District 7780 News “From the Mountains to the Sea” Ann Lee Hussey, District Governor

Business Name District 7780 News “From the Mountains to the Sea” Ann Lee Hussey, District Governor

www.district7780.org February 8, 2011 “The future There is No Price for Love and asked, ―How much to take a look?‖ Laughing the farmer whistled and from a It’s February, Punxsutawney Phil has pre- doghouse at the top of the hill came the belongs to those dicted an early spring, snow continues to puppies’ mother followed by four balls of fall and children in our communities enjoy fur. Excitement filled the child’s face as the who believe in the winter activities. And the first polio- puppies jumped around him, when sudden- paralyzed child in the world has been re- ly he glanced back up the hill to see yet a ported for 2011. fifth ball of fur coming towards him. The beauty of their pup was obviously having difficulty and This new polio case is a reminder that we could not catch up. ―I want that one,‖ cried dreams”. have almost reached our the boy. ―You don’t want goal but we still have this puppy‖, the Farmer —Eleanor Roosevelt much to do. We must all replied. ―He has a crip- do our part to create a pled leg and will never be world free from polio. able to run and play with you, as a puppy should.‖ Why all the fuss about our polio program this year? At that moment the boy Inside this issue: Because polio eradication bent over and pulled up remains Rotary’s main his pants leg to reveal a corporate program, be- heavy metal brace at- cause we have worked tached to his shoe. ―You District tirelessly for 26 years and see sir, I don’t run too well Calendar 2 are fast approaching our myself. This pup will need goal and because we are someone who under- President Ray 4 making history in the stands.‖ With tears in his Comes to 7780 world of health initiatives. eyes, the Farmer scooped up the lame pup and There is a more personal placed him in the boy’s Polio Plus in 5 reason. If you have ever traveled to a devel- arms. ―How much, Sir?‖ ―Nothing‖ replied oping country and seen the polio crawlers Pakistan the Farmer. ―There is no price for love.‖ left begging in the streets, shared their ago- ny as you watch them meander through the Public Image 7 Thank you for the love you share with oth- crowds, you would understand why we ers. Thank you for creating opportunities Opportunities must stop this dreaded crippler. through your Foundation giving. Billions will be saved when we eradicate polio. We Perhaps you will better understand my pas- have a moral obligation to not let the po- District Confer- 8 sion through this story. ence 2011 liovirus win. Celebrate the safety our chil- A young boy spotted a farmer nailing up a dren enjoy as we reach out to help children everywhere. We are making history, faster Rotary Founda- 10 sign, ―Puppies for Sale‖, on his fencepost. The boy stopped to ask the farmer how than you think, creating a legacy for future tion Grants much did the puppies cost. The Farmer generations. replied, ―Son, these puppies are special and Ride for the brand, tell our story. Be they cost a lot of money; you could not af- 2012 Theme 11 proud to be a Rotarian! Unveiled ford my puppies.‖ Digging deep into his pocket, the young boy pulled out 39 cents —District Governor Ann Lee Hussey DISTRICT CALENDAR Save the Date! Save the Date! Save the Date! FEBRUARY Penny Jett, District literacy coordinator, pen-

Tuesday, February 1 — District [email protected] Simplified Grant progress reports Double Points Offer (available on the District website) are Saturday, March 5 — Dis- due to Todd Doolan, todd.h.doolan@ trict-wide Interact Conference at York Paul Harris Recognition Points mssb.com High School. All Interact club members, will be awarded by the District on

