The rain held off; the shears were applied, and the bushes around the Rotary clubhouse no longer look like a set from a Tarzan movie.  The reward for the outdoor clean-up was the chance to get to know our newest member Alex Rioux and soon-to-be member Desiree Scorcia. Both of them may be new to the club, but certainly not to our community: You know you are in the presence of the cognoscenti when the conversation turns to the first location of Everybody’s Restaurant. (Hint: No, it’s not the Meadow Mall. Mike Thompson tells me I was wrong.) 

New members and old delights: Laurie Zimmerli chef'd our burgers and dogs on the barbecue, and she also procured (from the freezer; Amy set the stage!) our ice cream drumsticks and other delicacies for dessert. 

This Saturday the barn will be open as usual from 8:30 to 11 a.m. 

And this week, Thursday evening, May 22, Tammy Plummer, EVP and chief information officer for First National Bank, will talk to us about Internet security. Tammy has been with the First National Bank for over 30 years and is responsible for the Technology, Operations, Facilities and Cyber Security areas of the bank.  Tammy has a passion for educating people about common scams and how to protect yourself against them. Tammy will be providing us with simple to learn “Fraud Red Flags” to be aware of in today’s world of online financial transactions.  She had planned to give us this presentation earlier in the year, but one of those ice storm days forced the rescheduling.   

And the following Thursday, May 29, the graduating class of BRHS will be with us for the annual kickoff of their graduation week. It’s always great to meet our community’s future leaders and learn their ambitions and career plans. We’ll need extra hands to help set up the tables, serve and clean up – don’t forget to volunteer. And you won’t want to miss the opportunity to talk to the graduates. So be there. 

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of stuff happening in the Rotary world beyond our own club. This week, Wednesday evening May 21, at 7 p.m., our Rotary neighbors in Canada and the United States are coming together by Zoom to talk about ways in which Rotary has worked internationally, and the lives we have changed. Highlighted will be the stories of the first international Peace Park in the world, which Rotarians made happen; how local Rotary clubs came together to help clean the Great Lakes; and the story of how one Rotarian went up against the Tamil Tigers to ensure that all children in Sri Lanka could receive their immunizations against polio. You’ll meet someone you know in that story. Register for this free event at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/giqJKrODQTazY80eXzSQpg#/registration 

We’ve got “live” events upcoming as well. The District Conference is taking place on Saturday, May 31 in Kennebunkport; speakers include Armenian Rotarians who are visiting Maine as part of the Hearts of Europe initiative which aims to foster collaboration, networking, and friendship among Rotarians in former Soviet bloc nations and the United States; Rotary Peace Fellow Hanan Kadi Abafita, MD, from Ethiopia, who our District is currently sponsoring as she works for her Master’s in Peace and Development at Duke/University of North Carolina; the executive director of the Climate Initiative, which  provides tools to guide the next generation to steward build climate-resilient communities; plus a report from the local Rotarians just returned from our District-sponsored outreach to the Philippines.  To register, go to the District website:  www.rotary7780.org.  

And it’s not too late to consider traveling to Calgary for the Rotary International Convention, and joining over 15,000 like-minded Rotarians from around the world as well as enjoying the Canadian Rockies and the sights and sounds of the Cowboy West. Find out more at www.rotary.org. 

The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club is located at 66 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor.  Join us around 6 p.m. every Thursday for a buffet dinner for $15, or come around 7 just to hear the speaker. And join us each Saturday morning, rain or shine, at the Rotary Barn just across the parking lot from the Clubhouse for deals and steals and the knowledge that all proceeds come back to the community as part of Rotary’s donations. Through sales at the Barn we donate to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, the Boothbay VETS Project, the Boothbay YMCA, the Boothbay Community Fridge and so much more.   

The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club is part of Rotary International, a worldwide organization committed to service throughout the world and working to end disease, promote literacy, support our planet and build peace.  Join us! Talk to any local Rotarian or come out and introduce yourself.  You’ll be glad you did.