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Top of the Week June 1, 2018
 
Top of the Week!
 
 
Golfers Needed!
 
 
It’s not too late to sign up for the Annual Golf Tournament. Chair Peter Grace and his minions have been working hard to make this year’s event the best ever.  Click the link below to register for the event.
 
The event is a major fundraiser for Basic Needs Committee and promises to be full of fun and fellowship. So dust off those clubs and sign up today.
 
 
Rotary Day at the Fisher Cats - Don't Miss the Fun, Buy Your Tickets Now
 
Another great event that promises great times, great food and great fellowship. If interested contact Leo Gagnon.  Play ball!
 
 
 
 
 
Seeking Applications for our Club's Second Annual Partnership

The Basic Needs Committee is actively seeking candidates for our Club's Second Annual Partnership, which will begin in September.  Non profits meeting basic needs (food, health, shelter, or clothing) are eligible for consideration. Click on the link below for the application. The deadline for submission being July 13.  Please contact Cathy Nickerson, Lindsey Hery, Diane Lavigne, or Bob Lewis for applications or additional information.  
 
 
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Applications and Service Project
 

At the surface, RYLA is a four-day, three-night leadership program for students entering their junior year of high school. It is a chance for students to grow as leaders and people on an individual level while in a group setting at Camp Hinds. We invite you to come volunteer to Clean up Camps Hinds on Saturday June 9th at Camp Hinds in Raymond Maine 9:00AM. We use this day to prepare for running RYLA the end of June. This is a great opportunity for Rotarians to work alongside RYLA Staff and Alumni to build bonds in service. Please contact Phil Giordano at Philtastic7780@gmail.com for a list of projects and to let him know you will be attending. 

RYLA CAMP also needs vounteer for registration and kick off on Sunday June 24th at Camp Hinds Raymond ME between 7:45 am—12:30 pm Rotarians are invited to Stay for the RYLA Kickoff and Lunch at 11:00 am at the Dining Hall. 

Lastly, Rotarians are also invited to attend the "Final Camp Fire & Camper Skits & Candle Light Ceremony, Tuesday June 26th between 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm the cost is $10.00.

 
Sorry We Missed You
 
If you have a makeup for a missed meeting, please email it to the following link:
 
 
 
Check Your Profile
 
The Communications Committee is asking that everyone log onto ClubRunner and check your profile to make sure it is up to date.  Change is part of life and we hope to be able to reflect those changes in our website.  Happy surfing.
 
 
Rotary Connections is back!!!
 
Rotary Connections let’s our members know that their Rotary club is thinking of them.  Members facing a health issue, death in the family or a life celebration, we are here!  
 
If you know of any of our members who may need a Rotary Connections, please reach out to the Cathy Nickerson or President Ben.
 
 
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!
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Rotary Log For May 24, 2018
Rotary Log for May 24, 2108
 
 
The Portsmouth Country Club was abuzz with energy as we anticipated meeting 12 outstanding Portsmouth High School (PHS) students. Each would soon receive well deserved scholarships.
 
John Rice led us in My Country ‘Tis of Thee. Greeter Marie Brownell recited the Four-Way test.  John Lyons gave a brief yet meaningful invocation.
 
There were so many guests, including families of scholarship recipients, that we just acknowledged all with a round of applause.
 
President Ben opened the meeting by announcing that we would soon be presenting more than $30,000 in scholarships. That’s a stellar day embodying Rotary values.
 
Announcements
 
Good news! Our 2019 dues invoices are here! See Joe Bove to pay in person or mail in your check.
 
Interact Advisor Joanie Dickinson reminds us to continue to bring in our pop tops. All those can tops go to raise money for Interact.
 
 
Gene Doherty invited everyone to the Lilac Festival at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion.  She also mentioned that she and her husband go regularly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where the Rotary distributes water filters to families.  Rotary also offers classes in English and computer skills to children in the schools to help them get jobs.  If anyone has an old computer they’d like to donate, they can be taken there and used to help students
 
The Rotary Golf Tournament is Friday, June 22 and still needs silent auction items.
 
