In August 2014, Peter G. Gurt began serving as President of Milton Hershey School (MHS), a cost-free, private, coeducational home and school for children from families of lower income. Gurt is an accomplished academic administrator and leader who most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of MHS from 2009-2014.
Upon taking office as the 10th MHS president, Gurt designed an ambitious strategic plan to lead MHS into the future. His 2020 Vision strategy includes increasing enrollment to provide an excellent education to hundreds of new students; developing new approaches to support student success beyond high school; implementing a mission-oriented, values-based professional development model for employees; and enhancing opportunities to engage parents/sponsors in the support of their students and the school.
Under Gurt’s leadership, the school has grown to a record enrollment of more than 2,000 students; achieved the highest retention rate in nearly 50 years of 93.2 percent; launched the Graduate Programs for Success Division to support young graduates; recognized as a 2016 National Promising Practice for the school’s character and leadership curriculum; and named a “Best Place to Work in PA” for three consecutive years.
Gurt has served in a succession of roles at MHS including Vice President of Student Life and Vice President of Administration. He has always gone the extra mile for the school, serving as an assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach and a relief houseparent for 10 years with his wife, in addition to his regular duties. Gurt also served as a Milton Hershey School Alumni Association Board Officer and was President of the William E. Dearden Alumni Campus Advisory Board.
His diverse professional experiences on campus combined with his status as a “lifer” at MHS (he attended from age five through graduation), have given him a profound, personal understanding of what it means to be a student raised at Milton Hershey School.
Taking full advantage of the variety of leadership and character-building activities available at MHS, Gurt, a 1985 graduate, was a member of the National Honor Society, Glee Club, New Horizons, Student Senate, Student Leadership Society, Student Cabinet, and Student Home Council. He was chosen as Rotary Student of the Month, Senior Class President, and Student Body President. He also served as a Peer Group Counselor and played on the soccer and basketball teams.
Because his dedication to help children realize a brighter future extends beyond the MHS campus, Gurt serves on the Commission for Accreditation for the PA Association of Independent Schools, which is the body responsible for all independent schools in Pennsylvania. In 2009, the Coalition for Residential Education (CORE) named Gurt Administrator of the Year. In 2014, he received an Alumni Achievement Award from The School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg for his dedication to educating children from families of lower income. He is also committed to the local community, as a member of the Hershey Rotary Club.
Gurt received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Temple University and continued his education at The Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg, PA, where he earned a Master of Education degree. As an alumnus, Gurt partnered with Temple to establish a College and Career Transition Program to allow advanced MHS seniors to take a full semester of college courses taught by Temple Harrisburg faculty on the MHS campus.
Gurt resides in Hershey with his wife and two sons.
*Picture accessed October 16, 2019 Milton Hershey School “https://www.mhskids.org/about/office-president/”
Announcements
Rotary Peace Scholar
Each year, Rotary awards up to 100 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of our peace centers.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the fellows into experienced and effective catalysts for peace. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,200 fellows. Many of them now serve as leaders at international organizations or have started their own foundations.
Bianca M. Neff-Uribe, Founder & President Petra Peacebuilders ACC, a Rotary Peace Scholar 2010-2011 spoke to the Club on Wednesday. She spoke of the importance of such a program, the gifted graduates of this program and the dedication to this very important mission.
It is with Rotary Foundation dollars that this program is able to exist and flourish. Bianca stated that the very small of money Rotary invests into this program will exponentially pay dividends, versus the hundred of billions, even billions, spent on war efforts, politics, etc.
If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more, please contact Ed Hauck at: 717.293.8687 or hauckedward@gmail.com
Holiday 2019 Secret Angel Program of the Rotary Club of Lancaster’s
Refugee Center Committee
Our Club’s Refugee Center Committee has goal of filling Secret Angel holiday gift bags for 70 refugee children attending Reynolds Middle School. For many, this bag will be the only present they will receive during the holiday season.
We need your help to bring big smiles to 70young faces! Here’s what to do:
Fill a Holiday gift bag with $45 to $50 worth of items and return it to the Secret Angel Program table at the club by November 27th, 2019. Details and student-specific shopping lists with improved instructions will be available starting at the back of the room October 30th, 2019.
Imagine how happy you will make one child!
Wednesday, November 27th is the deadline for returning the filled bag to the Club.
Tip-Off Tourney is November 15th-17th this year. 56 volunteers are needed for the event and we have 40 positions open to date. Please sign-up to make this another record setting event!
Caleb Brown announced try-outs for the Rotary Ensemble to perform the National Anthem prior to each game. Please see Caleb if interested.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness
Rebecca Theriaque handed out pink ribbons to all the members to show their support to find a cure. Rebecca proudly announced that “real men wear pink” and men throughout the nation are wearing pink everyday in October. She noted that Prez Jeremy is leading this effort. This editor noted that Mark DeBord had on a pink tie and pink argyle socks with his suit at the meeting. We couldn’t quite see what pink Jeremy was wearing, although we know he was representing!
