Please join Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary this Thursday, September 17, 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 Clarice James, Founder MIRA (Migrants, Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylees)
“Our program's mission is to equip families of different ethnicities and cultures with the equitable resources to succeed upon entering a new community. By providing them with the necessary resources and offering them the same opportunities everyone has a right to, opens up their individual paths to reach their highest potentials and dreams. We believe every person deserves the chance to be able to live a happy, healthy life and our goal is to help guide these underserved families with the resources to do so.”
Here's what you need to know for this week, including save the dates:
Jinnie, our Rotary Exchange Student from Thailand, arrives August 23 (flight delay). We'll invite her to a meeting soon!
November 5 meeting will be a regular morning session so District Governor Jeremiah Sensenig can attend; Thirsty Thursday will shift to October 29th.
Monocacy Creek cleanup: October 11.
Bethlehem Downtown Club Rummage Sale (September 19) accepting donations for their big garage sale through August 28; proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club. Take your stuff to Akroyd Hardware.
Do you know any nonprofits in Bethlehem that could use $11K? Please send them a note encouraging them to apply for our community grant, as we only have one applicant so far.
Victory House's wish list includes a privacy fence along the greenway (materials donated by Home Depot; volunteer labor/sweat equity needed - maybe this is something MSR could help with?
Global grant update: $55,000 raised for the Kenya (Isiolo) agricultural co-op project; a club trip is planned January 25 to February 7; 5 members traveling are confirmed so far.
Fundraisers:
Please reach out to at least one business or person you know to get donations for Salute the Troops and the 5K. Let's crowdsource this! The talking points are:
Salute the Troops is a concert with the Allentown Band and the Northeast Middle School Band that benefits Victory House, which provides local homeless veterans and homeless men and women with opportunities to transition to independent affordable housing and begin new lives.
Celtic Classic 5K Race: Kicks off the Celtic Classic parade and benefits Rotary's Youth programs including study abroad opportunities and leadership training.
"Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service."
On August 13, Morning Star Rotary celebrated our annual Youth Services Day, welcoming the students the club sponsored for this past year's youth initiatives along with their families. Scholarship recipients Kate and Mia, both Freedom High School graduates, shared their college plans in medicine and pre-med at King's College and Cornell, and urged the younger students in the room to get involved and embrace being uncomfortable. Camp Neidig leadership participants Sasha and Aaron described how bringing so many young leaders together taught them to collaborate and step out of their comfort zones, while April, our STEM-YEA student, reflected on the wonder of studying space, planetary science, and the SETI program during STEM-YEA at Kutztown University. Congratulations to these outstanding students!
First month of presidency, DOWN! And you’re all still here, so thank you for that!
Here’s what’s up:
Lots of speaker suggestions - keep ‘em coming! Send me ideas for people in business or government, or just people doing interesting things. Or, we can try other meeting formats too. Email me when inspiration hits and we’ll keep adding your great ideas to the list!
About a dozen people signed up to help with Salute the Troops (supports Victory House and happens on 11/8) and the 5K (supports various Youth Programs and happens on 9/26) - thank you!! I hope everyone will participate in some way! Email me to sign up and/or to offer financial support.
Save the date for a visit from our DIstrict Governor, Jeremiah Sensenig. With respect for his travel schedule, we’ll have a morning meeting 11/5 with wine and cheese instead of coffee and eggs. Kidding! Just seeing if you’re still reading… But we will meet that first Thursday of the month in the morning and reschedule our Thirsty Thursday.
Do you know about Raise for Rotary, The Rotary Foundation’s peer-to-peer fundraising tool? Since August 2020, Rotary members and our supporters have created more than 4,000 fundraising events to celebrate birthdays, athletic challenges, and other occasions. These fundraisers have generated over US$3.5 million for the PolioPlus Fund, World Fund, Disaster Response Fund, and areas of focus.
Raise for Rotary is celebrating its sixth anniversary with some exciting updates:
It’s migrating to a new platform and has an updated logo.
You can now download a donation report from your fundraising page to more easily track who donated and when.
If you’re fundraising for PolioPlus through physical activity, you can now track your activities on the exercise app Strava to share your progress with more people.
The features and benefits that have made Raise for Rotary successful aren’t changing:
It’s simple to use and share. Setting up a fundraising page is fast. You can support specific Rotary causes and easily share your fundraiser with others — especially on social media.
Donors can get recognition credit. Anyone who gives using the same email address they use for Rotary functions such as My Rotary will receive all applicable Rotary giving credit and recognition.
An organizer’s club is credited with donations from nonmembers. This recognizes the work of organizers and encourages them to seek support beyond their Rotary networks.
Lower fees mean we can do more. With our own platform, we have more flexibility and more of the funds you raise go directly toward Doing Good in the World.
Thank you for your support! No matter how you choose to fundraise, the donations you generate help our Foundation make an even bigger impact around the world.
At our July 16, 2026 weekly meeting, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Wendy Wright, Development Officer of Cay Galgon Life House. She spoke to our members regarding the Life House's residential and outreach programs for homeless pregnant mothers and babies, and how Rotarians can support the organization. As Development Officer, her role is in fundraising and awareness building for the organization.
Cay Galgon began in 2012 as part of Mary's Shelter, based in Reading, and split off in 2019 to focus locally on pregnant mothers in the Lehigh Valley. The organization is named for Cay Galgon, a woman who opened her home to pregnant women with no place to go and to people with disabilities, and whose family helped establish the shelter in her honor after her passing.
The organization runs two main programs. The residential shelter has seven beds for homeless mothers and babies, who can stay for up to two years while receiving intensive case management, including education support, parenting classes, budgeting help, and housing search assistance. The outreach program serves families from pregnancy through a child's second birthday with diapers, clothing, food, and appointment support, and does not require a housing crisis to qualify. Last year the organization served 558 total families, welcomed 196 babies, logged 1,500 pantry visits, and gave 213 moms holiday gifts for their children. The waiting list has grown from about 10 to 20 families in the past month, and Wendy noted the organization is one of the only local resources for homeless pregnant women without other children.
Wendy described the range of situations families come from, including domestic violence and trafficking survivors, and how the Life House partners with organizations like NAMI and Turning Point when a family's needs go beyond what the shelter can provide, such as active substance recovery or severe mental health needs.
Donate supplies: diapers, wipes, and children's clothing are always needed, especially during spring cleaning season
Attend upcoming events: Casks and Forks on August 19 at Black River Farms (paid ticketed event), the OLA Fun shopping and raffle event in November, and the annual gala (the organization's largest fundraiser)
Morning Star Rotary was recognized for our outstanding contributions to The Rotary Foundation for the 2025-2026 Rotary year.
#1 place in District 7430 for our PolioPlus giving.
#2 place in District 7430 for our Overall Contributions to the Annual Fund.
#3 place in District 7430 for Per Capita donations to The Rotary Foundation
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club was recognized multiple times for our club Foundation contributions at the recent District 7430 Changeover event. Our club received first place recognition for 2025-26 PolioPlus giving, third place recognition for 2025-26 Annual Fund Per Capita giving, and second place recognition for 2025-26 Overall Foundation giving. Morning Star Rotary was the only district club to be recognized in all three categories.
For the 2025-26 Rotary year, Annual Fund contributions totaled $44,030 while PolioPlus giving totaled $13,005. Thanks to everyone in the club who has continued to support The Rotary Foundation.
Morning Star Rotary has 17 Major Donors, probably the highest in District 7430. However, all the current Major Donors started with a $100 contribution many years ago. New members are encouraged to begin making contributions to The Rotary Foundation. More information will follow at future meetings.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION THIS PAST YEAR!
Morning Star Rotary welcomed Dylan Stroup, Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem to our July 9, 2026 meeting. Dylan is a third-generation Rotarian and a member of the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club. He spoke to our members regarding his upcoming adventure of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness for the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem through his "Climb for Kids" campaign.
The climb grew out of a personal fitness goal for Dylan that turned into a way to give back. He is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem and wanted to combine his love of the outdoors with support for the club, which prepares kids facing food insecurity and difficult home situations for their own version of climbing a mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, and is considered a trek rather than a technical climb, meaning no ropes or glacier crossings. Dylan is carrying 20 to 25 pounds of daily gear while porters handle camp setup, cooking, and heavier equipment, and he is paying all his own trip expenses so that 100 percent of donations go directly to the Boys and Girls Club.
Dylan is funding the "Climb for Kids" campaign through corporate sponsors including Rotary, Just Born, and Post Road Management, each contributing 5,000 dollars, plus an employer match and individual donations, with about 11,000 dollars raised so far. He is planning a 10,000 dollar matching gift campaign launching the week before his August 1, 2026 departure, and credited Rotary specifically for helping him raise support he would not have had access to otherwise.
How Rotarians can help and support
Attend Dylan's final training day, July 25, 2026, a free 5K up and down Blue Mountain (1,000 feet up, 1,000 feet down), starting at 8:15 AM
Attend the Climb for Kids celebration on Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, marking the end of the campaign
Contribute financially, including toward the upcoming 10,000 dollar matching gift campaign launching the week before his August 1, 2026 departure - Click Here to donate
Help spread awareness of the campaign and website, since the fundraising also depends on smaller individual donations
Send photos of Rotary events between now and September 17, 2026 so Dylan can promote Rotary as a sponsor on social media
As members of Rotary, we are all united across cultures, languages, and communities. Together, we share a responsibility not only to bring about change but also to ensure that the effects endure.
That is why this year, we are called to Create Lasting Impact.
When we work alongside communities, invest in people’s skills and leadership abilities, and measure our progress, we ensure that positive changes can continue in our communities and in ourselves long after a single project ends.
When we focus our efforts and work together, we can maximize our impact in the year ahead.
Grow our membership
Our ability to Create Lasting Impact depends on the strength and diversity of our members. The goal in front of us is clear: Reach 1.25 million Rotarians and retain at least 125,000 Rotaractors by 2030.
But this is not only about numbers. It is about people.
Every new member brings new ideas, energy, and opportunities. When we truly welcome others and share our stories, we expand Rotary’s reach and deepen valuable connections.
Don’t be afraid to share how Rotary has changed your life when you connect with prospective members. Everyone loves a good story.
I also encourage you to consider how your club invites, includes, and engages with others. Examine your last seven years of membership and retention data, find your best year, and aim to do better than your best. Explore the membership resources linked below and think about how you can use them to attract more people to Rotary.
Our promise to the world remains unchanged: We will eradicate polio.
Through your dedication and advocacy, Rotary continues to support one of the most ambitious public health efforts in history. Since 2021, we’ve had a 17% increase in individual contributions to PolioPlus, a clear sign that our members and friends of Rotary remain deeply invested in the fight against polio.
Now is the time to remain focused and committed to this endeavor.
Lasting peace is not created in a single moment. It comes over time, through understanding, collaboration, and trust. Each act of service has the potential to contribute to a more peaceful world, but we need to be deliberate and strategic to achieve it.
I encourage you to seek opportunities to collaborate, listen, and lead with empathy. When we work together with purpose and direction, we create stronger communities and enduring peace.
My friends, Rotary has the power to transform lives, including our own. As you plan your projects, welcome new members, and serve your community, I ask you to thoughtfully consider the impact you are making and how it will last.
Together, we can Create Lasting Impact that endures across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Thank you for all that you do, and for all that we will accomplish together.
Yours in Rotary,
Yinka H. Babalola 2026-27 President Rotary International
Jeremiah is a native of Lancaster County, growing up in the village of Intercourse. He is a graduate of Penn State University, Capital Campus, and has lived and worked in the Berks County, Pennsylvania since 2010. Jeremiah resides in Wyomissing with his wife, Heidi, and his two children, Cole and Hazel.
Jeremiah is the Founder and President of Capacity Financial Planning & Investments, an independent Financial Advisory firm he founded in 2023. He has worked as a Financial Adviser since 2005.
As a Financial Adviser, Jeremiah was invited to attend Rotary while he worked in Oxford, PA. When moving his practice to Wyomissing in 2008 he was seeking a local club and found the West Reading-Wyomissing Club. He was welcomed with open arms, and joined the club in 2008. Jeremiah then became President for the first time in 2013-14 and then again for two years from 2019-2021. He has served as Assistant Governor for District 7430 from 2020-25, and will take on the role of District Governor in July of 2026.
Jeremiah is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level 1, as well as a Paul Harris Society Member and Sustaining Member. His commitment to service above self is fulfilled through his work with Rotary and sustained giving to help make the world a more peaceful place for all.
In the few hours left after work, family, and Rotary, Jeremiah enjoys attending live music events, cooking for his family, taking on home improvement projects and playing guitar.
Our Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary meeting on July 2, 2026 will be a First "Thirstday"/Happy Hour meeting starting at 5:30pm.
LOCATION:
Artisan Wine and Cheese Cellars
55 W Lehigh Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Join us for a networking-focused event that rotates among different locations. Attendees will enjoy a variety of drinks, with some opting to order food while others simply mingle over their beverages. It’s a great way to connect in a relaxed atmosphere!
Please come and enjoy some warm Rotary fellowship.
On Saturday, June 27, 2026, MSR held its annual Kickout Party honoring our outgoing President, Rodney Conn. A fantastic time was had by everyone. A big MSR thank you to PP Shawn and Bob Bariana for hosting the party. Thank you President Rodney on your service to the club these past two years and best wishes to incoming President Jennifer.
Yesterday we "passed the gavel" to our new president, Jennifer. It is with gratitude that I write you all today for your support over the past two years. This club truly demonstrates Service Above Self in all that it does and is what supported me throughout this time. I was honored to see so many past presidents who came out to honor and support not just me, but also Jennifer. I also thank all the board members for their service and support.
Over the past year, Morning Star Rotary continued to be mission driven by serving the least among us by supporting Victory House and Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering. We also maintained focus on youth and education through offering scholarships, sponsoring students to Camp Neidig and STEM-YEA Camp, as well as sponsoring a Four-Way Test Contest. The exploration of hosting an Interact Club has begun with good promise for the future. We continue our work at the Kivutini Primary School in Machakos, Kenya with a global grant concentrating on water and sanitation facilities. Our local Community Grant was awarded to New Bethany to help with local food insecurity issues. I wish to thank all who continue to support these missions with your time, talent and treasure.
Our weekly meetings continue to see great speakers who provide us a perspective of the needs of the community and opportunities to consider as a club and individuals. Our First Thirstdays meetings are a great opportunity to socialize and invite prospective members to get to know us. And I hope you are all enjoying Fifth Thursday mornings to sleep in, go for a walk or a bike ride, or just relax.
And in all this, we continue to support Rotary Foundation and PolioPlus.
Rocco D'Amato from the Bethlehem Rotary Club spoke to our members regarding a fundraising yard sale for the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem to be held September 19, 2026 (rain date September 20) at 65 West Market Street, Bethlehem. The goal is to raise $5,000 to $10,000 to help address a $40,000 budget shortfall at the Boys and Girls Club due to required fire suppression and door lock upgrades. Morning Star Rotary members can help by donating goods, volunteering, or helping collect items.
Morning Star Rotary welcomed Darah Donaher, Assistant Professor of Theater, Northampton Community College and Co-Artistic Director, Bill Mutimer Summer Theater Series, to our June 18th meeting. Darah holds a Master of Fine Arts, Michigan State University, BA in Theater, Penn State University, in addition to extensive choreography and dance experience. Darah spoke to our members about the NCC Theatre Education Program and the NCC Summer Theatre Series.
Darah is Bethlehem-born and raised, a Liberty High School graduate, and a lifelong member of the local arts community through Pennsylvania Youth Theater. She returned to the Lehigh Valley after completing her MFA at Michigan State during COVID, when limited opportunities in professional theater brought her back home. Darah was brought in by NCC colleague Brett Oliviera to direct West Side Story on short notice after the unexpected passing of former department head Bill Mutimer. That experience led to an adjunct role and eventually a full-time position as Assistant Professor and co-artistic director, alongside co-director Jessica Lopez Barkl.
Darah and Jessica spent their first months at NCC overhauling the theater curriculum to reflect new industry expectations, particularly post-COVID shifts in how theater is taught and what employers and four-year programs require. New courses include voice and speech, movement, a theater-as-live-experience writing class that takes students to regional productions, and an introduction to theater production and technology that places students on actual production crews. A central focus of this work is building formal transfer agreements with regional four-year schools including DeSales, Cedar Crest, East Stroudsburg, Bucknell, and Muhlenberg, so that students can complete their BA in theater in exactly two additional years with no wasted credits or money. NCC's goal is to clearly signal to students that the two-year pathway followed by a four-year transfer is the strongest route to a sustainable career in theater.
The Bill Mutimer Summer Theatre Series at NCC is a professional summer stock program that produces four shows each season, including a children's production for young audiences. The current 2026 season includes a just-closed run of A Chorus Line, Gypsy, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the children's show Junie B. Jones' Essential Survival Guide to School. The series pays all actors, musicians, designers, and technicians, making it the only fully compensated community theater opportunity in the Lehigh Valley. Ticket prices are intentionally kept low to maximize accessibility. Sensory-friendly performances are offered for the children's show, with lights adjusted and sound modified for neurodivergent audiences. Alumni of the program have gone on to Broadway, including a current cast member playing Glinda. Licensing a single show such as Hairspray can cost between $10,000 and $13,000, and the program currently receives some support from NCC in addition to ticket sales while working toward full self-sufficiency through earned revenue and donations.
How Rotarians Can Help and Support
• Attend a show at the NCC Summer Theater Series. Kopachek Hall on the NCC main campus. Adult tickets are $25 (plus a $2 fee). Students are $15. Group rates are available.
• Bring friends, neighbors, and family, especially for Junie B. Jones sensory-friendly performances on June 27, July 11, and July 25, which are ideal for families with neurodivergent children.
• Spread the word within school, church, and neighborhood networks. The program needs to fill seats for Gypsy and Hunchback of Notre Dame, which run through late July.
• Consider corporate sponsorship. Darah specifically identified this as her next major fundraising goal and invited anyone with connections to business sponsors to reach out to her directly.
• Donate to the summer theater program or the NCC theater department. Show licensing alone can exceed $10,000 per production, and the program's goal is to become independent of NCC institutional support.
• Connect Darah on LinkedIn or via email with potential donors, sponsors, or community partners who care about arts education and accessibility.
Morning Star Rotary Club welcomed Mary Toulouse to our June 11th meeting. Mary is a Lafayette College language professor, Director of the Language Resource Center, and President of the Mount Airy Neighborhood Association in West Bethlehem. She spoke to our members about the Bethlehem Rose Garden Farmers' Market and this week's Rose Fest 2026.
Mary discussed how she and a colleague started the market in a vacant lot in 2015, which has since grown to serve approximately 800-1000 people weekly with 20 regular vendors and various community events. She explained the restoration of the historic Rose Garden using a $15,000 grant from Lehigh County and the hiring of Stephen Scanniello, Chief Rosarian from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, to redesign the garden. The presentation covered the market's evolution from a simple farmers market to a community gathering space with music, educational activities, and seasonal events, while highlighting ongoing challenges with funding the Rose Garden maintenance and vendor relationships.
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the Philippines. As search-and-rescue efforts continue and hundreds of aftershocks shake the region, families across Mindanao are waiting to learn whether their homes are safe to return to.
More than 145,000 people have already been affected across eight regions. At least 32 people have lost their lives, hundreds have been injured, and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate. Buildings and critical infrastructure have been damaged, and many families are waiting to learn whether their homes are safe to return to.
When homes are damaged or destroyed,shelter quickly becomes one of the most urgent needs.
ShelterBox is responding.
Our experienced ShelterBox Philippines team is already in-country and working to understand what communities need most. We are sending an assessment team to affected areas and preparing to support up to 3,000 families with emergency shelter and essential aid.
With staff and emergency shelter supplies pre-positioned in Cebu, we are ready to move quickly as needs are identified.
ShelterBox has responded to disasters in the Philippines more than 30 times, supporting communities affected by earthquakes, tropical storms, volcanic eruptions, and conflict. Our local team, established partnerships, and emergency aid already in-country help us reach families quickly when disaster strikes.
While many details are still unknown, we know families will need support in the days and weeks ahead.
Your donation today will help provide emergency shelter and essential aid to families affected by this earthquake and help ensure we are ready to respond whenever disaster strikes.
Together, we can help families find shelter, safety, and a path to recovery after disaster.
Please join Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary this Thursday, June 11, 2026, for our Live/Hybrid Meeting.Our meet & greet starts at 7:15am with the regular meeting starting at 7:30am.
Topic will be TED Talk - "The way we think about charity is dead wrong" - A discussion on today's landscape of charitable giving facilitated by President-Elect Jennifer.
Thanks to all members who have already paid their dues. If you have not yet paid the dues for 2026-2027, please do so ASAP! Thank you!
Morning Star Rotary Secretary Val Walk has emailed the club’s 2026-27 club dues invoice to active members. Full details are in e-mail and attached invoice.
If you haven’t seen it, please check your junk/spam folder, and contact Rodney Conn at rodneyconn@icloud.com if you need the invoice resent.
Please pay either...
$260 for the full Rotary year 7/1/26-6/30/27
– or –
$130 for the first six months 7/1/26-12/31/26
Payment method options include:
Check payable to Morning Star Rotary. Give to Rodney Conn at a meeting, or mail it to Rodney's attention at 39 Cherokee Street, Emmaus, PA 18049
Cash. Give to Rodney Conn at a meeting.
Debit or Credit card. By June 30, on www.morningstarrotary.com, log in, then scroll down to Site Pages on the left, and click Pay Dues Online Here. The club uses PayPal to collect it, but you do NOT need a PayPal account; Your debit or credit card is fine. The estimated PayPal fee is added to the dues amount.
Zelle. Between July 1 and July 7 (so it hits the bank in the correct Rotary year).
Your prompt cooperation will be appreciated. The club will pay Rotary International in July and Rotary District 7430 soon after, and active members as of 6/30/26 are in the headcount for those invoices to the club.
Please contact Rodney Conn with any questions or comments.
The 2026 MOM-n-PA was very successful - close to 1400 patients were seen over two days, and approximately $1.5 M in free dental care was provided! Thanks to all the Morning Star Rotary volunteers who helped out during this event. Volunteers are the engine that drive this mission, so all help was truly appreciated!
Next year event will be in Harrisburg June 11-12 at the Farm Show Complex.
Our Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary meeting onJune4, 2026 will be a First "Thirstday" Happy Hour meeting starting at 5:30pm.
LOCATION:
Wilbur Mansion 201 Cherokee Street Bethlehem, PA 18015
Join us for a networking-focused event that rotates among different locations. Attendees will enjoy a variety of drinks, with some opting to order food while others simply mingle over their beverages. It’s a great way to connect in a relaxed atmosphere!
Please come and enjoy some warm Rotary fellowship.
Morning Star Rotary welcomed members of "I Have I Need" to our May 28, 2026 meeting. This organization connects businesses and events with surplus items to local nonprofits in need, focusing on the "last mile" logistics of getting donations from point A to point B. The organization has rescued over 94,000 pounds of items so far this year, compared to 81,000 pounds last year, and works with 40+ nonprofit partners including food pantries, shelters, and organizations supporting children and people with disabilities.
Jen McCary, Co-Founder of "I Have I Need" along with her husband Jeff, presented an overview of their organization's work in rescuing and redistributing excess items, particularly food, to nonprofit organizations and communities across the Lehigh Valley. She highlighted their efforts to keep donations close to where they were generated, emphasizing partnerships with local nonprofits and volunteers, including the "Food Fighters" team. Jen outlined ways people can help, including spreading the word, volunteering, donating, and providing support or connections, and shared examples of successful rescues, such as bottled water, eggs, and various supplies.
Jen explained how their food rescue organization selects donation recipients through existing relationships, partnerships with Second Harvest, and a mobile app called Food Rescue US that helps coordinate pickups and deliveries. The organization primarily works with local businesses like bakeries and schools, with some larger retailers partnering through Second Harvest, and they currently operate entirely on volunteer labor while serving multiple school districts including Parkland and Northern Lehigh. She outlined their five-year strategic goals including renting office space, hiring paid staff, expanding coverage in Bethlehem and Easton, and developing a replicable model for other communities.
At our May 21, 2026 meeting, Morning Star Rotarians were recognized for their continued support of The Rotary Foundation.
MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell along with District Governor Mary Cook recognized three Morning Star Rotarians, Mike Orbin, Betty Isaacs, and Rodney Conn, who have achieved Major Donor status with The Rotary Foundation. With the addition of these three Rotarians, Morning Star Rotary now has 15 Major Donors and 1 Arch Klumph Society Member.
Congratulations to Mike, Betty, and Rodney and to all our members who contribute to The Rotary Foundation.
District Governor, Mary Cook, congratulated our recognized members and encouraged all Rotarians to continue our support of The Rotary Foundation. She explained that the foundation provides significant benefits, with half the money returning to the district for grants over three years. Because of our continuing financial support, grant funds are available to implement all the fantastic projects of our club, both locally and globally.
MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented MSR Rotarian Wendy Ellsworth with her PHF +5 pin, recognizing her support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Wendy!
Susan Burnett, who was attending the meeting remotely, was also recognized for the recent recognitions for her Foundation contributions.
PLEASE NOTE: Members are asked to bring a side, a salad, or a dessert. Please RSVP to Shawn at (shawnbariana@gmail.com) and let her know what you want to bring so we don't end up with all desserts.
Our speaker at our April 16, 2026 meeting, Victoria Cyr, MSW, LSW, serves as the Director of Community Hubs at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, where she collaborates with partners across the region to expand access to food, programming, and community resources. She helps lead the Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley initiative, working to support healthy aging and improve quality of life for older adults. Many thanks to Victoria for introducing us to this important work.
Mission of Mercy in Pennsylvania, known as MOM-n-PA, is returning to the AgriPlex in the Allentown Fairgrounds again this year! This is a two-day free dental mission for our most vulnerable population, primarily those who cannot afford regular dental care. The event will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 29th and 30th.
We are in need of volunteers to make this mission successful once again. The clinics run from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a full day session if they can, or choose a half-day option.
Up to 500 lay volunteers are needed for positions such as Patient Ambassadors (escorting patients within the facility), Food Service (helping to serve food to our volunteers and some patients), Patient Registration, Translators (especially Spanish but others as well), and to monitor the patient waiting areas.
We are also in need of people who can physically volunteer to help with the clinic set up on Thursday, May 28th starting at 9:00 AM, or to help break down the equipment starting around 3:00 PM on Saturday.
Registration for volunteers is mandatory (no walk-ins) and volunteers must be 18 years old or older.
Please go to https://www.mom-n-pa.com/ for more information and to register for this event. Tell your friends and family!
Just a note - patients do not pre-register. This is a first come, first serve clinic and is absolutely free to patients. We do not ask for ID or income information. We provide cleanings, simple fillings, some simple root canal therapies, extractions (not wisdom teeth) and some simple partial dentures (on a case by case basis to replace front teeth only). All patients go through medical triage to determine if they are medically fit for dental care, and dental triage to determine their needs. We cannot provide comprehensive care, but we especially want to help people be relieved of dental pain or problems. We anticipate between 1300 and 2000 patients again this year.
Finally, if you cannot volunteer but wish to make a monetary donation to support this mission, please do so at the same website. Our budget for this program is $250,000 to cover event space, rental equipment, food and dental supplies. Any donation is truly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, and I hope to see you at this event!
At our March 19,2026 meeting, Past President & Membership Chair, Betty Issacs installed our new members.
Leah Mason and Asha Lutabingwa
Bettypresented Leah and Asha with their MSR Rotary badges and Rotary membership pins and encouraged them to volunteer as greeters at least two times in their first year, participate in at least one fundraising activity, join one of our MSR committees, attend at least one BOD meeting, and consider donating to the Rotary Foundation. Both Leah and Asha were sponsored by Bill Hunter.
Our new MSR Rotarians work at Lehigh University. Leah is Deputy Director of the Iacocca Institute, Director of the Iacocca International Internship Program and Asha is the Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.
At our March 19,2026 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented MSR Rotarians Mike Orbin with his Paul Harris +7 pin and Lynn Milet with her initial Paul Harris Fellow, recognizing their support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Mike and Lynn! Tomhighlighted the importance of contributions to the Foundation in supporting our local and international projects. He also provided positive news from the Area II meeting where it was announced that the Area had met its yearly Foundation goals, thanks much in part to Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary. Thank you to all who have contributed this Rotary year.
As part of our tradition, new members are invited to share their story with the club. Formerly known as the “classification talk,” this is a chance for us to get to know new members better. Their stories are an essential part of our club’s tapestry, and sharing it helps us understand your journey, passions, and the unique perspectives you bring to our community. We believe that every member’s story enriches our collective experience and strengthens the bonds between us. Hearing their insights and experiences will inspire and connect us, fostering a deeper sense of fellowship and collaboration.
A recent new member of Morning Star Rotary, Debi Rice, told "Her Story" at our March 12, 2026 meeting. Debi presented an overview of her family background, her extensive event planning and marketing business as Owner and President of Fun-Nominal Events & Marketing, and discussed her work with various clients detailing her work with craft shows, trade setups, and high-end events. She also spoke about her passion for event planning including her teaching position at a college where she trains the next generation of event planners.
"Wanting the ability to create and diversify led to the founding of Fun-Nominal Events & Marketing. Debi is currently involved in over 300 annual events, provides marketing strategy for dozens of businesses, has spoken at national and international conferences, and contributed expertise to industry and trade publications.
In addition to Debi’s professional pursuits, she serves on numerous civic, local, and regional committees and boards."
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Morning Star Rotary members completed volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering for three evenings during the 2025-2026 winter months. Members served food, washed dishes, and monitored the showers for the guests. Our Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty, which is why we support the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter both financially and as volunteers. The Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is located at Christ Church UCC at 75 E Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018.
A huge thank you to MSR Rotarians Justin Strasser, Ginny Wolkoff, and Lynn Milet for their exemplary work leading Morning Star Rotary's efforts at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering this year and to all the MSR Rotarians who volunteered their time to serve our community!
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Morning Star Rotary members completed volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering for three evenings during the 2025-2026 winter months. Members served food, washed dishes, and monitored the showers for the guests. Our Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty, which is why we support the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter both financially and as volunteers. The Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is located at Christ Church UCC at 75 E Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018.
"The award honors a fellow woman Rotarian who is leading the way in outstanding International and local humanitarian service. The honoree also exemplifies a dedicated support of The Rotary Foundation and her commitment to the Four-Way Test, the Rotarians world-wide moral code for personal and business relationships that can be applied to almost any aspect of life."
Morning Star Rotary's own PDG Janet Kolepp was honored with the "2026 Rotary International Women’s Day Rotarian Award" for her exemplary humanitarian service work, both locally and globally, by the Emmaus Rotary Club at their club meeting on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Numerous MSR Rotarians were present to honor Janet as she accepted this award. In addition to receiving a crystal plaque, Janet was recognized with proclamations from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate. Congratulations Janet on receiving these well deserved accolades.
Click "Read More" to view the Janet's nomination for this outstanding award.
For those interested in RLI, I received this from the RLI Site Chair. This is a great learning opportunity for everyone. I will be attending my fourth session this time and can attest to the fact that I've learned something about Rotary each time.
Morning Star Rotary will reimburse any member attending RLI.
Hello Rotarians,
I recently spoke with your Club President and wanted to personally invite you to attend Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) on March 28 at DeSales University. RLI is one of the best ways to learn more about Rotary and become more engaged in your club. Many who attend say it made a real difference in their Rotary journey, and a number of participants return because they enjoy it so much.
Whether you are a newer member or a long-time Rotarian, RLI offers practical ideas, great discussion, and a chance to meet Rotarians from across the district.
We already have nearly 30 Rotarians committed to attend, and we would love to see your club represented.
Clubs that send three or more participants will receive a Rotary leadership gift — a Rotary portfolio for each participant and the Club President — as a thank-you for investing in leadership.
Date: March 28, 2026 Location: DeSales University, Gambet Hall, Center Valley, PA Time: 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Immediately following RLI is the District 4-Way Speech Contest, and we hope you can stay and enjoy the student presentations and refreshments.
Morning Star Rotary will be volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering for the third and final time this winter on the evening of Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Lynn Milet has requested that MSR Rotarians bake brownies to serve to the guests at the March 10th shelter meal. We will need approximately 100 brownies for that evening's meal. This is a fantastic opportunity for MSR members who cannot be present at the shelter on the 10th to still participate in this important ongoing project of our organization. If you are able to provide brownies, please contact Lynn. She has offered to pick up the brownies for those who are unable to deliver.
A Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is planned for Saturday, March 28, 2026 at DeSales University Gambet Center, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA beginning at 7:30 AM.
Here's your chance to learn more about Rotary from trained facilitators and fellow Rotarians!
Get ready for an interactive learning experience as we offer parts I, II, III, and Graduate courses.
For only $125 or $50 for Rotaractors, you'll gain invaluable knowledge and skills to benefit your Rotary service.
To register for RLI, please visit our website, https://rlinea.org/ and register for our district event on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at DeSales University.
Once again Bethlehem Morning Star is partnering with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association for their annual Spring Stream Clean-up on Sunday, April 12, 2026 from 9:00-11:30 AM. The meet-up location is at Illick's Mill,100 Illick’s Mill Road. Sign-up to volunteer at an upcoming meeting or contact Rick Morrissey.
As you know, Bethlehem Morning Star has sponsored the Celtic Classic 5k. Expanding on our connections with Bethlehem's Celtic Cultural Alliance (CCA), we have the opportunity to take part in the Parade of Shamrocks on March 14. There are two opportunities for you to help CCA and get BMSR a bit of publicity.
The first opportunity is as a banner bearer. There are five banners to delineate the groups marching in the parade each needing two people to walk ahead of the group in the parade. Local television will then acknowledge the club each time we appear. The parade route is shown below.
Additionally, several Rotarians have volunteered to put together a float and join in on the fun. Again, this is a great way to provide publicity for Rotary and BMSR.
If you are interested in a little bit of Fun-Raising, please let me know. The date is approaching fast, so please don't hesitate. The parade kicks off at 1:00 pm and more details on gathering before the parade will be provided.
We need 2 judges from each Rotary Club and at least 15 people in the audience to support and applaud the brave students.
The contest will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 from 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM at BAVTS (Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School). The school needs a list of names for security reasons, so if you can do this wonderful and fun service, please contact Jenniferby 2/28/26.
On February 11, 2026 Youth Program Coordinator, Jennifer Cunningham, Rod Seifert, and PDG Diane Donaher attended the Freedom High School Open House to promote the various Youth Programs that are offered through our local Rotary clubs.
At our February 12th meeting MSR Rotarian Mike Orbin presented President Rodney with a banner from the Rotary Club of Pursat in Cambodia. RC Pursat helped coordinate the recent Sustainable Cambodia trip taken by Mike and other District 7430 members.
Morning Star Rotary members are volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on three evenings during the 2025-2026 winter months. Members are preparing and serving food, washing dishes, and monitoring the showers for the guests.
Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is located at Christ Church UCC at 75 E Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018.
Our Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty, which is why we support the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter both financially and as volunteers.
Now is the perfect time to proudly showcase who we are and the good work we do—right here in our community and around the world. Our Rotarian at Work tee shirts, polo shirts, and caps are now available, each featuring the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary logo. Wearing Rotary apparel at service projects, fundraisers, volunteer events, or even around town helps spark conversations, builds awareness, and highlights the real impact our club makes every day.
Ordering is easy, and all orders must be submitted by March 10, 2026. You may use either the PDF Order Form or the Excel Order Form.
Payment may be made by cash (in person); check - payable to Morning Star Rotary (in person, or mail to Jean Searfoss, 1409 Bogie Ave, Wescosville, PA 18106); or Zelle (sent to jean.searfoss@gmail.com; please note that the transaction is for the "Club Apparel Order")
If you need to modify your order after submitting it, simply contact Mike Orbin at morbin@ptd.net or 610-703-4292 to cancel it, then resubmit a new version.
Let’s make our Rotary presence known—on the streets, at events, and everywhere we serve. Place your order today and help amplify the positive story of Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary throughout our community.
This January 2026, Loretta Ottinger, Fleetwood RC, and District Governor Nominee (DG 2028-29), Amy Sheller, Kutztown RC, along with our own Morning Star Rotarian, Mike Orbin travelled to Cambodia coordinated by Sustainable Cambodia and the Rotary Club of Pursat.
Thank you to Amy & Loretta for sharing
their experiences for this article.
MSR Rotarian Mike Orbin
exchanging banners
with the Rotary Club of Pursat.
Amy Sheller, Kutztown RC
Loretta Ottinger, Fleetwood RC
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"If you've ever wanted to travel with purpose, connect deeply with a community and have a lot of fun...this trip is open to you. Rotary member or not."Amy Sheller
There are 4 upcoming trips:
2026: Post-Rotary Taipei Convention: Jun 19 to Jun 28
2026: Nov 7 to Nov 16
2027: Jan 23 to Feb 1
2027: Feb 20 to Mar 3 (Rotary E-Club of Global Travelers)
"If you’ve ever thought about traveling on a Rotary‑led trip, just do it. It will change the way you see service, partnership, and the impact we create when we show up together. Experiences like this stay with you long after you return home." Amy Sheller
This January 2026, Loretta Ottinger, Fleetwood RC, and District Governor Nominee (DG 2028-29), Amy Sheller, Kutztown RC, along with our own Morning Star Rotarian, Mike Orbin travelled to Cambodia coordinated by Sustainable Cambodia and the Rotary Club of Pursat.
Thank you to Amy & Loretta for sharing their experiences for this article.
MSR Rotarian Mike Orbin exchanging banners
with the Rotary Club of Pursat.
Amy Sheller, Kutztown RC
Loretta Ottinger, Fleetwood RC
***************************************
"If you've ever wanted to travel with purpose, connect deeply with a community and have a lot of fun...this trip is open to you. Rotary member or not."Amy Sheller
There are 4 upcoming trips:
2026: Post-Rotary Taipei Convention: Jun 19 to Jun 28
2026: Nov 7 to Nov 16
2027: Jan 23 to Feb 1
2027: Feb 20 to Mar 3 (Rotary E-Club of Global Travelers)
"If you’ve ever thought about traveling on a Rotary‑led trip, just do it. It will change the way you see service, partnership, and the impact we create when we show up together. Experiences like this stay with you long after you return home." Amy Sheller
***************************************
***************************************
Loretta Ottinger
"My trip to Sustainable Cambodia was truly life changing. Seeing firsthand how Rotary has impacted so many children and their families changed the way I view the world. I am not sure what I expected before the trip, but I returned home profoundly changed.
When we visited the schools, we stepped off the bus to find children lined up along the road, waiting to greet us. One by one, they approached with cards they had made or flowers they had gathered. Boys and girls alike welcomed us with joy—wide smiles, open hearts. They took our hands, wrapped their arms around our waists, and looked up into our eyes—not with sadness, but with hope. That hope touched my heart deeply, and in that moment, I knew I was meant to be on this trip.
We also visited villages without running water and others that now have wells and pumps. The contrast was like night and day. Although the villagers live with extraordinarily little, they greeted us with warmth, smiles, and love. They shared their stories with us—stories filled with deep hardship, but also with gratitude for clean water and education made possible through Rotary. Experiencing their resilience and hope reinforced for me just how powerful Rotary’s work truly is.
This experience reminded me that Rotary matters because it turns compassion into action and hope into lasting change."
Amy Sheller
"My experience on the Sustainable Cambodia trip was deeply moving, impactful and fun! It offered a firsthand look at the impact Rotary creates through long-term, community-led partnerships. I was especially impressed by the confidence and joy of the students in the Sustainable Cambodia programs, and I loved chatting with them, playing games, and trading dances from our cultures. The people truly made the trip, seeing the care, passion, and dedication of the teachers and staff was inspiring, and it’s clear how deeply they believe in the work.
One of my favorite moments was celebrating with a local village that recently received a Rotary Global Grant supporting sustainable living for roughly 425 families, over 2,500 people across three villages. Our own District 7430 was a major partner in this effort, contributing $15,000, which leveraged an additional $12,000 from the Rotary International World Fund. Thanks to this grant, the community now has 133 rainwater harvesting containers, 249 water filters, 35 deep and 15 shallow wells, 72 toilets, 90 home gardens, 18 cows, and 8 community ponds that support agriculture and food security. The change is transformational, and standing alongside the families as they shared their progress was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when Rotary and local partners work hand in hand. Together, we transform.
Thank you to Rotary and Sustainable Cambodia’s community development program for making this kind of lasting impact a reality."
Morning Star Rotarians ringing in the New Year! Great food, drink, conversation, and laughter! Thank you to Mike and Terri Long for their hospitality in again hosting our annual holiday get-together!
ROTARIANS AT WORK...serving our community! MSR members cooking, serving dinner. and providing showers on January 13, 2026 for the guests at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering. Morning Star Rotary volunteers at BES on three evenings during the winter months.
At our first meeting of the new year on January 8, 2026, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Liz Fones, Executive Director of Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley and Pocono, who discussed the organization's mission to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident through a curriculum that integrates running. Liz highlighted the declining confidence levels among girls and the increasing rates of sadness and hopelessness, emphasizing the need for programs like Girls on the Run. She shared statistics on the program's impact on participants' confidence and mental health, as well as its focus on building healthy relationships and promoting physical activity. The presentation also covered the program's structure, including its seasonal format and reliance on volunteer coaches.
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.
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.
It is the end of 2025, but halfway through the Rotary Year. Our two main fundraising events, Celtic Classic 5k and Salute the Troops Concert, were successful and I thank all who participated. I especially wish to thank Tom Hartzell for taking on the 5k and Sheila and Rod Seifert for their work on the STT concert. As already mentioned, Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary honored Ron Demkee, conductor of the Allentown Band, and Tom Carson, executive director of Victory House, with Paul Harris Fellows.
Our club continues to provide grant opportunities. The Hartmann-Hansen Community Grant will be announced shortly, and we continue our Global Grant support for Kivutini School (Kenya).
We’ve also been doing some FUN-raising with our Thirsty Thursdays and the Holiday Breakfast with the Liberty High School A Capella Choir and instrumental ensemble, and our own Rick Santee getting everyone involved in some early morning carols. Later in January, we will be gathering for our Holiday Party, so come out and enjoy good food and fun. Last summer, we got together with the other Area 2 clubs and enjoyed a beautiful day of food and fun. We are planning on doing it again.
Coming up are opportunities for service projects. We have three nights at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering to prepare and serve a meal to our street neighbors. Look out for other opportunities for service, including a D&L Trail cleanup opportunity.
We also continue to provide opportunities for students to experience other countries and cultures through Youth Exchange, and scholarship opportunities through hosting 4-Way Test Speech competition and our two college scholarship awards.
Learning opportunities are available on the Rotary website, and through both Rotary Leadership Institute and District 7430. This year’s District Conference has seen some changes. Seven districts have combined to provide a leadership learning opportunity in conjunction with the Lincoln Leadership Institute in Gettysburg. Please visit the District 7430 website for more information on both events.
Thank you for your service and support. Your community appreciates your service spirit as I do for all your support.
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!
Our Annual Holiday Meeting is one of the most wonderful events of each Rotary Year! This past week, the talented singers and musicians of the Liberty High School A Cappella Choir along with an Instrumental Ensemble from the LHS Grenadier Band serenaded us with holiday favorites. Plus, the morning would not be complete without the musical magnificence of our very own Rick Santee on the accordion. A fantastic and enjoyable time was had by both young and old!
At our 2025 Annual Holiday Meeting, Morning Star Rotary presented a Paul Harris Fellow to Tom Carson, Executive Director of Victory House of Lehigh Valley. Tom has devoted his career to helping veterans experiencing homelessness find their own way.
Tom spent eight years in the Air Force and then came home to return to civilian life. He says it was a tough transition watching friends who had jobs, homes, and families. The GI bill meant college was an option, and he first attended Northampton Community College, then Penn State University-Lehigh Valley where he graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and human services (RHS) that would provide him with the foundation to pursue a career helping others.
Tom first started working at Victory House while doing his RHS internship. Since then, he has been promoted from case manager to program director to Associate Executive Director and finally to his current position, Executive Director, in 2022. We were pleased to be able to recognize his exemplary work with homeless veterans in our community by presenting him with a Paul Harris Fellow.
At our December 18, 2025 Holiday Meeting, the Salute the Troops Concert Co-Chairs, Rod & Sheila Seifert presented a MSR grant check for $4000 to Tom Carson, Executive Director of Victory House of Lehigh Valley. Morning Star Rotary, through our annual concert, continues to support the fantastic work of Victory House!
At our December 11, 2025 meeting, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Hannah Votta Coleman, founder of Joyful Giving, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that packages essential items that look and feel like gifts to support communities and nonprofits with the intention of creating JOY! Hannah explained the impetus behind her creating Joyful Giving and the mission of the nonprofit. Provided with the necessary items, Morning Star Rotarians engaged in a collaborative activity to assemble Joymaker bags for the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem...a joyous experience for all!
We are deeply saddened by the death of John St. Clair, a charter member of Morning Star Rotary. His friendship and service to Morning Star Rotary will be deeply missed.
"A service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem and a burial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club (Youth Exchange Program) or First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. Online condolences may be offered at www.connellfuneral.com."
Obituary - Morning Call, December 7, 2025
John Beidler St. Clair, 91, of Bethlehem, PA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Moravian Hall Square in Nazareth, PA. Our beloved Uncle John, known affectionately as JB, led a life filled with youthful energy, humor, travel, lasting friendships, and a deep connection to family.
John, the younger of two sons of Gladys (Beidler) and David “Pete” St. Clair III, was born on July 28, 1934, and raised in Bethlehem, PA. John was a graduate of Liberty High School and a 1957 graduate of Cornell University where he was active in the glee club and the Delta Phi fraternity. He served as an officer in the United States Army from 1957 to 1959, primarily stationed in Korea. Following his service, John returned to Pennsylvania and built his career as a product specialist at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, retiring at the young age of 50.
John was a charter member of the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club, where he led the Youth International Exchange Program for many years, creating meaningful exchange experiences for hundreds of students and host families locally and abroad. He forged lifelong friendships with these students, some of whom stayed connected to him through long stays, shorter visits, calls, letters, and emails literally until his passing. His commitment to youth development continued after retirement as he coached the Moravian Academy girls’ tennis team and the Freedom High School boys’ tennis team. Being around young people was the secret to his own enduring youthfulness and joie de vivre.
Morning Star Rotarians and guests welcomed in the Holiday Season on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at our "First Thirstday" gathering at the Wilbur Mansion. Attendees enjoyed food and drinks while enjoying warm Rotary fellowship at a beautiful location. Thank you to the Wilbur Mansion for their hospitality and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. The service and food were excellent.
Thank you for the many thoughtful messages and warm congratulations on my selection as your District Governor Nominee. I am truly honored by the confidence you have placed in me, and I look forward to serving as District Governor for the 2028–2029 Rotary year.
I am grateful to the Nominating Committee for their time, care, and commitment throughout this process, and to District Governor Mary Cook for her leadership and support. I am excited to begin learning alongside the DG Line and to contribute wherever I can in the months ahead.
Most of all, I am looking forward to working with each of you. Our district is filled with dedicated Rotarians doing remarkable work in their clubs and communities, and it will be a privilege to support and celebrate that service. I am eager to listen, collaborate, and help strengthen our impact together.
Thank you again for your encouragement and kindness. I’m excited for the journey ahead and for all we will accomplish as People of Action.
Yours in Rotary,
Loretta Ottinger District Governor Nominee Designate Rotary District 7430 Fleetwood Rotary Club
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.
Our annual Holiday Meeting will 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 A Capella Choir and our resident accordionist, Rick Santee.
We will have approximately 40 students performing for us this year. Please consider sponsoring a student(s) breakfast at $10 per student. We will have a sign-up sheet at the event or you can notify Sheila Seifert (Sheila Seifert E-mail). IMPORTANT...to assist in planning catering, please RSVP to Sheila ASAP indicating your intention to attend and # of people attending.
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.
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.
At our November 20, 2025 meeting, our attendees enjoyed a fun and engaging TRF Trivia Contest designed to help members learn more about The Rotary Foundation. With our Foundation Chair, Tom Hartzell, acting as our "Alex Trebek" game show host, members were able to test their knowledge, discover interesting facts, and deepen their understanding of the Foundation’s impact—all while enjoying some friendly competition with their fellow Rotarians! Thank you to Tom and PDG Janet Kolepp for developing this fun and educational event.
Tom Hartzell emphasized the importance of continued contributions to the Foundation and announced a new initiative where the club will match points for donors, encouraging participation, especially from our newer members. After January 1, Tom will notify members regarding their contribution status and the club's new matching points program.
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.
Check out the TRF Trivia questions...do you know the answers?
At our November 20, 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Marianne Aronson with her Paul Harris +5 pin, recognizing her continued support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Marianne for your support.
We would like to give a big MSR thank you to all of our "Salute the Troops" Concert supporters. We wish to finalize the finance reports from the concert so that the Board of Directors at its December meeting can determine the allocations amounts from the proceeds. A brief reminder to all MSR members....It's not too late for any members who have not yet contributed ticket money/donations to send 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. Thank you in advance for your support!
Morning Star Rotary welcomed our Rotary Exchange Students on November 13, 2025.
French Cultural Exchange
Zac Whitehouse, our Rotary Short-Term Exchange Student this past summer, discussed his experiences during a cultural exchange in France, noting the laid-back attitude of the French and their receptiveness to his initiatives. He expressed his intention to minor in French in college and become fully fluent. Zac also shared his observations on cultural interactions, including the mutual respect between French and American cultures, and his plans to participate in a long-term outbound exchange to Switzerland in his senior year. Additionally, he described his experiences hosting a French student in the United States, highlighting the differences in eating habits and food shopping practices between the two cultures.
Exchange Student's US Experience
Nicolas Medina, our Long -Term Exchange Student this school year from Bolivia, shared his experiences living with his host family and making friends in the United States. He discussed the differences between his current school and his school in Bolivia, noting that American schools are easier but offer more class selection. Nicolas expressed his love for his host family, his friends, and his new life in the US, where he has improved his English and participated in activities like soccer. He also mentioned his future plans to study psychology and potentially attend college in the US.
The “Salute the Troops” Concert on Sunday, November 9, 2025, honoring our veterans and current members of the US Armed Forces, was a successful and very enjoyable event. The Allentown Band including select instrumental and choral students from Northeast Middle School performances were fantastic.
A big MSR “Thank You” to the MSR Rotarians who stepped up to ensure a successful event. Thank you to all MSR Rotarians who sold tickets, purchased a sponsorship, solicited sponsors, attended the concert, and those who volunteered to assist on concert day. Kudos to Marianne and Cheryl for their efforts on gathering items and sponsors for the baskets that were raffled at the concert. A big thank you to Marianne and her crew for their work running the raffle on concert day.
Special thanks to all our concert sponsors. Because of all of their generosity, we will be able to continue supporting Victory House of Lehigh Valley and will accomplish many of this year’s other charitable projects.
...and the concert was mentioned on the evening news on WFMZ....thanks Shawn!
At our October 16, 2025 meeting, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Khanjan Mehta, Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry at Lehigh University who discussed the various projects and goals of Lehigh's Creative Inquiry program. He discussed the importance of preparing students to lead impactful lives by helping them find their Ikigai, the intersection between what they love, what they're good at, and what the world needs. He emphasized the need for a mindset-led education that focuses on skill sets, mindsets, and portfolios to develop students' identity, agency, and sense of purpose. Khanjan outlined various interdisciplinary, multi-year projects, including work on maternal health, and highlighted the Global Social Impact Fellowship program operating in multiple countries. He stressed the importance of big risks and rewards in achieving significant goals, celebrating failures as part of the learning process.
Professor Mehta discussed three maternal health projects in Sierra Leone. The first project uses educational films to improve health-seeking behaviors, with films shown in clinics and rural areas through a portable cinema kit that was reduced from $5,000 to $500. The second project, Care Alert, addresses the issue of women not returning for recommended clinic visits by implementing a paging system to improve trust in the healthcare system. The third project involves using Alexa-like devices without internet access to provide health information in local languages to community health workers. He also mentioned a fourth project developing a sickle cell diagnostic device, with students serving on the National Task Force for Sickle Cell.
Khanjan also discussed several global health initiatives, including a $2 diagnostic device for sickle cell detection and projects in Sierra Leone focused on nutrition and maternal health. He highlighted the development of micronutrient-enriched products like fortified water sachets and bouillon cubes, which are scalable and nearing market launch. He also shared local projects at Lehigh University, such as VR tours for education, trash mapping, and an AI-driven system to demystify healthcare costs. He emphasized the importance of partnerships and student engagement in addressing global challenges.
Join us for Rotary's Fight Against Polio: Global Progress and Updates from Pakistan 13 November 2025 | 12:00 Chicago time (UTC-6) Live on Zoom
Polio remains endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, recent outbreaks in previously polio-free areas and detections of poliovirus in sewage across several European countries demonstrate that polio remains a threat to children everywhere. Fragile health systems and competing priorities continue to challenge eradication efforts, but Rotary and the Gates Foundation have renewed our long-standing partnership to fight polio with a joint commitment of US$450 million. Rotary leaders also recently visited Pakistan and met with government officials, who reaffirmed their commitment to eradication. Join us to hear the latest updates and learn how your support is helping make progress toward a polio-free world.
Morning Star Rotarians, in partnership with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, participated on Saturday, October 11, 2025 in a Stream Cleanup along the historic Monocacy Creek.
Message from Rick Morrissey..."We rocked this morning! We were small yet mighty!... Let me tip my cap to all of you with a big thank you!"
On October 9, 2025, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Lena Barbieri, Chief Philanthropy Officer and VP Communications for Miller-Keystone Blood Center. Lena presented an overview of the organization's mission and operations. She explained Miller-Keystone serves eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, collecting blood for approximately 35 hospitals. Lena highlighted the organization's commitment to quality customer service, discussed the importance of blood donation, and the various ways blood components are used to save lives, emphasizing that blood cannot be manufactured and is perishable.
Lena explained the national blood shortage and Miller-Keystone Blood Center's efforts to address it. She highlighted the need for young people to become regular blood donors and shared stories of how blood donations have saved lives. Lena defined Miller Keystone's operations, including their partnership with hospitals, blood collection and distribution processes, and various programs like "Thank the Donor and Adopt-A-Donor". She mentioned the organization's need for new bloodmobiles and other equipment to improve their services.
During the past few weeks you should have received at our weekly meeting or will receive shortly through the mail, six (6) tickets for the “Salute the Troops” concert. We strongly urge you to help support Morning Star Rotary by selling/purchasing the six tickets at $10.00 per ticket or by making a direct donation.
Thank you in advance for helping make our concert a successful fundraiser!
Saturday, September 27, 2025, was a beautiful day for the Morning Star Rotary "Celtic Classic" 5K Run. Our volunteer force was small but mighty as everyone worked to make this a successful event. We had approximately 148 registrants, with 135 actually participating in the event. Everything went smoothly for the run, and I am sure it will be a financial success for the club.
My sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this a great event. I was so impressed with the effort of each and every volunteer, and can't thank everyone enough. You made my job easy, and you made the run a success for another year..
Morning Star Rotary welcomed our 2024-2025 Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Andre Negron, on September 25, 2025.
Andre shared his experience of living in Spain during his exchange program this past school year, where he initially felt isolated but eventually formed close friendships with other exchange students from various countries. He described his experience playing on a basketball team that won their league and moved up to the first division, allowing them to travel around Spain. Andre explained that he was based in Galicia, a region that remained culturally unchanged over the centuries, and while he could communicate in Spanish, he felt there was still room for improvement in his language skills. He noted that while Galician is spoken by some elderly people, Spanish is the dominant language.
Andre shared his experience with Galician culture and cuisine where he encountered a different culinary culture than what he expected. He initially struggled with the lack of seasoning in the food but eventually learned to appreciate high-quality, unadorned ingredients. Andre also discussed his daily routine, which included small breakfasts, late lunches, and dinners, and he noted the influence of siesta culture on local business hours. He formed close friendships with other exchange students and spent time exploring Spanish festivals and landmarks, particularly in the northern regions.
Andre shared advice for a young person preparing for an exchange program, emphasizing the importance of being open-minded and adaptable.
At our September 25, 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Sarabel Conn with her initial Paul Harris Fellow certificate and pin, recognizing her support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Sarabel for your support.
Phase 2 of the Kivutini Primary School project wrapped up with a real sense of accomplishment and celebration. This phase tackled unfinished work from Phase 1—like installing electrical systems, adding glass to windows, and tiling the porch area—making the school safer, brighter, and more welcoming. One of the biggest improvements was the addition of gabions near the creek, which help stabilize the land and protect the school from erosion. These upgrades weren’t just cosmetic—they made the space more functional and resilient.
Security was also a major focus. A new perimeter fence and gate were installed, giving students and staff peace of mind and helping define the school as a protected learning space. The celebration photos say it all: rows of students in uniform, gathered at Rotary-branded desks, fully engaged in reading and learning. The energy of the event—complete with decorations, presentations, and raised hands—reflected the pride and excitement of the community.
Thanks to extra funding, the project went beyond infrastructure. Desks were purchased for the upper school, giving older students a more comfortable and dignified place to learn. Even more exciting was the launch of the Kenya Connect mobile library program, which brought books directly into students’ hands. Seeing kids absorbed in titles like Perfect Hunter and The Wise Little Girl was a powerful reminder of how access to stories can spark imagination and growth.
This entire effort was made possible through a collaborative partnership of five Rotary Clubs and District 7430 Grants funded by generous contributions from Rotarians to The Rotary Foundation. Their support helped turn a vision into reality—creating a space where learning, safety, and opportunity now thrive.
On August 28, 2025, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Jennifer Topp from Lehigh University who spoke about the College of Health that was established at Lehigh in 2020. She discussed the college's focus on population health rather than clinical health, explaining that they study factors affecting health beyond genetics and cells, such as environment, culture, and socioeconomic status. She highlighted the college's interdisciplinary approach, with faculty working in areas including medical operations, biostatistics, health policy, and engineering, and mentioned specific research projects like studying trash pickup's impact on health and providing clean water in humanitarian settings. Jennifer also described the college's four undergraduate majors: Population Health, Biostatistics and Health Data Science, and Community and Global Health.
Bethlehem Morning Star 2025 Rotary Exchange Student, Nico from Bolivia, enjoys his first baseball game with MSR's Justin Strasser. Nico is attending Liberty High School this school year.
"Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service."
At our August 14, 2025 meeting, Morning Star Rotary recognized two Bethlehem area students who were sponsored by our club this year to attend Camp Neidig and two Freedom High School students who were recognized for receiving our MSR scholarships named in memory of two former MSR members. Congratulations to these outstanding students and thank you to our Youth Services Coordinator, Jennifer Cunningham, for all her hard work overseeing these various programs.
At our July 24th meeting, we welcomed Karen Buchanan, Executive Director of Horses Healing Heroes of the Lehigh Valley, who shared her background as an English teacher and equine therapy facilitator, describing her work with Horses Healing Heroes and the therapeutic benefits of equine-assisted therapy. Karen discussed her background with horses (former Kutztown University Equestrian Team member) and the development of an equine therapy program for veterans and community members, highlighting its growth and future expansion plans despite funding challenges.
Horses Healing Heroes, a nonprofit organization that provides equine-assisted therapy for veterans, first responders, and their families at Boots and Saddles Riding Club in Allentown. For more information, Click Here to view HHH brochure.
At our July 24, 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Betty Issacs with her PHF+7 pin, recognizing her ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Betty for your support.
Kindergarten children attending Green Bay, Bolans, Golden Grove, T.N. Kirnon, and Villa Primary Schools in Antigua will now have a much greater chance of developing proficiency in phonemic awareness, a critical early literacy skill, because of a Rotary District grant secured by the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Antigua Sundown.
In May 2025, a second cohort of teachers and administrators was trained in the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Program by literacy specialist Dr. Debbie Matz, the wife of Bill Matz from the Bethlehem Rotary Club. This was Dr. Matz’s third training program for educators in Antigua, and an extension of the pilot project begun in 2023. Teachers and administrators from the selected primary schools participated in a two-day training program, consisting of a day of learning foundational early literacy skills to deepen their knowledge base, and a day of training with the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness program.
According to Nircree Mills-Jno Baptiste, a member of the Rotary Club of Antigua Sundown, “Educators informed our club that primary school students were experiencing difficulty in reading. We knew we had to help, so we reached out to Dr. Bill Hunter, who leads a service trip to Antigua & Barbuda on behalf of Lehigh University and is a member of the Bethlehem Morning Star Club.” That connection led to a District grant application and the funding for the initiative.
The teacher professional training initiative, which began in 2023 in one primary school, expanded to four additional schools in 2025.
The program has received the full support of the Antigua & Barbuda Ministry of Education. With Ministerial support, we are hopeful that the program can be successfully rolled out and implemented in the Primary Schools across Antigua and Barbuda over the next couple of years.
Summer is here and I hope you’re all enjoying it. There are several opportunities this summer for fun and fellowship. As you saw in a recent flyer, the Rotary Clubs of Area 2 are combining for a picnic on August 23 from 12 noon to 3 pm at the Bethlehem Township Municipal Park. We will not be having our usual kick-out party this summer, so I invite you and your family to join us for a picnic in the park. We are also asking that you sign up for the event and indicate a covered dish you will be bringing and to get a sense for how many will be joining us. We will also be cancelling our August 21 meeting.
We will also be holding the Celtic Classic 5k and will be kicking off the parade as we did last year. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. Tom Hartzell is coordinating the event. Look for more information to come.
For those who may have taken part in helping Bob Hobaugh at last year’s Das Awkscht Fescht, Bob is looking for some help in the vendor set up and parking for this year’s festival. If you’re interested, please reach out to Bob to let him know.
At our July 10, 2025 meeting, Morning Star Rotarians Mike Orbin, Susan Burnett, and PDG Diane Donaher, who recently returned from the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, gave us an overview of their personal experiences and the various happenings at this global event.
Today marks the powerful launch of ShelterBox USA’s annual Stock the Box campaign because families in crisis can’t wait.
Right now, disaster, persecution, and violence are displacing a record number of families, forcing them to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs—no time to pack, no shelter, and nowhere to go.
When the worst happens, they need more than hope; they need help. Fast.
Another Rotary begins and I am honored to serve for another year. I want to thank all the past presidents who were able to join us for the (sort of) kick out celebration. I would also like to thank all the incoming officers and look forward to working with you.
The two biggest priorities for Bethlehem Morning Star in the coming year are membership and fundraising. Our membership has remained nearly constant since we merged with the Saucon Valley club. In an era in which many organizations are struggling with getting people to participate, we need to highlight the idea that Rotary is more than just the individual member, more than the club or district, but is an international organization that is doing valuable work in the world. Our seven areas of focus are broad, but vital to the world and should interest many people. The work we do at the local level for the homeless, veterans, youth, and education are vital for building up the community we live in.
In the area of fundraising, it was a difficult decision, but we decided to discontinue the spaghetti dinner. With COVID reducing the number of runners and the increasing costs associated with the services from the City of Bethlehem, the Celtic Classic 5k has become more challenging for us. The board feels that this event should not be set aside but look for ways that we may be able to increase participation in the event to the pre-COVID number of runners. And besides, where else can you run five kilometers in a kilt? The Salute the Troops Concert continues to be a major event, and we look forward to hearing the Allentown Band and the student musicians play for us again.
If you are looking for a way to make a bigger impact, please talk to me or one of the board members about getting involved.
It's August 23, 12:00 - 3:00 at Bethlehem Township Municipal Park, 2900 Farmersville Road.
Families and friends are welcome!
We'll have grilled dogs and burgers, other cookout food, beer from Weyerbacher, cornhole, a raffle that'll benefit Shelter Box, a welcome from District Governor Mary Cook, and a brief message from each Club president about what they're most excited about in the year ahead.
Morning Star Rotary welcomed our Rotary Short-Term Exchange Student, Achille D. (left) from Pontoise, France, to our meeting on June 26, 2025. Achille is being hosted by the family of Morning Star Rotarian Bruce Whitehouse. Bruce's son Zach will be going to France to be with Achille's family in a few weeks. Welcome Achille!
On June 26, 2025 Morning Star Rotary held its annual Changeover Ceremony honoring our current President, Rodney Conn and welcoming our incoming Officers and Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 Rotary year. Thank you to all the former Presidents who attended and participated in the traditional "Passing of the Gavel".
Congratulations President Rodney on your service to the club this past year and best wishes for the second year of your Presidency.
At our June 26, 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Mike Long with his PHS+8 pin recognizing his ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Mike for your support.
As part of our district grant, Morning Star Rotary sponsored Kenya Connect to bring a mobile library to the Kivutini School in Kenya twice a month. These are pictures from the first visit.
Morning Star Rotary is thrilled to celebrate a story of transformation from Kivutini School in Kenya—where the gift of literacy is reaching young minds, one mobile library visit at a time. Thanks to a dedicated grant from The Rotary Foundation, the mobile library program of Kenya Connect.
Together with the unwavering support of these amazing Rotary Clubs, this dream became a reality:
Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club
Kutztown Rotary Club
Rotary Club of Doylestown
Rotary Club Of Nazareth
Rotary Club of Machakos
This isn’t just about books—it’s about building confidence, sparking imagination, and unlocking opportunity for students who deserve the world. Gratitude to every partner, volunteer, and donor who helped write this beautiful new chapter. Together, we’re truly changing lives.
From Kenya Connect:"It's a wonderful Wednesday to celebrate a new member of our school library program. Thanks to the Morning Star Rotary of Bethlehem, 158 learners at Kivutini Primary School are now part of our mobile library program. It was all smiles and excitement as learners enjoyed and acted out the read aloud story and checked out books!"
At our June 19, 20205 meeting, Kristen Walsh, Director of Development, for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites gave a presentation on Bethlehem's UNESCO World Heritage status and its journey to achieve this recognition. She spoke to the implications of this designation, including increased tourism and funding opportunities, as well as ongoing preservation efforts and future projects in the historic district.
If you have not yet contributed to the Rotary Foundation for the 2024-25 Rotary year, it is not too late. You can send your contribution on-line or give your check (payable to Rotary Foundation) to Tom Hartzell. You can also mail a check to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, Pa 18017. Checks should be received no later than the June 26 meeting to be mailed to the Foundation before the end of the month.
Our speaker at our June 12, 2025 meeting, Fred Rooney, shared his journey from practicing law to creating the first lawyer incubator program in New York City in 2007 which aimed to provide affordable legal services and training for young lawyers. He explained how the program evolved from a pilot project to a successful model that inspired similar programs across the country. He shared his extensive international experience with legal education programs, including his work with Fulbright and various incubator initiatives around the world, while highlighting the transformative power of education in challenging environments. Rooney highlighted the importance of combining social impact with financial sustainability in legal practice, and his ongoing work in promoting access to justice through global initiatives. CLICK HERE to view "A Dream Sponsored" video.
Morning Star Rotary Treasurer Val Walk has emailed the club’s 2025-26 club dues invoice to active members.
If you haven’t seen it, please check your junk/spam folder, and contact me if you need the invoice resent.
By June 30, please pay either...
$250 for the full Rotary year 7/1/25-6/30/26 – or –
$125 for the first six months 7/1/25-12/31/25
Payment method options include:
Check payable to Morning Star Rotary. Give to me at a meeting, or mail it to my attention at 1409 Bogie Ave, Wescosville, PA 18106
Cash. Give to Jean at a meeting.
Debit or Credit card. On www.morningstarrotary.com, log in, then scroll down to Site Pages on the left, and click Pay Dues Online Here. The club uses PayPal to collect it, but you do NOT need a PayPal account; Your debit or credit card is fine. The estimated PayPal fee is added to the dues amount.
Zelle. Several members requested a way to pay electronically without a fee. The club now has Zelle; send the amount to ID jean.searfoss@gmail.com , and identify yourself please.
Your prompt cooperation will be appreciated. The club will pay Rotary International and Rotary District 7430 in July, and active members as of 6/30/25 are in the headcount for those invoices to the club.
You asked for a better mobile experience with Rotary’s Learning Center, and here it is! Introducing the new app, a more direct and intuitive way to access the Learning Center on your mobile devices.
It’s now easier than ever to complete your role-based courses, track your progress, and explore other courses and resources — wherever you are.
To get started:
Download Rotary Learning Center from your app store.
Open the app and enter your My Rotary username and password.
Find your courses.
If you’ve accessed the Learning Center previously through the Go.Learn app, you’ll find that the RotaryLearn app is a more streamlined experience. After you get started with RotaryLearn, you can remove Go.Learn from your mobile devices.
At our May 22, 2025 meeting, we welcomed Lauren Geldon, Director of Community Transformation to introduce our members to Blue Zones, an initiative focused on promoting healthy lifestyles through environmental changes. Lauren presented an overview of Blue Zones and their Power 9 habits, explaining Bethlehem's three-year initiative to improve health through various community projects and policy changes. Her presentation prompted questions and discussion from the group regarding the organization, ways to support the Blue Zones project, and explored potential collaborations.
The Blue Zones Bethlehem Kick-Off will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM starting at the Sun Inn Courtyard. See the flyers below for details about the event and information regarding Blue Zones.
At our May 15, 2025 meeting we welcomed Raymond Santiago, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Hispanic Center. Raymond spoke to our members about the City of Bethlehem's recently formalized sister city relationship with Patillas, Puerto Rico. This partnership aims to strengthen ties between the two communities through various initiatives, including cultural celebrations and exchange programs.
Our Rotary Exchange Student Antek's host family has a full house May 27 - June 1 and thought it'd be a great opportunity for Antek to hang out with another American family. Can anyone welcome Antek to their home for these few days? Please contact Jennifer if interested.
Camp Neidig's BBQ and end-of-camp show is at the camp in Douglassville on Monday, June 16th at 6:00 PM. Buy your ticket here
At our May 8, 2025 meeting, the Morning Star Rotary "Women of Action" Team provided our members with an update on our ongoing grant projects in Kenya, which began almost three years ago after initial seeds were previously planted by MSR Rotarian Wendy Ellsworth. Team members Janet Kolepp, Susan Burnett, and Wendy Ellsworth presented an overview, update, and future plans on Morning Star Rotary's involvement in various grant projects in Kenya.
CLICK HERE to view project pictures and presentation.
Global Grant: Improving Maternal and Child Health by Modernizing the Ngaremara Level 2 Health Dispensary in Isiolo
Global Grant: Empowering Kambi Garba Pastoralists: Farming Center of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods
Kivutini Primary School Project
Phase 1 - The Rotary Foundation ∞ Bethlehem Morning Star & Members ∞ Machakos Rotary BeTheGood Fund (formerly Saucon RC Foundation)
Phase 2 - The Rotary Foundation ∞ Bethlehem Morning Star & Members ∞ Kutztown ∞ Nazareth Bethlehem ∞ Doylestown ∞ BeTheGood Fund
Global Grant: Kivutini School Sanitation and Menstrual Health Initiative
The fencing, gabions to stop erosion, lights in the classrooms, repaired and tiled veranda, and glass for the classrooms windows just before the cold season!
For everyone - even if you can't plant one of the tree saplings that MSR Rotarian Taylor Breinich from Bartlett Tree Experts gifted our members, post a picture on your Facebook page of yourself with your yard's native trees. Make sure you include the tag #MSRTrees and a couple of sentences.
***You can also send pictures of your trees (see above) to Rod Seifert and I will post them in our weekly bulletin so everyone can see how they have grown.
Over the past few months, while we visited Rotary clubs worldwide and witnessed inspiring projects that are making a tangible difference in their communities, many have approached us with concerns about the current political and economic volatility, and its potential impact on the work that we do.
We want to assure you that in times of uncertainty, one thing is certain - our mission and values remain unchanged. Rotary is a force for good in the world because we are deeply embedded in communities. We will continue to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace.
The ideals of service, fellowship, and diversity have enabled us to transcend boundaries of all kinds. We bring people of all backgrounds together, foster collaboration, and make our communities stronger. For 120 years Rotary has thrived through two World Wars, through the Cold War, and through multiple deadly pandemics. We have endured and strengthened because we adhere to our mission and to our values. In times like these, we are once again reminded of the strength of Rotary and the importance of supporting our organization.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've helped reduce polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Regardless of what lies ahead, we will stay the course and keep our commitment to the world's children by ending polio forever. At present, we're coordinating with our global partners to closely monitor and assess the fast-evolving situation, proactively working with many governments to sustain their financial support and seek alternative funding sources. Now more than ever, your financial support of PolioPlus is critical.
We will continue to support our Areas of Focus to forge solutions and fulfill long-term goals. Through our programs, grants, and people-to-people diplomacy, we address the underlying causes of conflicts, creating an environment conducive to peace. We work with our partners to engage in sustainable projects that tackle poverty, inequality, and lack of access to education in our own communities and those around the world. Rotary's recent peace conference in Istanbul, which attracted more than 1,000 Rotary members, peace builders, and scholars around the world is testimony to our commitment.
At this moment, it is ever more important that we channel our concerns and uncertainties into action and share that vision of hope with others.
Sincerely,
Stephanie A. Urchick President, Rotary International
Mentorship in action! On Friday evening, April 25, 2025, Morning Star Rotary members, Holly S., Shawn B., Jennifer C., Rick M., Tom & Janet K., joined Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem, Pa. for Teen Night, where they witnessed the incredible impact of this year’s Morning Star Community Grant. A group of talented teens wowed them by creating songs using iPads in GarageBand—a perfect example of creativity and opportunity coming together!
As they shared their passion for music, our MSR Rotarians shared their own experiences of service and giving back. And of course, no great night is complete without pizza and Cokes! We’re proud to support and uplift the next generation. Together, we mentor!
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Morning Star Rotary held its weekly meeting at Traditions of Hanover in Hanover Township. Our host speakers were Cathy Heimsoth, Executive Director and Megan Sedlock, Marketing Director of Traditions. They encouraged us to Tell Our Story! Thank you to TOH for hosting this annual meeting and providing a delicious breakfast for our members.
Miguel Rivera from the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem is inviting our members to come engage with club teens on April 25th at 5:30 PM as part of their "Teen Night."
