This Week: Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber "The Business of Shared Leadership"
Kevin Hancock is the CEO of one of America’s oldest family businesses as well as an award-winning author and nationally recognized public speaker. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company is led by its 620 employees operating 12 lumberyards, 3 sawmills, and a truss manufacturing facility in Maine and New Hampshire. The company also grows and harvests trees sustainably on 8,000 acres of timberland.
Kevin is a past chairman of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, and Bridgton Academy. Kevin has also served of the Board of Directors for the Hussey Seating Corporation in Maine, the Seneca Sawmill Corporation in Oregon, and the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission. He is a recipient of the Ed Muskie ‘Access to Justice’ Award, the Habitat for Humanity ‘Spirit of Humanity’ Award, the Maine Development Foundation ‘Ken Curtis Leadership Award’, and the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame ‘Directors Award’.
Kevin is also the author of three books: "Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse", "The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership" and "48 Whispers from Pine Ridge and the Northern Plains"
Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community —through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. In addition, Kevin is the founder of a non-profit organization called The Seventh Power, dedicated to advancing economic sovereignty for native communities across America. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and lives in Maine with his wife Alison.
June 11th Pig Roast Fundraiser!
Get your tickets for our June 11th social event and fundraiser! Our Pig Roast at the Italian Heritage Club in Portland, with a live band and a 50/50 Raffle is going to be a blast. Family, friends, $25 PP, June 11, 3p-7p.
For tix - go to EventBrite, by clicking here! All proceeds will be going to the Rotary International/Ukraine Relief Fund.
Meeting of May 13th: Jeff Tarling, Portland Arborist
| by Ben Lowry
After a nice introduction by Ellen Neiwoehner, we were happy to hear from the longtime City of Portland arborist, Jeff Tarling, who has been with the city since 19’89. With Arbor Week fast approaching, Jeff was able to weed through his thousands of images to present us with some of the most pertinent photographs, both from the decades ago and into the new millennium. With 20,000 trees to care for, the job is massive yet a joy for Jeff to oversee. Even with the loss of thousands of elm trees, the city is still full of treasures, from Baxter Boulevard, with the first 100 trees planted in memory of the World War I veterans, to Rotary Grove on the Eastern Prom trail, one of the most cherished projects of our own club.
Known as The Forest City as far back as the 1860’s, civic organizations helped provide for the purchase of trees long before the city arborist position was established in 1889. With guidance from the well-established firm of Olmstead, Olmstead and Elliot, Mayor Baxter began in 1911 with a plan to plant trees, mostly Elms, along the roads, boulevards and parkways of the city. Dutch Elm disease took almost all of the elms in the 1960’s but Maine and Portland continued to be a hotspot for so many types of trees and vegetation. And with climate change affecting our daily lives, we are literally a “hot spot” as the waters off Maine are seeing some of the planet’s quickest rise in temperatures over the past decade. Trees can bring us shade in the hot summers and provide the gorgeous colors in the autumn that we’ve come to expect.
Concrete planters have allowed the city to plant and keep safe several hundred trees on some of our busiest areas. These “street trees”, including the planters, cost well over $5000 apiece and have been a challenge to keep safe, especially in the winter, when plows push hundreds of pounds of salty ice onto the base of these trees. But, in looking at the work done in other cities, Portland has begun to learn how to work within the confines of the city and the environment in allowing sidewalks to have shade as well as beauty from a wide variety of trees. Studies have shown that the social and emotional benefits of trees allow for a healthier and happier community. With just five people in Jeff’s staff, there is an overwhelming task in planting and caring for our city’s 20,000 trees. But it is a labor of love for Jeff and his group and he feels very well supported by the city leaders and the people of Portland. And in working with the youth of the city, Jeff is building an exciting future for our Forest City. Jeff was very thankful for the efforts of our club and the progress of Rotary Grove, which began with the efforts of Roxane Cole almost 20 years ago.
Bits and Pieces|by Bill Blount
On Friday May 13th, Portland Rotarians met and zoomed at the Da Vinci Room in the Italian Heritage Center. According to hallowed tradition President Bruce Jones called the meeting to order promptly at 12:15 PM. Prior to the ringing of the bell diners went to the buffet, served themselves to a delicious IHC stromboli and salad lunch and chatted amongst themselves.
President Bruce rang the bell, and called upon Paul T Gore to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Charlie Frair (photo) did a reflective moment concerning baseball and how Red Sox fans can actually possibly become friends with Yankee fans.
President Bruce reminded the assembled about the email solicitation for club members’ committee preferences. Already filled it yours out? Bruce thanks you. Misplaced it? Contact Bruce at williambrucejones@gmail.com and he’ll get another off to you.
