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Speakers
May 23, 2017
Westbrook Schools Nutrition Program - Summer Program 2017
May 30, 2017
Visit Portland (formerly Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Jun 06, 2017
The value of seniors to Maine's economy & our community
Jun 13, 2017
Update on Sister City Exchange Program
Jun 20, 2017
Elder Abuse Prevention
Jun 27, 2017
Jul 04, 2017
Jul 11, 2017
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Board Meeting
WRVC Board Room
May 30, 2017
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
 
Save the Date - Annual Lobster Boil
Home of Henry Saunders
Jul 11, 2017
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
 
Rotary Links
Rotary International
RI President Home
About Rotary
Joining Rotary
Rotary History
Rotary Foundation
For New Members
     The Four Way Test
      Of the things we think, say, or do:
            First, Is it the truth?
            Second, Is it fair to all concerned?
            Third, Will it build goodwill & better friendships?   
            Fourth, Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
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Next Board Meeting of 2016-2017
5/30 10:30AM at WRVC
All members are welcome at Board Meetings
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Milestones
  * Nelson Harmon - Birthday 5/18
  * Henry Saunders - Birthday 5/29
  * Carlo & Jane Giraulo - Anniversary 5/13 - 22 years
  * Beck Albert & Alan Berman - Anniversary 5/17 - 20 years
  * Hal & Jean Thomas - Anniversary 5/22 - 63 years
  * Bill & Carol Chadwick - Anniversary 5/27 – 32 year
Stories
Opportunities This Week
WRVC Graduation - This Wednesday May 24 - Westbrook Regional Vocational Center graduation and awards ceremony. 7PM at WHS auditorium. Rotary will be awarding 16 scholarships and 9 toolships during this event. Always a fun time!
 
Fundraiser at Stockhouse Station - Thursday May 25, 5PM to close. 506 Main St Westbrook. 10% of proceeds to The Locker Project. 
 
Downtown Westbrook Coalition Benefit - On Thursday June 1 Brea Lu Cafe is hosting a fundraiser dinner with two seatings at 5:30 and 7:00 PM - $25. Spaghetti dinner by Brea Lu, dessert from Black Dinah Chocolatiers, and Mast Landing Brewing Company beer at a cash bar, plus some other goodies for dinner attendees. Salad and non-alcoholic drinks are included in the dinner.  Buy tickets in person during regular hours at Brea Lu, 9 Cumberland St. More info at:  Downtown Westbrook Coalition Fundraiser Tickets
 
The Locker Project - Note corrected time  - On Wednesday May 31, two volunteers are needed to help at the produce and baked goods table at Westbrook High School from 11 PM to about 12:30. Activities include helping off load produce boxes (light and heavy), setting up the food on tables for students to take home with them, interacting with students, and cleaning up at the end.  If interested, please contact Christine Johnson. We will meet other volunteers at the rear of the school by the cafeteria door by 11AM.
 
Ronald MacDonald House - Pat and Cliff Plummer are back and collecting can tabs for RMH. Aluminum can tabs from beverage cans, pet food cans, tuna cans, etc, all are worth money in quantity. Please consider saving your aluminum tabs over the summer and bringing them to a future meeting. The Plummers have been working on this project for quite some time and would appreciate our help this year.

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.
 
CLYNK for Literacy – Ongoing - Keep those cans and bottles coming! Drop off your filled CLYNK bag at any Hannaford. Thanks to those who have contributed bottles so far to help purchase books that we donate for each speaker.  If you need more CLYNK bags, they are available at each meeting. 
Perseverance Wins
The winners have been announced for the 1st annual Essay Contest in conjunction with the Westbrook School Department and Westbrook Reads. Perseverance was this year’s theme.
 
Thanks to all of the Sponsors! Westbrook Kiwanis, Westbrook Gorham Rotary, Clarke Painting, and Emerald Property Management (Deb Shangraw). Special thanks to Becky Albert who represented our Rotary Club on the judging panel. Winners will be honored at the June 14th School Committee Meeting.
 
Elementary:
1st Mabel Powell grade 2 Canal
2nd Adam Byrd grade 4 Canal
3rd Joel Whitehead grade 2 Canal
 
Middle School:
1st Ezra Crabtree grade 5
2nd Andrew Byrd grade 8
3rd Darcy Whitehead grade 6
 
High School:
1st Elizabeth Rudd grade 10
2nd Kelly Maguire grade 11
3rd Mataya Profenno grade 11
 
Honorable mention:
Mathew Byrd grade 6
Nolan Davis grade 3 Saccarappa
Last Service is this Week
This Tuesday May 23 is the last service from the culinary students for this Rotary year.  Come wish them well as many move on from high school to their next adventure!'
 
 
Pictured L-R: Chef Charles, Sean Butterworth - Bonny Eagle, Samantha Low - Gorham, Emily Dolloff - Bonny Eagle, Bryan Bushey - Bonny Eagle, Andy Green - Scarborough, Jasmine Mason - Home School, Anthony Marston - Bonny Eagle, Wade Blanchette - Bonny Eagle. Missing Samantha Glantz - Bonny Eagle.
NE's Largest Horse Shelter in Windham ME
New England’s largest horse shelter, the MSSPA, is located on River Rd in Windham. It is a rehab facility, a shelter, and an adoption facility for animals seized by law enforcement due to abuse or neglect. This no-kill shelter is open to the public every day.  On Tuesday May 9, Meris Bickford, Esq, Vice President and CEO of MSSPA told us about this nearly 150 year-old organization.
 
