Rotary Recap – September 12, 2025
Past President Jud Knox opened our meeting at 7:30 a.m. with a warm welcome, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and our 7-Way Test—asking us all to add our own #7. His inspirational words set the tone: “Kindness is a seed—tiny, but it grows a forest.”
Club Updates
Maine Needs: September kindness dollars and donated items are being collected. Drop-offs can be made at Susan’s house and Darcy’s office.
Field Trip: Next Friday we’ll head to Mt. Agamenticus to present a check to the Recreation Department from the Four on the 4th.
October Field Trip: Contact Jackie if you’d like to join the upcoming October 10, 2025 trip to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (more details soon).
Car with a Cause: About 44 tickets remain! Another beach weekend of ticket sales may be in the works.
Celebrations: Marilyn shared joyful news of a new grandbaby, and Larry contributed $72 in kindness dollars for his birthday last month (and yes, the Club sang. It sounded just as you would have expected!).
Guest Speaker: Dr. Anshu Chandra – Global Eye Project
We were honored to welcome Dr. Anshu Chandra, an optometrist from upstate New York and a fellow Rotarian, who joined us via Zoom. Dr. Chandra’s life mission has been bringing sight and eye care to those most in need.
Her journey began with mission trips to the Himalayas and Haiti, where she saw firsthand the devastating impact of preventable blindness caused by poverty and lack of access to care.
In 2012, she began laying the groundwork for Haiti’s first full-time rural eye clinic, and by 2015 had trained staff and established a clinic within an existing hospital.
Today, the Global Eye Project has provided over 120,000 eye exams, along with prevention programs and pediatric screenings for children ages 0–19.
The clinic has outgrown its current space, but thanks to land secured earlier this year, they are preparing to build a permanent facility. Their team, equipment, and local support are in place—the missing piece is funding. Their goal is $300,000, with $50,000 already raised. Dr. Chandra emphasized how Rotary support could be transformative: if just 100 clubs contributed $3,000, the goal would be reached quickly.
Challenges remain, such as the absence of a local Rotary club in Haiti (due to cost barriers for locals), but opportunities exist for international partnerships and potential Rotary grants. She shared a moving video highlighting the clinic’s impact and promised to send follow-up information and materials.
Closing Notes
Next week’s meeting will be our field trip to Mt. A—don’t miss it!