Members are encouraged to present and talk about Rotary, volunteerism, and the importance of building community. The Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem is located at 1430 Fritz Drive.
On April 10, 2025, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Sichiv Sek from Sustainable Cambodia as our speaker. Sustainable Cambodia is a Rotarian-led nonprofit organization that empowers rural Cambodian families by helping them create a sustainable quality of life with safe water and sanitation, sustainable incomes, healthy food, and quality education for their children. Sichiv is an Educational Sponsorship Coordinator at Sustainable Cambodia, on the leadership team, and also a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Pursat. She was hosted by MSR Rotarian, Mike Orbin, who is on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Cambodia. Sichiv joined Mike and other MSR Rotarians at last week's District Conference.
At our April 10 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Mike Orbin with his PHS+6 recognizing his ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Mike for your support.
“Let’s plant some native trees, and why this is important to our ecosystems.”
Our April 17 speaker will be Bethlehem MSR club member Taylor Breinich, certified arborist, and also a member of MSR’s Green Team. Taylor’s presentation will focus on why native trees are essential to our Planet’s regional ecosystems.
So why plant native?
• Native trees and shrubs are low maintenance. They have evolved in their respective regions and require less care for their survival, such as watering, which conserves water.
• Because they are native to their ecosystem, they are part of the food web and support wildlife biodiversity.
• Non-native trees, which can also be ‘invasive’ to natural environments, serve very little ecological value in-particular as a food source. Invasive tree species can ‘crowd out’ native species, thus making it more difficult for an ecosystem to recover from centuries of human impact.
In recognition of April’s Arbor and Earth Day celebrations, Taylor is bringing 100 ‘bare root’ tree saplings to this presentation. These easy to carry saplings have been donated by her employer, Bartlett Tree Experts, for Rotary members and/or their friends and family to plant. Taylor is bringing 25 Sugar Maple, 25 Serviceberry, and 50 Eastern Red Cedar trees.
To increase the positive impact on our Planet, the Green Team will also give instructions on how Rotary members can post their tree planting events on social media. We seek to plant ideas as well, such as why ‘going native’ is important, and most of all, how the Bethlehem MSR club is supporting Rotary’s 7th Area of Focus - Supporting our Environment.
Come join us, get a tree or two, and spread the word!
Morning Star Rotary "Green Team"
Taylor Breinich, Jennifer Cunningham, Holly Sachdev, Eric Obeysekare, Enid Jackson, and Rick Morrissey
For those present for PDG Herb Klotz’s talk on strategic planning, you all know that has become more of a focus for Rotary. The board will be gathering on April 12th to begin our own strategic planning for the next three years. As you can imagine, clubs do not have the bandwidth to concentrate on all seven areas of focus in Rotary. Part of this exercise is to give better definition to the things that Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary does in the areas of service and our grant activities. From here, we can better articulate our mission and strategy to the community, and we can focus on the kinds of fundraising activities to support our work.
If you have any thoughts on things that we are doing well, or on things you might like to see happen, please reach out to anyone on the board. Successful strategic planning requires regular review and modifications as needed. An idea you plant now may germinate into a larger club goal in the future.
To better implement this sort of plans, it will be necessary to add back the office of vice president in our club. I realize that this was a difficult position to fill in the past, but if we are to truly have influence, we need more long-range goals that can only be accomplished through strong succession planning. This will require a change to our by-laws, but you will hear more on this later.
Morning Star Rotary members volunteered at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on three evenings during the 2024-2025 winter months. Members served food, washed dishes, and monitored the showers for the guests. Our Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty, which is why we support the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter both financially and as volunteers. The Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is located at Christ Church UCC at 75 E Market Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018.
A huge thank you to MSR Rotarian Justin Strasser for his exemplary work serving as Morning Star Rotary's coordinator for our service to Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering and to all the MSR Rotarians who volunteered their time to serve our community!
At our March 27, 20025 meeting, Scott Slingerland, Executive Director of CAT - Coalition for Appropriate Transportation of Lehigh Valley and MSR member Jennifer Cunningham, Vice President of CAT spoke to our members regarding the exciting work of their organization. CAT was the recipient of the 2023 Morning Star Rotary Community Grant in support of their efforts our community.
Scott discussed the organization's vision to support bicycling, walking, and public transit in the Lehigh Valley region highlighting the importance of human-powered mobility, emphasizing the involvement of people of all ages and the need for choices in transportation. Scott mentioned various resources and initiatives, such as mechanic classes, group bike rides, advocacy with local governments, CAT' "Bike to Work" Week, and the importance of pedestrian safety. He encouraged attendees to visit their bicycle cooperative and participate in their programs.
Jennifer discussed her preference for commuting by bike or walking, citing the benefits of mental health and cost savings. She shared her experiences of living close to work and adjusting her lifestyle to accommodate biking. Jennifer also mentioned her involvement with CAT and her desire to transform downtown Bethlehem into a bike-friendly area. She discussed various aspects of biking safety and road rules, emphasizing the importance of following the same road rules as cars, including stopping at red lights and stop signs. Jennifer also highlighted the significance of biking skills, such as using hand signals, making eye contact with other road users, and being aware of their surroundings.
At our March 27, 2025 meeting, MSR Rotarian Mike Orbin presented President Rodney Conn with banners from various Rotary clubs that he had visited as part of a recent Distirct 7430 Rotary Friendship Exchange Trip to Argentina. This exchange is all about building global connections, discovering new perspectives, and experiencing the magic of Rotary beyond borders.
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School students competed in our club-level "Four-Way Test Speech Contest". Morning Star Rotary co-sponsored the club-level contest with the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club to send one Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech School (BAVTS) student to the Regional Contest on March 22, 2025. The four competitors were from Freedom (2), Liberty, and Northampton High Schools. All of the students did a wonderful job. Extra congratulations to Joshua for winning the competition and moving on to the next level. The finals will be held during the District 7430 Conference on April 5, 2025.
The Regional Four-Way Test Speech Contest was held on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at the Willow Lane Elementary School in the Macungie. Five students who had won their local club-level contests competed for a place in the finals at the District 7430 Conference in Hershey on April 5, 2025. Our local winner Joshua gave a fantastic speech, but did not advance to the finals. Congratulations to all of the contestants for their outstanding efforts.
On March 25, 2025, Morning Star Rotary had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director & Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem along with Development Director, Cheryl Dungan, to our morning meeting. Dr. Jackson presented an informative and enjoyable presentation on a musical gem of our community since its founding in 1898, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, its history, and its current activities, including performances, educational programs, and future plans. The choir is the longest-running Bach Choir in the United States and has a strong partnership with Lehigh University. The annual Bach Festival has been held at Packard Chapel since 1908. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, led by a passionate former public school and university educator, has grown to 130 singers and now holds auditions year-round. The choir is a diverse representation of society, with a professional orchestra and soloists, and a strong sense of community. The choir merged with the Bel Canto Youth Chorus in 2019, now comprising 80 young people from grades 3 through 12. The choir relies heavily on volunteers and has a staff of 7. The choir's mission is to serve everyone through music, from a young age to end of life care. Thank you Dr. Jackson and Ms. Dungan for your service to the arts in our community. Click Here to view Dr. Jackson's presentation.
At our March 13, 2025 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Rick Santee and Rodney Conn with their PHS+8 pins recognizing their ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation. Also, Wendy Ellsworth (via Zoom) was honored for achieving her PHS+4 pin. Congratulations and thank you all for your support.
Next Tuesday, the 25th, we have our last evening of serving dinner at BES for the season. We have a crew of 6 people signed up, andwe need 3 more volunteers.
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.
The BES Director of Volunteers indicated that the link can be used to create an account if someone is a new volunteer, or sign up for an evening (or multiple) if you already have an account.
After signing in or registering as a new volunteer, click the "View Opportunities" button which will open the BES calendar. On the calendar you can find our 3 nights, January 27th, February 24th and March 25th. Click on the openings on those days and enter your information.
Sandra Bieber, Manager of Operations and Community Development for Discover Lehigh Valley was our guest speaker, via Zoom, at our February 27, 2025 meeting. Sandra introduced us to the Lehigh Valley Ambassador Program which is a free community with exclusive perks, deals, and experiences. "A Lehigh Valley Ambassador is a person who loves and cares about the Lehigh Valley and how it is represented. An ambassador is a true advocate for our region." Sandra explained the steps to sign-up as a LV Ambassador and enroll in the full Lehigh Valley Ambassador Course. She encouraged everyone to take advantage of everything the program has to offer.
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By joining our community, LVAs become experts in showcasing our beautiful region to visitors and locals alike. This creates a ripple effect that bolsters the region's
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Morning Star Rotary President, Rodney Conn, welcomes former member, Cheryl Baker, and presented her with her new membership badge at our February 27, 2025 meeting. Welcome Back Cheryl! We are happy that you have returned to Morning Star Rotary!
As part of our tradition, new members are invited to share their story with the club. Formerly known as the “classification talk,” this is a chance for us to get to know new members better. Their stories are an essential part of our club’s tapestry, and sharing it helps us understand your journey, passions, and the unique perspectives you bring to our community. We believe that every member’s story enriches our collective experience and strengthens the bonds between us. Hearing their insights and experiences will inspire and connect us, fostering a deeper sense of fellowship and collaboration.
A recently inducted member of Morning Star Rotary, Mike Orbin, who transferred to MSR from the Allentown Rotary Club, told "His Story" at our February 20, 2025 meeting. Mike has been a Rotarian since September, 2018. Prior to his retirement, Mike was a Principal Business Intelligence Senior Analyst with LSI Corporation (a Broadcom Company) formerly Lucent Technologies. He spoke about his background, family, education, career, and his "Rotary Story". Mike highlighted his Rotary experiences including being instrumental in the formation of the STEM-YEA program in our district along with involvement with International Projects in Mexico, Zambia, and Cambodia. Mike's Rotary Moment happened on a trip to Cambodia in 2020. That experience made him aware that Sustainable Cambodia was the project he wanted to support and be involved long-term. We are thrilled to have Mike as part of our Morning Star Rotary family. Click Here to view Mike's presentation.
The Bethlehem Rotary Club is inviting us to join them for lunch at BAVTS this week. Their speaker is our very own Janet Kolepp presenting Tell Your Rotary Story.
Date/time: Wednesday, February 19 from 12-1
Cost: $20 buffet, prepared by students
Location: Bethlehem Area Vocational and Technical School, 3300 Chester Ave, Bethlehem
**Message form Jane A. Meckes, Nazareth Rotary, District 7430 STEM-YEA Committee
Hi Everyone. Our district committee is busy planning for the upcoming STEMYEA program at Kutztown University. I am on the committee and in charge of gathering materials. I have created two ways that Rotarians in our District can help provide items that are needed. First is an "Amazon Wish List" if you would like to purchase materials that we need. Any items purchased would be sent directly to me. Second is a recycled material list. You can help us out at no cost to you! All you have to do is save the materials on the list and bring them to a meeting or event anytime. I already have a bin started for the items I have been collecting.
On February 13, 2025 at the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary weekly meeting, the MSR Green Team hosted a panel discussion with three Lehigh University students, moderated by MSR Rotarian Dr. Eric Obeysekare, Teaching Assistant Professor, Lehigh University Computer Science & Engineering, Office of Creative Inquiry, entitled “In Good Hands: Lehigh University Students Discuss Sustainability”. We heard from Paige D., sophomore majoring in Environmental Studies, Sophie U., junior majoring in Psychology and Health, Medicine, & Society, and John R., graduate student studying Catastrophe Modeling. The students discussed their perspectives on sustainability, some initiatives they are involved with on campus, and participated in a lively discussion with Morning Star Rotary members about sustainability and the environment.
A Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is planned for you on Saturday, March 22, at DeSales University Center, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. The sessions will start at 8:00 a.m. and run through
2:30 p.m.
Here's your chance to learn more about Rotary from trained facilitators and fellow Rotarians!
Get ready for an interactive learning experience as we offer parts I, II, III, and Graduate courses.
For only $125 or $50 for Rotaractors, you'll gain invaluable knowledge and skills to benefit your Rotary service. To encourage your club to attend, the club with the highest attendance will be recognized at the event, and each person will receive a gift.
To register for RLI, please visit our website, https://rlinea.org/ and register for our district event on Saturday, March 22, at DeSales.
ROTARIANS AT WORK...serving our community! MSR members serving dinner and providing showers on January 27, 2025 for the guests at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering. Morning Star Rotary volunteers at BES on three evenings during the winter months.
Dr. Joseph Roy, former superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, was our guest speaker at our January 23, 2025 meeting where he shared his experiences volunteering at the Northampton County Prison since his retirement. He has created a discussion group to assist inmates prepare for reentry into society. Dr. Roy indicated that the prison's minimum security unit, where he is working, has limited resources and services for inmates, many of whom are in for parole or probation violations, drug and alcohol DUI charges and are awaiting adjudication of their cases. He highlighted the challenges inmates faced in maintaining communication with the outside world and accessing information about available resources. Dr. Roy emphasized the importance of inmates being productive while incarcerated to improve their chances upon release. He discussed the challenges faced by defendants in the criminal justice system, particularly those who are unable to bail out at arraignment, noting that 65% of defendants are unable to bail out, and the cost of bail can be prohibitive.
Dr. Roy shared his experiences and observations from working in the minimum security prison unit. He noted the unique culture among the inmates, who despite being strangers, worked effectively together and supported each other. They were willing to participate in discussions, reflecting on their lives and challenges. Dr. Roy emphasized the challenges facing the inmates for reentry into the community after being incarcerated, as lives were disrupted and inmates had to start anew. 80% of criminal cases are settled prior to trial, and the average number of days for a case resolution is 90 to 180. He emphasized the high recidivism rate of 65% and the difficulties faced by defendants in accessing resources such as cell phones, email, and housing upon release. Dr. Roy stated that the criminal justice system can be a vicious cycle, with defendants unable to escape the costs and restrictions imposed upon them.
At our January 16th meeting, PDG Herb Klotz presented a program on the **Rotary Action Plan**. He spoke about the plan's four strategic priorities: Increasing our Impact, Expanding our Reach, Enhancing Participant Engagement, and Increasing our Ability to Adapt. PDG Herb provided insights and tools for Rotarians to actively participate in shaping Rotary's future by making meaningful, sustainable change.
At our initial Rotary meeting of 2025, Jennifer Cunningham, Youth Services Coordinator for Morning Star Rotary, presented "A Focus on Youth and Education", an overview of the programs that Morning Star Rotary, in coordination with the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary, offer to the youth in our community. Jennifer emphasized that our programs addresses three of RI's "Areas of Focus", Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Basic Education and Literacy, and Community Economic Development while adding value to our local clubs, enabling our members to engage with our younger generation, providing valuable inspiration, insight, and leadership training and opportunities for our youth from grade 8 through high school.
Click Here to view Jennifer's presentation. For additional information on our Youth Programs visit our New Generations Page.
This month, January 2025, Morning Star Rotary celebrates its 35th Anniversary. At this past week's meeting, PDG Janet Kolepp recognized the Morning Star Rotary anniversary of 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.
Morning Star Rotarians ringing in the New Year! Great food, drink, conversation, and laughter! Thank you to Mike and Terri Long for their hospitality in hosting our annual holiday get-together!
Join Rotary members from Districts 7390, 7410, 7430, and 7490 to Unwrap the Magic at our Multi-District Conference! This inspiring event will celebrate Rotary’s dedication to peacebuilding and address critical issues such as poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and the unequal distribution of resources. Our program and speakers will explore how we can make a lasting impact together.
Conference Registration Click Here for the full conference or the Saturday-only option. Hershey Lodge Hotel Reservation Click Here or call the Reservation office at 855-729-3108. Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities while visiting Hershey, PA—the sweetest place on earth!
Please join your fellow Morning Star Rotary members at our Annual Holiday Party on Saturday, January 4, 2025. 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!
At our December 19, 2024 Holiday Meeting, President Rodney Conn and the Salute the Troops Concert Co-Chair, Rod Seifert presented a MSR grant check for $3500 to Tom Carson, Executive Director of Victory House of Lehigh Valley. Morning Star Rotary, through our annual concert, continues to support the fantastic work of Victory House!
Our Annual Holiday Meeting is one of the most wonderful events of each Rotary Year! This week, the talented singers and musicians of the Liberty High School A Cappella Choir along with the Brass Ensemble from the LHS Grenadier Band serenaded us with holiday favorites. Plus, the morning would not be complete without the musical magnificence of our very own Rick Santee on the accordion. A fantastic and enjoyable time was had by both young and old! Thank you President Rodney and the Cathedral Church of the Nativity for hosting our meeting.
Our annual Holiday Meeting will 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.
IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY RSVP'D FOR THIS MEETING, PLEASE DO SO IMMEDIATELY TO SHEILA SEIFERT. (Sheila Seifert E-mail).
TO OUR PARTNERS: Heartfelt ❤️ Thanks for Your Support on the Kivutini School Project in Kenya
Doylestown Rotary
Bethlehem Downtown Rotary
Kutztown Rotary
Nazareth Rotary
**********************
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.
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.
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.
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).
Our speaker at our November 14, 2024 weekly meeting was Jim Deegan, Executive Editor of LehighValleyNews.com. LehighValleyNews.com is the non-profit digital news division of Lehigh Valley Public Media, which includes PBS Channel 39 and WLVR 91.3 National Public Radio. Jim gave us an overview of his career in journalism along with the inception and structure of LehighValleyNews.com digital on-line news reporting. Jim Deegan has lived in the Lehigh Valley for more than 25 years and has worked as a reporter, producer and editor during his long career in journalism.
Please join your fellow Morning Star Rotary members at our Annual Holiday Party on Saturday, January 4, 2025. The party will graciously be hosted by Mike and Terri Long at their home at 4201 Anthony Drive beginning at 5:30 PM. What a fantastic opportunity to ring in the New Year with your fellow Rotarians!
The “Salute the Troops” Concert on Sunday, November 10th, honoring our veterans and current members of the US Armed Forces, was a successful and very enjoyable event. The Allentown Band including select music students from Northeast Middle School performances were fantastic.
A big MSR “Thank You” to the MSR Rotarians who stepped up to ensure a successful event. Thank you to all MSR Rotarians who sold tickets, purchased a sponsorship, solicited sponsors, attended the concert, and those who volunteered to assist on concert day.
Special thanks to all our concert sponsors. Because of all of their generosity, we will be able to continue supporting Victory House of Lehigh Valley and will accomplish many of this year’s other charitable projects.
Morning Star Rotarians, in partnership with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, participated on Sunday morning, October 27, 2024 in a Stream Cleanup along the historic Monocacy Creek.
One of the recently inducted members of Morning Star Rotary, Dr. Bruce Whitehouse, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at Lehigh University gave his "Classification Talk" at our October 24, 2024 meeting. Bruce spoke about his education at Brown University, his time in the Peace Corp in Mali, his doctoral studies in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo, his family, and his ongoing research, his published books, and his teaching at Lehigh University. We are thrilled to have Bruce as part of our Morning Star Rotary family.
(Lto R) Justin Strasser, Antek's MSR In-Country Counselor, Antek, Jennifer Cunnigham, MSR Youth Services Coordinator, & President Rodney Conn
Our Morning Star Rotary Exchange Student, Antek, visited our club at our October 17th meeting. Antek, who is from Poland, is attending Liberty High School this year. He provided our members and guests with a presentation about his home, family, and interests. Antek answered many questions about his life in Poland and his experiences and observations here in the United States since arriving prior to the beginning of the school year.
Our outgoing Exchange Student, Andre Negron's mother also gave us an update on his experiences since arriving in Spain where he is spending this school year.
To learn more about Morning Star Rotary's Youth Programs Click Here.
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary is now accepting applications for our 2024 Community Grant. We will be awarding $10,000 to a charitable organization that focuses on enhancing economic and community development or supporting education. While all eligible projects will be considered, priority will be given to those that directly impact the Bethlehem community, as we are committed to making a meaningful difference in our local area.
Rotary is dedicated to improving lives and building a better world through a variety of initiatives. Our focus areas include protecting the environment, supporting education, fighting disease, promoting peace, fostering local economies, providing clean water and sanitation, and saving mothers and children. We believe that by addressing these global challenges, we can create lasting change and improve the well-being of people worldwide.
For more details about the grant, please Click Here to download 2024 Community Grant Application. Complete applications must be emailed or postmarked by Friday, November 1, 2024, and sent to:
We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity that could greatly benefit organizations within our community. The Bethlehem Morning Star Community Grant is now open for applications. This grant focuses on supporting initiatives in economic and community development and/or education.
Grant Details:
Purpose: To support projects that drive economic growth, community development, and educational advancement.
Application Process: Details are provided below.
We encourage you to share this opportunity with any organization you may be aware of that aligns with these focus areas. This is a wonderful chance for them to secure funding for their impactful projects.
Thank you for your continue dedication to our community. Together, we can help drive positive change and support those who are making a difference.
Susan & Janet
Click Here to download 2024 Community Grant Application
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary is now accepting applications for our 2024 Community Grant. We will be awarding $10,000 to a charitable organization that focuses on enhancing economic and community development or supporting education. While all eligible projects will be considered, priority will be given to those that directly impact the Bethlehem community, as we are committed to making a meaningful difference in our local area.
Rotary is dedicated to improving lives and building a better world through a variety of initiatives. Our focus areas include protecting the environment, supporting education, fighting disease, promoting peace, fostering local economies, providing clean water and sanitation, and saving mothers and children. We believe that by addressing these global challenges, we can create lasting change and improve the well-being of people worldwide.
For more details about the grant, please refer to the attached document. Complete applications must be emailed or postmarked by Friday, November 1, 2024, and sent to:
At our October 10, 2024 weekly meeting, we were joined by Tina Wida, Program Manager of the Nurse-Family Partnership.
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a voluntary, evidence-based home visitation program in which Registered Nurses with specialized education visit low-income, at-risk mothers from early in pregnancy through the first two years of the child’s life to accomplish three goals:
Improve pregnancy outcomes
Improve child health and development
Improve families’ economic self-sufficiency
Morning Star Rotary annually supports the Nurse-Family Partnership of Bethlehem through our Audrey Rafferty Education Grant.
During the past few weeks you should have received, either at our weekly meeting or through the mail, six (6) tickets for the “Salute the Troops” concert. We strongly urge you to help support Morning Star Rotary by selling/purchasing the six tickets at $10.00 per ticket or by making a direct donation.
Thank you in advance for helping make our concert a successful fundraiser!
Once again Bethlehem Morning Star is partnering with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association for their annual Fall Stream Clean-up on Sunday, October 27, 2024 from 9-11:30 AM. The meet-up location is at the parking lot across the street from the Grist Mill, 100 Illick’s Mill Road.
Despite the weather, our volunteers and runners braved the damp conditions for a successful Celtic Classic 5K Race. 109 runners completed the new course along the "Showing of the Tartan" Parade route onto Sand Island.
Thank you to all our sponsors, runners, and volunteers!
At our September 26, 2024 club meeting, Jessica Entwhistle, Director of the Refugee Community Center in Allentown spoke to our members about the work of her organization. View her presentation Here.
The Refugee Community Center functions as a safe space for new refugee and asylum neighbors to find hospitality, connection and friendship. Our work focuses on adult ESOL education, intentional children’s programming, advocacy and hospitality.
"Our mission is to welcome refugees who are living in the Lehigh Valley; extending hospitality and friendship as we build community together."
At our September 26, 2024 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented Holly Sachdev with her PH+1 pin recognizing her ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation.
Exchange students Leander from Germany ,from left, Ana from Brazil, Anaya from India, Zoe from Switzerland, Antek from Poland and Emi from Argentina participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange Orientation for Inbound students Sept. 8 at the College Settlement Camp in Horsham. The students spent two days with Rotarian youth counselors to get acclimated. The six will spend 10 months in the Lehigh Valley Area. Jennifer Cunningham
What kind of parents send their 17-year-old child alone to a foreign country for a year, entrusting imperfect strangers to care for them as one of their own?
Who would outsource parental duties like feeding, making sure homework gets done, doing laundry, disciplining if necessary, driving to practices and friends’ houses? While I’m at it, what kind of family would host a teenager from across the world to participate in their daily lives here in America?
I know, I know! Parents who believe in the power of community and family connection to change the world, one young person at a time. Parents who have confidence in their child as an agent of this change, even as they experience homesickness and culture shock. Parents who have learned that people are people are people, and 99.99% of us are good people, no matter where we’re from, what we believe or what kind of “weird” foods we eat.
As the youth programs coordinator for the Morning Star Rotary Club in Bethlehem, I am proud to speak about the transformative power of our youth programs — especially the impact of Rotary International’s Youth Exchange.
I went on exchange with Rotary myself to Puebla, Mexico, right after finishing high school in a small town near Akron, Ohio. The experiences from that year changed me from a shy and tentative nerd to an outgoing and confident nerd.
I also gained lifelong friends, fluency in Spanish, and bone-deep appreciation for the United States and my own family. Sure, everyone evolves and grows up, but the year abroad accelerated that growth and added layers of self-confidence and perspectives I know I would not have gotten otherwise. So strong was the effect that my family in Ohio hosted a few Rotary students, and my brother went to Argentina on exchange.
Now, I have assumed the awesome responsibility of offering that exchange experience to students and families in Bethlehem. In partnership with the Bethlehem Rotary Club, Morning Star Rotary just welcomed an exchange student from Poland, and a Liberty High School graduate just left for his year in Spain. Both boys are settling into their respective new families, and they’re already making friends and beginning to embrace their important roles as global ambassadors in their new communities.
But, OK, a year-long international exchange isn’t for everyone. That’s why Rotary sponsors (i.e., offers free) so many other programs that transform the lives of young people, their families and our communities.
We offer three-week, short-term international exchanges in the summer. Two Freedom High School students receive $1,000 scholarships that are named for exceptional public servants in our Rotary family. Rising seniors can attend Camp Neidig, a three-day sleepaway camp to empower student leaders. Rising eighth graders who do not have access to STEM enrichment activities can attend a three-night residential camp, featuring a curriculum that is written by the SETI Institute (a nonprofit contractor for NASA.) And we work with the wonderful staff at Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School and other high schools to enter students into Rotary’s Four-Way Speech Contest, which offers prize money.
What’s really powerful about Rotary youth programs is that when a student participates, they’re not just engaging with that program. They’re also supported by our Rotary members, who are prominent and dedicated community members and who care deeply about the present and future of the Lehigh Valley. Students and families can also tap into Rotary’s worldwide network of 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members who share this vision: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.” Note that while I’m writing specifically about Morning Star Rotary’s programs, most of the local Rotary Clubs in the Lehigh Valley offer similar opportunities.
I encourage parents and students to explore these opportunities, not only for personal growth but also as a means to empower your families, and to give back to our community through your students. Together, we can support our youth in becoming proactive leaders who embody the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
For more information about these programs, reach out to me at RotaryJBL29@gmail.com
Jennifer Cunningham is the youth programs coordinator for the Morning Star Rotary Club and serves as a director on the board. She’s also a proud Army mom and a proud Lehigh University parent.
Exchange students Leander from Germany ,from left, Ana from Brazil, Anaya from India, Zoe from Switzerland, Antek from Poland and Emi from Argentina participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange Orientation for Inbound students Sept. 8 at the College Settlement Camp in Horsham. The students spent two days with Rotarian youth counselors to get acclimated. The six will spend 10 months in the Lehigh Valley Area. Jennifer Cunningham
What kind of parents send their 17-year-old child alone to a foreign country for a year, entrusting imperfect strangers to care for them as one of their own?
Who would outsource parental duties like feeding, making sure homework gets done, doing laundry, disciplining if necessary, driving to practices and friends’ houses? While I’m at it, what kind of family would host a teenager from across the world to participate in their daily lives here in America?
I know, I know! Parents who believe in the power of community and family connection to change the world, one young person at a time. Parents who have confidence in their child as an agent of this change, even as they experience homesickness and culture shock. Parents who have learned that people are people are people, and 99.99% of us are good people, no matter where we’re from, what we believe or what kind of “weird” foods we eat.
As the youth programs coordinator for the Morning Star Rotary Club in Bethlehem, I am proud to speak about the transformative power of our youth programs — especially the impact of Rotary International’s Youth Exchange.
I went on exchange with Rotary myself to Puebla, Mexico, right after finishing high school in a small town near Akron, Ohio. The experiences from that year changed me from a shy and tentative nerd to an outgoing and confident nerd.
I also gained lifelong friends, fluency in Spanish, and bone-deep appreciation for the United States and my own family. Sure, everyone evolves and grows up, but the year abroad accelerated that growth and added layers of self-confidence and perspectives I know I would not have gotten otherwise. So strong was the effect that my family in Ohio hosted a few Rotary students, and my brother went to Argentina on exchange.
Now, I have assumed the awesome responsibility of offering that exchange experience to students and families in Bethlehem. In partnership with the Bethlehem Rotary Club, Morning Star Rotary just welcomed an exchange student from Poland, and a Liberty High School graduate just left for his year in Spain. Both boys are settling into their respective new families, and they’re already making friends and beginning to embrace their important roles as global ambassadors in their new communities.
But, OK, a year-long international exchange isn’t for everyone. That’s why Rotary sponsors (i.e., offers free) so many other programs that transform the lives of young people, their families and our communities.
We offer three-week, short-term international exchanges in the summer. Two Freedom High School students receive $1,000 scholarships that are named for exceptional public servants in our Rotary family. Rising seniors can attend Camp Neidig, a three-day sleepaway camp to empower student leaders. Rising eighth graders who do not have access to STEM enrichment activities can attend a three-night residential camp, featuring a curriculum that is written by the SETI Institute (a nonprofit contractor for NASA.) And we work with the wonderful staff at Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School and other high schools to enter students into Rotary’s Four-Way Speech Contest, which offers prize money.
What’s really powerful about Rotary youth programs is that when a student participates, they’re not just engaging with that program. They’re also supported by our Rotary members, who are prominent and dedicated community members and who care deeply about the present and future of the Lehigh Valley. Students and families can also tap into Rotary’s worldwide network of 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members who share this vision: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.” Note that while I’m writing specifically about Morning Star Rotary’s programs, most of the local Rotary Clubs in the Lehigh Valley offer similar opportunities.
I encourage parents and students to explore these opportunities, not only for personal growth but also as a means to empower your families, and to give back to our community through your students. Together, we can support our youth in becoming proactive leaders who embody the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
For more information about these programs, reach out to me at RotaryJBL29@gmail.com
Jennifer Cunningham is the youth programs coordinator for the Morning Star Rotary Club and serves as a director on the board. She’s also a proud Army mom and a proud Lehigh University parent.
At our September 19, 2024 meeting, PDG Paul Quintavalla from District 7450 in Philadelphia spoke about the storied history of Rotary! Even the seasoned MSR Rotarian learned something new about the rich history of our organization. Thank you PDG Paul for sharing your knowledge with us. Click Here to view his presentation.
At our September 12, 2024 club meeting, Diane Elliott, Founder and Executive Director from Catalyst4 spoke to our members about the work of her organization.
"Serving Northampton and Lehigh Counties in Pennsylvania, Catalyst4 provides training in construction and other trades – helping to meet the demand for skilled workers, decrease unemployment, create affordable housing, and eliminate blight.
Catalyst4 began in 2019 with the belief that by providing an opportunity for employment, with a livable wage, a sustainable future for individuals and families could be assured.
By providing training in construction and other trades, we can help meet the demand for skilled workers, while decreasing unemployment, particularly for those whose past has made securing employment difficult. At the same time, we see the chance to increase the availability of affordable housing, eliminate blight, and develop a sense of community pride."
The annual Janet A, Sipple Lectureship is being held this year on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 5:00 pm in Foy Concert Hall at Moravian University. This year the lectureship is entitled "Leading at Every Level: Authentic Leadership to Create Outcomes."
Morning Star Rotary will once again support this event. Tickets will be provided to anyone who wishes to attend. Dr. Sipple had been an active and revered member of our club for many years. Please feel free to show your support.
Morning Star Rotary welcomed District 7430 Governor Katie Farrell for her official visit to our club this past Thursday, August 22, 2024. She was introduced by our area AG, Kathy Heller. DG Katie spoke to our members about this year's Rotary theme, "The Magic of Rotary", The Rotary Foundation, and outlined her goals and those of the district as we move ahead to serve our communities and the world as People of Action.
President Rodney Conn, DG Katie Farrell, AG Kathy Heller
Labor Day 2024 will occur on Monday, September 2, 2024. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1887, Oregon became the first U.S. state to make Labor Day an official public holiday.
Join us for the Rotary District 7430 "Race to Zero - Let's End Polio." This is a family-friendly event! We have a chip-timed 5k Run, a 5k Walk, and a 1-mile Fun Run/Walk. The race begins at Simmons Elementary School in Horsham and runs along the Horsham Powerline Trail. The race will take place rain or shine. We also offer a virtual option (no race shirt) to complete a distance of your choice and help support this cause.
Morning Star Rotary's Exchange Student for the 2024-2025 school year, Antek from Poland, arrived safe and sound on Sunday, August 18th (see photo - he's the one in the blazer). Antek and our MSR Justin, his in-country Counselor, already met up! It sounds like his English is quite good and he's settling in nicely with his host family.
He'll be joining our meetings once in awhile, but the magic of the exchange experience happens during meetups with YOU, living your best lives!
The goal is that he hang out with members at least once per month. Activities you could invite him to include meals at your home, games, tours, shows, jaunts on your yacht (include me please LOL!), gatherings for other groups you're involved with, family parties, etc.
We also are hoping a few of you can be available to drive him to some of the district activities he's required to attend, to give his host family a break. Plus the car rides are a great opportunity for us to get to know him. (Note that federal law says if you're alone with a minor, you need clearances, but if it's the minor and at least two other people you do not need clearances.)
"Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service."
At our August 15, 2024 meeting, Morning Star Rotary recognized four Bethlehem area students who were sponsored by our club this year to attend Camp Neidig, STEM-YEA, and a Long-Term Youth Exchange to Spain. In addition, two Freedom High School students were recognized for receiving our inaugural MSR scholarships named in memory of two former MSR members. Congratulations to these outstanding students and thank you to our Youth Services Coordinator, Jennifer Cunningham, for all her hard work overseeing these various programs.
District 7430 Treasurer Tom Hartzell presents Morning Star Rotary President Rodney Conn with district grant checks from the Rotary Foundation to help fund two of our ongoing projects around the world...$1,500.00 for our Antigua LiteracyProject and $15,000.00 for our Kenya School Renovation Project.
At our August 8, 2024 club meeting, Katelyn Mack, President & CEO and Krissi Echevarria, DEI Program Manager from LINC Lehigh Valley spoke to our members about the work of their organization. "LINC is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting employers, relocated employees and the community in matters of partner career, integration assistance and diversity and inclusion. LINC is on a mission to make the Lehigh Valley a place where every person who moves here is connected and feels like they belong." CLICK HERE to view their presentation.
For those of you who were at our May 30 meeting when Clan Mother Shelley DePaul spoke, I’d like to update you that I was able to attend “Homecoming: The Lenape Speak” at Northampton Community College on Saturday. Clan Mother Shelley and several Lenape speakers were able to share their culture with each other and those supporting them. Lenape from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Canada were on hand. They spoke about their history, craft, horticulture, food sovereignty and justice, medicine and storytelling. This was the first time for this event, and it looks like they will repeat it next year.
Summer is marching on, and I hope you are all staying cool. Musikfest is upon us, and we will be meeting for our First Thirstday on Bethlehem’s Southside at Seven Sirens Brewing Company. This should allow us to avoid the crowds usually seen this time of year around our usual First Thursday meet-up location. We’ll also be ordering for ourselves, so come out and enjoy the evening.
A quick note that our Board of Directors meetings will start a half-hour earlier but remain on the second Wednesday of the month. We hold these meetings virtually and if you are interested in attending, please let me know.
Celtic Fest is approaching and our 5k Celtic Classic run will be before the parade on Saturday September 28. Tom is also looking for someone to act as the lead on that day as he is unable to attend. Please talk to Tom Kolepp if you have any questions.
Please note that our District Governor Katie Farrell will be with us August 22. Please come out and hear about the coming year of Rotary at the district level. Keep an eye on our schedule for upcoming speakers.
On July 18, 2024, we were joined via Zoom at our live meeting by Gilbert Mato and members of the Isiolo Rotary Club of Kenya. Gilbert gave us an comprehensive update on the progress of our global grant project refurbishing a maternal health clinic and other club and district grant projects we are undertaking in conjunction with Isiolo Rotary.
For most of us in Rotary, what matters most is our personal club experience. When I joined Rotary, my club made me feel like I belonged. I couldn’t wait for the next meeting, and I found a new purpose in the service projects we completed together. To me, this sense of meaning and belonging defines Rotary. As president, I feel a special commitment to help every member in every Rotary and Rotaract club feel like an essential part of our family.
I’m writing today to thank you for being a member and making Rotary part of your life. And I want to share a tool that can further enhance your experience with Rotary — our Action Plan.
The Action Plan challenges us to find ways to increase the impact of Rotary service, expand our reach by bringing more people together to share our vision, adapt to a rapidly changing world, and enhance the experience that you and your fellow club members have in tangible, meaningful ways.
A new Rotary year has begun! THANK YOU for your continued commitment to the mission and vision of Rotary.
Our District is a leader in Rotary! We are innovative, forward-thinking and hands-on. We are not sitting back on our laurels, we are embracing change, embracing the future and moving our organization forward. We are truly people of action.
I will be starting my club visits on July 8 and my goal is to have visited each club by September 30, 2024. I am so excited to work with each one of YOU and your amazing clubs! I am so PROUD to be part of this District. Please feel free to contact me at any time - my role is to support you.
LET’S KEEP MAKING MAGIC HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!
Katie FarrellDistrict Governor 2024-2025Rotary District 7430Rotary Club of Warminsterkmfarrell@comcast.net215-519-4433
I write you the day after the deadly shooting in Butler PA. The attack on any past or present leader, or someone aspiring to public office can only be condemned no matter your party affiliation or political views. Here in Rotary, we are called to be agents of peace in a divided and conflicted world. We are called to seek peaceful ways to heal a broken world through our mission and actions.
On Thursday, I spoke of the mission and action plans of Bethlehem Morning Star for the coming Rotary year. For those who joined us, I thank you for your support for the upcoming Rotary year. I know a few of you who normally are there couldn’t make it, and we missed you. Our size as a club puts us in a good position to do the things we want to do. As I mentioned, we seem to already have a focus in the areas of literacy/education, community and economic development, and environmental issues both locally and globally.
While we are doing great things, I will seek to engage more with Community Action Lehigh Valley (CACLV). Their mission statement clearly says that they work “to improve the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley…by building communities”. We can tap into their knowledge in areas that align with our passions in our community.
Within and beyond CACLV, we have connections within our community. I will be sending out a short email asking each of you to identify yourself or anyone who you know on boards or organizations doing similar things that Rotary does. Networking and receiving information from these groups only builds our knowledge of our community.
Yours in Rotary,
Rodney Conn, President
CLICK HERE to view President Conn's presentation on 7/11/24.
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Donald Smith, a charter member of the Morning Star Rotary Club, on June 20, 2024. We send our deepest condolences to his family including his son-in-law, MSR Rotarian Geoff Wright. Click "Read More" to read obituary from Cantelmi Long Funeral Homes.
In the upcoming year, our weekly programs will be structured to foster community engagement and awareness through a variety of events. This diverse program lineup aims to strengthen member relationships, enhance community involvement, and increase understanding of Rotary's values and initiatives.
1st Week - First Thirstday
Join us for a networking-focused event that rotates among different locations. This fall, we’re excited to feature three brewpubs in South Bethlehem. Attendees will enjoy a variety of drinks, with some opting to order food while others simply mingle over their beverages. It’s a great way to connect in a relaxed atmosphere!
2nd & 4th Week - Community Connections
These meetings will showcase the diverse stories and projects within the greater Lehigh Valley community. We invite people from various sectors to share insights about their programs, projects, and special interests. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about the impactful work being done in our area and to find ways to get involved or support these initiatives.
3rd Week - What is Rotary?
Discover the heart of Rotary through a deep dive into our people, projects, and programs. Focus of these meetings include presentations by district leaders, new member talks, educational modules from the Rotary Learning Center, insights from Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) or Fellowship Groups, and updates on new Rotary International initiatives. It’s an excellent chance to learn more about the vast opportunities and resources available within Rotary.
We take a break on the 5th week of the month, four times a year. The upcoming dates for these breaks are August 29, October 31, January 30, and May 29. These are perfect opportunities to recharge or engage in other activities outside of our regular meetings.
On Saturday, June 22, 2024 MSR held its annual Changeover/Kickout Party honoring our outgoing President, Betty Isaac and installing incoming President, Rodney Conn and the Board of Directors for 2024-2025. A fantastic time was had by everyone. A big MSR thank you to PP Shawn & Bob Bariana for hosting the party at their beautiful home and DG Diane Donaher for taking part in the festivities. Congratulations President Betty on your service to the club this past year and best wishes to incoming President Rodney.
When Rotarians in the Antigua Sundown Club became aware that kindergarteners learning to read needed a boost in their phonics development, they called their long-time partners at Lehigh University to see what could be done to help. Lehigh staff member and Bethlehem Morning Star Rotarian Bill Hunter, who has taken his students on a dozen service trips to Antigua & Barbuda, was referred through Rotary connections to Dr. Debbie Matz, an experienced reading specialist.
Through a financial collaboration between both Rotary clubs, Dr. Matz traveled to Antigua with the Lehigh group in 2022 to begin a pilot program by making classroom observations, engaging in inquiring conversations with teachers and principals, and facilitating a professional development session at one of the targeted primary schools. A need for additional instruction in phonemic awareness was determined and an appropriate and affordable supplemental curriculum was selected for kindergarten reading instruction. Following a successful first run, both Rotary clubs again sponsored Dr. Matz’s travel to Antigua in May to expand the reach of the pilot program by training Kindergarten teachers and principals in foundational early literacy skills and the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness program at two of the targeted primary schools.
At our June 13, 2024 meeting, Morning Star Rotary welcomed Eric Obeysekare as a new member. Eric is a Teaching Associate Professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University. Welcome Eric to our Morning Star family!
Our speaker on June 13, 2024 was Anna Smith, Director of Community Action Bethlehem. Community Action Development Bethlehem was incorporated into Community Action Lehigh Valley on October 6, 1997, and opened offices to the public on March 19, 1998. Based on a belief of economic and social justice, CADCB improves the quality of life in south Bethlehem by fostering economic opportunity, promoting community development, and empowering residents to actively participate in the decision-making process regarding the future of our diverse community.
At our June 13, 2024 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented PE Rodney Conn with his PH+7 pin recognizing his ongoing support of the Rotary Foundation.
We had the honor of welcoming Clan Mother Shelley from the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania to our meeting on May 30, 2024. Her visit provided us with an introductory glimpse into the rich cultural heritage and worldview of the Lenape people.
We had the honor of welcoming Clan Mother Shelley from the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania to our meeting on May 30, 2024. Her visit provided us with an introductory glimpse into the rich cultural heritage and worldview of the Lenape people.
PLEASE NOTE: Members are asked to bring a side, a salad or a dessert. Please RSVP to Shawn at (shawnbarina@gmail.com) and let her know what you want to bring so we don't end up with all desserts.
PLEASE NOTE: No $10 fee will be collected and appetizers will not be provided. Individuals may order off the menu. The club will reimburse any member for their guest(s).
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout this Rotary year, we have all become more aware of the importance of discussing mental health and sharing resources with our clubs and our members so we can help those in need. As I found on my club visits, the need is REAL and touches the lives of so many members of our community.
I am pleased to announce a special offer through a district grant to provide FREE Mental Health First Aid training virtually to non profit staff in your community and to Rotarians for a modest fee. Provided by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, this curriculum teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults and is facilitated by Penn State Extension.
Your club can share the attached flyer with the many non profits your club has relationships with and offer this training for free. It's a great way to let them know that Rotary is on a mission increase awareness and skills to help those with mental health challenges. While we are not allowed to use District Grant funding to pay for Rotarian training, we can offer this important session to Rotarians for just $25 per person.
There are 30 spots available and a second session can be scheduled if it fills. The program is June 10 and 12 from 5:00 - 8:15 pm
It's taken a while to organize this opportunity so I apologize for the short time line, but if you would like to:
- offer free Mental Health First Aid training for non profit organization staff in your community
- offer $25 training to Rotarians in your club that might be interested in having Mental Health First Aid Training
please have the interested participant register by sending their Name, Organization, and Email today or no later than June 7 to Cynthia Pollich: cep5@psu.edu
Important Notes:
One of the trainers will be Rotarian Denise Continenza!
If you or someone you know is interested but can not make the scheduled time, please send me an email so we can plan a second program .
The session is a 2 hour self study before June 10 and then two 3 hour sessions.
Rotarians will be billed.
I hope you will share this information with your club members and community's non profit staff as together we build strength and experience to support the mental health of our community. I look forward to seeing you, your members and non profit workforce there! Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions.
At our May 23rd club meeting, recent member, Justin Strasser, presented his Classification Talk. A native of Bethlehem, Justin was introduced to Rotary as a Youth Exchange student sponsored by our club during high school. He spoke about his exchange experience, education, and his journey into his career in woodworking and the many diverse projects of his company, Campbell & Strasser. We are excited to have Justin as a member and his leadership in our various activities.
At our May 16th club meeting, PDG Janet Kolepp & PP Shawn Bariana walked us through ways to uncover a compelling "why" story. Switch up your response to “what is Rotary?” to “let me tell you a story!”
STEP 1
Reflect on Your Journey
Was there a specific moment or value that
resonated with you in Rotary?
STEP 2
Highlight Rotary's Impact on You
How did that moment make you feel?
STEP 3
Identify Rotary's Impact on Others
How did that moment affect others or make them feel?
Thank You to everyone who helped make our Audrey Rafferty Memorial Spaghetti Dinner a success once again this year.
It was great to see the Dining Room filled to capacity-with many diners lingering- enjoying not only Butch's (and company's) famous sauce but also warm fellowship!
A big Morning Star Rotary "Thank You" to everyone who attended the dinner and especially our table and dessert sponsors!
Two students, Phoebe Cunningham and Nicholas Moniz, who were sponsored by Morning Star Rotary to attend Camp Neidig last year were honored with awards at Freedom High School. Congratulations, Phoebe and Nick!
At the May 2, 2024 Global Grant Committee Meeting, the members agreed to send a letter of support to ShelterBox for IRC Gilbert Mato's request for Shelter Kits. Linda Mayger, Janet Kolepp and Donna Holton have been working with and supporting Shelterbox for years and know ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray well. With strong guidance from Linda, who served as the D7430 ShelterBox coordinator and is still a ShelterBox Ambassador, a letter was composed and sent via email to them.
"We know ShelterBox resources are limited, and we respect their aid allocation process, but nonetheless, we hope our voices might help the cause in East Africa." DH
**********
Message sent on May 6, 2024
Dear Kerri,
We are writing today regarding a situation close to our hearts. As you are likely aware, the devastating flooding in East Africa has destroyed property, displaced thousands of people, brought about immense loss of life, and is projected to worsen. This is directly affecting people we know in Rotary District 9212, which has placed an urgent request for Shelter Kits. We know that one of the deployment decision criteria is whether there are willing partners in the area, and that, once a deployment decision is made, you’ll need support in the region.
Through our club’s work on several projects in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Isiolo and Machakos, Kenya, we’ve come to know Gilbert Mato, the Emergency Response Coordinator for the four D9212 East African countries. Our club has sent teams to visit the area twice.
As you consider D9212’s request, we can attest to the efficiency and skill of Gilbert and his team, many of whom work in large NGOs and have government connections. They have experience in large-scale relief efforts and would be outstanding deployment partners for you.
Thank you for all that you are doing throughout the globe for the world’s most vulnerable people. Your help is so desperately needed.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotarians
Linda Mayger, ShelterBox Ambassador, Janet Kolepp, PDG, D7430, Donna Holton, Bethlehem Morning Star Kenya Project
cc: Leonard Ithau, DG, D9212, Rosey Chege, D9212 Service Projects Chair, Gilbert Mato, D9212 Emergency Response Coordinator
Morning Star Rotarians who passed away in recent years were remembered during the Memorial Service at this year's District Conference. They are remembered and honored for their service to Rotary.
At this past week's 2024 District Conference, Morning Star Rotary was honored as the
#1 CLUB IN THE DISTRICT for contributions to the Rotary Foundation for the 2022-2023 Rotary year. We were also recognized for our efforts in eradicating polio through our contributions to PolioPlus.
Congratulations and thank you to all of our members for their contributions to The Rotary Foundation this past year. Because of your generosity, we are able to continue our humanitarian endeavors in our community and throughout the world.
Any member who attended this year's District Conference and would like to receive the approved subsidy from the club, please submit their conference registration receipt to Jean Searfoss, Treasurer.
On Thursday, April 25, 2004, we were honored to host Sharon Runge, Executive Director, and Faith Doucett, Director of Partnerships and Mentorships, from Kenya Connect. Their presentation shed light on the impactful work of this organization, dedicated to improving education and enriching the lives of children in rural Kenya.
Kenya Connect's innovative programs and strategic partnerships aim to bridge the gap between communities and educational resources, empowering young minds to realize their full potential. Initiatives such as school libraries, computer labs, and literacy programs create nurturing learning environments where children can thrive and develop essential skills for the future. We are optimistic about the prospect of continuing our relationship with Kenya Connect, fostering collaboration to bring much-needed resources to our Kivutina School project.
Thank you for volunteering at last Saturday’s Monocacy Creek cleanup event at Burnside in Bethlehem. The weather was not the best, but you helped remove almost 40 bags of trash, debris, and other bad stuff that would have ended up in the creek, and for that we are very grateful!
There was a shopping cart, a tire on its rim, and two large styrofoam coolers in the mix, and it was all neatly stacked so that the Bethlehem City crews could move along and get it loaded up between Illick’s Mill Road and Union Boulevard.
Our mission at MCWA is to preserve and protect the creek by doing riparian buffer and stream bank restoration work, and of course to keep trash out of the creek. Your help made it possible for us to have a very successful cleanup event.
Our very own Morning Star Rotarian, Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen was recently inducted into Rotary's Arch Klumph Society in recognition of her generous support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations Charlotte on this well deserved honor!
Our People of Action Team is thrilled to announce that Kenya Connect (kenyaconnect.org) will be presenting at our upcoming meeting on April 25, 2024. Let's extend a warm welcome to Sharon Runge, Executive Director, and Faith Doucett, Director of Partnerships and Mentorships, who will be sharing valuable insights into the impactful work of this organization. Kenya Connect is a non-profit dedicated to improving education and enriching the lives of children in rural Kenya. Through innovative programs and strategic partnerships, they strive to bridge the gap between communities and educational resources, empowering young minds to reach their full potential. The People of Action Team were fortunate to connect and visit with this organization during their February visit in Kenya.
At the heart of Kenya Connect's mission lies a commitment to providing access to quality education for all children, regardless of their socio-economic background. Through initiatives such as school libraries, computer labs, and literacy programs, they aim to create a nurturing learning environment where children can thrive and develop essential skills for the future. One of the key pillars of Kenya Connect's approach is community engagement. By fostering strong partnerships with local schools, parents, and community leaders, they ensure that their efforts are sustainable and tailored to the specific needs of each community.
We encourage all members to attend this informative session. We meet on the 5th Floor of the Flatiron Building, 301 Broadway. If unable to attend in person, please join us via Zoom.
Please cut seed potatoes to benefit the food-insecure in a 5-county area. April 21, 2024, at 1:00 pm. District 7430 Rotarians and friends will cut the potatoes at Becker's St. Peter's ELC, 265 Maidencreek Rd., Fleetwood, PA 19522. Donated by Weaver's Hardware. https://rotarydistrict7430.org/.../potato-project-seed.../.
On Thursday, April 11, 2024, Morning Star Rotary held its weekly club meeting at Traditions of Hanover in Hanover Township. Our host speakers were Cathy Heimsoth, Executive Director and Megan Sedlock, Marketing Director of Traditions. Thank you to TOH for hosting this annual meeting and providing breakfast for our members.
Morning Star Rotarians braved the elements on Saturday morning, April 13, 2024, to participate in the MCWA (Monocacy Creek Watershed Association) Stream Cleanup along the historic Monocacy Creek.
Morning Star Rotarians attended the District 7430 STEM-YEA Reverse Ticket Raffle on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the Indian Valley Country Club in Telford. Proceeds from this event benefit this year's Youth Explorer Academy at Kutztown University.
At our April 4, 2024 "Happy Hour Social" MSR Rotarian, Elleni Pippis, was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow for her contributions to The Rotary Foundation. She was presented with her Paul Harris certificate and pin by Tom Hartzell, Foundation Chair. Congratulations Elleni!
Morning Star Rotarians who attended the Rotary Leadership Institute, as students and facilitators, returned to share their experiences and insights with our members at our March 29th meeting.
"RLI seeks to provide quality education in Rotary knowledge and leadership skills to Rotarians interested in enhancing and strengthening their Rotary experience. These educational opportunities teach skills that will benefit the members both in their lives and in their volunteer service and the exchange of ideas among future leaders."
THE ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF NORTHEAST AMERICA, INC.
This year, the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club and Morning Star collaborated and co-sponsored the club-level "4-Way Test Speech Contest". Several members of MSR attended the luncheon on March 20th at Moravian Village and heard three (3) extraordinary BAVTS (Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School) students deliver speeches. Big thanks to Susan Burnett for judging and Sheila Seifert for tallying the votes. The winner, Olivia Stoneback, will compete on April 6th in the regional contest, and hopefully make it to the District Finals April 27th at the District Conference!
At our March 22, 2024 meeting, a team of students from the Creative Inquiry program at Lehigh University shared how they are developing their "PlasTech" System to reduce plastic waste in the Philippines (the 3rd largest plastic polluter in the world). Thanks to the Green Team for introducing us to this fascinating group of smart and ambitious problem solvers! Click Here to view their presentation.
There is still time to support this year's District Conference and become a Friend of the Conference!
Your $100 donation will help support the conference and all the fabulous speakers and activities throughout the weekend! Personal or business sponsorships are welcomed and appreciated. This is a great way to support the conference and DG Diane even if you can't make it!
Secure your sponsorship today by emailing Amy Korman at akkorman1@verizon.net.
Together, we learn! This past Saturday, March 23, 2024, members from our club participated in the Rotary Leadership Institute, which aims to provide quality learning in Rotary knowledge and leadership skills. These skills are invaluable, benefiting members in both their volunteer endeavors within the Rotary community and their professional lives. Additionally, some of our members had the opportunity to serve as facilitators during the sessions.
Rotary encourages conversations to foster understanding within and across cultures. Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering Director of Volunteers Maria Shior gave us some insight at our March 14th meeting into the lives of our street neighbors that come to the warming shelter each winter and the growing need for a year-round emergency shelter.
Our Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty, which is why we support the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter both financially and as volunteers. #PeopleOfAction
Morning Star Rotary's own Susan Burnett was honored with the "2024 Rotary International Women’s Day Rotarian Award" for her exemplary humanitarian service work, both locally and globally, by the Emmaus Rotary Club at their club meeting on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Numerous MSR Rotarians were present to honor Susan as she accepted this award. In addition to receiving a Paul Harris +3 Pin and a crystal plaque, Susan was recognized with a proclamation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Congratulations Susan on receiving these well deserved accolades.
Click "Read More" to view the testimonial from Gilbert Mato of the Rotary Club of Isiolo, Kenya.
At our February 29, 2024 "Leap Day" club meeting, Morning Star Rotary's President-Elect Rodney Conn shared with the membership his experiences at the recent Mid-Atlantic President-Elect Training Seminar (MAPETS). Click Here to view his presentation.
Our speakers at our February 22, 2024 club meeting were MSR Rotarians and Lehigh Valley realtors, Eileen Dunn and Ginny Wolkoff. Eileen and Ginny gave us an informative presentation of historical facts and the direction and trends affecting the current housing market in the Lehigh Valley. Click Here to view their presentation.
Our speaker at our February 15, 20024 meeting was Erin Zebertavage, Downtown Manager of the Southside Arts District. Erin gave us an overview of the organization and highlighted their art installations, revitalization projects, and events.
“Located in the heart of Downtown Bethlehem, the Southside Arts District (SSAD) is a revitalization initiative of the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to improve the economic conditions for businesses and institutions located in the core business district of South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Formally organized in 2015 in partnership with Lehigh University and the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation, the SouthSide Arts District follows the nationally recognized Main Street Four-Point Approach from the National Main Street Program, with volunteer based committees focused on the Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Vitality of South Bethlehem.”
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these Rotarians from serving their community! MSR members serving dinner and providing showers on February 13, 2024 for the guests at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering. Morning Star Rotary provides dinner at BES on three evenings during the winter months.
ShelterBox is working to deliver vital emergency shelter and household items to thousands of individuals in Gaza who have been displaced from their homes.
ShelterBox is committed to responding to the humanitarian needs of those impacted by conflict. Currently, the urgent need is in Gaza, where up to 1.9 million people have been displaced and are forced to seek refuge in community facilities such as schools, makeshift shelters, or exposed areas. Within these makeshift displacement centers, overcrowding is severe, diseases are spreading, and individuals lack necessary protection from harsh weather conditions.
Responding in Gaza will be challenging; however, ShelterBox has extensive experience working in complex crises and getting aid to severely affected areas.
Essential items such as tarps and rope will aid in repairing damaged structures and waterproofing shelters. Blankets, mattresses, pillows, and ground mats will provide warmth and comfort. Additionally, we will be supplying hygiene kits containing essentials such as diapers, toothbrushes, and sanitary items, along with water carriers and kitchen sets to support basic needs.
In 2024, ShelterBox is committed to numerous responses, including ongoing support for communities in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, and beyond.
ShelterBox has initiated an urgent fundraising campaign to address the pressing needs in Gaza and other crisis-stricken areas globally.
Your contribution is crucial in enabling us to swiftly deliver emergency shelter and vital supplies to those displaced in Gaza and beyond. Your support today will directly impact those most in need, ensuring essential aid reaches them promptly.
Morning Star Rotary is partnering with the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club to send one Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech School (BAVTS) student to the District Finals at the District Conference at Wind Creek in April. 4-5 students from BAVTS will compete at the Bethlehem Downtown club's luncheon on March 20, 2024 at Moravian Village beginning at 12:00 PM. Luncheon cost is $18, cash.
What a fantastic live/hybrid club meeting on Thursday morning, February 8, 2024, as we heard via Zoom from Kenya from our “People of Action” team at the Kivutini School in Machakos. We were treated to songs and dances by the school students and able to view all of the work done on refurbishing the school through our District 7470 Grant and the additional projects by our team in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Machakos.
Our Morning Star Rotary “People of Action” team is currently on location in Kenya inspecting our Kivutini School grant project in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Machakos. The team reports that "The smiles and energy of the students is priceless!"
At our January 25th club meeting, Tom Hartzell, MSR Foundation Chair, presented an overview of our club and district Foundation giving and Foundation funded projects for the past and current Rotary year. Click Here to view his TRF presentation. Tom also presented MSR members with Paul Harris Fellow pins to recognize their continued financial support levels of the Foundation.
At our January 18th club meeting, we were joined via Zoom from Istanbul by Yasar Atacik, Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group, who spoke to our members about Rotary's Role in Global Climate Change Discussions and Negotiations. Yasar is a member and past president of Acarkent Rotary Club of Istanbul,Turkey.
Yaşar has been a Rotarian since 2014. One of the reasons Yasar joined Rotary was to bring awareness about environmental and sustainability issues to the attention of an influential group of people, Rotarians. Since then, he helped establish a Carbon Footprint Committee, which later was called Environmental Sustainability Committee at the District level and has supported clubs cultivating projects on sustainability.
He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Turkish Carbon Footprint and Sustainability Association, working mostly with school districts to develop and implement energy efficiency projects at schools.
At the Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, Rotary International President-Elect Stephanie Urchick announced her theme for the 2024-25 Rotary year: THE MAGIC OF ROTARY.
Bethlehem Downtown Rotary Club mourns the loss of one of our members, Bishop Hopeton Clennon.
Hopeton is our Immediate Past President. It is difficult to find the words to honor a man who always had the right words at the right moment. To have known him is to have been blessed by his great smile and infectious laugh, and to have felt comfort and peace every time you spoke.
Our holiday meeting is one of the most wonderful times of the year because the Liberty High School a cappella choir visits. This year they were accompanied by the Grenadier Band - Bethlehem Area School District and, to make the morning even more special, the musical magnificence of our very own Rick Santee on the accordion.
From Victory House:
“Today was a very special day! Morning Star Rotary of Bethlehem invited us out to present us with a $10,000 check to help support our Mission. We also got to enjoy a Christmas concert put on by the choir of Liberty High School Bethlehem PA. We at Victory House are very thankful for all the continuous support by the Morning Star Rotary of Bethlehem.”
HELP NEEDED:We need volunteers on Wednesday evening 12/20 at 7:00 PM to set up in advance of Thursday’s Holiday Meeting at Advent Moravian Church. If you are able to assist, please contact Rick Santee at rsantee@ptd.net. We will also need people to remain after the meeting to clean up and reset the room. Thank you in advance for your help.
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club Grants $10,000 to CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation
BETHLEHEM, PA – December 14, 2023 – Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club proudly announces a significant contribution of $10,000 to CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (CAT). This generous grant aims to support CAT's mission of promoting sustainable and accessible transportation solutions within the community.
The Morning Star Rotary Club has a longstanding commitment to making a positive impact on the local community. Recognizing the essential work carried out by CAT, the club is thrilled to contribute to the organization's efforts in creating a more sustainable and efficient transportation system.
CAT, a prominent non-profit organization, focuses on advocating for and implementing environmentally friendly transportation solutions. The organization plays a vital role in addressing the challenges associated with transportation in our community, striving to make it more inclusive, affordable, and environmentally conscious.
The $10,000 grant from the Morning Star Rotary Club will provide CAT with additional resources to enhance its programs and initiatives. These funds will support the development and implementation of projects aimed at improving public transportation, bicycling education, and pedestrian accessibility.
Club President Betty Isaacs Presents Grant Check to CAT Leadership
The President of the Morning Star Rotary Club, Betty Isaacs, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are delighted to partner with CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation in their pursuit of creating a more sustainable and inclusive transportation landscape. The Morning Star Rotary Club is committed to supporting organizations that contribute to the betterment of our community, and we believe that CAT's work aligns perfectly with our values."
CAT Executive Director, Scott Slingerland, expressed gratitude for the generous grant, saying, "We are truly grateful for the Morning Star Rotary Club's support. This contribution will significantly impact our ability to advance our mission of promoting transportation solutions that are not only efficient but also mindful of the environment and community needs. Together, we can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve."
This collaboration between the Morning Star Rotary Club and CAT underscores the power of community partnerships in addressing pressing issues and fostering positive change.
MSR Club Member & CAT Vice President Jennifer Cunningham
CAT Executive Director Scott Slingerland, VP Cunningham, Board President Bill Meiklejohn
The Morning Star Rotary Kivutini School District Grant project in Kenya is underway and will be complete in the coming weeks. Many parents of the school children are participating in the project which provides some much needed income to those families. The old roof has been removed and the walls are being repaired. Due to inflation, the cost of some goods has gone up but the Machakos Rotary Club (Kenya) members have made up the difference. The MSR Kenya Travel Team cannot wait to get there and paint!
The Women of Action team of Rotary volunteers will be returning to Kenya on our 2nd humanitarian trip January 28th for two weeks. The team will be reviewing the progress of The Rotary Foundation Global Grant at the Ngaremara Dispensary and exploring Phase II options of the project.
As part of this trip we will also be conducting additional service projects including a menstrual health project at the Ngaremara Girls Secondary School. Many of the girls that attend this school live in the area served by the dispensary. This project will begin to create an environment where girls feel supported during their menstrual cycle so they can attend classes and not miss out on their education. The project will include both distributing sanitary pads and basic education in menstrual hygiene. We hope that you will join us in supporting this project by donating to our Be The Good Fund 2.0. You may make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here.
We are grateful for your interest and support of our work in Kenya. We plan to keep you updated via email on the continuing work of the projects. You may also follow us on Facebook @MorningStarRotary
The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, through our program Holiday Hope Chests, has been supporting nonprofit organizations who serve children and youth, primarily underserved youth, with donated shoeboxes filled with gifts for the holidays. Since the program’s inception in 1999, we have distributed 75,000+ boxes in the community supporting on average 45-50 nonprofit organizations each year at the holidays. Making a difference and bringing smiles to children during the holidays is what Holiday Hope Chests is all about.
This year, the nonprofit organizations need almost 9,000 shoe boxes. To meet this need, we are looking for new donors and supporters to help us bring extra smiles to children this holiday season. Can you help?
We are hoping to cultivate new donors in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties, specifically businesses and organizations who have a vested interest in helping the children and families in our community. The Volunteer Center has great systems in place to make this a very simple and organized process to make a difference at the holidays. One shoebox filled with $25 in gifts is all it takes to bring joy during the holidays. Every box is important. And if you want to make a bigger impact, get your co-workers, friends and family involved!
You can easily pledge your boxes below using our online pledge form.
Drop-off location is 1650 Valley Center Parkway, Bethlehem, PA 18017 on the following dates/times: November 30 (1:00 PM to 7:00 PM) / December 1 (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM) / December 2 (9:30 AM to 2:00 PM)
Our greatest needs are gifts for boys, ages 9-10, and gift cards for ages 13+.
Drop off location is the Panther Valley Elementary School at 1 Mermon Ave, Nesquehoning, PA 18240 on the following dates/times: December 4-8 (9AM to 1:30PM) / December 11-15 (9AM to 1:30PM)
The greatest needs are for any gender children, ages 4-10.
The “Salute the Troops” Concert on Sunday, November 12th, honoring our veterans and current members of the US Armed Forces, was a successful and very enjoyable event. The Allentown Band including soloist Chet Brown, the Lehigh Valley Men’s Chorale, and the music students from Northeast Middle School performances were fantastic.
A big MSR “Thank You” to the MSR Rotarians who stepped up to ensure a successful event. Thank you to all MSR Rotarians who sold tickets, solicited sponsors, attended the concert, and those who volunteered to assist on concert day.
Special thanks to all our concert sponsors, especially the major sponsors, Embassy Bank and Wind Creek Bethlehem. Because of all of our sponsors generosity, we are able to continue supporting Victory House of Lehigh Valley and will accomplish many of this year’s other charitable projects.
At our November 9th meeting, MSR Past President Shawn Bariana spoke to our members about the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. PP Shawn is the Community Relations Manager of the Volunteer Center and presented an overview regarding the services provided by her organization along with information about the Holiday Hope Chest project in which our club continues to participate.
Allentown Band: “Wild Symphony” “Salute the Troops”
CLASSICAL VIEW By Karen El-Chaar
…Excerpts from Article, Week of November 1
In observance of Veteran's Day, the Allentown Band will perform its annual “Salute the Troops” Concert this year at Northeast Middle School, Bethlehem.
“I really look forward for many reasons to this annual concert sponsored by the Morning Star Rotary Club of Bethlehem”, says Ron Demkee, Conductor of the Allentown Band. “In addition to performing patriotic music in tribute to veterans and those serving in the armed forces, we invite members of the Northeast Middle School Band and Chorus to perform along with the band in a side-by-side experience.”
Concert selections include…….Proceeds from the Salute the Troops concert benefit Victory House of the Lehigh Valley.
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The concert also includes performances by soloist Chet Brown, Vocal Instructor of the Lehigh Valley Charter School of the Arts, the Lehigh Valley Men’s Chorale, and the Northeast Middle School Select Chorus.
This past Saturday evening, October 21st, the District 7430 Rotaplast fundraiser was held at Pennsylvania Playhouse. Attendees were treated to a fabulous performance of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" and enjoyed delicious food, drink, and fellowship. A basket raffle, 50/50, and a quilt auction all benefited the fantastic work of our district Rotaplast team. Morning Star Rotary was proud to be a club sponsor for this event. A big shoutout and kudos to MSR Rotarian Susan Burnett for all her work on this benefit on behalf of Rotaplast..."What an incredibly amazing evening D7430 Rotaplast had last night at the Pennsylvania Playhouse with “Sweeney Todd”! The thesaurus is not up to the task of describing the evening. The show was phenomenal! Right down to that last second! Darah Donaher (director) and her entire cast and crew should tour! Thank you to all who came out and supported the event. Thank you to the Rotary Clubs and local merchants who sponsored and donated items. All raffle prizes were loved and appreciated. The Clubhouse Grille once again provided amazing food! The talk back with the actors, as with last year, was an enormous hit! Wish we could see it again!!"
What an honor to have our friend Rep. Steve Samuelson of the 135th district be our guest speaker at our October 19, 2023 club meeting! His recent legislation signed by Gov. Shapiro will help vulnerable residents, such as seniors, through the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program by increasing income limits and providing larger rebates for those who qualify.
I am sending you the revised Advertising request form for Sponsors for the November 12 Salute the Troops Concert. The change indicates the information from sponsors and those wishing to have a message naming memorials and In Honor of to come to me. The Program may be different this year. Because of the timing, we may put logos of Sponsors in a separate handout to be given as people enter the concert, plus do a revolving slide show of all of our sponsors with their logos before the concert begins and at the Intermission. This will shorten the actual program and simplify having both parts printed.
Attached is the revised form. We need a serious effort by our Club members to contact companies who may consider sponsoring our major fund raiser which supports Victory House and our other community projects. The Deadline for the Sponsor request is October 25th and November 4th for the In Honor of and the Memorials (which will go into the Program). CLICK HERE to download revised sponsor form.
If you have any question, feel free to email or call me.
Let's make a valiant Rotary effort to reach out to organizations to be sponsors.
Twice a year, Morning Star Rotary offers Audrey Rafferty Memorial (ARM) Education Grants to clients in the St. Luke’s Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) Program. NFP empowers first-time mothers to transform their lives and create better futures for themselves and their babies. Specially educated nurses regularly visit first-time moms, becoming a trusted resource in providing care, support and advice.
The most recent recipient of the ARM Education Grant was awarded a $1,000 grant to assist in the purchase of a computer to aid in her studies at LCCC where she is pursuing a degree in nursing. With the assistance of MSR Rotarian Lynn Milet, she was able to buy the proper computer. In her words “I want to thank you and the Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star for allowing me to have this grant. I am so thankful because now I can accomplish my dream career.”
At this past Thursday's meeting, Margaret Murphy, Executive Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Lehigh Valley, presented a program about the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with mental illness, NAMI Lehigh Valley is the local affiliate who provides support groups and education courses for individuals and their loved ones as well as informative presentations to schools, businesses, clubs, and civic organizations. nami-lv.org CLICK HERE to view presentation.
At our October 12, 2023 club meeting, Bill Erdmann, District 7430 Paul Harris Society Coordinator, presented MSR Rotarian Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen with a Paul Harris Society chevron for her exemplary continual support of The Rotary Foundation! Thank you Charlotte for everything you do for the club and your support of TRF.
We are pleased to announce that the Annual Janet A, Sipple Lectureship is being held this year on this coming Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 5:00 pm in Foy Concert Hall at Moravian University. This year the lectureship is entitled The Power of Nursing and Public Health in Tobacco Control.
Morning Star Rotary will once again support this event. Tickets will be provided to anyone who wishes to attend. Dr. Sipple has been an active and revered member of our club for many years. Please feel free to show your support.
We are pleased to announce that the Annual Janet A, Sipple Lectureship is being held this year on this coming Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 5:00 pm in Foy Concert Hall at Moravian University. This year the lectureship is entitled The Power of Nursing and Public Health in Tobacco Control.
Morning Star Rotary will once again support this event. Tickets will be provided to anyone who wishes to attend. Dr. Sipple has been an active and revered member of our club for many years. Please feel free to show your support.
At our Thursday, September 28th Live/Hybrid Meeting, our own MSR Ray Holton presented a classification talk sharing with club members his personal, professional, and Rotary life story. Ray explained his start in journalism and his rise through the newspaper industry culminating with being editor of the Allentown Morning Call. The shared stories of his extensive sailing adventures with Donna after their retirements were captivating and enjoyable. Ray has been become an integral member of MSR since joining us through our merger with Saucon Valley Rotary.
Ronald C. Searfoss, 76, of Wescosville, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. He was the treasured husband of Jean (Gavin) Searfoss with whom he shared over 41 amazing years of loving marriage. Born in Coaldale on July 25, 1947, he was an adored son of the late George R. Searfoss, and June K. (Weaver) Searfoss. Above all he cherished his time spent with his family and being a phenomenal pappy. He was a beloved youth sports coach and served as a Mason with both his father and his son Brandon, a part of the Porsche Club of America’s Riesentöter region, and a Green Bay Packers owner. Ron was renowned for the infectious joy he elicited as Santa Claus. Ron worked as a CPA, corporate controller, entrepreneur, non-profit financial manager, and college professor. He honorably served his country in the US National Guard. He endlessly served his community as a Rotarian, including as Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary club’s past president and chair of the Salute the Troops concert. Forever a most loving husband (Honey Bunch), Dad, Pop, and Pappy, Ron deeply enriched the lives of his wife Jean; daughter Heather Haas and her husband Jared; sons, Brandon Searfoss and his wife Milly Dignetti, and Cameron Searfoss and his fiancée Victoria Zienkiewicz; grandchildren, Hannah, Gabrielle, Lucas, and Barrett. Also survived by great grandchildren, Antonio, Filomena, and Giovanni; brother, Gregory Searfoss and his wife Sharon. He is now reunited with his house bear Koa.
Our Club put on an excellent 5K experience for the participants in the midst of a cancelled parade and the outer bands of tropical storm Ophelia.
We hosted the 72 valiant runners that showed up out of the 127 registered.
Thanks to all our volunteers.
To paraphrase George Orwell: "All volunteers are equal, but some volunteers are more equal than others."
All did their part, however Mike Long's course management and Jeff Kicska's on-line registration and electronic scoring were instrumental in race success.
President Betty has some leftover race t-shirts for those who would like one.