plus past and future RYLArians and Youth a matching dollar basis for dona- Friday, February 4 – District mid- Exchange students invited. The fun starts tions to The Rotary Foundation year Leadership Dinner for all current at 8:00 a.m. FMI: George Bartlett, District (TRF) through the end of Febru- Interact advisor: gbartle2@ maine.rr.com club presidents, president-elects and ary or until available recognition vice presidents, Fireside Inn & Suites Saturday, March 5– Rotary points are exhausted. (formerly Holiday Inn West), Port- Leadership Institute at York land. $30 per person. The District will match donations County Community College in of $100 or more to the Annual Wells, ME. February 20-26 — Rotary’s Polio Programs Fund . Checks should Awareness Week. District 7780 will March 10 – 12 – Multi-district President- be made to The Rotary Founda- spread the word via a Rotary PR Elect Training Seminar, Sheraton Fram- tion and sent as usual to TRF grant. See page 7 for more. which, in turn, will notify the Dis- ingham Hotel and Conference Center, trict who has contributed and how Tuesday, February 22 – World Framingham, MA (please note new loca- much. Peace and Understanding Dinner with tion). Training designed for all president- elects and assistant governor-elects. extra-special guest RI Presi- Anyone who contributes $100 or dent Ray Klinginsmith will Saturday, March 26 – Rotary Leader- more per year to the Annual Pro- be held at the Portland Air- ship Institute in Lincoln, RI. grams Fund is recognized as a port Wyndham Hotel, 500 Rotary Foundation Sustaining Maine Mall Road, South Thursday, March 31 — Deadline for member. Every club is encour- Portland, ME. See page 7 Clubs to get their Presidential Citation aged to become a 100 percent for more. questionnaires to Governor Ann Lee. Sustaining Member Club.

Feb. 25 to March 26 — Outbound APRIL If every Rotarian contributed $100 Group Study Exchange team spends a every year, the Foundation could month in Hong Kong and Macao. nearly double its efforts to help Saturday, April 2 – Rotary meet humanitarian needs world- Sunday, February 27 — Rotary and Leadership Institute in Leba- wide. Red Claws Basketball. Enjoy District non, NH. fellowship and raise And remember: 99 cents of every Saturday, April 2 — Deadline for Clubs money for polio eradica- dollar contributed to the Founda- to get their 2010-11 Governor’s Citation tion at the Portland Ex- tion goes directly to fund humani- questionnaires to their Assistant Gover- po. Tickets start at $7 tarian work — not to fundraising and are available from District Secre- nors. or administration. As a result, tary Christine Byrne. See page 14. Wednesday, April 6 — Finance Com- each year the Rotary Foundation brings home Charity Navigator’s MARCH mittee meeting, 5:30 p.m., Cumberland Club. top ranking. A gift to the Founda- Wednesday, March 2 — Read tion is truly a gift to humanity and Across America Day. FMI: Contact Saturday, April 9 — District Assembly a way to participate in positive at Westbrook Middle School, 471 Stroud- change in our world. www.rotary7780.org Save the Date! Save the Date! (continued)

water Street, Westbrook, ME. All incom- ble Oaks. See page 8 for speakers and more. ing club officers urged to participate. May 21-25 – Rotary Interna- April 18-May 17 — Inbound Group tional Convention in New Orle- Study Exchange team ar- ans. ―Laisser les bon temps rou- Youth Leadership Nominations rives from Hong Kong for ler … encore!‖ four-week stay in our Dis- May 31—Deadline for RYLA applications to Rotary Youth Leadership trict. Awards conference (RYLA) will be received by the District. See article, this be held June 26-29 at Camp Thursday, April 28 — World Commu- page. Hinds in Raymond, Maine. nity Service Committee meeting. Contact Clubs who are interested in Roland Gagne: serviceaboveself@road- JUNE sponsoring high school sopho- runner.com mores to attend this event Wednesday, June 1 — Final district sim- should begin the recruiting pro- MAY plified grant reports due to Todd Doolan, cess now. This program will [email protected] enhance leadership skills in May 1-16 — Inbound young people and usually at- Wednesday, June 15 — District Finance tracts a high caliber student with Friendship exchange Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m., Cumberland demonstrated commitment to team here from India. Club, Portland. community service. We have Contact Peggy Bel- many students who are involved with the Interact program attend anger, [email protected] if you are Thursday, June 23 — District Changeover the RYLA conference. interested in hosting Rotarians from In- dinner, Harraseeket Inn, Freeport. dia’s District 3060 in your home and at Contact local guidance depart- your club. See page 12. June 26—June 29 — RYLA ments, provide applications, set program for high school a date and schedule your inter- May 13-14 – 7780 views. For additional infor- sophomores (rising juniors) mation and sample application District Conference, at Camp Hinds, Maine. See article, this page. forms check out the district web- Portland Marriott Sa- site under the RYLA page. As soon as your club knows how many slots you wish to reserve please let us know. Sebago Lakes Finds a New Home The cost for a club to sponsor a youth to this event is $300 and Sebago Lakes Rotary is changing must be sent with the applica- its meeting place to the Alumni tions. Once clubs have deter- Room of the Alfond Building at St. mined who they wish to send, their application must be sent by Joseph’s College in Standish, ME. May 31, 2011 to RYLA District The club continues to meet Thurs- 7780, PO Box 4632, Ports- days at 12:15. Come join members mouth, NH 03801 for further for a hot buffet luncheon with soup processing. and salad for $15. Some things If your club is interested in hav- remain constant: The club contin- ing someone come to speak on ues to be best known for its Seba- the RYLA program, or if you have any questions email us at go Lakes ice fishing derby, planned [email protected]. this year for February 25-27. Think cold!