Founded in 1872 in Portland, the original role of the organization was to take care of the city’s fire horses and provide care for them during retirement. In 1974, due to the generosity of modern day founder Lawrence J. Keddy, the organization moved to a 124- acre farm in Windham.
 
MSSPA is a 501c3 charity, not a state agency. Their goal is to always say “yes” to taking any horse that needs help. Annually, the spend about $1.1M with about 40% coming from their endowment. They would like to increase fundraising so they can scale back use of foundations funds to insure support for the organization in perpetuity.
 
 
They currently have 56 horses, but that number can change quickly based on need. The organization runs with a small staff of 13 who mostly work directly with the horses. In 2016, volunteers provided over 7400 hours.  Their goal is to rehabilitate and adopt out all horses turned over to them. For any horse that cannot be adopted, they stay at the farm for the rest of their natural life.
 
From February to June, the MSSPA holds a fundraiser that is priced so a wide variety of people of various means can help. Buy-A-Bale fundraiser cost $5 per bale.  You can help by going to https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/MaineStateSocietyforthePr/OnlineDonation.html or by calling  207-892-3040. The farm is open daily from 1-4PM.
Read more...
Rotary Foundation Matching Opportunity - Final Appeal
Final call for 2016-2017 donations to secure the club match.  For every dollar donated to the Rotary Foundation (TRF), up to $100, the club will make a matching donation to TRF in that member’s name. Here is a great opportunity to support our well-respected Rotary Foundation which consistently achieves the highest rating from Charity Navigator. It is also an opportunity to move closer to a Paul Harris Fellow or PHF+ level.
 
The Paul Harris Fellow recognizes members with lifetime giving of $1000 to TRF.  Each subsequent $1000 is recognized with PHF+1, PHF+2, etc. Donors are recognized with the presentation of a pin with the silhouette of Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris. 
All money donated to TRF is spent on projects created and run by Rotarians. Your donation can be earmarked for the Annual Fund, Polio Plus, Endowment Fund or sent directly to the Peace Centers.  If you choose the Annual Fund, you can donate to the SHARE Fund or to projects in any of Rotary’s six areas of focus: maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, clean water and sanitation, disease prevention and treatment, economic and community development, or peace and conflict resolution.  Money donated to the Annual SHARE Fund drives the amount available to be returned to our District three years hence for projects championed by Rotarians in our District.
 
To make it even easier, you can sign up for Rotary Direct.  With Rotary direct, you may have an amount automatically paid with a credit or debit card on a periodic basis: monthly, quarterly or annually.  At the end of the calendar year, Rotary provides a receipt detailing your donations. If you sign up for Rotary Direct, the club will donate an additional $25 in your name.
 
To donate on line, go to https://www.rotary.org/en/donate. Click on the Donate button and select a fund.  When you choose an amount, you may also choose to enroll in Rotary Direct on that page.
 
If you have any questions about TRF, about signing up for Rotary direct, or about your progress towards a PHF level, please contact our Foundation Chair Steve Rand steve@desmondrand.com.
Upcoming District & Rotary International Dates
 
2017 International Convention - June 10-17, 2017 - Atlanta GA - Georgia World Congress Center - http://www.rotaryconvention2017.org 
 
District Changeover Ceremony - Camp Hinds in Raymond - The changeover ceremony will take place near the waterfront from 5-6:45PM, including networking time. There is no charge to attend this portion of the evening, but bringing an appetizer to share would be appreciated. Water and non-alcoholic beverages will be available.  At 6:45, those who wish to have dinner with the RYLA campers will move to the new dining hall.  The charge for dinner is $10.  Dinner will be followed by RYLA skits.  All members are welcome to attend. Register at: http://rotary7780.org/event/district-changeover-at-camp-hinds/
 
Speaker Assignment List
We have been receiving many requests to provide programs this year so have not assigned members to specific weeks as we have done in the past.  
If you have an idea for a program, please contact Christine Johnson.  We are currently seeking programs for July. 
 
Here is the list of upcoming dates with speakers and their sponsors:
  • 5/23 - Barbara Nichols  - Director Westbrook Schools Nutrition Program
  • 5/30 - Vanessa Pike - Membership Director Visit Portland
  • 6/6   - David S. Nealley- Publisher MAINE SENIORS Magazine
  • 6/13 - Andrew Turcotte - Russian Sister City Updates
  • 6/20 - Betty Balderston - Elder Abuse Prevention
  • 6/27 - Changeover Ceremony - Welcome Dr Bill Chadwick as our new President
  • 7/4 - No Meeting - Happy Independence Day
  • 7/11 - No Lunch Meeting - See you at the Lobster Boil
  • 7/18 - TBD
  • 7/25 - TBD
 
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Missed a Meeting?   Make up online at Rotary E-Club One
 
Or at one of these other local clubs in our area:
 
Portland - Fridays 12:15PM at Holiday Inn by the Bay or Clarion
check website for current week's venue
 
Portland Sunrise - Thursdays 7:15AM
Cumberland Club 116 High St Portland
 
Falmouth - Mondays 4:30PM
American Legion Post  65 Depot Rd Falmouth
 
Scarborough - Tuesdays 5:45PM
Cabela's 100 Cabela's Blvd Scarborough
 
Sebago Lake Rotary Club - Thursdays 12:15PM 
Dena's Lobster House & Tavern 765 Roosevelt Trail Windham
 
OR you can always claim a make up by attending Rotary-sponsored events of our club or other clubs like fundraisers, 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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