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March 2019 - ISSUE 9
 
Upcoming Events
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
 
Rotary Leadership Institute - Wells, ME
York County Community College
Apr 20, 2019
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
 
Rotary Leadership Institute - Wakefield, MA
Four Points By Sheraton
Apr 27, 2019
7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
 
International Committee Meeting
Sable Oaks Marriott
May 23, 2019
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 
RI International Convention - Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg, Germany
Jun 01, 2019 – Jun 05, 2019
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
 
Having trouble viewing the Newsletter?
Click here to view it online.
 
 
MARCH GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
 
 
Rotarians and Friends,
 
When we developed our district’s strategic plan over the last several years, collaboration emerged as an important pillar of the plan.  While we knew that collaboration among our clubs and with other organizations would be important to our future success, I doubt we realized how quickly your collaborations would have an impact and how powerful that impact would be.
 
The level of collaboration among our clubs on the opioid recovery effort is truly impressive and is saving lives.  In the latest collaboration, our seacoast New Hampshire clubs are holding a series of educational events entitled “Recovery with Hope and Dignity,” beginning March 5 at 6 p.m. at Exeter High School.  New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu will participate in the kick off event, along with other top speakers. Please try to attend and support this life-saving work; the program also will be presented at other locations in April, May and June.  For more details, see https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20190221/rotary-clubs-partner-for-opioid-education-forums.
 
We also continue to keep our eyes open for meaningful opportunities to collaborate with others who are doing good in our communities and in the world.  In this regard, I want to call your attention to the 2019 Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit, which is being held from March 14-16 at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.  Here is a further description from the event organizers:
 
Universities Fighting World Hunger is a coalition of institutions of higher education dedicated to educating students about the causes of hunger and to training and encouraging them to take effective action, both at home and abroad. It began as a partnership between Auburn University and the United Nation’s World Food Program. Since its inception in 2006, the coalition has come to include students on 300 campuses and has brought over 100 university presidents from 29 countries together as signatories to PUSH (Presidents United to Solve Hunger).
 
The event at the University of Southern Maine will bring over 500 students, faculty, and activists together for two days of action-oriented workshops and inspiring presentations from leaders and activists at the front lines of fighting hunger. This is the first time it has been held in the northeastern United States.
More information and an opportunity to register is available at this link:
 
 
As you probably can tell, I am hoping to be out and about again soon.  I continue to make steady progress after my open heart surgery on January 31 (for the Catholics out there, that is the Feast Day of St. John Bosco!). 
The surgery was necessitated after a freak infection lodged in my heart and spine in late December. High dose antibiotics seem to have defeated the infection, though I’ll continue to take them for at least a couple more weeks. I felt totally healthy one day, only to become very sick the next.  How quickly life can turn! 
 
I look forward to making a complete recovery and can’t thank you enough for your well-wishes and kindnesses while I’ve been on this journey.  I understand now, more than I ever did, what it means to be part of the Rotary family.
 
I also understand that I am luckier than most.  I spent more than a month in the hospital, benefiting from top-notch medical care.  In this Rotary month dedicated to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, let’s consider the care I received in context:  we live in a world in which 700+ million people don’t have access to clean water and 2.5 billion people don’t have access to sanitary facilities.
Read more...
 
District 7780
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
District 7780 Financial Statements Available for Club and Member Review
 
Rotary International and Rotary District 7780 take pride in our financial transparency and accountability to all Clubs and Rotarians. For this reason, we publish our annual financial statements to the full membership.
 
Club Presidents, Presidents-Elect, Treasurers and board members in particular are encouraged to review the statements for the Rotary Year 2017-2018 (the year that ended June 30, 2018).  You will need your ClubRunner log-in and password to view the statements at this link:
 
 
This notice informs you that a vote to ratify the District 7780 Financial Statements including the supplemental statement, as posted above, will be taken at the District Training Assembly April 6, 2019, at York County Community College in Wells ME.  All Clubs and Rotarians are invited to the assembly.
 
The finance page at this link contains a wealth of information about the District’s finances.  We have posted the current year budgets for district operations, events, programs and the foundation budget.  We have posted the IRS-990 tax return for the most recent fiscal year as well as prior year returns.  We also post the minutes of our District Finance Committee, which meets at least quarterly, along with the names of your delegates on that committee. The team includes our DG-track leaders, three recent past district governors, three representatives from the areas A-B-C where our clubs are located, as well as our treasurer and assistant treasurer. 
 
Don’t hesitate to contact me, or any member of the committee, if you have questions about our district finances.  District 7780 is accountable to its 40 Clubs and to Rotary International, and the District is an IRS 501(c)4 social welfare entity, much like a Rotary Club.  We are not a 501(c)3 charity, so payments to the district are “operating funds” and not normally tax deductible to the individual or Club making the payment.  Our primary source of funds is a district dues assessment made each year, per-capita, to our Clubs.
 