POLIO PLUS

What is Polio? Whither Pakistan? Polio is a highly infectious Ted Trainer, District PolioPlus Chair disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system The polio related international news and blogs are full of news these days about Pa- and can cause irreversible kistan. My family and I lived in Lahore, Pakistan, for five years, where I served as paralysis in a matter of hours. UNICEF representative. I learned to love the country and its people and I also learned how to operate there. The most important les- sons were to understand and respect the Pakistanis’ strong sense of pride and family and to not necessarily believe what you see and hear, as generally it is not what you get.

Just a few weeks ago, on January 18, 2011, the Presi- dent and Prime Minister launched a new Polio Eradi- cation Emergency Plan, developed in collaboration with the international polio eradication community. The PM set up a special monitoring cell to ensure its success. So far, the governors in two of the four prov- inces, those controlled by the national party now in power, have boldly proclaimed that 2011 will be the year of polio eradication. The religious leaders, known as Ulema, have issued an important fatwa arguing that polio drops are legal and in accordance with Islam, and many local imams are supporting that message in the Friday prayers. That is Who is at risk? huge. Polio can strike at any age, but it mainly affects children The boo-birds, however, are hard at it: the Plan is completely unrealistic and like under five years old. similar plans in the past is doomed to failure. (They are not completely off base: government officials tend to behave as if the problem is solved once the Plan has Transmission been approved.) In an interesting twist, the Pakistan Medical Association is threat- Polio is spread through per- ening to challenge the Plan in a court of law. They say the Plan is ―yet another gim- son-to-person contact. When mick engineered by health officials to buy more time and exploit the opportunity to a child is infected with wild garner additional funding from donor-fatigued international agencies that have poliovirus, the virus enters been supporting the country’s Polio Eradication Initiative since 1994.‖ Finally, there the body through the mouth is a report that the vaccination workers in the biggest city, Karachi, are not receiving and multiplies in the intestine. the pay that has been sent to the City administration for them. It is then shed into the envi- What may happen? First, a little context. Pakistan is ruled by a collection of tradi- ronment through the feces tional agriculture-based feudal fiefdoms, but now including the industrial oligarchs. where it can spread rapidly, The only well-organized national institution is the Army. The political and legal sys- especially in situations of tems are flawed and weak despite the trappings of democracy and British law. The poor hygiene and sanitation. press is now relatively free and exhibits a national characteristic that if you ask ten If a sufficient number of chil- people one question you will get ten radically differ answers. The country depends dren are fully immunized, the on international assistance and has a very successful record of obtaining the funds virus is unable to find suscep- and then doing whatever it wants. Fundamental Islam is a growing movement, and tible children to infect, and not as unpopular as the foreign press would have us believe. Americans are now very dies out. unpopular throughout the country, partly as a result of our own flawed diplomacy for the past 30 years. Finally, the Pakistan record for successful social/health pro- Young children who are not grams is spotty at best. yet toilet-trained are a ready source of transmission, re- The launching of the new Polio Eradication Plan and the negative views and news gardless of their environment. are deja-vu to me. I went through several of these events. However, I also learned Polio can be spread when that things can get done if the power structure genuinely wants to do it and can do it food or drink is contaminated in their own way. Meeting the 2011 goal might be tricky, but Pakistanis have a great by feces. There is also evi- deal of pride and if they become the only remaining endemic country I am certain dence that flies can passively that they will dig deep and finish the job. transfer poliovirus from feces to food. END POLIO NOW How Close We Are This Close! are We? What do Bethel Rotaractor Erin Murphy and Rotari- an Michele Parejda have in common with Jack Nick- Rotary International has laus, Desmond Tutu and Queen Noor? All have been pledged that Rotarians featured in Rotary’s ―We’re this close‖ ad series de- worldwide will raise $200 signed to raise awareness about polio eradication! million to meet the $355 The world leaders have posed for The Rotary Foun- million Bill & Melinda Gates dation, and their images are available as Public Ser- Foundation Challenge. vice Announcements to promote polio eradication. You can check out these PSAs and more — just go to Since the Challenge began www.rotary.org, click on ―media and news‖ , then in early 2007, Rotarians ―multimedia‖ and then ―PSAs‖ to download graphics globally have raised $162 for all visual media. million. Of that, the District has raised $41,967. We Or create polio eradication posters of your own! have lots of room to go to Michele and Erin represented the Bethel Club on the reach our goal! recent District NID to Nigeria, and they each later posed for the ads as part of the follow-up awareness You can help! The goal is and fundraising that the club is doing for Polio Plus. reachable if we all pitch in. Check out the posters on the Bethel Club’s Facebook Plan a fundraiser or aware- page, and if you would like to highlight local polio ness raiser in your commu- eradication celebrities in your area — either survivors nity. Join the Polio Plus or Rotarians — get help from a local photographer Society and commit to give and create your own posters! $100 per annum until polio Michele Parejda (top right) and Erin Murphy (right) join golf legend Jack Nicklaus, is eradicated from the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Queen Noor of Jordan (left to right in posters worldwide. Find out more below) in the fight to raise awareness and end polio. on the District website. PUBLIC IMAGE Get District 7780 PR Campaign the To ―End Polio Now‖ Unveiled Word Our District won a Rotary International grant specifically to promote ―End Polio

