The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club hosted two very different groups at its meeting last Thursday: the Cadette Girl Scouts and a group of visitors from Switzerland.

The Girl Scouts opened their part of the program with a picture of a tree on which they attached leaves inscribed with reasons that they like Scouting. They then presented a skit entitled "The Scariest Rotarian," who turned out to be our own Chip Griffin! Scouts participating were Cassie Panarese, Katherine Landry, Christian Jewett and Erica Sproul, with leaders Mary Sproul, Sherri Jewett and Debbe Frost.

The visitors from Switzerland were in Maine as part of Rotary's Group Study Exchange program, which offers an opportunity for young business and professional men and women to experience the culture and customs of another country. Each year a GSE team - which includes four to six members (who are not Rotarians) and a Rotarian leader - from our district spends four weeks in a foreign country meeting and exchanging ideas with people in their field, after which a group from that country comes to the U.S. for a similar visit.

The Swiss group comprised Rolf Meier, the Rotarian leader; Stefan Hubeli, a project manager with a leading Swiss bank; Michelle Schaub, who is in the international marketing department of a manufacturer of dental implants; Lyn Gyger, who is in the marketing department for the leading Swiss soft drink, and Annette Stephani, a helicopter mechanic. Our club had hosted them for lunch on Thursday, followed by visits to the YMCA and Hodgdon Yachts. At the meeting that evening each of them talked a bit about themselves and then told of what they had experienced so far during their trip to the U.S.

Guests at the meeting included Rotarians Gary Speers, Ian Drewette and Pat Musser from the Damariscotta-Newcastle club, who were hosting the Swiss group for the night, as well as John Platt who, with his wife, Colleen, recently moved to the region.

President Marty Peak Helman reported that 17 Rotarians and six family members had participated in Rebuilding Together the preceding Saturday, and reminded members of the upcoming district conference. Deb Graves detailed final plans for the bottle drive for the benefit of the food pantry.

The Vidalia onion sale netted over $1,000, according to chair Dwight Swisher, with payment for one order still outstanding. Mike Thompson reported that we have received a donation of a Bradford 19' power boat with a 70hp motor; the boat can be viewed at Boothbay Boat Sales, where it can be acquired for $12,000.

This Thursday, May 24, will be Rotary Appreciation Night, featuring recipients of club grants: Katelyn Brewer will tell us about her research trip to Africa; and Mary Norwood will talk about her volunteer trip to the Maquipucuna Reserve in Ecuador.

Mike Pollard and Andy Hamblett will be waiters, Bill Dodge will be greeter and offer the invocation, with Frank Helman in charge of the program. Monthly assignments for May include Dave Patch as steward, Mike Thompson as innkeeper, Bill Kautzmann for 50/50 and Tom Carroll as sergeant at arms.

Other programs coming up in the near future include hosting the high school graduating class on May 31, with Matt Thomson, Youth Outreach Director of the YMCA, speaking on "Physical Fitness for Life;" on June 7, John Peak of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Club will tell about the school for girls his club is sponsoring in Afghanistan; a club assembly for auction planning will take place on June 14; Dr. Alamo will be our speaker on June 21, and our annual changeover meeting will be held jointly with the Damariscotta-Newcastle club on June 28 at the Botanical Garden, with catering by our Chef Kim Mills.