for their contributions so please try and attend if you can. And finally on June 28 we can all skip the meeting because it is just Lucie’s swan song and I think we have all heard that tune. Finally, if you are a new incoming Board member you might want to attend this week’s Board meeting at P&C Insurance starting at 7:45 on Wednesday. You will see the picture of Robert’s Rules of Disorder, but perhaps get a glimpse of what our Board meetings should be like. Otherwise, have a great week. |
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COT Meeting ReminderRemember: The COT Meeting will begin at 11:15am on Wednesday 31 May, 2017. See you at Biddeford High to celebrate completion of the Rotary House Project. Please wear you Rotary shirts!
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BBCH License PlateToday’s speaker was Matt Parks from The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. Matt heads up the fundraising for the only children’s hospital in Maine. They are trying to get a specialty plate for the Hospital. They need 2,000 people committed to purchasing the plate by October 1st before it will go through. The initial cost is $25.00 with an annual renewal fee of $15.00. For each new plate ordered, or for each renewal, $10.00 of the cost will go directly to the children’s hospital! This program will continue as long as the state of Maine requires vehicles to have license plates. His group is estimating that this fundraiser could bring in $200,000 or more each year that will go directly to the hospital for much needed equipment. Please spread the word! Matt provided posters to hang in businesses as well as postcards that can be handed out. You can also sign up on-line at BBCH.ORG/Licenseplate. You can keep the same number that you already have. You will just have a different backdrop. Show your support with The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital Specialty License Plate! Jerzey was born with Bicoronal Craniosynotosis, a genetic condition in which the joints or sutures between the plates of the skull fuse too early during a child’s development. At four months, Jerzey had her first surgery at The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital to help her skull grow normally. “We cannot express how grateful we are to the doctors and nurses for their love and support through such a difficult time,” said her mom, Cheyenne. “We could not have done it without them.” Today, Jerzey is a healthy two year old who loves playing with her two big brothers, jumping in puddles and wearing purple!
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Week in Review 5/24/2017President Lucie started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed up by Nicole Carroll with the 4 Way Test. Joe Bassett was welcomed back to the club and put right back to work with the invocation. PE Jackson Brown introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. We were visited by Rotarian Bill Ferrigno from Rhode Island. President Lucie presented Fausto with a 3 year anniversary pin. Announcements: The 9th Annual BINGO fundraiser was another success. $416 went to the Winner-Take-All game. 77 people came out to play with 6 of them being actual Rotarians. Julie won $100 in the 2nd game. Still waiting for some ticket money to arrive but it looks like we will net close to $3,000 this year! Flags for Our Veterans Project: Friday, May 26th – Rain or Shine – Ponchos will be available – Meet at the caretakers building on the West Street side of the cemetery at 8:00 a.m. Jim Godbout needs help on Saturday, May 27th, at the Rotary house to do some old fashioned cleaning inside and planting outside. Please let Jim know if you are able to help out. Everything needs to be ready to go for the big event on May 31st. Tours will be starting at 9:00 a.m.- Wear your blue Rotary shirts with black/khaki pants (or any Rotary attire you may have if you don’t have a blue shirt). Wearing the Rotary attire will also help identify the Rotarians and keep Jeremy out of trouble. The $25 50/50 pot was won by Bill Kany who donated the proceeds to the SAA fund! SAA: Happy Dollars & Fines Nicole happy that Matt carried the box of shirts and Roland carried her handbag. Julie gave $10 happy dollars for the success of BINGO & to have won $100; Jim Audiffred was happy to meet Bill, visiting Rotarian from RI. He is an electrical engineer. Jim wants members to convince Bill to join our club. Brenda was happy that although there was no wine at BINGO, her guest won $420! PP Bill was happy that his 3rd youngest (daughter) was graduating from UNE’s Pharmacy School as Valedictorian!, Joe Bassett was happy to be back & that he and his wife were going to be Great Grandparents; Jeremy was happy about the Bond Market and saving $1.2 million – could be possible solution to Track and Waterhouse Field; Conrad had fun at Bingo; Half naked photos of Roland on Facebook; Jackson was happy about the District Conference and hearing Jim Godbout’s presentation on the Red Ribbon Committee; Matt was happy his camp didn’t have any damage; Lucie was happy about the District Conference & Roland and Doug sitting together. Lucie was fined for kicking Karen out; Nicole was fined for the mishap during the 4 Way Test; Jackson was fined for missing a visiting Rotarian during his announcement; Sarah fined for a Facebook post on a listing; Roland fined “just because” and phone not on “silent”; Matt was fined for an ad in the Journal Tribune; Lucie fined for “Pretty in Pink”; Fausto was fined for going to the gym; Bill Kany fined for self- promotion. |
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Musings of a former PresidentWHAT’S IN A THANK YOU? Thirty years ago on May 23 my oldest child was born. At that time I set as a goal helping any kids we may have pay for college so they would not have any significant debt when they got to the real world. This past weekend my youngest of three graduated from UNE’s Pharmacy School. All three of my kids graduated from college with no or very little debt. It had been a lot of hard work but it was worth it. On Sunday, May 21, my daughter Erin got to speak as the Valedictorian of her class. I had helped her with her speech, but near the end she took a moment to thank her family and specifically talked briefly about both Holly and me, thanking us both. To be completely honest I could not tell you exactly what she said because the pride was pushing its way out of the corners of my eyes as I listened to her speak, and I was doing my best to hold it together, but I knew that she had thanked me and had recognized all the hard work that made her education possible. Frankly, it was only a sentence or two, but it was all I needed. Later as I reflected I truly felt appreciated and could never really ask for anything more. Why do I share this? Next week on May 31 we all have a chance to go to the Center of Technology and thank a group of men and women who gave their time and money to make our first off site Rotary house happen. There will be contractors and material suppliers there who, in this housing economy, certainly could have been somewhere else making money instead of giving their time, energy, expertise and materials to our project. They deserve our thanks. This is one meeting that everyone should try to attend. Look, I realize about 4 of you read the Tack and of those 4 maybe 2 of you read my musings, but we should all make an effort to encourage every member of our club to make the meeting on May 31 at the Center of Technology. Sure, it starts an hour early, but your work will wait while we take the opportunity to say thanks to some people who really helped us out. I suspect those thank you’s will mean more to them than you know. Let’s all try to be there on May 31. Thanks. Have a great week. |
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Week-in-Review-5-17-2017President Lucie started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Brenda Pollack. Past President Roland was asked to do the invocation. He inquired as to whether or not the president of the Interact Club was in attendance. After discovering she was in fact there, he promptly passed the prayer/invocation responsibility to her. Past President, Bill Kany, is in need of some suggestions for the public/private sector awards this year. Please let him know as soon as possible if you have any ideas. Bernice presented the club with a check for $25,000 which represented our half of the net proceeds of this year’s TV Auction!! BINGO is this Sunday, May 21st. Doors open at noon time with the games beginning at 2:00 p.m. You can purchase your game cards at the door. $1,400 in cash prizes to be given to some lucky winner(s) plus a Winner-Take-All game. May 26th is the Flags for Our Veterans project at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford. Rotarians will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the West Street entrance, near the office building. There are over 1,400 flags to place. It usually takes about 1 ½ hours if we have enough help. The more hands we have, the quicker it will go! This is a rain or shine event. If you didn’t sign up, you can still just show up and help for however long you are able to. COT House Party on May 31st. Reminder that the meeting be starting at 11:15 – one hour earlier than usual! This is going to be a big celebration that you won’t want to miss! Jim Godbout said that he is in need of a volunteer cleaning crew of about 12 on Saturday, May 27th. If you are able to help out, please get in touch with Jim. Roland Gagne was the lucky winner of the $42.00 50/50 jackpot which I believe he generously donated to the Red Ribbon initiative. SAA were Matt & Sarah so Sarah was unable to write the specifics and fine at the same time. The only item I could hear clearly in the “front room” was the fact that Matt was the recipient of a big hole in his pants from a nail he got hooked on while speaking with Nicole. PP Ken Farley went in search of a hammer to rectify the situation. We were joined today by some of the senior members of the BHS Rotary Interact Club. Their advisor Ruth Shaw introduced the officers. Madison Perry is the President and Mitchell Farley is the Vice President. Everyone proceeded to introduce themselves, where they were headed to school and their chosen field of study. This is once again an impressive group of students! |
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Rotary House CelebrationPlease see the attached invitation to the Rotary House Celebration on Wednesday, May 31st. We will have tours available before and after lunch and present plaques to those businesses who have graciously donated their services. Here is what is needed from you:
Thank you, Karen |
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Musings of a Former President 5/15/2017The Interact Students are coming! That’s right, this Wednesday, May 17 the Biddeford High School seniors who are in Interact along with their incoming officers will be making their annual visit to our club to tell us about their year and share with us their post-high school plans. It is always a good meeting, so please try to attend. It is always interesting to hear what the students are going to be doing after high school. We owe a big thank you to Paulette Bonneau who helped to coordinate the Interact visit. So you remember how we set a deadline for soliciting items for the auction and we have to extend it five times. Well, I am extending the nomination time period for awards as well. Our committee met last Friday but we are lacking private or perhaps a public sector nominee. To be honest, we can skip a year, but I would really like to give out all the awards as we do every year. So please, give some thought to a person or two who has really stood out in helping people in need or our communities and share those suggestions as soon as possible. Again, the committee really does appreciate and use your suggestions. Don’t forget to sell your Bingo tickets. Also, if you are going to be around on Sunday, warm up your daubers or whatever you call those things you mark your cards with, sharpen up your elbows to fight off the Bingo sharks, and get ready to BINGO on Sunday May 21. It is nice fundraiser to help meet our Polio Plus obligation so if we can sell our tickets and pull in the sponsors it sounds like the Rochambeau Club will do most of the rest. Have a great week. |
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Rotary volunteers and Center of Technology students renovate shuttered house in community service projectA single family home on Main Street in Biddeford sat shuttered for years. The abandoned home was less than 1000’ from the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT), and despite its woeful condition and back taxes owed, Superintendent Jeremy Ray saw a perfect educational opportunity. As a member of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, he worked with their Board of Directors to consider sponsoring a renovation of the house. They agreed and the city deeded the property to the Club for the duration of the renovation. A year later, a celebration with an open house will take place on May 31 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. followed by lunch. Park and gather at the BRCOT. “It’s a win-win-win,” Ray said of the renovation project undertaken by Club volunteers and BRCOT students. “The club has generously supported our Building Trades programs for over 20 years. We have constructed several modular homes, sold them for a modest profit, and the funds have supported both the Rotary’s community work and the Center of Technology. The benefits of a project like Main Street are even greater: our students get real-life, on-the-job experience in a challenging build environment. The neighborhood is improved by our work. Volunteers and those who have donated services and materials feel proud of their investment. The city is paid the back taxes, and when the home is sold, it returns to the tax rolls.” “The Rotary House is an exemplary model of technical, hands-on training for our students,” said BRCOT Director Paulette Bonneau. “They are learning valuable skills, working side-by-side professionals in the field, seeing their success first-hand, and enthusiastic about their learning. We are extremely proud of the students in this project from Biddeford High School, Kennebunk High School, Old Orchard Beach High School and Thornton Academy.” Rotarian and major project sponsor Jim Godbout agreed. “The kids are working so hard, sustaining a months-long effort, adapting to conditions ranging from weather to codes to working with the various trades. This project is solely managed by the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, logistically and financially, so we are grateful to our Rotarians and local businesses who have volunteered hundreds of hours and contributed countless thousands of dollars. It’s truly a community investment with a community payoff.” Major donors to the project included: Master Level – Anderson Insulation, BRC Bedard Roofing and Construction, Maine Granite & Marble, Spang Builders, Tremblay Kitchen Cabinets, Moody’s Nursery, and Coastal WinAir Company; Journeyman Level - Quality Floors, Kevin Bedard Construction, and Distinctive Tile; Apprentice Level – Nate Libby Masonry, Kamco Supply, Biddeford Painting, Ventura Staircase & Woodturning, K&S Overhead Door, Deering Lumber, Southern Maine Builders, Parent Drywall, Boise Cascade, and Woodman Edmands Danylik Austin Smith and Jacques; and other donors - Taylor Rental, Dupuis Hardware, Builders Supply, Maine Street Design, Hydronic Alternatives and Ray Dusseault Masonry. The house is in the final stages of renovation and will culminate with a celebration recognizing all those who contributed. Local businesses who contributed will be honored during lunch at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. “The City was so impressed with the work of our students and volunteers that they’ve agreed to deed another property in arrears to the club. In September, a new group of Building Trades students will again partner with Rotary volunteers to restore a shuttered property and improve our community,” Ray said. |
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Animal Welfare SocietyThe Animal Welfare Society, incorporated in 1967, is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit humane society. The society was formed in the early 1960s by a group of caring individuals including the late Mrs. Elmina B. Sewall and the late Mr. Donald Shepard. Today, AWS is an open-admission No Kill* shelter serving York County, Maine. AWS operates an animal shelter and adoption center in West Kennebunk and offers life saving community programs including Pets and Women to Safety, Paws in Stripes, Paws Across America, Humane Education, Behavior and Training classes and an in-house veterinary clinic. AWS serves as the animal control impound facility for 21 municipalities in York County. AWS is also home to the Cleo Fund providing spay/neuter assistance to individuals and feral cat colony advocates statewide. In 2016, AWS adopted out 4,057 cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals in need and achieved a live outcome rate of 98%. AWS’ activities are supported by a staff of 42 full- and part-time employees and more than 150 volunteers providing nearly 12,000 hours of service annually. We are able to fulfill our mission through the generosity of those who contribute through donations, pledges and bequests. These funds go directly toward the care of the animals at the shelter and to programs that benefit the people and animals in our communities. *AWS defines a No Kill shelter as an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals regardless of space or length of stay. As an adoption guarantee organization we reserve euthanasia only for unhealthy animals that are terminally ill and cannot be treated or those with behavior that is dangerous to public safety. - See more at: http://animalwelfaresociety.org/about-us/#sthash.VGo78ple.dpuf |
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Week in Review 5/3/2017President Lucie started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Sarah Neault with the 4 Way Test and finally Joe Moreshead with the invocation. President-Elect Jackson Brown stood to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests, of which there were none. Announcements: There is a new member posting at the front check-in area. Fireside Chat is tomorrow night (05/04) at Lucie’s house. May 6th is a joint day with Saco Bay Rotary for OOB Ballpark – 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. May 13th is slated for the rain date. BINGO! Please sell your tickets. Spread the word – Sunday, May 21st – Doors open at noon time with games beginning at 2:00 p.m. The event will be run by the Rochambeau Club this year for the benefit of our Polio Plus & Charitable Giving programs. SPONSORS ARE NEEDED! We need to collect $1,400 in sponsorships and have only $600 committed so far. Please contact Julie Villemaire at villemaire@maine.rr.com or 286-5474 if you are able to sponsor a game or know someone who can. Rotary House meeting next Friday at 8:00 a.m. at Nicole Carroll’s house. Red Ribbon week was a success!! Round of applause!! Friday, May 26th, we will be helping to place flags in St. Joseph’s cemetery on West Street in Biddeford (near Ray’s Market) from 8:00 a.m. until approximately 9:30. The 50/50 pot of $34 was won and generously donated back by Susan Gajewski. SAA: Happy Dollars: Julie Villemaire- vacation; Dana Lane – to be back; Josh Elllis- married for 2nd time; Dr. Joe – wife outing to house & Hannaford; Adam- happy going to Lucie’s; Roland- Dad is home after illness; Lucie has a new fancy car; Elaine is happen Shannon is joining; Peggy Bean- happy for a good night’s sleep (resulting in missing the board meeting); Matt happy with Sarah for insurance Fines: Jeremy- happy LePage isn’t here??; Chris- part-time Rotary member; Day of Caring $ from school people; Joe M. for special delivery of cake; Heather G. for texting (Karen did it with Siri- but Lucie paid); Bernice for 11 years in Rotary; Susan for getting hurt at the gym; Adam for pin-ups; Roland for not being fined before; Joe for his pink pants(aka known as salmon); Jim G. for hi photo in Post Scripts; Roland for “prostitute”. We did not have a speaker today but we did have an induction of our newest member, Shannon Kazinski, who was sponsored by Elaine Palmitessa. Welcome Shannon! Post-Auction Auctioneer, Jackson Brown: Season Tickets to the Mavericks- Jeremy Ray $10 1 Week of OOB Rec – Don Pilon $35 Maine Indoor Track Karting (2 passes) – Adam Parent $35 Private Swim Lesson at Saco Sport & Fitness – Adam Parent $30 $50 GC to KFC/ Taco Bell – Julie $40 Oak Wooden Bowl – Heather MacLean $70 |
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Week in Review 4/26/2017President Lucie promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed up by a little mixed up version of the 4 Way Test led by Matt Simmons. Jim Audiffred provided the invocation. Vice President Bernice Wood introduced visiting our visiting guest, Tim Michalak. Next Thursday, May 4th, from 5:30 -7:30 p.m., 280 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, there will be a Fireside Chat for new members. Please get in touch with President Lucie if you did not receive an invite. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 26, 2017, for the Flags for our Veterans projects. Our club gets together to help one of the local Veteran posts place flags for over 1200 Veterans in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford. We usually meet around 8:00 a.m. near the caretakers building (West Street entrance). If we have enough volunteers, it takes less than 2 hours to complete. You can get a little exercise in while experiencing a great fellowship opportunity. Jim Godbout provided an update on what was happening for Red Ribbon Week. He mentioned that the Red Ribbon Committee was able to collect enough sponsorship funds to cover the cost of the red t-shirts that were going to be handed out to all of the students in Biddeford, Saco & OOB. From the Journal Tribune: Tonight’s (4/27) tri-community presentation will encourage individuals and their families to reflect upon current trends in drug use and what the community can do to promote healthy behaviors without the influences of illegal drugs or other misused substances. A number of individuals are slated to speak at the event, including Bronwyn Barnett, executive director of Biddeford’s Community Bicycle Center and Ryan Esbjerg of Flex Your Face University, who will speak about the organization’s goals of celebrating life’s small moments. Bill Paterson, director of Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance at the University of New England, will also speak, his topic is the importance of living drug-free and will give a presentation on "Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain." Every high school student will be receiving free Red Ribbon T-shirts, Godbout said — that’s 3,000 students wearing a shirt custom-designed by An Ho, a member of Thornton Academy’s Class of 2018, who won the Rotary Club’s T-shirt design contest. Red Ribbon Awareness Week is sponsored by Biddeford Savings, Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, P&C Insurance, Maine Magazine and CHHC’s Project Alliance. The 50/50 pot was won by Debra Burrows and donated back to the Red Ribbon Committee! 9th Annual BINGO: Don’t forget to sell your tickets! Each member was given 4 tickets at today’s meeting. If you didn’t get any, Julie will have them for you next week. The event will be Sunday, May 21st. Doors open at noon time with games beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Rochambeau Club staff will be running the event for us this year so we don’t need volunteers to run it. We need you to come play!!!! We are still in need of sponsors for the games. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor a game, please let Julie know. The cost of the sponsorship is only $100 and will get your business listed on the game listing given to each player. It will also be announced throughout the event and will be listed on the Rotary website. Sponsors are also able to hand out advertisement, swag, etc. at the actual event. If you need an electronic version of the Bingo poster, please let Julie know. It can be customized to include your contact information if you’d prefer. Happy Dollars were up next: Don Pilon was happy to his Tim Michalak, from Norway Savings, as his guest today. Dr. Joe’s wife is recovering nicely from surgery! Kristen Lane is happy to be back. Laurie Jo happy to celebrate her birthday –(04/27). Julie not as happy to celebrate her birthday (4/28) – the 11th anniversary of her 39th birthday. Paul Deschambault says that his wife Carole is happy to announce their 45th wedding anniversary. Bronwyn was happy that the CBC won the Bangor Savings award. Sarah was happy to have met up with a TA student and they were jazzed up about the Red Ribbon events! Fines followed: Jim G. was fined for causing Matt to know something over and breaking it. Elaine Palmitessa for causing confusion with all of her license plates. PP Bill was fined for paying someone to say his name and beautiful in the same sentence. President Lucie was fined for the credit union no being a sponsor of Red Ribbon week. Adam was fined for stealing a seat & wacked with t-shirt (that’s what my notes say but I’m sure there’s something missing in between…..) Nicole and Julie were fined for wearing “flowery” clothing when everyone knows that it’s April showers that bring the May flowers. Rae was fined “just because” – although she gave $2 because she was special. Randy was fined for watching basketball games in Spanish & had to reach out to his Facebook friends to come to his rescue. Heather Gendron announced that she would be picking up scholarship applications from the high schools on 04/28. Tuesday and Wednesday (May 2nd and 3rd ), from 3-5 p.m., she needs volunteers to review the applications. She needs at least 7 people to help choose the top 3 winners from each school who will go on to a final live interview process. Each recipient will receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship. This has been changed from the $1,000 each year for 4 years. Jim Godbout announced that the Rotary House will be getting flooring next week (which is actually this week by the time you read this) and then the plumbing will follow. He swung by the new Rotary house at 574 Main Street. He said he will have the students draw up some plans and will present to the club for approval. Today’s presentation was from Kathy Reid and the OOB Natural Helpers. Kathy was excited about the events of Red Ribbon week and the way they were able to partner with BHS and TA. Amanda, who has been in charge of the OOB Natural Helpers for about 6 years, talked a little about the program. She mentioned that last year Rotary helped with the funding which provided training with Day One which they were able to pass down to the high school students. They have between 20-25 Natural Helpers and new students come on each year. They are typically not Freshmen because they are still adjusting themselves. They learn how to become active listeners and look for signs. Sometimes the kids reach out to the Natural Helpers themselves. They watch for Red Flag issues (i.e. eating disorders, emotional issues, abuse, suicide, etc.). They focus on anti-bullying. They have a “Kindness Day”. They do a “Sticker Shock” event with Officer Porter- They go around and put stickers on the alcohol as a reminder that purchasing alcohol for minors is illegal. They hope to do this twice a year – around Super Bowl time and the holidays. The group would like to meet weekly but manages to meet at least once a month. They do meet more frequently if there is an event coming up. |
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Annual Rotary AwardsOur chairman for the awards committee, Bill Kany has requested your input. Again it is time for the Awards Committee to get together to select worthy recipients for the Club’s public sector, private sector, humanitarian and vocational awards. Included herewith is a description of each award and some past recipients of each award. What the committee needs from you are suggested award recipients in each category. Please note, that in almost every instance, the awards are given to people suggested to the committee by members of our club. Please note that while award recipients are frequently members of our club, they do not have to be members. In fact, most of the time the recipients are not members of the club. I would also point out that even if you do not have an idea for an award recipient for one particular category, please give us as many suggestions as you can for the other categories. We would appreciate it if you would get back to us as soon as possible with your suggestions. Awards day is tentatively scheduled for June 21, 2017. We do need to meet to ultimately decide on the award recipients and then the awards need to be ordered and engraved so please get your suggestions back to us by May 8. If you have any questions regarding any of the award categories, please contact me (Bill S. Kany at 602-7381 or email me at kanyw@sbsavings.com) or the other members of the committee, Rollie Eon, Joe Moreshead, and Keith Jacques. Here are the award descriptions. I have attached a list of the past recipients of each award. The Private Sector Award is awarded to a citizen whose good works have been performed independently of their employment in the private sector. Recipients work for the public good, while being privately employed or not employed by a government or community entity. An example of a past recipient would be a building contractor who works towards helping the hungry through setting up a self-supporting meal program. The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works funded in the course of their employment. An example of a past recipient would be a state senator who has worked towards promoting the good of the community. The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community. Past Recipients include a nurse who set up a hospice program in the area. The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs. PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, HUMANITARIAN, AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES AWARD NOMINATIONS Public Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Private Sector Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Humanitarian Award Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination Vocational Service Nominees NAME(S) Reason for Nomination From Bill Kany |
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Musings of a Former President 5/1/2017I would like to start with a plea. The Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for the Public Sector, Private Sector, Humanitarian and Vocation Service awards that we give out each year. All of us know someone worthy of such awards but we need your suggestions. Please get your suggestions back to me as soon as you can. The committee really does appreciate and use your suggestions. Question? What is the story with President Lucie’s new Mercedes, the front symbol on which lights up like the Bat Mobile? That thing costs more than my house. How does she do it? Either credit unions pay more than I thought which is entirely possible given their total lack of commitment to this country by paying their fair share. It could be that credit unions have the most relaxed security and audit facilities on earth so it is perfectly fine to just help oneself to the cash in the vault, or it could simply be that one of Lucie’s last claimed vacations was actually just an excuse to fly to Miami and sell a kidney on the black market. I have to say that I am a little shaken up and might be suffering from a little PTSD. Last fall I sat near the top of the bleachers at Waterhouse Field which I now know was a death defying act. I am guessing the latest condemnation of one of the best Class B fields in the State may have moved up Karen’s capital campaign a day or two. Another Red Ribbon week has passed. Our club should be very proud of all the activities that occurred at the three area high schools. Clearly, the renewed focus on drug awareness and the promotion of healthy alternatives at the area high schools came about because of the efforts of our Red Ribbon Committee and particularly the efforts of Jim Godbout and Karen Chasse. The Red Ribbon Community Night on April 27 had better attendance than last year, but the empty seats still outnumbered the people by at least two to one. Frankly, I think the empty seats were more attentive than the students who had been incentivized to be there. Looking out over the audience I can tell you that few if any of the students there could tell you whether we were talking about drugs or snowmobiles. Clearly Bronwyn and her students from the CBC and BLAST stole the show. Bronwyn and a young woman did a great job describing the CBC and the importance of after school programs and two young men got up and described their experiences at the CBC and the experience of colliding with a car on a bike and the extreme recovery associated with such an accident. The kids did a fantastic job and I think related best to the audience. Bill Patterson, our local addiction guru and head of the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition, talked about the dangers of marijuana use by adolescents and talked a lot about the challenges of the legalization of pot in our state. Some of his slides showed such things as “Pot Tarts” and candy bars which were indistinguishable from the real Pop Tarts and candy bars. There is no question that such products are going to get into the hands of our kids in Maine which will present huge challenges. Finally we were joined by Ryan Esbjerg (pronounced Esberg, but spelled Esjberb on his slide). Ryan started “Flex Your Face” which is another way to say “smile”. His movement is apparently based on the idea that we all need to take pleasure in the simple things in life and if we are misusing drugs or alcohol we need to figure out why and not just try to stop the misuse because if you can get at the root of your issue you might be able to then deal with the addiction more effectively. Ryan had a ton of energy. At times he was a bit hard to follow, but I do know that he is not a counselor, doctor, pastor, preacher or an inspirational speaker because he said that a few times. I also know that he has a thing for Boca Raton, Florida which is apparently where I am required to go when I retire. I definitely want Ryan selling whatever I am selling because he can flat out market stuff. Thank you to the 25+ Rotarians who attended. Let’s keep Red Ribbon moving along and see if we can get other clubs to start replicating our model. |
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Natural Helpers of OOB High SchoolNatural Helpers Natural Helpers is a national program. Those selected are a cross section of students identified through an anonymous school wide survey. Ideally those chosen are representatives of all the subgroups in the school community. They are invited to participate in the Natural Helpers program. If they accept, they are trained as Natural Helpers. The training consists of Retreat Training and Ongoing Training, and the process continues indefinitely, with a different group of students selected each year. Tri-Valley Natural Helpers are a group of students who are selected by their peers and staff who have shown a natural skill for helping others. They are trained to handle a variety of situations and to keep what they are told confidential. They have been a wonderful resource for other students and they are an asset to our school. Ms. Booze is the advisor for the Natural Helpers. The Natural Helper program is funded by the Safe School Committee.
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Fireside Chat |
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9th Annual BINGO FundraiserThe 9th Annual BINGO Fundraiser to benefit the RI Polio Plus Program and our Charitable Giving Program, will be held on Sunday afternoon this year instead of a Saturday morning. Games will start at 2:00 p.m. with doors opening at noon time on May 21st. The BINGO games will be run by the Rochambeau Club crew this year (as a test) in hopes that more of their “regular” Bingo players will come back. This is serious business for many of the players and they don’t enjoy the games or attend as often when it is a fundraiser and they don’t have the “professionals” calling the game. The Rotarians have always done a good job but we are going to change it up a little and see if we have a better turn out than the last couple of years. I’m really hoping that this will be the year for the best showing of Rotarians at this event. This may be the last year that we do the event so I’d like it to go out with a bang! With the Rochambeau Club volunteers, ALL of the Rotarians and their families will be eligible to actually play the game! . We will still need to get sponsors and pre-sell tickets. There will be guaranteed $1,400 in prize money handed out. If we get enough in sponsors, pretty much everything we raise is profit. There is very little expense to this fundraiser. The more tickets we can pre-sell the better off we will be. There are no refunds, so if someone buys a ticket and decides not to come play at the last minute, we have their donation. Tickets will be $20 and will cover all of the regular games. There will be a few additional games, including a winner take-all, that can be purchased at the door. Sponsors who donate a $100 or more will have their name printed on the game program that is provided to all players and will be announced throughout the event. They can also hang signs and/or hand-out trinkets, coupons, etc. to attendees. Their name will also be listed on our Website and Facebook page. If you are interested in sponsoring a game or know someone who is, please get in touch with Julie Villemaire (call or text 286-5474 or email villemaire@maine.rr.com). 4 tickets will be provided to each Rotarian ($20 each) and I would ask that you do your best in trying to sell them. BINGO isn’t just for the old folks anymore (at least 16 years old to play). We’ve been averaging about 60 “pre-sold” tickets each year. Based on our club size, that averages out to less than one ticket sold per member. I’m hoping to have the tickets ready to distribute next week (April 26th). Please call Julie with any questions/concerns. Thank You in advance for your helping in making this the best BINGO event yet! “Just say Yes!” Thank you to our Bingo Sponsors for this year! York County FCU Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution Pension Professionals McAllister Machines Dana Lane, CPA Harborview Lending The Maine Real Estate Network Neil’s Motors Precision Screw Machine Products PSMP P & C Insurance Blue Elephant Catering Bergen & Parkinson Attorneys Gorham Savings Bank Clark Insurance |
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Rotarians Honor Student Essay Winners on Family LifeEach year the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club sponsors an annual essay contest for all eighth graders in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach schools. This year marked the 22nd year they have held the contest. The theme of the essay is “What the Word Family Means to Me,” which focuses on the students’ views of the importance of family life, their understanding, and appreciation of differences that exist with other families. The best essays are selected by the school’s faculty of teachers based on the established criteria: relevance to the topic, quality of composition, creativity, and grammatical, spelling accuracy. On April 12, the first place winners from each participating school were invited to read their essay before an assembly of Rotarians, parents, school principals and teachers. Each was awarded a Certificate of Achievement along with a $100 prize. The first place winners were: Emily Boilard, Biddeford Middle School; Claire Loeser, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Dayja Nguyen, Saco Middle School; Penelope Thao, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Alannah Shevenell, St. James School, Biddeford. Congratulations to the other prize winners who received $50 or $25 prizes as well: Katlyn Bickford and Aliyah Bureau - Biddeford Middle School; Julia Pisani and Hayley Litvinchyk - Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Amy Blanchard and Paige Beaudoin - Saco Middle School; Alison Prejean and Ethan Hutchinson - Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Brian Perrault and Julia Violette - St. James School, Biddeford. The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is pleased to be part of community involvement. If you would like more information on how to become involved with Rotary, please visit their website at www.biddeford-sacorotary.org. PHOTO CAPTION: The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recently awarded winners for their twenty-second annual essay contest (l-r): Dayja Nguyen, Saco Middle School; Claire Loeser, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Alannah Shevenell, St. James School, Biddeford; Penelope Thao, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Emily Boilard, Biddeford Middle School. |
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Thank You for 2nd Annual Foundation Day!Bill Kany and I would like to thank all of you that participated in our 2nd annual Foundation Day on April 19th. That day just happens to be Paul Harris' birthday and this year is the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation. Our goal is to have as many member contribute in some form to the foundation every year. So far between contributions made at the meeting and directly to RI we have had 37 members donate over $2,500 this year. Also thanks to all of you that donated swag for the Yankee swap that helped encourage contributions and added a bit of fun. There is still time if you missed the meeting and would like to donate before we close the books for this Rotary year. Remember that cash, check made out to The Rotary Foundation, or credit cards on the RI website are all ways to may contributions. Thanks again Brian Dallaire Foundation Co-Chair |
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Club Foundation Day 4/19/2017Club Members: Please remember that this Wednesday, April 19, is Rotary Foundation Day. If you have not contributed to the Foundation during Lucie's year (and we have the list), please bring in a check or cash for your contribution to the Rotary Foundation. For every $10.00 you donate up to $100 you will receive a raffle ticket to be drawn for a tremendous treasure trove of swag. If your ticket is drawn you will get to select an item which you can then trade with anyone who selected before you. If you have swag or perhaps a gift card that you will never use, please bring items in so that we will in fact have some things to give away. It was a fun day last year and I am sure this year will be the same so please make every effort to attend this week's meeting at the Run of the Mill. Thanks Bill |
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Passing of Former Club President- Albert DeshaiesAlbert P. Deshaies, 87, of Biddeford passed away on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough. He was born July 9, 1929 in Biddeford, the son of Albert and Therese (Auger) Deshaies. He graduated from St. Louis High School in 1948 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree at Boston College, graduating in the class of 1952.
Al served in the US Army from 1952 to 1955. On June 26, 1954, he and Madeleine Brunelle were married at The Church of Our Lady in Bamberg, Germany.
His work history included 6 years as an agent with Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and 5 years as manager of Canal National Bank in Biddeford. He then served as president of St. Joseph’s Federal Credit Union for 27 years, retiring in 1993. In the following years he worked as a photographer for Paquin & Carroll Insurance.
He was a member and past president of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club and was also recognized by Rotary International as a Paul Harris fellow. Al had a lifetime interest in music and photography. He participated in both St. Louis High School and Boston College bands. He also played in the Alumni Band, the Italian Heritage Center Band, and the Harvard Summer Band.
Al was preceded in death by a son-in-law Frederick Lynch.
Surviving are: Madeleine Deshaies, his wife of 62 years, of Biddeford; one son, Philip Deshaies and his wife Cecile of Biddeford and their children Adrien, Roxanne, Bernard, and Michelle; three daughters, Janice Lynch of Saco and her daughter Alyssa, Celeste Bellerose and her husband Garry of Victor, NY and their son Nathan, Denise Leal of York and her children Caroline and Jonathan.
There will be no visiting hours. A private family service will be held. Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005. Memorial donations in Al’s memory may be made to the Albert “Bruce” Brunelle Memorial Scholarship care of Biddeford High School, 20 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME 04005. To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com.
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Rotary and Schools Collaborate to Host Red Ribbon Awareness WeekRotary and Schools Collaborate to Host Red Ribbon Awareness Week Community urged to attend presentation on April 27 at 6:30pm BIDDEFORD, SACO, OOB, Maine – April 4, 2017 – Every $1 spent on the prevention of drug misuse saves $7 in treatment. To steer our community toward healthy behaviors, the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club’s Red Ribbon Committee is focusing its efforts on preventing young people from slipping into the devastating grip of drug misuse and addiction. Working in conjunction with school educators from Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Saco and Thornton Academy the Rotary’s Red Ribbon Committee is hosting multiple events during their second annual Red Ribbon Awareness Week, April 24-28, with a community-wide presentation on April 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Thornton Academy’s Garland Auditorium. All members of the community are welcome. The event is free and will be livestreamed at www.livestream.com/tatvsac. “Our goal is to serve as a catalyst to mobilize communities, educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities” stated Red Ribbon Committee Co-Chair and Rotarian Jim Godbout. “We all recognize drug misuse is at epidemic proportions in our country. It costs our country billions of dollars each year through tax dollars, so we are all affected directly or indirectly. I applaud the schools for working collaboratively together and with our Rotary Club, and I invite everyone to join us in a culture of change from acceptance of drug misuse in its many forms to all community members living lives of health, wellbeing, and joy.” The tri-community presentation on April 27 encourages individuals and families to reflect upon current trends in drug use and what the community can do to promote healthy behaviors without the influences of illegal drugs or other misused substances. A series of speakers will address the trends in drug use and local effects, including: Bronwyn Barnett and the students in the Toastmasters Club from the Community Bicycle Center will speak about making healthy choices; Bill Paterson of Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance will speak on “”Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain”; Ryan Esbjerg of Flex Your Face University will speak on their unending goal to ignite people's lives through the celebration of small moments in their day; and the top three student t-shirt design winners will be presented with their cash prize awards. In addition to the community-wide presentation, each high school has also planned activities for their students throughout the week of April 24 including all students receiving a free Red Ribbon t-shirt thanks to the following sponsors: Biddeford Savings, Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, P&C Insurance, Maine Magazine, and Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance through the University of New England. The Rotary Club held a t-shirt design contest and An Ho ’18 from Thornton Academy will have her design placed on the front of all the shirts. |
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A couple of thoughts from your Past President If you were not at the meeting on March 29, 2017, then you did not hear Governor Lepage speak. First, it was striking to see the Governor's weight loss. I think most of us know that he had some form of stomach surgery to aid in his weight reduction, but the transformation is amazing. It also seems that his weight loss may have also improved his demeanor to some extent. Some of the information he provided was quite striking and, if it is accurate, then it is difficult to argue with. For example, New Hampshire has no income tax and no sales tax and has the seventh highest real estate taxes in the country. Maine has one of the highest income taxes in the country and sales tax and yet we are the ninth highest taxed state for real estate taxes in the country. While it would seem we have a taxation problem, I would suggest that we also have a spending problem if we need that much revenue. He also shared with us that the cost of solar power is astronomically higher than the cost of electricity generated from coal, natural gas, hydro and bio-energy from forest produce. He indicated that 64% of Maine's electricity comes from renewable sources. That is very good news environmentally, but it is very bad news economically because the cost of renewable energy is substantially higher than other sources. One of the results of these higher energy costs is certainly the loss of some industries in Maine that have found that they can substantially reduce their fuel costs by going south or to other countries. The Governor is clearly an advocate for hydro-electric power and bio-energy, but the bottom line is that the state needs to bring down its energy costs in order to attract new businesses and keep existing businesses. Switching back to taxation, the statistics regarding states with and without income taxes and their economic growth over the last several years are incredibly striking. States without income taxes have experienced substantial economic growth over the last several years while states, like Maine with income taxes, have seen an actual drop in economic output. Unfortunately, the 3% tax that the people of Maine just approved for families earning over $200,000.00 which includes limited liability companies and S-corporations will result in less high earners choosing to relocate to Maine and will force retirees to move to states like Florida which have no income tax. Moving to Florida for a retiree is an instant 7% raise and, if they generate more than $200,000.00 a year, it could be a 10% raise. The interesting thing about the 3% tax is that it was designed to provide funds for teacher salaries and benefits. The reality is that Maine has a constitutional provision that requires the state to fund 55% of the costs of education, but the state has not funded 55% of the cost of education for many of its communities and that is particularly true for communities with larger tax bases. The more rural communities may be receiving 55% of their education costs from the state, but communities like Biddeford and Sale do not. Governor Lepage is pointing out that he has not been reducing expenditures for education and, in fact, has been increasing state expenditures for education while the number of students in grades K-12 has actually diminished significantly over the last few years down to a total of approximately 177,000 students. Governor Lepage's argument is that Maine expends a very low portion of its overall education dollars in the actual classroom as compared to other states. He argues that too much money is spent on administration and other fixed administrative costs that could be reduced with some centralization of those services. Apparently, Maine has 174 superintendents statewide which means that each superintendent is responsible for less students than most high schools have throughout the country. He pointed out that Florida has 3 million students K-12, but yet it only has 64 superintendents throughout the state. The bottom line is that I think we are all sick and tired of giving close to 50% of our income to the local, state or federal government. While many people may not like the Governor's approach, it is difficult to argue that the concept of lowering taxes by bringing spending into control and increasing earnings in the state which can be taxed at reasonable rates to cover the necessary costs of running our government. Perhaps if more people listened to what the Governor was saying as opposed to fretting about how he says it, we would all be better off. Foundation Day Brian Dallaire mentioned that on April 19, 2017 we will have our Second Annual Foundation Day. Everyone in the Club is encouraged to bring in a check or cash for the Rotary Foundation. If you have already contributed to the Foundation, we will be able to verify that. While we have not come up with a specific dollar figure, I will give you the "rules" for the fun part of the meeting. Say for every $10 you contribute to the Foundation, you will receive a raffle ticket. The raffle tickets will go into a pot. One by one we will draw raffle tickets. If we call your number you will get to pick from a table full of swag donated by our members. Each time someone selects a piece of swag, they will be able to trade it with someone who might have already selected an item. The final person whose raffle ticket is selected will have the choice of any item already picked in the room. It is our modified version of a yankee swap. To make the Foundation Day work, we need three things. First, we need people to show up at the meeting. Second, we need members to donate swag from their respective businesses or perhaps a gift card that they might have kicking around. And third, we need everyone to donate to the Rotary Foundation. Again, if you have already donated, we will be able to pull that list, but if you did not donate during Lucie's year, please plan on bringing in a check or cash made payable to the Foundation. This should be a fun way to help support the Foundation and to help Lucie meet her Foundation-giving goals. If you have any questions about Foundation Day, please contact any member of the Foundation Committee including its Chair, Brian Dallaire. Have a great week! |
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Week in Review 3/29/2017Pledge of Allegiance: started by President Lucie Kay @ 12:15 4 Way Test: Roland Gagnon Invocation: Joe Moreshead President-Elect (Jackson Brown) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Visitors: Doug Kay, Renee Huot, Jeff Slayton Chuck Gawauski Jackson announced Rotary meets every Wednesday at 12:15 at Run of the Mill 50/50 Drawing: Don Pilon and gave to the Red Ribbon Committee Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Happy Dollars:
Fines:
Announcements: 1. Lucy thanked everyone for their efforts with the auction. It was a success. 70% of the membership participated in the auction in some way. 2. April 12 is our Essay Contest Day to be held the York County Credit Union, Saco. Parking is limited, please car pool. 3. April 19th-Foundation Day- bring your donation and we will have swag to win. 4. Next Board meeting is April 12th at P & C Insurance. 5. Sarah Neault is back!!! YAY! 6. Red Ribbon T-Shirt design will be chosen later today. Red Ribbon is not only about education but also networking-Jim spent Sunday talking with a parent and connecting her to resources in the community. 7. Jim also announced he will need help with cleaning up the grounds and house in the next few weeks. 8. Dr. Joe Boyles wife is having a surgery. Speaker Presentation: Governor LePage spoke on 3 main points:
Apologies are sent in advance for any misspellings of names. |
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Musings of a Former President 3/27/2017OK let’s hear it for Bernice, she survived being Auction Chair and it would seem that the 28th Annual Rotary Club TV Auction went off with few, if any, hitches. It was tremendous to see so many Rotarians from our club involved, and it is always good to see the collaboration between the two clubs. A few points are worth mentioning. First, I was watching the auction in Greenwood when Jeff Slayton, District Governor Marge Barker and Lucie went on TV. The look on Lucie’s face was like they said to her we are holding your entire family for ransom and you must go on TV with the DG or we will start killing your family members one by one. Does being on TV have to look that painful. While the auction is always a nice collaboration with Saco Bay, each year I am reminded that our club dominates the production of the auction. Julie runs Pick and Pay with unmatched precision. We should all know that without Julie we do not have an auction. Rollie, Ken, Karen and Fausto did far more to keep the auction on time than anyone from the other club. Keep in mind that Ken, as busy as he is, has written the script for the last bunch of years. Jim McAllister and his band of merry men and women (not sure Rob Moody is merry but go with it) kept us tabulated all day. Sure, Sherry McDonald is an integral part of that process but Jim and his crew can sort bid slips faster than a Las Vegas blackjack dealer can shuffle. Lucie made sure everyone was fed and hydrated all day. Laurie Jo, stepping in for CJ, was absolutely crucial in making sure we had the needed phone operators. I know that Paulette Bonneau was a huge help in recruiting students to man the phones. While I am sure that phone bank process was a stressful one, it all appeared so seamless. Even Don Pilon and Conrad Welzel, along with Jackson, were there all day moving display items in and out. While it would be nice to have more physical items, it is always good to be able to show a few things on the screen. It was also fun watching Don try to juggle bike helmets. In talking to Bernice I believe she said that we had over 50 members of our club work on some aspect of the actual auction, and I am not talking about solicitations. That is a tremendous showing that we should be proud of. At the end of the auction I read on the air that we had raised almost $52,000. Bernice told me afterwards that the $52,000.00 number did not include some of the sponsorships which means the number could be higher so stay tuned. The bottom line is that the power of Rotary was on display again and we should all be proud to be part of such a well-run event. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE GOVERNOR IS COMING TO THIS WEEK’S MEETING. LET’S TRY TO HAVE A GOOD SHOWING FOR HIM. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH HIS POLITICS OR HIS ANTICS, BUT HE IS THE GOVERNOR OF OUR STATE, AND QUITE FRANKLY, EACH TIME HE HAS VISITED OUR CLUB IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING. ALSO, WE HAVE TO LEAVE A PARKING SPACE OPEN FOR HIM RIGHT OUT FRONT SO FAUSTO PLEASE DON’T PARK THERE THIS WEEK. Lastly, on April 19 we are going to do our second annual Foundation day. On that day everyone who donates to the Foundation will get a number making them eligible for our swag Yankee swap. If your business has swag please plan on bringing in a few items that each person can pick from, but remember that the person who picks next can steal your new found treasure. We had a lot of fun last year and raised some really good money for the Foundation so please plan on being there on the 19th, bring your Foundation donation, and plan on bringing in some highly sought after business swag. Have a great week. |
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Week in Review 3/22/2017Pledge of Allegiance: By President-Elect Jackson Patriotic Song & who led it: Jackson Brown led the meeting
4 Way Test & who led it: Roland Gagne
Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Moreshead
President-Elect Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests: None this week
Announcements: There will be various announcements from the President & possibly other members of the club. You can always ask for the member’s notes for clarification if needed. -Laurie Jo mentioned we are in desperate need of volunteers for the auction. We still need 6 people on the phone lines. She encouraged anyone who is available to show up at 11:30 Sunday and she will assign a job.She offered to train those who are willing to help out. -Prayers for Lucie Kay, Her mother in law passed away Monday, March 20. -Reminder Gov. Lepage will be attending the 3/29 meeting -Jim gave a rotary house update- flooring will be installed throughout April
50/50 Drawing: List the amount and who the winner was. Sometimes the winner will donate the proceeds back to the club and earmark it for a specific cause. $ 31 Winner: Earl Goodwin to Red Ribbon
Sargent At-Arms: Matt Simmons -Bill Kany- Was fined and actually gave money! -Roland Gagne spoke of a $7500 contribution that was made to the club
Happy Dollars: _Bronwyn- Happy that Community Bicycle Center was awarded a 6 year grant to implement a 7th grade to graduation mentoring program. -Lawrence Boyle- 2 sons celebrated birthdays -Conrad- 6 mo old granddaughter was very ill and is now doing well and recovering. FINES: Tammy, Bill Kany, Rob Moody, Mark Nahorney, & Jeremy Ray for receiving Reader’s Choice awards, and congrats too!
Speaker Presentation: George Powell visited our Rotary Club today
George is the CEO of Summit Diagnostics, a company that he started in 1988. They perform drug testing, and they have a clear understanding of laws, drug addiction, & recovery. They watch drug related trends. He presented a power point presentation which included everything from how addiction happens, to the effects on a person, to the consequences of drug use. Maine has the highest rate of drug use over any other state. Addiction most typically starts from prescription drugs. This occurs when a patient is prescribed a medication to take for pain and is on it for too long and becomes dependent. 15,000 people die each year from drug overdoses. 78 people die each day in the US from overdoses. They are from prescription drugs, opioids, stimulants, and central nervous system drugs. Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate, is coming to US from China, and is a huge problem here. Drug screening may be performed via saliva test or a urine test. The machines that scan saliva samples cost around $300,000! The urine sample test kits cost around $7 and test for 16 different drugs. They can indicate whether a drug is present but won’t tell you which specific drugs are present. George gave a very informative talk and we all learned what a widespread epidemic this has become. James A. said we are all subject to a urine sample after the meeting *
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Rotary TV Auction |
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Rotary TV Auction Items Page 1 |
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Rotary TV Auction Items Page 2 |
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Week In Review 3/15/2017Pledge of Allegiance: started by President Lucie Kay @ 12:15 4 Way Test: Elaine Palmitessa Invocation: Jim Audiffred PE Jackson Brown announced Rotary meets every Wednesday at 12:15 at Run of the Mill. There were no visitors todayAnnouncements:
50/50 Drawing: Tammy Ackerman won the $23 and donated it to the Red Ribbon Committee Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Sarah Curley and Matt Simmons Happy Dollars: Joe Boyle is just happy. Brenda P. is happy that her 8-year-old granddaughter is adopted today. Jackson B attended PETS and realized our club is far ahead of many others. Karen Chasse was happy because she got a car for the first time ever that has a warranty. Elaine P had to pay because she made an error on Brenda P.'s birthdate. Jackson had to pay for his beautiful looks. Heather M forgot the 4 Way test. Lucy started the meeting late. Joe Moreshead is sporting the Tom Cruise look. Lucy thanked Joe M. for picking up the water from Poland Spring for the Auction. Joe had to pay for not being available next Saturday. Speaker Presentation: Guy and John representing the 00B Ballpark.
Work items at the Ballpark 1.Complete terrace deck and stairs. (Skills carpentry, painting.)
Jackson Brown spoke a little bit more about his PETS experience:
Adam Parent shared a little about himself with our remaining time:
2 New members were inducted: Linda Verville and Debbie Burrs Apologies are sent in advance for any misspellings of names. |
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Week in Review 3/8/2017President Lucie started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Joe Boyle led the 4 Way Test and Jim Audiffredprovided the invocation.
Vice President Bernice Wood introduced visiting Rotarians & Guests: Terri Wentworth
Auction Update: We have all of the items! The boards will be put together this afternoon. Thanks to Julie for typing up the slips and Joe Moreshead for constant interruptions. Bill Kanywas able to secure 3 $500 sponsorships! Sign-up sheet for kitchen duty will be going around. Julie requested volunteers to help call bidders from last year whose email bounced back. There is also a sign-up sheet for various duties in the Pic N pay area.
April 12th is the Essay Contest which will be held at People’s Choice FCU (not Duffy’s) on the Industrial Park Road in Sac
President Lucie is looking for volunteers to plan a celebration for the Rotary House on May 31st.
Jim Godbout: Red Ribbon week is April 24th-28th. Meeting is rescheduled from 21st to the 20th. The new t-shirt design is due next week.
Rotary House: This has had tremendous in-kind donations in our community! Tremblay Cabinets, Distinctive Tile, Maine Marble & Granite. “This Old House” producer may make an appearance! Jim also announced that we got a second house to renovate. It is located at 518 Main Street, Biddeford.
Anniversaries: Paul Deschambault-18 Years! Elaine Palmitessa-5 Years!
The 50/50 was won by Jim Audiffred.
Sargent of Arms: Happy Dollars: Julie- Happy auction items are in Joe Boyle – Hopeful $ for wife’s good health Adam- Happy to be back Mark- City Theater show opening Joe Moreshead-Snowshoeing win Don Pilon-Tammy Ackerman new member Paul Deschambault - Happy to be back Matt- Son won tournament Nicole- Booming real estate market Fausto- Leaving for New Orleans
Fines: Bernice- Coffee Mug; Jim Godbout-Maine Home Magazine; Paul D. – Facebook beach photo; Jeremy Ray-didn’t provide happy $ for new Rotary house; Roland- special meal.
New Members Inducted: Tammy Ackerman and Amanda Coward
Speaker: Commissioner of York County Government, Marston Lovell
Discussed the Opiate Crisis 2015- 36 people died in York County There are at least a dozen people a day needing detox before going to jail. Trying to divert the drug users from going to jail & getting the help they need.
Greg Zinger ): Location is adjacent to the County Jail 64 bed facility recovery center proposed to be open for York County Permitted for 36 beds at this time Working of funding / tax dollars $1.7 million needed to start and operate For more information visit www.yorkcountymaine.gov |
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Week in Review 3/1/2017Pledge of Allegiance: started by President Lucie Kay @ 12:15
4 Way Test:
Invocation Joe Moreshead
President-Elect (Jackson Brown) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
Announcements: 1. Rotary Auction items need to be submitted ASAP. At this time there is a significant shortage. The next Rotary Committee will meet March 10th.
2. Jim has been successful in his endeavors to gain t-shirts for all the kids in the three school districts participating in Red Ribbon events in April. Brady Printing is working with Jim.
3. Essay contest is April 12th at Duffy’s Tavern
4. Rotary House Celebration-May 31st
Rotarians and community members that contributed to the successful project will convene at COT. Lucie is looking for a small committee to organize this event.
Sergeant At-Arms (SAA): Sarah and Matt
Speaker Presentation: Classifications were done instead of a presentation
No speakers this week
Classification: Brenda Pollock is an old member new member. She is thrilled to be back after a 12 year hiatus. She thanked her parents for raising her with the values she has and has proudly passed it on to her two children. She started her career in Maine as the Director in the Chamber of Commerce Industry and National Historic Preservation Main Street development program. She then became a Public Relations Manager for a national waste-to-energy facility. She then managed an international regional airline start-up which led her to Montreal where she was promoted to VP of Sales and Marketing with an international aviation company. In 2012 she launched her own business to assist companies improve culture and make a positive impact on their bottom line. She has written two books and spent two years sailing on the East Coast with her best friend and captain whom she married in 2015.
Apologies are sent in advance for any misspellings of names.
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Week in Review 2/22/2017Pledge of Allegiance
4 Way Test led by Randy Forcier
Invocation by Jim Audiffred
Jackson Brown Introduced guests:
Bill Leffler - visiting Rotarian
Betty Balderston
Debra Burrows
Bernice update on TV Auction:
Only 145 items have been collected so far
265 items to go
All items need to be in by February 24
Auction is scheduled for 26 March
Fairpoint is sending us a check for $1500 for phone service
Items are to be dropped off at Precision Screw at 30 Gooch St. or
brought to the meeting (but please do not bring canoes to Run of the
Mill).
Jim Godbout gave an update on the Rotary House: They have selected an interior decorator who is helping with picking colors, cabinetry and flooring. Ground work will start in the spring.
Red Ribbon update: Looking for businesses interested in sponsoring the Red Ribbon t-shirts for all high school students in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach. Cost will be between $15k and $18k.
Lucie inducted new member Brenda Pollock.
Update by Conrad on Wine Tasting:
Final tally (almost):
$11,825 income
$3,975 expenses
$7,850 net income
Sargent-at-arms:
Happy dollars were flying around:
Joe Boyle: great visit with granddaughters
Brenda: fifth time grandmother
Conrad: happy about wine tasting success
Bernice: happy Conrad sent thank you notes
Laurie Jo: accounting is done
Sabine: happy fellow Rotarians covered note taking; happy to see her dad in Miami
Lucie: happy Karen watched her mother-in-law
Fines:
Lucie started the meeting late.
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Betty Balderston from Legal Services for the ElderlyBetty shared a presentation with us. Some facts from those slides include:
11-24% of people over the age of 60 experience some form of elder abuse.
Abuse can be:
Abusers tend to be:
Estimates are that only 1 in 14 cases are ever reported.
Red flags that may indicate abuse is taking place:
Responses
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Week in Review 2/15/2017Ah!, another week and another Rotary meeting. For the second week in a row attendance was pretty skinny. I'm guessing that the weather has contributed to the downturn in attendance. For us healthy folk who park in the lower parking, we can attest to the fact that the parking lot is shrinking very quickly.
Despite the small attendance, we are certainly capable of making a lot of noise. In fact, Lucie was half way through the pledge of allegiance before anyone noticed that she was "leading us" in the pledge. Most effective leaders look around to make sure that people are following. I actually have no recollection who led us in the four-way test, but it's the same four-way test every week so I'm sure you could live without that information.
Clynk, Clynk, Clynk.
Julie Villemaire put new Clynk bags (they are a different color now) on the tables. We have been shirking our drinking responsibilities for the last few months and I believe the Clynk numbers are down. So drink up Rotarians so we can help support those young girls in Africa as they continue their education. Our livers be dammed.
That Was One Hell Of A Prayer.
Joe Moreshead occasionally provides our invocations and usually takes about 10 seconds to thank God for doing so much and asking so little, but this week he decided that it was time for a democratic filibuster. In fact, Joe read a letter from a Civil War soldier which letter was apparently read at the Inauguration by Chuck Schumer. You may know that Chuck Schumer is now the leading Democratic Senator in the United States Senate. I am guessing that Senator Schumer figured that if he read this letter it would delay Trump's swearing in by at least a year since the letter was quite long. Of course, Joe prefaced the letter by saying it was only a couple of paragraphs, but I do believe that at least two Rotarians passed out while he was reading it. The letter was an eloquent dissertation from the soldier to his wife and children professing his love for them but also confessing that he was torn between his love of country and his love of family and felt that he had no choice but to fight for his country. Perhaps this was Schumer's way of identifying that President Trump may have a conflict between his love of country and his love of his other businesses. In any event, I am always astounded by the poetic nature of these old letters from men and women, many of whom had little education and I try to compare them to today when a soldier's communications to his wife and children might be a hashtag followed by one hundred and forty characters. I can see it now “#I might die today love you.” After Joe's filibuster, he then gave his patented brief prayer and the meeting continued with more than a few members scratching their heads.
Essay Contest.
Lucie reminded everyone that the Essay Contest meeting will be held on April 12 at Peoples Choice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. We might want to consider carpooling, because there is somewhat limited parking there, but I can assure you that the room itself is more than large enough for the Club and all of our guests on that day. After all it was built by a credit union which does not have to worry about paying real estate taxes, income taxes, you name it. However, I do think the indoor lap pool is a little over the top.
Secondary Office for Blue Elephant Catering.
Apparently, our Rotary meetings are also the second office for Fausto who received a couple of phone calls during the meeting until he practically broke his phone trying to shut it off.
Auction.
SOLICIT! SOLICIT! SOLICIT! Bernice announced that with nine days left to go before our solicitation deadline, we only have 72 items turned in. That is horrible. If any members of the Club are sitting around thinking that they do not need to solicit items because other people will do it, please think again. Our Club is responsible for a minimum of half of the items which means that we need to bring in 205 items. While the lion's share of the 72 items may have come from our Club, we desperately need everyone to step up and solicit some local businesses to get the items in by February 24th. I know people joke about that deadline not being the real deadline, but it is the real deadline. After all the items come in, Julie Villemaire has to enter them all into the system and then they all need to be placed on individual quickie and big boards. Procrastinating on soliciting items results in all of the back office activities being delayed which means that there is a logistical crisis as we approach the auction itself. If you do not know who to solicit, please ask. Bernice shared a list of Chamber businesses some of which are on our existing list but many of which are not. They are great potential donors. Please make the effort to go out and solicit a few items. Again, if everyone in our Club solicits three to four items, we have all that we need with the hope that Saco Bay will do the same.
Bernice also announced that there are still 10 quickie board sponsorships left. These are $175.00 sponsorships which is a great way for a business to support the auction when that business does not have a product or service to donate.
Julie Villemaire also made a push for making sure that people fill out their solicitation slips completely. Keep in mind that you may be very familiar with the donating business but our prospective bidders may not be. Take the time to be a little descriptive. That will help the auctioneers when they are describing each one of the items. This is a huge fundraiser for us so we need all hands on deck to make this work.
Red Ribbon Committee.
Jim Godbout announced that our Red Ribbon Week will again be held at the end of April during the week of April 24. The Red Ribbon Committee will be meeting on February 21st at 5:30 at the Community Bicycle Center to discuss Red Ribbon Week and to discuss the T-shirts that we were going to supply to each student from Biddeford High School, Old Orchard Beach High School and Thornton Academy. We will be trying to reach out to businesses in the community to get sponsorships for those T-shirts.
Rotary House Project.
Jim Godbout also announced that the students are currently hanging interior trim in the 471 Main Street, Biddeford Rotary House. Diane Tremblay is in the process of building the custom cabinets for the house which is a fantastic donation. Jim also mentioned that someone had donated the garage door for the garage which is another significant contribution to our project. Both Jim and Jeremy Raye mentioned that discussions are now ongoing related to possibly acquiring a new house for the students to work on located at 518 Main Street in Biddeford which is directly across from the Center of Technology. This is a much larger house. It could be a great project for the students and our Club. Jeremy mentioned that there will be an upcoming meeting with the City Council to discuss the prospect of providing another house toour Club, so if any Biddeford residents could email their councilors in support of the project, it would be greatly appreciated.
Sergeants-at-Arms
Fausto, Sarah and Matt then got up to do their Sergeants-at-Arms' thing. There were a number of happy dollars including Matt Simmons heading to Florida. He also mentioned there would be no adult education classes due to the snow. It is my hope that Matt doesn't miss too many of those classes because he is in line to get his GED this spring at which time he will be able to spell his name properly. Carl Goodwin was happy because he won $750.00 in the Doc's Tavern Super Bowl pool. No one was surprised. Dr. Joe Boyle was happy because he was able to make the meeting because he could not catch his cat to get him one last shot before going in to have his cat's blood sugar test. Oh, the things we do for our pets! Sue Gajewski arrived at the meeting in time to get one of Jim Audiffred's cookies. Lucie paid Karen Chasse to announce that the York County Federal Credit Union was able to cut Karen's interest rate in half on her car loan. One should certainly marvel at the things that a non-profit organization can provide to its members. Roland Gagne left his jacket on for the entire meeting because he was forced to sit with Lucie. Steve Morin celebrated 17 years in the Club and Randy Forcier was celebrating 10 years in the Club. Nicole Carroll bemoaned celebrating Valentine's Day alone and in response to that Fausto indicating that Valentine's is overrated. Finally, I should note that I won the 50/50 this week and donated the money to the Sergeants-at-Arms so they would leave me alone for at least one week.
Final Appeal.
I will end with one final appeal that every Club member make a concerted effort to get their auction items in as soon as possible. If you cannot get them to Joe Moreshead's place of business, please call Bernice and she can pick them up. It does no good to keep them at your office or in your car. We need to get them in as soon as possible so that we can have another successful TV auction. Thanks for all of your help and have a great week.
Respectfully and sometimes disrespectfully submitted by Bill Kany |
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Scott Macdonald from Modern WoodmanOur guest speaker this week was Scott McDonald (a/k/a Mark McDonald if you ask Joe Moreshead or Fausto) from the fraternal organization known as "Modern Woodmen". Modern Woodmen has been around since 1883 and is really a financial advising firm though it also has insurance components and apparently is also a bank. It is a non-profit organization which was originally established to support widows and orphans, in other words the same membership as credit unions. All of its customers are its owners similar to a mutual savings bank or a credit union, but Modern Woodmen is a very large multi-billion dollar nationwide organization which is one of largest financial service organizations in the country.
The interesting thing about its business model is that because it is a non-profit, it pays no taxes and with the funds that are saved from not paying taxes it donates that money back to the communities that it serves. Scott McDonald indicated that last year Modern Woodman contributed $636,000.00 to different causes in the State of Maine. Modern Woodmen's primary benevolent effort includes a matching fund program in which they will match different fundraising efforts up to $2,500.00.
Modern Woodmen sells the same investment products and provides the same services that most banks and other financial advising firms may provide but their emphasis is on promoting community. They sponsor speech contests for third to sixth graders and they provide educational materials for a whole host of subjects from ecology awareness to financial literacy. They also provide every day hero awards to individuals in the community who go above and beyond the call of duty and those individuals receive a plaque and $100 to donate to their favorite charity. Modern Woodmen, like our Rotary Club, sponsors a number of college scholarships, and, like our Club, they also enjoy getting involved in hands-on projects.
The reason we invited Scott McDonald of Modern Woodmen to come and speak, is because his organization matched the funds raised at the Chamber of Commerce auction this year resulting in a significant contribution to our Red Ribbon Committee. No one really knew what Modern Woodmen was about so this gave us a chance to learn about Modern Woodmen while also giving Scott an opportunity to let us know about all of the good things that his company is involved in. It would certainly seem that our Club might be able to collaborate with Modern Woodmen in the future on other projects and, if you are involved in any other non-profits, you may want to reach out to Scott (who has fantastic chocolate business cards).
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Week in Review 2/8/2017
Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson 4 Way Test: Julie Invocation: JoeMoreshead President-Elect Presided at today's meeting; Jackson Brown (Lucie was unable to attend) Bernice Woodintroduced visiting Rotarians; None. Guests; Amanda Coward and Linda Vermille
ANNOUNCEMENTS; Auction meeting this Friday at Saco Biddeford Savings rear door with green awmng. Bring Auction Items to Precision Screw Company, 30 Gooch Street, Biddeford by 2/24/17. QUICKY BOARD spaces are still available $175.00/space. Order yours now! Charitable Giving meeting with Jim McAllister meeting after club meeting today. Joe Bassett is in the hospital. Has just undergone surgery. Need a TACK person for next week, 2/15/17. Wine & Beer Tasting Update: Conrad has unofficially calculated gross revenues of approximately $10,000.00. He is adding up expenses. Could net about $6,500.00. Conrad wants to thank everyone that helped out with the Wine and Beer tasting especially his committee. Ken Farley, Jim Godbout, Karen with sponsors, Steve Morin, Fausto with food and 50/50. Fausto contributed $1,050.00 from food revenue to Red Ribbon. 50/50 Drawing: Carl Goodwin... $24.00 to Red Ribbon
Sargent At-Arms: Dr. Joe found himself practicing veterinary medicine recently to a diabetic cat. Jeremy was in Houston for the Super Bowl and all was well at home. Karen's son has been promoted to a supervisor at Titan Supply Matt' s4th grade son is on the basketball circuit and scoring well. Bernicebrought a guest today, Linda Vermille Conrad contributed $5.00 to celebrate a successful Wine & Beer Tasting. Fausto's birthday this month Joe's tag line on Facebook-Shameless Jackson started the meeting at 12:17 (2 minutes late) Keith didn't like Bills short haircut Sue a dollar Heather just wanted to contribute a dollar
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Janice Budzik-Conley, a Tech-Integrator from CK Bums School in Saco
Janice Budzik-Conley, a Tech-Integrator from CK Bums School in Saco spoke about the "Read to ME" Challenge. The Read to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign to promote childhood literacy in Maine held during February 2017. The Read to ME Challenge is an Opportunity to contribute to a child's literacy growth by reading aloud to one or more children for at least 15 minutes, to capture that reading episode via a photo and post it on social media to challenge others to do the same. Over 100 Maine schools, community literacy teams and other literacy-related organizations partnered in the 2016 campaign. Janice was here today to ask the Biddeford/Saco Rotary Club to participate in this reading program this month in our local schools. A number of Rotarians have volunteered to read to students in local schools. If you are interested contact Fausto.
Maine Department of Education - Read to ME Challenge The Read to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign to promote childhoodliteracy in Maine held during February 2017.
What was the Read to ME Challenge?
The Read to ME Challenge is an opportunity to contribute to a child's literacy growth by reading aloud to one or more children for at least 15 minutes. The steps for taking the challenge are listed below and you can access resources to promote the challenge through the links on the lefthand side of this page. You can also read about how the challenge ReadtoME is spreading across Maine by visiting the Read to ME Challenge articles.
Steps for Taking the Read to ME Challenge • Read to and/or have a child/children read to you for at least 15minutes.
• Read an engaging book, chapter of a novel, newspaper ormagazine article, comics, nursery rhymes or poetry.
• Capture a photograph of short video (15-30 seconds) of yourself reading to the child.
• Use #ReadtoME or #ReadaloudME to post the photoor video on social media with your challenge to others toread aloud 15 minutes to a child or children they know.
• Recommended social media platforms include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Youtube.
• If you live a distance from a child you'd like to read to, useSkype or Facetime to read aloud via digital means.
• If you are unable to complete the challenge within 48 hours,consider:
0 Donating a book to a school or public library, a food cupboard, a homeless shelter or a little free library near where you live. 0 Volunteering your time at a library. 0 Singing to or having a conversation with a child (these methods build language, too). For more information, contact Lee Anne Larsen, Literacy Specialist for the Maine DOE.
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Musings of a Former President 2/6/2017At the end of the Superbowl (can I type Superbowl without paying Goodell?) I so badly wanted to take control of Bob Kraft’s mind and have him take the Lombardi Trophy from Goodell and then step back and flip Goodell the bird on national TV. It might have been the most fitting ending to one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Goodell, who was cheering for any of the other 31 teams in the league to win the Superbowl, had to be incredibly bummed that Atlanta let this game slip away.
I can tell you when I am old and completely bald (I can’t say gray because I am clearly there already) I will be sure to tell my yet unborn grandchildren to never give up like Tom Brady and the 2017 Superbowl Champions who scored 31 unanswered points in one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time. Heather MacLean, the Patriots won the Superbowl and no Andrew Benintendi does not play for the Patriots. I will tell that that most of the commercials during the Superbowl sucked and well halftime was Lady freakin’ Gaga hanging from some wires (that would have been a fantastic wardrobe malfunction), but it was a second half of football for the ages.
On a totally unrelated matter, solicit, solicit and solicit some more for the auction. The February 24 deadline is real. There is a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work to get the items lined up on the Quickie and Big Boards so please do your asks and get the items either to Bernice or to Joe Moreshead. If you have stuff that needs to be picked up call Bernice and she can get it. If someone would please get a frig donated I would love to see a full size rig on the roof of Bernice’s car. And as a reminder, gift cards are great and always acceptable but if you can get some nice physical items they make the auction better.
Finally, the essay contest meeting will be on April 12. We tried to do it at Duffy’s again but they want an arm and a leg for a lunch buffet so we are looking at alternative locations. If anyone has any suggestions for a larger location for the essay contest please let Lucie know. I do know that we had the essay contest at Run of the Mill during Ken’s year and Ken worked hard on the speaker system, but the fact remains that some of the students are very soft spoken and a quieter location which will enable all of us to hear their great essays and their messages would be better.
Have another great week.
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Michael Thibodeau; President of the Maine SenateMichael briefed us on some the issues the Legislature is working on. The Maine Supreme Court will be looking at the ranked choice voting referendum that passed to determine its constitutionality. Also evaluating the recreational marijuana statute and studying the after effects of other states, like Colorado, who have legalized it. One interesting statistic he cited was that in Colorado, traffic fatalities rose 37% since the law passed. (editorial note: this does not prove cause and effect). Looking into restoring the tip credit for wait staff. He also spoke about the many special interest groups who are behind the voter ballot questions and how they write the referendums, often without much regard for the legality of the wording. |
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Week in Review 2/1/2017Pledge of Allegiance
4 Way Test led by Bronwyn Barnett Invocation by Joe Moreshead Jackson Brown Introduced guests: Cassandra Mooers Amanda Coward Deborah Taylor Update by Conrad on Wine Tasting: No totals yet overall but the 50/50 earned $600 and the silent auction close to $1500. Expected to be about $3000 in ticket sales once all the money is turned in. We should have done as well as last year, if not better. Thanks to all who volunteered and thanks to Heather for getting tablecloths. Bernice update on TV Auction: All items need to be in by February 24 Auction is scheduled for 26 March Members should have received packets with info. from last year's donations. Packets and lists are in place so multiple members don't solicit from the same merchants several times. Items are to be dropped off at Precision Screw at 30 Gooch St. or brought to the meeting (but please do not bring canoes to Run of the Mill). Lucie announced that York County Community College held a fundraiser selling off pavers and our club bought two of them. One of them bears A.W. Kany Jr.'s name and the other bears the name of our club. She passed them around for all to see (pictures of them; not the actual stones). Mark Nahorney informed us that he has the Rotary t-shirts and the list of all that ordered them. Please pick them up if you ordered one or he will sell them to someone else. Roland Gagne gave an update of the refugee grant. The final movement of funds to the project is near and there is a shortfall of around $1000. Jim Godbout gave an update on the Rotary House: the sheetrock is being taped and painted as well as the interior trim. To celebrate all the participants, club members, COT students, and the local tradespeople who donated skills and materials, Jim announced a huge party will be held at the COT on May 31st. Red Ribbon update: The committee has launched a t-shirt design competition to kids in the OOB-Saco-Biddeford schools with prizes of $500, $250, and $100 to be awarded for the best 3 designs. Lucie presented service awards to the following people: Sabine McElrath - 1 year Steve Morin - 17 years Craig Pendleton - 2 years Randy Forcier - 10 years Sargent-at-arms: Happy dollars were flying around: Mark: City Theater won 2 awards in Broadway News Craig: in honor of his cousin who recently passed away Conrad: the wine tasting event is over and he is leaving government affairs at the end of June Joe: happy to be a member of this club Heather: sad about a recent funeral Jeremy: lucky to have met Karen who just landed him a $50,000 grant for fancy lights Randy: scored the beer sale event of the week days before the Super Bowl Bronwyn: happy to pass out ballots so CBC can win a grant from Bangor Savings Fausto: happy for help with the 50/50 at the Wine tasting The rest of the people were fined: Lucie: starting a minute late Jackson: missing our song date last Wednesday Karen: for calling Fausto greedy at the 50/50 Fausto: for parking out front (fines aren't really working on that one) Randy: for ordering a special lunch Bernice: for ordering a special drink Joe: having no respect for Lucie and chatting up his table of female guests Various: late dues |
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David S. Nealley, Publisher, Maine Senior Magazine
David S. Nealley, Publisher Maine Seniors Magazine “For the prime of your life”
This presentation is for mature audiences only
“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm” Henry David Thoreau
What does it mean to be a senior? Or a senior partner = credentialed, experienced one with vast knowledge and the wisdom to know when and where to use it. All national statistics and Maine’s stats show we will need our seniors to stay in the work force longer. Mentoring in the business world is an increasingly common way to share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of workers. Maine has the highest volunteer rate in the nation due directly to the volunteer spirit of its seniors. Seniors 50 plus control 70% of the discretionary income and 80% of the financial assets in Maine. This group buys approximately 42% of all new cars and 48% of all luxury cars. Approximately 20% of Mainers are 65 and older. Three facts that make seniors an asset to Maine: 1. The value of volunteer time 2. The value of experience and knowledge on non-profit boards to government service and private sector boards 3. The philanthropy
Myth vs Fact
The majority of older people suffer from poor health; Fact is very few older people report having really serious problems or being in very poor health and only 4-5% are in nursing homes.
Older people are less productive than younger people; Fact is most older perform as well or better compared to younger workers
Older people have a loss of mental acuity. Fact is only 7% of people over 65 suffer from any form of mental loss. Question: What is a Senior Moment? Answer: Cognitive overload.
Seniors are not liabilities but instead are tremendous assets to Maine. It is true that only 23% of Mainers age 60 and older own smart phones and only 45% of those 65 and over are online. This is why we started MAINE SENIORS Magazine. Plus, we thought it was important to turn around and control the narrative.
Maine has Senior Power! It’s Maine’s greatest natural resource.
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Week in Review 1/25/2017
Pledge of Allegiance: Jackson Brown (Lucie was not in attendance) No Patriotic Song 4 Way Test: Jim Godbout Invocation: Jim Audiffred No Visiting Rotarians and 1 guest. Sara Brouillard (a new member in our club) Announcements Announcements; Auction is March 26, 2017. Packets are out. Please solicit those people and companies that donated last year. There is a list of donations on the Rotary website. Please review if you’re not acquainted with this donor list before you go out into the community to solicit donations. QUICKY BOARD-Anyone interested in being a Quicky Board sponsor contact Dan Cote. Auction Posters are now available: Pick one up at the next meeting and post it in your place of business as well as in your community. The neighborhood pharmacy, coffee shop, Hannaford’s, Shaw’s, Banks Credit Unions, Rapid Ray’s, Schools, Municipal Buildings, Rec Centers, Senior Centers, Churches and your Facebook page. 11th Annual Rotary Wine & Beer Tasting this Saturday 6:30PM-8:30PM at the Pepperell Mill Campus, Biddeford. Bring sold ticket money to the next meeting.. No tickets for sale at the door. Need help with set-up and clean-up. House Update-Jim Godbout, boiler is in, taping of sheetrock is on schedule. Looking at building a garage if setbacks can be met. Planning a cookout on site in May to celebrate the completion of the house and obtaining a certificate of occupancy. Red Ribbon Week, April 24-29. School Community night April 26th at Thornton Academy. Program being developed. A special Tee-shirt is being explored with students designing a logo for RR Week. THANK YOU CARDS from Peggy Bean’s Family and Sister Joanne from the Ester House. Jackson Brown and Bernice Wood (Bernice was the sponsor) officially welcomed new member Sara Brouillard into the club. Sara works for The Maine Real Estate Network in Saco. 50/50 Drawing: $31.00 in the pot was won by, Nicole Carroll Sargent At-Arms: Ken Farley-his son has been accepted to the Maine Maritime Academy, Dr. Joe sold 4 tickets to the wine & beer tasting to some of his Ogunquit Rotarians. Conrad’s new kitchen is completed. Fausto, his business has won a national award! Something else about letting his daughter go skiing with Joe and now she has come down with a cold. Anniversaries: Keith Jacques 21 years, Matt Simmons 12, Don Pilon 1. Unpaid Dues: Matt, Naomi, Roland, Mark.
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Musings from a Former President 1/19/2017Former President's Message
Rotary Tack – January 25, 2017
For those of you who did not make the joint auction kick off meeting with Saco Bay on January 19, you failed to see the strong silent type in action. Our fearless auction leader, Bernice Wood, managed to make it through the entire auction presentation without uttering a word. Now that had to take willpower. For those who know Bernice, you know she can talk a blue streak. She can talk a dog off a meat truck. For her to defer to her co-chair and let Saco Bay suck up the lime light had to be difficult, but her presence was clearly felt.
