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Top of the Week May 25, 2016
 
Top of the Week!
 
 
The case for Vocational Service Awards….
by John Rice, Vocational Awards Committee Co-Chair
 
Show of hands--How many of you know someone deserving of recognition for service to the community, but is unlikely to ever be formally honored?! I’d like to take just a few minutes to make the case for Vocational Service Awards. Did you know that Vocational Service is actually a huge part of who we are as a club? Did you know that Paul Harris actually started Rotary based upon membership consisting of different professions?
 
I am told that the name Rotary came from the rotating meetings amongst member’s work offices. The goal was to have one group and one person from each of the community’s various professions involved. The hope was that they could meet each other regularly and provide service to the community. They would actually practice SERVICE above SELF.
 
As I said, Vocational Service is a huge part of who we are. Vocational Service, in fact, is the second of Rotary’s five Avenues of Service (the others being Club Service, Community Service, Youth Service and International Service.) Our Four Way test owes its origins to Vocational Service as well as our high ethical standards. So vocation is of founding importance to Rotary.
 
Next month we will present four awards to deserving honorees in the areas of Public Service, Health and Human Services, Education and a General Category. As I said a few weeks ago, recipients are usually not Rotarians, but certainly could be one. Our winners receive a plaque of appreciation, a gift of flowers and most importantly, a donation of $500 to the charity of their choice.
 
But we can’t present these awards without your nomination. We ask that you pick up one of the applications on your table, take a few minutes of your time this week to fill it out and return it to us. We are all Rotarians, so we know those people out there who are deserving. We appreciate the donations of time, talent and money of others. And we notice the quiet contributions of people who never get thanked for what they do.
 
Remember last year’s impressive winners? It was certainly a very special meeting. One that produced one of those wonderful “Rotary moments” that make being a member of this club so meaningful.  
 
So let’s honor our community, our club and one of our Avenues of Service.  Think about it. Nominating an individual for a Vocational Award today could be one of the most thoughtful things you’ve ever done for another person. Please fill one out and return to either myself or Neal Ouellette by May 22—or better yet next week.
 
I am asking for the order here. Thank you in advance for helping us honor those who have honored us.
 
 
 
Portsmouth Rotary Basic Needs Golf Tournament Ready to Tee Off
 
 
Don't forget that our 23rd Annual Portsmouth Rotary Basic Needs Golf Tournament will be held Friday, June 17th at Pease Golf Course, and it's slated to be a round full of fun and excitement.
 
Proceeds from this event will benefit The Portsmouth Rotary Basic Needs Endowment.  The endowment is a fund established to benefit seacoast food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other local survival needs. This year, Portsmouth Rotary will give over $20,000 to basic needs organizations in the community.
 
Sponsorship, registration, and additional information can be found at: http://www.birdeasepro.com/portsmouthrotarygolf
 
 
 
Rotary Thunder 5K Road Race Announces Date
 
 
We are pleased to announce that the Portsmouth Rotary’s annual road race returns to Thursday night and is scheduled for August 4. Stay tuned for further details.
 
Let us Know What is Happening!
 
If you have an event or news that you would like to share with your fellow Rotarians, please forward the information to Dennis Moulton for inclusion in the weekly eBulletin. My contact information is d-moulton@comcast.net.  And please send photos!
 
 
Rotary Log for May 19, 2016
 
Rotary Log for Meeting of May 19, 2016
by Jon Flagg
Photos by Tube Loch
 
 
Your log writer was annoyed even before our meeting started. It’s tradition that I am the last one in the door at every meeting. That has worked out well for 20 years. Last week I show up just before the bell rings and there is a line out the door! I had to say the pledge of allegiance in the hallway! Apparently next year I will have to plan accordingly for the Scholarship Awards.
 
Gordon Allen gave his usual wonderful invocation which went something like this… (I am paraphrasing here.)
 
May Your grace shine upon all of us this day.
 And may You grant me the grace to accept yet a 4th week in a row of winning the raffle. Amen.” 
 
Donna Harvey and Frank and Sarah Nappo were our guests today. There were a whole lot of proud parents, too.
 
 
Ben reported on a very successful lobster bake for 65 Air National Guard members from around the country.  Great work, Ben!!
 
 
Today was all about the kids. What an impressive group came before us to accept their scholarships. It must have been a very tough job for the Committee to narrow down their choices. Fourteen kids shared $35,000 in scholarships. Those scholarships, as Chair Cindy Shanley notes, are the product, in part, of countless hours selling Christmas Trees. Here are the student’s stories in brief.
 
 
 
Wiley is President of Interact, plays soccer and is on the Executive Board of the National Honor Society. We are going to help her pay for Boston University…Robbie is in AP Physics and an “extraordinary thinker” according to his sponsor. Yet he forgot to tell us where he is going to attend college. He came back up to the podium to tell us. Some university called Princeton…Erica plays three sports, is a member of Interact and on the Student council. She makes significant contributions to her community…Audrey is a dancer and volunteers as a mentor to kids. She will attend Butler University in the fall as a  
Dance major.
 
 
 
More outstanding kids came to the podium Mia volunteers at the Salvation Army and a local nursing home. She also participates in Interact and will double major in engineering and business at UNH…Ava built a robot! She studied artificial intelligence in high school and will go to UNH to study mechanical engineering…Joe Shanley’s aunts presented scholarships in Joe’s memory to Katie. All she does is rise at 4am to study. Katie also raises funds for the homeless and is a Special Olympics volunteer. She will attend Quinnipiac University…Kalia, despite all kinds of challenges, is a member of Community Leaders of America and FCCLA. She will double major in Holocaust Studies and Criminal Justice at Keene in the fall.
 
 
This is only a sample of the outstanding young people we got to witness last week. One thing they all had in common: volunteerism in the Rotary tradition. These kids clearly “got” the concept that giving back to your community is what it’s about. Congratulations to all!
 
 
John Lyons won the raffle. He immediately handed his proceeds over to Cindy Shanley to donate to the Joe Shanley Scholarship Fund…Now THAT is what Rotary is all about!
 
Respectfully submitted,  Jon Flagg
 
New Members Photos
To see photos of our new members click on the following link:
 
http://portsmouthrotary.org/PhotoAlbums/new-member-photos-welcome
Speakers
May 26, 2016
 
Jun 02, 2016
 
Jun 09, 2016
 
Jun 16, 2016
 
Jun 23, 2016
 
Jun 30, 2016
 
Jul 07, 2016
 
Jul 14, 2016
 
View entire list
Sponsors
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Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
Photo Albums
2016 Rotary Scholarships
C. 2016 Rotary Club of Portsmouth, PO Box 905 Portsmouth NH 03801. Email: portsmouthnhrotary@yahoo.com. www.portsmouthrotary.org.