Now more than ever, we recognize the importance of effective vaccines to protect against disease. As scientists work to develop one to protect all of us from the new coronavirus, we recognize how far we have come this World Immunization Week, April 24th - 30th, and encourage everyone to immunize their children and themselves against preventable diseases.

The Rotary Foundation has a long history of funding disease prevention and treatment projects that focus on health issues that impact vulnerable communities, like our polio eradication efforts. Successes in these areas have helped us address other global health challenges, including the spread of the coronavirus. 

 

Learn how our work fighting polio is supporting the COVID-19 response in communities worldwide.

Just a few days ago, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act became law. We wanted to share more details about the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a loan program designed to help small business owners.

We are very sorry to inform you that in light of the continuing public health threat of the Coronavirus and the Governor's request that all events of 250 participants or more be suspended, the annual Fish Stocking event at the Borough Dam scheduled for Wednesday, April 1 has been cancelled.

Doylestown at Dusk Car Show comes to downtown streets July 22 (not the 21st, due to rain)

Free family-friendly event features more than 500 antique, classic and custom vehicles,

plus live entertainment, food tastings.

• This past weekend – Boro Dam Fish Derby – thanks to Don and Pat for branding it with flags and pins, Keith and Holly and 2 Interact students for serving the community
• Also, this past weekend, the District Conference in Reading. Allen, Johnny O, Inge and Gail attended, along with Angela and 3 Interact students. Eight from Doylestown!
• Morning Meeting – Dr. Marian Mass – a chop doctor who is determined to route out the waste in our healthcare system. $425 for a bag of saline? The bag costs $.15! Look for the 60 minutes special on this and for her to speak to the evening meeting soon

• Tomorrow night – Rotarians are volunteering at the Designer House. 8-10 of us.
• Boro Dam Fishing Derby is May 12^th. 8 am-4 pm.  Please come out to cook burgers and dogs!
• Also, District Training for Officers and Directors is May 12^th at DeSales College. Our club will reimburse the cost of this.
• Morning Meeting – Doylestown Health
• Evening meeting next week – Grameen Foundation with Bob Eichfeld introducing it

• May 7, John Gillhor
• May 8, Mark Hoffman
• May 11th, Michael Marks

• Matt Jones
• GM of Poverty Resolutions, a non profit helping children and families in Haiti

180419 YP Meeting

• Great initial meeting! Even with some nice April hail coming down before the meeting!
• 7 potential new members and close to that many Rotarians (Allen, Bob, Lyndsay, Mike, Don, Peter) showed up for support.
• The young professionals that showed up were enthusiastic and engaged.
• 4 or so are from same company that is already doing socially responsible work - helping find jobs for folks with intellectual and/or psychological challenges.   They are keen to help drive this YP initiative and participate.
• Much networking and general discussion.  
• The participative “solve the problem” groups exercise proved engaging as well, asking how you would solve real Rotary scenarios.  
• Great job Lyndsay and Bob putting that together.  

Evening Meeting Notes 180404

• Our Club will be volunteering at the VIA Designer House in Pipersville - to be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018
• The Boro Dam fishing derby for kids saw a packed  event with lots of Rotarians volunteering!  The event offered BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs and was a  great day!  Two more fishing derbies coming...!
• Our high school Four Way Test speech contest winners to presented with the winner going to Hatboro for Rotary district competition!
• Our Clubs Four Way Test Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, April 25th to honor community leaders, award community grants and recognize Speech Contest finalist.  Thank you to Inge Karlberg - Stannik for her leadership for the Speech Contest!
• Rotary President tree planting challenge:  we have approved up to 20 oak trees to be planted in Doylestown Township Central Park with a bench as well along the Sensory Trail. 
• Evening highlight was the Four Way Speech Contest!
• 
• 2nd runner up: Amanda.
• 1st runner up: Gabby. 
• Winner: Chris.  Subject: Bullying. 
• Lyndsay announced that the Rotary Young Professional's first meeting on 4/19 at Moms upstairs.  21-35 year olds.  Benefits: Networking and like minded folks with a social focus.  
• Inga’s daughter in the peace corps got her basketball volleyball court in Rwanda approved and funded.  Inspiring.

Good attendance albeit poor weather :)

• Angela, our exchange student from Spain, recently moved to a new host family. Amanda and Scott Fisher.
• She is braving not only the Eagles parade, but also trying our for track and field.   