In all seriousness, it is auction time again. The auction is our largest fundraiser and it is a lot of work and a lot of fun. First, we have to get the big part of the job done which is to solicit 410 items. Between our two clubs there are about 140 members. Do the math folks. That’s 3 items each. We should all be able to do that in our sleep, especially because some people do a lot more than that. Please get out there and solicit some good stuff. We would love to see more physical items. This is a TV auction, not a radio auction. We want to show stuff off instead of just showing Karen in her crazy hats. So work your magic, ask donors to stretch and see what we can get to make the 28th Annual Auction the biggest one yet.
If you have a business that does not have a product or service that can be auctioned off or you solicit such a business ask them for a Quickie Board sponsorship ($175.00) or a Big Board sponsorship ($600.00). Both provide the business with good exposure in both the paper and on TV (we are actually shown all over the state and livestreamed as well) and help to support both Rotary Clubs. In addition, we always accept cash gifts that we can use to purchase goods at a discount to fill out the auction, and again, cash helps us bring in more money for all the causes we support.
Finally (almost), mark your calendars for March 26, auction day. Please be there to answer phones, tabulate, be on air, help with “Pick and Pay” or to keep the food flowing to all the workers that day. Auction day really is a lot of fun and a great chance to work directly with your fellow club members and the members of the Saco Bay Club.
Incidentally, please do not ask Heather MacLean what a Quickie Board is. She seems confused by the term which she seems to think has something to do with Adam Benintendi.
Lastly, for those of you who did not attend the meeting on the 19th you may not appreciate with the legalization of marijuana our battle cry of “Bid High, Bid Often” has new significance. Impaired bidding means larger bids and more money for us. Impaired auction workers mean the need for more munchies, more FEC violations and the need to check and recheck all information. An altered states auction should be fascinating.
Enjoy the week.
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Solicitation Letter for AuctionBiddeford - Saco Rotary ClubSaco Bay Rotary Club Lucie Kay - President Jeff Slaton - President
TWENTY- EIGHTH ANNUAL ROTARY/TIME WARNER TV AUCTION SUNDAY, March 26th, 2017 12:00 to 9:00 PM
The Rotary Clubs of Saco Bay and Biddeford - Saco are pleased to announce their Twenty-Eight Annual TV Auction in collaboration with Time Warner Cable of Maine. Over the past 28 years we have raised over a million dollars that we have used to support countless community groups and charities. Please see the back of this letter for a listing of some of our club activities and the groups with which we have partnered on projects or supported financially.
Your past participation is greatly appreciated and once again, we need your help and continued supportto make this another successful Rotary auction. In fact, our goal is to make our 28th auction the biggest ever.
There are many ways to help! We are seeking: ➢ 410 donated items or gift certificates with a retail value of at least fifty dollars ($50)and we suggest an item that is of interest to a broad segment of the public and represents your business well.
➢ Quickie Board Sponsors for $175 each (36 available). Your business will be recognized on air as the sponsor of this ten-minute bidding board.
➢ Big Board Sponsors for $600 each (five available). Your business will be recognized on air as the sponsor of this 90-minute bidding board. These boards will contain auction items valued over $250.
➢ Major sponsors. Your business will be recognized on air with a banner or through a sponsorship of a big board item which will be featured during the 90-minute bidding boards.
The auction will again take place at the J. Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford. It is an icon within our communities that provides an efficient location in which to run the auction and a convenient place for the people who purchase the auction items to pick them up. The auction is a fast paced, exciting event with very few idle minutes and the space allows the public to see how we do it all. Thousands of phone calls will be taken by volunteers from all over Maine and even other parts of the country while Rotarians auction off items and try their best to entertain.
We hope that you will help us produce another successful auction with your generous donation that allows you to help the community and gain recognition for your business. A Rotarian will be in touch with you soon to talk about your potential participation in this year’s auction or to perhaps discuss sponsorship opportunities. Thank you for your consideration.
AUCTION CO-CHAIRS
Bernice Wood Biddeford – Saco Rotary Club www.biddeford-sacorotary.org
David LePauloue Saco Bay Rotary Club www.sacobayrotary.org
The following is a partial listing of organizations and community projects that have received local Rotary Club support through the funds raised at our Auctions.
Bon Appetite Soup KitchenCamp Susan Curtis Camperships Local Food PantriesHandicapped Accessibility Donations York County Child Abuse & Neglect CouncilCommunity Support Services, Inc Salvation ArmyHigh School Youth Exchange Programs YMCA of Southern MaineTomorrow’s Promise Playground Rotary Youth Leadership (RYLA)American Legion Post 26 Vocational House Project at BiddefordDictionary Project for 3rd Graders YWCAProject AWARE, Inc. UNE ScholarshipsSaco River Walk Program Thornton Academy ScholarshipsBiddeford & Adult Community Education Biddeford High School ScholarshipsMcArthur Library Annex Old Orchard Beach High ScholarshipsCrop Walk Maine Toys for TotsBiddeford Recreation Department Biddeford City TheaterCounseling Services, Inc. Thornton Academy GazeboEastern Trail Alliance Saco Heath Nature WalkVOANNE Veterans Services Cascade Falls Nature TrailSaco Little League SMMC Cancer Care and Pediatric AsthmaDay One Senior Connection-Home Safety ProgramRotary Park Open Hands Open HeartSt. James School Visiting Nurses Service Daycare CenterBiddeford Community Center Maine Children’s Cancer ProgramProgram Literacy Volunteers Biddeford Little League SoftballEngine One Local Fire Department’s “Learn Not to3D CNC Machine for Biddeford Regional Burn” TrailerCenter of Technology Annual Children’s Holiday PartyOur Father’s House, Inc. for Disadvantaged Children Old Orchard Beach Recreation Department The Ballpark in OOBSweetser
Dyer Library / Saco MuseumFerry Beach Ecology School
The Rotary clubs of Saco Bay and Biddeford – Saco wish to thank you for your continued support. |
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Musings from a Former President 1/13/2017 So picture this: You’re standing at your wine pouring station at the Rotary Wine Tasting Event. You’re looking sharp. You’ve memorized the sheet of your red wines and you’re killing it dispensing information about varietals, breathing and debourbage (a white wine term but what the hell do you or they know?). It’s getting a little later in the event, you’ve opened more bottles than you care to count right now and up walks: 1) a buddy of yours, 2) a good looking guy or woman who you would like to impress, or 3) a fellow Rotarian. The conversation goes something like this.
Hey, how’s it going? Great, you Rotariaaans are greaaat! Thanks, we do like having a good time. Yeah, don’t you guys sometimes wear those funny hats and drive little cars in parades? (with that question I am hoping it is not a fellow Rotarian unless they are really new). No, I think you’re thinking of Shiners but you were close. What can I interest you in? I have some great red wines including a merlot, a pinot noir and two Zinfandels you can try? Would you like to know anything about any of them, I’m a bit of a wine tool. Oh, I don’t care, but fill me up, will ya, I’m here for quantity not quality or whatever you winos call it.
You think, clearly a little drunk, but hell so am I and so are most people here so she’s not going to care what I pour. I’ll pour from the fullest bottle I have so I don’t have to waste it all at the end of the night. She’s not going to taste it anyway. Why don’t you try this merlot, I think you’ll like it. Here, let me rinse your glass. Wait, there’s a sip left in there, don’t dump it yet, that’s waste. You know there are people in Africa who don’t get to drink wine very often. She gulps the last few drops in the glass. There now you can rinse it.
So you rinse the glass and pour a taste, a couple of ounces, and hand it back to her (please note you can substitute him for her here if you want). She looks at you in a disgusted way with her head tilted slightly to the left, she throws back her hair (if it is a guy I am not sure he would throw back his hair) and says: Dude, I asked you to fill it up. It takes a lot for me to really taste a wine. So hit me again please. At that point you’re conflicted. You really don’t want to stand there and take crap from this person and you certainly want to send her away happy, but on the other hand this is a wine tasting not an all you can drink buffet. The angel and devil go at it on your shoulders for exactly 3 seconds and you pour some more of the $10.00 merlot in her glass. She says, Dude you’re the best, spins, stumbles a little, a bit of the wine sloshes out of the glass onto the floor and off she goes. And you’re left wondering.
OK, let me put on my lawyer hat and introduce you to the Maine Liquor Liability Act. The Act is intended to prevent intoxication-related injuries, deaths and property damage. Let’s assume (not a big stretch) that, by definition, the person you just served is an “intoxicated individual,” and, by definition, she is “visibly intoxicated” (yes, there is a state definition for that). The Club is a “licensee” for the wine tasting event meaning we got a liquor license for the event. You are a “server” under the law.
Let’s spin the facts out a little. You may think that anyone that drunk can’t be driving. We all know better than that. We may all know better, but she didn’t think she was that bad and she hops behind the wheel. Hell, she only has to go a few miles and she is certainly of the opinion that she only had a few tastes. On the way home she drops her cell phone and as she is fishing for it between the console and her seat she goes through a stop sign, t-bones another car and the passenger of that car is seriously injured. She has the minimum amount of liability insurance and the passenger has serious injuries with huge medical bills and what will be a permanent impairment. Dong! Joe Bornstein is now involved and he is looking for other sources of money to cover the passenger’s damages and increase his contingency recovery. That’s when they find out she had just left the Rotary wine tasting event.
Under Maine’s Liquor Liability Act the passenger is an appropriate plaintiff (incidentally our drunk wine taster cannot sue us under that Act). Guess who the appropriate defendants are. The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club and YOU personally! You can be held personally liable if you negligently serve liquor to a visibly intoxicated individual and the intoxication proximately causes the damages. In this case if the woman was not drunk she would not have dropped her phone, run the stop sign and crashed into the other car. You can also be found to be reckless because the woman was visibly intoxicated, and you gave her more wine than you should have done, and you had no idea whether the woman was driving or not.
So the Club gets sued and you get sued. That is absolutely horrible. I guess the good news is that the Rotary International insurance we purchase apparently includes liquor liability coverage, or so I am told. Second, the damages under the Act are capped at $350,000.00. Still a very large amount of money but not infinite dollars either. The bottom line is, however, that a person got seriously injured and you and the Club contributed to that. The Club’s reputation and yours are trashed by this incredibly unfortunate event. The other bottom line is such an accident might be avoided by not giving into the temptation to fill glasses during a tasting event and by making sure that people who have had too much to drink have a way to get home.
Our beer and wine events are really fun, and I don’t mean to be a “buzz kill” (unfortunate saying here), but I was asked to share the law with you. The good news is that we have insurance and we all know that if we pour properly everyone should be able to make it home safely. Let’s try to avoid being defendants while having a great time.
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New Member PostingsNEW MEMBER POSTING, FIRST POSTING 01/04, SECOND POSTING 01/11
CJ DUBOIS-COTE AND SARA BROUILLARD
SPONSORED BY BERNICE WOOD
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Peter Mills, Maine TurnpikeDon Pilon took to the floor to introduce Peter Mills:
Peter’s program was a lot of fun that was insightful and full of the typical facts associated with giving a dog and pony show only this show was the Maine Turnpike Authority. The best part of his presentation was the amount of time he allotted for a real give and take conversation with a bunch of folks. You can read his vitae however, meeting the guy in person was a real treat. He is a typical old school Maine gentleman that is very, very smart.
We discussed issues impacting the Turnpike from growth to traffic accidents, environmental concerns, nimby’s, employment and even the pike traffic numbers serving as an economic indicator.
From Wikipedia
Peter Mills (born 1943) is an American politician from Maine. A Republican, Mills served in the Maine Senate, representing the 26th district. He ran for Governor of Maine in 2006 and 2010 and lost both times in the Republican primary.
Early Life and Family
Mills was born in Farmington, Maine, and grew up in Gorham. After graduating cum laude from Harvard College in 1965, he served five years on United States Navy destroyers with several duty tours in the Vietnam War, for which he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. He later conducted intelligence missions against the Soviet Union for which he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal.
After graduating second in his class from the University of Maine Law School in 1973, he spent 32 years working as a lawyer in Maine. For 23 years, he has owned Wright & Mills in Skowhegan. He is a founding member of the Somerset Economic Development Corporation and a founding member of FirstPark, a business park in central Maine.
Mills' family is also involved in public service. His father served in the Maine legislature, in the Navy, and in the federal justice department as U.S. Attorney. His sister, Janet Mills, was elected Maine Attorney General by the Legislature in December 2008. His sister Dora Mills was Maine's Public Health Director.
He has three adult daughters and three grandchildren. Two of his daughters are employed in the education field. One serves in the United States Army.
When not in the legislature, Mills practices law and manages woodlots in Cornville where he lives with his wife, Superior Court Justice Nancy Mills, and two dogs.
Naval Service
When he was a 17-year-old senior at Gorham High School, Mills was awarded a Navy scholarship to Harvard under the Holloway program.
On his third summer cruise in 1964, he was a midshipman aboard the destroyer USS Blue while serving on Yankee Station. The Blue and another destroyer were relieved by the Maddox and Turner Joy just before the famous Tonkin Gulf incident.
For five years of active duty, from July 1965 until July 1970, Mills had three tours of about 20 months each on the Dyess (DD 880), DESRON 2 staff aboard the Blandy (DD 943) and the McMorris (DE 1036).
On the Dyess he became the Communications Officer and qualified as OOD underway. The Dyess sailed from Newport around the world in order to serve on the Vietnam gunline, do plane guard duty on Yankee Station and patrol the Taiwan Straits. It fired 2787 rounds of 5′38 while on the gunline.
On Desron 2, Mills was the staff communications officer. From Norfolk, his squadron was sent through the Panama Canal to WestPac. For much of his time in the Western Pacific, his squadron staff commanded the gunline. While he was aboard the Blandy, the ship fired over 26,000 rounds of 5″54 which was a record for the gunline up to that time. They received return fire from the coast on occasion but without casualties.
For his last tour he was OPS boss and senior watch officer aboard the McMorris out of Pearl and was responsible for training junior officers in ship handling.
On one assignment, he was highly successful in collecting certain physical information about Soviet MRVs that was immediately released by the Nixon administration to support the ABM bill then pending in Congress. The bill still failed to pass.
Maine Legislature:
During 15 years in the Maine Legislature (most recently in the State Senate), he has served as a Republican lead on Tax, Labor, Judiciary, Appropriations, Education and Health & Human Services Committees. He was outspoken in advocating change in tax and school funding systems. He has worked with to pass reforms in health care and education.
In 1999 he led the Labor Committee to overhaul Maine's Unemployment Compensation system, to eliminate benefits, build reserves and reduce taxes. In 2005 he launched "Don't Mortgage ME," a petition drive to repeal a $447 million borrowing scheme. In 2009 the Legislature passed his bill to design a portable benefit system for new teachers and state employees. In 2008 the Legislature unanimously passed his Fund of Funds bill to attract venture capital for growing businesses. Governor John Baldacci vetoed the bill.
2006 Gubernatorial Campaign:
In 2005, Mills declared his candidacy for Governor in the 2006 election. In the Republican primary, he faced former U.S. Representative Dave Emery and State Senator Chandler Woodcock. Mills lost to Woodcock by 2,400 votes. Woodcock lost to incumbent Democrat John Baldacci in the November general election.
2010 Gubernatorial Campaign[edit]
On July 22, 2009 Mills filed paperwork with the Maine Ethics Commission for entry into the 2010 Maine gubernatorial race. He was the fourth Republican to declare his candidacy, joined by Matt Jacobson, Les Otten, and Bruce Poliquin. Waterville mayor and businessperson Paul LePage was subsequently chosen to be the Republican candidate for Governor in 2010.
After the State Senate:
In 2011 Governor Paul LePage appointed Mills as the Executive Director of the Maine Turnpike Authority.
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Week in Review 1/11/2017God give me strength as I attempt to be your intrepid reporter for this week’s installment of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Tack whereas I was not assigned the task but had it delivered through an intermediary. No it was not the Russians rather a Connecticut Yankee. However, I am still a little blinded by the light emanating from the back of Bill Kany’s newly shorn head; man are you getting grey- sorry dude- sorry folks I digress.
Lucy K called the meeting to order a little late and paid for it. Karen Chasse led us through the 4 way test. I did the prayer and asked for some divine intervention with my trans pass accounts. When did it become EZ Pass? Just another attempt by the man to keep me down.
Visitors were introduced by the folks that brought them. Where was Jackson Brown today to introduce folks; I heard he was rolling down 295 out of Portland, Maine.
Lucy introduced our Assistant Governor Susan Isley
Bill Kany introduced former club member and chamber exec Brenda Pollock
Conrad introduced Gary Ribado from Central Distributors
Don Pilon introduced Bill Doyle, Saco City Councilor
Don also introduced our speaker Peter Mills from the Maine Turnpike Authority
Lucie then handed out participation tokens, too cheap for trophies, to all of those nice Rotarians celebrating another milestone membership anniversary. Congrats to all. Check out the Tack to see who they are.
Announcements:
Lucy then pulled the 50/50 ticket. The winner was Matt Early. He donated his $32 to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Lucy introduced our SAA Matt. Matt jump started the session with a Happy Dollars:
Matt, $2- his kid turned 10 and he liked the fact that some guys still wear suits. Maybe Matt could get some fashion advise from Kany- he seems to know how to tie a tie- ask our guest speaker.
Joe the dentist gave $5 even though he has been in the club for six months- he really likes what he sees.
Don Pilon $1--????
Nicole $1, her daughter turned 5- I still haven’t gotten a ride in your new car
Paul D gave $5 for not being at the wine tasting. He will be in Key West with Caroline. He also noted that he was the officiant at a wedding for someone associated to Ash Carter and shared retirement stories.
Susan Isley $1, glad to be at such a great club- I say DITTO
Then the fines came:
Lucie K for a late meeting start, something about shooting Bill Kany Bill Kany for reference to “Dances with Wolves” ( not sure what was meant )and getting caught on CCTV making a deposit at a local credit union late at night, Karen Chasse for taking up my companies valuable time tying up the two top executive officers strong arming us for 100 bucks- Jim G for either being “handsie” or some hand character on a kids show- either way it sounded kinda creepy- what gives Jim?, I got fined for referring to the EZ Pass Program as Trans Pass- Matt then ran out of gas without his missing SAA’s Sarah and Fausto and sat down.
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Musings from a Former President 1/5/2016As we look forward to 2017 I am guessing there will be times when we all get really busy or frustrated and we will question why we are Rotarians. No matter how long you have been in Rotary there will be times when your commitment is tested. If you do ever have those thoughts think of all the good our club did at the end of 2016 and I think you will be convinced that being a Rotarian is actually an important part of your life.
Think of the fact that on December 16, 2016, clearly the coldest day of the latter part of 2016, a bunch of Biddeford Saco Rotarians braved the cold to raise over $2,000 for the Salvation Army absolutely kicking the ass of the Saco Bay Club. It was pointed out that it was so cold the Fausto wore sleeves and Heather MacLean wore long pants (I am sure she had on her stylish long black gloves on for extra warmth). Hell, it was so cold I was eyeing some of the larger Walmart Shoppers. I was going to drop one right in the parking lot, field dress him or her and crawl into the caress to get warm. Of course, then I realized I could just go inside to warm up so I abandoned by Dancing with Wolves scenario though I did encourage Lucie to shoot me since I had to spend an hour with her.
The fact is we had a bunch of Rotarians spend one to two hours outside in the dangerously cold temperatures to help others. I would submit that such an effort is what Rotary is all about.
I would also suggest that the efforts of our Club, Lucie, Karen, Peggy and others to provide Christmas to over 100 kids was a Herculean task that clearly captures the essence of Rotary. Our Club is filled with people who have a hard time saying no. So many Rotarians took time from their families and/or jobs to get information about children, find the money to fund the gifts or provide their own and then did the shopping and wrapping necessary to give the kids some kind of Christmas. Frequently, these efforts are not really appreciated or perhaps the people are so down and out that they simply do not know how to express their appreciation. In other instances the parents were incredibly thankful because Rotary provided their kids with something for Christmas and they realized that there are people out there who care. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
Finally, there are times when Rotary is truly a family. Ralph Bean, husband of long time Rotarian, Peggy Bean passed away. Our club showed its support for Peggy by showing up in large numbers to pay our respects. Fausto wore a shirt and tie and Heather MacLean when to her first visiting hours ever. Of course, we learned later it was because she thought there would be snacks and we did have to watch her to make sure she acted appropriately (don’t touch the pillow!), but she was there to pay her respects. That kind of support for a member of our Club is what we are all about.
So when you get sick of shoveling, or you are frustrated because you cannot get your new electronic device to work, or you’re standing in long return lines, or you are sick but you have to drag your ass into work, remember that you were a large or small part of making the holidays a little brighter for a whole bunch of people who really needed our help. That should make you happy to be a Rotarian and inspire you to stick with it.
Have a Happy and Healthy 2017!
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Week in ReviewTACK Reporter for January: Don Pilon
February: Sabine McElrath
Our fearless President Lucie once again promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. Joe Boyle worked his way through the 4 Way Test and Joe Moreshead, along with the help of Past President Karen Chasse, provided the invocation.
As is our custom during the first meeting of the New Year, the Rotary Club of BIDDEFORD Saco toasted our sister club in BIDEFORD England (not a typo).
Announcements:
The next Auction Committee will be meeting on Friday, January 13, 2017, at the Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution Community Room in Saco, 7:30 a.m. All members are welcome. If you are new to Rotary, this is a good meeting to attend to see behind the scenes of the most incredible fundraiser that you will have an opportunity in which to participate.
Auction Kick-Off Meeting will be held on Thursday morning, January 19th, at 7:15 a.m. at Duffy’s (the old Captain Galley’s). This will be a joint meeting with Saco Bay. We will NOT be having a meeting on Wednesday, January 18th. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and the most spectacular! It will take all hands on deck to continue to make this the best event of the year. Please do your best to attend this meeting and support our co-chairs for this year, Bernice Wood and Dave LePauloue (Saco Bay).
Rotary T-Shirts: The t-shirts have arrived! Please see either Bernice Wood or Mark Nahorney to pick up (and pay if you haven’t already) your shirt. Please note that this isn’t what the shirts look like. It’s the only picture I could find.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing Results: We did it again….on the coldest day of the year, no less….we helped raise over $2,000.00 for the Salvation Army! Thank you Joe Bassett for helping to coordinate this bell ringing effort! Saco Bay also helped out by bringing in $1,100 on their day. Not quite what we accomplished but still a respectable amount.
Video for the Auction: Joe Genender will be working with Jim Godbout on a new video of the vocational house for this year’s TV auction.
(I’ve recently discovered Disney’s “Handy Manny” and he reminds me so much of Jim Godbout-you have to check it out! )
Needs: Lot of People; Make Money (ticket sales); Have Fun; Sponsors & Silent Auction Items
Cost: $500 for a Major event sponsor and $100 for Table sponsors
Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. They can be purchased ahead of time from any Rotarian and will also be available on Event Brite up until the last minute. If you have someone coming and haven’t been able to get them a ticket, get the name to either Conrad, Heather or Steve Morin and they will put the name on a list at the door. There will be a 50/50 drawing so make sure you bring someone with long arms!!
Table Talks: Jim Godbout is looking for facilitators for the “Table Talks” program. This program is strictly working with adults and is curriculum based. Typically 8-10 people meet to talk about the effects of alcohol or drugs and making healthy choices – learning life skills. Through Project Alliance and UNE, there is a 3 hour training session offered. They are looking at growing the facilitator base so they can spread the word. If you are interested in learning more about this program or becoming a facilitator, please contact Jim Godbout.
The $27.00 50/50 pot was won by Chief of Police, Ray Demers! It was hard to hear but I believe Ray donated the funds back to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Dr. Joe was happy to visit with his grandson. Joe Moreshead was happy that the Saco Police Department was under such awesome new leadership as he got pulled over on Friday. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear what the outcome was. It must have been okay because new Police Chief Ray Demers gave a happy dollar for possibly having another chance at Joe! Fausto gave a happy dollar for the “Christmas drop-off eye opener”. Past President Bill was happy to have snow in the mountains but not much here. Matt Simmons was happy to see that on the coldest day, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, Fausto was wearing sleeves and Heather M. was wearing long pants. Bronwyn was happy to be back and to not be pregnant any longer. President Lucie was happy that Past President Karen helped her out with Dottie while Lucie was away. That was enough happiness for this group so the SAA’s started doling out the fines. Joe Moreshead (I have to list last names because there are 5 Joe’s in our club in case you haven’t noticed.) was fined for wearing a winter coat, with something on the hood, in 50 degree weather. PP Bill was fined for promoting business at a funeral. Fausto was caught parking in front-again! Brian was fined for insinuating Fausto was a Queen and also for enjoying a gift that he had received to the fullest. Brian had the gift on hand to demonstrate. Lucie was fined for the “tease” of having a very small amount of beer for the toast to our sister club in Bideford England. Jim Audiffred gave a late happy dollar for a magazine article in the Parade magazine entitled “Throw Acts of Kindness Around Like Confetti”. He is willing to email this story to anyone who is interested-just let him know. He said the nicest thing is to do something for someone who can’t possibly return the favor. He highly recommends the book “All the Light We Can Not See”. $1.00 was collected from all in attendance as an act of kindness. “To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.” (Quote from Bill Wilson)
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Rotarians Providing Cheer for the Holidays! |
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Another Year for Bell RingingRotarians again ring the bells for the Salvation Army at Walmart in Biddeford. And boy it was a cold day!
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Musings from a Former PresidentDear Santa:
How are you? I am fine? Sorry I did not write sooner but our President, Lucie Kay, has had me so busy writing stuff for her that I have been pre-occupied. Oh, thanks for the first installment on my Christmas wish list, but I said two feet on the ground in the mountains by Christmas and I’m holding you to it. I know where you live old man. Incidentally, don’t listen to Lucie Kay. I have been nice all year and my employer paid its fair share of taxes so keep the snow coming.
Despite our President, our Rotary Club has been very good at least during the holiday season. I do understand your concerns about Matt Simmons (yes he spells it wrong, but forgive him as learning disabilities run deep in his family), but for the most part our club has been very well behaved. I don’t believe Simmons heats with coal, but if you want to leave him some, knock yourself out like you do once or twice a year on the low mantels. In fact, either directly or by enlisting the help of others, including the Saco Bay Club (naughty list, I know), we helped about 100 kids and over 30 families this year. However, Santa we have reached our limit, so big guy with the incredibly high cholesterol and Type II Diabetes (give yourself a Fitbit), you have got to help us out with the rest of the families we cannot help. We are hoping that as inquiries continue to come in that club members will refer people to you Santa as we have really reached our limit. We don’t mind helping you out some, you fat bastard, but enough is enough. Yes, I know the elves pension plan is killing you and Fed Ex and UPS are busting your balls, but step up and do your freakin’ job. You work one day a year and all you do is bitch. You should work at a credit union!
So our club’s request is for you to help the rest of the families who really need the help. I do have a few other requests for people who are just too damned busy to write themselves. I really don’t know whether they are on the naughty or nice list but for the sake of this letter let’s assume they were nice at least once. My list is in no particular order.
Before I go on I have to ask, are you in the witness protection program? I mean you live at the North Pool and you have more alias’s than Whitey Bulger. Come on, one day you’re Santa, then your Father Christmas, then St. Nick (you wish!). Whatever you’re hiding from must be pretty dangerous given the fact that you choose to live in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of elves. Hell, they’re so short Elaine Palmitessa is the center on their hoop team. But I digress.
I would go on with my list, but I have to work, unlike those credit union elves. The rest of the club has been good too, so give them the rest of the year off from Rotary and we will start fresh next year.
Merry Christmas Santa and Members of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club. Keep up the good work and we will see you all in 2017!
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Rotary Christmas Holiday PartyDon't forget to sign up yourself and guests for the up coming Christmas Holiday Party on Thursday December 8, 2016.
FMI click on the 'Upcoming Events' above to RSVP.
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President Lucie's Christmas MessageDear Rotarians,
I wanted to take a time out from the hectic holiday schedules to thank you for making the first half of my Presidential year so much fun. It certainly comes with a fair share of harassment from our previous leader but it always seems to be at a time when I could use a laugh the most. I really enjoyed our Christmas Party this year, and I guarantee anyone who attended had fun. For those who couldn’t make it, I encourage you to attend next year because it is a great way to get to know each other on a more personal level. Thank you to our gracious hosts Brian and Debbie, to Heather for planning it, and to all those who brought delicious food and drinks.
As I’ve mentioned at our meetings, this year was a record setter for Adopt-A-Family applications. Thank you to everyone who has stepped up and called families for Christmas lists, shopped, wrapped and will be delivering on December 21st. Thank you to those Rotarians who went above and beyond to adopt additional children so together we could make almost 100 children smile on Christmas morning. It is important to note that we are now at capacity and if you are approached for help, we must turn people away at this point.
Thank you to all of you who have signed up to ring the bell on Friday (let’s try and raise over $1100 so we beat Saco Bay Club’s efforts) and finally, thank you to the Wine Tasting Committee who is already meeting to plan the next fundraiser! Please note that this Wednesday (December 14) is our LAST CLUB MEETING in December. We will not be holding our lunchtime club meetings on December 21 or 28 so please enjoy your holidays with your family and friends.
Thank you all for just saying “Yes!”
Lucie
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Election of New Officers 2017-2018 President: Jackson Brown
President – Elect: Bernice Wood
Vice President: Fausto Pifferrer
Past President: Lucie Kay
Treasurer: Susan Gajewski
Assist. Treasurer: Matt Simmons (non-voting role)
Secretary: Elaine Palmitessa
Assist Secretary: Peggy Bean (non-voting role)
Directors: Matt Simmons, Ray Demers, Jim Godbout, Joe Moreshead, Jim McAllister
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Week in Review 12/7/2016Pledge of Allegiance: Lead by President (Lucie Kay) by 12:15
Patriotic Song & who led it: Guest Singer – Andrea Wollstadt, playing the piano (Beautiful voice!) She has recorded a holiday CD with all proceeds supporting GSFB. CDs are $20. FMI: www.genorsoity.com/community-fundraising/good-shephard-food-bank-of-maine-holiday-cd
4 Way Test & who led it: Heather Gendron
Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Paul Dechembault
President-Elect (Jackson Brown) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
No visiting Rotarians, guest of Lucie Kay, Andrea Wollstadt from Good Shepard Food Bank
Foundation Moment: Brian Dallaire announced $4,300 YTD to support the foundation from our club. The club has supported the foundation over $250,000 since the club started.
Announcements:
Gift Shopping: President Lucie announced that we were able to shop for 11 families including 32 children. Huge thank you to all that came out to help with the shopping at Walmart, it was a huge success because of all the help. Thank you!
Anniversaries: Conrad Wetzel – 1 Year and Ray Demers (AKA Freak by Lucie) – 5 Years of service! Congrats to both for their commitment above self!
Saco Bay Rotary Visit: Karen Chasse and Lucie Kay had the opportunity to attend the Saco Bay Rotary Club, accepting a check for $775 to help shop for families in need this Christmas. Thank you Saco Bay Rotary Club! Special thank you from Karen Chasse who was impressed with several Rotarians who reached out to her from her Facebook post to help additional families this year. Fausto, Heather M, Heather G, and a few other names.
Salvation Army: Still slots available for Friday, Dec 16th between 9am – 9pm, please contact Jackson Brown if you can help fill the slots. Also, Jackson will reach out to the interact club to see if they can fill some of the after 3pm slots still open.
Rotary Christmas Party: Brian Dalliarie’s house, 1 Davis Drive, Biddeford Pool, Thursday, December 8th, 6pm – 9pm, bring favorite dish and Yankee swap gift. Brian shared over 40 have already RSVP! Sounds like a fun time to create lasting memories with your fellow Rotarians.
50/50 Drawing: Sue G., not sure of the amount. J
Sergeant At-Arms (SAA):
Happy Dollars: Jim Godbout and Don Pilon very proud of Ray Demers, next Chief of Police of Saco. Ray is very happy about becoming Chief in January. (Congrats Ray, we are so proud of you!) Lucie and Peggy happy about smooth Christmas shopping for the rotaries families going so smoothly this year! Conrad and Dr. Joe Boyle are happy! (Did I miss why?), Karen happy to see Sara make more $ as Sergeant At-Arms than Matt and Fausto put together today!
Fines; Jeremy Ray speeding ticket in Saco?!, Happy Birthday Earl, Happy Anniversary Conrad and Ray – PAY UP!, Joe phone going off not once but twice and for not sharing highly secret new purchase (???), Heather G. for Bangor Savings Bank not supporting the Parade of Lights this year, Sue missing very important board meeting, someone got fined for not paying their semi-annual dues to the club L and last but not least everyone who has not signed up for Bell Ringing this year – PAY UP!
Lucie Announced Nominations for 2017-2017 Officers of the Club:
President: Jackson Brown
President – Elect: Bernice Wood
Vice President: Fausto Pifferrer
Past President: Lucie Kay
Treasurer: Susan Gajewski
Assist. Treasurer: Matt Simmons (non-voting role)
Secretary: Elaine Palmitessa
Assist Secretary: Peggy Bean (non-voting role)
Directors: Matt Simmons, Ray Demers, Jim Godbout, Joe Moreshead, Jim McAllister
Speaker Presentation:
Prepare for college, explore career options and serving all adult learners. Tuition-free classes available, placement testing, student support, career advising, and campus visits.
FMI: www.classmaine.com Call York County Adult Education Centers for college transitions classes near YOU!
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Kettle Sign upBIDDEFORD-SACO ROTARY CLUB
THE SALVATION ARMY CHRSTMAS KETTLE Sign up
December 16 2016 9:00am-9:00pm
Walmart Biddeford
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Former B-S Rotary President, Henry Tartre has DiedHenry Tartre BIDDEFORD Henry Amie Tartre, of Biddeford died on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough. He was born on March 23, 1932, to Joseph Andrew and Marie Jeanne (Casavant) Tartre in Waterville. He grew up in Augusta, attended St. Augustine elementary school and graduated from Cony High School in 1950, where he was an excellent track and field athlete. He set the state record and won the indoor Class A State Championship for high jump in his senior year. He attended the University of Maine in Orono, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business in 1957. He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, or OSI, during the Korean conflict. He was stationed in France during much of the conflict to take full advantage of his fluent French speaking abilities. When he returned to Maine, he began his business career and traveled to all corners of the state as an insurance salesman for the Royal Globe Insurance Co. He moved his family to Biddeford in 1964, and was a partner and eventually became president of Paquin & Carroll, Inc. Insurance Company (now P&C Insurance) until his retirement in 1986. He was a past president of the BiddefordSaco Rotary Club. He also served on the board of trustees of St. Francis College (now University of New England). Henry had 4 children with his former wife, Mary Ann, and is survived by: two sons, J. Andrew Tartre II and his wife, Kathleen of Saco and their children, J. Andrew III and Ayla, Stephen Tartre and his wife, Sally of Kennebunk and their children, Sierra, Samuel and Amelia; and by two daughters, Meg Tartre of Dayton and Ann Tartre of Encinitas, California. He immensely enjoyed his five grandchildren and summer days spent at his camp on Bonny Eagle Pond in Buxton. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be 47 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 6, 2016, at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005. A graveside service will be celebrated at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, at the Maine Veterans Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta, ME 04330. Donations in Henry's name can be made to the Maine Veterans' Home at 290 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074 or aplacetostart.org. Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel. To share condolences on line, please visit HopeMemorial.com. Funeral Home Hope Memorial Chapel 480 Elm St Biddeford, ME 04005 (207) 2826300 Published in Journal Tribune on Dec. 5, 2016
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Week in Review 11/30/2016Pledge of Allegiance:
Lucie Kay
End of Month Song:
Joe Moreshead – You’re a Grand Old Flag
4 Way Test:
Susan G
Invocation:
Mark
Pres. Elect.; Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
President Elect Jackson Brown indicated that Carol Deschambault and Mike Coulombe were visiting guests.
Announcements:
With a rowdy group, Lucie hoped everyone had a happy holiday.
Kudos to Karen and Earle on a job well done with the $100 Raffle!
Paulette indicated that interact students donated 40 turkeys and $300 in cash to the food pantry. Way to go!
Lucie reminded all about the shopping event which will be at the Walmart in Biddeford. Shopping will begin at 6:00 tonight for the thirty-two children. Approximately $125 will be spent on each child. In addition, the families will receive gift cards to Hannaford. Shop until we drop! Gift wrapping of the purchased items will occur next week at York County Credit Union starting at 5:30.
If anyone is interested in adopting a family, please see Lucie. There is an overwhelming need this year and unfortunately we are not able to help everyone.
Red Ribbon held a meeting last week in which Karen was elected as Co-chair. Congratulations Karen!
The Rotary Holiday party will be held at Brian Dallaire’s home on December 8th from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The Dallaire’s reside at 1 Davis Drive, Hills Beach, in Biddeford. Please remember to bring a “fun gift” for and any guests to exchange. “Fun gift”, Google it!
The first Biddeford/Saco Rotary Auction meeting will be held on December 16th. More information to come.
50/50 Drawing:
Paulette
$ 37, donated to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Sergeant At-Arms: Matt, Sarah and Fausto
HAPPY Dollars:
Joe Moreshead was pleased to report Agren’s Appliance gave a great deal on the purchased of an electric stove. The stove was purchased for some very happy recipients through the charitable fund.
Fausto: Castro died! And that his ten and one half hour trip home from Philadelphia was over.
Dr. Joe was happy to celebrate his birthday a week early.
Peggy: Thank you Laurie Jo for helping me to keep my sanity.
Dr. Joe was happy to report that after thirty-nine years of serving lunch to senior citizens at Johnathan as a Wells/Ogunquit Rotarian, this year he was going to be a guest.
Julie: Thank you Laurie Jo and Peggy for stepping up in my absence.
A hat was passed around the room to provide Jessica (our waitress at Run of the Mill) with a final thank you for the great service. Jessica accepted a position at a local doctor’s office. Congratulations Jessica!
Fines:
Jeremy: What exactly are you doing with your hands in that photo?
Joe M: For that Mr. Roger’s sweater.
Steve: Were you actually listening to rap music/104.7?
Matt: For creating a mini you.
Jim: Maine Magazine again? Are you paying for all of those ads?
Ken: For walking out of the can drive.
Heather: For not signing You’re a Grand Old Flag.
Karen: What horrible photo’s!
Bill: Why not!
Lucie: Just because!
Jim: You gave a boring speech.
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Chris Pinkham from the Maine Bankers AssociationMaine Bankers Association:
Office
ADVOCACY - Some Statistics from the Maine Legislature (last session)
The Association‘s role at the Legislature in a 2-year cycle
Expanded Political Advocacy for MBA
State UPDATE – this session
Legislature – One message – We need to grow the economy & the train the workforce
BALANCING the STATE BUDGET
TAXES - Estate Tax, personal income tax, non-profits, broaden the sales tax
FORECLOSURES – nothing on the agenda.
Maine House - Speaker Mark Eves was termed out and Sara Giddeon was nominated
Was 78-69 and 4Is Now: 77 Ds 72 Rs 2 Independents
Maine Senate - Senate President Mike Thibodeau – Waldo - wants to stay
Was 20Rs and 15Ds now, 18 Rs and 17 Ds
Referendum questions
FEDERAL UPDATE – before I mention specific Legislation, we do have Election 2016
federal REFORMS – Implementation
All new regulatory world
Open season on administrative rules
Next phase of federal reform (specifically what this means for your bank)
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ThankfulWith Thanksgiving fast approaching, we have lots of things to be thankful for. We all need to be thankful that the election season is over and, for at least two years, we do not need to hear about Emily Cain's battle with her weight problem. I will certainly be thankful when the Hillary supporters stop whining. Let's face it everyone, Donald Trump won, he's going to be our President, so get over it! Reflecting on our meeting on November 16, we have lots of things to be thankful for.
First of all, let's be thankful for root canal. Sure, many of us fear going to the dentist, but dentist visits can have a silver lining. President Lucie chose to have root canal immediately before our meeting which prevented her from speaking. As a result, Jackson had to run his second meeting in a row and we can certainly be thankful for the fact that he does a nice job running a meeting.
We can all be thankful that Chris Indorf is now an education administrator and no longer a teacher. Chris demonstrated the speaking ability of Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for President, by completely screwing up the introduction to the four-way test and then failing to be able to count to four. I am sure if you ask Chris, he would tell you that Aleppo is just north of Bangor.
Let's be thankful for Randy Forcier's attendance run. Randy is singlehandedly improving the Club's overall attendance record. We had many clothing items at this week's meeting to be thankful for including the Goodwin brothers calling each other in advance of the meeting and electing to wear the same colored shirts, it was adorable. Heather MacLean showed up in her black naugahyde skinny pants (she swears that only three naugas were killed in the production of those pants). Of course, I inquired about what inspired the pants and she authorized me to disclose that she is in the process of getting a divorce. The black symbolized the inevitable sadness one experiences in snapping the bonds of matrimony and the skin-tight nature of the pants announced that she will soon be available. While none of us should be thankful for divorce, many of us should be thankful for a form-fitting wardrobe.
Thankfully, our stellar Red Ribbon Committee is going to be getting back at it after the departure of one of its co-chairs, Andy Greif, with a meeting scheduled for November 22, at 5:15 p.m. at the Community Bicycle Center. All members of the Club are welcome to attend.
We can all be thankful for the fact that Christmas decorations have been up in stores since well before Halloween and that Peggy Bean has stepped up to help with the Christmas Adopt-A-Family efforts along with Heather MacLean. As of November 16 it sounded like we will have four families with a total of 18 kids (we can be thankful for the lack of birth control) who we would be supporting this Christmas. I understand it may have blossomed to 17 families with 48 kids. So it may be all hands on deck for this project! We will have shopping, wrapping and distribution coming up. I believe the shopping will take place on November 30.
We can all be thankful for the fact that we have a week off from our Rotary meetings next week so please do not show up to the Run of the Mill on November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. We can also be thankful for the fact that that means that Lucie will not have presided at a meeting for three weeks in a row. Even Roland Gagne is beginning to wonder if Lucie will ever run another meeting.
Thanks to all those people who signed up to ring those crappy Salvation Army bells at the Walmart on December 16. I am sure there are still slots available and the signup sheets will be recirculated on November 30.
I am certain that Elaine Palmitessa would be thankful for any thoughts and prayers related to her husband who was recently hospitalized. We had no details regarding his medical condition but I am sure we all wish him a quick recovery.
Karen Chasse, adorned in polka dots, was certainly thankful that most everyone sold their raffle tickets. She only had one left that was unsold and she was certain that she could sell that one. She was also hopeful; however, that the money for the 37 tickets that have allegedly been sold but the money has not been turned in will show up at some point. Jim Godbout was thankful for winning the 50/50 and immediately donated the money to Red Ribbon. He then announced that he knew of a family that needed some help at Thanksgiving and encouraged everyone to put some money in the pot. He was certainly thankful for everyone who opened their wallets and gave him some money to help that family at Thanksgiving. It was later disclosed that the family was one of his neighbors at Kinney Shores. Apparently, their silver had tarnished and they needed to hire outside help to get it all polished before Thanksgiving and this money was going to help hire the polishers. Anything that we can do to help those poor people in Kinney Shores is really the least we can do for those impoverished folk.
We were then thankful for our Sergeants-at-Arms, Fausto, Sarah and Matt getting up to do their thing. I am sure that Sarah and Matt were happy that Fausto was back because he carried their sorry-asses. They actually walked up to the front of the meeting to the thunderous applause coming solely from Joe Moreshead, the consummate suck-up.
During the Sergeant-at-Arms' performance, there were a number of things to be thankful for. We certainly should be thankful for the parking spaces in front of Run of the Mill to accommodate the weak and the frail like Fausto and Joe Moreshead. We should be thankful for the fact that Conrad Wentzell's mother is recovering from her stroke. We should also be thankful for the fact that Jim Godbout is receiving so much publicity that he has now even arranged to have the moon as his private spotlight in some of his photoshoots. Jim should certainly be thankful for the fact that Conrad Wentzell actually bowed down to him at the Pillars of Pride event. We should thank both Jackson and Roland Gagne for attending the 100th Anniversary of the Rotary Foundation though they failed to satisfy the dress code for the event. We should also be thankful Roland is full of enough crap that he can spontaneously speak when asked to do so at events such as the Foundation celebration. I am certainly thankful for the fact that Bernice took some time out of her busy schedule at the food drive to pass out Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution swag and business cards. I noticed she was encouraging the young man collecting bottles right next to us to open up an account at our Biddeford branch. Fausto showed off an old picture of Joe Moreshead back when he was still in the porn industry and was sporting a Tom Selleck mustache. I am thankful for razors. Finally, we should all be thankful for the fact that Fausto is an internet stalker, otherwise our Sergeants-at-Arms would have little to talk about.
Every week most of us are thankful for the fact that Jim Audiffred bakes cookies and brings them to our meetings for dessert. It is certainly nice to have our own Pillsbury Doughboy in the Club.
I am thankful for the fact that Randy Forcier is seldom confronted with the need to open sliding doors as Randy could not figure out the complicated sliding door system between the two dining rooms. Randy, I will give you a hint, look for the gap between the doors and push to either the right or to the left.
We should all be thankful for Jackson bringing in a new member to our Club, Nicole Carroll. We should also express our appreciation to Karen Chasse who stood in for Lucie and read the little welcoming message for Nicole. Finally, we want to thank hawkeye Joe Moreshead for spotting Nicole's Rotary pen which Jackson had carelessly discarded in the corner of the room. Welcome to the Club, Nicole.
Finally (perhaps not finally but it sounded good), we should all be thankful for organizations like the Esther House located in the Notre Dame convent building on Thornton Avenue across from the old fire station. Esther House, which was apparently named for a woman named Esther who was a good Samaritan from Quebec as well as being named after a woman named Esther from the Old Testament of the Bible (I could get into the details but I don't want to bore you) is a transition home for women who have been incarcerated. Sister Joanne Roy visited our Club and shared with us how the Esther House takes in up to seven women most of whom have previously been incarcerated and provide them with housing while they transition back into the world. These women have all been through a transition program operated by the state and they generally come to the Esther House with jobs, but they need a place to live and they need some significant support while they get their lives back together again.
All of the women who live at Esther House pay rent to the organization in the amount of $500.00 per month to help with the overhead costs. They are assigned chores at the house and they eat dinner together. They have meetings and they are provided incentives for doing good deeds. They can receive counseling at the Esther House as well as visits from their probation officers.
Sister Joanne Roy told us that most of the formerly-incarcerated women were in jail for drug-related offenses. They were usually stealing money in order to buy drugs. As a result, many of the women who end up at the Esther House have addiction issues or other mental health issues. The Esther House does not provide direct counseling but helps to coordinate that counseling for the women. Furthermore, the support provided by Esther House certainly acts to subsidize any counseling that the women are receiving.
The Esther House conducts yard sales and other fundraising events with the assistance and cooperation of the church while receiving the rent from the women and a $50,000 per year grant. They are always in need of functional items for the house and they are apparently looking for an electric stove and an upright vacuum cleaner. They do receive some support from the community including the employees at Haley's Metal Shop going in and helping to paint out some of the rooms in the house and UNE students going over and helping with some gardening.
We should all be thankful for the fact that there are such good people in the world who are willing to reach out and help people who have made poor decisions in their lives, but are trying to make things right again. The Esther House is one of many very quiet, wonderful facilities in our area that really does make a difference.
When we hear about the women who need assistance at the Esther House, their circumstances should make us all very thankful for what we have including our families, our health and our collective ability to help others.
Please have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving and perhaps by the time we come back to a meeting on November 30th, Lucie will grace us at the podium.
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Congratulations to the $100 Raffle Winners
$500: John Donovan, sold by Karen Chasse; Paul's Variety, sold by Earl Goodwin; Joe Troegners Auto, sold by Earl Goodwin; Helene Plourde, sold by Earl Goodwin; James Pate, sold by Earl Goodwin; and John and Joan Ladakakos, sold by Earl Goodwin. $1,000: Norman Ruck, sold by Carl Goodwin; Mike and Peggy Donovan, sold by Earl Goodwin; and Dion and Giles Grandchildren, sold by Earl Goodwin. $5,000: Brent Peters, sold by Heather MacLean |
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Musing of a former President 11/14/2016I was able to read Delilah’s Tack before writing this. Clinical in nature, but it definitely hit the highlights. I absolutely love the new spelling of Paul Deschambault’s name, Paul DeChambeau. It is a cross between a Parisian beaver trapper’s name and a new snowshoe club. Paul is currently trying to locate a new route to China.
I wanted to remind everyone about the Christmas party on December 8th at the Dallaire’s home at the end of Hill’s Beach. The Christmas party was a lot of fun last year and I am sure it will be a great fellowship event again this year. Last year we did a Yankee swap type of gift giving with most items being things “As seen on TV”. In Heather McLean’s unique fashion she suggested either items “As seen on TV” or sex toys but I think what she really meant was “sex toys as seen on TV” and I have a couple of gift ideas.
First, there are the anatomically correct Chia Pets. They come in the male and female versions. You stick on the seeds, water them and watch the seeds sprout. They come with Chia Pet grooming tools so if your Chia patch is getting a little out of hand you can do some grooming to your own personal preference to keep your garden nice and neat.
The second suggestion is the Ronco gas powered “personal massager”. The power is out, you have no batteries but you just need that “personal massage”. Pull the cord on your two stroke (no pun intended) personal massager engine developed by Homelite in cooperation with Ronco and just relax, the power will be back on soon. Sure it’s a little loud, but it comes with a set of noise cancelling headphones. Furthermore, it comes with a whole set of attachments including a power cultivator, edger, weed whacker and, you guessed it, a hedge trimmer. Ronco, we make your relaxation our business.
Those are just two of the many items you can purchase for Heather’s Yankee swap this year. Do your shopping early and make every effort to attend this year’s Christmas party.
In Yankee Swap each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist.
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Week in Review 11/9/2016Pledge of Allegiance: Recited at 12:15
4 Way Test Chris Indorf
Invocation (prayer) Joe Bassett
Bernice Wood Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
Guests: Todd Seska
Announcements:
-South Portland Rotary Club announced passing of Rotarian Jim Russell
-Duffy’s event, Nov. 17, Drawing for the Charity Fund. All who purchased ticket are welcome!
-Let Karen Chasse know if you haven’t sold any of your tickets.
-The writer of these minutes would like to thank Paulette Bonneau for help remembering names!
-Jim announced Nov. 22 Red Ribbon Meeting, details to come
50/50 Drawing:
-Paul DeChambeau won the 50/50 raffle. $28. Donated to Red Ribbon.
Sergeant At-Arms (SAA):
Matt Simmons and Sarah collected happy dollars:
-Paul DeChambeau mentioned his sister was re-elected for state senate.
-Joe happy to be an American.
-Joe Bassett happy to attend Scarborough HS’s musical production, a young man.
-Jackson Browne happy that political ads are over
-Jim happy to be part of an organization, Rotary, that is here to serve all. Made a $100 donation to the Foundation.
-Roland told of his family’s story and tied it to last night’s election results.
-Roland Gagne
-Jeremy Ray Biddeford Charters passed last night.
SAA charged the following Rotarians:
-Roland for a special meal.
-Bernice for saying the wrong start time, sort of.
-Joe for getting help from Heather in fixing his coat.
-Jeremy Ray and Paul DeChamberu, and Paulette Bonneau for having a birthday this month.
-Karen because there was something that Matt meant to charge her for last week.
-Joe Bassett for having his 33rd anniversary of membership, Heather Gendron 9th anniversary, Pierre 1st year.
-Bill Kany just because. Plus, for Thornton football not being in the finals.
-Charged everyone who woke up happy $1, and everybody who woke up unhappy $1.
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Paulette Bonneau, Center of Technology reported about the COT houseSuccessful project, started with Engineering students re-designing layout, Rotary doing demolition and mold removal, then moving walls, sided and roofed, plumbing, new tub upstairs, electrical students put in wiring. Garage is next step (1st year students will become involved in that). Deck framing is done. Side porch enclosed and windows installed. New stairs. Upstairs now has 3 bedrooms. Plumbing for washer/dryer and downstairs bathroom. Insulation and sheet rock in December. Students have really owned the project. The second year students are great candidates for local employment: good skills, motivation, work ethic. One of the girls said she came into the program not sure she could use a hammer, and now she built a house. On schedule to be done by May.
Jackson asked about the Title. Keith Jacques said waiting for the judge to sign, expected this month.
Jim mentioned donations by local contractors, like Rob Moody and more.
Bill Kany offered Matt Simmons some helpful advice about social media.
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Musings of a Former PresidentIf you talk to Jim Godbout he can tell you all about tankless hot water heaters. Well it so happens we have a thankless President this year so I thought I would share a few thank you’s with you. Actually, I know Lucie is appreciative but sometimes the words just get stuck in her throat.
As painful as it may be, we really need to thank Bernice for another successful food drive to benefit the food pantries in Biddeford. It is not easy filling all the slots especially with little cooperation from Saco Bay and Interact. For all of the Rotarians who did participate, it was a lot of fun and thank you for your time and effort for such a good cause.
We all need to thank Earl and Karen for all their efforts related to the $100 raffle. It is a huge fundraiser for us and without Karen’s coordination and Earl’s sales of tickets it would not be the annual success that it has been for so long. Actually for all of you who have sold and turned in your tickets, the Club thanks you. Every little bit truly does go a long way to make this fundraiser a success.
Denis Elie recently resigned from the Club and the Board accepted his resignation with extreme regret last week. Denis is a past president of the Club, the 2010 Vocational Service Award recipient and an individual who contributed so much to our Club over the years. Denis was the man when it came to auction set up and even stored the auction stuff for many years at his business. He, along with Mark Tuller, was the leader of our Past President’s Fund and Company B Fund investment groups that have done such a great job in growing and preserving those funds for our Club over the last several years. Denis’ commitment to vocational education and improving education for all students may have led him to his new career as a teacher. The Club owes Denis a great deal for all he did for our group over the years. He will truly be missed, but our loss is the gain for the students in the Biddeford school system. We should all wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor.
We should all be thankful that November 8th will be a memory soon. It is truly unfortunate that this great country could only produce the presidential candidates that we had to choose from. Furthermore, it is equally as unfortunate that we had to endure a campaign of unlimited attacks and counter-attacks from both sides with little or no indication of the policies that either candidate will promote. We all need to be thankful that we live in an incredibly strong country created by brilliant individuals who saw the necessity for creating a set of checks and balances which should insure that our country continues to be the envy of the earth despite whoever may be elected President.
Finally, Friday is Veterans’ Day. It is not just a short work week, it is also our opportunity to thank those individuals who were willing to disregard their health and safety to selflessly carry out the orders imposed upon them to advance our country’s objectives around the world. I have a difficult time imagining the courage and strength it must take to put one’s self in harms’ way because you are ordered to do so. So many men and women have given their lives to advance this country’s causes of freedom and the promotion of democracy around the world. We should all take the time to thank a veteran for what he or she did for us this Friday and quite frankly every day of the year.
On behalf of Lucie and the entire Board, thanks to all of you for all the good things you do for the club and our community. So many of you do so much to make a difference in our area and it shows.
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Subject: Holiday CD to benefit Good Shepherd Food BankTo: Kay, Lucie [luciek@yorkcountyfcu.com]
From: David Wollstadt [dave@schoolnewsleters.net] I write to you as the President of the Old Town Rotary Club, and as the father of Andrea Wollstadt, elementary music teacher in Biddeford and a resident of Saco (with her husband, Rob Duquette, and children Stella and Luke. Andrea has recorded a holiday CD to benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank, which supplies low-cost food commodities to food pantries throughout Maine. A representative of Good Shepherd recently spoke at one of our meetings, describing their food supply challenges and noting that they currently have their Northern Maine warehouse in the former Bangor Daily News press building in Hampden. Andrea describes her project as follows:
I am a music teacher in an elementary school. I work with young students on a daily basis and I have truly come to love each and every one of them. While many students come from stable family environments, there are many others who experience poverty. For some of my students the worry of going hungry is a constant concern. I decided to start a project to help raise funds for The Good Shepherd Food Bank. The Good Shepherd Food Bank obtains and distributes food to local relief agencies and food pantries in Maine. With the help of Maine's top musicians, I recorded a holiday CD. All proceeds from the sale of the CD will go directly to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. I am asking people to help fund this cause by becoming a "donor" and pre-ordering a CD. CD's can be purchased for $20 either directly from me. Once I have reached 125 donors (or pre-orders) the project will be fully funded. All monies collected AFTER the initial 125 donors will go directly to the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
You can learn more and listen to some tracks by clicking on the following link: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/good-shepherd-food-bank-of-maine-holiday-cd
Thanks,
Dave Wollstadt President, Old Town Rotary Club
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Week in Review 11/2/2016Pledge of Allegiance:
Lucie Kay
4 Way Test:
Roland Gagne
Invocation:
Joe Moreshead
Pres. Elect.; Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
President Elect Jackson Brown indicated that there were no visiting guests or Rotarians.
Announcements:
Foundation Moment: Brian Dallaire indicated that the Rotary Foundation has closed the door on a second full year of the new grants model and there’s lots of good news to report: The Foundation awarded 1078 Global Grants in 2014-2015, up to 24% from the previous years’ total. The dollar value of Global Grants totaled $64.9 Million. The most popular Area of Focus was Disease Prevention and treatment, followed closely by Water and Sanitation. The Rotary Foundation also awarded 487 District Grants, totaling $23.8 Million.
Conrad stated that there will be a meeting at the end of January for anyone on the wine tasting committee.
In September, Don Pilon went to a District Vision workshop in Portland presented by Tony Wagner. Don found the presentation/workshop to be very interesting. If you are an extravert then you will definitely be engaged. How can the District be more helpful with the club? Help them to be more helpful to us! There will be two other sessions held in November and January in Portsmouth, NH and Topsham.
Julie Villemaire currently has three families with seven children each for the 2016 Christmas Adopt a Family Program. Please let Julie know if you are aware of any additional families which may be in need this holiday season.
Lucie K indicated that despite the cold, the Food Drive was very successful. A total of $2,000 was collected which means $1,000 will go to each food pantry. A total of 1,182 lbs. of food was collected. Hannaford was the winner! Thanks to Jim Godbout who reached out to all of his coffee buddies.
Congratulations Bronwyn Potthoff on the addition to your family! Etta was born on October 20, 2016.
Two generous community partners and longtime contributors to learning, Jim Godbout and Roland Eon were honored at The Pillars of Pride evening. Congratulations! Thank you, Karen Chasse for making this evening a success.
Brian Dallaire has graciously offered to host the Rotary Christmas Party at his home on December 8, 2016 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The Dallaire’s reside at 1 Davis Drive, Hills Beach, in Biddeford. Invitations & pot-luck sign ups will be sent via email and the website.
There are approximately two more weeks until the $100 Raffle is held. The drawing will be at Duffy’s Tavern and Grill on November 17, 2016 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Please remember to inform anyone who has purchased a raffle ticket to attend this event. Earle, please keep up the good work!
Lucie K gave our recognition pins for years of service. Congratulations!
Peggy Bean: 21 years
Earle: 45 years
Pierre D: 1 year
Dr. Joe Boyle: 40 years
Rae Smith was newly inducted to our Rotary family by Lucie K. Rae was a former Rotarian in the Saco Bay Club. And of course, Earle
50/50 Drawing: $25 by Carl Goodwin, who promptly turned it all over to the Red Ribbon effort.
Sergeant At-Arms:
HAPPY Dollars:
Sabine McElrath was happy for spending four hours at Market Basket with good friends for a good cause.
Brian Dallaire won’t be joining us for Rotary next week. After 34 years he will be awarded as Distinguished Alumni Lecture at the University of Cincinnati.
Carl Goodwin had dinner on Saturday and gave $100 gift certificate.
Dr. Joe Boyle got to spend time with an old friend, an exchange student. Dr. Joe was sad that he wasn’t able to bring his friend to Rotary but was happy to her that his friend will be joining Rotary back home.
Naomme Paris was happy to be following Bill Kany’s lead for taking the Tack minutes.
Matt Simmons wanted to thank everyone for providing him with material each week for fines.
Fines:
Matt Simmons started off fining Lucie K. just because.
Bernice Wood for her beautiful jacket.
Roland Gagne for having a special meal and Bernice Wood for having a special side.
Chris Indorf, guilty by association.
Sue G for her Red Spinner costume.
Luci K for not dressing up and participating.
Pierre Giroux for last week…something to do with Thorton Academy.
Anyone who didn’t participate in Stuff the Bus or attend the Pillars of Pride.
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Bill Patterson, Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC) Project Alliance at UNELucie K. introduced Bill Patterson who heads up the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC) Project Alliance at UNE.
The Project Alliance coalition aims to increase collaboration and take action to reduce the risks related to alcohol, marijuana and other drugs for youth and community members in northern York County. Coalition membership includes leaders from diverse sectors of the community, including schools, businesses, youth groups, religious groups, media, municipalities and more.
CHCC’s substance abuse prevention work is supported by funding from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The alliance addresses underage drinking and the use of alcohol and marijuana use among youth ages 12-18 by working directly with youth, parents, retails, law enforcement and schools. A few programs offered by CHCC are as follows:
CHCC works to prevent prescription drug and medicine abuse in northern York County. Fifteen Thousand tons of prescription drugs were collected in Maine last spring with two tons in York County alone. A few programs include the following:
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Biddeford + Saco Chamber Auction |
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Stuff the Truck Assignments for Oct 29Here are the assignments for the Stuff the Truck event on Saturday...
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WE ARE ALL WINNERSWith the election about a week away, it seems inevitable that we will have at least four more years of Obama. Yes, I realize he is not running and the Constitution will not allow him to run (not because he was born in Kenya, but because he has already served 8 years (22nd Amendment to the Constitution which Obama threatened to change with by Executive Order), but we will have four more years of Obama. One of the huge benefits of four more years is that everyone will continue to get a trophy. In honor of the impending election results, I have some trophies to give out.
Speaking of voting, our speaker was Bryan Chabot who is running for the Judge of Probate position in York County. I have always considered it strange that our Probate Judges who really have to have some specialized knowledge are our only elected judges. Of Course, we currently have a probate judge who has been suspended for ethical issues and he has another ethical issue pending. It is really time for a change which leaves us with Brian Chabot and a gentleman named B.J. Broder who I do not know.
Bryan is a litigation attorney in Sanford. He lives in Wells with his wife and two young children. He does not have a lot of probate experience but he had the right attitude and a recognition that people go to the Probate Court to deal with personal and many times time sensitive issues. He definitely seems committed to coming up with ways to move the docket along.
Bryan is an Army veteran who spent time in combat in Iraq. He showed a nice video that a fellow soldier did for him supporting Brian’s efforts to become a judge. Based on the video it certainly sounded like Brian had saved the man’s life in Iraq.
Attorney Chabot explained that the Probate Judge position is part time. He would be there 2 days per week and would do his private practice the rest of the week. The York County docket is very busy with 1,700 filings last year though only about 600 of those filings require an appearance before a judge. He feels we deserve to be served better by the court and his priorities are to: restore a relationship with the County Commissioners; restore the relationship with Registrar of Probate and come up with better ways to move the docket forward.
The bottom line is that the residents of York County do deserve a Probate Court that is committed to addressing our needs without internal strife and needless delays brought on by political wrangling. Bryan Chabot seems committed to providing what we need and deserve and certainly deserves our consideration. \
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New Flag Hoisted by B-S Rotary President KayAnnual replacement of the Rotary Flag at Mechanic Park, Biddeford, Maine.
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Week in Review 8/10/2016Pledge of Allegiance:
President Lucie Kay Lead the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Patriotic Song:
The Run of the Mill patrons were thankful that this was not the week for our Patriotic Song.
4 Way Test:
Sabine McElrath-February Flawlessly lead the 4 Way Test.
Invocation:
Jim Audiffred lead us in Invocation with special remembrances to Neil Morin who has Lung Cancer.
Pres. Elect.; Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
President Elect Jackson Brown welcomed guest;
Bronwyn Barnett & Kate Newman
Announcements:
Lucie K. asked for a volunteer for the Literacy Program, with no takers, the President expressed that there soon would be someone just saying “Yes”. She also reminded us that there will be a Beer Festival on Sept. 10., get your tickets at the meeting &/or sign up on line. She also passed around a “Thinking of You” card for Earl Goodwin who has not been able to attend the meetings for a while.
Ray Demers Put a plug in for the Saco Police Dept. Open House on Sat. 8-13-16 from 10AM to 1PM. He thanked Fausto P. & the Red Ribbon Comm. for donations.
Sue G. passed around a signup sheet for the Summer Outing @ Pres. Lucie Kay’s house on 8-20-16 & reminded us of the Alzheimer’s Walk on 9-17-16, (see Link), there will be a sign up sheet to get T-Shirts next week.
Jim G. Reminded us that on 9-12-16 the Red Ribbon Comm. Will be hosting 3 Presentations that day 2 for students at Biddeford H.S., Thornton Acad. & in the evening for the public @ Biddeford Middle School, he hoped that the Rotary members could show up in force that night. He thanked both Biddeford Savings & Saco Biddeford Savings for their help sponsoring the day.
Next week after Rotary there will be an Interact Comm. Meeting.
After Rotary today Jim McAllister was holding a Committee Meeting, (Sorry I didn’t catch which one).
50/50 Drawing:
Chris Indorf $29.
Sergeant At-Arms:
Happy Dollars:
Conrad W. for a healthy new Granddaughter, Baby & Mom are doing GREAT!
Sabine M. -F. Bank, (?? SORRY, I was sitting right next to her, you would have thought I would have written down more than the word Bank.)?
Ron Drouin for finally being acknowledge by Joe M.
Bronwyn B. Was happy to have cash in hand, that she is pregnant so it is ok to ask how she is doing.
Roland G. Happy to be back to meetings, Thankful that so many parts of the International Program are going well including 1 of the woman from Kenya got her Nursing License.
Devin Hamilton was Happy we invited him to speak today.
Fines:
Lucie K. For so many things; Lobster, not so happy face, not wearing her tiara to name a few.
Chris I., Matt E. for finally coming back.
Bill K. for having a “Dress Code” when he was President & now not “Dressing for Success”.
Karen for hanging out with Fausto.
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Devin Hamilton & Justin Chenette of the Journal TribuneBill K. introduced Devin Hamilton & Justin Chenette of the Journal Tribune.
As a member of the Saco Bay Rotary Justin reminded us that they were as good a Club as the Biddeford Saco Club.
Everybody has a Passion; the role of the Journal Tribune (JT) is to tell the region about these passions.
Devin recently moved to Maine with his family because he liked what he saw in the community. He started his career as a paperboy. As a young person in the newspaper business he saw changes coming with the internet. The Journal Tribune is adapting to the new world of media & electronics. Now you can get 10 free stories a month on the website, you can also buy the paper on line or have it delivered.
There are 55K on line users but there is a cost to do that thus you have to charge people to get the service, (The 4 Way Test Banner fell on Andy G. @ that moment) some asked “Is it the Truth?”.
The Obituary Page information is 31 % of the on line use. Devin shared a story of how important it is to get the information correct. Devin also discussed the importance of communication both as the public w/ the newspaper but also the newspaper getting involved with the community. There is an effort to create a Community Education Board for the Journal Tribune coming soon.
Justin shared the new Journal Tribune brand “JT” & “JT Cares”. There are several additional services that now exist in the “JT One Stop Shopping” including video production & website design., as well as a new Sunday Edition that is filled with local news. If we want info like the “Beer Festival”, in the JT get it to them like 4 weeks in advance.
Q & A: Jim G. commented that he hopes the JT will work with Rotary & the Red Ribbon effort. Joe M. commented that the Rotary & the JT have historically had a good relationship & Devin should consider joining. Bill K. asked how do we get to the right people to make sure that we are sharing our passion?
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e-Tack 8/3/2016Crib notes version:
There were Rotarians and some guests. Customary traditions were followed to start the meeting. Thank you’s to our club, thank you’s from our club. Information on upcoming events. Someone won money. Many donated money. Food was eaten. A great story of two guys with a crazy idea and success.
Details, details, details………….
President Lucie led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, 4-way test was led by Mark Nahorney and our invocation was performed by Joe Bassett.
Vice President Bernice introduced guests:
Bronwynn Barnett (new Director at CBC) was a guest of Andy Grief
Mike Berman and Rick LaRue, both from UNE were guests of Don Pilon.
Announcements:
President Lucie passed around some thank you notes we received from:
Dennis Robillard for assisting him and his club with the handicapped ramp at the Ballpark in OOB.
Carson Newman for the scholarship our club awarded him.
Rachel for a charitable request we fulfilled.
Thank you to Biddeford Savings Bank for their donation to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Thank you to all of the Rotarians who delivered the Lobster Bake this weekend.
Jim Godbout’s fundraising beach party at Kinney Shores raised $2,600 – Thanks to Jim for hosting and Conrad Welzel for spending his whole weekend wandering around and judging everything on the beach from sand castles to open beer bottles.
Upcoming Events:
Fellowship event at Lucie and Doug Kay’s house at Hills Beach (should be an easy commute for Brian Dallaire) on Saturday August 20th. For more info look to the left side of the Tack. Sign-up sheet went around for food.
Celebration of Suds beer festival will be held on Saturday September 10th in the Community Room at Pepperell Mill Campus (next to Portland Pie and Banded Horn Brewery) from 1 to 4 pm. Music will be provided by Pete Finkle. Volunteer signup sheet will be passed around starting next week. Tickets are ready and each Rotarian should take some to sell. People can also purchase tickets on the website EventBrite.com – just search Biddeford Events and you’ll see our event right there. Tickets are $25.
Alzheimer’s Walk will be held on Saturday September 17. Our goal is to raise $2,500. We are currently at $545. Please donate if you can. More walkers are welcomed.
50/50 was won by Susan Gajewski
SAA:
Happy Dollars:
Ken F. for inviting himself to Sue and Chuck’s camp.
Don P. for having two guests from UNE join him at the meeting today.
Fausto for Reuben finishing his program and coming back to work.
Karen C. for a great girl’s weekend.
Matt S. for getting back to Rotary and for his son’s successful tonsil surgery.
Fines:
Everyone at the lobster bake that didn’t have their badge.
Lucie for not having her tiara out, for wanting to institute a new hazing ritual for new members.
Jim A for reading a book at the lobster bake.
Bill K. for old times’ sake.
Keith J. for setting too high a bar for SAA’s.
Karen C. for a spelling error in an email.
Lucie K. for caring a little too much about her beverage at the lobster bake.
Mark N. for something, but I didn’t catch it – no matter justice is had.
Keith J. for attendance less than 50%.
Don P. for having his Rotarian magazine delivered to the clubs P.O. Box.
Susan G – paid her tithe for winning 50/50.
Speakers:
Our speakers were Marc Feldman and Pat Roche from Think Tank – a co-working office environment that is located in Pepperell Mill Campus.
Pat moved to Maine 6 years ago. He was a building contractor that couldn’t afford and office but didn’t like the isolation of working from home and didn’t enjoy the noise or calories afforded by coffee shops. He then created a 2,500 square foot co-work space in downtown Portland that filled up within months. They moved and expanded to meet the demand.
Co-work space is generally an open concept office intended to bring entrepreneurial people together to foster community and ideas. They do provide offices with walls to provide privacy. Co-work space is community focused and provide all of the necessary items an office should have, such as a kitchen space, conference room, internet, printer stations, phone booths, ergonomic desks, etc. Co-work spaces are popular because they are inexpensive and provide remote or telecommuter employees an opportunity to get away from home or coffee shop.
Marc liked the co-work office idea and looked to bring one to Biddeford several years ago, however timing wasn’t right. Last year he came back and felt the timing was perfect. He met with Pat to discuss the concept and get ideas and they became partners on the Biddeford site of Think Tank.
Think Tank finished construction last fall and they opened just before Thanksgiving 2015. Currently, all but 3 offices are filled and they will consider expanding if demand increases.
Space at Think Tank can be rented in a myriad of ways from a monthly rate for a certain number of hours in the space to monthly rate for a private office. They also offer floating memberships for approximately $125 per month. They also offer rental of their conference room (based on availability) for approximately $25 per hour.
For more information email Marc Feldman – COO at info@thinktankbiddeford.com
Meeting adjourned at 1:25
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Planning for The Celebration of SudsThe Celebration of Suds is just over a month away and we now have tickets available for sale. The cost is $25 per ticket. I will have tickets at each of our regular meetings along with posters to advertise. There is an event now on our Facebook page, please invite your Facebook friends - this is a fantastic free advertising tool. Tickets can also be purchased through Eventbrite, there is a convenience fee of $2.37 to the purchaser but it is super fast and easy.
We have lined up the following brewers:
The Run of the Mill
Banded Horn Brewing
Funky Bow Brewery
Shipyard Brewing
Gritty's
Samuel Adams
Allagash Brewing
I have spoken to and continue to work with Gneiss in Limerick and Dirigo Brewing which is a new brewery in Biddeford (Riverdam Mill) that is under construction.
I have heard suggestions from Rotarians about Lone Pine Brewing that may have a local connection - I think one of the founders is Dr. Paul's son. Another is Bissell Brothers in Portland. If any of you know anyone at these breweries (or any others not listed) please let me know as soon as possible, I would appreciate your help in making the connection as that always makes the pitch easier.
We are still looking for sponsors:
Keg: $500
Growler: $250
A volunteer sheet will begin going around at this week's meeting, please say yes.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks.
Ken Farley
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Week in Review 7/27/2016One guest was announced by Jackson Brown: Elaine Grangy.
Our President Lucie Kay made the following announcements:
In regards to the Fulfill Rotary Auction Lobster Bake scheduled for Sunday, July 31, 2016 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm - Brian Dallaire confirmed six Rotarians are signed up - Jim will make his famous strawberry shortcake with fresh biscuits (yum)- lobsters will be purchased from Fishing Optician in Camp Ellis.
Jim Godbout will be hosting the 1st Annual Kinney Shores Day to held on Saturday, July 30, 2016. Don't forget to mark your calendars! All proceeds for this event will be donated to Red Ribbon Committee. There will be several events which will occur throughout the afternoon. All residents, Rotarians, and Renters in Kinney Shores are Welcome. Know of any good judges? We could use a few. If you'd like more information or want to get involved, please call Jim Godbout at 207-283-1200 or email jim@jimgodbout.com.
Jackson Brown announced that 99% of funds from the Rotary auction have been collected. A check in the amount of $20,000 has been received for the Rotary club. Great job!
Bill Kany mentioned that Andy Greif and the Community Bicycle Center received 22 tickets to the August 6th Sea Dogs games against the Akron Rubberducks (yes, Bill was serious!). The tickets are in the Troubh Skybox which is a fantastic place to watch a game. Andy donated them to the club so we can raise a little money for Red Ribbon Committee. Bill Kany suggested that some club members and their family and friends go to the game in exchange for a small donation for the tickets. He recommended a donation of $20.00 to $25.00 per ticket. If you or your business would like a few tickets and you are willing to make a donation for them, please contact Bill Kany as soon as you can with how many tickets you would like to purchase. Tickets are a first come, first get basis.
Paul Deschambault gave an update on the Canada trip planned for August 5-7. Roland has invited folks to camp out at his place. Paul and his wife are going and he has directions as there are a couple of ways to get there. Please see Paul or Roland for more information.
On August 20th there will be a Fellowship event @ Lucie Kay's place at Hills Beach. Pot luck - everyone to bring something and sign up on our website. Lucie will provide lobster rolls. The event starts at 2:00. More information to come.
The beer festival committee has been busy working to set up the Celebration of Suds this year. This year the event will be held in the community room at Pepperell Mill Campus (same room as the wine tasting) on Saturday September 10th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Music will be provided by Pete Finkle. Tickets and posters should be ready by next week sometime. Tickets will also be available online through www.Eventbrite.com. Our clubs PR committee will be setting up an event on Facebook and inviting as many of you as possible. Please use this free advertising tool to "invite" your friends and promote this event. We are looking for sponsors for the event. A volunteer sign up sheet will be passed out in the next couple of weeks. Please do what President Lucie Kay has suggested and "just say yes"!
Congratulations Raffle Winners:
Conrad won the 50/50 raffle of $27.00.
Bernice was the lucky raffle winner of a $50 gift certificate to Huot's Seafood for attending the combined meeting of clubs last week at Dunegrass.
Happy Dollars:
Lots of Happy Dollars - this is a very happy time of year! The meeting was very noisy with lots of chatter so it was difficult to hear what was being said. These were all the happy Rotarians: Karen, Joe, Andy, Bernice, Bill, Jim A., Jim G., Ken, Sarah, Paul, Mark.
Fines:
Fausto mumbled some fines to: Josh, Lucie, Jim G., Joe, Elaine, Karen and Ken.
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Musings from Former President Bill 7/29/2016 Okay, for anyone who attended last week’s meeting, the speaker was a little different. Hell, Lucie had him pick the winning raffle ticket and he pulled one, looked at it and put it on the table. He never read it until we begged him, Odd, yes,
His busy is interesting. He has put together shows featuring music, film clips and comedy from the 40’s and 50’s. He shows them at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other venues for the elderly. The concept is that our memories make us who we are and as we forget our past we lose who we are. By watching the old clips and hearing the old music, the theory is that memories are regenerated and for a while anyway people find themselves. The idea is fantastic but there were few people at our meeting who really remember Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney so perhaps the meaningfulness of the nice business model was a bit lost on us especially when the demo went on and one from one old movie to the next old song. I should note that I did see a picture of Doug Kay and his first wife sitting in the back seat of their ’57 Buick convertible. She was hot in an old fashioned kind of way.
I, for one, can certainly remember where I was when I first heard “Any Too Proud to Beg” because I believe I was begging at the time. Just ask Lucie about the significance of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” to her. I am told that music and smells are the two things that can stimulate memories more than anything else. I don’t think any of us will ever forget MERC.