Yours truly, Bill Blount did the raffle. Jeff Tarling drew Jon Young’s name but Jon drew the 10 of clubs. (phot0) The Queen of Hearts remains in her 45 or so card retinue for next week’s drawing.
Charlie Frair is calling on volunteers for our Flags for Heroes fundraiser in September. Charlie is seeking a scribe to take notes on the FFH committee meetings. The notes would detail duty assignments and would be circulated by email to the meeting attendees.
Mike Fortunato (photo) announced a "Save The Date" - Saturday afternoon 3-7pm June 11, Rotary and the IHC will be holding a social a Pig Roast at the IHC for 150-200 attendees in conjunction with members of the IHC as well. There will be a live band and all of the proceeds will be going to the Ukraine Relief Fund through Rotary International.
Mike also provided details that on Thursday May 26 the Rotary membership social will take place at the Italian Heritage Center at 5:30pm. This will be in lieu of Friday’s 5/27 regular meeting. Newer members from the previous two years, and guests of current members attending will be provided one free beverage from the cash bar on Portland Rotary.
Ellen Niewoehner Environmental Committee announces sign-up sheets on the tables for planting trees at Rotary Grove at the Eastern Prom, in recognition of National Arbor Week Thursday 5/19 9am - Noon - rain date of the following Friday. Rotarian volunteers can help plant trees provide by the City of Portland. Shovels and trees provided bring your gloves and energy. 20 volunteers sought we have about 14 so far.
Ellen had one additional note to say that Michelle Disotto, has received a job promotion, but that means she will be stepping down as our Secretary. We are actively seeking volunteers before we start asking! This is not only very important, but an excellent opportunity to serve our club. Contact Ellen if interested or if you have questions.
Patty Byers comes forward with a special presentation of a Paul Harris Fellow to Past President Jim Willey 1989-1990. Jim accepted recognition of his seventh PHF. (photo) Way to go Jim with your support of the Rotary Foundation!
Thanks Amy Chipman for sending in photos from the District 7780 Conference, held May 14th. Our club was represented by Erik Greven, District Governor Dick Hall, Andrea Hall, Roxane Cole, Amy Chipman, Patty Byers, and Gervin Kah. Eric was a big winner in a scavenger hunt! (photos)
Bruce reviewed the history of the annual Rotary International Convention. The first was held 1910 in Chicago and 60 folks attended. The largest, to date was held in 2004 in Osaka, Japan where 45,381 registered for the convention. This year President Bruce will attend the annual convention towards the end of June in Houston, Texas.
Speaker Schedule
May 26 | Thursday Night Club Social at Italian Heritage Center - 5pm
May 27 | No Meeting
June 3 | Speaker TBD
June 9 | Thursday Night Club Social at Italian Heritage Center - 5pm
June 10 | No Meeting
June 17 | Nick Lund, Maine Audubon, Migratory Birds
June 24 | TImothy Brosnihan, Victoria Mansion
President-Elect Bruce Jones will turn over the bell to these Past Presidents to guest host the following meetings: May 27th: Ellen Niewoehner • June 17th: Roxane Cole • June 29th: Ben Lowry
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
4th Q Program Chair: Roxane Cole Managing Editor Tom Talbott Co-Production Alice Alexander
award-winning author and nationally recognized public speaker. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company is led by its 620 employees operating 12 lumberyards, 3 sawmills, and a truss manufacturing facility in Maine and New Hampshire. The company also grows and harvests trees sustainably on 8,000 acres of timberland.
City of Portland arborist, Jeff Tarling, who has been with the city since 19’89. With Arbor Week fast approaching, Jeff was able to weed through his thousands of images to present us with some of the most pertinent photographs, both from the decades ago and into the new millennium. With 20,000 trees to care for, the job is massive yet a joy for Jeff to oversee. Even with the loss of thousands of elm trees, the city is still full of treasures, from Baxter Boulevard, with the first 100 trees planted in memory of the World War I veterans, to Rotary Grove on the Eastern Prom trail, one of the most cherished projects of our own club.
the IHC will be holding a social a Pig Roast at the IHC for 150-200 attendees in conjunction with members of the IHC as well. There will be a live band and all of the proceeds will be going to the Ukraine Relief Fund through Rotary International.
Ellen Niewoehner Environmental Committee announces sign-up sheets on the tables for planting trees at Rotary Grove at the Eastern Prom, in recognition of National Arbor Week Thursday 5/19 9am - Noon - rain date of the following Friday. Rotarian volunteers can help plant trees provide by the City of Portland. Shovels and trees provided bring your gloves and energy. 20 volunteers sought we have about 14 so far.
