Opening Ceremonies: Past President Laura Pellerano called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Laura thanked Carol Jordan for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houslen/Clyde Cushing for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business/Upcoming events/Volunteer Opportunities:
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Donation Checks: $500 to Shaw Institute and $750 to The Grand were presented.
Upcoming Volunteering Opportunities: Bike Rodeo and HCTC Breakfast. Emails have been sent out and please sign up through Peter or Stacie.
Paul Harris Fellow Night: June 9th in the Auditorium at the Moore Community Center. RSVP by June 1st please.
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. The first planning meeting will start in June.
Door Prizes: Shelly Van Camp, Nancy Mayo, Fred Beyer, Peter Farragher were winners!
50/50: $14 to Rebecca Toci
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians and guests have happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Florence Reed. Florence “Flo” Reed founded Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) in 1997 and has been a tireless advocate for the organization’s mission since. SHI is truly her life’s work, and her unwavering enthusiasm and conviction has inspired countless people across the globe to take action.
Like many of SHI’s influential volunteers, donors, and staff, Flo traces her environmental interests to her childhood. She loved the woods near her house and the plants and animals that called it home. Her family hiked and backpacked, and her parents donated money to the Bronx Zoo. As Flo grew older, she took note of the zoo’s focus on conservation and educating people on how humans impact wildlife.
Flo’s childhood experiences sparked her passion for preserving wildlife habitats. However, it wasn’t until high school and college that she opened her eyes to social justice issues. A series of church youth trips to repair homes in Appalachia brought her face to face with the marginalization of rural communities. Then, in college at the University of New Hampshire, Flo’s real commitment to social justice issues took off. She learned how US foreign policy negatively impacts people worldwide. She met Central American refugees and got involved with a campus committee on Central America. It was during her college years that she first traveled to Central America.
Never one to shy away from hard work, Flo founded the first environmental group at her college and had a dual major in environmental conservation and international affairs by the time she was 21 years old.
DeMeyer Field Fence Forms were passed out for those who would like to purchase a picket to be engraved and will be put up at the playground. $250 per picket.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next Week at Rotary: May 19th meeting will be held at HCTC. $13 per person. The culinary program will be provided the meal. An email will be sent out for a reminder.
Respectfully submitted Ashley Johnson