At a future meeting, we will debrief on the race and the financial results
Thank you all for another great 5K event.
Tom Kolepp, Race Director
And a very special THANK YOU! to Race Director, Tom Kolepp who managed many, many challenges throughout the process - changing venues, coordinating various groups, and having the last minute impact of running a race on an alternative course in a tropical storm! Well done Sir.... and thanks to all for their support!
President Elect Rodney Conn presented “A History of Hats – A Tribute to Morning Star Rotarian Ron Helmuth.” Rodney, who has some involvement with bonsai trees, shared a passion with Ron for all types of hats. Together, they had conceived of a “hat day” program which, tragically they were unable to complete that thought.
For the tribute to Ron, Rodney had a very informative power point video accompanied by impressive examples of his own “hats” to which he modeled and spoke.
SEP 21, 2023 HISTORY OF HATS TRIBUTE TO RON HELMUTH
Mrs. Andrea Richards Tonge, Principal of the Adele School for Special Children, and Ms. Dianne Joseph - Teacher Kindergarten/Beginners Class presented a very impassioned story on "Educating Special Needs Children in Antigua and Barbuda." The school teaches about 60 students per year with an age range from 5 years to 21 years of age. These are all special needs children, primarily affected with autism. The focus is on teaching real life skills. Emphasis is directed to the pace of each student as you can only imagine the challenges of working with such a broad range of ages. For a pdf version of their presentation click Adele School Antigua & Barbuda. (or select the Download File on MSR website www.MorningStarRotary.org.)
Our Morning Star Global Grant partner, the Rotary Club of Isiolo, Kenya was just featured on local TV. The Club was responsible for distribution a huge ( ~$500,000) RI Emergency Grant for famine relief. The report is in Swahili, but project manager Gilbert Mato speaks English. (Gilbert is also the project manager for our Global Grant.) Skip the ads after the first 5 seconds.
We welcomed our program speaker, Joe Tramontana, who presented an update on the Food Pantry at Fountain Hill Elementary. Joe is a member of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity and has been involved in the planning and renovations at Fountain Hill Elementary to build a food pantry for students' families.
An invitation was extended to everyone wishing to attend the Ribbon Cutting Celebration on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
AUG 31, 2023 PROGRAM FOOD PANTRY UPDATE FOUNTAIN HILL ELEMENTARY
Bill Hunter announced at last week's club meeting, Lehigh University will be hosting two teachers from the Adele School for Special Needs in Antigua from September 2-15. Our Morning Star Rotary Club has supported professional development programs at the Adele School several times, including helping to sponsor an Autism program for parents and teachers several years ago.
The two amazing teachers will be staying at the Comfort Suites Hotel in Bethlehem the entire time, and it would be great if members of our club would consider hosting them for dinners, local outings, etc. during their stay.
If you could help us out in anyway, please contact Bill Hunter: wdh3@lehigh.edu or 610-703-6617.
Special thanks to all Morning Star Rotarians for their support.
We had a fantastic presentation from our three rising seniors who leveled up their leadership skills @RotaryCampNeidig this summer!
Remember their names - they're going places!
Among the many positive comments put forth (they had no negative comments, except it needs to be longer):
Maximize team success!
Communication is key. Include everyone in the tribe!
Best part - meeting all the people and connecting.
Step out of your comfort zone!
Trust the process!
Improvement suggestion - all wanted to make it longer!
Did not want to leave....many chat groups and friendships continue!
President Betty Isaacs
Jennifer Cunningham Youth Exchange Coordinator
Phoebe Cunningham Freedom High School
Carleigh Andreas Moravian Academy
Nicholas Moniz Freedom High School
Charlie Incalcaterra Co-Chair Rotary Camp Neidig Committee
Special thanks to all the Rotarians in D7430 who made their experience possible!
Editor's Note to 'Campers': you are now Neidig Ambassadors, asked to share your experiences with fellow students to encourage participation in this wonderful experience!
I hope that everyone is enjoying a safe and happy holiday weekend.
I wanted to update everyone about our two Kenyan grants and invite anyone who is interested to consider coming with us on our next Kenyan working adventure!
Our District Grant - The Machakos School Revitalization School Grant has received final approval from RI. We expect to receive District Grant funds in August and the project will move forward that month as there is a school holiday.
Our Maternal and Child Global Grant has completed all the fine print and the funds have been released to the Isiolo Club. That project will be ongoing for many months and we will provide updates.
Both projects are expected to have additional phases, funded by Rotarians and/or other interested partners so we are planning a second, self-funded trip in late January and would love to include anyone who is interested in joining the team.
Here are the tentative details of the trip:
Dates: Jan 28th - returning Feb 10th (landing in US)
Estimated cost: $3000-$3500: which includes double occupancy lodging, most food, all in-country transportation, economy airfare from JFK (which at this point is around $900) to Nairobi and some fun excursions.
Estimated costs are subject to change and do not include: transportation to JFK, your trip to the travel doctor, visa ($45?), passport, souvenir shopping, alcohol etc..., Last trip, covid vaccines were mandatory to enter the country so if you are an anti-vaxer....
Also note, there is not a single bottle of diet coke in the entire country of Kenya, starting when you get on the plane - but all of the food and drink is delicious
Please talk to Susan (me) Wendy, Janet or Holly if you have additional questions as to how life changing this experience will be. Maximum travelers is 8 (I think) so at this point we have room for 5 more.
We were very happy to welcome District Governor Diane Donaher for her "official visit" as DG, but a homecoming celebration as well. With great enthusiasm - imagine that! Diane spoke to many topics in explaining her vision to be a Beacon of Hope in the District. A key focus is that it is Okay to talk about anxiety. Rotary is fully embracing the need to address mental health and wellness. Diane has a semi-colon tat on her wrist which reminds her and tells everyone to strive to be open to discussion.
Another key to helping Rotary and our communities is to reach out and invite people to help in a service project. Everyone has busy lives, but there are many opportunities outside of meetings to engage people and their families and friends by simply participating in community projects of our clubs.
Diane challenged everyone with the Phone Contact Trick - just click on your phone and look in your contacts to find two people you could invite to an event, project, social, etc.
Bottom line - MORE MEMBERS EQUALS MORE SERVICES!
DG Diane in action (see lighthouse left of bell)
Sue gets Beacon of Hope (lighthouse) award for service!
President Isaacs presented Morning Star plans, (budget, activities and projects) for guiding us in our efforts to Create Hope in the World for 2023-24. President Betty addressed our upcoming community projects and the need for all around engagement - including the exciting new Celtic Classic 10K Race/Walk - starts at the front of the Celtic Parade!
Plans are to have an Area 2 event in the spring with local beer and wine vendors in support of all clubs. We are planning a global grant roadshow headed by the Women of Action team and a Green Team roadshow spreading the word on what we can each do for the environment. Further efforts will focus on our recurring fundraisers.
Betty wrapped up with the video of RI President Gordon McInally giving his inaugural address from Australia at the international convention in June,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you individually and collectively for your contribution to a fantastic 2022-2023 year for the Morning Star Rotary Club for 2022-2023. Because of your team efforts, we were able to accomplish so much serving our community and the world through our service projects locally in addition to our district and global grant projects. We had a stellar year fundraising for our local projects and charitable beneficiaries along with our members record contributions to the Rotary Foundation to support our club’s and RI’s efforts throughout the world. Our successes this past year were truly the result of our members working together to meet our goals.
It was a privilege and honor to serve as your president this past year. Thank you to my fellow officers and the members of the Board of Directors for their support and work on behalf of the club. Along with all the members who stepped up to chair and serve at our various fundraisers and on committees, they ensured that Morning Star Rotary had an incredible year.
Best wishes to President Betty, her leadership team, and all MSR members for another amazing year for Morning Star Rotary.
Also, thank you for a very enjoyable “Kick-Out” party this past Friday. Special thanks to Rodney and Sarabel Conn for hosting and for all your kind comments.
Congratulations to outgoing President Rod Seifert and best wishes to 2023-2024 President Betty Isaacs and the incoming Officers and Board of Directors. Thank you to DG Diane Donaher for administering the oaths of office and AG Kathy Heller and all the Past MSR Presidents for their participation in the ceremony. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2023-2024 serving our community and the world. #PeopleOfAction
Research shows that positive club leadership is a major factor in the growth of a club. Yes, one person can make a difference! But it's the culture you create by working with the Board and engaging all members that will create the successful projects for your community and communities around the world. Rotar President Gordon McInally says that "service is the soil where hope grows!" We look forward to working with you this coming rotary year as we create Hope In The World.
District Governor Donaher swearing in of President Isaacs.
Morning Star 2023-24 Board and Officers
The Traditional "Passing of the Gavel" from all Past Presidents present to Rod handoff to Betty!
Special thanks to Past President Rod and the great team efforts of the membership in achieving a very successful Rotary Year!
President Rod provided a thorough review of all the happenings and activities Morning Star accomplished in the past year. The overwhelming focus was on how the members functioned as a TEAM TEAM TEAM all year long. Click link on website for IMAGINE ROTARY 2022-23 RECAP
A special thank you to President Rod (and Sheila) for a great year positioning the club for continued success!
Four members of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star have traveled over 7,400 miles away to Isiolo County, Kenya for a boots-on-the-ground look at our Rotary Global Grant project. Wendy Ellsworth, Janet Kolepp, Susan Burnett and Holly Sachdev will visit Ngaremara, the center of Rotary's work to improve maternal and child health care. There they will meet with our project partners at the local Isiolo Rotary Club, along with the residents who will benefit from the improved facilities. Back in the United States, Donna Holton continues the planning and coordination of the project, which includes a safe reliable water supply, sanitation, solar energy, training for health workers, diagnostic equipment, and transportation. Together, these five remarkable ladies make up our "Women of Action" team.
Linda Mayger is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her efforts as a ShelterBox representative(Photo courtesy Linda Mayger)
Linda Mayger, of Saucon Valley, is a 2022 recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her efforts as a ShelterBox Ambassador. ShelterBox is an organization that supplies emergency shelter and household items to people who have been forced from their homes by a disaster or war.
“One of the things about ShelterBox is that it’s very tangible about what you’re giving toward. $1,000 gives a box and a tent. $150 gives a toolkit that can help people repair their homes.”
Thank you to NPRWLVR News for highlighting the accomplishments of Linda Mayger, superstar Ambassador and, most recently, President’s Volunteer Service Award honoree!
Click on ShelterBox for the video and more information on ShelterBox! Mayger said her district, which includes the Lehigh Valley, was the No. 1 giving district in the entire country for Shelterbox.
Please reach out to Ambassador Linda and express our thanks for an incredibly successful example of Service Above Self globally!!!
LINDA MAYGER RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR SHELTERBOX!!!
Please use the donate link below as the original link exceeded PayPal protocols. Apologies for any confusion.
Morning Star Rotary Grocery Store Gift Card Project Update
Over the weekend, another $900 of non-Board donations came in, which brings that portion to $2,236 so far. When the $3,500 from the Board ($1,750) and MSR Charitable Org ($1,750) is added, the total is now $5,736.
To make it even easier for anyone to donate, just click DONATE. Please type in that your donation is for Grocery Gift Cards.
At Morning Star Rotary’s most recent board meeting a decision was made to engage in a new fundraiser to purchase grocery store gift cards to be distributed to families in need in the Bethlehem area.
A pool of matching funds has been donated by Morning Star board members and is matched by our Club’s reserves up to $2,000. The funding from the Club budget comes from unused items which will not be expended due to the effects of the pandemic on our operations. The funds from the board members are from donations which they have made as individuals. So far we have $3,500 available to match the donations of our club members and friends of the club who will be asked to donate.
A donation of $25 will result in making a $50 gift card to Giant Food Stores available to a family in need. We will distribute these Gift Cards with the assistance and judgement of school principals in the Bethlehem Area School District, the Director of the Hispanic Center of Bethlehem, and the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem. Further, we are asking Giant Food Stores to add 10% more gift cards to our purchase to enhance the effect of our project.
To make a donation to this project you may go to the “Donate” icon at the top of the Morning Star Rotary home page. Note: you do not need a PayPal account to donate via PayPal - your debit or credit card is fine! The link includes a field for a description or comment. Please type in that your donation is for Grocery Gift Cards. (This same link will be used to collect funds for a variety of club purposes.)
Another option is to mail your check, paid to the order of “Morning Star Rotary”c/o J. Searfoss, Treasurer, 1409 Bogie Ave. Wescosville, PA 18106.
Please share this appeal with people outside of the club membership who you feel may have an interest in this effort. Also, club members are encouraged to donate resources which otherwise would be used for breakfast or Artisan First Thursday meeting expenses, as well as funds which would be expended for other club fund raisers during the balance of this Rotary year.
Our goal is to distribute 150+ gift cards of $50 each to families in need in Bethlehem. Service above Self by People of Action will result in homes with food on the table to our neighbors in need.
Yours in Service,
Mike Long, on behalf of the Morning Star Rotary Board members
We had our annual meeting at Traditions of Hanover February 20, 2020. Our hosts, Executive Director Cathy Heimsoth and Marketing Director Megan Sedlock gave an update on Traditions.
Cathy Heimsoth Megan Sedlock
Executive Director Marketing Director
Key Points
Mission and philosophy of Traditions is closely aligned with Rotary
Independent living focused on the quality of life
Very young “mindset”
Currently 123 residents ranging in age from 72 – 101. Sized for ‘family feel’
70% women/ 30% men (as referenced by Rick Santee and Rod Seifert, from Top Gun “a target rich environment”)
Advocates for seniors throughout the community on what is best for the individual
Family atmosphere throughout
Units are monthly rentals which you furnish to your taste
Special thanks to the folks at Traditions of Hanover for sponsoring this event!
I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! As a rather new member to Morning Star, and second year tri-chair to the Salute The Troops concert, I am humbled to be a part of this most worthy event.
MSR took on the challenge of guaranteeing $15,000 toward a very important need of a generator for Victory House, which was required for a matching District Grant. Thanks to the vision of Ron Helmuth, and grant acumen of Susan Burnett, this venture provided $30,000 to further the effort of Victory House and the care of homeless veterans. Because of a sizable donation from Wind Creek, local business ads, patron support, and concert ticket sales, WE...YOU...MADE IT HAPPEN!!
Thank you for selling tickets. Thank you for placing ads. Thank you for attending. Thank you for caring. Thank you to Gary Hartney and Rodney Conn. A special thank you to Jean Searfoss for the excellent Program Book. And especially Pat DiLuizio for his passion and leadership of Victory House.
If you were not able to witness, in person, the effect this concert has (on a packed house)...please place it on your bucket list. There were so many inspirational moments....vets proudly standing for their country, middle school students getting a glimpse of duty, country, honor. A program of excellent concert material performed by one of the most impressive, (and oldest) American bands, willing to partner with middle school aged students. AND an entire inter-generational audience proudly singing, "God Bless America'!
Thank you Brian Rupnick, Denise Parker, Ron Demkee, and fellow Rotarians, for doing your part to fulfill the promise of Service Over Self!
Gayle Justice
Note: we please request that you get your remittances in for ads, concert tickets and patron support. Thank you!
Last Thursday we had the pleasure of a 'classification talk' by Zach Ainslie. Turns out Zach has been an avid outdoorsman since a very early age. Started rock climbing with his father at age 3! Hiking, camping, etc, led to eventually a career as an Arborist with Bartlett which allows him to apply his expertise while spending most time outdoors. Zach is also a pipe lover, being a member of two actual pipe clubs in the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia. He admits to having over 50 pipes and actually smokes all on a rotating basis.
Dad, younger brother & Zach
Dad & Zach on the way up!
Thanks Zach. We are happy to have you as part of our Morning Star Rotary family.
MANY thanks to both of you, the whole race committee, and all who helped and supported the 2019 Morning Star Rotary Celtic Classic 5K!
To my knowledge, all the income and expenses have been recorded as of 10/31/19.
While we have heard that the number of participants at other races in the Lehigh Valley have dwindled in recent years, the registration income for our 5K holds steady ($7,132 this year vs $7,387 last year).
When we add in the $1,062 early registration income processed in the 2018-19 Rotary year, Total Income for the 2019 Race is $11,244 (vs Budget $11,000).
Expenses are $4,591, or $909 less than the $5,500 Budgeted.
Including the $1,062 early registrations, the Net Income is $6,653, or $1,153 better than the Budgeted $5,500!
On October 31 we had an appearance by Robbie Donno, a Rotarian from the Manhasset Club and Past Governor of District 7255. It was 1975 when Robbie read an article in the Rotarian magazine about a nurse in Uganda who needed facial surgery after being mauled by a hyena. Communications technology being what it was at that time, the nurse received treatment in Australia before Robbie could respond BUT, along the way, he met a 5 year-old girl who needed heart surgery. He arranged to have her transported to New York for the life-saving operation. That was the first of what has become over 35,000 heart surgeries provided by the Gift Of Life International organization founded by Robbie. Their unique stories revolve around the single idea that somewhere in this world, there were people who extended help, hope and love when there was no other relief in sight and those people were Rotarians! GOL is stronger than ever and hopes to provide over 3,500 operations this year. 93+% of children born with a congenital heart defect are born in a country where there is no hope for treatment. GOL now operates in 80 countries across five continents. Their initiatives are supported by 286 Rotary Clubs and 63 Rotary Districts.
Robbie with nephew, MSR's Jeff Kicska. Jeff credits his uncle as his inspiration to do good things!
In background are the latest recipient and on the right the first recipient of the GOL!
One person can really make a difference. Given his vocational background, Robbie refers to himself as "a garbageman who does heart surgery on the side."
THANK YOU TO ALL DISTRICT 7430 ROTARY CLUBS AND ROTARIANS!
SPECIAL THANKS TO TOM & JANET KOLEPP WHO PARTICIPATED REPRESENTING MORNING STAR. Tom completed the run! They raised nearly $400 for polio!
Our Purple Pinkie Race to Zero has raised $55,000 to date and all 45 of our clubs participated!
With the Gates Foundation match, over $165,000 will be donated for Polio Eradication!
If you missed the event and would still like to make an online donation to Polio Plus, we will keep the donation website open until October 26. Go to www.purplepinkie.net, click on "fundraising and donations". All donations made by Rotarians will be credited to you for your Paul Harris Fellow.
If you held a virtual event and raised money for Polio Plus, please respond to this email with details.
Thank you for your support to Eliminate Polio in the World!
Special thanks to Stephanie Oakley, RN, from the Bethlehem Health Bureau for a very informative program and the administration of the latest flu vaccines.
Stephanie's talk focused on what you need to know to protect yourselves and others.
What You Need to Know
•The best way to prevent getting the flu this year is to get vaccinated!
•Everyone 6 months of age or older should get vaccinated every flu season.
•Even though flu season does not start until October, the vaccine could take up to 2 weeks to achieve full effect so it’s best to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
•Besides getting the flu vaccine, the best way to prevent the flu is by washing your hands and staying away from sick people to prevent germs from spreading.
Note: to transmit the flu, you must have it! Please adopt the "HERD IMMUNITY"mentality - the more people getting vaccinated, the greater protection to everyone!
The presentation is available to review on our MSR website under the DOWNLOADS section "FLU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW".
Please take this opportunity to educate yourself and others.
The information was quite sobering especially to so many of us considered "seasoned Rotarians!"
Check with your Primary Care Provider if in doubt.
Due to Musikfest, our August 1st First Thursday meeting will not be held at the Artisan. Instead, we will be meeting with the Saucon Valley Club at Black River Farms (www.black-river-farms.com).
Black River Farms is a vineyard and winery locally owned and operated in Bethlehem. They are located a 2472 Black River Road. Their Tasting Room and Outdoor Patio will be open for us on August 1st, from 5:30 until 7:00. Snacks will be provided and wine and beer will be available for purchase. Our normal meeting fee of $10.00 will apply.
JOIN US TO SHARE ALL THINGS ROTARY!
WE WELCOME OUR COLLEAGUES FROM ALL ROTARY CLUBS TO JOIN US!
INVITE COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR FUN NIGHT OF NETWORKING AND SOCIALIZATION AT BLACK RIVER FARMS!
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MIXER - BRING YOUR BUSINESS CARDS!
All are welcome for fellowship and to learn more about Morning Star Rotary!
Mark your calendars for August 1!
REPLACES MORNING MEETING
See you at Black River Farms!
NOTE: We will reconvene at the Artisan for our September First Thursday Meeting on September 5th
Our “ARM funraiser” was enjoyed by many people once again. The food was excellent as many guests expressed enthusiasm for “Butch’s Sauce”!
REMINDER
As you often hear, the job is not finished until the paperwork is done. If you have not as yet submitted payment for your tickets, please bring to this Thursday's meeting or send to Chair Val or Treasurer Jean.
Threshold - a point of entry or beginning. For Ron, he has passed another threshold. We are all better for his journey through our midst. We will remember him with the love he shared with all of us. Saturday, April 20, between 2:00 - 4:00pm you are invited to visit and remember with Ron's family at Cantelmi - Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St, Bethlehem, PA. A memorial service will take place next month at First Presbyterian Church Bethlehem (Details to come.)
At this week's meeting, April 18, we will welcome Todd Repsher, Director of Safety with Bethlehem Area School District. Todd will be sharing "Safe to Say" program that is part of the Sandy Hook Promise that PA has instituted across the state.
Next Thursday April 25, we will have the opportunity to visit TJ Elementary School. This Rotary Road Trip was rescheduled from the coldest day of the year in January. Our club will be hosted by Tracey Hirner, principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, 404 E North St, Bethlehem, PA 18018, just a few blocks from our regular meeting place.
Our March 28 meeting featured Rugby players sharing their amazing experiences on the pitch!
Many thanks to Judy Smullen & Rick Santee, both hookers... (one of the positions on a rugby team 🏉). Their anecdotes of games past, teams played, friends made, and bars where they were thrown out had the Morning Star Rotarians in stitches. What a fascinating sport, requiring strength, fitness, and agility of the entire team. (Credit - Shawn Deiter/Facebook)
The Upcoming Events as presented on the Bulletin is limited to approximately a 60 day window. If you go to the Morning Star Website, you will see the current full list of over 5 events covering all the way through the District Governor Changeover on June 24. There is a mixture of Morning Star, Area 2 and District events we are fully engaged in one way or another. It also is included in the Downloads section. This also gives an easy reference below.
What is important is your participation and support of our Foundation. Please join in a wonderful night of fellowship and celebration.
Your $50 ticket for celebrating the FUN in fundraising at the Foundation Gala "Costumes for a Cause," on March 23, 2019 includes dinner (choice of chicken, beef or vegetarian) and dancing. There will be opportunity to bid on silent auction baskets and participate in the 50/50 raffle. Cash bar too!
If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to email, text or call DGN Janet (484-241-1252.)
Make your reservation now (here!) Cutoff for reservations is March 17!
The time to step up is now.This is our Area 2 project where we collaborate to produce 40,000 meals for the food insecure in our area communities. The event is Saturday March 9th at the Moravian College Haupert Student Union Building at 1119 Monocacy St. (the same building as last year).
Signup/registration can be easily done by clicking on the link below. Club members can simply pick your shift(s) one at a time, click "Myself", add your cell #, Save, and you're done!
Or ANYONE (all ages of family, friends, co-workers students (receive community service credits) and potential Rotarians) can click AREA 2 OUTREACH FOOD PROJECT UNDER Upcoming Events on the right side of this page and click the box Rotary Food Packaging Event 2019. This takes you directly to the sign up lists.
Sat. March 9th is rapidly approaching. We need participation commitment ASAP. Reach out beyond Rotary. This is one great opportunity to show Rotarians working with the community.
John Oesmann (973-479-3146) or myself, Ron Searfoss (rsearfos@ptd.net; 610-504-1460) will be happy to sign up anyone with the enthusiasm to help others and have great fellowship in the process.
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW.
Thank you!
John Oesmann Ron Searfoss (rsearfos@ptd.net)
Cell 973-479-3146 610-504-1460
This service opportunity project is open to all who share the Inspiration of SERVICE ABOVE SELF!
What better way to get "hands on" and learn about Rotary while helping our communities.
In 2016 the Charlotte & Tore Hartmann-Hansen Community Grant (HH Grant) was established by our club. The grant, awarded annually to honor Charlotte & Tore's dedication to the work of Rotary, will continue their legacy of impact locally & globally.
On Valentine's Day we celebrated the generosity of Charlotte & Tore to insure the legacy of this grant, with thePDG Tore & Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen Endowment Fund through The Rotary Foundation and the Tore & Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen Fund for Bethlehem Morning Star Charitable Organization through the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. Proceeds from these two permanent funds will match an additional 50% of the award given annually through the HH Grant.
District Governor Cindy Hornaman also joined us to recognize Charlotte & Tore for achieving The Rotary Foundation - Major Donor Level 4.
Our dear MSR friends certainly are an inspiration to us all!
What could be more appropriate on St. Valentine's Day than a Love Story? This day at our meeting we will be celebrating our favorite couple, PDG Tore & Charlotte Hartmann-Hansenand their Rotary "love story!" This love story of theirs certainly includes their gift of time for 30 years to Rotary and MSR.
District Governor Cindy Hornaman will join us to recognize the significant contributions to The Rotary Foundation by PDG Tore & Charlotte. There will also be some special surprises that day - so please make sure to be there!! The celebration will include an exciting announcement for the future of Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary.
Our speaker, Mary Jo Hebling, will introduce us to the International Institute for Restorative Practices, a graduate level entity with a global reach, and headquartered in Bethlehem.
Those of our members involved in education likely are aware of this important work.
Come and hear the latest creative thinking on conflict resolution by one of Bethlehem's own.
Who are we in the Lehigh Valley as to race and economics? How is that changing, and how does this inform civic-minded clubs and individuals?
Sharon Brown has spent a career advocating for minority student populations, at Lehigh, Moravian, and most recently at East Stroudsburg University, and is highly qualified to speak to their unique challenges.
The topic is particularly of interest to Rotary Clubs, who struggle to attract a membership that reflects the make-up of their communities.
Sharon provided an overview of Demographics from 2018 for Lehigh and Northampton counties. Significant changes noted were:
Increased ethnic diversity
Increase in religious communities
More ethnic and diverse restaurants
Increase in language diversity
Increased presence of LGBTQ community
Greater inclusion in community events
Increase in small minority owned businesses
There are very real Barriers to continued development:
Lack of awareness
Inability to examine with a critical lens
Inability to challenge structural barriers
Unwillingness to examine one's own biases and beliefs (both conscious and unconscious)
Conscious silence - take action as an individual
Fear
Prime example: there many, many non profit boards in our communities which do not reflect the reality of the organizations they guide.
Conscious silence must be overcome.
A willingness to explore the field of different flowers.
Close, well-seasoned friends,
Sharon Brown and MSR's Janet Sipple
Thank you Sharon for a most enlightening program!
We look forward to working with you in the future.
We had the pleasure at our January 3, meeting to have Bill Tuszynski, District Shelter Box Chair, provide an in depth update on the status of Shelter Box. There continues to be evolutions in design and adaptations to address changing needs.
Last year placements exceeded 200,000 units with the five year plan to provide over 1,000,000 units deployed throughout the world annually.
Support for the program derives primarily from individual Rotarians globally and a modest corporate support level. It is not supported financially by RI. So every dollar you give to Shelter Box makes a significant difference.
It is with much sadness that I share longtime Morning Star Rotarian, Dick Roberts passed away on Saturday, January 5, 2019. Dick was a charter member of our club and served the club as President. Dick was especially proud of serving as President while we raised $50,000 over two years in support of the St. Luke's Union Station Dental Clinic.
We will be honoring Dick with a memorial donation.
REMINDER Sponsors, Advertisers, etc. DUE by Nov. 1st!!!
Who? The Allentown Band will entertain Rotarians, friends, family, veterans, students and the general public
What? An excellent concert by the oldest municipal band in the country, featuring patriotic and related songs.
When? Sunday, Nov. 18 at 3:00 pm
Where? Northeast Middle School’s new Auditorium
1170 Fernwood St., Bethlehem
(Parking very close, and easy access)
Why? To benefit Victory House of the Lehigh Valley and other Morning Star Rotary charities. Many of those served by Victory House are Veterans.
How can you help?
Be or find a Sponsor - ad in the concert program book.
Become a Patron (listing in the concert program book) or recognize an active or veteran member of the Armed Services with an “In Honor Of” listing. (Get the form at meetings, or from Downloads on the club home page.)
Buy (or sell) the 6 tickets (or more!) which will be given to each member by chair Gary Hartney. Adult ticket price remains $10, and a special Student rate of $5 is offered to encourage attendance.
Post concert flyers in grocery stores and anywhere else potential concert-goers might see them!
Help the day of the concert with taking tickets, ushering, etc.
Enjoy the concert with family and friends!
The flyer plus the form for Sponsors/Patrons/"In Honor Of" listings are available in downloads on our homepage, and they were emailed to all members for easy access. Hard copies are also available at club meetings.
Questions? Contact Gayle Justice gljustice55@gmail.com or 610-597-8846
Adrian Shanker, Executive Director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, is a leader in LGBT health advocacy with a decade-long history of working for LGBT legal, social, and health equity. Adrian is an accomplished organizer, having led numerous successful campaigns to advance LGBT rights in municipalities across Pennsylvania, including non-discrimination protections, relationship recognition ordinances, and laws to protect LGBT youth from conversion therapy.
A specialist in LGBT health policy, Adrian has developed leading-edge campaigns to advance health equity for LGBT Pennsylvanians, through policy, behavioral, and clinical changes. Adrian is co-author of "Queer and Quitting: Addressing Tobacco Use as an LGBTQ Issue" a chapter in The Routledge Handbook for LGBTQIA Administration and Policy (Taylor & Francis, 2018).
In addition to his leadership at The Center, Governor Tom Wolf appointed Adrian as a Commissioner on the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Pennsylvania Department of Health's Office of Health Equity, as a member of ACLU of Pennsylvania's Board of Directors, and the Board of the Non-Profit & Business Partners Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Hope to see you at this very special, contemporary program.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do! ~Steve Jobs
You can see that LOVE all around us!! September, October & November is a busy time for Morning Star Rotarians. Celtic Classic 5K, Salute the Troops Concert, Dictionary Project, Janet Sipple Lecture & "Why Zero Matters" Dinner. Foundations & Grants, Youth Services, and Bethlehem Emergency Shelter groups are meeting to strengthen the work of Rotary in Bethlehem. The Program Committee have "not to miss" programs planned. Morning Star Rotary is doing great things!! We are grateful ❤
Gayle Justice featured next to MSR President Elect Ron Helmuth, dazzled us with her musical life story from banking to teaching, and now enjoying her grandchildren in retirement.
Gayle has always been extremely talented and we so look forward to having our own "drama queen” being fully engaged in Rotary!
Who else comes to a Rotary meeting with a pitch pipe?
Michael McGovern, Chair of Polio Plus Committee - Rotary International, will be our special guest as we honor District 7430 efforts to eliminate polio through contributions to The Rotary Foundation and the two District 7430 Yvette M. Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K Run & Fun Walk being held in October.
THIS IS A DISTRICT 7430 EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE HOTEL BETHLEHEM. PLEASE REGISTER EARLY TO ENSURE ACCESS!
Your donation to The Rotary Foundation helped us raise more than $414 million last Rotary year. Rotarians are hard at work providing opportunities for communities that need our help most. That means more clean water, less disease, and hope for a peaceful world.
Thank you for your continued support of The Rotary Foundation.
On August 30, we were very pleased to welcome back to our Rotary family Iryna Levytska. Iryna, Alex Shnaydruk and daughter Victoria return to us from Ukraine via Belgium. We welcome them all back and are very happy to see them again.
Victoria is quite the young lady. She was entertaining us at the last First Thursday.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. ~Confuscios
Rotarians. That's what we are about - doing. We get it. We understand that the work of Rotary brings understanding and peace to those we serve .... and to ourselves.
There are numerous MSR opportunities this fall to "do it" - Celtic Classic 5k, Dictionary Project, Purple Pinkie Lehigh Valley, Janet Sipple Lecture & Why Zero Matters Dinner and Salute the Troops Concert.
“....please remember there’s nothing nobler than serving a cause greater than your own self-interest.” -Senator John McCain
As you all are aware, because of Rotary I find connection all around us. On a recent weekend once again that point was brought close again. As I watched the funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC; this quote was shared by those speaking about the life of service that John McCain gave to this country. I realized that our Rotary motto "Service above Self!" is another way to state it. As Rotarians we have committed to a cause greater than ourselves - doingThe Work of Rotary; serving humanity and making a difference.
At the August 24th meeting, Tom & I had the opportunity to share with you some of the experiences we had at the International Convention in June. From the incredible speakers at the opening ceremonies, to meeting with new friends and old, to breakout sessions on The Future of Rotary and Corporate Social Responsibility we left the convention feeling inspired to come back to MSR and our Bethlehem community and commit our self to The Work of Rotary.
YIRS,
Plan-it Janet
THIS THURSDAY!!
Flu Vaccines, and Inoculation Myths
Dr. Richard Hjorth will speak to us on this timely subject.
This is a perfect project for all Rotarians and friends; those who do not pick can help by (1) serving freshly cut French fried potatoes and drink to other volunteers, (2) taking pictures, (3) assisting with boxes on pallets for others to load, or (4) smiling.
Exchange students, Rotaract and Interact members and children and grandchildren are welcome too, provided you supervise them with qualified adults.
Please share this opportunity with your Area Presidents and other constituents and other friends and let me know how many will participate by September 20, 2018. This is a change of location with better parking than the church field we previously picked. This supersedes my August 22, 2018 email about the other location. Thanks, Bob
Kamran Afshar is the Lehigh Valley’s preeminent economist, and a member of our sister club, Bethlehem Rotary.
Kamran has just completed his latest survey of Lehigh Valley businesses, providing a current outlook for the immediate economy. Even more intersting will be his insight into the Lehigh Valley’s directions and growth and what the future bodes for the Lehigh Valley.
Dr. Afshar has presented to our club in the past, though not for a number of years. His outlook is both timely and timeless for anyone engaged in leadership of any kind in our community.
Be sure to come and hear about our Lehigh Valley economic status Thursday, August 23, 2018.
Last Thursday, Morning Star 💫 Rotarians Rick Morrissey (a passionate birder) and Geoff Wright, VMD introduced us to the fascinating raptors living in & migrating through the Lehigh Valley including kestrels, bald eagles, hawks, and falcons. Geoff, a veterinarian, is a go-to resource for treating wounded raptors. He operates on anywhere from 6 to 60 injured raptors per year.
Morning Star Rotarian Tom Hartzell has been a committed leader rallying club members on behalf of The Rotary Foundation, which supports much-needed Rotary programs throughout the world. Past District Governor Doug Cookhelped us honor Tom this week for his own generous contributions and awarding him with the title, “Major Donor Level 1.” Congratulations, Tom!
Whenever you see a Spotted Lantern Fly - KILL IT!!!!Both Northampton & Lehigh Counties are part of the quarantine areas, so we need to continue to report it. To be helpful, if you travel outside these counties inspect your vehicle so not to have any SLF "hitchhikers" traveling with you. There are really no known predators to these creatures. There are pesticides that work. It is the property owners’ responsibility to use whatever means they can to destroy them and get rid of them.
Attend a webinar on 16 August 2018, 8:30-9:30 Chicago time (UTC-5), to learn about and promote Rotary Global Rewards. Rotary Global Rewards is our member benefits program for Rotary and Rotaract club members and Rotary program alumni. It offers discounts on products and services. Find out how you can take advantage of these special offers, post your own, or choose offers that give back to Rotary. If you can’t attend the live webinar, just register and we’ll send you a recording.
Thank you to all that have signed up to participate in one of the important committees or working groups. Specifically we are still looking for leadership in the following areas:
Holiday Party Coordinator
Kick-Out Party Coordinator
There is still time to sign up: (Click here!) There will also be a signup sheet at the August 9th weekly meeting.
Just a reminder to signup for our weekly duties. The club meetings run well when we all help make it happen!!
Received from Tracey Hirner, Principal, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. Pictures of the lettering recently hung at TJE. This is a big part of creating their Leader In Me Culture throughout the building. The mural (seen previously in our Bulletins) will be hung by the end of the summer as well.
Please welcome Zachary Ainsley and Gregory Scarlato as our newest Morning Star members. Zach is from forest resource management where he is an ISA Certified Arborist. Greg comes to us from the banking industry where he is a Business Development Officer.
We look forward to hearing from them in the near future as they tell their stories to the club.
Please introduce yourself to them. Easy to identify - they are so young and enthusiastic!
Our July 26th meeting was a presentation on 9 years of student and Rotary service projects in Antigua & Barbuda by MSR Dr. Bill Hunter, Director, Fellowship Advising & United Nations Programs at Lehigh University. Bill has been directly engaged in these projects and has been instrumental in guiding the efforts of many Lehigh students in trips to the islands to participate in accomplishing many projects. These have been done with the Ministry of Education and support of the partner Sun Down Rotary Club.
Bill does Q&A
Sadly, last year Antigua and Barbuda, the sister island in its nation, were devastated by hurricanes. Fortunately Antigua with a population of nearly 70,000 was spared the brunt of the storms. Barbuda, with a population of around 2,000 was totally devastated.
While Bill went through the previous successes of Lehigh's projects, his focus was on the current state of the islands with a look to the future.
Possibilities
Principal / Teacher Exchange this fall
Lehigh-led Disaster Preparedness Center
Graduate cohort in Education Administration
Rotary Grant to support Autism detection and treatment
Annual service trips expand to include NGOs, Youth groups and environmental sustainability projects
As Morning Star moves forward with its plans, we ask serious consideration be undertaken to find means to help these people recover and move forward. Global grant evaluations, partnerships with other clubs, etc. are among the opportunities.
Every three years, Rotarians meet in person at the Council on Legislation to review and vote on proposed changes to the legislation that governs Rotary. They consider enactments, which change Rotary’s governing documents, and position statements by the RI Board. Much of the work is now done in advance via webinars and online sessions. The next Council on Legislation will take place in April 2019.
PDG Doug Cook will represent our district at this session. The cost to hold these meetings is provided through an assessment to clubs each year. In the recent past the assessment was $1.50 per member, however this year the cost has been reduced to only $1.00. If you have any questions about the Council on Legislation, please don't hesitate to ask me.
Joan Paul, Morning Star Rotarian who has moved, was at TASTE OF EVANSTON (IL), Sunday, July 8, 2018. She figured she should be representing Morning Star!
Thought she would share the fun with all of us.
Evanston is the home of Rotary International headquarters. Would imagine there are some excellent turnouts to support the community!
Please take this opportunity to show your support of our Rotary work and sign up to participate in one of the important committees or working groups. We can't do it without you! (Click here!)
There will also be a signup sheet at the weekly meeting.
Our program this Thursday will feature Dr. Bill Hunter, MSR, Director, Office of Fellowship Advising and UN Programs at Lehigh University. He will be discussing 9 years of
Student and Rotary service projects in Antigua & Barbuda,
Lehigh’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education,
The devastation caused by successive hurricanes and
Future potential initiatives.
Promises to have lots of photos, video and heartwarming stories.
Please join us for what may lead us to our next Global Grant project.
Our July 19th meeting was the annual Camp Neidig update with input from our MSR support team, the incomparable Rick Morrissey and Charlie Incalcaterra.
Rick has been our ace recruiter for a number of years seeking out appropriate high school juniors to be scholar campers sponsored by Morning Star. He spoke to how students begin the process of getting to know one another even in the time it takes to drive down to the camp. Bonding starts.
Next Charlie, (seasoned District Camp Co-Director) reprised the speech he gave at the end of Camp, encouraging the students to seek out and talk to their political representatives to voice their views and have an impact in Harrisburg and Washington. After all, they will be able to vote next year!
The highlight of the event was camper Mariah Nagle, Cheryl Baker’s daughter, who told us about learning how to lead by listening (rather than talking loudly over others) and the close connections forged in just a few days together. Watch and listen closely to see how this self-avowed introvert evolved from “why did I come to this god awful place” to someone with a whole lot of new friends who learned the best way to lead is to listen, communicate and talk to people. As Rick summed it up “Mariah GETS IT!!!” See Mariah'sTransformation here.
Congratulations Mariah. All your friends at Morning Star are so very happy for you.
On July 1 each year, around the world, the succession of leadership takes place in every Rotary Club. I am the 29th president that has been chosen to lead our club. MSR has a wonderful tradition of leadership symbolized by "passing the gavel" and the "kick-out" party. What a great gathering we had last Thursday to honor outgoing President Cheryl. Thank you to all that contributed food and a special thanks for our hosts, John & Carrie Oesmann.
Succession planning is absolutely vital to every club that wants to continue to have impact in their communities. Next year Ron Helmuth will have an encore presidency. But the future is uncertain. Who will lead MSR the following year? Could it be you?
Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, alumni, and leaders from around the world connected in Toronto during the Rotary International Convention. At the general sessions and workshops, on social media, and in the House of Friendship, they shared ideas, learned from world class leaders, and made new friends. Check out the highlights and get inspired for another amazing Rotary year:
During the Rotaract Preconvention, Rotaract’s 50th anniversary was celebrated by exchanging ideas, learning from engaging speakers, connecting with Rotaractors and Rotarians from around the world. Download workshop presentations.
The Rotaract panel shared their experience in Rotary’s six areas of focus, and how Rotaractors and Rotarians can work together to create positive change in local communities and around the world.
Capture the moment in Hamburg – register now for the 2019 Rotary International Convention.
Our last meeting was a celebration “Kick-Out President Cheryl” wonderfully hosted by Carrie and John Oesmann at their home on Broad Street. The festivities were well attended and a great time was had by all.
See our FaceBook for additional pictures.
Thank you to Cheryl and the members for a great year!
"Never underestimate the importance of having fun" - Randy Pausch
Though Morning Star Rotary has a strong legacy of having fun, often clubs become so entrenched in their habits that they forget to have fun. If Rotary isn’t fun, how can we inspire the hearts of our members? How can we increase our membership? How can we survive? So weekly we continually ask ourselves that important question:Is it fun? And.....in that spirit, see you on Thursday as we "kick-out" past president Cheryl and have some fun!!
The strategic plan was reviewed at the July 5th meeting. This plan is a work in progress and will continue to guide and direct the work of Rotary for our club.
Working groups have been formed with the objective to strengthen the strategic areas of focus as follows:
Engaged Members: reorganize the member engagement process that recruits, engages and retains members.
Impactful Projects: this group will collaborate, support and develop new ideas for projects in transition and project management.
Community Awareness:- organize a process to develop the “message”; use already existing Rotary branding resource and Social Media
The Foundation & Grants committees will start to look at our Charitable Account to better leverage resources that will continue the good work of this club in meeting the needs of our local and global communities.
As part of the strategic planning process, we are asking all Morning Star Rotarians to volunteer for the project and fundraiser committees that you want to serve on during the 2018-2019 Rotary year. This may be accomplished by visiting the website here or using the signup sheets that will be at the July meetings.
Last Thursday we had our annual Changeover Meeting. The program was emceed by AG Ron. We had a great time thanking everyone, conducting our traditional “Past Presidents Passing of the Gavel” and installing our new President Janet after raising President Cheryl to that exalted position of “Past President”.
Cheryl and Janet have worked diligently to focus on our strategic plan going forward, and to provide the added benefits of continuity in focus and management. Thank you Cheryl for all your efforts this past year and helping establish an ever stronger base upon which we will continue.
BETHLEHEM AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES HARTMANN-HANSEN COMMUNITY GRANT FROM ROTARY CLUB OF BETHLEHEM MORNING STAR
BAPL Press Release 6-21-18
(Bethlehem, PA) -- TheBethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) is pleased to announce it is the 2018 recipient of the Charlotte & Tore Hartmann-Hansen Community Grant, presented by the Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star. The grant award of $2,500 will support the renovation of the Bob Cohen Room at BAPL, and was presented to Library Executive Director Josh Berk, Development & Marketing Specialist Kate Racculia, and Amy Miller Cohen, widow of Bob Cohen, by Club President Cheryl Baker and Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen on Thursday, June 21.
The Cohen Room--the former children’s room on the first floor of BAPL--currently shows the wear of over 50 years of use. It is in the process of being refurbished and updated into a multi-use community room, to host concerts, lectures, meetings, plays, art galleries, workshops and other community-driven events. The room honors the memory of late Library Board member, donor, and dear friend--and dedicated Rotarian--Bob Cohen.
“We are so grateful for this generous gift,” said Berk. “With construction about to begin, it’s an exciting reminder that the Cohen Room truly is a place for the community to come together. We thank Morning Star Rotary and the Hartmann-Hansen family for helping bring the room closer to becoming a new space for the public to enjoy.”
The grant, named in recognition of Charlotte and Tore Hartmann-Hansen’s commitment, dedication, and love of Rotary, is awarded annually by the Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star to continue their legacy of service and impact locally and globally.
Photo, L to R: Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, Cheryl Baker, Josh Berk, Kate Racculia, Amy Miller Cohen
About the Bethlehem Area Public Library
On December 1, 1900 nine prominent women from Bethlehem’s north, south and west sides met to “consider the need of a Public Library in the Bethlehems and to devise methods by which it might be established.” On February 1, 1901 the doors to the free reading room and library officially opened to the public, and the Bethlehem Area Public Library has faithfully served the community since. Committed to the public good, the Library educates, informs, and inspires by providing community, engagement, and free and open access to materials and information. www.bapl.org
About the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club
Members of the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club are community and business leaders dedicated to making the world a better place, and are part of a world-wide fellowship of 1.2 million. SERVICE ABOVE SELF is Rotary's motto, and fun, fellowship and community involvement empowers them to meet this worthy goal.
I want to introduce you to my "alter" ego Plan-It Janet.
Each week you will find her here at the bottom of the page, sharing a short quip from the world of Rotary. The main focusof our weekly bulletin will be to keep you informed about current projects, programs and events of the club.
I'm looking forward to serving with you this year as we continue strengthening the work of Rotary around our community!
YIRS, Janet
PLEASE JOIN US THURSDAY JULY 5 AT 7:30 AM WHEN PRESIDENT JANET WILL PRESENT THE PROGRAM FOR MSR TO BE THE INSPIRATION!
NOTE - MORNING MEETING - NO FIRST THURSDAY EVENING MEETING FOR JULY !!!
The District 7430 Changeover was conducted at Brookside Country Club in Macungie. Worthy of note was how new President Janet Kolepp was kept quite busy from the performance recognition of the Morning Star Rotary Club! MSR was acknowledged for having a net +6 increase in Membership for the 2017-2018 Rotary year. In addition we had a 96% retention rate.
Of the 47 clubs in the District, 11 were recognized for successfully completing the District Governor's Certification. Congratulations to all MSR as you achieved this worthy goal as a result of your club efforts!
VOLUNTEER FOR THE PROJECT AND FUNDRAISER COMMITTEES
As part of the strategic planning process, we are asking all Morning Star Rotarians to volunteer for the project and fundraiser committees that you want to serve on during the 2018-2019 Rotary year. This may be accomplished by visiting the website here or using the signup sheets that will be at the July meetings.
Please provide your input in a timely manner to facilitate our moving forward, Thank you.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR UPCOMING MORNING STAR ROTARY MEETINGS!
PLEASE FOCUS ON THE TIMES AND LOCATIONS AS WELL AS THE CRITICAL CONTENTS!
JUNE 28 MORNING STAR CLUB CHANGEOVER MEETING
Moravian Village 7:10 am to 8:30 am
Plan to join us for the "Passing of the Gavel"
This is the official Club Leadership Changeover!
We will honor past presidents and induct our new officers and President Janet Kolepp.
Guarantee some surprises you will not want to miss!
JULY 5 MORNING STAR CLUB BREAKFAST MEETING!!
Moravian Village 7:10 am to 8:30 am
Prepare to be inspired! The Board and members have been busy this spring working on the 2018-19 Strategic Plan. President Janet will share the club's important plans for strengthening all that we do!
NOTE - THIS IS A MORNING MEETING. THERE WILL BE NO FIRST THURSDAY EVENING MEETING AT THE ARTISAN FOR JULY!!!
JULY 12 MORNING STAR CLUB "KICK-OUT" PRESIDENT CHERYL
BBQ @ Oesmanns 6:00 pm 114 East Broad Street Bethlehem, PA 18018
Help us "kick-out" President Cheryl. We will gather at John & Carrie Oesmann's home. Hamburgers, hot dogs, dessert, beer & wine will be provided. Bring a salad or side dish to share.
JULY 19 MORNING STAR ROTARY CLUB ANTICIPATES A RETURN TO "NORMALIZED" MEETINGS AT MORAVIAN VILLAGE!
Our speaker on Thursday was Amy Miller Cohen, our newest member. Amy, though new to Morning Star Rotary, qualifies as a “seasoned Rotarian” having been in the Downtown Rotary Club for many years. She was the wife of Bob Cohen, a long time Bethlehem Rotarian whom we sadly lost in the recent past. Fortunately for us, Ellen Roberts sensed that Amy was ready to bring her wonderful enthusiasm back into Rotary and asked her to join Morning Star.
Amy, or Dr. Cohen, earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University and has a psychology practice in Bethlehem for many years. In addition, currently she has been busy with editing the first book of Bob’s poems.
Amy is also a SOULCOLLAGE Facilitator. This is a process through which you contact your intuition and create an incredible deck of cards which deep personal meaning and which will help you with life’s questions. She has an excellent PowerPoint presentation available and with all her enthusiasm will be happy to share this new and fascinating approach to helping individuals.
A warm Morning Star welcome to our new and quite unique family member!
Breakfast - will be provided (via Panera Bread) and we'll collect our $10 meeting fee.
PARKING - Unfortunately parking isn't available in the underground garage during the day; certain spaces are only open for the public after 4 pm on weeknights and weekends.
Early in the day, (as out meeting is), there should be plenty of free 2-hour parking spaces on New Street around Payrow Plaza. You can also find non-timed back-in spots on the City Hall side of New Street; on E. Church Street across from the cemetery (see map!); and on E. Church Street after Center Street and before School Street (for part of the block, there isn't permit parking). The walk is largely flat and takes about 5 minutes.
There are a few handicapped spaces, a blue curb, right in front of the library and in front of City Hall on Church Street.
This Thursday we will have a 'fireside chat' with one of our newest and very enthusiastic members Amy Miller Cohen. Amy already qualifies as a "seasoned Rotarian" having previously been in the Downtown Rotary Club for many years.
She was the wife of Bob Cohen, a long term Bethlehem Rotarian and famous musical entertainer whom sadly we lost in the recent past. Please plan to join us as I know this will be a memorable classification talk!
Our meeting kicking off June activities last week, found us engaged in a conference call with fellow Rotarians in the Rotary Club of Antigua Sundown club. The topic of discussion was initial consideration of the feasibility of a global grant focused on addressing autism needs in Antigua. Following discussions, there was a good deal of enthusiasm with recognition of the need to address the many questions identified before being able to proceed. The ball appears to be gaining initial traction.
Speaking of the ball rolling, yours truly found himself upon a chair which actually was a "transformer" and evolved into a reverse chaise lounge; whereupon I lost any semblance of musical chairs and disappeared under the hors d'oeuvres table! These First Thursday meetings can really be exciting!
A discussion followed with a visiting Rotarian, guest of Tom Kolepp. It afforded all some wonderful insights into the perceptions of millenials. With luck this person may come to Morning Star and bring his wonderful enthusiasm along!
These First Thursday meetings at the Artisan continue to grow in popularity and have resulted in becoming a strong membership recruiting tool. Please plan on coming to the next meeting and catch the excitement.
Every dollar you contribute will help us to continue to do good in our communities and in the world.
If you have already donated to The Rotary Foundation since July 1, 2017, we thank you. If not, we would appreciate your consideration of donating to The Rotary Foundation so Morning Star Rotary can achieve 100% participation for the fourth year in a row. Your support is vital to growing our Annual Fund and more that we can do in the world.
Ways to donate: STILL TIME TO GET YOUR DONATION TO TOM HARTZELL BY JUNE 15, 2018!!!
Mail a check payable to The Rotary Foundation to Tom Hartzell 1341 Biafore Avenue Bethlehem PA 18017
Contribute at the $2/week at the Sign-In Table
Donate on-line at the Rotary Foundation.
Thank you.
SAVE THE DATE JUNE 28 MORNING STAR CLUB CHANGEOVER
Plan to join us for the "Passing of the Gavel"
This will be the official Club Leadership Changeover!
We will honor past presidents and induct our new officers and President Janet Kolepp.
Rotary District 7430
Changeover and Club Awards Night
Thursday, June 28, 2018
6:15 pm - 8:30 pm
Brookside Country Club
901 Willow Lane
Macungie, PA 18062
Come attend the annual Rotary District 7430 Changeover Dinner and Club Awards Night to celebrate the outgoing District 7430's 45 club accomplishments under District Governor, Rick Gromis. We will also welcome incoming District Governor, Cindy Hornaman and the 45 incoming Presidents for the 2018-2019 Rotary year.
Cocktails will begin at 6:15 pm with dinner at 7:00 pm
(Governors meeting to be held beginning at 5:30 pm)
Menu includes: Appetizers, Salad, Choice of Chicken Marsala or Bourbon Glazed Salmon, Green Beans, Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Carrot Cake with Caramel Praline Sauce
At our meeting May 31, 2018 we had an update by our exchange student, Francesca Braja! Francesca comes to us from Piemonte in northwest Italy near Torino. It is a very beautiful area with a mix of modern and very old picturesque buildings. She is more commonly known by her nickname “Pitti”. She highlighted some of the key differences in the educational process in Italy versus the US.. She had choices for high schools based on Classical, Scientific and Language studies. Her choice also determined the school she would attend as in the system, the schools are dedicated to one of the curriculum of studies in each school.
Italian High School Key Areas of Difference versus US
5 years to graduation
Your class is composed of the same 25 students all five years
You can pick the type of high school but not the subjects that you study
Your high school may not be close to your home
Extra-curricular activities are not included in your high school program
Pitti has been very active at Freedom High School! Cheerleading, lacrosse, Mini-Thon (helped raise $130,781 to help kids!), and many new friends in “Young Life!”. The FHS prom was a unique experience as there are no proms in Italian schools. Celebrated her 18th birthday at Beni Hana’s, not exactly traditional Italian cuisine! Trips to Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York complete with a visit from her family from Italy.
Pitti really enjoyed her experiences with the other exchange students in the district. She gave very special thanks to her host families for making this such an incredible experience! She will have 3 more families for life! She gave a very warm, heartfelt thank you to Morning Star Rotary for supporting this incredible opportunity of a lifetime. We hope Francesca comes back to visit in the future!
Today we unveiled our amazing mural created by our students and community artist Matt Halm during this semester. So thankful to Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary for adopting our school and making it all possible @tjeffersonbasd @bethlehemareasd
As we celebrte Memorial Day please I ask that we take a moment to stop and think about what it really means. Look around and take the opportunity to explain to our younger generations the real meaning of Memorial Day. We have the holiday, the celebrations, the Indy 500, etc. because of all the brave people who have served, continue to serve and will bless our freedom with their service in the future.
The following was excerpted from the Bethlehem Rotary club’s bulletin from last year. It is real, very close to home and warrants revisiting.
The program topic was one that Rotarian, Bob Weed, does not like to talk about. If that’s how he feels, you might wonder why he does talk about it. It’s because the Korean War is often classified as the ‘forgotten war’ and Bob never wants others to forget about it. During the 3-year war, 1,789,000 young people served in the Korean War. Of those million plus Americans, 36,574 were killed in action and another 103,284 were wounded in action. The New York Times aptly referred to the Korean War as World War 2.5.
July 17, 1953 will be forever etched in Bob’s mind. It was what he described as the ‘night from hell’ when a Chinese mortar round landed too close to him. Although he was somewhat protected by his flak jacket, his arms and legs were severely injured by shrapnel. He was first taken to a MASH unit to be stabilized and quickly flown out to the USS Repose for further care. He was eventually transferred to a naval hospital in Japan where he was operated on 7 times in 7 months. Bob will be forever grateful to the Naval Chaplain and the Navy Medical Service Corp for all they did to help get him back on his feet.
Bob left us with two important messages:
How very blessed we are in the US for our military – past, present and future. They deserve the highest regard from all of us.
Those who served or are serving in the US military are the backbone of America. May God bless our military and the United States of America – the greatest country in the world.
Thank you, Bob, for reminding us of what a great country we live in and for your personal sacrifice to our country.
Rotary District 7430 Training Assembly was conducted this past Saturday at DeSales University In addition to a session for AGs/PEs, there were sessions on Strategic Planning, Secretary/Treasurer Review, mix it up with membership, Branding, Marketing and Social Media. New Membership Initiatives were introduced along with the RI Theme – Be The Inspiration, District 7430 Goals for next year and requirements of the Governor Citation. Logan Ruyak, winner of the 4 Way Test Competition, gave an encore performance of her outstanding talk. Following lunch, Jeffry Cadorette, RI International Director Elect, Zones 24 & 32 gave an enthusiastic talk on “why Rotary”. The afternoon had an optional grant training session for clubs looking to expand their engagement with both District and Global grants.
There were nearly 80 Rotarians at the Assembly from all around the District. . Morning Star Rotary was very well represented with 8 of our MSR Rotarians participating in all areas. In attendance were Marianne Aronson, Tom Hartzell, Shawn Deiter, Janet, Tom & Carl Kolepp and Jean & Ron Searfoss.
We always look to encourage our members to get engaged in areas outside the regular club activities to experience how great and involved an organization you are a part of. Please feel free to ask any of the attendees for their perspectives on the District Assembly or the District Conference or Foundation Gala and other events outside ‘your Rotary box’!
Special thanks to Traditions of Hanover with Executive Director, Cathy Heimsoth and Marketing Director, Jennifer Murphy for hosting Morning Star for this Road Trip. Jennifer provided an excellent perspective on the capabilities and the significant differences of their services at Traditions. They are the only Month-to-Month such facility serving the Lehigh Valley, thus giving potential clients a very realistic alternative to other such providers of senior care.
Janet Kolepp led a review of the results of our Strategic Plan update and the MSR Member Survey, which had a response rate of 42%! Members indicated diversity is a real issue to be addressed. Discussions focused on raising awareness of MSR in the community, and pursuing the quest for good, solid rotary candidates. We highlighted the leadership opportunities to help in all areas both in the club and to help in the community.
Janet and President Cheryl are planning a more comprehensive review later in June.
A brief preliminary update on the Audrey Rafferty Memorial Scholarship ARM (Audrey Rafferty Memorial) Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser –
Overall meals were up more than 40+ over last year. This also reflects a growing number of ‘takeout’s’. Proves the aroma of the sauce is spreading throughout the community.
There was significant support exhibited from some of our other community groups including Bethlehem Special Olympics, Victory House, and Nurse Family Partnerships. Our Scholarship Recipient, Isa Sanchez, was very engaged in distributing salads accompanied by her niece. Thanks also to all the ‘diners’ who enjoyed the food and fellowship.
Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the event such a wonderful success. I personally want to thank the committee for the very effective redesign of the workflow assignments which made everything move more efficiently.
A complete report will be forthcoming from Event Chair Extraordinaire, Val Walk.
Thank you to all and especially the great work in the kitchen with Butch and all the folks.
Last Thursday, April 19, we celebrated Maternal & Child Health Month. Isa Sanchez was named the recipient of the First Audrey Rafferty Memorial Scholarship.
Isa and Audrey had a very special relationship which developed through the Nurse-Family Partnership.
NFP is free for women who are pregnant with their first baby. When you enroll you will be connected to a registered nurse who will provide the support, advice and information needed to have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and be a great mom.
Audrey and Isa connected and really lit a fire in each other. Isa gave birth to a baby boy who is now a 15 year-old young man and wonderful source of pride to his mother and family. Isa has completed her GED, achieved an Associate’s Degree, and is pursuing her degree in Nursing. She currently is an Administrative Coordinator in the NFP as she continues to grow.
Isa has also earned her own home through the Habitat for Humanity. In describing herself as a “go getter!” this appears to be quite the understatement.
Isa is an example of how the NFP has been an effective program for over 15 years. It serves over 250 families per year and has documented proof that it works. Although state supported, the support level has remained flat for 15 years. The success of the program reflects the continual professional, dedicated efforts of its management who constantly pursue grant funding to support the continued success of NFP.
We may want to keep this program in our “TOMA” – Top Of Mind Awareness – as we go forward with our community support efforts. There have been many instances where the seemingly small things have had a tremendous impact, e.g. providing the $50 fee to take a GED test successfully and the very powerful positive impact on the woman's future earnings ability for her and her family.
l to r: Isa Sanchez, Administrative Coordinator, NFP
Dr. Janet Sipple, MSR & St. Luke's
Tina Wida, Program Manager, NFP
Cheryl Baker, President MSR
Tiffany Grabinski, Program Manager, NFP
Ellie Fenner, retired NFP Nurse Home Visitor
Kelly berk, Director of Maternal-Child Health Initiatives SLUHN
Rob Vaughn, Channel 69 News Anchor, was our speaker at the April 12 meeting. Rob thoroughly entertained the group with many anecdotes from his 30 years at WFMZ or as he referred to it as “since the earth has cooled.”
A key to objectivity is to know very little about a lot.
He openly wonders why people find it so annoying that they broadcast standing up.
Of overall importance in reporting is to make sure you are fair. In this day and age this is not an easy task.
In response to a question on why the media does not pursue term limits, he responded by saying the responsibility of the media is to report the news, not to make it.
If the people want term limits, this should be a grassroots effort.
Thank you Rob for an informative and humorous presentation.
Thursday April 19, our meeting will focus on Maternal & Child Health Month. Isa Sanchez will provide her insights as the First Audrey Rafferty Memorial Scholarship Recipient.
This kicks off the initial ARM Scholarship program which is in its evolutionary state of development.
Please join us and provide your support to Isa and the Scholarship program.
SPECIAL REMINDER FOR APRIL 26TH MEETING - MORNING STAR ROAD TRIP - TRADITIONS OF HANOVER!
In February of 2017 a group of Morning Star Rotarians met and created a strategic plan for our club. This plan is available on our website for you to review.
On April 14th, we met again to review and update this plan. This plan is not a president's plan, or a board's plan. This plan is designed to represent the vision and mission of the entire club.
Take-aways from the meeting included: 1) establishing two groups - member and community awareness to establish objectives and plans; 2) share meeting outcome with the club - targeted for the Changeover Meeting on 6/28/18; and 3) organizing a projects group and meeting before the end of June.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the process. The inputs, ideas and perspectives put forth will continue to make us a strong sustainable club.
As the last question of the Member Satisfaction Survey result showed us - we are all proud of our Morning Star Rotary Club.
Our speaker last Thursday wasTony Ortiz, the Host of Nuestro Valle. Tonywas born in Mexico and has been a resident of the Lehigh Valley for more than 25 years. Tony has more than 24 years of experience in television.
He presents a fresh vision of the new generation of Hispanic immigrants: highly educated, entrepreneurs and professionals from the academic and scientific world.
Nuestro Valle (Our Valley) is a program with topics of general interest produced by RCN with Tony Ortiz as producer and host. His job is to get the information out there that people are interested in. Great focus on transparency.
Each week important topics are presented that affect the growing Hispanic community in the Lehigh Valley, including Health, Legal and Political Issues, and Community Leaders.
Tony’s observations around the Lehigh Valley were quite telling. “There is way too much parochialism in many areas.” We have many, many topics and areas of challenges for discussions and actions in our communities. He emphatically implored Rotary to “get out there! Show the community what we can do.”
"There are 10 Rotary Clubs in the Lehigh Valley. They are focused on doing good in our communities and making a difference in our world. Bring this energy to the communities!"
Our own Rick Santee proudly announced that youngest son, Tom, will be graduating from Penn State with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. In addition, through his Naval ROTC efforts he has received his certification to attend Naval Flight School to train as a fighter pilot. God Speed Tom!
Honorary Morning Star Rotarian, Don Smith, has been dealing with some medical challenges. Don is the father of BethAnn Wright and father-in-law to Geoff Wright. Please keep Don and the family in your thoughts and prayers.
On a related note, our exchange student, Francesca, has returned to her prior host family, the Pompa’s. Please keep this in mind and reach out to Francesca whenever possible to include her in your activities.
President Cheryl presents our newest member, Gayle Justice, with her official "Red Badge".
Nuestro Valle (Our Valley) is a program with topics of general interest produced by RCN with Tony Ortiz, producer and host.
Each week important topics are presented that affect the growing Hispanic community in the Lehigh Valley, including Health, Legal and Political Issues, and Community Leaders.
Tony Ortiz was born in Mexico and has been a resident of the Lehigh Valley for more than 25 years, Tony has experience of more than 24 years in television.
He presents a fresh vision of the new generation of Hispanic immigrants: highly educated, entrepreneurs and professionals from the academic and scientific world.
Please join us Thursday for what promises to be a very engaging program.
Our March 15th meeting featured quite a variety of activities. First of all, Race Chair, Wayne Achey, presented the ceremonial oversized check for $5,000 to Louise Tusak and Amanda Reiss of Bethlehem Special Olympics. This represented funds raised through our Celtic Classic Annual 5K/10K Run Walk. As Louise pointed out, "this is the 27th straight year for Morning Star and BSO; for which they are more than a little grateful.
Amanda Reiss took the podium and gave a heartfelt talk on just what the Bethlehem Special Olympics has meant to her and how it has helped to improve her life.
Amy Miller Cohen became our newest member when inducted on March 1st at our First Thursday event. At the March15th meeting she received her official Morning Star Rotary badge. As you can see Amy reflects her two Rotary badges – from Downtown and Morning Star – with enthusiasm!
Rodney Conn gave a presentation talk flowing from his roots in Cleveland to a career as an industry research chemist lasting 37 years. Obviously his crowning achievement was becoming the spouse of fellow Rotarian, Sarabel, (currently in Scotland on a “knitting odyssey”). Rodney has a diverse background being engaged with the Freemasons and is a Deacon in the Diocese of Bethlehem focused on community challenges. He and Sarabel have been key players in the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter programs. Rodney has some very interesting perspectives on the world. Science and religion are not mutually exclusive. He wants to continue to give back to the community. Rodney admits to being engaged in his Salisbury community as a ‘local level politician’.
Make yourself known to Rodney and enjoy your conversations. Welcome, Rodney, to our Morning Star family.
Carl Kolepp giving a presentation talk was a very special occasion.Carl has been engaged with Morning Star Rotary since his father, Tom, became a member in 1999. Carl has truly grown up in MSR!
Carl had the incredible experience of being a Rotary Exchange Student to South Africa in 2008/09. An avid rugby player, he admitted to being blown away by going to cricket matches at stadiums with over 80,000 people in attendance.
Carl likes to travel and not too long ago did a solo experience going to India for a few months. Ask him about the Beatles! One of his goals is to visit all the continents and he already has an excellent start.
Carl started at Hotel Bethlehem 7 years ago as a dishwasher. He is now the Manager in Charge at the front desk. 4 times per month he functions as the overall manager for the hotel. He has had some exciting and interesting experiences at the hotel, from calling into action the EMTs with fast response to save a customer’s life to giving a set of collar stays from his own shirt to Jeb Bush. A true Rotarian! Small world.
While doing all this, Carl has also earned two associates degrees from NCAC focusing on hotel management.
We officially welcome Carl as a Rotarian, but he is a long time and cherished member of our Rotary family. Welcome, Carl!
Weather Permitting,
Please plan to join us Thursday, March 22, 2018 for a presentation by Linda Mayger and George Morrison from our Saucon Valley Rotary Club on their experiences with a District Grant to Myanmar.
The Annual Rotary Foundation Gala was held March 17, 2018 at the PineCrest Country Club in Lansdale. About 125 Rotarians, spouses and friends enjoyed an evening of celebration of The Rotary Foundation. In addition we raised over $5,900 from the basket silent auction (thank you Morning Star for your lovely basket donation) and another $730 from the raffle.
The highlight of the evening was the recognition of Our Major Donors. Please give special thanks and appreciation to Morning Star Rotarians Tore and Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen who have attained Major Donor Level III. Tore and Charlotte continue to set the bar for Morning Star Rotarians. Thank you.
Charlotte briefly addressed the attendees and then regaled all present with her wonderful acapella rendition of “Follow Your Rotary Dream” harkening back to the theme song for the year our favorite Viking, Tore, was District Governor.
Special thanks to Tom & Janet Kolepp for providing transportation for Charlotte so we could all enjoy this happy occasion.
At our last regular program on February 22, 2018, we had the pleasure of being educated on the PA Gaming Control Board by Richard McGarvey, Deputy Communications Director.
As Rich pointed out, “this has nothing to do with the deer population, nor raccoons under your deck or a bear in a tree!”
The PA Gaming Control Board (PAGCB) is tasked with monitoring the 4 types of gambling in Pennsylvania: Horse Racing, Small Games of Chance, Lottery Games and Casinos. It operates at no expense to taxpayers.
The primary objective is to ensure that casinos are safe and gaming is fair. The Role of the Board is being expanded.
Gaming industry integrity is assured through a comprehensive regulatory framework and when necessary, fines for various problems. Fines levied are approaching $7.0M. The Board has identified certain individuals who have proven to be detrimental to the industry’s integrity. 785 persons have been permanently banned from PA casinos.
Millions of dollars per year from casino revenues go to outreach and treatment services through the PA Dept. of Drug & Alcohol Programs.
Rich emphasized that casinos are very safe and secure. The Eyes are on the floor and in the sky!
Smoking is partially permitted under the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008. Up to 50% of the casino floor can be designated to permit smoking.
PA is #2 on Casino Gross Revenues nationally.
PA is #1 in Casino Tax Generation.
The Total Yearly economic impact of the gaming industry in PA is nearly $6.2B Tax on play of slots and tables generates $3.7M of tax revenue per day…resulting in $1.4B annually!
Where does the tax revenue go
Property Tax Reduction $780M
Sustainability of the Horse Racing Industry $255M
New Dollars to Casino Host Local Governments $155M
Statewide Economic Development Projects $120M
General Fund – Lowers Overall Tax Burden to Citizens $ 90M
County Fairs & Fire Company Grants $ 32M
Thanks to Rich for a very interesting presentation.
Thursday, February 22 we will have the pleasure of a presentation by Deputy Director of Communications for the PA Gaming Control Board, Richard McGarvey.
RAGS - Rotarian Action Groups help Rotary clubs and districts plan and carry out community development and humanitarian service projects in their area of expertise. The groups are organized by Rotarians and Rotaractors who are proficient, and have a passion for service, in a particular field.
Click Rotary Action Groups Flyer to access pdf in Downloads and learn more on how RAGS operate, their benefits, examples of RAGS, Start a NEW RAG and related resources.
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Last meeting was our February First Thursday event at the Artisan Wine & Cheese Cellar. We changed locations within the venue, occupying a larger lounge area with much more inviting seating arrangements. This has been perceived as a definite enhancement to our fellowship. There were 16 Rotarians in attendance including a special guest Rotarian from the Nazareth Rotary Club, Mollie Santee.
A highlight of the evening was the induction of Karen Achey as our newest Morning Star Rotarian. First thing Karen did was to knock husband Wayne off the top of the Morning Star Club Roster. Sorry Wayne, your first place is no more, but the Club has another great new Rotarian. Karen has been involved in many of our community projects in the past. Welcome Karen – we know you will Make A Difference!
The theme for this coming Thursday’s program is Getting to Know Our Newest Members! We will have the pleasure of having classification talks from Ron Spier and Sarabel Conn. As Ron always claims to not be a morning person, please plan to be there to provide our support to both of these new members.
Remember to watch the weather forecast – that time of the year!
MSR Committee Foundation Chair, PP Sue Burnett, along with committee members, conducted a Rotary Foundation Educational Seminar last Saturday.
The focus was on bringing new members up to speed and any other members wishing to avail themselves of this learning opportunity or refresher as the case may be.
New members in attendance included Sarabel and Rodney Conn, Carl Kolepp and John Oesmann.
Foundation and Committee support consisted of Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, Steve Bajan, Tom Hartzel, and Ron & Jean Searfoss.
Many topics were covered and there was a good deal of interactive discussions.
Special thanks goes to Steve Bajan for providing the venue, Saucon Mutual Insurance, his company.
Our program last Thursday featured Lin Erickson, Executive Director of the Da Vinci Science Center in Easton. Lin gave us excellent insight into the fantastic new Science Center being constructed in downtown Easton. The Fact Sheet provides a great summary. This will be a wonderful educational experience for all ages!
Morning Star Rotarians did it again! We volunteered to work at the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter on January 29-30. This was a significant undertaking -- we registered, fed (dinner and breakfast) 76 guests at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering at the Christ UCC Church.
Many thanks to the following who worked so hard to make this a success: Lynn Milet planned delicious meals, did all the shopping and delivered the food. Rod and Sarabel Conn were on hand -- special thanks to Rod who serves on the Board of the BES and guided us with proper procedures. Rick Santee and Janet Sipple (and her visiting friend from South Carolina) deftly handled registering all the guests. Ron & Jean Searfoss, Janet & Tom Kolepp, Rick Morrissey, Mike Long, Dee Elliott & Dave, Jess Elliott, served dinner and did all the clean-up. John & Carrie Oesmann did yeomans service staying over night. Carl Kolepp and Ron Helmuth arrived at 5:00 AM to serve breakfast and clean up.
Many thanks to everyone. This was a successful first effort and now we need to decide if we will be doing it again!
I read Easton Mayor Sal Panto's post on facebook this morning with a lot of interest - he was sharing his remarks he made on Saturday at a presentation about the new DaVinci Science Center in Easton. We are so lucky to be able to have the opportunity to have a front row seat for the latest news directly from the Center's Executive Director, Lin Erickson, herself this Thursday!
Last week's meeting wasn't quite so much a club assembly meeting as it was a chance for us all to catch up a little bit; we were able to present, and vote on, our slate of officers for next year. We had VERY special guests - fresh from their recent return to the United States, we were graced by the entire Shnaydruk family! Alex gave us an update, and it was wonderful to see Iryna and Victoria.
We talked a bit about new members, and some upcoming opportunities for them - one coming up this Saturday, courtesy of Susan Burnett and the Foundation committee to offer a better understanding of how the Rotary Foundation works. We would also like to have our new members put together their own service project, specifically so that they can get to know each other better.
