HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met on Dec. 10, for its regular Monday luncheon. President Nate Bodenstab reviewed the impact that the club has had on the community in the past year.
Rotary’s mission is to “encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise”, to quote the club booklet, and in particular Rotary encourages friendships as an opportunity for service. High ethical standards in business are expected as well as recognizing the integrity of all occupations.
Bodenstab described Rotary International as a network of 1.2 million people with over 35,000 clubs in the world. Rotary International is a place where members share ideas and join leaders to take action to create lasting change across the globe as well as in our communities and also on a personal level.
Throughout 2018, the Houlton Rotary club focused the “service above self” approach to financially support and to staff great community events such as Moosestompers, the Soap Box Derby, McGill’s Band, and Wings and Wheels.
Houlton Rotarians also have a very active focus on literacy. Students are read to by volunteer Rotarians on a one-on-one basis in the schools and books are passed out at parades and the Cary Library receives support from the club.
The annual Bingo night raises funds to send two high school students on a short-term Rotary youth exchange to various countries every summer. Every May the club hosts a student recognition luncheon with all of the local high schools to acknowledge and celebrate the students’ community service work.
The E-Waste event happens every September and this year over 50 tons of waste was recycled to a plant in Brewer. Thanksgiving week is when the Annual Rotary Auction takes place for three nights and this year over $46,000 was raised to return to the community in various projects.
Bodenstab said that from the Just-For-Kids playground to the Community Park Amphitheater to the Soap Box Derby and the elementary school outdoor basketball court Rotary’s influence is seen all around town. Bodenstab analyzed that this effect is potentially repeated by 35,000 clubs all around the world as each club focuses on making their community a better place to live.
