CLYNK for Literacy - Ongoing - Don't forget to keep filling those bags to help fund the children's books we ask our speakers to sign for the Baxter and Walker Libraries. Extra bags are always available at our meetings. Please note, we have distributed about 295 bag since we started this project, but only about 180 bags have been returned so far. Please check your drawers and closets for unused bags. If you have been working on filling a bag for a very long time (6 months or more), please consider returning it and starting a new one. Next pay out date is April 1 so please return full bags before March 31! Thank you for your ongoing support of this fundraiser!
The Locker Project - THIS WEEK Fresh food and baked goods distribution at Westbrook High School in the cafeteria. Two or three volunteer needed for each of these upcoming dates. Approx 1-2PM each time. Sign in at front office and go to cafeteria. Wednesdays March 21(one more volunteer needed), and April 4. Help lay out food on tables and interact with the kids to encourage them to take items. You will be a welcoming presence, making sure people know they are invited to take food. Everyone is invited to bring food home with them. This a great way to de-stigmatize free food distributions, particularly in the case of fresh food that would otherwise be wasted. If you can help on any of these dates, please contact Christine Johnson. For more information, or to donate, visit their website: mainelockerproject.org
Maine Adaptive 33rd Annual Ski-A-Thon – THIS WEEK Saturday March 24 at Sunday River in Newry. When you support the Ski-A-Thon, you’re helping Maine Adaptive provide year-round sports & recreation education and training for individuals with disabilities. To donate to a team: https://www.maineadaptive.org/ski-a-thon2018/ To donate to Anita Emery’s team, make check payable to Maine Adaptive and mail to Frank Emery, 15 Deer Pond Road, Raymond, ME 04071
School Supplies for Oratorio School - FBC Westbrook and Scott Linscott are collecting school supplies which their team will carry to Guatemala in mid April. Items needed include: teacher supplies, tissue packs, hand sanitizer, colored pencils, markers, stickers, scissors, glue, glue sticks, staplers, and staples, No reams of paper as they are too heavy to transport. Supplies can be brought to any meeting on or before April 3.
Cornelia’s Closet Donations – Thrift store at Westbrook Community Center - Cornelia's Closet is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9-1, Tuesday evenings from 5-7, and the first Saturday of the month from 9 til noon. Some of the most needed items are: clothes, housewares, puzzles and books, jewelry, furniture, plants, and footwear. Any items they cannot use or sell are donated to Salvation Army. They cannot accept electronics, such as computers or appliances. They can provide a receipt upon request. Drop off in the box anytime the Community Center is open.
Donate to our Club's Charity through Amazon Smile – Ongoing - If you order items from Amazon.com, even if not very often, you can help Westbrook Gorham Rotary Club Charities. Go to http://smile.amazon.com/. Search for our Charity and select it. You may need to login to your Amazon account before being able to finalize your selection. Then, when you shop Amazon.com (always starting from http://smile.amazon.com/) a portion of every purchase will be donated to our charity.
Can Tabs for Ronald MacDonald House – Ongoing - Let’s keep collecting those can tabs over the winter months so we'll have a big donation in the spring.
There are lots of upcoming opportunities for networking, sharing, and learning with Rotarians from across our District. Sign up NOW for any of these upcoming District Events:
Membership Best Practices Seminar - THIS WEEK! Thursday March 22 at Cape Elizabeth Community Center Free to all members, 6-8PM Register at Membership Seminar March 22. We hope to see 4-5 members from each club in this local area attend to share ideas and learn from each other. Please sign up ASAP. If you are having trouble with the link, please contact Christine Johnson and she will have your name added to the list.
Rotary Leadership Institute – Saturday March 24 at York County Community College in Wells. Cost $75 - Parts I, II, III and Graduate. Register at rlinea registration If you are interested in this Rotary Leadership training, please contact Bill Gowen about our Club paying your tuition.
District Training Assembly - Saturday April 7 at York County Community College in Wells. Cost $20. Club will pay fee but you must register yourself for this event. Register at: 2018 District 7780 Training Assembly If you are having trouble registering, please contact Christine Johnson for assistance.
Party with a Purpose 2018 - Fundraiser of Portland Sunrise Rotary - Wednesday May 16, 5:30PM at Dimillo’s - $30 - Raising funds for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. Live and silent auction. Tickets are available at the door as well as on line at https://fundraising.mmc.org/mccp/rotarysocial
5th Annual Touch a Truck – Fundraiser and Family Fun Event of Scarborough Rotary – Saturday June 2, 10AM-2PM, Scarborough Downs - 90 Payne Road - Scarborough, ME $5 person/$20 family. Get up close and personal with Fire Trucks, Police Vehicles, Bucket Trucks, Tractors, Heavy Equipment, Delivery Trucks, School Bus, Book Mobile and so much more. Concessions available and other vendors - Pony Rides, Music, Face Painting and more.
9th Annual Golf Tournament – Fundraiser of Bridgton Lakes Region Rotary – Saturday June 9, 8AM - Bridgton Highlands Golf and Tennis Club. For more info email George Klauber: georgeklauber@gmail.com
Our President Elect Deb Shangraw and Area 7 AG Christine Johnson attended Northeast PETS in Framingham MA March 8-10. NEPETS is an eight-district training seminar for incoming Presidents-elect from clubs across ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI and Quebec. Also attending were about 35 of our District's other PEs, along with 9 current and incoming Assistant Governors.
A common theme throughout the breakouts and panels was attracting and engaging members. In addition, there was discussion on leading and engaging multigenerational clubs. On Thursday evening, attendees heard from International Zone Director Jeffry Cadorette who spoke to the 2018-2019 theme “Be the Inspiration”.
On Friday, lunch keynote speaker PDG Drew Kessler talked specifically about attracting younger members and their families to engage in Rotary for both fun and service. Evening keynote speaker, the young dynamo Shirley-Pat Chamberlain, provided an update on her work in British Columbia to bring libraries to indigenous communities. Funds donated to her projects by attendees of last year’s PETS have been leveraged into a Global Grant worth nearly $700,000.
Christine Johnson & Deb Shangraw
Saturday brought focus to engaging millennials through offering opportunities for “hands on” service. The final break-out session provided an opportunity for attendees, in small groups, to share some of their plans for their clubs and gain a few more ideas to bring back to their clubs.
On March 6, Chef Limoggio and the culinary students helped us celebrate Read Across America week with a lunch inspired by children’s books: Carrot Soup, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Pickles to Pittsburgh, Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli, and Pinkalicious. In addition, we welcomed special guests Kara Reiman and Peter Lancia.
Kara Reiman, the children’s librarian and Walker Library shared some new things that have been happening at the library. Walker recently received a grant to create sensory sensitive programming for autistic children and others with sensory processing issues. During school vacations, the library has daily programming that includes crafts and STEM activities. They are starting to look at summer reading events and planning for six weeks of programs.
Walker continues to collaborate on reading programs with the schools. They have been actively involved in the planning and execution of the current Communty Read of the book Wonder. Wonder speaks to themes of kindness, tolerance, and acceptance. Although the book was originally write for 5th-6th grade level, there is a version available for a lower reading level and some will read a book with similar themes called a read-alike book. As part of the Read, there will be a writing contest for K- Adult to “tell your story”. Kara will be one of the judges for the contest. To conclude the Community Read, there will be a screening of the moving Wonder on April 3 at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center.
Walker Children's Libraray Kara Reiman (L) &
Westbrook Superintendent of Schools Peter Lancia (R)
Peter Lancia, Westbrook Superintendent of Schools, called the library a great partner for the ongoing Westbrook Children’s project and for he Community Read. He then went on to describe a new initiative called Read With Me that has the stated goal of matching all 345 K-1 students with reading mentors or reading buddies.
One of the ways children learn to read is by listening, so it is important for young children to be read to. The Read With Me initiative will pair 2 students with a reading buddy who will read with the same children for about 20 minutes each week. The Literacy Advocate in each elementary school will select books appropriate for ages 5-7; books with pictures, colors and rhyming. The job of the buddy will be to read the book to the children and to talk about the book with them to engage them in the story.
If someone is already a registered volunteer in the school system, they can just sign up by calling a school principal. If you would like to help and are not currently a volunteer, you will need to complete a form for a free background check. This background check is simple and quick. Once completed you can contact a school principal to get started.
Rotary is about fellowship, as well as service to our community. Even if you must miss a meeting, you can remain engaged by attending Rotary-sponsored events of our club or other clubs like fundraisers, by selling Christmas Trees, by volunteering at our Golf Tournament or our Road Race, or by attending District events or training. Just let our Secretary Mike Foley know when you have participated in any of these activities at mfoley@me.com
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