Soon we will need all hands on deck related to the 2nd Annual Beer Festival. Plans are well underway for the September 10th event. We are all going to sell tickets this year like we do for the wine tasting events to make sure we have a big crowd. We are also having the event inside this year to avoid the risk of a bad weather day. Let’s make sure we give Ken Farley and his committee all the support we can to make it a great time.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for August 20 when we all invade Lucie’s Hill’s Beach home for some fellowship. Brian Dalliare has promised that we will be able to do some 4 wheel drive racing on his lawn which is near Lucie’s property. We will need to make Ken wear a life jacket all afternoon so we don’t lose him in the currents of the Biddeford Pool gut. Lucie has promised her world famous lobster rolls with lobster caught by her husband, Doug. It should be a fun time and we should all support President Lucie and make every effort to be there.
Please take the time to sign up for the Club’s Alzheimer’s team which will walk in the Alzheimer’s Walk on September 17 down in York. If you can’t make the event please go on line to support the team with a donation. We are still a long way from finding a cure to this horrific disease which robs individuals who they are, but these fundraisers provide a fun and inspirational way to help fund a cure while also supporting the 1,000’s of families affected by the disease. Your help will be appreciated.
Next week our speaker is Marc Feldman who is going to talk to us about Think Take Co-Working which should be an interesting look at a business model for the future that is here today.
See you next week. Bill |
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Week in Review 7/20/2016 Joint MeetingIt was only the 3rd meeting of the year and President Lucie is already shaking things up! We made history with our first joint meeting of three Rotary Clubs: Biddeford-Saco, Saco Bay and Saco Bay Sunset. The meeting was held in the evening at the Dunegrass Golf Club in Old Orchard Beach where we enjoyed light refreshments and great fellowship.
The guest of honor for this evening’s meeting was District Governor, Marge Barker.
President Israel Collins of the Saco Bay Sunset Club had some welcoming remarks for everyone and then President Jeff Slaton of the Saco Bay Club led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Singing was not on the agenda for this evening but I believe everyone should warm up their vocal cords for the meeting on the 27th at Run of the Mill !!
Mark your calendars for the 1st Annual Kinney Shores Day being held on Saturday, July 30th, 2016 (THIS WEEKEND!) All residents, Rotarians and Renters in Kinney Shores are Welcome! It sounds like a fun packed afternoon beginning with Sand Castle Building Registration (2:00 p.m.), Family Scavenger Hunt at 2:30 p.m. which will be followed up by Minute to Win it Games at 3:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. the renowned Juggler and Magician Robert Clark will take center stage. Brick Oven Pizza, Burgers and Hot Dogs are on the menu followed up by the Sandcastle Judging at 5:30 p.m. If you’d like more information or want to get involved, please call Jim Godbout at 207-283-1200 or email jim@jimgodbout.com. The proceeds for this event will benefit the Red Ribbon Campaign!
Our very own President Lucie Kay announced that there would be a return trip to Lac Megantic (Lucie couldn’t pronounce it and I’m probably spelling it incorrectly) the weekend of August 5th – which means NEXT WEEKEND if you are just reading this now. Tents/Pop-Ups are welcome. For more information, please get in touch with President Lucie Kay, PP Roland Gagne or PP Paul Deschambault.
The Saco Bay Sunset Club is selling “4 Way Test Beer Glasses”. The cost is one for $8.00 or four for $30. If you are interested in purchasing any, please get in touch with either Israel Collins or Dennis Robillard.
The 50/50 pot of $36.00 was won by PP Karen Chasse. The meeting was concluded after Doug Hooper led the group in the 4 Way Test.
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District Governor, Marge BarkerDistrict Governor, Marge Barker was the speaker for the evening. I’ve included portions of her speech below:
She thanked all 3 clubs for allowing her the opportunity to meet with everyone. She congratulated Saco Bay for their District Grant application to improve childhood literacy education outside the library. Reading & fresh air together enhances vocabulary and literacy skills. She also commented on Saco Bay also receiving a District Grant for building a wheelchair access ramp at the Ball Park in OOB used by Wounded Warriors and other groups. Because of the collaboration between the Biddeford-Saco, Saco Bay & Saco Bay Sunset Clubs, the work was completed in swift order. This project exemplifies collaboration to its fullest. DG Marge commented that the Biddeford-Saco Club was chartered in 1920 and that we’ve had 4 women presidents, with our current President, Lucie Kay, at number 4. She also commented on the Red Ribbon Committee that was established with the Biddeford-Saco Club. She is hoping to learn more about the details of our program which she believes mirrors others throughout the district and would love to foster collaboration among these clubs. DG Marge is also aware of our club working with international partners on a Global Grant in Jordan with a focus on literacy-which is something dear to her heart. She stated that so much is being done throughout the community and the world because of our commitment to Rotary. Working together helps to shape those we come into contact with. With all the sadness in the world it is humbling to know such dedicated men and women are working together to make this a better world.
Tony Wagner has been asked to serve as Assistant Governor for Saco Bay Sunset and Suzanne Ilsley has been asked to serve as Assistant Governor for Biddeford-Saco and Saco Bay. The International Convention is in the US-Atlanta-where we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Foundation.
On October 22nd, your Clubs will invite members from your community to a celebration highlighting the work we have done on Polio eradication. Over the last two years there has been a Polio Walk in Portsmouth. For the past 8 years, our Club (Biddeford-Saco) has held a Polio Plus Bingo Fundraiser. The money we raise does make a difference. The opportunities are endless. Please continue your efforts making a difference in your areas and tell the public what we are doing to eradicate Polio. Remember, we are only one plane ride away from contracting this crippling illness.
According to Rotary International President, John Germ, “As members of Rotary, we are out to change as many lives as we can, for the better. Not alone. Not as individuals. But together-as a team-through Rotary Serving Humanity.” |
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Meeting Reminder for July 20, 2016We will NOT be meeting at our regular time this week, but rather a Joint Meeting with the Saco Bay & Saco Bay Sunset Clubs will be held with the District Governor Marge at the Dungrass 6 to 8PM Wednesday July 20.
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House Speaker Mark EvesSpeaker Mark W. Eves is serving his second term as Speaker of the Maine House and his fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing the towns of North Berwick and South Berwick. He lives in North Berwick with his wife, Laura, their three young children, two goats, two pigs, and a coop full of chickens.
As Speaker of the House, he is responsible for presiding over all of the actions of the House of Representatives. Under Speaker Eves’ leadership, the Legislature passed a bipartisan middle class tax cut, boosted property tax relief for all Maine families, and strengthened investment in Maine children and workers. In his professional life, Speaker Eves is a trained marriage and family therapist. He has 15 years of experience working in the field of behavioral health and family therapy, as both a clinician and administrator for statewide community health organizations like Sweetser, Odyssey House, and Woodfords Family Services. Speaker Eves has counseled and helped develop school and community-based programs to help children, adults, and seniors struggling with mental illness and deep poverty. He also ran his own clinical private practice.These experiences have guided his policy focus in the Legislature. Speaker Eves earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Louisville. He is the youngest of seven children. His father was a pastor in the U.S. Military and his mother was a school teacher. He is a very proud father, son and husband.
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Musings from Former President Bill 7/14/2016Former President's Message
Rotary Tack – July 20, 2016
Sergeants at Arms. Okay, let’s do the math. The annual, that’s for the whole year with roughly 50 meetings, budget for the Sergeants at Arms (I swear Sergeant should be spelled Sargeant but it’s not) is $1,800.00. That comes out to $36.00 per meeting. In two meetings our new and clearly enthusiastic Sergeants have raised $149.00 or $74.50 per meeting for an annual haul of $3,725.00. Now I was thoroughly and repeatedly criticized for budgeting $2,400.00 for my Sergeants at Arms or $48.00 per week which this group will raise by week 32.
One must appreciate their exuberance and creativity along with their drive to over-achieve, but we are condoning is taxation without representation. My advice is simple:
The good news is that at the rate they are going they could stop fining us just before Christmas and they will have done their jobs.
No lazy days of summer for this club. We have a bunch of activities coming up.
Next week we have no regular noontime meeting and instead will meet at Dunegrass from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening in a combined meeting with Saco Bay and Saco Bay Sunset to greet our new District Governor, Marge. Please make every effort to be there if you can.
On July 31, the club needs volunteers to run the lobster bake we donated to the Rotary Auction so the Saco Bay could get half the money without doing any of the work (sounds kind of like the auction itself). If you can help out with the cooking, serving and clean up please let Joe Moreshead know.
On August 20 (that’s a Saturday) Lucie is inviting the club members and their families to her house at Hills Beach (actually on the “Gut” leading to the “Pool”) for a fellowship event. Mark your calendars, and there will be more details to come. Sounds like a fun time at a beautiful setting and a great chance to trash Lucie’s yard.
On September 10 we will be hosting the second annual Rotary Beer Festival under the leadership of Ken Farley. Last year’s event was a blast and now we semi know what we are doing so this year should be even better. Again, mark your calendars, call your friends and make every effort to be there. Sue Gajewski will need a ride home!
Finally, as the days of summer wind down we will participate in the Alzheimer’s Walk and fundraiser again down in York on September 17. Last year was a lot of fun, and we raised some good money for a great cause. Please plan on joining the walk this year, if you can.
Remember, just say yes, don’t say no, yes, ma’am can I have another, etc. are our mantras for the year, and if you forget you will be fined.
Respectfully submitted by your lowly scribe, Bill.
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President Lucie Announces Committee Assignments
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Musings from Former President Bill 7/8/2016 Remembering Leon Tranchemontagne:
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.
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President Lucie's InaguralWe 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
I work for THE CREDIT UNION so I
Now, that I have identified the similarities between our jobs, I will point out some in our personal lives:
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!
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.
Thank you.
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Week in Review 7/6/2016The 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.
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President Lucie's InauguralWe 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. 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.
Thank you.
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Former President's Message All right let’s start with the title of this weekly report. I don’t like the term “Past President”. It implies that the prior President is no longer with us. I will use the term “former”, like the artist formerly known as Prince. Okay, bad example but you get the idea. I have been tasked with continuing to let you know what Lucie wants you to know so once she tells me what she wants you to know I will pass it along.
Unlike my year, let’s be gentle with Lucie for now. She’s on her honeymoon and it’s her first time. My ass it’s her first time. Hell, we just had a full moon (sorry inside joke, ask Lucie to explain it. I am sure that she will). We really have to keep in mind that English is Lucie’s second language. So when she says hi my name is Lucie, in her head she just said: Bon jour, je m’appelle Lucie. And really she is thinking, what the hell am I doing up at this podium and why do I feel like I have to go to the bathroom? Don’t worry Lucie, yes, you will forget the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, the skinny hostess will kick you out of the second room before the meeting gets started and Jackson won’t always be around to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests, but you’ll be fine.
We will have our first Board meeting on July 6th at P&C Insurance which will help Lucie get her feet wet. We will discuss our new budget along with what we will continue to spend money on and what we will change. All are invited, the Board meeting starts at 7:45 AM. It should be a spirited discussion and I am sure that Lucie will let you know everything we talk about.
I believe these will be some of Lucie’s considerations for the year.
1. Bring back the fruit sale, but build small lemonade style stands and sell the fruit on the street.
2. Combine the beer and wine events so that everyone in both cities can get nice and drunk for one set price. 3. Abandon the Rotary house project and build ice shanties for sale instead. 4. New member hazing will be brought back with a vengeance including requiring them to walk up and down Main Street wearing a sandwich board with the 4 way test on it. 5. Each member of the club will be spontaneously called on to be Sergeant At Arms. 6. Singing will be brought back at every meeting and the Star Spangled Banner will be the required song along with Oh Canada. I am sure that Lucie will have other surprises for us as well. The bottom line is please support her like you helped me and we will have another great and fun year in Rotary. I have no doubt that Lucie will be a great president of our fantastic club so please do all that you can to continue to make our club the best club in the district.
Thanks from your former President, Bill
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Rotarian Leon TranchemontagneIt 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
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Week in Review 6/29/2016Bill K. led us in his final presidential Pledge of Allegiance then asked Andy G. to lead us in the 4 Way Test. James A. shared a short and to the point Invocation for Bill’s last meeting as President.
President Bill introduced President Elect Lucie to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests. Guests were Taryn W., Andrea M., Nathan C., Nicole C., Christine L., and Emily E. Visiting Rotarians were Assistant Governor Suzanne I., Assistant Governor Tony W. and Ted T. Bill thanked Susan G. for hosting a group of Rotarians at her camp last night who were attending the Change Over event Tuesday night at Camp Hinds and thanked Bernice W. and Lucie K. for bringing the food and drinks. We all left by 10 pm even though the event went until 11:30 pm! Thanks also to Jackson B., Roland G., Karen C., Taryn W. and Doug K. for coming. Bernice was teased a little bit about her speedy driving…34 mph in a 45 but in her defense she said, “but I was talking!” Carl G. said the final check for the house would be forthcoming and the Rotary/COT house sold for $38,000. There were no Red Ribbon updates today. Dana Lane won the 50/50 of $34. For their last Sergeant at Arms happy dollar and fines extravaganza, Joe M., Karen C., and Keith J. were very prepared! Happy Dollars: Heather M. is sad that they lost their car in an accident but happy that her husband is fine and “all his parts are working” – no one asked for details, Laurie Jo is celebrating her 20th anniversary, Mark T. brought a Rotary flag from Newport, VT near the Canadian border and was fined another dollar for having a good time, Joe B. had a 3 hour boat ride with all sorts of weather…and the Skipper and Gilligan, Sarah N. and her husband are expecting their 4th child in December - congratulations!, Jeremy R. is celebrating his 9th anniversary, Tony W. was happy to be at the Change Over last night, really? and happy with Bill’s successful year, Fausto was happy for six friends lending an ear of support, Paul D.’s wife Carol is retiring from UNUM on July 1st, Dana L. celebrated with family at Portland Headlight, Suzanne I. is just happy to be the new District Governor, Matt S. is on vacation for the next 10 days, Bill gave lots of happy dollars - $2 from Rollie so he could eat at ROTM and $5 to be “out of here”.
Fines: Dana L. 10% for his 50/50 win and $1 for nepotism, Bill for prescription…not too much info about this fine?, Bill for mowing his son’s lawn and not his Dad’s lawn, Karen gave Bill two new SMHC hats since his were so dirty, Heather G. for her belated birthday, Bill since he and Ray D. were “caught”, Bernice for the wrong voicemail message last week, Lucie for her “full moon “ story at camp last night…don’t ask, Jackson for giving Keith the scoop on the full moon story and not Karen, Matt for not helping Bill carry in all his boxes this week, Matt and James A. were both fined for being so enthusiastic about Bill’s last meeting as president…how rude!, Matt, Sarah and Fausto for “the secret”, Bernice for Lucie’s gavel, Dennis for bringing his daughter to the meeting, Roland for sitting by himself out by the lake last night AND for leaving the Change Over before anyone else, Andy for his fancy fanny pack (do they still sell fanny packs?) and for messing up the 4 Way Test with “and” not “or”, Brian for not shaving but Bill can’t really tell the difference, Joe for being disrespectful to all his Sergeant at Arms today, Josh F. for coming to the meeting and another dollar fine for bringing a guest and finally any Rotarian that has not been fined during Bill’s presidency should cough up a dollar now!
Keith gave Bill an extra-large poster of his high school graduation picture, temporary glasses and all! Bill said he never realized how many times that photo would come back to haunt him! James A. made fudge and passed it around…it was super yummy! Bill had a few more awards to give out this week: Fausto P. received the Paul Harris Award AND the Service Above Self award for club participation, for donating food for our events, and for donating money back to the club after events. Congratulations Fausto. You are a great Rotarian. Andy G. was given the Private Sector Award for making our community better. Bill thanked Andy for all his guidance this year too. Congratulations Andy. We will miss you next year. Laurie Jo received a Service Above Self Award for the countess hours she puts in as Treasurer. She inherited a mess and has fixed everything. Congratulations and thank you for all you do Laurie Jo.
Bill said that his year ‘flew by’ and he read a passage from “Boys In The Boat” about teamwork and the USA rowing team that won gold in Berlin in 1936. He assured Lucie, Jackson and Bernice that they would not be rowing the boat alone because we all work so well as a team. Bill also thanked all of us for being his TEAM for the past year. Thank you Bill for your leadership, your humor and never missing a meeting! Perfect attendance as President, just like Roland! With a few teary eyes in the crowd, Bill introduced the new Biddeford Saco Rotary President, Lucie Kay. Lucie was placed in a chair with the banana hat and Bill proceeded tell us all a bit about our next President: • Lucie had to troll the nursing homes looking for a husband, • Lucie has two beautiful daughters, • Lucie is the only person who would ever complain about having to move to a beautiful home in Hills Beach, • Lucie has tons of vacation time every year, • Lucie will be explaining for the next year how her pants ended up in the back of Bill’s car, • Lucie sews Talbots tags in her Gap pants, • Lucie will be completely gray in one year, • Lucie can relate very well to our Rotary Club since we don’t pay taxes either, • Lucie has English as a second language and has repeatedly called Bill names in French! We all found these factoids quiet humorous! Lucie was given her gavel with the correct year but the wrong name. Thank you Bernice! Karen brought a gift for Bill. It was an orange and black Biddeford Basketball chair…which was just a joke because he really couldn’t keep it! Bill added that if TA ever goes to Class C, they will play Biddeford again to which Jeremy replied, “We’re Class B!” Lucie gave Bill his gavel with pin plaque which was correct. YAY! Nice job Bernice! Bill was also presented with a lovely Rotary lamp instead of the traditional Rotary chair for his year of exemplary service. Thank you, Bill. You made Rotary meetings something to look forward to each week. Lucie has some big shoes to fill but we know she’ll be awesome. Welcome to the helm Lucie. Meeting adjourned. |
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Week in Review 6/22/2016President Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance; Joe M. led the 4-way test; and Jim A. led the invocation.
Announcements:
Jim A. asked that we keep Leon and his wife, Cheryl in our thoughts and prayers.
Keith J. informed the club that service on the California owner of the Rotary house hasn't been completed and that process is underway.
Jim G. noted that the Red Ribbon Committee is working with Jeremy R., Superintendent of the Biddeford Public Schools, to implement new drug prevention and awareness programs this Fall.
The fundraising committee is meeting on Monday, June 27 at 5:15 p.m. at Keith J. law offices on Main St., in Biddeford.
Next Tuesday, June 28th is the changeover event where Lucie K. will be recognized as our club President for the 2016-2017 Rotary year by the District. They will be meeting at Sue G.'s house for dinner and will travel to Camp Pine for the event to begin at 7:00 p.m.
Visiting Guests and Rotarians:
Sharon Snell is visiting from the Bideford, England club. Welcome!
We had 5 guests: Linda Roth, Rene Menard, Joyce Haley, Nicole Carroll, and Mayor Alan Casavant.
50/50
Today's raffle winner is Mark Mahoney and the pot is $34.00.
SAA
Happy Dollars
Keith J. was happy!
Julie was happy to report that she is going to be a grandmother again! Congratulations.
Joe M. was happy!
CJ was happy that her daughter picked a venue in Bar Harbor and a wedding date of June 17, 2017! Yeah!
Ken Farley was happy too!
Fines
Mark M. for not donating his raffle winnings to the SOA.
Jim A. for giving bad advice to the seniors during the scholarship interview process.
Matt S. for his lack of respect for President Kany.
Denis E. for being on vacation from substitute teaching.
Joe M. for his pants.
Brian D. for chiming in about Joe's pants.
Denis E. for sending his copy of Rotarian magazine to the club's address.
Lucie for messing up the announcements of visiting Rotarians and guests after 50 weeks practice.
Mark M. for his retirement.
Joyce Haley for her 20 year absence from the club. Note Joyce was the first woman to join our club!
Bill K. for 1. not remembering who serves as SOAs; 2. $2.00 for forgetting Chris I. and Denis E.; 3. for making Matt S. carry in all the awards; 4. for the fact that Karen's daughter's grades were not reported correctly at TA; 5. for giving Keith wrong information.
Everyone that did not attend the business after hours paid $1.00.
All board members whose terms expire paid $1.00; and,
Lucie for nothing at all!
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Annual Biddeford-Saco Rotary AwardsThe following is my presentation of the awards last Wednesday, June 22. I have not included the awards for the people who were not able to make the meeting. Awards Day is our Club's opportunity to recognize the contributions people both in our Club and outside our Club have made to our community or the world. As you know I have tried to make it a habit to thank Club Members all year for things they have done for the club or in the community. The Awards Day really just takes the thanks to a much higher level. If you think about it, the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club is over 95 years old. Members of our club have been the who’s who of community leaders and our club has done things like Rotary Park, the Ferry Road bike path, helped fund the Truslow Center, I can go on and on. The bottom line is that receiving an award from our Club is high praise indeed and should be considered as such.
We all know that we take the acts of kindness by others for granted every day. We just assume that first responders are going to be there to help us until you see that video of the Boston Marathon bombings and you realize that the only people running toward the blast are wearing uniforms. Awards Day is our opportunity to break the bad habit of taking people for granted and say thank you to some who have gone above and beyond in helping others.
Each year we give out four distinguished awards. They include our Private Sector, Public Sector, Humanitarian and Vocational Service Awards. The Private Sector Award winner was not present on June 22 so I will skip that award.
Public Sector Award
The next award will be our Public Sector Award. To remind you of the description: The Public Sector Award is awarded to a citizen who, in the course of their employment or funding, serves the public with government and/or public monies. Recipients are usually employed by a government agency, hold a political office, or have their good works publicly funded in the course of their employment.
We are living in a world today in which civility in the world of government has gone away. Just look at our Presidential election and down to our recent state elections as examples of incredible mudslinging indicative of an error in which we simply cannot all get along. One cannot be a true Democrat or Republican unless you are at one polar extreme or the other. Gridlock now mars almost every level of government.
This year’s Public Sector Award winner is someone who has always worked to bring civility and common sense to government no matter what level he has worked at. Through extremely challenging meetings involving incredibly difficult and sensitive issues our recipient worked to keep his council above the fray.
At the same time this individual saw a significant need in the community to address drug misuse and addiction and created a task force to begin to address those serious issues at a time when action was so critical.
This individual has always acted with the best interests of the citizens of Biddeford in mind. This year’s BS Rotary Public Sector Award winner is Mayor Alan Casavant.
Humanitarian Award Winner
Our Humanitarian Award is given to someone whose life has been defined by his or her good deeds. The award is described as follows: The Humanitarian Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to further the good of humanity in the community.
This year's Humanitarian Award winner is an individual who has made it a habit to get involved. Every time I turn around I find out that this person has been involved in a project or a cause either quietly or at the head of the pack.
Specifically, how many of us have been reading stories in the paper over the last two years about the ever increasing problem of drug addiction and drug overdose deaths. How many of us watched 60 Minutes and said wow opiate addiction is out of control, that’s terrible, someone should do something about it.
This individual heard the same stories and watched as people died all around him and said enough. This person literally stood up and challenged this club to help him do something about the drug problem. The person inspired and led the creation of our Red Ribbon Committee by refusing to accept anything less than action.
By all of his actions this individual has made our communities and our club better and I have no doubt that he will not rest until his wife tells him to. I am proud to give this year’s Humanitarian Award to Jim Godbout.
Vocational Service Award
The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Vocational Service Award description is as follows: The Vocational Service Award is awarded to a citizen, private or public, who has done exceptional work to promote vocational education and vocational programs.
This award is given to individuals who have recognized the importance of promoting the trades and the need for a skilled workforce. They have also been people who know that four years of college are not for everyone and we must strive to encourage the pursuit of the interests and strengths of all students.
This year’s recipient is not just someone that recognized a need, this year’s recipient went out to the business community and asked what do you need? What can we do to help area businesses? What skills are you looking for? This year’s recipient recognizes that not all young people want to or are capable of going on to 4 year colleges and that it is essential to meet the needs of all students and not just those heading to the Ivies.
This year’s recipient is actually a cutting edge organization that has created the first in the country machinist education program for high school students who may want a career in manufacturing. This organization has a commitment to helping students find their career path through the development of internships with local businesses which give students a chance to see if that business or profession is for them.
This year’s Vocational Award winner is an often overlooked gem of an asset in our community which has truly demonstrated its commitment to vocational education. The winner this year is Thornton Academy.
Paul Harris Awards
We also have the privilege today of giving out Rotary’s Paul Harris Awards which award is arguably the highest honor bestowed by Rotary. Named after one of Rotary’s founders, the Paul Harris Award signifies that the recipient has truly worked to promote the ideals of Rotary while helping our club be the best it can be..
We are happy to give out three Paul Harris Awards this year. I will give them out in no particular order. Because two of the winners were not at the meeting I will only mention the one Paul Harris Award that was given out.
The next Paul Harris winner is another club member who came into the club and hit the ground running. Everything that she does for the club she does well with an energy and a sense of pride. She is incredibly conscientious in everything she does and seems to be at every event. She has worked very hard to revitalize our Interact Club and I have no doubt that given some time and more support from our club, the Biddeford High School Interact Club will be one of the best in the district. I am proud to give the next Paul Harris Award to Sarah Neault.
Goodwin Outstanding Service Award
In 2007, our Club created the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award to recognize the contributions to our Club by Earl and Carl Goodwin. Those two gentlemen have done so much for our Club and contributed so much to our communities that it only made sense to create an award in their honor. This is really our Club's version of a lifetime achievement award centered around what a Club member has done for Rotary. This is our 10th Annual Goodwin Outstanding Service Award bestowed.
This year’s recipient is a past president who is and has been involved in so many efforts it is difficult to list them all. This Rotarian really could be referred to as Father Christmas for all of his efforts to make Christmas a little better for the less fortunate, but I think his efforts to help the people of Lac Megantic which effort captivated and motivated the entire District really made him a Rotary MVP.
This year’s Goodwin Outstanding Service Award winner is Paul Deschambault.
I should note that Paul is on the Awards Committee and we purportedly voted to give the award to another member of the club but we had voted before he arrived to give it to him. He had no idea.
Service Above Self
After the Goodwin Award, Rotarian of the Year and perhaps equal to Paul Harris Awards, it is my opinion that Service Above Self Awards are really the highest awards our club can award. After all it is the underlying moto of Rotary and it is a phrase that really captures the essence of the recognition. I will always remember seeing a Service Above Self Award hanging from my father’s wall of fame and another hanging in Alan Nelson’s office and thinking how cool would it be to get one of those. So this year I did not give out any Presidential Awards. All of my highest thank you’s are Service Above Self Awards. I should note that I included an original haiku on each of the plagues. As most of you probably know haikus are a form of poetry in a 5/7/5 meter. They don’t rhyme and don’t involve the word Nantucket. While I am not an accomplished poet, they are all unique and the sentiments are what count. I will give these out in no particular order. I did not include in the list those members of the club who were not at the meeting.
Karen Chasse
Ken Farley
Sue Gajewski
Joe Moreshead
Julie Villemaire
Lucie Kay
Rotarian of the Year
Our awards culminate in the President’s choice for the Rotarian who stood head and shoulders above the rest. I could have printed this plague a long time ago. This person does not take no for an answer, is constantly moving forward, is constantly thinking of others and is generous to a fault. He has made of club and each of us better by responding to his challenge and following his example. I will be ever indebted to him for all he has done in my year.
The 2016 Rotarian of the Year is Jim Godbout.
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President Bill's Message 6/20/2016 For those of you who did not make the meeting on the 15th, it was Past President’s Day. We had it out on the patio at Run of the Mill. It was a little hard to hear since there were restaurant patrons seated all around us who probably wondered why we were pledging allegiance to the flag and I sure they were a little puzzled by James Audiffred’s latest speech, I mean prayer. We didn’t have a great turn out of past Presidents, but we had a few veterans back. We were all shocked when Dave Lowe declined to speak. Ken Farley also started a new tradition of having the youngest Past President sit in a high chair for the meeting.
I did want to remind everyone again that June 22nd is our annual awards day. It is the opportunity for the club to acknowledge the outstanding contributions that people have made to our communities while also giving me a chance to acknowledge some club members for their outstanding work for the club. Again, please make every effort to be there if you can. I am also happy to announce that the Paul Harris awards came in so we will be able to give those out as well. In all seriousness, our internal club awards are really important. It is the club’s opportunity to thank members for their hard work. Please try and be there, who knows you may get an award.
On Thursday, June 16 we partnered with the Run of the Mill to host the Chamber Business after Hours. Despite logistics concerns related to La Kermesse we had a good turnout. The Run of the Mill put on a great spread and I think we came away with a few member prospects. It is certainly something I hope we continue to do.
Right now Lucie is trying to schedule a budget meeting for June 27 in the evening I think. We are trying to nail down a location (perhaps here at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution in Saco). We will keep you informed at the exact date and time so if you would like to have input into Lucie’s budget this will be your chance.
If you have not heard, Lucie has been helping to take care of her father-in-law who was receiving hospice care at home. Unfortunately, Dr. Kay passed away either Sunday night or Monday morning. It was and is a tough time for Doug and Lucie so please give her your best.
Otherwise, have a great week.
Thanks Bill |
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Week in Review 6/15/2016President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by an enthusiastic Brian Dallaire. President Bill then asked SAA Joe Moreshead to come up and drape the charter, followed by a moment of silence, for Past President Dennis Petit. The invocation was then led by Jim Audiffred in which he thanked all the Past Presidents and their wives (yes, I immediately wondered where my wife was to help me during my year).
The 50/50 was won by President-Elect Lucie Kay who donated it to the Red Ribbon Fund.
Get Well Soon! – Cards were circulated to wish Heather MacLean’s husband and Peggy Bean’s husband fast recoveries.
Thank You! – Bill thanked the following people this week:
• All Past Presidents for building our incredible reputation in this District. • The Entire club for their part in ensuring we received the District Governor’s Citation – not because we “taught to the test” but because we do amazing things that naturally meet the guidelines. • Roland Gagne for his international project which was highlighted at the District Conference and noted as “the best global project the District has ever seen.” Dates to Know:
• Business After Hours: Tomorrow, June 16th at 5-7pm at Run of the Mill. Parking will be complicated due to La Kermesse Block Party. ROTM parking lot will be closed so please park up at the Train Station and ensure you are out of that lot by 8pm. Two drink tickets for beer or wine will be provided, along with some nice door prizes. • Annual Awards: At our regular meeting on June 22, our club will honor community members and fellow Rotarians for going above and beyond. This is a meeting you want to attend! • Changeover Dinner: Lucie’s changeover will occur on June 28th at Camp Hinds with a pre-party at Sue Gajewski’s camp. Please let Lucie or Bill know if you would like to attend. Membership – At the District Conference it was discussed that membership is dwindling and to help in that effort, they are being much more flexible around scheduling and membership rules. They are now allowing Presidents the option to cancel more than two meetings per year; corporate/business memberships are now allowed in which several members may rotate each meeting; the attendance requirements are less strict; and they encourage more interaction between the Rotary Clubs and the Interact Clubs.
Rotary Park – PP Al Carrigan noted it was our Club’s 50th year during his Presidency in which we did work at Rotary Park. He has created a slide presentation from the early days to today and will schedule a time in the Fall to be on our program schedule.
Happy Dollars – SAA Joe accepted happy dollars from:
• Jim Audiffred was grateful for PP contributions and their SPOUSES and happy for his 35th wedding anniversary. To show his gratitude, he gave $135 to the Past Presidents Scholarship Fund. • CJ Dubois-Cote was happy Sunday would be nice so she can hit the beach. • Bill Kany for surviving the District Conference. • Denis Elie for his newest adventure and sleeping on a mountain. • Paul Deschambault for his sister, Susan, winning the Senate seat in yesterday’s election. • Matt Simmonds for paying off Karen to do the TACK and his 11th wedding anniversary. • Al Carrigan as he realized he was the longest serving past president in attendance today. Fines– Then SAA Joe handed out fines to:
• The entire back table for not listening to Bill during announcements. • Lucie Kay for “Heavy PETS”. • Brian Dallaire for his excitement. • Jim Audiffred for his lecture on the power of love. • Ken Farley for his new look. • Denis Elie for his “schools out” casual look. • The entire front table for being out of control. • Mark Nahorney for his casual retirement dollar. • Ray Demers for looking so sharp in his white shirt with his “partner” • And finally, a raffle of an Elements GC which went for full value to Roland Gagne. |
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Past Presidents HighlightedPP Keith Jacques then introduced the Past Presidents by their year, along with their guests. He encouraged any members who have not been President to consider it. It is an honor and will be your best year in Rotary. Plus, you get free lunch once a year, including a beer or a glass of wine! He noted his most happy moment when he was President was not what he had done his year but was watching certain members experience their “breakout year” in the club in which they challenged themselves, found the true meaning of Rotary and really went above and beyond. He challenged everyone in the room to make next year their breakout year (plus Lucie would love you for it)! 1964 Joseph G Grondin
1965 Harry M. Wooster 1966 William L. Smith 1967 Albert P. Deshaies 1968 Henry A Tarte 1969 Richard E. Sweeney 1970 E. Raymond Noiseux 1971 Donald E. Scribner 1972 Grenville S. Arsenault 1973 Albert E. Carignan 1974 William C. Langevin 1975 Frank DeFrancesco 1976 Earl A. Goodwin 1977 Norman R. Faucher 1978 Robert W. Cole Jr 1979 Richard J. Reny 1980 Harold M. Arsenault 1981 Royal N. Sheltra 1982 Gregory F. Clifford 1983 Ronald Drouin 1984 Dennis Petit 1985 Thomas Moore 1986 James F. Pastorelli 1987 J. Richard Martin 1988 David Beattie 1989 David Lowe 1990 Steven Fennell 1991 Donald Lauzier 1992 Robert Begin 1993 Mark Thomas 1994 Richard Buffum 1995 Gilbert Dominque 1996 Thomas Wells 1997 Bill Guay 1998 Helene Plourde 1999 Richard Lagarde 2000 Mark Tuller 2001 Keith Jacques 2002 Stephen lves 2003 Keith Gosselin 2004 Paul Deschambeault 2005 Roland Eon 2006 Scott Simmonds 2007 Denis Elie 2008 Frank Gooding 2009 Steve Morin 2010 Julie Villemaire 2011 Frank Dumais 2012 Karen Chasse 2013 Roland Gagne 2014 Kenneth Farley |
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President's Message 6/13/2016This week is Past Presidents’ week which is our chance to thank the past Presidents of our club who have done so much to make our club the organization that it is. It is supposed to be a beautiful day and we will be out on the patio at Run of the Mill so please make every effort to be there.
I also wanted to remind everyone that on Thursday, June 16 we, along with Run of the Mill, will host the Chamber Business after Hours at Run of the Mill. Again, if the forecast is accurate we will be able to be outside. The prior Businesses after Hours have been a lot of fun and great member recruiting events. It runs from 5:00 to 7:00 PM so please try to attend.
I also wanted to remind everyone that June 22nd is our annual awards day. It is the opportunity for the club to acknowledge the outstanding contributions that people have made to our communities while also giving me a chance to acknowledge some club members for their outstanding work for the club. Again, please make every effort to be there if you can.
Finally, I have never been a person who supports “teaching to a test”. I am always offended by the stories about school districts that spend all year simply preparing students to take certain standardized tests as opposed to just teaching the subject and hoping that the students get enough out of the class to do well on whatever standardized test they are taking. At the beginning of my Rotary year we received the RI President’s criteria for getting a Presidential citation and a District Governor’s Citation Challenge. I looked at the list and really felt that if we got any such recognition it would be because we did the right thing during the year and not because we “taught to the test”.
Well, fast forward to this past weekend and Lucie and I attended the District Conference in Brighton for the day on Saturday which was held almost exclusively in a large tent. To be honest, it was not real warm and it rained for a decent part of the afternoon. There were speakers throughout the day who were pretty good, but we had to sit is these folding chairs supplied by some rental company (sorry Sue) which were the same chairs they make prisoners sit in at Gitmo so they will confess. The day began at around 8:00 AM and at 8:30 PM the District Governor called up all of the current Presidents (the tent was more than half empty by then as many were suffering from hypothermia) and gave out some awards. To my surprise we received the highest District Governor’s citation that she gave out and we received a Silver RI President’s Award and only 2 other clubs in the district got that high an honor (except Portland Rotary that got the Gold Award, but I am sure that they taught to the test).
Those awards are really acknowledgements of all of your hard work and dedication to our club’s efforts and I thank you all for everything that you did for the club this year and for all that you have done in the past and will do in the future. At the end of the day, certificates get placed in a file or a scrap book and are forgotten, but I can assure you that I will never forget all that each of you did during my year as President to continue to make our club one of the best clubs in the District.
Have a great week.
Thanks Bill |
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Week in Review 6/8/2016President Kany kicked off the meeting leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. The 4 way test was led by Roland Eon and Joe Basset gave the invocation.
Guest and Visiting Rotarians:
Andrew Turner, – guest
Todd Cesca – guest
Griselda Zeljkovich – visiting Rotarian Venado Tuerto
Florencia Haspert – visiting Rotarian Santo Tome
Nestor Destefanis – visiting Rotarian Victoria
Sebastian Roma – visiting Rotarian Venado Tuerto
Israel Collins – visiting Rotarian Saco Bay Sunset
50/50 Raffle:
Keith Jacques won $32 which he graciously donated to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Presidential Thanks-Yous:
Bill Kany led the meeting, opening by thanking Heather Maclean for her project of building a Red Ribbon display for the District Convention.
He thanked Jim Audiffred Roland Gagne and their wives for hosting our visiting Rotarians from Argentina.
We had a chance to hear briefly from each of the Argentinian Rotarians and Bill presented each one with a banner from our club and a pin with our countries’ flags on them.
Happy Dollars and Fines:
SAA Joe Moreshead, Keith Jacques and Karen Chasse.
Fausto was happy to greet our Argentinian visitors in Spanish!
Karen was happy her daughter graduated from Thornton and she can watch the video of her being hypnotized!
Keith Jacques was happy he feels better this morning than his daughter did after celebrating her 21st birthday yesterday.
Ken Farley was happy his son did something amazing (but that I didn’t hear because Ken was in the other room).
Fines
Bill Kany
Chris Indorf
Jeremy Ray
Andy Greif
Bernice Wood
Fausto
Lucie Kay
Paul Deschambault
Denis Elie
Brian Dallaire
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Shane Hall, the Program Director for Compass ProjectCurrently under the umbrella of ENGINE and housed in the shop at Biddeford High School. Primary work is boat-building with middle and high-school students to teach them the skills of teamwork, workmanship and pride in their work as they build a boat together.
Also involved in other community efforts like a pilot boat-building effort at UNE and summer camps.
Added programs for adults at the high school shop, not just boat building, but other wood shop classes were offered this spring and will resume in the fall.
The boats are sold to the public, raffled off at fundraisers, and some are commissioned by individuals.
Next big fundraiser is the Biddeford Boatbuilding Festival to be held at the Pepperell Mill Campus on the 16th & 17th of July. 8 teams will build their own Compass Skiff, a 10-foot motorboat in just two days.
There will also be vendors, exhibitors, kids activities, and food at the venue.
How can we get involved with the Compass Project?
Join us for the first Biddeford Boatbuilding Festival on July 16 & 17 at the historic Pepperell Mill Campus in downtown Biddeford.Six participant teams–corporate sponsors, families, or youth organizations–will each build their own Compass Skiff, a 10-foot motorboat, over the course of the weekend. All materials and supplies will be provided, no prior expeirence or skills needed. The festival will conclude with a celebratiory boat launching into the Saco River. Each team will then take their boat home to paint and use. Completed boats are great for fishing, using as a tender, or as the first boat for kids. They also make great gifts, donations for charity fundraisers or auctions. The festival will also include nautical-themed exhibitors, local youth nonprofits, a Saturday evening event at Engine with special guests the Lowell Brothers, kids’ activities, food and music, and more. Funds raised will support Compass Project’s year-round boatbuilding and rowing programs for at-risk youth. The Biddeford Boatbuilding Festival will be a fun event, with artisans, vendors, and exhibitors, guest speakers, activities for kids, local food, and live music. The cost per team is: Family Team : $950 For families of 3-5 people, ages 8+ WHEN: Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17
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Announcements 6/8/2016Main St. House Update: work has stopped since the COT teacher was injured and kids can’t work in there unsupervised. Jim Godbout will be coordinating getting some of the framing done in the next few weeks so that the mechanical systems can be installed before the end of summer.
Next Thursday our club will be hosting the Chamber’s After Hours at Run of the Mill from 5 to 7:00 PM
Bill and Lucie will be attending the District Conference on Saturday.
The changeover (Lucie becoming president) is scheduled for Tuesday 28 June at Camp Hines at 7:00PM.
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Announcements 6/1/20106The Charitable Committee was to meet immediately following our meeting. A big thank you to the members who laid flags at our Veterans’ gravesites and thank you to Julie V. for once again organizing this event. Also thank you to the businesses that donated swag and to the members who graciously gave items for today’s raffle.
Jim G. updated us regarding the status of the house project on Main St. The actions to clear title to the property are in process and the owner in California will be served with the court documents. Discussion is underway about adding a 1 ½ car garage to the property.
Carl G. informed the club that he has a down payment for the modular home.
Red Ribbon Committee met to debrief after the Red Ribbon Week events were complete. The committee is collaborating with area high schools to implement the Tidal Waves Program which targets high school students who commit to being substance abuse free throughout their high school career, including the summer months. There is also work being done with 5th and 6th graders on the All Stars Program.
Next Thursday, 6/16 from 5-7 at ROTM we are co-sponsoring the business after hours with ROTM. Hope to see many of you there!
The District Conference is taking place this weekend, 6/10-6/12. Lucie and Bill are attending on Saturday and if anyone is interested in joining please let Bill know.
Lucie’s District change-over event is being held at Camp Hines on 6/28. There is a group going – Karen, Bernice, Sue G., and Bill. There’s still room and if you want to be part of this big event let Lucie or Bill know!
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President's Message 6/6/2016First and foremost, congratulations to all of your sons, daughters or grandkids who may have graduated from high school, college or kindergarten for that matter. Each level is a significant accomplishment and a clear reminder that time passes much too quickly. Before you know it, Lucie will be writing these columns in the Tack!
I did want to take a moment and thank everyone who did come to last week’s meeting and donated to the Foundation. I also wanted to thank all of you who may have donated directly to the Foundation during the year or who made a donation to the Club for the Foundation at some time during the year. We impressively raised $1,945.00 for the Foundation last week which the Club has matched. I will make sure that Laurie Jo submits the matches to give each of you the appropriate credit. Most importantly, however, our Club has again demonstrated its generosity and commitment to helping others while doing it in a fun way. I had no idea how that Foundation swag day would work out and I hope everyone enjoyed it.
This week we will welcome some guests from Argentina who will be hosted by Roland and Paula Gagne and James and Margo Audiffred. Please join me in thanking the Gagne’s and the Audiffred’s for stepping up. I am sure our Argentinian friends will be able to recover from their stay on the long plane ride home.
Lucie and I are off to the District Conference on Saturday. I would like to say I can’t wait but I believe the first wrung of the four way test is “Is it the truth”. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.
Lucie, CJ and I attended the Saco Bay Sunset Club’s Charter night on June 2 at Dunegrass. While not a big crowd it was a nice event with a number of clubs represented. They had good attendance from their own club (one would hope so) and it seems like a good group. I believe that Lucie is planning on having a combined meeting with them on July 20th with Marge Baker, our about to be new District Governor comes for a visit. You can meet them then.
Have a great week.
Thanks Bill |
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Week in Review 6/1/2016President Kany kicked off the meeting leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Since it was the first Wednesday of the month Paul Deschambault led the group as we sang My Country Tis of the Thee. The 4 way test was led by Sabine and Joe Basset gave the invocation.
Guest and Visiting Rotarians:
Curtis Arnold, founder of Memory Lane Entertainment, LLC – guest
Past District Governor Ron Goudin
50/50 Raffle:
Matt Early won $24.00 which he graciously donated to the Red Ribbon Committee.
Happy Dollars and Fines:
SOA Joe Moreshed and Karen Chasse – the group is $300 short of budget!
Joe M. was happy to announce that his company won its first ever government contract! Congratulations!
Steven M.’s youngest graduated Summa Cum Laude!
Ron Goudin was happy to be let back in to the club.
Craig Pendleton happily reported that the Chamber donated to the Red Ribbon Committee and a match of $2500 was made.
Mark Mahoney is RETIRED!
Joe Basset was happy to be done tearing up tickets for today’s event
Bill K was thrilled that the club raised $2000 in 15 minutes towards Rotary Foundation
Karen is happy that her son is flying home on Friday.
Heather M is happy that her daughter is safely home from Germany after being away for 9 months and that she is fluent in German!
Fines
Lucie $2
Bill $3
Ron G. $1
Sarah N $1
CJ $1
Sabine $1
Matt Early $1
Jim G $1
Ray D $1
Brian D $1
Joe M $2
Raffle for Rotary Foundation Donation
Each member received one entry for every $5.00 donated to the Rotary Foundation for a chance to win Swag and other miscellaneous items. Our corporate sponsors were SBSI, York County Federal Credit Union, Maine Turnpike Association, Precision Screw, CJ Dubois-Cote Keller Williams, Bangor Savings Bank, Gorham Savings Bank, and UNE. Also thank you to Jim G. for donating Elements and 555 gift certificates. There was also 2 paintings, 4 tickets to the City Theater, and multiple highway neon vests that were part of the swap. Thank you those that donated such items!! We had fun playing Yankee swap. The popular items swapped frequently were golf balls from SBSI, a beach bag and blanket from York County Federal Credit Union and the Elements gift cards. Winners included Jim G. Jim M. Dana P. Mark T. Paulette B. Jeremy R., Lucie, Sarah N., Heather M., Brian D., Mark M., Elaine P., Matt S., Don P., Sabine, Steve M., Peggy B., Bill K., CJ, and Bernice. |
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President's Message 6/1/2016For any of you who have never had the opportunity to join the Club in its efforts to place American Flags on all of the graves in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford, I would recommend that you do it next year. It was truly a unique chance to understand what Memorial Day is all about and I want to thank Julie Villemaire for organizing the effort each year.
The St. Joseph’s Cemetery is fairly large with countless grave sites. What was remarkable to me was the sheer number of graves for veterans from the Spanish American War up through Afghanistan. It was absolutely amazing to see how many people in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery fought in either the First or Second World Wars. They are truly people whose unselfish acts helped shape the freedoms we have today. It was humbling and admittedly a bit haunting to respectfully try and make sure that all of the brave men and women got their flags.
I have been to many Memorial Day parades and other events, but I have to admit that carefully walking through the cemetery as respectfully as possible while making sure not to miss any fallen heroes gave me a far different perspective about the lives of people who were willing to sacrifice everything for their country. I would recommend the experience to everyone next year.
Just a reminder that tomorrow, June 1, will be Foundation Day. It will be our Club’s chance to encourage everyone in the Club to donate to the Rotary Foundation.
Tomorrow please bring in a contribution to the Foundation. Make a check out to our club earmarked for the Foundation. Bring in cash if you want and tell us it is for the Foundation. The donation is tax deductible. For every $5.00 that you give you will be eligible for a drawing for some fabulous swag donated by club members. So if you donate $100 you will get 20 chances for some cool stuff with the twist that it will be kind of a Yankee swap as well so we will really have some fun with this. SO PLEASE BRING IN A DONATION TO THE FOUNDATION ON JUNE 1 AND SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE WHILE HAVING SOME FUN. Thanks Bill |
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Coastal Healthy Communities CoalitionAbout Coastal Healthy Communities CoalitionCoastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC) at the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine is a comprehensive community-based health coalition working to promote physical activity and nutrition, tobacco prevention and cessation, substance abuse prevention and lead poisoning prevention. CHCC is a local Healthy Maine Partnership serving the Maine communities of Arundel, Biddeford, Buxton, Dayton, Hollis, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach and Saco. CHCC is one of 28 local Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMP). The HMP initiative is a collaborative effort among local coalitions, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Maine Center for Disease Control (ME CDC DHHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS) and the Department of Education (DOE). The HMP initiative is supported primarily by the Fund for Healthy Maine with federal grants from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SAMHS and DOE. CHCC’s Drug Free Communities program, or Project Alliance, receives Federal funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). VisionCreate healthier communities where we live, learn, work and play. MissionPromote chronic disease prevention and support healthy lifestyles for those living and working in the CHCC service area through community education and activities that prevent tobacco use and substance abuse and promote healthy eating and physical activity. Goals
Worksite WellnessWHAT WE DOCHCC offers resources and technical assistance to area employers to design and implement worksite wellness programs and policies. WHO WE REACHCHCC works with large and small businesses and towns in northern York County. OUR APPROACH
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Week in Review and Announcements 5/25/2016President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Andy Greif with the 4 Way Test. Joe Basset provided the invocation.
President Bill introduced President-Elect Lucie who was supposed to announce visiting Rotarians and guests. It was a very short announcement as there weren’t any visitors today.
Everyone is attendance was reminded about the Flags for our Veterans Project taking place this Friday, 05/27/16, at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford. By the time you see this posting, the event has already taken place. The weather was a little bit “iffy” to start but turned into perfect weather for this project. Thank you to everyone for coming out to help place over 1,500 flags! Ralph Goulet of the American Legion wanted to make sure that I expressed his appreciation and that of the Legion for coming out to help them decorate the cemetery once again.
A “Presidential Thank You” went out to Keith Jacques for finally getting court documents for the Main Street Rotary renovation project. He also thanked Alan Nelson, Denis Elie and the scholarship committee for all of their hard work on this very rewarding committee. Thank You also went out to the Rotarians who came out to help clean up the Community Bike Center area & then proceeded to chip away branches at the Rotary house. They members that showed up were very grateful for PE Lucie Kay for providing the food!
Next week (actually tomorrow 06/01) is Foundation Day! The goal for this year was set at $6,000.00. Although we do have a few large donors in our club, President Bill is urging all Rotarians to step up to the plate. The club will match up to $2,500 for the club with up to $100 match going to individuals. Right now we are at $1,800.00. Cash and Checks are accepted! For every $5 donated, you will get a raffle ticket which will be put into a drawing to win some really nice “swag” from local businesses. Be on the lookout for Paul Deschambault and his $2.00 bills! If you aren’t able to make the meeting, you can make a donation online at Rotary.Org (Foundation Donation Button- Our club will still get credit.)
Jim Godbout gave a quick update on the Rotary House renovation project. The house looks good! There will be a day of clean up this summer. Jeremy Ray offered the services of his employees this summer. Next fall the will be ready to insulate and sheet rock. The kids are very excited about this project.
The club received notes of THANKS from the YMCA for camperships we sponsored and also from Friends Forever for a $1,000 donation.
06/02/16, is the charter night for the newest Rotary Club, the Saco Bay Sunset Club. It will be held at the Dunegrass at 6:00 p.m. Lucie and Bill are planning on attending. If you have any interest in attending please let President Bill know. Tickets are $75 each.
06/10-06/12 is the District Conference. Once again, Lucie and Bill will be attending for the day on the 11th.
06/28/16 is the District Changeover Event. This will be held at Camp Hinds . Attendees are as follows: Bill, Lucie, Sue and Bernice. If you have any interest in attending, please get in touch with President Bill.
And the auction continues…..
Public Skating Pass to the Biddeford Ice Arena – SOLD to Julie Villemaire for $10 5 Tickets to Surge Baseball in OOB – SOLD to Julie Villemaire for $20 2 Tickets to the Kennebunkport Festival on June 09, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – SOLD to Paul Deschambault for $160 And the winner is…….Bruce Ruben….. wait……wait….wait…. or is it Karen Chasse?. Turns out Karen was the real winner of the pot, however, she didn’t want to burst Ruben’s bubble so she sat silently by until it was discovered that Bruce didn’t look at the whole number on his ticket.
Next to take center stage were SAA Joe Moreshead and his sidekicks Karen and Keith. Happy Dollars were up first followed by multitude of fines. They are trying to make the budget so make sure your wallets are full of the moolah for the next few weeks!
Happy Dollars were kind of scarce this week-not a lot of happy Rotarians were in attendance. Andy Greif – Support of the CBC on Saturday Karen- Officially won the 50/50; thankful for President Bill giving her the indoor TA graduation tickets; No poison ivy on anyone from the CBC clean- up project. President Bill was fined “just because”. The SAA also thought he should be taking the blame for the school meeting & topics of discussion. Karen gave a fine dollar for not choosing to use the word “swag” and going with “paraphernalia”. SAA Joe fined the educators in the room for all of the data he had received in a survey that he didn’t really need. Brian was fined for the best work pants for a clean- up project. Heather for the “gun show” at the CBC project. Bruce was fined for not reading all of the numbers on his 50/50 ticket. Jim Godbout and CJ Dubois-Cote were both fined for their pictures in the paper. Lucie was fined by Karen for posting a picture of her indulging in a Reilly’s bakery donut. Paul was fined for his auction win – should be lots of fun! Lucie was fined a “just because, to help Bill” dollar. Heather Gendron was fined for buying her daughter a car. The final fine went to Denis Elie because Joe was jealous of him. Keith fined Bill a “sorry dollar” for Bill trying to fit into Biddeford with an orange shirt. Josh Ellis was fined for not being happy about going for round 2 in the marriage arena. Keith gave a happy dollar for watching Bill grow as a Rotarian & keeping money local-in his wallet. Mark Nahorney was fined for only having 2 ½ days left until retirement! |
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President's Message 5/25/2016June 1 will be Foundation Day. It will be our Club’s chance to encourage everyone in the Club to donate to the Rotary Foundation. I do know that some of you feel strongly that your money should stay local so you can see the benefits of your money in action. I truly do understand that. However, let’s consider this for a moment. The world is truly a small place now. If we need something we go on the internet and we have it in two days from just about anywhere in the world. If we look at Biddeford and Portland we know that we have people from all parts of the world living and working here now because they want the promise of America, and they want to escape the conditions from which they came. There are diseases that do not exist in this country that are just a plane ride away from unwittingly being introduced here. We are fooling ourselves if we think our communities are Biddeford and Saco. They have become the world. We can certainly debate whether that is good or bad, but it is the reality. Money donated to the Foundation helps to eradicate diseases. The residual benefit of that is that such diseases cannot get a foothold in this country. What do you think would have happened if we did not get ahead of Ebola?
Many of the people who migrate to this country or other parts of the world truly do not want to leave their homes, but the conditions there make them uninhabitable. The Rotary Foundation supports sanitation and drinking water facilities around the world to allow people to stay home. The Foundation promotes peace so that less people need to escape parts of the world torn apart by war and perhaps move to another part of the world which is not home. Imagine if the conditions here were so bad that you and your family were forced to move 1,000s of miles away where you don’t speak the language and you don’t understand the culture. Then imagine that the circumstances were so bad that you and your family had to go your separate ways. The Foundation works to improve those conditions so that families can stay together in safer, healthier environments.
Okay, I think I have made my point. Giving to the Foundation is giving to the communities in which we now live. So we are going to try and make this fun. On June 1 please bring in a contribution to the Foundation. Make a check out to our club earmarked for the Foundation. Bring in cash if you want and tell us it is for the Foundation. The donation is tax deductible. For every $5.00 that you give you will be eligible for a drawing for some fabulous swag donated by club members. So if you donate $100 you will get 20 chances for some cool stuff with the twist that it will be kind of a Yankee swap as well so we will really have some fun with this. SO PLEASE BRING IN A DONATION TO THE FOUNDATION ON JUNE 1 AND SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE WHILE HAVING SOME FUN.
One last note to share, I want to thank everyone who worked on the Community Bicycle Center hands on project on May 21. It was a beautiful, though arguably a little hot, day. We chipped an incredible amount of brush and cleaned up some really nice areas that the CBC is creating. I do want to thank Lucie Kay for not only working but for bringing the food. Most people did not eat, but for those of us who stayed around long enough to eat it was a true treat. Lucie I would suggest letting people know that there were donuts in the frig (Geez!), and Andy I would suggest ICE next time in the water cooler, but other than that it was a great day of work of which we should all be proud. Again, thank you all.
Thanks Bill
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Saco police chief: ‘Concrete steps’ needed for opioid crisisCoalition addresses growing drug epidemic in York County
By TAMMY WELLS
Senior Staff Writer
Matthew Braun, center, in recovery for a number of years and leader of the Youth in Recovery chapter in Biddeford, makes a point during a panel discussion on Maine’s opioid epidemic Thursday at the University of New England. To his left is William Paterson, co-chair of the Maine Opiate collaborative. To his right is Jim Godbout of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club. TAMMY WELLS/Journal TribuneBIDDEFORD — During a panel discussion Thursday on Maine’s opioid epidemic, Saco Police Chief Brad Paul made an observation. “I’d like to turn meetings to action steps,” he said. “I’m anxious to turn words and thoughts into concrete steps.” Others in the room for the annual meeting of the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition at the University of New England nodded in agreement. Communities finding themselves in the grip of the heroin and opioid epidemic have been meeting for months – some for the last couple of years – to educate themselves about the crisis and to find ways to make an impact. Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant pointed out that the city started its own coalition two years ago, and it has since expanded to include neighboring municipalities. “Every time we peeled back a layer, there was another,” he said, speaking to the multiple facets to the problem. “What struck me was the complexity of the issues. There is so much to be done.” Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunk “can do so much more (together) than in isolation,” he said. Saco City Administrator Kevin Sutherland said he’s hopeful legislation passed during the latest session in Augusta will provide more treatment in the local area.
“How do we move folks from the back of a police car to treatment?” he asked. Earlier this month, the Maine Opiate Collaborative released a report outlining recommendations for treatment, prevention and law enforcement. The collaborative held 20 public forums across Maine starting in October, gathered information and brainstormed their suggestions. Some, they noted, have already been implemented. One that is expected to soon make its debut in York County is the training of recovery coaches, said Deborah Erickson-Irons of the York Public Health Council and York Hospital. Coaches help people just starting in their recovery from addiction. The county’s hospitals are also working on prescription writing practices, she said. In Biddeford, Police Chief Roger Beaupre said his department will implement a training program for officers on how to interact with young people in crisis. And a member of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, Jim Godbout, pointed to the club’s mentoring program designed to engage young people and keep them away from drugs. “Forty-three people in my life have died from addiction,” Godbout said. The first of them, his best friend, died when they were 17 years old. High on marijuana, he “played chicken” with a car on the Maine Turnpike and crashed, Godbout said. “We have to change how young people think about (drug) use and misuse,” he said . Matthew Braun, who has been in recovery for some time and recently started a chapter of Youth in Recovery in Biddeford, said he was a teenager when he became involved with drugs. Braun spoke of mental health issues, a dysfunctional family and what he described as his “deep-seated feelings of worthless,” which led him into drug use. The 60-page report of the Maine Opiate Collaborative makes a number of recommendations. The report notes that the next tasks are to establish a working plan and steps to implement it, and that some steps will be difficult and time consuming, and will require funding to achieve. “No matter how difficult the task, we must work as allies to stop the supply chain of drugs following into Maine, educate all Mainers about the dangers of opiate and prescription drug abuse, and provide appropriate substance abuse treatment,” the report states. “Heroin and opiate abuse is not the only drug problem in the state of Maine, but it is the most critical at this time.” Among the recommendations for prevention and harm reduction are to determine the root cause; invest in early childhood education and home visits; reduce bias and stigma; approach marijuana policy with caution; expand access to Narcan; provide needle exchanges; and support people in recovery. Treatment recommendations include expanding the numbers of medicationassisted therapies; increasing local options for treatment, including detox, residential rehab, intensive outpatient therapies and more; reducing logistical barriers to treatment through community transportation programs; providing more health insurance options; and providing more treatment beds for women. Law enforcement recommendations include developing drug programs, expanding drug courts; more funding for law enforcement to follow drug cases and root out dealers; more treatment options for those in jail; providing mental health and substance abuse professionals in police departments; and more. Godbout pointed out Thursday that solutions will take money, and a total commitment from legislators and local leaders to fund programs. “This group does a lot of talking,” he said. “We have to do a lot of doing.” — Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 ortwells@journaltribune.com. |
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COT Annual Visit MeetingOne of the best meetings of the year! These Center of Technology students are amazing and we are proud to be part of their education.
We were pleased to host the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club for lunch today in which they were able to tour the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology students' work on the new house for sale and the current renovation on Main Street. This is a wonderful partnership that allows unparalleled hands-on learning and business relationships.
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President Bill's Weekly Message 5.17.2016IF YOU GO TO THE RUN OF THE MILL THIS WEEK YOU WILL BE AT THE WRONG PLACE. WE WILL BE AT THE CENTER OF TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING WITH THE COT STUDENTS. This meeting will be our chance to see the finished home the students built right at the school which should now be for sale, and we will have a chance to see the progress on the 471 Main Street house that the students have been working in for a while now. Please make every effort to make the meeting.
Please also remember our hands on project at the Community Bicycle Center this Saturday. We will start at 9:00 AM unless you hear otherwise. Please bring work gloves and ear protection as we will be feeding brush into a chipper. Let’s all work to help the CBC finish off its trails and at the same time have some fun. It is supposed to be a nice day and Andy would not have it any other way. He is a very powerful person.
June 1 will be Foundation Day. Our goal will be to encourage all members to give to the Foundation, a lot or a little. We further encourage your giving by matching your contributions up to $100.00 which club match is credited to your personal giving with the Foundation. While I know we all love to see our dollars at work in our community, in this day and age what happens around the world directly impacts us at home. Please make every effort to attend on June 1 and please plan on giving to the Foundation that day if you have not already done so.
I wanted to highlight a few other upcoming meetings. June 15 is Past President’s Day. That is a great meeting organized by Keith Jacques that gives us a chance to thank the past leaders of our club. June 16 will be our Chamber Business after Hours event done in partnership with the Run of the Mill. If the weather is nice it will be a great night to gather on the patio, enjoy a drink and some good food. June 22 is awards day at which we recognize either club members or people in our community for their contributions to Rotary and to the area in general. Finally, June 29 will be the meeting at which I pass the gavel to Lucie and I ride into the sunset.
Let’s start this final stretch off with good attendance on May 18 at the Center of Technology which is at the north end of Biddeford High School. You can park in the first parking lot on the left after you take a left turn off of Main Street onto Maplewood Avenue. How did I know that?
Thanks Bill
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Article Shared by the Red Ribbon Committee
My son had a compound fracture on one leg and a head injury, and his girlfriend was dripping blood from her head and hands. As they climbed into their seats in the wrecked vehicle and the police officers covered the cars with tarps, I stood out of sight and nervously wondered if I could pull off what I had been asked to do that morning. Thornton Academy Theater Director David Hanright asked me to play the role of the “bereaved parent” in the mock fatal crash staged on campus last month. Saco Police, Fire and EMS staged the event to show juniors and seniors what the very real consequences are of drunk driving. I’m a writer not an actor, this was going to be tough. The already wrecked cars were brought to the field the evening before and set up to look like a head on crash. The three students involved in the crash were made up with fake injuries, as was the gentleman recruited to be the victim in the oncoming car. The police radios were hooked up to a PA system so the students could hear all of the crash related communication. The students were briefed in the gym before being brought out to the stands. The victim actors were in place and the tarps were pulled over the vehicles. When officer Gagnon gave the signal, the tarps were pulled away, the 911 call came in, and every detail of every parent’s worst nightmare played out in “mock reality” over the next 45 minutes. I still wasn’t sure I could pull it off. It’s not real, how will I make myself cry? Then the sirens started. One came from behind me on the field, as a first responder arrived on scene. Other sirens came from downtown Saco, just as they would if it were real. A chill went up my spine. That car is white, like Katie’s car, I thought. “We have multiple PI, with a possible code,” an officer said over the radio. I’m a newspaper reporter, we have the scanner on everyday in the newsroom. I know what “possible code” means. The tears popped into my eyes as I stood off scene. I could hear Jake, my real-life son, moaning from the backseat of the car. They pulled Katie, his real-life girlfriend, from the wreckage, checked her vitals, and covered her with a body bag, leaving her sneakers sticking out. She laid there unmoving as the horrible scene played out. Her character in this “mock crash” died on impact. She would later be loaded into a real hearse, as I sobbed uncontrollably, but more on that later. I played the mother of the teen killed in the accident. But my youngest son, Jake, a Thornton Academy senior, played the part of the injured teen. He was screaming in pain as the EMT’s removed him from the vehicle and worked to save his life. He played the part so well, I had all I could do to keep myself from running to his side, my motherly nerves were on a raw edge. Anthony, the actor playing the part of the impaired driver, was questioned, given a field sobriety test, arrested and loaded into the back of the police cruiser. He had killed one friend and gravely injured another, along with a complete stranger. Two friends who had been with the three in the crash, came upon the scene and saw the devastation. They were questioned. Everyone wanted to know where they had been ,and where they got the alcohol. The police officers held them back from seeing their dead and injured friends. They screamed in anger at Anthony in the back of the cruiser. Then it was my turn. My daughter was late home, she wasn’t answering my texts, and I heard sirens. What mother hasn’t had that happen at some point, and had their minds go to that very dark place - what if? I hopped in the car to go find her. Cued by one of the officers, I ran onto the scene, screaming “No! No! Where is she? She was in this car! Where is she?” running from one side of the car to the other, with officer Carrier catching up with me and gently pushing me back. Oh, it was very real, and the tears and the anguish came easily. What mother hasn’t imagined it? Being there was like a nightmare coming to life. It was very intense. The students in the audience were silent. The Life Flight helicopter was called to transport Jake to the hospital. Two officers approached me, and told me my daughter did not survive the crash. I sobbed and sobbed. 10 percent of me was playing the part, and the other 90 percent was living the reality of learning that I had just lost my beloved child. The life would have drained out of me too at that moment, were it real. That I am sure of. The officers actually ask you things like what funeral home you would prefer to have your child’s body taken to, and if there are other people they should notify. And I heard myself saying things like “she has two brothers, she loves them so much” and “she can’t be going to a funeral home, she’s going to Prom next weekend, and she’s going to college in the fall.” And this wasn’t a script, it was real. What mother wouldn’t say those things and think those things? We’re all buying dresses, scheduling hair appointments, planning graduation parties and sending in college deposit checks. We’re making plans for our kids. Plans for their bright, scary futures full of so much promise. We’ve been making these plans since they took their first breath in this wonderful, heartbreakingly dangerous world. We’ve raised them well. It has not been easy. We’ve sacrificed and we’ve nagged, prodded, cheered, and consoled as they’ve navigated their way through high school. We’ve been unbelievably proud. We’ve been frustrated. And we’ve worried. Oh how we’ve worried. We’ve pleaded with them to make good decisions. Put down the phone when you drive, wear your seatbelt, be smart, make good choices. No drugs, no alcohol. We’ve waited up every single night for four years. Every night. They’ve never ever arrived home without a parent awake, alert and ready to talk if necessary. And yet, this parent that I played - she could be any one of us. One stupid mistake. That’s all it takes. Keep the conversation going with your kids. Don’t stop, even if they’ve heard it all before. No drugs, no alcohol, no drinking and driving, ever. Make sure your “good kid” who has assured you they would never drink and drive is smart enough to never get in the car with a friend who has been drinking. Ever. Give them an out. Talk strategies, and set up a backup plan - or three. Be that emergency ride forever, and find a few others who will do it too, any hour of the night. I’ll do it. Have them call me. After watching my son rushed to a Life Flight helicopter, and his girlfriend loaded into a hearse, her beautiful blonde hair hanging off the stretcher, and another friend carted off to jail his life changed forever, I’ll do it for any kid at any time. This mock crash was supremely well done by all involved - it was a nightmare brought vividly to life, and it happens in reality every day. Let’s not lose another precious, beautiful child to one stupid mistake.
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BHS Interact ClubGreat meeting on 5/11/2016 in which the Biddeford High School Interact students attended and seniors received their medallions to wear at graduation! An amazing group of future Rotarians who do great things in our community.
Today’s program was to recognize the seniors of the Biddeford High School Interact Club that our club proudly sponsors. Ruth Shaw is the Interact Advisor. She introduced the incoming officers as well of the current president, Charlotte St. Louis. Charlotte introduced each of the seniors and they in turn announced which school they were going to attend & the career path they were headed on. The reviewed some of their favorite community projects which included a Turkey Drive around Thanksgiving. The food pantries were in short supply of turkey’s and the Interact Club showed up with 70 turkeys to help them out! They help us out with the phone bank at the Rotary auction, help with the Toys for Tots program and also the Maine Lighthouse Ride. One of their favorite projects they help with is the Holiday Giving Program that our club spearheads each year. President Bill provided some words of wisdom before the students departed. He congratulated all of them on graduating, wished them the best of luck on their future endeavors and urged them to continue with their public service as they entered the workforce. DG Sheila jumped in to let the students know that they could join Rotaract at their respective colleges/universities and they didn’t have a Rotaract Club, she urged them to start one!
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Announcements 5/11/2016DG Sheila gave a quick announcement about the District Conference. She mentioned that so far this conference has the most new members attending-that would be Rotarians who have never attended a District Conference before, not new members to Rotary. It was a little hard to hear sitting in the front room but she said something about having an opportunity to win her husband’s band for the next fundraiser. David Lee, a motivational speaker, will be on Friday night’s schedule and Fred Garbo will be the entertainment. The RYLA facilitator will be doing an interactive event and Saturday there will be a panel discussing human trafficking at the local level. The vocational training team from Argentina will also be in attendance. Mike McGovern will also be a guest speaker.
PP Denis Elie gave a quick update, in Alan Nelson’s absence, regarding the next step in the scholarship recipient selection. By the time you read this TACK, the final interviews will already have taken place. I participated on this committee for a couple of years in my earlier Rotarian days and have to say that we met some very amazing young students. If you weren’t able to participate this year, I urge you to consider jumping on board for next year. It is an experience you really won’t want to miss out on.
Awards: President Bill is looking for nominations for the various awards that our club gives out each year, such as the Private Sector, Public Sector, Humanitarian, etc. He provided an informational sheet for your reference. He was hoping to have all nominations in by Friday (of last week) so he could meet with the committee. Seeing as this is Tuesday night, I’m hoping Rotarians responded to his prior email with the info he was seeking.
Thank You’s: Thank you Heather McLean for agreeing to do the display for our club for the District Conference. Thank you to Jim Auidffred and Roland Gagne for agreeing to host the team from Argentina on Tuesday, June 7th.
We’d like to get together as a group with all interested Rotarians for a fellowship dinner that night. Susan Gajewski is asking if anyone would like to host a dinner of 8 plus Rotarians in their home on 06/07. If there aren’t any volunteers, she said we would pick a restaurant. If you are interested, please contact Susan at gajewski@maine.rr.com.
Thank you to everyone who helped sell tickets, spread the word, volunteered and came to play at the 8th annual BINGO fundraiser. We had a light crowd with only 62 players, however, we were still able to make a net profit of $2302.00 which covers our $1,000 contribution to the RI Polio Plus program. The rest goes back into our charitable fund.
This week’s meeting is at the COT. Jim Godbout announced that we would get to visit the modular house the students are building on site & also the construction site on 471 Main Street. They are really excited about showing it off!
Saturday, May 21st, is the community project at the Community Bicycle Center. Bring gloves, eye wear and ear protection. Any questions please contact Andy Greif.
Mark your calendars for a Rotary Business After Hours at Run of the Mill on June 16th. More information to follow.
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Week-in-Review 5/11/2016President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed up by PP Denis Elie and the 4 Way Test and then onto Jim Audiffred with the Invocation.
President-Elect Lucie was MIA so Vice President Jackson Brown introduced visiting Rotarians & guests. District Governor, Sheila Rollins, was visiting with us today.
50/50…and the winner is….wait….wait…wait…wait…wait…Jeremy Ray! After finally looking at his tickets he discovered he was the holder of the golden ticket. He graciously donated the $29 back to the Interact
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Sargent-At-ArmsThe SAA team of Joe and Karen took the floor to collect Happy Dollars and impose the fines.
President Bill was happy that he survived his first time playing BINGO. DG Sheila was happy that we had such a “great” president and thanked the club for helping the Argentinians. Delilah was happy that Joe didn’t get dessert (sorry I couldn’t hear the whole story). Dana Lane was happy to be back. Laurie Jo was happy to be heading to Yosemite on vacation. Earl was happy that Bingo was only once a year. (It was a rough crowd this year-I will admit that!) PP Ken was happy for the 1st day on his motorcycle and that his son was going to be an Interact officer. Conrad gave a sad dollar for a special mentor who recently passed away. Denis was happy that he got to witness the verbal abuse of Joe at BINGO. Karen was happy about Julia going to her prom. Frank Gooding for sporting a new goatee (I think he was actually fined for this.) Mitchell was happy that his Dad, Ken, is proud of him. Jim Audiffred was happy for a double vacation with Margot.
President Bill was fined for skipping out on the coverall at BINGO. He was looking a bit frazzled by that point. Jackson & Heather were both fined for messing up our District Governor’s name. Paul for getting backing from fellow Rotarians on his idea to hold a future meeting at the Rochambeau Club. Josh Fearn had a “welcome back” fine and Bernice was fined for hanging the Polio Plus banner upside down at BINGO. President Bill was fined for making President-Elect Lucie a nervous wreck for her upcoming year as President. Lauri Jo and Jim McAllister were fined for not pulling the little tabs off the BINGO registration cards.
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Scholarship Committee InterviewsIt is that time of year when the scholarship committee needs help from the club members. The committee reviewed between 40 to 50 applications last week and narrowed the field of scholarship candidates down to the top three from each of the respective schools. The committee interviews the top three candidates from each of the schools and I would like to have at least 5 or 6 Rotarians to conduct the interveiws. The schedule is as follows:
Wednesday May 11th 3:00-4:00 Thornton Academy
Thursday May 12th 3:00-4:00 Biddeford High School
Thursday May 12th 4:00-5:00 Biddeford Center of Technology
Thursday May 12th 5:00-6:00 Old Orchard Beach High School
While I realize that this email will reach you after today's interviews are completed there are still tomorrow's interviews. If you cannot make all three hours that is fine, if you can come for 1 hour that is fine too. Any amount of time that you can come to help interview the candidates is greatly appreciated. As Alan Nelson has often said this is the fun part of the scholarship process because we get to interview some impressive kids and learn about their future plans.
All the interviews take place at Saco-Biddeford Savings Bank's Biddeford Crossing branch. Please park in the upper lot and walk down so that we do not use up the limited parking spaces at bank. They are generous enough to let us use their facility and we need to respect that they are operating a business.
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Bingo Bill's Message 5/9/2016This weekend I got to participate in a sport that I had never done before. Now mind you, I had not trained properly and that was my own fault. Furthermore, I did not hydrate adequately throughout the ordeal. It was grueling and not for the faint of heart. A short time into my first game I was a ball of sweat, and after a game or two I was so mentally taxed that I had no idea whether I would make it through the series of games required to complete the event. Add to all of that the brutal opponents who were absolutely ruthless and cutthroat and I can tell you I felt like a Roman gladiator.
I don’t know if any of you saw the Red Sox / Yankees game on May 6th, but in the bottom of the 9th David Ortiz came up with the bases loaded with one out and a single run would tie the game. The home plate umpire called a clear ball a strike. The call was so bad the Big Papi erupted and John Farrell was thrown out of the game. But that was not the third strike so Papi climbed back into the batter’s box and took what looked like ball 4 only to be called out on strikes. Instead of walking to tie the game he was walking back to the dugout. He immediately returned to the field and unleashed a tongue lashing on the umpire that I am certain could not be repeated on national television. Well, my opponents this past weekend were equally as brutal on the officials. Any slip up by the officials was met with immediate requests for their heads. Now I am not usually sympathetic to referees, but in this case I really thought they were being excessively tortured.
Now as the games progressed, I, like a marathon runner, had to seek out my way inner self to keep going. While hard to get in the zone with all the smack talk from the roller derby queen and her minions, I knew I had to make it to the end. Exhausted and disgusted with defeat after defeat, I was totally relieved when the last game was over and I could crawl to my truck for the slow ride home.
Frankly, I will stick with golf and skiing. I swear that was my one and only shot at BINGO. I will leave that game to those extreme daubing athletes who have way more mental stamina than I do.
Let’s all thank Julie and her committee for another successful fundraiser, let’s all extend our sympathies to Joe Moreshead and Earl Goodwin who were thoroughly abused by the players, and let’s all have a new found appreciation for Bingo players everywhere.
Thanks Bill
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Rick LaRiviere, president of the Saco Salmon Restoration Alliance & HatcheryWe had a fantastic program presented by Rick LaRiviere, president of the Saco Salmon Restoration Alliance & Hatchery aka Saco River Salmon Club. Rick shared with us a video on removing the two dams known as the Bradbury and Springs dams. These are the dams on Elm Street that can be seen when going by Gooch Street and next to Koi, the Chinese restaurant. To see more about this project please visit their website at http://www.sacosalmon.com/index.html . At their website you will find the presentation and links to other informative sights. You can also email Rick at sacosalar@gmail.com They are always looking for volunteers and people to champion their efforts.
After watching Rick’s 20 minute presentation I am convinced that the dams should go. They were built in the 1940’s for the last of the log drives on the mighty Saco. They dams do not produce electricity and have hindered the shad, alewives, salmon and American Eel’s ability to go upstream for spawning. The removal of the dams also offer economic benefit by removing a number of places off of the federal FEMA flood maps costing thousands in mandatory Federal Flood Insurance, much improved fishing, less flooding, less bank erosion and just a much cleaner river. The water will be allowed to flow freely allowing it to be much more oxygenated allowing for overall greater aquatic life.
You really need to check out Rick’s webpage and learn the other benefits of this project. There are a number of organizations who have signed on to see this project through.
