This week’s guest speaker was Bonnie Harris. She is the project coordinator for the Penquis foster grandparent program.
Opening Ceremonies: President Clyde Cushing called the meeting to order.
Invocation was read by Gene Pellerano and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Greeter: Tricia Quirk
Sergeant at Arms: Bob and Mary Thomas
Guests: Michael Houlsen; Amanda Gardiner; John Shoppe, Grace Robinson, Bonnie Harris, Maria Staples.
Birthdays: Cindy Shoppe - Happy Birthday!
Door Prizes: The lucky winners were: Fred Beyer, Rebecca Greenlaw, Gene Pellerano and Carol Jordan
Find Romey the Rotary Gnome: Tricia Quirk found him!
50/50: The Lucky winner was: Lincoln Ehrlenbach - $10.
Happy Dollars: 2nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital’s Urology Department for Men’s Health.
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Lincoln Ehrlenbach, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Marian Wells, Carl Lusby, Jack Frost, Bob Thomas, Jodie Cushing, Lori Googins, Laura Pellerano, Gene Pellerano and Rebecca Greenlaw.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Donation to Kids Peace: Our club applied for a grant earlier in the year and received $518.00. The club matched he grant amount. A check in the amount of $1,036.00 was presented to Rebecca Greenlaw of KidsPeace for purchasing gifts for Christmas.
Movember: There is still time for participants and sponsors for the Men’s Health ‘Movember’ beard growth competition. All funds raised will be donated to the Urology Department at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital.
Loaves and Fishes Food Drive at Hannaford: Saturday, November 19th. Please be there to help!
Thank you Letter from Downeast Horizons: Our club received a Thank You Letter from Downeast Horizons. Clyde read it out aloud. The letter is thanking our club for the 1st quarter happy dollar donations to go towards their Special Olympics Program.
Fellowship Update:
The Ellsworth Downtown Christmas Parade is Saturday, December 3rd at 4:00pm. New this year is late afternoon and to celebrate with lighted floats! The theme is “Christmas at the Movies” All Rotarians are invited to attend to help out! Jodie Cushing reported we have the honor of escorting Santa at the Christmas Parade this year!
Line-up will start at 3pm that’s right it’s a night parade!!! We will have a trailer, Reindeer and couple Elves. We will need two people to carry our banner and several people to help pass out candy. As asked at Tuesdays meeting if anyone has a small generator that’s a little less noisy then Clyde’s please let us know. We are going to need power for all the lights!! The route this year starts at Knowlton Park, goes down State St to School St right onto Main St down and back up State St. Please let Jodie know if you can attend as we need to know if we have enough people to hand out candy.
Christmas Party: We are looking for ideas for this year’s Christmas Party. Please send your thoughts to Jodie Cushing.
Annual Gifting Experience: Jack Frost shared that planning is moving into high gear for the December 10th event and that he and Co-Chair Carl Lusby have begun contacting schools for student recommendations for participation. This will be in person this year on Saturday, December 10th. Save the date, more details to come soon! A sign-up sheet has passed around and all Rotarians are encouraged to contact Jack or Carl to sign up for our 17th Annual Gifting Experience. Jack also reported that $1100 dollars from individual and business sponsors has been donated so far.
Rotary Blood Drives at the Elks Club: Max Dietshe reported sign-ups for the blood drive are going well for November, so look ahead to the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Sign up with Max Dietshe. Please send all your community service hours to Max!
Greeter and Invocation Sign up Lists: We are still in need for Rotarians to help sign up to be a Greeter or give the Invocation at our weekly meetings. Please help.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Bonnie Harris. She is the project coordinator for the Penquis foster grandparent program which is sponsored through AmeriCorps seniors.
Penquis is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1967 to alleviate and eliminate the causes and conditions of poverty. Through its programs and subsidiaries, Penquis impacts all of Maine’s sixteen counties, but primarily serves low- and moderate-income individuals in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties.
Foster Grandparents volunteer with children who are a few months old up to age twenty-one! The program began in 1965, to provides tutors and mentors to children and youth who are disadvantaged or have disabilities. Our Foster Grandparents share their love, time and experience with these little one who soak it up like a sponge. They are a role model, a mentor and a friend. Put simply, they give the kind of comfort and love that sets a child on the path toward a successful future.
Volunteering leads to new discoveries and new friends. Studies show that volunteering helps individuals live longer and promotes a positive outlook on life. This inter-generational program utilizes our only increasing natural resource—seniors—who are assisting our future resource–our children.
Respectfully submitted by Rotarian Ashley Johnson