 
Leo Gagnon pitched Portsmouth Rotary Day June 24 at the Fisher Cats. Tickets are just $36 per person. President Ben reminded Leo of another great reason to attend:  the 90- minute “all you can eat” buffet. That caught Justin Finn’s ear.  
 
 
Tristan Shanley and Marie Brownell were welcomed to the podium. Tristan said she was thrilled about the scholarships because she has an opportunity to honor her late father Joe Shanley. Rotary helped coordinate a scholarship in Joe’s name shortly after his deaths in 2012. Both her parents were committed to the community. Yet it was her mom who found herself “keeping the family afloat” while endlessly helping not just the family, but the community. Thus, Tristan was thrilled to present a Paul Harris Award to her mother, Cindi Shanley.
 
 
Cindi graciously accepted the award, well deserved for all she does for others.  She said she was completely surprised by the honor and expressed her gratitude for the recognition.
 
The 50/50 raffle ($48 with a $250 match) was won by one of the scholarship recipients, Mark Weathersby.  
 
The program.
 
The Scholarship Committee reviewed many applications and interviewed numerous candidates. The winners, all PHS students, were selected on the basis of academic performance and community service.  Each student is awarded $2900, although CIndi noted that not one asked how much they would be receiving.  Most of that scholarship money comes from the Christmas tree sales.
 
 
Brianna Mastro, who just finished her freshman year at UNH, delivered an impressive address to our recipients.  Ms. Mastro won a Rotary scholarship last year. Now she is an Earth Science major and “loves rocks and dinosaurs.”  
 
What she like best about college is not just being able to “geek out,” but also finding your passion.  She is in the UNH honors program and Secretary of Rotaract.   While schoolwork and grades are very important, she says, students must get out into the world and do things to help others.
 
Brianna said she had no doubt that they will be great at what they choose. But whatever they do, she implored them to be a good person.
 
“Look out for others and find out ways you can help others in the world,” she said.
 
Her second piece of advice is to relax. Learning to overcome struggles and handle the stresses of college life are key.  
 
“You have the ability to do anything,” she said, “so now do great things in the world and be good doing it.”
 
 
Lindsey Hery presented the first scholarship to Chithra Singareddy. A “dream student,” according to her English teacher, Chithra took only AP classes this year, working in an assisted living facility in her free time.  She wants to be a dermatologist and will be attending Dartmouth.
 
 
Next up was Grace Smith, ranked in the top ten of her class.  Grace is also a fine student athlete, member of the New Hampshire Theatre Project and belongs to the PHS marching band. She took AP Spanish and wants to study abroad. Grace will attend Oberlin College.
 
 
Leo Gagnon introduced Ceilidh Shea, an honor student and National Honor Society member.  Her application included multiple pages of volunteering and community activities, some overseas in the poorest parts of the world.  She will be attending Colorado College.
 
 
Leo also introduced Willem Gerri, an aspiring writer/journalist.  His activities include four years of Interact, NHS, as well as playing guitar, tennis and chess. What struck Leo most on his application was a letter of recommendation from Willem’s best friend since second grade. That old pal mentioned Willem’s ability to balance all aspects of his life while he gravitates toward leadership roles. Willem is going to Dartmouth.
 
 
At 13, Jacob Morin knew he wanted to be a pilot. Involved in Interact, hockey, lacrosse and NHS, his application’s underlying theme is self-discipline. He is described as a “talented, hard-nosed kid who works hard to achieve his goals athletically and academically.” Jacob will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
 
Tristan and Cindi Shanley presented two Joseph J. Shanley Scholarships. Joe Shanley, for whom the award is named, was a prominent REALTOR with a wonderful sense of humor. He was also an extraordinary community volunteer, being one of the first to help Market Square Day get off the ground.
 
 
Hannah Allen, who will major in elementary education at UNH, won the first award.  Even though she couldn’t attend the interviews, Tristan knew Hannah was the right choice. A committed Interact member, Tristan is sure Hannah will be a wonderful educator and asset to the community.
 
