Presumpscot Scribbler 1-22-2018 (Jan 22, 2018)

Jan 30, 2018

Lynn Derocher - Convenient MD

Gateway Sponsor

Feb 06, 2018

Club Assembly

Feb 13, 2018

Megan Perry - Community Policing Coordinator

Community Policing in Westbrook

Feb 20, 2018

No Meeting - School Vacation

Feb 27, 2018

Dan Stevenson - Economic Development Dtr

Westbrook Economic Development

Mar 06, 2018

Read Across America Day Celebration

Children's Literature

Mar 13, 2018

Peter Dewitt - Senior Communications Mgr

Idexx

Mar 20, 2018

Dan Nichols and Tom Ellsworth

Gorham Village Alliance

Mar 27, 2018

Danielle Rideout - CADC

Westbrook Recovery Liaison Program

View entire list

Feb 2018 Board Meeting

WRVC Board Room

Feb 06, 2018
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

Mar 2018 Board Meeting

WRVC Board Room

Mar 06, 2018
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

Apr 2018 Board Meeting

WRVC Board Room

Apr 03, 2018
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

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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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Rotary's Six Areas of Focus

* Promoting Peace

* Supporting Education

* Growing Local Economies

* Fighting Disease

* Providing Clean Water

* Saving Mothers & Children

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Next Board Meeting

February 6, 2018 10:30AM at WRVC

All members are welcome at Board Meetings

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Reminder: If Westbrook Schools are closed due to weather, there will be no Rotary lunch meeting that day.

You can find out about school closings from many sources including: wmtw.com/weather/closings where you can search on Westbrook or sign up for email notifications.

Upcoming Opportunities

The Locker Project - Fresh food and baked goods distribution at Westbrook High School in the cafeteria. Two volunteer needed for each of these upcoming dates. 1-2PM each time. Wednesdays February 7, March 7, March 21, April 4. We are all set for the January 24th event. No heavy lifting required. Help lay out food on tables and interact with the kids to encourage them to take items. If you can help on any of these dates, please contact Christine Johnson. For more information, or to donate, visit their website: mainelockerproject.org

Altrusa Fundraiser - Saturday February 3, Spaghetti Dinner at St Peter's Episcopal Church, 678 Washington Ave Portland. $10. Eat In or Take Out 5PM to 7PM. Proceeds benefit Altrusa programs.

Toiletries for the High School - Ongoing - Collect those tiny bottles of toiletries you are paying for during your next hotel visit and bring them home to help students in need of personal hygiene products. The HS Pantry and the HS Nurse are always looking to restock these basic supplies. You can always drop items off during the school day at the HS main office, or bring them to a meeting.

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.

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.

2017 CLYNK Results

Thanks to everyone who has been collecting and returning bottles and cans in our Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club account tagged CLYNK bags. For calendar year 2017, we collected 130 bags and netted over $400. Not surprisingly, our best quarters are second and third, as our snowbirds return and we drink more cold beverages!

Proceeds are used to help purchase children's hardcover books that we donate on behalf of each speaker to Walker and Baxter Libraries.

Pick up pre-tagged bags at any Rotary meeting. We hope you will encourage friends, relatives, and neighbors to fill a bag for literacy so we can make 2018 an even better year!

House Project Update

This recent update was received from Owens McCullough:

The cold weather in late December and early January hampered progress on the house. With the cold weather, the vocational students have been constructing the walls inside the school using a panelized approach. Kirk Nygren reports that the wall panels are mostly complete.

The lot has been cleared and Gorham Sand & Gravel is scheduled to dig the foundation the week of January 22nd. Since the site is so tight, Sebago Technics will pin the foundation corners when the excavation is complete. If all goes well, the foundation should be started in late January or early February. The goal will be to have the house weather tight by the end of the school year.

Tips for Charity Final Results

We recently received the final fundraising results from the Tips for Charity luncheon held in early December. This year the total raised was $5475 - the most money raised since the luncheon started in 2001. Proceeds were split between the Westbrook Food Pantry and the Westbrook Good Samaritan Fund.

Again this year, we can proudly say that the Rotary table raised the most funds with $540 in tips. Thanks to everyone who joined us or sent a donation. Your support is very much appreciated. We look forward to participating in this wonderful community event again next year!

A Hand Up Can Change A Life

For youthful offenders, the rate of recidivism is high - one third are reincarcerated within one year and half are reincarcerated within two years – without programs to support their transition into the community. The Transformation Project, still under construction at 907 Main St in Westbrook, will offer opportunities for employment, housing, mentoring, and life skills.

Currently Ken Hawley, Founder, President & CEO of The Transformation Project, has long experience working with troubled youth in Maine. He currently works with kids at Long Creek. Through that work in mentoring and leading bible studies, he saw people that had the potential to succeed given the right support upon release. Otherwise, it is very easy for them to fall back into old behavior patterns.

Long Creek has a culinary arts program that the kids gravitate towards. In addition, many of the kids are drawn to the creative arts and have gifts and talents in that area. The intent is to use those skills and talents in the café and event space that will be opened on Main St as part of the project.

907 Main St is designed to be a home, not a recovery center. The upstairs residence will house only males 18-24, although women will be employed in their programs. Up to 7 will live there with house parents overseeing them. Each will have a mentor or guardian to help them with employment, obtaining driver’s licenses, and guiding them to deal with life in constructive ways. This will be a rigorous year-long program.

Ken told us that there are models across the country that are doing most of these things. However, none are providing it all under one roof. You can learn more about The Transformation Project, sign up for their newsletter, or make a donation at their website: thetransformationproject.org

Here is the link to a recent video produced for The Transformation Project: https://vimeo.com/232816885

Upcoming Speaker List Details

If you have an idea for a speaker or program, please contact Christine Johnson at cejinmaine@gmail.com.

We are now scheduling programs for April and May.

Here is the list of upcoming speakers and programs:

* 1/23 - Dan Stevenson - Economic Development Director Westbrook

* 1/30 - Lynn Derocher - Convenient MD

* 2/6 - Club Assembly

* 2/13 - Megan Perry - Community Policing

(Meet at Dunn St Legion Hall)

* 2/20 - No Meeting - School Vacation

* 2/27 - Gorham Village Alliance

* 3/6 - Read Across America Day Celebration!!

* 3/13 - Peter Dewitt - Sr Communications Mgr - Idexx

* 3/20 - Kathi Perkins - Classification Talk

* 3/27 - Danielle Rideout - Westbrook Recovery Liaison

* 4/3 - Club Assembly

* 4/10 - Jess Knox - Maine Accelerates Growth

* 4/17 - No Meeting School Vacation - Road Race 4/16

* 4/24 - TBD

* 5/1 - No Lunch meeting. Evening Celebration.

60th Anniversary of House Project

* 5/8 - TBD

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Can't make our meeting but still want to enjoy the fellowship of Rotary this week?

Why not attend one of these other local clubs in our area:

Falmouth - Mondays 4:30PM

American Legion Post 65 Depot Rd Falmouth

Scarborough - Tuesdays 5:45PM

Cabela's 100 Cabela's Blvd Scarborough

South Portland-Cape Elizabeth - Wednesdays 6:15PM

Purpoodock Club 300 Spurwink Rd Cape Elizabeth

Portland Sunrise - Thursdays 7:15AM

Cumberland Club 116 High St Portland

Sebago Lake Rotary Club - Thursdays 12:15PM

Pat's Pizza 844 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, ME 04062

Portland - Fridays 12:15PM at Holiday Inn by the Bay or Clarion

check website for current week's venue

Or Attend a meeting online at Rotary E-Club One

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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