Opening Ceremonies: President Jodie Cushing called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sergeant at Arms: Clyde Cushing and Carl Lusby
Zoom – Michael Houslen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests- John Califano, Grace Robinson, John Shoppe, Arlyn Whitelaw
Visiting Rotarians: Julie Vittum and Dominic Efter both of the Ellsworth Noontime Club. Scott Hammond of the Bar Harbor Rotary Club.
Wedding Anniversaries: Jane Langley 8/16, Ashley Johnson 8/23
Door Prizes: The lucky winners were: Rebecca Greenlaw, Lori Googins, Tricia Quirk, Grace Robinson, Benedetta Pellerano and Carl Lusby.
50/50: $14 to Bob Stuart
Happy Dollars: 1st Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Polio Plus
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Bob Stuart, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Tricia Quirk, Dominic Efter, Nancy Mayo, Lori Googins, Julie Vittum, Scott Hammond, Rebecca Greenlaw, Clyde Cushing and Carl Lusby.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry: The pantry is in need of volunteers to help out on Wednesday mornings and afternoons. If you are interested in helping, please contact them.
Paul Harris Recognition: Nancy Mayo was awarded a Paul Harris +1. Congratulations!
Join a Committee: If you haven’t already, please sign up to join a committee. The next committee meeting is August 27th at UMA in Ellsworth.
Rotary Foundation Update: Lincoln Ehrlenbach encourages all club members to donated to the Annual Fund. This year’s goal is to raise $6,000. Please consider making a donation. The money comes back to us for district grants.
75th Anniversary Planning: A committee has been formed and all are welcome to join. The event is scheduled for June 28th, 2025 at the Moore Center.
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
DeMeyer Field Project Update: The Rotary Club of Ellsworth’s Spring fundraiser for the DeMeyer Field Project was a huge success. We were so overwhelmed by the incredible support we had from the greater Ellsworth Community. To update you on our progress; the playground has been ordered and should be delivered next week. Groundwork for the playground and bocce courts is scheduled for October. Work on the pathway connecting the fields and the DeMeyer (3) field is also planned. Our expectation is to have the playground and field renovations completed by spring 2025, just in time for the next season of baseball and softball.
The next opportunity for you to help us continue our progress in this historical project is to commit to purchase a personalize commemorative fence picket that identifies you or your company and their support of this transformational project for our youth. Let’s build a fence for the DeMeyer Field playground that will surround the children with your support – and keep them safe! Be a part of Ellsworth history by personalizing your commemorative fence picket for the playground at DeMeyer Field. Promote your business, honor a loved one, or share a message. Please share the opportunity to purchase a picket on the fence surrounding the playground (will be delivered on Monday). The deadline for ordering a picket is September 30th.
Fundraiser Revenues
Auction $40,957.00
Donations $61,850.00
Fence pickets $7,500.00
Sponsors $37,500.00
Total Revenues $147,807.00
Fundraiser Expenses
Architect Fees $7,140.00
Credit Card Fees $820.93
Event $2,750.00
Pickets $62.47
Playground $16,404.00
Printing $393.21
Safari $5,000.00
Total Expenses $32,570.61
Scholarship in Honor or Debbie Ehrlenbach: This will be a “Service Above Self” scholarship for EHS Student or HCTC Student for Spring of 2025. Money was raised from club members who donated in honor of Debbie’s year of president.
Rotary Club Dues: Rotary dues are to be given to Tricia Quirk in person or mailed to the club at PO Box 741 in Ellsworth asap.
Rotary Blood Drives are the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at the Elks Lodge in Ellsworth. Please sign up to help. Shifts are from 11:00am to 2:00pm and 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
RYLA – This September. Looking for candidates to attend ages 18-35. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where you develop your skills as a leader while having fun and making connections. An email was sent out to all members with more info.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Bob Stuart of Maine College Circle. Since 1992, Maine College Circle has been talking with rural Maine elementary school students about their opportunities to build a brighter future. They help them understand the value of continued education beyond high school and we help them explore their educational opportunities. They want to inform and inspire their aspirations for their future. They want to empower them to shape their own future. And, they want to engage them in shaping the future of their rural Maine community. Our 30+ years of experience has taught them that students will be more successful in school and in the future if they have aspirations that will motivate them to work toward a career and a lifestyle they will be proud of. Their experience has taught us that grades 4 and 5 are the pivotal years for student aspirations in rural communities.
Each year, they provide Aspirations Workshops for over 2,000 students in grades 3 - 8 in over 40 mostly rural Maine communities, they award roughly 250 Future of Maine Aspirations Scholarships annually, we provide informational resources to these students, they help young students explore their career opportunities through "Connections," in partnership with the Mitchell Institute and Bowdoin College students we provide the monthly Maine Word About College newsletter, and they do much more . . . all to help build a brighter future for rural Maine communities. As of June 2024, 4,337 Future of Maine Aspirations Scholarships have been awarded to 3rd through 6th graders in rural Maine.
Maine College Circle uses the word "college" very deliberately, and define it very broadly.
Respectfully submitted by Rotarian Ashley Johnson
