Opening Ceremonies: President Scott Kimball called the meeting to order. Invocation by Gene Pellerano and we said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Greeter: Dom Efter
Sargent at Arms: Cindy Shoppe
Make-ups: Both Bruce Fischer and Bill Casale have mailed in makeup notices.
Guests: Marc Rich and our speaker.
Birthdays: Charlene Churchill – Jan 23.
Club Anniversaries: Pam Cushing, Clyde, Cushing, and Suellen Speed – Jan 26, 2016.
Door Prizes: Marian Wells and Iris Simon both took home bottles of wine; Rod Fox and Julie Bouchard both won Maine Black Bears T-shirts with Rod passing his along to super fan Jane Langley.
Rotary Minute: Tracy Shaffer shared that we will be updated our club’s strategic plan this year with a focus on diversity in keeping with the Rotary International’s focus to increase membership of younger people, women, and people of different races.
50/50: Dom Efter won the $11 and donated it all back to the Pack a Bag for the Dominican Republic. Dom was happy about the Patriots’ win on Sunday and that he was at the game.
Happy Dollars Highlights: Lots of Dilly Dilly donations for the Pats’ win, Larry Johnston was happy and sad that his granddaughter is going to Bhutan to study at a Buddhist university there, Tracy Shaffer was happy for a good first auction meeting with the folks at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital.
Rotary Business: Clyde Cushing noted that he has volunteer application forms for the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School if other Rotarians are interested in volunteering there. We will be staffing Everybody Eats on Mondays in March. Signup will start soon.
The Early Literacy Committee will meet at 5:15 on Tuesday, January 30.
Marian Wells said the Membership Committee will meet on Thursday, February 1 at 7:30 am at Martha’s Diner.
Several club members will be attending the Rotary Leadership Institute session on March 24 in Wells, Maine. If anyone else is interested in attending, please contact Scott Kimball for information on how to register.
Program/Speaker: Carla Tanguay, of Modulations Therapies, was our speaker. Carla is a board-certified music therapist with over fifteen years of experience in clinical practice and healthcare management. Her company provides group and individual music therapy services to clients of all ages.
She explained how music therapy addresses goals ranging from communication to rehabilitation to stress management. Modulations Therapies also contracts with healthcare and educational organizations throughout Hancock, Washington, and Penobscot Counties.
She gave examples of how music can help children who are non-verbal and elderly people who have dementia. She noted that singing is processed in a different part of the brain than speech and is retained until the end of life.
Carla also gave us the opportunity to do some singing throughout her presentation as she accompanied us on her guitar!
Respectfully submitted,
Charlene Churchill