Dave Underhill
District Finance Committee Chair
 
 
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 7 – 9, 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)
 
 
Next Generation Conference
MARCH 23, 2019
 
 
PLEASE REGISTER WITH TINA FOX BY FEBRUARY 22ND
EMAIL:  tfox313@gmail.com or text: (207) 890-1981
 
 
District Training Assembly
APRIL 6, 2019
 
 
District Training Assembly - Saturday, April 6th,  8:00 am - 12:45 pm
 
What better way to welcome new members to the family of Rotary. It’s time again to pull your team together and register for the District Training Assembly (DTA).  Once a year we gather to share ideas, fellowship and more than a few laughs.
 
If you are a President, President Elect, Club Secretary, Treasurer, Foundation Chair or Protection Officer- this assembly is for you!  Whether you are a new member or veteran member- there is something at DTA for everyone!
Interested in learning more about our year-long efforts at a District Strategic Plan- you won’t want to miss this opportunity to delve into the results and discuss implementation ideas.
 
DTA is a great way to get all of your club members, officers and committee chairs networking, engaged and aware of what’s happening with the clubs in our District. Your friends and neighboring Rotarians will be showcasing their great work, promoting opportunities and leading discussions on how their projects and ideas are taking flight. For example; you’ll have an opportunity to see what kinds of International projects need partners, to hear best practices in putting together collaborative projects, to learn about the progress our district is making in the Opioid Recovery process and you’ll be the first to hear the winning speech of the Four-Way test competition- It’s all happening during the DTA!
 
This year we are back to York County Community College in Wells, Maine. The Pratt-Whitney Building is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility with plenty of onsite parking. A more affordable training opportunity will be hard to come by.  At $20.00 per person- a fresh continental breakfast, loads of ideas and the highly coveted “time with friends” – all included.
 
Will your club be the one to win the “most members” or the “highest percentage” in attendance award? 
There’s only one way to find out- Register your team today!
 
Saturday, April 6th, 8:00 am - 12:45 pm - $20.00 per person
York County Community College
112 College Drive, Wells, Maine
 
Directions: Travelling either North or South on I-95
Take Exit 19 (Wells-Sanford)
Turn left onto Route 9 East
Approximately .25 mile, turn right @traffic light onto Chapel Road
In 1.8 miles turn right onto College Drive follow to the end arriving at YCCC
 
Need more information? Contact Michele Bois-Gilbody, District Trainer at michele@bois-gilbody.com
 
 
RLI
ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE - APRIL 20, 2019
 
CALLING ALL DISTRICT 7780 ROTARIANS!!
 
Want to learn more about the Basics of Rotary?
Meet other Rotarians from around our District and surrounding Districts!
Learn how other Rotary Clubs are run and what they do?
Attend RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute)
 
WHEN:  Saturday, April 20, 2019 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM  
WHERE:  York County Community College, Wells, Maine – In our own backyard!
 
What is RLI’s Mission? 
                                               
The mission of The Rotary Leadership Institute is to provide an educational opportunity for Rotarians identified as potential leaders not necessarily future presidents.  Courses are to Rotary knowledge and leadership skills. It is hoped that these courses will also motivate the participants to be enthusiastic, creative and dedicated Rotarians. Those attending the three course days for their full duration will receive recognition of completion. Course methods will reflect the most innovative and participatory methods possible. Methods will include discussion groups, role-playing, problem solving workshops, group planning exercises, etc. Lectures are limited.
 
What are the Courses?
 
The courses are designed to provide Rotary knowledge and to develop leadership skills for voluntary organizations. Some examples of course sessions include, “A Look Outside the Club”, “Membership Orientation & Activation”, “Introduction to Leadership”, “Creating Service Projects”, Problem Solving Workshops”, “Vocational Service”, “Effective Committees”, “Membership Development”, “The Rotary Foundation”, “Analyzing a Rotary Club”, “The Object of Rotary”, “The District”, “International Service”, “Problems of Leadership”, “Creative Service”, “Written Communications:, “Motivating Rotarians & Effecting Change”.  Each part builds on the previous ones.
 
Offering:  Parts I, II, III, & Graduate Classes.  The parts have to be taken in order.
Registration Fee:  $80.00 which includes materials, breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks. 
 
Now is the time to register!  Registration closes Saturday, April 13th!  To initiate course registration, please go to www.rlinea.org and click on the highlighted site name that you wish to attend on the left hand side of the page.  This will automatically take you to that site’s registration page and just follow the instructions.  If you have a problem registering or have any questions, please contact me via email or by phone.  I hope to see many of you there on April 20th!   
 
Marie
 
Marie A. Williams
RLI District 7780 Chair
207-439-3761
 
 
RotaryFest Update
JUNE 22, 2019
 
I hope you have all put Saturday, June 22nd on your calendars and will be joining district Rotarians at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth for Governor John’s District Conference. It is a one-day conference and free to everyone. Children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors are all invited. You can find a very short video on the front page of the District website giving you a flavor of what it will be like. Although there will be no cost to attendees, we need you to register so we can plan on food (free to you) and set up. Registration will open at the District Training Assembly on April 6th in Wells and it will be online on the District website.
 
