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Portsmouth Country Club

80 Country Club Lane
2nd Floor
Greenland, NH 03840
United States of America

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Top of the Week August 20, 2019

Top of the Week!

August 20, 2019

Special Double Edition

You are so lucky today! This is a special double edition of your weekly eBulletin. Yes, that's right, two weeks worth of Rotary Logs for your enjoyment. And no extra charge!

Rotary Rocks! District Conference message from DG Andy Glazier

Hello Rotarians and future Rotarians!

Our Events Team is working at warp speed on creating a fabulous October 5th RotaryRocks! event for us:

A District Conference Like No Other! One Magnificent Day!

Saturday, October 5th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, at the Univ of Southern Maine, Portland.

Continuing with two of our themes this Rotary year of "Be Creative" and "Think Outside The Box", we are working at warp speed to finalize details for our "District Conference like no other!" Our event Team is confident that we are creating an experience that will excite, entertain, and motivate all, Rotarians and potential Rotarians alike!

To maximize participation (the theatre at the University of Southern Maine seats 550), we have set the event registration fee at a mere $20 for the day. This includes event participation, parking, breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

What's unique about this high energy event? It's the ideal event for all new (and veteran) Rotarians and potential Rotarians to experience what's happening in our Rotary today. We have asked each club to please have a display table featuring the good work that your club does, be it fund raisers, service projects, or grant work. There will be another 20 display tables featuring Rotary related projects. Connect with Rotarians from other clubs - explain to them what works for you - learn from others what works for them - experience what's going on in Rotary outside of your club.

Additionally our New Voices Club Rotarians (the high energy leaders of our future) will be explaining their novel and unique (Thinking Outside The Box) approach to Rotary.

And, our Zone 24 & 32 Rotary International Director Jeffry Cadorette, will be our keynote speaker! Jeffry is an exciting, high energy, GrowRotary! motivational speaker with new ideas; you will love him!

=> Please register to attend today!
https://rotary7780.org/event/rotary-rocks

Bring your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and in-laws - bring all your potential Rotarians. At this price you can afford to bring 20, 30, or more!

Past President Cleo's Never Ending Project Takes Another Step Forward

This past Saturday, intrepid Rotarians braved adverse conditions (cloudy and cool) to further the work at the John Paul Jones House in Portsmouth. The work consisted of scraping and painting the wooden fence in front of the historic house. Needless to say, these selfless Rotarians succeeded in making a once sad looking fence look pristine.

Thanks to all who helped out at the project and here's to the collective effort to make this iconic Portsmouth landmark more beautiful.

For more pictures of this project click on the link at the end of this bulletin.

Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge : Kayak Race for Males and Females

Rotary is looking for 6-12 kayaks to be donated to the Annual Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge.

About the Challenge

2019 marks the 4th Annual Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge! The challenge was created to bring highlight the ecological importance of the region and the river, as well as the illegal fishing that is endangering it. Organizers hope to show that eco-tourism is an alternative to illegal and harmful fishing practices that can support the local economy.

All are invited to attend! Racers from international places are welcome. If you reach out as soon as you can, a kayak can be put aside for you. It is recommended that you stay in Punta Gorda and BTV will be organizing transportation to the starting line.

PRIZES

There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes for both the male and female races! There will also be station prizes throughout the race -first person to pass the station gets the prize. The oldest and youngest racers will also receive a prize. During the race, spectators are invited to participate in 5-a-side football marathon, with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th prizes!

Barranco is the southern-most coastal village in Belize, right across the river from Guatemala, and has a population of about 200. Traditionally a fishing and farming village, Barranco has seen a decline in population in recent times. The village is already experiencing severe climate change impacts, including repeated flooding and drastic erosion. One goal of the Eco-Challenge is to bring people back to the village and raise awareness both among everyday people and the government on the challenges facing them.

Make Peg’s Day!

