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February 2019 - ISSUE 8
 
Upcoming Events
Grants Management Seminar
Deering Memorial Community Center
Feb 25, 2019
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
 
International Committee Meeting
Sable Oaks Marriott
Feb 28, 2019
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 
Rotary Leadership Institute - Concord, NH
NH Technical Institute
Mar 16, 2019
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
 
Grants Management Seminar
Southern Maine Community College
Mar 18, 2019
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
 
Hampton Rotary's 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Mar 23, 2019
 
Next Generation - Interact Conference 2019
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School
Mar 23, 2019
8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
 
Finance Committee 6PM
Husson University Southern Maine Campus
Mar 25, 2019
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
 
Wrap a Smile Quiltathon
Boothbay Harbor Rotary Clubhouse
Mar 30, 2019
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
 
District Training Assembly
York County Community College
Apr 06, 2019
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
 
International Committee Meeting
Sable Oaks Marriott
Apr 11, 2019
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
 
Having trouble viewing the Newsletter?
Click here to view it online.
 
 
FEBRUARY GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
 
 
Editor’s Note: As some of you are aware, DG John was hospitalized in January with an infection. We wish him all the best for a speedy recovery. In the meantime we interviewed him in his hospital bed in lieu of the customary governor’s message.
 
Has being in the hospital given you any Rotary-related insights?
Coming in contact with all the personnel in the hospital has reminded me of last month’s theme of Vocational Service. Being here has given me a new appreciation of the many vocations involved in medical care – from the person who transports me throughout the hospital, to the various technicians, the nurses, the doctors – all with their various specialties and levels of training. The medical students especially have impressed me. They’re so bright and have a gleam in their eye. I wish we all knew how to recapture that idealism they have.
 
And what about February’s theme?
It’s fitting that we just learned the new Rotary theme for next year in time for February, which is our time to focus on Peace and Conflict Resolution on the Rotary calendar. Rotary Connects the World – those few words talk about bringing understanding, and through understanding, bringing about peace. And peace is not just a global concept – nation vs. nation – but also how we go about our daily lives: the importance of the words we use and how we speak to or about others.
 
What has been most surprising since you became District Governor?
I have been blown away by seeing firsthand the incredible amount of work that is being done by all of our clubs, and the dedication of so many wonderful Rotarians.
 
What would you like to do after your year as District Governor is completed?
I would like to renew my focus on my own club’s efforts. But in addition to that, this year I have learned that all our clubs are special and there’s so much that goes on in other clubs that we could enjoy and support. So one of the things I’d like to do on an informal basis is help to publicize the special events that are going on in various clubs throughout the district, and hopefully gather support for attending those events. In doing that we can support the events themselves, but also build on the friendships that we make throughout the district. Just as an example the Oxford Hills Rotary club’s Lobster & Steak Fest comes to mind – this is a wonderful event that could serve almost as a mini-district conference – there’s lobster, steak, music, great food and fellowship – a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. (Because of my hospitalization, I’ll unfortunately have to miss Oxford Hills’ 35th anniversary celebration on February 2 – congratulations, Oxford Hills!)
 
What brought a New Yorker like yourself to Maine?
I was working as an attorney and Unum was a new client of mine. Sue and I came to Maine to get to know my new client better. Soon after, Unum asked if I was interested in working for them in Maine. When Sue asked me how we would make the decision whether to move to Maine, I reminded her that as we drove into Maine, we saw the sign that says “The Way Life Should Be,” and to me the “sign” was really a “sign!” Sue was skeptical about making life decisions based on a highway sign, but it has certainly been a great decision for us. And perhaps that should be next year’s theme: Rotary, The Way Life Should Be!
 
