Please join us this Friday for an action-packed and engaging Club Assembly at the Clarion Hotel. It will include updates on our many service activities, an overview of our club’s financial health, a report on Membership, and a look back at our collective accomplishments & highlights during the first half of this Rotary Year.
Please invite a potential new member to join you, as this is a perfect opportunity to learn more about our active club.
It’s most appropriate to comment on “how time flies” when you’re discussing the career and plans of Dr. Habib Dagher, who returned to be a guest speaker after a ten-year hiatus. On 4/2/10, Dr. Dagher, who was then the Professor of Structural Engineering at Maine’s University in Orono, addressed the club relative to the future of off-shore wind farming in Maine. The tale told a decade ago was captivating and we thought we were getting a glimpse of Maine’s future. The vision is still that, but not because of bad science. The science formulated within the wind turbine programs has been a foundation for other award-winning projects that bring further education, worldwide recognition along with money and jobs to Maine. Dr. Dagher was introduced by John Thompson who was invited to visit the lab and see the work first-hand, where he was absolutely enthralled and amazed.
Dr. Dagher has an interesting personal story to go along with his amazing science projects….he was born in Lebanon and his sizable and distinguished family recognized that he was precocious and deserved special attention. They sent him, alone, to live with extended family in Dayton, Ohio and take advantage of further and intensive study. He not only got his Undergraduate Degree, but matriculated for two Masters Degrees, prompting him to take the next logical step and get his PhD in Physical Engineering. The University of Maine was able to attract Habib to come to the school and found the Advance Structures and Composite Center, which is part of the National Science Foundation funding stream.
The Center gained an enormous amount of attention when it came up with a plan to float sizable wind platforms in the Gulf of Maine, where they would be out of sight, but close enough to be functional and serviceable. By harnessing a mere 3% of the wind, the floating turbines could power the entire state at a kilowatt hour rate of 5.7 cents, making one of the most expensive power states in the U.S., one of the least expensive. The structures have already been proven to withstand hurricane force winds. Consequently, the worry of the fury of the sea is put to rest. They hope to build 10 new platforms and turbines within the next few years and start powering the state and exporting the surplus that is a virtual certainty, if ingenuity is not stifled.
The excitement with the “windmills” is palpable. This expedition is going places and the soldiers are people with over 240 real paying high-tech jobs in Maine and others outside the state. They have a contract to do work for NASA and the U.S. Military. The “Bridge in a Bag” is an example of a practical application of the use of carbon fiber to make lightweight durable structures that can be used for domestic purposes, particularly during emergencies, as well as the eventuality of a military need overseas. Imagine two people carrying a couple of hockey bags and within the bags is an easy to assemble bridge structure that only needs cement to become a viable passageway.
One of the best features of the Dr. Dagher’s efforts is that he provides work for 2400 students, making this one of the best work-study projects in Academia!
(Photo L-R: John Thompson, Dr. Habib Dagher and President Amy Chipman.)
President Amy Chipman welcomed Rotarians and guests. PP Cyrus Hagge presented the invocation; we pledged our allegiance to the American Flag and PP Bill Blount led us with our patriotic song.
(Photo at left, L-R: Jan Chapman and PP Paul Gore.)
The weekly raffle drawing was led by Jan Chapman. Our guest speaker drew the name of PP Paul Gore to try his luck for the huge jackpot of $1327, but the winning Queen of Hearts was not drawn from the dwindling number of cards left in the deck. Next week's drawing will be even higher!
(Photo at right, L-R: PP John Marr, PP Larry Gross and PP Bill Blount.)
One of Rotary’s prestigious honors is being awarded a Paul Harris Award for donating at least $1000 to Rotary International’s Foundation, which helps people and causes worldwide. This week PP Bill Blount, as Chair of the Club's Foundation Committee, awarded PP John Marr and PP Larry Gross with new Paul Harris pins for their multiple donations to the Foundation.
(Photo at right, L-R: PP Bowen Depke, Jennifer Sledge, Ian Torrey, Mariella Uwimana, and 2nd VP Bob Martin.)
Another great moment for our Club is when we bring new members in. This week we were introduced to three new members:
Jennifer Sledge – Woodlands Senior Living
Ian Torrey – Cross Insurance
Mariella Uwimana – Immigrant Welcome Center
Please be sure to introduce yourself to our newest members...ask about their backgrounds....what brought them to Portland Rotary….and most of all.... Welcome Jen, Ian and Mariella!
NOTABLE DATES FOR MEMBERS IN FEBRUARY Member Birthdays Feb 5 - Gracie Johnston 14 - Charlie Frair 19 - Erik Greven 20 - Jesse Harvey 21 - Greg Hansel 21 - Doreen Rockstrom 23 - Rich Campbell 24 - Eric Lusk 28 - Olivier Ndayirukiye
Date-Joined-Rotary Anniversaries 2 years - Joe Reagan 2 years - Xavier Botana 2 years - Bob Fowler 5 years - Nan Heald 19 years - Ron Bennett 27 years - David Clough 32 years - Paul Tully 34 years - Paul Gore
Invocation: Bruce Jones Program Reporter: Julie L'Heureux
Bits & Pieces Reporter: Dick Hall
Photographer: Laura Young Registration/Greeter: Jennifer Frederick Sell Meal Tickets: Patty Erickson Raffle: Jerry Angier Collect Meal Tickets:Mike Anderson Sgt-at-Arms: Mike Anderson
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.
(Photo at right, L-R: PP John Marr, PP Larry Gross and PP Bill Blount.)
(Photo at right, L-R: PP Bowen Depke, Jennifer Sledge, Ian Torrey, Mariella Uwimana, and 2nd VP Bob Martin.)