Reminder: If Westbrook Schools are closed due to weather, there will be no Rotary lunch meeting that day. This is usually not decided or announced by the school district until early in the morning of the day of cancellation. We will make every effort to send out notice to members as soon as possible, but please monitor weather reports and check available sources.
You can find out about school closings from many sources including: wmtw.com/weather/closings or wcsh6closings where you can search on Westbrook or sign up for email notifications.
Locker Project Fresh Food Distribution – In this school year, produce distributions at Westbrook High School will take place the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month: , Jan 9 & 23 & 30, Note added date in January. Feb 13 & 27, Mar 13 & 27, Apr 10 & 24, May 8 & 22 and June 12. Any date changes will be announced in the Scribbler. Time: arrive by 1 PM depart by 2:15 PM, unless otherwise noted.
Rotary Night Out - Our next Rotary Night out will be Tuesday January 15 starting at 5:30 PM. Mister Bagel 609 Main St,, Westbrook. Program Don Zillman on WWI. Future nights out will be the third Tuesday evening of the month.
Winter Dinner at WRVC - Tuesday March 19, 2019. 6PM. Each year we have a special evening meal at the WRVC Dining Room. This year, this dinner will become our March Rotary Night Out. Watch here for details on meal and program.
WRVC Social Services Giving Project - This week!!Through Jan 8, 2019 The students of the Social Services program have set up a Giving Tree in the lobby of WRVC again this year. The beneficiaries of this year's Giving Tree are local families who have children with developmental disabilities and receive services from Woodfords Family Services. Because items are not time-sensitive or gift-related, the date for return to the tree is in the New Year. See story in December 17 Scribbler for list of items.
New Recognizing and Responding to an Opiate/Heroin Overdose - Thursday January 24 6-7:30PM. Maine Medical Center Dana Auditorium, 22 Bramhall St, Portland. Training sponsored by Portland Rotary Club. Learn about the Opiate Epidemic and Substance Use Disorder, lean how to recognize the signs of an overdose, learn to perform first-aid, including administering Naloxone (the drug that reverses the effects of opioids), and help reduce the stigma of Substance Use Disorder. To RSVP, please email Chief Bob MacKenzie, Kennebunk Police Department at rmackenzie@kennebunkmaine.us or call 207 604-1339.
New WinterKids Games 2019 - See related story below.
Canal School is one of only two schools in Cumberland County selected to participate in this year's WinterKids Winter Games! WinterKids is a nonprofit organization that helps children develop healthy lifelong habits through education and outdoor winter activity. Throughout the month of January, 32 schools across Maine will participate in various winter events and activities, competing to earn points for cash prize awards - $1,500 for the bronze medal, $3,000 for silver, and $5,000 for the gold medal-winning school!
Competing schools can earn bonus points through community engagement - and this is where local businesses, clubs, and service organizations can help! Canal is looking for businesses that are willing to display one of the posters (see example below) in their windows. They are also also looking for businesses, clubs, and organizations that are willing to record a short video, preferably with a Canal student, and holding one of the posters and expressing your support for Canal School in the 2019 WinterKids Winter Games. If you would like to show your support, please contact Principal Vickie Hebert 854-0840 hebertv@westbrookschoolss.org or Amanda Bramble amandabramble0510@gmail.com
Canal is thrilled to be selected to participate in WinterKids Winter Games this year - it's an exciting opportunity to showcase healthy behaviors with our students and to work toward earning prizes for Canal School! WinerKids is a nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit https://winterkids.org/
At our meeting on December 18, Treasurer Mike Foley reported a strong year for our tree and wreath sale in 2018. Net income was up more than $1000 from 2017 at about $8500. We sold 120 wreaths (vs 72 in 2017) and 391 trees (vs 332 in 2017). We were pleased that Broadway Gardens was willing to take our last 21 trees at cost and hall them away.
Thanks to all member volunteers who made this year a big success!!
The Locker Project - Fresh food and baked goods distribution in Westbrook. In this school year, produce distributions at Westbrook High School will take place the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Next opportunity Jan 9 arrive by 12:45 for set up. 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. If you can help on any of these dates, please contact Christine Johnson. For more information, or to donate, visit their website: mainelockerproject.org Look for Back-to-School dates shortly.
Children's Books for Pantries - We continue to supply new and gently used children's books to food pantries about every two weeks. We have been fortunate to obtain a regular supply of used books from Goodwill Buy the Pound. We also periodically obtain new books from a couple of sources at little cost. However, the need is always greater than the supply. If you, a family member, friend or colleague have children or grandchildren who have outgrown their books, we'd love to have them to share with children who will love them. All ages from babies to young teens. We can also always use large print books for older readers. Bring to any club meeting or contact Christine Johnson for pick up.
Can Tabs for Ronald MacDonald House - Thank you for continuing to collect can tabs.It's and easy way to help a wonderful organization! Just keep a small plastic bag or small jar in your kitchen, on the counter or in a drawer. As you go to toss your returnable can into your CLYNK bag, simply twist off the tab first.
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. 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. Thank you for your ongoing support of this fundraiser!
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.
Mid Year Leadership Dinner - Monday January 28, 2019 5-9PM Fireside Inn, Portland. District 7780's annual Mid Year Dinner brings together Club Presidents, Presidents-Elect, Vice Presidents, Assistant Governors, current, past District Governors and other interested Rotarians. To sign up: https://rotary7780.org/event/midyear-dinner/
District Interact Assembly - Saturday March 23, 2019 - Oxford Hills High School. Interested Rotarians are welcome to attend. More details to follow. Snow Day March 30, 2019.
District Training Assembly - Saturday April 6, 2019. 8AM-1PM. York County Community College
Rotary Fest (AKA District Conference) - Friday-Saturday June 21-22, 2019 - Fort Williams, Park Cape Elizabeth. Friday service project and cook out for volunteers. Saturday packed with fun and educational events for adults and kids, and another service project opportunity. DG John and the Planning Committee are working hard to make this a free event for all. Watch for more details.
New District Changeover - Tuesday June 25. Camp Hinds. More details to come.
If you have an idea for a speaker or program, please contact Christine Johnson at cejinmaine@gmail.com or Phil Spiller at pdsflynavy@gmail.com . We are also interested in ideas for periodic evening meetings, service projects in lieu of meetings, or in-meeting service projects
We are now scheduling programs for February and March.
Here is the list of upcoming speakers and programs:
* 1/8 - WinterKids
* 1/15 - Rotary Night Out - Don Zillman - Living the World War
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 know when you have participated in any of these activities at info@westbrookgorhamrotary.org
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