Now‖ during World Peace and Understanding Week, February 20 through 26. The Out! campaign will include print advertising, TV and radio coverage, bus signage, and we February is a great month will even light the Portland Museum of Art with the ―End Polio Now‖ logo, just as Ro- to capitalize on all the pub- tary has previously lit the Rome Coliseum; British Parliament building in London, licity led by the District! and Sydney Opera House! Then there’s the Red Claws basketball game on Sunday, February 27, a fun-raiser and fundraiser for Polio Plus. In addition, Governor Ann Your club can: Lee and President Ray Klinginsmith, who will be visiting the District during that 1. Send press releases to local week to keynote our World Peace and Understanding Dinner on Tuesday, February newspapers 22, will take part in a media interview blitz! 2. Promote campaign and relat- Clubs are urged to take advantage of this publicity with their own, more local cover- ed activities on their websites age. This is the week to let our communities know of the work Rotary is doing in polio and Facebook fan pages eradication, community service, and so much more! 3. Purchase advertising if your Plans are still under development, but at this budget allows point, we know that the following will be part of the special campaign: 4. Participate in newspapers inserts Ads (based on the Rotary Internation- al ad shown here) will run in Maine- 5. Attend World Peace & Under- biz. Dates of the ad placement: Febru- standing Dinner ary 7, February 21, and March 21 (a Business Leaders of the Year special issue, always a Resources for Clubs popular issue!) RI Website: http://

www.rotary.org/en/EndPolio/ Governor Ann Lee will be interviewed Pages/ridefault.aspx by the following media outlets: Citadel Broadcasting NH; End Polio Now Fact Sheet: Citadel NH Stations: WOKQ / http://www.rotary.org/en/ WPKQ 97.5; EndPolio/Pages/learn.aspx Citadel Broadcasting ME; Citadel ME Stations: WCYY 94.3; Polio Factsheet: http:// WHOM 94.9; WJBQ 97.9; WBLM 1022.9 www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/ en_pdf/ “End Polio Now” signs will run on buses in our two biggest cities during pr_polio_factsheet_en.pdf the month of February Humanity in Motion Cam- Portland Area – 7 signs paign: http://www.rotary.org/en/ Portsmouth Area – 7 signs Members/RunningAClub/

InformingTheCommunity/Pages/ Newspaper Inserts will promote the work of Rotary and Polio Plus HumanityinMotion.aspx throughout our District: Portland Press Herald and Seacoast Media

DISTRICT CONFERENCE

Come to the District Conference! Rotarians in our District are changing lives in Haiti, Nige- ria, Uganda, Guatemala, and countless other communities including right here at home!

