BRIDGTON — Who’s our speaker next week? This is one of the most common questions asked by members of the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club and others who occasionally or frequently sign-on to the weekly Thursday early morning meetings.

The Club has structured its meetings to allow for its many committees to share their plans, accomplishments and concerns with the whole membership at the beginning of each of four monthly meetings. However, this is the primary focus of the third monthly meeting – dubbed a Club Assembly.

The second monthly Thursday meeting is reserved for the Club’s Board of Directors where important issues of long-lasting impact are discussed – financial status, membership, commitment to local and international projects that are the essence of Rotary’s recognized position as one of the world’s important charitable organizations, etc.

But the remaining two monthly meetings typically include an outside speaker who brings something special to the gathering – an update from local town management, an introduction to a local business or non-profit, a motivational speaker, significant projects in other Rotary districts and Clubs, an in-depth description of one of this Club’s major programs, or just something to broaden our knowledge of the world at large.

In the current fiscal year, the Club’s speakers have included:

• Shenna Bellows – then Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, and recently selected to be Maine’s Secretary of State
• Diane Madden – Executive Director, Cancer Resource Center of Western Maine
• Dr. Todd Jenkins – motivational speaker on diversity at Bowtie Leadership
• Peggy Belanger – Governor of Rotary District 7780, southern Maine and coastal NH
• John Doughty – Chief Investment Officer for R. M. Davis wealth management
• Rob Harmer – resident of Adelaide, Australia, zoomed in with facts and figures from downunder.
• Peter Wright – CEO, Bridgton Hospital
• BrennaMae Googins – owner of Patch Farm in Denmark, ME
• Amy Stone – Library Director, Bridgton Public Library
• Rose Heggeman – owner of Nectar of Maine in Bridgton

Scheduled speakers in the near future include:

• Feb. 4 – Andrew Drewer – FBI Special Agent, will enlighten us about the relentless scamming aimed at boomers and older folks.
• Feb. 25 – Melinda Thomas – Program Assistant, New England Arab American Organization, former proprietor of Clipper Ship Tea House of Bridgton.
• March 25 – Bob Peabody – Bridgton Town Manager

To hear any of the speakers, contact George Szok at [email protected].  With questions about other programs or membership, contact [email protected].

To learn more about the Rotary Club, check our Webpage (https://lakeregionrotary.com) or our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BridgtonLakeRegionRotary/).