Morgan Frame grew up in Waterville, Maine with a family who believed that fitness and exercise was the best medicine. She was a 6-time state champion in basketball and track and field. She was a part of the Waterville High School Girls Basketball team that went undefeated for 3 years during her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Her senior year she was named Miss Maine Basketball and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year.
Morgan continued her basketball career at the University of New Hampshire where she made all conference teams her junior and senior year, while earning a dual major in sociology and justice studies.
After college, she was hired into the Enterprise Rent-A-Car management training program. After a few years, she transitioned into pharmaceutical sales with Allergan, selling to primary care physicians, neurologists, and gastroenterologists. In her first year she ranked top 5 in the country. While at Allergan, Morgan realized that the pharmaceutical industry didn’t perfectly line up with her values. She had taken her certified personal training exam during her time as a pharmaceutical rep and when Orangetheory Fitness opened in Portland, she began teaching a handful of classes. When the Head Trainer position opened up at Orangetheory, she jumped on the opportunity and left her career in big pharma.
While at Orangetheory, Morgan discovered the sport of indoor rowing and learned she was pretty good at it. This July, she was invited to compete on a show called ‘The Next Olympic Hopeful’ in a 3-day scouting camp at the United States Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs. The Next Olympic Hopeful is the USOC’s talent transfer program where they search for athletes from other athletic backgrounds and scout them for sports that might not draw as large of a talent pool…..rowing being one of those sports.
After the camp, Morgan was invited to continue on in pursuit of making the US women’s rowing team. She recently returned from a high performance rookie camp in Oklahoma City and has been invited to return for another camp in December. After December she plans to move to Oklahoma City to continue her development to make the US national team. With a lot of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, she will set her sights on Paris 2024!
Ed Flaherty – USM Head Baseball Coach. Ed said he appreciated the kind introduction he was given, but does like to be compared to Bill Belichick or Tom Brady because “I always do things above board.” Ed told us that life with Al Bean and Dick Costello has been great for the last 35 years. “How long will I stay here? Why not get out?” He told us it was because of the youth, who make him stay young. “The boys are way better than they were in 1986. They learn how to compete and work together. They are polite, inquisitive and want to learn. It keeps me going.” Responding to questions: 1. He does not agree with the new CA law which will allow NCAA college athletes to be paid; 2. He believes that boys should play 2 or 3 sports in high school; 3. 90% of USM recruits are from Maine.
Al Bean – USM Director of Athletics. Al told us that USM is a Division 3 program with no scholarships for athletics and includes strong service to the community. USM promotes education first and sports second. The overall GPA is 3.09 for those in the sports program now and the graduation retention is higher than the student body as a whole. Al says that too many things are done in national sports which hurt the program, such as ‘taking a knee.’ Marijuana is still banned by the NCAA. NCAA does not allow players to be paid, but NCAA is driven by $8.8 billion in annual contracts. Now there are football facilities being constructed for $15 million, solely for the use of the team; this is not good. Al feels it’s tragic that kids specialize in one sport at 12 years old, as he feels it is better to play multiple sports. He has seen kids burned out early, so they no longer want to play in high school. Concussion concerns have also impacted the sport. Responding to questions: 1. The move to change the name to UMaine Portland is led by the USM president with solid research to show it will improve recruiting, but there are many people who are not happy about it; 2. There are many clubs at USM to allow students to pursue alternate sports. If 10 people want to pursue a sport, USM will supply at least some support; 3. The NCAA or some other structure is needed. Some high-level schools may drop out of the NCAA, but then the NCAA will just be replaced by some other structure; 4. Al does not think it is a good idea for school to choose the division for each sport. This would kill Division 3, for any sport except the top 3 or 4.
(Photo L-R: President Amy Chipman, David Small and Al Bean.)
President Amy Chipman opened the meeting by welcoming 45 members and 7 guests. She introduced Paul Tully who presented an invocation titled "The Dash." "The Dash represents all of the time that we spend alive on earth,” by Linda Ellis.
Several guests were introduced, including David Burleigh, visiting from Cleveland, Ohio, who attended with his father, PP Russ Burleigh. Two guests were from Windham & Portland and three who were with the Baxter Academy Charter School for Technology and Science, Portland, including their educational specialist. October birthdays and anniversaries were announced.
Mike Fortunato advised us that we can look forward to a fun evening on October 26th, at the Harvest Moon Square Dance to be held at the Sprague Grange Hall at Ram Island Farm in Cape Elizabeth, beginning at 7:00 pm, but hoping all attendees will arrive by 6:45 pm to prepare for the program. Kip Morris will be the square dance caller. He participates with a square dance group in Scarborough. No need to know how to square dance because the caller provides all the instructions. Dress is casual, so feel free to wear jeans, cowboy boots and hats. Please bring a potluck hors d'oeuvres dish.....beer will be available. Feel free to bring other beverages, if desired. There are two small kitchens in the Sprague Grange Hall to warm up hors d'oeuvres. Sprague Hall is an authentic meetinghouse, with all the features you would expect of a classic grange. Cost is $20 per person to cover the rental of the hall, the caller and the beer. Please RSVP to Mike at: michael.k.fortunato@gmail.com.
President Amy presented an Interact Charter Certificate to Brian Olson, Educational Specialist at the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, who introduced the student leaders Norah Tafuri and Isaha L'Heureux.
(Photo L-R: President Amy Chipman, Rotarian John Thompson, Isaha L'Heureux, Norah Tafuri and Brian Olson, Baxter Academy Education Specialist.)