If anyone has an idea for what could be done, offer it up! I'm sure there are plenty of projects from which our community could benefit.
We're closing in on our goal for coats for the kids at Thomas Jefferson - we're at $425; we need to raise $175 more to get to our goal. If you'd like to help get us there, here is the link:
Next Monday is our Emergency Sheltering project - don't forget to reach out to Ginny Wolkoff if you can help! We still could use a few people to help with cleanup once the meal is done
As many of our members already know, each year our club sponsors four high school juniors to participate in the four day leadership development program which is our district's Camp Neidig event. Rotary District 7430 welcomes you to Camp Neidig, celebrating its 69th year of inspiring tomorrow's leaders in 2018! Preparations are under way for Camp Neidig 2018. Before starting this year's recruitment process in our Bethlehem area high schools, we would like to extend this sponsorship opportunity to interested sons and daughters of our club members.
Camp Neidig is a well-established youth development program dating back to 1950, and annually serves approximately 150 students from 80 high schools in our southeastern Pennsylvania region of district 7430. The program begins on Friday, June 15, and concludes on Monday, June 18.
For more information, please visit www.campneidig.com or feel free to contact Rick Morrissey at rpmorrissey16@yahoo.com for a direct contact for students or parents with questions in reference to applying for Camp Neidig. Tour our site to see what makes this camp one of the best leadership experiences for high school students in Eastern Pennsylvania!
Mother Nature cancelled our last meeting Thursday January 4. Suspect there were a number of members who welcomed the alternative to braving the Arctic Chill.
We fully recovered in time for our Holiday Celebration hosted by Mike and Terri Long on Saturday evening. A fine turnout was accompanied by great foods and beverages and our wonderful Morning Star Rotary fellowship. Many thanks to all who participated and a very special thank you to Mike and Terri. The ‘Fish Tie Guy’ was present – but it seems he is missing his retirement and not being in the sunny state of Florida. Safe travels Tom & Landa!
We can all smile as the weather moderates and hopefully normalcy returns.
his Thursday we will have the pleasure of hearing from Jack Jerrett of OraSure Technologies. OraSure Technologies is teaming up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to offer its HIV price in 50 developing countries in Africa and Asia.
Please join us in hearing how this $20 Million Gates Foundation Grant will be implemented.
Simply amazing. Thanks to our extraordinary community of supporters, our end-of-year campaign raised a stunning $147,960. With the extraordinary generosity of our matching donor, each one of those dollars is doubled for a grand total of $295,920.
I cannot adequately express my gratitude. Your investment in our shared future is a beautiful, moving gift. I cannot wait to share the amazing things planned for our students and our schools this year!
Wishing you a joyous, healthy, and prosperous 2018.
Razia Jan
Founder and President
Razia's Ray of Hope
Thank you for making a difference! The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation as a Section 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts to Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation are tax deductible in the USA. Visit www.raziasrayofhope.org for more information.
STAY CONNECTED:
Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation, PO Box 81052, Wellesley, MA 02481
As announced in the District 7430 Rick's M.A.D. Report - per DG Rick
Please join me in congratulating our 2020-2021 District Governor, Janet Kolepp.
The Nominating Committee met on December 16th and endorsed Janet for this position.
One of the strengths in our District has been the selection of good leaders who have a passion for Rotary. Janet certainly demonstrates both qualities. Our future looks bright indeed!
Congratulations, Janet. DG Rick
Janet is a very active member of our Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club. She was involved in Rotary long before joining a club; first as a spouse of a Rotarian (Tom) and host Mom to Youth Exchange Students (as well as parent to son Carl, Exchange Student to South Africa). But in 2008 she could no longer be on the sidelines and she joined the Lehigh Valley East Rotary Club.
Janet has served in many Rotary roles including
Treasurer and President of Lehigh Valley East,
Assistant Governor - Area 2,
District 7430 RLI Site Chair,
District Youth Exchange committee member,
Club YEO, Director and
President Elect of Bethlehem Morning Star.
Janet truly believes "Rotary Connects the World" and looks forward to serving as part of the District Leadership Team.
Morning Star Rotary is very proud of Janet and looks forward to fully supporting her as our District Governor in 2020-21!
I'm already getting ready for Thursday morning's breakfast - hope you are, too! I love this meeting, and not just because the Liberty a capella choir is singing, and Rick Santee's going to be accompanying our singing with his accordion, but because this meeting, like the one before Thanksgiving, brings both Bethlehem clubs together for fun and fellowship. We really need to remember and give thanks that we have two vibrant clubs in Bethlehem! NOTE - this meeting tends to run past 8:30am!!!
We had such a nice discussion this past Thursday with District Membership Chair & District Governor Nominee Herb Klotz. He talked about a study he had done of growing clubs, and the five characteristics of these clubs which he attributes to their successes. The first, and the one that was the most common and evident in all, was that the president of the club and the club itself put recruitment and membership forward as a high priority in their efforts. We also learned that we are tied for the most new members to a club so far this year - and we're at seven! The good news: I know of at least four more people right now who have expressed interest in also joining, so that would put us well ahead of the pack. Let's just keep pushing! We have been blessed with wonderful new members; we'll be installing the next new member, Karen Achey, on January 11th. We had hoped to install her this past Thursday, but conflicts got in the way.
Speaking of conflicts, we were unable to meet theAudrey Rafferty Scholarship recipient Isa Sanchez; due to the school delay she had responsibilities with her son. We will be inviting her back to the club to speak to us in April, during Child and Maternal Health Month. We did welcome Tiffany, Tina, and Kelly; they expressed their thanks for our continued support of the Nurse/Family Partnership and our commitment to honoring Audrey's memory.
We have had a number of people use the link to donate to purchase new winter coats for the kids at Thomas Jefferson - but we need to do a bit more! If you were thinking of making a donation of $20, $50, or $100, be sure to do it soon. We won't be distributing them until school is back in session in January but we should take the time now, over the holidays, to be sure we have all we need to order as many as the school will need. (See Operation Warm story below.)
Dates for your calendars:
December 28 - no meeting, but anyone who would like to meet, informally, for breakfast, we'll be meeting at 8am at Billy's Downtown Diner on Broad Street.
January 4 - we will NOT be meeting at the Artisan; instead, we will meet for a BREAKFAST meeting at Moravian Village
January 6 - Holiday Party hosted by the Longs
January 18 - Thank You breakfast for Sponsors of 5K/10K and Salute The Troops events
January 29 - we will be hosting the Emergency Shelter overnight - see Ginny Wolkoff if you can help
March 10 - Area 1 & 2 Community Outreach Food Packaging Project
In closing, I want to share with all of you a letter we received from the student we sponsor through Razia's Ray of Hope.
This is from Musal KhairMoh, our student (Age 10 Grade 4):
Hello. I am glad to have a chance to tell you how well I am doing. I just got my midterm results and done quite well. Also, I am trying to read different stories from my library. I am interested to know more about the world's different countries. We are so lucky to have a new library in our school. This year we have grown some vegetables in our courtyard. We have fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce. We also have grape orchards that will be ready to harvest in a few weeks. All my family members try to help as this is the only source of income. I always wonder about you once a day. I hope to meet you in person and thank you for changing my life.
Joan Paul was on hand and had some happy but sad news. She will be leaving Morning Star and Bethlehem as she relocates to Evanston, Illinois to be closer to family. She will be missed! Thank you Joan ,for all the great years of Morning Star Rotary service. Yes, she will transfer membership and continue!
On another positive note, Gamini Vedage, an engineer from Air Products and Bethlehem resident was in attendance.
Gamini is looking forward to join Morning Star and become an active member of the TEAM! Welcome!
FIRST THURSDAY AT THE ARTISAN WINE & CHEESE CELLAR 5:30 PM
Special thanks to the Morning Star Rotarians, family and friends who came out to make this Annual Event successful once again.
Wayne & Karen Achey, Sue Burnett & Family, Sarabel & Rodney Conn, Shawn Deiter, Bill Hunter, Charlie Incalcaterra, Carl Kolepp, Butch Macri, Josh Mrozinski, John Oesmann, Ron, Jean & Koa Searfoss, Kathy, Eric & Kris Sullivan, and Val Walk & Ryan
Results were over $1,802 this year! Up from $1,153 last year. To help the Salvation Army help our communities!
Our speaker last Thursday, was Fred Rooney. Fred's life and work is a special interest story.
His innovative work has significantly contributed towards providing access to justice for the impoverished and minorities on the local, national, and international level. Fred Rooney continues to provide a living example of what it means to work towards "providing liberty and justice for all" in the Americas.
Fred Rooney became an attorney with a dream to provide access to the legal system for everyone. His efforts were successful and in 2007 -
From that beginning, the concept has been embraced with incubator programs in 33 states of the USA!
In the past few years the legal incubator concept has gone international with the first group in the Domincan Republic.
The concept resonates with people all over the world. Incubators are now in India, Turkey, Central and South America and the foundations are being put in place in Cuba.
Fred is an exceptional individual and we can all give thanks for his vision and tenacity in pursuing his goals. Truly a man Making A Difference!
President Cheryl inducts our Newest Morning Star Rotarians Sarabel & Rodney Conn and Ron Spier
As part of his official DG Visit, District Governor, Rick Gromis, inducted Kathleen Sullivan and Carl Kolepp at out First Thursday Celebration November 2 .
That makes 5 new members in November!
Congratulations Morning Star!
Come and welcome our newest members at First Thursday, December 7!
Our November 15th“Rotary Road Trip” meeting was the annual Thanksgiving Celebration. We had 15 Morning Star Rotarians joining with the Downtown Bethlehem Club and their BAVTs Artisan of the month in attendance.
The speaker was Eric Ruth of the Kellyn Foundation. Eric co-founded the Kellyn Foundation along with Dr. Meagan Grega, and began a program to address childhood obesity in 2008. He provided alarming statistics on the rapid increase of obesity in the general population, and discussed the urgent need to address the issue at the local level.
The Foundation provides programs at local schools which are designed to teach children to focus on “real foods” as opposed to processed foods. They have a “Garden as a Classroom” program which teaches children to grow and eat healthy, natural food from the school garden, rather than relying on processed foods for their nutritional requirements. The “Kellyn Kitchen” also teaches children and adults how to prepare tasty and nutritious fresh food in a group atmosphere at other community locations.
A more recent development is the “Mobile Market” set up by the Foundation, which purchases locally grown produce from farmers and then delivers that produce at reasonable prices to local neighborhood stores. This enables families in poor neighborhoods to purchase fresh foods which are not normally available to them. In addition to better nutrition, the Foundation encourages families to take action toward adopting healthier lifestyles which includes exercise, better sleep habits, and medical attention when necessary. The Foundation’s view is that healthier lifestyles will result in a better quality of life and lower healthcare expenses by reducing the burden of chronic disease.
Our November 15th “Rotary Road Trip” meeting was the annual Thanksgiving Celebration. We had 15 MSR with the Downtown Bethlehem Club and their BAVTs Artisan of the month in attendance.
The speaker was Eric Ruth of the Kellyn Foundation. Eric co-founded the Kellyn Foundation along with Dr. Meagan Grega, and began a program to address childhood obesity in 2008. He provided alarming statistics on the rapid increase of obesity in the general population, and discussed the urgent need to address the issue at the local level.
The Foundation provides programs at local schools which are designed to teach children to focus on “real foods” as opposed to processed foods. They have a “Garden as a Classroom” program which teaches children to grow and eat healthy, natural food from the school garden, rather than relying on processed foods for their nutritional requirements. The “Kellyn Kitchen” also teaches children and adults how to prepare tasty and nutritious fresh food in a group atmosphere at other community locations.
A more recent development is the “Mobile Market” set up by the Foundation, which purchases locally grown produce from farmers and then delivers that produce at reasonable prices to local neighborhood stores. This enables families in poor neighborhoods to purchase fresh foods which are not normally available to them. In addition to better nutrition, the Foundation encourages families to take action toward adopting healthier lifestyles which includes exercise, better sleep habits, and medical attention when necessary. The Foundation’s view is that healthier lifestyles will result in a better quality of life and lower healthcare expenses by reducing the burden of chronic disease.
Thanks to President Gerry Foran of the Bethlehem Club for sharing.
Lehigh Valley Rotary Joint Thanksgiving Celebration
The Concert was a wonderful success. The auditorium was filled with fans of all ages coming to enjoy another great presentation.
Above is our President-Elect Janet Kolepp extolling the virtues of Rotary during the break.
If you look closer down in front of Janet, you will see Ron Spier, a member of the Lehigh Valley Men's Chorale and soon to be one of our newest Morning Star Rotarians.
Great event! Thanks to all for your participation and support.
Our speaker last week was Jack Pfunder, President & CEO of MRC – Manufacturers Resource Center. The topic "What's So Cool About Manufacturing?" This is a student video contest for middle school students with the purpose to help build a strong pipeline of talent by giving students a new perspective on exciting STEM career opportunities that exist at area manufacturing companies.
These annual video contests excite students across Pennsylvania to explore cool manufacturing careers and produce profiles of companies. Each contest features an online vote for its Viewers' Choice Award.
The program is dedicated to changing perceptions and attitudes about advanced manufacturing careers in the Keystone State. This past year 123 middle school teams participated statewide, more than 3,300 attended award ceremonies, and more than 500,000 online votes were cast.
The video contests are run by Manufacturing Resource Center, where Jack is President and CEO.
Link to view actual presentations: https://youtu.be/PxOrylLYQ5E These are done by middle school students throughout the Commonwealth. The future is looking bright!
I’m so sorry I was unable to be with all of you Thursday evening, but thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I continue to recover more daily, and will be much better Wednesday once I’ve had a chance for my post-op visit; the doctor will remove a drain I’ve been tethered to and I won’t have need for painkillers after that.
Given that progress, I’m looking forward to seeing the board on Wednesday night for our board meeting! I will try and make the meeting the next morning, also. No guarantees, but that’s my hope.
I’m also going to try and make the Salute The Troops concert next Sunday.
Looks like everyone had a great time Saturday at TJ-wish I could have been there, but you were in Jess’ capable hands! Thank you all for your commitment.
We all continue to wish Cheryl a timely and safe recovery and look forward to her return.
Our speaker this week is well known to many. On November 09, 2017
please join us to hear Jack Pfunder on
"What's So Cool About Manufacturing?"
These annual video contests excite students across Pennsylvania to explore cool manufacturing careers and produce profiles of companies. Each contest features an online vote for its Viewers Choice Award.
Thomas Jefferson elementary school has become a Morning Star "adopted " grantee.
More Volunteers are still needed. Come on out, enjoy fellowship as we start a great community project!
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Thank you all for volunteering your time this Saturday to assist in the Thomas Jefferson clean-up day. This is just a reminder that we will begin at 9:00 a.m. I will be arriving at 8:30 to make sure a table is set up for all breakfast items.
The school wrote up a request for Home Depot and were given:
2 brooms, 1 rake, a pack of lawn bags and a pack of multi purpose gloves
I know some of you agreed to bring leaf blowers and rakes, which would be great! Please bring any items you have that may assist in the work. I will be picking up the paint, brushes and additional bags.
When I went to the school last week, we decided to hold off on re-painting the map of the U.S. (for time purposes) and thought we may plan a second cleanup/paint day in the spring. We will still be painting hop-scotch, four squares and new kickball bases.
Below is the list of breakfast items for which each person has signed up to bring. If something has changed, please let me know so I can fill in where needed.
Lynn & Jean- muffins
Wayne & Karen- bagels & cream cheese
Dee- coffee
Shawn- juice
Ellen- half & half
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. If not, I will see everyone on Saturday! :-)
At our October 26 meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Bryon Grigsby, President of Moravian College. Dr. Grigsby provided a very enlightening presentation of “What’s Happening at Moravian College!”
Of course, you need to take a look back at the first 275 years of the College’s history to gain perspective on how it has and continues to evolve.
Did you know Moravian started out as a girls school in the 1740’s?
Now Moravian College has evolved into a liberal arts education in conjunction with various professional healthcare programs.
Two recent additions include a Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in collaboration with St. Luke’s University Health Network and The Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences. These are leading edge state of the art facilities focused on bringing liberal arts and science together to serve the future needs of educators, scientists and entrepreneurs.
As Dr. Grigsby stated, “as we enter our next 275 years, we will continue to help our students to prepare for their chosen careers but also prepare them for the 3 or 4 other careers they will pursue in their lifetimes.”
Who Should Attend:Anyone looking to fund a project with a grant, club Presidents, Presidents-elect, Foundation Chairs, Those who support the Foundation, District Leaders, Those who want to support the Foundation and anyone wondering if they should support the Foundation.
What to Expect:
Education about The Rotary Foundation, Annual Fund, Polio, District or Global Grants, Peace Centers and Scholars, Rotarian Action Groups, Major Donors and Endowment Fund, plus Grant Management Training.
Key Notes Speakers - Julia Phelps Trustee of The Rotary Foundation, John Nanni - Rotarian from Middeltown DE and Polio Survivor, David Forward - Rotarian from Medford NJ author of 100 Years of Service, 100 Years of Doing Good In The World and A String of Pearls (Inspiring Stories of Peace Scholars).
This year's Seminar is being held jointly with District 7450 so we are expecting 150 Rotarians and plenty of chances to share information about The Rotary Foundation and Rotary.
Cost and What You Get:$35 plus a modest processing fee. This includes the continental breakfast, boxed lunch, key note speakers, three sets of breakout sessions and grant management training.
We will start promptly at 8:15 am and end following lunch at 1:15 pm. Grant Management Training begins at 1:15 and ends at 3:15.
The District Foundation Committee is dedicated to providing our District with knowledge needed to maximize the use of The Rotary Foundation and support for The Rotary Foundation. This event and your attendance are critical to achieving that goal.
Just a note of special thanks to Dr. Janet "Fluzy" Sipple and the Bethlehem Health Bureau for conducting a vaccination clinic during our meeting last Thursday!
Hopefully those inoculated will have another measure of protection during the "forecasted cold, snowy winter!"
As usual, Janet was in full regalia for the occasion!
This past week, President Cheryl asked me to lead the meeting in her absence. To further the work of our strategic plan and committees; we broke into "Areas of Focus." These areas had emerged as goals during the planning process back in February. Each Area of Focus group was given a question relating to that specific area and asked to brainstorm ideas.
Here is an outline of the results by area:
+Engaged Members (Brainstorm ideas about how to move a new member into an engaged members?)
+Community Involvement (Included in this area is Community Grants, Foundation and Youth Involvement).
What are we NOT seeing/finding as a way to connect with our community?
+Impactful Projects (Brainstorm ideas of a new fundraiser)
+Community Awareness (What "avenue" of public awareness has not been explored by Morning Star Rotary?)
The results from these conversations are being compiled and will be further communicated to the board and club in the coming weeks. These "focus groups" are emerging as a way to work together on our strategic plan.
Thanks to all that participated sharing their ideas and insights.
Rotarians, the Bethlehem Health Bureau (BHB) will be here to administer the flu vaccine to anyone who wishes to have it.
Vaccination will begin on October 19 at 7:00 AM at our meeting site and will continue until 8:30 AM.
Your health insurance or Medicare will cover the expense; therefore, be sure to bring your card.
The BHB will submit the paperwork to your health care provider. Invite your spouses, partners, children, parents, friends and neighbours to join you at Rotary on this date so they can receive the vaccine too. Should you not have health care insurance the cost of vaccination will be $30. You may pay in cash or by check made payable to the City of Bethlehem.
Please join us this Thursday for a Club Assembly. We will assess where we are with implementing our Strategic Plan and discuss Board and Committee items with the membership. Bring your thoughts and ideas and share.
The program will be facillitated by VP Janet Kolepp.
President Cheryl is recovering from her recent surgery.
The 7th Yvette M. Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K/10K was a solid success.
Through the efforts of 33 of our District RCs plus enthusiastic runners including Interact teams, over $28,000 was raised. With the tripling by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this translates to over $84,000 for the fight against polio. That is over 112,500 doses of polio vaccinations!
Congratulations to "DGwannabee" and Race Chair Extraordinaire Herb Klotz for a fantastic result.
Special thanks to MSR participants John Oesmann & Bailey,Tom "Running Man" Kolepp, VP Janet Kolepp, Secy Val Walk, Treas. Jean Searfoss and handler Ron, who Koa pulled around as needed!
Last Thursday we had the pleasure of a visit from Christine Gomez of the Wildlands Conservancy.
While there is a broad range of areas covered by the Conservancy (www.wildlandspa.org) Chris concentrated upon the the Bike & Boat program.
The Bike & Boat Adventures offers a variety of events over the summer months focused on combining biking with canoeing in various areas on the Lehigh River and along the Delaware Canal Path. Further options offer white water rafting and kayaking. The adventures are quite economical, way outside the normal box of activities even to exploring two islands accessible only by boat while paddling the flat and calm waters of the Lehigh River.
Chris has been involved with these programs for many years. As you can see by the photo - lacks enthusiasm - NOT!
On April 20, 2017, Morning Star Rotary held a special celebration! We honored Rotarians Charlotte and Tore Hartmann-Hansen with the inauguration of the Charlotte & Tore Hartmann-Hansen Community Grant.
Of course the Program commenced with what else – our Charlotte leading us in the singing of “Follow Your Rotary Dream.”
Our emcee, AG Janet Kolepp, presented a PowerPoint Presentation very aptly entitled A Rotary “Love Story.” It focused on their journey through Rotary from Morning Star Charter Members, to Club Presidencies, District Governor up to today as ‘seasoned Rotarians’ continuing to impart their wisdom and passion for Rotary.
The celebration was enjoyed by our Morning Star Rotarians and visitors from other Rotary clubs. As always in District 7430, there was strong representation from the ranks of Past District Governors, the Current District Governor, the District Governor Nominee and the District Governor Nominee - Designate.
front to back left to right:Bennie Hartmann-Hansen #1 Therapy Dog
Gordon Sommers, Bethlehem RC, Charlotte & PDG Tore
PDG BJ Metz, PDG Doug Cook, DGND Herb Klotz,
DGN Cindy Hornaman, DG Linda Young, Area 2 AG Janet Kolepp
and PDG Frank Romano
UPDATE
My name is "TORE"!
I was born on July 22, 2017.
I will be raised for my first year at the State Correctional Institute in Huntingdon.
Thank you to Charlotte & "TORE" and Morning Star Rotary!
In addition to MSR supporting the Rotary's Purple Pinkie 5K/10K as sponsors, President Cheryl has challenged 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.
If you can not make it to the event, please donate any amount to the cause. This will support KOA who will walk for MSR in your honor!
KOA with his "people" Ron at the 2015 Purple Pinkie!
Dear District 7430 Rotarians,
If you haven’t already signed up, you can sign up on race-day, October 14! Registration starts at 8AM. Come and join us for 7th Yvette M. Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Walk on Saturday at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, PA. This is a District-Wide event. Every Dollar Raised will be TRIPLED by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
You don’t need to run to participate. Most people walk! It will be a fun morning. Bring your family and friends. We will have awards for the race winners and also many drawings for door prizes, so both runners and walkers will be winners. We will also have great food! We are planning to have polio survivors at the race to talk to participants about her experiences with polio.
The race-day cost to participate is $35 ($25 if under 18). Come on out and have a great time for a great cause!
Many of you have asked how you can help the hurricane relief efforts through Rotary. While there are many ways to help, the District 7430 Leadership has decided to provide matching funds to support ShelterBox USA. https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
For every $5,000 increment of funds donated to ShelterBox USA by district Rotarians (individual Rotarians, Rotary Clubs, Interact Clubs, or Rotaract Clubs) another ShelterBox ($1,000 donation) will be donated from District funds. This incentive offer is open to December 1, 2017 and is limited to FIVE ShelterBoxes by the district.
Please report your contributions to your Club President who will report to their Assistant Governor. This match is for all contributions made between August 25, 2017 and December 1, 2017.
Charles McGehee Isaacs, who went by "McGehee", passed away on Saturday, September 23, 2017, will be interred after a burial service in the Memorial Garden of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Friday, October 6th at 2 p.m. followed by a reception celebrating his life.
Special thanks to Tom Kolepp for a very informative presentation on Digital Transformation last Thursday. It is very evident the evolving changes impact everyone in all areas of our lives. Watch for an in depth story to be published in a later Bulletin.
2017 PURPLE PINKIE
Sign-up this week and avoid the September 30 price increase!
No one is born alone, and it’s our hope that no one dies alone. If your loved one is at one of our sites and nearing the end of life, he or she will not be alone. If you cannot be there because you live out of the area or are unable to physically get to the hospital for some reason, you can be comforted knowing our No One Dies Alone volunteers will be there.
We realize there may be times when you are unable to be at the hospital with your loved one, or you and your family members might need respite and time for yourselves. We will do our best to honor requests to sit with your loved one until you can return to the hospital.
Under the direction of Father Timothy Hasenecz, volunteers are specially educated in the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of dying.
District 7430 Shelter Box Program
Be on the lookout for an email from District 7430 announcing a Shelter Box matching grant program to help our people suffering from Harvey, Irma and the rest of the seemingly never ending tribe of hurricanes!
Our Annual "Salute The Troops" Concert featuring THE ALLENTOWN BAND with the Northeast Middle School Band & Chorus and Lehigh Valley Men's Chorale is fast approaching.
This year's event will be
"Salute The Troops" Concert
3:00 pm Sunday,
November 12, 2017
Northeast Middle School
1170 Fernwood Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
ADVERTISEMENTS/PATRONS/"IN HONOR OF" SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26!!!
The Flyer and the Advertising Contract are available in the Downloads section of our Home Page.
'Bag Stuffing' for Our 27th Anniversary 5K/10K race is on September 14th at our regular meeting.
Race Committee Needs Your Support
Dear Rotarians – The race is coming up on September 23rd and we are looking for the following:
A Water donation – 30 cases
Someone to be in charge of the water stop by the ice rink – water and a table will be there – you and others just have to keep cups filled with water
Sponsor someone you know to be a runner or a walker for $25.00 – they get a shirt and tickets if they wear a kilt.
Pop-up tents for day of race
Thanks
Wayne 610-509-1505
Race Committee Chair, Wayne Achey, asks all MSR Rotarians to help in obtaining sponsors and prizes for the race. We still need gift certificates, raffle prizes, etc. A Volunteer Sign-Up sheet will circulate during the meeting for the race itself.
RACE DATE Saturday, September 23rd
“All Hands on Deck” - this is open to family, friends, students (community service anyone?) etc. Many people will be needed to ensure the success of this major event. (Even if not signed up in advance, please come to help!)
Registration opens at 6:30 am, with the race starting promptly at 8:00 and Awards Ceremony & Raffle Prize Giveaway at 9:30.
Sponsorship info/form is available in the Downloads section at www.morningstarrotary.org with no sign-in needed.
Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues.
Our regular meeting this week is being held at the National Museum of Industrial History. We will begin to gather at 7:15am for a light breakfast. The museum staff will then give a brief overview of the museum and exhibits, after which we will be able to take a self-guided tour. The $10 meeting fee will be collected, which includes breakfast and the tour.
If you have already registered to attend - THANK YOU! For those that have not and still plan on attending please register by Tuesday, August 15 at 8 pm, through our club website here or respond to me via this email.
National Museum of Industrial History is located at: 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Parking is available in the SteelStacks lot on Second Street between Founder’s Way and Fillmore Street or in the NCC Fowler Center lot at 511 East Third Street
Thursday's meeting was awesome; we hosted a wonderful speaker - Jack Weiner. Jack, a student at Moravian Academy, was one of our "Campers of the Year" at Camp Neidig and is an Eagle Scout; he shared with us the story of his award journey - a memorial project to honor Veterans at Country Meadows. It's wonderful to see our next generation of leaders paying tribute to and learning from the Greatest Generation. You can watch some of the interviews he helped to create here. Veterans Honors Presentation (https://vimeo.com/161230029) Veterans Interviews (https://vimeo.com/144756774)
This Thursday, August 17, we will NOT gather at Moravian Village. It is the first in a series of "Rotary Road Trips". Once each quarter this year, at the leadership of President Elect Janet Kolepp, we will gather at Bethlehem businesses and organizations to get a better sense of "what's out there", and to share the story of Rotary in a new and different way.
This Thursday, August 17, we will be meeting at the National Museum of Industrial History; if you haven't already registered, please see separate story below from PE Janet Kolepp.
Friday, a group of 10 from Victory House attended the Rotary Strikes Out Hunger game at Citizens Bank Park as guests of our club. How nice for us to step up to provide this experience of tickets and refreshments for these men who are taking steps to improve their lives for the better!
DG Rick Gromis with the Victory House Team!
A few other things to share: tomorrow (the 16th) is the deadline for nominations for the first Ethics in Business award in our work related to Vocational Service and Rotary Means Business. We want to be sure we are recognizing, and in that way, extending a hand of friendship and invitation to Bethlehem businesses that embody, through their every day practices and policies, the spirit of the 4Way Test. Please get your entries to me either through the mail or send them to my electronic inbox at cbakes82@gmail.com. https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000006556/en-ca/files/homepage/ethics-in-business-nomination-form/Ethics-in-Business-Nomination-Form.pdf
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 POWERBALLpayouts 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 observeWorld 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 at the Museum!
Have you paid your dues yet? If not is that Fair to all Concerned? Please see Jean Searfoss to make arrangements if you need to do so.
One of the goals outlined in the 7430 District Strategic Plan is to increase membership retention. The District leadership feels that Rotary education will result in higher rates of retention in our clubs. Consequently, the District would like to encourage attendance at RLI by offering a reimbursement of $50.00 to the club for anyone attending the institute to be held on September 16, 2017 at Desales University.
Yes, that is correct!! The reimbursement will be not only for the first year participants, but the second and third as well. It covers EVERY attendee. So if a club sends 3 people to level one, 2 people to level two, and 1 person to level three. The club would be entitled to a reimbursement of $300.00.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to strengthen our club. Register now at: http://rlinea.org/event/center-valley--pa-(7430)/. Payment may be made by credit card or check. Reimbursement checks will be sent after confirmation of attendees at the institute in September.
If you have any questions, please contact Janet Kolepp, jkolepp@gmail.com or 484-241-1252.
Look forward to seeing you in September!
Janet Kolepp
RLI Chair
Bottom line - this is in your back yard and MSR will reimburse your tuition! Commit yourself to get outside the box! ed.
Tomorrow for our program will be Jack Weiner, a Camp Neidig participant and an Eagle Scout. Jack will present his Eagle Scout project which is a very moving tribute to our Veterans of the Greatest Generation!
Next week our program will be a field trip to the National Museum of Industrial History.
Please plan to join us at the National Museum of Industrial History for our regular Rotary meeting on Thursday, August 17, 2017. We will begin to gather at 7:15am for a light breakfast. The museum staff will then give a brief overview of the museum and exhibits, after which we will be able to take a self-guided tour. The $10 meeting fee will be collected, which includes breakfast and the tour.
Please register to attend through our club website here. If you have any questions, please contact me via email (jkolepp@gmail.com) or on my cell (484-241-1252).
A new birthday tradition was established. The birthday celebrities received a folder with the Certificate Object of Rotary. This is quite suitable for proudly displaying in your office or other highly visible place to show your interest and support of Rotary.
Fellow Rotarian and Extension Educator, Denise Continenza, will share information on how Penn State Extension helps to build strong youth, communities and families.
Denise will provide strategies and ideas for us to use in our everyday interactions with young people that will help them grow into responsible citizens and avoid many of the problem behaviors facing youth people today.
I’m looking forward to a great week! I heard from MSRBill Hunter; he’s away on vacation, but got the form to order T-Shirts, and I got a very enthusiastic response from him. “Cheryl, the Antigua Rotary Club wears these and they are great. Count me in.”
Last Thursday we heard from Tyler Schellenberger, a student at Moravian Academy, who experienced all the leadership training and camaraderie that happens at Camp Neidig each summer. As all the students do, she enthusiastically reaffirmed how important, and valuable, this experience is for building tomorrow’s leaders. We can be so proud that we are a part of this activity.
"Enthusiastic Camper!!!" Tyler with the MSR Neidig team and President Cheryl
This Thursday, we’ll take time during the meeting to do some of the business of Rotary. We’ll break up into committees, talk about membership, and have some training on the website. We’re all busy, and so the more we know about how to utilize the electronic tools we have at our disposal through ClubRunner, and Rotary International, the more efficient, and effective, we can be!
I’m hoping you’ll all take some time to review the “Ethics in Business Award” form I’ve attached in the Downloads section; it is the nomination form for our new “Ethics in Business Award”Program. Beginning in September, we will be honoring local Bethlehem businesses who demonstrate through their everyday example that they embrace the ideals of the Rotary Four Way Test. They don’t have to be Rotarians, but perhaps if they’re not, we should be inviting them to become Rotarians – especially if they are living out their business life with integrity.
Please think about who you would nominate. You’ll have a month to consider who you’d like to honor; we’ll be making the announcement in late August.
Another note about Rotary’s Strike Out Hunger game at the Phillies on August 11; the men of Victory House would LOVE to attend this game! They have transportation, and room for 10. Perhaps you can’t go yourself, but would like to help one of their residents have the opportunity to see a major league baseball game. Perhaps you’re planning to go, and could purchase 1 more ticket for someone else. It’s the least we can do for all they have done in our years of partnership on Salute to The Troops and the Spaghetti Dinner. And remember, for each ticket you purchase, $10 comes back to the club as Foundation credits.
For more information, or to order tickets, call or email Gerry or Jill Long at 610-625-5105 or longgolf@ptd.net.
PLEASE BRING A DONATION FOR OUR FOOD DRIVE. In honor of Past President Sharon’s contributions we will be collecting all summer to make a gift, and a difference, for New Bethany Ministries.
Morning Star Rotary’s annual dues are $200 per year (or $100 per half year). Treasurer Val Walk emailed the 2017-18 Dues Notices in early June. The Rotary year starts on July 1, and club Dues are due on June 30 so we may pay Rotary International and District 7430 their portions on a timely basis.
Thank you to all our members who have already submitted payment! Checks received in June were deposited the first week of July.
If you have not yet paid, please give your check to Treasurer Jean Searfoss, or mail it to her at 1409 Bogie Ave., Wescosville, PA 18106.
Alternative: you can pay with a credit card via a link on our website - under Site Pages on the left side of our home page, click Pay Dues Online Here. Note: A small fee is added to cover the processing costs we are charged.
Your prompt cooperation will reduce the follow-up time needed, and be much appreciated. Please be "fair to all concerned" - we need to pay Rotary International in July. Thank you!
For many years, one idea has stood at the heart of all our service: sustainability. Sustainable service means our work continues to have a positive impact long after Rotary’s direct involvement has ended. We don’t dig wells and walk away; we make sure communities can maintain and repair those wells. If we build a clinic, we make sure that clinic has a way to keep running without ongoing support from us.
One way I’d like for you to contribute in our quest for sustainability is through my tree planting initiative. I ask that you have one tree planted for each member of your club sometime between now and Earth Day, 22 April 2018. The Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group is a great resource that can help you get started. Share your progress online by using #pledgetoplant.
I hope that the result of this effort will be far greater than the environmental benefit that those 1.2 million new trees will bring, which is itself most worthwhile. I believe the greater result will be a Rotary that recognizes our responsibility, not only to the people on our planet—but to the planet itself on which we all live and on which we all depend.
During my six presidential conferences this year, environmental sustainability is one of many topics up for discussion. Each conference will focus on how peace relates to one of Rotary’s five other areas of focus. My hope is that attendees are inspired take action after attending a conference and will develop new initiatives. Learn more about each of the conferences and how to register.
As I mentioned to you all earlier this year, Rotary Peace Fellow Marie-Paule Attema has already begun her studies and has shared her first blog post, which you can read here. I’m pleased to report that my home country of Australia has welcomed her with open arms and we all look forward to reading her next post as her journey progresses.
Beginning this Rotary year, the Rotary Friendship Exchange program has been expanded to include both Rotarians and non-Rotarians, with an emphasis on including young professionals on exchanges. These exchanges are a unique chance for cultural immersion and interchange, as well as an opportunity to build global understanding and boost vocational and leadership skills.
As district governor, you will receive special recognition if 60 percent or more of the clubs in your district qualify for the 2017-18 Rotary Citation.
To earn this year’s citation, the following activities are required of clubs:
Pay your July 2017 and January 2018 club invoices on time
Report volunteer hours and service project contributions in Rotary Club Central
Please ask each club to accurately track the hours and the money they spend on their service, so we can get those important year-end numbers.
In addition, at least four club goals must be achieved in the following categories: support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance Rotary’s public image and awareness. Download your copy of the 2017-18 presidential citation for more information. If you have questions, contact the Rotary Awards team.
Now that you have stepped into your new role as district governor, I hope you to take the time to reflect on why you chose to take on this position, and the impact you can have on the clubs in your district. There’s a great deal of work ahead of us, but it’s only when we come together that we are able to embody Rotary: Making a Difference.
Sincerely,
Ian Riseley Rotary International President, 2017-18
On behalf of the Board of Directors we want to thank everyone for their support this past year – President Fontana, all our members, volunteers, and the Board and Officers. Special thanks to those Directors completing their two year commitment on the Board – Jeff Kiscka, Robin Metzler, Geoff Wright and Stephen Kazar (who completed the year for Dave Cincera who resigned. Stephen now starts his own two year term – thank you.)
At our Board meeting, Wednesday evening, June 21, we evaluated the openings and needs of MSR for Officers and Directors. There were three open slots for Directors and a need for a Vice President. Janet Kolepp had stepped up to the current VP slot in January creating one Director opening for the next year. I will fulfill the second year of her director term as she becomes President Elect.
There had been one opening for a Director for the 2017-19 term. With the tragic loss of Audrey Rafferty, a second Director was needed. We are very happy to report that Lynn Milet and Dino Cantelmi have graciously come forward to serve in these roles.
That leaves us in need of a Vice President to become fully engaged in the service to Morning Star. Please give serious consideration to this need. There is much to be done by all of us as the club continues to expand in our community efforts. Please contact me or any Officer or Board member. The Four Way Test begins with Service Above Self.
Thank you.
Ron Searfoss
Past President
Special Thanks & Appreciation for Service Above Self
A great time was had by all at First Thursdays @ 5:30 - Rotary Means Business at the Artisan on Thursday evening. It was another wonderful evening of fellowship and sharing Rotary.
Dino Cantelmi will be presenting his classification talk this Thursday. Please be sure to attend to learn more about our newest member.
It is with great sadness that I share the tragic news that Rotarian Audrey Rafferty was the victim of a deadly car crash on Friday in Easton. Audrey passed away at Easton Hospital from blunt force trauma.
Audrey totally embraced Rotary and although new to the club, was already attending Board meetings in preparation to serve on the Board. She was always there with a smile and ready to volunteer. Although our time to get to know Audrey was tragically too short, we were blessed to have known her as a fellow Rotarian and a friend.
Francisco, our exchange student from Chile, had a unique experience for his Memorial Day Celebration. He accompanied host “DAD” USMC Tom Bailey to Washington, DC to participate in the NAM KNIGHTS 2017 Rolling Thunder celebration to honor our fallen brothers and sisters in the military and police organizations.
“All in all he had a great time and experienced some things he will never forget, like seeing men big as trees and very rough looking just break down and cry openly at the Viet Nam Wall and the Police Memorial…” TB
The Founder of NAM KNIGHTS
Unique transportation
Vets, police, active and retired....rolling thunder!!!
We had the opportunity to learn more about Morning Star Rotarian Stephen Kazar at our Thursday meeting. Stephen was born in Bermuda at Kindley Army Airforce Base. His family later moved to Wisconsin, where he earned his Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Education with minors in Philosophy and Photography. Stephen has worked for 30 years in higher education and has traveled around the world extensively in pursuing his vocation. He is currently the Director of Global Online Graduate Degrees and Training at Lehigh University. His wife Ellen is a Math & English teacher in the Allentown School District. They have 2 adult children living on the west coast and with two lovely granddaughters and soon to be 3 grandchildren.
Stephen has been active in Morning Star Rotary since joining and serves on the Board.
Motivational Quote:
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is power to do it.
Marianne Williamson
Thursday is First Thursdays @ 5:30 at the Artisan. Rotary Means Business!It is a great opportunity to introduce a friend, neighbor or business associate to Rotary.
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation was formed in 1917 arising from Rotarian Arch Klumph’s idea to form an endowment fund dedicated to “doing good in the world”.
Bethlehem Morning Star has always been a supporter of The Rotary Foundation. Over the past two years, our club has been one of the few clubs within the District to achieve 100% participation, as all club members have made a contribution to the Foundation each year.
The Foundation Committee asks that each Rotarian consider a minimum gift of $100 to The Rotary Foundation this year. If you are unable to commit to $100, you may want to consider a contribution of $26.50 which was the original Foundation contribution. Any amount will be appreciated, and count towards 100% participation.
As the Rotary year ends on June 30, the Foundation Committee is asking that all contributions be made by June 1. You can make your contribution by check or at the $2/week table when you sign in. Checks should be made payable to “Rotary Foundation”, and given to Tom Hartzell at a weekly meeting. Checks can also be mailed to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18017.
If you are not sure if you have made a contribution during this Rotary year, you can check with Tom or Sue Burnett.
Why should you make a contribution to Rotary Foundation? Because you are a Rotarian!
Thanks to everyone in Bethlehem Morning Star for their continued support of Rotary Foundation.
As we approach Memorial Day please I ask that we take a moment to stop and think about what it really means. Look around and take the opportunity to explain to our younger generations the real meaning of Memorial Day. We have the holiday, the celebrations, the Indy 500, etc. because of all the brave people who have served, continue to serve and will bless our freedom with their service in the future.
The following was excerpted from the Bethlehem Rotary club’s bulletin from last week. It is real and very close to home.
Today’s program topic was one that Rotarian, Bob Weed, does not like to talk about. If that’s how he feels, you might wonder why he does talk about it. It’s because the Korean War is often classified as the ‘forgotten war’ and Bob never wants others to forget about it. During the 3-year war, 1,789,000 young people served in the Korean War. Of those million plus Americans, 36,574 were killed in action and another 103,284 were wounded in action. The New York Times aptly referred to the Korean War as World War 2.5.
July 17, 1953 will be forever etched in Bob’s mind. It was what he described as the ‘night from hell’ when a Chinese mortar round landed too close to him. Although he was somewhat protected by his flak jacket, his arms and legs were severely injured by shrapnel. He was first taken to a MASH unit to be stabilized and quickly flown out to the USS Repose for further care. He was eventually transferred to a naval hospital in Japan where he was operated on 7 times in 7 months. Bob will be forever grateful to the Naval Chaplain and the Navy Medical Service Corp for all they did to help get him back on his feet.
Bob left us with two important messages:
How very blessed we are in the US for our military – past, present and future. They deserve the highest regard from all of us.
Those who served or are serving in the US military are the backbone of America. May God bless our military and the United States of America – the greatest country in the world.
Thank you, Bob, for reminding us of what a great country we live in and for your personal sacrifice to our country.
David Fragstrom of the Greater Valley YMCA informed Morning Star Rotarians that there are 7 YMCA’s that are part of the Greater Valley YMCA. They do not turn anyone away for inability to pay. The Y is a leading provider of childcare for children from 6 weeks to High School. The Y helps people from all backgrounds build and maintain healthy habits & takes on the most urgent needs in our community.
This Thursday our speaker will be Stephen Kazar who will present his Classification Talk.
Motivational Quote:
Wellness is not a medical fix but a way of living - a lifestyle sensitive and responsive to all the dimensions of body,m mind and spirit, an approach to life we each design to achieve our highest potential for well being now and forever.
Just a hello and quick reminder for this week’s meeting.
District Conference was an excellent Rotary experience.
Story, photos, etc. coming in next week’s Bulletin.
Reminder – Board meeting this evening 6 PM at Moravian Village.
Please plan to attend the May 11 meeting where our speaker will be Serajuddin Elalam from Benghazi, Libya. She will speak on increasing mutual understanding across the globe as seen through the eyes of a Fulbright Scholar.
Sunday, May 14 is the cutoff for District Assembly Registration.
See story below. All Rotarians are encouraged to participate - go outside your box and learn more of your Rotary and what it means.
Montgomery County Community College, Parkhouse Hall
340 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422
(Registration closes Sunday, May 14th so don't delay!)
Dear Rotarians,
The District 7430 Training Assembly is fast approaching. It is a chance for club officers, committee chairs and assistant governors to further develop leadership skills and refine strategies to achieve their goals for the upcoming Rotary year. It is also GREAT for ALL Rotarians - especially newer Rotarians. Learn more about Rotary programs, increase your leadership skills and learn best practices from “seasoned” Rotarians.
District Training Assembly is also a fantastic opportunity to meet and connect with other Rotarians from throughout the District.
Training assemblies like this are the best way to help your club be even more successful in 2017-18. Attendees will discover tips to take your Clubs to the next level. Breakout sessions are planned for:
Strategic Planning
Effective Social Media to Attract Members
Fundraising
Club Treasurer and Secretary Sessions
International Grants
Hands On Club Central Training
An information packed afternoon is planned for all Rotarians, we are confident that everyone will go home with something they can use to make your club better.
I look forward to seeing you all at our District Training Assembly on the afternoon of Saturday May 20th 2017, so we can prepare to do “Good in our Communities” with the knowledge and skills that are provided at the District Training Assembly.
I would like to extend a heartfelt note of gratitude to everyone who worked so diligently on Friday to make the Spaghetti Dinner a success.
A very special thanks goes out to those who worked for hours in the kitchen preparing the home-made sauce and salads.
Thank you also to Rotarians and their families who planned the event, sold tickets, cooked, baked, filled supplies, waited tables, washed dishes, and cleaned up.
Proceeds from this event help support our Community grants.
Thanks again!
Val
Click on link below for pictures courtesy of our Rotarian "Snapper" Charlotte!
Please join us on Thursday April 27 for Heidi Hoffer, Coordinator of Studies & Training
Learn about Pinebrook Family Answers and the work they do in the community. Find out more about the foster parent program, and becoming a foster parent. Touch a life...become a foster parent!
Audrey Rafferty introduced Kelly Berk and Tina Wida spoke to us about the work that Nurse Family Partnership is doing in our community. The goals of Nurse Family Partnership are to improve pregnancy outcomes, improve child health and development and improve the economic self sufficiency of the family. The program is open to any woman pregnant with her first child, meets income requirements and lives in the service area. A registered nurse will visit the mom in their home throughout the pregnancy and continue to visit until the baby is 2 years old. The nurse will help to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, become a better parent, provide support and set goals for the family’s future. Trials show that families who participate fare better: less incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, better employment for the moms, and better performance in school by the kids.
This week we will be honoring Rotarians Charlotte and Tore Hartmann-Hansen with the presentation of the Hartmann-Hansen Grant. All Rotarians and friends are invited to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
Motivational Quote:
God put us here to prepare for the next generation. That’s our job. Raising children and helping the community, that’s preparing for the next generation.
A wonderful celebration was held March 28th as our District 7430 held Charter Night with the induction of our newest Rotary Club, Whitehall Area Rotary Club. This is the first new Rotary Club in our District since 2008. There were over 100 people in attendance with 18 different Rotary clubs represented and a whole host of District Governors Past, Present and into the next decade. Morning Star Rotary was well represented in welcoming all the new Rotarians.
Special congratulations to District Membership Chair, Herb Klotz, for guiding the evolution of this new club and doubling-down as MC!
Among the new clubs members, but unable to be present, is Jan Chicka. Jan is transferring to the Whitehall Rotary Club. Jan will be missed at Morning Star, but we are really happy she will continue to be a Rotarian.
Jan, thank you for all you have done at Morning Star.
Amy Hollander, Executive Director of the National Museum of Industrial Historygave a fascinating overview of a treasure in our own backyard, the National Museum of Industrial History. She was introduced by Marianne Aronson. NMIH is located in a 100 year old former Bethlehem Steel facility on the Southside near the Discovery Center. The vision is to tell the story of America’s industrial achievements and the accomplishments of our workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs. The NMIH forges a connection between America’s industrial past and the innovations of today, to inspire the next generations. The museum explores the roles of industry in America’s growth, through the stories of people, machines and ideas.
The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. I am looking forward to visiting the Museum and suggest everyone adds this Bethlehem gem to their things to do list.
First Thursday, April 6th, we will be meeting at the Artisan Wine and Cheese Cellar.See you there!
John Oesmann's hip replacement went very well. Be sure to ask him about his stripes!
Motivational Quote:
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
We are seeking a 3rd host family for our exchange student Francisco, from Chile. This hosting will be from March - June, 2017.
His current host family, Tom & Landa Mohr will begin traveling during the month of March and we must move Francisco as soon as possible.
If you are interested or know of family or friends that might consider this wonderful opportunity, contact Janet Kolepp, 484-241-1252 or jkolepp@gmail.com.
As with many things in Rotary, you receive more in return than you ever expected.
Rotary District 7430's Gala Committee for The Rotary Foundation's 100th anniversary has been busy planning an evening of dinner and dancing on Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 6 -10 p.m. at the PineCrest Country Club, 101 Country Club Drive, Lansdale, PA
Our club has donated a Musikfest themed basket of goodies to help the Annual Fund. Thank you to the club for its generosity.
I’m hoping you will join Jean and me for a fun-filled evening of fellowship in celebration of 100 Years of our Rotary Foundation. In addition to fine dining and dancing, we will have a wonderful celebration of Rotary fellowship.
Thank you to our wonderful hosts at Traditions of Hanover. Jennifer Murphy,Marketing Director welcomed MSR and shared with us the lifestyle offered at Traditions.
No worrying about maintaining a home, cooking or cleaning. Jennifer and the staff at Traditions are available to arrange a personal tour for anyone interested in Independent Living.
Cheryl Baker, President-Elect, introduced our Strategic Plan for 2017-2018.
We are friends, neighbors and people of action engaged in creating lasting humanitarian change locally and globally.
Our 4 Goal Areas are:
Community Awareness,
Community Involvement,
Impactful Projects and
Engaged Members.
Please click on the Strategic Plan Presentation in Downloads on our homepage and share with the Board your thoughts and comments.
First Thursday, March 2nd, we will be meeting at the Artisan Wine Bar. See you there!
AnInternational Women’s Day will be conducted at Cedar Crest College on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 in an effort to recruit more women to Rotary.
The event will start with round table discussions from 3:00-5:00 pm, followed by a celebration of women with networking, drinks, snacks, and entertainment from 5:00-7:00 pm.
Our District Governor, Linda Young, will speak in support of the effort. The invitation is to all area Rotary Clubs. Despite it being geared toward women Rotarians, men are invited as well!
Please join women from throughout the Lehigh Valley to celebrate International Women's Day on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 from 5:00-7:00pm at Cedar Crest College. Tickets $25 in advance / $30 at door.
Last Thursday, Kelly Allen, Associate Professor at Northampton Community College spoke to MSR about the NCC East 40 Community Garden.
In support of NCC’s commitment to sustainability, the community garden serves as an outdoor classroom, growing space, and resource center that:
- Provides students with experiential learning, service learning, interdisciplinary curriculum projects, and research opportunities
- Empowers the community to grow their own food (through opportunities such as individual garden plots and community garden plots
- Creates opportunities for partnerships with area schools, food banks and nonprofit organizations
- Promotes environmental and personal well-being and maintains the integrity and health of the land
Thank you Kelly for sharing with us your enthusiasm in this enlightening presentation on the great work that is happening at NCC.
Other Rotary announcements included an update on the Area 2 - 5 club Outreach food packaging event on March 11th. Rotarians can sign up online. (Upcoming Events - click on Outreach Food Project) or sign up at our next meeting. This event will provide much needed food to our local food banks. It is a great opportunity to share Rotary with your family, neighbors and people of action. As an MSR you can signup these folks to come and experience a little of what Rotary does to help others in the community. We need 24 volunteers to support two 1-1/2 hour shifts.
We were pleased to approve Janet Kolepp taking the leadership role of Vice President immediately and following President Elect Cheryl Baker in the coming year. Bravo!
This Thursday, February 23rd, we will be meeting at Traditions of Hanover. (5300 Northgate Drive, Bethlehem 18017 behind Wegman's off Route 512) We will be presenting the Strategic Plan. Thanks to everyone for the great input that was key in developing the plan.
Reminder - Thursday evening MSR will be once again preparing the dinner for the folks at the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter. Questions can be referred to Lynn Milet.
Dr. Joseph J. Roy, Superintendent of Schools at the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD), was the guest speaker for the Downtown Bethlehem Rotary meeting on February 15th. He received his undergraduate degree from Franklin and Marshall College, his master’s degree from Bucknell University and his doctoral degree from Lehigh University. A lifelong educator, Dr. Roy held positions as a social studies teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent in several Pennsylvania school districts until the start of his tenure as BASD Superintendent in 2010. The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators honored Dr. Roy as the 2017 "Superintendent of the Year."
Quick facts about BASD:
6th largest school district in Pennsylvania
5th largest employer in Northampton County
22 schools with almost 14,000 students
Largest district to first implement full-day kindergarten in 2015-16
Non-homestead properties generated $82.1 Million (51%) of BASD tax base.
Top 20+ Bethlehem properties paid $18+million in property taxes
The highest Bethlehem property paid $24,600 in taxes; the median paid $3,200.
Dr. Roy has 10,200 Twitter followers and actively uses Twitter as a direct form of communication with students and their families.
BASD continues to implement a number of key initiatives to benefit students and our community.
Roadmap to Educational Excellence is a framework for establishing goals for school improvement based on core learning, stretch learning, student engagement, and personal skill development.
Building early literacy skills lays the foundation for future educational success, yet many students enter kindergarten already behind. The Reading by Grade 3/Literacy Initiative along with universal full day kindergarten has produced student growth in literacy. The goal is to have all students become proficient readers by grade 3. Dr. Roy used a statistic from Lincoln Elementary School where they reduced the achievement gap. At the start of the year, only 38% of beginning students reached appropriate proficiency levels. By the end of the year, 90% reached appropriate proficiency levels. Children deemed proficient by third grade have more successful future outcomes, such as fewer special education needs and higher graduation rates.
Based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leader in Me program focuses on character development and builds leadership skills to decrease discipline problems and increase engagement among teachers and parents.
United Way Community Schools help level the playing field for schools with a high poverty rate. BASD has 6 schools designated as community schools.
BASD has a number of common budget themes.
Controlled growth of local expenditures
Lack of adequate state funding
Charter school funding reform
BASD sends over $25 million per year to charter schools.
Charter school expenses continue to increase, while state funding has not.
Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) reform – pensions are high
Special thanks to MSR Shawn Deiter who was able to attend the meeting and provide a concise report for all.
Special thanks to Downtown Bethlehem President Gail Evans for extending an invitation to all MSR to attend.
Last Thursday was an evening of fellowship and sharing Rotary at our First Thursdays @ 5:30 at The Artisan.
We welcomed a number of guests who came out to learn about Morning Star Rotary and enjoy the fellowship of our Morning Star Rotarians.
It was a busy Rotary week as committees and the Board were at work planning for future projects and the Strategic Plan.
The Foundation committee met to review the ideas that were presented for the District Grant. The Strategic Planning Committee met on Saturday to work on the next steps of the MSR Strategic Plan. The information generated at our meeting was the foundation of the plan.
MSR Planners in action! Special THANKS to Cheryl Baker for an excellent job as facilitator and to Lynn Milet for graciously hosting this crew!
The 5 Clubs of Area 2 are conducting the Outreach project next month on Saturday, March 11 at the HUB at Moravian College. A short presentation on the project will be shown at our meeting this week and there will be a sign up sheet.
This will be an excellent opportunity to invite friends, neighbors & people of action to experience Rotary at work. Updates will follow on the District Grants, MSR Strategic Plan and Outreach at future meetings.
Our speaker this week is one of our newest members, Josh Mrozinski. We look forward to his classification talk and learning more about Josh. He has already become fully engaged in activities as a newly elected Board member by attending Board meetings and being an integral part of the Strategic Plan process.
At the January 26th meeting we expressed our thanks and appreciaion to all our sponsors and friends who helped make these events so successful!
Susan Stachowski, Sands; Bruce Palmer, Buckno Lisicky; Tom Hartzell, HMK Insurance;
Janet Kolepp, Berk One, Inc.; Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, HHFS; Wayne Achey, Race Chair
Part of the nearly three dozen wonderful supporting organizations. We Thank You All!
Jean Searfoss, MSR; Fred Fenselau, Working Dog Press; Gary Hartney, STT Concert Chair; Susan Stachowski, Sands; Denise Parker, NEMS Select Chorus; Brian Rupnik, NEMS Band Conductor; Ron Demkee, Conductor The Allentown Band; John St. Clair, Embassy Bank and Pat DiLuzio, Executive Director Victory House
Morning Star wishes to express all our thanks and appreciation for your continuing support!
Our Recognition meeting on Jan. 26 thanked all the sponsors and supporters of our Celtic Classic Race and Salute the Troops Concert.
Without the many local businesses that support these events, Morning Star Rotary could not do what we do in our community and around the world.
Special Olympics of Bethlehem is the major recipient of the proceeds from the Celtic Classic Race. This year, they were presented with a check in the amount of $5,000.
Victory House of the Lehigh Valley is the major recipient of the proceeds from the Salute the Troops Concert. They were presented with a check in the amount of $9,500.
A special thank you to our Committee Chairs Wayne Achey and Gary Hartzell, to the committee members and all of the Morning Star Rotarians who worked so hard to make these events a success!
This week, there is no morning meeting. Our First Thursdays @ 5:30 is at The Artisan Wine and Cheese Cellar at 55 W Lehigh Street.
So far, we have 4 prospective members attending.
This is a great opportunity to invite someone to enjoy a great evening of fellowship and sharing Rotary.
Motivational Quote: You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
We had the opportunity to get to know more about one of our newest members, Audrey Rafferty. Audrey grew up in northwest New Jersey with her parents and 3 siblings.
When Audrey approached her Dad about her plans to be a PE Teacher her Dad told her to become a nurse. That launched Audrey’s exciting career.
Throughout the years Audrey worked in different areas of nursing in various positions from her first job as a Maternity Nurse to her last position as a
Community Health Nurse & Supervisor for the PA Department of Health.
Of all her shining achievements, it was clear that she is most proud of her 3 children. After her 3 children completed Moravian College, Audrey went back to complete her Bachelor Degree. She is currently attending Moravian Theological Seminary to pursue a Masters in Spiritual Direction.
I am pleased to welcome Audrey to Morning Star Rotary.
Reminders: Please email Cheryl Baker if you are interested in attending the retreat to work on the Strategic Plan. The date is 2/4 and the location is being finalized.
This week our program is Sponsorship Recognition.
Please be there to thank our sponsors for supporting MSR's 2016 5k/10k Race and Salute The Troops Concert.
Motivational Quote: Everybody can be great..because anybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
“Now is the time to enable our Foundation to serve humanity for centuries to come, by making sure it is financially strong and remains recognized internationally for its good work.”
– 2016-17 Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee
Celebrate the Foundation’s centennial by making a special contribution to help us reach our goal
To mark this historic year, we have set a goal of $300 million, including contributions to the Annual, Endowment, and PolioPlus funds.
By making a special centennial gift beyond what you normally contribute, you are helping to launch our Foundation into its second century of service.
And you’re empowering Rotary members to continue fighting disease, reducing poverty, providing clean water, promoting peace, and advancing economic development in communities all over the world.
Only contributions received between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 will count toward the goal.
On April 25, 2016, Standard and Poor’s upgraded the City of Bethlehem’s credit rating from BBB positive outlook to A-positive outlook, a rare two notch upgrade.
“The rating action reflects our view of Bethlehem’s improved structural position as demonstrated by its ability to realize balanced-to-positive operating results in its general fund as a result of concerted management efforts following a period of fiscal distress."
Mayor Robert Donchez enlightened our club of this and many other accomplishments and challenges facing the City of Bethlehem. At the start of the Mayors term he was focused on Public Safety, Fiscal Responsibility, Community Development, Roads and Quality of Life.
In October 2016, MONEY Magazine named Bethlehem the best place to retire in the Northeast!
The City of Bethlehem was named the safest 3rd class city in PA in 2016. Small businesses continue to grow in the LVIP Vll with 19 new companies, $314,000,000 in investment and 3,400 jobs.
The presentation was enlightening and I am proud that our club is part of a city with so many positive things happening.
To see Mayor Donchez's full PowerPoint presentation click on the file in the Downloads section of our home webpage.
Reminders: Please submit your ideas for a District Grant to Susan Burnett by 1/20. (See related story below.)
If you are interested in participating in the MSR Strategic Plan retreat, please respond to Cheryl Baker. Based on the responses, the targeted date is Sat. 2/4.
This week Audrey Rafferty and Josh Mrozinski will do their classification talks.
Please be sure to join us to get to know our newest members.
Motivational Quote: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision,
with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”
On Thursday January 12, ten Morning Star Rotarians, along with 7 Lehigh University Fulbright Scholars served dinner to 35 guests of the shelter at Nativity Cathedral. This was the second night this winter season and the 4th time since our Club took on this project last year.
The Vision & Values of Emergency Sheltering Program, as outlined on their website, are:
We believe all people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their circumstances.
We believe serving those in need is a tangible expression of the faiths practiced by our volunteers.
We believe individuals and groups that seek to work in partnership with others create a more talented and resourceful community.
This third value really underscores our work with this program. Over the course of our service we have come to know some of the guests. Maybe not my name, but through conversations and the many “Thank you’s!” shared during our time with them. We have also come to know many of the church volunteers: Deacon Rodney, Joe, Katrina & James to name a few. These people are there week in, week out; dedicated to providing a warm place to sleep and a good meal.
We were also able to extend the reach of this project internationally, including the students from Lehigh University that Bill Hunter introduced to us. They went away from the evening with a new sense of service in the United States and more knowledge about Rotary. What impact this understanding will have on the seven Fulbright Scholars? We can only trust that it will somehow, somewhere, someday!!
A truly international experience: Lehigh Univiersity Fulbright Scholars - Seraj from Libya, Nazgul from the Kyrgyz Republic, Diem from Vietnam, Qasim from Pakistan, Mai from Egypt, Tshego from South Africa and Satrih from Indonesia. Special thanks to Bill Hunter
It is an honor for our club to be able to participate. Special thanks go out to each of you that have contributed your time, food or funds to support the meal! If you haven’t taken the opportunity to volunteer your time at the shelter there are still two more chances: February 23 and March 16. Please do, you won’t regret it!!
Any questions, please email Janet Kolepp (jkolepp@gmail.com) or call/text (484-241-1252)
The Foundation Committee is looking for project ideas for a District Grant.
The criteria for a Grant does require that it addresses one of the following Areas of Focus:
Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
Disease prevention and treatment.
Water and sanitation
Maternal and child health.
Basic education and literacy.
Economic and community development
The total cost of the project should be a maximum of $5,000 if MSR will work on the project alone & $10,000 if we partner with another club. There is also a sweat equity requirement.
Please send your ideas to Sue Burnett by Friday 1/20: burnetts@rcn.com. Kindly include any information you have at this point to outline the project and estimate cost.
Ann Raines, facilitator for the Center for Business and Industry at Northampton Community College, led the club in taking the first step in working on a strategic plan for Morning Star Rotary.
The club worked in groups on the SWOT analysis. Each group prepared a list of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats.
One of my observations was that the list of Strengths was the longest list compiled by the group that I worked with.
The lists have been compiled by President-Elect Cheryl Baker and communicated to the membership for review. Included is a request for a date to schedule a retreat to continue work on the MSR Strategic Plan.
All MSR members are highly encouraged to participate in this process. Among our objectives are the development of a comprehensive plan evolved from a consensus of the membership to lay the groundwork for our growth and direction over the next three to five years. It is anticipated the Strategic Plan will be revisited annually and appropriate adjustments incorporated to guide our journey.
Anyone interested in participating in the planning process, please RSVP to Cheryl's email http://doodle.com/poll/mkrzm4sd63peaxmz. The date of the retreat will be determined shortly from your input.
On Saturday, a wonderful time was had by all attending our annual Holiday party. Over 35 Morning Star Rotarians with guests and significant others enjoyed an evening of fellowship. There was great food and interesting conversations.
Thank you to the Mike and Terri Long for hosting the party in their beautiful home & to Billy Weber for helping with the planning.
(Ed. note: if anyone would like to "find a place for the pooltable" and turn it into a great man cave, consult with Mike, truly a job well-done!)
Photos courtesy of Ellen Roberts. Thank you.
This week, we will be honored by a visit from Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez who will enlighten us with the "State of the City of Bethlehem".
Please join us in extending a warm Morning Star welcome to Mayor Donchez!
An amazing performance by the Liberty High School A Cappella group was enjoyed at Morning Star Rotary’s annual Holiday Breakfast.
Over 100 Rotarians and guests joined us for fellowship, breakfast and fun.
Of course, what would a Holiday celebration be without Rick Santee playing the accordion and leading us in singing Christmas Carols including our own Rotary version of the Rotary 12 Days of Christmas.
We will not be meeting on the 29th.
Since our Holiday party is at the Long’s on January 7th, we will hold our regular morning meeting on January 5th instead of our First Thursdays @ 5:30.
Wishing everyone Happy Hannakah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Morning Star Celebrates Multiple Paul Harris Recipients
We recently had the special occasion to celebrate with four of our fellow Morning Star Rotarians. Please join us in congratulating these Morning Star Rotarians on receipt of their multiple Paul Harris Fellow awards.
Dee Elliott and Russ Pacala each received their second Paul Harris Fellow awards.
Marianne Aronson and Jean Searfoss each received their third Paul Harris Fellow awards.
We thank them and wish them continued positive growth in Rotary!
Crime is low in Bethlehem compared to other third class cities stated Mark DiLuzio, Chief of Police for the City of Bethlehem at MSR’s meeting last week.
The police force works closely with the High Schools and this has resulted in no major issues at the schools.
One of the major challenges facing the force today is the anti police sentiment that has swept the nation in the last 2 years. Groups like, Black Lives Matter, promote hate and violence towards law enforcement and government. The problem is worsened by false information that is spread by the media.
In the future, body cameras will enable the Police Officers to be able to prove what transpired. It was interesting to learn how national issues impact the City of Bethlehem.
Reminder - 2nd half Morning Star dues are needed before the end of the year.
This week is our Annual Holiday Musical Breakfast ..please join us for this fun and festive tradition.
Motivational Quote of the Week:
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What is Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Morning Star Rotary will be serving dinner at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering Program again this winter. Our first night is this Thursday December 15.
Each night there will be a team captain that will coordinate menu, volunteers, cooking, cleanup etc. These are the following dates & captains:
December 15 - Janet Kolepp
A sign-up sheet has been circulated for menu items and duties.
If any questions please see Team Captain Janet Kolepp
Future dates
January 12 - Jan Chicka
February 23 - Sue Reeps
March 16 - John Oesmann
A big thank you to all who have volunteered. Please add these dates to your calendar!!!
It is as simple as having a notebook, pencil and glue. In Pavas, a poor district in San Jose, Costa Rica a packet of educational materials means the difference between an education and working on the street. Most public schools in Costa Rica are under funded and lack many basic supplies, so the Rohrmoser Rotary Club, Costa Rica developed a packet of teaching materials for students and partnered with the Vancouver Rotary Club, Canada to distribute 777 packets to children in five very poor elementary schools. US$100 buys 15 packets.
Without this project many students would not be able to continue their education and would be forced to drop out of school.
When Every Rotarian, Every Year participates, our foundation is able to continue to build a brighter future for the children of the world.
David Venditta is a retired news reporter and editor with The Morning Call. He joined us to share with his book, Tragedy at Chu Lai.
It is a story of the many lives affected when a soldier dies.
Nicky Venditti, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot with a love of fast cars and practical jokes, went to Vietnam in 1969 and was dead in 11 days, killed by an American Division grenade training explosion at Chu Lai.
The full story of the incident did not come out until the author, David Venditta (a different spelling), Venditti's cousin, made a chance discovery
that began a decades-long effort to find out exactly what happened, what the Army did about it and who was held responsible.
This book documents the Army's mishandling of the incident and the effects on the families and friends of Venditti and of the two other young soldiers who died with him.
Our fourth"First Thursdays at 5:30"will beheld at Artisan Wine & Cheese Cellars on W. Lehigh Street.
We hope to see more members and guests at our next First Thursdays on December 1.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
This week, our speaker is Sue Burnett presenting on her experience in Nicaragua. Sue traveled to Nicaragua with Engineers Without Borders
and the Lehigh University Chapter of EWB to work on the project funded by our District Grant.
Mike Long has arranged for Morning Star Rotary to again take part in the Salvation Army’s Kettle Drive during the Holiday Season.
We are asking that Rotarians volunteer to ring the bell for one or two hours. Sign up sheets will be available at our meetings.
We will be at theMoravian Book Shop from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday November 26th and at
Christkindlmarkt from 11 am to 8 pm Saturday December 3rd.
Save the Date– Morning Star’s HOLIDAY PARTY will be held on Saturday, January 7that the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
Motivational Quote of the week:
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
Concert chair Gary Hartney asks for your help to make this year's event a great success once again!
Who?
The Allentown Band will entertain Rotarians, friends, family, veterans, students and the general public
What?
An excellent concert by the oldest municipal band in the country, featuring patriotic and related songs.
When?
Sunday, Nov. 13 at 3:00 pm
Where?
Northeast Middle School Auditorium
1170 Fernwood St., Bethlehem
(Parking very close, and easy access)
Why?
To benefit Victory House of the Lehigh Valley and other Morning Star Rotary charities. Many of those served by Victory House are Veterans.
How can you help?
BUY (or sell) the TICKETS (or more!) which given to each member by chair Gary Hartney. Adult ticket price remains $10. (If you can't use yours, consider donating them for Victory House residents to attend.)
POST CONCERT FLYERS in grocery stores and anywhere else potential concert-goers might see them!
Help the day of the concert with taking tickets, ushering, etc.
Enjoy the concert with family and friends!
The flyer is available in downloads on our homepage. Hard copies are also available at club meetings.
Some of us have wondered why we see only part of e-Bulletins we try to view in our smart phones or tablets.
In most cases this is because your phone or tablet's email client only downloads part of the code in the message --
giving you enough to see if you want to continue downloading the whole message (if it's something you want to read) -- or discarding it (if you don't).
Here's how to ensure you can see the entire e-Bulletin:
1. Scroll down to the very bottom of the email where you should find a link from your email client asking if you want to download the whole message. Click that link and the entire e-Bulletin should download to your phone.
2. If your email client doesn't cooperate -- and sometimes it doesn't, there is a link at the top of every e-Bulletin, that says "Having troubles viewing this email?" If you click there, it will open the internet browser in your phone or tablet and take you to the bulletin.
Great guidance provided courtesy of Al Philpotts (Club Webmaster Downtown Rotary Club).
When reflecting on our personal estates and the legacy we want to leave, have we thought about how much we can afford to give away?
The late Rotary Foundation Trustee Louis Piconi shared these inspiring remarks:“Rotarians of today are leaving a legacy to the children of the world when we, Rotary,
join our world partners in the celebration of the certification of the eradication of polio from the world. More importantly, and I do mean more importantly, is the fact that
the Rotarians of today and tomorrow have the opportunity to leave their own legacy of ‘doing good in the world’ for future educational and humanitarian service programs.
Do we dare dream that Rotarians of today not only make it a habit of making an annual contribution each and every year, but leave a percentage of their estate or a one-time significant gift to The Rotary Foundation’s Endowment Fund?
This should be the dream, goal and reality of all Rotarians. We need just look and see and feel and touch the wonderful programs and projects we are continually completing that help the world know a more humane society and a more peaceful world.”
Our third"First Thursdays at 5:30"was held at Corked on Main Street, Bethlehem.Members again enjoyed fellowship. We hope to see more members and guests at our next First Thursdays on December 1.
Venue to be Artisan Wine & Cheese Cellars on W. Lehigh Street.
Please mark your calendars.
Mike Long has arranged for Morning Star Rotary to again take part in the Salvation Army’s Kettle Drive during the Holiday Season.
We are asking that Rotarians volunteer to ring the bell for one or two hours. Sign up sheets will be available at our meetings beginning on November 10th.
We will be at theMoravian Book Shop from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday November 26th and at
Christkindlmarkt from 11 am to 8 pm Saturday December 3rd.
Save the Date – Morning Star’s HOLIDAY PARTY will be held on Saturday, January 7that the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
Our speaker this week will be David Venditta. He is the author of Tragedy at Chu Lai. David thought his cousin Nicky had been killed in combat in Viet Nam. He later discovered that his cousin was killed in a training accident. David's talk will focus on how so many people are affected each time an American soldier dies.
Motivational Quote of the week:
Note - please review your directory information, update! and notify Ron Searfoss of your completion. Thank you.
Have YOU signed up yet for the Rotary Leadership Institute
Bucks County Community College Newtown PA 18940
Don't miss YOUR opportunity to expand your knowledge of Rotary this Fall at this Rotary Leadership Institute site near us!
Dear Rotarian,
On November 12 we will have an RLI opportunity in ‘our own backyard!’
If you haven't done so already, NOW is the time to register for one of the wonderful RLI sessions scheduled next month.
You will come back to your club more enthusiastic and knowledgeable about Rotary -- and ready to put what you have learned to the test.
So, if you have taken Part I or Part II, why not register for the Rotary Leadership Institute for Part III?
If you are new to Rotary, you can meet Rotarians from all over the Northeast and learn about how you can make a difference in your club, in your community and in the world through service projects and the Rotary Foundation.
Even Faculty, RLI Officers and Site Chairs and RLI Graduates can expand their horizons by taking this year's Graduate Course on "Effective Public Speaking." Please check with the website to make sure the Graduate Course is being given at the location nearest you. This year's Graduate Class is on Effective Public Speaking.
If you would like more details or have questions please contact our own AG Janet Kolepp who is the District RLI chair.
Please check the website, as there may be other sites near your District that you will find on the website at www.rlinea.org..(If you don't see a site or date listed, please check our website)
Please note that the deadline to register is ten days before the RLI takes place.