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Week in Review & Announcements 5/4/2016President Bill called the meeting to order promptly at 12:15. I gave the invocation while Heather G read the 4 way test. Sarah Curley won the 50/50 and genenrously donated back to the club and specifically the Red Ribbon Committee; I think it was $28.00
Bill announced Bingo was happening Saturday. As you read this we have already had the game, had some fun and raised some money for Rotary. Julie V pulled off another successful Bingo event. This is our eighth year and I bet we have raised close to $30,000.00 in that time.
The BRCOT House project is going great. May 21st is the day for our hands on project at the Community Bike Center. When we are done with the tree chipper from CBC we will haul it over to the BRCOT house and chip up some trees and branches that have been cleared from the lot. We can thank Rob Moody for the clean to date.
Keith Jaques and I tried to fine everybody at the club as SAA’s. As always we used laser precision to slice and dice our illustrious leader President Bill.
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President Bill Message for 5/2/2016I have had certain moments in my life that stand out and will never be forgotten. For example, I will never forget my oldest son’s first varsity lacrosse game when he ran down an opponent, laid out and checked the ball from the opponent’s stick to keep it in the offensive end. It was a pure show of determination. I remember my son, Andy, who had a small part in Westside Story at Thornton, but he stole his primary scene with sheer enthusiasm. Finally, I will never forget my daughter Erin’s heartfelt valedictorian speech when she graduated from TA in which she acknowledged the contributions of her standout teachers. All of those events and many more like them caused the pride and me to well up from my toes until the pressure seeped out around my eyes. My skin prickled in a good way, and it took all that I could muster to keep from screaming how much their actions meant to me (truth be told I was screaming at the lacrosse game).
I had the same sense of pride and a deep feeling of appreciation on Tuesday night at the community kickoff event for Red Ribbon week. As I watched and somewhat participated in the evening as it unfolded, I was blown away not only by the substance of the presentations but also by the sense of accomplishment – we did this. Of course, by “we” I mean Jim Godbout, Andy Greif, Karen Chasse and the rest of the Red Ribbon Committee. It was an incredible first step in what I hope will be a long and successful journey.
Just as I have continued to have those moments of tear generating pride associated with my children, I am confident that I will continue to be equally proud of all of the efforts of our Club. Red Ribbon is the most recent shining example of the power of our Club and what we can do as a team. I thank you all for your hard work on behalf of the Club and on behalf of our communities.
On an unrelated topic, the Fireside Chat was a fun and I hope educational event for our new members. A big thank you to Ken Farley for putting the agenda together and thanks to Bernice for keeping the meeting moving along. Thanks to the veteran members who provided the education and thanks to the new members who came and participated. I hope that the chat was a good lesson about the power of our club and its ability to have a good time while doing good things.
Thanks Bill
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Rene Menard, Headmaster-Thornton Academy Thornton Academy
Speaker – Our speaker today was Thornton Academy’s Headmaster Rene Menard who spoke on the NTMA-U Registered Apprenticeship program. He started by thanking our club for their $5,000 donation toward this program. Bill noted each year the President is allocated, with Board approval, the option to choose a community project to support and Bill chose TA’s new program because his Dad spent most of his life in the manufacturing field so it was important to him to support this effort.
TA is an independent school with a public mission. They have an obligation to ensure all students are prepared for any path they would like to pursue; therefore, they have dedicated one and a half staff positions to getting kids out into the workforce for internships so they know how important it is to contribute to the local community. The idea for this program started with a Chamber Breakfast about manufacturing being alive and well but the local businesses struggled with finding qualified, skilled workers. They began by visiting the three local manufacturers and asked “How can we help?” and soon after TA was the first High School in the Nation to offer this program.
Marcel Bertrand from Arundel Machine showed them an educational program designed by the National Tooling and Machining Association. The curriculum is designed by the industry for the industry and is also an apprenticeship program to earn college credit. TA utilizes the online curriculum so students can work at their own pace and the curriculum can be changed instantly based on the needs of the industry at the time. Within months of launching, they did online components and hands-on work/internships at local manufacturers giving the students real-life experience. They have students who already have highly-skilled, highly-compensated jobs lined up and they haven’t even left school yet. Their starting pay this past summer was $19 an hour with benefits!
Al Young who oversees the program discussed the partnership with Pratt & Whitney where they can get hands-on component to gain employment. It also helps with students with soft skills and those who are looking to continue their degree (i.e. engineering). At Pratt & Whitney, if they work there for a year then their school is paid for! Six of the eight seniors will earn an NTMA credential in Applied Precision Machining in June.
The program offers multiple pathways for students:
1. School to work, do not want to go on to college. 2. Those who want a two-year degree in Precision Machining. 3. Those who want to enhance their resume and pursue a degree in engineering. Last year they had 10 students enroll. This year they already have more than 100 students whom have shown interest or signed up for the program.
Tom, a dual machinist instructor at SMCC, noted this program is paramount to build work ethic and keep kids in school. He has seen the “lights come on” in kids who begin to enjoy the academic focus when it gets a little bit more abstract. The ultimate goal is to connect students with a real-world experience. The trade needs people and we need to get them young and active as the fundamental skill set is vital to developing a trade.
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Announcements 4/27/2016Dates to Know:
• Fireside Chat: Tomorrow, April 28th at 5:15pm (or is it 6pm as the TACK said?) at Duffy’s in Old Orchard Beach. All new members are highly encouraged to attend and any veteran members are welcome as well. • Board Meeting – Next Wednesday, May 4 at 7:45am at P&C Insurance. All new incoming Board members are encouraged to attend for a smooth transition as July approaches. • May 18 – Our meeting will be at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. In the past this has always been a great BBQ with the kids. • May 21 – We will be gathering to at the Community Bicycle Center to do a community project working on the Clifford Park Trails behind their building. 8th Annual Bingo – Julie asked everyone to please do everything in their power to pre-sell their four tickets. They are $20 each and includes an entire packet of 10 regular games (up to 48 cards!) for the whole morning. The date is Saturday, May 7th at 10am with doors opening at 8am. It will be held at The Rochambeau Club. Last year we pre-sold 80 tickets which helps with profit but you can also buy tickets at the door if people ask. If you do not have your four tickets, please contact Karen at Julie and Lucie will not be at next week’s meeting and time is running out!
Red Ribbon Committee – Any Greif updated the group on how the Red Ribbon Awareness Week has been going, including the successful kick-off last night. So far there have been several wonderful presentations at all three schools and TA did a mock accident this morning with the Police, Fire and Lifeflight participating. We have issued a survey and would like everyone to take a few minutes to provide feedback on their experiences/thoughts. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JT5MT5D
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Week in Review 4/27/2016President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by note taker extraordinaire Karen Chasse.
The invocation was led by Joe Bassett and President-Elect Lucie Kay noted we have no visiting Rotarians and guests. She was grateful that she would not have to pay another fine for pronouncing a name wrong.
The 50/50 was won by Jim Godbout (who is the new lucky Earl Goodwin of our club) and he donated 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund. He may just have good karma.
Thank You! – Bill thanked the following people this week:
• Andy, Jim and Karen for last night’s Red Ribbon Committee kick-off event. It was fantastic. • Mark Nahorney for hosting our lunch at UNE last week. It was very informative. • Craign Pendleton and the Chamber of Commerce Board for allocating 10% of the proceeds of their Annual auction in November, which will be matched up to $2,500, to our Red Ribbon Committee. New Inductions:
• Delilah Poupore sponsored by Peggy Bean and Don Pillon. Leftover Auction Items: Bill auctioned off two leftover auction items. • Dunegrass Foursome ($160 value): Went to Don Pilon for $60 • On The Go Hair Designs ($120 value): Went to Naomme Paris for $45 |
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Bingo!This is the week! Sell those tickets!
Thank You to our Sponsors:
Rochambeau Club, Inc. https://www.facebook.com/Rochambeau-Club-Inc-298509147185/
McAllister Machine www.mcallistermachine.com
Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution www.sbsavings.com
Pension Professionals www.valueofadvice.com
Gorham Savings Bank www.gorhamsavingsbank.com
York County FCU www.yorkcountyfcu.com
Precision Screw Machine Products www.psmp.com
PSMP
P & C Insurance www.insurancepc.com
Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating www.jimgodbout.com
Neil’s Motors www.neilsmotors.com
Blue Elephant Catering www.blueelephantcatering.com
Dan Lane, CPA http://www.danalanecpa.com/
Elie Corporation
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IT IS RED RIBBON AWARENESS WEEK!!!Hello Rotarians,
It is officially Red Ribbon Awareness Week! We have one add on to our schedule of events if you are able to attend - the Biddeford Middle School is having Matt Braun speak to all students tomorrow, Tuesday April 26th at 1pm in the Auditorium. Join us if you can.
Thank you to all the Rotarians who have signed up for the other events (see pasted below). You are welcome to stop in even if you did not sign up - this simply gave us an idea that we would be represented throughout the week. There certainly are plenty of make-up opportunities so let Bernice know if you attend and need a make-up! We should have 100% this month, no problem!
See you (hopefully) tomorrow night for the community-wide presentation. Rumor has the MC is a crowd-pleaser...
Karen
Monday, April 25
Tuesday, April 26
Wednesday, April 27
Thursday, April 28
Friday, April 29
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President Bill Message for 4/25/2016A big thank you to Mark Nahorney for arranging last week’s meeting at UNE. For those of you who could not make it down there, President Ripich did a great job describing what a fantastic asset we have in our own backyard. The University of New England has become a respected undergraduate and graduate school with proof that the education acquired there has real value for its students. At the same time the economic impact of the school to the local economies will exceed $1 Billion this year. Obviously that is huge! Such local success stories are great to hear.
I was able to attend the first session of Red Ribbon week at Thornton Academy with Jim Godbout, Naomme Paris, Fausto and Andy Greif. The session was supposed to be on the effects of marijuana. We had thought it was going to be for an hour and a half and in reality they were cycling through all of the high school students so each session only lasted about 25 minutes including the time to funnel the students in and out. The first session that we saw was not very effective, but we were able to provide them with some feedback before the second session started. They were very receptive to the feedback, and I hope the next two sessions were more impactful.
Please try to attend one or more of the sessions this week to show support for the students and the Red Ribbon Committee’s efforts, but if you can only go to one event please attend the Community Kickoff Event starting at 6:00 PM in the Garland Auditorium at Thornton Academy on April 26th. We will have some great speakers, including our own Jim Godbout, lined up to talk about a variety of issues surrounding drug misuse and addiction.
Please get your Bingo tickets and sell them before the Bingo fundraiser on May 7. Also, please plan on attending the May 7 Bingo event from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Rochambeau Club. You have a chance to win some money and support Polio Plus and our other charitable efforts at the same time.
Finally, if you are looking for a fun time and the chance to pick up some incredible deals, please consider attending the Thornton Academy auction event this Friday, the 29th starting at 6:30 in the Thornton atrium and dining commons. There is great food, lots of silent and live auction items to bid on and it is a huge fun cocktail party. Yours truly will be the auctioneer. It is Thornton’s largest fundraiser and a good time so please try to attend. You can purchase your tickets for $20.00 apiece at the door or you can go online and order them ahead of time.
Thanks Bill
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New Clifford Park GateClifford Park Dedication Saturday April 23, 2016. We were pleased to be part of it and make our community a better place.
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Dr Danielle Ripich, President-UNEPresident Bill would like to make a big thank you to Mark Nahorney for arranging last week’s meeting at UNE. For those of you who could not make it down there, President Ripich did a great job describing what a fantastic asset we have in our own backyard. We also heard from the Rotaract President, Megan Kerry and all the great work she is involved with. The University of New England has become a respected undergraduate and graduate school with proof that the education acquired there has real value for its students. At the same time the economic impact of the school to the local economies will exceed $1 Billion this year. Obviously that is huge! Such local success stories are great to hear.
Student Enrollment TrendTotal 12-month student enrollment at the University of New England for the 2014-2015 Academic Year was 10,371, which includes all degree and non-degree seeking, full-time and part-time, and online students. That includes 5,781 undergraduate students; 3,070 graduate students; and 1,520 professional students in D.O., Pharm.D., D.P.T. and D.M.D. programs.
Chronicle of Higher Education
#9 Fastest growing private nonprofit university offering master's programs in the country, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education
The University of New England has been included in the 2016 edition of the Princeton Review’s Best 380 Colleges guide. This highly selective list includes only the top 15% of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. UNE was selected based on its high-quality academic offerings, optimal locations in Maine and Morocco, competitive cost and size. Best UniversitiesThe University of New England is ranked one of the "Best Universities" in the North that offer "a full range of undergraduate and master's programs" in U.S. News & World Report's 2015 edition of "America's Best Colleges." UNE rose 15 spots in the top tier of this category since last year. Best Graduate SchoolsThe U.S. News & World Report 2015 Best Graduate Schools guide recognizes several University of New England health sciences and medicine programs. UNE’s programs in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nurse Anesthesia and Physician Assistant are cited, as is UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. UNE also claimed a spot in U.S. News & World Report's rankings for Best Online Graduate Education Programs. UNE’s Online College of Graduate and Professional Studies also made the Best Masters Programs list of the 50 Most Affordable Online Graduate Schools for Master’s Degrees. College matching site College Raptor inc. named UNE top hidden gem for the state of Maine for its "academic rigor and student success." #2 In the nation for alumni reporting high "Job Meaning," according to PayScale.
#1 UNE's ranking among Maine universities and colleges for its ability to increase students’ career earnings, according to the Brookings Institution. A TOP COLLEGE Forbes magazine placed UNE in the top 650 American degree-granting institutions that provide the highest investment return—high honors considering there are approximately 4,500 colleges and universities in the nation. Forbes compiled the list based on the output and return on investment each institution offers. #1 UNE's 2014 ranking in 20-year student return on investment (ROI) among public and private colleges and universities in Maine according to PayScale. Nationally, UNE ranked in the top 15%. |
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President Bill Message for 4/18/2016President's Message
Rotary Tack - April 20, 2016
If you go to the Run of the Mill this week you will be in the wrong place! We are meeting at the Alfond Center (the hockey rink) at the University of New England on the 20th. Don’t take a left into the campus, but go beyond the main entrance on the Pool Road and take a right. I am sure that there will be signs. The President of UNE, Danielle Ripich will be our speaker. It should be a great meeting. Thanks to Mark Nahorney for coordinating it.
Unless you had your tear ducts surgically removed I am guessing you might have been fighting back a tear or two last Wednesday. As usual the local eighth graders wrote some excellent essays on “What Family Means to Me”. More than one of them was very forthcoming with her (all the winners were girls) struggles and tragedies. From a story about a single Mom living with her deadbeat boyfriend to a girl who lost her young brother in a zip line accident (she could not read her own essay and even her teacher struggled through it) the essays were often revealing, clearly from the heart and all were well written. Congrats and thanks to Elaine Palmitessa and Sarah Neault for hosting a great event.
I would love to get feedback about Duffy’s from members who attended the meeting on the 13th. How did you find the commute to the meeting location, longer, about the same, too long, acceptable? How did you like to room, keeping in mind that for the most part if we relocated there we would not be meeting in that room. How did you like the food, quality, portion sizes, etc.? How was the service? Any feedback, good or bad, would really be appreciated. I certainly have my own opinions about how things went, but I will reserve my comments at this time.
Hope to see you all at UNE in the 20th. Otherwise, have a great week.
Thanks Bill
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Week in Review 4/13/2016Pledge of Allegiance: Started by President Bill @ 12:15
Patriotic Song: n/a
4 Way Test: Lucie Kay
Invocation: Joe Bassett
President-Elect (Lucie Kay) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
Visiting Rotarians- Dan Colby
Visiting Guests- Debbie Dallaire & David V
50/50 Drawing:
$ 28 Winner: Jim G- donated to Red Ribbon
Sargent At-Arms: A reprieve this week!
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Announcements 4/13/2016Thank you to mentors- Fausto, Jim, Dennis, Sabeen, Jackson, Bill, James A. & Andy
Thank you cleanup crew- Brian D, Sabeen, Dennis, Bill & Jim Red Ribbon Update- Awareness Week 25th PLEASE ATTEND EVENTS– no meeting next week but will follow up after events to plan new goals – also adding option to Facebook page for donations Next week’s meeting at UNE May 18th meeting at COT April 28th – Fireside chat at 5pm at Duffys May 21st- Trail cleanup at bicycle center New member posting Delilah P May 7th Bingo @ Rochambeau club 10-1pm – LOOKING FOR SPONSORS – next week each Rotarian will get 4 tickets to sell ($20/ticket) Thanks to Heather and Mark for volunteering to work front desk next week Matt S donated 50% of winnings in Vegas to Red Ribbon |
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Rotarians Honor Essay Winners on Family LifeEach year the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club sponsors an annual essay contest for all eighth graders in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach schools. This year marked the 21st year they have held the contest. The theme of the essay is “What the Word Family Means to Me,” which focuses on the students’ views of the importance of family life, their understanding, and appreciation of differences that exist with other families. The best essays are selected by the school’s faculty of teachers based on the established criteria: relevance to the topic, quality of composition, creativity, and grammatical, spelling accuracy.
On April 13, the first place winners from each participating school were invited to read their essay before an assembly of Rotarians, parents, school principals and teachers. Each was awarded a Certificate of Achievement along with a $100 prize. The first place winners were: Jillian Greenleaf, Biddeford Middle School; Kaitlyn Cox, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Jade Kruczek, Saco Middle School; Lizzie Owen, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and McKenna Picard, St. James School, Biddeford.
Congratulations to the other prize winners who received $50 or $25 prizes as well: Michael Delorge and Claudia Janelle - Biddeford Middle School; Olivia Paradis and Lindsay Labrecque
- Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Meghan McReynolds and Sadie Gray - Saco Middle School; Ana Pilioglos and Luke Knowles - Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Lydia Rue and Alison Violette - St. James School, Biddeford.
The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is pleased to be part of community involvement. If you would like more information on how to become involved with Rotary, please visit their website at www.biddeford-sacorotary.org.
PHOTO CAPTION: The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recently awarded winners for their twenty-first annual essay contest: (L-R): Lizzie Owen, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; Jade Kruczek, Saco Middle School; Kaitlyn Cox, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Jillian Greenleaf, Biddeford Middle School; and McKenna Picard, St. James School, Biddeford.
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Rotarians @ Work with Biddeford High- Parks Clean-upAt Mechanics Park with Rotarians Dennis, Sabine, Bill & Brian
Jim, Brian & Jim build a planter box at the Pierson's lane Park
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Red Ribbon Week Schedule of EventsMonday, April 25
Tuesday, April 26
Wednesday, April 27
Thursday, April 28
Friday, April 29
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Rotary and Schools Collaborate to Host Red Ribbon Week EventsFor every $1 spent on prevention, it saves $7 in treatment. To steer our community toward healthy behaviors, the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club has formed the Red Ribbon Committee to focus efforts on preventing young people from slipping into the devastating grip of drug misuse and addiction. Working in conjunction with school educators in Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, and Saco the Rotary’s Red Ribbon Committee is hosting multiple events during Red Ribbon Awareness Week, April 25-29, with a community-wide presentation on April 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Thornton Academy’s Garland Auditorium. All members of the community are welcome. The event is free and TATV will livestream at www.livestream.com/tatvsac. “Our goal is to serve as a catalyst to mobilize communities, educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities” stated Red Ribbon Committee Co-Chair and Rotarian Jim Godbout. “We all recognize drug misuse is at epidemic proportions in our country. It costs our country billions of dollars each year through tax dollars, so we are all affected directly or indirectly by the growing drug problem that is ruining the lives of so many individuals. I applaud the schools for working collaboratively together and with our Rotary Club, and I invite everyone to be part of this culture change.”
The tri-community presentation on April 26 encourages individuals and families to reflect upon current trends in drug use and what the community can do to promote healthy behaviors without the influences of illegal drugs or other misused substances. A series of speakers will present about trends in drug use and effects locally, including: Bill Patterson of Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition will present on what local children and their peers reported on the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey; Joe Hansen, a Juvenile Community Corrections Officer, will educate parents and community members on current drug use trends including what's new and what current lingo is being used; Biddeford Saco Rotary Club will speak about their desire to organize and sustain these events; Tidal Waves, a student group from York High School, will present about their initiative; and Sheriff Bill King will present powerful information pertaining to drugs in York County impacting our youth.
In addition to the community-wide presentation, each school has also planned health class curriculum and activities for their students throughout the week. At Biddeford High School, students will hear presentations by Skip Gates on opiates, York County Women’s Transition Program and Maine Inside Out Group, receive daily drug fact announcements, and engage in a “natural high” game of dodgeball with staff versus students. At Thornton Academy Middle and High School, students will hear presentations by Sergeant Peter Mador of the Drug Enforcement Agency on the effects of heroin, marijuana and THC, Kevin Welch of Day One on marijuana use, experience simulations of drunk driving, and a mock fatal accident thanks to police and fire departments from Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Saco Police Explorers and Junior Firefighters. At Old Orchard Beach High School, students will join BHS for their opiates presentation to kick-off the week and continue with a viewing of “Point of No Return”, attend a “harm reduction” presentation by an alum who lost his sister to addiction and a school-wide speed game of jeopardy put on by the Natural Helpers followed by a check presentation from the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club.
“This has been a great partnership between the Rotary Club representing the business community and the educators of Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach and Saco,” stated Biddeford High School Principal Jeremie Sirois. “Having all three school systems working together allows us to have a larger impact with substantial results on reaching our youth and changing culture. We will continue to work together planning curriculum and presentations that can be mirrored throughout all the schools.”
These events would not be possible without the many individuals and local businesses who have contributed to the Red Ribbon Committee of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, especially the following major sponsors: Atlantic Comfort Systems, Biddeford Savings Bank, Blue Elephant Catering & Events, Carl Goodwin, Inc., Gorham Savings Bank and Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating.
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Community Forum on Opioids @ UNEThe Maine Opiod Collaborative Task Force at UNE. PREVENTION, INTERVENTION and RECOVERY of drug addiction.
Sponsored by the BIDDEFORD-SACO ROTARY CLUB. |
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Week in Review 4/6/2016Patriotic Song: Paul D – Take me out to the “ballpark”
4 Way Test: Susan Gajewski
Invocation: James A
President-Elect (Lucie Kay) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
Visiting Rotarian – Patty Kenny Guests- Dennis Eli’s Daughter
50/50 Drawing: $28.00 Winner: Josh Ellis – donated to Red Ribbon
Sargent At-Arms: Joe Moreshead & Karen Chasse
Happy Dollars: James A – for graceful entrance ; Andy – sad dollar for moving to New Mexico ; Jim – sorry dollar to Sabeen ; Matt- Birthday & trip to Vegas ; Heather – daughter accepted to Dartmouth ; Dennis – being able to bring daughter to meeting ; Jackson - $5 for auction success and being a part of the best rotary club
Fines: Lucie- selling Karen on membership seminar ; Bernice – for having her own bowling balls ; Sarah C- tack and Facebook likes ; Bill- falling banner, calling Lucie out, socks and shoes ; Paul D – sisters time to shine ; Fausto & Jackson – “gun show” ; Matt S- boring students out of classroom Monday ; Sarah N – missed Sunday ; Dennis – too serious at auction ; Jim – glossy ad and phone going off at board meeting ; Joe – superman ; Heather, Jeremy & Ken – praying pictures from auction ; Sue – ate all Roland’s cookies ; Roland – skyping in to classroom ; Chris I – not being a Sargent At-Arms President Bill lead a discussion about future club budgets:
Interact, Christmas and Scholarships – need review Proposed: James A- proposed instead of scholarship given while in school which affects financial aid package – giving to students when they graduate Christmas – reallocate $2k for “party” we don’t do anymore Andy- strategic plan – helping kids with social skills/real life skills Dennis- Scholarships – keep in “vocational bucket” for students (mentoring, real world skills, etc) Bill - $3,000 for UNE – down to $1,000 Adding Red Ribbon - $5,000 level |
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Announcements 4/6/2016Thank you to mentors on Monday (Sabeen, Jackson, Matt, Karen, Bill, Roland, Andy & Dennis)
Auction: $50-$51k = Success – big thanks to Jackson and Julie Bingo: May 7th 10-1pm $20/ticket – proceeds to polio plus April 9th – Park clean up – meeting at Heart of Biddeford at 9am House update: kids have taken over- no Rotarian help for now but will when we do summer clean up UNE Brain Fair 4-8 Friday 4/8 April 26th – Red Ribbon Awareness Week New member posting- Delilah P – sponsored by Peggy Bean & Don Pilon *Next Wednesday meeting – at Duffy’s for essay contest – following week meeting at UNE May 18th – Meeting at COT Update from Board Meeting- Emily Ferchette – leave of absence (6 months) ; Dave Lowe – resigned ; Done Losure – rule of 85; voted to approve $500 to create housing in Kenya |
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Club Goes Bowling!Supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters at their Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser. (l-r: Bernice Wood, Joe Moreshead, CJ Dubois, Karen Chasse, Paulette Bonneau and nice photo bomb from Saco Bay Club Rotarian Dave LePauloue)
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President's Message- for April 4, 2016 Let’s hear it for the power of teamwork. Our 27th Annual TV Auction grossed just over $51,000 if everyone pays for the items they bid on during the auction. It is always nice when a plan comes together and it is not an accident that our auction is successful each year.
I was counting and over half of our club was at the auction working in some capacity yesterday. That is absolutely awesome and I want to thank everyone who showed up and worked.
At the outset I have to thank Jackson for chairing the event. For all those who have chaired it, you always wonder what is going to go wrong, but due to many incredibly dedicated and committed people, the event succeeds year after year. I talked to the Time Warner people and they assure us that we are the poster child of the well run auction. They do a few other TV auctions around the state but ours is by far the best run, most fun and successful TV auction that they have seen. They beg other organizations to use our model though apparently none do.
I have to also thank Julie Villemaire who, as I am typing this, is still doing Pick and Pay at the Community Center. Her commitment to the whole process is really unbelievable and it is her organizational skills that make the whole thing happen. She keeps the inventory straight; has a system to makes check out as smooth as possible; and organizes the items so that we seldom, if ever, lose anything. We all owe Julie a huge round of applause at our next meeting.
Lucie Kay and group made sure we were well fed all day. Laurie Jo and CJ tore out most of their hair when our phone operators failed to show up or failed to show up on time, but thanks to Rotarians stepping up our phone lines remained open and we did not really miss a beat.
Three unsung heroes of the auction are Ken Farley, Rollie Eon and Karen Chasse. Ken prepares the script every year which is a huge amount of work. Furthermore, this year Ken had to use his contacts to make sure that we were live streaming on the internet when that connection was not made before the auction started. Rollie was our floor director all day keeping us on time and on task. Trust me, without him we would not come close to finishing the auction on time. Karen made sure that the event was publicized and that the Courier ad was clear and accurate. All three people deserve our thanks.
Our on air people make the auction fun and keep it moving. In addition all of the Rotarians who set up or tore down the auction, you are truly a well-oiled machine.
I also want to thank some of our newer Rotarians who took the time to work at the auction. Conrad Welzel and Don Pilon displayed our inventory all day and we all know it is all about the presentation. Sabine McElrath and Naomme Paris helped out. I believe Sabine did a stint on the phones which is never easy and Naomme was making those follow up calls to make sure the bids were real. Heather McLean ran bids for a good part of the day despite the impact that a TV camera can have on one’s appearance! Jeremy Ray jumped in as a new auctioneer which is a tough job, and if you don’t believe me try it. Paulette Bonneau was on the phones as well as starting in one of our videos.
I also have to thank the tabulation crew from our club. Jim McAllister, Rob Moody, Brian Dallaire and Chuck Hennessey worked to help give us the fastest board summaries ever. A special thanks to George Wandel who is not in the club anymore but he showed up with his nephew to again help with tabulation even though George really wasn’t feeling well. It is that kind of dedication that makes the auction work. Brian also assisted with checkout which helped when the lines got long.
At the end of the day, it is clear that our club does well more than its share in making the auction a success. Thanks to all of your efforts, big and small, because it is the sum of all of those parts that raises such big money to support all that we do as a club.
Time to start planning for the 28th annual auction. Bernice, what is taking you so long to get started?
Great job everyone!
Bill
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Rotary TV Auction 2016 |
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Volunteers of America-Michael CoonMichael Coon, VP of External Relations from the Volunteers of America
The VOA is celebrating their 120 year anniversary this year, organization was founded by Ballington and Maude Booth in 1896
Mike Spoke about the following important programs within the VOA:
Community Justice Programs – Re-entry centers, skill development and case management to help transition folks back into their communities.
Senior Services- Affordable, independent housing with supportive services
Veterans Services:
Behavioral Health Services:
Camp Postcard:
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Announcements 3/30/2016Brain Fair at UNE 4-8PM on 4/8/16
Board meeting at P&C Insurance 7:45 AM on 4/6/16
Upcoming alternative meeting locations:
- April 9, 2016 – Park cleanups at 3-4 parks around the area, 9AM to 12PM commitment needed
- April 13, 2016 at Duffy's OOB for the essay contest.
- April 20, 2016 at the University of New England
- May 18, 2016 at the regional center of technology
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Volunteers of America14 Maine Street
Suite 301 Brunswick, ME 04011 Phone: (207) 373-1140
Career Inquiries: hr@voanne.org
General Inquiries: info@voanne.org Media Inquiries: patricia.olds@voanne.org Volunteering Inquiries: william.browning Michael Coon, Vice President of External Affairs and local representatives from the Hazelton House in Saco, gave us an overview of their organization and activities.
Locally:
Launched in 1994, Camp POSTCARD happens every June in Poland, Maine. Camp is staffed by volunteer law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, community volunteers, and Volunteers of America personnel. This year camp is held June 17th-24th. - See more at: http://www.voanne.org/camp-postcard#sthash.6vFn6bA6.dpuf
There is no charge for the week long summer camp program for 5th and 6th grade boys and girls. Kids from all over the state are chosen to attend. Every year, we ask for support to help raise the funds needed to provide this one-of-a-kind experience for kids – most of whom have never been to summer camp.
All of the camp counselors are volunteers from Maine's Law Enforcement community. These dedicated men and women give their time to provide positive role models and promote the understanding that local law enforcement officers are there to help.
Campers experience new challenges – rock wall climb, swimming, boating, arts & crafts and all kinds of outdoors sporting activities.
The camp's Demo Day (June 22, 2016) includes demonstrations of healthy snack making, military equipment, trained police K-9 dogs, wilderness survival skills, karate, fire prevention, a "touch tank" of live marine creatures, an ice cream truck, face painting and more.
Science Day offers a range of educational science projects for campers, including several "stations" for them to explore and experience in groups.
between the Maine Sheriffs' Association, the Maine D.A.R.E.® Officers Association, and Volunteers of America. Qualified officers are invited to become volunteer leaders at camp. Contact us for more information.
We make sure that Campers have all the things they need for a great camp week – from new sleeping bags to sneakers – so that they are able to relax and have a great time. Year after year, our communities have stepped up to support the young Campers.
Cabin in the Woods
Cabin in the Woods is an innovative housing program for homeless veterans being built on 11 wooded acres surrounding TOGUS. Eight thousand Maine veterans live in poverty. One in ten is homeless. These statistics need to change. We have been working tirelessly to find ways to shelter and care for the men and women who have served our country. We are proud to announce that Volunteers of America Northern New England has received funding that will allow us to build our Cabin in the Woods program. It's the first project of its kind in the state of Maine, and the only program in Maine that will assist homeless male and female veterans, as well as their families. We will be constructing 21 energy-efficient, ADA accessible residential cabins (16 one bedroom and 5 two bedroom), with special attention to maintaining a rustic, wooded, private setting for each. Also on site will be a two bedroom cabin for office and community space. With an emphasis on family reunification and employment, Cabin in the Woods will work with many local, regional, state and federal agencies to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The $4.2 million development cost of the project will be funded primarily by Maine Housing Tax Credit Allocation. Our work continues with Maine Housing to finalize the timeline and construction documents.We have partnered with the Veterans Administration to secure a 75 year lease on the land. We are tremendously excited to be bringing this program to fruition, with so much support along the way. Our Current Programs Volunteers of America Northern New England operates two successful programs for homeless veterans in the Saco/Biddeford area. The Arthur B. Huot House provides 10 efficiency apartments for Veterans who are homeless. The program, which is the only co-ed Veterans Transitional Living Program in Maine, provides Veterans with stable housing and additional services to help them transition back into the community and All the Way Home™. Named in honor of the late U.S. Navy Veteran Arthur "Skip" Huot, the program is operated in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Maine State Housing. Arthur B. Huot believed that "It's the day by day acts of kindness that changes the world" and that we should help our Veterans as a community.. The Veterans Career House provides safe supportive transitional housing and support services to male Veterans who are homeless. Our evidence-based programming helps Veterans gain stability and life skills to re-enter their community and the work force. This eight-room facility is in a rural setting and offers private or semi-private rooms with shared living, dining, kitchen, recreation, and bathroom areas. Heat, laundry, electricity, and hot water are included. If you are interested in contributing to Cabin in the Woods please contact Michael Coon at 207-373-1140. - See more at: http://www.voanne.org/cabin-in-the-woods#sthash.r79NLw8Y.dpufWith an emphasis on family reunification and employment, Cabin in the Woods will work with many local, regional, state and federal agencies to meet the needs of veterans and their families.
The $4.2 million development cost of the project will be funded primarily by Maine Housing Tax Credit Allocation. Our work continues with Maine Housing to finalize the timeline and construction documents.We have partnered with the Veterans Administration to secure a 75 year lease on the land. We are tremendously excited to be bringing this program to fruition, with so much support along the way.
Our Current Programs
Volunteers of America Northern New England operates two successful programs for homeless veterans in the Saco/Biddeford area.
The Arthur B. Huot House provides 10 efficiency apartments for Veterans who are homeless. The program, which is the only co-ed Veterans Transitional Living Program in Maine, provides Veterans with stable housing and additional services to help them transition back into the community and All the Way Home™. Named in honor of the late U.S. Navy Veteran Arthur "Skip" Huot, the program is operated in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Maine State Housing. Arthur B. Huot believed that "It's the day by day acts of kindness that changes the world" and that we should help our Veterans as a community.
The Veterans Career House provides safe supportive transitional housing and support services to male Veterans who are homeless. Our evidence-based programming helps Veterans gain stability and life skills to re-enter their community and the work force. This eight-room facility is in a rural setting and offers private or semi-private rooms with shared living, dining, kitchen, recreation, and bathroom areas. Heat, laundry, electricity, and hot water are included.
At Volunteers of America, we are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through our hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America touches the lives of more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each year. Since 1896, we have supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart — and ultimately the spirit — of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. Our Name The name Volunteers of America was selected when the organization was founded 120 years ago. It signified that the organization was comprised of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or cause. Since its earliest days, when Volunteers of America brought food, medicine and comfort to people not served by other charities, volunteering has been instrumental in every aspect of the organization's ministry of service. Today, our services are delivered through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters. - See more at: http://www.voa.org/about-us#sthash.Js9XSuDR.dpufVolunteers of America is the charity that always steps forward to help the most vulnerable. For over 120 years, we have taken on the most difficult tasks to help the most underserved. At Volunteers of America, we are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through our hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America touches the lives of more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each year. Since 1896, we have supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart — and ultimately the spirit — of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. Our Name The name Volunteers of America was selected when the organization was founded 120 years ago. It signified that the organization was comprised of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or cause. Since its earliest days, when Volunteers of America brought food, medicine and comfort to people not served by other charities, volunteering has been instrumental in every aspect of the organization's ministry of service. Today, our services are delivered through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters. - See more at: http://www.voa.org/about-us#sthash.Js9XSuDR.dpufVolunteers of America is the charity that always steps forward to help the most vulnerable. For over 120 years, we have taken on the most difficult tasks to help the most underserved. At Volunteers of America, we are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through our hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America touches the lives of more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each year. Since 1896, we have supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart — and ultimately the spirit — of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. Our Name The name Volunteers of America was selected when the organization was founded 120 years ago. It signified that the organization was comprised of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or cause. Since its earliest days, when Volunteers of America brought food, medicine and comfort to people not served by other charities, volunteering has been instrumental in every aspect of the organization's ministry of service. Today, our services are delivered through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters. - See more at: http://www.voa.org/about-us#sthash.Js9XSuDR.dpufVolunteers of America is the charity that always steps forward to help the most vulnerable. For over 120 years, we have taken on the most difficult tasks to help the most underserved. At Volunteers of America, we are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through our hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America touches the lives of more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each year. Since 1896, we have supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart — and ultimately the spirit — of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. Our Name The name Volunteers of America was selected when the organization was founded 120 years ago. It signified that the organization was comprised of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or cause. Since its earliest days, when Volunteers of America brought food, medicine and comfort to people not served by other charities, volunteering has been instrumental in every aspect of the organization's ministry of service. Today, our services are delivered through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters. - See more at: http://www.voa.org/about-us#sthash.Js9XSuDR.dpufVolunteers of America is the charity that always steps forward to help the most vulnerable. For over 120 years, we have taken on the most difficult tasks to help the most underserved. At Volunteers of America, we are more than a nonprofit organization. We are a ministry of service that includes nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through our hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America touches the lives of more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each year. Since 1896, we have supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart — and ultimately the spirit — of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. Our Name The name Volunteers of America was selected when the organization was founded 120 years ago. It signified that the organization was comprised of people voluntarily choosing to help others. In those days, a volunteer was anyone who was committed to a mission or cause. Since its earliest days, when Volunteers of America brought food, medicine and comfort to people not served by other charities, volunteering has been instrumental in every aspect of the organization's ministry of service. Today, our services are delivered through a partnership of professional staff, volunteers and other community supporters. - See more at: http://www.voa.org/about-us#sthash.Js9XSuDR.dpuf |
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UNE Community Opioid Forum |
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Week-in-Review & Announcements 3/16/2016Invocation performed by 'Joe Bassett'
Four-way test by Josh Fearon
Announcements:
- No visitors or guests at today's meeting
- thank you's from Bill Kany to Karen Chasse for all of her PR and Facebook work for the district newsletter. Also to Bernice wood for all of the work that she performs and secretary and assisting in all the day-to-day activities. Lastly, Julie Villemare, as the auction perennially does not happen without her help.
- Red ribbon committee meeting after today's meeting to discuss brain fair sponsorship opportunities at the University New England.
- Jackson announced there are five spots still needed for volunteer work at the phonebank during the auction time slots from 6 PM to 9 PM needs coverage. Also some potluck food is needed in the list will be passed out to sign-up for those that want to cook.
- Dennis Announced that we will also need some volunteers to help with set up on the Saturday before the auction this is about a 1 to 2 hour commitment, maybe even faster depending on how many volunteers.
Upcoming alternative meeting locations:
- April 13, 2016 at Duffy's OOB for the essay contest.
- April 20, 2016 at the University of New England
- May 18, 2016 at the regional center of technology
Upcoming Fireside chat:
April 28, 2016 at Duffy's
- Ron Gagnon won the 50/50
-SAA's this week were Joe & Karen
- classification talks were given by Heather MacLean, Don Pilon and Naomme Paris.
- Open discussion was had by all concerning a potential change in meeting locations to Duffys in the future
- meeting adjourned
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New Member Classification TalksHeather MacLean
Heather gave a brief report noting that she holds degrees from Marietta College in Ohio and Columbia University in New York. Her classification is "artist" and she is the manager of Stone Soup Artisans on Main Street in Saco. The store is an artist-owned co-op featuring Maine-made products, including pottery, jewelry, glass, baby clothes, pet items, candles, and soap. Heather is married to a farmer and she has one daughter, who graduated last year from Thornton Academy and is studying in Germany this year. Heather has been a Rotarian for most of the past 20 years and is glad to be back in the club after a few years away. Don Pillon
Past president of the Wethersfield/Rocky Hill, CT. Rotary Club. Grew up in Hartford, CT graduated from St. Francis College and returned to Hartford. Worked in the insurance industry for many years and had the opportunity to manage a Phoenix Mutual office in So. Portland. Moved my family to a beach house I purchased in the '70's at Fortunes Rocks Beach. Moved to Saco in the '90's changed careers and entered politics. Served in the Maine Legislature for four consecutive terms(2004-2012) and Mayor of Saco from 2013-2015. Currently, a real estate broker with the Maine Real Estate Network in Saco specializing in commercial and residential properties.
Naomme Paris
Naomme is assistant vice president, portfolio manager of the bank’s office located at 234 Main St. in Biddeford.
Paris, of Wells, brings to the bank over 20 years of banking experience, most recently as a credit analyst for People’s United Bank. |
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UNE Brain Fair 2016 |
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Rotary TV Auction 2016 |
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President's Message- for March 21, 2016Okay, I have been reminding or berating you over the last several weeks to get your auction items in. I would love to think that my constant reminders worked, but then I remembered that only 7 of you actually read the Tack and only 3 of you occasionally listen to me, so I will not take credit for the fact that we have reached the goal of 410 items for the auction.
First, thank you to all of you who solicited at least one item or one quickie or big board sponsor. It is your efforts that make the auction a success. For those of you who did not solicit anything, and I suspect you know who you are (though I suspect none of the members of our club who failed to solicit anything actually read the Tack), please make more of an effort to get involved with the auction event itself. Perhaps go to the setup on Saturday morning (April 2) or work the day of the auction on the phones, tabulating bids, working the pickup and pay area or be on TV as an auctioneer or MC. If we had all solicited 3 items our club would have done its share. Some club members do a lot more, but there is really no excuse for not soliciting anything for the auction. There I feel better.
Speaking of feeling better, I did something I had never done before this past weekend. Despite growing up and living in Saco most of my life, and despite the fact that my father has been a major fundraiser for the event for 15 years, I had never been to a Mary’s Walk. On March 20 I attended the opening ceremonies of Mary’s Walk. It was well organized and a lot of fun. Some of the Thornton students were part of a “flash mob”, Kim Block hosted the ceremonies, a number of significant fundraisers were acknowledged and Eric and Nancy Marston got up and talked about Nancy’s successful battle with breast cancer. The whole thing was inspirational without being overdone. Gene Libby and the entire Kerry family should be very proud of how they have turned their grief into a huge event which has raised so much money for cancer research. Again, this is an example of one person’s idea becoming an enormous effort to fight a horrific disease.
Enjoy the last blast of winter, welcome in spring in Maine and have a great week. Bill
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Announcements 3/16/2016Thanks to the club as we finally hit the required 410 items for the auction and then some!
Sign-up sheets for working the the Auction on April 3 will be coming along.
Future Meeting/Activity Reminders:
4/5 Bowling Team: Jackson, Paulette, Bernice, Karen & CJ for Big Brothers/Big Sisters @ Vacationland Bowling, Saco
4/9 w/ COT Honor Students Community parks clean up
4/13 Essay Contest @ Duffy's in OOB
4/20 Annual Meeting @ UNE (Alfond Forum)
5/18 Annual BBQ @ COT
5/21 Community hands-on project @ CBC
Committee Meetings after todays meeting: Charity, Membership (to set up a Fireside Chat); Mentoring Program(see below)
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Eastern Trail AllianceCarole Brush, Executive Director presented information about the Eastern Trail which nis part of the Eastern Greenway.
First she thanked our group for our past donation in support of the trail.
The Eastern Trail (ET) is a 30% complete vision
of a 65-mile recreation/transportation greenway connecting Casco Bay at Bug Light in South Portland with Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This world-class, 10-foot wide trail is enjoyed by thousands of users for hiking, snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing, walking, biking, birding, nature study and many other muscle-powered healthy activities. To provide end-to-end connectivity as offroad construction progresses, the ET is currently a connected series of off-road and on-road segments. The ET offers views of pristine Casco Bay at its
northern end. It crosses cities and Maine’s largest saltwater marsh. It passes over the Maine Turnpike as part of a 6.2-mile greenway section connecting Biddeford, Arundel and Kennebunk. It’s near Maine’s sandy saltwater beaches–the finest anywhere. It passes through miles of quiet woodland with streams and wetlands. ET explorers may see great blue heron, snowy egrets, bald eagles, seals, wild turkey, deer, turtles, and other Maine wildlife, and historic mills and railroad artifacts. The East Coast Greenway is a developing trail system,
spanning 2,900 miles as it winds its way between Calais, Maine and Key West, linking all the major cities of the eastern seaboard. Like the ET, more than 25 percent of the route is already on safe, traffic-free paths. See Greenway.Org. The Eastern Trail is the southern Maine section of the East Coast Greenway. Carole suggested that they could use help of the Interact Club in future projects.
FMI: Carole Brush Executive Director ETA/ETMD P O Box 250 Saco, ME 04072 207-284-9260 office eta@easterntrail.org easterntrail@yahoo.com
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Week-in-Review 3/16/2016The meeting was opened at 12:15 with the Pledge of Allegiance by President Bill, followed by a pausing Roland Gagne leading the Four-Way-Test. Joe Basset lead us in an opening prayer.
President-Elect Lucie introduced guests: Delilah Poupore, Executive Director, Heart of Biddeford & Chuck Gajewski (Susan's husband).
New member induction by President Bill: Naomme Paris (Biddeford Savings Bank) sponsored by Bernice Wood. President Bill reminded us of a quote from Tom Brokaw, "It's easy to make a buck; tougher to make a difference."
Bill thanked Jim Mcallister for donating his 50/50 last week to the SAA.
This week's 50/50 of $31 was won by Sue Gajewski which was donated back to the SAA to save Bill from having to make up the SAA budget.
SAA- Joe M & Karen C
Happy Dollars:
Rob M for his daughter home from college in Boston and for hiking sections the Eastern Trail
Mark N to promote the City Theater production of "Next to Normal"
Bernice as a sponsor of Susan for her 4th year in Rotary
Lucie has return from PETS
Jackson for all the auction items turned in
Bill for his daughter Erin representing UNE College of Pharmacy in WDC
Heather for her daughter's acceptance into Northeastern Univ
Susan G for having Chuck as a guest after 3 year in the club
Jim A for grandson Fynnfor winning the Yarmouth School talent contest as a Robotic Dancer
Lucie for the pot-luck food sign-up for the auction
Carole brush for the Eastern Trail
Fines:
Bill for the impressive membership induction pledge
Bill for making fun of Karen's auction film
Rob & Lucie for late auction items
Lucie for Karen's debit card being shut off
Gender fine for all males: Karen got 4" cut from her hair and none noticed even fro her husband!
Ladies table-too much estrogen!
Jackson for letting people got way beyond the auction deadline for turning in items
Brian for replying to emails with "Dr Brian"
Roland for the dramatic pause on the 4-way-test
Jeremy for the PJs day at school
Karen for hurting Joe's feelings
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Dr. Ed Bilsky, UNECelebrating Brain Awareness Week and getting ready for our big events including the Maine Science Festival this Friday through Sunday and the UNE Brain Fair on Friday April 8th. Working on a number of other exciting activities with community partners and our UNE students-stay tuned!
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Week-in-Review 3/9/2016The Pledge of Allegiance was lead by our President at 12:15PM.
4 Way Test was lead by: Sarah Curley
Invocation (prayer) & who led it: Joe Bassett
President-Elect-Elect(Jackson Brown) Introduces Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
No visiting guests or Rotarians
50/50 Drawing: $$ Winner: Jim McAllister – Donated to Red Ribbon Committee Sargent At-Arms:
Happy $’s – Sponsoring Kaitlyn to RYLA – Bill, Keith happy Bill Kany will have to pay in shortfalls in the SAA budget if not met in the coming months, Steve Morin happy about upcoming conference in Florida, Jim McAllister for winning 50/50 two weeks in a row, Fausto leaving for Vegas, Bill Kany happy about son buying his first home in Saco, Craig happy his son will be living with Bill’s son, Paul happy son is getting married on 11/18/2016 and happy his sister Susan is running for State Senate.
Fines – Roland for not happy about going to Aruba, Matt Simons in the paper twice “not seeing the return on your investment?”, Bill for introducing a “member” of our club, Fausto for being late with auction items (“Truth be told “says Fausto “I was not late, Heather and Bill stole his auction items from his vendors that he makes asks to and I had to make up for their short fall of auction items.”, everyone in the club who committed to auction items and have not yet passed them in “pay up!”, Jeremy Ray for lying in the paper (??? Missed the joke), Steve for not passing in wine $ to the treasure and failure to mention the fine he received for illegal sales of alcohol in Run of the Mill parking lot after a club meeting, Heather Gendron for forgetting to include the announcements on the tack at the start of the meeting, Matt Simons for looking at his text messages during the District Governor’s visit last week, Fausto “Slow Down!”. |
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Announcements 3/9/2016Special Thank you to Joe Moreshead for your continued help and support of retrieving auction items and storing them at your facility. You give up so much of your time to support the auction. Big appreciation for all your work!
Special thank you to Craig Pendleton for being at the meeting today and for choosing the Red Ribbon for their non-profit to give proceeds to. Thank you! Second Posting for New Rotarian – Naomi Paris. Red Ribbon Committee Update – Fall Event – Tony Hoffman has committed as a speaker to speak at Biddeford High School, Thornton Academy, and OOB, educating youth on his personal addictions and share his experiences through his substance addiction. Club will sponsor speaker. Upcoming Events: April 13th Essay Contest at Duffy’s in OOB,
April 20th UNE Hosting Annual Club Meeting,
May 18th COT Hosting Annual Club Meeting,
May 21st Clubs Community Project at CBC cleaning trails partnering with COT Students and Interact Club,
April 9th Club will partner with Honor Roll Students and Interact Club to clean up 5 different parks – more info to come.
Wine Tasting Event Update – Event raised $5,700. Special Thank You to Fausto for generously donating back the proceeds for his catering
Auction Items- Pretty close to meeting our 410 item goal, if you have committed to any items and have not yet turned your items in, please do so ASAP. |
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President's Message- for March 8, 2016Okay, now we’re serious. The auction deadline to get your items in was February 26. That is a distant memory now. Then we said please get you items in by March 4. Well that date is now well in our rearview mirrors and at last count we are at 355 items with 55 items still needed. We really, really (note the begging) need to get all of your items this week so please get them to Jackson, Joe Moreshead, me or anyone on the auction committee. Your help will be appreciated.
The Red Ribbon Committee is working toward a week of activities and programs during the week of April 25 at Biddeford High School, Thornton Academy and Old Orchard Beach High School. There is no question that the schools’ enthusiasm for this effort is growing daily and there is also no doubt that the Red Ribbon Committee is the true catalyst for that growing excitement. Frankly, the statistics from 2015 are scary. Drug overdose deaths were up by 31% in this state. Five people died every week from drug misuse. While there are some good changes being proposed in Augusta, there is no question that cultural changes will lead to the greatest reduction of the misuse of drugs. The activities during the week of April 25 will be a great first step in a very long and we hope fruitful journey.
With the assistance of Jeremie Sirois, the principal of Biddeford High School, we will also be bringing to the three area high schools a dynamic speaker named Tony Hoffman (look him up) to kick off the 2016-2017 school year. Our Red Ribbon Committee will be sponsoring Mr. Hoffman. Raising awareness early in the school year should help the schools gain momentum for programs throughout the year so that the students are receiving regular messages about healthy life choices.
I mentioned last week that we are talking about working with the Center of Technology Honor Students to complete a community project. We had thought that a cleanup of Clifford Park would dovetail with our funding of the iron gates for the park, but the information that Andy Greif has acquired would indicate that Clifford Park is in good shape so Andy is communicating with the City to see if there are alternative projects we could work on with the students during the weekend of April 9. Please stay tuned.
Have a great week.
Bill
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Polio Plus UpdatePast District Governor and Polio Plus chair, Lawrence K. Furbish updated the club on Polio Plus.
Lawrence K. Furbish
District Governor 2014-15 District 7780 - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/2014-2015#sthash.61pQRzH3.dpuf Lawrence K. Furbish
District Governor 2014-15 District 7780 - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/2014-2015#sthash.61pQRzH3.dpuf Lawrence K. Furbish
District Governor 2014-15 District 7780 - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/2014-2015#sthash.61pQRzH3.dpuf Lawrence K. Furbish
District Governor 2014-15 District 7780 - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/2014-2015#sthash.61pQRzH3.dpuf ROTARY AND POLIO FACT SHEET
Polio
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. The poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio is incurable, but completely vaccine-preventable.
PolioPlus
In 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. In addition, Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by donor governments to contribute more than $9 billion to the effort.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, formed in 1988, is a public-private partnership that includes Rotary, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and governments of the world. Rotary’s focus is advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment and awareness-building.
Polio Today
Today, there are only two countries that have never stopped transmission of the wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Less than 370 polio cases were confirmed worldwide in 2014, which is a reduction of more than 99.9 percent since the 1980s, when the world saw about 1,000 cases per day.
Challenges
The polio cases represented by the remaining one percent are the most difficult to prevent, due to factors including geographical isolation, poor public infrastructure, armed conflict and cultural barriers. Until polio is eradicated, all countries remain at risk of outbreaks.
Ensuring Success
Every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will be matched two-to-one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation up to $35 million a year through 2018. These funds help to provide much-needed operational support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents. Governments, corporations and private individuals all play a crucial role in funding.
Rotary in Action
More than one million Rotary members have donated their time and personal resources to end polio. Every year, hundreds of Rotary members work side-by-side with health workers to vaccinate children in polio-affected countries. Rotarians work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute mass communication tools to reach people in areas isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. Rotary members also recruit fellow volunteers, assist with transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support.
‘This Close’ Campaign
Rotary has a growing roster of public figures and celebrities participating in its “This Close” public awareness campaign, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; WWE superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action movie star Jackie Chan; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman; Angelique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help educate the public about polio through public service announcements, social media and public appearances.
Check out this new video about the efforts to end the disease in Pakistan, one of the two last countries in the world with endemic polio.
Check out this new video about the efforts to end the disease in Pakistan, one of the two last countries in the world with endemic polio. - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/polio-plus-1#sthash.x7I4y8VC.dpuf
Check out this new video about the efforts to end the disease in Pakistan, one of the two last countries in the world with endemic polio. - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/polio-plus-1#sthash.x7I4y8VC.dpuf
Check out this new video about the efforts to end the disease in Pakistan, one of the two last countries in the world with endemic polio. - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/polio-plus-1#sthash.x7I4y8VC.dpuf
The PolioPlus Society is a District program to promote individual giving to PolioPlus. Members of the Society agree to give $100 per year toward polio eradication until polio is wiped out of the world. It's as simple as that! Please click on the PolioPlus Society downloads, at left, to obtain a copy of the Society application form. Be sure to email the completed form to Lawrence Furbish, Polio Plus chair, lkfurbish@mac.com. - See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/polio-plus-1/polio-plus-society#sthash.yId5PIIX.dpuf The PolioPlus Society is a District program to promote individual giving to PolioPlus. Members of the Society agree to give $100 per year toward polio eradication until polio is wiped out of the world.
It's as simple as that!
Please click on the PolioPlus Society downloads, at left, to obtain a copy of the Society application form. Be sure to email the completed form to Lawrence Furbish, Polio Plus chair, lkfurbish@mac.com.
- See more at: http://www.rotary7780.org/SitePage/polio-plus-1/polio-plus-society#sthash.yId5PIIX.dpuf
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Rotary TV Auction 2016 Solicitation UpdateThe good news is that we are at around 300 auction items. The bad news is that we still need 110 more items and today is the deadline. If you have items please get them to Joe Moreshead's office today. We also need 5 more Quickie Board sponsors so if you have not yet done anything for the auction or if you can stretch and get your business or your employer's business to do a Quickie Board sponsorship for $175.00, please do so.
As President, I do appreciate all of your hard work and we are almost through the solicitation phase of the auction, so please don't wait, get your items in as soon as you can.
Thanks for all of your help. Bill
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Announcements 2/24/2016Auction – Jackson reminded everyone the deadline for items is this Friday, February 26th. We are 170 items short!! TRY YOUR BEST! If you need more slips, see Jackson. If you know you have an item secured but don’t have it in hand, email Jackson. Also, we still have about 10 more Quickie Board sponsors. Bill began selling them at the meeting and was quite successful. The next auction meeting is March 9 at 7:30am at SBSI in Saco (enter under green awning out back) – all welcome to attend.
Rotary House – The house is weather tight and the BRCOT kids are ready to begin some work. The first project is fixing the bowing floors, interior partitions for electricians and HVAC, new screen porch to bring it up to code. They will be learning how to remodel which is a great life skill. We can help by heading Jim’s plea to help with the clean-up this Saturday, February 27 at 9am.
Community Project on May 21st – We will be working at the Community Bike Center to clear and open up the brush so we can create a mountain biking path.
Charitable Fund – President Bill read a thank you note from a Mom who requested oil to keep her family warm. It’s always nice to hear words of thanks from those we have helped.
Clifford Park Project – Dana Peck with BHS’ Class of 1967 (aka Club 67) and the Heart of Biddeford have been working together to replace the iron gates that once stood at Clifford Park on Pool Street. The cost is about $2,000 with the donated labor of Dana and Joel Smith. Club 67 enjoys lunch together once a month and remembers Clifford Park when it was a hub of activity and great gathering spot. They are donating $1,000 and Rotary is donating the other $1,000. Others have also contributed, such as Saco Bay Trails, Community Bike Center and more so the extra funds will be used to enhance and revitalize the park. Dana showed a rendering of the gate which will replace the current chain link fence and thanked us for our donation. See the attached letter from Catherine Glynn who was unable to attend the meeting.
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Mayor Alan Casavant of the City of BiddefordSpeaker – Mayor Alan Casavant of the City of Biddeford provided us with an update on the current projects and challenged us to speak up publicly and emphasize the positive.
When Alan became Mayor he wanted to create an environment where investors felt safe. We have created this system where we are business-friendly by meeting with everyone involved (construction, etc.) and the results are outstanding! Many of our local businesses are receiving public Accolades (i.e. Biscuits and Company, Elements) and our Downtown today versus five years ago is booming. We are now realizing our vacancy rate decreasing on storefront which is exciting.
What many people don’t know is there is no power in the Mayor role. Mayor Casavant’s enormous salaries job (I said that, not him) is the to be face of government. He has to advocate for the City the best he can so one of the main goals moving forward is to work with the Chamber to joint market the cities. When we were younger, it was always Biddeford/Saco and economically-viable. As an added step to solidify this relationship, both City Councils will be meeting on a regular basis so we maintain the partnership. This will be in writing so it continues to occur after the Mayor’s term.
What has been interesting is the number of companies who have never been to Biddeford or are totally unaware of what we have to offer. We have been off the grid for too long and need to market ourselves in the positive light we actual live in. People who come here always see the area as better than those we grew up here. Some of the great things we have accomplished:
• The Mills – With Doug Sanford’s vision, this project has been transformational! 100% of the apartments are at capacity. • Lofts by the Falls – Gangbusters! • Industrial Parks – 96% capacity. Recently purchased the Pate property to increase that capacity and welcome new businesses into Biddeford. • RiverWalk • Lincoln Street Mill – there has been some changes but it will happen – just modified. We will have a stand-alone hotel, a restaurant, etc. Tim Harrington is working with banks for financing. Challenges:
• Infrastructure - o Traffic concerns - we need to do our best to make traffic flow work. But these things NEED to be done. o Dredging - Must be done as it can contribute a lot to the economy. o Waterhouse Field (Jeremy and Chris have revolutionized the way our schools are running) o Clock Tower on City Hall • Drug Issue – Mayor Casavant praised our Red Ribbon Committee and UNE staff. • Parking – Having a parking garage is a necessity to accommodate this growth. It has been done in Lewiston and created excessive growth for the business. A year and a half to complete and the 200-300 spaces would already be leased! If we want maximum Mill development, we need to partner with the businesses. • Education – Despite the communities mirroring each other demographically, the State currently contributes $10.2 million to Biddeford Schools and $20.1 million for Sanford Schools. This is based on home valuation (coast homes). • Uncivil Behavior – This is not acceptable as grown adults - we should not be attacking or ridiculing each other and as a community we should not remain silent when it happens. As Mayor Casavant described, “We eat our young here.” It’s important to recognize that negative press does effect everything we do. Investors were calling and asking, “What is going on in your town.” He challenged us to speak up publicly and emphasize the positive (a letter to the editor, a Facebook post, etc.). Jim Godbout added, “We are leaders in our community! People look up to us and we need to speak up.” |
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Week-in-Review 2/24/2016President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by Andy Greif and the invocation led by Rob Moody. President Bill introduced Past District Governor Ron Drouin who is still a member of our club. He was DG at the time Canada was part of our District. He introduced his fellow Colleague (running for State District) Steve Martin. Steve was given the floor and all he was brief with his sales pitch, “Vote for me!”
President-Elect Lucie welcomed guests Adam (who knows what his last name was based on her pronunciation) and Naomi Harris. The 50/50 was won by Chris Indorf who donated 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund.
Thank You! – Bill thanked the following people this week:
• Everyone who have submitted their Auction items • Joe Moreshead as collecting these Auction items is a huge amount of work • Julie Villemaire for cataloging all the items as they come in. • Heather MacLean organized the badge box for us. |
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Red Ribbon CommitteeBelow is the final copy of the Mission - Vision Statement and Guiding Principles of the Red Ribbon Committee as primarily authored by Andy Grief. We have also revised the Red Ribbon logo to address Rotary requirements. I thought it was important to share this with all of you.
Mission – Vision – Guiding Principles
Red Ribbon Committee
Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco
Mission Statement
The Red Ribbon Committee of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club exists to mobilize the community to encourage healthy and thriving behaviors without the influences of illegal drugs and other misused substances.
Vision Statement
As a result of the efforts of the Red Ribbon Committee, members of the Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach communities will lead healthier lives free of the harmful influences of misused substances.
Guiding Principles
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For more info, follow us on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=red%20ribbon%20committee%20of%20biddefordsaco%20rotary%20club
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Brian Doyle – Governor’s Account Executive, Dept. of Economic and Community DevelopmentSpeaker: Brian Doyle – Governor’s Account Executive, Dept. of Economic and Community Development
Brian and his team has worked with hundreds of companies all over Maine helping with issues from high speed internet access to finding facilities to house 100 employees to helping communities and companies benefit from the creation of special Pine Tree Development Zones and Tax Increment Financing districts to ease the tax burdens on new and growing businesses. The team may have experience as lawyers, lenders, CEOs, or have run family and public businesses large and small. Contacts are deep and broad, across government departments and state agencies, so that, when necessary, they can bring the right partner to the table to get things done. Whatever our backgrounds, they are passionate about the work and ready to help you do business in Maine.
At DECD, there are more than two dozen experts whose broad mission is to help communities and businesses prosper through a variety of programs providing everything from targeted tax relief to community block grants to tourism marketing. Whether your business wants to make a film here, bring a Maine-made product to market, expand an aquaculture project, or explore financing when moving a business to our state. Maine is at an exciting crossroads, transitioning from a traditional natural resource and manufacturing-based industries to a knowledge-based economy. DECD offers valuable tools to help your organization become part of that transition and is dedicated to positioning Maine for growth in a global economy while sustaining our way of lifete, Brian and his team are there for support and to help find resources available to you and your business. He is committed to responding to any business related questions within 24 hours, to allow you and your business to continue to operate while he can research to get your business the support needed in a timely manner.
DECD and its partners show companies how to benefit from millions of dollars in tax credits, reimbursements, R & D credits, capital loans, even direct investment. Every year, DECD helps Maine communities attract jobs and grow their infrastructure with unique financing programs. We are business development experts, each responsible for one area of the state.
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President's Message- for Feb 17, 2016This is it, the last week to get your auction items in. The hard deadline is February 26, 2016 so please, please double you efforts and get your items in by Friday. I am sure that the people who will then deal with the processing of the inventory will appreciate it.
At the beginning of my year we solicited proposals for community projects. After considering the couple we received we decided to help out the Community Bicycle Center with its trails in the back of its Granite Street property which should be a fun hands-on event. We are targeting the date of May 21 to do the project so please mark your calendar now. Andy has promised that gas power tools will be required which should be the only draw we need.
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Announcements 2/17/2016Auction Update – Steve Morin: 21 bottles of wine left and 2 1/2 cases of beer remaining (since the closure of this meeting, all beer and wine has been raffled off and “legally” purchased in the parking lot of Run of the Mill, sorry if you missed out) Silent Auction raised another $1,200 bringing the net total too… drum roll….. $$$$
House Update – Jim Godbout: Roof is on and it’s a lot warmer inside to continue with needed projects. Preparing for next phase, looking for volunteers to help out on Saturday with Jim from 9am – 12pm to remove siding from the building. “Who can come join in on the fun?”
Red Ribbon Committee – Andy Grief/Jim Godbout: Guiding principles completed, available on the website. Mentoring opportunities still available, looking for Rotarians to help out. Mentoring is building a relationship with youth in our community and helping build needed life skills. Red Ribbon Lapel pins available to spread awareness of the committee, please see Bill if you haven’t received a pin.
WebSite- Chuck; new photos of new members will be uploaded into website. If you have a picture that you prefer over the photo uploaded to your profile, feel free to upload and replace with an existing picture you may have.
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Week-in-Review 2/17/2016Pledge of Allegiance: Promptly led by President Bill at 12:15 p.m.
4 Way Test: Conrad Welzel
Invocation (prayer): Joe Bassett
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President's Message for the Rotary Tack
This is it, the last week to get your auction items in. The hard deadline is February 26, 2016 so please, please double your efforts and get your items in by Friday. I am sure that the people who will then deal with the processing of the inventory will appreciate it.
At the beginning of my year we solicited proposals for community projects. After considering the couple we received we decided to help out the Community Bicycle Center with its trails in the back of its Granite Street property which should be a fun hands-on event. We are targeting the date of May 21 to do the project so please mark your calendar now. Andy has promised that gas power tools will be required which should be the only draw we need.
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There were no visiting Rotarians or guests for President-Elect Lucie Kay to introduce.
President Kany – Special thank you for all those who have solicited items and have passed in your completed auction slips. All items must be passed in by Friday, 2/26. If you need any solicitation slips or packets, please contact Bill or Joe Moreshead. Thank you for paying your dues – if you haven’t as of yet, pay your dues before next week’s meeting or there will fines to PAY.
Special Thank you to Ray Demers for leading the Youth Protection Policy.
50/50 Drawing: $28 goes to Steve Morin who donated the proceeds back to the Red Ribbon Fund.
Sargent At-Arms:
Happy Dollars: Frank Dumais happy for Gorham Savings Bank donating $500 in support of the Red Ribbon Committee, Jim Godbout thankful for club contributing $500 to a friend with ALS to renovate bathroom which “truly will change his way of life at home”, Steve Morin happy to be away with wife in Bethel, Mark happy to have first ever UNE Men’s adult hockey game, Conrad happy to redeem himself from last week’s 4 Way Test, Laurie Jo happy for accepting a new position with Goodwill Industries – “Congrats LJ!”, Julie happy to be spending time with grandson this week, Elaine happy that LJ will be working with her at Goodwill Industries.
Fines: Bill at Sunday River living the life, Earl for phone ringing and actually answering it during last week’s meeting, Bill for sloppy tie, Mark for phone going off during meeting, Keith, Julie and Sabine for bringing Joe auction items at Rotary, Joe for wearing his “sunglasses”, Lucie for her tan line and complaining about it, Sarah and Fausto for looking at Garbage Pail Kids cards, Elaine for taking credit for LJs new position.
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The Center for Grieving ChildrenCenter for Grieving Children Presentation – Speakers: Lisa Morin, Director of Philanthropy and Susan Giambalvo Program Director.
The Center for Grieving Children, based in Portland, Maine, serves more than 4,000 grieving children, teens, families, and young adults annually through peer support, outreach, and education. Since its founding in 1987, the Center for Grieving Children has served more than 66,000 children, teens, and their families. The Center for Grieving Children was founded in 1987 by Portland, Maine resident Bill Hemmens, following the death of his sister. In trying to find help and support for his niece Erin, Bill recognized that children need peers and caring adults to support them through their grief, because death profoundly affects every aspect of their lives.
Last year, the Center relied on volunteers who contributed 21,000 hours of support. Our community-oriented work place is staffed by 10-12 full- and part-time staff members, and regularly assisted by multiple volunteers and interns in different capacities. The Center is governed by a 25-member board of directors. Offering our services for free, for as long as people need them, the Center’s mission is to provide loving support that encourages the safe expression of grief and loss and fosters each individual’s resilience and emotional well-being. The Center reaches individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and relies on financial contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, United Way, and special events. The Center is a 501(c) 3 organization. Fact; 1 in 7 children/teens will experience a death of a parent/sibling. Special letters of “thank you’s” are received from caregivers/parents of children who were touched by the organizations services. The need in York County continues to grow. The Center has a second location in Sanford to serve the need today, however the Center’s goal is to expand their services throughout Southern Maine. Programs provided at the Center: Bereavement Peer Support, Multicultural Programs, Support Programs, Serious Illness Programs, and Crisis Response Programs – Serving local schools impacted by sudden death or serious illness by members of the school.
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Week-in-Review 2/10/20164 Way Test: Conrad Welzel
Invocation (prayer): Jim Audiffred
No Visiting Rotarians. Visiting Guest – Naomme Paris
50/50 Drawing: $26.00 went to Bernice Wood who turned around and donated the funds to the Red Ribbon Committee – Thank you Bernice!
Sargeant-At-Arms:
Happy Dollars – Steve to be done with Wine Tasting event (almost), Fausto thankful for the special award, Jim happier last week when he was in St. Martin, Sarah Curley happy to be going to Maui – “can we come Sarah?”
Joe Moreshead – Fines; Bill for each receipt Joe had to make out for the auction, Conrad for a terrible rendition of our 4 Way Test, Sabine for last one in, Paulette for last one in with Sabine but for also being “tardy”, Jim Auddifred for Denis Elie imitation, Rotarians for not paying their member dues on time; Joe Bassett, Ray Demers, Paul Deschambault, Denis Elie, Carl Goodwin “Checks in the mail!”, Heather MacLean, Elaine Palmitessa and Matt Simons
Keith Jacques – Fines; Ray for carrying a gun to Rotary and scaring Keith, Bill Kany for not introducing speakers, Denis Elie for complaining about “on limited income, having to pay dues”, Denis Elie for Jim Audiffred imitation.
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President's Message- for Feb 10, 2016FELLOW ROTARIANS, I DIDN’T GET LAZY AND DECIDE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS AND I AM NOT YELLING, BUT I FIGURED IF I USED ALL CAPS PERHAPS MORE PEOPLE MIGHT READ THIS. OUR HARD AUCTION SOLICITATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 26 WHICH IS ABOUT TEN, THAT’S RIGHT, TEN DAYS AWAY. LAST I SAW WE HAD 121 ITEMS WHICH ONLY LEAVES US ABOUT 290 SHORT OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR ASKS AND GET YOU ITEMS IN. THIS IS OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER BY FAR SO WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.
There I feel better now.
Let’s get the items in as soon as we can and make the lives of the people who have to process all of the auction stuff a little easier.
Thanks for your help.
Bill
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University of New England Athletics- Jack McDonald – Director of AthleticsThe University of New England is committed to academic excellence with the purpose of preparing its students for meaningful and rewarding careers, lifelong learning, and enlightened lives. The University's intercollegiate athletics program promotes optimal physical, emotional, and personal development in its student-athletes, supplements the classroom experience, and provides balance to academic life. Participation in a variety of athletics opportunities, with the best possible facilities, coaching personnel, and competitive opportunities, supports the mission of the University and is key to fulfilling its ideals. Athletics provides the student-athlete with the benefit to develop skills and techniques through team building, practice and competitions. The pursuit of excellence can be realized through NCAA Division III competition and adherence to the Division III philosophy with a focus on Commonwealth Coast Conference and ECAC East League play.
The intercollegiate athletics program is integral to the institution and encourages a desire for excellence, respect for colleagues, fair play, teamwork, leadership, perseverance and integrity, enhancing the overall quality of the educational experience. Through participation in the University's athletics program, students will augment academic productivity, improve the quality of campus life by providing an excited shared social activity for the campus community, and will create an image and identity that fosters support for and pride in the University by the University and external communities. The University of New England is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), joining for the 1999-2000 academic year. UNE sponsors 15 varsity sports under the NCAA; nine on the women's side, and six men's programs. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, and volleyball. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer.
Announced in December 2014, the Nor'easters will add two more varsity sports: - Women's rugby (Fall 2016) - Football (Fall 2017) For 13 of the current varsity sports, the Nor’easters compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which UNE joined for the 1999-2000 academic year.
For the other two sports (men’s ice hockey & women's ice hockey), the Nor'easters compete in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC), renamed from the ECAC East League for the start of the 2015-16 season. In men's ice hockey, UNE joined for the 2009-2010 academic year and competes against nine other institutions. In women's ice hockey, UNE joined for the 2014-2015 academic year and competes against 13 other institutions.
UNE announced plans to add football last December. The Nor’easters will play a sub-varsity schedule in 2017, then join the Commonwealth Coast Conference as a varsity program in 2018. UNE’s first varsity game will be on Aug. 30, 2018, against Coast Guard at New London, Connecticut.
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President's Message- for Feb 3, 2016A few miscellaneous observations:
Please take a second to welcome new Members, Sabine McElrath. Justyna Cybowicz, Don Pilon and Paulette Bonneau to the club. It is always nice to bring in new members but getting four in two weeks is fantastic. If any committee chairs need help let me know and I will ask the new members about their interests.
We all need to take a moment and thank Fausto Pifferrer (yes, I actually spelled his last name and guess what it is now underlined in red). Fausto’s company not only did a fantastic job catering the wine tasting event, but Fausto donated most of his fee back to our Red Ribbon committee. That is going above and beyond. Thanks for all you do Fausto.
I have to take a second and thank my employer, Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution. It stepped up and increased its support for the auction to $2,500.00. The extra $500 will go to sponsor the lobster bake item headed up by Joe Moreshead. As most of you know, our bank is incredibly generous, but I think it is necessary to sometimes acknowledge that generosity.
A friendly reminder that we have three weeks left to get our auction items in. Please don’t procrastinate. If you get them in early they can be inventoried sooner and the lives of people like Julie Villemaire and Joe Moreshead are just made a lot easier. Please, please, please (Matt Simmons loves the “pleases”) get your items in as soon as you can.
Finally, while many of you loved January, let’s face it, it is going to snow. Hell, we live in Maine. Embrace the winter weather, love the snow and remember that there are a lot of people who need snow to make a living or to make winter more fun! Spring will come soon enough, but for now pray for more snow and relish that we live in Maine and not some drought ridden, no season state.
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Week-in-Review 2/3/2016Patriotic Song was led by Paul Deschambault.
4 Way Test was led by Earl Goodwin.
Invocation was led by Joe Moreshead.
Rotarian Guests – David Cluff , Tony LeBlanc and Dan Colby (Saco Bay Rotary Club).
Visiting Guests – Naomme Paris(guest of Dan Colby) and Paulette Bonneau ( inducted into club today)
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Announcements 2/3/2016 Bill Kany shared that the Wine Tasting event was a huge success and had a great turn out. No final numbers as of yet but should have numbers at next week’s meeting. If you have any money that needs to be turned in, please reach out to Steve Morin right away. We know $ is still outstanding because Bill shared that Keith Jacques alone sold over 25 tickets and no money was passed in yet. J50/50 raised $1,000 (Club earns $500), ran out of beer glasses at the event, will have more on hand for next year.
Bill Kany – Special thank you to Julie and Karen for their commitment to the Tack in the absence of Brian Dallaire.
Jackson Brown – Requesting solicitor contact name and info for both Sugar and Parkers Restaurant. Julie Villemaire – Urging all Auction slips to be completed correctly and neatly, to include all necessary information. The more information we have on a business, the easier time the auctioneer will have to promote that business! Don’t assume that everyone knows all there is to know about a specific business. There are only 19 spaces allowed for the “On Air Graphic” section. One block per letter, number or character – spaces between words also counts. We ask for donations to have a minimum value of $50. Please continue to ask for sponsorships-Quickie Board and Big Board Sponsors still available!
Bill Kany- Shared Rotary house update- deed executed by the City and is being recorded by Keith Jacques. There are a number of contractors on site, but Jim Godbout announced that he could use more volunteers on Saturday 9-12pm. The roof is being completed this week so that the inside will stay dry.
Andy Grief – The Red Ribbon Curriculum Committee had its second meeting with the Biddeford, Saco and OOB school systems. A community kickoff event is being planned for the week of April 24 with school events being planned throughout that week. Red Ribbon Committee has mentor opportunities. Commitment would be to meet with teen 1-2x a month. If you are interested in being a mentor please reach out to Andy or Jim Godbout. Next meeting, Thursday, 2/11 at 5:15pm at CBC.
Board Votes: The Board voted to withdraw $7,000 from the Past Presidents’ Fund to support scholarship funding in the 2016-2017 year. The Club will continue to look at its overall spending to see where adjustments can be made. Board voted to support two additional sponsorships to RYLA costing $300 each, last year sponsored five. The Board voted to support CBC community project proposal which will be a hands on project we will do in the spring with the opportunity to use chain saws with chaps. The Board also voted to fund the replacement of the Clifford Park Gates to include a Rotary plaque to recognize our Club for its support. There will also be a hands on project related to cleaning up Clifford Park. International Committee recommended and the Board voted to support Healthy Kids/ Brighter Future with a $500 contribution which will turn into $2,000 with the Global Grant. The Board voted to give $250.00 to the Dominican Republic project being done by the Bridgton Rotary Club and they also voted to give $100 to a Guatemalan project being headed up by Kerstin Kerstead from the Saco Bay Club. The Board also voted to accept George Wendell’s resignation from club. George will continue to help out at auction. “Thank you George for your years of service to your community!”
BINGO- Mark your calendars for the 8th annual BINGO fundraiser. It will be held on May 7, 2016, at The Rochambeau Club in Biddeford. More info to follow as we get closer to the event.
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Heather DiYenno, LCSW, from Southern Maine Health Care’s Palliative Care ProgramSpeaker – Heather DiYenno, LCSW, from Southern Maine Health Care’s Palliative Care Program, came to speak to us about the importance of advanced directives and ensuring your wishes are met before you can no longer express them. Palliative Care is care for those with life-limiting diseases ensuring their life is the best they can be via symptom management, psycho-social needs, advanced care planning, etc. However, Advanced Directives (AD) are an important document for everyone to have. You never know when an accident could occur!
