The Truth About Ogunquit Rotarians

Posted by Mariah Erikson on May 10, 2017

Do you know what we do?

I’m here to inspire and encourage you to join the Ogunquit Rotary Club. And if you think you can’t commit, wait a second. Take the next two minutes to finish reading this and learn more about the Ogunquit Rotary Club. Here are three common misconceptions:

Attendance is taken and you must commit a certain percentage of your life to Rotary. FALSE. While weekly attendance is encouraged, it is not mandatory to attend. And if you’re seasonal to Ogunquit, that’s ok too. I think you’ll quickly realize that you walk away after Friday morning Rotary breakfasts feeling invigorated and ready to tackle your day. This a special group of people who you will look forward to catching up with on a regular basis. Meetings are weekly, Friday mornings at 8am at the Beachmere Inn, $8 for breakfast and coffee!

Rotary Club = you must be 50+ to fit in. FALSE. While Rotary was formerly considered an old men’s club, this has changed completely. Everyone, all ages, are welcome. We have members ranging in all ages and backgrounds. There is a deep sense of camaraderie that makes this group an extension of your family.

Meetings consist of lunch, drinking, and ???. FALSE. We get a lot of people who simply don’t know what a meeting consists of and what purpose Rotary serves. Meeting agendas generally consist of breakfast (and coffee!) and catching up with fellow members. Then club affairs are discussed, Happy and Sad dollars are shared, and a guest speaker from the region is introduced. Meetings run about 1 hour total and if you have to leave early, that’s ok! As for Rotary’s purpose, its motto is “Service Above Self.” To the Ogunquit club, this means volunteer work as a club and charitable club donations to local causes.

Ogunquit Rotary is involved in several local projects and causes. A few of them are ongoing, annual events, while others are one time donations or causes. One of the greatest things about this club is that you can be as involved as you want (and even suggest service projects!), or if you don’t have the time, there is no pressure to commit to certain number of events and hours. The Beach Wheelchair project is an ongoing club project that the club has created and supported for years. The club recently purchased a new wheelchair for the Ogunquit beaches, with funds it raised through its annual 2-Cent Sale and other fundraisers throughout the year. The 2-Cent Sale, held every July, is an auction style event, where all are welcome to buy tickets and win gifts and prizes. Other causes Ogunquit Rotary supports are the York County Realtors Fuel Fund and Spirit of Giving. Most recently we provided two “kitchens” for rural schools in Colombia. We maintain Rotary Park at Perkins Cove and participate in the Capriccio Kite Festival, Ogunquitfest and Patriots Day festivities in Ogunquit yearly just to name a few. We contribute to many other local non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, Grahamtastic, Wells Library, and scholarships at both Wells-Ogunquit High School and York County Community College.

Please come join us for breakfast and coffee. In case you missed it, Rotary meeting are every Friday, 8:00am at the Beachmere Inn. Hope to see you soon! Contact us at ogunquitmerotary.org