RotaryFest 2019
 
 
 
President Elect Training Schedule
 
Session One – October 22, 2018
Focus: Presidential Responsibility  (Husson University, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM  Dinner) 
 
Session Two – November 27, 2018
Focus: Rotary 101 Plus- Social Networking  (Cumberland Club, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
 
Session Three – January 28, 2019 – Mid Year Leadership Dinner
Focus: What is your status? (Fireside Inn- Portland, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
 
Session Four – February 9, 2019
Focus: Goal Setting (Freeport Community Center, 8 AM - 12:00 PM Breakfast)
 
Sessions Five and Six – March 6 – 8, 2019 – NEPETS
Focus: Inspiration & Leadership (Framingham, MA)
 
Session Seven – April 6, 2019 – District Training Assembly
Focus: Mandatory Topics  (YCCC-Wells, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM)
 
 
Polio Plus - February 2019
 
  Polio Learning Center, February 2019: 

 

Polio this week as of 16 January 2019
 
  • Summary of new viruses this week: Pakistan – two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and five WPV1 positive environmental samples; Nigeria – advance notification one case of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and two circulating VDPV2 positive environmental samples.
HISTORY OF POLIO
 
In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in industrialized countries, paralyzing hundreds of thousands of children every year. Soon after the introduction of effective vaccines in the 1950s and 1960s however, polio was brought under control and practically eliminated as a public health problem in these countries.
It took somewhat longer for polio to be recognized as a major problem in developing countries. Lameness surveys during the 1970s revealed that the disease was also prevalent in developing countries. As a result, during the 1970s routine immunization was introduced worldwide as part of national immunization programs, helping to control the disease in many developing countries.
 
In 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began, polio paralyzed more than 1000 children worldwide every day. Since then, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio thanks to the cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, backed by an international investment of more than US$ 11 billion.
 
There are now only 3 countries that have never stopped polio transmission and global incidence of polio cases has decreased by 99%.
 
There has also been success in eradicating certain strains of the virus; of the three types of wild polioviruses (WPVs), the last case of type 2 was reported in 1999 and its eradication was declared in September 2015; the most recent case of type 3 dates to November 2012.
 
However, tackling the last 1% of polio cases has still proved to be difficult. Conflict, political instability, hard-to-reach populations, and poor infrastructure continue to pose challenges to eradicating the disease. Each country offers a unique set of challenges which require local solutions. Thus, in 2013 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched its most comprehensive and ambitious plan for completely eradicating polio. It is an all-encompassing strategic plan that clearly outlines measures for eliminating polio in its last strongholds and for maintaining a polio-free world.
 
Have a safe and prosperous month. https://www.endpolio.org/donate
 
Jeffrey Slaton / Polio Plus Coordinator
Rotary Club of Saco Bay / District 7780
slatonjeffrey@yahoo.com / 207.608.3131     
 
 
Next Generation Conference
 
 
 
PLEASE REGISTER WITH TINA FOX BY FEBRUARY 22ND
EMAIL:  tfox313@gmail.com or text: (207) 890-1981
 
 
International Service
CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM
 
The International Service Committee is excited to announce this year’s cultural exchange will be to Romania, and we are looking for a team of six Rotarians to travel at the beginning of May, 2019.
 
Applications are now being accepted, and we encourage ANY and ALL Rotarians to apply.  Whether you have experience or not with International travel - you will just need a passport!
 
The application can be downloaded below, and must be received no later than FEBRUARY 10. 
 
If you have never experienced a Rotary International trip, this could be an amazing way to start!
 
Any questions can be referred to Emma Bodwell (information below)
 
Applications have also be sent to all Club Presidents, as well as International and Foundation Chairs.
 
Emma Bodwell
207-595-1138
 
 
 
The District Foundation Committee
DISTRICT GRANTS
 
This month I want to talk about District Grants. I hope you all know what they are - smaller-scale grants for projects that clubs in our district are doing. Most are in our local communities, but, a few are international. The maximum District Grant amount is about $5,000 and each club must put up some of its own money as well. This year, 8 clubs applied for and received grants from the District totaling $28,267. BUT, we had almost $9,000 that we could have distributed if more clubs had applied for a District Grant. The money won’t go to waste; the Foundation Committee will put it to good use. However, our first priority is to make it available for clubs.
 
