Posted by Dick Hall

We all arrived to see well-organized Sweetheart Auction tables, ready to receive and process items. Inside the ballroom, tables were lining the room, offering up many items, so everyone was circulating to get their bid in.


President John Curran brought the meeting to order by welcoming 52 members and 3 guests. Bruce Jones provided our invocation, Jerry Angier led our Pledge of Allegiance, and Gracie Johnston led the group in singing “God Bless America.”


After the meal, John started with the introduction of guests. Michael Reed brought both his wife and his son. John then offered a special welcome back to Julie Chase.


President John introduced our animated auctioneer for the LIVE auction part of our program, Tom Ranello (photo below at right), along with the qualified assistance of PP Don Zillman (photo at left), who read the descriptions of the LIVE items as they were presented to the audience. We kept the items presented to a mere 6 items, due to time constraints, and the speaker, Carolyn Nishon, added a seventh item of 2 tickets to any PSO performance. Bidding started slowly on an Old Port Pub Crawl, but then Paul Tully turned it into a party by getting seven women and two other men to each bid $50 each to join in the "group crawl." 


Gracie Johnston (photo at left) told us that our Club’s volunteer night at Preble Street Soup Kitchen is February 27, and she still needs volunteers. Don’t use her old work email, as she has joined the Portland Radio Group. Her current email is: graciej1010@gmail.com  Gracie also told us about a nice letter from the Salvation Army, thanking us for raising $970.45 by ringing the Red Kettle Bells at Christmas time.


PP Kris Rosado (photo at right) told us about 'The Summer Leaders Experience' at West Point for high school juniors, which is a one-week immersive experience as a cadet to inform their college selection decision. (westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program) The deadline for application is March 31, and the cost is only $400. Talk to Kris for more info. 


Ben Millick (photo at left) talked about the Greenhouse program at the immigrant welcome center. The program includes: one-on-one mentoring from experts to help start and grow a business; advice and training on important business topics from professionals in the marketing, legal, financial and technology fields; office space at their location in downtown Portland and all the other benefits the IBH has to offer; connections to other immigrant entrepreneurs and the Maine business community at large. (Go to: https://www.welcomeimmigrant.org/bizhub/) They are looking for business mentors who will go through the SCORE training program to work with a participant throughout the program. They are also looking for subject matter experts willing to give one or more classes. Contact Ben if you can help: bmillick@clarkinsurance.com.


President John reminded us all about the “Make It Happen” program at Portland Schools. This program needs volunteer academic coaches. For more information, go to: mlc.portlandschools.org/programs/make_it_happen


As the weekly raffle was presented to the group, a ticket bearing the name "3H" was picked. Representing our 3-H team, Roger Fagan surprised everyone by finding the Queen of Hearts and winning $252 for the Hearing, H2O, and Hands project in the Dominican Republic. Speaking of which, click here to view a link to the article that the media published about the team's recent 3-H Dominican Republic trip.


John ended by thanking PP Loretta Rowe, 2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner and the rest of the committee for a great auction.