We are beginning to wind down 2024 and I pray you all have a safe and joyous holiday season. This time of year also affects the "when and where" of our meetings. Of course, there will be no meeting on Thanksgiving Day. Also, we will not meet on January 2nd, but instead, please join us at the home of Mike and Terri Long on Saturday, January 4th for a festive evening together. More details will follow.
On December 19th, join us for our annual Holiday Meeting to be held at The Cathedral Church of the Nativity on the corner of 3rd and Wyandotte Streets. The meeting will be located in Sayre Hall where we will ring in the holidays in our usual MSR style and be entertained by the Liberty High School Chorus. Parking is available at the church with lots accessible from Wyandotte (upper lot) or 3rd Street (lower lot). You may also park at our usual Flatiron lots for a short walk to the Cathedral. The parish hall is accessible from both parking lots with elevator access from the lower lot. The hall is on the same level as the entrance from the upper lot. I look forward to seeing you then. For those planning on attending, please let me know that you are joining us and if you are willing to subsidize LHS students’ breakfast. (link below).
Fall for Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary has been busy with our two big fund raisers, Celtic Classic 5k and Salute the Troops Concert. After the holiday season, we will be putting together a team to help re-envision the Spaghetti Dinner that has been held in honor of the memory of Audrey Rafferty. This event has helped to subsidize an education grant through Lehigh Valley Nurse-Family Partnership. In the past several years, Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary has expanded its efforts in education. We have provided grants for the Antiqua Reading Project, two yearly college scholarships in honor of our own departed Rotarians Ron Searfoss and Ben Tenaglia III, and the above-mentioned Audrey Rafferty scholarship. If you have any ideas or would like to serve on this team, please let me know.
Lastly, for those that use the ClubRunner phone app, some contact information has changed. Please use the circular arrows button to refresh your list.
TO OUR PARTNERS: Heartfelt ❤️ Thanks for Your Support on the Kivutini School Project in Kenya
Doylestown Rotary
Bethlehem Downtown Rotary
Kutztown Rotary
Nazareth Rotary
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As we take time to give thanks this week, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your generous contribution and support to the school project in Kenya.
Your financial support is immensely appreciated, but it’s your commitment to making a difference that truly inspires us. You've embraced the true spirit of Rotary by working together with us to impact the lives of those we serve. Through this partnership, we are not only renovating a school but also providing countless children with the chance for a brighter future. The opportunities and education these children will receive because of our support will change their lives and uplift their families and communities.
Please remember to share this incredible story with others. The world needs to know about the remarkable difference Rotary members make every day. By sharing our collective efforts, we can inspire even more people to join us in our mission.
We hope you will continue to join us each month to hear firsthand about the progress and results of the project. Your ongoing involvement and support mean the world to us and to the communities we serve.
Thank you for embodying the Rotary way and for your steadfast commitment to service. Together, we are creating lasting change and proving that when we unite, we can achieve extraordinary things.
In recognition of November being National Diabetes Month, our speaker for our November 21st meeting was our very own MSR Rotarian, Robin Metzler. Robin spoke about living with Type 1 diabetes for the past 25 years. His presentation provided important statistical facts and pertinent information regarding the different types of diabetes, their symptoms and treatment. Click Here to view Robin's presentation. Thank you Robin for sharing your story!
At our November 21, 2024 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Tom Kolepp with his PHS+8 pin recognizing his ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation. Also, MSR Rotarian Bob Bennett was honored for achieving his initial Paul Harris Fellow. Congratulations and thank you both for your support.
PDG Diane Donaher attended our November 21, 2024 meeting to present two achievement awards to Morning Star Rotary for our previous year's contributions to Polio Plus and being the third highest pre capita giving club to the Rotary Foundation in District 7430. Accepting the awards were 2023-2024 MSR President Betty Issacs and Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell. Congratulations and thank you to all of our members who contributed to the Foundation this past Rotary year.
Morning Star Rotary is working at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on three evenings during the 2025 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.
Our club treasurer, Jean Searfoss, is retiring soon and requests that all correspondence go to her personal e-mail. To update her information on the ClubRunner app on your mobile devices, click on the "Refresh" Icon (circular arrow at the top of the page).
We would like to give a big MSR thank you to all of our "Salute the Troops" Concert supporters. The leadership is trying to finish the final finance reports from the concert so that the Board of Directors at its December meeting can determine the amount of this year's grant to Victory House. A brief reminder to all MSR members....any members who need to submit ticket money should mail a check to our MSR Treasurer, Jean Searfoss at 1409 Bogie Ave., Allentown, PA 18106. Our hope is that all members will pay for their ticket allotment so that our annual grant to support Victory House can be as generous as possible.
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