President Don Zillman welcomed 48 members, 4 guests and 1 visiting Rotarian to our Friday meeting. .JPG)
Past President Tom Talbott (at right) gave the invocation and in it he selected the theme of "time." He quoted Einstein, Shakespeare and shared many other time-related concepts and anecdotes. Past President John Marr led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Gracie Johnston led us in “God Bless America.”
President Don thanked those members responsible for setting up and helping run the meeting.
When Gracie Johnston was asked to lead us in song, she acknowledged that we didn’t have our song books while we are on the road, so she led us acapella with a song most everyone knows: “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
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1st Vice President John Curran noted that guests were here from Kosovo and the Yarmouth Rotary Club to help on the prosthetic device outreach in Kosovo. John showed us a new model of prosthetic hand which will be shipped to an 18-yr. old in Kosovo, in advance of the Rotary trip to help her with college sooner.
(Photo above L-R: 1st VP John Curran, Dr. Gani Abazi (from Kosovo) and Yarmouth Club Rotarian, Bill Dunn.)
Gus Karlsen (left) brought the man-of-the-sea and champion sailor, Merle Hallett, as his guest. Merle is a considering being a Rotarian and was instrumental in organizing the MS Regatta, which morphed into the MS Harbor Fest.
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(Photo at right: Tom Nickerson and Dr. Roger Fagan.)
Tom Nickerson led the raffle this week and the speaker picked “3H” out of the holding vessel of tickets. On behalf of 3H, Roger Fagan selected a red 2 from the deck, which lets the Queen of Hearts rest for another week. The pot is getting bigger, so join us next week for a shot at over $900.
President Don apologized for the bowling alley meeting issues on 9/22, where Erik Jorgensen presented a program on being a State Representative. President Don voiced his appreciation for everyone’s patience and tolerance. Erik was asked to return for an encore presentation (with updates) in the near future.
Mark Millar will be leaving for Colorado, but don’t worry, he plans to return in May 2018.
Community Service Chair, Gracie Johnston (left) thanked those who participated in the club's volunteer night at Preble Street: Jim Willey, Mike Robinson, Ron Bennett and four volunteers from the Portland school department. The next volunteer night will be on October 25th, so mark your calendars and sign up, if you have time to volunteer (and watch your emails for more information).
Paul Tully (right) provided us an update on the Third Annual Veterans’ Appreciation Lunch, which is scheduled as our weekly meeting at 12 noon on November 10th, 2017 at the Italian Heritage Center. Paul encourages you to register soon for the lunch or as a volunteer. On tap is a great program.....more volunteers and table sponsors are needed. It is $500 to sponsor a table, and this provides you with two seats at a table. To register, please contact Past President Loretta Rowe (lrowe@maine.rr.com) or Elise Hodgkins (portlandrotary@maine.rr.com). Please register early, and if you are a Veteran, please contact Loretta and let her know. Please also check portlandrotary.org for more information.
Portland Rotary has been sponsoring donations to the relief efforts for those areas impacted by the recent hurricanes, including those in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico. District Governor Dave Underhill is shaping a response to that effort, and we appreciate the support of the District.
The upcoming Rotary celebration to end Polio is being held in Seattle, and a thoughtful donor has offered a chance to win round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations to those that donate to the event with a $25 pledge through the Rotary foundation. The deadline to enter into the drawing was September 30th, 2017.
(Photo L-R: Safa Mohammed, Aisha Mukhtar and Glenn Nerbak.)
Glenn Nerbak introduced two Portland High School (PHS) students who attended the RYLA Camp with support from the Portland Rotary. They are: Safa Mohammed and Aisha Mukhtar. They spoke about their experiences, explaining how their participation changed their lives for the better, making them feel more confident in their lives. They plan to continue to pursue paths to bring their fellow students and the community together in a positive manner by participating in the Interact Club that was formed at PHS.