And our keynote speakers Humanitarians! Join Roster this year are humanitarians At District Conference who have changed and Roger F. Cram and Khassan Baiev will be keynote saved lives around the speakers at our upcoming District Conference. world. Both Professor Roger Cram and Dr. Khassan Dr. Khassan Baiev (top right) is a Chechen-born trauma surgeon who treated thousands of civil- Baiev have truly made the ians and combatants on both sides of the First world a better place through and Second Chechen Wars, including Russian their integrity and personal soldiers and Chechen fighters. efforts. At one point during the conflict he performed 67 amputations and eight brain operations in a 48- They will be hour period. Both sides saw Baiev's action of joined at the treating the other side as treason and multiple podium by death threats were made against him. The human rights organization Physicians for Human Rights Jim Moulsen, sponsored Baiev for political asylum in the United the President States during the Second Chechen War. of Rotary International in Baiev and his family now live in Needham, MA.He Great Britain and Ireland, has been honored by Human Rights Watch, Physi- and President Ray Klingen- cians for Human Rights, and Amnesty Interna- smith’s rep at the confer- tional for his work. He has authored two memoirs, ence. The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire and Grief of My Heart: Memoirs of a Chechen Surgeon. So save the date! The Dis- Professor Roger Cram (below right), a faculty member of Hiram College in Ohio, has trict Conference will be held spent his life researching the problem-solving abilities of peacemakers the world over. at the Portland Marriot Sable His research has taken him into the townships of South Africa and the rural villages of Oaks in Portland, Maine, Nicaragua researching grass-roots heroes and their peaceful crisis-management skills. May 13-14. Come to cele- Roger Cram has been profiled in ―People‖ magazine, and he has appeared on major me- brate our successes, and to dia outlets. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Aurora, Ohio, and serves at the learn how much more we District level as both D-6630’s Rotaract and Foundation chairs. can do. On New Year’s Day, 2011, Roger married his wife Mel, who will accompany him on their belated ―honeymoon‖ to Portland to participate in our District Conference. The newly- weds plan to dedicate the rest of the lives to fighting human trafficking. ROTAPLAST

District Rotaplast Mission Scheduled to Go to Vietnam Our next District-wide Rotaplast mission, to repair cleft lip/cleft palates will be to DaNang, Vietnam. The trip will take place from October 30 to Novem- ber 12, 2011! District clubs have supported Rotaplast for many A Super Bowl of Quilts years, and many volunteers from our District have Wells Rotarian Terry Hodskin is gone on these medical missions, both as medical determined that Rotaplast’s staff and non-medical volunteers. ―It’s the most im- smallest patients will go home mediately rewarding trip of all,‖ says George Crock- from their surgeries wrapped in ett of the Portland club, ―because in just a few days something warm, beautiful, and you see the results of the surgeries and realize the clean. good that has already come from your work.‖ This year, our District plans to sponsor one-half the In the past decade quilters from cost of a Rotaplast mission, during which a team of Rotary medical and non-medical across North America and be- volunteers will repair cleft palate/cleft lip anomalies in children who live in the yond have shared Terry’s pas- DaNang area. sion; they have sewn and donated almost 16,000 beautiful This is a big undertaking — we will have to raise $20,000 between now and Novem- Wrap-a-Smile quilts to Rota- ber to pay for the mission. However, the District plast and other Rotary medical Rotaplast committee firmly believes that the oppor- missions. tunity to give back in Vietnam is too good to be missed. How many quilts? From goalpost to goalpost, a football field Here’s how you and your club can help: encompasses 57,600 sq. feet. 1. Donate money to help support the trip. The average Wrap-a-Smile quilt measures 40 by 48 inches. 2. Purchase raffle tickets for the Wrap-a-Smile The 15,898 quilts sewn by charity raffle that is helping to raise money for Wrap-a-Smile quilters, laid the trip. (See flyer, page 14.) side by side, would cover 3. Invite a Rotaplast speaker at your club to help 3.67 football fields. raise awareness. Now that’s Super! 4. Come to DaNang as a non-medical volunteer. To learn more about each of these opportunities, To share your quilting skills, contact Bill Dunn, Yarmouth Rotarian and Rotaplast contact Terry at vaga- medical volunteer, at [email protected] . [email protected] . ROTARY FOUNDATION District-wide Commitment Aids Haitian Migrants in Dominican Republic