 
The second recipient, Julia MacNair, wants to study fashion.  Her recommendation lauds her for her willingness to take the initiative and dedicate herself to her studies while involved at many activities at PHS. This fall she is going to Marist College.
 
 
Getting back to the 12 recipients, Casey Penacho, wants to be a psychiatrist nurse practitioner.  As part of her community service, she volunteered at a nursing home for patients with dementia.  She is a member of NHS, Interact and co-captain of the softball team.  She is attending Quinnipiac University.
 
 
Another scholarship winner is Sydney Ludes’ for whom the most cherished thing is her family--her “internal compass.”  She is an accomplished student athlete, a member of Interact and NHS.  She will be a premed major at Denison University.
 
 
Marie Brownell introduced Mark Weathersby.  An Eagle Scout and robotics team captain, he already is an entrepreneur, owning High Voltage Creations. According to his physics teacher, he has a passion for learning and creating. He will no doubt bring that same passion to his studies at Rochester Institute of Technology.
 
 
Madison Coscia’s activities included soccer, basketball, spring track and Interact.  An  honor student ranked 17th in her class, she values honesty and kindness as the most important qualities one can have. This fall she will be attending Boston College.
 
 
Finally, the Bill Genimatas Scholarship was presented by daughters Kathleen VanCantfort and Carol Miller. Their father was a Rotary member for years and she remembers he always went every Thursday no matter what.
 
 
This year’s recipient is Clay Hundermark. Ranked 16th in his class, Clay is an NHS member, on the Executive Board of a Interact and a chess tutor at public library.  Involved in many community projects, Kathleen felt her father, who valued education and giving back to the community, would be very proud of him. Clay will attend Bates College and wants to major in physics.
 
 
 
President's Message to the Students
President Ben closed the meeting by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of all the students. He noted their success is enhanced by a strong school system and a supportive community. Ben personally addressed each recipient with poignant words of wisdom and encouragement as they head out on their next phase of their lives
 
Ben noted that he was a PHS student and Rotary scholarship recipient himself. He humorously qualified that by saying that they didn’t get so many applications back then.
Ben closed by reminding the students of the great futures they have ahead and the value they will bring back to their communities.
 
“We all consider the scholarships to be an investment,” Ben said. “You embody the values that we all share in Rotary.”   
 
2018 Rotary Club of Portsmouth Scholarship Recipients
 
Hannah Allen                                   University of New Hampshire
Madison Coscia                               Boston College
Willem Gerrish                                  Dartmouth College
Clay Hundertmark                            Bates College
Sydney Ludes                                  Denison University
Julia MacNair                                    Marist College
Jacob Morin                                      Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Casey Penacho                               Quinnipiac University
Ceilidh Shea                                     Colorado College
Chithra Singareddy                         Dartmouth College
Grace Smith                                      Oberlin College
Mark Weathersby                             Rochester Institute of Technology
 
Respectfully submitted, Anne Richter Arnold
Photos by Tube Loch
New Members Photos
To see photos of our new members click on the following link:
 
http://portsmouthrotary.org/PhotoAlbums/new-member-photos-welcome
Speakers
Jun 07, 2018
Aging in Place via the Village Model Concept
Jun 14, 2018
Bring Back the Trades
Jun 21, 2018
Our Rotary Vocational Awards
Jun 28, 2018
Unpredictable at this writing - but fun
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Board Meeting
Service Credit Union Corporate Office
Jun 06, 2018
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
 
New Member Orientation
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
Jun 12, 2018
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
 
Basic Needs Committee Meeting
Infinite Imaging
Jun 13, 2018
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
 
Communications Committee Meeting
Portsmouth Country Club
Jun 14, 2018
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
 
Salvation Army Soup Kitchen
Salvation Army
Jun 19, 2018
4:00 PM – 6:15 PM
 
Portsmouth Rotary Golf Tournament
Pease Golf Course
Jun 22, 2018
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 
Sponsors
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Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
Photo Albums
Scholarships
C. 2018 Rotary Club of Portsmouth, PO Box 905 Portsmouth NH 03801
Email: portsmouthnhrotary@yahoo.com. www.portsmouthrotary.org.
eBulletin Editor: John Rice