News of The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine
March 16, 2022
 
This Week: Dr. Susan Black, Brunswick Coastal Rotary, Village Health Works in Burundi
 
Village Health Works is a non-profit based in Kigutu, Burundi, central Africa. The Brunswick Coastal Rotary has been engaged for several years in helping to build multiple sources of clean water. Dr. Susan Black, (second from right) a member of the Rotary club has been to Kigutu several times, with the vision of a health and wellness center, which includes a school and adult education programs. Susan was a family doctor in Lowell, MA, before heading to South Africa for five years to work with mothers and children with HIV/Aids as medical director at Nkosi’s Haven. She met Cathryn in Africa and has believed in her dream for the people of Burundi since 2009. She has been a Rotarian for 32 years, and will update us on the current status of the program and immediate goals. She has lived in Harpswell since 1990.
 
Meeting of March 4 | John Carr, Maine Maritime History
By Ben Lowry
Link To Zoom Recording of Meeting: Click Here. Password: #q9s6n8=
 
Last Friday, before an energetic live audience, our own Jack Carr, a lifelong sailor, regaled us with a brief history on a very vast topic: Maine’s maritime history. Going back over 400 years, when the Virginia Company held the rights to most of the east coast of the New World, including the area that is now Maine, the birth of the maritime industry began at Fort Popham. In 1608, the 100 colonists of the Popham Colony, all men and boys, built the first large ocean-going ship in the Americas, the pinnacle ship Virginia of Sagadahoc. The 51-foot ship, built for coastal exploration and fishing, began an era of ship building in Maine that continued long after the Popham Colony was abandoned in 1609. Of note, a replica of this groundbreaking vessel will be launched in Bath in June of this year.
 
As Jack pointed out, shipbuilding is all about the wood, and Maine had plenty of that. From 1609 to the mid 1770’s, the prime timber was protected from use with a broad arrow mark on trees that were preserved for use by the British. After the outbreak of the revolution, the hundreds of masts that were targeted for use by the King were hidden in various spots around the region, leading the British to attack and burn Portland, then known as Falmouth.
 
Fast forward to the Golden Age of ship building, between 1820 and 1850, when ship building companies could be found in most every town along the coast of Maine. These ships, at first brigs and then clippers, were used in the West Indian trade but, at the outset of the Civil War, the merchant marine industry that had been such an integral part of the economy was decimated as steel hull ships, highlighted by the Monitor and the Merrimack, who famously battled at Hampton Roads in March of 1862, as well as steel-hulled steamboats, began to gain popularity with builders. In the 1880’s, it was realized that a wooden schooner (defined as having four or more masts) could do the work of a steamship with less than half the crew so the schooner era began, and Bath Iron Works was born. With all the trees needed for masts gone from Maine after years of over-harvesting, the Mainers looked to timber from Georgia and the Northwest as they built these huge ships that were mainly used as barges to haul coal up and down the eastern corridor. One of the interesting points about these schooners built in Maine is the builders did not use drawings but rather scale model replicas as guides in the mass production of these solid vessels, which were more sea-worthy than the steel hulled steamships. Over 400 feet and capable of hauling 600 tons of coal, the insurance companies feared major losses, so they insisted upon steel bands along the hull and trunnels, or tree nails, 3600 per ship, to help fortify these behemoths. The Wyoming, built by the Bath firm of Percy and Small in 1909, was the largest wooden ship ever built at 450 feet. It foundered and was lost off Chatham, Massachusetts in 1924, with the wreckage not found until 2003. These huge vessels could not navigate in shallow waters so steam tugs would be needed to guide them near river and ports, a practice we continue to see today as large ships enter our port in Portland.
 
In the 1890’s, Bath Iron Works and the Newport News facilities were amongst the largest employers in the country and, to this day, the ship building industry is a major force in our state’s economy, with Zumwalt-class destroyers providing the face of BIW for the past decade. The Golden Era of shipbuilding, especially wooden shipbuilding, has long since passed but the history of our proud tradition lives on at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, a place near and dear to Jack Carr, where he volunteers his time and shares his stories and knowledge of Maine’s proud maritime history.
(Phot0 - President-Elect Bruce Jones,  Past President Ellen Niewoehner, Past President and Guest Speaker Jack Carr, and Past President/Current District Governor, Dick Hall:
Around We Go: Rotary Logo History
Last week we examined the original logo of 1905, a 13 spoke wooden wheel kicking up dust. The concept of having a wheel was to represent a circular "Rotary" with meetings rotating from business to business represented by members in the club. It was also to suggest "Civilization, Movement and Service work in action."
 
The next design came in 1910, the dust settled, and was replace with a more appropriate looking banner.  A step in the right direction, but still many were not enthused with the tired looking wheel. After all, this was the dawn of the automobile!  Surely something that was more
advanced for the times could be designed! Stay tuned for next week, when the gears are turning!
 
Bits and Pieces | by Bill Blount
In person meetings are back! For the first time in two years  the Portland Rotary  Club meets again in accordance with the City of Portland covid guidelines, meaning masks were optional. We had lunch in the DaVinci room at the Italian Heritage Center - where this author presided during his presidential tenure 2009-2010!  The IHC is pleased to have us back. They baked us a cake! (photo above)  Headlight Video donated equipment so that the meeting could also be held on Zoom. 40 members dined while five monitored via zoom.

There was quite some hustle and bustle as we all got reacquainted to each other and remembering how to hold our meeting. Mike Fortunato and Jan Chapman helped the Meeting Day Committee appoint the room with our Rotary regalia, banners, name badges, song books, donation containers etc. while Dick Hall (yes, the District Governor) set up the Zooming equipment. Alice Alexander  took our price of admission distributing the familiar red numbered meal tickets, while Jan sold raffle tickets. Matt Tassey collected the meal tickets. We feasted on Chicken Parm Salad and cake. (Photo- PP Larry Gross and Mike Fortunato, bringing in our meeting day supplies.)