• Peace Conference - Gail is currently attending this in Vancouver.  Cant wait to hear about that.  
• End of March - the last Wednesday, we'll be hosting a special program with Doylestown Hospital and VIA. 

• Dues are due! :).
• There is a significant backlog - please open the email from Peter and go on the website to pay the bill. 
• Don't just check your current balance, but go back to see if you have any back dues.
• Not fun but not that hard really.
• We really don’t want to perp walk anyone out of the Country Club ;) Unseemly. 

• Our club is close to winning a Governor's Citation, Allen share per news from  John Ortolf. 

Lindsay’s Classification Speech

• We have to applaud Lindsay's diligence, with her finding a Rotary template on classification speech topics to address. Well done!
• Born at home on Halloween at Keystone farms, which her great grandparents started In the 1800s. 
• Family recently restarted the farm at Wycombe Vineyards a few years ago. 
• First job was at a think tank in Pittsburgh. Very cool first job.  
• Worked at a design agency briefly but started her own business at 22.
• Not a 9-5 profession.  Creative work.  Need to love it.  CLuckily she does.  
• A lot of SMB clients supported by a 30-40 person agency.
• She still does her family’s farm’s ads, site and marketing :). 
• Side note - she brought the rum her family makes to the Michener and it was quite good.

Projects:

• Allen shared that a Native American Mobile Health Clinic project has been approved by  the BOD.  Of note is that Joann’s family has donated to that effort given her mother’s deep interest in Native American culture. 

180131 Wednesday Meeting at the Michener

• Wow!  What a room!  Stunning backdrop.  See pictures below. 
• Plus museum tours to boot 
  • The dog and horse paintings at the country club are nice, but this was quite a nice aesthetic change of pace ;).

The museum's art director welcomed us

• She wanted us to spread the word throughout the community and bring in business sponsors
• "Art is good for business."
• There will be a business partner membership event on May 5th.  

Allen then kicked off the meeting for the group.  

Guests:

• Lyndsay. Carolyn Sorossi.  She and her husband own the CGR Games boutique.  
• Gail. Michael Markowitz. Owner of Hickory Kitchen.  
  • Whereas I am apparently now Michael Marks(not-owitz).

Announcements: 

• Max: $1000 cash prize for bringing in a host family for exchange student from Thailand.  
• Designer house is set for May 3rd.  8 people maximum is confirmed. 
• Interact dog biscuit sale the Saturday from 10-2 at the pet store by the Acme.  

Museum (Speed) Tour featuring the works of Henriette Wyeth.

• Tour guide did a lovely job albeit at 3x her normal speed.  Art history in 20 minutes...go. 
• Henriette (on-rhee-ette to those in the know ;) was apparently a child painting prodigy.  Talent ran in the family certainly, but...
• She made a living painting portraits of local aristocrats at the tender age of only 15!  That is impressive.
• Not a particularly happy family seemingly.  Portraits are quite good but every face has the same grim countenance.  Bit of a stretch but your are is an expression of your soul, and their souls seemed quite stoic and serious.  My two cents albeit worth maybe half of one cent at best... 

 Food

• Tasty finger food.
• Interesting option for future meetings versus a larger and more expensive full course meal.

Dessert

• Ooh that was good. 
• Cookie tray as a Rotary meeting norm? 
  • One vote for yes!

The Room

• More, please. 
• I'd like to live there.  Drafty but worth the view.
• Yes I am talking to their event specialist to see how we can frequent there more often! ;)
• Goodwill, culture and beauty.  What a combination...

Events Calendar

• I need your help...
• If you know of an upcoming participatory event (Car, Show, 4WT, Interact, Volunteer, Home Building, etc), please forward the date and details to me.
• I am trying to put together a comprehensive events calendar beyond the T/W meetings.  
• I may email you this same message, though I know this group, and given past history the Reply All's will approach infinity and push my levels of sanity beyond the point of no return.

Great seeing everyone last night.  Looking forward to seeing you next week.

Big Turnout for the january 24th meeting!

• Gail presided.
• Speaker - Erik Fleischer - Jon Fitch Museum

Event Updates

• Car show meeting on 1/25 at 7pm at CB Ambulance on East St.
• First two February morning meetings will be held at Altomonte's, not Coach's.
• One big day in March:  the 17th.
  • Borough dam cleanup March 17th. 
  • District gala at Pine Crest March 17th
  • Also Allen's 60th birthday !!
  • Rotary leadership institute also March 17th . 
• Ro Molyneux. Designer house early May.  Date tbc.  Only 8 people can attend - I believe she mentioned arm wrestling or MMA cage fight elimination for those final eight spots, but I may be mistaken.

