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March 2015 - Issue 9
 

 
 
Upcoming Events
Rotary Leadership Institute
York Community College
Feb 28, 2015
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
 
Northeast PETS training
Framingham Sheraton
Mar 12, 2015 – Mar 14, 2015
 
Youth Services Conference and Convention
Marshwood High School
Mar 14, 2015
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 
Grant Management Seminar - Portland
Cumberland Club
Mar 18, 2015
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
 
District Assembly
York Community College
Mar 28, 2015
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
 
Grants Management Seminar - Portsmouth
Portsmouth Country Club
Apr 08, 2015
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
 
Vision to Plan Workshop
Greater Portland Area
Apr 16, 2015
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
 
2015 District Conference
Wentworth by the Sea
Apr 24, 2015 – Apr 26, 2015
 
Grants Management Seminar -Westbrook
Westbrook Middle School
May 09, 2015
8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
 
Grants Management Seminar - Topsham
Red Cross Chapter
May 13, 2015
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
 
Russell Hampton
Sage
 

 

 
 
Water and Sanitation Area of Focus
 
This month’s Rotary theme is one of our six Areas of Focus - Water and Sanitation. All six areas are important but none more so than this. Some Rotarians have argued that once we have ended Polio this should become our number one priority. Approximately 2.5 billion people do not have adequate sanitation facilities, and more than 783 million lack access to clean drinking water. Most appallingly of all, about 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. This is a matter not only of water filters, wells, dams, and sanitation facilities, but also of education. I vividly remember a small girl on a batey (Haitian immigrant farm worker camp on the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic) drinking out of a large, dirty, rusty 55 gallon metal barrel. After she was chastised by the medical worker who was showing us around, as we walked away, I looked back to see her again drinking from the same barrel. This occurred in a batey where water filters had been installed. Our district and its clubs have been very active in clean water and sanitation projects, not only in the Dominican Republic, but also in South Africa, Nigeria, China, Uganda, Honduras, Ghana and India. I was going to list the clubs in the district that have sponsored projects, but the list would include almost every club. Much remains to be done. At last June’s RI Convention in Sydney, a Water Summit meeting was held to strategize and share ideas about how to combat this problem. PDG Carolyn Johnson is very involved with the "Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group," aptly named WASRAG. She will going to Sao Paulo in June for sessions on clean water. This Area of Focus is one that still provides great opportunities for us to continue our efforts around the globe to improve lives.
 
 
                                   
                                                                                         
 
District History Trivia
March's TRIVIA QUESTION
 
This month’s District History question
 
We just celebrated World Understanding and Peace on February 23rd.  How many “sitting” Rotary International Presidents have been the featured speaker at our World Understanding and Peace Dinners and who were they? 
 
If you can find the answer in the District Website’s History Yearbook pages, send it to me at mawilliamspdg@comcast.net along with your name and the name of your Rotary Club.  The answer will be in next month’s newsletter along with the name of the person(s) to give me the correct answer along with their club name.
 
Marie A. Williams
District Historian
 
Click "Read More" for the answer to last month's trivia question.
 
Read more...
 
2015 District Conference Update (The Hotel)
 
As I hope all of you know by now, this year’s District Conference will be held on April 24-26 at the Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, New Hampshire. Registration is now available on the District Website (rotary7780.org) and I hope you will register early. We have obtained a special hotel rate for conference attendees, but that rate is only good for a limited time. We are attempting to have it extended, but as of now, to get the special rate you must register with the hotel by March 23; after that date the room rate will be significantly higher. Details are on the registration page of the District Website.
 
Read more...
 
Join the Rotary Cycling Team!
Join our Rotary Cycling Team End Polio Now And Raise Awareness 
 
Recruit your friends, relatives, neighbors or colleagues and let’s grow our Rotary Team.
 
Read more...
 
 
 
DG Lawrence Furbish finishes "Trek Across Maine", a 3-day, 180 mile event
 
 
World Water Summit
 
You're invited to World Water Summit 7 with special guest Raya from the Sesame Street family!
 
Sesame Street's Raya has spent the past year helping to educate children in Bangladesh, India and Nigeria about sanitation and the importance of hygiene to good health. Raya, and some of the world's top water, sanitation and hygiene education experts, will be speaking at World Water Summit 7. With a special focus on WASH in Schools, the Summit will help you organize, manage, evaluate, and fund WASH projects. You and your guests are invited to register today for the June 4, 2015 Summit (the day before the International Convention) at the Renaissance Hotel in Sao Paulo. See you in Brazil!  
 