Deadline to Register November 2, 2016
There must be at least eight people registered by that time for each class (six for Graduate Classes) in order to offer the course.
Special thanks to President-Elect Cheryl Baker for filling-in for me while on a much needed vacation. Thank You!
Our last meeting provided the opportunity to hear from a special group of Nursing professionals from Queensland, Australia. Our Morning Star Rotarian, Dr. Janet Sipple, has made many visits to her colleagues in Australia to help build effective programs to serve the needs of their people.
Dr. Janet Sipple, Celie Volp, PE Cheryl Baker, Kym Volp, Donna Cooper & Janet Rankin
Kym Volp gave an excellent presentation on Australia, living in the ‘bush’ and the Nursing profession there.
The following summary portrays a picture quite different from that in the USA.
These are Queensland nurses…first principle in the idea of the Professional Nurse..is that nursing IS POLITICAL … it is about a group of people holding particular views and beliefs about something… with a mission… and having to work in conditions where resources are LIMITED … THAT IS, compete for resources … this picture is political. Where we have beliefs and values…where we have a social mission and we’re not prepared to stand up for what we believe in (…then we FALL... And fall for ‘anything’)...THAT is political. Whatever domain of practice… direct patient care, research, management, executive leadership, teaching even… these are political acts of agency as professional nurses and we must be aware of that.. And aware that not everyone shares the same values…and that we often need to defend what we stand for.. And compete in the bigger world of differential power and influence distribution… we have to be a voice amongst other voices… THIS is political. If we don’t get that from the outset, we limit ourselves, our practice, and our profession. All of these nurses are political agents in their own sphere of practice influence. The Professional Nurse (in Australia)
.social agent
.political agent
.values based
.resource intensive
.influential
In fidelity with “being A little revolutionary” . . . .
Power - large “P” …. Small ‘p’ politics …
REMINDER: This week our First Thursdays @ 5:30 meeting will be at Corked located at 515 Main Street, Bethlehem. It is a great opportunity to introduce friends, co-workers & neighbors to Rotary. There will not be a morning meeting this Thursday. Hope to see everyone there.
Motivational Quote of the week:
"It is important to value the individual to have good health, a loving family, and good relationships, to have community ties; leisure pursuits. These are all part of our lives. It is important to keep all of our parts in working order." (from the website Australian Inspiration)
Helen Lynch, female company director credited w/helping to shatter Australia's glass ceiling.
If you have not done so already, please review your directory information, update! and notify Ron Searfoss of your completion. Thank you. 2nd Request!
“The Rotary Foundation is not to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish;
if we work on brass, time will efface it….but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with the full meaning of the spirit of Rotary,
we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity. "
The educational, humanitarian and PolioPlus Programs are the monuments of the Rotary Foundation and Rotarians should be proud to yell it from the roof tops.
We will eradicate polio, hunger and poverty. We will help the world find peace.
By supporting the Rotary Foundation with an annual gift you help build these immortal monuments of Rotary.
We are this close! Join the Rotary global community as we stream our World Polio Day 2016 celebration from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
TODAY 24 October, tune in at endpolio.org 6PM EDT to follow and join the global conversation on social media.
The event brings together the biggest names in the global fight to eradicate polio.
Every minute of every day someone’s life is being improved by our Rotary Foundation. Rotary clubs on every continent are working to improve the living conditions and health of their fellow citizens. Rotarians like you and me can make a difference by continually supporting our Foundation and the Annual Fund. As Rotarians we determine where funds are allocated through District Designated Funds, which we can use for local or international projects. When we contribute to our Foundation we are promoting worldwide Peace and Understanding.
Only if Every Rotarian Every Year makes a gift to the Annual Fund we will be able to continue to do the great work of The Rotary Foundation.
Last week we had the pleasure of Rotarian Marianne Aronson enlightening us on her personal passion..Tea. Marianne’s love of tea began at the World Fair in New York. In the 90’s she started to try teas from around the world. Tea is the 2nd most consumed drink in the world following water. There are 4 types of tea: White, Black, Oolong and Green. Black Tea has less than 50% of the caffeine of coffee. Tea is grown on 6 continents and in 55 countries. Top producers of tea are China, India, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia, Turkey, Vietnam and Kenya. Thank you Marianne for sharing your knowledge with us.
Stephen Kazar was inducted as our newest member. On behalf of the club, I would like to welcome Stephen to Morning Star Rotary.
This year due to a change of ownership ( ESSROC) did not participate in the Celtic Classic Race. Although the race was a great success, we will net less than previous years. To be able to continue the work that we do, I ask that every member make a special effort to obtain advertising sponsorships for Salute the Troops. All advertisements must be received by Thursday, Oct. 27th.
This week our speaker will be Kim Harper from the Bethlehem area School District. She will address the Dictionary Project and why these dictionaries mean so much to 3rd Graders, especially in these times of the internet and digital communications.
The Nominating Committee is identifying candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers. Anyone wishing to step up to a leadership role in helping the Club progress, please contact any committee member. You will enrich the club and your own experiences as a Rotarian. Besides, we have FUN!
Note - Chuck Uhl, one of our favorite Rotarians, has changed his email address to chuckuhl@rcn.com.
Keep alert for an email update reminder requesting all of us to review our directory information and update!
What can you get for US$100 dollars these days? A pair of shoes, a nice dinner for
two or a stove for a needy family in rural Guatemala, A contribution of US$100 to
the Annual Fund will make you a Sustaining Member of The Rotary Foundation but
it also provides life-changing opportunities for those in need.
When you choose to support our Rotary Foundation you are making a difference in
two ways: you are changing lives and you are literally saving lives.
This is a 7430 District Event. So far there are 26 Rotary Clubs sponsoring the event. Please join us to raise funds to !!!!!
Join with the Pennsylvania Polio Survivor’s Network as we participate in the Purple Pinkie Run/Walk. Polio Survivors all over the globe are truly grateful to the efforts of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate this terrible disease. 80% + of Polio survivors are affected not once but twice from the effects of this disease. Post-Polio Syndrome disables us once again as our muscles lose additional strength as a result of the damage done by the original illness. We are hoping to meet Rotarians from all over the district on October 22nd, and say “Thank You”. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Polio Survivors Network, click on the following link:http://www.papolionetwork.org/end-polio-now-rotary-international.html
Every Dollar Raised will be TRIPLED by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
You don’t need to run to participate. Most people walk! It will be a fun event. Bring your family and friends. We will have awards for the race winners and also many drawings for door prizes, so both runners and walkers will be winners. We will also have great food!
The cost is $30 ($25 if under 18) (tech T-shirt only while supplies last). Come on out and have a great time for a great cause!
Special prize basket for largest group running or walking together: Interact Clubs, Rotary Clubs, families, other organizations, Engineers without Borders, sports teams. If you have the largest number of folks walking or running in the Purple Pinkie on Oct. 22 you will receive a special prize basket for all to share! Those who walk or run together will eliminate Polio together!
Make a donation to Polio Plus: If you can’t attend that day, you can make a donation to Polio Plus by mailing it in with the attached registration form. Just fill in the additional donation amount, note that you are not attending, and mail the check and form as described on the form. All donations from Rotarians to the race will be credited directly to their Rotary Foundation account for Paul Harris Fellow credit.
We are planning to have a polio survivor who has Post-Polio Syndrome, talk about living with the results of having had Polio. She will focus on the importance of the world-wide commitment by Rotary International to eradicate this terrible disease.
To sign up for the race, or learn more, visit the website at www.purplepinkie.net. You can either register online or mail in the attached registration form.
Questions: E-mail the Race Director Herb Klotz, at herbk@ptd.net .
Without question, the one thing we ALL share is the prayer that with world-wide vaccination, death and disability from the Polio Virus will soon be gone . . . Forever.
We are pleased to announce thatKym Volp, MBA, B.Ed, RN, will be the honored lecturer at the 10th Annual Janet A. Sipple Lectureship to be held on Wednesday October 19, 2016, at Moravian College’s Foy Hall, starting at 5:00PM.
Kym works in acute public hospital service management (Toowoomba, Queensland) and in clinical governance consultancy (Australia-wide) with the country’s premier health service accreditation agency.
Kym will discuss “Nursing on the Frontline in Australia.” Kym’s roles sustain her currency in professional practice, health system safety applications, health policies and leadership development.
We hope that you will be able to attend and support this event!
Please advise Ron Searfoss of your plans to attend. As is our custom, we would invite you to fellowship with Rotarians following the event – tentative location The Brick.
Location: Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell.
Starting at 8:30 am with registration beginning at 7:30 am. Continental breakfast and lunch included.
The sessions are designed to be informational, practical and inspirational. A wonderful Rotary educational opportunity 'outside your club box'
Grant Management Training will follow lunch and go until 3pm.
It is important that Each Club be represented. Foundation Chairs, Club Presidents, Presidents-elect, officers and new members should plan to attend and learn how critical The Rotary Foundation is to the work we do and how it can help your club and members achieve their dreams.
NOTE: MORNING STAR WILL REIMBURSE YOUR TUITION UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE SEMINAR!
Would you like to know what The Rotary Foundation is all about? Perhaps it can be captured in this Paul Harris statement, “When an individual, a sect, a clique or a nation hates and despises another individual, sect, clique or nation, he or they simply do not know the objects of their hatred. Ignorance is at the bottom of it.”
All of our programs such as Vocational Training Teams, scholarships, global grants and district grants are directed at that ignorance. The Rotary Foundation was started “to do good in the world” and the result is to reduce the hatred that Paul Harris spoke about.
When you give to The Rotary Foundation you work towards a more peaceful world.
A Rotary World Peace Fellow at work on the frontlines
Izabela Pereira, a 2007 graduate of the Rotary Center for International Studies at Universidad del Salvador in Argentina, helped monitor Nicaragua’s recent election as part of an Organization of American States (OAS) mission to the country.
Izabela says her experience as a Rotary World Peace Fellow and an OAS observer gave her a firsthand understanding of how democracy is being promoted and strengthened in Nicaragua.
She has also conducted fieldwork in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire for the United Nations Development Fund for Women.
Izabela is one of hundreds of Rotary World Peace Fellows who have received the training and field experience necessary to work for lasting peace and stability throughout the world.
Jayne Recker, Executive Director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance joined us and updated our club on the upcoming Celtic Classic festival on September 23-25. Since 1998 Celtic Cultural Alliance has been hosting the Celtic classic Highland Games and Festival in Bethlehem each September. This internationally known celebration of all things Celtic has been the foundation upon which CCA has been built. Jayne offered ideas of how our Celtic Classic race can be promoted and stressed how CCA seeks to be a community partner supporting local agencies. We look forward to a successful Race and Festival this year.
This week’s meeting is our annual Race Bag Stuffing. The Race is fast approaching on September 24th. Everyone’s support is needed to make this major fundraising event successful. PLEASE COME EARLY!
'Bag Stuffing' forOur 26th Anniversary 5K/10K raceon September 15th at our regular meeting. The more hands, the faster we will be done!
I had the distinct pleasure of inducting a new Morning Star Rotary member at our meeting. Please be sure to welcome and introduce yourself to our newest member, Josh Mrozinski.Josh is a technical writer by profession and will prove to be a very engaged Rotarian. Welcome Josh!
Race Committee Chair, Wayne Achey, asks all MSR Rotarians to help in getting sponsors and prizes for the race. We still need gift certificates, raffle prizes, etc. A Volunteer Sign-Up sheetwill circulate during the meeting for the race itself on Saturday, September 24th. Registration opens at 6:30 am, with the race starting promptly at 8:00 and Awards Ceremony & Raffle Prize Giveaway at 9:30.“All Hands on Deck” - this is open to family, friends, students (community service anyone?) etc.Many people will be needed to ensure the success of this major event. (Even if not signed up in advance, please come to help!) Sponsorship info/form is available in the Downloads section at www.morningstarrotary.org with no sign-in needed. Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues.
Motivational Quote of the week:
Personality has power to uplift, power to depress, power to curse and power to bless.
We kicked off our first “First Thursdays @ 5:30” at SteelGaarden at Bethlehem Brew Works on September 1st. It was a great evening of fellowship.
We introduced guests to Rotary and had the opportunity to catch up with our fellow Rotarians in a relaxed setting.
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Next month First Thursdays @ 5:30 is tentatively scheduled at Blue on the patio on October 6th. Details to follow.
This week’s meeting
The 26th Morning Star Celtic Classic Race is fast approaching on Saturday, September 24th. Jayne Ann M. Recker, Executive Director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance is our speaker this week.
'Bag Stuffing' forOur 26th Anniversary 5K/10K raceis on September 15th at our regular meeting.
Race Committee Chair, Wayne Achey, asks all MSR Rotarians to help in getting sponsors and prizes for the race. We still need gift certificates, raffle prizes, etc. A Volunteer Sign-Up sheetwill circulate during the meeting for the race itself on Saturday, September 24th. Registration opens at 6:30 am, with the race starting promptly at 8:00 and Awards Ceremony & Raffle Prize Giveaway at 9:30.“All Hands on Deck” - this is open to family, friends, students (community service anyone?) etc.Many people will be needed to ensure the success of this major event. (Even if not signed up in advance, please come to help!) Sponsorship info/form is available in the Downloads section at www.morningstarrotary.org with no sign-in needed. Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues.
Motivational Quote of the week:
There are no strangers here; Only friends that you haven’t met yet.
Every minute of every day someone’s life is being improved by our Rotary
Foundation.
Wells are being dug in India, blind children are using Braille
typewriters in Brazil, toilets are part of improved sanitation in Sri Lanka, and dental
treatment is available to the needy in Nicaragua.
In a world where the divide between the haves and have-nots is growing,
we as Rotarians must do our part and “do good in the world.”
Contributions from every Rotarian to the Annual Fund every year are critical to
making a difference in our world.
When Rotary launched the PolioPlus program in 1985, there were more than 350,000 polio cases in over 125 countries. Since 1988, when Rotary began working with its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to immunize more than 2 billion children, the incidence of polio has decreased 99 percent. As of 2013, Rotary’s contributions to the global polio eradication effort totaled $1.2 billion. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for Rotary’s leadership and vision.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving to the children of the world. Goodbye Polio. Thank you, Rotary.
We had the opportunity to get to know new Rotarian, Billy Weber, better this week as he did his classification talk.
Billy was born in Italy and raved about the food and friendliness there. He is currently a Financial Advisor in the Lehigh Valley. Billy is a member of the band Another Lousy Cover Band. He is also a Freemason and was introduced to Rotary by Tom Bailey. He joined Rotary because he enjoys getting to know people while serving the community. Billy has been extremely helpful in organizing our First Thursdays @ 5:30 meetings.
This week’s meeting
This week is our first “First Thursdays @ 5:30” at SteelGaarden at Bethlehem Brew Works located at 569 Main Street, Bethlehem.
Please invite a friend, co-worker or client to come out and learn more about Rotary. There will be $10 fee to cover appetizers and a Cash Bar. Prospective members will be a guest of the club.
There will be no morning meeting on Thursday, September 1.
Motivational Quote of the week:
Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
The Founder of The Rotary Foundation, Arch C. Klumph.
A member of the Rotary Club of Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Arch C. Klumph served as the
RI president in the 1913-14 Rotary year. In 1917, Klumph declared that “we should
accept endowments for the purpose of doing good in the world in charitable,
educational, and other avenues of community service.” His vision and a contribution
of US$26.50 left over from the RI Convention helped to establish the charitable and
humanitarian arm of our organization, The Rotary Foundation.
Due to the hard work and generosity of Rotarians worldwide, The Rotary
Foundation has improved lives for nearly 100 years. With ongoing financial support,
our Foundation will continue to carry on Klumph’s dream well into our second
century of service.
The Rotary Foundation is the economic engine for Rotary International. It is a non-profit corporation that is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of Rotary who share its vision of a better world. Its sole mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, good will and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. We accomplish that through our local and international humanitarian and educational programs.
Addiction Advocate Bob Bedford informed the club that the Opioid Crisis is the #1 Healthcare issue facing our nation. After recovering from alcohol addiction, he returned to school to further his education so he could help others. As a State of Pennsylvania Certified Recovery Specialist, Bob has more than 16 years of experience in the treatment of addiction and relapse prevention education.
In 2015 he founded Stepping Stone Recovery Foundation with a mission to dispel the myths about addiction and recovery residences and to fight discrimination against people suffering from addiction. He is further working to neutralize the stigma that prevents families and people with addictions from seeking treatment. Our society’s treatment of addicts and their families often is a deterrent to seeking help. 6-9 month programs in a Recovery House have an 80% recover rate. The number one obstacle is the Not in My Backyard mindset of many communities.
Thank you to Ron Helmuth and Bob Bedford for enlightening the club on this crisis in our community and country.
The Motivational Quote of the week is:
In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln
Rotary International President John F Germ has chosen the 2016-17 theme “Rotary Serving Humanity”. Before looking to the year ahead, let’s take a look at the 2015-16 Year as reviewed at the club meeting on July 21. MSR raised over $47,000 at the 5K/10K, Salute the Troops Concert, Spaghetti Dinner and joint club Golf Tournament. Direct recipients & grant recipients received over $36,000, including Special Olympics, Victory House, Northeast Middle School Band/Chorus, and the Bridges Foundation. Service projects included Bethlehem Emergency Shelter dinners, Bike Works, Equilibrium, Dictionary Project, Camp Neidig, Four Way Test Speech and a District Grant for a water project in Nicaragua. $4,000 was given to Rotary International and we achieved 100% Foundation Giving Club for a second year in a row. We volunteered for Salvation Army bell ringing & at Celtic Classic. There is a lot to be proud of as we reflect on the many lives that we have touched in 2016-17. (Please see Past Pres. Ron's recap of the year below.)
In the 2016-17year our objectives are to Strengthen Our Club, Enhance Public Image and Awareness and Focus & Increase Humanitarian Service. In the first Board Meeting of the Rotary year, it was decided to start our First Thursday meetings after work (tentatively 5:30 pm) in September, budget for dues assistance & membership development. Increase our presence on Social Media and participate at Chamber events. 4 Bethlehem Emergency Shelter dinners are being planned, a joint club project- Outreach, the new Tore & Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen Grant & a new Community Service Committee.
It will be an exciting year of maintaining Morning Star Rotary’s great traditions while we embark on creating new traditions that will enable us to grow and continue the amazing work that we do both locally and globally.
This Week’s Meeting
This Thursday,
Robert Bedford will speak to us about The Opioid Crisis in the US.
The following is the promised report on our goals and achievements during the past Rotary year. Basically it follows the flow from RI goals through District to the club level. Detail information is available to all members by accessing RI Club Central.
Active Membership
We lost Rafael de la Hoz, Todd Heft and Mary Diggs in the first half, and Tom Mohr became an Honorary Member in January. As a direct result of the failure of our state government to meet its budgetary responsibilities in a timely fashion, we lost Iryna Levytska and Alex Shnaydruk as funding for Alex’s position was not renewed on time and they were forced to return to Ukraine.
On a positive note, we welcomed three wonderful Rotarians: Bernie Gardiner, John Oesmann, and Billy Weber into the club. John was a record setter in going all in even before officially a member. Bernie and Billy are both becoming fully engaged.
The ratio of Male vs Female remains at 59% Male and 41% Female. A plus is that Billy really helps the age demographic!
Rotarian Engagement of Members (participating in club service and social activities) encompassed nearly 100% of the membership. We had solid representation at District Conference, District Assembly and PETS. We have a growing number of members in district roles.
Club Communication
We exceeded goals in social activities outside of club meetings, number of communications distributed per month and expanded our online presence. We have initiated a Strategic Plan process and achieved buy in of the plan by the Board. We have a Strategic Planning Committee with primary personnel being the immediate 3 past presidents and the incoming president and the future two presidents. First phase of defining the MSR Mission was created by the Board and presented to the club at Club Assembly as a draft with request for ideas and input! The process is totally transparent in seeking membership participation and buy in by the full membership. As initiator of this project and immediate past president, I was asked to chair the process. We view the Strategic Plan to be a living, breathing resource we are guided by, and will review and update annually and more often if needed.
Public Relations
We are consistently updating our website and social media accounts. To strengthen our mission to tell our story and grow the membership we joined the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce in a non-profit classification. Major objectives are new member recruitment (very active young professionals group); getting the word out there about Rotary who, what, where when and the why we are so great. Many, many opportunities for exposure – there are nearly 6,000 members across the LV! As Chair of the Communications group we will continue to increase our engagement with chamber members and the myriad of events which will allow us exposure, partnership opportunities and growth. This is seen as being of benefit to all Rotary clubs in the Lehigh Valley as we spread the word! A really great thing is access to the Chamber resources and communications and most often they can be done for free.
Now the fun stuff!
Operating Account
Income from Dues, 50/50, Happy Dollars, etc. totaled $15,847 or $1,188 below budget. RI Dues, RI Magazine and District Dues at $6,574 were within $100 of budget. Club and Committee Expenses totaled $6,730, or $5,195 favorable. $2,700 of the variance resulted from not having an Inbound Exchange student. Other significant favorable variances (>$500 each) resulted from New Member Dinners $500, no Rotary Road Signs $600, and lower Seminars and Training $541. Bottom line, Net Income was $2,406 compared to a budgeted Net Operating Loss of ($1,693) or $3,970 favorable.
Charitable Account
Our Fundraising events were quite successful this year.
Event: Primary Recipient, Available for Other Grants
5K/10K: $8,000 Special Olympics, $6,032 for Other
Salute the Troops: $10,500 Victory House & Band, $6,841 for Other
Spaghetti Dinner: $1,378 for Other
Golf Tournament 2016*: $ 10,000 Bridges Foundation
*Partner with Downtown RC (data to be finalized),
net $2,500 to each club*
Other Grants, Net Expense
District Grant - Bethlehem Bike Works: $ 1,500
Community Dev. 5 @ $1,000 to $2,500 each: $ 8,000
Dictionary Project: $ 2,520
International:
Polio Plus $ 1,500
Rotaplast $ 1,500
Shelter Box $ 1,000
A very successful year! Net Income of $1,237 for the year was achieved – $9,337 favorable compared with budgeted Net Expense of ($8,100). The Charitable Account carryover into 2016-17 is of $13,061.
Service Projects
Club Hunger Project – in February and March MSR began providing dinner one Thursday night per month for the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter in Bethlehem. We brought food per a menu, setup, prepared, served and cleaned up. Served 40 “guests” each time. Our Board has approved funding to complete this project on an on-going basis next December through March when the shelter is open. Very needed and great hands-on with members. Wonderful fellowship!
Bike Works – collected 15 bikes and delivered to Bike Works (District Grant Equity portion).
Equi~Librium – Vocational project - preparation and painting of a horse corral
Dictionary Project – made presentations and distributed dictionaries to over 800 Third Grade Students
Camp Neidig – sponsored 4 students from local high schools at Rotary Youth Leadership camp
4 Way Test Speech Contest – partnered with Downtown RC to conduct competition and send a candidate to the regional competition.
District Grant for Water Project in Nicaragua with Lehigh University Engineers Without Borders. Will be completed in August 2016, and our own Susan Burnett will be the Rotary representative.
The Rotary Foundation
For the second year in a row, we were able to achieve 100% Participation of Active Members contributing to the Rotary Foundation!As a club, we attained $8,756, and exceeded our 2015-16 Rotary Foundation Annual Fund contribution goal by $2,756. (The upcoming year will be challenging, with extra goals as The Rotary Foundation celebrates its 100th Anniversary.) We also exceeded our goal of $1,500 to Polio Plus from the club, aided by added leverage generated by participation in the Purple Pinkie Annual Run at LCC.
Two more club members achieved their Paul Harris Fellow awards. Six club members became Endowment Fund Benefactors as part of District 7430's Million Dollar Journey. ($2.5+ Million success!)
And More …
We had a wide diversity of Programs throughout the year, thanks to PE Fontana and the Program Committee. Further details on the 2015-16 programs are available on our website under downloads. Review of this information may stimulate ideas for new programs going forward.
Actions and planning were put in place to welcome our new incoming Exchange Student next month. The Bakers will graciously be the first host family.
There were many opportunities for celebrating fellowship and working ‘hands on’ with fellow Rotarians.
I am sure I missed something, but I just want to say ‘thank you’ for all your efforts in making my year of stewardship for our club a success. We have made significant progress and I know we will all look forward to giving President Sharon our fully engaged energy and support.
On June 17th- 20th, 151 high school students attended Camp Neidig. “To see change, you need to BE the CHANGE”, Charlie Incalcaterra(District Co-Chair of Camp Neidig) stated in his closing remarks to the Campers. He asked the young leaders to look around and see a problem and invent the solution – BE the CHANGE. Rick Morrisseydiscussed how he works with the local high schools to identify young leaders that would benefit from the opportunity to attend Camp Neidig. Jovi Rodriguezwas one of the four students sponsored by Morning Star Rotary this year. He shared how the program gave him an entirely different perspective on leadership. Upon arrival, Jovi thought that being a leader meant taking charge. He left Camp Neidig understanding that a leader knows when to listen, and when to let others step up. The experience allowed him to meet and develop friendships with different types of people who he may not have crossed paths with otherwise.
Camp Neidig is celebrating 67 years of inspiring tomorrow’s leaders. I am proud that MSR supports this amazing program!
This Week’s Meeting
This Thursday, I will review our club's budget and plans for the year ahead. It will be a year of maintaining MSR’s great traditions with new ideas on Strengthening Our Club, Enhancing Public Image and Awareness, and Increasing Humanitarian Service.
President Elect Kristian Schafer facilitated a discussion on topics for programs in the Rotary year ahead.
As Program Chair, Kristian wants to ensure that the programs are on topics that are of interest to the members and potential members of the Club.
Ideas presented included:
Chamber events and committees
Short Reclassification Talks
Ben Franklin Companies
Fun Programs (invite kids, go out and do something outside)
Focus on High School and College Students
Global Programs
Speakers should share their passion for serving or working for an agency
Bethlehem Library
Cops N Kids presentation
Local Businesses
Kristian is going to review the surveys and identify the topics that seem to be of most interest to the group. We all can look forward to an interesting year of programs.
Kick Out Party was great!
A great time was had by all at the Kick Out party this past Saturday.
Even the weather cooperated as we thanked Past President Ron (aka Santa) for his year of service. Thank you to Kristian & Stephanie Schafer for opening up their beautiful home to us, and for providing terrific, live classic rock by The Acoustic Project!
(Also a special thanks to President Sharon for coordinating a fine event. Thank you, Past Pres. Ron)
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday for an annual treat - we will hear from one of the students we sponsored to Camp Neidig last month!
In addition Charlie Incalcaterra and Rick Morrissey will provide some info about this camp - our district's Rotary Youth Leadership event.
Just a few people still need to pay dues. If you have not yet done so, please give your check to Treasurer Jean Searfoss, or mail it to her at 1409 Bogie Ave., Wescosville, PA 18106. Alternative: you can pay with a credit card via a link on our website - under Site Pages on the left side of our home page, click Pay Dues Online Here. Note: A small fee is added to cover the processing costs we are charged.
If you need another copy of the notice, please contact jsearfoss@cementemployers.com. Your prompt cooperation will reduce the follow-up time needed, and be much appreciated. Please be "fair to all concerned" - we need to pay Rotary International very soon. Thanks!
RI President John F. Germ chose Rotary Serving Humanity as his theme for 2016-17. Noting Rotary’s unique ability to bring together committed professionals to achieve remarkable goals, Germ believes that “now is the time to capitalize on our success: as we complete the eradication of polio, and catapult Rotary forward to be an even greater force for good in the world.”
Since June 30 was both my final program as Program Chair and my first program as President, I will call this program “Presidents Choice”. Our own resident wine expert, Tom Baileyintroduced our speaker Bob Hale, President of the Northampton Chapter of the American Wine Societyto speak on “The World of Wine”.
Bob opened his presentation with Rule 1: "Only you know what you like." He offered great tips on how to extend the life of your wine by pumping out the air and sealing the bottle and that red wines should be finished in 2 days from opening the bottle. He suggested that when visiting the wine regions you should look for the wineries that produce the wines you like and inquire about tours or barrel tastings. The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail has many great wineries to visit. He recommended Central Wine Merchants and WTSO.com as great places to purchase good wines. Bob and his wife will be offering Wine and Food courses at Northampton Community College on Nov. 3rd & 10th.
This Week’s Meeting
This Thursday, our President Elect and Program Chair Kristian Schaferwill lead a discussion on suggestions for programsin the year ahead.
Please think of interesting topics and people and let’s assist Kristian in organizing programs that are educational, interesting and inspiring.
As preparations for our 2016 Rotary Celtic Classic 5K Run/Walk and 10K Runon September 24 get into full swing, the committee will be meeting weekly before the regular club meeting. Members of the Race Committee, plus anyone interested in helping with preparations, are invited to join us at 7 am each Thursday morning at Moravian Village. Hope to see you there!
PLEASE GET ALL RACE SPONSORS' MATERIALS TO AN MSR MEMBER OR BRING TO THE MORAVIAN VILLAGE BY SEPTEMBER 15TH.
WE WILL BE PUTTING THE RACE SPONSOR BAGS TOGETHER AT THIS MEETING.
Our regular meeting on June 23 was a celebration of Morning Star Rotary with a great deal of Thanks!
A Thank You went out to all the Committee Chairs who worked diligently to accomplish their objectives for the year.
A Very Special Thank You to Butch Macri in appreciation of the 20+ years of very successful dedication to making the Golf Tournaments a success!
Thank you to the Directors whose term ends 6-30-16:
Wayne Achey, Cheryl Baker, Jan Chicka and Jess Elliott
Thank you to the Directors whose term ends 6-30-17:
Dave Cincera, Jeff Kicska, Robin Metzler and Geoff Wright
Thank you & Welcome to our new Directors whose term starts 7-1-16 and ends 6-30-18:
Marianne Aronson, Janet Kolepp, Rick Morrissey and Jon Oesmann
Thank you to Past President Tom Kolepp for all his help and support.
A very special thank you to Retiring Treasurer Sue Reeps, who jumped in as Treasurer after barely becoming a Morning Star Rotarian. Everyone has been thankful for the sanity you brought to the club financials!
Secretary Val Walk, thank you for being so professional and dependable.
These two Rotarians, Sue and Val, are the backbone in our structure, i.e. they kept me out of trouble!
Thank you Incoming Treasurer Jean Searfoss for stepping up for MSR.
Cheryl Baker moves from the Board to Vice President in the line of succession. Thank you – no good deed goes unpunished.
Thanks to VP Kristian Schafer for his fine efforts this year. You are rewarded by now becoming the President – Elect.
One final Thank You to all the members of Morning Star for achieving 100% Rotary Foundation participation for the second year in a row!
As has become a welcome tradition of our Changeover Meeting, next was the “passing of the gavel” in honor of all of Morning Star Rotary's Past Presidents, with the following able to participate:
Charlie Incalcaterra, our first and “forever young”
Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Mike Long
Butch Macri
Diane Donaher, who is also Past President of the Downtown Bethlehem Club
Tom Hartzell
Gary Hartney
Dee Elliott
Dave Cincera
Eileen Dunn
Susan Burnett
Jean Searfoss
Tom Kolepp
Ron Searfoss
We were missing past Presidents due to conflicts: Geoff Wright; Past District Governor Tore Hartmann-Hansen – Our Favorite Viking!Claire Rij; Stan Vasiliadis; Past District Governor Bill Jahn (President RC Skidaway Isle, GA); Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen; Gary Langensiepen; Dick Roberts; Gordon Sommers; Tom Mohr; Ron Helmuth; Don Scanlon(sadly, passed in 2014); and Jim Santanasto. Thanks to Past President Jean for starting this tradition!
I was humbled and very proud to join this group of Past Presidents!
I had the privilege to install PE Sharon Fontanaas our next President for the 2016-2017 Rotary Year.
Congratulations Sharon! The club will have a great year under your stewardship.
President Sharon then installed the Vice President and Board of Directors. *The remaining Officers will be installed at the next meeting.
Thank you to all Morning Star Rotarians for all your support. I will send a report to the membership on our goals and achievements during this past Rotary Year.
On June 27th, Morning Star was well represented at the District 7430 Changeover Dinner held in our own Hotel Bethlehem. In attendance were President Sharon Fontana, Assistant Governor Janet Kolepp and Past Presidents Jean Searfoss, Tom Kolepp and Ron Searfoss.(They are right – PP has a nice ring to it!) The event was very well attended. Based upon reports, the District is strengthening. More and more community service events are being conducted by the clubs. Significant growth in Rotaract and Interact Clubs was noted. Rotary Foundation support was outstanding. The Million Dollar Journey initiated two years ago achieved over $2,500,000!
On the Camp Neidig front, I am really happy to report Kathy Lee, from Freedom High School was selected as the Outstanding Camper at this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Camp. Please plan to be at the meeting July 14th to hear Kathy, Jovanni, Dorothy and Erin talk about their Camp Neidig experiences. It should be noted there were also a significant number of Exchange Students participating this year – both In Bound and Out Bound!
This Week’s Meeting
We look forward to seeing you at our June 30 meeting when Bob Hale will present to us on the “World of Wine.”
One last big Thank You to everyone for making this a wonderful experience.
Carrie Oesmann, Interior Designer ofBailiwick Interior Design (and member John Oesmann's wife) provided an excellent presentation last Thursday on the differences of Aging in Place versus Living in Place.
We want to stay in the home we have.
ALL Homes are Accessible, Comfortable and Safe - however ...
1 in 5 people will have some form of disability in their lifetime.
Less that 15% were born with this disability
1 out 100 people will be in a wheelchair in their lifetime
11.6 million people need assistance walking
Visit Ability is another consideration - it refers to a new home that meets the minimum requirements for someone with a disability to come to your home for a visit:
- No-step entry door
- Maneuverable doors and hallways
- Accessible bathroom on the first floor
Carrie had first hand experience when helping her father deal with the challenges of moving into a 55+ community. As a result she pursued additional education and also certification as a ...
Another added value of Bailiwick Design and their ability to think outside the box!
Carrie spoke to the Challenges
Accessibility - Doorways and Pathways
Mobility and Stability - Walking and Stairs
Reach and Grasp - Cabinets and Handles
Sensory Limitations - Lighting and Design
Numerous examples of practical solutions were shown for your existing home, many DIY, dramatically improving access and function. As to New Construction she highlighted the need to address livability issues upfront and do not expect the builder to be the leader.
One area that really hit home with me was Vision and Aging.
Lenses thicken so colors seem dim and contrast is low
The aging eye is more sensitive to glare
We need 3x more light when we are 60 than when we were 20!
(This last one was a real “eye-opener” – I keep turning lights off and Jean keeps turning them on! Imagine that – she is right once again!)
Thank you Carrie for a very ‘enlightening’ presentation and a great deal of food for thought to help make our lives more livable at home!
Steve Bajan was accompanied by his wife and parents, Janis, Eddie and Shirley Bajan. And he won 50/50 again!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR “RAFFLE / LOTTERY” WINNERS!!!
At our club meeting on June 16, five names were picked from those who contributed at least $100 to The Rotary Foundation this Rotary year. Each one will receive 300 points each towards their Paul Harris status (whether first or multiple).
The Winners:
Bernie Gardiner
Ellen Roberts
Rick Santee
Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Rick Santee
Remember, it's NOT about the money - it IS about the wonderful work done with the help of The Rotary Foundation!
Happy Father's Day
Best wishes for all the Dads, Granddads, Stepdads and anyone who is “a dad to someone” in their lives. You are loved and appreciated and missed dearly if no longer with us. We thank you all for being part of our lives.
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, June 23rd when we will conduct our Morning Star Rotary Changeover meeting. We will install our new President, Officers and Directors for the 2016-17 Rotary year. We look forward to the “Passing of the Gavel” through many of our Past Presidents. Please come and show your support for our incoming leadership team as they begin their roles going into the new Rotary year.
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.
We had the pleasure of having Laura McHugh, Executive Producer of PBS39 as our speaker last Thursday.
Laura is an Emmy-award winning journalist, who hosts and executive produces FOCUS on PBS39. Laura has 13 years of reporting and producing experience in both commercial and public television news, including covering forest fires in Montana and tornadoes in Kansas. She happily returned to her home state of Pennsylvania to join the production team at PBS39 in 2008 as a producer. She’s also produced several PBS39 documentaries, including Wyomissing: An American Dream and The Salvation Army Legacy, which premiered in May 2016.
FOCUS is a locally produced program directed toward all the wonderful things taking place in the Valley. Think of it as a ‘local, better version of 60 Minutes.’
PBS39 was founded in 1965 and continues to be the only major network in the Lehigh Valley. The mission is teaching people. Funding comes only partially from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the majority coming from community support, you and your families and affiliations. There are 10 hours of programming daily directed to children to get them fully engaged in learning.
Her favorite PBS shows include Downtown Abbey, Sherlock, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Curious George, and she is proud to work for an organization that produces programming you can be proud of!
In an email from Laura later in the day “Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share our great work at your Rotary Meeting this morning. You have such a lively, caring group. Would you mind sharing this short survey with your members who attended?” https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DYMN9X7
Feel free to provide your input to Laura’s survey so that they will make future presentations even better!
Welcome Billy Weber!
Please welcome Billy Weber as our newest Morning Star Rotary Member, joined here by his sponsor, Tom Bailey.
He is a Financial Advisor with Lincoln Investment. Billy was inducted last Thursday, and has already been helping with meeting setup!
ROTARY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Our annual Rotary Golf Tournament, co-sponsored with the Downtown Bethlehem Rotary Club, was a rousing success On June 6 at Silver Creek Country Club! Golfers enjoyed the best weather conditions for some years. Eighty golfers enjoyed participation and helped raise funds for the BAVTS Bridges Foundation and assorted Rotary projects in both clubs. Special thanks to Co-Chairs Butch Macri and Rob Littner for once again conducting a wonderful event. (Butch wrapped up two decades of handling this event!) Thanks go out also to all the golfers, supporters and sponsors for their support - you all helped being a gift to the community.
Rotary Foundation Annual Fund
“RAFFLE / LOTTERY”!!!The names of members who gave at least $100 to the Rotary Foundation this Rotary year by May 19 are going into a hat this Thursday. (Each name only once.) At our club meeting, 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!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, June 16th when Carrie Oesmannof Bailiwick Design will speak to us on Aging in Place – Universal Design for Accessibility.
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.
Only two weeks until the event, please register if you plan on attending!
D7430 DG Changeover & Club Awards Night
Monday, June 27, 2016
Historic Bethlehem Hotel
437 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us as we Celebrate and Thank 15/16 DG Doug & Mary Cook, his Leadership Team, and our Rotary Clubs for the many accomplishments achieved this year by "Being a Gift to the World."
We will also welcome new 16/17 DG Linda Young who will lead her "Shining Star Rotarians" in the year of "Rotary Serving Humanity."
Tickets are$42.50 per person and can be purchased online by clicking on the link below.
We were fortunate to have Jane and Brianna Consiglio present to talk to us about VAST – the Valley Against Sex Trafficking.
A mother-daughter team, they had a background in nursing and prelaw when both decided to pursue a master’s degree in counseling. Fortunately, the curriculum involved internships and both interned at VAST as case managers. They were so taken with the mission and work being performed both are pursuing full-time counseling roles there.
What is VAST?
Mission
A grassroots coalition of professionals and community members dedicated to eliminating human sex trafficking in the Lehigh Valley through prevention efforts in awareness, action, and aftercare.
Vision
A community where all people are valued and respected as human beings and a society where sex as commerce is a foreign idea.
Why do they exist?
Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal activity in the world and is the 2nd largest criminal activity with drug trafficking being number one.
WHY?
“You can sell a bag of drugs once, but you can sell a person multiple times.”
- Rebecca Posey, Regional Director of Not for Sale.
The people they help in their counseling do not consider themselves victims – they are survivors! A major focus is building trust to help these survivors leave the life.
Trafficking is a growing $32+billion ‘industry’ impacting over 21 million victims including women, men and children across the United States. More than 50% are children and nearly 80% are kidnapped women.
Visit their website www.thevast.org for more information on this devastating and pervasive plague on our society.
Thank you to Jane and Brianna for the education to us and for their dedication to helping the survivors.
Rotary Foundation Annual Fund
Please help us meet our goal, and remember – no gift is too small. Our goal is to qualify Morning Star to repeat as a “100% Participation”Club and average over $100 per member. If you have not already participated, please give your Foundation contribution in any amount to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table by June 9.Thank you.
Bethlehem Rotary Club Celebrates 100th Year
Congratulations to our parent club in celebrating their 100th Anniversary last Friday evening at a gala event at the Hotel Bethlehem! Over 100 Rotarians, guests and public officials joined in. Best wishes for an even greater next hundred years!
New Club Brewing in the Lehigh Valley
Assistant Governor Janet Kolepp communicated a new Rotary Club is brewing in the Lehigh Valley. Herb Klotz, incoming District Membership Chair, is looking for Rotarians interested in participating with a planning committee exploring creating this club in the Whitehall area (which may include Whitehall, Coplay, Catasauqua and Northampton.) An opportunity to provide input from day one for a new club!
If you are interested or aware of any Rotarian that might be interested in helping please email Herb at herbk@ptd.net or reply to AG Janet. Questions are welcomed! (Participation in the committee will not necessarily lead to membership in the new club.)
More than 43,000 attendees left the Rotary Convention in Korea inspired to end polio for good, to celebrate The Rotary Foundation's centennial, and to champion changes that will help Rotary appeal to a broader audience.
On the last day, RI President K.R. Ravindran shared a personal story of his mother’s triumph over polio.
We'll provide an update next week. Thanks to all who are supporting this event!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, June 9th with Laura McHugh, Executive Producer at PBS39.
Laura will share with us all of the fun projects happening now at PBS39.
See you there.
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.
The final Rotary Foundation Annual Fund push is on to qualify Morning Star to repeat as a “100% Participation” Club and average over $100 per member.
If you have not already given, please give your Foundation contribution in any amount to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table by June 9to ensure proper credit to both you and the club for our achievement. We are over 85% participation at this point. Please help us meet our goal, and remember – no gift is too small. Thank you.
Joint Golf Tournament on June 6
With our joint Rotary Golf Outing to benefit Bridges Foundation less than a week away, we are still in need of prizes for the Raffle Boards.
A big thanks to all who have solicited or contributed prizes so far. If you haven't done so yet, please consider reaching out to your favorite restaurant or shop this week and ask for a gift certificate or item to donate to the cause. If possible, bring it to the meeting this Thursday and give to Butch Macri or Kristian Schafer.
The deadline for golfers is fast approaching, and non-golfers can help by buying squares on the raffle board. Every effort to make this annual Golf Outing a success for our beneficiaries is much appreciated.
Thanks!
Morning Star Rotary Golf Committee
Bowl-n-Bites a Fun Time for All!
Our second annual Bowl-n-Bites was a fun success for all the participants. Rumor has it that future Rotarian, Andrew Kicska, was quite a bowler – allegedly besting some of his more experienced competitors such as Sue Reeps! Special thanks to Kristian Schafer, who handled all the arrangements.
New Rotary Club Brewing in the Lehigh Valley
Assistant Governor Janet Kolepp communicated a new Rotary Club is brewing in the Lehigh Valley. Herb Klotz, incoming District Membership Chair, is looking for Rotarians interested in participating with a planning committee exploring creating this club in the Whitehall area (which may include Whitehall, Coplay, Catasauqua and Northampton.)
If you are interested or aware of any Rotarian that might be interested in helping please email Herb at herbk@ptd.net or reply to AG Janet. Questions are welcomed! (Participation in the committee will not necessarily lead to membership in the new club.)
As we celebrate Memorial Day, here is another perspective -
"It is foolish/wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived" - General George Patton
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, June 2nd when Jane Consiglio from VAST will speak to us on behalf of Valley Against Sex Trafficking.
See you there!
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.
Ron Bauer visited Morning Star last Thursday. As a member of the Downtown Rotary Club since 1984, he was involved in many projects over the years, including tireless efforts on behalf of the Salvation Army – Bell Ringing come to mind? One of these projects involved a Rotarian from Easton, Dr. Updegrove, who had the objective of collecting discarded medical equipment to support people in Belize to address their medical needs. Long story short – the project was a success and Ron and Dr. Updegrove became close friends. Dr. U was an avid fisherman, as is Ron Bauer. Dr. U invited Ron to join him on one of his annual fishing trips to Canada. This was a smashing success for a number of years until Dr. U retired. Ron looked around for another partner and found our own Frank Lulewitzwas a fishing fanatic as well. Hence the topic of Ron’s talk was not about Rotary (but you see the connections!) but on their amazing experiences fishing at Mosquito Lake in the Arctic regions of Canada.
Itinerary – get to Winnipeg; take a charter flight about 900 miles north then fly the balance of the way on a small pontoon airplane. Welcome to Tukto Lodge, Northwest Territories. The fish spend 9 months under the frozen ice and are totally ravenous when they finally get to surface! Accommodations – you sleep in tents of course! The season only lasts a little over two months. But the lake trout are unbelievable. Being the ‘frozen tundra’, there are no trees. The amazing variety of wildlife are completely oblivious to these strangers with funny poles and rubber boats visiting their environment.
Ron presented a wonderful talk of their adventures and had fantastic pictures of their trips. Crystal clear pure water (cold as h--- though) wonderful variety of wildlife – fox, caribou by the thousands, moose, elk, bears and wolverines and a few dedicated fisherman visiting. The government owns the land and all fishing is catch and release. What a wonderful experience. Thanks Ron!
Tom & Janet Kolepp with
R.I. President
Ravi & Vanathy Ravindran
District 7430’s
Million Dollar Journey raised
$ 2,529,000 for
The Rotary Foundation!!!
This contribution will generate annual earnings from $60,000 to $80,000 for The Rotary Foundation AND will generate annual earnings from $60,000 to $80,000which will come back to our District for projects for our clubs. This will continue as long as there is Rotary!
A very special Thank You to District Governor Doug Cook! Doug, you leave an incredible legacy from your year as DG!
Four Morning Star Rotarians were among the 270+ Rotarians at the Celebration.
Joint Golf Tournament on June 6
The Golf Tournament Committee requests your help
Golfers by June 1
Raffle donations, including gift certificates - take a brochure to give them
Volunteers - contact Butch
The raffle board has available squares to purchase for $5 per square - a great way for non-golfers to support this event!
The final Rotary Foundation Annual Fundpush is on to qualify Morning Star to repeat as a “100% Participation” Club and average over $100 per member. If you have not already given, please give your Foundation contribution in any amount into Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table by May 27 so that he can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our achievement. Thanks!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, May 26th when the ‘Reading and Riding’ grant recipient folks from Moravian College and William Penn Elementary School will describe the program and results to date.
See you there.
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.
On April 28th, John Oesmann had the distinct pleasure of introducing his ‘favorite younger daughter',Kelsey, to Morning Star Rotary. Kelsey is an Architectural Designer working in Arlington Virginia. She has recently passed all seven of her final licensing exams, and is a Summa Cum Laude Honors Scholar graduate of Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture and Design. She is also a Triathlete and completed her first Marathon last fall.
Kelsey was here to tell us all about how she is combining her leadership qualities, her passion for affordable housing and her desire to continually rise up and stretch her physical limits by undertaking the Bike & Build challenge over the next ten weeks.
Through service-oriented cycling trips, Bike & Build benefits affordable housing and empowers young adults for a lifetime of service and civic engagement. Participants must raise at least $4,500 for cross-country routes. The proceeds are used to fund affordable housing projects across the country executed by young adults. The programs gain media attention around the affordable housing problem, empowering riders to make larger contributions in addressing the needs of their communities.
“I believe stable, affordable housing is the key to so many social issues, from education and employment to healthcare and hunger. I believe that we need to raise the standards of living – both in where we live and how we live. I believe that good design can change lives, communities, and our world, and it starts with decent, affordable homes where people can thrive.”
You can get involved. Follow Kelsey on her adventure …
We hope Kelsey will visit us after her adventure to give us an update on the experience. Bike On!
In addition, Bernie Gardiner and John Oesmann were graduated from Red Badge to Blue Badge - congratulations and thank you!
A Special Thank YOU to all the Mothers for all the blessings you have been in our lives. We love you and hold you forever in our hearts.
Our Taste of Tuscany Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser is THIS Friday!
We anticipate an outstanding show of community support once again. There are openings and needs for Rotary support personnel.
Please, if you have not already signed-up, do so and help out for an hour or so.
You will even have time to enjoy a wonderful dinner and the special ‘Macri sauce!’
Contact Val Walk (610-759-6745/610-861-0041) or val@beth1sr.org.
Special thanks to all the Morning Star Rotarians who assembled at the ranch in Nazareth Saturday and executed a complete refresh on the outdoor riding ring. The group did a tidy job of stripping down the metal rails and applying a nice coat of brick red paint. Additional thanks to Megan and Caroline Hunter, daughters of MSR Bill Hunter, for contributing their time and efforts to help others. Thank you to everyone. Given the size and scope of the operation, there will be opportunities for more service projects at Equi~librium in the future.
On behalf of incoming District Governor Linda Young and as your Morning Star President, I strongly encourage you to attend the 2016 Rotary 7430 District Training Assemblyon Saturday, May 14, at the DeSales University Center, 2755 Station Ave, Center Valley, PA 18034 from 7:45-1:45 PM. From 2:00-4:00 PM an optional session will be held for those clubs/individuals who want to become Rotary district "grant certified."
All club officers, committee chairs, and other interested Rotarians will benefit from attend this Training event.
There will be special sessions on The Rotary Foundation/Centennial Celebration and Membership, plus Special Interest Breakout sessions. In addition, our Youth Exchange will provide us with a Parade of Flags, our Four Way Test Champion will give the winning speech, and Past Rotary International Director, Mike Colasurdo will be talking to us about The True Meaning of Rotary Service.
It will be an AMAZING day of Rotary Learning and Friendship!
Registration closes Sunday, May 8, so please register as soon as possible.
Note: Morning Star Rotary will reimburse you for the registration fee. President Ron
Hope to see you there!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, May 5th when MSR’s Ellen Roberts will introduce Jamie Rzeszowski & Betty Gayley from Meals on Wheels.
They will discuss how Meals on Wheels is impacting the lives of the many homebound seniors or adults with disabilities that it delivers nutritious meals to in the Lehigh Valley.
See you there.
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.
On Thursday, April 14, Morning Star Rotarians had the pleasure of learning about the “Journey in Education” as experienced by Bernie Gardiner as she gave her Classification talk.
A hoped for career path to become a medical doctor was altered by marriage and the birth of four wonderful children in six years. Subsequently expanded with the addition of five grandchildren! Life happens! Bernie pursued a varied career path while still having an education-dominated core. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 from Muhlenberg College and a Masters Degree in 1997 from Lehigh University.
In this timeframe Bernie became part of the Jason Project. Founded in 1989 byDr. Robert D. Ballard,JASON has provided curriculum and learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for K-12 students … over 20 years before STEM was the standard! Just think about the programs in the early 90’s, before the internet! This was a time for hands-on interactive learning experiences for children. Equipment was constructed in Grace Hall at Lehigh, with computers and screens and satellite communications. The objective was bring the kids in and show them actual scientists and educators working underseas, in the Galapagos, Iceland, Yellowstone, etc. Go to Jason.org to learn more about JASON, Bernie’s passion. She was noted in the press as “one of the people keeping this thing alive”. She is almost ‘Bernice Jason’.
An outgrowth of the JASON Project in 1992 was the establishment of the Science Model Area Resource Team – SMART Center. This focused on the hands-on interactive learning experiences. In 1994 it moved from campus to the East Annex of the Bethlehem Steel and became the SMART DISCOVERY CENTER.Bernie continued her passion for education with “wormtown” and “Mr. Bones” - the bicycle riding skeleton - among many, many other interactive exhibits.
Bernie is now a very active volunteer in many facets of the community. We are very pleased she is part of Morning Star Rotary, and look forward to her coming “Rotary Passion.” Thank you Bernie, and welcome!
As you may recall, Sue Reeps, Treasurer, had notified us of her resignation effective June 30, 2016. She will remain an active member of Morning Star Rotary, thankfully. Jean Searfosshas stepped forward to assume this position on July 1, 2016, which was approved by the Board in accordance with the Club Bylaws. They will begin work immediately on the transition, and to assist President-Elect Sharon Fontana in developing the 2016-2017 Budget.
Fellow Rotarian Tom Bailey, avid motorcyclist and our favorite Vietnam Vet, is recovering nicely from his St. Luke's adventure for triple bypass heart surgery topped off with an aortic artery repair. Presently 'a little stiff and sore, but bored as hell!' Imagine that! Please keep Tom in our thoughts and prayers. Please reach out via a visit, call or text 610-216-5512 or email Tbailey540@gmail.com. I'm sure he will welcome your greetings and good wishes.
Due to business, a little vacation and timing challenges, there will be no additional bulletin before our April 28th meeting. Speakers are noted below, and Meeting Responsibilities for both weeks are shown below as well. Please remember to sign-up and support your club.
This Week’s Meeting – April 21st
Please join us this Thursday, April 21st when our speaker will be Paula Fabon, the Exchange Student from Madrid Spain, sponsored by Bethlehem Rotary.
Cheryl Baker and her family are currently hosting Paula. Please plan to attend and hear a young student’s perspectives on her experiences in our country.
Next Week’s Meeting – April 28th
Please join MSR on Thursday, April 28th for our speaker Kelsey Oesmann from Bike & Build telling us all about Pedaling for Affordable Housing.(Yes Kelsey is the daughter of proud parents, Carrie and John Oesmann!) See you there.
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.
Morning Star Rotary is volunteering at Equi-Librium!
Saturday, 4/30
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you'd like a tour, please come a half hour early.
Address: 524 Fehr Rd, Nazareth, PA 18064
We will be doing work around the facility to get them ready for their Kentucky Derby party the following week, so expect to be doing landscape work – weeding, fixing pavings on trails and drives, plantings, etc., and possible replacement of fenceposts/boxfencing on some of the pastures.
Please everyone bring your own workgloves, bug spray, and sunscreen, plus your "Shoes for Shoes"!
Donating your gently worn shoes will help the needy, plus help fund horseshoes for their therapy horses!
The bulletin is taking a one-week vacation, so this info covers TWO weeks.
April 21
Set-Up / Breakdown - Marianne Aronson
Greeter - Ron Helmuth
Sgt. at Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 per Week - John Oesmann
50/50 - Need a Volunteer, please!
(Robin had signed up for 2 spots)
Invocation - Janet Sipple
Introductions - Marianne Aronson
April 28
Set-Up / Breakdown - Bernie Gardiner
Greeter - Ed Ortelli
Sgt. at Arms - Sue Reeps
$2 per Week - Janet Westlund
50/50 - Kristian Schafer
Invocation - Tom Kolepp
Introductions - Tom Hartzell
Please note that the names listed in the sidebar of our home page will be incorrect after the April 21 meeting - we will not be available to update that prior to the April 28 meeting.
Past District Governor BJ Metz came to talk to us about a very special baseball league. It was not about how a Yankee loving young boy got stuck on a little league team named the Red Sox.
Many of us grew up in an age when ‘special needs’ children were not really tolerated. Most can recall a child who seemed to always be inside and not allowed to participate in all the cool things the rest of us did. Fortunately that has changed. Special needs yes, but they are still just kids. Different sizes, abilities, even ages but kids. Kids like baseball and anyone can play!
BJ told us all about a project to build a ‘field of dreams.’ With the help of many committed people and the support of the Easton Rotary Club, construction of Easton Rotary Field took a few years. The Miracle League of Northampton County was born with opening day in September 2012. Location is in the Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township, right off Route 22 with all the other athletic fields for the community!
That first year there were 65 “special” players. Now there are over 300!
To help with these players, a buddy system was established. Initially family and friends, this has evolved so that many youth teams come to each game to help and support the “special kids!” The “buddies teams” have already more than filled available games for the coming season. A wonderful synergistic benefit of this successful program is how all these young people are experiencing the positive benefits of volunteering and helping others. Some may be future Rotarians, but their communities and future families will benefit greatly from this process!
Please join us this Thursday, April 14th when our speaker will be our own Bernie Gardiner. Bernie will give what I am certain will prove to be a very interesting Classification Talk. See you there.
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.
“Well the District 7430 Conference ended Sunday. We learned how Rotary has impacted a number of former exchange students’ lives, how a club is planning a multi-year project and attracting members through the process, traveled to India for an NID (National Immunization Day), enjoyed fellowship in the photo booth, experienced how others are fighting hunger, learned more about ending Polio, raised money with cow pie bingo, heard from PDG Gilbert (Brown, RI President’s Representative from Dallas, TX) about how he involves his family in international projects, danced to The Mango Men, honored those who left use this year, learned unacceptable differences in stop and arrest rates among non-white citizens, saw five Rotex testimonials, heard five very personal Rotary moments. and said goodbye to old and new friends.
The Conference exceeded every expectation we had. Mary and I are tired but very happy.
With 8 members in attendance, the Morning Star Rotary Club was well represented. With a whole bunch of Rotarians we helped in the Outreach food project to fight hunger – we assembled 15,334 meals in 2 hours! The really great part, 2,376 meals came back to the Lehigh Valley for distribution to New Bethany Ministries and the Hispanic Center. The balance of the meals went to food banks in the 7430 District.
There was a very impressive group of Exchange students both incoming and outbound for next year. The five finalists for the Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest were amazing! All these young people are truly gifts to the world. The future looks bright.
MSR was a pretty solid hit with the “Service Above Self” bartender crew at the Hospitality in the Fireside!
Think ahead to next year – Conference May 5-7, 2017 in Lancaster PA. “Step outside the box” of our MSR and learn more of the incredible Rotary world of which we are all a part.
Thank you for all you do for Rotary – and the World!
All of us have men in our lives that we care about. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men (after skin cancer). Deaths due to cancer among men in the US is the second highest cause of deaths ,while heart disease remains number one.
The question of when and if men should be screened for prostrate cancer is variable among medical experts, so what's a guy to do?!?
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) US Preventative Services Taskforce recommends (May 2012) the prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening blood testonce symptoms of prostate cancer are present. Symptoms include but are not limited to difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urination, frequent urination, especially at night, difficulty emptying the bladder, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back-hips-pelvis that doesn't go away, and painful ejaculations. A health provider examination finding of potential prostate cancer is an enlarged prostate gland based on digital rectal examination (DRE) by the examiner.
The American Urological Association (AUA) recommends (no date available) decision for PSA screening be made with the health care provider based on one's personal health history and current health status along with a clear discussion of risk and benefits of the PSA screening.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that early screening with a PSA blood test combined with a DRE can lead to early prostate cancer detection. Therefore the ACS recommends (3/11/16) that the client discussion of this with their health care provider based on available health information combined with one's own thoughts about the risks and benefits of early PSA screening be essential in screen testing decision making
The American College of Physicians (ACP) states (2014) that there are no current prostate screening test measurements endorsed by the ACP. The ACP recommends such a measurement be developed in the future.
The Sipple Recommendation (2016)
Considering family history, present symptoms if any, current health status history plus any client personal concerns or worries, get a PSA blood test along with a DRE to determine the next steps in heath screening.
You won't find anything, or exclude the presence of something, if you don't look for it!
Nurse Sipple
The Healthy Rotarian 35 - Men's Health: Prostate Cancer Screening
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.
Nurse Sipple
The Healthy Rotarian #34: "Health Benefits of Friendship"
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.
At Thursday’s meeting we enjoyed the Classification Talk of John Oesmann.
John started the trip down his memory lane with a baby/toddler shot involving a “speedo” in a backyard pool in Leonia, NJ. From this early swimming career he proved to be quite the athlete competing in a variety of sports. His high school career was capped by his Palisades Park HS baseball team becoming state champions!
John moved onto Rutgers University for a roller-coaster ride of experiences culminating in an engineering degree. Most significantly he met Carrie in ski club who became his wife. Following a varied and successful career in telecommunications he found himself in a position where he could work from home. Carrie, a highly successful interior designer with clients in the Lehigh Valley, also had the flexibility to evaluate where they wished to live and work in line with their desired lifestyle.
Fortunately for all of us they have located in Center City on East Broad Street with Bailiwick Interior Design being in their home as well. John and Carrie have invited everyone to an open house to experience Design in Action on April 30th.
John’s favorite meal is breakfast, so Morning Star Rotary has been a perfect fit. I want to personally thank John for jumping in to Rotary immersion. He went to RLI in October before being technically inducted and followed that up with his first stint on the Board of Directors startung July 1.
Congratulations and welcome John from all your fellow Morning Star Rotarians!
March 24 - Part 2 of Morning Star Rotary at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering!
Morning Star Rotary Club provided dinner for 35 guests of the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter last Thursday at Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the fine effort by Morning Star Rotarians in contributing, preparing and serving the dinner at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering.
In our best Morning Star tradition, our service was to the individual men as guests at the Shelter. Their appreciation was evident in the many “Thank you!”s received during the event. One friend of a guest was absolutely amazed with the dinner provided – “meat lasagna for dinner at a shelter!!! Unreal!”
Special thanks to Janet Kolepp for coordinating the event.
As your president I really want to thank you all for the participation and support. It was a great time for Rotary fellowship as well.
This community support is provided from December through March. I intend to propose to the Board that MSR makes this a monthly service project going forward and provide appropriate support in the 2016-17 budget.
Thanks again.
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us on March 31st when our speaker will be Andrea Tessier, District Director from Penn State Cooperative Extension-Lehigh and Northampton Counties.
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.
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.
If you take a flutist who graduates from Houston’s Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, throw in extensive private education in music and degrees in biology, English literature, medicine and surgery; combined with global music experience, if very fortunate, you might find Dr. Nora Suggs. Dr. Suggs is now the Artistic Director of the Chamber Music ensemble SATORI. SATORI is celebrating its 20th Anniversary Season in 2015-2016.
Nora is well known to many of our members and we were honored to have her provide an update on the “Artists-In-Residence” project for which SATORI is the recipient of a Morning Star Rotary Community Development Grant. This project is at the Governor Wolf Elementary school. About 75 students are in the music programs and all students are reached through in-school grade-specific (K-5) programs. The musicians love the direct interaction with the students and are really able to get ‘up close and personal’ with each other.
The Artists-In-Residence project is one element of the BRAVO! Music Educational outreach –
Gift of Music instrument donation project where over 534 total musical instruments have been donated to 51 schools, valued at over $115,000.
In-school chamber music programs scheduled throughout the academic year which has reached over 8,000 children to date.
Annual Student Performance Competition – over 11 student chamber music competitions.
The question was asked if there was any impact in childrens’ academic performance attributable to music. Dr. Suggs sited studies which clearly indicated a very positive impact on students who participate in music which carries directly into their academic achievements.
For more information on SATORI and schedules of their performances please visit their website: www.satori-chambermusic.org.
NOTE: SATORI will once again play for our Taste of Tuscany Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on May 6!
Congratulations to Abby Burnettwho finished in second place at the Regional Four Way Test Speech Contest last Saturday. The contestants all did a fantastic job. As Ben Tenaglia reported, “Glad I was not a judge.”
March 24 for PART 2 at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering!
Morning Star Rotary will provide dinner at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering at the Church of the Nativity again on March 24. Response has been strong, but there is always room for more volunteers. Contact Janet Kolepp agjanetk@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us on March 24th when John Oesmann will present his classification talk. We all look forward to hearing from John and appreciate his great Morning Star Rotary enthusiasm!
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.
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!
Why Should I Care About Medicare? A key question addressed by our speaker team ofDan Banks, President and Founder of Silver Crest Insurance and Ramona Harris, an independent agent at Silver Crest.
Following 16 years of diversified experience in the insurance and financial services industries, Dan founded Silver Crest. He decided to specialize in Medicare insurance when a client asked him to review his Medicare options. After researching the topic, it became quite clear how difficult it is for people to navigate the complexities of the Medicare system and the supplemental coverage options involved.
To answer the question, healthcare is the second largest expense you will have in retirement so having the right health coverage is extremely important.
Following a brief history of Medicare, Dan provided an overview and a discussion on what is and what is not covered. The confusion and complexity becomes apparent when you investigate these items as well as enrollment options, the importance of enrollment dates and become knowledgeable of the many loopholes which exist. Most loopholes are not designed to favor the individual but the government. Sound familiar? Conclusion – do your homework and reach out to the resources available to you.
We received a Thank You from the folks at ShelterBox for the donation we sent. They provided a SB#: 25039 so we can track its deployment. The Box is currently being packed and strategically positioned. Will monitor progress and keep you up to date. The rate at which boxes are deployed is directly related to the frequency and scale of disasters occurring around the world. Here’s hoping it stays in inventory for a while!
March 24 for PART 2 at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering!
Morning Star Rotary will provide dinner at Bethlehem Emergency Shelteringat the Church of the Nativity again on March 24. Watch for the sign-up list at Thursday’s meeting or contact Janet Kolepp agjanetk@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, March 17th when Nora Suggs will talk to us about Satori and how the grant from Morning Star Rotary will support Satori’s "Artists -in-Residence" project at Governor Wolf Elementary. See you then!
Note: Satori will once again play for the Taste of Tuscany Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on May 6!
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.
Our Thursday February 25 meeting was hosted by our own Morning Star Rotarian, Dr.Bill Hunter, Director of International Outreach at Lehigh University. He was joined by Kristin Gutekunst, Project Manager, United Nations Sustainable Development Action Campaign. Per Bill’s earlier proclamation, “We will be the first Rotary Club in the world to view these films.”
Kristin addressed the Goals of United Nations Virtual Reality
Promote empathy and understanding for the world’s most vulnerable
Inspire leaders to take bold actions
Reach new audiences
Support the UN’s advocacy by building multi-stakeholder partnerships
Showcase the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the lens of different global crises
Virtual Reality promotes empathy & understanding by allowing you to experience someone else’s truth. This we saw first-hand as we were transported to another reality in two very moving films.
Clouds over Sidra transports viewers to the Zaatari Refugee Camp, which is home to 80,000 Syrians fleeing violence and war. The film tells the story of Sidra, a young girl who has been in Zaatari since the summer of 2013 as she tries to find normalcy in her new surroundings and hold on to the remnants of childhood. She takes us on a tour of the camp, providing her thoughts on school, her family’s makeshift tent, boys and football, and closing with her hopes for the future.
Virtual Reality changes perceptions & allows for individual and collective experiences.
Waves of Grace captures a young woman’s tale of love, loss, and rebirth amid the Ebola epidemic. In the film we accompany Decontee Davis, a native of West Point, Liberia, as she guides us through the streets of her township, into schools, hospitals, abandoned buildings and burial grounds. She finds solace by using her immunity to help patients, care for those orphaned, fight stigma, and in the faith of forgiveness.
Virtual Reality has proven extremely effective to support fundraising efforts.
You can experience these VR films anytime, anywhere. All you need is your smart phone. Download the Vrse App for iOS or Android http://vrse.com/.
You will find yourself right there with Sidra and Decontee experiencing their realities.
THIS WEEK’S MEETING
Please join us on March 3rd when Jen Wanisko will speak to us on the YWCA Bethlehem TechGYRLS program. They are a Morning Star Community Grant Recipient. See you then!
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.
Designers are creating innovative affordable products as solutions to problems all over the world. New offerings include the solar roof, electric motorcycles, and more. Now sparked by programs such as the Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability course at Stanford University's Institute of Design, some are taking a look at the concerns of people in developing countries as well. Keeping local culture in mind, designers are creating products to meet communities' particular needs. It turns out that even the most pressing problems, from health care to potable water, can have affordability and beautifully designed solutions. (Zackowitz, 2010, 24)
I wanted to share two such ideas that caught my eye.
INFANT WARMER
Approximately 19 million low-birth weight babies are born every year in developing countries. Unable to regulate their body temperature, many die. The EMBRACE helps to warm vulnerable infants. A special pouch slips into the back of the bag to provide hours of safe heat while allowing for nursing and cuddling. Launch country: India. Website: www.embraceglobal.org
PURIFYING STRAW
Some 900 million people lack access to safe drinking water. Sipping through the LIFESTRAWfilters surface water on-site, reducing the transmission of bacteria and viruses. Thousands of 10" LIFESTRAWS were donated to Haiti after the most recent earthquake. Each filters about 160 gallons; a new, shorter model, nearly 265 gallons. Launch country: Kenya. Website: www.lifestraw.com
Nurse Sipple
The Healthy Rotarian #33: "Big Ideas" Improving Human Lives Through Innovation
Last Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from one of our Community Grant recipients. Debra Lamb, Vice President for Development at Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC) enthusiastically introduced the exciting program enrichment activities provided for local preschoolers and elementary school-aged children at their 25 centers. This year the MSR grant funding will bring Da Vinci Science Center outreach educators to LVCC’s Bethlehem and Easton locations. These preschool children will experience science in a fun and interactive way.
The many enrichment activities are provided to the children at no additional costs to their parents. They are fully funded from support by other organizations. This adds greater meaning to the importance of grants such as ours.
Debra seized the opportunity to tell us about the diverse LVCC programs for all the children served. I was stunned when she said of the 1,020 + children they serve over 70% of Black children and over 60% of Latino children could not swim. We are all familiar with the parables of teaching a person to fish or read so they will have skills for life. Seems to me there is a real challenge here to teach kids to swim and perhaps save their lives. Just food for thought.
In addition to her LVCC career, Debra is very active in the community. She has been in the Allentown Rotary Club since 2005. She will complete her second four-year term as an elected member of the Allentown School Board at the end of 2017. Her connections to MSR Rotarians include her colleague at LVCC, our own Shawn Deiter, and Sue Reeps who worked with Debra’s father in earlier careers with the US government.
Thank you Debra. Perhaps we will see you again this Thursday as you expressed interest in our next meeting . . .
THIS WEEK’S MEETING - please come early!
On Thursday February 25, our own Morning Star Rotarian, Bill Hunter, Director of International Outreach at Lehigh University, will host a unique program. Bill, together with Kristin Gutekunst, Project Manager, United Nations Sustainable Development Action Campaign, will have 10 virtual reality glasses with two films of 8 minutes duration.
Clouds over Sidra transports viewers to the Zaatari Refugee Camp, which is home to 80,000 Syrians fleeing violence and war.
The film tells the story of Sidra, a young girl who has been in Zaatari since the summer of 2013 as she tries to find normalcy in her new surroundings and hold on to the remnants of childhood. She takes us on a tour of the camp, providing her thoughts on school, her family’s makeshift tent, boys and football, and closing with her hopes for the future.
Waves of Grace captures a young woman’s tale of love, loss, and rebirth amid the Ebola epidemic.
In the film we accompany Decontee Davis, a native of West Point, Liberia, as she guides us through the streets of her township, into schools, hospitals, abandoned buildings and burial grounds. She finds solace by using her immunity to help patients, care for those orphaned, fight stigma, and in the faith of forgiveness.
Per Bill, “We will be the first Rotary Club in the world to view these films.”Please join us for a very contemporary reality experience.
Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering Community Service Event
Morning Star Rotary Club provided dinner for 40 guests of the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter last Thursday at Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the fine effort by Morning Star Rotarians in contributing, preparing and serving the dinner at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering.
In our best Morning Star tradition our service was to the individual men as guests at the Shelter. Their appreciation was evident in the many “Thank you!”s received during the event.Special cheers for Janet Kolepp ---- great job of bringing this all together. Heard a lot of Rotarians saying “we should do this more often.”
As your president, I really want to thank you all for the participation and support. It was a great time for Rotary fellowship as well.
Thanks again.
Note for your calendar – on March 24thwe will have another service dinner opportunity. Hope to see you then!
Save the Date - May 17th!
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran
of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook extends an invitation to all Rotarians. We have not hosted a sitting RI President in over fifty years. This is truly a rare event. It is a very rare opportunity to meet the incumbent RI President in celebration that evening.
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.
This question was the subject at our last meeting,
“What you should know about Cyber Security?”
To address this topic, we were fortunate to have Scott Gingoldcome to Morning Star Rotary. Scott is the President of Lehigh Valley Technology Company/Computer Troubleshooters, the area’s most award winning Information Technology and Managed Services Provider. He and his wife Deniselead a team of dedicated professionals that serves businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies throughout our region.
Cyber Security consists of protecting the information, the hardware, and the software of an organization’s Information Technology Infrastructure. But as Scott highlighted, “It is also as much about a mental commitment to security.”
Scott’s recommendations for what you can do to protect your business:
• Constantly update passwords and login details
By changing your login details, at least once or twice a month, you can cut down your chances of being a target of cybercrime.
• A secure computer will deter cyber criminals
Always be sure to activate your firewall settings. Furthermore, installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software will protect your computer from various forms of malware, viruses, Trojan horses and other malicious software used to obtain your personal details.
• Be social media savvy
Make sure your social networking profiles (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MSN, etc.) are set to private. Check your security settings. Be careful what information you post online. Once it is on the Internet, it is extremely difficult to remove. Don’t announce when you’re away, or you’re telling thieves your house is empty!
• Secure mobile devices
More often than not, we leave our mobile devices unattended. By activating the built-in security features you can avoid any access to personal details. Never store passwords, pin numbers and even your own address on any mobile device.
• Protect your Data
Use encryption for your most sensitive files such as tax returns or financial records, make regular back-ups of all your important data, and store it in a different location.
• Be aware of what you do while using public Wi-Fi Hotspots
While these access points are convenient, they are far from secure. Avoid conducting financial or corporate transactions on these networks.
• Protect your e-identity
Be cautious when giving out personal information such as your name, address, phone number or financial information on the Internet. Make sure that websites are secure (e.g. when making online purchases) or that you’ve enabled privacy settings (e.g. when accessing/using social networking sites).
• Avoid being scammed
Always think before you click on a link or file of unknown origin. Don’t feel pressured by any emails. Check the source of the message. When in doubt, verify the source. Never reply to emails that ask you to verify your information or confirm your user ID or password.
The presentation was interactive from the get-go, as the topic resonated with our members. Numerous examples were shared of personal experiences of being hacked and data being stolen. There were many questions raised.
No one is immune from cyber attacks, be it a business or an individual. As Scott stated, “Being ever vigilant in your efforts will help provide your best protection.”
