A lot has happened since this fall. The Bulb Sale was a great success. Thank you for the purchases and contributions. You will be rewarded in the spring with beautiful blossoms. Following that we had our annual wreath hanging in Bath. The weather did not cooperate as well as it could have, so it took a couple of days to get the wreaths up. That, along with the efforts of our fellow club in Bath, the city, shopkeepers, and numerous elves, have again made Bath a magical holiday time.

At the Table

Over the past few months we have some new and returning members sitting at the table with us. Erika Benson returns to a warm welcome. Erika is the director of human resources/assistant to the Bath city manager. Steve Bailey has transferred from the Rotary club of Damariscotta-Newcastle. Steve is executive director of the Maine School Management Association, the service organization for both the Maine School Boards Association and the Maine School Superintendents Association. Neil Gastonguay has joined the club as a new Rotarian. He is a former pastor at Bath United Methodist Church.

We meet at 7 a.m. on the first and third Fridays of the month at Mae’s restaurant, 160 Centre Street, Bath. All are welcome to join us for a great breakfast with a great group of people. Recently, Mari Eosco visited to update us on what’s happening in Bath. Mari is chair of the City Council and interim director of Main Street Bath. Over the years, Mari has stepped in to help make Bath a fine community. In recognition, the club awarded Mari a Paul Harris Fellow for her service to our community. Thank you, Mari.

Morse High School Interact Club

Interact clubs, which are part of Rotary International, bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self.” More than 20,000 Interact Clubs have more than 460,000 members in 159 countries around the world. Morse High School has a fantastic Interact Club, having just completed one project and moving on to the next one.

The Morse Interact Club sponsored a Purple Pinkies project at the high school in support of efforts by Rotary to eradicate polio worldwide and raise funds toward the cause. In countries where polio is still endemic, including Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, children are vaccinated in nationwide events at several sites. To determine who has already been vaccinated, kids have their pinky painted purple. For a minimum donation of 60 cents (the cost to vaccinate one child), Morse students and staff had their pinkies painted purple. Interact raised $160.51. This money will be tripled by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, bringing the total to $480.53, enough to vaccinate 800 children. Well done!

Morse High School is also hosting an upcoming blood drive in conjunction with the Red Cross. Please join our lifesaving mission and schedule an appointment today.

Drive details:

Site: Morse High School, 826 High St., Bath

Room: Girl’s Gym

Date: Friday, Dec. 29

Time: 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Coordinator: Leslie Trundy, 207-443-8250

To schedule an appointment, please go to http://www.redcrossblood.o rg/give/drive/driveSearch.j sp

The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every two to three seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime. Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App on the App Store, Google Play or text BLOODAPP to 90999. Schedule appointments, get rewards, and invite friends to join you on a lifesaving team.

RYLA

RYLA is Rotary’s youth

leadership training program. Our district’s RYLA involves students after their sophomore year in high school. RYLA programs in other areas are designed for college students or young adults just beginning their professional careers. RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, personal growth, and service.

In Rotary District 7780 we believe that RYLA will help young people realize their potential and adapt to experiences within their life and their communities. RYLA enables participants to join other young people from across our district. Students come together to exchange ideas, plans, and opinions with other talented and energetic people in a supportive atmosphere, free from pressure and distraction.

In late June of each year, clubs throughout District 7780 send 120 high school sophomores to the Rotary Youth Leadership awards conference at Camp Hinds in Raymond, Maine. Participants are assigned to a Leadership Exploration Group (LEG) along with 11 others. They spend four days together exploring leadership concepts through a series of practical situations, including team building, group problem solving, confidence building, and solo events.

Each LEG is guided through the conference by a team of experienced facilitators who have been selected by the district because of their demonstrated leadership ability, commitment to the development of youth leaders, and experience with the RYLA program.

Final Word

Thanks for reading this. For more information visit bathsunriserotary.org or our Facebook page, or call Bob Reed at 207-844-0451.