 
 
Pictured:  Raya talks with former Rotary International President and Wasrag Chair Bill Boyd about hygiene education at the recent RI Assembly. Check out their personal video* invitation to the Summit here.
 
 
 
After having to cancel two meetings due to blizzard conditions, President Bob Duke of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Maine club inducted two new members: Bill Vaughan (sponsor Hugh Riddleberger) and George Mason (sponsor Winslow Myers).
 
 
 
 
 
Bill is a retired lawyer, hotel manager, teacher and local theatre aficionado.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Theatre of Damariscotta. George is an artist, with a studio and gallery in Damariscotta Mills, a teacher of arts, a recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts awards and a founder of Watershed Center for ceramic arts in Edgecomb.  Welcome to Rotary!!
 
 
The Portsmouth Rotary Club reports two new members;  Richard Ryzman & Francoise Meissner.  This makes a total of 11 new members since the start of the Rotary year!
 
The Portland Rotary Club reports two new members, Nan Heald and Leonard Scott, were inducted on 2/6/15.
 
 
Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club
ROTARY TRIP TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
 
Under the direction of Rotarian Dr. Bob Chagrasulis, three members of the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club, Emma Bodwell, Kristen Charette and Cathy Sullivan, spent a week in the area of La Romana, Dominican Republic with 17 other Rotarians from Maine, Rhode Island, Michigan and Canada in late January - early February.  Our activities included constructing four latrine toilets in a batey, assisting in installing water filters in homes of cane cutters, visiting and working with illiterate adults, delivering much needed school supplies for both adults and children in several schools, visiting a family clinic and women’s health center to see areas of opportunity for future assistance (which included joining health care workers doing AIDS testing on a batey), and observing sex education training in a brothel.  We also attended two Rotary meetings while in La Romana, and a Haitian church service.  The week was powerful, educational, and inspirational.  We all look forward to going back.  We will be sharing our trip with our Rotary Club and community on March 12th at our regular Rotary meeting.  
 
Pictured:  Emma Bodwell, Cathy Sullivan & Kristen Charette
 
Read more...
PROVIDES FOR COMMUNITY KETTLE
 
As part of our local community support, our club provides 3-4 meals a year at the Bridgton Community Center.  Our last dinner was held on January 29th, where 80 people were served. 
 
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              Prepping food for dinner                         Rotarians Mike & Faye Daley
 
 
Hampton Rotary Club
INTERACT CLUB CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
 
The Rotary Club of Hampton welcomed the new members of the Seabrook Middle School Interact Club on Thursday, February 17th at 6:00 p.m. in a very special ceremony held at the Seabrook Middle School. Rotarians volunteered to cook a potluck dish or dessert and shared dinner and the evening with the students, family members and faculty.
 
Thank you to all who showed up to support SMS Interact Club's commitment to service and leadership.
 
Interact President, Andrew Litcofsky, gave a great speech thanking the Hampton Rotary Club and reminding new Interactors the power of community service.
                    
                                   
 
 
HAMPTON ROTARIAN RECEIVES AWARD
 
 
Our club wishes to congratulate Club Secretary Denise Cadorette, for receiving a “Most Outstanding New Member Rotarian for 2014–2015” certificate, which was presented to her by PRIP Rick King, DG Lawrence Furbish and PDG George Rice at the World Understanding and Peace Dinner on 2/23/15.
 
Congratulations, Denise!
 
Portsmouth Rotary Club
CELEBRATES PUDDLEDOCK POND
 
On February 22nd, the Portsmouth Rotary club held a social night to celebrate the Puddledock Pond rink, to which the club donated hundreds of hands-on hours and a total of thirty thousand dollars.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
. . . and without a doubt, a good time was had by all!
Read more...
 
River Valley Rotary Club
GUEST SPEAKER
 
The guest speaker this week at the River Valley Rotary Club Fellowship meeting, held Tuesday the 3rd, was Susan Bauer Jodrey Byam, Director of Grandpa's Food Pantry in Mexico, Maine.  She addressed the concerns and needs of the local community with the following statistics:  In 2013, we served 1,476 families = 3,531 people, and in 2014, we served 1,798 families = 4,799 people. 
 
