Happy New Year everyone!

Out with the old ... In with the new ... I don’t think we’ve ever felt that so strongly at the start of a new year. It sure has been a challenging one.

Congratulations to you, the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club members. We rallied and met so many of the challenges of 2020. We innovated, we had a successful and fun season at the Rotary Club Barn, we added new members, we carried furniture, we made soup for the Food Pantry, we delivered food to community members, we even overcame our techno-phobia and met weekly on Zoom, and so much more. We also laughed together, supported one another and worked to make a positive impact on our community. Thank you.

We will meet this Thursday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Few of us are traveling right now, but with the magic of Zoom we will visit China this Thursday with Judi White’s daughter, Caroline Remley. Caroline has been living in Tianjin, China since 2016 with her son Kievan who is now 16. She will share her experiences and insights on life in China. She has had two articles about her time in China published in the Boothbay Register. Join us this Thursday to meet Caroline and hear about her life in China. We will still have time to visit, share stories and news. It’s always good to see you. Can’t wait till we meet in person though.

The Rotary Club Barn is now closed for the season. It is also full to the brim. We are not accepting donations at this time. Please don’t just drop things off. There is no room right now. The Barn Crew has worked very hard this year. They are taking a much needed break. Please be respectful of them. So, no drop-offs or pick ups at this time. Sometime this winter we will regroup and have room for donations again.

In December, Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC director, was named a Paul Harris Fellow. At this meeting (via Zoom) Dr. Shah stated “We plan to invite Rotary/Rotarians to assist with the education and awareness efforts specific to the importance of people getting vaccinated as well as looking for Rotarians to volunteer at our immunization clinics. Rotary is trusted and respected by its communities and the world.” Sure makes you proud to be a Rotarian.

As part of this initiative our club was asked to support Boothbay Region Ambulance Service in the purchase of a vaccine dedicated refrigerator and a new iPad for vaccine charting. When I called Scott Lash, the director of BRAS, he was so relieved to hear he would have the support of the BBH Rotary Club.

So here to 2021! Hope to see you this Thursday at our first Zoom meeting of this new year.