PO Box 8834
Portland, ME 04104 USA
www.districtone.altrusa.org& follow the links to the Portland club's site, or
October 2018
The Altrusagram
Altrusa International Foundation of Portland, Maine, Inc.
UpcomingDates
Oct. 26
Empty Bowl
Fundraiser
St. Pius Church Hall
Ocean Ave.
Oct. 29 - Dec. 16
BAM!
Book Drive
Oct. 29
A B C
Dyer School
S. Portland
Nov. 3
District One Workshop
Duffy’s
Old Orchard Beach, ME
9:00 - 4:00
Nov. 6 - 7
A B C
Skillin School
S. Portland
Nov. 7
Business Meeting
Keller-Williams room
Clarion Hotel
6:15 P.M.
Nov. 8
Wayside Community
Meal
St. Peter's Cong.
Church
Nov. 13A B C
Small SchoolS. Portland
Nov. 13
Sue's Supper
Ronald McDonald
House
There's a chill in the air and autumn is here in all her glorious splendor!
We have greeted our first group of kindergartners and what a delightthey were! A B C is well underway in South Portland, books will beflying off the shelves at Waldron Way as we continue with this fallsprogram. Now, we need to label and shelf the boxes from the summer bookdrive! We are so fortunate to continue our partnership with Books AMillion. Don't forget to remind your friends that the Holiday BookDrive is happening now, the look of pure joy on children's faces as theychoose their own book at A B C is unforgettable.
The membership committee provided us with a terrific look at ourorganization internationally, at district level and right here at homeat the October meeting. It is amazing to look at all that happens andthe wonderful opportunities provided to us and our communities in theworld of Altrusa. We were pleased to meet prospective members and to beintroduced to Carinne Fournier, the new Astra coordinator and a teacherat Lake Region High School.
District workshop is upon us, we will be presenting our "Books BehindBars" during the literacy sharing program. Workshop is a wonderful,relaxing time to greet old friends and meet new ones who share thepleasures of community volunteering. This workshop is an easy driveand I urge everyone to attend, carpooling will be available.
Remember that we will only meet for business this month, we'll all bebusy prepping for Thanksgiving on the night of our program meeting!
Rake those leaves, eat crisp apples and have a glorious Thanksgiving,
Anita
"Be grateful for small things, big things, and everything in between."
A Letter From Our President
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The 2018 - 2019 Board
President: : Anita Chandler
Vice President: Fran Breton
Secretary: Ann B. Smith
Treasurer: Wanda Pettersen
Director: Joanne Doherty
Director: Debbie Lemieux
Immed. Past President: Marie Pike
Parliamentarian: Judith Reidman
Committee Chairpersons
2018- 2019
Communications: Debbie Lemieux
Finance: Wanda Pettersen
Membership: Fran Breton
Service: Susan F. King
and Martha Gross
Social: Joanne Doherty
Hold the
presses...
Altrusagram
entry
submissions!
Please send me your submissions no later than Friday
following the Program Meeting. Forward to my email at
[email protected]. You can also call me at 310-4509.
Editor - Debbie Lemieux
Service Committee
The Altrusa Program meeting was an informational meeting for our membership and prospective members. Each committee presented an overview of their activities. Service Committee, represented by Anita Chandler, presented
a fine overview of all the available service projects of our Club.This was a formidable list that included the Empty Bowl, Books Behind Bars, Gardening at the Barron Center, Bags of Hope, ABC Project, Ronald McDonald House "Sue's Supper" and eight or nine other projects..Since the last business meeting we have prepared for the Empty Bowl project, to be held this year at St. Pius Church on Friday October 26, We served supper at the RMH, did a fall garden cleanup at the Barron Center and served at the Wayside Community Dinner. Between October 29 and December 16 we will be participating in the BAM book-drive. Prospective Altrusans saw that we have plenty of events to choose from for their volunteer activities.
Remember the District One Fall Workshop coming up on November 3 before our November business meeting.
Fran Dyro
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Amazon Smile reminder
March -- holidays
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unofficial_observances_by_date
Club News
From Project Bazia
Wanted: Elementary School Teacher for 5th year class of fifty+ students, aged 9-12, mostly boys. Must teach native language (Chichewa), English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Health (HIV Prevention program). Must move to the village near the school where free housing will be provided. (See pictures of house.) May sometimes receive a stipend of 1,000 Kwacha a month ($83.92 USD).Will work year-round with two-week breaks between the three semesters. No pay during semester breaks BUT you may stay in the free housing. Your job is to prepare your students for a standard English examination at the end of their 8th year. If they pass, they may attend Secondary Level. In June of 2018, 125 students at Kangome School had completed level 8 and took the standard examination. Ninety-three passed the exam. However, due to overcrowding, there were only openings for 26 students in secondary schools, many miles away from their family. Elementary school is free to all; secondary school requires uniforms and textbooks which cost about $1000 USD per year (11927.00 Kwacha). The average family income in Malawi is $14,593 USD (7,576,900 Kwacha) which is above the income of a rural family. School attendance for all levels is difficult during the rainy season (November to January)when the roads are a morass of thick red mud; it becomes impossible to travel between the villages or into the city except on foot. This is also the “lean season”, when new crops are growing, but little food is left from the previous harvest.This year Project Bazia brought seventy-five books in English for the school library, chosen because the subject matter requires less time explaining the life style of the modern world. As Africans United of New England, we contacted Malawians in the capital, Lilongwe, including a chapter of Rotary International and a young man with a degree in Communications, Lawrence Lazarus, (who interviewed Bazia on the local television) so that while we continue to raise funds here in Maine for a hot breakfast program at the school for the “lean season”, we can receive support from the local community.Submitted by: Ann Smith
opportunities and providing service to communities worldwide.AmityLoyaltyTalent
ReciprocityUnity
ServiceAchievement
Altrusa books: Books donated to the school library by Altrusa International
Class of 5th graders: Typical 5th grade class with the headmistress, Mabel Chingoma, and their dedicated teacher.