As you can see, the need is increasing, while the donations and supply are decreasing. If there are other questions, please contact Roger Whitehouse at geosue@roadrunner.com or 207-364-8185.
 
Seen in the photo is Catherine Johnson, Past President and sponsor of this week's speaker with Susan Bauer Jodrey Byam!
 
 
GUEST SPEAKER - 2/23/15
 
Adrian Harris, Realtor, Real Estate Auctioneer and visiting Rotarian from the Farmington area was the guest speaker on February 23, 2015, at the River Valley Rotary Club Fellowship meeting held at the HOPE Association! He spoke about auctioning off both real estate and personal properties. He ended with a demonstration, by auctioning off a handmade tapestry for which he donated the proceeds to the RVRC !
 
Adrian gave a fantastic presentation, and he can be reached at Harris Real Estate (207)778-9000.
 
Left:  Joe Sirois, Fellow Rotarian and Speaker Sponsor with Adrian Harris
Right:  Jolene Lovejoy, Fellow Rotarian was winning bidder!  Congratulations Jolene!
 
 
Sebago Lake Rotary Club
HOLDS ICE FISHING DERBY
 
The weather just wasn’t co-operating for this year’s Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby, as blizzard like winds on the lake kept many fishermen away this year. The high accumulation of snow kept those without snowmobiles or easy access to the lake away on Saturday also.  However, the Sebago Lake Club members are driven, and continued to put on the best derby they possibly could regardless of Mother Nature.
 
There were over 100 participants for the Maine Children’s Cancer Polar Dip that Saturday, which went on without a hitch and raised nearly $65,000 for the organization.
 
 
 
 
This year’s biggest fish was caught by Brady Ouellette, seen here with the Derby’s winning Togue, at 39" long and 14.88 lbs, caught in Maine’s Sebago Lake.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The registrants were very generous this year also, donating over $1260 toward the 50/50 for the Toby Pennels Scholarship Fund.
 
 
 
 
 
Brenda Pennels accepts a check for the Toby Pennels Scholarship Fund
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In addition to the $630 generated by the 50/50, the winner James Golden of Massachusetts, donated $300 back to the fund.  Kittery Trading Post also donated $500 for the fund.  In all, the derby event was able to donate $1430 to the Toby Pennels Scholarship Fund. This year’s derby was dedicated in memory of Toby, a long standing and active member of the Sebago Club.
 
In Memoriam
 
 
On February 21, 2015 PDG Robert H. Patten passed away at the age of 91, four days shy of his 92nd birthday. Bob was born in Philadelphia, PA. Since 1965, he has been an active member of the Portland Rotary Club; he served as club president in 1982-83; he was the first Rotarian to make Jean Thompson Harris (founder Paul Harris’ wife) a PHF. From his efforts, he received a personal letter from RI President Dochterman thanking him.

Bob was the first District Governor of the newly re-numbered Rotary District 7780 from 1991-1992 and is remembered as a fun-loving person who imbued a spark into everything he did. He was positive and supportive, not only of his beloved Rotary, but of Rotarians, as well. While District Governor, Bob was proud to be instrumental in the “Jewell Island Project,” where several clubs in our district and the group study exchange from Brazil participated in a hands-on-project of building ‘privies’ on the island.

Bob will always be remembered as one of Portland Rotary’s gentle “giants.” We thank him for sharing part of his life with us.


 
 
Have Something You'd Like to Share with Us?
 
Updates and short articles with images or videos, and the names of new members and those who have passed, may be submitted to our Newsletter Editor, Deb Marsolais, at newsletter@rotary7780.org, to  be included in our Monthly Newsletter. The District Newsletter is a means of communicating  to other clubs in our district; items of interest, upcoming events, fundraisers or opportunities of service.
 
Deadline for April 2015 Newsletter Submissions: March 26th
 
 
PLEASE NOTE: 
 
As a precaution, unless you have obtained a written consent from a parent/guardian, every child’s face which appears in a picture submitted for the newsletter or website, will be edited so that it is blurred out in the picture.  Since there may be situations involving abuse, neglect, custody dispute, etc., and parents wouldn't want their child's picture to appear in public, this is being done for the child's privacy and protection.
 
If you have a submission for the newsletter or website, and would like to have us post a picture with a child (children) in it, please let us know if you have received a consent, otherwise we will edit it accordingly.
 
Thank you for your cooperation.
 
 
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