June 2021

 

This is my last monthly President’s Message, and it is a good opportunity to look back at this very unusual year.  Our club remains very strong. We end the year with 70 members; in the past 14 months we have added 6 wonderful new members.  We have an excellent slate of upcoming officers and directors, with a notable shift younger, so the club is in good hands going forward.

 

Club meetings have been a challenge during this COVID-19 pandemic.  We started the year having hybrid (in person and Zoom) meetings, then had to revert to Zoom-only meetings, and are now back to hybrid meetings.  We learned a lot from this, and going forward we will probably always include a Zoom option for those who cannot, for whatever reason, make it to the Shrine Club.  That gives busy members some flexibility and allows us to have visitors and speakers to our meetings from literally anywhere in the world. Also, the Board has decided to hold our Board meetings on Zoom from now on.  As our upcoming District Governor Doug Curtis has said, Zoom is here to stay, and things will never be the same (which may not be such a bad thing).  Our club should be proud of our creativity and resourcefulness, which has resulted in the Belfast Rotary Club receiving the District Governor’s Gold Citation.

 

COVID has understandably changed most of our usual fundraising and events, but thanks to some very creative thinking in our committees, we have done surprisingly well this year and are busy planning for next year.  We did not have a Golf Tournament last year, but we will have a (modified) Golf Tournament on June 5.  We did not have a Harbor Fest last year, but we will be having a (modified) Harbor Fest this August.  We had an extremely successful (modified) 100 Fund this year, sending out gift cards for toys and warm clothes and vouchers for boots to 170 needy children for Christmas.   We awarded over $80,000 of scholarships to deserving students who demonstrated exceptional leadership or service.  We did a very popular e-Waste project in spite of the weather and the pandemic.  Also, thanks to the amazing generosity of our members, we were able to more than double our usual donations to local food banks and soup kitchens, responding to this exceptional time of need. All in all, our club managed to creatively respond to the challenges of the pandemic. 

 

Because of the most recent CDC and State of Maine updates, it has been decided to hold our upcoming Annual Awards Dinner indoors at the Shrine Club on June 23^rd.  Details will be coming soon.  For any unvaccinated attendees, it is strongly recommended that you wear masks; for vaccinated people, it’s up to you.  This is a big step towards returning to a more normal club experience, so please be careful and respectful of others and their comfort levels.   

 

As my year as president comes to an end, it has certainly been an “interesting” year.  Thanks to all of your dedication, energy, and flexibility, we end the year stronger than ever in spite of the challenges.  We have been able to contribute to the community well beyond what would be expected, making real the Rotary motto “Service Above Self”.  It has been my privilege to be your president for the past year, and I’m proud to be associated with such an amazing group of people.  I thank you all for the past year.

 

Yours in friendship and service,

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Belfast Rotary Club charitable fundraiser and golf tournament tees off at the Northport Golf Club on Saturday, June 5. Event chairperson Paul Doody of Camden National Bank said “We had to cancel this popular event last year but I guess people are anxious to play golf this spring. We’re full up with eighteen four-person teams signed up to challenge the 2019 winning team from Penobscot McCrum Foods in Belfast.”

 

Despite the golf tournament’s title, the Rotary Club is not raising funds through sponsorships this year. “We realize it has been a difficult time for many businesses and organizations,” Doody said. “So we have sent our previous sponsors a letter thanking them for their past support, but are not asking for a sponsorship donation in 2021. In fact, we want to say thank you by printing an event newspaper insert with all of their names to recognize how much they have meant to us. The insert is also a good way to let people know just how much Belfast Rotary Club does for the community.”  The insert can be found in the May 28th issue of the Bangor Daily News.

 

 

 

The Belfast Rotary Club welcomed six new members during this pandemic year. “The Club had to move to online Zoom meetings last March,” said Club president Richard Koralek. “But in spite of not being able to see each other, our membership grew nearly 10%. That should tell you something about how successful Belfast Rotary is.” Partly as a result of this membership growth, and partly for its virtual meeting adaptation in times of pandemic, Belfast Rotary Club has just been recognized with a District 7790 (parts of Maine and Quebec) Governor's Gold Citation

 

The new members, all inducted in the last 14 months, are Beth Sterner of BELKIS Consulting, Ken Schweikert, retired owner of the Grasshopper Shops, Russell Werkman, Executive Director of the Waldo County YMCA, Kevin Kelley, a retired hospital administrator, Kim Fleming, Executive director of Waterfall Arts, and Hadan Kauffman, a retired science teacher. “The skills and experience these people bring to the Club and to the community are mindboggling,” Koralek said. “New members, men and women of any age, are always welcome. With nearly 70 people following the Rotary motto of ‘Service Above Self,’ there’s no wonder the Club does so much for the Belfast area.”