Member Announcements

• Inge's daughter has been in Rawanda since 2016. In the Peace Corp focusing on education. She is a boarding school teacher there. She is there trying to raise money for a community basketball court and also to create a communal effort to make the court more gender neutral to allow girls to play as well. They are trying to raise $7200.  Always lovely to hear young folks with such generous outlooks.
• Karen.  Switched banks! Note her address change on the Rotary website. 
• Linda. 4WT committee has chosen its invitees, who have been notified.

John Fitch Presentation

• John Fitch, for reasons unknown, ended up in Warminster (although that sentiment seems to be held for the next 200 years as per local Warminsterians...)
• John was apparently a brilliant ne'er do well 
  • His apprenticeship fails
  • He tries surveying.  His three years of work covering a very large area is rejected by the government. He is however given 1600 acres instead of money.
  • John is captured by Indians on his way to New Orleans to sell flour. 
• However, his steam boat idea struck him, seemingly randomly, while walking with his friend in Warminster from the Neshaminy Meeting house.  
• He finds that the Newcomen steam engine was already invented in 1712 for mine clearing. 
• Presents his first steamboat model to Ben Franklin in 1785 at the American Philosophical Society. 
• Fitch raised $300 from fellow craftsmen. Craftsmen had not access to upper echelon contacts or wealth.
• Launched his first steamboat in 1787. Used a paddle mechanism to mimic canoe travel. 
• He raised no money beyond that, but did get himself a six state monopoly for 17 years.  
• Ironically the day he tried to patent the steamboat after years of successful trips, he finds three other interlopers saying they also invented the patent (human deviancy never seems to disappoint).  All four parties are granted patents.  
• Still he owned 1600 acres earned from his surveying.
• He predicted that steam powered boats would cross the ocean and eventually power cars.  He was well over 200 years ahead of his time. 
• First successful steamboat launched in 1807.
• Well done.  Interesting presentation.  Thank you Erik

CB East and Kenyon College graduate, Kevin Magee, spoke to both meetings this week about his adventures as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. He works as a Spanish educator in a village at the DR border with Haiti, in the north of the island. Coincidentally, the Engineers without Borders Water Project that we agreed to help fund is located nearby, in Machete. Because Kevin attended a Sunrise Rotary meeting last year and learned about the water project, he decided to visit it and give us a report. The day he arrived for his tour was the day RI awarded $60K for the project. There is a pipe already installed where the water pump will be located and he learned that water will be piped to the top of a nearby hill for distribution via gravity to the towns nearby. He told us that this project will be life-changing for the people involved, who currently travel to a local river for water. Kudos to Kevin for making the trip to bring us news of our Rotary Fundraising at work!

Scholarship recipient Kelly Cyliax spoke to us about her first semester at Mary Washington University. She is active on the college softball team, having captained the CB West team last year. Her coach encourages the team to connect with the community for social good, which Kelly is really enjoying. There is no Rotary Club at MWU, but Kelly has reached out to local clubs in Vicksburg and -who knows - she may just start one!

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Is it beneficial to all concerned?

• For profit business
• Not for profit
• Healthcare
• Education
• Arts and Culture
• Community Volunteer

Several Rotarians were out in force Saturday morning, September 2, Turning The Town Teal! 

In support of Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, volunteers gathered in town to tie teal ribbons on light posts and trees to remind everyone of the silent dangers posed by ovarian cancer. 

The Rotary Club of Doylestown is a proud sponsor of this event! 

Rotarians Pat Rider, Don Rider, Pat Petrillo, and Mark Hoffman (and his family: Lisa, Madeline, and Samuel) helped turn Broad Street teal!