Now is the time for you and your club to begin planning for a District Grant for the 2019-20 Rotary year. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2019. I have heard a few people say that date is too early, but it is necessary to allow the applications to be processed and approved, for the checks to be sent, and for the projects to be completed before the end of the Rotary year so we can get our reporting in to the Rotary Foundation. Remember, one of the reasons our Foundation gets such high rankings is the strict oversight from Evanston to assure that the money we donate is properly handled and spent.
 
So, I urge you to talk with your Club President, Board of Directors and Service Chair and start working on a grant for next year. The District Foundation Committee made a few small changes in the qualification requirements to make it easier for clubs to apply and information will be going out very soon to Club Foundation chairs about these changes and the way we will be doing Club Qualification Seminars this year.
 
If you have questions, get in touch with Betty Hughes, our Foundation District Grants Coordinator (esh1508@myfairpoint.net, 207-443-1563) or myself (lkfurbish@mac.com, 207-490-6840) We are happy to help. We would love to see more District Grant applications this year.
 
Lawrence Furbish
District Foundation Committee Chair
207-490-6840
 
2018-2019 Global Grant Information
 
Hello fellow District 7780 Rotarians, introducing my newest Rotary role as your district Global Grants Coordinator.
 
There are two key challenges to this job: getting the right information, and understanding how to make the system navigable and friendly for your Club.  Please bear with me as we learn together.
 
As a starting point, we’ve posted an index of our district’s global grants, distilled into a two-page summary.  We’ve posted this on the district website at this link, which you can find on the homepage under “Downloads”:
 
 
You may find this index easier to understand than the Rotary.org grant page which, while extremely accurate, doesn’t separate grants we administer in District 7780 from those hosted by other clubs around the world.  This summary will also allow you to see which clubs have participated in every current grant, and see who is the key-person for the grant so you can get in touch with them.
 
Please give me feedback on this summary.  If you find it useful, we will update it  monthly going forward.  Of course, let me know if you see anything that’s not accurate.
 
Please email or ring me anytime you want to discuss a global grant opportunity.  If you’re drafting a grant, step one is to let me know about it and to get started entering it in the Rotary.org grants center.  Your draft will immediately be assigned a grant number,  and we can help you to reserve the funds (if available) in our district’s global grant budget.
 
I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming grants trainings and the District Training Assembly on April 6.  Thank you!
 
Dave Underhill
603-706-3143
 
 
The Bare Necessities
By Sam Klemarczyk
RYLA Programs Director
 
 
My dog Mowgli turned two years old on Monday, and recently I have been looking back on our first year together. I named him after the lost boy from my favorite childhood movie, “The Jungle Book”, and he has certainly lived up to the name. He is an energetic, adorable, “play with me now, please!” labrador-husky mix, and he has brought so many vital lessons into my everyday life. In every new adventure, training session, or work day, Mowgli finds a way to remind me of a time when I when I was first growing as a young leader--a time when I learned a few important principles. These principles impacted my path in life more than I ever could have imagined, and  they continue to guide me both personally and professionally. Anyone know the principles I am talking about? YES, RYLA’s Basic Principles of Leadership! In this piece, I’d like us to refer to these principles as “The Bare Necessities” just as Baloo The Bear might. During my time as an Experiential Educator, I have realized that these bare necessities are applicable for all ages, communities, and goals. No matter where we are, what we are doing, or why we are doing it, if we are following these principles, then we are bound to make a positive impact. It has been nearly 8 years since I attended RYLA for the first time in 2011. Is it hard to believe that I still look back to those “bare necessities” I learned about for guidance? When I was a student, and now as a young professional, I still always tried to keep those principles close in mind.
 
Accomplish Your Mission
Mowgli’s mission in life consists of running, eating, sleeping, and running some more. If we are lucky, we might get to accomplish that mission and release all his energy for that day with enough training and exercise. Sometimes, the mission isn’t always accomplished to the fullest. It can be a work in progress, but what he has taught me is to never lose sight of what we are working towards, and to consistently recognize progress, so that we can continue to get better every day.
 