We are looking for volunteers to help with a Friday afternoon (June 21st) service project in the park. Since the park is allowing us to hold our event at no cost, we thought it appropriate to give back by doing something for them. We will provide all of the volunteers with lunch at noon and then we will work on removing some invasive plants and shrubs from the park. There is a rumor that refreshments will be provided on completion of the work. We would love to have a lot of Rotary volunteers there to help. Many hands make the work go easy. If you can help, please let Assistant Governor Tony Wagner of the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club know at tony.wagner163@gmail.com. And of course we are always looking for volunteers to help out on Saturday.
 
Please email me if you can pitch in at  lkfurbish@mac.com.
 
See you there!!!
 
Lawrence Furbish
RotaryFest Chair
 
 
 
 
 
Polio Plus - March 2019
 
  Polio Learning Center, March 2019: 

 

Polio this week as of February 13, 2019
 
Afghanistan = 1 and Pakistan = 2 are the only cases reported for 2019 of the wild polio virus.
 
SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN, 24 October 2018 – “Where I live, it is not safe for a woman to show her face. It is not easy to be a woman or child here. My cousin is just 11 years old and she is already engaged to be married soon. I am lucky… [my father] let me go to school and I have no pressure to get married, because I support my three unemployed brothers. However, if I wasn’t working I would also be forced to marry. My job is not just saving children’s lives, it is saving my own.”
 
"My job is not just saving children’s lives, it is saving my own."
 
Southern Afghanistan is barren and stunning – a sweeping desert landscape enveloped by mountains. The area has a rich and proud history but it remains a key battleground in the ongoing conflict. This year, southern Afghanistan also has the highest number of polio cases in the world. Teams of polio vaccinators traverse the country on an almost monthly basis to try to reach every child,  but inaccessible areas and distrust hamper immunization efforts. Many of these immunization campaigns are focused in Afghanistan’s most conservative areas, where female polio workers are essential to eradicate polio once and for all.
 
Afia* is one of 70,000 committed polio workers supported by UNICEF and WHO. This is her story.
 
“I will call myself Afia. But, forgive me – it is not my real name. I have been working to eradicate polio for seven years. I am only 19 years old, and yet I manage a team of four women. In my community, there are many families that do not allow their daughters to work. I am an exception.”
 
In southern Afghanistan, most women are forbidden from working outside the home. But a national team fighting polio is a special case: it is one of the biggest female workforces in the country. Afia fearlessly travels throughout her community to educate families about polio and encourage vaccination, because she believes that no child should be paralyzed from polio.
 
Afia vaccinates a child in an old military barrack surrounded by sewage, a pervasive problem across Afghanistan where poor sanitation provides fertile ground for the polio virus to spread. Afghanistan is one of only three countries in the world –  including Nigeria and Pakistan  – where polio remains endemic.
 
“In my country, guns and tanks are common. We don’t even think about it. I come [to the barracks] to speak to parents about vaccinating their children. One of the biggest challenges I face is families that refuse the polio vaccine. They say it is unsafe, or haram [forbidden by Islamic law].”
Read more...
 
Why The Rotary Foundation is Important . . .
 
You have all heard it before, but it’s true that the "club" is the most important thing in Rotary. Each club has significant leeway in what it does and the club is where we develop deep and lasting friendships and work together to do all that great community service. Probably the second most important thing in Rotary is the End Polio Now campaign, our signature corporate project. I would argue that the third is the Rotary Foundation.
 
You all know that the Foundation is over 100 years old, that it grew from the first $26.50 donation to over a billion dollars, and that it is one of the very top rated charities in the world. It is one of the few charities where contributors get to decide how much of the money is spent.
 
I hope each and every one of you has made, or will make, a contribution to the Foundation before the end of this Rotary year. The Rotarians and clubs in our district do a pretty good job of supporting the Foundation but only a little over over 50% of Rotarians in our district donate. It would be great if we could increase that percentage, and remember, the amount of the donation is not important. What is important is that we all do something.
 
Equally important to donating is that we all get involved in spending that money. Think about how a project in your community, enhanced by the use of District Designated Funds, can improve the lives of people and make your club more visible. Or, you can be part of leveraging club money to do a Global Grant and help even more people. If you want to get a better idea of how to do that, we have a way to help.
 
On Monday, March 18th, at Southern Maine Community College in Brunswick, we will have a Grants Management Seminar where you can learn more about the Foundation and District and Global Grants. It is free and we only ask you to register on the District website so we know how many people will attend. In will be repeated at the District Training Assembly on April 6th in Wells. We will also be posting an online version of the Seminar on the District website sometime over the next few weeks for those of you who have a conflict with those dates. So, please join us and learn more about this very important part of Rotary.
 
