4/6/2009 "Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention"
Karen Heck described how that organization is working to help girls deconstruct today's media messages about who they should be: blonde, thin and pretty, in order to help them realize they cannot live up to this impossible standard.
Rotary Meeting for Monday, April 6, 2009 held at the Alfond Youth Center - Here is a recap in case you missed our meeting!
Sergeant at Arms
Tom Longstaff was our Sergeant of Arms today. Great job Tom!!!!!
Greeter
Duane Wheeler (assisted by Marc Pittman) served as Greeter today!
50/50 Tickets
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Marc also sold $80 worth of 50/50 tickets. Sandy Irving from the Bangor Club won $40 with #0059697. Marc Pitman won 10 free tickets to the next 50/50 drawing. Elizabeth Vanderweide will be our Greeter for next week's meeting on April 13th.
Fined for pictures in the Paper
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There were 3 Rotarians with pictures in the paper this week: Eric Haley, Kim Lindlof, and Mike Roy.
Cell Phones
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A $10.00 fee for cell phone ringing continues for the 2008-2009 Club year. One fine was assessed today.
On Leave
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World Service Cups
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The World Service cups for this month will go to support the good works of Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Karen Heck shared information about HGHW, noting that it helps girls to deconstruct the images they are seeing in the media and other places which create unrealistic benchmarks for kids to try and measure up to, thus contributing to the creation of self-perceptions that lead to risky behavior. They also work with parents and schools and have created coalitions across the state. Karen shared that the cup money would be helping to offset the cost for some girls who might not otherwise be able to afford attendance at the upcoming Girls Rock event which HGHW will be sponsoring for girls from across the state.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
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Rene Burdet introduced Sandy Irving, a member of the Bangor Club who will be doing some work in the Waterville area in the future.
Karen Heck introduced George Myers, City Editor of the Morning Sentinel as a guest and potential Rotarian.
What can you do?
* Be sure to join in the fellowship of the Auction on December 3 & 4 at the Bank of America.
* Tell Board Members what you are passionate about for community projects
* Tell the program committee about interesting speakers/topics you would like to listen to
* Be involved, join a committee
* Be active
* Be positive
Happy Dollars
Duane Wheeler shared that he was a bit disappointed that the Red Sox Opening Day was rained out but is looking for a strong showing tomorrow! He also shared that he saw George Myers at the art show held at the Blue Marble over the week end. George was displaying his work as was Duane's wife, Lisa, who won a 3rd place ribbon in the Other Media category.
Kim Hawkes had an "apology dollar" for a miscue with Face Book over the week end. Apparently the program went into her Outlook Contacts and sent out a "join Face Book" invitation to her entire list of email contacts which included a number of Rotarians.
Eric Haley shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming baseball season and shared a family story about going to a Red Sox game with his brother-in-law. Eric also apologized for being MIA over the past 6 months, explaining that there have been weekly Educare conference calls that required his participation, making it impossible to in 2 places at once.
Butch Merritt shared that he and Ginny are happy that for the 9th year in a row the nuthatchers have moved into their barn.
Ken Vlodek shared with the group that they should consider going to see Beauty and the Beast, currently playing at the Opera House. He said it's a great show! Ken's 2nd Happy Dollar was for getting the "Jag" out on its first day of spring.
Sarah Sugden shared that they had Belle from Beauty and the Beast come to the Waterville Public Library on Saturday to read to children. A great time was had by all! She also shared her experiences at the Inland Women's Health Fair on Saturday, noting that she ran into some students who are participating in YETE. One girl she was talking to won a prize by giving an answer to a question with information she learned from participating in her YETE internship experience. Way to go YETE!
Tom Longstaff is very happy that his son David is home for a 10 day leave from his Army assignment in Iraq.
Kim Lindlof echoed Ken's comments regarding Beauty and the Beast at the Opera House. She shared that this Saturday, before the matinee, the Opera House will be hosting a lunch with Belle for kids. On another note, Kim shared that the Chamber will be hosting a Business to Business Showcase here at the Alfond Center this Wednesday from 12 to 7pm. Many businesses will have booths and there are also 2 free seminars being held in the upstairs conference room. Kim encouraged everyone to attend at least part of this event.
Marc Pitman shared that after the fun of the Women's Health Fair last week end, they went down to Lewiston to visit family and, on the way home on Sunday realized how happy they are to be living in Waterville and calling it home.
Ann Beverage shared that she's overjoyed with the amount of money that was raised by Colby students and volunteers who organized the Fun Run on Saturday for Hardy Girls Healthy Women.
Karen Heck was also happy about the results of the Fun Run. On another note, she shared that as a member of the Waterville Main Street Board, she's seeing that there's a lot of energy developing around that organization and is very pleased about how that is going. She announced that on May 14 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Waterville Main Street will be sponsoring a sneak peak at the apartments in the Hathaway Center. The fee is $25 and there will be refreshments and entertainment along with the tours. Rotarians can RSVP to Waterville Main Street. Finally, Karen thanked Cathy and Kim for their assistance in trying to get the projector working for her presentation.
Sandy Irving thanked the group for their kind hospitality today. He shared that he grew up on Pleasant St. and is looking forward to renewing acquaintances in Waterville. He also noted that he's never won a 50/50 and to celebrate his good fortune today is donating his winnings back to Rotary.