Paul Tully updated the plans for the November 8, 2019 Veterans’ Appreciation Lunch program. Please register ASAP on the Rotary website or click HERE. This year's program will be held at the Seasons Event & Conference Center at the Ramada Plaza, 155 Riverside Street, Portland. (NOTE new venue) A complimentary lunch will be served to all veterans who pre-register. A $25 lunch and program cost for all non-veteran attendees can be paid at the door with a check or cash. The program begins at 12 noon SHARP. Doors open at 11 AM. The program will include military dignitaries, community leaders and professional guest performers.
(Photo at right L-R: PP Bill Blount, Matt Tassey, President Amy Chipman and PP Paul Gore.) Portland Rotary Foundation Chair PP Bill Blount recognized four Paul Harris Fellows - Matt Tassey, PP Paul T. Gore, PP Tom Talbott and President Amy Chipman. Matt, Paul and Amy briefly spoke about why they support the Paul Harris Foundation. President Amy spoke of how "the Foundation helps to fund humanitarian projects all around the world and half of the donations contributed by the District are eventually donated back to help fund local worthy projects." A Foundation Committee meeting is scheduled for 11:30 am on Friday October 11th, prior to the Rotary lunch.
President Amy announced a service day project for Friday, October 25th, in lieu of a regular club meeting. Rotarians are asked to volunteer to help close up the Boyd Street Garden, hosted by the Cultivating Community, at 12 noon. Up to 30 volunteers are requested to participate. A lunch of Empanadas will be available at the Cultivating Community Center. The social media page for the Boyd Street Garden is here.
PP Kris Rosado presented an on-line "Portland Rotary Swap Shop" fund raising opportunity. Rotarians can make a query or someone may want to offer to provide an item to swap or sell; when an offer for purchase is accepted, the transaction, or a large portion of the sale, can become a club cash donation. For example, Kris is looking for a slightly worn sofa to use in his camp. Perhaps someone wants to give away or donate a sofa to ‘Swap Shop.’ The transaction cost then becomes a club donation. (See separate flyer this issue.)
PP Dick Hall invited Rotarians to register and attend the terrific RotaryRocks! District Conference on Saturday, October 5, at the University of Southern Maine Abromson Center. Rotary International Board of Director Jeffry Cadorette will be the key note speaker. An exhibit table sponsored by Portland Rotary will feature the volunteers who lead the Hearing, Hands, H2O, and solar lamps humanitarian international program for the Dominican Republic and to help Haitian sugar cane workers who live in the Bateys.
Mike Anderson(photo at right on the right side) led the weekly raffle drawing for a possible $984, if the winner drew the Queen of Hearts from the dwindling number of cards in the deck. Jerry Angier's (photo at right on the left side) name was drawn but he did not select the Queen of Hearts, so the next drawing will grow the jackpot.
If you would like to mark your calendars, we are scheduled at the following locations through 2019:
2019 Oct 11 - The Clarion Oct 18 - The Clarion Oct 25 - TBD Service Project
Nov 01 - The Clarion Nov 08 - Seasons Event & Conference Ctr Ramada Plaza, 155 Riverside St, Portland Nov 15 - The Clarion Nov 22 - The Clarion Nov 29 - NO MEETING - Thanksgiving
Dec 06 - The Clarion Dec 13 - The Clarion Dec 20 - The Clarion Dec 27 - NO MEETING - Christmas
The following items are needed on an on-going basis. Please feel free to bring them to a meeting where we will collect and distribute them to the appropriate projects.
Crutches4Africa - Crutches, canes, folding walkers and wheelchairs to be shipped to Africa. Contact: Erik Greven at: egrev95@gmail.com
Toiletries for the Shelters - Collect those tiny bottles of toiletries you are paying for during your next hotel visit and bring them home for members of our society who find themselves staying at a shelter and in need of personal hygiene products.
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Morgan Frame grew up in Waterville, Maine with a family who believed that fitness and exercise was the best medicine. She was a 6-time state champion in basketball and track and field. She was a part of the Waterville High School Girls Basketball team that went undefeated for 3 years during her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Her senior year she was named Miss Maine Basketball and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year..jpg)
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Mike Fortunato advised us that we can look forward to a fun evening on October 26th, at the Harvest Moon Square Dance to be held at the Sprague Grange Hall at Ram Island Farm in Cape Elizabeth, beginning at 7:00 pm, but hoping all attendees will arrive by 6:45 pm to prepare for the program. Kip Morris will be the square dance caller. He participates with a square dance group in Scarborough. No need to know how to square dance because the caller provides all the instructions. Dress is casual, so feel free to wear jeans, cowboy boots and hats. Please bring a potluck hors d'oeuvres dish.....beer will be available. Feel free to bring other beverages, if desired. There are two small kitchens in the Sprague Grange Hall to warm up hors d'oeuvres. Sprague Hall is an authentic meetinghouse, with all the features you would expect of a classic grange. Cost is $20 per person to cover the rental of the hall, the caller and the beer. Please RSVP to Mike at: 
President Amy presented an Interact Charter Certificate to Brian Olson, Educational Specialist at the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, who introduced the student leaders Norah Tafuri and Isaha L'Heureux..jpg)
Paul Tully updated the plans for the November 8, 2019 Veterans’ Appreciation Lunch program. Please register ASAP on the Rotary website or click 
(Photo at right L-R: PP Bill Blount, Matt Tassey, President Amy Chipman and PP Paul Gore.)
PP Dick Hall invited Rotarians to register and attend the terrific RotaryRocks! District Conference on Saturday, October 5, at the University of Southern Maine Abromson Center. Rotary International Board of Director Jeffry Cadorette will be the key note speaker. An exhibit table sponsored by Portland Rotary will feature the volunteers who lead the Hearing, Hands, H2O, and solar lamps humanitarian international program for the Dominican Republic and to help Haitian sugar cane workers who live in the Bateys. 