Lawrence Furbish
District Foundation Committee Chair
207-490-6840
 
 
Global Grant 1982446
CHECK-DAM PROJECT
 
Submitted, Reviewed, Approved, Funded and Implemented!
Global Grant 1982446
Check-Dam project in Paidwala Ki Dhani, Jaipur, INDIA
A project of
ROTARY DREAM TEAM – INDIA 2019
 
 
 
On January 27, PDG Elias Thomas, from the Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale, departed, once again, for India, where he was to meet members of the Rotary Dream Team – India 2019.  All of the members, other than from those in India, came from the United States this year.  The intent was to participate in two different programs – first, the National Immunization Day (NID) against polio, scheduled for February 3, 2019, followed by the second, and more involved project – the construction of a Water Catchment Dam in a remote region of the State of Rajasthan – about two hours’ drive from the Pink City of Jaipur.
 
Unfortunately, due to control of the vaccine being used in the Immunization Day activities, and concern over the quality of the vaccine, the NID was canceled for February 3, to be re-scheduled sometime in April.  So that day, we had an opportunity to be invited to a marriage (the engagement day) in the small town of Sohna, near Gurgaon, where two brothers and their cousin were getting married to three sisters from another village.  Needless to say, there was a great deal of preparation and merriment, where we were invited to join the elders in smoking the traditional water pipe, and the ladies in our group were invited to dance with the mother, grandmother, aunts and sisters of the three grooms.
 
 
 
Some Dream Team members and local ladies, dancing.
 
The Global Grant for this project was initiated by the Rotary Club of Delhi-Megapolis, as the International Sponsor, with Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale serving as the International partner.  As a result of Elias being recognized by the National Association of Realtors® as one of five recipients of the Good Neighbor Award, out of the 1.4 million Realtor® members in North America.  As a result of that recognition, Elias was presented with a $10,000 grant to be used as he chose.  He committed the entire amount to this Dam Construction Project. Through use of matching funds from District 7780 and then The Rotary Foundation, this one grant from the Realtors®, when parlayed, helped to underwrite nearly two-thirds of the total cost of the Dam construction!
Read more...
 
What is a Rotary Project Fair?
 
 
From our District Foundation Annual Fund Chair:
 
Wanna get away?  Tired of the same old vacation ideas?  Start some long-range planning by putting your sights on a future Rotary Project Fair!
 
Carolyn and I just returned from this year's Project Fair in Columbia.  It was time extremely well spent.  We made many new Rotary connections, both Columbia and US, including these two notables:  a Massachusetts Rotarian (Chelsea) born in Columbia now working several different initiatives, happy to be a guest speaker at any of our clubs; a man kidnapped by FARC, trained as a boy-soldier, later escaped, years later a Rotary International World Peace Scholar, now an active Rotarian working on economic development in former FARC areas.  Bonus Points:  presentations from two Venezuelan Rotarians (just to get to the conference, their border crossing included six hours by foot); time spent in Medellin, former ground-zero of drug/FARC violence, and now an incredible turn-around story of successful urban reclamation.
 
What is a Rotary Project Fair?  Grass-root, regional conventions designed to highlight local service projects both underway and in development.  When are they?  Most tend to happen annually at roughly the same time of year, making it easy for forward planning.  Where are they?  The precise city tends to vary within the region.  Here's a starter list:
               
Central and South America:
                                Central America, Jan 23-25 2020 in Antigua, Guatemala
                                Columbia,  Jan 30-Feb 1, Cali, Columbia
                                Equador, Fall 2019  Site TBD.
 
                Africa:
                                East Africa, 2-5 May 2019.  Kenya.
                                West Africa, Fall 2019.  Liberia.
 
How do I find out more detail?  Head for the local rotary district webpage, or ask Mr. Google.  Or ask me.  Carolyn and I can vouch for several.
 
What are the added benefits of attending?  You'll discover projects where you can help with funding or participate directly.  You'll meet other Rotarians from other cultures, and perhaps make a new friend or two in the process.  You'll have a reason to travel somewhere you're not likely have gone on your own, and create an excuse for further travel to somewhere else in the region for a few days of traditional travel and sightseeing:  what could possibly be wrong with that?  So start thinking ahead!
 
Why would our district annual fund chair be writing about this?  Sure, Every Rotarian Every Year supporting The Rotary Foundation through our personal contributions is how we keep our Foundation vibrant and meaningful, but the other side of the coin is the excitement that comes from accessing and spending those contributions via our District and Global Grants.  Rotary Project Fairs are one more opportunity that bring The Rotary Foundation to life!
 
Peter Johnson
 
 
Super Strategy to make Rotary Meetings more Fun in a Pinch!
BY RICHARD DONHAUSER, SOUTH BERWICK-ELIOT ROTARY CLUB
 
Who hasn’t arrived at their Rotary Meeting only to find the scheduled speaker has cancelled at the last minute, called away on urgent business?
 
While often unavoidable, in today’s world where everyone is pressed for time, a missing speaker leaves a glaring hole in the program and can make for a less than stellar meeting.
 
Rather than succumb to the cancellation, our club has developed an approach or last-minute strategy that is fun and stimulating. If you have ever watched an American football game come down to the final minutes of a close contest, the teams often employ what is known as the 2-minute offense. In short, the 2-minute offense is a series of the team’s strongest plays that gives them the best chance to score in the waning minutes of the game.
 