Eric Veilleaux (Eric's) had 10 Happy Dollars because he's glad to be back for April. He also shared that he and his family celebrated his grandchildren's birthdays this week.
Kim Hawkes had a Happy Dollar for the Kids with a Camera photo exhibit that is being sponsored by the Alfond Youth Center and which will be on display at the Hathaway Center from April 11-12. She shared that the photos they will be showing are remarkable and encouraged everyone to attend.
Announcements
Eric Haley announced that there is going to be a Budget Meeting for the AOS this Wednesday at Winslow High School. He stressed that this will be in a Town Meeting Format and that there needs to be a good turnout from all parties representing Waterville, Winslow, and Vassalboro, because of the potential for changes and reallocations to come from the floor. For the residents of Waterville, this is an approval process that is different from what they have experienced in the past and, as such, residents need to feel that their interests are being represented through their presence and participation in the discussion.
Ally announced that there is currently a surplus of $35,000 in the donations budget and one of her goals this year was to make sure that these funds get allocated during her term. In this regard, she and the Board are soliciting ideas for how this money might be spent and requested proposals be submitted by May 1, 2009. In response to a question about whether there is a possibility that the $35,000 can be broken up into sub-grants, Ally indicated this will depend on what projects are received. She shared that there sould be at least $25,000 available for one major project and that the remaining $10,000 could be used for another. Again, this would be determined after the proposals are received by the Board.
Upcoming speaker schedule:
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April 13, 2009 | Reconnecting Maine's Children and Families with Nature (Gary Best) |
April 20, 2009 | Patriot's Day-No Meeting |
April 27, 2009 | Barrels Community Market (David Gulak) |
May 4, 2009 | Marc Pitman "Blogs and Social Media for Maine Businesses" |
May 11, 2009 | OFF SITE: Hathaway Center [Tours at 11:15, 11:30, 1:15, 1:30, 1:45] |
May 18, 2009 | Paul Harris Fellows Recognition |
May 25, 2009 | Memorial Day - No Meeting |
08-09 Board of Directors:
Ally Karter - President
Sarah Sugden - President Elect
Seth Sherwood - Vice President
Cathy Langlais - Secretary
Steve Kelleher - Assistant Secretary
Allan Rancourt - Charitable Treasurer
Don Borman - Operations Treasurer
Marc Pitman - Club Service
Mark Ford - Rotary Foundation
Eric Haley - Past President
Nancy Gallagher - Public Relations
Debbie Knox - Community Service
Ed Riggs - International Service
Reg Perry - Fundraising
Tom Longstaff - Vocational Service
Waterville Rotary Club Web Site
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<http://www.clubrunner.ca/waterville
>Today's Program: Sexual Harassment in the Work Place (Karen Heck)
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Karen Heck, a co-founder of Hardy Girls Healthy Women, described how that organization is working to help girls deconstruct today's media messages about who they should be: blonde, thin and pretty, in order to help them realize they cannot live up to this impossible standard.
Hardy Girls works in a variety of ways through schools, organizations and individuals. They currently have ten groups in various schools.
Hardy Girls presents Girls Rock Weekend this weekend. Rotary's support helps make scholarships possible.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Violence against women and children happens in our community. Men have the ability to stop this, beginning with child abuse, such as sexual abuse and the stalking of teens. We all have the ability to make a difference in stopping this.
A Rotarian then shared an occurrence of sexual harassment in the workplace that affected a family member who was working in the area last year. Specifically, the family member's supervisor undid her apron straps on 2 occasions. The first incident was inconspicuous, but the second one was overt.
The individual is unhappy that the supervisor was not confronted. It's about inappropriate behavior. It might start with language or jokes. Most of us probably know where the line is between political incorrectness and inappropriate behavior.
Heck reiterated that it is NOT about being politically correct. She believes that if you don't want something said to the women in your life, don't say it, and thinks that many men feel the same way. She encourages us to think about the three thousand media messages kids get each day, and to voice objections to those that are inappropriate.
Heck then quoted from a letter written about Naomi Shalit, thanking Shalit for sharing her personal story of abuse.
The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce has prevention bathroom posters available, and the Family Violence Project has stickers for distribution. Children know at an early age what's happening. A high emotional stress level during ages 0 - 5 affects brain development. Kids may need special ed as a result. We need to act for prevention, not just in a crisis.
Q&A
Q. Is abuse on the rise?
A. Before the late '60s there were no shelters or a social service net. The second wave of feminism triggered shelters. It's not more or less, just more open. Many women think they're alone. They are perceived as not equally contributing to society. If men will join the prevention effort, we can move together toward making people equal.
Q. Is this happening to younger people?
A. Yes-it starts with cell phones. Technology is insidious (showing incriminating photos on cell phones.) When you're told you're worthless and no one loves you it prevents you from seeking help. Women who leave are 75% more likely to be killed. Many women won't leave because their husbands are prominent. They feel they won't be believed, and fear losing their children.
Kim Lindlof offered posters for hanging in a discreet location. She has a friend who won't rent to anyone with a criminal record of violence.
Q. What's causing earlier violence? Today's children don't seem to have the same set of morals as we did.
A. (by Marc Pitman): It's not so much a change in religious attitudes. There is a systemic thing of men controlling: preventing them from having internet or telephone access. It happens right here. Charismatic men are guilty of it, and know one knows.
Ally then presented Karen with a Four Way Test Keychain as a token of our appreciation. The next meeting will be on Monday, April 13th.