Thank you to Scott and Denise for sharing their expertise and a timely presentation which benefits all of us.
Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering Community Service Event THIS THURSDAY Feb. 18th
Morning Star Rotary Club will be providing dinner for the guests of the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter on February 18 at Cathedral Church of the Nativity. We need your help in three ways:
• Food donations (soup, salad, bread & dessert) and/or a cash donation.
• Serve on the Setup & Cooking Crew 5 – 7pm.
• Serve on the Serving & Cleanup Crew 6:15 – 8pm.
Feel free to invite any potential members for a hands-on Rotary experience.
Please see the sign-up sheet at the meeting and plan to support this event.
Contact Janet Kolepp if any questions, or if you can help but won't be at the meeting to sign up on the sheet. 484-241-1252 agjanetk@gmail.com
Thank you!
Save the Date - May 17th!
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran
of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook extends an invitation to all Rotarians. We have not hosted a sitting RI President in over fifty years. This is truly a rare event. It is a very rare opportunity to meet the incumbent RI President in celebration that evening.
This Week's Meeting
Please join us on February 18th when Debra Lambof Lehigh Valley Children’s Centersvisits.
As a Grant Recipient, Deb will highlight Preschool Science Enrichment at LVCCs for 30 preschoolers age 3-5 in Bethlehem and Easton, and how this is done in conjunction with the DaVinci Discovery Center. See you there.
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.
Remember spring is just around the corner….so says Punxsutawney Phil!
Morning Star Rotary has established a very successful long-term relationship with the Allentown Band.
Thanks to an initiative fathered by Past President Gary Hartney, this past November we successfully conducted our 13th annual fund raising “Salute the Troops” concert featuring the Allentown Band. The primary beneficiary of these efforts has been Victory House of the Lehigh Valley, which has received over $65,000 to help in their work with our Veterans.
The Allentown Band also qualified for a Community Development Grant from Morning Star Rotary to support their programs of Transforming Student Lives Through the Power of Music. We were honored to have Ron Demkee, ‘Conductor Extraordinaire’ present to educate us on these programs, and happy to meet Ron’s wife, Joan. Susan Hartney was also a guest. She is Gary’s wife and a former Morning Star Member; she also plays in the Allentown Band and was instrumental in establishing the long relationship between the band and our club!
YOUTH CONCERTS are designed especially for Elementary through Middle School Students, which are offered to schools throughout the Lehigh Valley at no cost. National Standards for Arts Education are addressed:
• Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
• Evaluating music and music performances
• Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside of the arts
• Understanding music in relation to history and culture
• By understanding works in context, students see ties between music and literature, history, visual art, and a variety of cultural influences.
These concerts are inclusive of low-key, interactive teaching moments with the students. The concerts continue to grow and be fabulously successful.
SIDE-BY-SIDE CONCERTS have advanced high school students from the region participating in a public concert playing alongside members of the Allentown Band in a program of professional level music presented at Allentown's premier concert venue - Miller Symphony Hall.
This program commenced in 2005. A key feature in addition to the students having the opportunity to play is the inclusion of visiting top notch musicians from across the musical spectrum. These visitors help instill an incredible level of musical synergy to the whole experience.
THE ALLENTOWN BAND MISSION The Allentown Band preserves and advances the heritage of concert band music by providing quality, inspiring performances and education in partnership with the community and beyond. www.allentownband.com
Thank you to Ron Demkee and the Allentown Band. We look forward to your continued success and especially to our next Salute the Troops Concert in November 2016.
Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering Community Service Event on Feb. 18th Morning Star Rotary Club will be providing dinner for the guests of the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter on February 18 at Cathedral Church of the Nativity. We need your help in three ways:
• Food donations (soup, salad, bread & dessert) and/or a cash donation.
• Serve on the Setup & Cooking Crew 5 – 7pm.
• Serve on the Serving & Cleanup Crew 6:15 – 8pm.
Feel free to invite any potential members for a hands-on Rotary experience.
Please see the sign-up sheet at the meeting and plan to support this event.
Contact Janet Kolepp if any questions, or if you can help but won't be at the meeting to sign up on the sheet. 484-241-1252 agjanetk@gmail.com
Thank you!
If you haven't already done so, PLEASE REGISTER NOW!
District 7430 Conference
2015 – 2016
The Inn at Pocono Manor
April 8 – 10, 2016 Educational and a ‘real’ Celebration
Here's the link: http://www.whythecow.com
Save the Date - May 17th!
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook extends an invitation to all Rotarians. It is a very rare opportunity to meet the currently serving Rotary International President in celebration that evening.
This Week's Meeting
Please join us on Thursday February 11th when Scott Gingoldfrom Lehigh Valley Technology Company/Computer Troubleshooters. Scott will talk to us on Cyber Security.
Given their 10 years plus serving business customers in the area as well as law enforcement agencies including the Secret Service, FBI and State Police, this will be a very interesting and informative program. See you there!
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.
We closed out the month of January on the 28th with a special celebration. We said ‘Thank You’ as we acknowledged the dozens of sponsors who supported our 25th Anniversary 5K/10K Race.
The celebration was capped off by Race Director Wayne Achey presenting a check for our $8,000 donation to the Bethlehem Special Olympics. Louise Tusak graciously accepted the donation on behalf of Bethlehem Special Olympics.
Bethlehem Special Olympics has been the prime beneficiary of the Morning Star 5K/10K Run since the early years of the club. We are proud to have raised over $120,000 for Special Olympics.
Our friends at Essroc Italcementi Grouponce again had a large contingent – this time of about 200 participants. Essroc considers the Event an integral part of their corporate wellness program! They have thrown down the challenge to any other organizations to do likewise and try to match their participation.
A thank you is in order for our Race Director, Wayne Achey and Assistant Race Director, Jeff Kicska. Feedback from runners and participants was exceptionally positive reflecting how well the Race was run. A very special thank you to all the Race Committee members and all the Morning Star Rotarians and Family and Friends for all their work and support over the months and the day of the event to ensure another successful Race.
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook extends an invitation to all Rotarians. It is a very rare opportunity to meet the currently serving Rotary International President in celebration that evening..
This Week's Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, February 4thwhen Ron Demkee, ‘Conductor Extraordinaire’ of the Allentown Band will talk to us on Transforming Students Lives Through the Power of Music.
The Allentown Band, the oldest continuously performing civilian concert band in the United States, provides two important youth educational outreach initiatives that reach more than 2,250 students from 14 greater Lehigh Valley school districts Young People’s Concerts, held in November are programmed for students in grades 3-9. The participatory Side By Side Concert, held in May, is designed for student musicians in grades 10-12. These initiatives are offered to schools at no charge through grant and donor support.
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.
Do you know any high school age students? Morning Star Rotary and District 7430 offer the opportunity to experience public speaking and potentially earn significant prize money! The Four-Way Test Speech Contest is NOT limited to those involved in Debate Club or performing in school productions. In fact, we find that many such students have no time in their schedules to prepare and participate in our contest.
The Bethlehem and Morning Star Rotary Clubs will conduct our "local" contest on Wednesday,March 2ndat 6 PM in the Bethlehem City Hall Rotunda(between City Hall and the Library). Two contestants will be selected to advance to the regional level contest, and the winner there goes to the finals, to be conducted at the District Conference.
We will appreciate your spreading the word to high school age students, teachers, counselors, and any appropriate youth organizations you may know. Thanks!
Seeking Contestants for Four-Way Test Speech Contest
Morning Star Rotarians had the pleasure of a special presentation from Habitat of Humanity, specifically The Habitat for Humanity ReStorefor the Lehigh Valley.
Alli Ingram, ReStore Procurement Manager was joined by Camille Urbano, Lehigh Valley Habitat Volunteer Manager. The ladies were a very effective tag-team in showing what Habitat is all about and how it is so successful in the Lehigh Valley.
The Lehigh Valley affiliate of Habitat was founded in 1989. 2014 marked the 25th anniversary in the Lehigh Valley and dedication of their 100th home! Habitat builds homes in the ABE area. Allentown focus has been the Neighborhood Revitalization program emphasizing rehab of existing structures. These properties were previously vacant and blighted, so often they can be purchased from the Redevelopment Authority for $1. In Bethlehem and Easton the focus is on new home construction.
The philosophy is to provide a means of breaking the cycle of poverty by providing a “hand up”, not a “hand out”. It is estimated that there are over 95 million Americans living in substandard housing (that is 1/3rd of our population). Habitat helps break the cycle of poverty by making homeownership possible to those who may not qualify for a traditional mortgage. All Partner Families contribute 250 “Sweat Equity” hours per adult on the construction. They then earn their home and repay a 30-year 0% interest mortgage to Habitat which owns the homes until payment is completed.
The ReStore provides an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of landfills. Donations of new or gently used building materials and household goods are accepted and resold back to the public.
All funds raised by Habitat Lehigh Valley ReStore provide direct support for Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley's vision:
A World Where Everyone has a Decent Place to Live!
The ReStore is always looking for help – Donate! Shop! Volunteer!
Board of Directors– you will recall last week we had the sad news of Alex Shnaydruk and his family being relocated to Europe the end of December. Alex is a Board member with his term being 7/1/15 – 6/30/17. I am pleased to announce that Robin Metzler has volunteered to serve the balance of Alex’s term as Director. His confirmation will be addressed at the next Board meeting. Thank you Robin!
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook is asking that as many Rotarians as possible attend the celebration that evening.
This Week's Meeting
Please join us January 28th when we celebrate our Race Recognitionof the sponsors, supporters and Bethlehem Special Olympics as the major recipient of this very successful 25th Anniversary event. Helpers are needed for 50/50 and Introduction of Visitors/Guests – would you please lend a hand?
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.
Our "Invite A Guest" Membership Event previously scheduled for the evening of January 28 at Goosey Gander has been postponed until the spring to facilitate greater participation. Please keep your eyes open for publication of the new date.
POSTPONED! Membership Event will be held in the Spring
On January 14thwe had the pleasure of hosting people from the Promise Neighborhoods (PN) of the Lehigh Valley presenting the progress of this program in our area.
Christian Torres, Coordinator, Bethlehem PN and Ewuradjoa Dawson-Amoah, Data Coordinator, PN of Lehigh Valley addressed the research conducted in our Bethlehem neighborhoods. Areas of focus included surveys of what is currently going on in Bethlehem:
General Demographics
Education
Safety and Stability
Economy
Health
Backstory
Program Description - Promise Neighborhoods, established under the federal legislative authority of the Fund for the Improvement of Education Program (FIE), provides funding to support eligible entities, including (1) nonprofit organizations, which may include faith-based nonprofit organizations, (2) institutions of higher education, and (3) Indian tribes.
The vision of the program is that all children and youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to great schools and strong systems of family and community support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career. The purpose of Promise Neighborhoods is to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in our most distressed communities, and to transform those communities by—
Identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible entities that are focused on achieving results for children and youth throughout an entire neighborhood;
Building a complete continuum of cradle-to-career solutions of both educational programs and family and community supports, with great schools at the center;
Integrating programs and breaking down agency “silos” so that solutions are implemented effectively and efficiently across agencies;
Developing the local infrastructure of systems and resources needed to sustain and scale up proven, effective solutions across the broader region beyond the initial neighborhood; and
Learning about the overall impact of the Promise Neighborhoods program and about the relationship between particular strategies in Promise Neighborhoods and student outcomes, including through a rigorous evaluation of the program.
Christian and Ewuradjoa spoke to the survey results recently completed in the last half of 2015. The Neighborhood areas were focused on Census Tracts in key areas of the city. The City of Bethlehem provided data support which was essential to successful completion of this initial phase. This will allow Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley to make informed and effective decisions with their expansion into Bethlehem.
Their PowerPoint presentation was very informative and lead to a fruitful Q&A session with the membership. Christian and Ewuradjoa were accompanied byAmmar Sharif, Manager, Easton Promise Neighborhood in providing responses to a broad range of questions.
I am sure we will hear more from this Promise Neighborhoods as it moves forward. Thank you to Christian, Ewuradjoa and Ammar for a thought provoking presentation.
Following theBoard meetingWednesday, I gave a brief update to the membership at the meeting Thursday. This will serve to get everyone on the same page.
Treasurer
Approved a $10,000 grant from the Salute The Troops concert for Victory House. Additionally approved a $250 grant each for the Northeast Middle School Band and Chorus.
Approved an $8,000 grant from the 25th Anniversary Race for the Special Olympics of Bethlehem. (Please plan to be at the Race Recognition Breakfast on January 28th!)
Approved release of $1,000 each of budgeted funds for Rotaplast and Shelter Box.
Membership
Alex Shnaydruk, Iryna Levytska and daughter Victoria have been forced to relocate to Europe December 31, 2015. Due to issues with the state budget and economic development programs, his position with Lehigh University expired and his work visa status expired. They are currently with Iryna’s parents in Ukraine and moving to the Netherlands when Alex’s Dutch work permit is approved. They plan to return to the United States in a year or two. We will place them on Leave of Absence status until the end of this Rotary year. We hope they will be able to transfer into a new club.
Board of Director Opening
Alex is also a Board member with a Term from 7/1/15 – 6/30/17. Please consider stepping up and serving in this Board capacity to fulfill his term. Contact me if you are interested.
Youth Exchange 2016-17
Approved the District 7430 request that Morning Star Rotary host an Incoming Exchange Student for the next Rotary year. Cheryl Baker has volunteered to be the first host family. Other host families will be needed. (Note there will be no Outbound requirement associated with this request.)
What is Rotary and Morning Star all about?
Invite a Guest
Membership Event
Thursday, January 28th at Gander Room
Watch your email for sign-up & RSVP to Jess Elliott!!!
Save the Date!
RI President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran of Sri Lanka will be coming to King of Prussia on Tuesday, May 17th, to recognize District 7430 for raising over $2 million for the Rotary International Foundation. District Governor Doug Cook is asking that as many Rotarians as possible attend the celebration that evening.
Please join us on January 21st when Alli Ingram, ReStore Procurement Manager will talk to us about Habitat for Humanityand the ReStore.
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.
Morning Star Rotary is volunteering at the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on three evenings during the 2026 winter months. We are serving food, washing dishes, and monitoring 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.
The campaign to eradicate polio got a major financial boost from the annual Miles to End Polio bike ride, held as part of El Tour de Tucson, on 21 November in Arizona, USA. Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and a team of eight RI staff members helped raise $4.4 million. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match the funds 2-to-1, bringing the total contribution to PolioPlus to more than $13.5 million.
We extend a very special Thank You to Mike and Terry Long for hosting the Morning Star Rotary Post Holiday Party last Saturday evening! A great time was had by all, as we enjoyed a wide variety of dishes and a veritable cornucopia of desserts. All that was exceeded by the warm Rotary fellowship and the opportunity to just be with friends and relax.
The photo below depicts some of our favorite Rotarians heavily engaged in a discussion of the Four Way Test. As you might imagine, the focus was on number 5 – Is It Fun!
Last Thursday we were fortunate to have a program by Susan Koomar from the Gift of Life Organ Donor Program.
There are nearly 6,000 people on waiting lists in our area alone. Susan presented a comprehensive visual display of how organ and tissue donations save lives.
Mike Parsley came from Nazareth to share his experiences as a survivor of a double lung transplant recipient and also a kidney transplant. (Mike never smoked a day in his life.)
(Thanks to Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen for the speaker photos.)
The FACTS:
If you are sick or injured, the number one priority of medical staff is to save your life
Donors may have an open casket viewing
There is NO cost to the donor or their family for organ/tissue donation
All major religions in the U.S. support organ donation
Anyone can be a potential organ donor regardless of age or medical history
Time is of the essence when a donor event takes place. It takes about a minute to become a registered organ donor online! By the simple act of registering the proper steps will be taken in a timely manner. www.donors1.org/register.
Just having a provision in your will would be too late. Please let your family know your wishes, so you can have the comfort of making that final act of compassion to allow others to live.
Have you invited your guests to join us at our club Membership Event at Goosey Gander on January 28th? This will be a great opportunity to introduce Rotary to new friends and potential new members. We want to share the wealth of what Service Above Self is all about.
Please join us on January 14 when Christian Torres and Ewuradjoa Dawson-Amoah will tell us all about Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.
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.
Morning Star Rotary’s 2015-16 Community Development Grants have been approved the Board. Thanks to the committee for their work. The process used:
A simplified “Request for Proposal” was publicized, and applications were accepted for a month.
A summary sheet and about 3 pages from each of the 20 applications received (a record!) were sent out to the six Community Development Grants Committee members.
Each of the six committee members assigned points (from low of 0 to high of 5) to each applicant.
A point summary was distributed.
The committee met and agreed to recommend full funding of the top 3 rated
The bottom half (10 of 20 applications) were eliminated.
We then discussed the remaining 7, and some people modified their points. (Considerations included location, number of children helped, long term impact, and cost effectiveness.)
Agreed on one additional full funding and one partial funding to total the $8,000 budget.
At it’s Dec. 9 meeting, the board discussed and then approved the committees’ recommendations.
Each of our five recipients will present at a Morning Star Rotary meeting over the next few months. They are:
Organization
Approved
Description
1
Allentown Band
$ 2,000
Transforming Student Lives Through the Power of Music
2
Lehigh Valley Children's Centers
$ 1,500
Preschool Science Enrichment at LVCCs for 30 preschoolers age 3-5 in Bethlehem and Easton. Done with Da Vinci Discovery Center.
3
Moravian College and William Penn Elementary
$ 2,500
"Reading and Riding" - provide stationary bikes which allow riding while reading or doing homework.
4
Satori
$ 1,000
In support of "Artists -in-Residence" project at Governor Wolf Elementary. And Satori will perform again at our Spaghetti Dinner!
5
YWCA
$ 1,000
TechGYRLS Afterschool Programs to address persistent gender gap in science and technology professions. Science-Tech-Engineering-Math enrichment to girls ages 9-13 over 16 weeks.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. It is hard to believe the College Football Bowl Season is down to one game! Although it is a beautiful sunny day today, Mother Nature has definitely taken back control of the thermometer. May bode well for the skiers!
January 9that the home of our gracious hosts,Mike and Terry Long. (We'll email the address to members later this week.) The club will provide ham, plus beer, wine and soft drinks. If you’d like to attend but were not able to sign up at the meetings, please email jsearfoss@cementemployers.com with the number of people and the type of food you plan to bring. (Appetizer, salad, side dish, main dish, etc. Not too many desserts, please.)
We look forward to seeing you all this Thursday January 7th when our speaker will be Susan Koomar who will talk to us about the Gift of Life – Organ Donation!
Have you invited your guests to join us at our club Membership Event at Goosey Gander on January 28th?Details coming soon!
Just in case you missed this –
We conducted our 2016-2017 elections at the December 17th meeting.
Previously elected are:
♦ President Sharon Fontana
♦ President Elect Kristian Schafer
♦ Secretary Val Walk
♦ Sergeant-at-Arms Russ Pacala
♦ (Treasurer to be elected at a later date.)
♦ Directors through 6/30/17:
Dave Cincera
Jeff Kicska
Alex Shnaydruk
Geoff Wright
► Special congratulations to Cheryl Baker who will serve as Vice-President 2016-17, then as President Elect in 2017-18 and President in 2018-19.
The following Rotarians have been elected to two year terms on theBoard of Directors starting July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018:
♦ Marianne Aronson
♦ Janet Kolepp
♦ Rick Morissey
♦ John Oesmann
Please join me in congratulating these Rotarians and thanking them for stepping into these leadership roles for our club.
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.
On December 17th we enjoyed our Annual Musical Holiday Celebration! Our thanks to Maestro Rick Santee, (new accordion this year – a RED one!) for creating a marvelous program.
The Liberty High School Acapella Choir, under the direction of Gayle Justis, was absolutely wonderful.
They presented an excellent variety of holiday music from traditional to very contemporary (a Straight No Chaser takeoff, the Christmas Can-Can!) and a totally new number selected by Gayle which was quite moving. Proof positive the arts are alive and well at Liberty High School!
We finished off the program with our traditional12 Days of Rotary with significant updates reflecting our ever evolving Morning Star Rotary Club. Indeed, a very fitting conclusion to our 2015 Rotary year. We had many special guests, including former members, spouses and kids, and THREE Past District Governors - Tore Hartmann-Hansen, Gerry Long and BJ Metz!
December 24 and 31 – NO Meetings! Enjoy family and friends! Note: the Downtown Club does not meet December 23 or 30.
Reminder – HOLIDAY PARTY January 9that the home of our gracious hosts,Mike and Terry Long.
The club will provide ham, plus beer, wine and soft drinks. If you’d like to attend but were not able to sign up at the meetings, please email jsearfoss@cementemployers.com with the number of people and the type of food you plan to bring. (Appetizer, salad, side dish, main dish, etc. Not too many desserts, please.)
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.
Wishing You and Yours Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe journey into Next Year!
In preparation for the Holiday Season, last Thursday our own Dr. Janet Sipplevolunteered to provide “sound advice for Happy Healthy Holidays!”
♦ If you are planning on going to a party but you know you will be grumpy, just stay home! Such gatherings are highly social and people go to enjoy themselves.
♦ Adopt a spirit of optimism. Hold off on topics which may be controversial. Make a positive effort to avoid hot buttons.
♦ Simplify your life style. Lower your stress levels and enjoy the season. Manage stress in events, life and families. What family traditions can you let go of to reduce the stress of the season?
♦ Don’t be afraid to acknowledge people. Be open and receptive, and understand that the holidays may bring painful memories for some.
♦ Remember what you learned in kindergarten– stress relief – roll your shoulders; make a real big yawn.
♦ Always remember to hydrate! Drink Your Water! Put a little lemon or lime juice in the water for variety. (This also helps prevent hangovers!)
♦ Alcohol has no redeeming qualities! Set limits: 2 drinks of 3 ounces over 3 hours.
♦ Wash your hands frequently and keep your hands away from your face and eyes.
♦ Stay away from coughers! Especially avoid those of the snotty noses!
♦ Take naps. (Try to keep these under control as they tend to grow in length!)
♦ Eat before you go to a party. Especially consume protein.
♦ Stay away from dips – they are known in the nursing community as “snot bowls” for obvious reasons.
♦ Nuts!Roasted, dry and unsalted. They are both good and bad for you. Enjoy but like with many things, moderation is needed.
♦ The day after, flood your system with water!And eat oatmeal……floaters not sinkers!
♦ Happy Holidays!Have a great time.
Thanks to Tom Mohr for announcing Birthdays in his unique style ...
A special thanks to all who participated in the Morning Star Rotary Bell Ringing for Salvation Army. We raised nearly $2,300 as a result of our efforts. Very well done!
Please join us this Thursday morning,December 17for Morning Star Rotary's annual Musical Holiday Celebration meeting! Join Maestro Rick Santee on accordion and Gayle Justis and the Liberty High School Acapella Choir as we celebrate the Holiday Season! Invite family, friends & guests, and please come and join in the festivities.
We will also conduct our 2016-2017 election at this meeting.
December 24 and 31 – NO Meetings!Enjoy family and friends!
Save the Date – HOLIDAY PARTY January 9that the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
The club will provide ham, plus beer, wine and soft drinks. If you’d like to attend but aren’t able to sign up at the meeting last week or this Thursday, please email jsearfoss@cementemployers.com with the number of people and the type of food you plan to bring. (Appetizer, salad, side dish, main dish, etc. Not too many desserts, please.)
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.
Kathleen Matson, Tasting Room Manager from Galen Glen Winery was our special guest speaker December 3rd.
Our Thursday meetings being at 7am, unfortunately there were no opportunities for sampling. Kathy started with an excellent video of the Winery and its operations produced using “drone technology.” Galen Troxell and his wife, Sarah, started the winery in 1995 on heirloom property which has been in the Troxell family for over 225 years! Galen is the 6th generation to farm the land.
Galen Glen has been very successful having garnered numerous accolades –
♦ Pioneered planting the Gruner Veltliner Grape in the US in 2003; recognized as a leading grower of Zweigelt;
♦ Internationally known producer of Ice Wine (they Farm Wine 365 days a year!);
♦ Named Best Winery, Pennsylvania by the New York International Wine Competition in Manhattan;
♦ Named Best Woman Winemaker, International Women of Wine Competition, Sonoma, CA
♦ Only winery named on Zagat’s “10 Reasons to Drive to the Lehigh Valley”
Galen Glen Winery is very community oriented and embraces the Rotary Motto of Service Above Self by conducting Annual Events helping others –
► The American Cancer Society
► Family Promise of Carbon County
► Toys for Tots
► The West Penn Fire Company
Kathy went on to explain the significance of the “Crooked Stick” in their logo and throughout the areas of the Winery and their literature. The cherry sapling symbolizes their perseverance. Chopped down by Galen, the first vineyard was planted using the stick for row spacing, creating meandering grapevines.
Crooked Vines. Exquisite Wines.
Although Kathy did not have samples, she does recommend a Concord with Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch for breakfast.
Please join us for these upcoming programs –
December 10– our own Janet Sipplewill talk to us about Happy Healthy Holidays!
(Janet "The Bookworm" is shown here with some of the MANY thank you notes received from third graders for Dictionaries received from Morning Star Rotary.)
December 17 – MSR Annual Musical Holiday Celebration!
Join Rick Santee and the Liberty High School Acapella Choir as we celebrate the Holiday Season! Invite family, friends & guests, and please come and join in the festivities.
December 24 and 31 – NO Meetings! Enjoy family and friends!
Save the Date – HOLIDAY PARTY January 9th at the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
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.
Welcome back - I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! (You may recall my prediction the week before to look forward and enjoy the Lehigh victory over Lafayette. Most enjoyable!)
Our program on Nov. 19th was a presentation by and aboutEngineers Without Borders (EWB).
Three members of the Professional Chapter of the EWB were present: Al Ottinger, Herb Klotz and Bill MacNair. Al is a Rotarian in the Fleetwood Club and Herb is current President of the Allentown West Rotary Club.
Bill provided an update on their current water and sanitation project in the Dominican Republic. The second assessment trip was a recent success and the government has agreed to provide support for pumping stations. Herb gave a brief update on the Central School project in Sierra Leone, Nigeria. This project is nearing completion after over 6 years of dedicated efforts.
The real focus of the program was presented by two young engineers from Lehigh University. Miranda Blanchard, a senior, is President of the Lehigh University Chapter of EWB. Deanna Kocher, a junior, is the Project Class Manager.
In the context of Lehigh University, they are a “club activity.” This ever changing group of young engineers has identified the need for drinking water in Cebadilla, Nicaragua. Two successful assessment trips have been completed in the past few years and another is being planned for early 2016. They have found much more progress is made when they get on site and work directly with the local people. The Mayor had dug a well which was found to be ineffective since it proved not to be deep enough. The club’s evaluations and efforts have paved the way to a successful partnership with the local government. They are drilling to greater depths to access the much needed water and designing appropriate pumps to extract in volumes sufficient to meet the needs of the people. The LU EWB has made a 5 year commitment to the community project. The local government is funding a small percentage of the costs from its budget.
The Professional Chapter of EWB has been providing guidance when possible. Bear in mind these are students who are in college to study engineering and all are in various stages of their education. To add to the challenges, the roster of volunteers changes yearly as students graduate and leave and others must move up to fill their shoes! They work very hard to build solid teams of students to carry on the work. Again, in the context of Lehigh University, they are a “club activity.”
We thank them for their excellent presentation but more so applaud their efforts to succeed in making a difference in the lives of others. Perhaps other opportunities for collaboration may blossom from these efforts.
We had the pleasure of inducting our newest member, John Oesmann.
John’s sponsors, Tom and Janet Kolepp, were proud to do the honors. John has already accomplished many of the new member requirements for weekly activities. However, he has gone way beyond that. He attended the Rotary Leadership Institute Class I on November 7th. John worked the Salute The Troops Concert on November 8th. Finally, John is on the Ballot for the December elections to become a Board Director beginning July 1, 2016.
Also thank you John and spouse Carrie for supporting our Salvation Army Bell Ringing at the Moravian Book Shop on Saturday. (See story below.)
You are a welcome addition to our Morning Star Rotary family.
Rotary Foundation Chair, Sue Burnett, had the honor of presenting Janet Kolepp with her pin in recognition of achieving her second Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Congratulations, Janet! (And thanks to Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen for the pictures.)
Please join us for these upcoming programs –
December 03 – our speaker will be Kathy Matson, Tasting Room Manager from the Galen Glen Winery.(No I do not know if samples will be in the offing!)
December 10 – our own Janet Sipple will talk about Happy Healthy Holidays!
December 17 – Morning Star's Musical Holiday Celebration!Join Rick Santee and the Liberty High School Acapella Choir as we celebrate the Holiday Season! Invite family, friends & guests, and please come and join in the festivities.
December 24 and 31 – NO Meetings! Enjoy family and friends!
Save the Date – HOLIDAY PARTY January 9th at the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
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.
Our Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club has a long standing history of helping the Salvation Army raise funds at the holidays through club Bell-Ringing. Thanks to those who helped last Saturday at the Moravian Bookshop, including John & Carrie Oesmann and Tom Kolepp, shown here. (Photo courtesy of Janet Kolepp.)
We still have a few openings December 5th at Christkindlmarkt.
3 - 4 pm- need 1 person
6 - 7 pm - need 2 people
7 - 8 pm - need 2 people
Would you please sign-up for an hour or two to help the Salvation Army continue their efforts at helping others? This is what Rotary is all about – Service Above Self!
Please respond to me via emailso that we can fill the available slots as soon as possible and make this a success. Please include your cell phone number!
Thank you for helping make the Holiday Seasons a happy time for people in need.
As we gather with family and friends we give thanks for all the many blessings in our lives. We can be thankful to be a part of Rotary International and all the good it does in the world. I am especially thankful for the wonderful support and fellowship of our Morning Star members.
Thank you.
Enjoy the holiday and safe travels.
Reminder, our next meeting is December 3rdsince we do not meet on Thanksgiving Day.
If you would like to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss at rsearfos@ptd.net or 610-504-1460.
In keeping with the RI theme of November being Rotary Foundation Month, last ThursdayFoundation Chair Sue Burnettand the Foundation Committeemembers, challenged all attendees to a ROTARY FOUNDATION TRIVIA THROW DOWN!Think of a take-off on Jeopardy. Please see separate story below for more details.
Last Wednesday night, I presented the Ballot of Officers and Directors for our December 17th Club Election. With Board approval, this was presented to the membership at the Thursday meeting. (The Voting Ballot is in downloads on our home page.) However, Sue Reeps, our stalwart Treasurer extraordinaire these past few years, has now announced she will continue through the end of this Rotary Year, 6/30/15. After that, she will remain a Morning Star Rotarian, and is assuming the Treasurer duties at her church.
Sue, with the help of many Morning Star Rotarians, has made tremendous improvements. Enhancements to the club’s financial reporting have been so significant that new members and long-time veterans alike have expressed their thanks and said, “finally I understand what it is all about …”
My point here is to encourage members to consider stepping into this position to help your Club and Rotary. Ideally, we would hope for this person to come on board by the first of January to allow a learning process for the balance of Sue’s term in office. And after that, she will still be available to answer questions. Please contact me or any Board member if you are willing to serve as Treasurer.
The Community Development Grants Committee has received at least 20 Grant Applications. This is about double past year submissions. The changes made by the Committee to ease the application process, coupled with increasing the dollar range of grants, can only be deemed a rousing success! Congratulations!
The distribution of the Dictionaries was very successful.
In addition there was great interest in the Spanish-to-Englishdictionaries --- from the teachers and administrators in 10 of the elementary schools. A Committee proposal was approved by the Board to source another 100 Spanish-to-English dictionaries for distribution. We are also working on making this a real positive PR event for BASD, Morning Star and Rotary.
The Board approved a new Community Service project for Bethlehem Emergency Shelteringproposed by Janet Kolepp. Morning Star Rotarians will donate, cook and prepare meals on February 18th and March 24th. Janet will act as coordinator. A menu will be established and items for the meals will be requested for donation. 6-8+ MS Rotarians will be needed on the night of hospitality at the shelter to help setup, cook and clean up.
The Annual Joint Thanksgiving Luncheonhosted by the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary will be held tomorrow (or today, depending when you read this), Wednesday, November 18th at noon right here at Moravian Village. Sharon Zondagfrom the Laros Foundation will speak, and we will be joined by Rotarians from neighboring clubs. Please see the separate story below for more details.
Mike Long has arranged for Morning Star Rotary to again take part in the Salvation Army’s Kettle Driveduring the Holiday Season.
We are asking that Rotarians volunteer to ring the bell for one or two hours. Sign up sheets will be available at our meetings beginning on November 19th. We will be at
Moravian Book Shop from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday November 28th, and at
Christkindlmarkt from 11 am to 8 pm Saturday December 5th.
There will be no Thursday morning meetings on December 24th and 31st.We hope you enjoy your time together with family and friends.
Save the Date – Morning Star’sHOLIDAY PARTYwill be held on Saturday, January 9that the home of our gracious hosts, Mike and Terry Long.
Please join us this Thursday November 19th when Al Ottinger will talk to Morning Star about Engineers Without Borders.
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.
Given current events, now more than ever, Rotarians must strive to be a gift to their communities and the world.
Last Thursday, Sue Burnett and the Foundation Committee members, challenged all attendees (divided into 4 teams) to a game of “ROTARY FOUNDATION TRIVIA THROW DOWN” in recognition of November being Rotary Foundation Month!
Your body was your Rotarian buzzer to signal you had an answer. The rounds ranged from Easy to NER (Not Even Remotely Easy) with a Bonus Round – “Totally Impossible” – where some real strategic wagering of points came into play. Some questions placed a premium on the collective Morning Star experience of our veteran members.
Did you know (just a sampling) -
♦ Who is the current District 7430 Foundation Chair Person?
⇒ PDG Frank Romano
♦ How many members of Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary are Paul Harris Fellows?
⇒ 38 Members (a significant number of whom are multiples!)
♦ This Grant includes up to 50% District Designated Funds, with the remaining funds coming from the Clubs.
⇒ A District Grant
♦ Name 2 Morning Star Past Presidents who led Rotary Group Study Exchanges, to India and South Africa.
⇒ Gordon Sommers and PDG Bill Jahn
♦ These letters spell out what popular Rotary Foundation program - DOWPNENLIOON?
⇒ END POLIO NOW
♦ How much money have Bethlehem Morning Star Rotarians given to the Rotary Foundation in total?
⇒ $182,640
♦ Name 2 of the 6 countries where a Rotary Peace Center is located?
⇒ Australia, England, Japan, Sweden, Thailand and USA
♦ Morning Star participated in a Global Grant to support Water Filters for Peru.What are 3 ways Morning Star has helped other countries through Rotary Foundation?
⇒Homes in Brazil, Cows in India and Village Bank in Peru (and even more were mentioned at the meeting)
♦ Name 3 Bethlehem Morning Star projects that have been supported by RI District Grants?
⇒Mom-n-PA Dental Initiative
⇒Hogar Crea Garden
⇒BikeWorks
⇒South Side Dental Clinic
⇒Victory House outdoor space project
♦ Name ALL 6 Areas of Focus for the Rotary Foundation (need all 6 for credit!)
⇒Peace and Conflict
Prevention/Resolution
⇒Disease Prevention and Treatment
⇒Water and Sanitation
⇒Maternal and Child Health
⇒Basic Education and Literacy
⇒Economic and Community Development
♦ BONUS ROUND QUESTION: Who is the Founder of the Rotary Foundation?
⇒Arch Klumpf!
Challenging, thought provoking, a learning experience. and above all else FUN!
Past District Governor Frank Romano kicked off our Rotary Foundation Monthwith a very busy program. He provided a recap of District 7430 activity over the last three years with 28 clubs doing 60 District Grants. Additionally multiple clubs were engaged in seven global grants while others are in process. Global Grants tend to take a long time.
The Rotary Foundation has beenDoing Good in the Worldsince 1917!
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
The Rotary Foundation’s motto is Doing Good in the World.
Foundation programs are supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.
It is not the Rotary Foundation that directs where this money goes. It is the Rotary Clubs and their Rotarians who develop the projects and apply for the funds. Some of these projects have grown far beyond the initial Club and District initiatives, such as Polio Eradication, thanks to the support from OUR Rotary Foundation!
Support, even from Rotarians, cannot be required. It is voluntary, attracted by the work Rotarians do, and their effectiveness in finishing the projects.
PDG Frank presented a special Club Banner in recognition of MSR as a 100% Foundation Giving Club, for clubs in which every dues-paying member contributes to The Rotary Foundation, and the average contribution is at least $100 to any Rotary Foundation gift designation. This was a milestone for MSR as it is a first time achievement for MSR. Past President Tom Kolepp and Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell accepted on behalf of MSR. A very special thanks to the TOMs team for this success!
PDG Frank also presented the Club with a certificate from The Rotary Foundation in appreciation of our financial support of the End Polio Now: Make History Today Campaign.
In addition to all the above, PDG Frank did the honors of inducting our newest member, Bernie Gardiner, to membership. We also recognized her sponsor, Ellen Roberts, with a Bronze Backer in honor of her bringing two new members to MSR.
On Saturday, Morning Star was very well represented at the Rotary Leadership Institute Training in King of Prussia. Sharon Fontana, Janet Kolepp, Tom Kolepp, John Oesmann, Jean Searfoss and myself ventured forth in search of ROTARY knowledge. By all accounts, mission accomplished.
Thanks to DGE Linda Young for the photo
Sharon and John participated in Level 1, while Tom, Jean and I were in the Graduate course and Janet was working to become a Trainer. Note: John Oesmann is setting the bar quite high for new members. He will be officially inducted as a member this Thursday. He has already been to RLI L1 and has stepped up to become a member of the MSR Board next year. (He also was a volunteer helping MSR at the Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday.)
Speaking of which, our annual concert in support of Victory House, Salute The Troops, played to a packed house on Sunday afternoon. The Allentown Band under the direction of Ron Demkee was excellent as always. The combination of the Allentown Band and the Northeast Middle School Band and Chorus has proven to be a major hit with the audience. The students have become an integral part of enhancing the concert.
Thanks to Chairperson Gary Hartney for marshaling our collective effort. Thanks to Cheryl Baker for the video presentation on MSR and Rotary International. Thanks to Jean Searfoss for the program book design and production. Thanks to all Rotarians for their sponsorships, ticket sales, attendance and volunteer contributions! We look forward to presenting the proceeds to Victory House after all the accounting is finalized.
Please save the date: The Annual Joint Thanksgiving Luncheon hosted by the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary will be held on Wednesday, November 18th at noon right here at Moravian Village. Sharon Zondag from the Laros Foundation will speak, and we will be joined by Rotarians from neighboring clubs. Please see the separate story below for more details. We hope you will be able to join us for this annual event that helps us kick off the Holiday Season.
We continue Rotary Foundation Month this Thursday when Foundation Chair, Susan Burnett and the Committee challenge the club with “Rotary FoundationTRIVIA THROWDOWN!"Hints for preparation: RI, District and Club websites, MSR Rotary Fun Facts, and PDG Romano’s presentation from last week.
November 11 is Veterans Day. Thank a veteran for keeping our country safe!
Dream Come True is an organization founded in 1984 by local entrepreneur Kostas Kalogeropoulos.
The all volunteer organization seeks to fulfill the dreams of children who are seriously, chronically or terminally ill and reside in the greater Lehigh Valley. Rayann Vaskotook time from her busy schedule to tell us about Dream Come True. From the humble beginnings of helping one child, DCT now raises $250,000 to $500,000 per year to provide dreams to nearly 40 children ages 4 – 17. They have been able to implement a scholarship program to 25 children. This is accomplished through the help of many charities and volunteers.
The major fundraising effort is through the Dream Come True Restaurant of the Month Calendar program. Patrons buy a calendar and visit the restaurant of the month where they can enjoy a BOGO entrée experience while supporting Dream Come True. As Rayann said, “we are always looking for kind-hearted folks.”
Please save the date: The Annual Joint Thanksgiving Luncheonhosted by the Bethlehem Downtown Rotary will be held on Wednesday, November 18th at noon right here at Moravian Village. Sharon Zondag from the Laros Foundation will speak, and we will be joined by Rotarians from neighboring clubs. Please see the separate story below for more details. We hope you will be able to join us for this annual event that helps us kick off the Holiday Season.
The Rotary Leadership Institutefor our District 7430 is this Saturday, November 7th in King of Prussia.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Rotary. With five members currently registered, Morning Star will be well represented.
We kick off Rotary Foundation Month this Thursday when Past District Governor Frank Romanowill be here to educate us with an actual Grant Development Project. Please join us.
Cash, or check payable to Rotary Club of Bethlehem
Speaker: Sharon Jones Zondag
Executive Director of R.K. Laros Foundation
Since 1952 the legacy of Russell K. and Helen K Laros has continued to provide support for the community. In over 62 years, the R.K. Laros Foundation has supported more than 150 Non-Profit and Charitable organizations. Learn about the Laros family history and recent developments at the Foundation.
Note: Morning Star Rotary will still conduct its regular meeting on Nov. 19
We conducted aClub Assembly during our meeting on October 22. Our focus was primarily on club membership. Relevant discussions ensued on topics such as representation in the business community in the composition of Morning Star. We noted there are members participating in various positions at the district level. Coming up, opportunities include district membership seminars and a planned mixer in January to begin evaluation of implementing a satellite club.
The question was raised as to how big we want the club to be. Some interesting thoughts were expressed as to maintaining the present membership level around 60 while focusing efforts on continuous improvement through finding solid future Morning Star Rotarians. The aging demographics of the club play a significant role in the dynamics of our future. Recruitment will be aided by continued efforts to diversify projects, especially expansion in the areas of service projects, thus promoting more interaction with potential candidates and organizations beyond primarily financial objectives.
The Rotary Leadership Institutefor our District 7430 is Saturday, November 7th in King of Prussia. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Rotary. Please register now, as the deadline is quickly approaching.
Please join us Thursday whenRayann Vasko,Executive Directorwill talk to us about Dream Come True.
Last Saturday, District 7430 held the Yvette Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K to benefit Polio Plus. The weather was fantastic, and Morning Star was represented by Tom & Janet Kolepp, plus Ron Searfoss with Koa.
District 7430's Purple Pinkie 5K benefited Polio Plus
This Friday Nov. 13 is the deadline for organizations to apply for aCommunity Development Grant for the 2015-16 Rotary year (7/1/15 – 6/30/16). This year's theme is Youth Programs.(The PROJECT, not the organization, needs to focus on Youth.) The total budget is $8,000, and each grant will be between $1,000 and $2,500.
Please see the Request for Proposal “RFP” document which outlines the requirements, which have been streamlined to encourage additional applications. The RFP has been emailed to members plus past and identified potential grant recipients, and is available under Downloads at www.morningstarrotary.org .
We invite organizations to email or mail a proposal by November 13, 2015. The requirements now allow for providing online links to the requested background information on the organization rather than requiring all to be attached to the proposal.
Would you please forward this information to any organization you feel might qualify? Please contact me with any questions.
The Lehigh Valley Arts Council (LVAC) is the central voice for the arts, ensuring that their value and impact are a key part of the region’s focus on growth, enrichment, and quality of life. Through community partnership, it continues to support our local arts community through arts advocacy, research, professional development seminars, and cooperative marketing initiatives.
Randall Forte, the Executive Director for the LVAC, joined us last Thursday to speak about how they are implementing a yearlong celebration commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans for Disabilities Act through the lens of the arts. The celebration will encompass 50 different events including more than 25 performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and lectures that local cultural groups have programmed to intentionally reach people with disabilities and their families and friends.
Visit ArtsandAccess.org to discover a comprehensive upcoming calendar of disability-friendly cultural events. There is also a resource guide to local, state and national organizations. Per Randall, “help us spread the word and open the door to greater inclusion in the Lehigh Valley.”
Just a reminder, Salute the Troops Concert ads and sponsorships are due to Gary Hartney by Friday, October 23, 2015. Please take this opportunity to advertise, be a patron or include “In Honor Of” those special people who are serving or have served our country.
The 9th Annual Janet A. Sipple Lectureship, “Homeless and Hungry: Community, Nursing, and Health Care’s Influence” is on Wednesday, October 21st5:30 pm at Foy Hall, Moravian College Hurd (South) Campus followed by MSR fellowship at The Brick. There is reserved seating for Morning Star Rotarians. Hope to see you there.
DISTRICT 7430 NEEDS YOU. One of the best ways to become engaged in Rotary in our District is to attend The Rotary Leadership Institute, or RLI. Those who have attended past sessions have come back enthusiastic and more knowledgeable about Rotary. RLI for our District 7430 is Saturday, November 7th in King of Prussia. Please consider attending. See RLI story below. (Tuition is reimbursed by MSR truly a solid endorsement of your Board as to the importance of this training!)
Hope to see you Thursday when Tony Hanna, Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority,
will regale us with a talk on the Hoover-Mason Trestle and future plans.
Distribution to third graders is planned for November 2-6, with specific date by school to be determined. In addition to a personal dictionary for each third grader, this year Morning Star is adding 1 Spanish/English dictionary per third grade teacher!
Everyone who has participated in the past describes the distribution experience as wonderful. We hope you'll find a spot to volunteer! For more info or to sign up, please contact co-chair
MSR 2015-16 Events "Calendar" Planning Items was previously presented to the Board as an Event Planning tool.
Having been positively received, it was emailed on 10-10-15 for your use. We will provide samples at meetings and it is readily available on the MSR website Download section for your use.
The “Calendar” is easily accessible from your smartphone. (Suggestion, it is easier to read on the iPhone if you view in landscape mode.)
I believe you will find it most useful in providing a concise source for the many events and activities we engage in as a Rotary club.
We will notify you in the Bulletin when updates are published.
Please feel free to provide any thoughts to enhance its effectiveness for all our members.
A familiar face to many, Mike Stershic, President of discover lehigh valley (dlv), brought Morning Star up to date on how successful dlv is and what a wonderful place the Lehigh Valley is.
Hospitality and leisure have been the driving forces in the local economy for the last five years. When compared to national statistics for the industry, dlv has been more than 10% above the national averages. Visitors have been coming and staying because they are having great experiences. They have been surprised and delighted! As the survey results show, they visit and return numerous times over the course of a few years.
dlv promotes the leisure market – meetings and small conventions; group tours; sports markets especially the youth areas (ask Mike why they prefer girls sports groups over boys!). Primary areas of support come from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and of course Pennsylvania. Significant is the average age is in the mid-40’s indicating a preponderance of families. The Sands has a positive impact especially in growing overnight stays. The real draw continues to be Dorney Park pulling in over 70% of its patrons from outside the area – imagine if it were open all year!
Mike has some interesting dreams for the Valley:
Enhance the historic perspective of facilities across the Lehigh Valley. The many opportunities would far surpass places like Williamsburg.
Convention center with over 100,000 square feet to accommodate much larger events.
Improve the tour services through enhanced training of local people.
You may not see much in local media since dlv continues to be very successful with their strategic focus to pull people in from outside. Come, spend and go home happy!
Preparations for Salute the Troops Concert, November 8, are full speed ahead. See Gary Hartney for your tickets. Don’t forget to honor those who have served with an “In Honor Of” listing.
The 9th Annual Sipple Lecture,“Homeless and Hungry: Community, Nursing, and Health Care’s Influence” will be presented on October 21stat Moravian College, followed by MSR fellowship.
The Rotary Leadership Institute, RLIfor our District 7430 is Saturday, November 7th in King of Prussia. Please consider attending – see the RLI story below. (Tuition is fully reimbursed by MSR, truly a solid endorsement of your Board as to the importance of this training!)
Your participation is needed and encouraged to make these events successful and help build the MSR club in our communities.
The Nominating Committee is ISO for candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers. Anyone wishing to step up to a leadership role in helping the Club progress, please contact me or any committee member. You will enrich the club and your own experiences as a Rotarian. Besides, we have FUN!
Hope to see you Thursday when Randall Forte, Executive Directorwill talk to us about the Lehigh Valley Arts Council.
The good news keeps stacking up for prebiotics, the good-for-you bacteria that keeps your digestive system functioning in tip-top shape. "Research is finding that a healthy microbiome may play a role in reducing inflammation, a risk factor involved in illnesses ranging from colds to cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and cognitive decline," says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, author of Diet Simple. In addition, the bacteria may help burn body fat and reduce insulin resistance, she says.
Foods that contribute to a healthy gut include asparagus, bananas, lentils, oatmeal, tomatoes, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, honey, leeks and onions. Additional foods that influence the gut flora include yogurt, Kefir, miso paste, Kombacha tea, sourdough bread, and tempeh. Remember the gut needs adequate amounts of fiber to process foods and move waste through the gut. Fibrous foods include whole grains, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, beans, figs, apples, and pears.
What does adequate daily fiber include? See the food display at the meeting on October 8.
Rotary Leadership Institute at Radisson Hotel, King of Prussia!
Rotary Leadership Institute is a grassroots, multi-district leadership development program whose mission is to strengthen Rotary clubs through quality leadership education. Check the website at: http://www.rlinea.org.
Time to expand your knowledge about Rotary – making a difference, new ways to attract and engage members, the Rotary Foundation, methods to increase your leadership skills, public relations and much, much more!
Rotary Leadership Institute has a newly-revised curriculum that was just distributed to its Faculty this month.
The next District 7430 session for you to attend will be Saturday, November 7, 2015 at The Radisson Hotel, King of Prussia, PA.
Morning Star Rotary Club will reimburse the cost of registration for you to attend.So, clickhereto register now and learn more about this terrific opportunity - registration closes very soon!
Register NOW for Rotary Leadership Institute in KOP on Nov. 7
A ClubRunner glitch is omitting most events and all speakers from the emailed bulletin.
Please click the link or go to www.morninstarrotary.org to see the full bulletin online.
Last Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from Alan Jenningsof the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley.
Founded in 1965, it is now over 50 years of Action. Alan has been with CACLV since 1980 and was appointed Executive Director in March, 1990. He has been the driving force behind a range of CACLV programs designed to improve the quality of life for low-income people. Among these are the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, which has distributed more than 120 million pounds of food to agencies that provide food assistance throughout a six-county area, the Sixth Street Shelter and its long-term transitional housing programs, which have housed more than 3,000 homeless families, the Energy Partnership, which has weatherized over 20,000 homes throughout six counties and Safe Harbor Easton (which the agency spun off in 2012).
During Alan’s tenure, CACLV has grown from nine employees and a $500,000 budget to 90 employees and a budget (including four subsidiaries) of approximately $20 million.
Alan is a very strong advocate for personal responsibility. People must want to solve their own problems. Human services will not solve the problems, especially for people living crisis to crisis. CACLV processes nearly $4 million in microloans annually in its role as an entrepreneur generator. CACLV believes in fair market opportunities.
Broad issues impacting all our lives which Alan highlighted are
Wages and income disparity; a negative spiraling effect impacting everyone.
Housing, which needs to be addressed in real terms being much more localized markets oriented. The number of Millennials exceeds Baby Boomers and for the most part they are interested in being in vibrant urban markets. The demand for rental units has far surpassed the supply of availability in our Lehigh Valley cities.
Wealth disparity continues to expand in key areas of housing, savings and retirement provisions.
Race is a very real issue. Just look at the composition of the Boards of Directors all around the Lehigh Valley.
Alan provided much food for thought. Unfortunately we ran out of time before we could engage in a Q & A. But we hope to have Alan back in the not too distant future.
Jess Elliott has scheduled a Membership Committee planning meeting Wednesday October 7 at Wegmans 512 at 5:30 pm to plan the Membership Happy Hour/Mixer.
Marianne Aronson and Ellen Roberts will provide a brief update on the Dictionary Project on Thursday. Please be sure to volunteer and participate in the preparation and distribution of the books.
The Salute the Troops Concert,November 8, preparations will be full speed ahead with ticket sales and sponsorship acquisition.
The 9th Annual Sipple Lecture, “Homeless and Hungry: Community, Nursing, and Health Care’s Influence” on October 21st at Moravian College followed by MSR fellowship.
October 31st is Rotary Foundation and Grant Training in Blue Bell. This is a great opportunity for any Rotarian – new or “veteran” – to learn more about this very important part of Rotary.
Your participation is needed and encouraged to make these events successful and help build the MSR club in our communities.
The Nominating Committee will begin preparations for identifying candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers. Anyone wishing to step up to a leadership role in helping the Club progress, please contact any committee member. You will enrich the club and your own experiences as a Rotarian. Besides, we have FUN!
Please join us Thursday when Mike Stershic will talk to us about Discover Lehigh Valley.
Our program last Thursday was presented by Loretta Ottinger, General Manager of RER Energy Group from the Reading area.
Loretta is also a very active member and Past President of the Fleetwood Rotary Club. She proceeded to educate us on the current state of Solar Power asking the question, "Why Solar Now in PA?" The key strategy of RER is to help their clients reduce electric consumption through the effective installation of systems based upon solar energy panels. The overwhelming majority of their clients are manufacturing enterprises, although residential systems have grown to nearly 20% of their annual volume.
Why Solar NOW is very relevant from a financial strategy, as there are incentives and options available currently with a finite life. Currently through the end of 2016 there is a Federal Tax Credit of 30% of project costs. Additionally there is Accelerated Depreciation allowed for a write-off over 5 years (50% in the first two years!) With RER systems the effective cost of energy is in the $.03 - $.05 per kWh for the next 25-35 years.
If you are unable to take advantage of these opportunities, please feel free to share this information with other firms, businesses, non-profits, etc. Be a Gift to their World!
Morning Star Rotary, you all have earned a welcome chance to stop and smell the roses (or lager or Meade – your preference!)Congratulations on an outstanding Morning Star 25th Anniversary Run!
There were 600+ registered participants. Race Director Wayne Achey and the core Run Team of Jeff Kicska, Robin Metzler, Tom Kolepp and Jim Santanasto, coordinated a cornucopia of activities with the help of Club members plus volunteers to produce a fantastic race. As Wayne put it, “being able to pull off an event like a race shows the strength and character of our organization”. The contributors to this success are varied and too numerous to list. Special thanks to all Rotarians, the folks from the Special Olympics, and all the friends and family who showed up early to provide support. A special shout out goes to ESSROC which had 200+ registrants to support Special Olympics.
A special thanks to all the actual runners and walkers. I heard many, and I mean many positive comments ... very well organized, great course, lots of helpful people, thanks for all the water and wow! The food! Credit for the great weather goes to a higher source - we’re good but … Thank you to St. Luke’s for all their support having two emergency facilities manned and ready right on course. Greatly appreciated especially when some hyperactive bees joined the fray.
To quote my predecessor, Tom Kolepp, “please accept my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding Service Above Self required to successfully complete this great annual event.”
Following the Race, a team of MSR Rotarians worked a ticket booth at Celtic Fest from 11 to 3 to promote our club and what Rotary is all about.
Photo courtesy of team member Dave Cincera. (Also missing: Tom Kolepp)
6 of us served in the booth as ticket sellers and cashiers. (We sold nearly 40,000 $1 tickets during our shift…very busy!) Our own Mr. Celtic Fest, Tom Kolepp in kilt and Rotary attire, functioned as Rotary guru and was exceptionally effective giving directions and explanations to the Fest guests on both Rotary and Celtic Fest. A really special thank you to this team as this was a first time experience and I think we succeeded in promoting Morning Star and Rotary very admirably. (See the new MSR “be our guest” brochure and business card on the front table when you come in! Thank you Jean Searfoss & Tom Kolepp.)
Congratulations to Cheryl Baker on the very successful Equi~Librium Lehigh Valley Polo fundraiser on September 27th at Braden Airpark. Over $25,000 was raised. Thank you to those Morning Star Rotarians who were able to attend.
October will have, in addition to the normal club activities ...
The Dictionary Project in full swing.
Preparations for the Salute the Troops Concert on November 8 will be full speed ahead with ticket sales and sponsorship acquisition.
The 9th Annual Sipple Lecture, “Homeless and Hungry: Community, Nursing, and Health Care’s Influence” on October 21st at Moravian College followed by MSR fellowship.
October 31st is Rotary Foundation and Grant Training in Blue Bell. This is a great opportunity for Rotarians to learn more about this very important part of Rotary. The new Membership Committee event is planned as an evening social to spread the good word of MSR.
I opened with a chance to stop and smell the roses. As you can see, it must be a short sniff. We have a lot to do!
Your participation is needed and encouraged to make these events successful and help build the MSR club in our communities.
The Nominating Committee will begin preparations for identifying candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers. Anyone wishing to step up to a leadership role in helping the Club progress, please contact any committee member. You will enrich the club and your own experiences as a Rotarian. Besides, we have FUN!
Please join us Thursday when Alan Jennings will talk to us about the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley.
Fiber is the indigestible portion of food derived from plants. There are two main components:
Soluble fiber dissolves in water readily fermented in the colon into gases and byproducts and can be prebiotic and viscous.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and provides bulk in the colon to sweep the intestines clean.
Dietary bulk fibers absorb water easing defecation. Prebiotic means the substance induces growth or activity of micro organisms including good bacteria and fungi that aid digestion. Probiotics include external dietary supplements of live bacteria and yeasts taken to aid the digestive system.
The daily requirement of dietary fiber is 21-25 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men. The benefits of daily dietary fiber intake reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. How do you know if you have taken in adequate dietary fiber? When your bowel movements float rather than sink in the toilet bowl! Check it out.
A few of the foods high in fiber include raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, quinoa, bulgur, whole wheat spaghetti, barley, bran flakes, oatmeal, wild/brown rice, rye or multigrain breads, pears and apples with the skin, split peas, lentils, black and white beans, lIma beans, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachio nuts, pecans, collards, spinach, mustard greens, turnips, brussel sprouts, broccoli, acorn squash, and artichokes.
Morning Star Club activities have reached a fever pitch!
The 25th Anniversary Race will be this weekend (see above) with the need for all hands on deck. A team of MSR Rotarians will work a ticket booth at Celtic Classic later that day to promote our club and what Rotary is all about. An MSR fellowship event follows on September 27th at Braden Airpark where Equi~Librium will host its first Lehigh Valley Polo event.
October will have, in addition to the normal club activities, the 9th Annual Sipple Lecture at Moravian College followed by fellowship at the Brick. The new Membership Committee is planning an evening social to spread the good word of MSR. Nearer the end of the month is Rotary Foundation and Grant Training in Blue Bell. This is a great opportunity for Rotarians to learn more about this very important part of Rotary.
Just to keep things interesting we will be busily preparing for the Salute The Troops Concert on November 8.
Your participation and enthusiasm is needed and encouraged to make these events successful and help build the club.
The Nominating Committee will begin preparations for identifying candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers. Anyone wishing to step up to a leadership role in helping the Club progress, please contact any committee member. You will enrich the club and your own experiences as a Rotarian. Besides, we have FUN!
Please join us Thursday when Loretta Ottinger will make an interesting presentation on “Why Solar NOW?”
RUNNERS TAKE YOUR MARKS! CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY RUN !!!
After many months of preparation Race Director, Wayne Achey and the MSR Race Committee are ready to hit the trails. The race this year again will feature professional timing and scoring facilities. As President Searfoss raises the cry "All Hands On Deck" it is time for ALL of us to Be a Gift to Our Community and make this historic event a resounding success. With registrations approaching record levels, an outstanding course and the state of the art timing and scoring equipment, we really need course marshals and supporting personnel! We ask you to help and to bring family, friends and students (community service credit!) if possible on Saturday.
SATURDAY SEPT. 26 - RACE DAY!!!
Where: Start/Finish and Registration is on Old York Road - enter from Union Boulevard behind the Senior Centers.
When: 5:00 AM Setup Begins
6:30 AM Registrations and Race Packet Pickup Open
8:00 AM Race Begins
9:30 AM Awards and Raffle Prize Giveaway
Followed by clean-up!
All Volunteers - Come early and ask at Registration where you can assist. Thank you!
If that doesn't provide the answers you need, then please call Race Director Wayne Achey at 610-509-1505. With over 500 registrants to date, he is VERY busy - so we ask that you contact him only if really necessary.
BAG STUFFING
Special thanks to all Rotarians participating last Thursday. Circled the tables, stuffed the bags and MSR fellowship!
The Food Pyramid most of us grew up with has been replaced by The Plate. Some tips and guidelines to follow as you choose MyPlate ...
Drink plenty of liquid- water is best, limit sugary beverages including drinks with artificial sweeteners, avoid sodas and fluids with sodium. Choose low fat milk and yogurt, but no more than 2 servings daily.
Make eating a social event. Avoid eating in front of the TV and choose to be with someone at meals.
Plan healthy meals. Anticipate what you'll need for The Plate and grocery shop accordingly.
Know how much to eat. Portion control is essential in choosing a healthy diet.
Vary your fruits and vegetables. Fresh and in season is advised, avoid canned veggies to control sodium intake and canned fruit with added sugars.
Use herbs and spices. Explore cooking with fresh herbs and organic spices. Ginger, turmeric, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon, and thyme have health benefits. Check out The Healthiest Herbs and Spices at huffingtonpost.com
Read the Nutrition Facts label to avoid sugars, sodium, preservatives, and high calories.
Ask your health care provider about vitamins and supplements. Food nutrients are best, but based on individual dietary intake and physiological status you may need to supplement your diet.
Keep food safe. Food borne illnesses can be dangerous therefore follow safe food handling principles. Avoid unpasteurized foods, undercooked, and raw meats and seafoods.
Posted by Kim Schaffer, Bike Works on Sep 14, 2015
Dear Morning Star Rotarians,
Community Bike Works is turning 20, and we invite you to celebrate with us on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, from NOON- 4 PM.
September 20th is 20 years to the day of our grand opening celebration in 1995.So we're throwing a party! Come join students and their families, former students, board, volunteers, staff, and other friends of Bike Works. Meet our students and learn how we've grown. Have fun with our kids on a bike ride, and enjoy a picnic!
Open House | Noon - 1:30 pmLet students show you around our Allentown bike shop, and learn what they do in Earn a Bike and our other programs. See our newly renovated upstairs and our new van.
If you'd like, bring a bike and join students and staff on a bike ride to the Rose Garden Pavilion around 1 pm. Helmets required!
Picnic & Ride | 1 pm - 4 pm Meet us at the Rose Garden Pavilion for a picnic lunch, a ride around the park, and other informal activities.
Congressman Charlie Dent, one of our earliest supporters, plans to join us during the day, as does State Representative Mike Schlossberg. Members of the Chamber's Young Professionals Council and Liquid Interactive will be there as sponsors of our picnic, and members of the local Rotaries who helped us purchase our van will be on hand.
See you 9/20 to celebrate 20 great years of life lessons through bicycles!
Sincerely,
Kim Schaffer,
Executive Director
Note: Morning Star Rotary partnered with 3 other Rotary clubs and a District 7430 Grant to help Bike Works purchase a van to support their growing efforts. (See last week’s bulletin for Van graphics.)
Celebrate 20 years with Bike Works on Sunday, 9/20!
For our program last Thursday, 9/3/15, we had the distinct pleasure of hearing from Greg Heller-LaBelle, CEO of the Colony Meadery.
Photo thanks to Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
Mead can lay claim to be the oldest alcohol-based drink in history. Its origins come from fermented honey some 50,000 years ago. Many of us find our first exposure in literature courses with stories like Beowulf! Since the primary base ingredient is honey, there are a tremendous variety of flavors which may be created. Generally alcohol levels range from 5% to 20% depending on the fermenting process employed. An amazing characteristic is, with honey being the main ingredient, the product has an exceptionally long shelf-life. Honey maintains its character and does not deteriorate over time!
The Colony is one of 8 meaderys in Pennsylvania and part of a growing industry of nearly 200 across the United States. While evaluating the plans for a second location, recently opened in the Moravian Book Shop, our own Rick Santee, Board Chair of the Book Shop, found solid roots of Mead use in the Bethlehem Moravian community hundreds of years ago. The Colony Meadery’s mission is to produce the boldest and most innovative meads in the world. They specialize in experimental, dry and flavored meads. Through use of experimental batches, modern methodology, and precise control of fermentation they create meads that are distinct and varied. Colony Meadery believes in uncompromising quality, flavor and craftsmanship.
Many questions and lively discussion clearly indicated a level of interest in MSR planning a Mead tasting fellowship event at the Colony Meadery in the not too distant future. Thanks to Greg for his presentation and best of luck in pursuing the Colony Meadery becoming the Sam Adams of the Mead industry!
‘Bag Stuffing’ forOur 25th Anniversary 5K/10K raceis on September 17th at our regular meeting.
Race Committee Chair, Wayne Achey, indicates sign-ups of runners has already surpassed 200 and asks all MSR Rotarians help in getting sponsors and prizes for the race. We still need gift certificates, raffle prizes, etc. A Volunteer Sign-Up sheetwill circulate during the meeting for the race itself on Saturday, September 26th. Registration opens at 6:30 am, with the race starting promptly at 8:00 and Awards Ceremony & Raffle Prize Giveaway at 9:30. “All Hands on Deck” - this is open to family, friends, students (community service anyone?) etc. Many people will be needed to ensure the success of this major event. (Even if not signed up in advance, please come to help!) Sponsorship info/form is available in the Downloads section at www.morningstarrotary.org with no sign-in needed. Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues.
Community Bikeworksis showing its appreciation to Morning Star Rotary, 3 other clubs and Rotary International for contributions - right on the back of the van we helped them purchase with a Rotary Foundation District 7430 Grant! Check it out:
Congratulations toEqui~Librium and CEO Cheryl Baker for recently earning its accreditation as a Premier Accredited Center through PATH Intl. Equi~Librium has demonstrated that it is in accordance with the national standards for the equine-assisted activities and therapies industry. (Morning Call NEWS 13 9/6/15)
Reminder: Board Meeting this Wednesday, 9/9/15 at 6:00 at Moravian Village.
Please join us this Thursday when Jim Byrnes, CEO of the Allentown Rescue Mission, will talk about the present and future of the Mission.
As we approach the 14th Anniversary of 9/11, please take some time to reflect on what it means to be an American.
I'll be back next Thursday with regular attendance, I have really missed my Rotary colleagues this summer. The theme for this year's The Healthy Rotarian columns will be "living our best life" through healthy choices. This means there will be a little bit of everything, sort of a s'mores board of information and actions for a healthy life. I hope you will be open to thinking about and trying new things in honor of your present and future health. These choices will also serve to balance biological and psychological functions for sustaining life balance.
Before submitting columns the literature is thoroughly researched and evidence is evaluated. I maintain scholarly references and am happy to provide these upon request. In the event you wish me to cover a specific area or answer a question just send me a inquiry to sipplej@moravian.edu or give it to me in writing at a weekly meeting.
Things to watch for -- a Rotary excursion to Woodloch Lodge & Spa in the Poconos to decompress/relax/rebalance being arranged for Oct/Nov, visual displays at meetings of power foods, suggested dietary supplement choices, gut health probiotics displays for boosting the body's immune response, foods to feed the skin and reducing skin aging, etc., etc.
Remember - like you, I too struggle to make choices for better health. Stay turned.
Keep those bright smiles healthy and your teeth clean with your personal actions.
Thursday, August 27, Janet and Tom Kolepp gave their presentation on "Rotary Connects the World" in the context of their June, 2015 family vacation to South Africa. The thread of connection started with Bill Jahn leading a District 7430 Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to South Africa and continued with the GSE return trip led by Jaap Steyn. Jaap changed Carl Kolepp'sRotary Exchange trajectory from India to South Africa. After visiting MSR's 2013 Inbound Exchange student Retief van der Lingen and his family in Johannesburg, they visited three of four of Carl's host parents in Klerksdorp: the Bothas, Hymans and Jacobs.
Kolepps with Carl's host parents: PDG Anne Botha, the Hymans and the Jacobs
They finished their tour at Jaap and Kim Steyn's farm in Viljoenstroon.
Kim & Jaap Steyn with Carl
During the trip, they also visited a school in Swaziland supported by a local Rotary Club and learned that Tom's Shoes are distributed by local Rotary Clubs. Throughout their slides, they interspersed photos of landscapes, wildlife and wine lands.
Our 25th Anniversary 5K/10K race is quickly approaching. The ‘Bag Stuffing’ event is only two weeks away. The Race Committee is holding weekly planning meetings (see Events!) and asking for everyone's help in soliciting sponsors for the race. Marketing efforts are exploding with rack cards distributed throughout the area. Communication from Essroc indicates they will strive to meet their goal of 250 participants this year! Sponsorship form and information in the Downloads section. Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues.
Please join us this Thursday when Greg Heller-LaBelle, CEO of The Colony Meadery, will discuss their mission to produce the boldest and most innovative meads in the world.
Special thanks to Past President Tom for covering the meeting last week.
This Message is coming to you from bay side in Ocean City, Maryland. (I will stifle the grin.) Last Thursday, August 20 we had the good fortune to hear from Bernie Story, CEO of Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.
New to many but an old friend to even more MSR Rotarians, Bernie made a return visit after four years in his new role at LVCF. He brought us up to speed on the Lehigh Valley Philanthropic Outlook. The landscape has changed dramatically. LVCF has a new, professional staff of 6 dedicated colleagues focused on applying grant funds in a “hit it where they ain’t” philosophy designed to achieve the most bang for the buck!
There are a large number of Non-Profits (NP) in the LV struggling for funding. As a result there is also a growing frustration and concern of donors regarding the volume and level of requests for funding.
Historically Funders have been: Corporate and Institutional, Private Foundations – Laros, Ryder-Pool, Trexler, Century, Payne Hurd, Fowler, Baker and Rotary. Another area has been individuals and public charities. We are now in a new era and new generation of philanthropists. They are much more involved in having a say in how and where the funds are to be applied.
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has a strategy of being permanent and cause neutral. They extend their influence throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond. The main value proposition is personalized service, community knowledge and community leadership.
Bernie briefly highlighted key emerging issues and needs:
Early Learning – quality early learning critical to achieving a quality workforce in the future
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) coalition with over 30 members focused on matching underrepresented students with mentors in these key areas to provide high-quality educational experiences and career opportunities. Begun in 2014, with a grant from LVCF the effort has now been expanded across the Lehigh Valley.
Environment
Equity Community Development – provide fair opportunities to all students
Next Generation of Leaders – from where? Motivations?
Arts – requires growth of patrons to continue this quality endeavor
“The M Word” - with so many Non-Profits, the increasing need for merging and effective collaboration is essential.
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation strategy is to connect people who care with causes that matter. Sounds a lot like Rotary!
Special thanks to Erika Petrozelli, Director of Donor Services & Communications for LVCF who supported Bernie in the program and also became a “Rotary Birthday Celebrant!”
Our 25th Anniversary 5K/10K race is quickly approaching!!!
The Race Committee is asking for everyone's help in soliciting sponsors for the race. Marketing efforts are exploding with hundreds of rack cards announcing the race events completed and being distributed throughout the area. Sponsorship form and information in the Downloads section. Please reach out to businesses, organizations, friends, family and colleagues. Communication from Essroc indicates they will strive to meet their goal of 250 participants this year!
Please join Past President Tom Kolepp and Janet Kolepp, AG who will share insights into how Rotary connects the world – with stories from their visit to South Africa and all the wonderful Rotarians who hosted Carl as an Exchange Student.
Thursday, August 13we were enthralled by Kathy Zoshak, docent at our Moravian Museum and Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts. Kathy really lives and breathes Bethlehem since childhood. Her favorite topic which she so aptly presented was The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel.
Growing up in a steel family with many members employed at the Steel was like having a very large extended family. Kathy’s passion for the Steel was exceptional. She walked us through the beginning of the company around 1855 when Asa Packer needed a means to produce rails for his Lehigh Valley RailRoad, becoming Bethlehem Steel in 1889, the leadership and growth under Charles Schwab from 1904, the incredible contributions to our country during World War II and into the turmoil and change in the latter part of the century which eventually lead to bankruptcy and its demise. At its peak Bethlehem Steel employed nearly 32,000 people in Bethlehem alone! As evidenced by the many questions raised by our fellow Rotarians, Kathy’s saga of the Steel was warmly received. A great many of us were impacted during our lives by the rise and fall of this giant. Thank you Kathy!
Thanks to Sue & Al Reeps, plus Kristian Schafer, for last Saturday’s BBQ and Pool Party!
The MSR Race Committee is moving forward at full sprint. Our 25th Anniversary 5K/10K raceis quickly approaching. The Race Committee is asking for everyone's help in soliciting sponsors for the race. Please see the Sponsorship form and information in the Downloads section. Please use this for your personal sponsorship opportunity and pass along to friends, family and colleagues. Ginny Wolkoff and Eileen Dunn are coordinating sponsorship efforts. If you have opportunities in this area please give the information to them. This event is an “All Hands On Deck” key major event for us.
Please join us this Thursday when Bernie Story and Erika Petrozelli of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundationwill share insights into philanthropy in the Lehigh Valley.
Thursday, August 6 we had the pleasure of hearing fromour own Cheryl Baker, as CEO of Equi-librium, where horses give people the opportunity to achieve balance in body, mind and spirit. Ironically, the program, founded in 2001, is an evolution from the services formerly offered by Easter Seals’ RISE program. The irony comes from the fact RISE started as a gift from Rotary.
The focus of Equi-librium is therapeutic horsemanship activities for those with various physical disabilities, cognitive, behavioral and mental health and developmental issues. The range in ages of participants in the 10 programs offered is from 2 to 84! These programs are conducted by 6 PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) instructors and a legion of 175 dedicated volunteers. The programs are customized to the needs of the individual to most effectively achieve the positive outcomes desired, no matter the disabilities or ages involved.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Equi-librium depends on these people plus fees for services (participants pay about a third of program costs) and special events, grants and donations.
Plans are germinating for a combination Vocational ‘Sweat Equity” project and a Fellowship event at Equi-librium later this year. More information to follow but don’t throw out those gently worn shoes! The Shoes for Shoesprogram helps recycle shoes to families abroad and put shoes on the horses at Equi-librium!
The MSR Race Committee is moving forward at full sprint.
Our 25th Anniversary 5K/10K race is quickly approaching. The Race Committee is asking for everyone's help in soliciting sponsors for the race. Please see the Sponsorship form and information in the Downloads section. Please use this for your personal sponsorship opportunity and pass along to friends, family and colleagues. Ginny Wolkoff and Eileen Dunn volunteered to further coordinate sponsorship efforts. If you have opportunities in this area please give the information to them. This event is an “All Hands On Deck” key major event for us.