Dear Fellow Rotarians:

Our dear friend and Portsmouth Rotarian Peg Millar is looking for some Rotarian fellowship during the week. Since Peg is unable to drive it leaves her feeling a bit lonely and isolated. A half hour visit can go a long way in putting a smile on Peg’s face. We have had a small circle of our Rotarian’s visiting Peg and helping with errands but with everyone’s busy schedule it would nice to get a few more folks over to spread a little cheer Peg’s way. Please reach out to Peg for a visit at 603-501-0910.

Thank you from Rotary Connections Committee

Volunteer for Cross Roads

For a great fellowship experience, please consider volunteering at Cross Roads House:

Slots are generally on Wednesdays and Saturdays with Cooks working 3-5 pm and Servers 5-7 pm.

If you would like to volunteer please text or call Tiffany at 603-380-5872. That way she will know when she has enough volunteers and can coordinate other dates that need to be filled.

Or Volunteer At the Salvation Army

Another great fellowship opportunity. Upcoming dates for dinner service at the Salvation Army are September 17, October 29 and November 25. Volunteers are asked to be at the kitchen at 4:15 to prepare for the dinner service. If you are interested, contact Sara Treacy.

PHA Volunteer Coordination

Mary Kelliher, Volunteer Coordinator at the Portsmouth Housing Authority forwarded the following:

“I'm reaching out regarding a recurring volunteer opportunity that has sprung at two of our resident building. We now hold a coffee hour at our Margeson building on Mondays at 10am and at Feaster on Thursdays at 10am. These are opportunities for residents to get out of their apartments and spend time in a communal space to have a treat together. We'd love to have volunteers sign up for a particular day or recurring days to bring donuts, pastries, and/or fruit (coffee is provided) if anyone would like to do so! This is an easy opportunity to also chat with our resident population, as well. Each building also has a piano, waiting for anyone with a passion for it to play during coffee hour as well!!

Let Mary know if anyone might be interested.

https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000006644/en-ca/files/homepage/mary-kelliher-contact-info/Mary-Kelliher.pdf

AmeriCorps Seeks Rotary Volunteers

Mary Kelliher is the Volunteer Coordinator for AmeriCorps working out of Portsmouth Housing's Greenleaf Recreation Center with the Resident Services team which assists low-income residents, senior residents, and residents with disabilities in finding resources for different needs, such as budgeting, financial literacy, transportation, etc. Mary and AmeriCorps is seeking volunteers who would be willing to volunteer. One example of a volunteer opportunity is assisting an older female resident who lives alone in moving heavy furniture (strong people needed!) into and from a UHaul during her planned move from her Feaster apartment to Connor's Cottage. If there are any volunteers intersted in lending a hand please contact Mary at maryk@nh-pha.com.

Sorry We Missed You

If you have a makeup for a missed meeting, please email it to the following link:

Makeups

Check Your Profile

The Communications Committee is asking that everyone log onto ClubRunner and check your profile to make sure it is up to date. Change is part of life and we hope to be able to reflect those changes in our website. Happy surfing.

Rotary Connections is back!!!

Rotary Connections let’s our members know that their Rotary club is thinking of them. Members facing a health issue, death in the family or a life celebration, we are here!

If you know of any of our members who may need a Rotary Connections, please reach out to the Cathy Nickerson or President Ben.

Let us Know What is Happening!

If you have an event or news that you would like to share with your fellow Rotarians, please forward the information to Dennis Moulton for inclusion in the weekly eBulletin. My contact information is d-moulton@comcast.net. And please send photos!

Rotary Log for August 8, 2019

Rotary Log for August 8^th, 2019

President Leo opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and called upon Justin Finn for the Invocation. That was followed by Senor Rice leading the membership in a rousing verse of “God Bless America.”

As Justin fiddled with his phone and adjusted the microphone to introduce guests, Leo took the opportunity to make an announcement. Anyone whose phone rang during future meetings would pay a $10 fine! There was a flurry as members made sure their phones were indeed off or muted!