• Donate your vehicle, or the funds to support the Wheels to Work program directly. (Our club gave a grant for this program last year)
• Provide job support such as coaching, resume writing/interviewing, childcare back-up, work-appropriate attire… to help clients achieve self-sufficiency
• Lead a food drive for Operation Helping Hand, in March*
• Donate hours to working at DVU in the Hope of the Harvest Garden (this can be one 2 hour work session or a weekly commitment)*
• Partner with a participant in the Economic Self-Sufficiency Program (average commitment of $3000)*
• Sponsor students for up to 3 years at BCCC through the Gateway Scholarship (average commitment of $3000-$12,000)
• Volunteer as a Tax Preparer, if you have the skills

• Clubs may decide to vary their meeting times, may meet online or in person, and may decide when to cancel a meeting, as long as they meet at least twice a month.
• Clubs have flexibility in choosing their membership rules and requirements. 
• The six membership criteria was removed and replaced with a simple requirement that a member be a person of good character who has a good reputation in their business or community and is willing to serve the community.
• Clubs may offer additional membership types such as associate, corporate, family membership or others. 

Join us for the 2016 Four Way Test Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. at the Doylestown Country Club as we honor members of our community. The tickets are only $40. For ticket inquiries, please contact Karen Lasorda at klasorda@buckscountybank.net or 215-589-6209.

Congratulations to the following Four Way Test Award winners:

New member Rick Milham gave his classification speech at the evening meeting of February 2, 2016. A classification speech is an opportunity for a Rotary member to talk about their personal and professional interests, their community service, and how these interests and experiences relate to their Rotary membership.

Two New Members at Morning Meeting; New Member Count is 6 for the New Year!

Four New Members join the Club at Our First Evening Meeting of 2016

Keith Cianfrani inducted four members into our club at our Wednesday Janary 6,2016 dinner meeting.  Inducted were:

 

 

 

​Robin Wagner is sponsored by her husband Jim Wagner.  Robin has enjoyed interaction with the club since Jim joined and wants to contribute more. Her first action was to volunteer for the car show.

 

Eric Jozefia is also sponsored by Jim Wagner. Eric is heavily involved with international charities and wants to get more involved in local community service.

 

Peter Williams transferred from the Ambler Rotary Club.  He enjoys the Rotary and decided to join our club when his job was moved to Doylestown.

 

Rick Milham Jr., the son of long time Rotarian Dick Milham, has avoided joining for 25 years but now feels its time. He has been volunteering with the car show and decided to make his participation official.

 

Please give a warm welcome to our new members!

Thank you Don Rider for the great entertainment by

The Bucks County Country Gentlemen.

We welcomed our newest member

Mark Hoffman.

 

 

Rotaract Club Launching at Delaware Valley University!

​Breanna Dunn and Michaela Buchwalter, sophomores at Delaware Valley University, joined the Breakfast Crew on Tuesday December 8, 2015 to share their plans to launch a Rotaract Club on campus. The paperwork is underway and the initiative will be launched with an interest meeting in January. A Facebook page is already up and creating buzz. There is keen interest in sharing information about volunteer activities between Doylestown Rotary and DVU’s Rotaract.  

• In 1333 Poland went from a wood country to a stone country
• In 1410 the biggest battle in the history of the middle ages took place, which Poland won
• Copernicus is from Poland and he changed the way people thought about the solar system
• Poland disappeared for 120 years from the map of Europe
• The great composer and pianist, Chopin, is from Poland
• In 1918 the Poles finally gained their independence after 123 years
• Six million Polish people were killed in World War II
• Poland became a communist country after the war
• In 1989 Poland signed a contract and became a free country again

• David Schwartz as Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary
• John Halderson as Abraham Lincoln of Springfield Illinois
• Chuck Pressler as George Washington
• John Halderson (again) as Admiral John Paul Jones
• Chuck Pressler (again) as Ben Franklin
• Lynne Anne Donchez as Dolly Parton 

• David Schwartz as Paul Harris
• John Halderson as Abraham Lincoln of Springfield Illinois
• Chuck Pressler as George Washington
• John Halderson (again) as Admiral John Paul Jones
• Chuck Pressler (again) as Ben Franklin
• And Lynne Anne Donchez as Dolly Parton. 

The skit ended with the narrator commenting that “So from humble origins Rotary International has grown from one man’s idea to an organization that is dedicated TO HELPING EVERYONE, You are There!”

Thank you Bruce, John, Chuck and our special guests David Schwartz and Lynne Anne 

President Bruce Rutherford opened the meeting and introduced our guests Tom Cannon, guest of Jim Wagner, a Doylestown businessman, and Jonathan McSurdy, guest of Amy Parenti, who is an attorney in Doylestown.

