Four Generations of Rotary
Jason Beever’s family has a long standing commitment to service through Rotary and a long history of family businesses in Gorham. His great grandfather, Clarence E. Carll, along with his cousin Eugene C. Carll, raised corn on a farm in Buxton and had a corn canning business in Buxton and Gorham. They also co-owned Carll’s Insurance Agency in Gorham. Clarence eventually took over the business and renamed it C. E. Carll Agency. He later sold that business to his son-in-law Arthur D. Andrew, Jason’s grandfather. At the untimely death of his brother Lawrence, Arthur took over L.C. Andrew Lumber Company and sold the insurance agency to Jason’s father John S. “Mike” Beever.
According to early records, Clarence joined Westbrook Rotary Club sometime prior to 1928 and was President of the club in 1937-38. Arthur joined as young man in 1934 and was President in 1942-1943.
Clarence E. Carll Arthur D. Andrew
circa 1928 circa 1934
The club program on October 9, 1984 was a celebration honoring Arthur for 50 years of perfect attendance. Master of Ceremonies at that meeting was John Hay (Hay Funeral Home) who had achieved his 50 years of perfect attendance the year before in 1983. The two had a friendly rivalry to see who would have the most years of perfect attendance, which was eventually won by John Hay when Arthur's declining health prevented him from going to meetings.
The Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club was a singing club, and a song was part of every meeting. Arthur's oldest daughter, Sara Jane Beever, was a pianist and attended each weekly meeting to play the piano for that week's song. In 1989, recognizing that times had changed since 1905, Rotary International’s Council on Legislation voted to admit women. Inducting Jane Beever was immediately seen as a logical thing to do, but there were a few vocal opponents in the club, one of whom was her father Arthur Andrew! Fortunately, Jane was eventually inducted, becoming only the second female Rotarian in Maine at the time. She served as President in 2001-02.
Jane Beever (second from right) circa 2001
with Henry and Marjorie Saunders (far left and far right)
When Jason joined his father and mother at C.E. Carll Agency in the early 1990's, his mother asked him to accompany her to a Rotary meeting. He was immediately impressed with the business and community leaders present and impressed with Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self". He joined in 1995 and was honored to serve as President in 2003-04. He will serve as our President again in 2016-2017.
Jason Beever
2016