While our Rotary club doesn’t compete in football, we do have a great “team” and a countdown clock.
 
When a speaker cancels, we implement our “3-minute drill.”
 
In the “3-minute drill” we ask approximately 10 Rotarians to individually address the club extemporaneously for, well, exactly three minutes.  They can speak about themselves or any topic they find interesting. With the ubiquity of cell phones, setting a timer is easy. The big challenge is cutting fellow Rotarians off when they have hit on something interesting. When the alarm sounds, the speaker must stop no matter where they are in their story. With 10 speakers, you will quickly consume 30 to 35 minutes. 

 
Read more...
 
District History for March 2019
 
I goofed on January’s answer one!
Unfortunately, no one replied to February’s request!
 
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!  It apparently wasn’t for your Historian!
 
We had 4 calendar years that each had 3 clubs chartered:  I made a mistake for 1923 and PDG Mort Schmidt caught me!!  (Thanks for correcting me, Mort!)  It was Portsmouth, Sanford-Springvale & Newburyport (which has moved to District 7930).  I had listed Dover but they were chartered in 1924 not 1923.  My apologies to the Rotary Clubs of Portsmouth and Dover for my mistake.
 
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.
 
Request for March!  Oxford Hills recently celebrated their 35th anniversary and it got me to thinking – this is history!  All our clubs have an anniversary every year!   This calendar year we have a number of clubs having key anniversary!
Bath is 100 years old March 1st, Bath Sunrise’s was 30 years old January 12th, Boothbay Harbor is 80 years old November 22nd, Exeter is 60 years old December 1st, Hampton is 35 years old March 22nd, Saco Bay is 30 years old November 14th!
I have the Oxford Hills 35th anniversary celebration Program which you will be on their club’s page under the District History when you read this.
 
I would like to collect copies of all the club’s anniversary celebration programs that are out there.  There is a lot of club/district history in them!  Many have how the club was started, the original charter members, all past presidents, current members, original officers, etc.  Any that I get mailed to me at PO Box 142, Kittery Point, ME 03905, I PROMISE I will scan and return them to you promptly.  If you do not want to mail them to me as you may be afraid they will get lost in snail mail, scan them as a jpg file and email it to me at mawilliamspdg@comcast.net
 
The club’s that provide this information will be listed in the April newsletter along with the year of the programs that they provide and they will be posted to the individual club’s page on the District Website History page. I hope I am overwhelmed with mail and email!
 
Marie
Marie A. Williams, PDG
District 7780 Historian
 
Welcome New Rotarians!
 
 
 
Past President Rick Hagen welcomes Allan Sylvester as a new member of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club.
 
Allan is a retired science teacher and retired in our area to be near grandchildren....sponsored by another new Rotarian, Yock Laird, he's already given his classification talk!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Damariscotta-Newcastle also welcomed Suzanne Strachey, sponsored by President Jane Gravel.
 
Suzanne is President of The Chaney Companies, local real estate, insurance and rentals business.
 
 
 
 
NH Seacoast Rotary Clubs
"RECOVERY WITH HOPE AND DIGNITY" FORUMS
 
Governor Sununu kicks off first of four “Recovery with Hope and Dignity” educational forums sponsored by NH Seacoast Rotary Clubs
 
Seven NH Seacoast Rotary Clubs have joined forces to further awareness and education of the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders in their communities. Each Rotary club will be providing a comprehensive Recovery with Hope and Dignity educational forum designed to highlight NH’s new hub and spoke system of care for people suffering with substance use disorders. The forums are designed to discuss treatment and recovery options and educate attendees how they may one day save a life.
Governor Chris Sununu will kick off the first forum at the Exeter High School on March 5, 2019 at 6 p.m. Gov. Sununu will discuss the NH Department of Health and Human Services Doorway-NH Program, a nine-hub system supported by a federal grant to provide screening, evaluation, treatment, and connection to community resources.
 
Additional speakers will include: 
 
Kennebunk, ME Police Chief & Rotarian Robert MacKenzie on the role of law enforcement and Rotary’s focus on disease prevention.  Chief MacKenzie has led a major Rotary Recovery Initiative in Maine with several Rotary Club training sessions aimed at recognizing and responding to the Opiate/Heroin crisis.
 
John Burns, Director of SOS Recovery Community Centers, a person in long term recovery will discuss his role as a volunteer and advocate in the community with a focus on prevention, treatment, recovery and harm-reduction.  
 
Jim and Jeanne Moser will also speak about their personal campaign, “Zero Left,” to  safely dispose of unused prescription drugs from medicine cabinets to reduce the opportunity for harm.  The Mosers are the parents of Adam Moser, who was only 27 when he died from a fentanyl overdose in 2015.
 
There is no charge to attend and the public is welcome.
 
In addition, Recovery with Hope and Dignity forums will also be held in Portsmouth on April 11, 2019, 6-8 p.m. at Portsmouth High School and Hampton on May 9, 2019 at Winnacunnet High School, 6-8 p.m. Dover, Durham and Rochester Rotaries will come together for a forum at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, NH, on June 3, 6-8 pm, Garrison Wing Auditorium.       
 
