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Haley 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.