District Governor Emma Bodwell
Paul Harris Awards
Anna Kristina's Family
Farewell and Best Wishes to Legendary York Rotarian Doug Gray
York Rotary Meeting Recap – August 15, 2025
Last Friday’s meeting was filled with inspiration, recognition, and a special visit from our District Governor!
Welcomes & Guests
President Darcy opened the meeting by welcoming members and guests, including District Governor Emma Bodwell (2025–26), Assistant District Governor Pam Gray, and the family of Anna Kristina.
Paul Harris Reflections & Awards
Darcy shared the story of Rotary’s beginnings with Paul Harris in 1905—reminding us how quickly the movement grew and how “honest work” became the hallmark of a Rotarian. Today, more than 1.4 million Rotarians worldwide continue that legacy.
We then celebrated several of our own with Paul Harris Fellow recognitions:
- Doug Gray – Paul Harris +7
- Anna Kristina – Paul Harris +2
- Dick Santoro – Paul Harris +7
- Frank Wright – Paul Harris +1
Congratulations and thank you for your extraordinary commitment to Rotary!
District Governor’s Message – Emma Bodwell
Emma, who joined Rotary in 1998 and is passionate about international service, shared her vision for the year: “Unite for Good – A Year of Collaboration, Inspiration & Impact.”
She introduced the new Club Engagement Tracker, designed to recognize clubs for creativity, collaboration, and courageous leadership. Clubs can earn points (“gold stars”) for initiatives such as:
- Sponsoring new members or satellite clubs
- Launching signature fundraisers
- Partnering with other clubs on projects
- Supporting youth programs (Interact, Rotaract, Youth Exchange)
- Creating new traditions or innovations
At year’s end, the most engaged clubs will be celebrated at a district-wide event!
Emma also highlighted her Unite for Good – 10 Sparks including:
- Unite for Good
- Power of Rotary
- The Stories We Tell
- Rotary is Family
- Engagement Tracker
- Membership
- District Governor’s Initiatives
- Power of Belonging
- Let’s Unite
- Have FUN!
She reminded us that Rotary is like a free leadership workshop—opportunities abound when we say yes!
Club Business & Upcoming Events
- Polio Update: Still going strong with a 2-to-1 match from the Gates Foundation. A Polio Plus event is planned for October—Darcy suggested ideas such as Pints for Polio or a bridge walk. Stay tuned!
- Membership Event: Planning a district membership event in Portland on October 25.
- Holiday Social: Mark your calendars for December 7 in Freeport. Fellowship + a food or toy drive may be included.
- The Club voted to donate $500 to support a project on behalf of DG Emma—potentially in Colombia.
- Kindness Dollars this week are going toward Vouchers for Veterans.
Kindness Dollars
Members shared gratitude for our visitors, Paul Harris honorees, birthdays, family milestones, and especially for Doug Gray’s lasting contributions to the club (from leadership to car raffle success!). A touching moment came from Anna Kristina, who shared her 31 years in Rotary and her father’s legacy as a dedicated Rotarian.
Closing Thought
Doug reminded us that “the more you put into Rotary, the more you get out.” His words—and the spirit of this meeting—captured the heart of what makes Rotary such a powerful force for good.