A small but determined group of Rotarians defied the weather to attend last Thursday's meeting of the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club. Despite the absence of the scheduled speaker, who was snowed in in Yarmouth, an enjoyable time was had by all, featuring Christmas songs with Viv Daniels at the piano, delicious dinner prepared by our chef par excellence Kim Mills and an abbreviated business meeting that allowed everyone to get home early.

President Skip Kreahling decreed that the loyalty of those present would be honored by double attendance credits. He then called Kim from the kitchen to receive a Christmas bonus in recognition of his fine service over the past year and many years before.

President Skip reminded members that his goal for his year as president was to address a hitherto unmet need of the elderly in the community. A committee assembled to consider the subject quickly focused on transportation, an issue not only for the elderly but for the disabled as well. The need is primarily in two areas: first, access to medical care - for which facilities are in place, although there are still gaps - and second, for social purposes. Many of the elderly or disabled who cannot depend on a relative, neighbor or friend find themselves housebound.

The problem has become more acute because of two trends. For one thing, living patterns have changed; people no longer live in village centers but are more spread out. In addition, people are living longer, so that the average person will live for seven or eight years longer than they will be able to drive.

The committee quickly learned that the Independent Transportation Network in Portland is already operating to address these very issues. While this model works in larger towns, the situation is extremely difficult in rural communities. However, the group has received a substantial grant to investigate how the needs of such rural areas can be met. Stay tuned for further developments.

On Thursday, December 20, we will have our own traditional club carol sing for residents of St. Andrews and the Boothbay Green. Carolers will meet at 4:30 p.m. that afternoon; non-singers who wish to join us for Turpentine Club and supper come to the clubhouse at the usual time. Buffet supper will be only $5 that evening. Steve Salorio will be greeter that evening and offer the invocation, with Bill Bailey and Connie Jones as waiters and Viv Daniels and Tammy Blackman in charge of the program.

There will be no meeting December 27 on account of the holidays. On January 3 Linda Went-worth and Lisa Burger will discuss Camden First Aid Association. This is a medical group that has traveled to Central America over the past 12 years to bring medical care and oral surgery to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Their upcoming trip will be to Guatemala. They are both St. Andrews employees and Lisa is pastor of the East Boothbay Methodist Church.

Wells Rotarian Terry Hodskins will speak on January 23 about Wrap-a-Smile, the project she started (with the help of the Boothbay Harbor club) six years ago, and which is now an international program that has provided over 7,000 quilts to children undergoing Rotary-sponsored surgeries worldwide. The board of directors will meet at 4:45 p.m. that afternoon.

Want to learn more about Rotary or about our club? Interested neighbors, visiting Rotarians and guests are invited to join us for our weekly meetings each Thursday at our one-of-a-kind Rotary Clubhouse at 29 Oak Street in downtown Boothbay Harbor. The bell is rung and dinner is served promptly at 6:30 p.m.; then comes a short business meeting and special speaker, and the evening ends by 8 p.m. Check us out on the Web: www.boothbayharborrotary.org.