Meeting Notes

 

March 4, 2010

 

Today we had 11 club members present.  Guests included Glenn Nerbak, our speaker, and Tony Barrasso.  It was wonderful to see such a full room!  

 

The raffle has grown to over $280!  Michael drew the winning ticket, but chose the 4 of spades instead of the elusive 3 of clubs.  rolling rolling rolling..........

 

There were many happy dollars this morning.  Karen saw lots of wildlife on the way to work this morning, including turkey and deer.  Bruce, in a separate car, saw a fox.  What is going on in Windham!  Rhonda is happy for spring, and Mary Jo is happy to be back from Florida, where the weather left much to be desired.  Dave W is mid-way through his grandkids' birthdays and has had enough cake and ice cream for awhile!  Lee is looking forward to his upcoming trip to New Zealand next month.  Michael is happy for the travelling his has been doing, and Ann Lee is having a good trip to Phoenix and San Francisco.  He told us that it was his birthday, and we broke into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday!  I must say it was the best we have ever sounded!  Tony is happy that his grandson is sailing through the StriveU requirements, and he himself started rehearsing for a production of Guys & Dolls this spring.  Pat is happy that her cortisone shot is working, and Glenn just celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary!  Finally, Rich is happy Rhonda does not get sick very often because he is a terrible nurse, and Larry was happy for the road trip to Florida via his daughter's house in DC, where he helped shovel snow (tee hee).

 

Membership, Karen Coffin:  Karen has resurrected the buddy list.  If you don't see someone for a week or two, give them a buzz to see how they are and if they need anything.  All contact info is on the website.  Buddies are as follows:  Larry/AnnLee, Christine/Bruce, Karen/Dan, Lee/Michael, Eric/Mary Jo, Rhonda/Jack, Pat/Chad, Chrissy/Dave. 

 

Foundation, Rhonda Emerson:  This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about becoming a Paul Harris Fellow or what a $1000 dollar contribution can do.  A US contribution of $1000 helps provide seven toilets in Sri Lanka.  More than 2.6 billion people still lack access to proper sanitation.  Most people in the developed world do not think about their sanitation system unless it is not working properly, but in Sri Lanka many people lack access to proper sanitation facilities.  The Rotary club of Ja-Ela Kandana, Sri Lanka partnering with the Rotary club of Madras Northwest, India took the matter into their own hands and obtained a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant to provide sanitation to a small community comprising 15 families.  They built 14 toilets providing the families with proper sanitation.  This will insure a reduction in illness and increase the health and wellness of this community.  Rotarians meet the needs of the world by working through the Rotary Foundation.

 

 

 

Club Service:  Sign up for the food drive to be held at Shaw's Westgate on Friday, March 19th.  All we need to do is show up and help collect food items!  Check your calendar because Larry will be bringing a sign up sheet to the meeting next week.

 

Larry is also working on the dictionary project, so that we can donate dictionaries to all 3rd graders at the Reiche School in Portland.  Stay tuned to hear about this project's success!

 

Announcements:

• Don't forget that our meeting on March 18th will be moved to March 17th as we go on a field trip to the Breakwater Daybreak Club at SMCC at 7:15.  Please mark your calendars so you will not forget; we are going to hear from the GSE team as they recount their many adventures!
• The golf tournament is starting to come together with firm commitments from sponsors.  Start putting your foursomes together for an early June event!
• District Assembly is April 10, 2010 at the York County Community College.  This will kick off Ann Lee's year as District Governor, and we would like to see as many CBSRs as possible attend.  The club will pay your registration fee, and the sessions promise to be inspiring.  Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more info!
• President Rich has Rotary window decals, lapel pins and trailer hitch covers for sale.  Visit the podium with cash in hand to make your purchases.  Don't forget to mention these fabulous items to other Rotarians you know.
• Ditto for the calendars.  It is not too late to sell them, and every one sold at this point goes directly to our bottom line.  It feels good to send out donations to worthy causes, but we can only do that if our coffers are full.  Sell a calendar today!
• As guests of the Cumberland Club on Thursday morning we are reminded that the Club has a dress code.  Business casual dress is appreciated, and jeans are not welcome.
• Our website now includes a calendar of events and a list of all upcoming speakers.  If you have anything that you would like listed please let Bruce or Rhonda know.
• Please log into the member section of the website and update your profile when you get a couple of minutes.

Program Notes:

This morning we heard from Glenn Nerbak, Director of the Portland Mentoring Alliance.  He has been the director for this school year and is doing a fine job of matching the many interested students with qualified role models throughout the Portland Area.  The minimum commitment is one hour/week, and students have proven to benefit greatly from having another interested adult in their lives.  The program focuses on academic success, the post-secondary process and socialization.  With over 90 matches made this year, Glenn regaled us with success stories from the kids and mentors involved.  Getting an application is easily done by visiting www.phsbulldogs.org or by calling Glenn at 842-5358 if you have specific questions about the requirements involved.

 

Upcoming Programs: 

March 11 - 

March 17 - Road trip - We'll be guests of Breakwater DayBreak in South Portland.

March 18 - No meeting at the Cumberland Club

March 19 - Good Shepherd Food Drive - Shaw's Westgate

March 25 - 

April 1 - 

April 8 - Rotary Tour of the Maine Children's Cancer Facility in Scarborough

 

Desk Duty:

March:  Chad Wilcox & Lee Ivy

 

Speaker Themes: