Posted on Sep 12, 2017
District Governor David Underhill, his wife Linda and Assistant Governor Tony Wagner were our guest on September 12, 2017.  Dave noted that year-to-date there have been only 10 cases of polio in the world compared to 350,000 annually in the 1980s. With the continued support of Rotary and its partners, it will be reduced to zero. If we can do this with polio, Rotary can do this with substance misuse disorder too.  
 
In District 7780, we have formed a Recovery Initiative led by Bob MacKenzie of Kennebunk Rotary Club to combat the opioid crisis and substance misuse in our local communities. The Recovery Initiative will help clubs share the work they are already doing with a goal of expanding upon it.
 
Dave pointed to Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus, displayed as a Pyramid of Peace.  The Recovery Initiative hits on all six areas.  Disease prevention since substance misuse is a disease. Clean safe water by reducing the amount and type of substances discarded or flushed. Maternal and Child health as mothers are “clean” during pregnancy and can better care of their children. Literacy and Economic Development with parents and their children able to learn and contribute to their own support and to society.  Finally, Peace. When the building block areas of focus are addressed, individuals and society see less crime and better quality of life.
 
 
Dave also touched upon growing Rotary. He noted that “the magic of Rotary” is in each club – in our volunteer time, as well as in the money we raise and donate within our communities. He encouraged us to identify good people and ask them to attend a meeting or work on a service project with us. We grow Rotary “one great person at a time”.
 
 
 
 
As a thank you for speaking to us, President Bill presented Dave with a golf putter in hopes of improving his short game (ha!). In addition, in lieu of Happy Dollars, members donated to Polio Plus via our table-top canisters. Finally, Dave signed a children's book for the Baxter Library.