“Rotary International is the only non-profit organization in the world that has a plan for world peace and is actively working to make it happen,” Marty Helman said as she started her talk to her fellow Rotarians last Thursday. Marty then went on to draw a distinction between peace treaties, which may make headlines but may not prove lasting, and positive peace, in which the issues that lead to war in the first place are addressed and a move toward sustainable peace is effectuated. It is the second kind of peace – infinitely harder and seldom making headlines – that Rotary International is working to build. 

The secret sauce toward peace is Rotary’s Peace Fellowships. Rotary offers fully fellowshipped graduate study in peace and development through partner universities. More than 1900 students, selected from applicants around the world, have successfully completed the program and are now at work in their home country or a global hot-spot. Here in North America, Rotary offers the program through a joint effort with Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and indeed, our Rotary district recently sponsored a student from Ethiopia who is currently finishing her first year of studies in public health and peace at that campus. 

Marty went on to explain how she and her late husband Frank got involved in Rotary’s peace efforts. Dr. Otto Walter, a philanthropist and friend, asked Frank to take responsibility for Otto’s philanthropic endowment after his death, and since 2003, Frank – joined by Marty – have done just that. As a result, they were able to invest in a number of philanthropies over the years, and they were joined in this work by Chip Griffin and Ken Bradsell, both of whom were members of the Walter Foundation board.  

Together, they were actively looking for an opportunity appropriate to endow with the entire fortune, and that opportunity came in 2021, when the Rotary Foundation announced plans to expand the Rotary Peace Fellowship program to the Middle East. Over the past few years, Marty has been involved in helping to choose the new university partner and build the program, and this past winter, the program officially opened and Rotary International organized a peace conference in Istanbul to celebrate the event. 

Chip and Denise Griffin spoke of the excitement of being at a conference with 1,000 Rotarians and friends from 90 different countries, all actively involved in peace work. Marty told the background story of a few of the students and the work that they are called to do. And she emphasized that with the opening of the new Peace Center in Istanbul, the Walter Foundation’s funds have been depleted and the Walter Foundation sunsetted. 

Ann Reed joined us at the meeting, and it was great to see Robin and Chip and their respective spouses all trading lies. We enjoy it when Ann and Denise Griffin come, and we don’t have the pleasure often enough. And Amy was off last week; Irene Fowle had organized pizza and salad and Laurie Zimmerli had procured that plus ice cream bars, and the results were fabulous. 

Also in the audience were Tom and Monica Churchill, who have returned from the south, as well as Karen Pritchard – ditto. Doug Harley is practically ready to dance on his new hip. Of course we were all saddened by the loss of IJ, and agreed that it was entirely appropriate of the Register to run his obituary on the first page of the newspaper. Well deserved! 

Judi White reminded us that it takes the Rotary Foundation to continue to fund programs such as the Rotary Peace Centers, and she asked us all to support the Foundation with a suggested $100 donation. You can give online through rotary.org or speak to her directly.  She also reminded us that the club gives 70 pints of soups to the Food Pantry and Community Fridge every two weeks, and once gardening season arrives, our food donations will be expanded even further.   

Laurie spoke of Barn sales, and she urged everyone to show up to help – and hang out and have fun, which is also what it is all about.  Tee shirts are available in the clubhouse for Saturday workers – please help yourself.  It’s rained every Saturday since we’ve reopened for the season, but both donations and sales are chugging along. If you have treasures you would like to donate, please contact Greg Thornton by phone or text at 207-619-1417 or email rotarybarnpickup@gmail.com. And remember, all proceeds come back to Rotary’s various charities throughout the community. 

Next week our speaker will be Jenny Rawn, who has written and produced a Coastal Kitchen Cookbook. Yum! Be there, Thursday evenings, at the Rotary building at 66 Montgomery Road.  The joint is jumping by 6 p.m.; the meeting officially starts with dinner at 6:30; and we are outta there by 8. Guests are always welcome. 

And keeping our meetings running smoothly requires us all to sign up for People Power. Charlotte Jameson passed around a signup sheet – or signup online. But do signup. 

Meanwhile, see you at the Barn!