At our last meeting, we were fortunate to have Andrea Tessier, the District Director Penn State Cooperative Extension Lehigh & Northampton Counties (PSE).
As soon as Andrea began to talk, I realized my perceptions of what the Extension was all about and reality were worlds apart. PSE is part of the national Cooperative Extension network administered by land-grant universities across the country. In Pennsylvania, it is unique to the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. The mission is to discover, integrate, translate, and disseminate knowledge to enhance the food and agricultural system, natural resources and environmental stewardship, economic and social well-being, thereby improving the lives of people in Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.
A much easier way to say it in Rotary terms –
The Focus of PSE in the Lehigh Valley is to
Strengthen the economic viability of agricultural based businesses in the Lehigh Valley; and
Foster a strong and healthy community.
This is supported with unbiased, research based information.
There are supporting offices and staffs in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. They provide programs of support in Education and Information, Business and Job Development, Community and Family Development and Services and Research. These range from nationally recognized Equine programs and environmentally focused farms to local 4H Clubs, lawn and gardens of residents, land preservation, and the Lehigh Valley Food Council, etc.!
PSE represents an amazingly broad umbrella of help and support to our state citizens. For more information and education see extension.psu.edu.
Thank you Andrea!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, April 7th when our speaker will be Past District Governor BJ Metz. His topic will be of interest to many – the Miracle League of Northampton County.
If you would like to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss at rsearfos@ptd.net or 610-504-1460.
I recently spent a week with a friend whom I have had a forty year friendship with which reminded me of the health benefits of friendship. Rotary friendships also add another dimension to our lives.
1. Friends get you moving. Friends and family nudging and cajoling you can help to get you moving whether it's to be more physically active, drink more water, or eat more healthily.
2. Friends keep you relaxed. Friends provide us with a source for relaxation together. The adult version of childhood friendship play is having fun together as adults which creates opportunity for laughing and relaxing.
3. Friends help you live longer. Friendships reduce isolation and enhance a sense of belonging and self-worth which supports living longer and healthier.
4. Friends boost cancer survival rates. Cancer without friends is really tough to survive. Friends help us cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, and death of loved ones.
5. Friends lower heart disease risk. Friendships help reduce stress, enhance happiness, and thus lower blood pressure which is a key factor in heart disease.
Celebrate your friendships, add new friendships, renew old friendships, and be the friend you want to have in your life.Live well and speak a good word with your life.
The Morning Star Rotary Board approved the club Foundation Committee's recommendation to use some club "points" to help members achieve 1,000 dollars/points for their first (or next!) Paul Harris Fellow.
Up to $100 match for new donors this Rotary year. (Initial donors will be only new members, since everyone gave something last year.)
For any of last year’s initial donors who received under $100 match, the club will give an additional match this year, with the total match for the 2 years not to exceed $100.
A brand new points “RAFFLE / LOTTERY”!!!The names of ALL members giving at least $100 to the Rotary Foundation this Rotary year by May 19 will go in a hat. (Each name only once.) At our club meeting on June 2, five names will be picked and offered 300 points each towards their Paul Harris status (whether first or multiple). If a winner does not want the points, he or she can decide what to do with them. (Give to another member, or have the club retain for use in the future.)
Remember, it's NOT about the money - it IS about the wonderful work done with the help of The Rotary Foundation!
GET READY COWPIES! Our District Conference is less than 3 weeks away!
Our focus event on Childhood Hunger could use your help.
Thank you all who have contributed to the sale of Cow Pie Bingo Deeds- about 150 are sold. And our goal is to raise $5000 by selling 300 Deeds*.
This event raises money for three important charities who help keep children fed and not go hungry. These are not kids far away from here, this is happening locally and within our District.
Please help us contribute by contributing yourself. Fill in the information below – we’ll get you registered.
As we approach the springtime holiday of Easter, what better time than to perform our own Resurrection – A BIKE RESURRECTION! A great way to "re-cycle" your bicycles!
We need stationary bikes and two-wheelers to support two of our projects –
STATIONARY BIKES for The Moravian College – William Penn Elementary School (WPES) “Reading & Riding” Program – promoting student health – physical & mental as they ride on stationary bikes while reading. This is an ideal opportunity to make that dust catcher and well-intentioned clothes rack do some good for our students at WPES. Per Janet Sipple, please just call Greer Hockmeier 610-694-0116 x19920 at WPES. Arrangements may be made to drop off any such delinquent you have seeking a new life! Janet says they will even come to your house to resurrect your bike!
Plus, BikeWorks Roundup of 2 WHEELERS herded by Foreman Tom Kolepp. This is in support of our District Grant which helped provide a van for use by the BikeWorks.
You will recall Morning Star Rotary partnered with Bethlehem and Allentown Rotary clubs to provide the van. Now this is our ‘sweat equity’ segment of the grant.
Through students participating in the program it
• Fosters relationships with caring adults
• Learn bike mechanics & safety
• Develop reading, teamwork & other job skills
• Lead & give back
And at the end, the successful student gets to keep the bike!
Tom will be providing details for the Roundup!
Please help make this another successful resurrection!
They have lessons on Saturdays from 9 to 2, so it will be great if people come early for a tour with Cheryl Baker, CEO, the first half hour before you start your work.
Work from 10 am to 2 pm. We can break from 11:30 to 12:30 for lunch. You will be doing work around the facility to get them ready for their Kentucky Derby party the following week. Expect to be doing landscape work – weeding, fixing pavers on trails and drives, plantings, etc., and possible replacement of fenceposts/boxfencing on some of the pastures.
Rain or shine is fine; depending on the weather the work project list may change slightly. The more people, the merrier! We will have work enough for as many people as we can have here. In fact, we do have a major fence pasture project and if we get a critical mass we just might be able to get this done, which would be phenomenal!
Please everyone bring your own workgloves, bug spray, and sunscreen. We will provide water/sodas; Subway can provide the rest.
Look for the Sign-up sheet next week. If you need more details contact Bill Hunter wdh3@lehigh.edu or
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