Please join us this Thursday when Kathy Zoshak, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, will tell us about the Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel.
Yesterday I enjoyed a delicious breakfast hosted by Tore and Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, and shared with Jenna Archuleta. Jenna is Major Gifts Officer, Zone 32 for Rotary International. Warm conversation, Rotary stories and info, plus a fantastic omelet and other goodies were enjoyed by all. As you can see, even Benny got into the act!
Many thanks, Tore & Charlotte!
Jenna Archuleta of RI visited Tore & Charlotte H-H
Just a few days from now, on 11 August, we will mark a tremendous milestone: one full year without a single case of polio caused by wild poliovirus in Africa.
The magnitude of this achievement can hardly be overstated. A polio-free Africa has been within sight, so near and yet so far, for over a decade. The hard work and commitment that have brought us to this point have been nothing short of heroic. Tens of thousands of health workers reached hundreds of millions of children with vaccine, in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. Together, we have done what once seemed impossible: We have stopped polio in Africa.
Yet this progress, momentous as it is, is still fragile. As long as polio exists in the two remaining endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the virus still has the potential to spread and to spark new outbreaks. Now, more than ever, we need the power of all of Rotary to carry us through to the end: not just a polio-free Africa, but a polio-free world.
Wherever you live, whether your country has just conquered polio or has been polio-free for decades, we need your voice, and your help. I ask all of you to read and use the materials in this tool kit to find ways to raise awareness in your community, and beyond. We need every Rotarian, in every Rotary club, to be talking about polio: making sure that media outlets report on our progress and our elected officials see polio eradication as a global priority. Your grassroots work helps drive the increased media coverage we have seen in the past year, which in turn drives global backing of our work to eradicate polio. Together, we will keep polio front and center in our communities and on our national agendas, keeping up the energy and the momentum that will push us through to the finish.
The battle in Africa has, for the moment, been won, but we need the strength of every Rotarian to help us win the war. Together, we will End Polio Now and truly Be a Gift to the World.
Warm regards,
K.R. Ravindran
President, Rotary International
News media prominently featured Rotary and its 30 years of work to protect children from the crippling effects of polio when Nigeria marked its one-year milestone in July, including:
Thursday, July 30 we had our official visit from District Governor, Doug Cook.
Doug spoke to us on what is planned in the District this year. Major emphasis will be addressing membership. Doug suggested when faced with the question “What is Rotary?”, instead of the elevator response of 1.2 million members in over a hundred countries dedicated to Service Above Self, think of why you are a Rotarian. Explain to the prospect what Rotary means to YOU, and how you incorporate the Four Way Test into your life.
The Rotary Foundationis another key aspect of our Rotary involvement of real importance. It will change your life. Money put into the Foundation will return to the District in three years to be employed in our communities after having done a world of good globally.
Polio continues to be in need of support. The eradication efforts have been fantastically successful but the battle is not yet over. The Gates Foundation has committed to a 2:1 match to achieve the final goal.
Other key areas of focus for the coming year include hunger and food. Hunger is everywhere in our communities, and all our clubs can be successful in developing programs to help address this condition.
DG Doug presided over a Board meeting with MSR Officers and Directors immediately following the Club meeting. We covered Club plans for coming year and had very engaging discussions on a host of topics. Per Doug we are well on our way and should stay the course.
We wish to express our appreciation to District Governor Doug and First Lady Mary for coming to Morning Star and sharing plans for the District and our Club for the coming year.
All are invited to attend the 2015-16 District Conference at The Inn at Pocono Manor on April 8-10, 2016. Register now at www.whythecow.com
Please join us this Thursday when our own Cheryl Baker, CEO of Equi-librium, will tell us about empowering individuals to reach their highest potential through horse related activities.
Our meeting last Thursday was a distinct honor for me as your President to discuss the Morning Star Plans for the 2015-16 Rotary Year.
Membership goals are a targeted increase of 5%, planned to help drop the Club’s average age at least a little. The Club having been successful in achieving EREY(Every Rotarian Every Year) for the first time last year, we will again pursue full 100% member participation for Foundation contributions. We will continue to grow our Rotarian Engagement in achieving goals for members participating in Club Roles, Service and Social Activities, sponsoring New Members and enthusiastically endorse involvement in District and RI events.
Service Projects & Activities occupy a significant portion of our efforts. With this being the 25th year of our 5K/10K Race, we plan on a worthy effort to make it extra special. We are expanding our efforts in conjunction with Celtic Classic. The annual projects will continue for Salute the Troopsand the Spaghetti Dinner among others. We will partner with Bethlehem Rotary again on the Dictionary Projectand Golf Tournament (again with the Bridges Foundation) and Four Way Test Speech Contest. We will conduct a “bike roundup” in support of the district grant ‘Sweat Equity’ requirements for the Bike Works Project.
Youth Service will see us engaged with more student scholarships for Camp Neidigand pursuit of expansion of Youth Exchange- including the summer exchange options and age criteria. Four Way Speech contest activities will commence shortly to achieve increased participation.
Committee Assignments have been completed as all Rotarians should be serving in areas of interest and inspiration to them. Exciting opportunities are planned in the areas of Vocational ServiceandMarketing where the objectives are to teach “What is Rotary?” in the community.
The 2015-16 Budget Summarywas reviewed for both the Operating and Charitable Accountsfor the members to provide an understanding of the Club’s costs of operations and where the funds are to be applied in helping our community.
The whole presentation is now available to members after logging in, please see “Club Documents” on the left side of the “Member Area” of our website. Please feel free to raise any questions you may have. Remember Santa Claus is a Rotarian.
Thank you to all who continue to make the Morning Star Rotary Club a shining example of ‘Service Above Self.’ A special thank you to the Officers, Directors, Committee Chairs and the many active members who help us to grow.
Golf Tournament a Success!
“We received very good news about the golf tournament held on June 22nd (after a stormy day canceled our original date). This year's net proceeds exceeded $14,600(up from about $9,000 last year). This means that the beneficiary, the Bridges Foundation of the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School(BAVTS, will receive $10,000. The remaining $4,600 will be divided equally between the Bethlehem and Bethlehem Morning Star Clubs to support our service projects this year. Great news, and many thanks to the Golf Committee members for their hard work in making the tournament a success.” Golf info courtesy of Pres. Mike McGovern, Bethlehem RotaryClub. Thanks Mike, could not have said it better myself, so I didn’t.
Please join us this Thursday on July 30 when we will have our official visit from District Governor, Doug Cook.
Doug will talk to us on what is planned in the District this year. This would be a good meeting to invite a prospective memberor for someone thinking about Rotary to come and learn more about our wonderful organization. Please feel free to ask DG Cook about “Why the COW!”
Reminder to Board members: Please plan to stay after the club meeting as the Board meets with DG Doug for not more than an hour. Thanks!
Please “Be a Gift to the World” - like Charity, it begins at home.
Our meeting last week featured youth! Annika, our Finnish Exchange Student, was on hand for her last visit before returning home this Wednesday.
Her two host fathers, Tom Kolepp and Tom Mohr, presented her with one of our new Morning Star Rotary banners to take back to her home club in Finland. (Her final host Mom, Cheryl Baker, was unable to attend.) The entire club enjoyed the time we shared with Annika. We are very sad to see her leave, and look forward to her return someday.
The Camp Neidig Team, Charlie Incalcaterra, Rick Morrissey and John St. Clair, presentation on the Camp Neidig Leadership Program was educational and entertaining. Beginning with an excellent video from the website showing activities and interactions of campers and staff, Charlie then gave a ‘cliff notes’ version of his keynote speech from the closing ceremonies at the camp. “The heart and soul of Rotary can be wrapped up in one word – Service. Rotary has as its motto, “Service Above Self.” As an organization our members are committed to serving others even if it means self-sacrifice.” A quote from State Representative Dan Truitt summarizes this concept, “Learn the true joy of helping someone else when you have absolutely nothing to gain from it. There is a ‘nirvana’ of sorts that you can achieve when you stop living to acquire stuff, and start living to help others improve their lives.”
Three of our four campers, Abby Burnett from Freedom,Colleen O’Reillyfrom Bethlehem Catholic and Jack Painter from Moravian Academy, each then had a few minutes to talk about Camp Neidig. They were unanimous in how unique and positive the experience was. They were immersed in a culture of leadership and trust with 140 other incoming senior high students from all over southeast Pennsylvania. In three days they found trust was earned, honesty was critical and they learned to work together to capitalize on their individual strengths and adapt to individual weaknesses for the tribe. A key learning experience was that leadership is a skill. You can learn and develop it to be more productive in all areas of your life. Walk the walk and lead by example. The future is looking bright indeed! Future Rotarians I hope!
Please join us this Thursday when we will have Jayne Ann Recker, Executive Director – Celtic Cultural Alliance, present to us on the CCA and the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival. Kilts optional!
Please “Be a Gift to the World” - like Charity, it begins at home.
The young adult (30-40 yrs.) is the most likely age group for gum diseasewhich can range from a simple inflammation, swollen and bleeding gums (gingivitis) to periodontitis a serious infection of the deeper gums around the tooth. Risk factors include smoking, hormonal changes in girls and women, poor mouth hygiene habits, genetic susceptibility, some diseases such as diabetes & other immune suppression diseases, and medications that reduce salvia in the mouth, e.g. antihistamines. Symptoms of gingivitis include bad breathe that doesn't go away, bleeding gums, tender red-swollen gums, painful chewing, loose teeth, sensitive teeth and receding gums.
The mouth is host to lots of bacteria- thus when allowed to go unchecked it can cause plaque, tartar, and gum disease. Plaque is a sticky, colorless substance made up of bacteria, mucus, and particles. Gingivitis does not damage the gums, bone, or tooth; however, unattended to progresses to a complex infection that will destroy gum tissue, bone, & the tooth root leading to loss of teeth, bone, and tissue. In advanced gum disease the gum pulls away from teeth forming spaces called "pockets" which may become infected. Prevention requires daily brushing, flossing, and removal of food retained in any gum "pockets" along with dental inspection/cleaning at least twice a year.
The immune system fights as plaque spreads and grows below the gum line. Bacteria toxins and the body's natural immune response to infection start to break down bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. Plaque turns to tartar within hours when dental cleansing is not initiated. If you are unable to battle gum inflammation with your dental hygiene scheme see your dentist four times a year. A dental professional may perform a deep cleaning, scaling and root planing if indicated or recommend the use of medication to control the inflammatory process based on the severity. Surgical intervention will be indicated as medical treatments are found to be ineffective.
Your dental insurance only covers twice a year cleanings; however, personal pay for two additional visits is MUCH cheaper than extensive gum surgery and loss of teeth with the need for dental implants and/or dental apparatuses. Contact our own member, Dr. Charliefor further details.
Keep those bright smiles healthy and your teeth clean with your personal actions.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The USA Women’s World Cup victory may not have been a “gift to the world” but it was a great present to the USA!
Our Rotary year began with an enlightening presentation by Ashley Cordero, St. Luke’s nursing student in the accelerated curriculum. Ashley spoke about the MaMa Program Mission she participated in Honduras during March.
The objectives of the Mission are to focus on the medical, dental and construction needs of families serviced by The Nutrition Center in Honduras. They spend time working with mothers and children to educate them on improving their cooking methods in their own village environments to provide healthier results from materials available to them. The Program provides nutritional supplements to the families to help offset nutritional challenges. Every effort is made to follow-up with the families at least every 90 days to reinforce the learning. Like many underdeveloped areas around the world, safe water is an ever present issue.
The MaMa Program is a non-profit organization funded primarily through support by the Moravian College and community donations. Its success has been further evident by the development of a Nutrition Center on the island of Haiti. Given the need, there appears to be a partnership and/or global grant opportunity in search of support.
Among the visitors and guests there were two special Visiting Rotarians, Karen and PDG Bill Jahn. Karen is now a Rotarian and Bill is President RC Skidaway Isle, GA. Great to see them and welcome them home for a too short visit. Our other visitors were Dr. Pamela Adamshickfrom Moravian College, guest of Dr. Janet Sippleand Barry Gates, guest of Steve Bajan.
Please join us this Thursday when we will have at least three of our Camp Neidig scholarship campersto tell us of their experiences at camp. I am anxious to hear if their reality lived up to their expectations. Participation this year was at an all-time high!
Reminder to our Officers and Directors: Board Meeting this Wednesday, July 8 at 6:00 PM at Moravian Village.
When I attended the Mid-Atlantic President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) back at the end of February, all the Presidents Elect (PE) had a unique experience. RI President-Elect 2015-16 “Ravi” Ravindran was there to give the keynote address first thing Friday morning! (Personally, as I entered the elevator to go down for breakfast there he was! What a kick to meet him 1:1. I knew immediately we are going to have a great year!)
RI President chose Be a Gift to the World as the presidential theme for 2015-16. Using their talents, expertise, and leadership, Rotary members worldwide are asked to be gifts to the world this upcoming Rotary year.
“All of you have been given so many gifts. And you have now been given this great gift: one year to take all your talents, all your gifts, everything that you are and can become – and Be a Gift to the World,” said Ravindan. “You have one year to take that potential and turn it into reality. One year to lead the clubs in your district and transform the lives of others. The time is so short, yet there is so much to be done.”
- RI President “Ravi” Ravindran
With the great team of Rotarians we have in Morning Star there can be no doubt we will succeed. Besides, 2016 is a Leap Year - one whole extra day!
I thank you all for your help and support. Remember our 5th part of the Four Way Test, Is It Fun?
Our regular meeting on June 25 was a celebration of Rotary at the foundational level. We celebrated the great year of successful projects and fund raiser achievements of our club during the administration of President Tom Koleppincluding the first ever attainment of EREY status for Morning Star Rotary– a EVERY active Morning Star Rotarian donated to Rotary Foundation this year! We then conducted the annual changeover ceremony with Tom most happily achieving the coveted status of immediate “Past President” and Ron Searfossbecoming President for the 2015-16 term.
A welcome tradition of the Changeover Meeting has become the “passing of the gavel” with the following Past Presidents able to participate …
Charlie Incalcaterra our first and “forever young”
Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Past District Governor Tore Hartmann-Hansen – Our Favorite Viking!
Butch Macri
Diane Donaher who is also Past President of the Bethlehem Rotary (aka “Downtown”)
Gary Hartney
Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
Ron Helmuth
Dave Cincera
Susan Burnett
Jean Searfoss
Tom Kolepp
We were missing past Presidents due to conflicts: Geoff Wright; Claire Rij (recovering from knee surgeries); Mike Long; Stan Vasiliadis; Tom Hartzell; PDG Bill Jahn (President RC Skidaway Isle, GA); Gary Langensiepen; Dick Roberts; Gordon Sommers; Dee Elliott; Tom Mohr; Don Scanlon(sadly, passed away in 2014); Jim Santanasto and Eileen Dunn.Thanks to Past President Jean for starting this tradition!
Tom then thanked those members rotating off the board for their service, including:
Past President Jean Searfoss
Directors Robin Metzler, Jeff Kicska, Ellen Roberts and Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Tom then installed the new and continuing board members:
President Ron Searfoss
President Elect Sharon Fontana
Vice President Kristian Schafer*
Secretary Val Walk
Treasurer Sue Reeps*
Sergeant at Arms Russell Pacala
Continuing Directors Wayne Achey, Cheryl Baker, Jan Chicka and Jess Elliott
New Directors Dave Cincera, Jeff Kicska (recycled!), Alex Shnaydruk and Geoff Wright
*Kristian and Sue were unable to attend. They will be installed at the next meeting.
Thanks to AG Janet Kolepp for great photos!
On June 29th Morning Star was well represented at the District Changeoverheld at the William Penn Inn in Gwynedd, PA. Those in attendance were Past Presidents Jean Searfoss and Tom Kolepp, Assistant Governor Janet Kolepp, Youth Exchange Guru John St. Clair and President Ron. The event was very well attended. Based upon the reports the District is getting stronger all the time. Membership is up. Rotaract and Interact Clubs are growing. Foundation support has been exceptional. The Million Dollar Journey initiated last year with the goal to raise One Million Dollars over three years is very near Two Million Dollars with one year to go!
We look forward to seeing you at our July 2 meeting where Ashley Cordero, St. Luke’s RN, graduated May 16 with her BS degree, will speak to us on her participation in the Nursing Department's MaMa Mission in Hondurasin March.
It’s time for my last weekly President’s Message before the leadership of Morning Star Rotary changes over to our 2015-2016 President Ron Searfoss. So, here is the overview of 2014 - 2015.
We had a great year with successful projects and fund raisers.
MOM-n-PA Dental Project
5K / 10K Run
Dictionaries for Third Graders in Bethlehem – joint project with Bethlehem Rotary
Salute the Troops Concert
Spaghetti Dinner
Golf Tournament
Through our Community Development Grants and other direct donations, we supported community organizations, Polio Plus, Rotaplast and Shelter Boxwith almost $35,000 in contributions – not even counting the Golf Tournament funding (which runs through the Bethlehem Club).
We sponsored youth projects: four Camp Neidigscholarships, the Four Way Test Speech Contest, and our inbound exchange student Annika.
We are just awaiting certification that MSR achieved “Every Rotarian Every Year”(EREY) level of contribution to theRotary Foundationfor the first year ever. This is a huge milestone for our club.
We enjoyed great fellowshipat our 25th Anniversary Celebration, the Holiday Party, the Sipple Lecture, bowling, birthday celebrations and our weekly meetings – and even the Kickout Party! We have solid leadership succession in place with Incoming President Elect Sharon Fontanaand IncomingVP Kristian Schaferbacking up new President Ronsupported by Secretary Val Walk, Treasurer Sue Reepsand the Board of Directors.
We have a tradition of interesting and informative programs to engage our members, including the June 18 presentation by Joyce Marin, Executive Director of Renew LV. She gave us the background on the Envision Lehigh ValleyProject, in which 12,000 people participated (but all Morning Star Rotarians somehow missed). She shared that of the ~650,000 people in the Lehigh Valley, about 70,000 per month rely of food bank assistance to eat. She also shared the projections that an additional 145,000 people will be settling in the valley in the next 20 years. Her agenda is to help our communities prepare to absorb that growth while maintaining an environmentally and economically sustainable environment. Learn more at EnvisionLehighValley.com.
Four members were recently graduated from Red to Blue Badges for becoming engaged in club events, committees, activities and leadership:Sharon Fontana, Todd Heft (not pictured below), Lynn Milet and Kristian Schafer.
Morning Star Rotary did all things well with one exception: we did not meet our membership goal of a net gain of two members. We actually lost three members, all due to relocation, while welcoming two -Lynn Milet and Bill Hunter– so we ended with a net loss of one member. Our “Every Member Bring A Prospective Member” initiative only gained traction in spring 2015. We now have a good pipeline of prospective members to assure that MSR establishes good membership momentum in 2015-2016, including Sharon Brownand Barry Gates, guests of Janet Sippleand Steve Bajan, respectively. They attended last week’s meeting along with Tom Santeeand Anders Heiney. Tom is home from Penn State and was a guest of Dad,Rick. Anders contributed a Happy Dollar because school is out for the summer; he was a guest of Grandmother Janet Sipple.
In summary, my message to all of you is “THANK YOU”!Thanks for giving me the privilege to be your 2014-2015 President. It is an experience I will remember and cherish. Thank you for all the work done in committee meetings, at events, in Board Meetings, at RLI, District Convention and District Assembly and as Rotarians – living lives by the Four Way Test – and having some fun along the way. Thanks again for a great Rotary year!!!
Speaking of fun – there was a lot of it at the Kickout Partythat the club threw last Saturday. Thanks to Tom & Landa Mohrfor hosting, to Ron & Jean Searfossfor being the head organizers, and for the tasty pot luck dishes everyone else brought. The giant cake with a picture of me in my kilt was really fun!Annikaalso did the official flag exchange from her sponsoring club – the Rotary Club of Pohjois in Helsinki, Finland. (It is the last time we’ll see Annika for several weeks as she takes the Rotary sponsored “Western US” trip.)
While the Kickout was our informal recognition of a new Rotary year, please attend our Official Club Changeover Meeting on June 25.Please bring any former members, prospective members or guests to enjoy the festivities. In addition to the “gavel passing, we will get updates on the Golf Tournament and Camp Neidig.
Thanks for "Lighting Up Rotary"in 2014 - 2015. Here’s to a great new year under the leadership of Incoming President Ron. My very best to all of you.
The Kolepp Familymade it back safe and sound from our two week trip to South Africa. Thanks to PE Ron, PP Jean, the Board and our membership for holding down the Rotary fort while I went AWOL for this trip of a lifetime.
We have many stories and pictures of the people, scenery and wildlife that we encountered on the “Essential South Africa” tour. In this update, I want to focus on the “Rotary connections”:
While in Johannesburg, Retief Van Der Lingen and his Dad Daniel “fetched us” from our hotel to their house in Randburg. Retief was an inbound Rotary exchange student two years ago hosted by Morning Star, specifically Kate and Larry Eighmy and the Kolepps. His mother Margueritecooked a wonderful dinner for us. We caught up with Retief and learned more about his family, including younger brother Ruan.
While in Swaziland, our tour visited a pre-school for orphaned or disadvantaged toddlers with families impacted by HIV / AIDS. Advance knowledge of this stop enabled many tour members to bring school supplies . . . we brought Crayola crayons. Before arriving at the school, tour members shopped at a local market for staple foods to stock their lunch room. After we learned that the local Rotary Club is funding goats and an enclosure to improve project sustainability, our tour participants gathered a cash contribution to help finish the fence and buy more livestock.
At the end of our formal tour, the family staked their lives on my “left side of the road” driving skills. Luckily, we made the two hour drive from Johannesburg to Klerksdorp with no incidents!
In Klerksdorp, we were hosted to a grand dinner at the home of Anne and Hermann Botha. The Rotary Club of Orkney’sweekly meeting was cancelled due to their changeover dinner planned for the weekend, so the word went out that Carl was in town and many who knew Carl gathered at the Botha’s. The “braii-master” (American for “grille dude”) was Wally Jakobs. The Rotary hosts were Colin Hyman, President, and Dr. Tebogo Senyatsi, PE. The Bothas, Colin and wife Sharon, and Wally and wife Arlene had all been host parents to Carl. (Unfortunately, the Ackermans, his fourth host family, were away on vacation.) There was more meat than you can eat, plus “pop” – a maize dish – one of Carl’s favorite treats. Hermann shared South African wine from his extensive selection and Anne arranged for very tasty desserts. I exchanged our new Morning Star Rotary banner with Colin and received one of their last “50th Anniversary” editions. It was sweet sorrow to have to leave these Rotary friends, but we hope to cross paths with them again someday.
We took a side trip to Jaap and Kim Steyn’sfarm in Viljoenskroon, a maize and cattle farming town located in the Free State province. Some of you may recall Jaap as the leader of the Group Study Exchange Team that MSR hosted in 2007. (Jaap was DG of District 9370 during Carl’s exchange year and he is currently President of the Rotary Club of Viljoenstroon.) Jaap prepared steaks over a fire made from dried corn cobs and they were fantastic. Jaap also made pop with tomato sauce and we better understand why Carl enjoys this traditional South African dish so much. Kim joined us for lunch from her retail manager job in town. After lunch, Jaap took us on a tour of his 600 hectare (~1,500 acre) farm operation. His staff was harvesting corn and his cattle were feeding in the newly harvested fields. We saw the newborn calves, the harvested sunflower and soy bean fields and his ostrich. Jaap then took us to the town’s grain mill and the peanut processing mill to see how the raw farm output is processed. We also drove through the local township, saw projects supported by Rotary, and said goodbye to Kim in town. We concluded back in Jaap’s garage where he showed us a dozen or so shipping boxes filled with Tom’s Shoes that the Rotary Club of Viljoenstroon will soon be distributing to school children in the township. Overall, a truly amazing day!
Just a one bit of Board business – Don’t forget our Annual Joint Meeting of current and newly elected Board members at 6 PM tomorrow night at Rosanna’s (at the corner of Broad and New Streets in Bethlehem).
I look forward to seeing everyone on June 18 for our weekly meeting, program and some “Red Badge to Blue Badge” graduations.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary".
Regards. President Tom
The Kolepp Family's South Africa "Rotary Connections"
Our own Lynn Milet regaled us with ‘The Life & Times of Lynn Milet – My Journey to Rotary’.
Her sponsor, Ginny Wolkoff, and loooonnnggggg time friend introduced Lynn as the key person in their neighborhood having the respect of all the children and the dogs! Lynn grew up in Bridgeport Connecticut, where her father was a dentist and very avid golfer. Among her many activities she became quite a golfer at a very young age, learning from her dad and Julius Booros, a close friend her father sponsored (as well as his dentist). Unfortunately, this was a time when young girls in golf were frowned-upon. Lynn focused on academics and became very active in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. At 16 she was representing the organization all over Connecticut making speeches to youth and adults, often 3,000 to 6,000 people audiences. Her love for learning really blossomed as she went on to earn numerous college masters degrees and a PhD in Education. Going outside of education for fun, her latest achievement was completion of the culinary school at Northampton Community College. This led to ‘About Thyme LLC’, providing Personal Chef Services and Cooking Classes. aboutthymechef.com. Another in her long list of successes! Truly a Renaissance Woman! For those not able to attend, you missed some awesome cookies!
Past President Sue Burnettwas proud to introduce two very special guests – Mary Jane Tigert, her mother, and Douglas Tigert, her father, and a fellow Rotarian!
REMINDERS:
Please turn in any remaining Spaghetti Dinner ticket sales moneyto Val Walk or Sue Reeps immediately so that we can close out the event reconciliation by June 30. If you have not yet done so, please remember ‘Is it Fair to all concerned?’
We have almost qualified Morning Star as a Rotary Foundation “Every Rotarian Every Year” Club!
All the members with whom Tom H or Tom K talked have pledged or donated. As of last Thursday, there was ONLY ONE member who we have not been able to contact – and we’ll keep trying. To fulfill your pledge, write your check to “The Rotary Foundation” and give it to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table (which can also accept one-time cash donations for Rotary Foundation). We are trying to finish this up now so that Tom H can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our EREY achievement.
This week’s program on June 18 will feature Joyce Marin, presently serves as the Executive Director of RenewLV, the smart growth, regional cooperation non-profit.
RenewLV was involved in the public engagement process for the Envision Lehigh Valleyinitiative which engaged over 12,000 individuals. Her talk will focus on this program.
NEW GOLF DATE: Due to the inclement weather on June 1, our Joint Golf Tournament to benefit the Bridges Foundation will be conducted on June 22. Please see story below.
SEE RESPONSIBILITIES, SPEAKERS & EVENTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BULLETIN!
The current week’s meeting duties (or “Responsibilities”) have a section of their own in the weekly bulletin now. Along with Speakers and Events, they are shown in a column along the side of the page. These items are also shown in side columns at www.morningstarrotary.org. In addition, future duties sign-ups are available in the Downloads section of the website. If you are signed up for this week, there is also a note at the end of your bulletin.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss via email at rsearfos@ptd.net or via mobile phone at 610-504-1460.
2 ... Hours of TV you can safely watch per day. Too much tube time increases the concentration of triglycerides in your blood and lowers HDL "good" cholesterol which can harm your heart.
7+ ... Ideal daily servings of fruits and veggies. That's more than the five a day you're used to, but extra can reduce your risk of early death by 42%.
60-100 ... Heartbeats per minute at rest. A gain of just 10 beats per minute over normal increases your risk of dying from heart disease by 10 to 18 %.
7 ... Hours of sleep per night you need to control weight. In a study of over 21,000 healthy adults, those who slept five or fewer hours per night were 50% more likely to become obese, compared with those who recorded a full night's rest.
20: The most miles you should commute each day. Longer commutes are associated with higher blood pressure, more worrying and chronic stress.
1500: Maximum amount of sodium, in milligrams an average adult should consume daily. Three-quarters of the salt in your diet comes from processed foods, substitute fresh whole foods to lower blood pressure.
1:2 ... healthiest ratio, waist to height. A larger waist increases your risk of developing metabolic syndrome which in turn raises the chance of heart disease and stroke.
2.7 ... days you should stay home with the flu. Anything less and you risk infecting coworkers. Sixty % of workers go to the office when they are sick.
Karen Daly, Vice President – Programs for the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley (VCLV), visited Morning Star as the speaker last Thursday, June 4.
What she presented about the Volunteer Center clearly indicated it, much like Rotary, is a well-kept secret. Basically VCLV connects people who want to volunteer. They (all 2.5 people) accomplish this through three principles:
Motivate – recognize and encourage the ethic of volunteerism;
Coordinate – match volunteer resources with needs in our community; and
Educate – train volunteers to be leaders.
The key is for people to “take the first step” to become volunteers.
The Volunteer Center, a 501(c)3 organization, maintains a Volunteer Opportunities Database where it provides up-to-date searchable volunteer opportunities through its website. This involves tracking about 400 Non-Profits in the Lehigh Valley to identify and support volunteer needs. (The number of Non-Profits in the Lehigh Valley is a moving target but knowledgeable estimates place it in the area of 1400.) VCLV has been connecting volunteers with community needs for over 25 years. It has its roots in the United Way and though an independent organization, maintains a close affiliation.
The Mission of the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley is "To engage the community to care for one another through volunteerism in the Greater Lehigh Valley." Their Vision is "To be the premier resource on volunteerism for the benefit of the community and organizations we serve." Visit their website volunteerlv.org for more information.
Barry Gateswas a guest of Steve Bajan for the second time…
REMINDERS:
Please turn in any remaining Spaghetti Dinner ticket sales moneyto Val Walk or Sue Reeps immediately so that we can close out the event reconciliation by June 30. If you have not done that yet, please remember ‘Is it Fair to all concerned?’
We have almost qualified Morning Star as a Rotary Foundation “Every Rotarian Every Year” Club!
All the members with whom Tom H or Tom K talked have pledged or donated. As of last Thursday, there was ONLY ONE member who we have not been able to contact – and we’ll keep trying. To fulfill your pledge, write your check to “The Rotary Foundation” and give it to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table (which can also accept one-time cash donations for Rotary Foundation). We are trying to finish this up now so that Tom H can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our EREY achievement.
We ask for two or more volunteers for June’s “Prospective Member Challenge”to make the commitment to introduce one or two acquaintances to Rotary and share our “Service Above Self”ideals. Guests are always welcome.
This week’s program on June 11 will feature our own Lynn Milet, who will share her Classification Talk with us. Please come and learn more about Lynn.
NEW GOLF DATE: Due to the inclement weather on June 1, our Joint Golf Tournament to benefit the Bridges Foundation will be conducted on June 22. Please see story below.
SEE RESPONSIBILITIES, SPEAKERS & EVENTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BULLETIN!
The current week’s meeting duties (or “Responsibilities”) have a section of their own in the weekly bulletin now. Along with Speakers and Events, they are shown in a column along the side of the page. These items are also shown in side columns at www.morningstarrotary.org. In addition, future duties sign-ups are available in the Downloads section of the website. If you are signed up for this week, there is also a note at the end of your bulletin.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss via email at rsearfos@ptd.net or via mobile phone at 610-504-1460.
At our changeover celebration onJune 25 at Moravian Village, we will “pass the gavel”through all the Past Presidents in attendance to incoming President Ron Searfoss.
Our annual club changeover has evolved into a fun “reunion” meeting. Please invite other Morning Star “alumni” members plus family, friends, and maybe even a prospective member!
President Tom Kolepp & family are in South Africa, enjoying a wonderful vacation and visiting many Rotarians who were part of son Carl’s Rotary Exchange experience eight (really 8!) years ago. Tom has agreed to present a future program on this fantastic journey! As a result, I have the honor of authoring the message this week and next.
“ONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE”
Terry Reed, Past President of West Reading-Wyomissing Rotary, visited Morning Star on May 28 to talk of his experience in February, leading a Volunteer Training Team (VTT) of medical professionals to Uganda as part of a 3-year Rotary Foundation Global Grant project in our District 7430.
BACKSTORY: A few years back, a couple of future District Governors walked into the San Diego Zoo. (DG Elect training for ALL incoming DGs worldwide takes place in San Diego annually.) They struck up a conversation at one of the exhibits, discovering they were both soon-to-be DGs – one from Blue Bell, PA and the other from Uganda, Africa. Naturally there had to be a Rotary opportunity here.
“16 women die every day while giving birth in Uganda!”The 2 DGs decided to address this tragic situation. Recognizing this to be a very significant undertaking, a 3-year plan was developed to achieve meaningful results.
Rotary partners were sought in both Districts in the two countries. 6 Rotary Clubs in 4 Districts both in the US and Uganda/Tanzania stepped up.
The need for a strong medical partner was apparent. Key in this process was bringing in the head of OB/GYN at Drexel University College of Medicine through a fortuitous connection via the doctor son of the Blue Bell DG. (This project was meant to be!) This included the College of Nursing & Health Professions, College of Computing and Informatics, School Public Health and the Office of International Programs. From Uganda’s largest educational facility, the Makerere University included the College of Health Sciences, College of Computing and Informatics the School Public Health.
A Rotary Foundation Global Grantwas approved to “Improve Maternal & Child Health”, one of Rotary Foundation’s six Areas of Focus.
Budget: $80,000 for Year 1, $120,000 for Year 2, and $150,000 for Year 3
In the initial year, the Pennsylvania team led by PDG Ron Smith visited Uganda to conduct an extensive needs assessment, and identified the following:
Healthcare education, distance education, digital libraries …
Support a network of healthcare professionals
Improve community health center infrastructure at pilot Healthcare Centers (to provide an example that can be replicated at other locations later – sustainable after Rotary leaves)
Exchange healthcare professionals
NOW BACK TO TERRY, whose background is engineering, NOT medicine …
I repeat, “16 women die every day while giving birth in Uganda!” That's the statistic that struck Terry Reed when he volunteered to travel to East Africa as part of year two of this Rotary International project. Terry led a medical team in February to Uganda to provide training to local health care professionals. The 11-person Volunteer Training Team consisted of OB/GYNs, pediatricians, midwives, public health, and IT professionals from Drexel University College of Medicine.
They traveled in and around the Kampala area as well as more-remote health care centers and offered advanced training to health care professionals in procedures and techniques to help mothers survive and help babies to breathe at the moment of birth. Terry shared his experiences in the hospitals and remote community health centers, where the Global Grant from the Rotary Foundation provided medical and computer equipment and training classes to help stem the mortality and morbidity rates facing the mothers and children of Uganda. As VTT Team Leader, Terry managed Communications, Transportation (airline and ground), Lodging and Meals, THE Schedule, The Hardware Store…The Digital Store…The Pharmacy and Rotary Club Visits. I am sure he drew upon the disciplines from his engineering background often. Herding cats comes to mind…
Incidentally, a group from Uganda came to Pennsylvania this past month as an exchange. Further exchanges are planned in the future.
You can follow the VTT Team’s progress on the blog: rotary-vtt-uganda-2014.blogspot.com. This project is just one wonderful example of how your Rotary Foundation Annual Fund donations are utilized.
Last Thursday we also welcomed several guests:Tom Brandt and John Oedmann were guests of Tom Kolepp, and Barry Gates was a guest of Steve Bajan.
Reminders:
Please turn in any remaining Spaghetti Dinner ticket sales money to Val Walk or Sue Reeps immediately so that we can close out the event reconciliation by May 31. If you did not hand it in yet, please remember ‘Is it Fair to all concerned?’
We have almost qualified Morning Star as a Rotary Foundation “Every Rotarian Every Year” Club. All of the members Tom Hartzell or Tom K talked to have pledged or donated. There are only a few members that we have not been able to contact – and we’ll keep trying. To fulfill your pledge, write your check to “The Rotary Foundation” and give it to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table. (One-time donations also accepted at the $2 a Week Table.) We are trying to finish this up now so that Tom H can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our EREY achievement.
We ask for two or more volunteers for June’s“Prospective Member Challenge”to make the commitment to introduce one or two acquaintances to Rotary and share our “Service Above Self” ideals. Guests are always welcome.
Get your tickets for the Camp Neidig Closing Ceremonies (on June 22 at Camp Manatawny near Boyertown) by June 7 at CampNeidig.com.
This week’s program on June 4 will feature KAREN SMITH, Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley.
The Mission of the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley is "To engage the community to care for one another through volunteerism in the Greater Lehigh Valley."
The Volunteer Center’s vision is "To be the premier resource on volunteerism for the benefit of the community and organizations we serve." Please seevolunteerlv.org for more information. Please join us and give Karen a warm Morning Star welcome this Thursday!
Please see Events, Speakers and Responsibilities on the side of this page!(On phones they may appear above or below rather than to the side.)
NEW DATE: Due to today’s rain, ourJoint Golf Tournament to benefit Bridges Foundation has been postponed 3 weeks and will now be held onJune 22.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website, or if you want to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss via email at rsearfos@ptd.net or via mobile phone at 610-504-1460.
Please be advised due to the current weather conditions, the Golf Committee has elected to postpone our Golf Tournament to the Rain Date of June 22, 2015. Feel free to notify anyone you know who will be impacted by this announcement.
Dee Elliott invited Marci Ronaldand Tom Morozas her supporting cast for a panel discussion on “Collective Impact” at our May 21 meeting. Marci is the Executive VP of United Way of the Lehigh Valley. Her responsibilities include achieving United Way goals in education, healthy aging, and food access. Tom is Senior Consultant at Techné Verde, a research and consulting group based in San Francisco and New York. He provides consulting and advisory services to non-profit and philanthropic clients, specializing in knowledge management, organizational development, and cross-organizational collaboration on social justice and sustainability issues.
With Dee’s expertise in dealing with homelessness, the trio took turns illuminating the potential power of organizations cooperatively solving complex problems, i.e. “collective impact.” They illustrated complexity with a local example. Of the ~44,000 children ages 0 – 5 in the Lehigh Valley, ~18,000 or 40% live in poverty. When children of poverty finally get to kindergarten, many are not prepared. They did not attend pre-school and missed the social, listening, reading and other classroom skills their peers already absorbed. If they are hungry too, their attention spans are short and learning becomes difficult. There are over 1,000 non-profit organizations in the Lehigh Valley alone – all pursuing their own distinct missions – but the poverty and educational performance problems remain. Since creating sustainable solutions to important social problems requires work on many fronts, the collective impact movement is attempting to open the conversations that will allow organizations to cooperative for more impactful and sustainable solutions. If you would like to learn more about collective impact, you can start at www.impacthub.net.
Note: Our Program Committee will be following up to learn more about the results of the “Envision Lehigh Valley” study prepared by US HUD. Most Morning Star Rotarians have little knowledge of this recently conducted $3.4 million project.
Thanks again to Dee for leading our program and congratulations. By the time you see her next, she’ll be married to David Johnson.Congratulations to Dee and David!!!
In addition to last week’s speakers, we had a room full of guests, including:
Jan Schwartz– guest of Shawn Deiter
Vicki Hicks – guest of Sharon Fontana
Sharon Brown – guest of Janet Sipple
Carl Kolepp – guest of Janet & Tom Kolepp
ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR THE GOLF TOURNAMENT – THIS MONDAY JUNE 1. The Golf Tournament Committee needs Morning Star volunteers to run the tournament. So, if you are in town and not already golfing, please contact Butch Macri. All Rotarians are asked to purchase some raffle board squares at $5 per square.
Reminder: Return any remaining Spaghetti Dinner ticket sales moneyto Val Walk or Sue Reeps immediately so that we can close out the event reconciliation by May 31.
We have almost qualified Morning Star as a Rotary Foundation “Every Rotarian Every Year” Club. All members Tom H or Tom K talked to have pledged or donated. There are only a few members that we have not been able to contact – and we’ll keep trying. To fulfill your pledge, write your check to “The Rotary Foundation” and give it to Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table. We are trying to finish this up now so that Tom H can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our EREY achievement.
Join Janet Sipple and Mike Long, May’s “Prospective Member Challenge” volunteers, and make the commitment to introduce one or two acquaintances to Rotary and share our “Service Above Self” ideals. Guests are always welcome.
This week’s program on May 28 will have Rotarian Terry Reedinforming us about the District 7430 medical training mission in Uganda.
Terry was there recently and witnessed the outstanding work that is enabled by Club funds, Foundation funds and energetic and dedicated Rotarians. (See separate story below.)
Be sure these club events are on your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
Golf Tournament: This Monday on June 1, 2015 to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Board Meeting Reminder: Our joint board meeting with both current and new Board Members will be held June 17 at Rosanna’s Restaurant at corner of Broad and New Streets at 6:00 PM.
Kickout Party: Join the club Saturday evening June 20 at Tom and Landa Mohr’s to give President Tom (me) the boot. Food and fun for all. Bring friends and potential members along.
Club Changeover Meeting & Celebration: At our club meeting on June 25, President Elect Ron Searfoss and all incoming officers will be inducted.
Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Race: Saturday September 26, 2015.
Here are District events of interest with full details and registration information on the District 7430 website.
Camp Neidig(RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22. For tickets, please go to CampNeidig.com.
District Turnover Meeting and Dinner: June 29 at William Penn Inn in Gwynedd (Ambler), PA.
Rotary Leadership Institute: Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia. (Other dates are available at different locations.) MSR reimburses attendees and all Morning Star Rotarians are encouraged to attend.
Reminder: President Tom will be in South Africa from May 29 through June 12 -- missing meetings on June 4 and June 11. While I’m AWOL, please attend our meetings to support President Elect Ron and our speakers. I’ll next see the Board on June 17 and all our members at the club on June 18 and at the kickout party on June 20.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Since Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary was chartered in 1990, our club banner design had remained the same - a white background with a star reversed out of multi-color stripes. As the supply of banners dwindled and we needed to place a new order, the new club created by Jeff Kicska was used, and here is the result ...
By definition dry mouth (DM) is an excessive state of dryness in the mouth. DM may be caused by medications, salivary gland disease, aging, nerve damage, alcohol/tobacco/illegal drug use/over use, health conditions, e.g. Sjögren's syndrome, HIV/AIDS, stroke, Alzheimer's, snoring, and mouth breathing. It is a nuisance for the individual that may affect one's general or dental health status, appetite, and enjoyment of food.
Saliva reduces tooth decay by neutralizing acid from bacteria, reducing bacterial growth, washing food particles away, increasing taste sensitivity, makes it easier to swallow, and saliva enzymes aid in digestion. Treatment of DM depends on the cause. Symptoms include day mouth/throat, thick/stringy saliva, bad breath, difficulty chewing-speaking-swallowing, a changed sense of taste, increased tooth decay, gum irritation and/or disease. In dialog with your health care provider, rule out disease processes that might be causing the DM. Then try the wide array of over the counter (OTC) products available such as mouth moisturizers and rinses, artificial saliva, and lubricates for the mouth. Consider with your provider a change in medications if that is the cause of your DM or perhaps consider a new medication that stimulates saliva. Discuss with your dentist the use of fluoride trays or a chlorhexidine rinse.
Lifestyle behaviors to consider include sipping water throughout the day reaching the recommended water intake on a daily basis. Chewing sugarless gum while remembering any sugarless product most likely has xylitol which may cause diarrhea. Use a cool room humidifier at night while sleeping and use lip moisturizer throughout the day and before sleep. Explore effectiveness of OTC products to solve the problem and become a better nose breather. Avoid excessive caffeine, abstain from alcohol/tobacco use, OTC use of antihistamines/decongestants, and sugary/acidic foods. Do use fluoride tooth paste and rinse and see your dentist at least twice a year.
Drink your water!
Nurse Sipple
The Healthy Rotarians #27: DRY MOUTH . . . drink more water!
16 mothers die in child birth every day in Uganda.
That's the statistic that struck Terry Reed when he volunteered to travel to East Africa as part of a Rotary International project. Terry, a member of the West Reading-Wyomissing Club, led a medical team in February to Uganda to provide training to local health care professionals.
The 11-person Volunteer Training Team consisted of OB/GYNs, pediatricians, midwives, public health, and IT professionals from Drexel University College of Medicine. They traveled in and around the Kampala area as well as more-remote health care centers and offered advanced training to health care professionals in procedures and techniques to help mothers survive and help babies breathe at the moment of birth.
Terry will share his experiences in the hospitals and remote community health centers where a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation provided medical and computer equipment and training classes to help stem the mortality and morbidity rates facing the mothers and children of Uganda. Incidentally, a group from Uganda came to Pennsylvania this month as an exchange.
Come join us at our May 28th meeting to hear first hand how your Rotary Foundation support is working to save lives!
Rotary Foundation at Work: Vocational Training Team To Uganda
As Rotarians, we prefer to remain hard at work in the background, but there comes a time when we must shine a light on great achievements. At the District 7430 2015 District Conference in Gettysburg recently, Patti Smith of Blue Bell Rotary was awarded Rotary International's "Service Above Self" award, one of only 150 people in the world who achieve this level of recognition! And why? Well, her undying commitment to kids and building the youth exchange program. We would be lost without her commitment. What a surprise it was to Patti! (She thought her husband PDG Ron was getting some kind of award instead.)
District 7430’s Patti Smith awarded Rotary International’s “Service Above Self” Award
Annika, our beloved 2014 – 2015 exchange student from Finland, took the podium on April 30 to provide her “Year in America” update. Annika was engaging and informative as she contrasted life in Helsinki, with a population similar to the Lehigh Valley, with her US experience. In Finland, Annika lives in a small suburban town and takes the train to her city-center high school with 600 students; whereas in Bethlehem she takes the school bus (or currently walks from the Baker’s) to Liberty HS with 3,000 others. She especially enjoyed her US travels – NYC, DFW, South Carolina, New England, Philly and Washington, DC. She made lots of friends (as confirmed by Cheryl Baker’s Happy Dollar) and emphasized that friends and host families are the keys to surviving the trials of an exchange year, including culture shock and home sickness. Her command of English is exemplary which she demonstrated by her quick come backs to hecklers, including her Exchange Counselor John St. Clair. She thanked the club for hosting her, especially her host families the Kolepps, Mohrs and Bakers.
In so many ways, Annika has been an ideal Rotary exchange student and reaffirms why Morning Star has been a long time participant in both the inbound and outbound exchange programs. More than one MSR’ian has jested with me about keeping Annika here for another year or two. Cheryl Baker would like her around as Moriah transitions to high school, plus the Levetska-Shanadruk’s and the Kicska’s are looking for trustworthy babysitters!
It seems that everyone wanted to hear Annika. We had a great Rotarian turnout and a bevy of guests.
Annika’s exchange student brother (and former MSR exchange student) Carl Kolepp attended to support her.
Dee Elliott completed her “Prospective Member Challenge” by bringing Matt Berry.
Karen Haddigan, guest of Eileen Dunn, announced at Happy Dollar time that she is a prospective member. Yeah!
Bernie Gardener, guest of Ellen Roberts, attended for the second time this month; Ellen announced that Bernie is a prospective member. Yeah squared!
Friday night May 1 was our Annual MSR Spaghetti Dinner. It was a smashing success and everyone raved about the excellent food and outstanding service. Successful events result from great leadership, so our deep thanks to Val Walk who pulls this dinner together every year. Special thanks to the “Chief Gravy Makers” Butch Macri, Tom Bailey, Jim Santanasto and all the food workers – you can’t run a one night restaurant without a great kitchen staff. Thanks to Jean Searfoss for organizing the servers and to all the Victory House volunteers who helped with setup, dish washing and clean up. We also appreciate our MSR family volunteers like Wyatt Achey, Abby Burnett and Alexander Schafer, as well as former members like Jim Vitale. Finally, these events don’t work unless all members play their parts as workers, sponsors, dessert bringers, raffle basket makers and ticket sellers – so thanks to all MSR’ians for your support (and please get your ticket money to Val or Sue Reeps asap). REMINDER: We need “all hands on deck” again throughout May to make our June 1 BRC-BMSRC Golf Tournament a success. See the calendar section below for how you can participate.
“Attention. Attention. Clean up in Aisle 3!” From the true Presidential confessions department: I will pay up at the May 7 meeting for the service faux pas perpetrated upon Sue Reeps at the Spaghetti Dinner. While serving Sue coffee, I spilled a second cup intended for another guest all over Sue’s back. What a mess I made! Luckily, Sue was not hurt. She was a good sport about my incompetence and even complimented me for the fervor of both my apologies and cleanup attempts. My server’s license has been revoked and there is a distinct possibility that I will be banned from any future MSR activity involving drinks – which could be grounds for impeachment.
In May, the Foundation Committee will be soliciting everyone’s Rotary Foundation contributions to qualify Morning Star as an EREY Club for the first time. If you have not already given, please get your Foundation contribution into Tom Hartzell by May 21 so that he can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our “Every Member Every Year” achievement. If you are not a “$2 a Week” participant or have not already contributed otherwise for 2014-15, then the Foundation Committee will be contacting you.
Janet Sipple and Mike Long volunteered for May’s “Prospective Member Challenge”. Join them and make the commitment to introduce one or two acquaintances to Rotary and share our “Service Above Self” ideals. Guests are always welcome.
This week’s program (5/7/15) features Paula Ream, the Executive Director of the Cancer Support Community. She will tell us about their current work and inform us how they have put their MSR Community Development Grant to work. The next week, on May 14, Todd Heft will be Classification Talking about his life and career in marketing.
Be sure these club events are on your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
Golf Tournament: This is only one month away on June 1, 2015 to benefit the Bridges Foundation. We need gift certificates, hole sponsors, foursomes of golfers, raffle board donations and volunteers.
Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Race: Saturday September 26, 2015.
Here are District events of interest with full details and registration information on the District 7430 website.
District 7430 Training Assembly: REGISTER NOWMail Registration by May 7. Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. This is only two weeks away. All MSR’ians are encouraged to attend. Registration fees will be reimbursed by MSR after attending. Contact President Tom or PE Ron for ride signups.
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
District Turnover Meeting and Dinner:June 29 at William Penn Inn in Gwynedd (Ambler), PA.
Rotary Leadership Institute: Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia. (Other dates are available at different locations.) MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
3. If you don't know your Login Name or Password, click "New and existing users - Retrieve your password"
4. Fill in your last name and email address. ClubRunner will immediately email your Login Name and Password.
5. Note: the email address must match what ClubRunner has on file for you. If you can no longer access that email address, contact Jean Searfoss, Jeff Kicska or Ron Searfoss with your new address, and we will update it in ClubRunner for you.
After logging in, click on "Member Area" at the top right. Then look under "My ClubRunner" on the left side for a wide variety of club documents and information. Several Directory formats are available to print and/or download.To download member info in Word or pdf, the recommended line to click is eDirectory Report 2.0.
Montgomery County Community College – Science Building
340 Dekalb Pike Blue Bell, PA 19422
Who Should Attend: President-elects, Treasurers, Secretaries, Club Officers, Committee Chairs, New Rotarians, Leaders, Anyone wanting to do good in their community.
What To Expect: Learn from other leaders, find inspiration, get new ideas, meet old friends and gain new friends.
Topics:
Goals & Theme 2015-16
Million Dollar Journey
District Business Meeting
Hunger in Our Town
Hunger World Wide
Learn to Grow Membership
Learn to Attract Sponsors
Learn from Others
How/Why a Satellite Club
What Time: Registration and Coffee 8am to 8:30am, Assembly 8:30am to 2pm
Cost: $30 per person. Includes coffee break and lunch…COOKies too.
Take Action: Complete your registration today.
Mail it with your check today. Deadline: May 7, 2015
To download and view the attachment, please click on the link below: DTA Registration 1.docx
Morning Star was well represented at the District Conference in Gettysburg as President Kolepp indicated. Light Up Rotary was a very appropriate theme with a wonderful celebration of Rotary fellowship. A quick synopsis follows with more extensive observations next week.
Exchange programs were a siginificant part, both the Friendship Exchange Team from Wales and the amazing Youth Exchange students – 22 inbound and outbound students. Truly the future will be in good hands with these young ‘future Rotarians”!
There were presentations on excellent and highly successful Community Programs as well as Global Education Projects.
Patti Smith, District Chair of Youth Exchange, received a Rotary International Distinguished Service Award, one of only 150 such awards worldwide annually, in recognition of her more than 20+ years of service in Youth Exchange. Video clips from several of her prior exchange students, including the first in 1993, highlighted how much impact the program and Patti made in their lives. Truly she profits most who serves best!
Sinusitis means congestion, excess mucus, and uncomfortable pressure caused by swelling of the sinus cavities. You are also familiar with stuffiness and throbbing pain in the cheeks, forehead, and around the eyes; exhaustion, and headaches. Dental problems in the teeth or jaw can also be an issue. Sinusitis affects more than 37 million Americans!
What to do?
1. Hydrate & Humidify - drink lots of water to thin sticky mucous secretions. Humidify air in your home & work spaces as dry air irritates already inflamed sinuses.
2. Rinse & Repeat - the Neti pot used for thousands of years is still a good idea. This procedure
washes the irritants out of the sinuses. Go to YouTube for a demonstration and additional
information.
3. Spiraling, a blue-green alga is an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis. Seek out the alga in
powders, tablets, or capsules, but be sure to choose high quality varieties that have been
tested to be free of heavy metals.
4. If you are plagued by sinus problems, try reducing dairy intake for a few weeks to see if
symptoms improve. Certain breeds of cows produce milk that contains a protein (CM-7) that
can stimulate mucus glands in the sinuses, respiratory tract, and digestive tract in susceptible
people.
5. Clean House - Besides mold, other sources of indoor air pollution are often to blame for sinus
woes. Keep indoor air clean: get ride of chemical based cleaning products. Consider an air
purifier or a ozone generator. Ask yourself, is my house making me sick?
6.Tame the Flame - Quercetin, an antioxidant found in apples, onions, citrus fruits, red wine,
parsley, and tea acts as an antihistamine. This can help reduce inflammation and modulate
allergic reactions that lead to sinus issues. Serrapeptase, is an enzyme that has been shown to
break down mucus and promote normal inflammatory response in the body.
7. Avoid Mycotoxins - a chemical compound produced by fungi that exacerbates sinus
problems. These are common in foods such as peanuts, corn, wheat, barley, sugar, alcohol,
cottonseed oil, aged cheese, and mushrooms.
8. Take Butterbur - this plant used for hundreds of years to treat headaches, fever, and allergies
has shown that it can alleviate some respiratory problems producing sinus issues. Choose a
tinctures or capsules with standardized formula for petasin & isopetasin the active
components. The plant contains PAs (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that can damage the liver, choose a product certified & labeled "PA-free".
9. Get Some Safe Sun - The best way to get vitamin D which may alleviate sinus problems by
enhancing immune function. D suppresses the inflammatory response helping the body
prevent viruses and infections in the sinuses. About 10-15 minutes of direct sun 3-4 times a
week is enough to help the body produce sufficient vitamin D.
10. Spray Away - use a nasal spray containing xylitol which stops bacteria and yeast. A
substitute sugar the bacteria/yeast eat the xylitol thinking its sugar therefore starving. Xylitol sold under the brand name Xlear may be found in product names such as Serretia, Petadolex Pro-Action, SinoOrega, SinusClear, and NetiXleR Sinus Clear Rinse.
Don't suffer with sinusitis....take charge with appropriate ACTION.
On April 23, our current Vice President and soon to be President Elect Sharon Fontana took the podium for her classification talk. Even though Sharon is a new member of Morning Star, she has been a Rotarian for over fifteen years. Sharon started her banking career right at the top – working for a Wall Street firm. She worked full time and went to college at night – a self-made woman! She particularly liked her role as an international banker helping fashion companies with import financing – a possible explanation for her great fashion sense. She continued her banking career in the Poconos (said she is still waiting for the train to come to Stroudsburg). She loves the direct customer interaction in branch banking. She moved to Lafayette Ambassador Bank as the Bethlehem Branch Manager to continue in a customer facing role. Sharon has two children: Rachael, an NYU grad, and Matthew, a Robert Morris grad. Sharon enjoys the outdoors, especially biking hiking and the beach. We are glad that Sharon chose Morning Star to continue her Rotary life and that she has stepped up to a bigger role in our club leadership.
Sharon brought Robert Aspenleiter as her guest. Bob is a Regional Manager with Mazda and we hope to see him around more frequently. This week, expect to see both Dee and Jess Elliott’s guests as part of the “Prospective Member Challenge”. We need two volunteers for the “Prospective Member Challenge” for May– who will take the challenge? Or just make the commitment to pick one or two acquaintances to introduce to Rotary and share our “Service Above Self” ideals. Guests are always welcome.
This week’s program (4/30) features the engaging, wonderful and beautiful Annika, our 2014 – 2015 exchange student from Finland. You don’t want to miss her tales of being hosted by the Kolepps, the Mohrs and the Bakers – complete with pictures.
Friday night May 1 is all hands on deck for the MSR Spaghetti Dinner. By now you should have signed up for your volunteer roles. Val Walk will still accept table sponsorships, desserts or gift baskets for the raffle. Watch for emails from Val or Jean Searfoss if there are specifics about your role. In the meantime, sell your tickets and give your ticket proceeds to Sue Reeps.
I did not attend the District 7430 Conference in Gettysburg last weekend. We will have to get the story from our attendees: President Elect Ron Searfoss, Immediate Past President Jean Searfoss, Conference Treasurer Tom Hartzell, District Exchange Student Committee Member John St. Clair, Conference Registrar Marianne Aronson and husband Steve, and our Exchange Student Annika.
Janet and I did have the pleasure to attend the wedding of Christopher Isaacs, the eldest son of former MSR members McGehee and Betty Isaacs. Here is a picture of the Isaacs and Kolepps at the reception – proof that we did not just skip the District Conference.
Add these upcoming club events to your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
Golf Tournament: This is only one month away on June 1, 2015 to benefit the Bridges Foundation. We need hole sponsors, foursomes of golfers, raffle donations and volunteers.
Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Race: Saturday September 26, 2015.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Training Assembly: REGISTER NOW ON THE 7430 DISTRICT WEBSITE for Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. This is only two weeks away. All MSR’ians are encouraged to attend. Registration fees will be reimbursed after attending. Ride signups will be circulated.
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
District Turnover Meeting and Dinner: June 29 at William Penn Inn in Gwynedd (Ambler), PA.
Rotary Leadership Institute: Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia. (Other dates are available at different locations.) MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend.
April is over with only May and June left in this Rotary year, please do your part to meet our 2014-2015 initiatives – “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” and our “Every Member Every Year” Rotary Foundation contribution.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Last week’s “Life and Times of Kristian Schafer: A Morning Star Rotary Classification Extravaganza” certainly lived up to its billing because Kristian floored us with his eight minute video life story presentation. Kristian wowed us with his folksy / techie / storyteller side. The video is not on YouTube yet, but when it is we will let everyone know so those who missed it can get up to speed on Kristian.
Kristian is such a popular guy that the audience was filled with visiting Rotarians and guests. Past Rotary Presidents George Mowrer of the Bethlehem Club and Ricky Gower of the Saucon / Center Valley Club, respectively, were there to cheer on Kristian. And our Vice President, Sharon Fontana is serious about “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” by hosting Mary Gonzalez and Mary Rooney.
This week’s presentation is by Ham Malek who will speak to us about the District 7430 Million Dollar Challenge. Come out and hear more about it.
The Four Way Speech Contest Regional Competition is this Saturday April 11 from 10 – 11:45 AM at SH 143 Fowler Hall, Lehigh Carbon Community College, 4525 Education Park Drive, Schnecksville PA. Please come out to support Abby Burnett (Freedom HS) and Blake McGill (Bethlehem Catholic HS) our local winner and runner up. It would be outstanding if MSR had a huge turnout. Contact Ben Tenaglia with any questions.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.Brochures available for distribution to sponsors and golfers!
Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Race: Saturday September 26, 2015.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg. Contact Marianne Aronson if you forgot to register and still want to attend.
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend. Signups will be circulated after District Conference.
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
District Turnover Meeting and Dinner: June 29 at William Penn Inn in Gwynedd (Ambler), PA.
Rotary Leadership Institute: Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia. (Other dates are available at different locations.) MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend.
With only April, May and June left in this Rotary year, please do your part to meet our 2014-2015 initiatives – “Every Member Bring a Prospective Member” and our “Every Member Every Year” Rotary Foundation contribution. Our Elliott ladies – Dee and Jess – are taking the “Prospective Member Challenge” by committing to each bringing a prospective member in May.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Economic & Community Development – This is the last of six areas of focus supported by contributions to Rotary Foundation. Through the Foundation, people are provided with access to microfinance loans and financial services. Vocational training teams are funded to teach business leaders in developing communities how to create a business plan and maintain accurate financial records. Equipment and supplies are provided to assist enterpreneurs in increasing production and sales. The capacity of local organizations and community networks can be increased to support economic development.
The six areas of focus highlighted over the past two months include Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water & Sanitation, Maternal & Child Health, Education & Literacy, and Economic & Community Development.
The goal of President Tom and the Board is to achieve Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY). To date, approximately 20 members have not yet made a contribution this year. Contributions can be made by check (payable to Rotary Foundation), $2/week at the sign-in table at weekly meetings, or by automatic withdrawals from a bank account. To receive credit for the current Rotary year, all contributions should be received by June 1.
Why should you make a contribution to Rotary Foundation? Because you are a Rotarian!
Thanks to everyone in Bethlehem Morning Star for their continued support of Rotary Foundation.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
The following is an excerpt from an email received from one of my wonderful inlaws, Eileen Gavin McKenna. (The outlaws are pretty great too!) Given the Rotary focus on Polio eradication, it is quite amazing to find such encouraging results from a different perspective in the battle to cure cancer.
For those of you who may not have seen 60 Minutes this past Sunday, there were two segments about a groundbreaking Phase I (human safety) study using a modified polio virus injection into a particularly aggressive (and heretofore incurable) brain tumor called glioblastoma in a number of patients. Amazing results in some patients, and early lab research is providing great hope for many other types of cancers as well (including lung, pancreatic, prostate and breast tumors). You can watch the segments online, if interested (two parts):
...particularly like the way the researchers are harnessing the body’s own immune system in eradicating the cancer, and using a method that targets the cancer cells without harming the healthy ones. Far preferable to the present-day radiation and chemo. Much more research still to be (and being) done, but always good to have hope. Very exciting!
Those who might want more background info and a critique of the program may check out:
The 5th subject of Rotary Foundation’s Areas of Focus is Basic Education and Literacy. Previous articles have appeared highlighting Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water & Sanitation, and Maternal & Child Health. If you have not made your contribution to Rotary Foundation as yet for the 2014-15 Rotary year, why not make a gift of $25 in celebration and recognition of Bethlehem Morning Star’s 25th anniversary? Our club goal is for every club member to make a contribution this year.
Basic Education & Literacy – 75 million children worldwide have no access to education. 677 million people over the age of 15 are considered illiterate. 31% of secondary school teachers in low-income countries are not professional trained. These numbers are staggering. Contributions to Rotary Foundation are used to provide teacher training, curriculum, and school supplies. Adult literacy programs are sponsored. Student enrollment is promoted by preventing health-related absences through the sponsoring of school feeding programs and providing of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Mary Ann Prezekurat, Executive Director of the Literacy Center, began her speech by reminding us that her first introduction to Rotary was as a resident of Ghana when she helped administer polio vaccine. She told us this same story during her 2014 visit and the reminder created an instant connection between Mary Ann and her audience. She gave an inspiring talk concerning the challenges of illiteracy and how The Literacy Center is equipping dedicated individuals to acquire English language skills. Her presentation included many pictures: successful graduates of Literacy Center classes; graduates working as class teachers; Storybook Theatre; and, various programs designed to promote literacy. Even immediate past Literacy Center Board President, Jim Santanasto scored a mug shot. Reminder: Morning Star supported their StoryBook Theater 2015 program with our Community Development Grant. If you would like to learn more about the Literacy Center, please visit their website at http://www.theliteracycenter-lv.org/.
Last week we not only welcomed our speaker, but also Carrie Oesmann and John Oesmann (guests of Janet Kolepp) and our Exchange Student Annika.
Please join us to support Kristian Schafer when he’ll be “classification talking” at our April 2 meeting. We’re billing his presentation as “The Life and Times of Kristian Schafer: A Morning Star Rotary Classification Extravaganza” because Kristian didn’t give us a better title. See you there!
The Morning Star Rotary 25th Anniversary Celebration was a blast last Saturday night! About seventy Rotarians and guests enjoyed a great party. Many thanks to all who helped plan and host the event, especially our Celebration Chair Jan Chicka. Many others played key roles especially Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen for lending her photo albums and Ron and Jean Searfoss for turning Charlotte’s pictures into a wonderful slide show and Jeff Kicska for the wonderful signs. The food was good. The DJ was rockin’. The dance floor was shakin’ and special guests got a total immersion in our Morning Star culture, including:
District Governor Gary Fedorcha and his wife Lynne
District Governor Elect Doug Cook and his wife Mary
District Governor Nominee Linda Young
Louise Tusak – Friend of Rotary representing Bethlehem Special Olympics
Past Presidents and Bethlehem Rotarians Diane Donaher and Gordon Sommers
Cheryl Baker delivered an inspiring invocation. DG Gary presented a letter from Rotary International President Gary C. K. Huang congratulating Morning Star on our quarter century as a Rotary Club. And, we almost had a speech free night until the incorrigible Tom Mohr crossed the line by talking more than two minutes. All in, it was just the kind of evening we wanted. Jan, her committee and volunteers truly delivered.
Four Way Speech Contest Update: We will have two local contestants at the Regional Speech competition on Saturday April 11 at Lehigh Carbon Community College.
Abby Burnett (Freedom HS), daughter of our own Susan and husband Ron, will represent Morning Star.
Due to the virtual tie between the competitors, our second place winner, Blake McGill (Bethlehem Catholic HS), will be competing as representative of Bethlehem Rotary. Blake is the daughter of Jean and Kerry McGill.
It would be outstanding if MSR had a huge turnout to support them. If you are interested in attending, details are on the District 7430 website or see Ben Tenaglia or me.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets distributed. See Val Walk for more!
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation. Brochures available for distribution to sponsors and golfers!
Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Race: Saturday September 26, 2015.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend.
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
District Turnover Meeting and Dinner: June 29 at William Penn Inn in Gwynedd (Ambler), PA.
Rotary Leadership Institute: Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia. (Other dates are available at different locations.) MSR reimburses attendees and all MSR’ians are encouraged to attend.
Only April, May and June are left in this Rotary year, so please remember to do your part to meet our 2014-2015 initiatives – “Every Member Bring a Prospective Member” and our “Every Member Every Year” Rotary Foundation contribution.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Our March 19 meeting was a combination of music education updates and improv comedy from Dr. Nora Suggs. Nora is well known to many of our members and serves as the Artistic Director of Satori, the classical and contemporary chamber music group based here in the Lehigh Valley. I can’t remember the last time we had a speaker who holds degrees in biology, medicine, surgery, English lit and who is an accomplished flute player. (Maybe it was the last time Nora spoke to us!). Nora provided an update on how the Morning Star Rotary Community Development Grant is being used to support the “Chamber Music in Your School” outreach program, including pictures and thank you notes from the students. During question time, our newest member Bill Hunter asked Nora for advice on how to inspire his daughter to continue her piano lessons. Nora inquired about his daughter’s age, to which Bill replied that she was a teenager. Nora’s advice was succinct: “You’re so screwed” and the house rocked with laughter. You will have the opportunity to hear music by Satori at our Spaghetti Dinner on May 1. If you would like more information about Satori, visit their website at www.satori-chambermusic.org.
Our annual Four Way Speech Contest took place Wednesday, March 18th. We had two outstanding contestants - Abby Burnett who is a junior at Freedom HS (and daughter of MSRian Susan) and Blake McGill who is a sophomore at Bethlehem Catholic HS (and daughter of past AG Jean McGill and Past President of Lehigh Valley East Kerry McGill). It was a very close contest with Abby taking first place (by four points out of 300). Abby will go on to represent the two Bethlehem clubs in the regional competition at LCCC on April 11. Six MSRians had dinner at The Brick afterwards. Our thanks to Ben Tenaglia for organizing the contest and to our colleague club for sponsoring with us. Also, a special thanks to Ed Ortelli and Cheryl Baker for promoting the contest at local high schools.
At our March 26 meeting, Mary Ann Przekurat, Executive Director of the Literacy Center, will speak to us about the challenges of illiteracy and what her organization is doing about it.
We hope to see everyone at the Morning Star Rotary 25th Anniversary Celebration this Saturday, March 28 at 6PM at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. A wonderful program has been planned – with “no speeches” – but lots of toasts, dining, dancing and memories. We have confirmation that current DG Gary Fedorcha and incoming DG Doug Cook will attend along with their wives. You have heard all the hype. Now come, bring your cameras, make some new memories and have a great time.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: see announcement above.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets distributed. See Val Walk for more!
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
Remember to do your part to meet our 2014-2015 initiatives – “Every Member Bring a Prospective Member” and our “Every Member Every Year” Rotary Foundation contribution.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
This is the fourth in a series of short descriptions of Rotary Foundation’s Areas of Focus for the weekly newsletter. The six areas of focus are Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water & Sanitation, Maternal & Child Health, Education & Literacy, and Economic & Community Development. If you have not made your contribution to Rotary Foundation as yet for the 2014-15 Rotary year, please try to make your contribution during the month of March. Our club goal is for everyclub member to make a contribution this year.
Maternal & Child Health – 9 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. Almost 5% of African women will die during child birth. 80% of these maternal deaths can be prevented with access to reproductive health services and trained health care workers. Your gift to Rotary Foundation can assist in providing immunizations and antibiotics to prevent or treat illness in small children. Gifts to the Foundation are also used to provide birthing kits to health professionals in Africa, and provide access to family planning information and resources. Your small gift can mean a lifetime to a child.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Our March 12 meeting was eventful in so many ways. Initially, we missed President Elect Ron’s masterful technology setup. (Ron was attending to a family medical emergency – and we wish him the best.) After the rolling announcements were rollin’, we realized the speaker’s USB drive did not work on President Tom’s laptop. Arghhh! Thankfully, we have resourceful Rotarians like Ron Helmuth. He retrieved his laptop from his car, worked his wizardry and voila . . . Jamie Popp, Director of Education & Curriculum for the Lehigh Valley Children Centers, could make her presentation. It included a nice video on the enrichment activities provided to the children. To learn more about LVCC, reference the website at: http://www.lvchildcare.org/.
On Thursday, we also inducted Bill Hunter to full “blue badge” membership. Bill went through his “red badge” period during his previous membership tenure. Bill is already a Paul Harris Fellow and he committed to making his annual contribution to the Rotary Foundation to help Morning Star qualify as an “Every Rotarian Every Year” club for the first time.
We also welcomed Anatoliy Levytskyy who is the brother and guest of our own Iryna Levytska. Anatoliy is originally from the Ukraine and he currently works in Angola, Africa. Iryna contributed a “happy / sad” dollar because she loves having her brother, sister-in-law and two nieces visiting, but she will miss them when they leave. Those who attended our Bowling Night had the opportunity to spend some time with Anatoliy and his family. We wish them safe travels as they return to Africa.
The project of the week is the Four Way Rotary Speech Contest on Wednesday March 18 at 6PM in the Rotunda of the Bethlehem City Hall (across from the Bethlehem Area Public Library). We are still seeking contestants. Complete contest information is found on the District 7430 website at http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/SitePages/SitePage.aspx?did=7430&pid=55330. If you have any additional contestants, please contact Ben Tenaglia to register their intent.
We encourage every Morning Star Rotarian to attend the Speech Contest – to support the committee and the contestants. After the contest, we will adjourn to The Brick Restaurant for dinner and socializing with Rotarians and guests from both MSR and the Bethlehem Rotary Club.
After the Wednesday night speech contest and dinner, be sure you are up early to attend our March 19 meeting. Nora Suggs, the Artistic Director of Satori, will present Satori’s BRAVO Music Education Program which MSR supported with a Community Development Grant.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
Four Way Speech Contest: see details above
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday evening March 28 at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Jan Chicka needs your check so that she can confirm the count. $45 per person for food, dancing and memories. Please give Jean Searfoss your pictures and memorabilia.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
Remember to do your part to meet our 2014-2015 initiatives – “Every Member Bring a Prospective Member” and our “Every Member Every Year” Rotary Foundation contribution.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
The Rotary Club of Allentown West in partnership with the Allentown Rotary Club is proud to present a special afternoon presentation by Yuriy Sergeyev, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Nations (UN) on Friday, March 27 at noon at the Renaissance Allentown adjacent to the PPL Arena (directions here).
Unfortunately we had to cancel last week’s meeting due to the weather, so we will be rescheduling Paula Ream, Executive Director of the Cancer Support Community, for another date. Please join us this Thursday March 12 for Jamie Popp, Director of Education & Curriculum for the Lehigh Valley Children Center's.
The weather was clear on Saturday night though and MSR turned out in force for the Bowling Soiree organized by Kristian Schafer and Tom Mohr. We had club members, family members, our exchange student, visiting Rotarians, international guests and lots of kids including Andrew Kicska and Victoria Schnadruk. Iryna’s brother, wife and two daughters from the Ukraine attended. Check out the fun photo here and see our MSR Facebook page for more pix. While you are on Facebook, don’t forget to “like”, “friend” and “follow” MSR.
Membership Reminder: Time is running short to meet our membership goals. Please invite someone who would be a great Rotarian to a March meeting or event.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
Board Meeting: Wednesday March 11 at 6PM in Moravian Village Board Room.
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. We are one away and still need speakers – contact Ben Tenaglia with leads. Plus, there will be a social event at the Brick at the conclusion of the contest for both MSR and Bethlehem Rotarians and guests. Stay tuned for details.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday evening March 28 at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Jan Chicka needs your check so that she can confirm the count. $45 per person for food, dancing and memories. Please give Jean Searfoss your pictures and memorabilia.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
“Every Member Every Year”: The Board requests 100% Rotarian participation with donations of any amount to the Foundation. Please contribute soon or talk to Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell with any questions.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
This is the third in a series of short descriptions of Rotary Foundation’s Areas of Focus for the weekly newsletter. The six areas of focus are Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water & Sanitation, Maternal & Child Health, Education & Literacy, and Economic & Community Development. If you have not made your contribution to Rotary Foundation as yet for the 2014-15 Rotary year, please try to make your contribution during the month of March. Our club goal is for every club member to make a contribution this year.