At noon was heard the familiar chime of the Rotary bell when President Bruce Jones convened the meeting. Brian Nickerson led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. PP Tom Talbott led us in patriotic song- God Bless America. Juliana L’Heureux did the Moment of Reflection noting March 22 is Clean Water Day. She then aptly quoted author, trans-Atlantic rower and clean water advocate Katie Spotz, a former presenter at our club. The book is titled, "Just Keep Rowing: Lessons From the Atlantic Ocean By The Youngest Person To Row It Alone",  and the quote was on the importance of a hug. President Bruce then exhorted us to enjoy our Rotary meal.

Table talk concerned  the Ukraine War, the end of  winter and our many endeavors since last seeing each other in the flesh. President Bruce again rang the bell to start the business part of the meeting. Stephanie Trice Gill was called upon to do the raffle. It was speculated by an anonymous voice that one of Paul T. Gore’s 50 or so entries might be picked and this author regretted that another often chosen ticket could not have been submitted by Loretta Rowe. "JMW" - aka Jim Willey’s ticket was chosen and be bounded down in exuberance believing the $200 prize was his until Stephanie reminded him of the process. He had to select the Queen of Hearts from the deck of 52. Jim’s heart was broken as he selected the Eight of Hearts accompanied by crocodile tears from the assembled.

Bruce announced March birthdays  followed by the birthday song right into membership anniversaries. Bruce mentioned that he attended PETS, last weekend. This year's "President Elect Training Seminar" was held on zoom, where he garnered even more enthusiasm along with ideas on fundraising and service projects performed by the 207 clubs in 7 Rotary districts attending the seminar. Bruce also noted that our club was recognized for achieving our Polio Plus giving goals in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

Foundation Chair Patty Byers then beckoned PP Amy Chipman to the podium, recognizing Amy for her ninth Paul Harris Fellow. Go Amy! Patty then noted we are $51 dollars shy of our 2021-2022 Polio Pus goal of $2000. Minutes later in true Portland Rotary generosity, Michele DiSotto closed the gap by handing Patty a check for the $51.  We love this club!


 
 
 
Mike Fortunato introduced our newest member Gervin Landry KAH from Gabon, a country on the west coast of Africa, right on the equator. Gervin is not new to Rotary, and has been a member since 2007. When he recently relocated to Portland, Maine, he looked us up, and we're glad he did!  Gervin serves on the National Assembly of Gaban, and is the VP of the Law Commission, a term from 2014 through 2028. He has also been a volunteer member of the Red Cross. Gervin has a professional degree in marketing, logistics and distribution, and now specializes as a system and network administrator, and web development. In his spare time he enjoys walking, hiking, and indoor sports, as well as reading and jazz music. Welcome Gervin!
 
Foundation Update by Patty Byers 
Thank you to our 50 Club members who have made their contribution to the Annual Fund!
Your support makes a tremendous impact no matter the scale of the donation.  Whether you support the Foundation at $25, $100, $200 or more, it is our hope that each of you will make a donation.  Remember, we want to be a 100% Every Rotary, Every Year Club.  Thank you!
RI Statement on Ukraine Conflict
President Bruce reminded us that we are in good company.  Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Thomas Edison, Pope Francis, Colonel Sanders, Winston Churchill, and 11 U.S. Presidents have been Rotarians.
Food Reservation Required Every Wednesday, 10am!
Reminder that if you intend to eat lunch at our club meetings, you need to make a reservation every Wednesday by 10am. To do so: Email : Administrative Assistant, Alice Alexander.
Speaker Schedule
March 25 | Phil Coupe, ReVision Energy 
April 1 | Brian Elowe, Boys and Girls Club Director
April 8 |Andy Kaplan, History of Hard Cider in ME.
April 15 | Brian Nickerson, Navy Pilots, April 15, 1969
April 22 | Dean Norm O'Reilly, U.Maine Grad School of Business
April 29 | Jonathan Culley Redfern, Tallest Building in Portland
May 2 | Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber
 
President-Elect Bruce Jones will turn over the bell to these Past Presidents to guest host the following meetings: March 25th: Tom Talbott • April 1st: Bill Blount • April 22nd: Larry Gross  April 29th: John Marr • May 20th: Bowen Depke • May 27th: Ellen NiewoehnerJune 17th: Roxane Cole  • June 29th: Ben Lowry
 
Thank you Justin Lamontagne (photo)  for a great 3rd Quarter program!  4th quarter gets underway with PP Roxane Cole at the helm!
Club Executives
President-Elect  Bruce Jones
1st VP  Dick Hall
2nd VP  Patty Byers
Treasurer  Howie Herodes
Secretary  Michelle DiSotto
Board of Directors  Ellen Niewoehner, Mark Foster, Bob Clark, Roger Fagan, John Thompson
Sergeant-At-Arms  Dave Putnam
Club Administrator  Alice Alexander
 
 
The Windjammer
is published online by
The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine.
 
Contributing Editors
Bill Blount, Jake Bourdeau, Dick Hall,
Erik Jorgensen, Julie L’Heureux, Ben Lowry,
Tom Nickerson, Tom Talbott, Laura Young
 
3rd Q Program Chair: Justin Lamontagne
4th Q Program Chair: Roxane Cole
       Managing Editor  Tom Talbott
Co-Production  Alice Alexander
Thank you North43Bistro, South Portland, for your support!
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