"Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life." Arnold Schwarzenegger, body builder, actor and former Governor of California
Our club continues to make a difference in the Newtown community. Last Wednesday, we were educated by Dawn Haaz and Dawn Wright about the non profit entity called Girls Empowered who provide programs for young girls and women in the Bucks County area. After that meeting, members of our club along with guests put together 300 Valentine's Day cards for our seniors living in assisted living and nursing homes in the Newtown area. A huge shout out to Cathy Agasar, Shari Donahue and Debra Porter for putting this project together. Just a few days ago, our club inducted two new members with an assist from Judge Petrucci. Congrats to both Dick Kroger and Viki Shikhvarger.
Don't forget on Thursday February 26th, 2026 is our monthly Camaraderie for a Cause which will be held at Ardana Food & Drink located at the Village of Newtown from 5:30-7pm. We ask all members and guests to contribute $10 minimum and our non profit spotlight is Vita Educational Services. Special thanks as always to Dan and Joanne Peterson for coordinating the C4C's. The club marches into March with our dinner meeting on March 4th, 2026 and our guest speaker is Anne Marie Hyer, CEO of Bucks County Association for the Blind located right here in Newtown. Our club looks forward to hearing Ann Marie talk about their mission and goals.
Please remember to pre-register for the lunches and dinners so the club can provide an accurate count to Joe Garvey at the American Legion. The fee for lunch is $16.00 and $25.00 for dinner. Please register your attendance - very important!
The merchandise link to purchase Rotary Club of Newtown swag is still open through Saturday February 28th, 2026. From T-shirts to hoodies to polo shirts, what a great way to represent the club. It can turn into a conversation piece and maybe a new member or two. Please scroll down the newsletter for the link.
Our club over the next couple of months has a number of activities to be a part of such as our annual Hope on The Vine, Easter Egg Roll, Adopt A Highway and Rotary's Epic Day of Service just to name a few. Let us raise the bar and continue to impact our community. Service above self.
Steve Sabel
President, Rotary Club of Newtown, District 7430
Camaraderie for a Cause - 2/26
The Newtown Rotary Club will hold a "Camaraderie for a Cause" fundraiser on Thursday, February 26th from 5:30-7:00pm at Ardana in support of the "Vita Education Services". Vita Education Services is the lead literacy agency in Bucks County and the largest provider of education programs in the Bucks County Correctional Facilities. Please bring $10 and a bunch of your friends and help a worth cause while having a great time!
The Newtown Rotary Club will host a dinner meeting on Wednesday, March 4th from 6:00-7:30pm at the American Legion. Our feature guest speaker will be Anne Marie Hyer, CEO of the Bucks County Association for the Blind. Anne Marie will share insights on the organization’s mission and the impact of its programs in supporting individuals with vision loss. The meeting offers members an opportunity to learn more about local advocacy, accessibility, and community impact. Dinner costs $25 and features a buffet catered by Joe Garvey. PLEASE REGISTER IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND! Very important for headcount for Joe, thank you!
The Newtown Rotary Club will host a lunch meeting on Wednesday, March 11th from at the American Legion from 12:15-1:30pm. Our guest speaker will be Bill Sheffer who will lead a fascinating conversation about one of Philadelphia’s best-kept secrets, the Grand Army of the Republic Museum. Bill will share the history and significance of this unique museum dedicated to Civil War veterans. The discussion will offer insight into an often-overlooked piece of Philadelphia’s cultural and historical heritage. Lunch costs $16 and is catered by Joe Garvey, see you there! PLEASE REGISTER IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND! Very important for headcount for Joe, thank you!
The Newtown Rotary Book Club is excited to announce that our next book is "Kingmaker" by Sonia Purnell to be held on Sunday, March 1st from 3:00-5:00pm. Kingmaker is a biography of Pamela Harriman, chronicling her life as a political influencer who used her charm, connections, and strategic marriages (including to Winston Churchill's son and diplomat Averell Harriman) to navigate and shape 20th-century power, from WWII to becoming the U.S. Ambassador to France under President Clinton. The book details her role in high-stakes geopolitics, her many affairs with powerful figures, and her transformation from a British aristocrat into a major force in American politics, particularly for the Democratic party. We hope you will join us for some great fellowship and discussion! Please contact Laurel Collins if you have any questions atLAUREL8690@YAHOO.COM
The NextGen group is proud to support the cleanup and ongoing care of the garden where the Rotary Club of Newtown dedicated a plaque honoring Edward Hicks, an American folk artist and painter, and the founder of the first Friends Meeting meetinghouse in Newtown. So far, NextGen group has removed weeds, withering plants, and debris from the garden, with some initial replanting already completed. As spring approaches, the group looks forward to adding more plants to bring additional color and vibrancy to the space. Plant donations are welcome! If you’re interested in contributing, we’d love your support. The plaque is right next to Handsome Devils Barber Lounge off of W Washington Ave. To learn more about Edward Hicks and his influence on Newtown and Rotary, please check out his biography provided by the Newtown Historic Association - The Edward Hicks Room - Newtown Historic Association (https://newtownhistoric.org/collections/hicks-collection/). Thank you for continuing to support NextGen and our community-focused initiatives!
