April 13, 2017 Meeting of West Bay Rotary
Peter Berke introduced Susan Dorr, chair of the international committee, to share a number of slides and talk about international projects in which club members are involved.
Heidi Karod talked about CANAT, a program for children and families in Peru. The club has helped provide backpacks and encouraging families to send their children to school, vocational school, and the area has been destroyed by flooding since December 2016.
Penny Dunning then spoke about the Yachana Foundation in the rainforest of Ecuador. The work involves an eco-lodge, high school and technical school, serving 36 villages along the Napo River. We have helped a micro enterprise project of building chicken plucking equipment and building trades used in earthquake recovery.
Deb Hitchings then spoke about the work at the Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections in the Lesotho, Africa and the students that the club has supported through the college scholarship program and other programs. We are supporting a new student in the high school, a freshman, a letter from whom Deb read to the club, about how important education is to him.
Susan Dorr reminded the club of the water purification project in Valladolid in the Yucatan and shared photos from her trips there. The filtration involves paper and ultra violet light, and the fountains allow the school to have clean water and to fill bottles to take clean water home.
She has begun raising money for another more rural village school, as part of a goal of reaching 15 rural schools in the Valladolid area, involving Rotary Clubs from other areas, too.
She also reminded us of Masons on A Mission, Tanzania Water Project involving Michael Moore, the Syrian Relief project headed locally by Camden resident Allison McKellar, and sponsoring students to attend the Camden Conference on World Affairs as other projects in which the club has been involved.
The committee meets on the fourth Tuesday at 8a at the Congregational Church and any interested members are invited to attend.
Etienne spoke about the water project in Tanzania, and shared some images that Michael Moore sent involving his club in Naples, Florida. It involves gravity feed, storage and purification then distribution to villages in the area. Water Missions International is collaborating with the Rotary Global Grant and the cost of the project was $160,000. The club contributed $2,500.
Buckets on the table are for the Ripple Effect used furnishing project in Rockland.
Ron Hall spoke about Every Rotarian Every Year and recognized members for their participation at least at the $100 per year level.
Peter asked Tom Albertson and everyone else who is signed up to help at April 22 EWaste to stand up. Tom thanked Lehman Scott for the banners along Route 1 advertising the event. Sign-up for morning and afternoon shifts is still possible, or see Tom. He needs a pickup truck in the morning to help move tables, chairs, set up coffee, balloons and yard signs, and at noon to provide pizza for the crew, and set up the day before, Friday, April 21.
Peter Berke announced that envelopes with club member names are prepared with tickets for each member to sell for the Duck Derby. Sponsors include Adventure Advertising, providing a gift in kind of banners and signs, Edward Jones, ticket sponsors, $250 are several businesses connected to members, as well as $100 sponsors both in and outside of the club. There are also sign-up sheets for the day of the event.
Club Assembly is April 27, where committee chairs will be reporting, and he will share the results of the recent club survey.
Next week’s presentation will be on the Camden/Rockport Middle School planning.
Beer Fellowship 12-2 Saturday in Skowhegan. See Lisa Dresser for more details.
Peter shared that West Bay Rotary was the only service club at the Business-to-Business Showcase yesterday at the Samoset. It was very well-attended, with lots of visitors.