La Romana is the Dominican Republic’s third largest city, and is well-known for its pristine beaches and tourist attractions. But behind the high-end gloss survives a poor local population, mostly Haitian migrants, who came to work the sugar cane fields but lack proper identification papers. This prevents them from attending school, Water for Life owning property or working outside the fields. Fortunately, at least three Rotary Foundation When the District team trav- Matching Grants led by clubs in District 7780 are eled to Nigeria last November, currently underway to support La Romana’s Good Samaritan Hospital and the quarter- one of the places it immunized was in a small village outside million migrant workers of La Romana. Kaduna. Portland Rotary member and audiologist Roger Fagan has donated time and expertise and The villagers of this village just returned from his 13th trip to La Romana. Through a series of Rotary Foundation work in the fields, and tradi- tionally they have been migrants, he and his wife, honorary Rotarian Liz Fagan (shown above) have tested and in- grants, following agricultural stalled solar-rechargeable hearing aids in children in the community. work. Now they have settled down in one area, but the In 2009, Ogunquit, joined by Topsham, Wells and Dover, initiated a grant to bring sanita- government has yet to provide tion and clean water to neighborhoods in La Romana that lack sanitation. Club members basic services. have travelled to the Dominican Republic and supplied "hands on" help to install and main- A school has been built for the tain water filtering equipment so that thousands of local people may drink clean, safe water. community only recently, and only through the hard work of And most recently, Freeport, Portland and South Berwick-Eliot are partnering on a grant to Nigerian Rotarians and Gover- provide family planning education through La Romana’s Good Samaritan Hospital. nor Ann Lee. “My people were in darkness and they have now been brought to light Multi-Club Rotary Grant Brings through knowledge,” Clean Water to Haitian Hospital the local chief Back in 2007, Portsmouth — joined by 14 other District clubs said of the new — worked with Portland-based charity Konbit Sante and initi- school. ated a Rotary Foundation grant to bring sanitation and clean But the village water to the Justinian Hospital in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Be- still has no cause Cap Haitien is in the northern section of the country, source of clean the hospital was the only major hospital in all of Haiti to es- water, and no sanitation facili- cape destruction when the earthquake hit one year ago. The ties. As a result, disease con- sanitation project is not yet completed, but much has been tinues to haunt the village. accomplished, and District 7780 Rotarians can be proud that Gov. Ann Lee is leading the their dollars and hard work helped save lives after the earth- way with a Matching Grant to provide wells and latrines for quake, and continue to bring health to the thousands of peo- the village. ple in the community that the hospital serves. Here (above right), Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotarian John Atwood and You can get involved! If your local Rotarians from Haiti admire the pump house, purchased club would like to assist with through the grant. At right, the women’s clinic at the hospital this project, please get in is shown. touch with Ann Lee. LEADERSHIP

2011-12 Theme: Reach Within to Embrace Humanity

Rotary International President-elect Kalyan Banerjee will ask Rotarians to Reach New Members Within to Embrace Humanity during the 2011-12 Rotary year. Congratulations to the following Rotarians, who have joined 7780 Each year, Rotary International presidents unveiled an annual theme during the clubs in the past several months: opening plenary session of the International Assembly, a training event for incoming Bethel: Ian Blair; Paige Crockett district governors. Reach Within … follows Building Communities, Bridging Conti-

nents, this year’s theme. Each annual theme is essentially a way to work toward Ser- Bridgton-Lake Region: Rosalie Weiser vice Above Self, Rotary’s overarching theme. Brunswick: Michelle Passmore Banerjee urged participants to harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve Casco Bay-Sunrise: Dianne success in Rotary. "In order to achieve anything in this world, a person has to use all Procida the resources he can draw on. And the only place to start is with ourselves and within Damariscotta-Newcastle: Edwin ourselves," Banerjee said. Gosnell Once Rotarians find their inner Dover: Cate Rafferty; Scott Smith

