HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met for its luncheon meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. Announcements included the raffle of $500 of donated Dead River Company product for the Houlton and Patten District. Tickets are now available and posters are announcing the raffle. The drawing will be Nov. 22 during the Rotary Auction.
Rotarian Travis Glatter introduced his wife Mari Glatter, who he hosted as his guest speaker. Marie Glatter grew up in Sydney and graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor degree in music and a bachelor degree in education.
After getting married, she continued taking classes in various courses offered through Pulp and Paper program and a course on the tropics. Marie also served as the chair of a 25-member school board. Her love of learning took her into curriculum development in Portsmouth, N.H. The Glatters have been raising three children, two who are in college and one is about to attend college. Marie has counseled home schooling parents as she too homeschooled her children.
The University of Maine was looking for someone to direct the 4-H Youth Development Program through the Cooperative Extension program in Houlton and Marie Glatter was hired just a couple of months ago. This program is more than 100 years old.
The Land Grant College is the University of Maine at Orono. Aroostook County has three offices to deliver the extension programs of the 4-H Youth Development Program, the Senior Companion Program and the Agriculture Program. The three offices are in Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Houlton.
Kim Hazlett coordinates the Senior Companion Program in the Houlton office, housed at the Sheriff’s Building, while Linda Trickey is in charge of the Agriculture Program. Emily Dow is the office administrator.
Marie Glatter stressed that in the 4-H program, if there is an idea for a club it can happen. Thirteen clubs have existed for awhile and now there are four new clubs. Serving youth from the ages of seven to 18 the extension conducts the state’s most successful out-of-school education program.
Animal projects, community service, science, healthy lifestyles, learning leadership and citizenship as well at the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program are examples of the areas of focus a student can engage in. It has been proven that as children are involved in 4-H their rate of education is increased and they are empowered to reach their full potential.
Glatter placed brown paper bags on each table and Rotarians opened the bags, finding the task or challenge set before them. This activity demonstrated how learning can occur with simple prompts in subjects such as science, math, cooking, art and business.
To learn more about opportunities for youth or to volunteer to assist with various programs the website is extension.umaine.edu/4h and the office number at 35 SchoolSt. is 532-6548.
