Notes from Elizabeth Cutler since Ed Seppa was out having surgery.  We all said a silent prayer for Ed and wish him a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

 

Ed Smith made a brief appearance and picked up the new sign for the beach wheelchair from Tracy.  Ed had to scoot because he has recently been sworn in as Fire Chief again and indefinitely as the end date on the form reinstating him was left blank.  Congratulations to Ed and thank you for the continued service to Ogunquit.

 

In other wheelchair news, Bob will be making the presentation of the new wheelchair on the 16^th to the Board of Selectmen. 

 

Octoberfest at the beach is Saturday, October 20^th from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.  Ed Seppa and George have confirmed bread donations.  We will also have a bake sale and it was suggested that funds raised go to help in Indonesia where 1,550 people have died from the results of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.  Tracy will be reaching out to confirm volunteers for Octoberfest. 

 

Bob asked for suggestions for Halloween decorations for Rotary Park but in the end The Town of Ogunquit Administrative Department set up a great display so check it out when you are in Perkins Cove.

 

Erin reported the results of the survey regarding switching from a breakfast meeting club to a lunchtime club.  A final decision will be voted on at the board meeting on Thursday.  The board meeting will be followed by the social – which may include pizza.

19/24 people responded to the survey.

83.3% said they could attend at least 50% of the lunch meetings.

67% selected the option of two lunch meetings over three lunch meetings per month.

72% said yes to the question about willingness to pay quarterly for meetings whether you eat or not.

 

 

Pete and George both thought they had the winning raffle number but in the end it was Pete’s (almost) lucky day.  He did have the winning number but then drew the 5 of hearts and 10 of spades so no big financial win for Pete.

 

Bob then introduced the guest speaker for the day who was Casey Hartford, Director of Communication & Outreach, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine.  Casey can be reached at: casey.hartford@somebigs.org or 207-773-5437 ext. 233 if you want to follow up with her.  Casey reported that the National Big Brothers Big Sisters has recently gone through a brand transformation because the number of children being served was trending now.  Part of that transformation seems to be using the word "mentor" more which is more inclusive for older Bigs (like Rotarians).  The waitlist for Southern Maine is currently full (of kids needing a mentor) so Casey and her colleagues are actively recruiting volunteers.  The basic commitment is 2 times a month and you are matched with someone with common interests.  Mentors are asked to commit for at least one year.  Both the kids and mentors go through an extensive screening process.

 

Even just one hour a week can make a big difference in a child’s life.  Bob’s brother Freddy was a Big Brother and Bob reported that it was a great experience for his brother and for the boy he mentored.

 

It costs the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization approx. $1,000 per year to support each child in the program – that money is primarily used to pay staff and purchase supplies.

 

The overall goal of the program is focused on prevention to stop risky behavior in kids before it’s too late.  Most of the kids in the Southern Maine region are between 8-13 and volunteers are needed to help support these kids (men volunteers are especially in short supply).  If you or someone you know would be interested, be the inspiration, and get in touch with Casey to get involved.

 

Feel free to comment or correct as needed. 

 

Elizabeth

 

(Ed Seppa is pleased to report that the left knee meniscus repair procedure went well. He is very appreciative of Elizabeth Cutler's the superb reporting!)