Welcome: President Dick used the gavel to call the meeting to order and welcome attendees to Portland Rotary. Paul T Gore led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
A Perfect New Year: For the Message for the Day, Julie L’Heureux shared the following
New Year’s Resolution poem by Michael Wright a friend of hers and retired professor of the University of Tulsa:
I can’t wait. Perfections in the New Year is imminent. I mean, my resolution is to be god-like astounding and shimmer in all directions. All my past troubles will just bubble-POP!
All my hang-ups will very kindly become unhung, though not like the sweaters fallen to my closet floor.
Really, I can’t wait. A lifetime of false starts, blind alleys, wrong turns will just suddenly dissipate on January first.
I will out-Buddha the Buddha; I welcome you to follow me.
Also, because I can do this in my perfection, all my ambitions will be realized. Even the small things will be resolved: I’ll remember my pants size, your phone number, when to pay those bills. I know, I KNOW, this perfection is just too much for the rest of you mortals, but that’s your problem; I’m busy with my transcendence.
Seriously, I can’t wait. Everybody who ever did me wrong will show up to apologize; I will, of course in my magnanimity, forgive them and not even remind them of why I was angry with them in the first place. I will also get perfect cable and tv reception.
I won’t walk on water but I will hover an inch above the ground. So, yep, that’s me forthcoming; tune into your local news; it’s going to be spectacular.
So: what about your plans for the New Year? Let’s continue to live up to giving Service Above Self and be perfect Rotarians!
The Great Realization: Following lunch, President Dick opened the meeting with this touching and powerful video by Tomfollery about what we have (hopefully) learned as a society, thanks to 2020 hindsight.
Guests anyone? Tricia Toms introduced the guests at the meeting.
Our Lucky guy: Larry Gross asked Jan Chapman’s guest to pick the raffle ticket for the lucky person with the chance to pick the card for the $145 raffle pot. One guess whose card was picked? Yes, Mr. Lucky (and generous) himself…PTG! Alas, this wasn’t his day to win the pot which led to cheers from the membership as the pot will continue to grow. As Larry said, “You can't win if you don’t buy a ticket.”
Calling All Current and Future Leaders: President Dick invited members to attend one of the upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) programs. The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) offers a training program in three full-day sessions (Part I, II and III), followed by graduate seminars. Courses are highly interactive so one gets to hear about other clubs and get new ideas from all around the region. Faculty are selected from among Rotarians with outstanding leadership abilities, prepared to conduct innovative participatory course sessions. The International RLI has formed Divisions around the world and each Division has its own training team.
Rotary Leadership Institute of Northeast America (RLINE) encompasses New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The upcoming training dates are all listed on the website https://www.rlinea.org/ .
The most convenient ones for Portland Rotary Club members are:
January 27, Marlborough MA $85
March 23 Bourne, MA $75
April 6 Lewiston, ME $95
Virtual- February 27, 29 $25
Virtual- March 19, 21 $25
Dick is a believer in RLI and a regular
faculty member, both in person and virtually. Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is for any Rotarian who wants to learn more about Rotary. It is not just for leaders; it is for any Rotarian who wants to improve their knowledge about Rotary. The club pays for your registration.
Please contact Dick or the District 7780 RLI Chair, Emma Bodwell if you want to talk further about this opportunity ebodwell@icloud.com
Cell/WhatsApp 207-595-1138
Bon Voyage Friends! Erik Greven announced that many Portland Rotarians were driving to Boston after the meeting to fly to the Dominican Republic on Saturday for an International Service Project. Attendees include Roger and Liz Fagan, David Small, Jim and Paula Vicenzi, Amy Chipman, Patty Byers plus attendees from other Rotary Clubs in Exeter and Brunswick including our former District Governor Claudia Frost. This team will fit hearing aids, install water filters in the bateyes, and help to build a prosthetic clinic.
A Solar Solicitation: Team member David Small announced that they raised $685 last week from club members to help buy the solar lights they will distribute which was slightly less than the $950 needed to pay for all the lights. So, Dick asked for a show of hands of those who were willing to donate and announced later in the meeting that the goal of $950 was reached thanks to the generous Portland Rotarians.
Surprise! Patty Byers recognized Portland Rotary’s latest Paul Harris Fellow: Bowen
Depke! Bowen joined Portland Rotary in 2005 and a short 10 years later he served as our Club President during our 100th anniversary year. Bowen received his first Paul Harris in 2015 and at this meeting received his 5th recognition. Thank you for your generosity, Bowen, which is helping people around the world to read, access clean water, access good medical care, food and vaccines to Polio.
Calling All Visionary Rotarians: Patty also invited members to join in an upcoming Club Visioning (Long Range Planning) Workshop on Thursday, February 15, 2024, 4:30 – 8 PM at the Italian Heritage Center. The club last engaged in a visioning session in 2016 which provided a blue-print for the club’s future and was the touchstone for all the club’s activities.
The District 7780’s Club Vision Facilitation Team will facilitate this session to create a new plan for the club for the next 2 – 3 years.
All members of the Portland Club are invited to attend, but this session is limited to 30 participants. The goal is for a blend of new and seasoned Rotarians, Satellite and Regular members, young and old alike, all genders, and both leaders and followers as well.
In addition, every member will receive an email survey from Dick soon that members are asked to complete to help with the discussion.
An Icy Social Affair: Jake Bourdeau announced that this month’s Rotary Social will be held on Friday, January 19th and include an ice skate, happy hour, and Mariner's hockey game night at Portland's Cross Arena.
The approximate schedule will include the following:
4:15-5:15 ON ICE
Ice skate and pond hockey pregame on Mariner's ice before the game (1.2 ice pond hockey, and 1/2 warm ups and open skate). Doors likely open around 3:55, and we to be out around 530 so they can clear the venue.
5:30-6:45 HAPPY HOUR
Happy Hour - We can walk to a happy hour at a number of bars nearby (Venue(s) TBD)
7:15 HOCKEY GAME
Puck Drop: Mariners take on Reading. Bring your flannel and cowboy boots as it is Country Night! A denim koozie may be in your future. Mariners will provide is an area for Rotary members to sit.
If you, yours, your kids, grand kids, or friends have skates, come on out before the game. We will have enough HOCKEY sticks for anyone interested in playing.
Pricing is TBD approximately as follows depending on our attendees:
$30-40 a ticket with ice time
$20-30 a ticket for the game with no pre-ice skate.
If we get a full 50 tickets committed, prices drop to $19 each.
Please email Jake ASAP at jbourdeau@keyenvir.com and or text him at 207-232-9482 with your name, number of tickets and people who plan to skate.
our speaker, but, due to a family medical emergency, she could not attend. Our new member and community engagement manager for Journey Enterprises, Nicole (Niki) Curtis, stepped in to tell us about Journey Enterprises. Nikki, who is in long-term recovery herself, explained that Journey Enterprises is a media company with a mission to amplify hope by making inspiring personal recovery stories, recovery programs, and resources more visible. 
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