Jim Miller Paul Harris Fellow
District Governor Paddy Rooney presented Jim Miller with a Paul Harris Fellow honoring the memory of Jim’s daughter, Rachel, who Jim lost 20 years ago tomorrow, October 17, 1999.
Jim thanked DG Rooney for the award and also thanked many in attendance for their love and support through the event 20 years ago.
New Member Proposed
Christina Hamberger, sponsored by Susan Eberly.
If no objections are received by the Club, Christina will be inducted after her participation in the New Member Orientation.
Crab Feast is a Go!
PP Lisa Groff announced that on November 14th we will meet at the Farm & Home Center for a bus ride to the Wellwood Inn for crabs, chicken and other accruetriments. Sign-up will start October 23rd.
Rotary Rendezvous
PP Tom Baum thanked Sam Mecum for his Bocce exhibition at the last Rotary Rendezvous. He also announced that the next Rendezvous will be on October 23rd at Stoner’s Grille at 5pm. The event will be a “Pints for Polio Event.’
Joys & Concerns
Joy to have Bill Marshall as a member of the RCL!
November Birthday Table
Jeff Sidebottom
Nov 05
Eleanor Isaacson
Nov 7
James Zaccariello
Nov 12
Jeff Williams
Nov 15
Paul Williams
Nov 19
Jim Shenk
Nov 21
PP Tom Gemmill
Nov 24
Christine Sable
Nov 25
David Drain
Nov 28
Steve Stockwell
Nov 28
Tammie Lowry
Nov 29
Joe Rogevich
Nov 29
Michel Gibeault
Nov 30
Steve Waugh
Nov 30
Duty Roster
Transmitter Reporter:
Dave Friedrichs
Invocation:
Molly Solbak
Pianist:
Mimi Sigworth
Song Leader:
Michael Lutz
Registration:
Althea Ramsay Carrigan, Tom Adams
Greeter
Michael O’Day
Sergeant-at-Arms
Rashyna Banzhof
Visitor Introductions:
Brad Reynolds
Joys and Concerns
Althea Ramsay Carrigan
Speaker Introduction:
John Herr
Help Keep the Club Calendar Updated
All Rotarians – especially committee chairs – are encouraged to help keep our new Club Calendar full and updated with the great things that our Club is doing in the community. Please submit any items you would like added to Kathy by e-mailing her atRotaryClubofLancaster@gmail.com. Examples include the schedule of McCaskey Mentoring Sessions, Committee Meetings, Power Packs or Salvation Army Bell Ringing. If it’s happening, let’s get it on the Calendar for all to see! Your help will keep us all updated with what’s going on within the Club AND will showcase our very active Club to the Lancaster Community and to prospective members. The Club Calendar is available atwww.LancasterRotary.org
Thirty (30) minute attendance at Committee meetings
Bring a guest to a Rotary meeting
Attending or volunteering at certain designated events
Attending a meeting at another Club, such as the following nearby Clubs:
CLUB NAME
ID
LOCATION
MEETING TIME
Denver-Ephrata Area
5340
American Legion, 300 Cocalico St, Ephrata
Thursdays at 7:30 AM
Donegal
5333
Gus’s Keystone Restaurant, 1050 W Main St, Mount Joy
Tuesdays at 7:30 AM
Elizabethtown
5338
Funck’s Brewery
28 S. Market St.
Elizabethtown
Fridays at 12:15 PM
Hershey
5344
Hershey Lodge & Convention Center, 325 University Drive, Hershey
Mondays at 12:00 PM
and
Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Lancaster Hempfield
5348
Heritage Hotel, 500 Centerville Road, Lancaster
Tuesdays at 7:15 AM
Lancaster Penn Square
82495
Federal Tap House, 201 N Queen St, Lancaster
Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Lancaster Sunrise
50590
Bent Creek Country Club
620 Bent Creek Drive
Lititz, PA
Thursdays at 7:30 AM
Lancaster-South
24701
Oak Leaf Manor, 2101 Wabank Rd, Millersville
Wednesdays at 7:30 AM
Lititz
5350
General Sutter Inn, 14 E Main St, Lititz
Every Tuesday at 6:00 PM and every Thursday at 12:00 PM
Manheim
5352
Teen Central, 15 S Wolf St, Manheim
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Mount Joy
5357
The Gathering Place, 6 Pine St, Mount Joy
Tuesdays at 12:15 PM
New Holland
5359
Garden Spot Village, 433 S Kinzer Ave,
New Holland
1st, 3rd, 5th Wednesday at 7:30 AM - 2nd & 4th at NOON
Paradise
5361
Bird-in-Hand Restaurant, 2760 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand
Mondays at NOON
The Transmitter is published weekly. Submissions for Announcements and Committee changes/additions are due to the editor via email by 5:00 p.m. the Thursday after the meeting for publication & delivery on 5pm Friday before the meeting. Email to: asfletch@ptd.net
Executive Administrator: Kathy Hainley, 717.581.8811 Email to:
rotarycluboflancaster@gmail.com
Rotary Club of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, PO Box 1387, Lancaster, PA 17608
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