It’s official, the Rotary Club Barn is opening this weekend, Saturday April 3rd at 8:30.  Be there to celebrate and see old and new friends.  The current plan is to be open every Saturday from 8:30-11:00 am.  It is great fun, so come join us.  Don’t you miss moving furniture or selling flea market items. Last year we didn’t open till June so we have a running start this year.  Masks are required.

We need donations, especially flea market items, books, kitchenware, rugs, dishes, pots and pans. We also need more tools and collectibles and boats.  We even have room for furniture now.  It’s spring cleaning time and we have room in the barn.  So make more room in your house and fill the barn.  Contact Deb Graves at 207-380-3550 for pick up or delivery. 

Join us this Thursday on Zoom at 6PM and “meet”  Alice Mutch’s grandson, Andrew Mutch.  Andrew is a first year student at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh Scotland. Through the magic of “Zoom” we get to travel to Scotland and meet Andrew Mutch.  He will be talking about a special project he loves regarding peace efforts in the Philippines.   Hope to see you there.  

Last week Emerson Harris, the Interact Club President, joined us.  She shared the success of this year’s club.  They have been meeting on “Zoom”, have been having a lot of fun and getting things done.  They are continuing their micro-lending project through Kiva and have had a few “Socially Distanced” fun get togethers outside in the fall and hope to have more now that the weather is warming.  But, their big event this year is the “Interact Club Hike-a-Thon”.  They want to get people outside, moving and exploring our wonderful Land Trust Trails.

Interact members are seeking sponsors or you can sponsor yourself.  All proceeds will go towards building trails on the Boothbay Region School property.  You can pledge $1.00, or more a mile or $5.00 per trail or a special bonus for someone who walks all the Land Trust Trails.  Click here for a pledge sheet and contact Emerson at 22EmersonHarris@aos98schools.org.

We also met Della Hahn last week.  She is a junior at BRHS, along with Emerson.  Della had a wonderful presentation of her “Semester at Sea” on the Schooner Harvey Gamage last fall. We all wished we could join her, except for the cold weather, rough seas and constantly wet clothing.  Ah, to be young.  Della loved her time sailing from Maine to Georgia, but she has always loved sailing, so this was the perfect program for her.  She also thanked us for our donation, helping her participate in this adventure.  

Onions!  Onions! Don’t forget to sell onions.  Fresh Vidalia Onions straight from Georgia, 28 lb box for $25.00.  They keep really well, but you can buy a half box.  Email your friends and family, hardly anyone can say no.   Contact Doug Harley at iron361@roadrunner.com or 207-315-6642.  He needs the final count by April 24.  Delivery is mid-May.

Ingrid Merrill is organizing the “Mock Interview” program for this year with the BRHS students.  This year, of course, it will all be on “Zoom”.  The students will write a resume beforehand for the interviewer to review.  The “Mock Interview” program is lots of fun and gives the students some “Real World” experience about college or job interviews.  If you are interested in participating contact Ingrid at imerrill@aos98schools.org.  Also, a big thank you to Ingrid for all she does for the Interact Club and our club.  She has kept the Interact Club active and engaged during this challenging time with her usual grace, commitment and enormous amounts of humor.  

Speaking of humor.  The weekly Rotary Star and meeting invites are now being published on Clubrunner instead of Constant Contact. If you aren’t seeing them on your email, your privacy settings are protecting you and sending them to your spam file.  So, check that spam file.  If the files are there, tell your computer we are safe and move them to your in-box.  You don’t want to miss a single word.

John Hochstein has graciously accepted the International Committee chairman position.  He is a fairly new member, joined right before the pandemic, but had the creativity to envision a Rotary Exchange with the club in Rues, Spain.  He has done an amazing job at turning this into a project with several local clubs and several clubs in Spain.  Everyone is getting to know one another via Zoom.  Once it is safe to travel the Maine contingent will be traveling to Spain.  His interest and commitment to cultural exchange makes him the obvious person for this role.  Thank you John.

Hope to see you Thursday when we “meet” Andrew Mutch in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Irene