Fun Facts

7/15/13
This one is out of chronological order to make up for my oversight when introducing Past President Dick Roberts last Thursday. During Dick’s year we reached our 2-year $50,000 goal for St. Luke’s Union Station Dental Clinic!!! Together with Bethlehem Rotary’s contribution of the same amount, we provided $100,000 for significant equipment and fixtures to help the brand new clinic become functional.

7/22/13

After 23.5 years, 11 of Morning Star’s original charter Members are till active in the club! How many can you guess before peeking at this list? Dieter Bender, Charlotte & Tore Hartmann-Hansen, Charlie Incalcaterra, Mike Long, Butch Macri, Dick Roberts, Rick Santee, Barb Seifert-Sigmon, John St. Clair and Geoff Wright. (Plus Mary Meilinger and Don Smith are Honorary members.) Thanks to each of them for their dedication to Morning Star Rotary!

7/29/13

From its inception in 1990 (just a few years after Rotary went “co-ed”), Morning Star has been unselfconsciously and deliberately inclusive of women. In the early years we were about 25% female; that proportion has grown to 40-45% and has been equitably reflected in club leadership. Barb Seifert-Sigmon was our first female president in 1991-92, and the first one in the district! Since then, Claire Rij, Diane Donaher, Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, Dee Elliott, Eileen Dunn and Susan Burnett have all served as Morning Star presidents.

8/05/13

In 1990 we started the “5K Run With Rotary” to benefit Bethlehem Special Olympics, a brainstorm of then member Bill McCoach who served as Race Director for many years. While this event has changed names, locations and even distance (adding the 10K option), it continues to help Special Olympics and other Morning Star beneficiaries every year. When Bill moved out of state, John Gisolfi chaired for two years, then Tom Kolepp stepped in, moving the venue and growing the number of participants. For the past several years, Jeff Kicska and the race committee have done a terrific job.

8/12/13 

In 1991 we designed and constructed a float for the city of Bethlehem’s 250^th Anniversary Parade!

8/19/13

1992 marked the inaugural singing of the Morning Star version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Written and periodically updated by Rick Santee, it has become an annual club holiday tradition!

9/02/13

Fun meetings and activities included fellowship, music, club talents, picnics, a “Fancy Tie Contest”, 5:44 Gatherings, the Hay ride that wasn’t, ditto for the Christmas Party, and the Valentine’s Party that almost wasn’t.

(1992-93, when Tore Hartmann-Hansen was club President)

9/09/13 

Donations included child seats to Bethlehem police for emergency transport, a wheelchair for racing, blankets and coats/packets for Bosnia/Croatia. (1992-93)

9/16/13

This week it comes from 1994: The meeting between Christmas and New Year’s had no place to meet – the Holiday Inn didn’t expect us that week!

9/23/13

Another from 1994: Birthday recognitions started – including “Fossil & Fossilette of the Month”. (So popular it has been brought back by popular demand.) Thanks, Tom Mohr!

9/30/13
 

Our Theatre Night at Touchstone Theatre in southside Bethlehem. (1995)

10/07/13

Each year, raised and donated more funds than the prior year. (1994-95)

10/14/13

With a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant, we helped establish a Village Bank in Peru. This project involved micro-loans, enabling women to support their families with home-based businesses. (1994-95)

10/21/13