Start the conversation! Talk about end-of-life wishes and document them. Communicate about future health care choices and reflect on them, discuss with loved ones and healthcare providers and make a plan. Keep in mind that a crisis is not the time to make difficult decisions.
Did you know? 60% of people don’t want their family burdened with these decisions but only 56% of people actually talk about it and make plans. It’s important to choose a healthcare proxy. We all envision a “good death” but there is often a gap of what we think and what we receive. Without an AD, you will receive aggressive care; whereas, many people would prefer to die at home.
Process:
Please spread the word. SMHC is working with SMAA to help people complete them but we are currently only at a 3% completion rate. SMAA utilizes the program, “Respecting Choices”, which is phenomenal.
Andy noted for $10 you can purchase Road ID – a bracelet that can be scanned and brings you to a secure site with medical info you have uploaded, including your Advanced Directive.
Final thought: Don’t make (or in Bill’s case, let) your kids make those decisions! Have the conversation and complete an Advanced Directive before it’s too late to communicate your wishes. It’s not a good decision for you and it’s not fair to your loved ones to have to make those tough choices.
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President's Message- for Jan 27, 2016Can Steve Morin throw a party or what? For any of you who went to the Wine Tasting party on Saturday at the Pepperell Mill Campus, you attended a great event. For those of you who could not make it, you missed a great party. While we do not have exact numbers, about 300 people were there. The beer and wine flowed. Thanks to Fausto and Julie we sold out of 50/50 raffle tickets and gave away $500.00 to Ryan Dineen. The food from Fausto and Blue Elephant Catering was fantastic. The facility was big and bright and the feedback I heard was all positive. The silent auction items sold for good money.
A huge thanks to Steve, Ken Farley, Jim Godbout, Joe Moreshead and Karen Chasse for putting on such a successful event. Steve informs me that at least 22 Rotarians worked the event not counting spouses. About 70 tickets were sold on Eventbrite which really helped. I asked Steve how many tickets were sold overall and he had no idea. I can tell you it was a lot. If you still have ticket money to bring in please get it to Steve. It was clear that some Rotarians like Steve and Keith Jacques invited a large number of people which made the event even more fun. Of course the fun was also encouraged by the 129 bottles of wine that were consumed along with 8.5 cases of beer.
I also wanted to recognize our sponsors, Biddeford Savings Bank, Party Plus, Neils Motors, Clark Insurance and York County Federal Credit Union. In addition, I wanted to thank the silent auction item donors, Andy Grief, Jeremy Ray, Steve and Michelle Morin, Bill and Holly Kany, Fern Lizotte, Jim Godbout and Garry Ribaudo. I can only guess that when the final tally comes in we will have raised some good money to help support our scholarship giving.
I also wanted to thank those who came early to set up or stayed late to tear down. I was not there for the set up, but I was there for the tear down and it was an impressive feat. Everything was taken down, put away and cleaned up in no time in an effective team effort that was indicative of what our club and Rotary is all about.
In the end it was clear that people had a good time which certainly bodes well for continuing the event for years to come. Please take a minute and thank Past President Steve for a job well done.
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Announcements 1/27/2016Wine Tasting – We are in the final stretch! The 10th Annual Wine Tasting is this Saturday, January 30 (unless it snows, then it is February 6) from 6:30-8:30pm at the Community Room of Pepperell Mill. You enter to the door next to Portland Pie. Set-up will be 10-10:30. Parking is down in the lot where the Beer Fest was or on the street. Please come in the front door as the back doors will be locked during the event so no sneaking in. Volunteers will be needed at both entrances to check ID’s. There will be an ongoing list at the door but it is your responsibility to get Steve the money the following week. Clean-up help is still needed. Tables and chairs need to be broken out. Thanks to everyone who gave silent auction items.
Auction – The kick-off occurred last week and now it is time to get your items in!! You have one month left (February 27th is the DEADLINE). If you have not received your packet or need more slips, see Jackson.
Red Ribbon Committee – Our next meeting is February 11th and the curriculum meeting with the school is on February 2nd. Agendas to follow.
Rotary House – We continue to work on the Rotary House. We will do some more work this Saturday, January 30th from 9am-12pm if you can come. Students and Wayne Hapgood from BRCOT will also be there. We will be taking some photos/video clips for a new video to use at this year’s Auction so the more the merrier! All help at all levels is welcome.
Budget Meeting: There will be a discussion (all are invited) tomorrow (1/28) at 3pm at SBSI to discuss our spending on scholarships and other items.
BAH – Mark your calendar for the next Business After Hours hosted by our club. It will be on June 16, 5-7pm at Run of the Mill. Bring potential new members.
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Week-in-Review 1/27/2016President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by Frank Dumais (who has had perfect attendance during his LOA) and the invocation led by Joe Moreshead. President-Elect Lucie noted there were no visiting guests after Bill forgot the normal process of announcements.
The 50/50 was won by Denis Elie who donated 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund.
Thank You! – Bill thanked the following people this week (after yelling us to control our rowdy behavior)
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President's Message- for Jan 20, 2016For those of you who were not able to make the January 20 combined meeting with Saco Bay, I wanted to emphasize one date related to the auction. It is FEBRUARY 26, 2016. That is the firm dateline for passing in all of your solicited items for the auction. It is not the date to start soliciting. It is not the date from which we will determine the real deadline. It is the real deadline. As Jackson and Tony said on the 20th, there is a lot of work that has to be done once all the items are turned in and if people procrastinate and don’t get items in until much later a lot of other people suffer. So, please, please get out there and get your solicitations done right away and make your life easier and the lives of a whole bunch of other people easier as well.
As far as solicitations go, if you work for a company that does not sell a product or service that can be auctioned please consider asking your company to sponsor a Quickie Board ($175.00) or a Bid Board ($600.00) . Those sponsorships are a great way to support a bunch of fantastic causes while getting some publicity at the same time. We will also sell sponsorships to anything in the studio, including but not limited to the phone bank, auctioneer table, MC table, display area, and the “pick and pay” area. So if you have a business or work for a company that is willing to contribute but doesn’t know how, think of a sponsorship and talk to Jackson. Of course, your company can always sponsor an item or two by giving you the money to go out and buy an item or a gift certificate, but cash is always king.
Our auction is our biggest fund raiser and it is a lot of work, but if you figure we have about 70 members and we need to bring in about 205 items, that is 3 apiece. If we all do that and Saco Bay does that same, we will have another great event.
Thank you in advance for your help and remember we have a lot of members of our club who have run the auction and know the process very well so if you have questions sing out and I am sure someone will know the answer.
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Rotary TV Auction 2016 Kick-OffDetails about the auction were reviewed by Jackson and Tony. April 3rd is this year’s auction from noon to 9PM at the Martin Community Center in Biddeford. Next meeting is next Tuesday the 26th at 8AM and SBSI in the community room on the first floor. Enter from rear parking area. Deadline to donate items is 2/26. Goal is 410 items.
If you have a company or individual that would like to donate a service of some type but doesn’t have the time or energy to make a gift certificate (if they don’t already have some), then Julie Villemaire can produce a gift certificate for them. The certificates have an embossed seal along with Julie’s signature on them so the business owner/individual will know they are originals and not copies. They can view the certificate ahead of time for their approval if they would feel more at ease.
Bid Numbers: Auction participants should call ahead to receive a Bid Number so they are all set for the day of the auction. We typically have over 500 people bidding. Bid Numbers help make the whole process much more efficient. The more numbers we can hand out ahead of time, the less phone calls Julie receives prior to the auction and the less phone calls the Pic N Pay area receives the actual day of the auction. If you had a Bid Number last year, you will be all set for this year. Julie will be sending a mass e-mail out to last year’s bidders to remind them of the upcoming auction as well as to give them their number for this year’s auction. If you did not have a Bid Number last year, please get in touch with Julie at villemaire@maine.rr.com so she can add you to the e-mail list when the time comes. Reminders will be sent out as we get closer to the event. Always remember to “Bid High, Bid Often!”
Inventory Slips: Please be sure to fill out the inventory slips as completely as possible! Attached is a sample slip for your reference. If you have any questions please don’t be afraid to ask. Out of 10 slips received so far, only 4 of them had complete information.
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Sargent At Arms 1/20/2016SAA Joe Moreshead took the stage; Karen, Keith, and Chris were too embarrassed to join him so Joe flew solo.
HAPPY DOLLARS:
•Steve gave two happy dollars for help with wine tasting, and for his daughter going back to college. He’s glad to drink and get away from his children, essentially. •Karen is happy having taken her last test, and for earning her bachelor’s degree. •Sarah had 4 happy dollars: in 4 months she’ll be in Maui! Bill Kany expresses willingness to carry Sarah’s luggage. •Bernice is happy that her son made it to Hong Kong. She’ll be even happier if he makes it out with his GI track intact. FINES:
•Bill $1 because he had to remind Joe that he is SAA •CJ was charged $1 for trying to sell Real Estate during a meeting •Heather had to pay $1 for the custom salad •Julie was fined for not posting the tack, but she did! They were masterfully written and edited by Chris. •Lucie was fined for mispronouncing Sabine’s name. •Joe charged everyone a dollar to cover all of their screw-ups when dropping off auction materials at his warehouse (forgetting slips, etc.) |
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Week-in-Review 1/20/2016Opening: Today’s joint meeting with the Saco Bay club began with the Pledge, which President Bill Kany started before anyone had a chance to stand. The Patriotic song, God Bless America, was ably led by Paul Deschambeault. Paul, the Saco Bay President, led the 4 Way Test. The invocation was offered by Laurie Jo Ready. Members moved (slowly) through the buffet line (or, at least what was left of it after Joe M. made his way through). Guests and Rotarians:
President-elect Lucie Kay introduced visiting guests and Rotarians: Saco Bay Club Sabine Mcgelrath (I spell it as well as Lucie pronounces it) 50/50:
Sabine won, and donated the money toward something that I couldn’t hear. |
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Announcements 1/20/2016Steve M. reminded everyone about the 10th annual wine tasting. Everyone is invited (at $25 a head). The event is from 6:30-8:30. There will be a raffle and silent auction, too. Tickets available online and at Madden Beverage.
Jim G. announces no work on Rotary house this week, and Red Ribbon will meet next week.
The ramp at the ballpark is permitted, awaiting drawing revision. Whoever announced this was in the other room, and I couldn’t see him.
Thank-yous
Thanks to Matt Simmons for leaving the meeting to get a computer cable. Thanks to Jackson and Tony for helping with the auction prep. |
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RYLA- Kaitlyn PiersonKaitlyn from RYLA shared about the program, what it was like to be a counselor, and urged us to consider scholarships and promotion of the program within the INTERACT clubs we support.
ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS
As all of you are no doubt aware, the RYLA program in District 7780 is one of the most successful youth programs in this part of the country. We have a rich history of developing the young leaders in our district with a curriculum based on building a lifetime of service. While our history is solid, our future is in jeopardy. We have been presented a new challenge that will take a collaborative effort to resolve and we are reaching out to you.
The RYLA curriculum relies heavily on an outdoor challenge course called COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. This year, the campus that the RYLA program uses underwent some major construction, the start of a 5-year upgrade plan. As a result, a significant portion of the COPE course was damaged. Much of the course had been in place for close to 20 years and did not fare as well as expected during transport.
The leaders of the RYLA program have worked very hard over the years at not asking for more than we need from the district and our clubs. This year, our program is very much in need. We are looking to rebuild and relocate between 12 and 18 challenge course elements. These elements range in cost from $300 to $2,500. Without these improvements, our program faces a very real threat this coming June. Our ability to educate and prepare our participants for new leadership roles would be severely impacted. We are asking for clubs, business, or individuals who want to help with either a fixed dollar amount or would like to “adopt an element” from our list. Every contribution will go towards the improvement of the course and the betterment of the RYLA program. No contribution is too small. If you or your organization would like to contribute, please go to our fundraising website at www.gofundme.com/ryla7780 or you can contact the District 7780 RYLA Director, Jared Avery at jared.avery@maine.edu.
Thank you for your continued support of our program.
- See more at: http://rotary7780.org/stories/ryla/#sthash.0doXZZrA.dpuf
For information about RYLA contact Jared E. Avery, Executive Director at jared.avery@maine.edu
ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS
As all of you are no doubt aware, the RYLA program in District 7780 is one of the most successful youth programs in this part of the country. We have a rich history of developing the young leaders in our district with a curriculum based on building a lifetime of service. While our history is solid, our future is in jeopardy. We have been presented a new challenge that will take a collaborative effort to resolve and we are reaching out to you.
The RYLA curriculum relies heavily on an outdoor challenge course called COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. This year, the campus that the RYLA program uses underwent some major construction, the start of a 5-year upgrade plan. As a result, a significant portion of the COPE course was damaged. Much of the course had been in place for close to 20 years and did not fare as well as expected during transport.
The leaders of the RYLA program have worked very hard over the years at not asking for more than we need from the district and our clubs. This year, our program is very much in need. We are looking to rebuild and relocate between 12 and 18 challenge course elements. These elements range in cost from $300 to $2,500. Without these improvements, our program faces a very real threat this coming June. Our ability to educate and prepare our participants for new leadership roles would be severely impacted. We are asking for clubs, business, or individuals who want to help with either a fixed dollar amount or would like to “adopt an element” from our list. Every contribution will go towards the improvement of the course and the betterment of the RYLA program. No contribution is too small. If you or your organization would like to contribute, please go to our fundraising website at www.gofundme.com/ryla7780 or you can contact the District 7780 RYLA Director, Jared Avery at jared.avery@maine.edu.
Thank you for your continued support of our program.
ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS
As all of you are no doubt aware, the RYLA program in District 7780 is one of the most successful youth programs in this part of the country. We have a rich history of developing the young leaders in our district with a curriculum based on building a lifetime of service. While our history is solid, our future is in jeopardy. We have been presented a new challenge that will take a collaborative effort to resolve and we are reaching out to you.
The RYLA curriculum relies heavily on an outdoor challenge course called COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. This year, the campus that the RYLA program uses underwent some major construction, the start of a 5-year upgrade plan. As a result, a significant portion of the COPE course was damaged. Much of the course had been in place for close to 20 years and did not fare as well as expected during transport.
The leaders of the RYLA program have worked very hard over the years at not asking for more than we need from the district and our clubs. This year, our program is very much in need. We are looking to rebuild and relocate between 12 and 18 challenge course elements. These elements range in cost from $300 to $2,500. Without these improvements, our program faces a very real threat this coming June. Our ability to educate and prepare our participants for new leadership roles would be severely impacted. We are asking for clubs, business, or individuals who want to help with either a fixed dollar amount or would like to “adopt an element” from our list. Every contribution will go towards the improvement of the course and the betterment of the RYLA program. No contribution is too small. If you or your organization would like to contribute, please go to our fundraising website at www.gofundme.com/ryla7780 or you can contact the District 7780 RYLA Director, Jared Avery at jared.avery@maine.edu.
Thank you for your continued support of our program.
For information about RYLA contact Jared E. Avery, Executive Director at jared.avery@maine.edu
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Sargent At Arms 1/13/2016SAA Joe Moreshead and his Merry Band of Taunters, which includes Karen and Keith.
HAPPY DOLLARS:
•Jim Audiffred was “practically delirious.” 5 Happy Dollars. Opportunity to work on the house. Mark, Sarah, and Pierre—a dollar for each because they worked so hard. Pierre is “the best garbage man I’ve ever seen.” Jim then offended native cultures (“spear chuckers”) with his fourth dollar. His 5th dollar is for Jim G., one of the most “generous and caring individual [Jim has] ever met in his life.” Total run time of Jim’s happy dollars: 64 minutes, 30 seconds.
•Denie Elie gave a happy dollar for ringing the bell at Walmart. In his retirement, Denis intends to be a greeter at Walmart.
•Joe Basset gave $5 in honor of his 55th wedding anniversary, and young women cooed when he said something like “55 isn’t enough.” Well played, Joe. You’re a good man, and you have given the club’s men a BRILLIANT idea on how to woo a younger woman.
FINES:
•Bill $1 or insulting Pierre
•Mark fined $1 for shameless plugs
•Fausto fined $1 for parking violations
•Jackson fined $1 for messing up visitor introductions
•Pierre fined $1 for not having a very exciting life, according to Karen Chasse.
•Keith beating up Mike Riley for a free donut. Turned out to be Keith’s brother. $1 fine, Joe looked downright silly with the error.
•Paul fined $1 for not realizing that Karen Chasse is a SAA, and for having too many $2 bills
•Bill fine $1 for picking on Steve about the aforementioned sign-up sheet
•Randy fined $1 for his welcome back
•Joe fined $1 for paying with a $100. Paying with a $100 bill: typical Republican.
•Karen fined $1 for skipping front desk duty.
•Keith fined those who admitted not coming next week.
•Denis fined $1 for his birthday, which is 2+ weeks away.
•Karen fined Chris $1 for wearing a TA sweater; fine paid by Bill. Fine doubled by Keith.
•Bill, Diane, Keith, Denis, Don, Chris, Jeremy, Matt, and Sarah all fined $1 for their Rotary anniversary
•Fausto fined $1 for the special meal he ordered
•Keith fined Denis $1 for saying how busy he is, in spite of his retirement.
•Our visitor was fined $1, too. We know how to make visiting Rotarians feel welcome
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Announcements 1/13/2016New Members:
The first posting was January 6, 2016 The second posting was January 13, 2016 Jane Foley Sponsored by: Karen Chasse
Paulette Bonneau Sponsored by: Heather Gendron Sabine McElrath Sponsored by: Jackson Brown Justyna Cybowicz Sponsored by: Bernice Wood Don Pilon Sponsored by: Mark Nahorney/Ken Farley If anyone has comments, relay to Bill or Bernice or at the end of this week they become members. Joe slid in under the radar several years ago, and now he’s ours. For life. Think about it.
Thank-you's
Thanks to those who sold wine tickets. Steve Morin reminded folks about the event, which is January 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Pepperell Mill Campus next to Portland Pie. A liquor license has been secured. Need help selling tickets and with silent auction items. Steve distributed a set-up/clean-up and pouring sign-up sheet. Bill ridiculed Steve for the quality of his homemade sign-up sheet. Will it build good will and better friendships, Bill?
Jackson Browne reminded folks that next week is the kick-off for the auction. He also said something about a planning meeting, but I was busy taking a swig from the flask in my coat pocket, so I missed the details.
Special thanks to Laurie Jo for cleaning up our accounting and finances. It has been a “cluster” up until now, said Bill.
Jim Godbout thanked Mark and Pierre and Jim and Sarah for helping to clean up at the Rotary House this past Saturday. There is a lot more clean-up to be done this Saturday from 9-noonish. Bill blasted on Pierre for his bald head. Will it build good will and better friendships, Bill? Still working with Keith to sure up the legal status of the property to get a roof put on.
Jim also shared that the Red Ribbon meeting is February 5th with teachers, and Rotary group will convene immediately after.
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Week-in-Review 1/13/2016Today’s meeting started like any other meeting with President Bill Kany insulting members and making snide remarks, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Bill also issued an early thank you to Randy for returning from a leave. Randy also led the 4 Way Test that Bill had just violated, and Joe Bassett provided the invocation.
Vice President Jackson Brown announced visiting guests and Rotarians:
Phil Giordano, the President of Scarborough Rotary Club
Estella Papassavas from the Chamber Proxy
Mark Mahoney won the raffle and donated to the Red Ribbon Committee. Thank you, Mark.
Thank you notes from scholarship recipient and a Christmas family beneficiary. Notes were circulated.
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President's Message- For the New YearHappy belated New Year. I hope that you all have a safe, healthy and fun 2016.
As an update, my father is home and doing well.
I came into my Rotary year expecting challenges. I knew that being your President would be hard work but enjoyable. I also knew that my year might have one or more personal challenges. While this may seem a bit silly to some of you, I knew based on our family dog’s age and health that I might lose him during my Rotary year. Bode actually gave my family our best Christmas present by being with us on the holiday but we lost him four days later. Bode was the center of our family for 14 years. His death has left a hole in my heart which I only hope my memories will fill. I am sure other pet owners understand.
The following is a post from my son Andy which he gave me permission to share with you. I could not have said it any better. It’s a great New Year’s resolution inspired by the unconditional love of a pet.
"As I come back to reality after an amazing Christmas/New Years with with my loved ones, family, friends and phriends I can't help but feel grateful for all the love and kindness I am surrounded by. I say this with a heavy heart as the Kany's had to say goodbye to a beloved family member over that same period. Bode was with us for 14 wonderful years and was the epitome of unconditional love and kindness. It amazes me at how easy it can be to overlook simple acts of generosity and kindness, as so much of it today is monetary or materialistic. But often times the small free things are the most powerful...Whether it be a smile from a complete stranger, taking time to talk and listen to a friend, a hug from a family member, or even just meeting you at the door every day when you get home with a tail feverishly wagging. It is something that can seem hard to practice on a daily basis. But if there is one thing Bode taught me it is that it really isn't that difficult, not at all. We are often just too lazy or selfish to cheer someone up, or listen to what they have to say, or just tell them how happy we are to see them every chance we get. So rest easy Bode, I'm sure we'll meet again and I'll have a cookie for you when we do. And to everyone else, Happy New Year and thank you for being apart of my long strange trip. And if you are looking for a good resolution this year, I have a simple one for you...Be kind."
Again let’s have a great new year.
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President's Message- RYLA For anyone who attended our meeting on January 13 you got to hear Katelyn Pierson make her first presentation about RYLA or Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Katelyn is a junior at UNE. She seemed very comfortable speaking to us and did an excellent job describing what RYLA is about and the benefits that she and others have received from participating in the program. For those of you who do not know we sponsor 3-4 RYLA participants each year at $300.00 per student. It is clear to me that the support for those students is money well spent. I suspect that RYLA is taking students who are good students and/or good athletes and it is making them good people who have the distinct prospect of becoming our community leaders of the future.
After our meeting Joe Moreshead asked if we should try to get RYLA to incorporate our prospective Red Ribbon curriculum into the RYLA camp attended by the students each summer. My response to Joe was as follows: “I feel that RYLA has a proven formula that we should not mess with but we should readily support the program by sending more kids. At the risk of sounding more and more like Andy, I think if we help support a program like RYLA that in and of itself promotes healthy choices, reflection and leadership skills we are absolutely doing the best thing we can to prevent substance misuse. Andy, how did I do?
Having said that, $300 per student for RYLA is a bargain and for every $1,000 we give a student for his or her second through fourth year in college we could be helping 3 kids go to RYLA to become potential leaders in the future as well as becoming healthy capable individuals.”
In response, Andy indicated that he “always believes in helping kids take steps in the direction we want rather than steps away from what we don’t want.” Andy, what the hell? I felt like I was reading a script from the old Kung Fu TV show. All you needed was a reference to Grass Hopper. Actually, I do understand his point. If we encourage young people to be reflective, to get involved and to knowingly or unknowingly become leaders they will inevitably be in a better position to make their own good choices about things like drugs.
I truly believe that as we assess how we spend our money we should keep in mind the benefits attained from programs like RYLA. RYLA helps to shape young lives and it helps to create the people who will continue to mold the lives of others as the RYLA graduates mature. We should be aspiring to support such causes.
To support my point I wanted to share with you a letter we recently received from Madison Perry from Biddeford High School who was a RYLA participant. Madison illustrates my point one thousand times better than I could do.
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New Member Posting Jan 2016 |
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New Member Classification TalksPresident Bill convinced three of our newest members to introduce themselves to the other club members in what was once known as a “classification talk”.
First up was Pierre Giroux. Pierre owns the Saco Veterinary Clinic on North Street. He grew up in Northern NH on a dairy farm, attended UNH for his undergrad program and Ohio State University for Vet School. He’s been working locally for the past 6 years. Pierre is happily married with 3 children (15 year old daughter, 13 year old son and a 9 year old daughter). Pierre found that he had more free time and truly enjoys volunteering and helping in the community. Next up was Mark Nahorney. Mark is the Director of Community Relations at UNE where he also spent a number of years as the Dean of Students. Mark is currently the president of the Biddeford City Theater. Mark is a transplant from CT. He married his high school sweetheart and has 3 grown children and a grandson. Mark said that he had attended Rotary events in the past but didn’t really know what we were about or who we were. He likes the community building & actions we do as citizens-making a difference. Mark mentioned that it took him 5 years to complete is undergrad program, attended Boston University and ran a 250 seat pub. Our final speaker was Conrad Welzel. Conrad started by thanking Jim Godbout for getting him involved with Rotary. He has been in the area for 40 years and actually met his wife in a bar in OOB. He has a daughter and a granddaughter. He has spent the last 25 years working for the Maine Turnpike Authority. He is the government relations person. He works on special projects right now which allows him more free time. He worked at Burger King in Saco when it first opened. YMCA for several years (don’t blame him if your kids still can’t swim ), did some construction work where he met Carl Goodwin. Likes to swim, hike and canoe. His favorite thing is “good eating”. He expects to retire in 2-5 years and thought this was a great opportunity to get back into the community. Thank you gentlemen for your bravery in standing in front of this group of Rotarians! I apologize if I changed any of your history. We can always set the record straight next week. Great job by everyone!! |
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Week-in-Review 1/6/2016President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. PP Roland Gagne flawlessly led the group in the 4 Way Test which was followed up with Jim Audiffred and the invocation. Because it was the first meeting of the month, our fellow diners at the Pub were blessed with the angelic voices of Rotarians. This was also the meeting that we toast our sister club in Bideford, England. Bill chose ale instead of wine for the toast simply because he liked it more.
Both President-Elect Lucie Kay and Vice President Jackson Brown were MIA so President Bill introduced visiting Rotarians & Guests. He was able to handle this difficult task without incident-seeing as there were no visitors at the time. Charles from the Chamber was able to slip in a little bit later so Bill announced his name after he spotted him in the crowd. President Bill mentioned there were 5 more people being proposed for membership to our club! It’s a good thing their full names were posted at the front desk for all in attendance to see. I apologize for not having the full names to post here. I was not expecting to take the TACK minutes (Chris Indorf-you owe me) and I was apparently not fully in the TACK zone. Their first names are: Jane, Paulette, Sabine, Justina and Don. If you did see their names and have any comments, please let Bill & Bernice know as soon as possible. I’ll follow up with someone who actually knows what’s going on & we will update our website with the correct info. President Bill also announced that the board had accepted the resignation of Jake Desrochers. Don’t forget the joint auction kick-off meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20th at Run of the Mill Pub, 12:15 p.m. Please feel free to start soliciting items early! If you have any questions about the auction, don’t hesitate to give Jackson Brown a call or any of the Rotarians who have had the pleasure of spending time at this amazing event. Please make every effort to attend this kick-off meeting. Jackson Brown & Tony LeBlanc (Saco Bay Rotary) will make sure everyone is armed with the tools they need to help make our largest fundraiser (for both clubs) a huge success. That success won’t happen without every Rotarian from both clubs rolling up their sleeves and jumping in! New Rotarians, don’t despair. The veteran Rotarians are more than happy to help shed some light & take you under their wing for participation in your first auction. It truly is a remarkable event with the end result being a significant benefit for our local communities in which we live and serve. President Bill reminded members that we have some funds set aside to provide fuel assistance for people in our communities. The request still needs to go through our charitable committee. The form can be found on the front page of our website. The $37.00 50/50 pot was won and then donated in its entirety to the newly established Red Ribbon committee by one of our new members, Pierre Giroux. SAA’s Joe, Keith and Karen took the floor to collect happy dollars and then dole out the fines. Joe was on a mission because apparently he was called on the carpet at the board meeting for not contributing enough to the bottom line of the budget. He had high hopes of making up some ground. Some of the happy dollars & fines included: PP Steve Morin, took his wife to the top of Mount Washington, attended a black tie event and danced the night away. He then gave a sad dollar because someone had broken into his business that same weekend. PP Karen was happy that her daughter Julia was accepted to her first choice of colleges for nursing (UMO) and also for starting her new job and still enjoying it after a full week. The SAA couldn’t wait to fine Karen so they hit her up for brown nosing and also her pretty picture found in both the paper & electronically. Conrad was happy that he is going to be a grandfather again. CJ was happy to have lost 5 pounds during the holidays. Fausto was happy for his business, Blue Elephant Catering, being nominated for a very special award in Vegas. The award is the equivalent of the Oscars in catering. President Bill gave a nauseous dollar for PP Karen’s new “Biddeford Tiger” ID badge that she was proudly wearing. Laurie Jo was fined for causing Keith’s OCD disorder to come out when she left the shade “crooked” when trying to keep the sun out of Julie’s eyes. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Josh, Josh and Rollie were all fined “visiting” dollars. President Bill was fined a “congrats dollar” for making it halfway through his year. I’m not sure what deal SAA Keith was making with President Bill but he said something about “Bill” and “saving money” in the same sentence. PP Karen fined all of the insurance people for only showing up to a meeting when “drinks” were served. President Bill was fined for his “fashion sense”. SAA Keith asked the crowd who was happy the holidays were over. Several people raised their hands…costing each of the “Grinchs” a buck. People in the education field were fined for having to spend time at BHS. The SAAs needed more money so they called upon President Bill to open his wallet and part with yet another buck. Sarah Neault was hit up for a “casual wear” day and Chuck for not being fined in a while. They ended the collection with a final “attitude buck” from President Bill. Jim Godbout announced that the Red Ribbon committee recently met with the local schools. Karen took part in taking some extensive minutes that will be shared. Jim said they developed a plan of action. They left the educations with a homework project to help develop young mentors. There will be a core group in each of the schools. They talked about “addiction” in general, not just drug addiction. There was great momentum. We are going to be the driver for this program and are working on creating branding. The board voted to make The Red Ribbon committee a standing committee within our club. A press release will be coming. This committee has raised an astounding $16,590.00 in such a short time!! House Project: Demolition was expected to wrap up on Saturday, 01/09. The board voted to approve an agreement with the City of Biddeford (with a couple of changes). They also voted to approve having the roof done before any more damage is done to the inside of the building. The City will be deeding the property to us. President Bill will be working on clearing up the title. Bill’s New Year’s resolution is to dress like Matt Simmons (full suit) every day.
President Bill said that one of the things he wanted to do this year was to focus on where we spend the money that we raise through our various fundraisers. We have great committees that do a great job spending the funds but he believes that as a group we don’t really know the whole picture. We currently allocate $21k towards scholarships each year. Perhaps we go back to our original $1k scholarship – just something for the club to consider. The Past President’s fund currently has a balance of $188k. This money has not been touched. The goal is to get that fund to $300k. Most of the scholarship money comes from the sale of the house & general fundraising. A great discussion ensured with various members voicing their opinions/suggestions. In the end President Bill said that he would have both the Past President’s committee & the Scholarship committee meet together to discuss and then make a recommendation to the club. |
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10th Annual Wine TastingPP Steve Morin was the recipient of President Bill’s “Thanks” today for all of the work he has been putting in to get the 10th annual wine tasting event up and running.
PP Steve took the floor to update everyone on this exciting event happening on 01/30/16 at the Pepperell Mill Campus’ new function room. This is an excellent location from what we hear. Steve is in need of HELP to SELL TICKETS! An account with Event Brite has been established so people can purchase their tickets right on line. There is an additional charge of $2.50 to get tickets this way. Why not save your friends and family money and have them buy tickets directly from their favorite Rotarian. Steve has more than enough tickets that he will be more than happy to share. Tickets will not be sold at the door. He is also in need of silent auction items and wine table sponsors. Table sponsors have been in the $100 range. If you or your company would be willing to sponsor, please get in touch with Steve Morin. If Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on the 30th, then 02/06 has been set for the snow date.
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President's Message- ChristmasAs we all know this is the season of giving (no Joe Moreshead it is not the season of getting). As Christmas fast approaches I want to take just a moment to sincerely thank each and every member of our club. As a group we give a lot to our communities and we should all be proud of that. I am given grief sometimes for all of my thank you’s. Let me assure you that they are all heart felt and incredibly well deserved.
So for all the giving you do week in and week out let me thank you by wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a safe, healthy and happy 2016. Remember, we will not meet on December 30 so we will meet again on January 6, 2016. How time flies when you’re having fun!
Bill
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Week In ReviewPresident Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by Mike Nahorney which he jumped right in with “Is it the truth?” Joe Basset gave the invocation and Don Lauzier convinced Scrooge Kany to sing a holiday song. We sounded better than ever so it was decided we will only be seeing holiday songs going forward. President-Elect Lucie introduced visiting guests Sabine McElrath (which she is still having trouble pronouncing), Don Pillon, Jane Foley, Rick Larriviere, and Brian Smith. The 50/50 was won by Conrad Welzel who donated 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund. Do you see a trend here with the 50/50 winners?
Thank You! – Bill usually does his weekly thank you’s but I guess he was not feeling the love today. I think the Christmas crowds are getting to him.
Speaker – President Kany held a “Fun Fact Trivia” game today in which Rotarians submitted a fun fact about themselves and we had to guess who was the Rotarian. It was absolutely hysterical! It is clear our club thinks Joe Moreshead and Pierre Giroux live the most exciting lives as they were chosen most often. The team names included: Earl’s Lucky Charms, Santa’s Forgotten Elves, Taste of Victory, The Black Santas, Incognito and The Mistletoes. Of course, Earl’s Lucky Charms won (would we expect less from Earl) but I think it was because Jackson is a master at reading facial expressions. Prizes included swag from York County Federal Credit Union. The full list of Rotarians and their fun fact will follow from President Kany.
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Announcements 12/23/2015Wine Tasting – Steve encouraged us all to give Wine Tasting tickets as stocking stuffers (a gift for yourself is okay too!). The 10th Annual Wine Tasting is on January 30 (Snow date: February 6) from 6:30-8:30pm at the Community Room of Pepperell Mill. You enter to the door next to Portland Pie. Tickets are $25 each with none sold at the door. We are still looking for silent auction items so please send along ideas or gifts you might donate for the cause. If people prefer to pay via credit/debit card, please direct them to the Eventbrite.com site. (a small surcharge is added for paying online). Yes, we know it the same day as the Portland Brewfest but we are in the evening so feel free to go to both…or just buy a ticket to ours even if you can’t come.
Bell Ringing – Despite Bill’s constant forgetfulness of the sign-up sheet, our club managed to succeed at staffing the belling ringing for the Salvation Army. Brian Smith of the Salvation Army stood up and thanked us for our efforts and stated, “Your club raised $1,915.67 which is an average of $156 per hour helping 144 families or 560 people. You have this year’s record of Top Earner for a group standing in for the day.” President Kany then proceeded to give Brian a list of his requests for next year complaining that they were the “worst limp bells he ever had.”
Auction – Jackson invited us all to attend the next Auction meeting on Tuesday, December 29, 8am at the Rotary Community Room at Richard J. Martin Community Center. He seemed nervous about pressuring us to go – give him time, he will get more assertive.
Red Ribbon Committee – We continue to collect donations! Carl Goodwin presented the $2,500 check from Biddeford Savings Bank, Jim McAllister gave $500 and Paul Deschambault gave a donation along with another donation (and a plug) to the Rotary Foundation. President Kany noted that “no good deed goes unnoticed” as he recapped our service project for the Kinney Shores boardwalk. Well, we were “repaid” when Jim Godbout held a dinner party in which his neighbors contributed $1,100 to the Red Ribbon Committee and funds continue to come in!
Christmas Delivery – Paul Deschambault thanked all the Rotarians who delivered gifts to the families we supported this year.
Rotary House – Demolition continues to occur at our Rotary House. If interested, there will be more the morning after Christmas on December 26th from 9am-12pm. Jim Godbout have masks and gloves but bring your hammer! If you don’t like demo, consider coming to help clean up their mess. All help at all levels is welcome.
Environment Moment – Joe Moreshead gave a short intro of Rick Larriviere from the Saco River Salmon River & Hatchery. He pretty much botched it so all I picked up was that they would like to remove two dams. The location of the dams, I think, is near Joe’s Office but someone also mentioned the ones near UNE. Since I have no idea where the dams currently are, I have no idea which ones are to be removed. More to come on that!
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Rotarians at Holiday Work: Annual SA Bell RingingOne again the B-S Rotary Club lends a hand to ring the holiday bells for the Salvation Army at the Biddeford Walmart.
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Week in Review 12/16/2015President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by Ray Demers and Past District Governor Ron Drouin gave the invocation. President-Elect Lucie Kay and Vice President Jackson Brown were both MIA so President Bill introduced visiting guests Sabine McElrath, Don Pillon, Jane Foley, Lori MacDonald and Assistant District Governor Claudia Frost (who is also our speaker). The 50/50 was won by Jim Godbout who donated 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund.
Reminder! No Meeting – There will be no meeting on December 30th!
Thank You! – Bill wanted to do a special thanks to the following Rotarians this week:
New Rotarian – Welcome to Conrad Weizel from the Turnpike Authority who was inducted today. He was sponsored by Jim Godbout and President Bill read the funniest speech incorporating many puns about tolls, highway, etc.
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Claudia Frost, Assistant District GovernorSpeaker – Today’s speaker was Assistant District Governor Claudia Frost. She spoke of the people in Zambia. She opened with, “As Rotarians we look for ways to help and sometimes it’s obvious – right in front of us – bit sometimes its simple things such as recognizing childhood illness in class.”
Founder Lonnie began this program in which a $35,770 grant was secured (a snowball effect in which $1,000 from each club became $3,500 through matching funds) to assist in Ng’ombe. There are 92,000 people in the compound with ¼ of the people HIV positive. They have no trash as everything is considered reusable – some dyer conditions. There are 99 students in a classroom; yet, all were very engaged, polite, well-behaved and respectful. This program taught the teachers to be aware of simple illnesses that may affect learning to ensure a healthy learning environment.
ADG Frost also spoke of the 2015-2016 priorities to refine the model:
All clubs are invited to become a partner club of Global Grant #1637992 by contributing $1,000 which becomes $3,500 through matching funds. Your club is also given credits to the Foundation for your donation.
In closing, she urged anyone who travels to take a few extra days to enjoy the stuff around you. She was amazed by the safari and falls.
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Announcements 12/16/2015Wine Tasting – Mark your calendar for the 10th Annual Wine Tasting on January 30 (Snow date: February 6) from 6:30-8:30pm at the Community Room of Pepperell Mill. You enter to the door next to Portland Pie. Tickets are $25 each with none sold at the door. We will have a 50/50 raffle, silent auction and light hors d’ouevres by Blue Elephant Catering. Steve Morin is the Chair this year so see him for tickets or search for our event on Eventbrite.com.
Bell Ringing – Mark your calendar for the Salvation Army Bell Ringing on December 18 at Walmart (both doors). The sign-up sheet was passed around and will be send out via email.
Red Ribbon Committee – We continue to collect donations! We will be meeting with the School Administrators on January 5th to develop a curriculum and a formal plan of action moving forward.
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President's Message for December 14, 2015An observation:
On December 9, when many of you were wrapping Christmas presents for the families we support, I had the opportunity and privilege to attend a reception for one of the 75 remaining living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The recipient was former Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts who is from New Hampshire. Sgt. Pitts is an impressive 30 year old man who reluctantly wears the Medal of Honor, but does so nonetheless for the nine men who died in the fire fight for which he received the medal. He humbly made it clear that the real heroes that day were the “nine men who made the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us could come home.”
The reception featured a video with small segments of interviews with about 120 Medal of Honor recipients some of who have since died. To a man (there has been only one female recipient because the award is a combat related honor), they all acknowledged that they were doing what they were trained to do and they fought as they did to protect their brothers in arms for whom there is a distinct bound that most of us will never know. What struck me, however, was that so many of them used the term “service above self”. While that has been the motto and theme of Rotary for a century it meant so much more in the context of individuals who were willing to give up their lives to protect our freedoms and to protect their fellow soldiers.
Interestingly, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society has established a foundation to, in part, go into our schools and promote selfless service. They are not there to promote the military per se. They are there to ask students to give of themselves to help others exactly like Rotary does every day.
I personally cannot fathom the level of courage and commitment that our military personnel must have to do their job, but I certainly appreciated the opportunity to see “service above self” taken to a level that is hard to imagine. I know that service above self is not just a group of buzz words for Rotary but for the military it is way more than a motto. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to a Medal of Honor recipient take it. It will give you a whole new perspective on your own life.
Bill
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PP Roland Gagne, International ProjectsSpeaker – Today’s speaker was our very own PP Roland Gagne. He had a nice slideshow with impactful videos from those we have helped internationally. He covered four major areas:
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Week in Review 12/9/2015President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the 4-way test led by Denis Elie and Joe Bassett gave the invocation. President-Elect Lucie Kay introduced visiting Rotarian Lisa Campbell and visiting guests Sabine McElrath and Mayor Don Pillon. Second posting for Conrad Weizel from the Turnpike Authority. The 50/50 was won by Ken Farley who donating 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund.
Thank You! – Bill wanted to do a special thanks to the following Rotarians this week:
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Announcements 12/9/2015Bell Ringing – Mark your calendar for the Salvation Army Bell Ringing on December 18 at Walmart (both doors). The sign-up sheet was passed around and will be again at the next meeting.
Fun Fact – Please send along a fun fact to Bill that no one knows about you. We will be playing some fun trivia at a future meeting.
Red Ribbon Committee – We are currently collecting donations and to date we have received $8,520! We will be meeting with the School Administrators soon and developing a curriculum.
Bill’s Major Community Project – Bill shared that the Board has voted on his major community project for the year. Each President is allocated $5,000 to do a project that is meaningful to them and relevant to those in our community. Bill chose the TA Machinest training program, the only one in the country. It will help two of the 40 students go through this program. The Rotary Club will be placed on the plaque in the STEM building and also recognized as a sponsor at their annual auction.
Rotary House – Jim reported that demo has officially started! If you are available to help, please reach out to him as more hands make light work.
Christmas Families – Bernice Wood reported we have 43 children this year (467 items to wrap and deliver). Delivery will be on December 23rd and a sign-up sheet will go around.
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President's Message for December 4, 2015Just 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 9th 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
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President's Message for November 24, 2015Just a few thoughts or items:
Every week I make a point of thanking members of our club for things that they have done to help our club be successful. I am truly sincere with each such thank you. Being president of a Rotary Club is not always easy, but I can tell you that being president of our club is much easier because of your efforts. Case in point: we asked members of the club to donate money to enable us to help out our Interact Club that is raising money and collecting food to help families at Thanksgiving. With the generosity of our club, Sarah Neault was able to buy 27 turkeys (not Cornish Game Hens, but turkeys) and she still has $397.00 to give to Interact for their project. The generosity that each and every one of you demonstrates blows me away. Thank you all.
In case you were sleeping at our last meeting or in case you have read nothing we have written for the past few weeks WE ARE NOT MEETING ON NOVEMBER 25TH. The day off will give us all more time to travel or to cook. If you do show up at the meeting on the 25th please say the Four Way Test for me.
Paul Deschambault has reported that we have 17 families and 42 children, ages 1 to 18, that we will be assisting with our Christmas giving. That is a lot of families to shop for so if you can make it to Walmart on December 2 at 6:00 PM to shop please do so.
Fausto will be back from Cuba and will be hosting a Rotary Friendsgiving on December 3 at his home on North Street. Blue Elephant Catering will be supplying the food and drink so we know it will be good! If you are planning to attend please bring a new unwrapped toy (Fausto said “for a boy or a girl” which I am assuming leaves out pets). Also please bring a wrapped “As seen on TV” gift for a Yankee swap. If will be fun time and a nice chance to simply relax during what is always a hectic time of the year. And yes, Virginia, it is a makeup. The time will be confirmed next week.
Finally, I hope that you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy your Rotary vacation.
Thanks Bill
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Week in Review 12/2/2015President Bill Kany led us in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the song “You’re a Grand Old Flag” led by Paul Deschambault, 4-way test led by Elaine Palmitessa, and Joe Moreshead led us in the familiar go-to Rotary invocation. President-Elect Lucie Kay introduced guests Pierre Giroux (soon-to-be inducted) and Sabeen McGelrath. The 50/50 was won by Mark Nahorney (who sold the tickets by the way) but he redeemed himself by donating 100% of it to the Red Ribbon Committee Fund.
Thank You! – Bill wanted to do a special thanks to the following Rotarians this week:
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Announcements 12/2/2015Auction Meeting – Jackson announced the Auction kick-off meeting will be Monday, December 14, 8am at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution’s Community Room on the first floor. Please park in the back lot and come in where the green awning is. All are invited to attend.
Bell Ringing – Mark your calendar for the Salvation Army Bell Ringing on December 18 at Walmart. The sign-up sheet will be passed around at next week’s meeting.
Red Ribbon Committee – Mark Tuller and Keith Jacques gave an update from the Funding Ad-Hoc Committee of the Red Ribbon Committee. A separate fund has been established for this effort with $5,000 seed money from Jim Godbout. Our goal is to build this fund so it is self-sustaining, and we don’t have to take funds from another line item in the budget. We expect the cost will be approximately $5,000 per year (to be discussed further at full committee meeting on December 10). With that said, Mark and Keith asked Rotarians to keep this cause in mind as they make their end-of-year contributions. We hope to raise an additional $5,000 internally and then we will ask the community for donations and research grant funding. All donations are tax-deductible and should be made payable to the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club with “Red Ribbon Committee” noted in the memo field. Carl Goodwin immediately pledged a minimum of $1,500 – thanks Carl! Bill added the Board will be taking a comprehensive view of how this club spends its money to see if we could have a bigger impact. Once compiled, it will be reviewed with the club and feedback welcome.
New Rotarian – Pierre Giroux of Saco Veterinary Clinic was sponsored by Joe Moreshead. They both came forward with Bill performing the official induction ceremony and Joe pinning Pierre. Welcome aboard Pierre!
Rotary House – Jim reported that demo has officially started by the kids and himself. He will do more this weekend (12/5) and would love more help if you like to destroy stuff. If you can’t come, reach out to him so he knows you’re interested and he will plan additional dates as there is plenty to do! Bill and Keith remain working on the legal aspects to get the deed in Rotary’s name so we can hook up power, replace the roof, etc. The City is helping to clear brush so we can plow this winter.
Christmas Families – Bernice Wood reported we have 43 children this year and will be shopping tonight (12/2) at 6pm at Walmart. The other dates we will need help: December 9 (snow date: December 12) will be wrapping and December 16 will be delivery.
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Representative Marty Grohman of District 12 in BiddefordSpeaker – Today’s speaker was Representative Marty Grohman of District 12 in Biddeford. He comes to the Legislature as an entrepreneur business person, having started CorrectDeck which he sold in 2009. He is a member of the Energy and Technology Committee working to push down utility cost and predictability of rates as a small percentage can make a big difference.
Rep. Grohman is currently pushing two bills personally:
He spoke about his experience being a Freshmen Representative and the learning process involved. Rep. Grohman noted 90% of what they do is collaborative and the Legislators are unified and work well together. He described the process as “very entrepreneurial” because you must jump on opportunities as they arise. There are only 45 days in the next session due to campaigning re-election which he plans to run again. He thanked the club for all that we do in the community.
There was an intense question and answer period in which the following was discussed: Electricity Maine upscale prices, Legislatures role in helping to finance heat pumps, Efficiency Maine serving the wrong population, political involvement to change public trust funds from timber harvesting to help fund heat for those in need, upcoming bill to support capital improvements for Center of Technologies statewide, continuum of care for heroin treatment and tax credits for new entrepreneurs.
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Election of New Officers 2016-2017The below list of nominations were read. No nominations were heard from the floor. Paul Dechambault made a motion to accept the slate of nominations, Jeremy Ray seconded the motion and the club voted unanimous.
President: Lucie Kay
President-Elect: Jackson Brown
Vice President: Bernice Wood
Past President: Bill Kany
Treasurer: Laurie Jo Ready
Assistant Treasurer: Susan Gajewski
Secretary: Elaine Palmitessa
Assistant Secretary: Peggy Bean
Directors: Jim Godbout – replace (term 2016-2018)
Andy Greif (term 2015-2017)
Joe Moreshead – replace (term 2016-2018)
Fausto Pifferrer (term 2015-2017)
Matt Simmonds (term 2016-2018)
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McArthur Library in BiddefordOur presentation today is from the McArthur Library in Biddeford. CJ introduced Melanie Coombs who is the head of Adult Services at the library. Melanie introduced Jeff and Deanna who will be speaking before her.
Melanie also writes an article for the Biddeford Saco Courier every week.
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Announcements 11/18/2015
Don announced that there would be a Charitable Committee Meeting after our lunch meeting today.
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Week in Review 11/18/2015Bill led us with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the Four Way Test expertly recited by Susan. Joe began our prayer with a moment of silence for those in Paris. Lucie welcomed all our guests: Sabine, Conrad, Don, Raye, Jeff and and Chris. She also reminded us that there is no meeting next week on 11/25.
Happy Dollars:
Fines:
Bill reminded everyone not to show up next Wednesday. Our next meeting is December 2nd. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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President's Message 11/16/2015President's Message for the Rotary Tack
Just a view thoughts or items:
Just another reminder that if you would like to help our Interact Club that will be giving out turkeys and other food items for Thanksgiving baskets please bring in some extra money for this week’s meeting and we will pass a donation basket around. I promise not to forget this time. If someone wants to give an actual turkey (perhaps you have a fresh one tied up in your back yard) please bring it to the meeting and see Sarah Neault . Sarah will eat lunch with your turkey and then bring it to where it needs to go. Sarah has also agreed to take our cash and shop for turkeys at the end of the week and she will get them to Interact.
To follow up on Paul Deschambault’s email, if any of you know a family that is struggling and could use some help at Christmas please complete the Adopt-a-family form and get it to Paul or Bernice by November 18.
On Saturday the 14th, the power of Rotary was on display. Our hardy club members, along with some Interact students and some of Saco’s Explorer students, braved to cold temperatures to collect food and money for the Biddeford Food Pantry and the Stone Soup pantry. At the same time the Saco Bay Rotarians were collecting food and money at the Saco Hannaford and Old Orchard Beach Shop ‘N Save. Between the two clubs, with a little help from the Scarborough Rotary Club, we collected over 3,200 pounds of food and $3,104.05 in cash (including the credit union’s $500.00 contribution and the club’s $500.00 contribution) which equates to another 15,520.25 pounds of food or a total of 18,725 pounds of food. That food will go a long way in helping the people of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach. I want to thank everyone who came out and helped, but I particularly want to thank Lucie Kay and her staff for all of their hard work on this event. The food drive shows what hard work and commitment can do to help others.
Finally, for those of you who may have missed our meeting on November 11, our speaker was a young man named Matthew Braun. Matthew is now 25 years old. He grew up in Cape Elizabeth in what sounded like a successful caring family, but there was something missing in Matthew’s life and he turned to drugs. By 18 he was addicted to opiates and he was breaking into homes to steal prescription medications. By 19 he was a heroin addict. With the help of others and his own desire he has gotten himself clean and is now helping others with addictions while speaking to students and groups like ours to bring awareness to the misuse of drugs and other substances. He has also started the Biddeford chapter of Young People in Recovery. He demonstrated courage and resolve not often found in a person of his age.
I talked to Matt after our meeting and he wanted me to share his contact information with you. He can be reached at matthew.car.braun@gmail.com and his phone number is 776-0420. I was extremely impressed with Matt and I asked him if he would be willing to speak when we do our program in the area high schools and he said that he would.
The very next day in the paper there was a story about David Zysk, a 33 year old advocate for people with addiction issues. Mr. Zysk was a heroin addict who had been clean for 4 years. He overdosed and died alone in a motel room. As sad as the story was about Mr. Zysk, I could not help but think of Matt Braun and the demons he has to deal with. I can only hope that he does not suffer the same fate as David Zysk. Matt has found meaning in his life by converting his suffering to helping others, but the grip of drugs never completely leaves you. Let’s all hope for Matt’s continued strength and success. At the same time perhaps Matt and David Zysk can inspire all of us to get involved in our efforts to do what we can to discourage the misuse of drugs.
Thanks Bill
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Rotary Stuff the Bus EventROTARY CLUBS DONATE ALMOST 19,000 POUNDS OF FOOD
AND OVER $10,000 TOWARDS ENDING HUNGER
YORK & CUMBERLAND COUNTY, ME – The Rotary Clubs of Biddeford Saco and Saco Bay spent Saturday, November 14 inviting the public to join them in collecting food at their “Stuff the Bus” event at Market Basket in Biddeford, Hannaford in Biddeford and Saco and Shop ‘n Save in Old Orchard Beach. Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Rotary Clubs were able to donate an equivalent of 18,725.25 pounds of food directly to the Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach food pantries and Bon Appetit food program. Exactly 3,205 pounds of food was collected and $3,104.05 in cash which equates to 15,520.25 pounds of food.
“This event would not have been a success without the communities’ support and the many Rotarians who coordinated the effort,” stated Biddeford Saco Rotary Club President Bill Kany. “We are grateful for the Interact students, Saco Explorer Club, Shuttle Bus-Zoom staff, York County Federal Credit Union staff, the area grocery stores and Volk Packaging for assisting in making this event possible. Upon delivery that evening, the food pantries were extremely impressed and thankful.”
In addition to this food drive to end hunger and food insecurity in Maine, six other Rotary Clubs with over 225 Rotarians throughout York and Cumberland County were also hard at work. The Scarborough Rotary Club collected food leading up the “Stuff the Bus” event and delivered it that day. In addition they raised another $500 for Thanksgiving meals for Project Grace in their community. The Westbrook/Gorham and Falmouth Rotary Clubs are working with My Place Teen Center to cook, provide food and mentor needy teens after school, as well as received a $3,500 matching grant from the Rotary District to buy fresh produce. The Falmouth Rotary Club is also hosting a Thanksgiving Raffle with $1,500 proceeds going to their local food pantry. The Sebago Lakes Rotary Club participated in OctoberFest at Camp Hinds and raised $1,500 and collected food for local pantries.
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs. Their main objective is service – in the community, in the workplace and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community projects that address many of today’s most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers and other professionals, and vocational and career development. To learn more about Rotary, visit www.biddeford-sacorotary.org
PHOTO CAPTION: Biddeford Saco Rotary Club President Bill Kany (center) and the Saco Explorers Club finish filling the Shuttle Bus with donated food to disburse to the local food pantries.
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Matthew Braun: a recovering opiate addictToday we heard from Matthew Braun. Matthew is a recovering opiate addict.
He grew up in Cape Elizabeth and now lives in Westbrook. He turned to drugs at a very young age. He says that marijuana was his gateway drug. He started using because he didn't know how to be "me". He had difficulties dealing with his feelings and emotions. Drugs helped him fix himself because he thought that he needed to be fixed. When marijuana stopped giving him the high, he turned to opiates and eventually heroin. The drugs were his solution to life; when he was high he thought that he was living the life the way he wanted to live. It was a terrible time for him and his family. To support his habit he broke into homes in his community. He served time in jail. His stent in jail and the possibility of going back wasn't enough to make him stop. Matt explained that people with addiction continuously chase their first high, but they never succeed. At age 19 Matt was almost arrested again. His lawyer and the arresting officer were his saving graces; they saw in him something that he couldn't see. He made the decision to face his addiction and get sober. Instead of jail time he went to a sober living home in Portland which catapulted him into recovery. He completed a 12-step program which taught principals of faith, integrity, and how to embrace uncertainty. He learned that he needed to clean up the mess he had made. He started by penning a full written confession to his family. He has been sober for 6 years now, since 2009.
He volunteers with Young People in Addiction and started a local chapter in Biddeford. The goal of the program is to empower young people in recovery by focusing on 3 principles:
1. employment opportunities;
2. housing opportunities;and
3. Education.
Matt opined that every addict has the capability to recover - it won't be easy but it is possible. He said that it is an individual process and different for each person. The Club applauded Matt on his many successes and wished him the best for the future.
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Slate of Officers for 2016-2017The nominating committee met and the following were nominated:
President - Lucie Kay Past President - Bill Kany President Elect - Jackson Brown Vice President - Bernice Wood Treasurer - Laurie Joe Assistant Treasurer - Sue Gajewski Secretary - Elaine Palmetessa Assistant Secretary - Peggy Bean Election will be held at the Dec 2nd meeting. |
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Announcements 11/11/2015Karen Chasse informed the Club that all of the 50/50 tickets have been sold! Thank you to everyone for not waiting until the last minute and for selling your tickets early. The drawing will be held at Duffy’s tomorrow, November 12th at 6 p.m.
Lucie Kay announced that The Stuff the Bus food drive will be held on November 14th from 8-5. Our club will be manning the Biddeford Hannaford and Market Basket. President Kany informed us that the Scarborough Club will be making a sizable donation of food to the Club which will go to help fill the bus. President Kany thanked Lucie for organizing the Stuff the Bus event. It was no small undertaking! Thanks Lucie!! Andy Grief and Jim Godbout held the first meeting of the newly formed “Red Ribbon Committee”. The Committee will work with the local high schools to develop a week long curriculum to raise drug awareness and prevention. The program will include an essay contest. Stay tuned for more details and ways to get involved. The Christmas Shopping for our adopt-a-family project will be on December 2, at Walmart. The wrapping will take place at SBSI in Saco on December 9 at 5:30. Gifts will be delivered on December 23. The next fellowship event will be held on December 3 at Fausto’s house at 121 North St., in Saco. Please bring an unwrapped toy and a gift for the yankee swap ($10.00 limit). Save the date! More details to come. Frank Dumais reported that the Dictionary project was a success. 531 students received dictionaries! |
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President's Message- Veteran's DayJust a view thoughts or items:
I recently finished reading the book 1776 which chronicled the efforts of the colonies to form an army and take on the world’s most powerful country with its established army and navy. What impressed me was the fact that men from all over the 13 colonies came together to fight for the concept of independence which many of them could not comprehend. The fighters were horribly equipped and many of them did not even have shoes never mind weapons. The men, who were seldom paid, suffered through incredibly difficult conditions, but they were willing to take on the greater numbers of the very well trained British army and navy. The courage and dedication of those men to lay down their lives for their new born country is still demonstrated today by the men and women who are willing to risk their lives to preserve our freedoms and the safety of the world. So, this Wednesday, which is Veteran’s Day, make an extra effort to thank a Veteran. They certainly deserve our gratitude and respect.
Also, a reminder that if you would like to help our Interact Club that will be giving out turkeys and other food items for Thanksgiving baskets please bring in some extra money for this week’s meeting and we will pass a donation basket around. If someone wants to give an actual turkey (perhaps you have a fresh one tied up in your back yard) please see Sarah Neault about the logistics of getting your bird to Interact.
To follow up on Paul Deschambault’s email, if any of you know a family that is struggling and could use some help at Christmas please complete the Adopt-a-family form and get it to Paul or Bernice by November 18.
Don’t forget that this Thursday, November 12 is raffle night at Duffy’s, the former Captain’s Galley in OOB starting at 6:00. Come see if you sold a winning ticket and to celebrate another successful Biddeford Saco Rotary Club fundraiser.
Finally, it is not too late to sign up for our food drive on November 14. There are still some shifts available at the Biddeford Hannaford or Market Basket. If you have ever dreamed (or perhaps had a nightmare) about spending time on a bus wrapped in credit union propaganda here is your chance! Please contact Lucie if you have not signed up but you can help out.
Thanks Bill
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Week in Review 11/4/2015
President Bill began the meeting with the pledge of allegiance followed by “MY Country ‘Tis of Thee” lead by Paul. Bernice guided us through the 4 Way Test and Joe took time out from counting lunch money to lead us in prayer. President-Elect Lucie introduced visiting guests. She will be fined for her mistakes! President Bill began the meeting with the pledge of allegiance followed by “MY Country ‘Tis of Thee” lead by Paul. Bernice guided us through the 4 Way Test and Joe took time out from counting lunch money to lead us in prayer. President-Elect Lucie introduced visiting guests. She will be fined for her mistakes! Happy Dollars:
Fines:
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Announcements 11/4/2015
Bill did not have any report from the nominating committee but expects nominations by next Wednesday. We also have a first posting for Pierre Giroux. Karen said she has most of the money turned in for the $100 Raffle but needs anyone who hasn’t turned in their money to do so today. If you can’t sell your tickets, she has two people looking to buy them. Don’t forget to join us on November 12th at 6 pm at Duffy’s to announce the winners. Lucie is sending around a sign-up sheet for the Stuff the Bus event on 11/14. We are not allowed to solicit or approach people, we can just collect what people bring to us. Bill thanked Lucie for all her hard work organizing this event and for the radio ad. Jim spoke about the house project with the Biddeford COT. Keith is working on the title, Roland Eon is working on insurance, the kids are working on drawings of floor plans, and we need Rotarians to help with demolition, etc. Jim has the budget all done. Maybe we’ll add a small garage? There are still many questions to iron out before we have a green light. The Vocational Committee and Board members are asked to stay after this meeting to discuss this further. Bill thanked Frank for coordinating the Dictionary Project. All schools except 2 are delivered. Thank you again to Ken for a very successful Beer Fest. The work project for 11/7 has been postponed due to some ramp issues with the Fire Marshal. Don’t forget we are ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on 12/18. Sign up next week. The Drug Awareness Committee is meeting at 5:15 pm at the Community Bike Center on Granite Street. Bill reported that our club will be donating $500 from Company B to the “Stuff the Bus” food drive. Bernice announced dates for our Christmas project: 12/2 shopping at Walmart; 12/9 wrapping at Saco Biddeford Savings in Saco; 12/16 snow date for wrapping; 12/23 delivery. Paul asked everyone to submit names of families who need help this Christmas to him by 11/18. Laurie Jo won the 50/50 drawing of $30.
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Sheriff William L. King, Jr., Heroin in MaineOur presentation today was from Sheriff William L. King, Jr. Heroin addiction is a serious subject but the sheriff certainly has a great sense of humor.
Heroin in Maine is a critical police challenge. Addicts have to have heroin – it’s a physical and psychological addiction. It is hard to know how widespread the problem is but Maine is a state with one of the highest percentage of abusers. It all started with the over prescribing of opiates back in 1996. A study done in 2000 reported that Maine topped the chart for states abusing opiates and York County led the ranking. This resulted in the aggressive enforcement of decreasing the availability of opiates and thus created a new market for heroin. Some counterfeiters are actually adding heroin to fake oxycontin pills.
William also discussed users and addicts and the fact that they aren’t necessarily who you might think. They can be anyone! Users are 90% white and about 50% male and 50% female. Their median age is 23.
How does heroin get to Maine? It is delivered by vehicle by out-of-state gang members right over the border into Maine. 176 people died of over-dose in 2013. Please email any critical information about heroin users or trafficking to: heroin.maine@usdoj.gov.
One other major concern of heroin is the amount of Hepatitis C resulting from dirty needles. The prescription drug to cure Hepatitis C is $1350 a pill and many people infected with this are on Maine Care. This is costing the State of Maine hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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BRCOT students to renovate Main Street homeHello Rotarians,
I wanted to congratulate the Vocational Committee and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology on their efforts to expand the House Project Fundraiser. This is a wonderful project that allows us to partner with other organizations (the school, local businesses) to build productive adults and raise money for our scholarships. Below is the story as it appears in the Journal Tribune that speaks well of our Rotary Club and the BRCOT program. Great work!
Thanks,
Karen
BIDDEFORD — The City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to transfer tax-delinquent property to the Biddeford School Department and the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club. The council’s decision will allow students in the technical school’s building trades program to partner with local businesses to renovate and eventually sell the twostory, 95-year-old house that sits on the roughly 0.2-acre property at 471 Main St., which the city acquired in 2014, according to city records. In a letter addressed to City Manager Jim Bennett and dated Oct. 15, Jeremy Ray, superintendent of Biddeford schools, urged city officials to support the project. BRCOT and the Rotary Club have partnered together for more than two decades to give students in the program – as well as students in other BRCOT programs, such as electrical engineering – experience building and selling homes, he said.
The renovation project at 471 Main St. is part of the program’s new vision to begin “working on projects that are much more visible within the community,” Ray said. In an email Sunday, Bennett said the project has many benefits. “The students will work on a real project, a rundown property gets fixed up, a new family will get a nice home, the property goes back on the property tax rolls and the proceeds will support scholarships for Biddeford High School seniors through the Rotary,” he said. When the project is finished and the house is sold, the school department plans to also use the proceeds to repay the city approximately $11,600 in back taxes and sewer fees owed on the property. “Being the first time that the COT and Rotary has ever been involved with a renovation, certainly there will be some growth and some areas that we don’t foresee,” Ray told councilors at the Oct. 20 meeting. “But our plan would be, based off the proceeds of the sale, to reimburse the city for taxes and those sewer fees.” BRCOT Director Paulette Bonneau said in an email this morning that the renovation will give students studying three different fields the opportunity to work together on a project to contribute to the community. “Our drafting design students are currently working on plans to create a home for modern living,” she said. “In the future, some of our electrical (engineering) students will be involved.” In an email Sunday, Ray predicted work on the house to begin this year and end sometime next year. — Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or averzoni@journaltribune.com.
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President's Message- Food Drive What did you complain about this weekend? Leaves, oh yeah you were cursing those leaves, the same ones that kept you cool all summer. Traffic, sure you complained when you have to wait for two lights to get through that intersection though you got to hear that great song on the radio. I know I bitched about the size of those mini candy bars we got to give out for Halloween since they are no longer bite sized unless you’re a squirrel. Of course, Lord knows I don’t need any more candy! And don’t get me started about the width of toilet paper these days even though the added width does me absolutely no good unless I am making a Halloween mummy.
I am willing to wager, however, that none of you complained about being hungry. I am guessing that one or two of you claimed you were starving before sitting down and devouring a nice meal, perhaps the waitress or waiter was a little slow getting it out of the kitchen at your favorite restaurant. But I would bet that none of you could really complain because you were hungry or because you simply didn’t know when you were going to have your next meal. I really don’t think that most of us have to decide between a tank of gas to get back and forth to our occasional job and buying groceries. I would also imagine that none of us lose focus at work because we simply have not had anything to eat for over a day.
Unfortunately, there are people who simply don’t have enough to eat and their resources are so limited that they must choose between feeding their family and keeping their job. Sadly, kids go to school so hungry that they simply do not have a chance to succeed.
We all recognize or should realize that the problem of hunger exists right here in our communities. We should also recognize that we can all do our little part to help. If you have not done so, please sign up to work 2 hours on our food drive on November 14. Your efforts will help a lot of people and I am also willing to wager that those two hours will make you feel good too. If for some reason you can’t make it on the 14th, please do the next best thing and write a check to the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club and put “Food Drive” in the memo line. Every dollar buys five pounds of food for our local food pantries. Therefore, even ten dollars will go a long way.
Sure, I’m going to complain because people aren’t signing up to work on the food drive, but you can all shut me up by filling the slots and helping a lot of people who need our help.
Thanks Bill
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Week-in-Review 10/28/2015President Bill Kany kicked off the meeting promptly at 12:15. There was a moment of silence for “Zappy the Zebra” know known as Karen Chasse’s winter coat. President Kany then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Next up Brian Dallaire led the Four Way Test. Opening ceremonies concluded with Joe Bassett leading our group in prayer.
This week’s 50/50 raffle winner of $33.00 was Brian Dallaire. Congratulations! Brian generously donated his winnings to the Scholarship committee.
This week’s Sergeant of Arms trio, Joe, Karen and Chris solicited happy dollars. Dennis Elie was happy about a big football game win; Frank Dumas was happy to be back from Florida where it was a balmy 81 degrees and thanked Lucie for her help with the Dictionary project; Brian Dallaire paid 4 happy dollars for each 40K miles he traveled on vacation and paid a preemptive dollar for messing up the 4-way test; Bill Kany was happy that the field hockey team won; Chris was happy to be closing on his house on Friday; and Karen was happy to report that her daughter’s boyfriend is beyond excited to participate in the renovation project discussed above, and that her daughter’s volleyball team made the playoffs.
Fines were handed out as follows:
Bill for sponsoring Jared Boxes;
CJ for selling Chris’ his house;
Bernice, Chris and Steve each had to pay a birthday dollar;
Brian for bragging about his 4,000 mile vacation;
Bernice for leaving trunk or treat early and nearly running over a child in costume;
CJ again for something I didn’t catch;
Lucie for harassing our guest, Pierre;
Earl for not ensuring that payment was properly made and submitting in complete check;
Ken had to pay another keg deposit; and,
Jeremy for not keeping the portion of the 50/50 raffle ticket which identifies if he is a winner.
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Announcements 10/28/2015Lucie Kay introduced guests, Conrad Welzer and Pierre Giroux.
We meet almost every week at 12:15 p.m. at the Run of the Mill.
Frank Dumais announced that the Dictionary Project is underway and that we need volunteers to present the dictionaries next week.
It’s now or never to turn in your money for the $100 Raffle. If you haven’t sold your tickets and you haven’t let Karen Chasse or Earl know by now be afraid, be very afraid.
Lucie Kay announced that The Stuff the Bus food drive will be held on November 14th from 8-5. Our club will be manning the Biddeford Hannaford and Market Basket and we desperately need volunteers to make this a successful event.
Brian Dallaire is looking for speakers for next calendar year.
Ken Farley will be holding a wrap-up meeting to discuss the success of the Beer Festival on Monday, November 2 at 6 p.m. at ROTM.
President Kany thanked Andy Grief for facilitating our last two meetings. Thanks to Andy we were able to narrow the focus of our efforts for the drug addiction program. The committee will be holding a kick-off meeting on Thursday, November 5 at 5:15 at the Community Bicycle Center on Granite Street in Biddeford. Everyone is invited to attend.
Jim Godbout spoke about the Biddeford Vocational School Project. The City of Biddeford generously turned over a vacant house located on Main Street that is in dire need of repair. This is a great opportunity for the COT students to get first hand experience renovating an existing dwelling space. The property is free and clear of any liens or other encumbrances, except that the City is due $11K in back taxes which will be paid when the property is later sold. We are requesting donations for building materials and demolition work.
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Mona Jerome of Ever After Mustang Rescue Training & Education CenterBrian Dallaire introduced our guest speaker, Mona Jerome of Ever After Mustang Rescue Training & Education Center located in Biddeford, Maine. Mona’s passion is wild horses. She has followed wild horses since her youth. In 1980 at the age of 40 years old, Mona and her late husband adopted their first wild horse. The horse was eventually trained and adopted out. In 2002 they formed the non-profit company that is now known as the Ever After Mustang Rescue Training & Education Center. Ever After Mustang Rescue boards horses that have been abused or otherwise are emotionally disturbed. The 501(c)(3) organization takes in horses that have been surrendered by people unable to train them; horses that have been seized from a bad situation, and rescues from other states. Ever After Mustang Rescue makes every attempt to train the horses so that they can be put under saddle, and possibly adopted out. They have a co-op program with UNE and YCCC and students earn course credit by volunteering 120 hours. Ever After Mustang Rescue is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise money for a new roof and additional stalls so that the Company can do its job to its fullest potential. The current facility holds a maximum of 24 horses and there are 2 horses on a waiting list. To date they have raised $76K in funds and are at ¼ of the capital goal of $324K. Mona finished up by saying that the past 35 years have been the most fulfilling years of her life. She started out with no plan and no business model and yet she has succeeded. Her motto is if you have a passion follow he path as it unfolds.
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President's Message- new drug awareness committeeLast week Jim Godbout brought in and I handed out at the meeting small red ribbon pins to be worn this week because it is Red Ribbon Week. What is Red Ribbon Week and what are its origins? Please read the following supplied to me by Jim.
Red Ribbon Week is an important tradition for the drug prevention
community, and especially for the DEA. The event that has
become a national symbol of drug prevention began as a grassroots
tribute to a fallen DEA hero, Special Agent Enrique Camarena. The
National Red Ribbon Campaign was sparked by the murder of DEA
Special Agent Camarena by drug traffickers. In March of 1985, Camarena’s
Congressman, Duncan Hunter, and high school friend Henry Lozano,
launched Camarena Clubs in Imperial Valley, California, Camarena’s home.
Hundreds of club members pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices
made by Camarena and others on behalf of all Americans. From these clubs
emerged the Red Ribbon Week Campaign.
Today, Red Ribbon Week is nationally recognized and celebrated, helping to
preserve Special Agent Camarena’s memory and further the cause for which he
gave his life. The Red Ribbon Campaign is a symbol of support for DEA’s and
America’s efforts to reduce demand for drugs through prevention and education
programs. By wearing a red ribbon during the last week in October, Americans
demonstrate their ardent opposition to drugs, and pledge to live drug free lives.
Thank you all for wearing your red ribbon pins this week. I also want to thank you all for participating in our club process to narrow the focus of our efforts to fight drug abuse and addiction. I am guessing the process may have been a little touchy-feely for some of you, but I think it was important to decide, as a club, where we want to focus our energies related to this hugely important issue. The input from all club members was really important and appreciated.
As I mentioned last week, on November 4, York County Sheriff Bill King will talk to us about the growing heroin problem in York County and on November 11 (Veteran’s Day) Matt Braun, who is a young man fighting addiction and he is willing to share his story with us, will be at our meeting. Please try to attend those meetings.
To let everyone know, our new drug awareness committee, which does not yet have a name, will have its first meeting next week to start to determine what to do with the direction provided to it by the club. We will keep everyone informed as things progress.
Bill
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Bridge the Gap to End PolioIn honor of World Polio Day, which is recognized on October 24th, Rotary District 7780 and Seacoast Rotary Club of Portsmouth, NH are sponsoring “Bridge the Gap to End Polio” on October 24, 2015 at 9 AM.
FMI click the link below:
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Community Drug Addiction Program- Strategic PlanWe did not have a guest speaker this week. Rather, Andy Grief facilitated a strategic planning session following last week’s brainstorming session. The goal was for the Club to reach a consensus about how to devote our time and financial resources to combat the heroin epidemic that is plaguing our communities. We spent the first part of the meeting clarifying the brainstorming ideas coming out of last week’s meeting. Next we grouped these ideas into common themes. Then we identified the themes namely, the ideas focused on
1. Enforcement/Treatment;
2. Awareness/Education; and
3. Secondary/Tertiary Prevention.
Finally, after discussion and sharing personal stories we voted and selected awareness and education as the focus of our group’s efforts.
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Week-in-Review 10/21/2015President Bill Kany kicked off the meeting promptly at 12:15 by leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Next up Sue Gajewski led the Four Way Test. Opening ceremonies concluded with Joe Bassett leading our group in prayer.
Lucie Kay introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. We warmly welcomed visiting Rotarian Kim Chilton from the Kennebunk Club and guest Pierre Giroux to our meeting.
We meet almost every week at 12:15 p.m. at the Run of the Mill.
Our Sergeant of Arms trio solicited happy dollars.
Matt Simmons was happy that his son was selected to play on the AAU under 9 team; Jim Godbout gave 2 sympathy dollars for Keith and Bill having to sit through the Biddeford City Council meeting; Jeremy Ray was happy to report that a house was turned over to BHS and so the school and Rotary have another property for next week; CJ Dubois-Cote happily announced that her daughter Christine is engaged to be married; and Don Lauzier was happy to report that he plays at weddings for a fee!
Fines were as follows:
Diane LeBlanc for paying with a $100.00 bill; Sue Gajewski for not reciting the 4-way test;
Keith for winning the Good Shepherd Parish raffle; Joe Moreshead for parking out front;
Josh Ellis paid a $1.00 keg deposit; Karen Chasse for sitting out this week’s SAA;
CJ Dubois-Cote & Heather Maclean for being tardy; Kim Chilton for visiting our club;
Bill Kany for not silencing his phone last week; Karen Chasse & Mark Tuller for ordering cole slaw and not taking the fries that come with the meal; Fausto for forgetting to bring dictionaries to last week’s labeling event; Bernice Wood for not having the past presidents plaque updated with to reflect Karen’s & Ken’s term as president of our Club; and Denis Elie for saying to Jeremy “I never should have let you into this Club.”
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Announcements 10/21/2015The $100 Raffle is underway. Earl Goodwin has already sold 40 tickets. Please sell your tickets and turn in the money by next Wednesday, October 28th. If you don’t think that you’ll be able to sell your ticket let Karen Chasse or Earl know as soon as possible.
The Stuff the Bus food drive will be held on November 14th from 8-5. Our club will be manning the Biddeford Hannaford and Market Basket. Please consider volunteering your time. If you have any suggestions on how we can make this event successful and not stressful, please e-mail Lucie Kay.
The Community Service Committee will be meeting immediately after next week’s meeting on October 28th.
Bill thanked Diane for her help to label the dictionaries for the Dictionary project. Lucie was also recognized for her work getting the dictionaries out on the table in advance which certainly helped to expedite the labeling process! Thanks ladies!
Thank you Jim Godbout for distributing Red Ribbons to our Club. Wear your pin proudly to support Drug Awareness. The 2015 Red Ribbon theme is Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free. This week is Red Ribbon Week! For more information see: http://redribbon.org/theme/
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Announcements 10/14/2015Frank asked for help on Friday 10/16 at YCFCU at 8 am to label dictionaries. He also sent around a sign- up sheet for distributing dictionaries in December.
Karen thanked the first 4 Rotarians for sending in their $100 Raffle money: Frank G., Joe, Chuck and Mark T. She said it never happens like this and please SELL, SELL, SELL! Raffle night is November 12th at Duffy’s.
Bill then rattled things off so fast that I could hardly keep up. Here goes:
CLYNK Update: We have raised $149.10 so far this Rotarian year. Since the inception of the program, we have raised a total of $1,119.40 (the equivalent of 20,542 containers!). Keep drinking! As you can see, every nickel adds up! I (Julie) am in the process of obtaining more labels. We have gone through over 400 labels-which means 400 bags!
