Last week was one of those completely feel-good meetings that make me so, so glad and proud to be a Rotarian.   

The evening was billed as “spaghetti supper fundraiser served by the Interact club,” and that’s what it was … and so much more. For those of you who don’t know, the Interact Club is Rotary’s high school-based youth organization, which here in the region includes about 30 young people at BRHS. Our club advisor is Bruce Harris, with ample support from Rudi Bottse and Sarah Clark, and by all accounts, the adults are indeed there as advisors, and the young people do the determining and organizing and follow-through. So while the evening was indeed a spaghetti fundraiser, it was also an opportunity to see these wonderful young people in action. 

As we were chowing down on red sauce and pasta and impossibly caloric garlic bread, Bruce said a few words and introduced this year’s Interact president Ariel Alamo, who offered a run-through of the club’s activities this year, which proved to be a combination of fun events and service projects, and a combination of both, i.e., fun service projects. They included: 

• Stuffing 150 envelopes to invite veterans to the Veterans Appreciation night, followed by serving and cleanup at the dinner itself. 
• Halloween pumpkin carving/costumes/fun night. 
• Lewiston Strong fundraiser. The young people sold “Lewiston Strong” bracelets that netted a cool $1,500, and The First got involved and contributed an additional $1,000. The funds went directly to the families involved in the tragedy. 
• The Interact officers rode in the Lighted Fire Truck Parade with the grand marshall fire chiefs from Lewiston-Auburn – this was an opportunity for more sales of the bracelets. As well as a cool thing to do. 
• Christmas party, with pizza and cards written and delivered to St Andrews residents. 
• Snow tubing at Seacoast Adventure in Windham. 
• Bingo day with the St Andrews residents  

I certainly wish I could have been a fly on the wall for some of these events, most especially the last one! 

Then president Ariel introduced her fellow HS seniors in the club.  We met: 

• Meg Sledge, who is planning to attend Maine Maritime Academy 
• Colby Allen, who is planning on majoring in business at University of Maine - Orono. 
• Sarah Kreft, who is looking at a combination of psychology and pre-med, also at UMO. 
• Charlotte Fuchswanz, who is planning on a nursing degree at UMO. 
• Kate Campbell, who looks forward to studying nutrition at UMO. 
• As for Ariel, she is accepted at University of Connecticut, where she plans to study education. 

What is clear is that we have an exceptional group of young people, all giving back to the community, and learning leadership and responsibility during the doing.  And oh, PS, just after the introductions were completed, this scribe learned that the spaghetti fundraiser raised almost $750, which the club has already decided will be donated to the Student Aid Fund. Way to go, Interact!  

This week we are welcoming back author Charles Britton from Southport who just published his third novel under the pen name C. W. Wells. “Lonestar,” his latest book, is set in West Texas where former pro football player, Gale McClanahan, has been blackmailed into taking a job coaching a high school football team.  Charles is a fun and engaging speaker. We enjoyed his first book talk and will probably like this one just as much. 

The Rotary Barn is open every Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. with fabulous, gently used furniture, collectibles, art, kayaks, pots and pans, well just about anything.  We are taking donations.  Just call or text Deb at 207-380-3550 for pick up or delivery scheduling. 

If you're interested in the fun and work of Rotary, join us any Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at our Clubhouse, 66 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538.