By Marty Helman

There were lots of good feelings and even more good cheer at last Thursday’s meeting.  It started with a gaggle of guests:  Lois Hiller is a relative newbie to the Region, and she found her way to the Clubhouse and Rotary without any prompting from anyone.  Lorraine Faherty, our assistant governor, member of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club, and frequent visitor, came with Eddie Cheung, president of the D-N club, and his long-time Rotary friend Tony Cerato, who is a Rotarian from Phoenix who wanted to “talk Rotary Peace Centers” with this correspondent.  Which we did.  At great length.

 

Our keynote speaker was Caroline Earle Ivens, the Healthy Living Director at the YMCA, and she came with numerous guests as well, including her parents, and Y CEO (and former president of this club) Andy Hamblett.  Caroline’s family has summered here for multiple decades, and now she and her husband and two littles call the Region home.  More on Caroline later.

 

But first:  Much is happening, both at the club and in the community:

 

Next Saturday, October 26, will be the annual Spooktacular at the Railroad Village.  It’s a trick-or-treat extravaganza, and Tory Paxton sent around a signup sheet for those of us who would like to staff a Rotary booth – costume preferred – to enjoy the many, many kiddos expected. Her sign-up shifts are mostly filled, but it’s not too late to call Tory and join the fun.

 

The next day, Sunday October 27, the Damariscotta-Newcastle club will hold a fundraiser at Duck Puddle Pond Campground to support its signature project, Karl’s Kids, which provides uniforms and equipment to local kids who otherwise couldn’t participate in sports events.  The fun will start at 12:00 noon and continue all afternoon with a cornhole contest, pig roast, and more.  A free-will donation is all it takes to be a part of the event.

 

Meanwhile, our own Conxa Packard will have the microphone at the meeting next Thursday, October 24, for her classification talk.  Conxa is so much a part of the Club community that it took this correspondent a moment to realize that she might still be considered a “new” member; all I know is that she has had an intriguing life on both sides of the Atlantic and that her talk is a “must.” 

 

Then, the following Thursday, is Halloween.  At Rotary that night, we will have a costume party complete with a contest and the usual fabulous prizes.  Charlotte Jameson promises us appropriately gross “feely boxes” as well as Halloween trivia.  Who could resist?

 

Looking forward to Thursday, November 7, we will celebrate our annual Veterans’ Appreciation night.  Our speaker will be Mike Fritz, a local resident who was a junior Naval officer in Vietnam, and who recently participated in an Honor Flight trip to Washington.  He – and his grandson Trevor, who accompanied him to Washington – will speak on their experiences.  And it wouldn’t be Veterans Appreciation night without Monica and Tom Churchill at the keyboard and Jim Singer with his amazing video.  Know a vet?  Invite that vet to join us! This annual evening is all about saying thank you in a meaningful way!

 

The Rotary barn was pretty bare on Thursday when I peeked in, but a good-sized pickup is scheduled before Saturday, so expect new opportunities for deals and steals and to turn trash into treasures during our usual opening time:  Saturday morning from 8:30 to 11:00 am.

 

Happy dollars were shared for the Pumpkin Fest, the Rotary barn, for Lois Hiller (who Doug Lockhart knows because they both volunteer at the Botanical Garden), for Marcos Packard (who is getting married!), and for Patty Seybold and Doug’s upcoming service trip to Uganda.  Also for this correspondent being selected for Rotary International’s Board of Directors.  More on that in the coming columns.  Good news can wait.

 

Then we heard from Caroline Ivens, who Andy Hamblett called a “pied piper” in terms of her relations with both kids and staff.   Caroline works with all ages at the Y, and once a week she serves as PE and Healthy Living teacher at the Southport School.  She said that she is often asked how we can be healthier and more fitness-focused, and her answer is, first, to define a fitness goal.  Caroline calls it your “Why?”, and stressed that everyone’s “Why?” can be different – it might be to be able to run after and enjoy grandchildren, or to succeed in a long-distance hike, or just to do laps at the Y.

 

Whatever it is, Caroline cautioned to start small, so that you learn to enjoy your fitness routine, and make it part of your daily life.  Then, when you are into an exercise routine, she recommended changing the routine up a bit, to keep it fresh and to add new exercises to the workout. She also recommended thinking about what she calls “functional movements,” and to know how to squat/sit/push/pull/turn/twist to move with ease through our daily activities.  She suggested we all think about the repetitive movements we engage in without really thinking about it – mine might have something to do with sitting in front of a computer for too many hours a day – and to train for those movements so that they can be accomplished more readily.

 

Interested in Rotary and all the good we do around the Region – as well as all the fun we have?  Ask any Rotarian or just show up at the Clubhouse at 66 Montgomery Road.  We meet Thursdays at 6:00 pm for socializing and dinner and our rule #5 is always:  Is it fun?