By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
One hundred and five years ago, Rotary International was founded by Paul Harris. In 1957, the Paul Harris Fellowship Award was created in his honor. The fellowship award at that time was created to encourage individual Rotarians or their clubs to donate $1,000 to help fund the Rotary Foundation projects worldwide.
Sam Collins and Scott Willey were recently named to the highest Rotary honor bestowed upon a club member, the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. The awards were presented to Collins and Willey during the Caribou Rotary’s regular luncheon meeting on July 21. Caribou Rotarians, from left are: Alan Hitchcock, Gregg Collins, 2010 Paul Harris Fellowship recipients Collins and Willey; Mark Draper and John Weeks.
Today, the Paul Harris Fellowship Award is the highest honor that is bestowed upon a Rotary member, recognizing his or her exceptional ‘service over self’ contributions to their club and communities as well as working toward the Rotarian goal of world peace and international understanding, through service projects.
On Wednesday, July 21, two Caribou Rotarians became Paul Harris Fellows, being presented their awards during the group’s regular luncheon meeting, by Mark Draper, president.
Scott Willey, a 10-year member of the Caribou Rotary Club, was named to the Paul Harris Fellowship Award and described by his fellow Rotarians as a very deserving candidate, “known as the quiet man he ‘used’ to be, one who believes in ‘service before self.’”
Willey, a graduate of Caribou High School, began his work career at the age of 16, working at his family business, Highway Tire, where he remains today. The Caribou Rotarian also graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, with a bachelor’s degree in business.
In 2003 Willey was elected to the Caribou School Board and for the past three years has served as its chair. He also served on the regional planning committee that helped shape the Regional School Unit, which combined the Caribou, Limestone and Stockholm school systems. Willey sits as chair on the RSU 39 board of education.
“This is a great honor,” quietly stated Willey, “I have to say that Rotary has done much more for me than vice versa.”
Caribou Rotarians offered their thanks to Willey for his continuing support and service to the organizations and for serving as Rotary president in 2006-07.
Willey and his wife Cecile, are the parents of two sons Nicholas and Tyler.
Identified as a 1976 graduate of Caribou High School who attended high education outside of the state then returned to work in his family’s business and who at last count had served on an estimated 30 boards and committees in the area and who has been a Rotary member for 25 years, serving as club president during 1993-94; Sam Collins was the second Caribou Rotarian named to the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.
Collins, president of the S.W. Colllins Co., earned a bachelor of arts degree from St. Lawrence University in 1980, where he majored in economics and minored in government. According to his lengthy portfolio his community service has included chairman of the United Way Campaign, 1986; president, United Way 1989; president of the Caribou Development corporation, president of LEAD, 1992-93; board member of the Caribou Planning Board; Caribou Rotary president, 1985; president of the Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine; direction of the Northeast Retail Lumber Association and was named Lumber Dealer of the Year in 1992.
Collins also has served as director of the Madawaska North Shore Lake Association; Loring Reuse Committee; Maine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as a trustee of Husson College. He has also served as chairman of the Northeast Retail Lumber Dealers Association, the Caribou School Board, vice chair and director of ENAP, co-chair of the RSU for school consolidation 2007 — 09; director of Big Rock Ski Mountain and chair of the Tennis Committee for the drive to build tennis courts at CHS, 2008 — 09.
Other community involvement has included: youth soccer coach for 12 years; Caribou recreation basketball league coach, 2006 to present; and was named Volunteer of the Year for the Caribou School Department in 2009.
Presently Collins serves as director of the Aroostook Federal Savings and Loan Association; MMG Insurance Co.; and the UMPI Foundation. He is chairman of ENAP; and he is a member of the State of Maine commission to study energy infrastructure.
The Paul Harris Fellowship recipient is the son of Donald and Patricia Colllins. He and his wife Lise (Pelletier) reside in Caribou and are the parents of four daughters, Tess, Catherine, Laura and Clara.
Participating in the awards ceremony were Rotarians Alan Hitchcock, John Weeks, Brent Jepson, Gregg Collins and Mark Draper.