• Jim Wagner discussed the membership cocktail party at his house on Saturday Night November 14, at 7 PM, please RSVP. The club will give 100 Rotary Foundation points for each guest you bring up to 5; the guests should be eligible to join Rotary.
• Janet Mintzer noted that the first Four Way Test Breakfast planning meeting was held earlier in the evening. The breakfast is scheduled for April 27, 2016. This year there will be 6 honorees with the addition of a new category for Arts and Culture. Nomination forms are on our website and will soon be revised to include the new category.
• Jim Schmidt’s son, Stephen, was diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing an operation in December.  Please keep Jim and Stephen in your thoughts and prayers.
• Bruce says that the Town and Country Players will definitely be here next week.
• Next Saturday, November 7th, is Rotary Leadership Institute in Valley Forge Four club members plan to attend; Bruce, Bob Tessier, Gail Linenberg, and Jim Wagner.

Our exchange student Mikolaj Sniegowski gave us an update and started by talking about the exchange program for our guests.  Mikolaj enjoyed last week’s CB West Choir’s Broadway Night. His Halloween was less eventful than he expected, he really enjoyed the children in costumers. He improved his English grade to a B from a much lower grade; in another class he is working on a project about the refugees in Europe. On Saturday he is going to NYC for United Nations Day with other district exchange students.

After Josh’s presentation, Linda McCrillis discussed ways to donate to the foundation after recognizing  John Ortolf and Chuck Pressler with Paul Harris Society pins.

​

Doylestown Rotarian and A Woman’s Place Executive Director Ifeoma Aduba accepted the NAACP Bucks County Branch’s 64^th Annual Freedom Fund Community Service Award on October 23, 2015. (October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month).  Never missing an opportunity to advocate for the social services of Pennsylvania , Ifeoma  passionately urged attendees to act now by contacting their representatives a demand an end to the four-month long state budget crisis.  This amazing mother of two and leader in the Bucks County community is an inspiration to all who know her. 

• When determining your Social Security benefit, they look at the highest 35 years. (If you don’t have 35 years, that’s a lot of zeros!)
• Social security is based on earned income – not investment income or dividends from business.
• While you can get benefits based on your own record, you can also get benefits based on your spouse.

• Thanks to everyone who have paid up their dues. Third quarter billing went out. If you haven’t received it, check your filters and/or let John Halderson know.
• Jim Wagner passed around a sign up for November’s event. All are encouraged to invite someone who may be interested in joining Rotary.
• John O. shared that Rotary International tracks members signing up on My Rotary. He’ll send an email asking everyone to sign up.
• Recommended reading – Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach.

• Chris Nardo, club Treasurer, shared that they are working out the billing process. Contact Chris if you have questions about your bill.
• John Ortolf shared some information about My Rotary. Login and you can update your information, join some groups (wine, travel, model trains), and get information related to Rotary best practices.
• Allen Childs announced that his wife’s store is having a reading/signing event with Newt Gingerich and wife.

The Future of Automobiles – and not just Volkswagen

Allen Childs schooled the Breakfast Crew on the future of cars. Consumers think about what they want and need, but other things come into play, namely regulations and engineering. In the future, the looks and designs will be bold – sleek and expressive lines that manage air flow across the vehicle. The technology that we enjoy outside of cars is hopping in and joining us for the ride. There likely won’t be significant changes in body styles, but manufacturers will invest in more specialized materials. Smaller engine cars will be a focus, turbo-charged to achieve that balance between efficiency and performance.

   Rotary International President-elect K.R. Ravindran introduced a member benefits program at the 9 June closing session of the 2015 Rotary International Convention, saying that many more hands are needed to continue Rotary’s work around the world.

The program, Rotary Global Rewards, aims to boost membership and enhance member satisfaction. It will debut on 1 July.

• 50% of contributions return to the district as District Grants
• Contributions enhance our other projects through matching grants
• Donors receive recognition as Paul Harris Fellows
• Donors can recognize others as Paul Harris Fellows

Six Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Doylestown attended the Rotary Leadership Institute on Saturday September 27, 2014 in King of Prussia.  The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a multi-district, grassroots leadership development program of member districts organized into regional divisions in various parts of the world.

Vincent J. Prendergast of Doylestown died Sunday July 27, 2014

He was the husband of Deborah Class Prendergast. Born in Boston, Mass., he was the son of the late Vincent J. and Ruth Fleming Prendergast. Vince lived most of his life in Doylestown. He was part of many service organizations in Doylestown over the span of 40 years. Vince was a Rotarian first and foremost.