This has become a crucial lesson in my development as an Experiential Educator. In order to successfully meet the goals of each group I work with, I need to intentionally choose which games, initiatives, and low or high elements we will use to best fit the mission. Is the activity too hard? Does it fit their goals? Are they mentally, physically, or emotionally ready to take on that task? Many times, these challenges will get them out of their comfort zone, allowing them to reach their goals and accomplish those missions. However, there have been many times when those challenges do not have the impact I was imagining, and that allows me the opportunity to reflect, change, and grow to be a better facilitator.
Read more...
 
The Power of Rotary
BY KRIS ROSADO
 
To My Friend Jürgen Zeus and the Rotary Club of Erlangen,
From my family to yours, we send best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. Our visit (return) to Bavaria this past summer was a special trip where my wife and I got to show our two boys the places and People of Bavaria and allow them to experience firsthand this special region.
Jürgen Zeus, of the Rotary Club of Erlangen, graciously answered the email of an unknown Rotarian half a world away and helped to make our return to Erlangen the best part of our trip. From a special dinner at the Steinbach Brau with friend Gewalt to a special visit and book presentation with your City Historian friend Jakob, Jürgen made us feel special. We ended our visit to Erlangen with our two families enjoying dinner at the Alte Simpl, a favorite of mine from 25 years ago.
The power of Rotary is indeed global, as is the ability of kindness and fellowship to bridge oceans, borders and languages. My family and I are proud to be able to call Jürgen, Gabi, and his daughter Katja friends in Rotary and beyond.
I hope that if any member of your club ever travels to Maine, that I have the opportunity to extend the hospitality, generosity and friendship shown by Jürgen, his family and the Rotary Club of Erlangen.
Yours in Rotary
Kris Rosado
 
 
 
 
Wrap-A-Smile
QUILTATHON - MARCH 30, 2019
 
The Boothbay Harbor Rotary clubhouse will be hosting its second Quiltathon on Saturday, March 30th. Join Rotarians and Rotary friends in creating fun quilts that will be donated to Wrap-A-Smile, the charity started in our District which, over the past 15 years, has sent over 25,000 quilts to comfort children undergoing Rotaplast and other Rotary sponsored surgeries around the world. Novice quilter? No problem! While this will not be a formal teaching workshop, it will be a great time to learn the basics from other quilters in action!
 
Bring your own sewing machine and materials; irons/ironing boards, and some supplies will be provided. Plus, we can always share!  Hours are 9 am-4 pm at 66 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor. Come for the day, or drop in as you can.  A light lunch will be served. Please RSVP and learn details from Ann Demeranville, Wrap-A-Smile chair, quilts7780@gmail.com.
 
 
District History for February 2019
No one got the answer for this one!
 
January History Question:
 
You now have the years that all the clubs in our district joined Rotary.  Which calendar year or years had the most new clubs chartered?  How many clubs were chartered in that year or years?
This one should have be really easy if you read all the District Newsletters!
 
We had 4 calendar years that each had 3 clubs chartered:
 
1923 – Sanford-Springvale, Dover & Newburyport (which has moved to 
            District 7930)
 
1925 – Brunswick, Kennebunk, & River Valley
 
1983 – Sebago Lake, Oxford Hills, Freeport
 
1990 – Kennebunk Portside, Brunswick Coastal & Seabrook-Hampton Falls                         
           (which turned in their charter)
 
New History Question for February 2019:
 