Kitchen behind the house: Housing provided for teacher’s use. No plumbing, electricity, or locks on the doors.
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Amazon Smile reminder
March -- holidays
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unofficial_observances_by_date
MEMBERSHIP
THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of the presenters at our Membership Drive on October 17th at
the Fireside Inn - - for their prepared topics of information, as well as to our members who
spoke up and added their thoughts and comments. Thank you to every member who
attended to show their support and the vibrancy of our club; and particularly to
the Sponsors who brought Guests / Prospective Members.
We had 5 guests:
Martha Barnes - sponsored by Debbie Lemieux
Kimberly Toye - " " " "
Vicki Woodbrey - " " " "
Renee Hotchkiss - sponsored by Martha Gross
Carinne Fournier - ASTRA advisor at Lake Region High School.
They heard excellent presentations about all aspects of Altrusa:
Pam Lemieux Structure of Altrusa
Wanda Pettersen Finance & Fund RaisingAnita Chandler Service projectsDebbie Lemieux New Member perspective
Marie Pike Foundation
Trish Maxim ASTRA
Carinne Fournier ASTRA
Joanne Doherty Miscellaneous
Remember - - It's never too late to bring a prospective member to a meeting and a FREE meal
(in case you had somebody in mind who couldn't make it to this month's Program meeting.)
Thank you again everybody,
Trish
opportunities and providing service to communities worldwide.Vision Statement
Altrusa: Leaders in service, expanding leadership opportunities and providing service to communities worldwide.
Mission StatementAltrusa International, Inc. of Portland, Maine is a club of
diverse professionals dedicated to providing service to our communities, focusing on literacy, fellowship and leadership
development.
Membership: Fran Breton, ChairmanRae Clark McGrathTrish MaximAnn B SmithPam Szalajeski
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Service CommitteeWhat a joyful feeling! The rapt faces of kindergarteners greeted us as we arrived in their classrooms at Brown School on October 16th. Anita and Nicki were our readers and Susan and Marie joined them. Books were spread on low tables and the 5 year olds were invited to make their selection! Their teachers, Mrs. Schuler, Mrs. LaRose and Mrs. Tierney put their names in their books. “When do I bring it back?” “It is mine???? To keep???” “I can HAVE this???”This was our first visit of our ABC year and our first visit to Brown School EVER. Teachers, students and Altrusans all had a glorious morning!!
Future scheduled ABC dates are Tuesday, October 23rd at Kaler School; Monday, October 29th at Dyer School; Tuesday, November 6th at Skillin School (VOLUNTEERS NEEDED); Wednesday November 7th at Skillin ; and Tuesday, November 13th at Small School!
Marie Pike, Nicki Griffin, Anita Chandler
Brown School A B C
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Service Committee News
Books Behind Bars
These 400~ books were delivered by Arlene and Nicki Griffin, to Windham Correctional, Cumberland County Jail and Longcreek. Thankfully Nicki's truck could accomodate the books. Each of the three institutions were very grateful.
Arlene Hanson
Service Committee
Service: Martha Gross & Susan F King, ChairmenAnita ChandlerBonnie ChappellSharon DavisMartha DonahueFran DyroArlene HansonCarolyn HolmanSarah LabonteCarol Spector
Nicki Griffin, Kaitlyn Labrozzi , Arlene
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service hours Link
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc05IynjHKrEFy5iUIGzd0FKeHcBeT3wO1ku8H6EjMca6Ny_w/viewform?c=0&w=1
Altrusa
Builds
Community
ASTRA Fall roadside cleanup Project in Naples last Friday. We had an impressive turnout and collected a lot of trash!
Don't Forget to LOG your Service hoursClick here:
Service Hours Link
ASTRA stands for Ability
ServiceTraining
ResponsibilityAchievement
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ASTRA stands for
Ability
Service
7
Responsibility
Achievement
District One News
Call for Workshop 2018
Altrusa is an international non-profit
organization, making our local communities
better through leadership, partnership, and
service. We are civic-minded people who
strive to create better communities
worldwide.
I hope we see you there!!!!ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL BIDDEFORD-SACO DISTRICT ONE WORKSHOP
SATURDAY NOV. 3, 2018 DUFFY’S 168 Saco Ave, Old Orchard BeachTheme: Literacy
Hotel Accommodations: Hampton Inn – Saco FMI – Rita Cote 207-602-8179
Biddeford - Saco Altrusa Club invites you to the District One - 1 day- workshop. Registration $50. Last year the theme was Community Service projects. This year each
club will be asked to present their favorite Literacy Project. It was wonderful to see the diversity of our clubs service and I can’t wait to hear and see what the clubs do for Literacy. Looking forward to seeing “Everyone” especially the First timers at Fall Workshop
The Sound of In-House Money Please continue to fill up the green Altrusa CLYNK
bags. Here's how to dispose:1. drop them off at your local Hannaford’s2. drop the bags off at Pam Lemieux’s house 3. bring to a meeting and give to Pam.
Keep those cans and bottles coming!
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