There were many guests at the meeting, all of whom were given a warm Rotary welcome. They included Brian Cisnero (guest of Ian Oneail,) former Rotarian Joan Rice (guest of husband John,) former Rotarian Joanna Liu and Robert Baddell (both guests of Tony Delyani.) And still more guests. Norm Olsen (Stella Scamman,) Greg Burdwood and Catherine Duclos (Bill Simpson.)

Visiting Rotarians included Nick Shea of Greater Salem, N.H., Steve Caron of Andover, Mass. and Atul Chopra of Panipat Central, District 3080, India.

Leo read a long list of Rotarian birthdays and anniversaries for the month of August totaling an impressive 276 years of service.

There are lots of opportunities to make up missed meetings, Leo reminds us. For example, you can volunteer at Crossroads House, the non-profit we are partnering with for another year (see Tiffany.) There are also opportunities at the Salvation Army Soup kitchen (see Sara Treacy.)

Kicking off general announcements, Leo mentioned the upcoming Eco-Challenge taking place in Belize from Sept. 8^th to 15^th – cost will be in the region of $1200. Sara Treacy is looking for three more volunteers at the Salvation Army soup kitchen for Sept. 17^th. Larry Harvey needs volunteer help at a fundraising event for veterans’ families on Veterans Day Nov. 10^th.

Ramona Dow reports that the Board has approved two Basic Needs Committee requests. One $1500 gift goes to My Breast Cancer Support and $1000 will be donated to Zebra Crossings. In addition, the Board approved a $500 donation to Wrap-A-Smile which provides hand-made post-surgical quilts to Rotaplast patients.

Leonard is still excited about last weekend’s Parade of Sails and reminds members that the antique schooner “Harvey Gamage” was docked at New Castle Pier offering 2-hour sailing trips this Saturday and Sunday (for details, check https://sailportsmouthnh.org/sail-with-pmc/).

Leo also reminded us to pay our dues. New Rotarians may need to check with the Treasurer to make sure they have paid their prorated dues in addition to their initiation fee.

Cindi Shanley, celebrating a birthday and a Rotary anniversary in August, also celebrated her $52 50/50 raffle win. Sadly, though, she did not pick a match for the bonus of $125.

John Rice, St. Paul’s School Form of ‘65, introduced the guest speaker, Kathleen “Kathy” Carroll Giles. Kathy is the newly appointed and first female Rector of St. Paul’s School in Concord. She is no stranger to the Seacoast, having owned property in Hampton for 14 years. The Portland, Maine, native is a 1980 graduate of Portland High School where she was the grateful recipient of a Rotary Club scholarship. She then graduated summa cum laude from Harvard/Radcliffe colleges and went on to earn degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her husband, Ralph, also an educator, is joining the faculty at St. Paul’s. The Giles’ have three children.

The former head of Middlesex School and member of the Groton faculty, Kathy has had a distinguished career. Now, as the 14^th Rector of St. Paul’s, she acknowledges the challenges and opportunities of independent schools. Her goal is to promote scholarship, leadership, character and community. She emphasized the advantages for young people of growing up in a global village where students learn to live with and respect people who are different. She will “push the good” to help young people grow into the citizen-leaders they need them to be and become.

The new Rector explained that SPS is also a business with more than 200 full time employees. The school has a $56 million-dollar annual budget and an annual property tax of $550,000. Some buildings date back to the mid-1800s and require significant maintenance. Tuition is just shy of $60,000, with 40% of students receiving an average of $56,550 in aid. Still, there is competition from area public schools. For example, Concord, Ma., has a new $110 million high school and Dover, N.H., has invested $50 million in a new high school.

The St. Paul’s School Advanced Studies Program is in its 62^nd year, bringing together 250-plus New Hampshire high school seniors from all over the state. They live and work together on campus for five weeks. The program is designed to open the doors to competitive higher education for students who might not otherwise be completely prepared.