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Week-in-Review 10/14/2015Bill began the meeting with the pledge and remarked how nice it was to actually have a flag. Lucie led us in the 4 Way Test and Jim A. provided the Invocation.
Lucie announced that we had no visitors this week but she shared what an awesome vacation she had and that she was glad to be back. Glad to be back from vacation?
Bill invited Karen and Heather McLean to come up to welcome Heather back to our club. Heather was given her pin, paperwork, and of course, a $100 raffle ticket to sell! Welcome back Heather!
Steve won the 50/50 and donated the $20 to the scholarship fund.
Joe, Karen and Keith were welcomed up to collect Happy Dollars and dole out fines.
Happy Dollars included:
Fines included:
Minutes submitted by Susan Gajewski for Sarah Neault who was conveniently out of town this week! You owe me one girlfriend!
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Community Drug Addiction Program- Kick-OffThis week we had a presentation on the drug overdose issue. Jim G. opened the discussion with a personal account of how this issue has impacted him over the years. He has a passion to make a change with addicts. And he explained how you never know where an addict comes from – all family types are affected by this overdose issue. There is often a vicious cycle of rehab, then back home, then back to rehab, and so on.
Jim told us a story about a Saco resident who was a teen in the 70’s, had to raise all his siblings, experienced many deaths in the family, used lots of alcohol and drugs on a daily basis, lost many friends to addiction but is alive today because having a job and going to work saved this person. Education and mentoring made a difference in this person’s life. Let’s work together to make job readiness available today. Thank you to Jim for sharing this very personal story with us.
Andy G. explained that we need to decide as a club where we want to focus our time and resources on the drug abuse issue. He told us about the three levels of prevention:
Many Rotarians wanted to share their stories about what addiction means to them but Andy asked us to hold off on those for now so we could move on to figuring out where our club wants to go regarding drug abuse.
Andy asked everyone to write what we think our club should focus on and then place our sticky notes on the proper poster for primary, secondary or tertiary. We all took time to do this and Andy will compile all our thoughts for discussion next week.
Bill suggested we develop and ad hoc committee to work on these ideas. Thirteen Rotarians volunteered for this committee: Andy G., Mark T., Jim A., Heather M., Karen, Keith, Joe, Bernice, Paul, Jim G., Jeremy, Fausto and Bill.
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Community Drug Addiction Program- Brainstorming SessionThe members of the club who attended last week's meeting helped us to start the process of establishing a club strategy to address the issue of drug abuse and addiction in our area. Led by Andy Grief, each club member wrote down his or her preferences for dealing with the growing epidemic of drug addiction in southern Maine. All of our responses were stuck on larger sheets on the walls supplied by Andy. The goal would have been to let everyone read each other's suggestions and then ask questions about the answers, but we ran out of time. The group agreed to keep the process going this week. This process is really important to the club so I would encourage everyone to try to make the meeting next week.
Andy was nice enough to transfer our responses to a typed sheet which I then emailed to everyone. Please review those responses prior to this week’s meeting and develop any questions you may have about the suggestions of others. Our goal at this week’s meeting will be to narrow our focus on how we can best address the problem of drug abuse. We can the turn our club selection(s) over to the new committee which can further refine our strategy.
This interactive process is a really healthy and collaborative way to develop our club plan. Imagine that you are building a doghouse. Do you just run to the lumber yard and buy some wood, nails and paint and then start cutting, or do you come up with a plan with dimensions, a material list and develop order in which you will build your dog’s new home? Well, we are coming up with the plans right now. While we all feel more productive when we are actually cutting boards and pounding nails, if we don't develop a plan we end up wasting time and money and coming up with a doghouse that isn't big enough or simply falls down. Measure twice and cut once is what they say. Let's lay the proper foundation as a club that we can then all rally around. It may be a little slower process than we like but it should be more effective in the end.
If you have any doubt that drug addiction is a real problem in this country, take a look at these statistics shared by Karen Chasse who recently attended the Coastal Healthy Communities Project Alliance meeting. These numbers really make you think.
· In Maine, heroin overdose deaths increased from seven in 2011 to 57 in 2014. (Source: CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
· 2.6 out of every 1,000 US residents 12 and older used heroin in the years 2011-2013; A 63% increase in use and a 90% increase in abuse or dependence since the years 2002-2004. (Source: CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
· People who are addicted to narcotic painkillers are 40 times more likely to misuse heroin. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
· Maine DEA Heroin Case Trends: 69 cases in 2011, 113 in 2012, 223 in 2013, 276 in 2014 (2014 has a star next to it so I think that was not the full years numbers). Interestingly, the narcotic cases have gone from 232 in 2011, 210 in 2012, 89 in 2013 and 73 in 2014 and the narcotic cases have also decreased thanks to Drug Take Back days from 386 in 2011, 376 in 2012, 294 in 2013 and 159 in 2014.
· According to the 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, of the high school students in CHCC’s service area:
o 7.4% have used a prescription drug in the past 30 days without a doctor’s prescription (22.7% have used marijuana)
o 22.6% believe it is “sort of easy” or “very easy” to get prescription drugs (57.4% for marijuana)
o 13.5% perceive there is “no risk” or “slight risk” of harm (58.6% for marijuana)
Again, please make every effort to make the meeting on October 21st. We value everyone's voice and we want to hear from you.
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Announcements 10/7/2015A big Rotary Welcome Back to Ron Gagnon!
Frank Dumais informed the club that the Dictionary project is underway and that the committee is planning to label the dictionaries next week for delivery the first week of November. More to come! Carl Goodwin announced that Rotary sold the house for $38K. Laurie Jo estimates that the Club will net approximately $10K after expenses. More to come here too! The $100 raffle is under way and is being held on November 12th. Earl Goodwin noted that if everyone does their part "we should have a sell out" Earl and Karen Chasse urged each of us to sell our tickets. You are hereby warned that you have 2 weeks to sell your tickets before the hounding begins. Ken Farley announced the latest figures from the beer festival - $3500 PROFIT! Congratulations to Ken for all your work making this a successful event. Can't wait for next year! Note that there is no meeting on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or between Christmas and New Year's. We will meet on Wednesday before Christmas. At that meeting Paul Deschambault will provide an update on the Holiday shopping festivities and Joe Bassett will coordinate the bell ringing. Save the date for the Christmas bell ringing which will take place on December 18, 2015. Jim Godbout announced that the vocational committee was to meet immediately after our club meeting. Next week there is no speaker but please attend to take part in the discussion about how we will help to fight the heroin epidemic. If you ordered a Tiger Pride Rotary T-shirt please see Bernice or Laurie Jo to pay for your shirt. |
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Week-in-Review 10/7/2015I'm sorry that I'm late getting this to you! This week's Tack is coming to you from the Hollywood Casino, Bangor. I'm here all week for training to be a rostered Guardian ad Litem.
Wednesday's meeting was off to a rough start, with no flag, no bell and no speaker! Thanks to Sue Gajewski for locating our Flag mid-invocation. Since it was the first meeting of the month, Paul Deschambault led us in song as we muddled through "America the Beautiful". The 4 way test was led by Jackson Brown and James Audiffred led us in prayer. Jackson Brown introduced our guest - Pierre Giroux from the Saco Veterinary Clinic. 50/50 Raffle was $31.00 and the lucky winner was Dana Lane! Congratulations!
Next up was SAA Joe, Keith and Karen. Happy dollars from Karen whose daughter was on the news again; Keith who thanked Bernice for paying his bar tab after the golf outing so that he didn't get arrested; Matt Cyr for having good friends who traveled 2 hours to help close his camp; Chuck for making it home safely from the storm in North Carolina; Dennis Ellie was happy too but I missed why; and Julie V. was happy to be on vacation this week! Fines totaled $9.00. Seriously...come on people, you can do better than that... Joe fined Bill Karen fined Bill Keith didn't fine Bill Joe fined Jackson a reinstatement dollar Keith was happy to see that Ron Gagnon was back and fined Dennis E for exclaiming "holy shit Ron, I thought you were dead..." Roland G was fined for tricking Lucie into taking a picture at the AA walk in front of the dog check in booth! LOL! Keith fined Joe for wearing a shirt that a French mime wears Keith fined Jackson for messing up the 4-way test Karen fined Joe for ordering a special lunch Joe auctioned off a GC to Elements provided by Jim Godbout - Roland Gagnon purchased said GC for $25.00 |
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John Lamb from the American Red CrossToday's speaker was John Lamb from the American Red Cross who talked to the Club about Fire Safety.
If there is a fire in the house you have 2 minutes to get out before you and your family is in danger. Americans have a false sense of security. The average American thinks that as long as you are out in 5 minutes then you are safe. This is false. Forty percent of fire related deaths are due to asphixiation and smoke inhalation. The Red Cross developed a fire preparedness program that has two goals:
1.education and
2. door to door canvassing to discuss fire safety, to install fire alarms and to develop an escape plan.
We learned that a working smoke detector is the key to fire safety. Of 25 fire related death, 24 could have been prevented had there been operational and strategically placed fire alarms in the home. The majority of fires begin in the kitchen and occur between the hours of 11 p.m and 7 a.m.
Fire alarms should be in every bedroom, outside every bedroom, and on every floor. You should test your fire alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once per year. It is also a good idea to vacuum your fire alarms every once in a while. Alarms alert you and escape plans get you out faster. Set up meeting places for family in the event of a fire. It's also smart to have a go bag packed with the essentials. You should keep your go bag under your bed or beside the exit door. |
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President's Message- Celebration of SudsThey say that one of the biggest challenges facing a new Rotary president is keeping the immediate past president engaged. Well, for any of you who volunteered at and/or attended our first annual Celebration of Suds on September 26 then you know that Ken Farley is still engaged. We all owe him a huge thank you.
While working with Ken can be a little nerve racking because “delegation” is really not in his vocabulary, the fact is that he had attended to essentially every detail, and all we had to do was complete his plan. Of course, his plan started with providing good weather, check; attracting great brewers, check (of course that one took some help from people like Joe Moreshead and Steve Morin); having a tent and all the gear that was needed for a good looking event, check (Sue “You’re giving a ride home, right?” Gajewski helped there); having ice, check (thanks to Saco Bay Tackle!); having a great venue with electricity, check (thank you Doug Sanford and Will Kany); having great volunteers (more on that later), check; a great band, check (maybe a little loud, but hell I’m old), and attracting people who love beer, check and double check! Ken had the details down to a broom and dustpan to sweep up broken glass which only happened once to my knowledge.
I do need to thank an army of volunteers like set up people Steve Morin, Andy Grief and Matt Simmonds. A special note on Matt -- He got there early with his son’s Rotary t-shirt (a little small), and stayed until the end. Matt lifted kegs, lugged ice, fetched water, poured beer and helped tear down. He was a big help and deserves a special thanks. Also, thanks to advance ticket sales woman Karen Chasse who stuck it out for hours. Gate people like Frank “oh, hell park where you want” Gooding, Laurie Jo “sure we’ll sell you a ticket” Ready and CJ Dubois. 50/50 ticket seller like Peggy Bean and Julie “are you sure you don’t want more” Villemaire. Set up and beer pourers extraordinaire, Rob Moody, Jim McAllister, Denis Elie Joe and Andrea Moreshead, Holly Kany, Emily Frechette and Steve Morin. I am sure I forgot someone and I apologize, but everyone who helped out did a great job on a great event.
I really want to thank Joe Moreshead who stepped on this event getting at least Boston Beer Works (Sam Adams), Gritty’s, Smuttynose and probably one other brewer as well. With no beer there is no festival. He and Fausto also supplied the cold storage and Fausto unknowingly supplied the needed coolers. So, while at times Ken seemed like an army of one, the fact was he had a great team behind him which demonstrates the power of Rotary.
To all those who promoted the event, bought tickets, brought your friends and family (Keith Jacques brought an army), thank you. For those of you who did not come and really had nothing to do with the event, you missed a great time and great fellowship. It was a lot of work but it was truly fun. Assuming we do it again next year, please make every effort to be there.
The feedback was all positive, the brewers want to come back and we really owe it all to Ken Farley, so when you see him, thank him for a job well done. You see, past presidents will stay engaged at least if you promise them a party and alcohol.
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Nomination Committee for 2016-2017Nomination Committee Chosen Today!
Each year two past presidents and 3 members of the club (with a minimum of 2 years in the club) are chosen at random to form a committee to nominate officers for the following Rotarian year. The club does a formal vote on the people nominated at the first meeting in December-if my memory is correct. If I’m way off base, I’ll print a correction in next week’s TACK.
The nomination committee is: PP Steve Morin (Chair), PP Karen Chasse, Josh Fearon, Alan Nelson and Elaine Palmitessa.
If anyone has an interest in serving a leadership role in the club, please speak with a member of the nomination committee.
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Christine Jennings from Partners for a Hunger-Free York County (PfHFYC)Today’s speaker was Christine Jennings from Partners for a Hunger-Free York County (PfHFYC)
Partners for a Hunger-Free York County is a coalition of organizations and individuals working together to eradicate hunger and mal-nutrition in York County, Maine and to increase and improve access to fresh, healthy food for those who need it in York County. Their solutions are community-based, collaborative, holistic, and sustainable.
They are farmers, gardeners, students, educators, nutritionists, community members, non-profit organizations, food banks and others. They meet each month to learn from each other and share ideas. They organize small working groups to tackle specific issues related to hunger in York County. You are welcome to join them! Their goal is to ensure that everyone has enough fresh, healthy food to eat.
Christine spoke about a growing problem with hunger and senior citizens. Maine ranks 17th nationally and first in New England in terms of senior food insecurity (Good Shepherd Food Bank)
Southern Maine Agency on Aging estimates that there are 3,392 (8%) seniors who suffer from food insecurity.
Many of the items on the shelves in the food pantries are shelf-stable, highly processed foods-which aren’t very healthy.
Senior Farm Shares: Provides $50 of fresh fruits and veggies to low income senior citizens.
Reach out to seniors who may not be technological savvy. They have a personal connection to these seniors and call them often. Work with 10 farmers and one farmers market.
During the winter months, they provide $25 gift cards to the grocery stores to the people who are most in need. They have done this for the past 3 winters. They try to raise money in the community.
There are 320 people who have “winter shares”, 88 who live in the Biddeford/Saco/ OOB area. Christine mentioned that they will be submitting a request to our club for some funding.
There is a way that you can donate from your personal gardens to this organization. If you have an overabundance of produce, please don’t hesitate to give them a call.
Vision Statement
We envision a cooperative effort through which families and individuals across York County have regular access to enough nutritious food to support their health and well-being. Through building community connections, we provide bridges between food system sectors, supporting local food initiatives and facilitating creative sustainable solutions to eradicating hunger and mal-nutrition, and increasing knowledge about healthy food in our county.
Values
Encouraging growth and fresh foods in our county through supporting farmers, gardens, farmers' markets, school gardens and greenhouses.
To find out more contact: Partners for a Hunger-Free York County P.O. Box 515, Alfred, Maine 04002 (207) 324-1137, extension 146 |
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Announcements 9/30/2015Front Desk Coordinator, Peggy Bean, informed Rotarians about a cash flow issue at the front desk each week. She asked if Rotarians could please bring smaller bills with them so we wouldn’t wipe out the restaurant’s supply. It was suggested that we bring some start up cash in order to make change. I believe Lauri Jo Ready is looking into this.
PP Ken gave a big THANK YOU to Joe Moreshead for helping to secure some of the breweries who came to the Celebration of Suds at the Falls. He also had a big THANK YOU to Karen Chasse for her role in PR and promoting the event. He sent out a THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who helped to make this event such a success. He didn’t get any sleep Friday night because at that point there were only 114 tickets sold. We ended up selling over 200 tickets. We ended up NETTING over $3,000!!! Ken received some great feedback for next year which includes providing physical tickets for everyone to sell and charging a flat fee of $25 per ticket up until two weeks before the event. The price will go up as we get closer to the date of the event. We had a great turnout this year, the vendors were fantastic and the brewers were awesome! Congratulations Ken for a job well done!!!
Reminder: November 12, 2015, is the $100 TICKET RAFFLE NIGHT at Duffy’s. Tickets to sell will be passed out next week (10/7).
Reminder: November 14, 2015, is the FOOD DRIVE Market Basket and Hannaford in Biddeford. If Saco Bay joins us we will be able to expand into the Saco area as well. YCFCU will be providing two busses for us to stuff. Please mark your calendars because we will need many volunteers throughout the day to help make this a success.
President Bill THANKED Susan Gajewski and Fausto P. for organizing the golf event. He also thanked Susan for her hooking up with her connection to Old Town Canoes where she was able to pick up a couple of canoes at a reduced rate for our annual TV auction. A THANK YOU went out to Dana Lane for being one of the sponsors of the canoes.
Nomination Committee Chosen Today! Each year two past presidents and 3 members of the club (with a minimum of 2 years in the club) are chosen at random to form a committee to nominate officers for the following Rotarian year. The club does a formal vote on the people nominated at the first meeting in December-if my memory is correct. If I’m way off base, I’ll print a correction in next week’s TACK. The nomination committee is: PP Steve Morin (Chair), PP Karen Chasse, Josh Fearon, Alan Nelson and Elaine Palmitessa. If anyone has an interest in serving a leadership role in the club, please speak with a member of the nomination committee.
T-Shirts: There are two Men’s Large T-shirts that have not been claimed yet. If one belongs to you or if you missed the order the first time around, talk to Bernice Wood and she can hook you up with one. They are great to wear when we volunteer for various events. They certainly stick out in the crowd as we saw at the Celebration of Suds at the Falls event.
The Charitable Fund Committee was meeting immediately after today’s meeting. Hope you got the message early because if you are just finding out about it in this TACK, you are a little late for the meeting.
The induction date has finally arrived for our newest member Mark Nahorney, from UNE! Mark was sponsored by PP Ken Farley. Congratulations Mark and welcome to our club!!
The $26 50/50 raffle was won by PP Frank Gooding.
CLYNK Update: We’ve raised $15.55 so far this quarter and a total of $1,103.35 since we started collecting bottles and cans! This just goes to show that every little bit helps. Drink up everyone! I am in the process of replenishing the labels and will have more available within the next week or so.
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Week-in-Review 9/30/2015Today’s events unfolded as they normally do each week with President Bill promptly starting the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed up with Dana Lane leading the group in the 4 Way Test and Joe Bassett providing the invocation.
President-Elect Lucie Kay was on vacation and Vice President Jackson Brown was MIA so the task of introducing visitors was left up to President Bill. Joe Moreshead brought a guest with him today. His name was Pierre. Unfortunately, I missed his last name.
The $26 50/50 raffle was won by PP Frank Gooding.
The SAA Trio of Joe Moreshead, Karen Chasse and Chris Indorf took center stage.
Happy Dollars were collected from the following Rotarians:
PP Denis Elie was happy that his son’s football team was 5-0 in the chase for the 8th grade gold ball. He also had a great fumble recovery. Our newest member Mark Nahorney was happy to finally be inducted into the club and surviving the Rotary hazing – he was stuck at the wine table during the beer fest. Peggy Bean was happy to have 3 different men in total agreement with her. Andy Greif was happy to have run into Dave Lowe in Biddeford last week. He said something about Don Lauzier running through Saco but I am just as confused as Andy was. Jim Audiffred was happy to have had a great time on the Viking River Cruise (Germany) and also that his sump pump was working. Carol Goodwin was happy to report that he had just returned from a great trip to Colorado, happy to see Pierce at today’s meeting and was putting the house under contract that afternoon. Joe Moreshead thanked Julie for stepping up to take the TACK minutes and also reported that his son got engaged over the weekend. President Bill was happy the beer event was so successful and that Susan Gajewski got home safely. Fausto was happy that his “other son” (Joe’s son) got engaged over the weekend. PP Steve gave a happy dollar to Ken for the Beer Fest and also mentioned that his oldest daughter just closed on her first house. PP Ken gave a happy dollar for getting 6 more hours of free time. Matt Simmons was happy to celebrate his 3rd working anniversary in Biddeford. Frank was happy to have won the 50/50. It took him 10 years to win the 50/50. He finally admitted that he rubbed Earl Goodwin’s head before buying his ticket. That was enough happiness in the room for today.
The fines started flying:
Joe started things off by charging President Bill for his great leadership skills. Chris fined CJ Dubois-Cote for selling his house but not for the $750k she promised. PP Karen (and several others) was a little deaf after having to serve beer inside the tent with the blaring speakers from the band-this cost PP Ken a buck. Joe welcomed “Bob” to the club with a fine. It was quickly pointed out to Joe that our newest member was Mark, not Bob. Chris fined Laurie Jo and Karen Chasse for hearing someone curse during an interview. I’m not sure who was doing the cursing. Karen fined President Bill for a picture in which it looked like Bill was trying to do some electrical work. Joe fined Karen for her daughter Julia being in the paper again. She can’t help it if Julia is a spectacular volley ball player! Karen fined Joe for not asking Julie to do the TACK at the meeting last week even though she took care of it. Joe started fining everyone who had not yet paid their dues. You might want to check with Bernice Wood or Laurie Jo Ready if you aren’t sure if you’re paid up or not. The fine will be going to $2 next week.
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President's Message- Annual RaffleIt is raffle time again. Yes, it’s time for Earl and Carl to wow us with their salesmanship, but we should all make an effort to do our part. We sell 250 tickets and there are 65 of us in the club. Let’s do the math. If we all sell 4 tickets we have sold them all and then some. I am guessing that some of you are saying, but I don’t know 4 people willing to part with $100 even if the odds are 1 in 250 (more on the great odds in a minute). That may be true, but do you know 16 people willing to part with $25.00? Remember these tickets can be sold to multiple people. Let’s make a concerted effort to take the burden off of Earl and Carl while selling all the tickets.
Here are some helpful sales points.
Think just about those odds. For a person with a lifespan of 80 years, the odds of getting struck by lightning are 1 in 10,000 over the person’s whole life. Your odds of winning the big PowerBall prize are around 1 in 175 million. The odds of dating a supermodel for most of us (excluding Joe Moreshead) are 1 in 88,000. Your odds of winning an Olympic Gold Medal are 1 in 662,000. The odds of finding a 4-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000. So having 1 in 36 odds or 1 in 250 odds are pretty darn good.
So, help out the club and stretch a little and sell an extra ticket or two, and don’t wait, get them sold and then join us on November 12 to hear your name or the name of one of your buyers drawn.
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Celebration of Suds: Foam at the Falls on 9/26/2015 |
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Week-in-Review 9/23/2015Today’s meeting was held at Deep Book Golf Course in Saco. The golfers in the club were able to come early and play 9 holes before attending the official meeting at 5:00 p.m.- which actually started closer to 5:15. Arrival at the golf course was just a little bit scary when a couple of “wild golf carts” came flying around the corner. It’s amazing how fast those little carts can go.
President Bill started the meeting with members pledging allegiance to a “mini flag”. The 4 Way Test was flawlessly led by Keith Jacques. Prior to the invocation, President Bill reminded Matt Simons that golf was 90% mental and the rest physical. Joe Basset was relieved to hear that he had a reprieve from doing the invocation. President Bill decided to provide the invocation. It went something like this:
The Lord is my caddie; I shall not whiff.
He maketh me to drive straight down green fairways:
He leadeth me over the still waters.
He restoreth my swing:
He leadeth me in the paths of truthfulness for the game’s sake.
Yea, though I pitch through the valley of the shadow of the woods,
I will fear no bunkers: for thou art with me;
Thy wedge and thy putter they comfort me.
Thou preparest a line before me in the presence of mind hazards:
Thou anointest my stroke with confidence; the cup will not be runneth over.
Surely birdies and eagles shall follow me all the rounds of my life:
and I will dwell in the clubhouse of the Lord forever.
(Tony Carpentino 12/23/07)
President-Elect Lucie Kay introduced visiting guests and Rotarians. There were no visiting Rotarians but we were joined by Mark Nahorney from UNE. Looking forward to when Mark gets to finally be inducted into this elite group of Rotarians!
50/50 Raffle was by Jim Godbout who graciously donated the $26 to the new drug education program that is in the works.
The SAA Team of Keith Jacques and Karen Chasse took center stage to collect happy dollars and fines Matt Simmons gave $2 for the golf team that he was chosen to be on and being a “winner” at an event with Susan Gajewski. He was going to use his new slushie machine at an upcoming event. Frank Dumais gave a happy “thank you” dollar for Jim McAllister, who I guess kept saying throughout playing golf, “Is it the truth?” At the 9th hole he claimed that it s**** to be a Rotarian! I’m going out on a limb to assume that Jim didn’t have a great day on the course. President Bill was happy that his shot on hole #6 was 2inches short of the cup. Apparently this is a good thing because if he got it in, according to Keith Jacques, the drinks would be on Bill. Joe Bassett was happy to have spent a great time in PA. Mark Nahorney was happy to being closer to getting inducted. Denis Elie was happy and in shock that his daughter Julia turned 9 years old (Yup, you’re getting old Dennis!) He was also happy to have survived this golf ride with Ken. After almost being run over, I believe Denis had every right to be afraid. Fausto gave a happy dollar because Reuben’s car died, then he fixed it, then it died again when he left the lights on. PE Lucie was happy to be going on yet another 2 week vacation and Ray Demers was also happy that Lucie was going on a 2 week vacation. Bernice gave a happy dollar for the free golf lessons that she received from Matt, Bill and Jim. They must have been some crazy lessons because Bernice didn’t realize that she was wearing her name tag upside down!
PP Karen Chasse fined the following people:
Susan Gajewski( aka Danika) – Leading the way to York for the Alzheimers walk.
Lucie Kay- Sending everyone to York instead of York Beach for the walk.
Rob Moody- Being really worried about him on Saturday at the walk. She was told he had heat stroke issues but he showed up for the walk wearing 3 shirts and it was hot as heck.
Peggy Bean- Looks like she was giving someone the “finger” in a picture.
Fausto- They were supposed to split the money they “caught” in the money machine. Fausto caught a whole dollar but Karen didn’t get her cut.
Keith Jacques- City Hall was evacuated while he was out playing golf. Keith’s response was that he made the call!
Mark Tuller – Is not a “regular” at the weekly meetings but makes sure to show up for a “golf” meeting.
Ken Farley/Denie Elie – Trying to run over Rotarians in their speeding golf cart as the Rotarians were arriving for the meeting.
CJ Dubois-Cote-Hanging up her phone when the meeting started
Ray Demers- For looking very scary on TV when he is anything but scary.
PP Keith Jacques fined the following people:
Bill Kany – Late start to the meeting. It was supposed to start promptly at 5:00 p.m., not 5:15 p.m.
Jim Godbout – Apparently there was a party near Jim’s house that Keith found to be too noisy.
Matt Simmons- Dressed “too casual”. Keith informed Matt that we dressed up at these events!
Bill Kany – Stacking the golf teams. They came in 4 under so it cost him $4.00!
Mark Tuller – For pulling out a “chipper” when he should have pulled out a different club.
Bill Kany – The City keeps getting “beaten up” about disrespecting the Flag, and President Bill forgot to remove his hat while leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Announcements 9/23/2015Day One is hosting their 42nd Annual Celebration and Dinner on Thursday, November 5th at the Marriott at Sable Oaks. As a sponsor we have 4 available seats at the table. The keynote speaker is former Boston Celtics player Chris Herren. Chris suffered from drug addiction and then turned his life around. He is the subject of the ESPN documentary 30 for 30: Unguarded. He works to provide assistance to families affected by addiction and encourages others to stand up to drugs and alcohol. It would be great if we could have some representation from our club attend this event as we are working on trying to pull together a drug addiction pilot program in our community. If you are interested in attending, please let either President Bill or Jim McAllister know.
Kudos to President-Elect Lucie Kay for organizing a very successful team of walkers for the Alzheimers walk that was held in York on 09/19. The Rotary TEAM raised a total of $3,650!! WOW!! President Bill commented that they really looked like a team in their orange t-shirts which in the Alzheimer’s world connotes support for the cause. In fact, during the rally part of the event, A.J. Burnette, a former local meteorologist, recognized them as an awesome team because of the t-shirts. Our group in orange was just a small example of Rotary recognizing a need and doing something to address it. Thanks again to all who donated and especially to all who walked. The long stream of walkers snaking its way along York Beach was a great symbol of the support that is growing to find a cure for an illness that steals people’s spirits and then their lives. Let’s hope people keep walking for a cure.
Mark your Calendar:
10/28/15: Meeting at the Biddeford Center of Technology at 1:00 p.m. with the Mayor and
his group regarding the drug addiction issue.
11/12/15: The $100 Raffle Fundraiser drawing will be held at Duffy’s Tavern & Grill,
located at 168 Saco Ave, OOB, ME
11/14/15: Stuff the Bus
This will be a joint effort with the Rotary Club of Saco Bay and hopefully the Interact
clubs as well. We will be collecting food at both the Market Basket and Hannaford
supermarkets in Biddeford. YCFCU will be providing two buses that we can stuff full
of food for the local food pantries. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00p.m.
Our club has over 60 members. It would be awesome to see as many Rotarians as
possible come spend some time to help with this very worthy cause. Many volunteers
will be needed. Any time that you can spare will be greatly appreciated.
President Bill Gives Thanks:
To Fausto for getting the food and bringing it over to the golf course for the meeting;
To President –Elect Lucie Kay for organizing the Alzheimers walk which turned out to be
a lot of fun!
To Susan Gajewski for arranging to get the delicious sandwiches from Saco Island Deli.
President Bill mentioned that the drug addiction expert(Ed) from UNE will be coming to speak to our club at some point. He has also reached out to the Pharmacy students at UNE who are working on a program that they can teach. He will be forming an adhoc committee to try to create a pilot program to possibly spread state wide.
Celebration of Suds at the Falls Update: All of this is “old news” right now but here’s what happened at the meeting: PP Ken said that there were 79 tickets sold at this point. He is expecting a rush as we get closer. There have been 2,000 “invites” on FaceBook. He updates FaceBook daily. Set up is to begin around 10:00 a.m. They have plenty of signs for event and parking. Ken is looking for more volunteers. There will be a food truck from Kennebunkport, Hot Dog Stand from Home Depot and Studios to Go. Porta Potties will be on site as well as the inflatable Rotary wheel. Tickets can’t be sold at the door, however, we will be selling them from 10:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. for $30.00. There will be 9 brewers with multiple flavors. Non-beer drinkers will be happy that there will also be a small selection of wine available to try. The Lower Village People band will also be on deck to entertain our guests. President Bill asked Rotarians to considered purchasing tickets for this event. Every little bit helps in our cause.
Potential New Club: President Bill announced that Dennis Robillard and Israel Collins of the Saco Bay Rotary Club are in the process of starting a “sunset” club which will meet on Thursday evenings at 5:00 p.m. at Dunegrass. They are hoping to be up and running by December. They are not expecting to take more than 5 members from the Saco Bay Club. Their board meeting is on 10/02 and they will have a club vote on 10/08. If the Saco Bay Club votes to support this new sunset club, we will most likely follow suit. Bill will put the question up to a club vote.
Rotary Orange T-Shirts: If you ordered a t-shirt and have picked it up but not yet paid, please get your money in soon to either Bernice Wood or Laurie Jo Ready.
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ALZHEIMERS WALKBIDDEFORD-SACO ROTARY CLUB
RAISES OVER $3,600 FOR ALZHEIMERS WALK
PHOTO CAPTION – The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club recognizes the value of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease so they came together for a good cause to do just that last Saturday. Seventeen Rotarians, family members and friends donned orange shirts signifying the color of support as they walked in the Walk to End Alzheimers at York Beach. Thanks to the full membership’s support, the team ranked fourth among the top five fundraisers yielding $3,622 in fundraising dollars. President Bill Kany added, “This is a disease that touches all of us in some way, and I am proud of our club for not only walking in support but taking steps to raise funds to make a difference.”
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Meeting Reminder for 9/23/2015Just a reminder that we will not be at Run of the Mill tomorrow for our meeting. We will meet at the Deep Brook Golf Course on Route 5 in Saco just over the Turnpike on the left. Anyone who is golfing should plan on being at the course by 2:30. We will pick up teams at that time, play nine and then the meeting will start at around 5:00. The cost for the meal will be the same and the cost for golf is $19.00 excluding cart. See you there tomorrow.
Bill
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President's Message- Alzheimer’s WalkOn September 19, a bunch of Biddeford Saco Rotarians and friends participated in the Alzheimer’s Walk in York Beach. It was a beautiful day to support such a worthy cause. I want to thank Roland Gagne, Sue Gajewski, Matt Simmonds, Jim McAllister and Doug Kay (he drove Lucie) for driving down. An extra thank you to Roland for having a bank’s worth of change for the parking meters. I believe there is more than a little Nascar in the blood of Roland and Sue. Doug on the other hand was certainly the tortoise in the race (Lucie there is a minimum speed limit on the Pike). I also want to thank Rob Moody, Matt and Tyler Simmonds, Sarah Neault, Roland, Laurie Jo Ready and her friend whose name escapes me, Sue Gajewski and her friend Mary, Jim and Donna McAllister, Peggy Bean and her daughter Allison, Doug and Lucie, and Karen Chasse for participating in the walk. I do apologize if I left anyone out. It is not intentional.
Really, Lucie deserves a special thanks for organizing the team. I believe that Sarah and Laurie Jo were our top two fundraisers, kudos to them. I should note that we really looked like a team in our orange t-shirts which in the Alzheimer’s world connotes support for the cause. In fact, during the rally part of the event, A.J. Burnette, a former local meteorologist, recognized us as an awesome team because of the t-shirts.
The rally really reminded us why we were there. One gentleman who got up with his wife to speak was 62 years old. He has early onset Alzheimer’s. We is an attorney and a long time college professor at St. Anselm’s who had to stop teaching and practicing and is now on disability. He essentially knows that he will eventually die from the disease which is slowly stealing his life from him. There was another man there, a 57 year old engineer, who also has early onset Alzheimer’s. He is a year older than me, and he has a disease with no known cure that with rob him of his mind, his memories and eventually his life.
A person I met during the rally said to me that if this cause had nearly the same support as AIDS or cancer there is no doubt there would be a cure by now. That struck a nerve for me. For whatever reason, this disease which is the sixth leading cause of death in this country simply has not gotten the needed support, but it is clear that things are changing in that regard and as more people are afflicted with the disease (sad, but true fact of life), more and more education about Alzheimer’s is becoming available and finally more money is being raised to find a cure.
Our group in orange was just a small example of Rotary recognizing a need and doing something to address it. Thanks again to all who donated and especially to all who walked. The long stream of walkers snaking its way along York Beach was a great symbol of the support that is growing to find a cure for an illness that steals people’s spirits and then their lives. Let’s hope people keep walking for a cure.
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President Bill on the Susan L Curtis FoundationPresident’s Message. I want to thank Bernice again for inviting Melissa Cilley, the Executive Director of the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, to speak at our meeting on September 9. We have all heard of the foundation, but it was very interesting to learn about or to be reminded about what the foundation does. There can be no question that Ms. Cilley attends meetings like ours in an effort to raise money to help the kids served by the foundation's summer camp. What impressed me, however, is that the Susan L. Curtis Foundation can truly show that it has changed lives. They work with school systems to identify disadvantaged youths who could possibly benefit from two weeks of a type of summer camp that does way more than expose children to the great outdoors. The camp helps kids discover themselves. They take kids from challenging environments who are destined to live a life of poverty and state assistance and/or addiction and turn their lives around. They know from years of existence that they have many success stories and many children who, with the foundation's help, have succeeded even with difficult if not non-existent home lives.
The information we received from Ms. Cilley’s talk and through the thoughtful questions from the club made me wonder if we are doing the right thing by contributing so much money to college scholarships. Are we helping those students? Of course we are, but are we changing their lives? I would say that we may be changing the lives of some of the students who go onto YCCC, but I would imagine that most, if not all, of the gifted students who are the beneficiaries of our college scholarships would be able to attend college even without our $4,000.00. But what could that money do for an 8 year old with no role models, no regular meals and no real chance?
I am not necessarily endorsing any changes, but I am hoping that hearing about kids turning around their lives through a program like the Susan L. Curtis Foundation will at least prompt us to reflect on how we spend the funds we raise every year. We should be willing to change if the change makes sense to the lives of young people in our communities. We should not do things simply because it is the way we have always done them.
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Week-in-Review 9/16/2015You missed a great meeting this week. Our guest was Governor Paul Lepage; more on him later. President Bill opened the meeting on time. Everybody was squeezed, I mean greeted by our own Jeremy Ray and Chris Indorf at the door.
Bill made a number of announcements about the Beer Festival slated for September 26th. This is hoping to be a premier event for our club and as such we need as many hands on deck as possible. Ken Farley has also sent out requests for volunteers. I think this is going to be a great event.
Bill also mentioned that our t-shirts were handed out at the start of the meeting, if you ordered one and have not yet received it please let Peggy Bean know so that she makes sure you do receive it. Bill handed the floor to Lucy Kay who spoke about the Alzheimer's walk scheduled for 09/19; you will be reading this after the event. The great news is that Lucy proudly announced that we had raised $3,500.00 for the event.
Frank Dumais took the floor next and said " we are moving forward with our dictionary program for our third graders." Frank then went on to confuse Sarah C with Sarah N when he mentioned that we are giving the teachers homework this year. Sarah N is developing a questionnaire that we will hand out to teachers when we hand out the dictionaries. They will be asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of our dictionary program-- should we be doing something else still with an over arching goal of it being centered around literacy goals, continue with the dictionaries, etc..., etc.... And Frank D, don't worry- I get confused when I look at the two Sarahs at the same time too.
Bill then handed out standard SBS SWAG to me me me me and Karen Chase and Sarah Curley for winning the so you think you know Ken Farley contest. Not braggin but I think we blew everybody out of the water even though we only answered a couple of questions correctly. Happy to say we did it even though Fausto scooted early from our table and then was envious of our victorious spoils. He was upset that Sarah C won something and then didn’t even sit with us.
Lunch was served and SAA's went into action.
CHris E won the 50/50 and donated it back to the club; nice guy award for him.
When I asked for happy dollars Chris was also first with a Jackson, no not brown- he wasn't there, Chris is the proud father of his new baby girl Elissa- congrats from all Chris!! Don L gave a deuce, one for ??? and the other for his Rob Caldwell doppelganger- sorry Don- I didn't remember his name. Lucy was happy for the Alzheimer's Walk, Karen C for her daughters 10 straight conversion points in volley ball as TA swamped Windham 3 to 1. Can't remember the rest- sorry. Fines followed: Jeremy Ray for continuing the war on women ( aren't you a democrat ) for letting me know that he would " let the women wash the glasses for the beer fest". Shame on you. Jeremy returned the volley by proxy as Chris E fined me for saying that Jeremy and he were just educators "c'mon guys- it can't be that hard- I could do 181 days on my head :-) Bill K a buck for slamming credit unions, Lucy Kay a buck for promoting credit unions- can't we all just get along??? Frank D for looking at Sarah C but talking about Sarah N, Brian D for sending the same Bill K Tack message 4 times. I think the arctic ice flows may have had some impact on your thought process- and Brian you are leaving again to go South. When I die I want to come back as Brian Dallaire, I kid you not.
OK, I can't remember anything else. You see, Kany had this stupid idea of making all of the directors responsible for a months worth of Tack reporting. He said do what you want i.e., get someone to do it for you or do it yourself. I couldn't get anybody to take notes this week so next week I will take Kany's money. I expect the rest of you to beat him up at Deep Brook ( beat him up = on the scorecard only ) you could even do some side bets and tithe the money to the club.
Our guest, Governor Paul Lepage showed up promptly on time at 1:00. I introduced him. I make no bones about that fact that I am a supporter of most of the Governor's agenda. Instead of me writing notes I would rather add the Journal Tribune's article that was published on September 17th. It is a pretty good article and covers the majority of points that the Governor made. The Governor and our club got above the fold coverage on the front page of our local paper!
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Governor LePageLePage speaks to Rotary Club about state’s heroin problemBy NATHAN LYNCH
Special to the Journal Tribune
Gov. Paul LePage speaks at the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club on Wednesday. Nathan Lynch/Special to the Journal Tribune
SACO — Gov. Paul LePage previewed a series of town hall meetings he plans to give for the rest of his term at a meeting of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club on Wednesday, signaling a shift in his tactics in presenting his wide-ranging agenda directly to the public.
He spoke specifically about mitigating the supply of heroin and educating students about drug addiction in his prepared remarks, but also answered questions on a number of issues including the Efficiency Maine trust, the Land for Maine’s Future program, and his effort to lower the state’s income tax.
LePage began by addressing what he sees as a shortfall in resources for law enforcement to combat opioid trafficking. In the past, LePage’s efforts have courted controversy from Democrats, who suggest that his policies put law enforcement and incarceration ahead of treatment options. He noted that Maine has funded millions of dollars for treatment, while law enforcement and education have lagged behind.
“Every single day in Maine people (are) dying of drug overdoses, particularly heroin,” LePage said. “Three babies are born daily addicted or affected by drugs. … We need you, the public, to tell your legislators to please address the education of drugs and law enforcement of drugs. When I took office we were spending $57 million a year (on treatment); this past year we spent $76 million. We are twice the national average on GDP for drug treatment and four times as much as New Hampshire. When it’s coming in the boatload and pickup trucks full, there’s nothing we can do to stop it from being circulated.”
While the governor’s efforts focused on law enforcement, many of the questions he fielded from the Rotary Club members were about what the community could do.
Director Joe Morsehead, who helped arrange Gov. LePage’s presence at the event, asked if the governor had considered a Gloucester, Massachusetts program that fast-tracks addicts to treatment options with a combination of public and private money, rather than putting them through the criminal justice system.
Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray asked about support for the children of addicts. “Our children are living in homes where parents are addicted,” he said, “and that’s a whole other battle than saying no to drugs.”
The governor responded that Maine already makes an effort to prioritize treatment over incarceration – and said his efforts would focus on traffickers rather than the addicts themselves and that he has made an effort through DHHS to make sure children are in safe environments.
“Society through local communities has to get behind us. We need to understand and work at this problem,” LePage said.
William Kany, President of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, said that the Rotary Club’s effort would be to pilot an effort to educate children about addiction on a local level. He added that the environment was a good setting for the governor to talk freely about the issues that mattered to him.
“It was good to hear him talk about (heroin intervention) … in a format like this,” Kany said.
LePage also put his sights on the Efficiency Maine trust, which he described as a “sacred cow” for the Legislature, and touched on his decision to withhold Land for Maine’s Future bonds.
“We’ve been trying to get them to look at more useful programs that will help,” LePage said of Efficiency Maine. The governor last week decided to withhold $2 million from the conservation program because the legislature has blocked his effort to use proceeds from timber harvesting on state lands to fund a program that would help rural Maine residents upgrade their heating systems.
“They go out and identify land they want to put into conservation. I agree with that. But once they identify it, they overpay for the properties … and they’re taking the property off the tax rolls and then they come to me and tell me to sell bonds to pay for it. You and I are paying for this,” LePage said, explaining that his decision to withhold the bonds comes after the Legislature has blocked his timber harvesting effort for three years straight.
In addition, LePage also made his case for a 5 percent income tax – saying it would put more money in the hands of taxpayers and grow the economy “twice as fast” – as well as his effort to leverage future liquor revenues against debt service.
When one audience member pointed out these efforts, LePage had a suggestion for the audience.
“It’s no big secret,” Gov. LePage said. “Just don’t read newspapers.”
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Past District Governor Marty Helman on Rotary FoundationToday’s speaker was Past District Governor Marty Helman. She started off by thanking our group and telling us we are doing everything right! All of our members gave to the foundation. 1/3 of our members gave $100 or more and 2 members gave $1,000 per year!!! 90% of the money donated to the Rotary Foundation goes to the services provided by the Rotary Foundation. We as Rotarians decide where the money is spent using grants. Rotary has two different Grants; 1. District – small donations that go to where the clubs want them to go; 2. Global – larger donations that gets voted on by the board.
Global Grants can involve other countries. Typically Global Grants go to Third World Countries because our money goes further there, but they can still fund the United States.
The board members for Rotary do NOT decide where the money goes. The board decides policies and the actual clubs decide where the funds go. All Rotary Groups are invited to meet at Seminars (planning projects). This is where all the decisions are made. The next Seminar is September 19 at USM in Portland. You can sign up on the district website if you would like to attend and be a part of the money decisions.
Rotary has three different Funds: Annual Fund, Polio Fund, and the Endowment. The Annual fund is based on what funds come in that are not designated to a particular fund. The Polio Fund is funded when people request to fund Polio. The Endowment Fund goes to programming and scholarships. Rotary selects one individual to attend the Rotary Peace Center at Duke. It is a 2 year Peace and Conflict program. Anyone can nominate someone to attend and the nomination forms are on the district website. The individuals that attend could be the next Noble Peace Prize Winner.
Matt Early asked the question “how does the money get split?” Unless the money is slated for a certain fund it all goes into the annual giving. When you are online donating, you can select the drop down to decide where you want your money going. Apparently Joe Bassett was waiving at the flies flying around the room. Marty thought he had a question.
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Dr. James Sulikowski – a Professor at UNE Today we had Dr. James Sulikowski – a Professor at UNE come as our guest speaker. James brought him as the guest, and apparently he has seen him naked… it got a little awkward for a few minutes. Dr. James Sulikowski did a great job in his presentation, but I will NEVER swim in the ocean again! He told us how UNE is teaching students about Marine Entrepreneurship, Conservation and Restoration, Ocean Studies, and Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture. The Seafood Industry is a $2 billion industry (I’m in the wrong profession!). In the Sustainable Ecological program, they study blue fish Tuna, Scallops, and Munk Fish – which is the poor man’s lobster and you can only eat the tail. If anyone sees a big red ball floating by the Dam, call UNE because their Receiver is floating away!
Dr. James Sulikowski then started talking about Sharks. The Gulf of Maine has 8 species of Sharks within 10 miles from the beaches (GGRREEEAAATTTT!) The Spiny Dogfish shark is the smallest shark we have. They are typically used for Fish n Chips in Europe! Next up is the Blue Shark. They’re scavengers and eats just about anything! They like to hang out off the shore. The Common Thresher Shark was interesting. They use their long tails to stun schools of fish. When the fish fall he gobbles them up! The Thresher Shark apparently tastes delicious and is sold in the grocery store. Next Shark in our area is the Mako Shark. They are the fastest sharks and they LOVE eating Blue Fish. They are very aggressive, and Dr. Sulikowski said they are yummy and taste like steak (I’ll take his word for it!). The next Shark we have is the Porbeagle. They have a white patch on their fin. They are also fast and love to eat fish. They can get to be as big as 9 feet! The good Doctor then told us about Sand Tigger sharks. They are proposed to be threatened. They are super slow swimmers but like the Canadians, they like to hang off the Pier in OOB. Of course we have the famous Great White Shark! They are going to coming around more often because the Seal Population is increasing like crazy! The last shark we have is the Basking Shark. They can grow to be 30 feet long!!! They LOVE to hang out by the shore and you can see them coming very close starting in June. They don’t have teeth they have sandpaper!
Dr. James Sulikowski tried to but our minds to rest by telling us that we have a better chance of getting bit on the Subway in New York City than getting bit by a Shark – I didn’t find this comforting one bit!!
Sharks can live to be 75 years old!! They only have a handful of babies in their life time and they only have one baby at a time. Apparently Sharks can get pregnant with multiples but the first Shark to grow teeth... um… eats his brothers and sisters... eww!
UNE tags sharks with removable tags that float to the top and give up to date information! Each tag is between $4,000 and $5,000!
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Melissa Cilley, Executive Director of the Susan L. Curtis FoundationToday's speaker was Melissa Cilley, Executive Director of the Susan L. Curtis Foundation and shared with us that in the early 1970s the Susan L. Curtis Foundation was formed to serve the State of Maine’s most underdeveloped resource, the economically disadvantaged children of Maine. The founders circle recognized that these children were unable to take advantage of Maine’s summer camps, and wanted to level the playing field for economically disadvantaged children. Camp Susan Curtis was born. Camp Susan Curtis lays the foundation for lifelong achievement - a foundation that remains with the children they serve throughout their lives, permanently shifting their path to a brighter future. At Camp Susan Curtis these children realize that they HAVE potential. The children are taught healthy habits like resilience, determination, personal responsibility and trust, good behavior, and skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication, so that they can reach their full potential. The goal of Camp Susan Curtis is to break the statistical trajectory of our economically disadvantaged children. While at Camp Susan Curtis children get the full camp experience. The Camp is located on 100 acres of conservation land, where the children hike, swim and bike. The staff is paid; 50% are returning participants who were at one time campers. Camp Susan Curtis serves 500 children each year aged 8-17 years from all 16 counties in Maine. There is no cost to the campers. It costs roughly $1,200/child for the 2-week experience. Staff to camper ratio is 3/10. All of the children are referred to Camp Susan Curtis by Maine’s public schools.
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Week-in-Review 9/9/2015President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Steven Morin led everyone in the 4 Way Test. Joe Bassett provided the invocation, and the Club took a moment of silence to remember the victims and families of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the eve of the 14th anniversary of that tragic day in our country’s history. Lucie visiting Rotarians, from the Saco Bay Club, Kerstin Kirchner and Elaine Fournier. There were no guests in attendance today. Rotarian, Kerstin Kirchner announced that she has between 2,000 and 3,000 books in the back of her pickup truck that will be donated to the YMCA.
Next up were today’s SAA’s Joe Moreshead and Denis Elie trying their best to add to the budget with happy dollars and fines. Denis was happy that his son, Evan’s team won their first two football games; Frank Gooding was happy that he survived the weekend with his grandchildren and he was fined for being the last in; Matt Simmons was happy that his son’s travel hockey team won its first game and that his son scored his 1st goal; visiting Rotarian, Kerstin paid $1.00 to share that she is leaving the Saco Bay club because she is moving to Wells; Steve Morin is oddly happy that his youngest daughter is now 21; Lucie was happy that her granddaughter started her first day of preschool; Ken is happy that he won’t be here next week to hear Governor LePage speak since he’ll be in Florida for work… NOTE: any story worth telling is worth embellishing!!! Fines were as follows: Peggy Bean for chuckling when President Kany announced next week’s guest speaker. A very reliable source confirms that it wasn’t her that snickered!! Bernice for not keeping President Kany adequately informed concerning today’s speaker and for the love/hate relationship the two share; Jeremy Ray for sending his son to school in Saco and putting his kindergartener on the bus; Steve Morin for reciting the 4-way test verbatim.
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Announcements 9/9/2015President Bill reminded everyone once again about the Alzheimer’s Walk on Saturday, September 19th. Our Club has raised over $3,000.00 for the event and is on the leader board! Bernice Wood has ordered the T-Shirts. Cost is $9.00 for a crew neck and $10.50 for a V-neck T-shirt to be paid by member. If you can’t walk please take the time to make a contribution if you have not done so already. The on-line process is very easy.
Susan Gajewski reminded everyone that the meeting on 09/23 was going to be held at the Deep Brook Golf Course. Golf will start at 2:30 for anyone wishing to play. The cost is $20 per person without a cart. To date there are 28 Rotarians signed up to attend the meeting. If you are planning on attending the meeting portion, please let Susan know so that she can make accurate arrangements for the food. The meeting portion will begin at 5:30 p.m. Please arrive between 5-5:30 p.m.
If anyone is interested in purchasing a kayak for half-price to donate for the Auction, please contact Susan Gajewski for details. Rotarian Kerstin Kirchner committed to buying one but there could be more available for purchase.
PP Ken Farley informed everyone that only 34 tickets have been sold to the upcoming Celebration of Suds at the Falls. Tickets need to be purchased in advance so please spread the word! There are 9 brewers who will be in attendance. Ken is looking for Volunteers and a sign up sheet was circulated. There will even be live entertainment! The “Lower Village People”. Ken stressed to all members to “invite” people to the event through Facebook-don’t just “Share”. At the time of his announcement, over 1400 people had been invited.
We have posted the names of two candidates for new membership and if you have any comments or concerns you are asked to get in touch with a member of the board. The candidates are: Mark Nahorney from UNE, sponsored by Ken Farley; and Heather McLean, sponsored by Karen Chasse.
There will be a Dictionary Committee meeting after today’s meeting.
SAVE THE DATE: GOVERNOR LEPAGE WILL BE SPEAKING AT OUR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2015.
President Bill Thanked Don Lauzier for his hard work as the Chair of the SMHC Golf Tournament.
The 50/50 raffle ($27) was won by Bernice Wood.
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Week-in-Review 9/2/2015Even though he was on vacation, President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. PP Mark Tuller led everyone in the 4 Way Test. He had a slight dilemma when it came to saying “or” before the count down. He always thought we should be saying “of the things we think say AND do” not “OR do”. Joe Bassett provided the invocation. Vice President Jackson Brown took his maiden voyage and announced visiting Rotarians and guests. There were no guests in attendance today however we all welcomed Mike Thompson from the Boothbay Harbor Club. President Bill announced that we would be participating in “Club Trivia” after we eat with the theme being “Ken Farley Trivia”.
Next up were today’s SAA’s Karen Chasse and Joe Moreshead trying their best to add to the budget with happy dollars and fines. Julie Villemaire was happy that Joe Moreshead picked up the expense for her lunch and 50/50 ticket all for taking the minutes for the TACK. This tactic worked very well because SarahNeault agreed to the same deal for next week. Sarah was happy that her daughter started kindergarten –although she was told by her daughter to stop crying-so I think it may have been more of a sad dollar. Fausto was happy that Sophia started 3rd grade-he also didn’t handle the transition well. Our visiting Rotarian, Mike Thompson, from Boothbay Harbor Rotary, invited everyone to the Boothbay Harbor club. They built their own club house and meet on Thursday evenings. Mark Tuller was happy to be celebrating 37 years of wedded bliss and Alan Nelson for 53 years. That was enough happiness in the room so the fines started coming. President Bill was fined “just because”. Karen thanked Bill for a picture on the TA website in which he was wearing a lab code that says SMMC. Josh Ellis was fined for his picture in the paper. Susan Gajewski was fined for a really cute picture of herself at age 3 with Santa Claus. Joe fined the following people for their picture in the paper: Karen Chasse, Jackson Brown, Ken Farley, Laurie Jo Ready, Susan Gajewski, Bernice Wood, Peggy Bean, Rob Moody, Joe Moreshead and Fausto Pfieffer. These people all happen to be our board members. Don Lauzier was fined for sitting in the driver’s seat of the new forklift that was recently purchased for the food pantry. CJ Dubois Cote was fined for cell phone usage and also being the “last in”. Sarah Curley was also fined for her picture in the paper and Josh was fined but I didn’t hear the specifics. It had to do with his father and paying for a team.
Next up was a lot of fun at the expense of Past President Ken Farley. President Bill said that at Ken’s last meeting he didn’t really have a chance to Thank Ken and show his appreciation for the work the Ken did as president. By the end of the meeting we all learned the following information about our Past President, Ken Farley: All 5 Farley boys received a “luck of the Irish” tattoo when they turned 18. He has his hair cut every 3rd week. “Ken I”, was never one of his nicknames. The only book he ever read for fun is The Firm. The only place he can relax is at the beach. His favorite beverage for his “bubba” is orange vodka. He was a javelin thrower in high school. He reads Craigs List each night before he goes to bed to unwind. His favorite movie is the Shaw Shank Redemption. His current sport is bicycling. A visit to the hot tub helps him sleep at night. His father in-law taught him how to dry-wall.
Today’s speaker is Melissa Cilley from the Susan L. Curtis Foundation.
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Announcements 9/2/2015President Bill reminded everyone once again about the Alzheimer’s Walk on Saturday, September 19th. Bernice Wood is taking orders for T-Shirts. Cost is to be paid by member. I believe she said they were $8.00. If you aren’t able to make it to the walk, the shirts can be used for other Rotary events. It takes about 2 weeks for the shirts to come in so get your orders into her ASAP. Remember to ask your friends and family members to join us in this very worthwhile event. Joe Moreshead addressed the group about his experience with this terrible disease. His mother in-law started out with small things like putting her keys in the refrigerator. The severity of the disease became more apparent when they received a phone call stating that she was lost at UNE. He said the good thing was that she was always happy-always in a good mood. This isn’t always the case for everyone. It is a terrible disease for not only the person to go through but the family as well. Joe mentioned that the Southern Maine Area on Aging is a huge advocate for this type of disease if you ever need a resource. They were a tremendous help to Joe and his family. There was also a great article in the Rotary magazine recently. President Bill said that our team was doing very well so far and was in the top 5. Please take the time to make a contribution if you have not done so already. The on-line process is very easy.
Susan Gajewski reminded everyone that the meeting on 09/23 was going to be held at the Deep Brook Golf Course. Golf will start at 2:30 for anyone wishing to play. The cost is $20 per person without a cart. So far there are 9 Rotarians signed up to play. If you are planning on attending the meeting portion, please list your name so that Susan can made accurate arrangements for the food. The meeting portion will begin at 5:30 p.m. Please arrive between 5-5:30 p.m.
PP Ken Farley sent an updated e-mail to everyone regarding the upcoming Celebration of Suds at the Falls. There are 9 brewers who will be in attendance. Volunteers will be needed. Ken forgot the “official” sign-up sheet but he improvised and sent around another sheet for all to sign-up. There will even be live entertainment! The “Lower Village People”. Ken stressed to all members to “invite” people to the event through Facebook-don’t just “Share”. At the time of his announcement, over 1400 people had been invited. Ken provided a quick lesson to everyone on how to invite people on Facebook using their cell phones.
President Bill Thanked Julie Villemaire for working through getting the TACK out to everyone in the absence of Brian Dallaire. Elaine Palmitessa was Thanked for coming to the rescue of a dog who was locked in car. What is wrong with people??! He Thanked Isabelle Farley for providing the information needed for today’s trivia challenge. He also Thanked Fausto for bringing doughnuts to the board meeting and also providing more advertising. This beer fest could become as big of a fundraiser as our TV auction. It is good for the club and also good for the community. Looking to reach out to businesses for sponsorships.
The 50/50 raffle ($26) was won by Sarah Neault which she graciously donated to the Alzheimer’s Walk.
Peggy Bean announced that there would be a sign-up sheet circulating for the Front Desk Greeter Duty.
There is a posting for a new member and a returning member: Mark Nahorney, from UNE being sponsored by Ken Farley and Heather McLean being sponsored by Karen Chasse.
President Bill wanted to Thank Jim Godbout for bringing the drug addiction situation to the club. He also said that Jim would be donating $5k of his own funds to this endeavor. Bill mentioned that he has reached out to the Maine Bankers Association to see if they would be willing to participate as well as UNE’s pharmacy school. The goal would be to have a pilot program for our area. He wanted to reiterate that this program would be in addition to what is already out there. We wouldn’t be reinventing the wheel.
President Bill announced that some of the committee chairs were having a hard time getting responses from their committee members regarding setting up a meeting. Please make every effort to get back to the chairs of the committees.
PP Frank Dumais announced that there would be a meeting for the Dictionary committee immediately following next week’s meeting (that would be today 09/09).
Sarah Neault reached out to Ruth Shaw, advisor for the Interact Club. Their first meeting will be 09/09 at 2:00 p.m. at BHS in Ruth Shaw’s classroom. They have been asked to join us for the Alzheimer’s Walk.
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Announcements 8/26/2015President Bill sent out a reminder about the Alzheimer Walk. He begged everyone to visit www.alz.org and donate or sign up to walk. Walk starts at 9:00am. Everyone needs to send Lucie their t-shirt size so everyone can match and no one will get lost or separated from the group while walking. You are paying for your own shirt and it will be roughly $10-$12.
Sue had a sign up going around for the golf and meeting on September 23rd. If you’re going to the meeting write your name on the list or you won’t be able to eat! She’s using the list to order food. If you missed the sign up this week, don’t worry, she will send it around for the next 3 weeks.
Past President Ken Farley gave a quick update on the upcoming new fundraiser, “Celebration of Suds at the Falls”, which is being held on Saturday, September 26. We were able to get the Courier to discount ad space! There are 19 tickets already sold. We need roughly 300 sold to break even. Don’t forget to take a poster and hang it anywhere!!!! A volunteer page will be going around at Wednesday’s meeting. Make sure you sign up to volunteer! Who wouldn’t want to drink beer and wine?!?!?!
Don talked to the group about the Forklift for the Food Pantry. They found a used Forklift and were able to finance $3,000! Rotary donated a total of $600 - $500 from Rotary and $100 donated by a Rotarian (I’m sorry Don was speaking so fast I couldn’t keep up L ) The Forklift was donated on Thursday at 1pm and the Journal Tribune was there to document it!!
Bowen from the Portland Rotary Group came to discuss their Centennial Gala!!! It’s going to be on Saturday, September 12th at the Holiday Inn By the Bay. Cocktails at 5:30 and Dinner is at 6:30. There will be music and dancing from 8:30 -10:30. Its $100 per person and you MUST RSVP by August 31st. Check out the invitation at the end of the TACK!
Frank Dumais would like to have a dictionary meeting on September 9th after the meeting.
There was a Charitable Meeting after today’s meeting.
Jim (It wasn’t Jim McAllister) talked about Drug Abuse. He wants to wage the war against drugs and would like Rotary’s Help. Prescription drugs are where drug addiction all starts. He is looking for financial and volunteer help to fight the battle. Karen Chasse is working with Project Alliance on a video to help fight this battle. Bowen also said that Falmouth and Westbrook are working on a similar group. President Bill is going to talk to Tony Wagner to move this forward ASAP.
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Week-in-Review 8/26/2015President Bill started the meeting off with the Pledge of Allegiance. Phew! No singing required today!! CJ Dubois-Cote led the 4 Way Test and James Audiffred led the Invocation this week.
Today President-Elect Lucie Kay announced our visitors. We had our guest speaker Dr. James Sulikowski from UNE. We also had a visiting Rotarian from Portland, Bowen.
This week’s 50/50 totaled $30!!! Dana Lane won and he donated the funds to Jim’s Drug Program.
SAA’s Joe Moreshead, Karen Chasse and Keith Jacques were up next for some fun and some fining!
We had a few happy people at Rotary… where are the rest of the happy people?!?! Joe Moreshead had a happy dollar because his son turned 30!! Mark had a happy dollar because he sent up his membership application last night (we’ll see you in 2 weeks if you pass inspection!!!) Of course Joe wanted to fine him a dollar because you’re not supposed to talk about your application. Jeremy was happy because he took his son fishing with his Spiderman Pole and he caught a fish!! Peggy was happy with an article that President Bill wrote (hmm... are we brown nosing the President??) Past President Ken was happy he helped his daughters Field Hockey team with a bottle drive. He was impressed with how many bottles they collected and the support from fellow Rotarians. Lucie was happy because she just came back from a fabulous vacation from Niagara Falls. She said there are more people there than at Disney it seems! Karen’s daughter bought her very own first car all by herself! It’s Tan Neon. CJ is happy to be going to Rockport this weekend!!!
Onto the fines…Joe fined President Bill because he said board members must do TACK (I’m not a board member!!) But Joe is buying me lunch because he can’t do TACK next week! Keith fined CJ for the 4 way test… she had to read the poster (I read the poster too!!) Karen fined Jim for asking for Coleslaw with lunch. Joe fined Bowen for buying a beer and didn’t offer to buy anyone else a beer. Karen fined Don for destroying her dreams of taking his job since he said he is NEVER RETIRING!!! Joe fined Matt because his Portfolio is on a Roller Coaster ride right now... up and down and all around! Karen fined Keith for saying “Child birth is easy or you wouldn’t keep doing it.” I think he deserved more than a $1 fine, but that’s my opinion J Joe fined everyone who isn’t voting for Donald Trump! Keith fined President Bill for not being able to decide what he wanted to lunch (he has multiple dots on his tag).
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President's ReflectionPresident’s Message:
Please indulge me by reading the following:
In the evening on August 16, Holly and I drove up to Naples to watch comedian Bob Marley perform at the Freedom Café. The show was on the lawn behind the café and we were told to bring our own chairs. The setting was actually right on the shore of Long Lake with the stage set up on the first dock of a small marina behind the restaurant.
It was quite crowded when we got there but we found a space on the bank of the lake and we were about to unfold our chairs when I heard someone yell: “Bill, careful or you and your chair will roll right into the lake.” I turned around to see two couples sitting at a picnic table. I recognized two of the individuals as people I have known for some time. They were former clients with a long standing successful contracting business. In fact, they were three years ahead of me at TA. I remember him as a big athlete and she was a cheerleader. They were high school sweethearts who got married and settled right here in Saco. I even remembered her from years before when I used to deliver her family’s paper. In any event, given our precarious perch on the edge of the lake, I asked them if we could join them at their picnic table and they welcomed us over.
Holly and I sat down across from each other with Holly sitting next to the woman I knew and I introduced Holly to both of them. It had been a while since I had seen them, but they were very engaging with great Maine accents. I had forgotten that she had been sick for some time and that illness had aged her well beyond her cheerleading days, but who am I kidding, we have all aged. It was really nice to catch up with them before the show started.
Bob Marley was really on that night. His material was fresh and his interaction with the crowd, especially the people on the boats behind him, was quick and hilarious. I could not help but notice how much my friends laughed and I actually thought to myself if laughter is the best medicine then she is going to be fine. As the show ended we all headed to our cars and she felt so bad for us because we had to drive back to Saco that night (they have a camp up there and only needed to go a short way). We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
Fast forward to Wednesday the 19th. When I got home I was greeted with the news of the tragic stabbing at Shaw’s. At 10:45 PM as I lay in bed reading, Holly read a text from our daughter, Erin, who works as a pharmacy tech at Community Pharmacy when she is not in pharmacy school. They had identified the Shaw’s assailant and Erin recognized her as a rather disturbed person who frequents downtown Saco. She also texted that the victim was Wendy Boudreau. It was Wendy Boudreau and her husband Jeff who we sat with at the Marley show.
I do not write this to emphasize how small and interwoven our lives in a small community can be. I write this to emphasize how short life can be. This tragedy is a stark reminder that we should not put off until tomorrow what we really want to do today. If we have things we have been meaning to say, say them. We do not always have a lot of time to do good in the world so do it right away. I always assume I have plenty of time to get certain things done, but Wendy’s death is a stark reminder that we do not always have the luxury of time./
Wendy Boudreau went to Shaw’s to do her groceries like I am guessing she had done 100s if not 1,000s of times before.
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Week-in-Review 8/19/2015President Bill started the meeting off with the Pledge of Allegiance. Phew! No singing required today!! Karen Chasse led the 4 Way Test and Joe Bassett led the Invocation again this week.
Today President-Elect Lucie Kay announced our visitors. We had our guest speaker Past Assistant Governor Marty Helman. We also had a visitor, Mark from UNE.
Past Assistant Governor Marty drew the 50/50. Elaine Palmitessa won $24 which she kindly donated to the Alzheimer’s Walk.
SAA’s Joe Moreshead, Karen Chasse and Denis Elie were up next for some fun and some fining!
We had a lot of happy people in our little Rotary Group today!!! Joe Bassett was happy his grandson came home safely from Japan. Fausto’s daughter turned 5!! I’m not sure if this was a happy dollar or an angry dollar, but Ruben bought a boat…and pardon my language but it was said multiple times… a shit brown 1978 Buick LeSabre. Fausto would like to thank Joe for the boat because it was purchased after Ruben and Joe had lunch. Fausto is going to buy Ruben a pimp hat, coat, etc to go along with his new car. Below is a picture in case you didn’t know what it looked like!
Karen had a happy dollar! She is finally recovering from 2 girls’ night’s sleep over. Not a lot of sleep to be had in that household last weekend! Bernice was happy that her son made it back to Beijing safely! Paul Deschambault had a guilty dollar… he followed Past President Ken’s instructions on sharing the Facebook event for the Celebration of Suds. He received numerous nasty messages from family because it’s the same day as his nephew’s wedding. Whoops! Past Assistant Governor Marty Helman gave a happy dollar because she was happy to be part of our Rotary Group today.
Onto the fines… Joe was a little upset no one was in the paper this week. He did however find Will Kany in the paper so President Bill had to pay the fine. Karen pointed out that President Bill signed up for the Alzheimer’s Walk but has yet to donate. Denis fined Fausto for his red shorts – why didn’t anyone fine Joe for his yellow shorts??? Karen fined Diane for not showing up at the front desk. Denis fined Past President Ken for not knowing the difference between Bank and Band. Joe fined Matt Early for being late and then announcing he was late – apparently his last name means nothing. Karen fined Past President Ken for hurting President – Elect Lucie’s feelings because he only asked for Bank sponsorships. What is wrong with a Credit Union? Joe fined the entire group if you have not signed up to walk in the Alzheimer’s Walk. Scooters also had to pay $2.
President Bill then thanked Sarah for coming to the meeting right from Prom. He also thanked Emily for taking on the TACK as a new member. There was a small amount of pressure to make it fun... I hope I did okay!!
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Announcements 8/19/2015President bill begged everyone again to sign up for the Alzheimer’s Walk on September 19th. He said if you aren’t signing up because of transportation, they are coming up with a solution! We have raised $1,356 –without match!!!! We are currently in 4th place for fund raising. With the match from the club we will be in 3rd place!
Reminder that the meeting of 09/23 will be held at Deep Brook Golf Course after a round of golf for those who wish to play. There will be a sign-up sheet coming around in a couple of weeks.
Past President Ken Farley gave a quick update on the upcoming new fundraiser, “Celebration of Suds at the Falls”, which is being held on Saturday, September 26. Posters are available to hang in our places of business. Joe Moreshead was able to have another brew company sign up. We now have Smutty Nose. There are a total of 8 breweries that are donating their time and staff. We are still looking for a band… Past President Ken accidently said Bank and President Bill kindly pointed out the Bank sponsorship was taken care of. Past President Ken is looking for food!! If anyone knows of a food truck or a company willing to sell their food at the event let him know!! President Bill wanted to remind Matt that it is a casual event, the tie and suit coat were not required.
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Week-in-Review 8/12/2015Well here we are once again receiving the TACK via plain old fashioned e-mail. Our webmaster Guro, Brian Dallaire, is off to the North Pole to see if he can finally answer little Virginia’s ever popular question, “Is there a Santa Clause?”
TACK Coordinator/Reporter for the month of August is Emily Frechette. Joe Moreshead will take over for the month of September.
President Bill promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Past President Frank Gooding led the 4 Way Test and the Invocation was provided by Joe Bassett.
We had the pleasure of a visit from Past District Governor and treasured member of our club, Ron Drouin. President Bill put him right to work selling the 50/50 raffle tickets! PDG Ron asked club members to join him in “trying” to support President Bill as best we can.
President-Elect Lucie Kay announced visiting guests and Rotarians. Rotarians Bruce Fisher from the Ellsworth Club and today’s speaker, Shari Storm, from the Emerald City Club (Seattle) were both welcomed. They each did an exchange of club banners with President Bill. We also welcomed Peter Mourmoras, a guest of Jim Godbout.
The 50/50 ticket was drawn by PDG, Ron Drouin. He had our lovely speaker, Shari Storm, read the winning number and then Past President Roland Gagne collected his $36.00 prize minus the 10% going back to the club, of course.
SAA’s Joe Moreshead, Karen Chasse and Chris Indorf were up next for some fun and some fining!
Not sure exactly happened with Chris. I believe he had a very late arrival and kicked in $5.00 which he borrowed from his boss, Jeremy Ray. PP Denis Elie was happy for his trip to Hershey Park and his last equipment trade show in Chicago. He was also happy for Joe being able to cover his front desk duty. Visiting Rotarian Bruce Fisher was happy to be enjoying his first vacation in 6 years in OOB. Andy Grief was happy (I think) to be going away for the next month. Visiting guest, Peter Mourmoras, was happy to have received a free lunch from Jim Godbout. President Bill was fined for killing a multitude of trees while printing several copies of the District Newsletter. PP Karen Chasse fined PP Ken Farley for being on vacation after his presidency and showing off his “athletic prowess” (picture provided). Joe fined PP Karen for her name in the paper but he didn’t fine her for her white “first communion dress”. Karen fined Andy for not knowing that it is okay to go “over 5” when not travelling in Biddeford. Joe fined Jim Godbout for making the society page. Karen fined Joe for his long sleeve shirt and long hair in VERY hot weather. Joe fined everyone in the room $1 if they had not already signed up for the Alzheimer Walk or had not already donated. Karen fined PE Lucie for signage showing the goals for loans and new accounts that looked like it was colored with crayons. PP Steve Morin was fined a buck and advised by Joe to give his shorts back. Karen fined PP Roland Gagne for ripping decks off and then rebuilding.
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Announcements 8/12/2015President Bill put out a plea to fellow Rotarians to sign up for the Alzheimer’s Walk on 09/19/15, which is being held in York. It is only a 2 mile walk. Transportation will be worked out so don’t let that hold you back from signing up! If you aren’t able to participate in the walk, please consider sponsoring another Rotarian who is walking or putting a donation in the basket at the front sign up desk. The goal was to raise at least $500.00 and the club would match up to $500.00. As of today’s meeting, we were at $714.00!!
Reminder that the meeting of 09/23 will be held at Deep Brook Golf Course after a round of golf for those who wish to play. There will be a sign-up sheet coming around in a couple of weeks.
Past President Ken Farley gave a quick update on the upcoming new fundraiser, “Celebration of Suds at the Falls”, which is being held on Saturday, September 26. Please mark your calendars! There will be more information and sign-up sheets in the near future.
President Bill sent out a heartfelt Thanks to CJ Dubois for taking the minutes for the TACK during the month of June. She did a great job! He said it was fun to see someone making fun of him for a change. He also had heartfelt Thanks for Peggy Bean for rounding up the front desk greeters-not always an easy feat. Thanks also to Past President Ken for pulling all of the materials together for the upcoming Beer Fest-another huge undertaking!
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Shari StormToday’s speaker was Shari Storm. Shari has managed people for over 20 years. She earned her MBA from Seattle University, with an emphasis on corporate leadership, and now is an executive for a $400 million financial institution. She teaches at the University of Washington’s Experimental College and mentors graduate students at Seattle University. Shari writes for the Mom-logic and Working Mother magazine blog. She lives with her husband and three young daughters near Seattle, WA.
In her impressive first book, Motherhood is the New MBA, Shari takes the lessons attributed to parenting and shows how they can be directly applied in the workplace, making you a more effective manager.
Human nature is the same whether you are young or old.
Fun Theory: People will do what is fun first. Fun can change behavior for the better.
Articulate: Understand what people like to do- Ask them! Most people haven’t really thought about this. Consider “flow time”. This is when time seems to pass by quickly. Note these times and what is actually accomplished during this time frame.
Orchestrate: Do more of what they like and less of what they don’t. Orchestrate a chore. Shari shared a story about grocery shopping. She was responsible to do all of the shopping and then taking it home and putting it away. A task she did not enjoy doing. The family ended up agreeing that when Shari pulled into the driveway with the groceries, her husband and kids would come out and lug the groceries into the house and put them away. When they made this change, Shari was okay with the doing the shopping knowing that her time with it would end when she pulled into the driveway at home.
Celebrate: Many people reward the results and not the effort. Effort must be rewarded but consider how you give that reward. Some rewards can make or break the moment. Shari shared a story about Highlights Magazine where the employees were rewarded after receiving 100 consecutive “no” responses. They would win a prize and then move on to their 101st call. How do people feel when they leave the club or your company?
Shari read a short paragraph from her book. There is no such thing as a family secret. The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers.
For more information please visit Shari’s website at www.sharistorm.com
Thank you, Shari, for a wonderful presentation!
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Polio is Gone in Africa!President’s Corner
Below is an email sent to club presidents by RI President K.R. Ravindran. Rotary’s accomplishments in essentially eradicating polio in Africa are nothing short of miraculous. The point that deserves mentioning is the Herculean effort of beating polio in the world literally started with a single Rotarian with an idea and the desire to see if something could be done. That is such a powerful message that we should share with everyone. It should not only inspire all of us to try to help others, but it should be shared with our children to show that great things truly are possible.
Of course, there is still work to be done to finally wipe polio off the globe and we can all help by donating to the Foundation and earmarking the donation to Polio Plus. Those donations are matched 3 for 1 by the Gates Foundation.
As important, if anyone in our club sees a need or has a cause that he or she would like to address, bring it to the attention of the club. No idea is too big (look at what we did with polio) or too small for us to talk about.
We should all be proud that we contributed a little piece of the effort to eliminate polio.
Thanks Bill
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Linda Roth, Career Counselor at Thornton AcademyToday’s speaker was Linda Roth, Career Counselor at Thornton Academy. Linda came to the club today to speak with us about the School2Work program offered at TA. Linda has been in this role for the past 10 years and has some great stories to tell.
The program was initially started in 2006 as “part time” and has grown to a full time program. A couple of years into the program, Linda realized there was a large contingency of students being funneled into 4 year colleges & they didn’t really belong there. They tended to drink a lot, had average debt of $23k, had a huge sense of failure and dropped out after only a few semesters.
There was a study done at Harvard in 2009 called “Pathways to Prosperity”. It said that only 30% of students going to college actually finished and only 30% of jobs would require a 4 year degree.
The “old thinking” is that you need a 4 year degree to succeed. There needed to be a concrete plan to help these kids become successful in their careers. A “Career Counselor” is different than a “Guidance Counselor”. There is typically 1 Guidance Counselor for 500 students. Career planning should start at the middle school level. Linda said that kids tend to know what they are good at. There is a software that has a “career aspect” (NAVIANCE) that is used.
School2Work is a TA initiative designed to immerse high school students in the career planning process, which identifies a student’s interests, aptitudes, and work preferences, matches them with possible careers, and generates a relevant list of colleges, technical schools, or certificate programs. Together with a student’s guidance counselor, the career counselor engages a student in a career planning conversation. This program provides opportunities for students to attend industry events that broaden exposure to the field or career path they may be exploring. These events provide exciting opportunities for students to leave the traditional classroom and take part in real-world, hands-on learning experiences.