strength, he continued, they can ac- Exeter: Shaun McEachern; Ann complish great things in their commu- Schieber nities and around the world. "Discover Hampton: Mary Ellen Dunham yourself, develop the strengths within Kennebunk: Richard Evans; you, and then unhesitatingly, unflinch- Hillary Massey; Kim Vieira ingly, go forth and encircle the world, to Kittery: Allyn Hutton embrace humanity," he said. Ogunquit: Karen Arel; Thomas Banerjee emphasized the family as a start- Rotary International President elect Kalyan Banerjee announces the Fortier; Ray Hamlin; Anthony 2011-12 theme as his wife Binota looks on. Maurno ing point in serving others. "The communities we live in are not built of individual people but of families — families living in Oxford Hills: Ronald Morse; Joel Speakman homes together, sharing their lives and their resources and their common destinies. Good families lead to good neighborhoods, and good neighborhoods build good com- Portsmouth: Stephen Kniaz; Priscilla MacInnis; Waheed Man- munities." sur; Nancy Philbrick; David Splaine; Magdalena Soutcheva Rotarians can focus on projects that support families, such as those that provide safe housing or improve maternal and child health, he said. Rochester: Brian Bundza; Donna DeCiccio; Gary James; Kim Le- tendre; John Waitner Continuity in Rotary’s work, including polio eradication, is also important, Banerjee said. "There are so many things we are indeed good at: working for clean, safe water; Saco Bay: Timothy Grant; Eileen McNally; Donald Raymond; Brad spreading literacy; working in so many ways with the New Generations, our youth, in Watts our newest Avenue of Service and assisting them to become the leaders of tomorrow." Seacoast Portsmouth: Erin Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s call to "be the change you wish to see in the world," Proulx Banerjee said Rotarians should also focus on change. "If we wish for peace, we start South Portland-Cape Elizabeth: by living in peace ourselves, in our homes and in our communities," he explained. "If Nancy Irving; Meghan O’Brian; William Phillips we wish environmental degradation to stop, if we wish to reduce child mortality or to prevent hunger, we must be the instrument of that change — and recognize that it York: Heather Brountas; Brad Countryman; Laurie Ottley; Dena must start within us, with each of us." White; Tina Wilson PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE GSE Teams Prepare for Professional Exchange One-Half a World Away

Rotary Team to Visit Our Group Study Exchange (GSE) From India team of young medical profession- als has been meeting since their Think of it as Group Study selection in October to prepare for Exchange — for Rotarians! their trip to Hong Kong, Macao and While Group Study Exchange Mongolia. The trip commences on is designed to give young pro- February 25. fessionals an in-depth exchange opportunity, Rotary In exchange, a team from District Friendship Exchange offers Rotarians themselves the 3450 in Hong Kong has been se- chance to travel to another lected and is preparing for their corner of the world on a cultur- trip here. They will be in our Dis- al exchange and enjoy Rotari- trict beginning April 18. an home-stays and hospitality. This will be the first time that Dis- trict 7780 has been involved in a single-profession Group Study Ex- change. The outbound team is led by Burt Dibble, Exeter Rotarian and retired family practice practitioner, and the team includes two Gujarat RNs, a physical therapist, a social worker and a physician.

The inbound team includes an oph- thalmologist, a surgeon, RN, health A Friendship Exchange team services administrator and a regis- of six Rotary couples will ar- All dressed up and someplace to go: While the 7780 Outbound GSE tered Chinese medical practitioner. rived from Rotary District 3060 team for their professional exchange to Hong Kong, Macao and Mon- in Gujarat, north of Mumbai in golia, their counterparts from the Hong Kong district (center photo) are northwestern India, and the Both teams will take part in all the equally excited about visiting us. Our team (top photo) back row, from home district of Rotary Interna- cultural exchanges of a typical, left: Karen Abendroth, Tracey Merrill, Erin Regan. Front row, from left, tional President-elect Kalyan multi-professional team. But be- Banerjee. Rotary hosts in our Darren Guy, Maria D’Andea and team leader Burt Dibble. Below, mem- cause they are all in healthcare pro- District will provide meals and bers of the outbound team participate in North East LINK training. lodging and arrange sightsee- fessions, their vocational visits will ing. The visit is designed to be be much more focused. more casual and less intense than is a Group Study Ex- This is also the first year that our change. outbound GSE team has taken part in Northeast LINK, a day of train- If you would like to be a host for our Indian Rotarian guests, ing open to all Rotary exchange please contact Peggy Bel- scholars and GSEers from through- anger, inbound Friendship out New England. The training Exchange Chair, at took place in Massachusetts in late [email protected] or 207- January. 423-6762.