The NH Seacoast Rotary Clubs’ forums are part of wider initiatives sponsored by Rotary District 7780 to save lives and reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Bethel
CLUB RECAP
 
 
Past President Michele Cole updates our club on the success of our Christmas for Children program, serving more than 100 children throughout the Bethel area. 
 
 
Pictured above left:  Bonnie Pooley of the Local Foods Connection does a presentation on how their organization, with the assistance of many other local organizations, are helping to end food insecurity.
 
Pictured above right: Our January Students of the Month from Telstar High School. Each of them received a recognition certificate, a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card and a day ticket to Mt Abram Ski Resort. L-r: President Mike Steven, Freshman Sophie Hanscom, Sophomore Juliann Francis, Junior Luci Rothwell and Senior Alicia Barton.

 
In a surprise presentation, President Mike Steven and Past President Michele Cole present Steve Wight (center) with a Paul Harris Fellow for his devotion to our Club as Foundation Chair, to the District in many capacities and to Rotary Foundation.

 
Pictured above left: At a recent meeting, we inducted our newest member, Lloyd Sweetser. He is pictured here with his proposer Irene McGrew and President Mike Steven.

Pictured above right:  Our club raises funds at our Annual May Day 5K to provide financial assistance to local students who would like to participate in after-school and enrichment programs. Here, past President Michele Cole presents a check to Heather Jordan, of Toe, Tap and Jazz Dance School, that serves 120 local children from 3 - 18 years old.
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor
CLUB RECAP
 
 
The mock interview team
 
YOUTH:  This year we have expanded our involvement with our local high school through mock interviews to mentor students who want to earn how to get a dream job. Amazing: those of us who participated in the Mock Interviews received thank you letters from the students. What a great experience! Interact was thrilled to learn that the BOD had voted for a pay raise to them for their waitstaff service. They are planning to use the additional funds for KIVA.  Interact is partnering with our local Rotary Club 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 $350- $25 each to 14 different people or groups in 13 countries. They have invested in arts, agriculture, livestock, education, refugees, and clean water. Students are learning about investing and geography. 
 
COMMUNITY SERVICE:  We are invested in food insecurity and considering asking for District grant support to create a model for assessing need and implementation to address the region’s issues. To get traction, we are invested in community lunches and have just allotted funds to start up a winter community lunch on an under-served island.
 
To address the needs of isolated veterans, we just started a collaborative outreach visitation program, “Service to Served” for veterans who may have lost touch with their community. We are collaborating with the American Legion and our local Community Center. Eight veterans in our club have committed to participate.
Read more...
 
The Rotary Club of Brunswick
VISIONING! A GIFT FROM THE DISTRICT!
 
On Saturday, February 16, the Rotary Club of Brunswick, Maine, met in the morning with the District 7780 Visioning Team to chart their way forward. The Visioning team was lead by Michele Bois-Gilbody of Freeport Rotary, and organized by Visioning Coordinator, Bob Reed from Bath Sunrise Rotary Club. Also leading the plunge into the future were Assistant Governor Christine Johnson of the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club, Aileen Dugan, of the Portsmouth Rotary Club and Marianne Pinkham from Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club.
 
 
The members of the Brunswick Rotary Club had prepared for the morning by completing an on-line survey which evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the club.  Arriving at the Propriety Business Center in Topsham on Saturday morning, club members made short work of taking themselves three years into the future to imagine that the club would be honored to receive a Rotary International Distinguished Club Award.
 
The Visioning Team skillfully led the Brunswick Rotarians to imagine a more vibrant future. This was also an opportunity for club members to “think outside the box” and for all ideas to be accepted and honored.
 
The Rotary Club of Brunswick is grateful for the service to the club by the wonderful volunteers of the District Visioning Team.  Each one of them is a gift to Rotary, the District and the clubs.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle
CLUB RECAP
 
 
VP Roberta McLoughlin giving a Foundation Moment in support of Every Rotarian Every Year.
 
 
VP Roberta McLaughlin, honorary member Mary Berger, PP Michael Hall, Dirk Brunner and PP Linda Brunner are all ready for our Karl's Kids program fun fundraising weekend at SugarLoaf and The Sugar Bowl.  Lots of snow this year!!!!
 
 
The Rotary Club of Dover
CLUB WELCOMES TROOPS HOME
 
 
They came HOME!  This is the first flight in a while where the troops were coming back from their 6 month deployment overseas. Melissa Lesniak was joined by Ken McCann and Rod Bryce, as they joined the Pease Greeters in welcoming the troops home.  Lots of fun and exciting conversations along with a father welcoming his son home. Tears to the eyes. Thank you to the Pease Greeters for this heart warming opportunity right here in our back yard.
 
NEW MEMBERS GIVE CLASSIFICATION TALKS
 
 
Recently, the Dover Rotary Club had the opportunity to learn about our newest member, Yulia Rothenberg through her classification talk. As Yulia presented her classification in three act:. 
 
