Opening Ceremonies: President Jodie Cushing called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sergeant at Arms: Clyde Cushing
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, Carol and Louman Finney
Birthdays: Kelly Brown, Linda Rose
Club Anniversaries: Benedetta Pellerano and Jessica Remick
Door Prizes: The lucky winners were: Michael Houslen, Cindy Shoppe, David Wells
50/50: $12 to Nancy Mayo
Happy Dollars: 1st Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Polio Plus
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Nancy Mayo, Peter Farragher, Michael Houslen, Carl Lusby, Marc Rich, Lincoln Ehrlenbach, Kelly Brown, Jodie Cushing, David Wells and JoAnn Rodick.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Rotary Club Citation – Rotary International - For all the club’s efforts to “Create Hope in the World” the Rotary theme for 2023-2024, the club received a Citation from Gordon McInally, last years’ RI President. This recognition is truly an honor. To put it in perspective, for all of Maine, New Hampshire, and Quebec Provence (2 Districts 7780 & 7790) only 7 of these citations were awarded. Congratulations to all club members.
Rotary Membership Night: Our Rotary club’s annual Membership Night is planned for Tuesday, October 8, 5:30-7pm at China Hill! This will be a fun and informative event to invite your friends, colleagues, and neighbors to attend with you, to learn more about possibly joining our Rotary club. I have attached an invitation to the event that you can share with your guests via email or in person. Please have your guests RSVP to you directly and then please RSVP your guest’s information to me at jrodick@mainecf.org. Please list their name, phone number, and email address. MEMBERS HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN! For every interested potential member, you bring as a guest to Membership Night (who has not yet been inducted), your name goes in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Chipper’s Restaurant!
In addition to offering an appetizer table which includes coconut shrimp, crab rangoon, beef & chicken teriyaki, fresh vegetable rolls, cheese & crackers, and fresh cut vegetables & dip; we plan to offer cupcakes & punch and we will be giving away several gift baskets to your guests to thank them for attending.
Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, September 28th from 7am-10am at EEMS. ALL HELP IS NEEDED. Please sign up and questions to Kelly Brown. Tickets are available! Then after the breakfast, the chamber needs help if you are able to, please contact PJ at the Chamber!
75th Anniversary Legacy Project: Peter Farragher and Debbie Ehrlenbach presented an update on the DeMeyer Field project at the Ellsworth City Council Meeting on August 19th. We had 8 Rotarians attend the meeting along with representation from the Ellsworth Little League and Challenger programs. We received a standing ovation from the council. The playground was delivered on August 26th and is now stored at E.L. Shea. Peter and Debbie have attended meetings with the various contractors and groundwork construction is planned for October, once the sports season is complete. Details Construction has agreed to construct (donated their services) the playground for us. We are also contacting HCTC to see if the carpentry program students would like to help with the playground assembly. Also, Rotarians will be invited to assist. A Foundation Grant Application at Bangor Savings Bank for $2500 for the project has been approved. Peter and Debbie received the check from Sheryl Edgecomb, representing Bangor Savings. A photo was taken of us receiving the check at DeMeyer Field.
Picket Fence Naming Opportunity: A letter via email went out to all chamber members informing them of the opportunity to purchase a picket for the fence surrounding the playground at the DeMeyer Field. The Chamber is also posting the order form in its weekly newsletter. Pickets are available for $250. Forms will be available at club meetings. Please share this information with anyone you feel may want to purchase a picket. The deadline for purchasing a picket is September 30th.
Partnership Opportunity – Maine College Circle Bob Stuart, Director is working with Julie Vittum (Noontime Rotary), Scott Hammond (Bar Harbor Rotary) and Debbie Ehrlenbach (representing our club) on a collaboration to introduce the program to all schools in Hancock County. An aspirations fair is planned for Ellsworth and Bar Harbor. We are working on securing dates and identifying professionals to participate.
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.
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 Graviel Nuel Jacobo. He is the Founder of Centro de Protesis and Terapia Fisica. Graviel is a resilient young man who grew up in a Batey in the countryside, where life was a constant challenge with no electricity, running water, and the nearest school four hours away on foot. At just six years old, Graviel lost his entire right leg after being run over by a train car. Despite these hardships, he persevered and now leads the first and only non-profit prosthetic center in the Dominican Republic, dedicated to providing free prosthetic care and support to amputees and individuals with special needs. His journey from adversity to advocacy is a testament to his unwavering spirit and commitment to helping others regain their mobility and independence.
As mentioned during his presentation, they have recently published a children's book, and the proceeds will go directly toward funding our construction projects and clinics. You can access and purchase the book through the following link: https://www.centrodeprot
Additionally, if you need assistance with purchasing or have any questions about the book, please reach out to Debbie, who handles the shipping and is also the treasurer of our 501(c)(3) in the States. Her contact details are as follows:
Debbie's Contact Information:
- Email: grammyburke8@gmail.com
- Phone: 1 (603) 770-3178
Respectfully submitted by Rotarian Ashley Johnson
