January Was Youth Month In District 7780
By Carol Madsen, District Newsletter Editor, Bridgton-Lake Region RC
District Youth Services Chair Phil Giordano
January was certainly Youth Month in District 7780 with the highlight being the Mid-Year Brunch in Freeport attended by 100 Rotarians (well, truthfully only 98) from throughout the District. DG Bob MacKenzie welcomed us all, and after that it was all things youth. Phil Giordano, District Youth Services Chair, played a key role as did Dover Rotarian Sam Klemarzac, a former co-leader of RYLA and new District Interact Chair (see that announcement elsewhere in this newsletter). A panel of four young people expressed their experiences in three of the four youth areas represented in our district: Interact, RYLA, and Youth Exchange. Only Rotaract wasn’t represented. As high schoolers still they had not had an opportunity to experience Rotaract, but mentioned that they are looking for Rotoract Clubs at the colleges where they were applying.
Who was at the Brunch?
Dover had 9 Club members and two Interactors (See the cover of Club News)
RYLA Co-Leaders, Jacey Chavez, Portland RC, and Tim Moyer, Kennebunkport RC.
Our new District Interact Director Sam Klemarzac. Sam was involved in Interact and was a RYLA camper. At URI he was involved in Rotaract. After College he was instrumental in getting the New Voices club established. He now lives in Dover and is a member of the Dover RC.
One of our two Rotaract Leaders – PDG Peggy Bellanger
Last, but not least, the panel of inspirational youth (L to R) Wyatt Hafer, Kennebunk High School Interact Club; Rachel Bachrach, Dover High Interact Club; Thea Soucy, President Interact Club, Dover High; and Makili Matty, Traip Academy in Kittery, Short Term exchange to Italy, officer in Traip Interact Club. All had been RYLA campers as well.
See also in this issue information on an exciting Purple Pinkie Project run by the Dover High School Interact Club, an article on the District’s New Interact Leader, and an update on a project of the Rotaract Club of UNE.