Act One was the early years and she shared her childhood memories. She was born in Moscow, Russia to a Jewish family. At the age of eight she left Russia with her family and journeyed first to Vienna, then on to Rome. 
 
Act Two started in 1984, following college she found herself in Boston, Massachusetts and raised a daughter and a son. She is very proud of her children and their accomplishments. She moved to Dover in 2013, to work for Measured Progress.
 
Act Three in Yulia’s life is about Dover, NH and Community Engagement. Yulia prides herself on centering her life on Community, the Arts, and our Environment. She views Rotary as a perfect vehicle to continue her journey.
 
 
 
The club also had the opportunity to learn more about another new member, Michael Cate, during his classification talk. Michael grew up in the small town of Bow, just north of Concord.  Michael was into sports as a youth and participated in soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis. Michael continued playing tennis when he attended the University of Southern New Hampshire, where he studied Economics and Finance. After three years, he changed course and began working in the banking industry. Finding that he enjoyed the work, he returned to school and received his degree in Accounting.  Michael had three work goals as a young man. He wanted to work in a grocery store, he wanted to work in a bank, and he wanted to be a professional golfer. He achieved two of the three goals and is resigned to the fact that he will not make it on the pro golfer circuit. He is now gainfully employed as the Community Portfolio Manager for Eastern Bank here in Dover.
 
Michael has also been involved in community volunteer work and spent considerable time transcribing books for the Concord library.
 
Michael finds he is retracing the steps of his parents as they once lived in Dover, and he is now living next door to a lot in which his father played as a child. He is also continuing to pursue his love of golf, and has recently become a member at Cochecho Country Club.  
 
 
The Rotary Club of Hampton
SUPPORTS SWEETHEART BRUNCH FOR SENIORS
 

 
Once again this year, the Hampton Rotary Club supported the Winnacunnet High School Interact Club’s “Sweetheart Brunch.”  This annual Valentine’s Day theme celebration is held for senior members of our communities and is hosted by a wonderful group of active and enthusiastic Interact members, who are learning at an early age that love has no boundaries or age limit!
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Ogunquit
WARMS SENIORS!
 
 
On Saturday, February 9, members of the Ogunquit Rotary Club treated 85 senior citizens to a lunch of chicken pot pie and Valentines Day cupcakes at a Day of Warming at the Wells-Ogunquit Center at Moody.  Each year, various civic organizations sign up to support these Days of Warming to ward off the winter chill and Ogunquit Rotary is pleased to be a part of the program.
 
  
 
Appearing in the photo are President Erin Haye, Gail Benson, Carol Brennan, John Clancy, Tracy Smith, Elizabeth Ford, Kerry Ellen Enright, Dr. Joe Boyles, Pete Woodbury, George Wilson and Ed Seppa.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Oxford Hills
CLUB CELEBRATES 35 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OXFORD HILLS
 
The Rotary Club of Oxford Hills celebrated 35 years of service on February 2, 2019, at the Oxford Casino Hotel. Club members and guests from the community and seven other Rotary Clubs joined in the celebration.
 
 
After a social hour and wonderful meal served by the staff at Oxford Casino-Hotel including an anniversary cake designed and made by Tina Fox, we named two managers of Oxford Casino as Paul Harris Fellows for their assistance to our club over the years. Past President Beth Abbott gave a remembrance of 6 members that passed away as Active Members. Past President Val Weston recapped many of our events and accomplishments over the past years.
 
 
 
On left:  PRIVP Mike McGovern presented a Certificate of Appreciation for 35 Years on behalf of DG John Lobosco. On right: Former member and Past President Perry Palmer honored his 2 daughters, naming them as Paul Harris Fellows. Perry was honored as a PHF+7.
 
PDG Ann Lee Hussey shared the progress of Polio Eradication and told us how important it is to continue to support PolioPlus. Past Rotary International Vice President Mike McGovern presented recognition to AG Chris Summers, Peter and Becky Kaurup, members who have made provisions in their wills to support The Rotary Foundation, and recognized them as Bequest Society Members. Pat Cook was recognized as a PHF +6, and Lynne Schott as a PHF+3. Our Immediate Past President Chris Weston was recognized for a great year of service and named a PHF +1.
 
 
The highlight of the evening was when Tina Fox, last year’s Rotarian of the Year, named our 2018 Rotarian of the Year, Tally Decato. Tally was also named a PHF +2.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Portland
HOSTS DINNER FOR FEDERAL WORKERS
 
 
Assisting Mike Fortunato were Portland Rotarians  Roxane Cole, Paul Gore and Terri St. Angelo
 
A spaghetti dinner was hosted for Federal Workers, on Saturday, Jan. 26th, from 3-5 p.m., by the Rotary Club of Portland, in cooperation with the Italian Heritage Center (IHC), in Portland. Rotarian Mike Fortunato led the program's organization, for the club. Federal employees who were impacted by the recent government shutdown were offered a free dinner for themselves and their immediate families. An unexpected outcome from the dinner was a follow up with Portland Rotarian Katie Brown, who is an organizer for youth food distribution with the Locker Project in York County.  She wrote, "I want to let you know something awesome that came out of the Federal Workers Dinner: Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike Chase told me that they have tons of donated foods that they must find a place for. So, I gave him my card and he reached out to me. I spent a day sorting and inventorying 3 rooms' worth of food, and late last week we began to distribute truck loads of great foods out to Preble Street, the South Portland Food Cupboard, and then launched the first school pantry in York County, at the Old Orchard Beach elementary school! There was great joy and relief on the kids faces. So, thank you, all over again, for making that event to host the dinner in January happen. Super honored to be part of this group, with all of you. Cheers!"
 
