Breakfast Meeting 8.2.23

 

No one was on Zoom

Tony is back and challenged us with Trivia again.  Here’s one to remember…What rotary item must you have with you at each meeting?   (Answer at the bottom)

Raffles: 50/50 won by Russ Nagle, who donated it to The Mayhew Program.  Ken Evans was drawn for the card game raffle and did not chose the Ace of Spades, but the Ace of Clubs.  The pot has grown.

 

Many happy dollars were add by Denise, Mike, Tony and Russ.

 

Mike reminded everyone of Pack a pack: Donations will be accepted through August 18 at Whole Village. See the list below for items that are needed. A day to assemble the packs will happen either on the 18th or shortly thereafter, again at Whole Village. Note that Whole Village parking lot is being redone right now so if you plan on dropping off supplies, you should probably wait a week or so.

 

(From Whole Village) Good morning! We are collecting backpacks and school supplies to help get kids ready for school this Fall! Please lend a hand by donating backpacks for kids in grades K-12. We can also use donations of the following items:

1 subject notebooks

Highlighters

Crayons or colored pencils

Folders

Rulers

Kid-safe scissors

Pens

#2 Pencils

Glue sticks

Pencil sharpeners, erasers, pencil cases, calculators, or other school supplies

 

All donations can be dropped off at Whole Village anytime Mon-Fri between 8AM-4PM, up to Friday, 8/18.

 

Mark your calendar.  Our Club will be helping out packing the items into the backpacks on Friday 8/18/23 at 1Pm at the Whole Village.

 

Mike wanted to remind everyone if they have not completed the membership survey, please submit yours soon.  Thanks.

 

Mike also wanted to let the members know of two goals that our co-presidents, Mike and Beth, have set.

1. Increase our membership by 3.  Maybe the membership committee can work on that
2. Strive for every member every year donate to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund.  Mike and Beth are asking each of our members to commit at least $25 per year to Rotary International’s Foundation.  Money donated to RI’s annual fund comes back to our District in the form of Club Grants.  You can go to my.rotary.org to sign up and donate.  Donations can be one and done, or you can set up an automatic payment option for your donations.  Mike and Beth are planning a tutorial in the future.

 

Today’s speaker is Bill Clark’s guest Jim Nute, Executive Director of the Mayhew Program.  Mayhew Program challenges and helps at-risk New Hampshire boys to believe in themselves, work well with others and find their best.

Mayhew is the only all-boys program in the state that combines school-year mentoring and a residential summer program.  The tuition is free to boys from the age of 10 or 11 thru 18 or High School.  Its an 8-year experience.  

There are two parts to the program, one is the summer camp on an island on Newfound Lake.  The other part is a year-round mentoring program.  Two boys to one staff member who meets with the boys once or twice per month in the area where the boys live to do fun things including recreational activities together.

Jim shared a video that was done in 2019 and we could see and hear from the boys directly about Mayhew and how it impacts their lives.  The boys lean to work together, be respectful to each other, work as a team and understand they are in a community.  As Jim puts it it is just “basic human stuff.” They learn.  

At camp they learn to fish, swim, kayak, do a ropes course, hike, learn to react to situations in a responsible and mature way, and overall understand the best of themselves and how they fit into their communities, wherever that may be.

Jim handed out papers that members read out loud with some statistics about the challenges these boys have outside of Mayhew.  Many come from homes without parents’ involvement, or parents with alcohol, drugs and mental illness issues.  Mayhew has helps these boys realize their full potential and to be better selves.  

 

Mike reminded us next meeting Mike Currier will attend our meeting and bring us up to date on the Plymouth Skatepark.

 

Denise will be Sergeant at Arms next week and please bring exact change!  Thank you.

 

 

Trivia answer:  Your Rotary coin