Rotarians Supporting Girls Empowered!!!
Lunch Meeting - 2/11
The Newtown Rotary Club held a very special Lunch Meeting on Wednesday, February 11th at the American Legion. We were proud to welcome Dawn Wright and Dawn Haaz from a wonderful organization called "Girls Empowered". This organization seeks to empower girls by providing them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and resources to stand up for oneself, make positive choices, and be in control of one’s future. They do this through summer camps, customized workshops and programs that promote empowerment. We were so inspired by the amazing work this group does in our community! After this great meeting, Rotarians spent time making Valentines Day Cards to wish the senior citizens in our community a Happy Valentines Day! These handmade cards will be distributed to residents of Chandler Hall, Pickering Manor and the Birches to name a few. What a great example of "Service Above Self" all around!
Rotarians Serving Valentines Day Brunch!!!
Levittown Homeless Shelter
On Valentine's Day, the Newtown Rotary Club helped prepare and serve a special Valentine's Day Brunch at the Levittown Homeless Shelter. Joe Garvey whipped up an amazing brunch to serve to the residents and also handed out little gift bags for the 35 children who joined us as well. What a great way to spread some Valentines cheer and we were honored to have the opportunity. Special thanks to Rotarian, Paul Salvatore, for his leadership and coordination of this event and to Joe Garvey who graciously donated the wonderful food. Service Above Self in action for sure!
Rotarians Welcoming New Members & Committee Reports!!!
Lunch Meeting - 2/18
The Newtown Rotary Club welcomed two new members during our Lunch Meeting on Wednesday, February 18th! We are pleased to formally welcome Dick Kroger and Viki Shikhvarger to our Club as they were officially sworn in. We also got a robust update from our various Committees as we continue to develop plans to make our community, country and world a better place!
Lower Bucks Action Committee
New Meeting Location!
Due to the Garden of Eatin' curtailing their hours, henceforth we will meet at Maryann's Homestyle Cooking at 1263 Woodbourne Road, Levittown PA 19057. This is a 2 blocks south of Garden of Eatin' on the opposite side of the road. OG Levittown-Fairless Hills members will remember that this was the original location of the GOE, and that we met there for years. So it's a little like coming home, but with someone else's furniture. Since this week's meeting never took place we're going to meet this coming Tuesday at 7:30AM. After that, we'll go back to our 1st and 3rd Tuesday schedule starting on 3/3.
In recognition of our nation’s upcoming 250th Anniversary, the Newtown Historic
Association will be opening the Half-Moon Inn to the community on Sunday afternoons throughout 2026, as well as during special events.
Schedule for Half-Moon Inn Openings The Inn will be open every Sunday from 1:00–4:00 PM, excluding major family holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Seeking Docents for 2026
To support these expanded hours, we are seeking two to four docents each Sunday to welcome visitors and share the history of the tavern, its role during the Revolutionary War, and its place in Newtown’s story.
Docent Training Sessions
Two 90-minute training sessions will take place at the Half-Moon Inn. Both new and returning docents are asked to attend one of the sessions:
· Sunday, February 22. 2026 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
· Sunday, March 1, 2026 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Commitment
Docents will be asked to commit to a minimum of four Sundays during the year.
Training Topics
After training, volunteers should feel comfortable speaking about:
· Half-Moon Inn
· Thornton family
· Newtown Historic Association
New volunteers are always welcome, and this invitation extends to every member of the Newtown Historic Association.
We look forward to expanding everyone’s knowledge as we prepare for this exciting
initiative.
How to Volunteer Interested in Volunteering? Kindly use this link to sign-upfor your preferred training session – either February 22, 2026, or March 1, 2026. Do not hesitate to email volunteer@newtownhistoric.org if you have any questions.
Order Rotary Apparel
Click Here to add to your "Rotary Wardrobe" and show your Rotary pride! The deadline to order is February 28th so act now!
Anne Marie will share insights on the organization’s mission and the impact of its programs in supporting individuals with vision loss. The meeting offers members an opportunity to learn more about local advocacy, accessibility, and community impact.
ALL members of the club are welcome - particularly if you can't make a scheduled lunch or dinner meeting and a breakfast meeting or meeting on Zoom works better. Any member who has interest in service projects in Bristol, Bensalem, Middletown, or Falls Townships would also want to check us out. For more information, please contact Kim Praria kdboice@hotmail.com
Our Newtown Rotary Club!!!
Who wouldn't want to join a Club full of this fun loving group!!??
Photo by Rotarian Brandon Valeri-Bruchini, Mediaology
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