I also announced that our District Grant requests were approved by Rotary International, and we will be moving forward with the work involved. Stay tuned as Jess Elliot begins to share with us how we will be "adopting" Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. There will be an opportunity a little later this fall to provide new coats (Operation Warm) for the children at the school, and we'll be there to distribute dictionaries, of course. Marianne Aronson is working to produce video footage of that effort, and I'm excited to hear more as that moves forward.

 

This week, it's back to our home at Moravian Village and we'll be celebrating August birthdays! Our speaker will be fellow Rotarian (Downtown Club) Kamran Afshar, who will be sharing with us his observations and research into the Bethlehem Business Climate. We are lucky to have someone so knowledgeable about the topic in our midst, and I always learn a lot when I hear him speak - just as I did when he was my professor at Moravian College!

 

Thursday I'll announce who will be the first to receive an Ethics in Business award in our work related to Vocational Service and Rotary Means Business. 

 

To reiterate:

 

In September, we will be changing up how we do our 50/50. You'll still purchase tickets in the same way, but when your ticket is drawn, you'll draw a card from a deck. If you pick an Ace, you win half the pot; if you don't, the money rolls over into the next week, creating an even bigger "kitty" for both the eventual winner, and for the club! With POWERBALL payouts in the hundreds of millions, and all the excitement and energy that comes with that type of anticipation, we look forward to building a little of our own.

 

Also in September is a "backyard location" for RLI - the Rotary Leadership Institute. A day long session in Rotary practices and leadership training, at $85 it's a bargain, and when you realize it's reimbursed once you've attended, it's a total no-brainer! September 16th is the date; DeSales University is the place, and we hope to see a STRONG and LARGE contingency from our club! To register: (http:/ /rlinea.org/event/center-valley--pa-(7430)/)

 

October will bring at least one thing into focus: Polio. World Polio Day is celebrated, and we will, too. We'd like to observe World Polio Day (Tuesday, 10/24) in a way that is both visible and inviting for the broad Bethlehem Community. We'll have a table and display at City Hall Center (outside weather permitting) where we can invite residents to gather to learn more about the efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, and celebrate how close we are to the goal. We are hoping to be able to have a photo opportunity, as well, in linking hands to surround a globe signifying the worldwide effort, of which we as Rotarians and supporters of Rotary in Bethlehem, play an integral part.

 

Before the 24th, however, we will be involved as sponsors of Rotary's Purple Pinkie 5K/10K. Scheduled for October 14, a run/walk on the grounds of LCCC, I am challenging our club to not only be involved by making our annual gift of $1500 toward the Polio Plus effort through them to multiply its benefit, but also that we field a team to participate in the event. How about it? It's a full two weeks after our 5K/10K; plenty of time to recuperate and be up and ready to go! For more information, the website is www.purplepinkie.net.

 

See you Thursday!