In the Q & A that followed her remarks, Kathy touched on international enrollment at St. Paul’s, which is approximately 14%. She discussed the pressures parents and students experience as they navigate the college applications process, where competition is real and increasing. She notes that colleges perform “enrollment management,” trying to attract more international students. Sadly, students often idealize certain college names and strive to enter these schools rather than asking themselves, “What do I want to do with my life?” Kathy encourages businesses to hire interns so that students are exposed to real life work.

In answer to another question, she also touched on the challenges of dealing with parents. She encourages them to give their children space. She sees parents helping them to understand that achievement follows growth. Specialization is not necessarily the answer to a scholarship offer – rather it is fear of missing out at its worst.

The last question had to do with the availability of marijuana. Since neighboring states have legalized pot, St. Paul’s struggles to handle the challenge. Kathy is unequivocal in stressing the dangers of marijuana. Legalization gives young people the false impression that it is safe, she says. She believes marijuana is a gateway drug and urges adults to come out and say that it is not OK. She believes the ways to work with marijuana are to increase adult supervision, enforce discipline and enhance vigilance. There is no substitution for “eyes on kids!”

After thanking Kathy for her presentation, Leo asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of the El Paso and Dayton shooting victims. He then closed the meeting with the members joining him in reciting the Four-Way Test.

Respectfully submitted Francoise Meissner

Photos by Sara Treacy

Rotary Log for August 15, 2019

Rotary Log for Thursday August 15th, 2019

Hello fellow Rotarians, happy Thursday! Our still new and shiny president Leo opened the meeting at 12:15. Visiting Rotarian from Rotary International Julia Phelps led us in song, while Lindsey Hery read a nice upbeat invocation.

Guests.

Nicole Scarneo invited Heath Wilson. We were lucky to host Julia Phelps along with our speaker Mike McGovern from Rotary International Foundation.

Leonard Seagren brought Sateesh, who lives in India and volunteers on board one of the Tall Ships that recently came to Portsmouth.

Happy Dollars.

Our President Emeritus’ daughter Eleina is 11 today. That’s worth eleven bucks!...Francois Meissner’s son got a 3^rd place in sheep shearing. Who needs a haircut?.….Yours truly is proud of her husband Matt. He passed his P&C insurance test and will work with Cleo and Aileen. No more studying!

Announcements.

North Conway Rotary plans on packaging 30,000 meals on September 14^th!...Next year’s Rotary International Convention is in Honolulu in June, bring sunscreen…Rotary Rocks is on October 5^th in Portland, Maine this year! Mark your calendars…Cross Roads and Salvation Army is looking for volunteers, please sign up!...Leonard Seagren needs volunteers for the Belize water project.

Seacoast Rep is offering Rotarians two free tickets to Neil Simon’s “Sunshine Boys” August 29^th to September 8^th. Enter code “sunshinerotary” at checkout…The Rotary Foundation has received a $5000 donation in the name of James Labrie….Program Chair James Petersen has said thank you but no thank you to Tony Delyani. Tony has not been able to invite any Democratic Party 2020 candidates!...Marie Brownell, our returning Golf Tournament Chair, announced that next year’s Tournament is June 26^th.

John Lyons won the $44 raffle and sorry not a match.

The Program.

James Petersen came up to the podium for the third time today to introduce our speaker Mike McGovern. Mike belongs to the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth and was the 1999-2000 district governor. He is now a Rotary International Director and Rotary Foundation Trustee, serving as Chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee. Mike’s last visit to our club was 20 years ago. He sat next to George W. Bush, whom he described as class act. And that’s even after Mike shared that he is a die-hard Democrat.

Mike discussed the Foundation’s efforts to 100% eradicate Polio. In Nigeria and all of Africa, it’s been three years since the last case was reported, which is great news. But recent cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan this year are worrisome.

Mike describes that after our own Ellen Labrie’s visit to Ethiopia, a woman named her newborn baby after her. Some of the Rotary Foundation’s efforts include donating constructing a laboratory in Nigeria. This is where the last case of Polio was found. The Foundation delivered 70 wheelchairs and organized national immunization days. Last year $51-million dollars was raised and matched by the Gates Foundation.