I am always being asked if I have this or that about a particular club and unfortunately, I generally have to say, I don’t.  In 2012, then DG Marty Helman asked me if I would be District Historian and start posting information on the District Website.  I agreed and started putting the information I had collected over the years as a Rotarian about the District up on the website.  I had gotten copies of some of the stuff from prior District Conference reports that then District Historians had reported.  However, YOU can help me to add to our District History.  Any information you have about your club or a District event would be greatly appreciated and will get posted.  I was recently asked for a copy of a club’s charter – sorry I don’t have those.  However, if any club wants to send me a PDF file of their club’s charter, I will put it up on their club’s page in District History.  I think it would be very interesting to see all the Past RI President’s signatures from these charters.  If you can’t find your club’s charter, you can obtain a copy of your charter from RI, unfortunately it will have the current RI President’s signature not the one in office when you were chartered.  I know this as I had to get a copy of our club’s charter several years ago and it was the sitting president’s signature on it as RI does not even keep copies of club charters.  So you can help keep a permanent copy of your club’s original charter or charter copy by sending me a PDF file of your club’s charter to put up on our District’s History Page for your club.
 
SO HOW MANY COPIES OF CLUB CHARTERS WILL I GET IN FEBRUARY?
 
Send your club’s charter pdf copy to me at mawilliamspdg@comcast.net with your name and your club’s name.  The information will be noted in the March newsletter and posted to the District Website.
 
Marie
Marie A. Williams, PDG
District 7780 Historian
 
 
Welcome New Rotarians!
 
The Ogunquit Rotary Club inducted two new members, Nancy Lowenberg and Dr. Joe Boyle.
 
 
In the photo, President Erin Haye (center) welcomes Nancy and Dr. Joe.
 
Many Rotarians in District 7780 know Dr. Joe as a longtime member of our club. A few years ago when we became a morning club, Joe transferred to the Biddeford-Saco club. Now that we again meet at lunchtime, Joe has returned! We are very excited to have him back. In a heartfelt message, Joe told the Biddeford-Saco leadership that he “enjoyed his membership thoroughly” and that he “grew as a person and Rotarian” through the club’s “tremendous good work.” Joe indicated he wished to attend Biddeford-Saco meetings as a guest going forward.
 
Nancy Lowenberg is new to Rotary. She is an independent account executive with Clearent Intelligent Processing. Nancy, who lives in Wells, is married to Todd (Parker) Schuerman and has three children... Gale, Savannah and Haley.
 
 
At their first meeting of the new year, (no meetings on 12/25, 1/1/2019 and 1/8/2019 was snow day!) the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club celebrated by inducting their newest corporate member, Skidompha Library.
 
 
PP Karen Filler is Chairperson of the Board at Skidompha, and PP/PE Lorraine Faherty is the sponsor.  Our club proudly supports the Skidompha Ready to Read program annually, addressing both Literacy and Youth areas of Service.  Welcome!!!
 
 
Two members were inducted into the Portland Rotary Club at their January 11th meeting. Past President Laura Young highlighted the work of the Membership Committee by inviting two sponsors, 1st Vice President Ellen Niewoehner and Tom Ranello, to introduce the new members. Ellen introduced Mike Anderson, a ten-year veteran broker with Malone Commercial Brokers who lives in Gorham; and Tom introduced Michelle DiSotto of Scarborough, who works with Goodwill Industries.
 
 
Pictured above left to right:  Past President Laura Young, Ellen Niewoehner, Mike Anderson, Michelle DiSotto, Tom Ranello and President John Curran.
 
 
The Bethel Rotary Club inducted two new member inductions in January!
 
 
Pictured above:  President Mike Steven accompanies Rotarian Robin Zinchuk, new members Cri-Cri Gorycki and Antje Schaefer and Rotarian Kevin Finley
 
 
The Rotary Club of Bethel
CLUB RECAP
 
Rotarian Kevin Finley presents scholarship checks to four of our 2018 recipients: Jarrod Bean, Blake Rothwell, Dylan Richmond and Caroline Finley.
 


Below left:  Rotarian Alison Aloisio offers her classification speech, sharing highlights of her quarter century career as editor of our local newspaper, The Bethel Citizen.  Below right: Rotarian Kevin Finley presents scholarship recipient, Taylor Mason, with her Educational Assistance Award.
 
 
 
President Mike Steven recognized the Telstar High School December Students of the Month, Julia Head and Abigail Landry. Missing from photo is Georgia Piawlock.
 

