Due to our weekly Thursday morning meeting catering deadlines, it is necessary to make a decision concerning any changes to either meet as usual (live/hybrid), or to switch to virtual only by 9:00 PM on Tuesday. These decisions will be done based on best available weather forecasts.
Please check your emails and the Morning Star Rotary website (morningstarrotary.org) on Wednesdays when inclement weather is forecast for Thursday mornings.
Thank you for understanding as we try to be fair to all concerned during bad weather.
Please join Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary this Thursday, January 8, 2026 for our Live/Hybrid Meeting.Our meet & greet starts at 7:15am with the regular meeting starting at 7:30am.
Our speaker will be Liz Fones, Executive Director of "Girls on the Run".
At Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley & Pocono, teaching essential life skills is the cornerstone of research-based programs. Trained volunteer coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development, including managing emotions, fostering friendships, and expressing empathy.
LOCATION:
The Cathedral Church of the Nativity (Dining Room)
On January 13, 2026, Morning Star Rotary celebrates its 36th Anniversary. Congratulations to our charter members, the growth and work of our club throughout the years, and the progress we have made in our ongoing service to our community and the world.
Please join your fellow Morning Star Rotary members at our Annual Holiday Party on Friday, January 16, 2026. The party will graciously be hosted by Mike and Terri Long at their home at 4201 Anthony Drive beginning at 5:30 PM. An entrée, wine, beer and soft drinks will be provided by the club. Those attending should bring an hors d'oeuvres or dessert to share with other partygoers.What a fantastic opportunity to ring in the New Year with your fellow Rotarians!
Morning Star Rotary will be volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on three evenings during the 2026 winter months. We will serve food, wash dishes, and monitor the showers for the guests at the shelter. The Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is located at Christ Church UCC at 75 E Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018.
MSR at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering
Food Preparation 2:00 - 5:30 PM
Serving Meals/Showers 5:30 - 9:00 PM
**If volunteers wish to stay longer, you are welcome to sign-up for both shifts.
Due to our weekly Thursday morning meeting catering deadlines, it is necessary to make a decision concerning any changes to either meet as usual, hybrid, or to switch to virtual only by 9:00 PM on Tuesday. These decisions will be done based on best available weather forecasts. Please check your emails and the Morning Star Rotary (morningstarrotary.org) website on Wednesdays when inclement weather is forecast for Thursday mornings. Thank you for understanding as we try to be fair to all concerned during bad weather.
In a garage outside Salinas, California, young people who are learning to restore classic cars are doing more than developing a skill — they are reclaiming their futures. This training program provides mentorship and, for some, a path away from gang involvement toward meaningful employment. Graduates leave with certifications, practical experience and hope.
This is what Rotary’s Vocational Service Month celebrates each January — the power of bringing together people with unique skills to do good in the world. It reminds us that integrity isn’t just about our actions matching our words. Integrity is in everything we do.
The California automotive program has been such a success because it was built on integrity. Members of the Rotary Club of Carmel-by-the-Sea didn’t assume they knew what the community needed. They listened. They learned there was a shortage of skilled mechanics as well as a large number of young people lacking job training. They recognised that technical skills alone wouldn’t be enough, so they partnered with Rancho Cielo, a nonprofit offering counselling and support services alongside vocational training.
That is The Four-Way Test in action. Those four simple questions help us not judge others but guide us toward genuine, effective service.
Consider our commitment to ending polio. For nearly 40 years, we have promised the world’s children we will eliminate this disease. Despite obstacles, we persist, and today we are closer to defeating the virus. Keeping this promise is the very definition of integrity.
The same integrity must drive our vocational service. With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age in the next decade and only 420 million jobs projected, we face a critical gap. Communities long excluded from economic opportunities need our support.
But support doesn’t mean imposing our will. It means listening to local needs, building partnerships, and designing projects that communities can sustain themselves.
You have knowledge that can transform lives. Whatever your profession, your expertise combined with Rotary’s values creates lasting change. The question isn’t whether you have something to offer, it’s how you’ll use your skills to serve.
This January, I encourage you to ask how your club can address vocational needs in your community. What skills do your members have that could change someone’s life? How can your networks open doors for young people? What partnerships can create sustainable jobs?
Let integrity guide you. Let The Four-Way Test light your path. And let the young people in California and the multitudes worldwide who need job skills remind you why vocational service matters.
Let us celebrate putting our professional skills to work for humanity with integrity at the heart of everything we do.
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION THIS
ROTARY YEAR?
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary will match member contributions to Rotary Foundation with club points during the 2025-26 Rotary year. A minimum $100 contribution is required. For contributions of greater than $100, the club will match a maximum of 200 points. This will help newer members achieve their first Paul Harris Fellow quicker, and encourage other members to contribute at a higher level. Major donors not eligible for points. Points will be given for contributions retroactive to July 1, 2025 and continue through June 30, 2026.
See Foundation Chair, Tom Hartzell for information on making your contribution. You can send your contribution on-line or give your check (payable to Rotary Foundation) to Tom. You can also mail a check to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, Pa 18017.
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