 
The Rotary Club of Portsmouth
FEBRUARY 15, 2019, DISTRICT REPORT
 
The club welcomed Seacoast Repertory Theater Interim Artistic Director Jamie Bradley and a troupe of singers for Valentine’s Day. They performed such favorites as “Maria,” “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “Easy to be Hard” in convincing, heart-tugging fashion.  Seacoast, a formerly troubled organization, has paid off most of its debt. The theater should sell about $1 million dollars worth of tickets this year. It’s easy to see why.
 
 
We continue our Basic Needs partnering with Cross Roads House, a local homeless shelter. Portsmouth Rotarians are providing weekly support cooking and serving meals...The club provided “Hands on” help to a painting and renovation project at the John Paul Jones House.
 
 
We mourned the passing of another larger-than-life Portsmouth figure, the Rev. Arthur Hilson, a former club member. Arthur was a man who made the phrase, “I’m too blessed to complain” his trademark. A week later, new member Ann Bliss was welcomed. The personable local therapist is also a member of Voices From the Heart, an all-women’s chorus.
 
Other programs included Past Governor Dave and Bob Herold who spoke in tandem about the Rotary Foundation. Hampton’s Joan Correll was here to tell us about Rotary’s support of the Kakamega Orphans Center in Kenya. 
 
 
Finally we heard from the Global Aquaculture Alliance which has moved from England to Pease, growing from two employees to 48.
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Westbrook-Gorham
CHECK PRESENTED TO TEEN CENTER
 

The Rotary Club of Westbrook-Gorham met at My Place Teen Center for their lunch meeting on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.  During the meeting, they presented a $1500 check to Donna Dwyer, CEO & Executive Director of MPTC to support ongoing programs at MPTC.

 

 

Pictured holding the check are Donna Dwyer and Deb Shangraw, Rotary Club President.  Also pictured are: Christine Johnson, Bruce Saunders, Owens McCullough, Steve Rand, Ted Rogers, Judith Reidman, Nelson Harmon, Michael Foley, Hal Thomas, Kathi Perkins, Woody Beach and David Rolfe.  Photo by Scott Linscott

 
 
The Rotary Club of Bethel
COUNTRY BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER
The Rotary Club of Oxford Hills
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - MARCH 2
 
 
Click HERE to Download Registration Form
 
 
The River Valley Rotary Club
 
RUMFORD – Mr. William “Bill” Gates, 61, died Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at the Rumford Hospital surrounded by his family. He resided on the Green Woods Road in Peru. Born in Waltham, Mass., on Sept. 10, 1957, he was a son of Lloyd and Loretta (Hassell) Gates. Bill graduated from Oxford Hills High School and University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was the first Paramedic in the State of Maine having worked for Hawthorne’s and then was Manager for REMS and Med-Care Ambulance for many years and then in 1996 he founded and operated Professional Vehicle Corp in Rumford. Bill was a communicant of the Parish of The Holy Savior St Athanasius St John Church in Rumford and the Rumford Rotary Club. He was married in Dixfield, Maine, on July 18, 1986, to Sharon McPhee Oldham who survives of Peru. Other survivors include sons, Tyler and his fiancé, Brittany Quinlan of Nashua, N.H., and Ahmed Mete of Bronx, N.Y., daughter Tara Oldham and her husband, Richard Korhonen, of Camp Lejeune, N.C.; grandsons, Kaden and Korbin Korhonen of Camp Lejeune, N.C.; brothers, Richard and his wife, Elizabeth, of Bergeron, N.Y., John and his wife, Cherilyn, of Towson, Md., James of Waterville, Maine, and Stephen and his wife, Joan, of Andover, Mass.; a sister, Barbara Tinder and husband, James, of Stoneham, Maine, and a very special friend, Bud Houghton. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guest book and share memories with the family at www.meaderandson.com. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, at the Parish of The Holy Savior St. Athanasius St John Church in Rumford. Interment in the spring will be in St. John Cemetery in Rumford, Friends and family are invited to call at the Meader & Son Funeral Home, 3 Franklin St., Rumford, Maine, on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. Those who desire may contribute to: Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60693 or to the Alzheimer Association ME Division, 283 US Route 1 #2C, Scarborough, ME 04074 in his memory.
 
 
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 April Newsletter Submissions: March 24th
 
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.
 
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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!
 
 

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