 
The Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor
CLUB RECAP
 
Visioning has been our greatest asset in this Rotary year. The Visioning chair participates in every board meeting and reports on potential projects, concepts, and recommendations stemming from the Visioning committee. They serve as the “think tank” for the club.  We are currently embracing a major comprehensive investment in food insecurity.
 
 
Rotary Interact Presenters
 
Thanks to the Youth Lane, Interact supported our club by providing wait staff for our annual Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner. Our club pays the Interact for their serving skills and the monies go into their projects, in particular KIVA. The club has grown to forty members and we continue to partner with each other for special projects. The Boothbay Region High School German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) students hosted the German dinner fundraiser at our clubhouse to raise money for their 2020 trip to Germany.  This often serves as an entryway to Interact.
 
Interact is partnering with us in some friendly competition for our international project this year. The students have raised $500 via bake sales at football games and serving at Rotary dinners, and our Rotary club is matching the students with a $500 grant for seed money.
 
This money is being invested in KIVA micro loans. So far Interact has invested a total of $350.00, $25.00 each to 14 different people or groups in 13 countries. We have invested in arts, agriculture, livestock, education, refugees, and clean water. Students are learning about investing, as well as cultural aspects of the globe. 
 
Fellowship Night got started again for the winter season!  Members, partners, prospective members, and Friends of Rotary meet at local establishments during the slower season in our community. It continues to bring Rotary visibility to our local businesses and promotes good spirit within the club.
 
During our town’s annual Festival of Trees, Rotary donated a decorated tree for sale with the theme of Safe Passage. District Rotarian friends donated Guatemalan dolls to decorate the tree. We plan to use a different international project theme for next year, most likely Wrap-a-Smile.
 
Our Annual Debate Coaching at our high school continues. Students prepared debates based on candidates in the election. Rotarians provided coaching for these students.
 
The government shutdown has had a huge impact on the local US Coast Guard Station. We have donated funds to the Coasties, and have invited all local members of federal government to join us for complimentary dinner at our meetings.
 
With our goal of 10 new members, we have 2 to go!
 
 
The Rotary Club of Damiscotta-Newcastle
12TH ANNUAL KARL'S KIDS FAMILY FUN SKI RACE AND AUCTION - MARCH 1-2, 2019
 
 
Past President Mike Hall announced our 12th annual Karl's Kids Family Fun Ski Race and Auction, March 1 & 2 at Sugarloaf.  Karl's Kids is named after the late Karl Berger who was an active member of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary. He died unexpectedly, and our club honors him by providing opportunities for youth in Lincoln County to participate in sports. We provide grants for shoes, uniforms, equipment, fees, etc. for disadvantaged youth whose families cannot afford the extra cost. There is an application on the program website, karlskids.org, as well as a link through our club website. The Sugarloaf weekend begins with Friday evening at The Sugar Bowl with bowling, video games, virtual reality golf, food and beverages are available.  Saturday is skiing, a silent auction in the hotel all day, a 50-50 raffle, and a fun race in the afternoon. Come for the weekend, come for just a day (only 2 hours from Damariscotta). We raise funds for this program and we pass the 5th query on our 4-way test "is it FUN."
 
 
GUEST SPEAKER
 
 

Deborah Gould, local author of The Eastern, Book One and The Eastern, Book Two, braved a very chilly morning to speak at our breakfast. Quoting from her website: 

 

"In the 1990s, I bought an old two-story, side-hall entry farmhouse in East Pittston, Maine; the history of that particular house brought me to Joel Thompson, who bought the land in 1811 and whose descendants owned the property for the next hundred years.  Both fiction and social history, the novels explore the themes of community and reciprocity, of working together for the common good—solid New England concepts we seem to have lost along the way.
She described her research as well as discussing how she got published.  Absolutely fascinating!! Books are available at Shermans Books and also on Amazon.
 