If you would like more information on this terrific program or would like to see how you can take part, please contact Linda Roth at linda.roth@thorntonacademy.org. Thank you Linda for a very informative presentation!
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Week-in-Review 8/5/2015President Bill promptly started the meeting at 12:15 and led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Today was a special day as we all got to test our vocal chords in singing Grand Old Flag which was led by none other than Past President, Paul Deschambault. We actually didn’t sound that bad-maybe singing only once a month has its advantages. One of our long lost but now found Rotarians, Josh Ellis, led the 4 Way Test. It’s a good thing Joe Moreshead has a great memory & was able to provide the very moving invocation when he was put on the spot from President Bill.
PE Lucie Kay introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. There were no visiting Rotarians but Past President Ken Farley brought the University of New England’s Director of Community Relations, Mark.
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Announcements 8/5/2015A Collection Basket for the Alzheimer’s walk, being held on September 19, 2015, will be at the front desk each week until it’s time for the walk. Don’t forget that you can also sign up or make a donation on-line at ALC.ORG. Lucie announced that the board agreed that if the club members raised $500, the club would match the $500 bringing our contribution to this very worthy cause to $1,000! Do not despair if the thought of signing up electronically has your hair standing on end. Be assured that if President Bill was able to figure it out, anyone else can too! The walk is a mere 2 miles and a terrific fellowship event for our club as well.
Reminder that the meeting on September 23, 2015, will be held at the Deep Brook Golf Course in the evening. More information to follow.
Past President Ken Farley gave an update on our newest fundraiser, “Celebration of Suds at the Falls”, being held on Saturday, September 26, 215. We will need approximately 20-25 volunteers for the event. A sign-up sheet will be circulated around the club as we get closer. There is a special “Event Bright” site that will be set up by next week. Tickets will be $25 each. We do not have to sell tickets! If I understood correctly, people will go to the Event Bright sight to get information & tickets. Can’t wait to see the spectacular artwork that was inspired by our very own Past President Don Lauzier! There will be three different sponsorship levels: Tankster, Pint and Growler. There will be web & print ads for the higher paying sponsors. Special thanks to Joe Moreshead for reaching out and getting Boston Beer and Gritty’s to take part in this event.
President Bill sent out a BIG THANKS to Jim and Donna McAlllister for opening their home to our club during a recent fellowship/BBQ event. The food was “to die for” and some Rotarians chose to float down the river and some float “in” the river (Susan Gajewski) rather than take the usual mode of transportation to get to the McAllisters. Thanks to Susan, Fausto, Jim & Donna for organizing such a memorable event for our club!
President Bill also sent out a BIG THANKS to PP Ken Farley for organizing the “Beer Fest”. It is a huge undertaking and he’s doing a great job! Thanks to John Bubier for putting us in touch with Tim Harrington and securing parking for this new event.
President Bill also announced that in September our club would be welcoming back a former member of our club, Heather McLean. The board recently approved leaves of absence for Rotarians Randy Forcier and Michael Thomas. They also accepted the resignation of a newer member, Ashley Rand. Ashley has had a change in her employment & we wish her all the best!
CLYNK Update: We have raised $26.10 so far this quarter. If you need any bags or have any questions please contact Julie Villemaire at villemaire@maine.rr.com. The board decided that the proceeds from the CLYNK account were going to be earmarked for the two students in Africa to help with the cost of their schooling.
The 50/50 Raffle of $34.00 was won by Fausto. Fausto was also the 50/50 salesman this week. Unfortunately, the SAA didn’t turn the other cheek. Fausto was fined for selling himself the winning ticket. Fausto generously donated his entire winnings to the Alzheimer’s Walk!
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Sargent At ArmsNext up was SAA Joe Moreshead and his crew. Special thanks was given to President Bill who was the only one applauding – although it still didn’t help his wallet. Happy Dollars were handed over by PP Ken Farley for running into a former Rotarian, George Burke, at the Arundel Wharf. Matt Simmons was very happy to be heading out on vacation later in the day with his family & friends. Craig Pendleton was happy to take PP Don Lauzier to his first Red Sox game in over 35 years. He didn’t just take him to the game. They went in a stretch limo and Craig said he bought him a bottle of champagne. We stopped the happiness there. Jeremy Ray was happy that Biddeford Little League won the state championship and were heading to Connecticut. Brian Dallaire gave a thank you dollar for Steve Morin and his TACK sponsorship. President Bill was happy to be celebrating his 31st wedding anniversary. I didn’t hear the amount he donated but I highly doubt he took Jim Audiffred’s advice to donate $1 for each year of wedded bliss. PP Steve Morin gave a thank you dollar for overhauling the looks of Steve’s business area. PP Julie gave two dollars for her grandson Trevor starting to walk & getting more babysitting time as the regular sitter was in CT with her son at the baseball championship. That was enough happiness for one day so the fines started coming: President Bill was fined for being caught in a lie. From what I can read of my notes, he had made some comment about paying $25 a week in fines. I also wrote down that he forgot Brian. Not sure what the rest of the story is with that. That’s probably why it’s a good thing to get the minutes typed up as quickly as possible-I may actually remember the story behind my shorthand! Brian was fined for sending out a reminder for members not to go to the Deep Brook Golf Club this week. It was actually a good thing he did because President Bill may have been presiding over an empty room. Diane LeBlanc was fined for her cell phone usage and PE Lucie Kay was also fined for her cell phone and paying in quarters. Carl Goodwin, Sarah Curley and Susan Gajewski were all asked to stand and then wished a Happy Birthday – costing them a “Happy Birthday” dollar, of course. Jeremy Ray was fined for having his name in the paper. Matt Simmons was also fined for being in the paper and also having his suit pants ripped while he was bitten by a dog. PP Ken was fined for not having PP Karen Chasse’s name listed on the plaque for past presidents. Steve Morin, Josh Fearon and Rolland (Rollie) Eon were all fined a “welcome back” dollar and Rollie was advised to change his Facebook picture. I’ll bet the number of hits on his site goes up as everyone checks out his picture! Bruce Ruben and Alan Nelson were the last in and the last to be fined!
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Announcements 7/29/2015Bernice Wood circulated a Get Well card for George Wandell who just had heart surgery.
President Bill mentioned we received thank you notes from Roy/Trish Hopins and Josh Azimow. He also mentioned he’d have a report from Board to members soon.
Reminder about Jim McAllister’s party on Saturday, 08/01.
Sept. 19 is the Walk for Alzheimer’s – PE Lucie Kay is working on a Team signup on the website (www.Ale.org); t-shirts will be available for purchase; 6 are signed up so far.
Ken Farley will give us an update at next meeting on Sept. 26 about the newest fundraiser BeerFest”.
Next Fellowship Meeting is at Deep Brook Golf Course in the evening. This meeting is on 9/23.
President Bill harassed Craig Pendleton for finally showing up to a meeting and reiterated that he is still a Rotarian – Yay!
Thanks to PE Lucie and her husband for allowing the Board to board their boat last week! I’m sure that was risky business.
Karen nominated a new Rotarian – yet can’t reveal who just yet. So mysterious.
And, for the 4th or 5th time, Bill is reminding us that Ron Gagnon’s seat on the Board is available – who really wants it?
Book Distribution is going well. Saco Food Pantry and YMCA love it. If you know of a person or organization that has books that they are looking to get rid of, please let President Bill know. They can be “re-gifted” to this program.
Semi-Annual Dues invoices have been distributed – please pay your dues. Mine are paid!!!
Charitable Committee is meeting directly after today’s meeting.
Jeremy Ray announced he is looking for a qualified Welding Instructor. One of you must know someone – send him names and contact info.
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Week-in-Review 7/29/20154 Way Test: Keith Jacques
Invocation: Joe Bassett
There were no visiting Rotarians or guests for President-Elect (Lucie Kay) to introduce this week.
50/50 Drawing: $24 Winner: Jim Audiffred
Sargent At-Arms: Just a few happy people today – lots of giddy people
Jim Audiffred is twice as happy today for having his wife featured in small article in PPH
Julie Villemarie is happy to see her grandson turn 1 year old
Craig Pendleton was happy to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame
Paul Deschambault was sad he can’t make Jim McAllister’s party on Saturday and happy that for the first time in 5 years he is attending the Jazz Festival in Newport, RI.
Even our presenter John Bubier was happy not only to be here today but for Bill Kany- something about without interest and attachment (lawyer talk).
Oh, there were many fines:
To Bill Kany because he paid for his son’s lunch. I’m pretty sure Keith Jacques fined Lucie Kay for something; Chris Indorf fined Jeremy Ray (I think Chris likes the authority he has on this committee because he is always fining Jeremy – let it out Chris); Karen Chasse jumped on that band wagon and also fined Jeremy because she only received 8 cents tax refund. Joe Moershead fined Craig Pendleton a re-activation fee – that’s ingenius; Keith Jacques fined Lucie Kay for embarrassing a visiting Rotarian; Chris Indorf fined Bill Kany for making fun of Black & Orange (yeah what’s up with that TA graduate?); Karen Chasse also fined Bill Kany for putting the same message in last week’s TACK as the week before. He thought he could slip that past us! Joe Moreshead fined Diane Leblanc for going topless (not sure where these two hang out) and for taking a premium parking spot. Chris Indorf fined Joe Moreshead $2 for taking a premium parking spot. Put your money where your mouth is Joe! I love seeing this committee fine each other – so interesting! I’m keeping my head down so they don’t fine me. Keith Jacques fined Joe Moreshead for wearing Seagulls on his pants; Keith Jacques fined Bill Kany for his CSI photo; Joe fined Bernice Wood for just being a pain in the butt. Here it comes – Joe fined CJ Dubois-Cote for being late – (it happened ONCE))!
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John Bubier from the City of BiddefordSpeaker Presentation: John Bubier from the City of Biddeford gave a very informative presentation on several economic development projects including:
The city would like to change signs on Rt. 111 from Arundel to be more welcoming to Biddeford.
There is lots going on if anyone is interested in learning more specifics about each of these projects, let us know.
John also introduced Brad Favreau- a Masters Program student assisting the City.
Great job – it was nice to hear of the upcoming plans to “beautify” our city and help it to prosper in the future.
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Fellowship BBQHello fellow Rotarians,
Our Fellowship BBQ at Jim & Donna McAllister’s home in Biddeford is this Saturday 8/1 at noon and the weather looks good! There are a number of us that will be paddling down the Saco River prior to the BBQ and we will meet everyone at Jim’s house at noon. Please be at the parking lot at Skelton Dam at 9:30 so we can be in the water paddling by 10 am. I’m happy to drive people back to the dam after the BBQ to get their vehicles.
We have about 20 people attending so far. Please email me at susan@partyplusmaine.com if you would like to join us and I will happily add you to the sign-up sheet. I have attached a current sign-up sheet. We still need appetizers and fruit salad. Also, please let me know how many people will be attending with you so we can give our hosts an accurate number. The more the merrier!
Thank you to Jim & Donna for hosting. Looking forward to a fun day this Saturday!
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Week-in-Review 7/22/20154 Way Test: Josh Ellis
Invocation (prayer): Joe Bassett
President-Elect (Lucie Kay) Introduced Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
Ted Trainer, Kennebunkport and Brian Doyle, Guest
50/50 Drawing: $30 Winner: Earl Goodwin
Sargent At-Arms:
Happy Dollars Galore (Everyone is so happy this time of year)! Earl Goodwin gave a happy dollar; Joe Basset is glad to be back; he missed 6 graduations due to illness - he was not happy about that, but he’s back on track and looking forward to making it up; Chuck Hennessey is happy that the late Tim Girard’s wife has become the minister of their church.
Fines: Bill Kany was fined for having a Photo as President of the Club (no ego there). Karen Chase rattled some jibberish that I didn’t understand from where I was sitting. Sneaky Brian Dallaire was able to report that only 27% of Rotarians in our club open the TACK. Very interesting -can’t believe I’ve been taking copious notes each meeting and no one is reading this. What?
Joe Moreshead read it last week and gave CJ $1 for how I portrayed his behavior toward our District Governor – love it.
Thank you Karen Chasse for making those beautiful posters for the literacy program. If anyone knows of any location that could use free books, please let us know.
There may have been a few other fines as names were being mentioned fast and furiously – I decided to eat my lunch at this time.
Meeting adjourned at 1:32PM
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Bill Mann, City of Saco’s Economic DevelopmentSpeaker Presentation: Bill Kany introduced Bill Mann, our guest speaker to give us an update on the City of Saco’s Economic Development.
Bill comes from a diverse background and rather than use his official title he prefers we think of him as wanting to “help people” in our city. He is a Maine Native with a degree from George Washington University and a Masters Degree from USM.
One Take Away: His role is to assist you and your business in any way they can. He welcomes inquiries which can be directed to: 207-282-3487 or wmann@sacomaine.org. Bill’s mother always told him growing up that he has two ears and one mouth so use the two ears more than the one mouth. He enjoys building relationships and currently they are working on obtaining an inventory of buildings as well as a Business Needs Assessment. When people ask him what he does, he replies “I help people”.
There are several Action Steps: 1. Engaging the business community in various ways; 2. Working with utility partners to ensure safe and competitive access including low cost Broadband services; 3. Integrating Bridge 2025 feedback; 4. Promoting Saco as a place to visit, live and grow a business. Bill emphasized that for every $1 spent in our neighborhoods, $1 should also be spent downtown.
Saco Main Street is also working on several initiatives to re-engage the business community. Kate Brown is their Interim Executive Director. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a part of this organization, please let Bill know.
The City of Saco is seeing an increase in development activity when compared to last year.
Maine Molecular Quality Controls, Inc. Lot #10, Mill Brook Business Park is Ground Breaking, this month. Chinburg Properties Saco Island Lot #4 is expected to break ground in the next 30-45 days.
Bill also touched upon some other issues: 1. We have a great opportunity to re-shape our downtown; 2. Addressing the traffic issues; 3. Feasability Analysis; 4. Broadband solutions; 5. Marketing – getting better at telling our story.
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Announcements 7/22/2015Raffle Committee, Interact and Charitable Committees are meeting today after Club meeting.
Sue gave update on August 2 party at Jim McAllister’s house. Twelve people signed up and she passed the sheet around for others to sign up if they haven’t already. She asked that everyone bring either an appetizer or salad. It’s a BYOB and a great way to get to know each other on a personal level. I’m in!
Lucie sent this email: On September 19 the Alzheimer’s Association is hosting a Walk to END Alzheimer’s locally in York Beach. The two mile walk begins at the York Beach Ball Field at 9:30 AM that morning. We have created a team (Biddeford & Saco Rotary Club) for all Rotarians who would like to join us. We are requesting that each person who signs up pledges to raise at least $100 for the cause. To sign up to be a part of the walk visit our team website, or contact Lucie Kay directly so she can sign you up. She also said she is getting t-shirts for the event and possibly getting matching fund of $500. She will be putting a basket at the registration desk in August to raise money for the walk. There is no sign-up fee. Sarah Neault mentioned that Maine keeps a portion of the money raised (she didn’t come prepared with how much, but will get back to us).
Bill mentioned on Sept. 23 there is a Golf Outing at Deep Brook @2:30. After playing 9 holes (to be set up as a scramble), the Club will have meeting in evening. Trying to get Billy Guay to join us and come back to Club. I’ll see if I can work my charm.
Bill wanted to thank Jackson Brown for showing up. He also thanked everyone that attended the District Governor’s reception last week. Saco Bay thanked us also.
The Club Board of Directors is going out tonight on a boat to discuss business – right? [Sounds like another one of those “makeup meetings”]
Reminder that Ron Gagnon has resigned and Board is looking for anyone interested in filling his seat. This is a two year term. A couple members have expressed interest so far.
The Club received two thank you notes from Mike Tremblay for receiving the Rotary Public Sector Award and from Payton for receiving a UNE scholarship.
A mention was made for Bernice Wood and one of our other members for making into the local paper. Paul Deschambault will be sending an email with more information on the International Projects so the group can decide which ones to get involved in. There is a meeting on Monday at 7:30AM for 1 hour at the World Community Center, 45 Granite St., Biddeford.
Car Show this Saturday from 8:00AM to 1:00PM.
The Pedestrian Bridge Dedication/River Jam is scheduled for Sept. 19, 2015.
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Week-in-Review 7/15/2015Pledge of Allegiance: (Typically started by President @ 12:15)
Patriotic Song & who led it: Only sung the first Wednesday of each month.
4 Way Test: Earl Goodwin
Invocation (prayer): Jim Audiffred
President-Elect (Lucie Kay) Introduced Visiting Rotarians & Guests:
David Moravick – Kennebunk Club
Tony Wagner – Assistant District Governor
50/50 Drawing:
$33ish Winner: Jim Audiffred – will be donating the funds back to the club – via check.
Sargent At-Arms:
Lots of Happy Dollars (I have an IOU to the fund – left my wallet in the car – thought that was a good strategy)
Diane Leblanc is so excited the real estate market is booming; Bill excited to have District Governor present; Matt Simmons so happy he didn’t have to write the TACK this week; Bernice Wood’s son is flying home from Bejing; Earl Goodwin celebrating 51st wedding anniversary; Ken appreciated everyone’s support during this difficult time of losing his father;
And now the fines: Bill Kany was fined just because; Keith fined Jackson because it was his birthday and thinks he joined the club on his birthday; Karen fined Bill Kany for having the largest badge; Joe fined Brian Dallaire for having been a boy scout; Karen fined Ken for finding her brother on a remote island in NH; Keith fined Bill again not sure why? Joe fined District Governor for not handing him a pin (now that takes balls) – Karen fined Lucie for giving her work on her birthday. Keith fined Brian Dallaire for wearing too much bling and a Hawaiian shirt; CJ was fined for bringing one dollar in quarters – really? Joe fined Paul Deschambault for out dressing everyone; Karen fined Paul because he did not have enough strawberry juice in his dessert at the lobster bake; and lastly, Joe fined $2 for those scooting early.
Meeting adjourned at 1:25PM
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Announcements 7/15/2015Charitable & Program Committees – will meet after meeting today to set goals
Reminder: Tonight (07/15) at ROTM with District Governor Sheila Rollins 5:300-7:30
Fellowship Committee – Sue Gajewski sent a sign- up sheet around for 8/1/15 BBQ at Jim McAllister’s house. More to come on Saco River kayak/canoe - party starts at noon.
A Big Thank you from Ken Farley and his family for all those who attended the wake and funeral of his father. I learned that Ken is the baby of five brothers. (Hint to Bill Kany - this would be a good trivia on Ken). Also, a good test to see who actually reads the TACK.
Joe Moreshead reported that the lobster bake at Pine Point went fairly well except for Brian’s lobster equipment melting. Joe thanked Karen Chasse, Paul Deschambault, Brian Dallaire and Susan Gajewski for all their help with the event.
Bill announced that Ron Gagnon has resigned from the board due to health issues. The vacated board position, which is a two year term, will be voted on in August.
Bill Mann will be our guest speaker on July 22.
We have Governor Lepage comingon 9/16/15 (or we at least think we do).
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District Governor, Sheila Rollins from BridgtonBill Kany introduced our District Governor, Sheila Rollins from Bridgton. She works at Bridge Crossing as the clinical coordinator of a residential treatment center for children. She served as Interact Chair for two years and President of her Rotary club. In 2013, she was the Group Study Exchange Team Leader in Nigeria. On a personal note, she is married to Merrill Rollins also a Rotarian, they enjoy dancing, skiing and travelling. They live at Scribners Mills in Harrison, Maine at the site of an historic water-powered sawmill. They have two dogs, four cats and two goats.
The club received a paddle and banner from Sheila Collins, District Governor
Sheila gave her presentation based on the this year’s theme: “Be a Gift to the World”
What we accomplish each day to make a difference; Wow, what a club as compared to some other clubs; she looked at our website and pulled some photos which speak to the work we accomplish each day. For example, Rotarian of the Year; Annual Auction where we collaborate with another club; we know how to have fun – oh yes we do! The work we do inspires her. She gave us a big Thank You.
Sheila proceeded to talk about all the various projects through the world that Rotarians participate in. She mentioned the water project, health, literacy, sanitation, seeds to success/economic development, polio/peace & humanity; (thanks for the chocolate as we get no dessert with our lunch at ROTM).
She went on to talk about eradicating polio, child slavery, anti-hunger initiative, polio walk, club collaboration, mental health, etc.
Sheila mentioned that the Rotary has Action Groups which any of us can participate in. There is a fundraiser event in Portland this October 30, 2015. More information will follow. She wanted us to know that as individuals we can get involved in any of these action groups. Follow our passion.
Lastly, Sheila wanted to touch base on Membership Retention; a team will be coming to work with us to grow our membership; a Rotary Fun Day; she’d like to engage young people and alumni as they are ready made sources of new members; The Quarterly Newsletter – Interact Bus Trip to NY for an Inbound/Outbound Exchange Program.
Our club is making a donation to the Foundation on behalf of our District
Governor.
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BIDDEFORD-SACO ROTARY CLUB OFFERS HOUSE FOR $32,500!Imagine buying a house for only $32,500, qualifying for an $8,000 tax credit and helping students receive scholarships all at the same time. It may sound too good to be true but it is all part of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club’s House Project. Each year for the last thirty years, the students at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT) build an energy efficient modular home and all the proceeds from the sale benefit scholarships for Saco, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach High School seniors.
“The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club currently gives $21,000 a year out in scholarships to local high school students who continue their education,” stated President Bill Kany. “The Rotary House Project is a substantial fundraiser to support these scholarships while helping the students at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology to learn valuable skills.”
This year’s house is 1,008 square feet (24’ x 42’) and features two bedrooms, one bath and is well insulated with an energy recovery ventilation system. The buyer is responsible for relocation (approximately $10-$20,000 depending on distance of the move), appliances, foundation, septic, flooring, paint and heating options.
For more information, contact Rotarian Carl Goodwin at 207-590-4644.
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A Message from President Bill On July 8, 2015 a number of Rotarians took the time to battle the traffic to attend the visiting hours for Ken Farley’s father. I want to thank Keith Jacques, Lucie Kay, Alan Nelson, CJ Dubois-Cote, Brian Dallaire, Jackson Brown, Julie Villemaire, Mark Tuller, Karen Chasse, Peggy Bean and Bernice Wood for going. I am sure that there were other Rotarians there that I did not see and I thank you as well. It was nice to see our club support the family of our Past President Ken.
At the risk of taking crap from SAA Jacques, the fact is that our club should be seen as a large family and our members should have each other’s back in times of need. We should support each other in good times and in not so good times. We should go out of our ways to do business with each other and to use club members as resources. Our club includes years of wisdom and expertise and a lot of energy that we should all tap into when necessary.
More importantly, however, we are all friends who should feel comfortable reaching out to one another. Our doors should always be open to our club members and no one should ever hesitate to ask for help. There is so much more to Rotary than just community service and networking, but it never hurts to be reminded of the fact that Rotary is also there to help its own.
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President Bill's Budget for 2015-2016Board approved the budget and Bill wanted everyone to see it. The back of the first sheet is what we are raising money for.
The first page tells where we anticipate revenue coming from
Most important is that we support a lot of different things so it’s important we all help to make these fundraiser's successful
Carl Goodwin agreed with Denis about COT
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Week-in-Review 7/8/2015Pledge of Allegiance: 12:15
Patriotic Song:
4 Way Test: Julie Villemaire
Invocation (prayer): Joe Moreshead
President Elect introduced Visiting Rotarians and Guests:
Walter Buczacz
Past District Governor (PDG) Marty Helman
Rae Ann Smith
Sergeant At- Arms
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Announcements 7/8/2015
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DUTY ROSTER For Future Meetings
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Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club Board 2015-2016Thank you to this year's Board of Directors for your leadership of our club: (front row, l-r) Laurie Jo Ready, Treasurer; Bernice Wood, Secretary; Bill Kany, President; Lucie Kay, President-Elect; Jackson Brown, Vice President: (back row, l-r) Susan Gajewski, Asst. Treasurer; Peggy Bean, Asst. Secretary; Andy Grief, Director; Joe Moreshead, Director; Rob Moody, Director; and Ken Farley, Past President.
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Week in Review 7/1/2015Rather fitting that Laurie-Jo our new Treasurer won the 50/50 raffle of $26. Congrats – maybe a new pair of sandals are in order.
Joe Mooershead, Sargent at Arms had all the members of his committee get up to the front to have some fun handing out Happy Dollars and Fines and boy did they ever – not sure I have everyone accounted for:
a. Bill Kany paid several happy dollars for being so Happy to be our New President and all that comes with that role;
b. Ken Farley was happy about something – maybe not being President anymore I suspect;
c. Fines went out so fast and furiously that I may have lost a few (Bill Kany, of course – Jackson Browne, Bill Kany again for wearing his super-hotFitBit bracelet, Denis Eli, Jim Godbout (just because he wasn’t there and oh he was recently featured in the June edition of the Maine Home & Design magazine, Bill Kany again (we may have drained his bank account), Jeremy Ray for sending numerous emails to Chris Indorf on meetings scheduled for the holiday on July 3, Bernice Wood for leaving Joe’s table, Paul Deschambeault for his $2 bills that Denis Eli is having a hard time explaining to his wife, Ken Farley for leaving in the Club in its current form to Bill Kany ------ PHEW we are not done – to Bill Kany once again for owning and actually using a flip phone in 2015, to CJ Dubois-Cote for a future commission earning when I sell Chris Indorf’s house, Bruce Ruben for being the last person to attend meeting today! By golly, I think that does it. Laurie-Jo is now a very happy new Treasurer with that round of dollars collected.
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President Bill's InaguralHe’s been in the club for 28 years and feels we are one of the most respected clubs in this area; he’s afraid to screw up; he thanked some of his predecessors, oh dear God he is still talking ---
He has 4 goals for the year:
1. Have club participate in the Alzheimer’s Walk in Portland on September 26. More details to come.
2. To help Ken Farley get the new Fundraiser off the ground. We need ways to raise at least $21,000 each year to fund the scholarships and charitable requests. So a Beer Festival it is!
3. For the Club to do a better job telling our story (that shouldn’t be a problem for Bill he doesn’t stop talking) – Karen Chase will chair the Marketing Committee to get out story out into the communities we live and serve. We all received a car decal. If you were not here today, please ask to get yours and help to promote our club.
4. Finally, last goal- let’s have FUN!
Geez, I thought he was done – Oh No – I have writer’s cramp. Bill had the opportunity to hear our new RI President – Ravi Ravindran speak in person at PETS (I don’t even want to guess what this acronym means). One of his primary points was that we are only on this earth a short time so make the most of that time and do some good. This quote resonated with Bill and so of course he shared it will all of us – “Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, yet the youngest you’ll ever be, so make the most of life”. He challenged all of us to do things that make our communities better and improve the lives of others with Rotary being the vehicle to do that.
You are a profound man, Bill Kany. Don’t take my jibs to seriously! And he’s done! Meeting adjourned.
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Announcements 7/1/2015President Bill Kany had many announcements for his first meeting! 1. Lucie Kay confessed she intentionally put the wrong date on Bill’s new gavel – I mean unintentionally.
2. The Club received a few thank you notes from Lisa Smoluk, Bella Robinson, Roger Roberts for supporting MYL.
3. Bill reminded all of us to please turn off our mobile devices especially when we have guest speakers as a courtesy and to be respectful.
4. He also sadly announced the Resignation of Jackie Perreault. She has retired from PeoplesChoice and wants to enjoy life – can’t blame her. Thanks to Peggy Dean for stepping up to manage the Registration Table. She is circulating a sign-up sheet right now.
5. Budget is not quite yet ready, however, it will be sent around soon for everyone to view.
6. Looking for Ideas for Other Charitable Organization proposals to go out. Area of Schools has been one. Please send thoughts to Lucie Kay or Rob ???
7. With respect to the Finance Ad hoc Committee – he thanked Randy Forcier for helping to onboard new Treasurer, Laurie-Jo.
8. In 2 weeks on July 15, Sheila Rollins, District Governor will be here to visit our club. Please attend this meeting if possible. A strong attendance will make us look good. At 5:30-7:30 that same evening, there will be a reception in conjunction with Saco Bay Rotary Club at Run of the Mill on the patio to welcome and mingle with the District Governor.
9. Sue Gajewsky gave us an update on the Fellowship Committee’s Social Event on August 1 (rain date 8/2) at Jim McAllister’s house. Plan is to meet at noon at Rt. 5 Bridge and kayak down skeleton dam – should take a couple of hours. The Committee will meet today after Club meeting and provide more details at upcoming meetings.
10. Ken Farley will provide more details on the Fundraising Committee’s event at a later date. They are planning a Beer Festival.
11. Bill Kany wanted to be sure to thank Peggy Bean, Brian Dallaire for their volunteer time. Also, Julie Villemaire for coordinating the TACK Committee and Laurie Jo for getting the Budget in order for the upcoming year. Thank, thank, thank, YOU!
12. Bernice gave us an update on Joe Bassett’s illness. He is out of the hospital and doing better.
13. More Bill Kany announcements like there haven’t been enough already. My hand is tired of writing ---- He basically said two words came to mind as he accepted his new role of President – honor and responsibility. Blah, blah, blah(just kidding)
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Tack for the coming yearTACK Report: Our weekly newsletter, also known as the TACK, will be done differently this year. President Bill has set up a TACK committee consisting of 12 members. Each committee member (also known as a TACK Coordinator) is responsible to make sure there is a TACK reporter for each week within their designated month. Some committee members may just take the minutes themselves while others will be asking for help. Please don’t hesitate to jump in and help out! You don’t have to be a journalist or even a comedian to take the minutes. Our task is to convey what happened at the meeting to those members who were unable to attend for various reasons. It can be fun and light hearted if you want. I only ask that we keep the comments “family friendly” to the best of our ability. It is also a good reminder for dates for upcoming events and fundraisers. We will also post the roster for the Front Desk duty (once we have it) and the weekly TACK reporter. Two of our newer members are going to jump right in with taking care of TACK business for July and August. CJ Dubois-Cote will handle July and Emily Frechette has agreed to field August. Once the minutes are typed, they can be forwarded to Julie Villemaire at villemaire@maine.rr.com and Brian Dallaire at bdallair@usa.net no later than the following Monday morning before the regular Wednesday meeting. (Don’t use the timing of this week’s minutes as an example.) The earlier we get them out, the better, especially if there are other meetings and/or events that club members need to be made aware of. Brian and Julie will work together to get the minutes onto the club website and distributed to members.
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Presidential Change OverBefore President showed a short video of our club’s very first TV auction where Bill Kany and Bob Begin were the auctioneers. Unbeknownst to Bill, two hours of his non-legal services time was donated to the auction. After the very humorous video, President Ken invited Joe Moreshead to take the floor. Joe and Bill have a long history & there are many stories that go along with that history. Joe said that what happens at Mt. Abram, stays at Mt. Abram. He commented on Bill’s choice of having 5 (FIVE) Sergeant-at-Arms and told him not to be so cheap. Bob Begin, a friend (kind of) for over 30 years, took over from Joe. He mentioned some of the roles that Bill has played in our club such as the TACK editor and chairing the Awards committee for over 28 years. He said that’s because no one wants to take his place. In 1992, the club received an official complaint about Bill being “rude and obnoxious” in the TACK. Of course, Bob backed Bill up and saved his butt. Bob went on to say that he and Bill had received the nicknames of “Bob and Weave” at the auction. Guess who was Weave? Apparently Bill had a hard time keeping still and would “weave” back and forth. Did you know that Bill was valedictorian of his class at Thornton Academy? He was also top of his class at Dartmouth. He went on to receive his law degree and worked at Smith & Elliott for 25 years – now he’s a banker. Bob made sure to mention that Bill waited 28 years before agreeing to become President of our club while others took the plunge after only 6 or 7 years. President Ken’s swan song was short and sweet. He thanked everyone in the club for the opportunity of being the President and said it was a great honor. He also thanked everyone for all of the support that he received throughout his term. He ended with a short movie clip from Forrest Gump (run scene). Forrest Gump says, “I’m pretty tired. Think I’ll go home now. And just like that my running days is over.” President Ken presented the “Top Banana” hat to incoming President Bill along with his new gavel. Incoming President Bill presented the “presidential chair” to one of the hardest workers and most knowledgeable presidents, Ken Farley! Congratulations on a phenomenal year, Ken!!
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Week in Review June 24, 2015Brian Dallaire, our Webmaster, was heading to the West Coast earlier today so this week’s TACK is coming to you via Clubrunner E-mail.
President Ken was his usual punctual self and started the meeting off with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Grand Old Flag. I do have to say that our singing voices didn’t show up to today’s meeting. Heather Gendron was put to the test as she was asked to lead the members in the 4 Way Test without a banner to reference. As expected, she passed with flying colors! Once again, Jim Audiffred provided a very moving invocation.
President-Elect Bill Kany introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. Kerstin Kirchner was visiting from the Saco Bay Rotary Club. She brought a box of books with her and briefly explained a new literacy project that is underway. It will be the club’s responsibility to distribute the books to a location that is truly in need. Terry Hutchins will be replenishing the books as we go forward. Kerstin suggested speaking with the schools as they discard many books on a somewhat regular basis. Other guests included Past President, Bob Begin, Ann Kany (A. William Kany’s wife), Melissa (Bill Kany’s younger sister) and Will Kany (Bill’s oldest son). Bill’s son Andy snuck into the meeting shortly after it began.
The final 50/50 ($30) of this Rotary calendar year was won by Earl “the Pearl” Goodwin. Newer Rotarians should take note that Earl is very lucky. Introduce yourselves to him- shake his hand. You never know if some of that luck will rub off him and onto you!
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Announcements 6/24//2015Over the weekend, 5 members of our club (Ken Farley, Bill Kany, Susan Gajewski, Bernice Wood, Lucie Kay) attended the “Changeover Dinner” where Bill Kany was sworn in as our new President. His official term begins on July 1st. Please do your best to attend Bill’s Inaugural address and see what he has planned for his year in the hot seat.
The Second Business After Hours is/was being held on Thursday, June 25th, at the Run of the Mill from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Rotarians were asked to bring a guest, friend and/or potential new member. Each person would receive two tickets at the door which were good for house wine or beer.
Susan Gajewski & Fausto Pifferrer are co-chairs of the Fellowship Committee. Susan announced that July 15th we will welcome our new District Governor to our meeting. There will be a reception for the DG that evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Run of the Mill. Light refreshments will be served.
The fun and fellowship doesn’t stop there. Susan also announced that Jim McAllister and his wife Donna will once again open their home to our members and families for a summer BBQ! This event will be held at noon time on Saturday, August 1, 2015, with the rain date of Sunday 08/02. Some members are planning on floating down the river at 10:00 a.m.from Skelton Dam to Jim’s house. This is one fellowship event you don’t want to miss! There will be a meeting immediately following next week’s meeting (7/1).
The club received two Thank You notes which President Ken circulated among the members. One was from Camp Laughing Loon where we’ve sponsored some “camperships” and the other was from one of the scholarship recipients, Hannah Morin, a senior from Biddeford High School.
The CLYNK Program will continue on! Julie Villemaire will provide bags and Rotary tags. All you need to do is DRINK UP and bring your bag full of bottles/cans to your local Hannaford to scan them in. Be careful of the weight limit. You want to make sure your bottles/cans are empty. If you already have a personal CLYNK account or one for the office, you can donate from your own account to the Rotary account. Just be sure to choose the Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco. The proceeds of this program will go towards our Charitable Fund program. We’ve raised just under $1,000.00 since Roland Gagne started the program two years ago.
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Awards Part 2The following Rotarians were presented with awards from President Ken:
This recipient is a member who has done a fantastic job with one of our best events, our essay contest. This individual consistently volunteers for many of our projects and has consistently shown her commitment to Rotary. Her spirit of volunteerism is always evident.
Congratulations to our latest Paul Harris Fellow -- Elaine Palmitessa.
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SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD
Presented to
Sarah Neault
For outstanding commitment to our Club and
unparalleled service to others.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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PRESIDENTIAL AWARD
Given to
Randy Forcier
For consistently demonstrating dedication
and commitment to our Club while always
promoting the ideals of Rotary.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Bernice Wood
In sincere appreciation and recognition
of distinguished service, loyalty and
devotion to the ideals of Rotary.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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President-Elect's 2015-2016 Committee StructureDear Fellow Rotarians:
As Ken’s year comes to a close and my year starts I wanted to circulate my list of committees, committee chairs and members. My goal was to get everyone involved in the club. I attempted to retain continuity in committee leadership and membership while making some changes. If any of your committee assignments give you heartburn please let me know right away. I have talked to most of my committee chairs but not all of them so I apologize for being presumptive relative to some committee chairs.
What I would ask is that all committees meet before the end of July to establish at least one committee goal for the year along with the specific means of achieving that goal or those goals. Our committee structure is the way to make sure that all members are engaged and by each committee setting a goal and developing a plan for meeting that goal I hope to insure a vibrant year driven in large part by all of our members.
Please note that the finance committee and strategic planning committee are not permanent committees but are designed to look at a specific task or two and then they will be finished.
Please let me know when you have scheduled your meeting (auction is exempt since we know its goal) between now and July 31 in case I would like to attend. Please set your goal(s) by the end of July.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your anticipated hard work and dedication to Rotary for the upcoming year.
I also wanted to take the anticipation of the Sergeant at Arms selection. I, like Ken, have decided to go with SAA by committee. Having been the single SAA many times I know how hard it is to do it week in and week out so I have asked a group to do that job with Joe Moreshead being the head Sergeant for scheduling purposes.
I truly look forward to a fun year.
Thanks Bill
Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco
2015 Rotary Committees
Officers
William Kany, President
Lucie Kay, President Elect
Jackson Brown, Vice President
Bernice Wood, Secretary
Laurie Jo Ready, Treasurer
Sue Gajewski, Assistant Treasurer
Peggy Bean, Assistant Secretary
Board
Bill Kany
Ken Farley
Andy Grief
Ron Gagnon
Sue Gajewski
Lucie Kay
Robert Moody
Laurie Jo Ready
Joe Moreshead
Sergeant-at-Arms
Joe Moreshead
Denis Elie
Chris Indorf
Keith Jacques
Karen Chasse
$100 Raffle
Earl Goodwin / Co-Chair
Karen Chasse/ Co-Chair
Lucie Kay
Josh Fearon
Joe Moreshead
Matt Simmonds
Ad Hoc Finance Committee
Ken Farley
Dana Lane
Randy Forcier
Laurie Jo Ready
Ad Hoc Strategic Planning
Andy Grief
Bill Kany
Jackson Brown
Lucie Kay
Ken Farley
Adopt a Family & Christmas Party
Peggy Bean / Co-Chair
Paul Deschambault / Co-Chair
Devon Soloniewicz
Laurie Jo Ready
Julie Villemaire
Bernice Wood
Emily Frechette
Auction
Jackson Brown / Chair
Karen Chasse
Ken Farley
Sue Gajewski
Bill Kany
Laurie Jo Ready
Julie Villemaire
George Wandell
Awards
Bill Kany / Co-Chair
Paul Deschambault
Frank Dumais
Roland Eon
Ron Gagnon
Keith Jacques
A. W. Kany, Jr.
Polio Plus Bingo
Julie Villemaire / Chair
Ray Demers
Rob Moody
Earl Goodwin
Charitable Fund & Company B (Disbursements)
Jim McAllister / Chair
Peggy Bean
Karen Chasse
Matt Early
Roland Gagne
Heather Gendron
James Godbout
Diane Leblanc
Community Service Projects
Lucie Kay / Co-Chair
Rob Moody / Co-Chair
Sarah Curley
Matt Early
James Godbout
Frank Gooding
Carl Goodwin
Keith Jacques
Bill Kany
Don Lauzier
Jim McAllister
Ashley Rand
Bruce Ruben
Michael Thomas
Company B Investment
Denis Elie / Chair
Emily Frechette
Dana Lane
Matt Simmonds
Mark Tuller
Dictionary Project
Sarah Curley / Co-Chair
Frank Dumais / Co-Chair
Jake Desrochers
Josh Fearon
Frank Gooding
Diane Leblanc
Joe Moreshead
Sarah Neault
Essay Contest
Sarah Neault / Co-Chair
Elaine Palmitessa / Co-Chair
James Audiffred
Emily Frechette
Diane Leblanc
Fellowship
Sue Gajewski / Co-Chair
Fausto Pifferer / Co-Chair
Matt Early
Emily Frechette
Andy Grief
Diane Leblanc
Steve Morin
Elaine Palmitessa
Craig Pendleton
Jacquie Perrault
Matt Simmonds
George Wandell
Foundation
Paul Deschambault / Co-Chair
Matt Simmonds / Co-Chair
Denis Elie
Chuck Hennessey
Bill Kany
Rob Moody
Steve Morin
Leon Tranchemontagne
Interact Club
Sarah Neault / Chair
Jackson Brown
Chris Indorf
Fausto Pifferer
Bernice Wood
International Youth Exchange
Roland Gagne / Chair
Jackson Brown
Jacquie Perrault
Chuck Hennessey
Ken Farley
Invocation
James Audiffred
Joe Bassett
Marketing
Karen Chasse / Chair
Sarah Curley
Brian Dallaire
Emily Frechette
Chris Indorf
Don Lauzier
Elaine Palmitessa
Ashley Rand
Michael Thomas
Membership
Ken Farley / Chair
Heather Gendron
Bill Kany
Diane Leblanc
Joe Moreshead
Bernice Wood
Devon Soloniewicz
Craig Pendleton
New Fundraiser
Josh Ellis / Co-Chair
Ken Farley / Co-Chair
Jake Desrochers
Randy Forcier
Steve Morin
Fausto Pifferer
Craig Pendleton
Past Presidents Day
Keith Jacques / Chair
Frank Dumais
Roland Eon
Ken Farley
Frank Gooding
Mark Tuller
Past Presidents Scholarship Investment
Denis Elie / Co-Chair
Mark Tuller / Co-Chair
Randy Forcier
Matt Simmonds
Programs
Brian Dallaire / Chair
C.J. Dubois-Cote
Matt Early
Josh Ellis
Sue Gajewski
Heather Gendron
Andy Grief
Chris Indorf
Keith Jacques
Bill Kany
Lucie Kay
Joe Moreshead
Jeremy Ray
Registration
Jacquie Perrault / Chair
Peggy Bean
Bernice Wood
Roster / Website
Brian Dallaire / Chair
Chuck Hennessey
Rotaract Club
Josh Ellis / Chair
Jake Desrochers
Fausto Pifferer
Scholarship
Alan Nelson / Co-Chair
Denis Elie / Co-Chair
Joe Bassett
Ron Gagnon
Heather Gendron
Dana Lane
Bruce Ruben
Ashley Rand
Tack
Julie Villemaire / Chair
Sarah Curley
Brian Dallaire
C.J. Dubois-Cote
Josh Fearon
Emily Frechette
Sue Gajewski
Heather Gendron
Chris Indorf
Lucie Kay
Joe Moreshead
Sarah Neault
Karen Chasse
Vocational
James Godbout / Co-Chair
Carl Goodwin / Co-Chair
Ray Demers
Denis Elie
Ron Gagnon
Jim McAllister
Steve Morin
Wine Tasting
Steve Morin / Chair
Jake Desrochers
Ken Farley
Randy Forcier
Heather Gendron
Chris Indorf
Michael Thomas
World Community Service
Paul Deschambault / Co-Chair
Andy Grief / Co-Chair
James Audiffred
Joe Bassett
Josh Fearon
Roland Gagne
Chuck Hennessey
Rob Moody
Jeremy Ray
Leon Tranchemontagne
George Wandell
Youth Protection Officer
Ray Demers
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B-S Rotary, Club Awards 2015SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD
Presented to
Karen Chasse
For outstanding commitment to our Club and
unparalleled service to others.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD
Presented to
Susan Gajewski
For outstanding commitment to our Club and
unparalleled service to others.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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PRESIDENTIAL AWARD
Given to
Denis Elie
For consistently demonstrating dedication
and commitment to our Club while always
promoting the ideals of Rotary.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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PRESIDENTIAL AWARD
Given to
Laurie Jo Ready
For consistently demonstrating dedication
and commitment to our Club while always
promoting the ideals of Rotary.
BIDDEFORD SACO ROTARY CLUB
2015
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Paul Harris Awards In case you were wondering, the receipt of a Paul Harris Award is a big deal. Named after one of the founders of Rotary, a Paul Harris Fellow is one of the most significant awards that Rotary can bestow.
This year, we are awarding 3 Paul Harris Fellows to 3 deserving Rotarians. Only one person is present today so the other two will be presented at the next meeting.
Our first recipient is an individual with a significant commitment to vocational education and a tireless support of the importance of such education. An individual whose insight made her a valuable Board member whose sense of humor has always been welcome. A member who is leaving us and will truly be missed.
Our first Paul Harris recipient is Peg Levasseur.
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2015 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Awards Day – President Elect Bill Kany, ChairToday was the 2015 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club Awards day. This is our Club's opportunity to recognize the contributions people outside our Club have made to our community or the world and at the same time we recognize the efforts of Club members throughout this last year.
If you think about it, we simply do not thank people enough for all the good things they do. Time and time again we take the efforts of others for granted. This is one day when we break that bad habit and say thank you to some who have gone above and beyond in helping others.
Each year we give out four distinguished awards. They include our Private Sector, Public Sector, Humanitarian and Vocational Service Awards.
Private Sector Award Winner
Today, it is difficult to pick up a newspaper and not find an article criticizing Obamacare or the high cost of healthcare. The reality is, however, that the United States continues to have the premier healthcare system in the world. What separates the quality of healthcare in this country from everywhere else is the quality of our medical personnel. It is not only their skill and knowledge that make them superior, but it is also the level to which they truly care about making people better.
Our private sector award winner this year is described as a person who deals with patients in stressful situations and instinctively knows how to put them and their loved ones at ease. Our recipient's healthcare philosophy: "Treat your patient the way you would want someone you love to be treated." As an RN and an EMT, our award winner does just that every single day.
The examples of this individual going above and beyond to truly care for people are too numerous to recount. The Rotarian who nominated this person told me that outside of work two months ago this person saw a roadside emergency, pulled over and helped save a person in cardiac arrest and then wanted to acknowledgment for doing so. He is a fantastic example of someone who truly takes pride in helping others.
The 2013 SMHC Care Giver of the Year is our 2015 Private Sector Award Winner –
Leon Chick.
Public Sector Award Winner
In the last year, we have heard so many bad things about first responders -- Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore and recently even a Texas pool party. Countless bad allegations against police officers can be disconcerting, but such stories certainly make us value the quality of our local first responders.
Question, when was the last time you heard about a public servant doing his or her job for over four decades? This year's public sector award winner is an individual who has made one of our local police departments look good since the 70's. He has been the friendly face of the Saco P.D. forever, and, during that time, he has truly made our communities safer, and, quite frankly, a friendlier place in which to live.
In addition to years as a police officer, this individual has been a very active as a volunteer in our communities including his work as a Mason and he is just an all-around good person.
He is already a Paul Harris Award winner. Our public sector award winner is Saco Police Officer Michael Tremblay.
Humanitarian Award Winner
This year's humanitarian award winner is an individual who has consistently seen needs and taken action to address those needs. As a Rotarian, this person has been a leader in many hands-on projects designed to address accessibility at so many levels, while working to complete projects that improve our communities. Over the last 26 years, this person has also been integral to the success of our auction.
But perhaps most impressive is this person's efforts to make sure that all of our veterans are properly honored and remembered. He saw a need to create a ceremony to honor those who have sacrificed for our country and created daily ceremonies to remember those individuals, which ceremonies help the family and friends of those veterans to recognize their loved one a last time.
Finally, I feel that is person is a true cornerstone of the Saco Bay Rotary Club.
This year's humanitarian award winner is Saco Bay Rotarian, Dennis Robillard.
Vocational Service Award Winner
It is not easy to change careers. It is not easy to be successful in business and then transition to education. This year's vocational service award winner has done just that.
Educationally, the trend over the last 20 plus years has been to push our high school students into college, even if they really didn't want to go there.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the recognition of the value and importance of vocational education for our young people and an acknowledgment that a four year college education is not for everyone. There is a renewed recognition of the value of the trades and the fact that young men and women can make an excellent living with a foundation built on vocational education.
This year's vocational award winner is part of the wave of educators who want to help students get as far ahead as they can on whatever track they choose.
This individual has worked to design vocational classes that challenge the students and give them post-secondary credit toward a degree. His students are not only learning a great deal, but they are saving money by earning college credits which can be huge in this day of expensive college educations.
This year's Vocational Service Award winner is Ken Crepeau.
Goodwin Outstanding Service Award Winner
In 2007, our Club created the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award to recognize the contributions to our Club by Earl and Carl Goodwin. Those two gentlemen have done so much for our Club and contributed so much to our communities that it only made sense to create an award in their honor. This is really our Club's version of a lifetime achievement award centered around what a Club member has done for Rotary.
This year's Goodwin winner has not been in Rotary very long relative to the Goodwins, but, during this person's time in the Club, this member has quietly done all that has been asked of the person and then some. This person is always there willing to do all that needs to be done in a thoughtful and thorough manner.
Since the departure of Dave Lowe, this person has taken over charitable giving and has insured that all requests receive a complete and objective review.
Whether hosting social events at his home, storing auction items at his plant, calmly dealing with auction chaos or volunteering at countless other events, this individual, with a wry smile and unassuming demeanor, gets the job done year in and year out.
If you have not guessed it, the 2015 Goodwin Outstanding Service Award goes to Jim McAllister.
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Announcements 6/17/2015District Change-Over Dinner is being held this Saturday, June 20th at Camp Hinds.
Rotary TV Auction Item - Lobster Bake
This event is being held on Saturday, July 11, 2015, from noon until 4:00 p.m., at Pine Point
5-7 more volunteers are needed to help out (set up / take down)
If you can help please get in touch with Joe Moreshead jmoreshe@psmp.com or President Ken Farley nexstep@maine.rr.com (for the next few days J)
Rotary Business After Hours – Thursday, June 25, 2015
This will be our second Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours in conjunction with Run of the Mill. The meeting will be held outside (5:00 – 7:00 p.m.) with weather permitting. The last BAH we co-hosted brought in 8 new members! This is a great way to get our message out. It is not only a great opportunity to recruit new members but is a terrific fellowship event. Mark your calendars and bring some people/potential new members along with you!
Charitable Giving Committee going to meet for the last time this Rotary year after today’s meeting to see if they can spend the rest of the money in the budget.
OOB Memorial Flag Raising- Rotarian Dennis Robillard mentioned that this is the 5th year OOB holds a Flag Raising ceremony in memory of Veterans who have passed. Dennis said that there are more nights than names so if you have someone that you would like to see honored at this ceremony, please get in touch with Dennis at Dennis@RISC-NOW.com.
Donation to Dayton Little League
President Ken announced that our club donated $1,000 to the Dayton Little League for a new scoreboard. They were very appreciative. With the help of Don Lauzier, our sign looks good.
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2015 Rotary AwardsThis year's service award recipients: Public Sector award recipient Michael Tremblay,Private Sector award recipient Leon Chick, Vocational Service Award recipient Kenneth Crepeau and Humanitarian Service award recipient Dennis Robillard.
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2015 Rotary AwardsThis year's Rotarian award recipients: Goodwin Outstanding Award recipient Jim McAllister, Service Above Self award recipient Karen Chasse, Paul Harris Fellow recipient Peg Levasseur, Service Above Self award recipient Susan Gajewski, Presidential Award recipient Laurie Jo Ready and Presidential Award recipient Denis Elie.
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Week-in-Review 6/10/2015-Past President's DayA beautiful day on the Saco River was the setting for this year's Past Presidents' Luncheon. President Ken's vision of an outdoor setting for the luncheon was skillfully realized with help from Mother Nature and the staff of Run of the Mill. The luncheon was well attended with nineteen Past Presidents in attendance.
President Ken led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance as well as God Bless America. Past President, Denis Elie, led the club in the 4 Way Test followed by Joe Moreshead's invocation which was short and sweet. President Elect introduced visiting Rotarians and guests.
President Ken welcomed the Past Presidents noting the accomplishments of year's past and the continued financial stability of the club. President Ken also shared that our club will be celebrating 95 years of fellowship and volunteering next year.
President Ken gave the toast to the Past Presidents and was joined by all in attendance. President Ken then had the honor of announcing the newest Paul Harris Fellow, a contributing spouse, Stasia Goodwin. A standing ovation recognized Stasia, fellow Rotarian Earl Goodwin's wife.
Late comer, Past President 2002-2003, joined the luncheon and was welcomed by all.
The 50/50 was $43 with the winning ticket selected by Elaine Lowe, Past President 1989-1990, David Lowe's lovely wife. Brian Dallaire was the winner!
Lucie Kay served as Sargent of Arms collecting numerous Happy Dollars, well wishes to all the Past Presidents in attendance, Happy Anniversaries, engagements and Little League Play-Off Home Runs.
Following a delicious lunch, President Ken provided a program of sharing all of the Past Presidents by name beginning with the first Rotary President of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary. A moment of silence in remembrance of those Rotarians and Past Presidents that were no longer with us. Capping the day's festivities, President Ken announced the current value of the Past Presidents fund at $87,000 and the club's donation of $25 for each Past President in attendance today to the Past Presidents fund continuing to grow the fund which supports education via local scholarships. Well done!
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B-S Rotary Donates to Dayton Little LeagueDon Lauzier and President Ken Farley present $1,000 to Dayton Little League on behalf of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club.
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Announcements 6/10/2015President Ken made several announcements to the club including fellow Rotarian, Leon Tranchemontagne's idea for a signature project to upgrade the Rotary sign in Rotary Park. Plans are in the works to install a granite monument in the fall.
The Veteran's organization that has benefited from our club's Co. B funds thank you note was shared with the club.
Jim McAllister announced a meeting of the Charitable Giving Committee following today's luncheon.
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Cocktail Party for Bulgaria GSE TeamDistrict #7780 and the Saco Bay Rotary Club will be hosting a cocktail party tomorrow night at 7pm at Joseph's by the Sea in Old Orchard Beach. There will be some light snacks and a cash bar.
The Group Study Exchange is a Rotary program where two countries exchange time in each others country to further international understanding and promote peace while learning the customs and culture of other countries.
If you are interested in attending please let me know so that I can give the District & Saco Bay Club an idea of who is going.
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This Week's Meeting - Please Come!!!- Past Presidents Luncheon
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Announcements 6/3/2015President Ken: I would like to ask each and every one of you to make a special effort to make this week's meeting (06/10). This is our annual tribute to our Past President's where we recognize them for the service they have given to our club. Although some are regular attendees of our meetings, others are not and this is a great opportunity to meet them. The weather looks great and it looks perfect for us to be out on the patio for this wonderful event.
The final board meeting of Ken’s presidential term will be held on Wednesday morning, 06/10/15.(at P & C Insurance)
Bill Kany announced that there would be a meeting with the new board and a few others on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. in the new community room at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution on Main St., Saco. He was going to send an e-mail to board members.
Karen Chasse received a new pin for bringing new members into the club. Congrats Karen!
RYLA: Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
Our club usually sponsors some students to attend RYLA each year. This is a 4 day event where the students go through team building exercises and also work on leadership skills. They always come back stating that it was an amazing experience. This year’s RYLA camp will be held at Camp Hinds in Raymond from 06/21 through 06/24. Ken had an opportunity to go to Camp Hinds to help get it ready for this year’s session. He said that they have really done a great job with improvements. He said the changes were phenomenal.
James Audiffred wanted to inform everyone that he was putting together a canoe trip on the Allagash River the week of July 5-10. Anyone interested should get in touch with James. His e-mail is attorney.JLA374@gmail.com.
CLYNK: We have raised $938.30 as of 06/03. That’s only $61.70 shy of $1,000.00! In bottle terms, only 1,234 bottles/cans at 5 cents each-even less if you have the bottles with a 15cent return! Drink up everyone- let’s see if we can reach $1,000 by the end of Ken’s term!!
Ken congratulated Paul Deschambault for all of his hard work on helping to put a grant together for a water project in the Dominican Republic. Paul asked everyone to pray that the grant request gets approved! He mentioned that a Global Grant request was going to be put together down the road. Paul explained that a portion of the money donated to the Foundation 3 years ago was going back into the District ($40K). We are applying for $4k which will hopefully be matched by the grant. We will be asking RI Foundation to do a 1 ½ x match. There is a Rotary club in Florida that will be doing something with us. We are hoping to end up with $25k for Phase I which consists of drilling the well. The full cost of the project is $117k. More information to come. If you need/want more clarification on this project or grant process, please contact Paul Deschambault.
PE Bill Kany mentioned that our club had put in a grant application along with Saco Bay to build a ramp at the Ball Park in OOB. We had to pull out of the grant application because we can only have one grant submitted at a time. We still plan on working with Saco Bay with this ramp project – it just won’t be through the grant process. Stay tuned for more information.
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Week-in-Review 6/3/2015President Ken promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and then led everyone in a rousing rendition of God Bless America. One of our newer Rotarians, Sarah Curley, was thrown into the fire and did a great job leading the pack in the 4 Way Test. George Wandell provided the invocation.
There were no visiting Rotarians or guests for PE Bill to introduce.
The 50/50 pot of $33 was won and then graciously donated back to the club by Ray Demers.
Past President Steve Morin was the scheduled SAA but he went MIA. President Farley didn’t want to lose an opportunity to help boost the budget before he left office so he took the easy & most efficient way out and collected a dollar from everyone in attendance.
Spring Cleaning Time: President Ken said that he has accumulated a bunch of Rotary stuff and wanted to start “clearing out”. Today’s treasures consisted of the old “round” name badges. Anyone in attendance today who had a round badge got to take it home. I’m not sure but some of them may be considered antiques.
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Week-in-Review 5/27/2015President Ken promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed with the patriotic song God Bless America. Jim Godbout led the crowd in the 4 Way Test and Roland Gagne provided the invocation.
President-Elect Bill Kany introduced visiting Rotarian, ADG Peggy Belanger. Peggy is going to be stepping aside as ADG at the end of this Rotary year and will become a second time president at the Kennebunk Portside club.
Jim Godbout won the 50/50 drawing.
Today’s meeting was the award ceremony for the Biddeford High School Interact Students who would soon be graduating.
President Ken introduced the Interact advisor, Ruth Shaw. Ruth mentioned how proud she was of this group of students who completed several community projects this year. She introduced the current officers: Amanda Kimball, President, Emily Belanger, Vice President and Jordan Belanger, Treasurer. Amanda presented each of the seniors with a special medallion .
One of the students was recognized for the device he was working on which would make two sticks become the equivalent of a pair of crutches. Ms. Shaw had each of the students introduce themselves and state where they were headed after graduation.
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Announcements 5/27/2015President Ken introduced the new ADG for next year, Tony Wagner. Tony is from the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club. He will be part of our support system for next year. Tony has been a Rotarian for 33 years and will be the Assistant District Governor for 5 clubs.
President Ken attended the awards banquet for the Biddeford Center of Technology where he presented the Rotary scholarships. He wanted to relay a message to the students that came from Lou Chantigny (TJ’s Pizza owner). “Don’t forget where you came from. Be proud of your community.” President Ken expanded on that and asked the kids to “continue to serve- to look for a Rotaract club (college version of Interact). If they didn’t have a Rotaract club, look for another service organization. Once you are in a profession, continue on with the local Rotary club.”
The recipients of the UNE scholarships were also in attendance. I was unable to hear the names so I apologize for the limited notes.
June 20, 2015, is the Rotary District wide project at Camp Hinds in Raymond. The following Rotarians have committed to going so far: Ken, Lucy, Bill, Susan and Bernice. If you would like to join in, please let President Ken know.
ADG Peggy Belanger mentioned that the Rotarians visiting from Bulgaria would be arriving next Tuesday (that would be today 06/02). They will be staying with 5 different host families.
President Ken thanked Julie for organizing the Flags for our Veterans project which was held on Friday, May 22nd. Thank you to the volunteers who came out to help place the flags. Members of the Legion were very grateful for the help we provided.
PP Paul Deschambault announced that the Foundation Giving was almost over. If you haven’t made your donation yet, please do so. Donations can be made in any amount – every dollar counts.
This year’s BINGO fundraiser was another successful event. We had 84 people come out to try their luck! Approximately 34 Rotarians presold 80 tickets/packages of which 55 were turned in that day. Thanks to President Ken for filling in as the MC as Joe Moreshead was a little under the weather. Thanks also goes out to Earl Goodwin, Laurie Jo Ready, Jim McAllister, Elaine Palmitessa, Jacquie Perrault, Bernice Wood and Paul Deschambault for volunteering. Thanks to the sales efforts of our volunteers, the 50/50 drawing was the highest we’ve had in a while ($400 total with $200 going to the winner). The “Winner Take All” game also reached an all- time high ($567). We actually had to split the game into two different games because we can’t award more than $500 in a cash prize in one game. Rochambeau not only donated the hall, George Worthy also donated the cost of the BINGO tickets/cards this year. We literally had no expenses! Thank you to our sponsors and Rotarians who spread the word, posted flyers, sold and purchased tickets. Because of these efforts we were able to raise just under $3,900.00 which will go towards the Rotary International Polio Plus project and also our local Charitable Fund!!
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Annual Meeting @ COTKen began our program by thanking the COT for his experiences here 25 years ago. He and Denis both attended the COT and are appreciative of the great education they received. Ken introduced Ken Crepeau from the Business Academy.
Ken Crepeau teaches 4 classes in the Business Academy and explained dual enrollment credits to us. High school students can earn up to 30 college credits (15 in Gen Ed and 15 in CTE programs) in high school which saves money on college bills. The students need a 2.5 GPA to get into the program.
Mr. Dutremble wasn’t able to join us but sent students to speak for the Business Information Technology School. The message from his students is that you are in Mr. Dutremble’s class to learn and you will fail if you fool around. The students gave a very informative presentation.
Wayne Hapgood from the Building Trades department thanked Rotary for their continued financial support of the houses and sheds. He also thanked Carl Goodwin and Jim Godbout for all the input and expertise that they give to this program. Carl and Jim keep the program current with all the new ideas like the blower door on the house that can tell how energy efficient the houses are built. Wayne told us that there were not many schools that had the up front money for wood, windows, and building materials like they did and they appreciate it. He also expressed how important it is to get more young people involved in building trades.
Bill Gervais spoke about the Electrical Trades department. He too expressed the need for more youth to get involved in a trade. He thanked Rotary for the continued support.
Peg Levasseur welcomed all Rotarians to walk around the house that was being built and she also offered a tour around the COT to see the drafting classes and welding classes.
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Announcements 5/20/2015
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REMINDER - TODAY'S MEETING IS AT BRCOTGood morning,
This message is a reminder that our meeting today will be held at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology at 10 Maplewood Ave in Biddeford. It is right next door to the Biddeford High School. The event will be held in the Building Trades Shop near where the houses are currently being built.
Parking will be available in the student parking lot on Maplewood Ave just across the street from the COT. For those that need to park closer to the Building Trades Shop for mobility issues there will be limited parking in the parking lot adjacent to the Building Trades Shop, the entrance for this parking lot is off of Main St.
For those of you who have never seen the houses that our Rotary Club purchases the materials for and that are built by the COT students this is a great opportunity to arrive a little earlier or stay a little later to check them out. Feel free to snap some pictures and share on social media to get the word out.
Thanks a lot and see everyone at noon.
President 2014-15 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club |
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Lisa Morin- Director of Development for Alzheimer’s- Representing Chapter of Alzheimer’s diseasePresident Ken Farley introduced the guest speaker who also was a former member of the Rotary---
Lisa Morin- Director of Development for Alzheimer’s- Representing Chapter of Alzheimer’s disease
26,000 people diagnosed with this disease
68,000 people in the State of Maine care for a love one with this disease
Lisa shared a story about her dad caring for his wife and he got sick and needed rehab. She had to find an assisting living center to care for both of her parents because no one was actually going back home to live in their house of 55 years. The house was suddenly empty. A very touching story that could happen to any family.
She shared that since Alzheimer’s was in her family –there were sisters & brothers of her parent’s aunts & uncles diagnosed with this lonely disease.
Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 16 million will have the disease in 2050. Nearly one in every three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
Purple is the color of Alzheimer’s.
Bill from the National Non-Profit Organization Chapter in Scarborough also spoke about Alzheimer’s
In the year of 2015 –
Ages 65-74 3,800 people with Alzheimer’s disease
Ages 75-84 11,000 people with the disease; and
Ages 85+ 11,000 people with the disease
TOTAL of 26,000.
Number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease in 2012- 401 The 6th leading cause of death in Maine
There are 60 different types of diseases of the cognitive decline and changes of the brain where judgement declines also.
Alzheimer’s is not just memory loss--- Alzheimer’s kills.
The Toll Free # is 1-800-272-3900 24/7 Helpline
Most people living with Alzheimer’s are not aware of their diagnosis or have not been diagnosed at all.
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is growing and growing fast.
Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. There is no cure or treatment.
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older. Nearly two-thirds of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women.
Awareness and education is the key. Seek professional advice. The individual can be unsafe without support or proper care.
Facts in Our State
The 2015 Alzheimer’s disease Fact and Figures report also contains data on the impact of the disease in every state across the nation. Find the full report and information on your state at www.alz.org/facts
A few questions were asked at the end of the presentation.
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Announcements 5/13/2015Jim A. announced that Leon T. was doing alright and that he wanted to attend today’s meeting but was not able to because he had a scheduled doctor’s appointment to have his hearing checked.
Julie V. – Spoke about the Bingo Event this Saturday, May 16th and announced that 85 tickets were pre-sold and that she was very happy that all of the Bingo Sponsorships have been filled. If you have any money for the tickets that you sold, please email Julie the total of tickets sold so that she can include in her report for the State. Julie said that Joe M. has back issues and may not be able to be the MC for the event; therefore Ken F. and Paul D. are on standby. Earl G. will be the Bingo numbers keeper. Volunteers are asked to report to the Rochambeau Club that morning at 7:45 am.
Julie announced that on Friday, March 22nd the Rotary will be placing flags at St, Joseph’s cemetery for Memorial Day. All are encouraged to participate and report at 8 am for the fellowship opportunity. Over 1500 flags will be placed on that day.
President Farley announced that next weeks meeting would be at the Biddeford COT and that we could park out back.
He then circulated 4 Thank You notes that were sent to our Rotary.
Alan Nelson reported that the Scholarship Committee had meet and will be doing interviews today at the Saco Biddeford Savings Bank (Biddeford Crossing location) at 3:00 pm for the Old Orchard Beach H.S. and at 4:00 pm for Thornton Academy School. Tomorrow the Committee would meet again at 3:00 pm for the Regional Center of Technology and at 4:00 pm for Biddeford H.S. and they have 1 applicant from YCCC at 5:00 pm. The committee reviews 4 criteria’s and the scholarships are for up to 4 years.
President Ken Farley thanked Denis Elie, Matt Early and Josh Fearon for helping with the last distribution of the Dictionaries. Ken needed to order another box. Frank Dumais will take this on next year.
Paul Deschambault announced that we are $2,500 away from our goal this year. Looking for $100.00 from Rotarian. Donation within the next 2 weeks. Thanked everyone for their generosity.
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Thank you Bingo Sponsors!A big shout out & Thanks to this years Bingo Sponsors!
Bergen & Parkinson
Blue Elephant Catering
Dana Lane, CPA
Elie Corporation
Gorham Savings Bank
McAllister Machine, Inc.
Neil’s Motors
P & C Insurance
Party Plus Event & Tent Rentals
Pension Professionals
Precision Screw Machine Products
PSMP
Rochambeau Club
Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution
Southern Maine Health Care
York County FCU
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Rotary Club Scholarship Comm. - Personal InterviewsDear Scholarship Committee Members and Invited Volunteers ,
See you there !
Yours in Rotary ,
Alan
Tel. # : (207) 602 - 6505
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Announcements 5/6/2015President Ken shared with the club that Jackie had the latest sign-up sheet circulating for front desk, greeter duty, Jim McAllister would be holding a brief Charitable Giving meeting at the conclusion of today’s meeting and the Past President’s luncheon committee would also be convening following the meeting.
Julie V. announced that Bingo Sponsorships had been filled, please continue to sell tickets and that volunteers had been lined up for Saturday, May 16th. Julie encouraged all Rotarians to join the Bingo event as it’s fun for all ages. Joe M. will be the MC again this year and Earl has agreed to be the Bingo numbers keeper.
Julie also announced that Friday, March 22nd at 8am is a Rotary fellowship opportunity as volunteers will be placing flags in the cemetery for Memorial Day. All are encouraged to join in. The event is held rain or shine. Karen Chasse requested photo ops be taken and forwarded to her for placement on the club’s Facebook page.
President Ken announced that the club’s Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12th at 7:45am at P&C Insurance.
Alan Nelson informed the club that the Scholarship Committee is successfully progressing with the process of reviewing scholarship applications. Alan encouraged all Rotarians to participate.
The dictionary project will be completed with the final distribution occurring at Biddeford Primary on May 7th at 2pm.
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Essay Contest Winners PPH |
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Dictionary Project @ Biddeford Primary School
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Rotary - BINGO
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Rotary Project- Flags for Our VeteransFellow Rotarians,
On Friday May 22nd at 8:00 a.m., the Legion Post 26 needs our help placing the American Flag on the grave sites of over 1500 Veterans in St. Joseph's cemetery on West Street in Biddeford. Our club has been helping with the project since I joined Rotary over 10 years ago. It usually takes us less than 2 hours to place the flags-less time if we have an abundance of hands! The members of the Legion will do a walk through of the cemetery afterwards to make sure nobody was missed. This is a great opportunity to spend a little time with your fellow Rotarians & also get a little exercise.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Julie Villemaire
Past President 2010-2011
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Sergeant Corey Hutchinson, of the Saco Police DepartmentOur guest speaker this week was Sergeant Corey Hutchinson, of the Saco Police Department. Sergeant Hutchinson leads all of the investigation work at the Department. He is responsible for overseeing all of it – internet crimes, human trafficking, drug related crimes, homicides, domestic violence. Sergeant Hutchinson informed the club that the biggest problem facing our local communities today is heroin addiction and abuse. The vast majority of crimes committed have a drug component. Property is stolen; businesses are burglarized; and homicides occur; prostitution is taking place; these crimes are happening to support a person’s drug habit in our back yards and our communities. Violent crime is on the rise and the violent crime rate is exponentially higher in Biddeford/Saco than in the not so distance past. It used to be that people fought with their hands. Today people are not afraid to use knives and guns. White collar crime is also on the rise. Be aware of fraudulent money laundering schemes. These criminals are sophisticated and prey upon our elderly population. Community members have lost their entire savings to such criminal activity. The money flows out of the country and once it is gone, it is nearly impossible to recover. We, as members of this community, business owners and professionals, need to take back our communities. What we see on the news is a quarter of what is going on in our neighborhoods. Criminal enforcement isn’t enough. Law enforcement needs their communities’ support. Education, awareness and prevention are keys to overcoming the heroin epidemic in our communities. We should not “mind our business” or “stay out of it because it doesn’t affect me” or “not report it because nothing gets done”. If you know or suspect that illegal activity is taking place near your home or work, report it to the police. Speak up, follow up, and do not tolerate such activity. Do not accept that it’s the way of the world today. As a community, we can be the change and we can make a difference.
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Week-in-Review 4/29/2015President Ken Farley kicked off the meeting, albeit a bit late, by leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Next up, Don Lauzier led us in the patriotic song. Singing lessons anyone? Jackson Brown led the Four Way Test. Opening ceremonies concluded with Joe Bassett leading our group in prayer.
Bill Kany introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. Carolyn Johnson, District Membership Chair, was the only visiting Rotarian. Jackson Brown introduced his guest, Randy Carrigan, to our club.
We meet almost every week at 12:15 p.m. at the Run of the Mill.
Peggy Bean won the 50/50 – her first time in 20 years! Congratulations Peggy!
Next up, Bill Kany, brushed up on his Master of Ceremonies skills in preparation for the upcoming TA Auction. Unclaimed auction items were auctioned off as follows:
Bill Kany – season parking pass OOB;
CJ Dubois-Cote – 1 month pass to Saco Sport and Fitness;
Jim Audiffred – $150 G.C. to Fashion Floors, tickets to see a Frankie Valley cover band, and after an arduous battle with Bill and CJ, ½ a page add in the Courier which Jim plans to donate to his Church;
Matt Simmons – Old Orchard Beach Surge tickets;
Julie Villemaire – GC to Salon 126; and,
Carolyn Johnson – tickets to see a Frankie Valley cover band.
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Week-in-Review 4/23/2015: Annual UNE MeetingThis was our annual spring meeting at the University of New England.
The meeting began with President Ken leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Don Lauzier led the club with our Patriotic Song. Mark Tuller led us in the 4-Way Test. And Joe Bassett blessed us with an invocation.
President Ken filled in for PE Bill Kany and VP Lucie Kay to introduce visiting Rotarian Doug Willett from the Saco Bay club. He also introduced our guests from the UNE Rotaract Club Megan Perry, Ryan Juneau, Jessica Cosplay, Taxia Arabatis, Asst. Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving for UNE Mitchell Brown and Director of Career Services for UNE Mary Jones. President Ken also announced the names of the scholarship recipients for the 2014-2015 academic year: Natasha Staples, Kwonduk Jung, and Mahrina Lionetta.
President Ken had the following announcements:
The 50/50 was won by a Rollie Eon.
There was no Sargent at Arms today as none were present.
President Ken then introduced our speaker, Jeanne Hey, PhD Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at UNE. She gave a brief background on her upbringing and education. She then stated that she has a great connection to Rotary and expressed tremendous gratitude as she was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Columbia when she was 16. She also spoke to us about the various countries that she has lived in throughout the world. She taught at Miami University (Ohio) and held leadership positions there before joining UNE in 2011. Dean Hey impressed upon those in attendance that UNE provides as strong of a Liberal Arts education as the finest in Maine including Bowdoin, Bates and Colby Colleges. She answered several questions from Rotarians.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30
This week’s speaker is Sargent Cory Huntress – Saco Police Dept.
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This Weeks Meeting-Reminders @ UNE
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Week-in-Review 4/15/2015President Ken promptly started the meeting at noon with the Pledge of Allegiance. He also led the crowd in singing God Bless America which was followed up by Brian Dallaire with the 4 Way Test. Laurie Jo Ready rounded things off with the invocation.
Julie did a quick updated with our Bingo Fundraiser which is being held on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Every Rotarian in attendance was given 4 tickets which represent a “Bingo Package”. Each ticket is $20.00. PLEASE do your best to sell the tickets. The money we collect for “pre-sold” packages is non-refundable so it is in our best interest to sell as many packages/tickets that we can in advance. If you haven’t received your tickets yet or need more J, please check in with Susan Gajewski, Laurie Jo Ready or Julie. If you need a Bingo flyer customized to your specific info please let Julie know. Thank you for all of your efforts in helping to make this event a success!!
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Rotarians Honor Essay Winners on Family LifeEach year the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club sponsors an annual essay contest for all eighth graders in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach schools. This year marked the 20th year they have held the contest. The theme of the essay is “What the Word Family Means to Me,” which focuses on the students’ views of the importance of family life, their understanding, and appreciation of differences that exist with other families. The best essays are selected by the school’s faculty of teachers based on the established criteria: relevance to the topic, quality of composition, creativity, and grammatical, spelling accuracy.
On April 15, the first place winners from each participating school were invited to read their essay before an assembly of Rotarians, parents, school principals and teachers. Each was awarded a Certificate of Achievement along with a $100 prize. The first place winners were: Olivia Whittaker, Biddeford Middle School; Jake Lamontagne, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez, Saco Middle School; Amber Rennie, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Aine Mahony, St. James School, Biddeford.
Congratulations to the other prize winners who received $50 or $25 prizes as well: Addison Moore and Brittany Harlow - Biddeford Middle School; Zoe Johnson and Morgan LeBlanc - Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Preetica Sharma and Willem King - Saco Middle School; Celina Ouellette and Haylee Hinkle - Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Yuriy Reiter and Allyson Fournier - St. James School, Biddeford.
The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is pleased to be part of community involvement. If you would like more information on how to become involved with Rotary, please visit their website at www.biddeford-sacorotary.org.
PHOTO CAPTION: The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recently awarded winners for their twentieth annual essay contest: (L-R): Jake Lamontagne, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez, Saco Middle School; Aine Mahony, St. James School; Amber Rennie, Loranger Middle School; Olivia Whittaker, Biddeford Middle School and President Ken Farley.
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This Weeks Meeting-RemindersDear Rotarians,
It feels a whole lot more like spring now with the thermostat hitting the 60's.
This week's meeting is our essay contest winners and their families. This is a great opportunity to see some of our best and brightest 8th graders in our area.
REMINDER: This meeting starts earlier than most, this meeting will start promptly at noon. Please arrive 15 minutes early to make your meal selection. We will have use of both dining rooms. There will be reserved tables for the students and their families. Please fill in the tables around them. If you know that you will not stay for the reading of the essays, I would kindly ask that you sit in the room to the left as you walk in and take a table on the sides, then make your exit prior to the winners reading their essays.
Finally, this is LAST CALL for anyone interested in attending the District Conference on April 24 - 26. The District Conference will be held at the Wentworth by the Sea in Portsmouth, NH. The club will cover the cost of the daily registration fees for each Rotarian wishing to go. Please let me know as soon as possible as the registration deadline is tomorrow.
Thanks a lot and have a great day! President 2014-15 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club |
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Auction Update …Will it ever end???We have some leftover items that need to be auctioned off. These are items that were not picked up by the winning bidders and we weren’t able to connect with them (or 2nd highest bidder) afterwards. PE Bill Kany agreed to be our auctioneer. He auctioned off a few of the smaller priced items. The remaining items will be auctioned off on Wednesday, April 22nd at our regular meeting. Please bring your checkbook – there will be some great deals. The following items will be up for grabs:
2015 Summer Parking Pass @ Libby Memorial Library in OOB****$500 Value!
½ Page ad in the Courier – Add must be used by 09/30/15 & can’t be used for other ad sizes or to use as credit towards an existing balance with Mainely Media, LLC. *****Value $566!
