It was cold outside and warm inside last Thursday as Rotarians gathered in the Clubhouse.  And the Rotary cheer was of the all-in-the-family sort – after all Lynn Thompson, also known as President Mike’s other (and better looking) half, was our guest speaker. 

Lynn reminisced that she first spoke to our club almost 30 years ago. That was when she was executive director of Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, and led directly to our jointly sponsoring the mutually beneficial Soup Bowl Supper for years and years and years. 

Now, Lynn is working closer to home as executive director of the Harbor Theater, and under her guidance the theater has really become an active community partner.  And the connections between the theater and Rotary are strong – in addition to the incredible involvement of Ham and Helen Meserve in the theater’s development, Jeff Long is currently its president. 

As a non-profit, the theater ensures that its programming enriches the community. Yes, it offers summer blockbusters which help in a significant way to pay the bills, but it also shows small movies and works with community partners (including us!) and the local schools to provide appropriate and Maine-centric films, like the recent “Lost on a Mountain in Maine.” 

Crowd pleasers include a Classic Film series; exhibitions with on-screen artists; the currently running Food and Film series with meals provided by chef Kim Martin of Eventide; the Tea with Dame Maggie series celebrating the life and art of the incomparable Maggie Smith; and the just-now-starting Merchant-Ivory series. 

And Lynn stressed that she welcomes good ideas for more events and film series.  “If you’ve got an idea, there’s probably a film that explores that topic. So come partner with us.” 

Lynn thanked the Rotary club for our help funding the current Films for Schools program, which brings films to the BRES crowd. And Tori Paxson spoke up in support of the Free Family Film nights, which aim to make family nights at the theater accessible to all.   

Lynn also described the local Rotary connection to the Merci boxcar at the Railway Village. In 1947, in thanks for all the material aid sent by the United States to France following World War II, France sent 49 WWI-era box cars filled with tens of thousands of gifts of gratitude from individual French citizens. Each of the box cars – known in parlance as “forty and eights” because in WWI they originally held 40 men or 8 horses – were sent to an individual American state plus the District of Columbia. 

There, their histories divided. Many of the boxcars are now lost; Maine’s was mouldering away in Augusta when local Rotarians successfully argued that it become part of the permanent collection at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum (the Maine State Museum in Augusta still houses the boxcar’s original contents – although we suspect any gifts of French champagne found other purposes!). The boxcar was restored in 2009, partly helped by funds from our club and local Rotarians, and the Museum is now moving the boxcar to a new site between the Station and the Antique Auto Exhibit for everyone to enjoy. 

Always great—and informative—to hear from Lynn, and we welcome her guidance at the Harbor Theater for many enjoyable years to come. 

But wait, there’s more – much more. 

This Thursday, Jan. 30, we will hear from local resident Elliott Schwartz, who works for the official and international Olympic Committee, to get a behind-the-scenes peak at what happens in the background to make the four-year cycle so successful.   

The following Thursday, Feb. 6, we will learn about the MidCoast Literacy Program from speakers Nicole MacDonald and Daniel Burson.  And the week after that, Feb. 13, the Fun Committee is promising Mardi Gras Trivia, topped off with costumes and fabulous prizes. (Better here than in New Orleans which is socked in with six inches of snow and not a snow plow in the state.) Laisser les bons temps rouler! 

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Feb. 1, the District is filling its 14th container truck of crutches and other mobility devices in Old Orchard Beach.  This is a long-time program we learned about from Rotarian Dennis Robillard earlier this month.  Volunteers are needed beginning at 9 a.m.; check it out at 128 Saco Avenue, OOB. 

Also on Feb. 1: That’s the deadline for filling out the club survey Jim Herbold has sent us all electronically. If you don’t think you received it, check your spam queue – although spam it absolutely is not. Hard copies are available in the clubhouse – but please respond electronically because that’s the only way to get the software to automatically tally the results. Charlotte Jameson – who is headed off to Florida on vacation and doesn’t want more handwork to complete – thank you! 

Laurie Zimmerli announced a barn cleanout on Saturday, Feb. 15. There will be both big and little jobs so please show up even if hauling furniture is not your thing.  If the past is prologue, a couple of hours – starting at 9 a.m. – will do the trick and get us ready for a new year of financially fabulous Barn sales beginning in April. 

Our club will be sponsoring the community lunch at Brady’s on Monday, Feb. 17 (aka Washington’s Birthday) and Judi White is seeking volunteers to bake cookies and dessert bars and to serve. See Judi for details and to sign up. 

Irene Fowle is planning a volunteer morning at Partners for World Health in Westbrook on Saturday, March 15.  We will leave at 9 a.m., head to the PWH warehouse and learn how to sort and organize before spending a morning doing just that.  It’s sit-down work and no experience or medical knowledge necessary – on the way home the group will stop for lunch and laughter. See Irene for details. 

Nancy Adams and Cathy Fisher are co-chairing our annual Teacher Appreciation event which will take place Friday, March 21.  This is our way to thank our local teachers with pizza and prizes and this correspondent believes it is one of the programs our club started doing during the pandemic lockdown.  Volunteers will be in order, so mark the date. 

The District Assembly, a chance for next year’s club officers and directors to meet their peers and learn more about their roles, is coming up Saturday, April 5. And the District Conference will be at the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport the weekend of May 30. 

Meanwhile, it’s time for the club to think about sponsoring BRHS students to RYLA, Rotary’s extraordinary camp-based leadership program. Check out that and more with the materials in the Clubhouse. 

Do you get the idea that there’s a lot going on? You’d be right! Come join us (almost) any Thursday evening at our meetings at the Rotary clubhouse, 66 Montgomery Road, in Boothbay Harbor.  The place is rocking and rolling by 6 p.m.; the meeting starts and dinner is served at 6:30, and we are outta there by 8. Join us! You’ll be glad you did.