Opening Ceremonies: President Carl Lusby called the meeting to order. Jo Cooper gave the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Charlene Churchill took notes.
 
Greeter: Dan Hurley.
 
Guests: Our Speaker, Canaan York.
 
Visiting Rotarians: Assistant District Governor Annette Higgins from the Bar Harbor club.
 
Make-Ups: Many over the last two weeks including those who helped at Everybody Eats, Membership Committee meeting, PETS, Membership Assembly, Heidi Omlor – Food Drive on March 18, Tony Bouchard – online, Lincoln and Debbie Ehrlenbach – Bangor Club on March 21, Auction Committee on March 15.
 
Club Anniversary: David Wells – March 23, 2010; Marian Wells and Bruce Fischer – March 25, 2014.
 
Birthdays: Becky Sargent – March 22 and Lincoln Ehrlenbach – March 23. We had cake to celebrate the DGE’s birthday! Honorary Member Sharon Grant – March 27.
 
Wedding Anniversaries: None.
 
Rotary Minute: Jo Cooper spoke about a club in England that adopted a school in Gambia and assisted the school and the families there with a chicken program for both eggs and chicken meat and raising future generations of chickens to improve nutrition.
 
Door Prizes: Clyde Cushing won a Dead River ice scraper and a deck of cards; an EMMC step counter was won by Laurie Fogelman; a step counter and a mug were taken home by Jane Langley; and a surprise package for the first day of spring was won by Iris Simon and the surprise was several packages of seeds! Girl Scout cookies door prizes for donations to the Hancock County Food Drive were won by Iris, Clyde, Larry Fernald, Charlene, Carl and Gene Pellerano.
 
50/50: $16 was won by Cindy Shoppe who donated it back to remind us that the Blueberry Pancake Breakfast is coming up again on the first Saturday of August and will be here before we know it. Happy Dollars this quarter are going to the Friends In Action Financial Aid Fund.
 
Happy Dollars Highlights: Happy people this week included PETS attendees Lincoln Ehrlenbach, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Dave Wells, Scott Kimball, and Annette Higgins; Laurie Fogelman whose aunt will be on an Honor Flight; Dan Hurley who was glad to be over his cold; Heidi Omlor who has been awarded a fellowship to go to Prague;  Rod Fox who offered a week in April at a time share in Florida; and Carl Lusby for the group of envelop stuffers who got the auction letters in the mail.
 
Rotary Business: Scott Kimball passed around the auction signup sheets and noted that packets and assignments will be passed out at next week’s meeting. The winning auction team will choose the recipient of 4th quarter Happy Dollars. Scott also spoke about his experience at PETS and the goals for the coming year of engaging new and younger Rotary members, enhancing the image of Rotary in our community, and undertaking humanitarian projects in our communities.
Clyde Cushing read a thank you note from the Board Chair of Special Children’s Friends for our work there and noted that we have filled the slots for the Johnson benefit on April 7. We have 851 hours of community service so far this year.
The signup sheet for 4th quarter newsletter notes was passed around.
Carl Lusby noted that the Board is working on the budget for next year and will report to the membership next week. Marian and Dave Wells noted that Membership Passports should be completed and turned in by the end of May.
 
Program: Our speaker was children’s book author Canaan York from Medway, Maine. Canaan spoke about his writing career and why he writes the books that he does. His books tackle subjects that are difficult for children to understand such as cancer and physical and mental disabilities. He talked about his desire to help children understand these topics and accept those that are dealing with these conditions. He had copies of his book “What’s Up With Blair’s Hair?” available for sale and he signed copies for purchasers. This book is about a young girl who loses her hair when she is treated for cancer.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Charlene Churchill
 
Sponsors