2 Season Passes for the Old Orchard Beach Surge Baseball Team *****Value $200!
$150.00 Gift Certificate to Fashion Floors –use towards all your flooring needs.
$75.00 Gift Certificate to Studio 126 Hair Salon (Sheila) –Located at 126 Saco Ave, OOB.
Saco Sport & Fitness- One Month Membership (new members only)*****Value $87!
Seaside Pavilion- 2 Tickets to see Franki Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute Show on July 14th. This is a full blown stage show including a 4-7 piece live band that’ll bring back lots of great memories. *****Value $40.00
Seaside Pavilion- 2 Tickets to see Franki Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute Show on July 14th. This is a full blown stage show including a 4-7 piece live band that’ll bring back lots of great memories. *****Value $40.00
Seaside Pavilion- 2 Tickets to see Franki Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute Show on July 14th. This is a full blown stage show including a 4-7 piece live band that’ll bring back lots of great memories. *****Value $40.00
Buy all three packages to this incredible show (Franki Valli) and bring the whole family!
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Week-in-Review 4/8/2015President Ken promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance after we played a little game of “where is the flag”. PP Paul Deschambault led the group in God Bless America, PP Roland Gagne flawlessly headed up the 4 Way Test and Jim Audiffred provided the invocation.
PE Bill Kany took the floor to introduce visitors and guests of which there were none.
The 50/50 pot of $37 was won by Roland Eon
President Ken announced that we had received several Thank You letters from various people and organizations that had received a donation from our very generous club. They were circulated for everyone to read.
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Rachel Harris from Harris Farm and he Saco Farmers MarketToday’s speaker was Rachel Harris from Harris Farm. Her presentation today was focused on Harris Farm and also the Saco Farmers Market.
The Saco Farmers Market was established in 1975 as a revitalization project. It was modeled after the Portland Farmers Market. It will be celebrating its 40th year this year! It is held in the back corner of the Saco Valley Shopping Plaza near the pediatric office.
Rachel mentioned that Harris Farm has had 4 generations running the farm. They typically sell out of the items that they bring to the market each Saturday. They have a crew of 6 people that pick on Tuesday & Fridays to prepare for the market-rain or shine.
Rachel was very passionate about she does. Her favorite part is selling their products directly to the customers. She mentioned that they usually have an entire pick-up truck filled with corn on the cob. It is not unheard of to sell 300 ears of corn on a Saturday.
They do take glass milk bottles back at the market.
There is a $75 booth rental fee. This minimal cost helps to cover expenses for the market. They do not accept credit or debit cards. The cost of offering that service only drives up the cost of doing business.
There are two new farmers that have signed up. One is a cheese and veggie farmer. The other an organic veggie flower farmer.
The Saco Farmers Market’s main focus is on the fresh food. They don’t provide face painting or entertainment. The challenge is get people to continue to come and shop at the market. They came up with the idea of “Farm Fam”. This is a program that offers texting alerts, reminders and/or notices. To become a Saco Farmers Market Farm Fan you can go to sacofarmersmarket.com or harrisfarm.com. You can also text 54459, code sac214.
There are 140 farmers markets in the state of Maine.
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PP & SAA Steve MorinPP & SAA Steve Morin was up next to collect happy dollars and to impose fines to help the budget. I’m not sure if there weren’t any happy campers in the room today or if I just spaced it when Steve asked for happy dollars because I don’t have any written down in my notes. I do, however, have some fines to list. It all started with SAA Steve requesting a dollar from PP Paul Deschambault as an apology dollar to the Run of the Mill for the quality of our singing. Just found a happy dollar…from Paul Deschambault…something about General Lee surrendering 150 years ago. Back to the fines…PP Karen Chasse was fined for a FaceBook post and a very early morning at the YMCA. Joe Moreshead was fined once again for the “salmon pants” and also for harassing Sarah Neault. Brian Dallaire was fined for his involvement at a Governor LePage event where his wife ended up commenting to a channel 13 news reporter while he tried to hide in the back. All board members who bet that PP & SAA Steve wouldn’t make it to today’s meeting had to cough up a buck. Whoever gave the $2 bill back to the SAA last week instead of back to the Foundations had to also fork over a dollar. Leon Tranchemontagne was fined for asking if the patriotic fine was optional. President Ken was fined for his organized chaos and Roland Eon got hit for lying about “never” winning the 50/50.
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Announcements 4/8/2015Auction Wrap-Up meeting will be held on Friday, 04/24/15, at 7:30 a.m. at YCFCU in Biddeford.
Looking for feedback on the auction. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you aren’t able to attend & have some suggestions/comments, please let Lucie Kay or Ken Farley know & they will bring them to the meeting.
3 Postings for New Members: Leo Menard –Transfer request
Ashley Rand sponsored by Susan Gajewski
Devon Soloniewicz sponsored by Jackson Brown
Their names will be posted this week and also next week. If you have any questions/concerns please contact Karen Chasse, Ken Farley or any board member.
20th Annual Essay Contest: Reminder that this week’s meeting (04/15) will start at 12:00 p.m. in order to provide enough time for the students to present their winning essays. This is a meeting you don’t want to miss!
Resignation: President Ken regretfully announced the resignation of Brad Holt. Brad’s time with UNE has ended and unfortunately with us as well. Brad will sincerely be missed at the club.
BINGO: Tickets for BINGO packages will be ready this week (04/15). All Rotarians will be given 4 tickets to try to sell ($20 each ticket). Each ticket represents a “Bingo Package” that will allow people to play up to 48 cards for 12 regular games and one card each for 2 special games. There will be a “Winner Take All” game at the end. Cards will be sold separately for this game. The tickets/packages sold ahead are non-fundable. The more tickets we sell ahead, the more profit we can make. If it turns out to be a sunny day, some people may choose to go outside instead of come to play Bingo-although I’m not quite sure why anyone would want to do that. If they’ve already bought their ticket, we still get the benefit of that sale. This fundraiser typically generates $3,000 with an average of 88 players. It has the potential of generating a lot more revenue if we can sell more tickets and spread the word. The doors will open at 8:00 a.m. with games beginning at 10:00 a.m. We will run a 50/50 raffle prior to the beginning of the games. There are copies of the Bingo flyers on each table. I can send you an electronic version of the flyer customized with your contact information if you prefer or you can leave my (Julie) contact information. Brian and Karen have taken care of posting the flyer to FaceBook and our website. I have forwarded it over to the Saco Bay club. We give out $1,400 in cash prizes at this event. I am in the process of getting sponsors for each game. We are up to $900 in sponsorships. I’d like to THANK SMHC, YCFCU, McAllister Machines, Party Plus Tent & Event Rentals, P & C Insurance, The Blue Elephant, Neil’s Motors and Precision Screw Machine Products for your sponsorships. If you or your business would like to sponsor a game, the sponsorship cost is $100.00. This will get your name on the Bingo Game listing and on our website. The MC will also announce your name throughout the event. George Worthey at the Rochambeau Hall donates the cost of the hall so the only expense we have is for the cost of the Bingo Cards which is minimal. Our club does its share of fundraising but I have to say this is probably the easiest and least expensive to run. It has a lot of potential to be extremely successful if we have the support of everyone in the club. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer the day of the event, please get in touch with me at villemaire@maine.rr.com or 602-7401.
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Sargent At Arms: Keith JacquesHappy Dollars: Karen for shedding 10 lbs. at the Y, Jeremy Ray was happy, but I didn’t hear why, as we were still laughing about Karen’s weight and her joy over being able to wear her favorite pants again. Dennis Elie gave $100.00 happy dollars ear marked for the Past Presidents Fund, because he sold his business yesterday. David Moravick our visiting Rotarian guest was happy to give up a buck to celebrate the 90th anniversary of his Kennebunk Club. A club sponsored by the Biddeford Saco club. Julie V. was happy for the pick and pay help that made her day at the auction easier. Lori Joe was happy for all of the phone bank help she got at the Auction. President Ken was happy with the Auction turn out. Bill Kany was happy that his daughter Aaron placed in the top ten of a national pharmaceutical consultation competition. Steve M. was happy that his daughter Marina graduated from nursing school and is being fought over by several departments at Maine Med, Jackie is happy to be retiring tomorrow. Matt Simmons was happy to have attended his first auction and had a good time. Peg Levasseur was happy that Steve’s daughter Marina got her educational start in her program. Fausto was happy; by I couldn’t hear the reason. There were a few others, sorry to have missed them.
Fines: Jackson had to give up 10% of his winnings, Brian for handing out the two dollar bills, and one other, but we were still laughing about the first, Earl was fined for artful parking in a handicapped striped spot, not the actual spot, Joe M. for not following the auctioneers script Sunday, George W. for not getting the final Auction tally out sooner, it wasn’t Georges fault, but he gracefully took the hit. Carl Goodwin was fined for not telling Keith something that I didn’t hear, Karen for calling Keith. A fine was levied for all of those who were going to listen to Governor LaPage at Thornton academy.
Auction Picture Fines: Me, for being a peeping Rob thru the curtain. Heather for texting, Randy and Jackson for allegedly texting back, Dennis Elie, Alan Nelson for staying awake. Steve Morin for not looking like he was awake. He raised concerns about the brownies in the kitchen labeled “Gluten Free” suggesting another ingredient may have been substituted and Bill Kany for looking disgusted.
Scooters were $2.00
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Rotary Auction Thank you!Dear Rotarians,
I know I made a quick thank you announcement at Rotary on Wednesday but I would like to extend upon it in this email. The Rotary Auction is a massive undertaking and has many moving parts. This year presented some unique challenges that we have not had in previous years and certainly brought to light the need to cross-train multiple people in each role. It was a memorable experience which allowed me to witness first-hand how we all come together as a club when needed. Yet, I am sure my employer is thankful I can now focus on my real job!!
I’d like to personally thank each Rotarian that brought their items in on time with completed slips. There is a lot that goes on between the deadline and the auction relating to data entry, inventory, ad proofing, auctioneer scripts, Director script, Time Warner set-up of boards, etc. that simply makes Rotarians’ lives A LOT easier if done on time. I’d also like to give a special shout out to the below Rotarians who were invaluable to me through this process. Without them, I would not have been as successful as Chair and, for that, I am grateful.
If I left anyone off, please know it was not intentional. I simply wanted say thank you to some key players who made my life a little easier during this process. I am proud to be part of this club and I hope all future Chairs have the support I did.
Yours Truly in Rotary,
Lucie Kay
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Week-in-Review 4/1/2015As we entered the meeting, Brian was at the entrance to the dining room handing out $2.00 bills. More to follow on this story.
President Ken led us in the pledge of allegiance.
Paul Deschambeault was called in from Front Desk duty to lead us in “My Country Tis of Thee.”
Laurie Joe Ready led us in the 4 way test. Yes, she was still smiling after flawlessly running the phone banks at the auction.
Bill Kany gave the Invocation, with appropriate quotations from Mark Twain bestowing the merits of humor. Bill still exhibits humor after standing all day Sunday.
President Ken called the meeting to order. (I think this is when he rang the bell).
P. E. Bill Kany introduced Visiting Rotarian David Moravick, and Visiting Guest Taryn Wentworth.
Somewhere amidst the opening ceremonies, Julie Villemaire crossed the room with pad in hand headed for our table. It took some convincing that I was supposed to be the Tack reporter. I thought it was a horrible April fool’s joke. No joke. So here we go.
Lucy Kay also had a visiting guest.
The 50/50 winnings went to Jackson Brown. The winning ticket was drawn by his guest. Hmmmmmm. Congratulations Jackson.
Meeting adjourned.
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Paul Deschambeault: Foundation ChairNow we find out why Brian gave us a $2.00 bill at the door. There are two Elements of our Foundation goals are 100% participation, and $100.00 per person. By returning the $2.00 you are starting our club toward our 100% participation goal. Last year we sent over $8,000.00 with 100% participation to the Foundation. The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club participation per person was $123.00 per member while the District average was $110.00 per member. Paul discussed how we can donate to the Foundation. Our Club has 2 PHS Eligible Donors of $10,000.00, 17 Sustaining Members at $100.00 or more, many at $2,000.00 or more, and 11 near $2,000. Another way to donate to the Foundation is by being a Benefactor by leaving a donation upon your passing. In our Club we have 49 Paul Harris Fellows, and some multiple Paul Harris Fellows. A distinction bestowed upon donors of $1,000.00 or more. The funds get distributed to 40 Clubs. It is held for 3 years, and then ½ of it goes out in district grants. This Year $90,000 is going out in District Grants. In 2014 The Biddeford Saco Club gave the Foundation $8,757.00. Paul requests that we return the $2.00 to begin our goal of 100% participation. If you wish to donate to the Foundation, please bring a check in made out to the Foundation. The Foundation year runs from July to July. If you give to the Foundation there are matching funds available up to $2,500.00. You can look at your account on the Rotary International Site.
President Ken Discussed the Past Presidents fund. We have about $180,000.00 in our investment account, the proceeds of which are used to fund scholarships. Right now, the fund is not producing enough to fully fund the scholarships. Other sources of revenue from fund raisers like the wine tasting and Rotary Houses make up the difference. The discussion was toward additional fund raising to make the Scholarship Fund self-sustaining. This requires a principal of $300,000.00. Scholarships are $1,000.00 for 4 years. George Wandell asked about replacing the fruit sale. Carl Goodwin said we just couldn’t squeeze any more out of it. Ken is investigating a microbrew tasting event. Bill Kany suggested Ken sell a kidney, but room consensus was that Ken’s major organs may be on the “used” side. The discussion to be continued.
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Announcements 4/1/2015Lucy gave us an Auction Update: There are some left over items that she is trying to get to their proper destinations. We had plenty of food, and all Auction Volunteers were well fed. She thanked everyone for their hard work.
Big Applause.
Announcements:
Charitable Giving Committee: Jim McAllister announced a Charitable Committee meeting right after the meeting.
President Ken made an appeal that if we know of somebody who is in need of assistance; it is our common duty to be ambassadors of the Charitable Giving process and try to assist others who could benefit from the Charitable Giving Process. For example, he noted that we still have funds for oil that are available.
Scholarships: Alan Nelson announced that scholarship applications are in, and if you know of a student, who would benefit from a scholarship, please contact Alan. The deadline is April 30th. The student will need to have financial aid forms filled out. Alan is looking for people who would like to serve on the committee. We give $21,000.00 in scholarships every year.
The 50/50 winnings went to Jackson Brown. The winning ticket was drawn by his guest. Hmmmmmm. Congratulations Jackson.
Bingo: Bingo is coming Saturday, May 16th. Joe M. and Earl G. will be our now veteran callers. The reporting should stop here as the conversation went sideways a bit. The always organized Julie Villemaire still needs 5 volunteers. It’s a fun event. Bingo isn’t just for old people any more. We should all try to make it to this event.
Elaine Palmitessa is getting ready for the Essay Contest in 2 weeks. We will have the readings at the Run of the Mill.
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26th Rotary TV AuctionAwesome job folks! Our Rotary TV Auction raised over $52,000 to make a difference in our community. WAY TO GO!!!!
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Sargent At Arms: Lucie KayHappy:
Sue Gajewski for winning the district award last week and for her guest.
Bernice Wood for Emily Frechette becoming a new member today
Bill Kany happy for Julie not having pneumonia for his year as president
Jim Audiffred for having a great vacation
Karen Chasse picking up a $10,000 donation
Peggy Belanger for our club being so productive
Amy Safford for being back to the club visiting.
Fines:
2$ for everyone not going to the auction
Ken Farley, Facebook post that Isabel posted saying Ken is her pot of gold
Jeremy Ray for his phone
Sue Gajewski for ranting and raving about her trip to Augusta and winning furniture
Peg Belanger and Bill Kany for spending the weekend together
Ken Farley for rolling a keg in for the projecter
Bernice Wood for having a face book with no picture
Randy Forcier for Cynthia Granger hash tagging him for everything
Roland Gagne for being in Canada and wishing the snow to stop
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Announcements 3/25/2015The District Assembly is March 28th. It's not too late to register.
District conference is being held at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel from 4/24-4/26. Visiting Rotarian Peggy Belanger also announce the district assembly and conference talking about how wonderful both events are. She said it is great networking with fellow Rotarians.
Rotary Auction update: Still looking for volunteers to help with set up and phone bank. Looking for people to gravitate and shadow some of the people so if someone is sick they are able to fill in. Set up starts at 8:30. Brad got some UNE students to volunteer to help load the vans. Laurie Jo thanked all the volunteers who have signed up for the phone bank. Jim Audiffred announced he has a rafting trip that has been donated.
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Dennis King, CEO of Maine Behvioral HealthcareMaine Behavioral Healthcare is the result of a merger of some of the most highly respected and well-established behavioral healthcare organizations in the state. They include the formerly-named Community Counseling Center, Counseling Services, Inc., Mid-Coast Mental Health Center, and Spring Harbor Community Services, as well as Spring Harbor Hospital, a division of Maine Behavioral Healthcare. Mental health touches 1 of every 4 people. Maine Behavioral Healthcare serves inCumberland, York, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Oxford, Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec and Somerset counties.
They are building a collaborative, community-oriented network of treatment providers. The agencies of Maine Behavioral Healthcare pool their resources and purchasing power to effectively reduce the cost of delivering mental healthcare in Maine. They share administrative functions, such as legal services, human resources, information technology, finance and billing/collection services. The primary goal is connecting consumers to appropriate care when they need it. That means improving access to services across our network, increasing consumers' reliance on care offered close to home such as primary care or community treatment and appropriately reducing the time spent in the most expensive care settings such as emergency rooms or hospital beds. It also means effectively coordinating each consumer's care across our multiple agencies and treatment settings to assure best outcomes. They focus on:
-promoting recovery
-looking at mental and physical well being
-will become nationally recognized by their evidence based research
-they proved a system that maximizes the patients experiences
-focus on outcomes of the treatment rather than volume
-need to get into the prevention
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Week-in-Review 3/25/2015Pledge – led by President Ken Farley
Patriotic Song- Don Lauzier
4 way test – Michael Thomas
Prayer - Joe Basset
Visiting Rotarians: Peggy Belanger
Guest: Sue had Ashley Rand from Electricity Maine and Bernice with Emily Frechette.
50/50 $25.00 won by Karen Chasse
8th new member of the year: Congratulations to Emily Frechette and her sponsor Bernice!
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Week-in-Review 3/18/2015The meeting began with President Ken leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Joe Bassett led the charge with our Patriotic Song. Brian Dallaire was inspiringly jubilant in leading the 4-Way Test. And Rob Moody wasn’t happy with one invocation, but said another for our upcoming Rotary Auction.
President Ken congratulated PE Bill Kany for successfully completing President-Elect Training (PETS) in preparation for his Rotary presidency that starts in July. We had no guests or visiting Rotarians.
The 50/50 was won by a Rotarian (didn’t jot down who it was).
Sergeant at Arms Josh Ellis received happy dollars and levied several fines, especially to our esteemed President Ken.
Lunch was served.
President Ken then introduced our speaker, our very own Sarah Neault.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30
This week’s speaker is Dennis King from Maine Behavioral Healthcare.
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District Assembly
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President-Elect ChatterI'm back from my President-Elect Training (PETS) which was 50% intense information and 50% attempted inspiration. PETS was well run and a seemingly ceaseless bombardment of information. I came away with some good ideas and a renewed sense of impending doom.
As my predecessors have observed, our club is in good shape organizationally. Quite frankly, our club is large by comparison, in that most clubs have less than 30 members. Most clubs have 50% attendance at best and most do not have our kind of money, our successful fundraisers or anything like our house project. We have a lot to be proud of.
Based on Rotary-speak, we would be characterized as more of a check-writing club than a service club. That is not a negative observation but is simply a description. It is, however, an indication that perhaps one or more additional hands-on service projects may be in order.
Our incoming District Governor is a dynamo whose strengths will be more inspirational than organizational.
As soon as the auction is completed, I will be reaching out to all of you to ascertain your wishes for next year, and I will be reaching out to the club to set the club's goals for next year.
I will promise not to break anything if you promise not to insist on doing things simply because it is the way we have always done it.
We should all be proud of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club, because, by comparison, we have a lot to be proud of.
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Announcements 3/18/2015President Ken had the following announcements:
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Sarah Neault, Estate PlanningPresident Ken then introduced our speaker, our very own Sarah Neault – an Attorney with Bergen & Parkinson in Saco to talk about legal planning for our elder years. Sarah explained that a power of attorney is an important document that allows for an appointed person to make decisions when we can’t or are incapacitated. She stressed to make sure that you have a “durable” power of attorney. She also explained that we should prepare documents and talk with family members about your wishes during an emergency. She mentioned do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, what measures should be used to keep you alive, advanced directives on where and how to be treated should you have failing health and what your wishes are after your death. She suggested that everyone should think about these matters and consult an attorney to best manage and see that your wishes are followed through.
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Week-in-Review 3/11/2015Biddeford Saco Rotary luncheon meeting held at Run of the Mill on Wednesday, March 11th. Greeters: Bernice Wood & Jim McAllister (back from sunny Florida)
VP Lucie nearly had to start the meeting as President Ken rushed in to a round of applause. President Ken began the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Rotarian Paul D. led the club in "God Bless America" as it was deemed too early for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Rotarian Alan N. led the club in the 4 Way Test and Rotarian Joe B. provided the group with the invocation.
Rotarian Jackson B. introduced his guest, Devon Soloniewicz, who is considering joining the club.
Rotarian Chuck H. won the 50/50 with winnings of $34.
Lunch was a selection of tasty choices including Chicken Caesar Salad, Not Your Mama's Meatloaf, a wrap and fries and another selection.
Following the luncheon, President Ken introduced the speaker, Saco Bay Rotarian and P&C Insurance Benefits, Dan Cote.
No further business to bring before the club, meeting concluded at 1:30pm.
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Dan Cote, Long Term Care InsuranceFollowing the luncheon, President Ken introduced the speaker, Saco Bay Rotarian and P&C Insurance Benefits, Dan Cote. Dan was the second in a three part series of informative speakers on long term planning. Dan provided an informative presentation on Long Term Care Insurance. Several important points were covered as well as dispelling a number of misconceptions on Long Term Care Insurance. The presentation was well received with several pertinent questions by Rotarians at the conclusion of the presentation. Next week's speaker with be Sarah Neault.
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Announcements 3/11/2015President Ken reminded the club of the importance of the Front Desk Duty and Tack Reporters. Club members are strongly encouraged to find replacements in advance of the meeting they are assigned to these duties.
The District Assembly is being held on March 28th at YCCC from 8am - 2pm. President Ken encourages all elected Rotarian officers to attend despite being the Auction Setup Day. Please contact Ken if you wsh to attend as registrations must be submitted in advance.
Auction Chair, Rotarian, Lucie K. provided the club with an update on the Auction. Lucie announced that the goal of 410 items has been exceeded! Auction meeting scheduled for Friday, March 13th at Lucie's branch of York Credit Union at 7:30am, all are welcome. Laurie Jo provided an update on the Auction Phone bank noting that Rotarian Brad H. is providing a group of UNE students for the early shift during Mary's Walk and Rotarian Jackson has commitments from the Biddeford High School Interact Club. Rotarians are encouraged to volunteer for the 2pm - 4pm shift or the 7pm - 9pm shift. Please contact Lucie and/or Laurie Jo. Rotarian Julie V. provided the club with an update on the Bid #s, the sign up sheet for calling bidders and asked for volunteers for Pic 'n Pay.
President Ken shared a Thank You note sent to the club by a UNE Scholarship recipient.
President Ken also shared with the club the April 22nd meeting will be held at UNE this year. UNE Scholarship recipients and UNE Rotoract members have been invited to attend.
President Ken provided the club with an update on the Club's Board meeting. A new member, Emily Frechette, has been posted. Emily is an employee of the Bank of Maine.
Award pins were presented by President Ken to Rotarians, Bernice Wood and Denis Elie for bringing in new members to the club.
March birthdays and club years of membership were announced.
The Charitable Giving Committee is scheduled to meet following the Club's luncheon meeting.
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Sergeant At Arms, Rotarian Keith J.Sergeant of Arms, Rotarian Keith J. did very well considering the short notice as fellow Rotarian Steve Morin was basking in the sun somewhere warm. Various fines were assessed as well as noting Jackson's TV debut, Lucie for crying wolf over the Auction items and pre-St. Patrick's Day fines were charged to the President.
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Week-in-Review 3/4/2015President Ken once again promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Don Lauzier chose My Country Tis of Thee for today’s patriotic song. Sarah Neault led the group in the 4 Way Test and Jim Audiffred followed up with the invocation.
This month’s luncheon choices are: Fish Sandwich, Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken Salad Wrap and Meatloaf
PE Bill Kany announced visiting Rotarians & guests. We welcomed Rae Smith and Kerstin Kerchner both from the Saco Bay club. Brian Dallaire brought his lovely wife Debbie to join in the fun.
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Announcements 3/4/2015District Assembly is Saturday, March 28, 2015, at York County Community College in Wells, from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. This is also the set-up day for our auction. This assembly is open to all Rotarians. They offer some very informative seminars. The expense for the assembly will be picked up by the club. If you have any interest in attending please let either President Ken or Secretary Bernice Wood know & will take care of registration.
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2015 Rotary TV Auction Update 3/4/2015VP Lucie Kay apologized for seeming to complain a lot these days but as of today’s meeting (03/04) we are still 123 items short. Friday March 6th is the absolute last day to get your items in. There will be an auction meeting on 03/06 at the Saco & Biddeford Savings Community room in Saco to discuss if we will need to shorten the auction for potential lack of items.
PE Bill Kany implored members to reach out to get 2 more items each. If we do this, then we will make our quota needed. We have NEVER had to shorten the auction since its inception 25 years ago so PLEASE make every effort to get those items in to Joe Moreshead ASAP.
******As of today (03/09) we have an abundance of items!*****
Bid Numbers:
Julie Villemaire will be sending out a mass e-mail by the end of the week to over 400 bidders from last year’s auction. Once the “failed” e-mails come back, phone calls to those bidders, and also bidders who did not have an e-mail address, will need to be completed. By being proactive and calling these people ahead, we reduce the number of calls that come in on Julie’s cell phone not only the week before the auction but especially the day of the event. There is a sign-up sheet going around for volunteers to help with those calls. Julie will provide a list and direction as to the procedures. Last year we had over 200 calls to make.
Press Release:
Don Lauzier mentioned that there will be a press release going out state wide so it would be helpful to have a listing of the items.
Phone Bank:
Laurie Jo mentioned that she was working her way through some issues with the phone bank and will be shifting the “normal” Interact shifts to later in the day due to Mary’s Walk being moved to the day of our auction. Many of the students help out with the Walk so they won’t be available for the early shifts. Laurie Jo is looking for Rotarians to step up and fill the slots for the 11:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m. shift. Rotarians will still need to help fill the final shift from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Set Up:
This takes place the morning of Saturday 03/28, and is spearheaded by Denis Elie. A sign-up sheet will be going around next week. The inventory from Joe Moreshead’s business will also need to be transported to the Martin Center. We typically meet around 8:00 a.m. to start loading vehicles. Once the items get situated at the auction site, they need to be “re-inventoried” to make sure everything made it over and didn’t get lost in the shuffle. This is a very lengthy process & we will need a few volunteers to help out.
TVs Needed:
We currently have 6 TVs and are in need of a few more. If you have one/some available, please get in touch with Lucie Kay.
Always Thinking:
While listening to all of the auction updates, Joe Moreshead had a brainstorm. He suggested that a group of Rotarians get together and put on a “Lobster Bake” as one of the Big Board Items. Brian Dallaire offered up his lobster cooker that he had specially made from Haley’s Metal Shop. The members in attendance were in approval of Joe’s idea.
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SAA: Keith JacquesToday’s SAA was Keith Jacques. He collected Happy Dollars first thing. Craig Pendleton was happy to return his brother to Florida (this may not be the truth because I’m having a hard time reading my version of shorthandL). Carl Goodwin was happy to have finally won the 50/50 pot. President Ken was happy for his wife being able to attend our Exchange Student Annie’s graduation in Ecuador. Julie was happy to have won the 50/50 at the Saco Bay club last week & didn’t get fined. Keith was unable to determine who the last one in was so the “last one in buck” was on the honor system. Craig was charged a Happy Belated Birthday fine. Anyone who did not bring in an auction item had to throw a dollar into the pot for giving PE Lucie heartburn. PP Don Lauzier was fined for setting off alarms with the staples that were used to keep his head together when he fell off the roof. Josh Fearon was fined for a “knee injury” while Joe Moreshead was hit up for wearing his dark glasses inside. Jeremy Ray was fined for disappointing the kids and not cancelling school & Julie was fined for spelling Brad’s last name incorrectly. I’m counting myself lucky if that’s all SAA Keith found in the minutes!
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Renee O’Neil from St. Andre’s Health CareToday’s speaker was Renee O’Neil from St. Andre’s Health Care. Renee has been with St. Andre’s for 3 years. Renee mentioned that she often receives calls from family members that are in the middle of a crisis. Many people are under the impression that it is a simple process to have someone move into a nursing home. They don’t understand that you can’t just sign someone up for a spot in the nursing home. There is a very lengthy process. Renee spoke about Nursing Home Care, Assisted Living and Rehabilitation. She told the club a personal story about the process she and her family went through when both of her parent’s health failed at the same time. She really learned to appreciate the VA system. With Skilled Rehab Care, the goal is to get home. There are usually several options to choose from. Private rooms are not always the best option especially when it comes to lack of socialization when the family member leaves for the day/evening. People tend to “blossom” with others around. Medicare limits the number of days in Skilled Care – you can stay for the allotted time only if you are making progress. If you reach a plateau, then the Home Health Group comes into play. This includes home visits for therapy. The agency can also send people over to help with light housekeeping/cooking. The trend is to send people home. The problem is that there aren’t enough people trained & willing to make home visits. Cognition issues can be challenging. If progress isn’t being made but it isn’t safe to go home then they take a look at the ADL – Activities of Daily Living. A GOULD assessment is completed to look at the ADL. This is of no cost to the family. The results of this assessment will determine if Assisted Living is sufficient or if Nursing Care level is warranted. People should consider Long Term Care Life Insurance. This will give you a choice. Maine Care doesn’t provide much of a choice. Beauty isn’t what you should be looking at. You should be looking at the level of care provided. Renee highly recommends talking about these issues and planning early. Don’t wait for a crisis to act. Directives and POA’s can be useful but remember the person has to be of sound mind in order to execute them. She mentioned that it was okay to have Trusts set up to plan for the future but cautioned that it was not a good idea to try to “hide” funds. By hiding the money, financial hardships can be created for others and choices for our loved ones can also be limited. Hospice services are needed for all ages, not just the elderly. Renee mentioned that there are no right or wrong answers but all decisions come with consequences. St. Andre’s Health Care is a non-profit organization and is big on fostering a family environment – the nurturing piece is huge. Thank you Renee for a very informative presentation!
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2015 Rotary TV AuctionHours of Auction Extended due to more items available. Will now start at 11:30AM.
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2015 Rotary TV Auction UpdateThe deadline for submitting items for the auction is Friday February 27, 2015. At this point I would guess that we have somewhere between 75 and 80 items, which leaves us over 330 items short. For those of you who have solicited items and turned them in, thank you. For those of you who have solicited items and you still have them or you need to pick them up, please, please get them turned in as soon as possible. As I mentioned at the meeting on the 18th, this is our biggest fundraiser and it’s success depends on everyone soliciting some items for the auction. In addition, when the items trickle in late it puts too much pressure on Julie Villemaire and the other auction volunteers who need to input all of the items, it does not let us publicize what we have ahead of time, and it does not give us the greatest amount of time to acknowledge our donors. So if you have solicited some items please stretch and solicit one or two more. If you have items on your desk please turn them in and if you are not sure where to take them please call me. If you haven’t solicited any items yet please do so as soon as possible. Again, if everyone in both clubs just solicits 3 items we are there. Thank you all for your anticipated help.
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Announcements 2/11/2015Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual BINGO fundraiser. The proceeds benefit the RI Polio Plus program as well as our local charitable giving program. Saturday, May 16, 2015, at the Rochambeau Club in Biddeford. More information will come as we get closer to the date.
TACK Reporters: LET’S MAKE A DEAL! If you haven’t had your turn as the TACK reporter this Rotary year, Julie has volunteered to take over your duty in exchange for a $100 sponsorship to the BINGO fundraiser! We give out $1,400 in prize money. If we can secure sponsorships for the prize money then the majority of what we make we get to keep. Expenses are very minimal with this program.
Special THANK YOU to one of our newest members, Sarah Curley, for representing our club at the Winterfest in Biddeford last weekend.
Special THANK YOU to the Rotarians who helped tag and deliver the dictionaries to the third grade students. There is still one school left waiting for delivery.
President Ken announced that the board had recently accepted the resignations of two of our members, Lucas Homitz (busy dental practice) and Pris Farrell (health reasons).
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Classification TalksClassification Talks
Michael Thomas is in the real estate business with Keller Williams. He has been with them for 3 years. He is a 2004 graduate of Thornton Academy and went on to SMCC to get an Associates degree in business. Michael has been in the sales industry for 10 years. With a little prompting, he mentioned that Paul Deschambault was his favorite neighbor. Michael deals primarily with residential properties – both with buyers and sellers in the York/Cumberland county areas. He is still taking referrals and would appreciate any business we’d like to send his way.
Sarah Curley is with Liberty Mutual in South Portland. She has been in the sales industry for 6 years with one year in insurance. She deals with personal lines, home & life insurance. She went to UNH and received a degree in Community Development. She is very excited to be in Rotary & get involved in the community. She has a yellow lab for a pet and enjoys being outdoors. She also volunteers with the Mustang Rescue. She was just inducted as a member and has already represented the club at the recent Winterfest held in downtown Biddeford.
Matt Simmons is with Edwards Jones. His office is located in Biddeford across from Daly Brothers. Matt is originally from upstate New York. Matt has a Masters degree in secondary education. He ran a school of nursing for a while. He also worked at Noble High School in their Alternative Ed program. Matt is in the financial advisory industry for personal reasons. He likes the education and helping others aspect of it all. His focus is to help people with their income throughout their retirement not just to get to retirement. He has a full service firm. He has been married for 10 years and has an 8 year old son. He spends a lot of weekends working; however, Sunday’s are the designated family day. Next Tuesday (02/17) is a retirement seminar. The first Monday of every month the “coffee club” is held at the Pantry Café. Matt teaches adult ed and is the chairman of the ambassador committee for the Chamber of Commerce. Matt is here to help make a difference in people’s lives.
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Meeting Makeups and Website Login Issues
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Charitable Fund ReminderWe have not had a lot of requests this year for the charitable fund. If you know of someone who might be in need of our help please don’t hesitate to direct them to us. There is a request form on our website that they can complete. If you have any questions about a possible request please contact Jim McAllister & he’ll be able to offer his guidance.
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Announcements 1/28/2015President Ken sent out a big THANK YOU to Brad Holt & UNE for hosting a fellowship night for our club during an exciting hockey game. There were just shy of 60 Rotarians & family members in attendance. One of our local kids scored the only goal for UNE & PP Steve Morin walked away with one of the game pucks-not sure if he got hit with it or not. I couldn’t tell from the safety of the enclosed room I was observing the game from! This was really a fun night & there is a possibility that it could turn into an annual event.
Dictionary Project:
Due to the recent snowstorms and school cancellations, a couple of the schools had to be rescheduled for delivery of the dictionaries. President Ken will e-mail the Rotarians involved with the new dates.
During the next meeting (02/04), we will also be utilizing the first room that we started in. The idea is to have Rotarians that need to leave early sit in that area. The room that we are in today, will have an area set up for the speaker. Please allow the Rotarians who are staying for the entire meeting to sit close to the speaker so they can hear better & see the visuals.
Parking:
Please make every effort to park down in the back parking area if you are physically able to. There are some members of our club who have a hard time with all of the stairs and/or hill in the back. It would be easier for them to park in the available spaces in the front of the building.
Front Desk Duty:
Just a reminder that if you are signed up for Front Desk Duty, that means that you are responsible to help set up and take down the Rotary supplies for the meeting. If someone is sitting in our “storage area”, the items can be bundled together & set aside & the staff at the restaurant will take care of putting them away.
TACK Reporters:
Please check the list for TACK reporters to see when President Ken signed you up. If you are on the list and are unable to make the meeting it is your responsibility to find a replacement or let President Ken know so he can help find a replacement. Once you type the minutes, please e-mail them to Julie Villemaire (villemaire@maine.rr.com) & Brian Dallaire (bdallaire@usa.net) & they will take care of the rest.
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Welcome New MembersInduction Ceremony:
This was a very special day for our club today with the induction of SIX (6) NEW MEMBERS!!
Sarah Curly sponsored by Roland Gagne. Karen Chasse stood in for Roland for the ceremony.
CJ Dubois-Cote sponsored by Bernice Wood
Diane LeBlanc sponsored by Bernice Wood
Matt Simmons sponsored by Bernice Wood
Chris Indorf sponsored by Denis Elie
Jeremy Ray sponsored by Denis Elie
Congratulations to our newest members & to their sponsors! Bring your wallets to the meeting next week. I’m sure our SAA will be waiting with open arms to “officially” welcome you into the fold.
President Ken was extremely happy with the recent number of new members inducted into the club. This was a great advancement for us & he asked that we keep the momentum going. Keep spreading the word about the work that Rotarians do & invite potential new members as your guest. The club will pick up the meal expense for your guests first visit.
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Announcements 1/14/2015 Earl Goodwin has been in the hospital under the weather or run over by the weather.
He should be out of the hospital on 1.15.2015.
Susan Gajewski - Auction
Fellowship event on Friday January 23 at UNE Hockey game with Norwich University. We will have a room above the ice with view of the rink and food - hot dogs, pizza, nachos with beer and wine. UNE is hosting the event. Please RSVP to Ken Farley
Dictionary Project: Week of Jan 26th: Sign-up
Front Desk Duty: Sign-up
Christmas Giving wrap up - Paul Deschambeault
Julie Villemaire – Clynk
World Understanding & Peace Dinner
February 23rd 5-6:30pm at Portland Marriott Sable Oaks
Let President Ken know if you are interested
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2015 Rotary TV Auction UpdateYour attendance is requested at our Rotary Meeting Wednesday, packets will be handed out to all even those that have not solicited AUCTION items in the past!
Thank you!
Lucie
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2015 Rotary TV Auction |
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Save the Date-2015 Rotary TV Auction |
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2014 Bell-Ring a SuccessPlease find a note our club received from Major Beverly Smith of the Salvation Army:
Dear Friends from the Saco Biddeford Rotary Club,
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Chamber Business After Hours:TONIGHT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!
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Rotary Elects New Officers for 2015-2016This was the annual meeting of our club. President Ken read the nominations from the nominating committee:
President: Bill Kany
President-Elect: Lucie Kay
Vice President: Jackson Brown
Secretary: Bernice Wood
Treasurer: Laurie Jo Ready
Board of Directors: Ron Gagnon, Andy Greif and Susan Gajewski
President Ken opened the floor for nominations, hearing none Paul Deschambeault made a motion to close nominations and for the Secretary to cast one ballot for the nominations. President Ken called for a vote, motion passed.
Congratulations to our new leaders. Best of luck.
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Week in Review 12/3/2014Pledge of allegiance was led by President Ken. The patriotic song was led by Paul Deschambeault. The four way test was led by a Josh Fearon. The invocation was led by Rob Moody.
President-Elect Bill introduced visiting guests and Rotarians.
50/50 was won by someone at the meeting. $26
We enjoyed a fabulous lunch, choice of chicken caesar salad, soup & half wrap of the day, Not your mamas Meatloaf or fish and chips.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 pm
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Announcements 12/3/2014President Ken made announcements:
President Ken welcomed back Frank Dumais to our club – he had left the club briefly due to the location of the office he worked. Thankfully, he was relocated to the Scarborough office and he was able come back.
Our club is co-sponsoring a Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours with Run of the Mill. It will be held on Thursday December 4th from 5 to 7 pm at Run of the Mill.
A sign up sheet was passed around for the Salvation Army bell ringing at Walmart for December 19th from 8 am to 8 pm.
A sign up sheet was passed around for front desk duty.
Christmas Giving Committee chair Paul Deschambeault asked Rotarians to provide names of people they may know if that could use some help around the holidays. He stated that they had not received any names from some of the usual organizations we seek names from.
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Rotary Christmas Adopt a Family |
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December Meal ChoicesHere are the new meal options for this months meetings:
A. Caesar salad with chicken
B. Soup & Half Wrap of the Day - this will be different each week as it is different each day. The selection of the day will be available at the registration desk when you arrive each Wednesday.
C. Not your Mama's Meatloaf - stuffed with spinach & Cheddar and wrapped with applewood smoked bacon covered in gravy and served with garlic mashed potatoes & veggies.
D. Fish & chips (fries).
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Week in Review 11/26/2014Pledge of allegiance was led by President Ken. The patriotic song was led by Don Lauzier. The four way test was led by a Rotarian. The invocation was led by Joe Bassett.
President-Elect Bill introduced visiting guests and Rotarians.
50/50 was won by President Ken We enjoyed a fabulous lunch, choice of house salad, chicken salad wrap, shepherds pie or fish and chips.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30p |
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Dr Ed Bilsky, UNE NeurosciencesBrian Dallaire introduced our speaker, Dr. Ed Bilsky of UNE. Dr. Bilsky spoke about the various outreach programs that UNE operates. They include service projects, Rotaract Club, sharing information with area teachers and schools and making connections between patients and doctors.
Dr. Bilsky spoke specifically about research that was performed at UNE on pain management techniques. Two young patients who suffered from similar chronic pain diagnosis had two very different outcomes. One young woman did not get the proper treatment quick enough and she has been severely limited in mobility due to the effects of the illness. Another young lady who had similar chronic pain issues connected with Dr. Bilsky fairly early in her illness and a connection was made with Children’s Hospital in Boston. A UNE alumnus at Children’s Hospital worked with Dr. Bilsky to develop treatments for chronic pain without the use of medicines. For this case in particular, the young lady had extensive treatment at CHB and after several months was living a normal life.
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Announcements 11/26/2014President Ken made announcements:
Our club is co-sponsoring a Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours with Run of the Mill. It will be held on Thursday December 4th from 5 to 7 pm at Run of the Mill.
A sign up sheet was passed around for the Salvation Army bell ringing at Walmart for December 19th from 8 am to 8 pm.
Christmas Giving Committee chair Paul Deschambeault asked Rotarians to provide names of people they may know if that could use some help around the holidays.
President Ken announced that next week will be our clubs annual meeting where we will elect the clubs leadership for the next couple of years. If anyone is interested in joining the board or taking a leadership position please speak with one of the nomination committee members – Keith Jacques, Peggy Bean, Jim Audifred, Dana Lane or Don Lauzier.
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Rotary Business After Hours |
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Dr Barbara Finkelstein-York County Community CollegeThe new President of YCCC, Dr Barbara Finkelstien, accompanied by her colleagues Pauline Millette and Bryan Matluk came to the club meeting this year to discuss all of the exciting changes going on for the campus.
York County Community College (YCCC) is proud of the quality of education and services we offer to our students. You will be able to earn your degree at YCCC at an extremely affordable price. YCCC is a public, open access two-year community college that offers comprehensive Academic Programs of Study in Associate in Arts degree, the Associate in Science degree, Associate in Applied Science and Certificates of program completion.
For more general info see www.YCCC.edu Highlights of significant events: Enrollment is up 17% to 1707 students. With all this growth, they are tight on space. Campus was designed to accommodate 1200 students. The voters approved a $3.4MM bond for CC's. This money, along with a Capital Campaign of $2MM will go towards a new 18K sqft building to be open in 2016. It will include some math/engineering space in which students will conduct self paced instruction. Plans include expanding the Sanford machining space for more engineering and robotics programs. A new satellite campus is open in the Pepperell Mills North Dam building for workforce training. New programs may include vet-tech, expansion of online, weekend college, night classes, senior college, intercession accelerated classes, as well as certificate programs for the hard trades.
Lots going on!
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$100 Raffle Fundraiser
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Week in Review 11/5/2014President Ken opened the meeting promptly at 12:15 as Rotarians sat shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, and knee to knee and maybe in a couple cases in each other laps at our new meeting site, the Run of the Mill restaurant. Past President Don Lauzier was asked to lead the patriot song. He rose and then climbed onto his bench so that he could act as our choir director in leading us in God Bless America. President Ken announced that we would be loading crutches and other donated mobility aids and equipment on a truck at 10:00 Saturday morning at Jim McAllister’s business. Bill Kany filled in at Sergeant at Arms for missing, on vacation again, Lucie Kay. Bill did his usual outstanding job of fining members for small and unmemorable wrongdoings. Paul Deschambaullt was the 50/50 winner of $37. We had one visiting Rotarian, Greg Cloutier of the Saco Bay club. Matt Early will be more attentive to the 4 way test in the future as the banner attacked him mid meal. President Ken adjourned the meeting at 1:30. |
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David Talbot of Crutches 4 Africa Our speaker today was David Talbot of Crutches 4 Africa. He is a polio survivor and both explained and showed us the physical effects that the disease had on him. Watching him also climb onto his bench seat and sit in the window sill to give his presentation was a little worrying since he was on crutches. He spoke about the various polio victims that he had seen in Africa and how great the need is for equipment to aid these people in mobility. He told us that polio will revisit its victims later in their lives in what he described as Post-Polio Syndrome.
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New Meeting VenueWe now meet at the Run of the Mill in Saco!
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Week-in-Review 10/29/2014This week’s meeting was at BHS with our Interact Club. Ken opened the meeting at 12:15pm with the Pledge of the Allegiance. Our Patriot song, The Grand Ole Flag, was led by Karen Chasse. Randy Forcier followed with the 4-Way Test and Rob Moody wrapped it up with a rather entertaining invocation
Our lunch today was provided by The Blue Elephant. (Yummy). Our President-elect, Bill Kany, introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. On hand were District Governor, Lawrence Furbish, School Superintendent, Jeremy Ray and Principal Jeremy Siroux. Denis Elie’s wife, Amy, the school nurse at BHS, was also with us.
Announcements Karen updated us on $100 raffles. One hundred thirty tickets sold and all are due this week, November 5th. On November 8th they are loading the truck for Crutches for Africa. Congratulations to Roland Eon for 27 years in the Rotary Club! Sue Gajewski won the 50/50.
Sergeant at Arms Today’s Sergeant at Arms was Josh Ellis. Happy Dollars this week included Randy Forcier for his new baby, Ken Farley for a wonderful trip to Las Vegas, Brad Holt for UNE’s hockey opener, Bill Kany for actually stepping into the Tiger Gym, Steve Morin for a long Anniversary Weekend, Earl Goodwin for receiving a sports award, and Keith Jacques because he loves Biddeford. Earl Goodwin paid a threat dollar – he sold 63 raffle tickets, with 20 more coming in. Is anyone up to this? Fine levied were to Paul for a late Tack Report, Ken for keeping the club in suspense as to the new meeting place, Lori Jo for not signing her dues check, Karen for the bad opening song, all Biddeford Alumni for losing to T.A., and Amanda for being late.
Today’s Program We met with the Interact Club this week. Ken talked about his first Rotary meeting he attended when he was in high school, which left a lasting impression on him. He is now the 94th President of the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club, which was founded in 1920. District Governor, Lawrence Furbish, spoke about “what is Rotary”. Rotary began in 1905 with Paul Harris. Now, in over 200 countries, there are 1.2 million Rotarians, in 34,000 clubs within 34 zones, worldwide. Our district, 7780, has 40 clubs and 1,600 members. Our U.S. home office is in Evans, Illinois, and has the largest number of Rotarians. There are 12,000 Interact Clubs in 133 countries. Rotary is hosting a contest to the Interact Clubs titled “What Does the 4-way Test Mean.?” Dennis Elie spoke of fund raising. We do the $100 Raffle, Wine tasting, rotary Auction, we build the Rotary house, Polio Plus Bingo, and all of these monies are split amongst several things that go back into the community, whether it be charity, scholarships, international programs, etc… Jackson Brown spoke about how we actually spend this money. $10-15k is disbursed by a charitable committee for people in need for medical costs, hard times due to unemployment, fire, and other hardships. Each President has their own “Pet Project” for their year, which is generally around $5000. We also do an “Adopt a Family” for the holidays, host a Christmas Party for the children and provide several scholarships for area students.
Rotary International Paul Deschambault, who is in charge of our international projects, spoke about some of the projects our club has done. We helped provide clean water, medical care, housing, transportation and relief from natural disasters. We helped an orphanage in Cambodia, supported the Lingap Center in the Philippines, food shelter and education in Africa, relief from the earthquake in Haiti, as well as many others.
Ken thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 1:30pm.
Thank you PP Steve Morin for recording the minutes and a THANK YOU to your beautiful wife for typing them.
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Week-in-Review 10/22/82014CLYNK Update: We have collected $10.30 for this latest quarter. $676.60 has been collected since the program’s inception. If you need more bags and/or tags see Julie Villemaire. President Ken called the meeting to order promptly at 12:15 and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Past President Paul Deschambault was called upon to lead everyone in song; his pick for the week was Grand Ole Flag which Paul noted the women in the club sung the least amount for this song. Joe Moreshead competently led everyone in reciting the Four Way Test and Joe Basset gave the invocation.
For the clubs last meal at the Captain’s Galley we were served up a buffet of fried fish, onion rings, french fries, salad and the usual desserts. This reporter thinks that it could have been freezer cleanout day at the Captain’s Galley! I have seen the menu for next Wednesday’s meeting at the Tiger Gym and without giving out the details I will say that we are in for a substantial meal upgrade!
President Elect Bill Kany introduced the lone visiting Rotarian Rae Smith from the Saco Bay Club and noted that “we will no longer meet here every week”.
Club announcements were as follows (please note I did the best I could taking notes so don’t shoot the reporter for any lack of details):
1. A sign- up sheet was passed around for front desk duty which will take us through the rest of the year.
2. There is a district event to “Bridge the Gap” for polio funding taking place in Portsmouth sometime soon – check your email for more details because I didn’t get them.
3. Sell your $100 raffle tickets! The committee has only received $6,000 as of Wednesday so there is a long way to go. Karen mentioned a deadline of next week to have money or unsold tickets turned back in.
4. The club will be helping to load a truck for crutches for Africa either on 11/7 or 11/8 depending on the truck, more information will be forthcoming
5. Peg Levasseur spoke about the career fair that she is organizing in November and that she has not had a very good response. If she does not get better responses from businesses soon the career fair will most likely either be canceled or postponed until spring time.
6. Next week’s meet (October 29th) will be held at the Tiger Gym at Biddeford High School. Rotarians should use the parking lot across the street from the school, which is student parking, and walk to the Tiger gym on the path between the High School and COT. There are handicap spaces in the parking lot next to the gym for those that need it but this lot is teacher parking and is not for non-handicap Rotarians.
The club passed the hat, in this case a large coffee can, for Diane our server for the last 15 years. President Ken presented Diane with the collection and thanked Diane for all her service to the club over the years and that we would miss her.
Next up was Sargent At Arms Steve Morin. After collecting happy dollars, which last week’s Sargent At Arms Keith Jacques could not be bothered to do, Steve gave out the week’s fines. The only two that I noted were Roland Gagne for being the token male at the lady’s table and Karen Chasse being the token lady at the men’s table.
I will note that President Ken made mention quite often during the meeting that we would have a new meeting location in two weeks but refused to divulge the location. Like an episode of Survivor or Dancing With the Stars President Ken wanted to keep his audience in suspense and told everyone that he would let us know where our new home would be after the speaker.
President Ken introduced the speaker, Tony Scavuzzo of Here.com. Tony was a geography major in college and was told the only job he would have with that major was teaching which turned out to be wrong. With the advent of the Garmin, smart phones, and the wave of mapping technology that is currently in demand Tony was able to find a job running the field office in the northeast for Here.com after working for the government. Tony has been with the company for 17 years and his office and 4 employees are located in the River Dam Mill building. Here.com supplies the map (cartography) information for a multitude of GPS systems and companies, most notable Garmin and Facebook. The job of the field office is to update maps in the region, which for Tony’s office is from Maine to Ohio to New York City. There is no way I can do Tony’s presentation justice so I will recommend that you go their website to learn more. One interesting take away that I had was that Tony said that 3D navigation systems will be standard in the near future and he talked about the tools that are used to gather information to make the 3D maps of the future. It was a very impressive presentation!
After the speaker was done President Ken announced that our new meeting location starting November 5th will be Run of The Mill. We will be meeting in the first room on the left as you walk in the main entrance. There will be at least four menu selections to pick from every week. President Ken said that the people at Run of The Mill have been extremely accommodating to us and are looking forward to hosting us every week. The cost for the meals will remain the same.
TACK Notes submitted by Denis Elie; any mistakes can be attributed to watching the Patriot’s game while typing the notes and 3 kids asking me questions the entire time
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Major Announcement- Change of Meeting VenueIt is with mixed emotions that I announce that this Wednesday's meeting will be our last meeting at The Captain's Galley.
Last month I learned from a very reliable source that The Captain's Galley was going to be put up for sale and that the facility would close at some point. With the uncertainty that this news presented, I assembled a small committee to consider alternative meeting locations. Bill Kany, Susan Gajewski, Fausto Pifferer and myself have met on several occasions over the past month and are close to finalizing arrangements with a new meeting location. I expect to have an announcement at Wednesday's meeting on the new location. I have spoken to Mike Mezoin one of the owners of The Captain's Galley and last week I met with Diane Knowles to inform them that due to the uncertainty surrounding the restaurant, the club would be moving to a new location effective November 5th.
Each year around Christmas time, our club takes up a collection to give Diane to show our appreciation for all of her hard work serving us each week. Since this week will be our last meeting, we will have a collection for Diane this week.
I would strongly urge all of you to attend this meeting to show your appreciation to Diane for all of her years of hard work serving us lunch every week. We have a great program scheduled for this week and the big announcement of where we will be meeting in the future.
Thank you for your understanding during this transition. I believe this is a great opportunity for our club and I look forward to this major step in our club's history.
Best regards, Ken FarleyPresident 2014-15 Biddeford Saco Rotary Club |
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SAA Lucie KayLucie Kay was introduced as our Sergeant @ Arms for the day who imposed a variety of fines to the membership, including but not limited to: Andy Grief for his extensive publication of the Annual Apple Cycle Trek, Paul D. for accusing the S@A with stealing a bottle of wine (still under investigation) and finally, Wm. S. Kany and Sue Gajewski for an unrepeatable joke at the wine tasting party. Lucie then collected a number of Happy Dollars as well including; Chuck Hennessey’s 3-week road trip of the South and Gettysburg Tour, Joe Moreshead for his daughters recent marathon of 26.2 miles with a time of 4:03:31, Earl G. because the Patriots won, Ken F. because the Bruins have started their season,
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Week in Review 10/16/2014President Ken opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Paul led us with God Bless America.
Lucy led the Four Way Test.
Happy birthday to Keith. Happy Rotary Club anniversary to Brian (14 years).
Keith was the Sargent of Arms.
Please sell your $100 raffle tickets and get the money in over the next two weeks.
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Larry Gross of the Southern Maine Agency on AgingThe speaker was Larry Gross of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging. He reminded us that we provided financial assistance 15 years ago that helped to build the Truslow Center. The non-profit has dedicated its serves to planning and implementation of social services for adults age 60 and older and for people with disabilities.
Truslow had been the only adult daycare center in York County since 1985. Dementia has a major impact on families and negatively affects both the patient and the family. The daycare allows caregivers to work, take a couple of days a week to relax and give caregivers a break. Dementia impacts the social network negatively. The daycare helps the patient develop new friends. As the population changes, families are smaller or have moved away so the number of caregivers are declining. The adult daycare center allows the caregivers a break.
The adult daycare center realizes that one size does not fit all. It offers five different activities at the same time in five separate spaces divided up by partitions. The center looks at the strengths of the individual rather than the weakness to provide greater satisfaction. The activities have evolved over time to become better programs.
15% of the population over the age of 75 has some form of dementia. SMAA has partnered with the University of New England and with Southern Maine Medical Center to provide better services.
The need has been great and it is time to move to a larger facility. The center serves 30 adults each day and will be able to serve 75 to 80 adults each day in the new facility. The plan is to move from its Saco 4,000’ facility to Biddeford’s 10,000’ facility. The center is running a new campaign to raise money for the new facility.
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Week in Review 10/09/2014The weather was clearing and 65°F when President Ken Farley opened the meeting at 12:15pm
After leading the membership in the Pledge of Allegiance, the President asked Paul Deschambault to lead us in a patriotic song and we sang America the Beautiful.
The President then asked Sue Gajewski to lead the 4-way test which she did without flawlessly.
Lunch followed with an ample supply of spaghetti with meatballs and Penne Alfredo accompanied with the usual salads and carrot cake dessert.
Visiting Rotarians included Mike Fortunado of the Portland Rotary Club. Joe Moreshead introduced his wife, Andrea and Mark Tuller introduced Todd Cesca of Charter Oak Capital Management, our investment advisor for the B&S Past Presidents Fund.
Congrats were given to Bruce Ruben for his birthday and to James Auddifred for his 32 years as a member of the B&S Rotary Club.
The meeting ended in peace and harmony at 1:29pm. Respectively submitted (belatedly) by PP Paul Deschambault
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41st Annual Celebration & DinnerOur Club is doing a $750 sponsorship of this event. Please check with Don if you are interested in attending, and if not, then we can offer our table for 8 to Day One employees or whomever you want to invite, compliments of the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club.
41st Annual Celebration & Dinner Marriott at Sable Oaks Thursday, October 30, 2014, 6:00 Presented by: Keynote Speakers Chris, a former defensive lineman for the 2001 Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, will share his story of recovery. His wife, Kathi, will talk about the loss of her teenage daughter to a tragic accident after drinking at a party.
Community Leadership Award John Wolfgram Day One is proud to present this award to John, a Cheverus High School football coach and educator, for his 30 years of dedicated work with youth in the community. Making a Difference Award Shelby Briggs Community Health Promotion Specialist for the City of Portland Substance Abuse Prevention Program and Overdose Prevention Project. Community Vision Award Andrea Cayer Teacher at Cape Elizabeth HS who is retiring after 40 years of teaching and 27 years as the CEHS Adult Facilitator of Day One's Natural Helpers of Maine program.
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Nominating Committee 2015-2016 SlateAt the 10/1/2014 Club meeting, as per the bylaws the nominating committee for the 2015-2016 officers was selected. They are:
PP Keith Jacques
PP Don Lauzier
Peggy Bean
Jim Audiffred
Dana Lane
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Week in Review 10/1/2014President Ken promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Paul Deschambault led the way with My Country Tis of Thee followed up by Peggy Bean with the 4 Way Test. Roland Gagne provided the invocation. Today’s buffet was a ham dinner, salad and cake for dessert.
We had a rowdy group in attendance today so President Ken had to ring the bell twice to settle everyone down.
Vice President Lucy Kay had the pleasure of introducing visiting guests & Rotarians, although there were none present today.
The proceeds of the 50/50 raffle ($32) went to Keith Jacques this week.
Nomination Committee: It’s that time of year to choose the nomination committee who will nominate the slate of officers for the upcoming Rotarian year. President Ken gave a brief overview of the various positions. All of this information is listed in the Rotary By-Laws. The nomination committee will consist of two past presidents and 3 Rotarians who have at least 2 years of service, are not a past president & do not currently hold office. They are chosen by the “luck of the draw”.
President: There is an extensive program in place to prepare you for this position. You start as Vice President, then President-Elect. It is at this point you are asked to co-chair our annual TV auction along with the PE of the Saco Bay Rotary Club. This person will attend an extensive training called PETS. They will also be a member of the board during this time period & also for one year following their term as president.
Treasurer: This position holds a two year term and handles all financial matters for the club.
Secretary: This position holds a two year term. The secretary is responsible for a number of items including managing things through Rotary International. The secretary also has an assistant who can help with the multitude of responsibilities.
Directors: Typically a 2 year commitment. The directors each lead one of the “avenues of service”.
All of the positions above require attendance at each board meeting.
The nomination committee has been chosen! The following Rotarians are given the task of nominating Rotarians that will lead us for the 2014-2015 year: PP Don Lauzier, PP Keith Jacques, Peggy Bean, Jim Audiffred and Dana Lane.
If you have any interest in joining the leadership of this dynamic club, please get in touch with a member of the nominating committee!
Today was a club assembly so there was no outside presentation.
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Announcements 10/1/2014Earl Goodwin took center stage to kick off the $100.00 Raffle Ticket Fundraiser. The sooner we sell the tickets, the better off we are! Please get proceeds in to Earl within the next three weeks. Carl Goodwin has already sold 12 tickets! Watch out Earl-you’ve got some competition! Earl said that he already sold 8!!
Wine Tasting is this Saturday! Ticket sales are very low! Please make a push on social media sites.
Last year we raised $6500.00. We are hoping to meet this goal. Thank you to those who donated items for the silent auction. A few more people are needed to help out with set up at 9:30 am.
Ken will email a list, so everyone will know where to go. 1st servers need to be there by 5:30.
Mark your calendars! The 10/29 meeting will be held at Biddeford High School. This will be a joint meeting with the Interact students. Fausto will be catering so you don’t want to miss out!
Our District Governor has committed to coming as well as the superintendent and principal.
Ken will reach out to a couple of Rotarians to share their experiences.
Help is needed from 8:00-12:00 on Sunday (10/5) at the Apple Cycle event.
Rotary Youth Exchange: There are a couple of students from Biddeford and Waterboro interested in this program. If anyone is interested in helping out with this very rewarding program please reach out to Ken. He can fill you in on the program based on first- hand experience. He did mention that is was very time consuming. Jim Audiffred said he would help out.
Reminder that Saturday October 4 is Phil Denison’s Celebration of Life service at Trinity Episcopal Church at 11:00. Please me at burns school for 10:40 and we will walk to church as a group.
Brian is looking for more $100.00 sponsors for our web site.
Happy Birthday to Bernice Wood!
Kennebunk Portside Rotary is working on a new mentor program. It involves first time non-violent youth offenders in the York County area. Bob Makenzie is president of the Kennebunk Port-Side Club. If you have any interest in this program let Bob know.
Brian Dallaire apologized for sending out a blank version of the TACK which was ultimately followed up by the correct version. That always seems to happen when systems get upgraded.
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Seargent-At ArmsSargent At-Arms Josh Ellis was up next to collect some happy dollars and impose a few fines.
Carl Goodwin started the happiness with a happy dollar for the start of his 44th year in business!
President Ken gave $2 happy dollars for a recent trip to Seattle, WA with his wife, visiting a vineyard and attending a Zach Brown concert at “Heavens Amphitheater”. Josh Fearon welcomed his new son Collin with $5 happy dollars. Collin was a healthy 9 pound, 11 ounces!
Brad Holt also gave $5.00 for going to Washington DC where he was introduced to his new grandson! Fausto gave a happy dollar and reported that the Kayaker had safely made it to New Jersey.
President Ken was very happy that PP Denis Elie was able to lend him a truck.
Jim Audiffred was happy to see George Wandell today!
Bill Kany and Don Lauzier weren’t in attendance today so Secretary Bernice Wood and PP Julie Villemaire had to pay the price for Bill & Don being part of a winning team at a recent golf tournament that Saco & Biddeford Savings sponsored. Joe Moreshead was fined for missing the morning’s board meeting. Jake Desrochers was fined for the big goose egg next to his name on the attendance report. SAA Josh fined PP Denis for always giving him grief (not his exact words) about his attendance record & how bad it made him look as a Rotarian. Bernice had to open her wallet once again for “throwing stuff” at another table. SAA Josh added a few “Celebration Dollars” for good measure. The celebration dollars were charged to the following Rotarians: Jim Audiffred- 32 years; Brian Dallaire – 14 years; Laurie Jo Ready- 6 years; Dana Lane- 15 years; Rob Moody- 4 years. Congratulations!!
Josh Fearon & Carl Goodwin were today’s late comers.
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Announcements 9/25/2014President Ken circulated two Thank You notes from the Michael Goulet Brain Injury Foundation and also from Fairfield School.
President Ken thanked the charitable committee chairman, Jim McAllister, and his committee, for doing a great job with the charitable requests this year. It has been very busy with many requests being presented.
Happy Birthdays went out to Jim Godbout and Alan Nelson!
Anniversary wishes went out to Reid Scher (1 year) and Josh Ellis (4 years)!
PP Karen Chasse had a few words regarding the upcoming $100 Raffle Ticket fundraiser that is just around the corner. She will be vacationing in Alaska & wanted to make sure to get the ball rolling. Earl Goodwin, the master of ticket sales, will be rolling everything out at next week’s meeting.
If you have any questions, please shoot me a text at 229-4794 (but keep in mind I am four hours behind you so if you ask me a question at 8am, don’t expect a response from me until Noon :). Thanks for supporting our club and see you on October 15th!
Frank Gooding announced that former Rotarian and past president Frank Dumais’ sister in-law recently passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Frank and his family at this difficult time. A card will be circulated for Frank at next week’s meeting.
Wine Tasting – Only One Week away…..Actually days away by the time you read this TACK report. Ticket Sales are down from last year at this point. Ken will be leaving town for 5 days but will be back on Wednesday. He is seriously considering putting an ad in the Courier to get the word out and hopefully sell more tickets. Sponsorships are up this year with one more than last year! He mentioned that the committee is still looking for a few auction items to go on the silent auction. The sign-up sheet has a few more slots that need some names filled in. Set up will be between 9:00- 9:30 on Saturday morning. It shouldn’t take long & they want to make sure there is enough time to attend Phil’s service.
Just before the meeting ended, Amanda Fitzgerald reminded everyone about the satellite meeting at the end of the bar on 09/25/14, at the Run of the Mill in Saco, at 5:30 p.m.
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Week in Review 9/25/2014President Ken promptly started the meeting at 12:15 p.m.
He asked for a moment of silence in honor of fellow Rotarian Phil Dennison’s life and service to Rotary. Phil recently celebrated his ten year anniversary with our club. He will be missed greatly by everyone he touched. PP Steve Morin said that Phil was an integral part of setting up the Company B fund while he was president. He was a member of his board at the time and will be truly missed. PP Roland Gagne shared a story where Phil had this “secure electronic device” that could be used to access accounts in Geneva. The problem was that it was in French so Phil enlisted the help of Roland. We also learned that Roland Gagne was the person responsible for asking Phil to join the fellowship of Rotarians and so became Phil’s sponsor. PE Bill Kany reminded everyone that in recent years our club chose Phil as the recipient of the Humanitarian award for his unprecedented dedication to Rotary and people in need. PP Paul Deschambault announced that an international water sanitation project in the Dominican Republic, which was near and dear to Phil, is being dedicated in his memory. President Ken mentioned that he really got to know Phil and his wife Marcia when they hosted a party for the GSE Team. Heather Gendron expressed that Phil was a huge part of the YMCA and that he will be missed dearly. In honor of Phil, the club’s charter was draped in a black cloth as well as the chair that he usually sat in during the meetings.
There will be a celebration of Phil’s life at the Trinity Episcopal Church on Saturday, October 4, 2014, at 11:00 a.m.
President Ken continued the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. After a little pep talk by PP Don Lauzier, he led the group in singing God Bless America. He suggested that if someone could sing, they should “shout it out” but if they couldn’t sing, they should just “lip sync”. The group actually sounded pretty good which suggests that there were many Rotarians just moving their lips. Heather Gendron flawlessly led the 4 Way Test followed by a moving invocation from Joe Bassett. Today’s deli buffet consisted of ham and turkey sandwiches with all the fixings, potato salad & carrot cake.
PE Bill Kany was first up to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests. He is not getting very much practice with his announcement. He stated that this was the fourth week in a row that his form was blank! He’s beginning to get a complex.
The whopping $34 50/50 raffle was won by Bill Kany.
There was no speaker at today’s meeting.
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Sargeant -At-Arms: Steve Morin 9/25/2014SAA Steve Morin was in the house today and he started things off with getting all the happy vibes, and dollars, that he could. Secretary Bernice Wood started things off with being happy that her son Steven came home from China to surprise her for her birthday. PP Karen gave $2 for an upcoming 2 week vacation in Alaska and a shout out to the Bank of Maine for providing a free cup of coffee at Aroma Joe’s one morning. President Ken was happy for 2 days of golf with his son and also friends. PP Julie gave a dollar for her 10 year anniversary with the best Rotary club ever and a check for $28 going to the Rotary Foundation for 28 years of wedded bliss with her husband Dan. That was all of the happiness in the room for today so SAA Steve started doling out the fines. First up was Rob Moody for graduating in 1978 when it should have been 1977. Andy Greif was hit up for all of his public appearances in the newspapers and getting a spot on news channel 13. SAA Steve still has a heart and congratulated Andy on the incredible job he did in leading the way to raising a ton of funds for the Community Bike Center.
Joe Moreshead was nailed for calling PP Steve out. Joe tried to sweet talk SAA Steve by saying that Steve’s business was so clean that you could eat off the floors. PP Frank Gooding added his two cents by saying SAA Steve couldn’t fix cars but he has clean floors! Needless to say Frank’s comments cost him more than two cents! Brad Holt was fined for having possession of more CLYNK bags than anyone else in the room except for Julie who manages the supply. Brad also had to let go of another buck because the hockey department is now residing in OOB. PE Bill Kany had to continue the practice of opening his wallet for SAA Steve. In addition to handing over his 10% for the 50/50 winnings, PE Bill was accused of squealing on fellow Rotarians. PP Don Lauzier was held in contempt of renaming the CLYNK bags – not sure of the story behind this—not sure we want to know. In his defense, PP Don said that he was too short and couldn’t reach. Jim Godbout was fined a “Happy Birthday” dollar while Josh Ellis was fined a “Happy Anniversary” dollar. Watch out Alan and Reid, Steve has your number. PP Karen was fined for plans to attend a Grateful Dead concert and leaving her family in a terrible spot as she leaves them all in Maine to fend for themselves while she relaxes in Alaska. President Ken was fined for having “wine tasting jitters”.
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J. Philip Denison RIPIt is with a heavy heart that I share with you the sad news of the passing of Phil Denison. I know you are all aware that he had been very ill over the past few months.
He was a dedicated Rotarian who helped make a difference in our communities and the world through his service as Chair of our clubs International Service Committee. He also made tremendous contributions to the YMCA in his lifetime. For your convenience I have attached his obituary below. I hope all of you can make it to the Celebration of Phil's Life on Saturday October 4th at 11:00 am at Trinity Episcopal Church
Yours in Service,
Ken Farley
Life Legacy
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Announcements 9/18/2014Clynk project: Julie Villemaire announced that the Clynk balance totaled $74.45.
Computer upgrades: Brian announced that our server would be upgraded to 3.0 which was of no interest to anyone in the Club other than the computer nerds who understood what that meant.
Keith Jacques was the Sargent at Arms. Virtually everyone that was paying attention agreed that he was incredibly funny. The short summary: Happy Dollars were scant, fines were abundant.
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Week in Review 9/18/2014President Ken Farley promptly called the meeting to order at 12:15 pm. Paul Deschambeault led us in song (it continued to be ugly). Much to the concern of the Rotarians present, who anticipated an expanded Nelsonesque forty way test, Alan Nelson efficiently led the Club through the Four Way Test. Jim Audiffred led us in prayer. President elect Bill Kany flawlessly introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, there were none (he does his best work when there is none to be done).
Frank Gooding won the 50/50 but only after lamenting ungraciously how little money was in the pot. He was fined anyway.
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Will Armitage from the Economic Development CorporationPresident Ken Farley then introduced our speaker Will Armitage from the Economic Development Corporation, formerly the Biddeford Saco Area Economic Development Corporation. EDC was created in 1992 by the City of Biddeford, City of Saco and Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce. Its initial mission was focused on economic development within Biddeford and Saco. In 2008, it expanded its programs to cover all of York County. EDC’s mission is to promote sustainable, long term economic prosperity within the communities it serves. Its financing consists of eight revolving loan programs totaling $5 million dollars. Approximately $6.5 million is available for lending. It currently has 83 active loans totaling over $4.9 million dollars. Historically, its loan write offs have been a mere 2%.
In addition to providing financing, EDC also serves as a resource center. The Maine Small Business Development Center, Maine Procurement Technical Assistant Center and the Maine Center for Woman, Work and Community all provide services out of EDC’s Main Street, Saco location. In addition, it has spearheaded numerous special projects including the Biddeford Saco Branding Initiative and the Buy Local Campaign. It also has collaborated with the City of Biddeford and the Heart of Biddeford in the City’s Main Street Challenge Program.
Will was happy to report that recent EDC activity is moving away from loan workouts towards new business financing. During the first three months of EDC’s current fiscal year it has enjoyed over $1 million in loan activity.
Special thanks to Will for updating the Club regarding EDC’s significant contributions to the economic development in Biddeford, Saco and York County.
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Sponsorships Available
We are looking for sponsors of our communications- The Tack, eTack and Web-site. For just $100 you are included in all three for a year. Please contact me to sign up! |
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Headmaster of TA Rene MenardJim Audiffred introduced the Headmaster of TA Rene Menard. He has been at TA for 20 years and has been Headmaster for 3 years. Headmaster started off by telling us that the public mission of TA is to serve as Saco High School to Saco, Dayton and Arundel. TA has a Student Services Team consisting of 20 staff members who meet every other Wednesday. The team’s duty is to identify and assist the students at risk. It is critical to attempt to keep students in school as there are few jobs available for drop outs. There is also a Substance Abuse counselor available since this is a very pressing issue in these times.
TA has 1400 students, 150 of whom are foreign students,. Every day approximately 170 students come to school hungry and lacking other basic needs. They try to identify these students by collaborating with SMS and TAMS. Staff members add to the list as they become aware of student needs.
TA has incorporated a Breakfast Program and they also have mini Food Pantries around the campus with snacks available.
In addition Good Shepherd provides meals to about 30 families of TA students weekly.
A number of students have worked together to set up a Cinderella’s Closet to collect prom dresses, homecoming dresses, etc., available to students. The realization is that many girls have dresses hanging in their closets that they will never wear again and will be greatly appreciated by someone else. In addition students collect clothing, jackets, sneakers, etc., and personal hygiene items for those less fortunate.
The goal is to inspire students to help others and also to develop empathy. Above all else they need to maintain the DIGNITY of students and their families.
On a different note Headmaster Menard commented how TA is collaborating with UNE and UMO to develop rigorous AP courses. For engineering students they are developing a national curriculum that if completed during high school will allow students to enter UMO as sophomores and graduate in 3 years. They are also working on a similar program with UNE in the Arts and Sciences. This will also allow students to enter as sophomores.
Mr. Menard also believes that the state should work harder in the area of vocational education. TA is working very hard with Arundel Machine to train and provide more opportunities to students.
He wrapped tings up by saying that 50% of their foreign students are from mainland China and the remainder are from Europe and Central Asia.
Mr. Menard gave a very impressive presentation of the opportunities available to students as well as trying to provide their basic needs. He did however state that there is still a lack of opportunities for many of their students.
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9th annual Rotary Wine and Beer Tasting Saturday October 4thWe are working hard preparing for the 9th annual Rotary Wine and Beer Tasting. It will be held on Saturday October 4th at Jimmy the Greeks from 6 to 8 pm. Tickets will be handed out at this week's meeting, if you are not able to make the meeting please make a point to attend the meeting next week or let me know so that I can get you tickets. We are looking for 5 sponsors for the Wine Tasting Event, $100 each and your business name is prominently displayed for all to see. Finally, in lieu of doing the diamond raffle that we have done in the past we are looking to have a silent auction. We are seeking 7 to 10 items with a value of $50 to $100 for the silent auction. |
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Allan Brown, Safety Consultant for MEMICToday’s speaker was Allan Brown, Safety Consultant for MEMIC. Allan is a physical therapist by training and also has an engineering degree. If you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in one of Allan’s ergonomic training sessions, you are really missing out.
Did you know that if you sit for 11 hours a day you are closing in on the health risks of someone who is a heavy smoker? Why do you think that is? The bottom line is “things” become stagnant. Risks of diabetes and cardiovascular issues also increase.
The average age of the workforce in the state of Maine is 47 ½ years. We are the oldest working state in the country. What changes as you age? Metabolism & compression in joints (gravity) are just a couple of items.
The average height increase if you were to travel into space is 3 inches. You also lose bone mass/density and lose muscle mass. According to Allan, you will actually age 30 years if you travel to space. The heart muscle is always a concern for the older astronauts travelling to space.
There is 50% more pressure on your discs when you sit down. The most critical time is the two minutes after you stand from a sitting position. You should stand up and walk around for a little bit to try to relocate the pressure on your discs. Don’t immediately try lift anything.
Any idea how much the average head weighs? It’s a whopping 13 pounds. If you are working on a computer and your head is somewhat angled down, your 13 pound head turns into 35 lbs. The lower your head is, the more pressure is felt.
Allan informed everyone to avoid the “Butt Head Position”. This is where your butt and your head are on the same plane. This puts 1,000 pounds of force on your back. He gave an example of moving a vanity and picking something small up from the floor. The actual item that we are picking up is minimal. If you don’t stay vertical within two minutes of sitting for any length of time, you could give yourself some major issues. If you’ve been sitting in your vehicle for a while it is critical that you take those two minutes when you stand to just walk around and release some of the pressure on your discs BEFORE you do anything else. Picking up a piece of paper on the ground can create havoc if you don’t wait those two minutes.
Thank you, Allan, for providing an interesting and fun presentation! |
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2014-2015 Committee Assignments
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