The Rotary Club of Dover
DICTIONARY PROJECT
 
 
Dover Rotarians recently had the opportunity to meet with the 3rd grade students at the Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover as part of the club's Dictionary Project. There was lots of questions, laughs and FUN. #dictionaryproject #pca #serviceaboveself
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Hampton
BLOOD DRIVE EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
 

Two Hampton Rotarians share a brief moment of quiet in what became one of our most productive blood drives to date!.

 
Joan Correll and Anne Russell are two Hampton Rotary Club members who once again stepped forward to assist the American Red Cross at a recent blood drive sponsored by our club.
 
The projected goal of this blood drive was 30 units, and 44 units were collected!  This amount of blood will help up to 132 patients get more time with their families, or even another chance at life.
 
Thank you to our club members and to our community members for their extraordinary giving during an emergency time of need.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Kennebunk
GUEST SPEAKER DEB NELSON
 
Deb Nelson recently spoke to the Kennebunk Portside Rotary Club.  Deb is a former member of the club and worked for York County United Way.  Deb is a health coach, author, and speaker. She recently published her first book, Finding Health After Cancer: Stories of Renewal and Healing.  The book shares information about the different paths to health of 23 people who received a cancer diagnosis.  A resource section of health information is included, as well as a story of one woman’s preventive measures to fend off a cancer diagnosis. Deb’s talk focused on why she wrote the book and some of the things she learned while researching and writing this book.  Her book is available on Amazon.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Ogunquit
Christmas Angel Honor
 
In December, the York County Coast Star cited the Ogunquit Rotary Club as a Christmas Angel. 
 
Its article stated, "For decades, the Rotary Club of Ogunquit has faithfully provided a certain gift to those who are physically handicapped: a day at the beach." In recent years, our club has conducted focused fundraising events to purchase beach wheelchairs that were given to the town of Ogunquit for free use by anyone in need. Here's a link to the story...
 
 
Contact:
Ed Seppa
edseppa@me.com   207-216-4150
 
 
The Rotary Club of Portland
ROTARACT STUDENT VISITS CLUB
 
 
A Rotaract guest from Brazil, Eduardo Oliveira,19, is pictured with President John Curran. Eduardo is a member of the Novo Hamburgo Rotaract Club in Brazil and is in Portland with CIEE International headquarters, as an intern.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Portsmouth
District Report January 2019
 
 
John Flagg with daughter Molly and goddaughter Jamie
 
Christmas Tree sales sold out long before scheduled. The effort was blessed with relatively mild weather. A young family claimed the last, lonely balsam fir which had been dubbed “Charlie” by those trying to hawk it. Net profits were $44,000, which is a new record.
 
We gained a new member, Valerie Dyer, a native of “The County” in northern Maine. We also lost another long-time member, Robert B. Field, Jr., 75, who died after a long illness. Bob rarely missed a meeting over his 30-plus years of membership.
 
The club continues to actively volunteer at Cross Roads House, a homeless shelter and our 2018-2019 partner charity of choice. Basic Needs gave away $3,000 to Woman aid and $2,500 to the Seacoast Media Group for their charitable initiative.  Portsmouth Rotarians will again donate services to prepare and serve meals once a month at the Salvation Army.
 
 
Shelli LaTorre
 
Jon Flagg’s daughter and God-daughter spoke to us about “Gap” year’s abroad in Europe, Central and South America. The young women worked at various jobs to finance their experiences. Finally, we closed out 2018 with a post-luncheon concert by Dover, N.H., native Shelli LaTorre. Portsmouth Rotarian Cuzin Richard, who books entertainers, arranged for the talented singer to perform.
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Oxford Hills
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - MARCH 2
 
 
Click HERE to Download Registration Form
 
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 deb.marsolais@comcast.net 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, opportunities of service, or member news.
 
 
Deadline for MARCH Newsletter Submissions: February 21st (SHORT MONTH!)
 
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.
 
 
www.rotary7780.org … or follow us on Facebook!
 
 
Everyone’s Phone Number at Your Fingertips . . . and Much More!
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)