Opening Ceremonies: President-Elect Tracy Shaffer called the meeting to order 6:15pm. Larry Fernald gave the invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Carl was the Greeter, Cindy was the Sergeant at Arms, and Marian recorded the minutes.
Make-ups: Moira, Dave, Marian, Jo, Andrea, Laurie, Tracy, Clyde, Ashley, Bruce, and Charlene.
Visiting Rotarians: Betty and Dave Parsons from the Sunrise Club of Casco Bay.
Anniversaries: Larry and Bonnie Fernald - 47 years; Jo and Don Cooper - 40 years.
Birthdays: Rick Afton, Bruce and Laurie F.
Door Prizes: Dave won a cookbook and cocoa; Jackie won red wine; Dan won a golf umbrella; Ashley won a Jackson Lab mug and a planner with pen; Mike won a Rotary mug.
Rotary Minute: Given by Jo, who said she sees Rotarians everyday doing service and giving of themselves in various community activities, just doing what Rotary is all about.
50/50: Arlyn Whitelaw received and turned back $15 for Finn’s BP vest.
Happy Dollars: This quarter’s dollars will be donated to the Hancock Cnty Sheriff’s Unit for a BP vest for “Finn.” Dollars were given by Carl, Dan, Jack, Iris, Dave, Jackie, Bill, Bruce, Julie, Ashley and Tracy, and more.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
1. The vote to determine where our club will hold its regular meetings after Oct. 10, 2017, was taken. Before the vote, Carl reviewed the changes and ongoing improvements at China Hill, and we considered the other option of going to the Moore Center again, at considerable expense. Bruce and Clyde were chosen to count ballots. With 29 ballots cast, 27 voted for China Hill, 2 voted against. Absentee ballots will be accepted until this Friday noon (Sept 22).
2. Until we discontinue our meetings at Timberland (Oct. 10, is the last one) we must have meal requests in to Ashley by 3pm the Sunday afternoon prior to the next Tuesday meeting.
3. Sign-up sheets were passed around for many activities: Greeter; Newsletter/Note taker; the 10/6/17 benefit dinner for the J. Carter family, whose home was burned to the ground in August; the Blood Drive on 10/24/17; the ADA (Diabetes) Walk on 10/21/17.
4. Tracy reported on the Bar Harbor auction sweep, which 6 Rotarians participated in this past Saturday. Twelve items (gifts or gift cards) were secured, and the activity was considered a success.
5. The Blueberry Pancake Breakfast for this Saturday, 9/23/17, was addressed by Dave. Rotarians will start by meeting Friday at 3pm at the storage shed to get grills, etc. and deliver to the EElem./Middle School. Saturday morning starts with coffee being made at 5:30am; grills warming up at 6am; batter being mixed, then sausage and pancakes being served beginning at 7am sharp. Please encourage friends and family to attend. Wear your aprons, Rotary tee shirts and hats.
6. Next week’s meeting will be an Outdoor BBQ and social at Timberland RV Park.
7. Arlyn spoke about EREY and the goal to increase participation. There will be quarterly drawings for prizes of those who have participated each quarter.
8. Carl spoke about the Purple Pinky Day at Pat’s Pizza on 10/21/17. A sign-up sheet will be passed at a later date.
9. The Rotary Club of Bangor will be celebrating 100 years of service on Friday, Oct. 13, and we have all been invited to attend the celebration dinner ($75 per person) at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Ann Lee Hussey, a Global Rotary Polio Representative, will be the keynote speaker.
10. RLI October 28, 2017. Please register if you plan to attend.
11. Fred Beyer was introduced as a Vocational Co-Chair and will be the voting party.
12. Tracy spoke of the special Blueberry Pancake Breakfast attended by Lincoln, Jack and Dave at Seaport village for a hospice patient who had missed our breakfast in August. Thanks were given to Cindy for a hat and t-shirt, and for photos from Jack and Ashley. Photos were displayed in last week’s newsletter.
13. Tracy passed around a book to be signed by Rotarians as a thank you to last week’s guest speaker, Tina Chapman, who stayed after the meeting to train persons interested in participating in this new Rotary literacy project for young children.
PROGRAM/GUEST SPEAKER: Jack introduced Cheri Domina, Executive Director of The Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, as our Guest Speaker. GPMCT is a non-profit organization that works to conserve land, water, wildlife, habitat and scenic beauty throughout all Hancock County, and it collaborates with many other agencies, including Blue Hill H. Trust, Downeast Audubon, Island heritage Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Native Gardens of Blue Hill, and Wild Seed Project. Its activities include outdoor education and learning opportunities, making and setting birdhouses, wildlife brush piles, recreation, hiking and open trail rides, campfire sing-alongs, a wild lands trail run on Oct. 29 at 11am, and Christmas greens gatherings on Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 2017. It has an organic blueberry farm; an official tree farm with 100 American chestnut trees; a Trout and Trails Initiative at Alamoosook Lake Watershed, where they have built 3 new bridges and replaced culverts to fix erosion issues. They also have community service projects with Bucksport High School and MMA. All are invited to Visit, to Donate, to Volunteer to help.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:25pm.
Respectfully submitted by Marian Wells