Water and Sanitation – For those of us complaining that winter will never end, here are a few facts concerning people of the world facing serious problems that won’t end without Rotarian support. 884 million people lack clean drinking water, 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities, and 6000 children die daily from medical conditions caused by lack of sanitation and clean water. Your contributions to Rotary Foundation can assist in the establishment of improved sanitation facilities and water wells. Educational materials are provided to promote good hygiene habits. In addition, Bethlehem Morning Star has contributed to a project in Peru for which home water filters are provided to residents of a small community to make drinking water safe.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
“Accessible Art” was the topic of the day at our February 26 meeting. Delia Chatlani of the Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) introduced us to the LUAG programs and then focused on the process of making art accessible –generally to people with any type of disability and specifically to the visually impaired or blind. Morning Star Rotary supported the LUAG blind-accessibility project with a Community Development Grant. Delia played an audio description of Picasso’s “Girl With A Mandolin” to demonstrate one aspect of improved accessibility. To see similar descriptions, please visit: http://www.artbeyondsight.org/mei/verbal-description-training/samples-of-verbal-description/.
Delia was accompanied by Denise Stangl, Operations Administrator Zoellner Arts Center. Denise thanked us for the grant support and invited us to visit, especially their Zoellner location. Our Fellowship Committee will be in discussion with Denise about a possible future social event. More LUAG information can be found at www.luag.org.
Please attend our March 5 meeting when Paula Ream, Executive Director of the Cancer Support Community, presents another in our series of programs from our Community Development Grant recipients.
Membership Reminder: We need everyone’s help to recruit new members. Invite someone who would be a great Rotarian to a March meeting or event. Good news – frequent recent guest Bill Hunter will be rejoining this month after his triumphal return from his speech at the United Nations. Plus Ellen Roberts brought Patricia McAndrew as her guest. Patricia helped us pack dictionaries for delivery and is also a supporter of the LUAG programs.
“Every Member Every Year”: The Board requests 100% Rotarian participation with donations of any amount to the Foundation. Please contribute soon or talk to Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell with any questions.
Here are upcoming club events for your calendar. See the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Bowling Night: The Fellowship Committee invites you and guests to MSR Bowling Night on this Saturday March 8 from 6 – 8 PM at Revolutions on Route 378. $18 for bowlers (incudes shoes) and $14 for groupies – food and fun for all.
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. We are two weeks away and still need speakers – contact Ben Tenaglia with leads. Plus, there will be a social event at the Brick at the conclusion of the contest for both MSR and Bethlehem Rotarians and guests. Stay tuned for details.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday evening March 28 at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. $45 per person for food, dancing and memories. Give your check to Jan Chicka and give Jean Searfoss you pictures and memorabilia.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June, 2015 to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
The Healthy Rotarian- The SMART Tool (A strategy for changing behavior)
The SMART Tool can be helpful in self directing behavior toward positive lifestyle changes. The SMART Toollguides an individual in setting goals for change and stands forspecific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time.
When setting a goal it is best to be specific about the objective. For example, to consume 8+ fresh/frozen fruits/vegetable servings per day to reduce blood pressure. This goal is specific and measurable. A food log can be kept to track the number of servings and plot progress.
The goal should be attainable which incorporates the idea of self-efficacy. For example if you are consuming 1 vegetable serving a day it would be better to set a goal to consume 3 servings to begin with which is probably more realistic. Small successes build confidence and encourages the desired behavior.
Relevance of the goal means you understand the scientific evidence of dietary nutrients and lowering blood pressure.
Setting goals in a progressive time scheme is better than a large block of time. For example, to consistently consume 3 servings by the end of 1 month, then to consistently consume 6 servings by the end of 6 months, and to consistently consume 8 servings by the end of 12 months.
Now be SMART and get busy on making positive changes for better health!!!
Members of Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary have contributed over $6,000 to the Foundation to date this Rotary year, exceeding $100 per capita with 25 members not yet making a contribution of record. This should be one of the best years in our club history for Foundation giving, but we still need your help. Whether your contribution be made by contributing $2/week, issuing a check payable to the Foundation, or signing up for automatic payment withdrawal, we need every Rotarian’s support.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to share a short description of one of Rotary Foundation’s Area of Focus in the weekly newsletter. The six areas of focus are Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Traetment, Water & Sanitation, Maternal & Child Health, Education & Literacy, and Economic & Community Development.
Disease Prevention and Treatment – Did you know that 1 billion people worldwide suffer from neglected tropical diseases?Did you know that 4.3 million doctors, nurses, and other skilled caregivers are still needed worldwide? Through gifts to Rotary Foundation, immunizations against these infectious diseases can be carried out. Education and training for health workers including scholarships are sponsored. Health programs are supported to educate people on how diseases are spread, and to promote ways to reduce the risk of transmission. Bethlehem Morning Star worked jointly with two other clubs to receive a grant in support of the Mom n PA Dental program this year, because Rotarians contributed to Rotary Foundation.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
At our February 19 meeting, Dara Rees and Dr. Jeffrey Zlotnick from Patient First compared and contrasted the treatments and expected service levels at primary care doctors’ offices, emergency rooms, and neighborhood medical / urgent care centers. Dara works on the Patient First regional marketing team and is responsible for educating the marketplace on the advantages of neighborhood medical centers which include: no appointments needed; physician always on duty; lower costs; and generally shorter wait times than the emergency room. Dr. Z is the Medical Director of the newest Patient First in the Lehigh Valley – located at the corner of Schoenersville Road and Jacksonville Road in Hanover Township. He is responsible for the actual medical treatment delivery. Dr. Zshared some good stories and reminded us of the emergency room rule - “the sickest is the quickest” – which created the market niche his clinic is appealing to.
An unscheduled meeting highlight was Barbara Seifert-Sigmon’s surprise reunion with District 7470 Assistant Governor Rodney Seifert from Rockaway, New Jersey. Barb and Rod were high school classmates and bandmates in the woodwinds section. Rodney is also a golfing friend of Gary Hartney’s and was his meeting guest.
Please attend our February 26 meeting when Delia Chatlani of LUAG Lehigh University Art Galleries presents a program on “Accessible Art”. This is another in our program series from our Community Development Grant recipients.
Membership Reminder: We need everyone’s help to recruit new members. Invite someone who you feel would be a great Rotarian to a February meeting. Good news – frequent recent guest Bill Hunter will be rejoining in March.
“Every Member Every Year”: The Board requests 100% Rotarian participation in donations of any amount to the Foundation. Please contribute soon or talk to Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell with any questions.
Here are the upcoming club events on your calendar and see the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Bowling Night: The Fellowship Committee invites you and guests to MSR Bowling Night on Saturday March 8 from 6 – 8 PM at Revolutions on Route 378. (See story below.)
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. If you have leads, contact Ben Tenaglia. This is only four weeks away. Plus, there will be a social event at the Brick at the conclusion of the contest for both MSR and Bethlehem Rotarians and guests. Stay tuned for details.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening. $45 per person at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Food. Dancing. Memories. Sign up with Jan Chicka.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
At last week’s meeting (February 12), Dale Kochard gave an informative talk about the Bridges Foundationthe goal of which is to provide deserving students of Bethlehem Area Vocational -Technical School the ability and financial support to fulfill career aspirations. The initial inspiration was to keep young people pursuing vocational careers in the Lehigh Valley. It has grown into a program that provides annual scholarships to graduating seniors to trade schools and both community and four year colleges. For more information on the Bridges Foundation and a listing of the many specific scholarships they provide, please visit their website at http://bethlehemavts.org/organizations/bridges-foundation/.
The 2015 edition of the Annual Rotary Golf Tournament, co-sponsored by the Morning Star Rotary and the Bethlehem Rotary, will benefit the Bridges Foundation. Our support for this will recharge MSR’s support for Rotary’s “Vocational Avenue of Service” which your Board of Directors has been trying to address for several years.
Please attend our February 19 meeting when Dr. Jeffrey Zlotnick & Dara Rees present on Patient First of Bethlehem. Dr. Zlotnick will talk about urgent care, how and when to use it, and when you should go to urgent care vs the ER. Their newly built facility is on the corner of Schoenersville and Jacksonville Roads.
Here are the upcoming club events on your calendar and see the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Bowling Night: The Fellowship Committee invites you and guests to MSR Bowling Night on Saturday March 8 from 6 – 8 PM at Revolutions on Route 378. (See story below.)
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. If you have leads, contact Ben Tenaglia. This is only four weeks away. Plus, there will be a social event at the Brick at the conclusion of the contest for both MSR and Bethlehem Rotarians and guests. Stay tuned for details.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening. $45 per person at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Food. Dancing. Memories. Sign up with Jan Chicka.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church. Tickets coming soon.
Golf Tournament: June 1, 2015 at Silver Creek Country Club to benefit the Bridges Foundation.
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
Foundation Reminder: To meet our Rotary Foundation “Every Member Every Year” goal, we need 100% Rotarian participation in donations of any amount to the Foundation. Please contribute soon so that the Foundation Committee knows we will achieve our goal or talk to Tom Hartzell (our Foundation Chairperson) with any questions.
Just a reminder on the membership front: We need everyone’s help to recruit new members. Invite someone who you feel would be a great Rotarian to a February meeting.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary has established a goal of attaining EREY status for the 2014-15 Rotary year. To date, 34 member Rotarians have made a contribution to Rotary Foundation. This also means that 24 club members have made no contribution to date. Rotary International encourages its members to make a minimum $100 contribution each year to the Foundation, but Bethlehem Morning Star is asking its members to make a contribution as little as $10 to $25 to help reach their goal.Members can (1) issue a check payable to Rotary Foundation, (2) participate in $2 /week at sign-in table, or (3) enroll in a direct recurring giving plan.
Tom Hartzell, Foundation Chair, presents Paul Harris Fellow to Dave Cincera. Congratulations Dave!
In the coming weeks, a short description of one of Rotary Foundation’s Area of Focus will appear in the weekly newsletter. The six areas of focus are Peace & Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention & Treatment, Water & Sanitation, Maternal & Child Health, Education & Literacy, and Economic & Community Development.
Peace & Conflict Resolution - 42 million people are currently displaced by armed conflict or persecutions. 90% of these casualties are civilians, at least half are children. Through Rotary grants made possible by contributions to the Foundation, Rotarians work to strengthen local peace efforts, train local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and assist vulnerable populations affected by conflict, particularly children and youth. Up to 100 peace fellowships are offered annually on a world-competitive basis for study at Rotary Peace Centers.
ROTARY FOUNDATION - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR EREY
The Healthy Rotarian - "Changing Unhealthy Behaviors"(continued from previous column)
The most acceptable model used in health promotion is the "stages of change model".
In adopting healthy behavior, e.g. regular physical activity or eliminating an unhealthy one, e.g. watching television, people progress through five (5) levels related to their readiness to change:
precontemplation, comtemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
At each stage, different intervention strategies will help people progress to the next stage.
In stage 1, precontemplation, the individual sees no problem and has no intention of changing.
In stage 2, comtemplation, an individual is aware and thinking about change but has no plans to change.
In stage 3, preparation, an individual has intention, plans, and may have taken initial steps to change but is unstable.
In stage 4, action, the individual is actively engaged in changing but vulnerable to relapse.
Stage 5, maintenance, the individual has learned the skills and uses them regularly to maintain health behavior patterns.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
At last week’s meeting (February 5), Ron Demkee of the Allentown Band and long-time MSR friend presented the Band’s Education Outreach program that MSR supported with a 2014-2015 Community Development Grant. There are two components of this outreach:
Annual Youth Concerts, designed especially for elementary and middle school students, which are offered to schools throughout the Lehigh Valley at no cost.
Side-by-Side Concerts where advanced high school students from seven counties participate in a public concert playing alongside members of the Allentown Band, performing a program of professional level music presented at Allentown's premier concert venue - Miller Symphony Hall. (Your President was glad to hear Ron speak with such enthusiasm about the Side-By-Sides, because our daughter Katie and other BASD students have participated in these concerts over the years. Below is a photo from Katie’s senior year in 2010. She’s the blonde LHS player by the tympani – as if a non-parent who was not at the concert could figure that out!)
We are so thankful for Maestro Demkee’s support which has enabled us to build our Salute the Troops Concert into a successful annual fund raiser. We look forward to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship. We also thank Susan Hartney for leading the support for Salute the Troops from within the ranks of the band members.
Foundation Reminder: To meet our Rotary Foundation EREY goal, i.e. “Every Member Every Year” we need to ramp up our participation rate to 100%. This literally means any amount qualifies you as a donor – it does not need to be $100 or more. Besides giving “Two Dollars Per Week” at the sign in table, you can contribute cash or securities. Talk to Tom Hartzell (our Foundation Chairperson) with any questions.
Membership - Just a reminder: We need everyone’s help to recruit new members. Invite someone who you feel would be a great Rotarian to a February meeting. At the February 12 meeting we will hear from Dale Kochard, CEO of the Bridges Foundation. Come and hear about the work they do to support vocational service.
Make sure you put these club events on your calendar and see the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Bowling Night: schedule TBD in February or March by the Fellowship Committee
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. If you have leads, contact Ben Tenaglia. This is only five weeks away.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening. $45 per person at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Food. Dancing. Memories.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
Golf Tournament: June 1 at Silver Creek Country club
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
At our January 29th meeting, Rachael Scheffler from the Lehigh Valley Hospital Network outlined the “Community Canvas” program which we helped fund through a Morning Star Community Grant. We learned that “Community Canvas” is part of the Lehigh Valley Children's Hospital outreach to specific elementary school communities – students, parents and faculty. In collaboration with local, childhood education providers, LVHN presents four-week programs centered on health and wellness and/or healthy habits in nutrition, physical activity and behavioral health to five Lehigh Valley elementary / middle schools. Specifically, the Community Canvas portion is an innovative arts competition based on health-conscious themes. For more information, see http://www.lvhn.org/wellness_resources/classes_support_groups_and_events/community_programs/community_canvas.
At our February 5 meeting, we’ll hear from Ron Demkee of the Allentown Band. Ron is a long-time MSR friend. His support has enabled us to build our Salute the Troops Concert into a successful annual fund raiser. Morning Star has supported Allentown Band with a Community Grant this year and Ron will tell more about how the Band uses those funds to promote music education.
MSR Leadership Update: President Elect Ron Searfoss braved the ice to attend the second of President Elect Training Sessions (PETS 2) on Monday night February 2 in Quakertown. District leaders, including AG Janet Kolepp, were there to help prepare our District’s 2015-2016 President class. Talk to PE Ron about the upcoming training opportunities for all club members.
Foundation Update: At their January 29 meeting, the MSR Foundation Committee reported on our progress towards becoming an Every Member Every Year (EREY) club. Half of MSR’s members have made contributions to the Rotary Foundation for the 2014-2015 year! And with ~ $6,000 collected to date, MSR will meet the average $100 per member qualification!! Now, we need to ramp up participation so that every Morning Star Rotarian donates something to the Foundation. The easiest way is to start contributing to the “Two Dollars Per Week” fund at our meeting sign in desk. Your weekly donation will be recorded and our Treasurer, Sue Reeps, ensures proper credit when MSR sends in the contributions. If you want to learn more about the Foundation and EREY, talk to me, Tom Hartzell (our Foundation Chairperson) or any member of the Foundation Committee.
Membership: Our other big goal this year is to bring in five new members. We have only inducted one (Lynn Milet) with one (Bill Hunter) on the induction docket. Our upcoming programs highlighting our Community Grant recipients are an ideal opportunity for guests to hear about MSR’s support for our communities. It’s a rare visitor who just shows up at a Rotary meeting - they need an invitation from a Rotarian – and that’s you.
Please be sure you put these club events on your calendar and see the MSR website for additional information:
MSR Bowling Night: schedule TBD in February by the Fellowship Committee
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. If you have leads, contact Ben Tenaglia.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening. $45 per person at the Goosey Gander on 4th Street in South Bethlehem. Food. Dancing. Memories.
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
Golf Tournament: June 1 at Silver Creek Country Club
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Our January 22 meeting was a real celebration as we acknowledged our 5K / 10K Race sponsors and awarded an $8,000 donation to Bethlehem Special Olympics (BSO). We were fortunate to have Louise Tusak and Steven Cousey attending from BSO to express their thanks and accept the donation. Louise informed us that MSR’s donation makes up about 15% of BSO’s budget.
Many thanks to Jeff Kiscka and Wayne Achey, the 2014 Race Director and Assistant Race Director, for putting on an exceptionally good race and leading us into the world of chip timing. Wayne will be the Race Director going forward and Jeff will continue to support the committee as Race Director Emeritus. Thanks also to all the 5K /10K Race committee members for all their work getting us organized for the race each year. Special thanks to Cheryl Baker and Jean Searfoss for assembling sponsor awards and inviting sponsors to our recognition meeting. Wayne has big plans for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the race in September, 2015 which might include a world record attempt – stayed tuned!
At this week’s meeting on January 29th, we will hear from Rachael Scheffler of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Network. She will tell us about the “Community Canvas” which we helped fund through a Morning Star Community Grant. Come and learn more about how our philanthropic work in the Lehigh Valley makes a difference. Over the next two months, many of our Community Development Grant recipients will be presenting their stories and these are great opportunities to invite prospective members to hear about MSR’s support for our communities.
Please put these club and District events on your calendar. Additional details are on the MSR website:
MSR Bowling Night: schedule TBD in February by the Fellowship Committee
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall. Speech contestants needed. If you have leads, contact Ben Tenaglia.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening – details on the way
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
Golf Tournament: June 1 at Silver Creek Country Club
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
Friendship Exchange from Wales:April 21-April 30. Seeking Host clubs 3 day rotations. If we hosted on the front end of their trip, then we would have instant new friends to enjoy at the District Conference. Contact President Tom if interested.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
The Healthy Rotarian – “New Year’s Healthy Resolutions”
Making healthy lifestyle changes affects not only our risk for disease and the way we feel today but also our health and ability to function independently in later life. What we do for ourselves is often more important than what medicine can offer us. Yet making healthy changes is easier said than done. Even when we’re strongly motivated, adopting a new, healthy habit — or breaking an old, bad one — can be terribly difficult.
Experts who study behavior change agree that long-lasting change is most likely when it’s self-motivated and rooted in positive thinking. Studies have also shown that goals are easier to reach if they’re specific (“I’ll walk 20 minutes a day,” rather than “I’ll get more exercise”). It is not wise to set numerous goals at one time as having too many goals limits the amount of attention and willpower you can devote to reaching any single goal. Another recurring theme is that it’s not enough to have a goal: You also need practical ways to reach it. For example, if your goal is to stick to a low-calorie diet (1200 - 1600 calories), have a plan in place for quelling hunger pangs such as keeping a bottle of water or cup of tea nearby, or chewing sugarless gum.
Research has also produced models that help account for success and failure, and explain why making healthy changes can take so long. The expert conclusion is that any effort you make in the right direction is worthwhile, even if you encounter setbacks or find yourself backsliding from time to time.
I invite each of you to set one specific goal for a behavior change that will improve your health status, Here are some examples:
I will walk 20 continuous minutes at least 3 X a week.
I will drink 4, 6, or 8 (depending on where you are now with water intake) – 8 oz. glasses of water a day.
I will eat a small apple every day.
I will reduce my sugar intake by half of my current intake. Figure out your current sugar intake so you can be specific with your goal setting. Remember that any sugar substitute turns your liver-pancreas “machine” on and increases blood glucose levels.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Most times, being a Rotarian is a great experience, but sometimes Rotary feels like riding a sine wave – up and down and back up again. This month has been a bit like that. On January 8, we had an outstanding speaker who engaged the entire club and got into our “bell ringing” spirit – a definite “up”. On the 14th, we had an excellent Board meeting. Later that night, Ron Searfoss texts me some untimely bad news: “tomorrow’s speaker has cancelled.”Definitely a low point!
Luckily, our club is very resilient and creative, so a fine program materialized to accompany our great fellowship on January 15.
Tom Mohr hosted our monthly birthday celebration and even called his name this time around. (Fossil of the month! Ed.)
Then, Ron Searfoss provided a tutorial on the Morning Star Rotary website and District 7430 website. They are both based on the Rotary International endorsed “Club Runner” format and contain a pile of good Rotary info.
To get at the public information on both sites, you just surf over to www.morningstarrotary.org or to www.rotarydistrict7430.org. No log in required. We encourage every MSR’ian to visit the MSR website at least once per week for all the Club news.
If you want to change your profile or use any of the administrative functions, you need your Morning Star login – which you all have memorized. But, if you forgot, go to the bottom of home page 'Logging In'. If further questions, then contact Ron S. for a refresher.
By the time I left last week’s meeting, I felt good about our Rotary time together. On my drive to work, I was already looking forward to this week’s Race Sponsor Recognition program and awarding of our charitable contribution to Bethlehem Special Olympics. Come join us to celebrate our successful race and to say thanks to those who gave sponsorship help to our 5K / 10K event.
NEWS BULLETIN: This just in from San Diego where our District Governor Elect Doug Cook and his wife Mary are participating in District Governor’s training . . . Rotary International President Elect K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran announced the 2015-2016 Presidential Theme of “Be a Gift to the World.”
There are a lot of club and District events coming up, so put them on your calendar and find additional details on the MSR website:
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening – details coming soon
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
Golf Tournament: It’s coming in June 1 at Silver Creek Country Club
Here are District events of interest. More details are found on the District website.
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
Friendship Exchange from Wales: April 21-April 30. Seeking Host clubs 3 day rotations. If we hosted on the front end of their trip, then we would have instant new friends to enjoy at the District Conference. Contact President Tom if interested.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
Club Service Opportunity: The Fellowship Committee is seeking a leader for the MSR Annual Bowling Night Out. Please contact Tom Mohr with your interest in helping out with this fun social event.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Those “hearty” Rotarians who braved the sub-freezing weather on Thursday January 8 were treated to a primer on Takotsubo cardiomyopathy by Dr. Deborah W. Sundlof. Takotsubo is a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (CM) featuring a sudden temporary weakening of heart muscles and a dysfunctional change in the shape of the ventricles. Since it can be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one, a break-up, or constant anxiety, it is also known as stress CM or “broken-heart syndrome.” As an expert in non-invasive cardiology with a passion for female cardiology and heart health, her engaging presentation with well-designed slides was exemplary. How many speakers would inspire Ron Helmuth to ask how to read an electrocardiogram?Her enthusiasm was infectious and the good doctor was the first guest during my Presidency to want to ring our Rotary bell – and so she did to end our meeting.
Thanks to Charlotte and Tore Hartmann-Hansen for introducing Dr. Deb Sundlof and to our Program Committee for making all the arrangements. We were also happy to host Anne Marie Crown and Michael Cirroco who comprise part of Dr. Sundlof’s LVH support team.
We welcomed four other guests to our meeting. Visiting Rotarians were MSR Past Treasurer Michael Joyce who currently lives in Richmond, VA and MSR Past President Diane Donaher from our colleague club in Bethlehem. Diane brought Guy A. Catalino as a visitor and Annika, our own Miss Finland, successfully made it back from her trip to South Carolina with the Mohrs.
There are a lot of club and District events coming up, so put them on your calendar and find additional details on the MSR website or District 7430 website:
MSR Board Meeting: Meets this Wednesday January 14 in the Moravian Village Board Room.
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening – details coming soon
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
Golf Tournament: It’s coming in June, 2015
Here are District events of interest:
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
Friendship Exchange from Wales: April 21-April 30. Seeking Host clubs 3 day rotations. If we hosted on the front end of their trip, then we would have instant new friends to enjoy at the District Conference. Contact President Tom if interested.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 starting 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
I love it that our friend Diane Donaher brought a guest to visit Morning Star. Please follow her lead and invite a friend to an upcoming meeting. Start with our January 15th meeting when we will hear from Rachael Scheffler of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Network. She will tell us about the “Community Canvas” which we helped fund through a Morning Star Community Grant. Come and learn more about how our philanthropic work in the Lehigh Valley makes a difference.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
So, why quote the tag line of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” (the “Beverly Hillbillies” theme song) in a Rotary message? Because my eight year old self’s first crush - Elly Mae Clampett played by Donna Douglas - passed away at 81 years of age on New Years Day? Nah. Because in January 1963 “Ballad” was Flatt & Scruggs only number one country hit? Nope. Because I can still sing the whole “Ballad” by heart? No! Come on Rotarians – it’s because it’s what I want you to do.
“Ya’ll come on back to Rotary on January 8! Ya Hear?”
So, what’ll we all be doin’ at Thursday’s meetin’? Well, we’ll be getting serious listening to Dr. Deborah W. Sundlof talk to us about stress and heart disease. The first meeting of 2015 is the perfect time to reinforce all our “healthy resolutions” and hear the advice of a well-known cardiologist at LVH Network .
We want to send a special Morning Star thank you to Terri and Mike Long for hosting our Annual Holiday Party on January 3 at their home. A great time was had by all except the few Rotarians who missed the party because of the bad weather or the flu. All of the food offerings were stupendous. If you left the party hungry, it was your own fault. Thanks again to Mike and Terri and the Fellowship Committee for another great event.
Please put the following MSR and District 7430 events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website or the District website:
Board Member Reminder: The next meeting on Wednesday January 14 in the Moravian Village Board Room.
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall
District Foundation Recognition Dinner: March 23 at the William Penn Inn
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening – details coming soon
Friendship Exchange from Wales: April 21-April 30. Seeking Host clubs 3 day rotations. Contact President Tom if interested.
District 7430 Conference: April 24 – 26 in Gettysburg
MSR Spaghetti Dinner: Friday May 1 at East Hills Moravian Church
District Training Assembly: Saturday May 16 7:30 AM at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell
Camp Neidig (RYLA) 2015: June 19 – 22 with closing ceremony & dinner on June 22
Please bring a friend to an upcoming meeting to do your part in our “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” initiative.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
BTW: What’s a Rotarian say to tell you to come back to where you are when you are leaving, and then asking if you heard her? “Ya'll come back now! Ya hear?” See you Thursday morning.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
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The Hospital Safety Score was created and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national leader and advocate in hospital transparency. The goal of saving lives by reducing errors, injuries, accidents, and infections, The Leapfrog Group focuses on measuring and publicly reporting hospital performance through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The survey is a trusted, transparent and evidence-based national tool in which more than 1,400 hospitals voluntarily participate free of charge.
The Leapfrog Group advocates for public access to quality and safety data from all U.S. hospitals, and we welcome you to contact your legislators to demand more information to keep your families safe. Check out your hospital by going to http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/about-us/about-the-leapfrog-group
Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Recognition for 5 Morning Star Rotarians!
On November 20, Past District Governor Mike McCarthy and our club Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented recognition for third Paul Harris Fellow status to Mike Long, plus second Paul Harris Fellow status to Tom Bailey, Ron Helmuth, Dieter Bender and Chuck Uhl. Our heartfelt thanks to these members, and to all who contribute to the Foundation!
“Paul Harris Fellow” status is recognized for each cumulative $1,000 donated to The Rotary Foundation for the Annual Fund or for PolioPlus. November was Rotary’s Foundation month, and our meeting programs during the month explained how the Foundation works and described the many ways those funds are used to help people throughout the world. Global and District Grants are awarded in six areas of focus: Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Saving Mothers & Children, Supporting Education and Growing Local Economies. In recent years, Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary programs have received district grants for the Hogar Crea Garden and the MOM-n-PA Dental Initiative, and we were part of the Global Grant providing Water Filters in Lima, Peru.
With Rotarians “on the ground” where funds or goods are sent, we know they get to the intended recipients. Admin costs are funded by 3 years of investment earnings, then the full donation amount is dedicated to doing good in the world.
If you have not given to the Foundation this Rotary year, we ask you to please consider giving $100 by the end of June (for Paul Harris “Sustaining” status), or any amount you can afford to help the club achieve “Every Rotarian Every Year”. Please contact Tom Hartzell with any questions. Thank you!!!
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Many thanks to Rick Santee for creating a marvelous musical program at last week's meeting on December 18. The Liberty High School A Cappella Singers were excellent - as usual - and the updated "Twelve Days Of Rotary" song was a fitting finale to our 2014 Rotary year.
With no meetings on December 25 and January 1, we all have plenty of time to charge our Rotary batteries for 2015.
Consider this message as "Dateline Atlanta" where Janet and I will be watching TCU 'humble' Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!
During his year as 7430 Immediate Past District Governor, Frank Romano chose to chair the District 7430 Membership Committee. Frank feels “membership” is the greatest challenge to perpetuate Rotary’s “Service Above Self” organization. Naturally, Rotary membership growth was Frank’s main topic in his presentation to Morning Star on December 11. Frank shared membership plans that changed the trajectory of declining clubs. He also shared a couple of plans that flopped – not for lack of effort - they did not resonate with the members and prospects. To create dynamic membership growth, Frank believes Rotarians must understand the communities we serve and actually ask our friends, family and associates to join our Rotary club.Many thanks to Frank for his wisdom and encouragement.
Speaking of Past District Governors, our own Tore Hartmann-Hansen was recognized for his service to the District and long-term support of the Rotary Foundation at last week’s meeting. Morning Star’s 2014 contribution to Shelter Box was given in honor of Tore. It was appropriate that PDG Frank present the award to Tore. Tore and Charlotte are unwavering Rotary supporters and we all admire them for that.
There was lots of big news from the December Board Meeting:
MSR contributed $10,000 to Victory House from our Salute the Troops Concert proceeds. This is our biggest contribution ever. The real check was delivered after Thursday’s meeting and we will have the ceremonial presentation at a 2015 meeting.
We formally approved Community Bike Works (CBW) as the recipient of the 2015 Golf Tournament proceeds.
We also approved MSR’s contribution of $1,500 to the pending District Grant to purchase a van for CBW. The District Grant will be led by Bethlehem Rotary Club and MSR will be a participating donor.
The official report on the Dictionary Project is that MSR distributed 792 dictionaries to 13 third grades; twenty-two Morning Starians took part in some phase of the project.
Community Development Grants totaling $7,000 were approved. Thanks to Jean Searfoss and the Community Development Grant Committee for evaluating the applications and recommending the awards.
On Saturday December 13, many Mornng Star Rotarians rang the bell for Salvation Army in front of Christkindlmarkt. I learned at the noon shift changeover that a bell ringer in a kilt is no match for Santa Claus and a dog the size of a small reindeer. Mike Long will give us a report on our red bucket results when the numbers are all in.
Attendance Alert -- don’t miss the last meeting before our Christmas – New Year’s break. On this Thursday, December 18 our Annual Holiday Meeting will feature music by the Liberty High School A Capella Singers and Maestro Rick Santee on accordion.
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
December 25: Christmas Day – no meeting
January 1, 2015: New Year’s Day – no meeting
MSR Holiday Party hosted by the Long’s: Saturday January 3 at 5:30 PM
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: Saturday March 28 in the evening.
Please bring a friend to an upcoming meeting to do your part in our “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member”initiative. Janet Sipple did so on December 11, but I forgot the guest’s name, so I cannot recognize her here; Janet will just have to bring her back so I can learn her name!
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
The Healthy Rotarian – “Beating the Holiday Blues”
For many, the holiday season brings happiness, but for others, it can lead to depression. In fact, a lot of people suffer from the holiday blues. “People have so much on their agendas, so many feel overwhelmed, sad, and disappointed,” says Dr. Harold Koenigsberg of Hope For Depression Research Foundation. Aside from the stress of schedules, families and expectations, it could also be an expectation for themselves.
There is a tremendous amount of pressure and people often feel changes related to the time of the year. As the days get shorter and as the beginning of the day gets later in the day, that changes people’s biological rhythms and biological clocks and can make people feel more blue. People feel in a less positive mood as the days get shorter.
What can we do to help ease the blues? Get outside exposed to more bright light. Even an extra hour of exposure to bright light 3 to 4 days a week, early in the morning, can raise your mood. Exercising will also raise your spirits. Getting a workout or walking 3 to 4 times a week can make a tremendous difference. If you have a pet, just spending time with that animal can help.
And try to surround yourself with positive people; maybe even volunteer which helps you connect with others in a meaningful way. And set realistic expectations. People expect everything at the holidays to be perfect, and relationships and plans rarely are, so do not be so hard on yourself.
Now if the depression continues or if you think it may be more than just a seasonal issue, you should contact a professional for help. It’s more than winter blues when you are depressed pretty much all day long, almost every day for two weeks in a row or longer and you just can’t experience pleasure from anything. Your sleep and your appetite are all messed up too. For more Information about depression or the seasonal blues, you can go to http://hopefordepression.org.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Community Development Grants Approved - This Year's Theme: Arts & Culture
The Morning Star Rotary Board has approved the following beneficiaries for our 2014-15 Community Development Grants, totaling the $7,000 budgeted:
1. Allentown Band $1,500 - Youth Educational Outreach - Sharing a Rich Heritage of Music Making. Young People's and Side-by-Side Concerts.
2. Cancer Support Community $1,000- "Kids Support" including art therapy for kids diagnosed with cancer, and kids with close family members diagnosed.
3. Lehigh University Art Galleries $1,000 - Phase I of "Accessible Art", making teaching collection accessible to all, starting with blind/low vision patrons.
4. Lehigh Valley Children's Centers $500- Bus transportation for 85 preschoolers to attend a PA Shakespeare festival production.
5. Lehigh Valley Health Network $1,500 - "Community Canvas" program - Interactive wellness education - 4 week program culminating in art competitions.
6. Satori $1,000 - Support of BRAVO! - a multifaceted outreach approach for music education incl instruments for needy students - see application. (Note: They played at our Spaghetti Dinner a few years ago.)
7. The Literacy Center $500 - Story Book Theater - educational and entertaining community program for young children/families. "Reading is Magical". Expect 450 attendees.
The recipient organizations will be asked to present at a future meeting and describe the particular projects benefiting from our support. My thanks to the committee for their work, and to the Board for their guidance. Next year's theme will be "Youth".
Jean Searfoss, Committee Chair
Community Development Grants Approved - This Year's Theme: Arts & Culture
The liver is the largest internal organ in the body located on the right side of the body under the rib cage. It weighs approximately 3 lbs. and is the size of a football. The gallbladder is under the liver with part of the pancreas and the intestines.
These organs work together to digest, absorb, and process food. The main function of the liver is to filter blood from the digestive tract before passing it on to the rest of the body. It also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. The liver secretes bile into the intestines to facilitate further processing of food. The liver makes specific proteins essential to blood clotting and other functions. The health of the liver is determined by a blood liver profile.
Alcohol is broken down by the liver in order to rid the body of this non-essential chemical. Consuming more alcohol than the liver can process will cause it damage. A fatty liver, alcohol hepatitis/cirrhosis may result from obesity and high consumption of fats/sugars and alcohol. The liver can be silent even when it is in the early stages of damage.
WARNING: Taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can cause liver damage. Acetaminophen is found in over 600 medications, prescriptions, and over the counter pain, cold, and cough remedies. Adult daily limit is 6 extra-strength Tylenol taken from all sources. Drink your water to support the function of the liver and “wash your sins” (alcohol-sugar-fat) away!
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
One big holiday is behind us and I hope that you had fantastic Thanksgiving celebrations with your families and friends. Kolepp’s journeyed to Florida for a friend’s wedding and then to Texas for an all family reunion and constant feasting. Annika also went with us to Texas and rode a bull, saw a cattle drive, watched innumerable football games, toured AT&T Stadium, ate lunch at the top of the Reunion Tower in Dallas and got her first mani-pedi.
Improv teacher and practitioner Dan Maher’s December 4 presentation on the history and development of improvisational theater and comedy was the prologue to Morning Star Rotary’s “Improv for Breakfast Club” starring Janet Sipple and Susan Burnett. Janet was a TV-heisting Cat-In-The-Hat burglar making off with the neighbor’s husband. Susan volunteered to help her hubby restore an antique bi-plane with pink paint. What a stitch with two good sports!
Other meeting highlights included Ellen Roberts’ report that the Dictionary Project is officially completed and Steve Bajan’s happy dollar endorsement of the Rotary Foundation as his personal charity. Remember that Annika is now living with the Mohr’s – so talk to Mr. Mohr if you would like to Include Annika in your holiday family fun.
Reminder to all Board Members: Our December Board Meeting is this Wednesday December 10 at 6 PM. All members are invited to any Board meetings, or to contact any Board member with any question, concern or comment.
Attendance Alert -- don’t miss the last two meetings before our Christmas – New Year’s break:
December 11: Frank Romano, Immediate Past District 7430 Governor on “Membership Ideas to Attract and Retain Vibrant New Members”
December 18: Morning Star’s Annual Holiday Meeting with music by the Liberty High School A Capella Singers and Maestro Rick Santee on accordion
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Saturday December 13 at Christkindlmarkt. Talk to Mike Long of you still would like to volunteer.
December 25: Christmas Day – no meeting
January 1, 2015: New Year’s Day – no meeting
MSR Holiday Party hosted by the Long’s: Saturday January 3 at 5:30 PM (see below)
Four Way Speech Contest: Wednesday March 18 6PM at Bethlehem Town Hall
Please bring a friend to an upcoming meeting to do your part in our “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” initiative.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
Please contact Mike Long at this week’s meeting or at mike@longfuneralhome.com to sign up. There are a few time slots open, and extra help is welcome at any time if you'd like to participate!
The Healthy Rotarian – Gracious Rotarians & Seasonal Gifting
Most of us have too much “stuff”. The first half of our lives we accumulate the “stuff” and the second half of our lives we spend getting rid of the same “stuff”. So, as we go into the holiday season of gift giving consider these consumerable ideas:
diabetic, weight reducing or balanced meals delivered to the home (e.g. Blue Apron*, stack of specialty, good quality frozen dinners);
health promoting gift certificates for special personal services (e.g. day spa massage/ facial/manicure/hot shave services, yoga class, Weight Watcher*r fees);
gift certificate for services at clinical lab for bloodwork or health care services; e.g. St. Luke’s University Hospital & Health Care Network* or Lehigh Valley Health Care Network*);
healthy living magazine subscription (e.g. Clean Eating*);
fitness center membership; taxi or bus coupon books;
gift certificate for house cleaning services (e.g. Merry Maids*);
grocery bag of non-perishable items delivered by you particularly heavy items (e.g. cases of bottled water), etc.,
And don’t forget the big red or blue bow on top.The gift is truly in the thoughtful personalization of the item selected for the recipient.Happy Holidays!
Nurse Sipple
*Where trade names are used they are merely suggestions not recommendations.
Many thanks to our own Sue Burnett and to Past District Governor Mike McCarthy! Their presentations the past two weeks on “The Rotary Foundation (TRF) 101” and “Rotary and Polio Eradication” were educational for newer members and an excellent reminder to “veterans”. Paul Harris Fellow status may recognize an individual’s contributions to TRF of $1,000 and multiples, but the true value of our donations is found in the people helped through clean water, medical services, education, peace initiatives and more.
Morning Star Rotary has a goal to become an “Every Rotarian Every Year” (EREY) club for 2014-15. EREY clubs average donations to TRF’s Annual fund of at least $100 per member, with every active member giving some amount. Remember, this year’s Annual Fund donations will become District and Global Grants in 2017-18. In recent years, our projects for the Hogar Crea Garden and the MOM-n-PA Dental Initiative received District Grants, and a Global grant greatly increased the impact of the Peru Water Filter Project in which we were a partner.
The number of new polio cases worldwide has decreased by over 99% since Rotary initiated “Polio Plus” in the late 1980’s! A final push is needed to achieve full eradication, or these precious gains may be reversed.
How to donate? It’s easy …
Give a check to Tom Hartzell (our club Foundation chair), payable to The Rotary Foundation. (It will go to the Annual Fund unless you note that it is for Polio.) For a 2014 tax deduction, please get your check to Tom by December 11 for processing.
“$2 a Week” (more or less) – At club meetings, you can put in money at your convenience - $2 a week, $10 a month, or whatever works for you. The club accumulates the money, then submits it all to The Rotary Foundation in December and June. (You can start anytime.) Again, it will go to the Annual Fund unless you note otherwise.
We hope you will consider helping The Rotary Foundation in its mission:
“To enable Rotarians
to advance world understanding,
goodwill, and peace through
the improvement of health,
the support of education, and
the alleviation of poverty.”
Please contact Tom Hartzell or any member of the club’s Foundation Committee if you have any questions. Thanks!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2014 to all Morning Star Rotarians, their families and friends.
We are all very blessed in so many ways – not least of which is our membership in the worldwide fellowship of Rotary International. Enjoy your celebrations and travel safely . . . and remember our next meeting is December 4 because we do not meet on Thanksgiving Day.
At our November 20 meeting, PDG Mike McCarthy’s presentation on the Rotary Foundation and “End Polio Now” was both informational and inspiring. Key highlights included:
Worldwide, there were 416 cases of polio in 2013 with 291 cases reported YTD 2014. In 2013, Somalia accounted for most cases; this year, Pakistan.
Countries like Nigeria have made huge improvements going from 51 cases in 2013 to only 6 YTD 2014.
Check our progress against polio by visiting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website at www.polioeradication.org.
Rotary’s efforts have been multiplied by others who believe in polio eradication, including the Gates Foundation’s commitment to match all Rotary Polio Plus contributions on a “two for one” basis up to $35 million per year for five years. So, if Rotary raises $35 million per year, then the Gates Foundation will match $70 million for a total of $105 million. Talk about leveraging Rotary’s efforts!
The infrastructure built to eradicate polio is being used to fight other diseases. This is of particular interest to the Gates Foundation. In the long run, polio’s eradication and this infrastructure may be the lasting legacies of Rotary’s “Service Above Self” dedication to this humanitarian effort.
Closer to home, Mike reported that Morning Star’s Foundation contributions have been $153,000 over our 25 year life as a Rotary Club. He also acknowledged how well we have used Rotary District Grants, including the Mom-N-PA Dental Clinic in September, 2014.
Mike provided an update on progress toward MSR’s $6,000 2014-2015 Foundation goal – we have already contributed ~$2,300 – so we are about 40% of the way. Thanks everyone for keeping us on track to reach the goal.
Mike also encouraged us towards our goal of becoming an EREY Club - “Every Rotarian Every Year” by having all members contribute some amount to the Foundation with our combined contributions averaging $100 or more per member.
We completed our Rotary Foundation Month celebration with our Foundation Chairman Tom Hartzell and Mike McCarthy awarding pins to the following Rotarians for achieving multiple Paul Harris Fellowship contribution levels: Tom Bailey, Ron Helmuth, Deiter Bender, Chuck Uhl and Mike Long. Congratulations and many thanks!
Our Thursday meeting was great, but the twenty Morning Star Rotarians who attended the Joint Thanksgiving Meeting on Wednesday November 19 had a good time too. When all the Rotary Clubs were introduced, the uproar from our assembled multitude was typically Morning Starish! It was great to see MSR’s outstanding support for our colleague club.
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
Thanksgiving Day: No Morning Star Rotary meeting!! Enjoy the holiday with family and friends. Travel safely to your destinations and back.
Rotaplast On Air Auction: December 6 starting 7PM at the WFMZ Studio and over the air waves. The auction really needs donated items – so please consider contributing.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Saturday December 13 at Christkindlmarkt. Signup times available through Mike Long.
MSR Holiday Party: Saturday evening January 3 for our holiday gathering / pot luck hosted by the Fellowship Committee at the Long’s house.
MSR 25th Anniversary Celebration: The committee has set the date for Saturday March 28. Details will follow over the next few weeks.
For upcoming meetings after Thanksgiving, we have quite a lineup:
December 4: Dan Maher on Improvisation, the New York Scene and “how to”. Dan is Susan Burnett’s improv coach.
December 11: Frank Romano, Immediate Past District 7430 Governor on “Membership Ideas to Attract and Retain Vibrant New Members”
December 18: Morning Star’s Annual Holiday Meeting with music by the Liberty High School A Capella Singers and Maestro Rick Santee on accordion
December 25: Christmas Day – no meeting.
The Dictionary Project is winding down, but check with Ellen Roberts if you would like to help finish it up.
Invite a friend to an upcoming meeting to do your part in our “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” initiative.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
[Continued from last column] Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response; without it, we can't heal. But when it's out of control—as in rheumatoid arthritis—it can damage the body. Plus, it's thought to play a role in obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
Foods high in sugar and saturated fat can spur inflammation. They cause over activity in the immune system, which can lead to joint pain, fatigue, and damage to the blood vessels. 'Antiinflamitory foods' include extra virgin olive oil, red wine/limit 2 oz., tea/white, oolong, green, grass fed beef, oily fish/salmon, sardines, tuna, cocoa, cranberries/red, dark skin grapes, walnuts, and broccoli.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Today, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, together with members of other nearby Rotary clubs. We will enjoy a great meal and hear an inspirational speaker. My hope and prayer is that you join me in taking the time to reflect on our many blessings...
It may feel unseasonably cold around here, but there will be more than 90 inches of snow falling in Buffalo NY...
It may appear like a hectic work day for some of us, but for the unemployed or bedridden, it will be utterly hopeless and uncomfortable...
Some of us may not find a reason to smile as we struggle with poor health or loss of a loved one, but for the young children with clef lips and cleft palates, their facial muscles have never known the experience of a smile...
Yes, our Rotaplast TV Auction to fund such surgical missions is only a few days away, and it has critically fewer donated items than last year.
Some of us are so tapped out, that we could only ask a friend or a vendor for an auction item. Many others like me, have unwanted gifts or purchases that remain unused since entering our homes. Can you think of an unused unwanted item at your home?
Before we look for an unused gift in our homes to donate, let's look in our hearts and get rid of any unwanted attitude of ingratitude.
May your Holidays overflow with Blessings that emanate from a grateful heart.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Ham Malek
District Rotaplast Committee
PS
If you cannot bring your donation to the meeting, please text or call me at 610-346-6200, or email me to arrange a pick up at your convenience. Thank you. Ham.Malek@YourAccessAbility.com
Chronic systemic inflammation is the root cause of many serious autoimmune illnesses - including heart disease, many cancers, diabetes type I & II, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease.
We all know inflammation on the surface of the body as local redness, heat, swelling and pain. It is the cornerstone of the body's healing response, bringing more nourishment and more immune activity to a site of injury or infection. But when inflammation persists or serves no purpose, it damages the body and causes illness.
Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, and exposure to toxins can all contribute to such chronic inflammation, but dietary choices play a significant role as well. Learning how specific foods influence the inflammatory process is the best strategy for containing it and reducing long-term disease risks.
The anti-inflammatory diet is designed primarily to reduce the risks of age-related disease and optimize health, and is not a diet specifically for weight loss. Many people will lose weight on it. Stabilizing blood sugar by eating low-glycemic-load meals, eating lean protein with healthy fats, drinking plenty of water, and having high quantities of fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables all contribute to increased metabolism, which helps the body burn fat rather than store it. Next week the anti-inflammatory food choices will be highlighted. Stay tuned…..
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
The Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday November 9 was awesome. That’s all there is to it. Best ever! Case closed.
Thanks to Chairperson Gary Hartney for marshalling our collective effort. The Allentown Band performed at their expected professional level under the direction of Ron Demkee. The Northeast Middle School music students were a tremendous addition to the program, especially the chorus singing the words to the service anthem medley and the WWI songs. The newest twist was Gary Hartney as guest conductor on the “Rotary March”. Thanks to Cheryl Baker for the presentation on our club and Rotary International – look for it soon on our website. Thanks to Jean Searfoss for the program book design and production. Thanks to all Rotarians for their sponsorships, ticket sales, attendance and volunteer contributions! We look forward to presenting the proceeds to Victory House after all the accounting is finalized.
The Dictionary Project proceeds apace with Rotarians distributing more dictionaries to third graders. Morning Star is supporting the Rotary Foundation’s emphasis on “Education and Basic Literacy”. It’s not too late to help out – contact Ellen Roberts.
Dave Cincera gave an outstanding re-classification talk at our November 6 meeting. We learned about his engineering background, his expertise in Myers-Briggs type analysis and car repair, his love of photography and his grandchildren, and his penchant for wit. Some members especially enjoyed Dave’s pithy remarks on life including offerings such as: “You’re only young once, but may be immature forever”.
On Saturday, seven of us attended Rotary Leadership Institute in Wilkes-Barre. Morning Star had the largest group from any one Rotary Club and the following earned RLI certification:
RLI Graduate Level: Janet Kolepp
RLI III: Jean Searfoss, Ron Searfoss and Tom Kolepp
RLI II: Iryna Levytska
RLI I: Cheryl Baker; Alex Shnaydruk
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
MSR Board Meeting: Our regularly scheduled monthly Board Meeting is 6PM on Wednesday November 12.
Thanksgiving Joint Meeting at noon on Wednesday November 19 with the Bethlehem Rotary Club at Moravian Village. Have lunch with our fellow Rotarians and hear an inspirational talk. This Thursday will be the last chance to sign up. Lunch is $20 with $5 going to the Rotary Foundation. (FYI: We will still have our normal MSR meeting on Thursday November 20.)
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Stay tuned for announcement from Mike Long on exact timing and signups.
MSR Holiday Party: Reserve Saturday evening January 3 for our holiday gathering / pot luck hosted by the Fellowship Committee at the Long’s house.
Our Thursday November 13 meeting will feature Susan Burnett and Tom Hartzell presenting on The Rotary Foundation. They will be explaining how our contributions are leveraged for the benefit of both local and international communities.
I don’t want to lose faith that Morning Star will meet our 2014-2015 objective of increasing net membership by five. If “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member”, we’ll exceed the target. Please do your part.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
Rotary Club of Bethlehem President Rob Littner is pleased to invite all Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary members to their annual joint Thanksgiving Luncheon.
When: Wednesday, November 19, 2014
11:30 am Sign In, Networking/Fellowship
12:00 pm Thanksgiving Fare Buffet
12:30 pm Program – see below
Where: Moravian Village of Bethlehem
(Same location as Morning Star Rotary meetings)
Cost: $20 (includes $5 for Polio Plus)
Cash, or check payable to Rotary Club of Bethlehem
Program: Thanksgiving Inspirational Talk
Speaker: Shane Burcaw
Founder and President, Laughing at My Nightmare, Inc.
All of us have so many blessings we take for granted. Listening To Shane Burcaw tell his story will put life in perspective, and show how humor can help us cope with adversity. Learn how Shane has overcome spinal muscular atrophy to establish a blog, write a book, create a non-profit organization, and earn a degree from Moravian College … all by the age of 21!
If possible, please sign up at a Morning Star meeting, or notify Pres. Tom Kolepp you plan to attend so Bethlehem Rotary can give Moravian Village an estimated headcount. Thanks!
Note: Morning Star Rotary still has a regular club meeting on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 20.
Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first 30 years of a person's life. It is normal to have between 10-40 moles by adulthood. As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and/or changing color. Often, hairs develop on the mole. Some moles may not change at all, while others may slowly disappear over time.
Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin. These cells are called melanocytes, and they make the pigment that gives skin its natural color. Moles may darken after exposure to the sun, during the teen years, and during pregnancy.
How Do I Know if a Mole Is Cancer? The vast majority of moles are not dangerous. The only moles that are of medical concern are those that look different than other existing moles or those that first appear after age 30. If you notice changes in a mole's color, height, size, or shape, you should have a dermatologist evaluate it. You also should have moles checked if they bleed, ooze, itch, or become tender or painful.
Examine your skin with a mirror or ask someone to help you. Pay special attention to areas of the skin that are often exposed to the sun, such as the hands, arms, chest, neck, face, and ears. If a mole does not change over time, there is little reason for concern. If you see any signs of change in an existing mole, if you have a new mole, or if you want a mole to be removed for cosmetic reasons, talk to your dermatologist.
ROTARY HELPS KIDS in BETHLEHEM...and AROUND the WORLD!
A wonderful time was shared by third grade students and a hearty contingent of Rotarians at William Penn Elementary on Oct. 30! Gerry & Jill Long, Gordon & Susan Sommers and I were given an opportunity to speak about Rotary before handing out the dictionaries to two classes. After showing pictures and information explaining polio and how Rotary is helping to eradicate it, Jill described her Rotaplast mission to Colombia, and we handed out our custom-made Rotary coloring sheets in addition to the dictionaries. Gordon led the children in looking up both "polio" and the longest word in the English language - which none of us could pronounce!
Photo courtesy of Jill Long, Bethlehem Rotarian!
I encourage you to experience the fantastic feeling of helping by handing out dictionaries at one or more of the remaining schools - please contact Ellen Roberts for info wherebooksbegin@gmail.com.
Yours in Rotary,
Jean
ROTARY HELPS KIDS in BETHLEHEM...and AROUND the WORLD
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
It’s another service oriented week for Morning Star – highlighted by our annual Salute the Troops Concert this Sunday, November 9. Chairperson Gary Hartney encourages all of us to sell our tickets to maximize event revenue and fill the auditorium. Tickets will also be available at the door. Gary and Jean Searfoss finished the program book – thanks to all who signed up sponsors and sponsored ads or other recognitions. Gary will be lining up a few more volunteers to arrive early on Sunday. But, other than that, we are ready to have a fantastic concert / fund raiser on behalf of Victory House!
The Dictionary Project is continuing with Rotarians distributing the dictionaries to the third graders. (See story below.) If you are involved in the distribution part of the project, take some pictures to document how Morning Star is supporting the Rotary Foundation’s emphasis on “Education and Basic Literacy”.
Our Thursday October 30 program about “Information Literacy Outreach” was presented by Terese Heidenwolf of Lafayette College. As the Associate Director for Research and Instructional Services, Terese assists students, faculty and public users of Lafayette’s Skillman library to find the information they seek. Terese informed us of the emerging trend in colleges to start freshman off with a seminar class that includes instruction on how to do college level research. If interested in learning more about information literacy, Terese recommends visiting www.projectinfolit.org.
Last week, we were visited by Eileen Dunn’s daughter-in-law Nancy Li. Nancy told us she likes America so much that she is sending Eileen’s son back to Beijing and staying here herself!
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
Rotary Leadership Institute this Saturday November 8 in Wilkes-Barre. So far, Searfosses, Kolepps, Cheryl Baker, Iryna Levytska and Alex Shnaydruk are registered. All Rotarians are encouraged to further their Rotary training.
Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday November 9. Be there! Bring your friends and ticket money / unsold tickets.
Thanksgiving Joint Meeting at noon on Wednesday November 19 with the Bethlehem Rotary Club at Moravian Village. Have lunch with our fellow Rotarians from the Lehigh Valley and hear an inspirational talk. (See story below.) Signup this Thursday to provide RSVP’s to the organizers. (FYI: We will still have our normal MSR meeting on Thursday November 20.)
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Stay tuned for announcement from Mike Long on exact timing and signups.
MSR Holiday Party: Reserve Saturday evening January 3 for our holiday gathering / pot luck hosted by the Fellowship Committee at the Long’s house.
Our upcoming Thursday meeting will feature Dave Cincera with his ‘reclassification talk’. Dave is a Past President of Morning Star Rotary and will regale us with tales from “back in the day” and "the wonders of joint replacements". We look forward to hearing from Dave.
Don’t forget to invite prospective members to help meet our 2014-2015 objective of increasing net membership by five. If “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member”, we’ll exceed the target.
If you are visiting Bethlehem or our website or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary" this week at our Salute the Troops concert! Regards. President Tom
This award is presented to an individual who reflects to the community the unique character, personality and level of excellence typified by a Northampton education.
Russel Pacala is a Principal at Spillman Farmer Architects in Bethlehem. Russ holds an Associate’s degree in architectural Technology from NCC. Following his graduation in 1977, he went on to earn a Bachelor of architecture from Kansas State University. Russ began his career in 1981, gaining significant experience in design and construction through successive positions of leadership including 10 years as a partner with Dresden architects.
Russ joined Spillman Farmer in 1999 and over the past 15 years, he has been recognized for his ability to design, coordinate, and manage large new construction projects as well as complex renovations. Among his experience is the expansive addition to Easton Middle School, library and classroom additions to Abington Friends School, and the renovation of Parkhouse Hall at Montgomery County Community College. Russ is one of the firm’s lead master planners and is a LEED Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction, a designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council for proficiency in sustainable design.
Russ currently resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Beverly (Orlando) Pacala ’77, and their dog Chester. They have two children, Ryan ’13, employed at the Technology Services Department of Lehigh University, and Rachel, a senior studying nutrition at Penn State University’s main campus. In their free time, they enjoy traveling and recently traveled California’s Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego in search of the best fish tacos.
Congratulations Russ! From all your fellow Rotarians!!!
The Healthy Rotarian – Spiritual Health (continued)
One specific definition does not completely summarize spiritual health. While organized religion and prayer - two concepts familiar to most in Western societies - can certainly be part of spiritual health, they are not all that should be considered. Spiritual health can also consist of more broad concepts such as hope, purpose and peace. Overall health can be positively impacted by high levels of spiritual health. For example, someone experiencing a life-changing event may deal with their situation in a more positive manner if their levels of spiritual health are high. In other words, someone can become more resilient by properly addressing their spiritual health.
Common criteria that fall within the category of spiritual health include:
Belief in a supreme being
Unity with a greater force
A guiding sense of meaning and value
An organized religion
Balance, introspection and meaning
While all aspects of the above list are not necessary to be spiritually healthy, addressing the main concepts can provide a foundational understanding to this way of approaching one's health.
Morning Star just concluded a max action Rotary week: Dictionary Project prep; a Morning Star sponsored lecture and follow-on fellowship event; a great weekly meeting; Rotary training; and throw in an exchange student gathering for good measure.
The Dictionary Project committee and volunteers packed and delivered the books to our target schools. Meetings are scheduled for Rotarians to distribute dictionaries. Under Ellen Roberts’ leadership, we will soon complete this project that supports our Rotary Foundation focus on “Maternal & Child Health”.
Wednesday night October 22 brought fifteen Rotarians and guests to the 2014 Sipple Lecture at Moravian College’s Foy Hall to hear Dr. Donna Sabella deliver her talk on “Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives”. Dr. Sabella’s talk was supplemented by other speakers including an American woman who escaped from forced prostitution and trafficking. The flowers MSR sponsored looked beautiful. Morning Star attendees included: Janet Sipple (of course); Joan Paul; Ginny Wolkoff; Cheryl Baker; Tom Bailey; Ed & Bella Ortelli; Jean & Ron Searfoss; Terri & Mike Long; Tom & Yolanda Mohr; exchange student Annika H; and Tom Kolepp. Afterwards, most attendees plus Gary Hartney and Carl Kolepp met at The Brick Restaurant for dinner and fellowship. Thanks to Tom Mohr for making the arrangements.
Our Thursday October 23 meeting’s speaker was Kim Schaffer, Executive Director of Community Bike Works. Kim spoke on “Learning Life Lessons through Bicycle Mechanics” and the positive impact their flagship “Earn A Bike” program has on youth. Stay tuned to hear more about a bicycle collection day to benefit Community Bike Works.
On Saturday October 25, four Morning Star colleagues arose early and drove to the Rotary Foundation Seminar in King of Prussia. Tom Hartzell, Ron Searfoss and Tom and Janet Kolepp attended this informative training session - GLOBAL GRANTS & DISTRICT GRANTS: OUR FOUNDATION DOING GOOD RIGHT HERE AND IN THE WORLD!
Later on Saturday afternoon, ten inbound Rotary exchange students invaded the Kolepp house as Annika hosted a party for her buddies. They watched movies and spent the night – amazingly all asleep by midnight. Tom and Janet chaperoned, made walking tacos for dinner, supplied pizza for late night snack, and made pancake and sausage breakfast before host parents picked them up.
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
Rotary Leadership Institute on Saturday November 8 in Wilkes-Barre. Registration will be refunded by the club upon course completion and car pools will be available. So far, Searfosses, Kolepps and Cheryl Baker are registered. All are welcome. See www.RLInea.org for details and registration for RLI I, II, III or Graduate.
Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday November 9. Chairperson Gary Hartney has distributed tickets and encourages members to recruit sponsors, get in your ads or recognition listings, and line up family and friends to attend.
Our upcoming Thursday meeting will feature Terese Heidenwolf of Lafayette College. Terese is the Director, Research and Instructional Services. She will be speaking about “Information Literacy Outreach” in support of our Dictionary Project.
Don’t forget to invite prospective members to help meet our 2014-2015 objective of increasing net membership by five. If “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member”, we’ll exceed the target.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary" together. Regards. President Tom
DICTIONARY Project - Meeting Program Oct. 30, then distribute in Nov.
In support of the Dictionary Project, on October 30 our speaker will be Therese Heidenwolf from Lafayette College. She will address Information Literacy Outreach.
Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and efficiently. It includes an understanding of the ways in which information is created, disseminated, and organized in our society.
In today’s information-rich society, all of us at times feel at sea when we’re trying to find information we need. Today’s talk will describe how college students are taught to do library research and why these skills are crucial to their success both in college and beyond.
MS Rotarians Packing up Dictionaries for delivery to schools!
Distribution dates will be in November. Everyone who has participated in the past describes the distribution experience as wonderful. When the information comes around, we hope you'll find a spot to volunteer!
DICTIONARY Project - Meeting Program Oct. 30, then distribute in Nov.
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
World Polio Day and 100th Anniversary of Dr. Jonas Salk’s Birth
In October 1914, Jonas Salk was born – a man who would change world history by inventing the first effective vaccine against polio. When the vaccine was introduced in the United States in the 1950s, polls indicated that polio was one of the nation's two greatest fears, second only to the fear of atomic war. And with good reason: In the 1952 U.S. polio epidemic, 58,000 cases were reported, with 3,145 deaths and 21,269 instances of permanent, disabling paralysis. Globally, polio paralyzed or killed up to half a million people every year.
Soon after the Salk vaccine was created, Albert Sabin developed an oral version, allowing tremendous numbers of children to be immunized quickly, safely, and inexpensively. In 1985, Rotary's PolioPlus program was born, with a simple goal: to immunize every child under age five against this crippling disease. Thanks in large part to the initial success of PolioPlus, in 1988 the 166 member states of the World Health Assembly unanimously set the goal of global polio eradication.
At the time, the idea was breathtakingly ambitious, and many called it impossible. Today, we are closer to this goal than ever before, with only a few hundred cases of polio reported per year, and just three remaining endemic countries. We are on track to achieve full eradication by 2018 – if we can keep up the momentum that has brought us this far.
And this month, we will mark World Polio Day on 24 October, and celebrate the 100th anniversary of Dr. Salk's birth.
I ask you all to Light Up Rotary this month by doing whatever you can to shine a spotlight on our efforts to eradicate polio. Call your government officials and let them know that polio eradication matters to you. Go to endpolionow.org for inspiring stories about Rotary's work, and share them on social media. And make the best investment you'll ever make, by donating to polio eradication right on the endpolionow.org website and earning a two-to-one match on your contribution from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
When we eradicate polio – and we will – we'll have brought the world into a better future, and Rotary into a better future as well. We will have proved ourselves, as an organization, capable of great things. And we will have given our children and grandchildren a gift that will endure forever: a polio-free world.
GARY C.K. HUANG
Rotary International President 2014-15
From RGHF’s Our Foundation Newsletter, Nov. 2014
World Polio Day and 100th Anniversary of Dr. Jonas Salk’s Birth
Last Thursday at our October 16 meeting, our very own Dr. Janet Sipple provided a thought provoking update on “Human Trafficking and Rotary’s Response”. Janet educated us on the very dark side of this form of slavery that still exists today and mainly impacts the young and poor among us.
Janet’s presentation previewed this Wednesday (10/22) night’s Sipple Lecture when Dr. Donna Sabella delivers her talk on “Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives” at Moravian College’s Foy Hall at 5:30 PM. Janet encouraged us to arrive in advance of up to 1,200 people eager to hear Dr. Sabella’s remarks. Lots of parking is available under the Main Street overpass and it’s an easy walk to Foy Hall from there.
After Dr. Sabella’s talk, there will be a reception in the Foy Hall Gallery, and then Morning Star Rotarians will adjourn for dinner at The Brick Restaurant on the corner of Broad and New Streets. Join us for dinner whether or not you attended the lecture. If not signed up for dinner, then contact Tom Mohr now so he can modify our reservation with The Brick.
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
Rotary Foundation Seminar on Saturday October 25 at the Double Tree Hotel in King of Prussia. The topic is: GLOBAL GRANTS & DISTRICT GRANTS: OUR FOUNDATION DOING GOOD RIGHT HERE AND IN THE WORLD. So far, Tom Hartzell, Ron Searfoss and Tom and Janet Kolepp will be attending. There is room for more registrants, but you must register now on the District 7430 website. Morning Star will refund the registration upon completion.
Rotary Leadership Institute on Saturday November 8 in Wilkes-Barre. Registration will be refunded by the club upon course completion and car pools will be available. So far, Searfosses, Kolepps and Cheryl Baker are registered. All are welcome. See www.RLInea.org for details and registration for RLI I, II, III or Graduate.
Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday November 9. Chairperson Gary Hartney has distributed tickets and encourages members to recruit sponsors, get in your ads or recognition listings, and line up family and friends to attend.
Join us this Thursday October 23 to hear Kim Schaffer, Executive Director of Community Bike Works speak on “Learning Life Lessons through Bicycle Mechanics”. Kim became Executive Director in 2013 with 20 years of experience in nonprofit and local government management, including nearly 10 years as a senior staff member at the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington, DC. Kim graduated from Lycoming College and received her master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Check out http://www.communitybikeworks.org/ if you would like to learn more about this innovative program in advance of Kim’s presentation.
Membership Objective Reminder: All Morning Star Rotarians play a part in meeting our 2014-2015 objective of increasing net membership by five. If “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member”, we’ll exceed the target.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's "Light Up Rotary" together. Regards. President Tom
The Healthy Rotarian – Spiritual Health as Part of Positive Mental Health
As spiritual human beings, we’re all on our own life journeys to discover and actualize our purpose, potential and passion (the three Ps of successful living). This applies to our family life, community and work environment.
Purpose. Finding what gives your life meaning and purpose
Potential. Actualizing your gifts, talents and abilities to the fullest
Passion. Experiencing excitement and reward in what you do and having a sense of fulfillment
Possibly the most abstract of the various human dimensions, spiritual health is challenging to define, develop and maintain. But this aspect of wellness should not be underestimated. An individual with high levels of spiritual wellness will experience increased physical, social and emotional health. (To be continued)
Nurse Sipple
#14 SPIRITUAL HEALTH as PART of POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
The Healthy Rotarian - #13 – Physical Health as Part of Positive Mental Health(continued)
Focusing on our physical health, and the nutrients our bodies need to maintain that health, can get us through a crisis. Good nutrition and health are important for the foundation of resiliency.
Learn what your triggers are for emotional and comfort eating. Knowing what leads you to emotional eating will help you stop the vicious cycle of overeating because you feel bad and then feeling bad because you overate.
While comfort food may make you feel better temporarily, it won’t solve your problems. A body that receives the right nutrition and exercise can sustain the mind through times of extreme stress. Healthy eating habits such as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and adding more whole grains into our diets strengthen us. (To be continued)
Nurse Sipple
#13 - Physical Health as Part of Positive Mental Health
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
As we converse or communicate in other ways in the world of Rotary, we hear and see many abbreviations (official and unofficial). Feel free to submit inquiries.
AG = Assistant Governor
COG = Council of Governors (PDGs - Past District Governors)
CC = County Contact (Youth Exchange)
DG = The sitting District Governor, the current year.
DGE = District Governor Elect, to be DG the next year
DGN = District Governor Nominee, to be DG the second year
DGND = District Governor Nominee Designate, to be DG the third year
DG Track = Three year preparation time period for DGs
DS = District Secretary
DT = District Trainer
GETS = Governor-Elect Training Seminar - conducted at the Zone level
GSE = Group Study Exchange
IPDG = Immediate Past District Governor
IPP = Immediate Past President (club)
MOP = RI Manual of Procedure, revised every three years
NewGen = New Generations (Interact, Rotaract, Youth Exchange, RLYA)
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS - Applications due Nov. 14
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary has now opened the process for organizations to apply for a Community Development Grant for the 2014-15 Rotary year (7/1/14 – 6/30/15). This year's theme is "Arts & Culture".(The PROJECT, not the organization, needs to focus on Arts & Culture.)
The Request for Proposal “RFP” document outlines the requirements. The RFP has been emailed to past and identified potential grant recipients as well as Morning Star Rotary members, and is available under Downloads at www.morningstarrotary.org .
We invite organizations to submit a proposal by November 14, 2014.
Would you please forward this information to any organization you feel might qualify? Please contact me with any questions.
Yours in Rotary,
Jean Searfoss, Community Development Committee Chair
Last Thursday at our October 9 meeting, Hev Siang delivered a thought provoking speech about how "Your Differences Are the Key to Your Success". Born and educated in Cambodia earning a degree in Architecture, he came to the United States 10 years ago and earned his master's degree in Project Management from Boston University. Hev now has the distinction of being the only male member of the North Philadelphia Madrugadores Rotary Club - so he certainly qualifies as the "most different person” in his club. Hev is an inspirational young fellow – a published author and aspiring public speaker – both in a second language.
Please put the following MSR events on your calendars and find more details on our MSR website:
The Dictionary Projectlabeling and packing on October 14 and 20 at BAPL .
The Sipple Lecture on Human Trafficking on October 22 followed by Fellowship Event at the Brick Restaurant in Bethlehem.
Rotary Foundation Seminar on Saturday October 25 at the DoubleTree Hotel in King of Prussia. The topic is: GLOBAL GRANTS & DISTRICT GRANTS: OUR FOUNDATION DOING GOOD RIGHT HERE AND IN THE WORLD.Morning Star will refund the registration upon completion and Kolepps are organizing carpools.
Rotary Leadership Institute on Saturday November 8 in Wilkes-Barre. Registration will be refunded by the club upon course completion and car pools will be available. So far, Searfosses, Kolepps and Cheryl Baker are registering. All are welcome. See www.RLInea.org for details and registration for RLI I, II, III or Graduate.
Salute the Troops Concerton Sunday November 9. Chairperson Gary Hartney encourages members to recruit sponsors, get in your ads or recognition listings, and line up family and friends for ticket sales.
Your Morning Star Rotary Board held our monthly meeting on October 8. The club is in good shape financially. We made our final donation to the Steven Godbolt Scholarship Fund which was the beneficiary of the 2013 and 2014 golf tournaments. We will contribute to the 2015 Rose Parade Rotary Float. The Community Development Grant process is underway and proposals are due soon. Membership is officially down one, but we anticipate the Isaacs transfer to a club in Columbus, Ohio. Our goal is to increase net membership by five, so we need to recharge our “Every Member Brings a Prospective Member” initiative. The Board decided to conduct a strategic planning process.
Join us this Thursday, October 16 for our own Dr. Janet Sipple’s presentation on “Human Trafficking and Rotary’s Response.”
This will be an informative introduction to The Eighth Annual Janet A. Sipple Lectureship entitled “Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives” to be delivered by Dr. Donna Sabella of Drexel University.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
DICTIONARY Project - Pack Oct. 20, Distribute at Schools
Please save the date of October 20!
We will be stamping and packing the Dictionaries 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Laros Room at the Bethlehem Public Library.
Co-chairs Ellen Roberts and Marianne Aronson will be needing helpers to stamp and pack the books.
Distribution dates will be in November. Everyone who has participated in the past describes the distribution experience as wonderful. When the information comes around, we hope you'll find a spot to volunteer!
And on October 30 our speaker will be Therese Heidenwolf from Lafayette College. She will address Information Literacy Outreach.
Information literacy is the ability to find, evaulate, and use information effectively and efficiently. It includes an understanding of the ways in which information is created, disseminated, and organized in our society.
In today’s information-rich society, all of us at times feel at sea when we’re trying to find information we need. Today’s talk will describe how college students are taught to do library research and why these skills are crucial to their success both in college and beyond.
DICTIONARY PROJECT - Pack Oct. 20, Distribute at Schools
Speaker and Author of “Cash In On Your Differences: How To Turn Your Differences Into Your Most Valuable Assets”
Please join us this Thursday for a very thought provoking presentation. “Now Is the Time to Profit from Your Differences! You are different, and you don’t have to choose to be like someone else while pursuing your dream. Although your similarities with others create your comfort, it is your differences that produce your rewards. Your similarities with others encourage their acceptance of you, but it is your differences that set you apart in many beneficial ways….”
The Healthy Rotarian - #12 – Flu Season is Coming! Get Ready!
It’s not possible to predict what the 2014-15 flu season will be like. Flu seasons are unpredictable. While flu spreads every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season usually varies from one season to another. Flu viruses are constantly changing so it's not unusual for new flu viruses to appear each year. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season. People should begin getting vaccinated soon after flu vaccine becomes available, ideally by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins. In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu. It’s possible to get sick with the flu even if you have been vaccinated (although you won’t know for sure unless you get a flu test). For more details go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2014-2015.htm
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Having caught our breath from the extraordinary MOM-n-PA Project and a successful 5K / 10K Race, we turn our attention to our fall schedule which includes:
This Thursday’s District 7430 Golf Tournament - Do we have any golfers attending?
The Dictionary Project starting with Dictionary labeling and packing on October 14 and 20.
The Sipple Lecture on Human Trafficking on October 22 followed by Fellowship Event at the Brick Restaurant in Bethlehem.
A great opportunity to learn about the Rotary Foundation on October 25 at the Rotary Foundation Seminar. (Kolepps plan to go; offering car pool to King of Prussia.)
Preparation and Ticket sales for our Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday November 9.
Last Thursday, we had an informative talk by Melinda Stumpf about PPL and how our electric utility is improving its service record through better right of way maintenance and investment in advanced switching technologies. Melinda also encouraged us to “shop for our power” and told us more about this money saving opportunity.
Over the weekend, Ron and Jean Searfoss attended RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute Level II) in Harrisburg – check in with them about their experience and what they learned – then sign up for RLI on November 8 in Wilkes-Barre.
Also, on Sunday afternoon, Rick and Molly Santee, John St. Clair and Janet and Tom Kolepp attended the “Tastes and Tunes” fundraising event sponsored by Bethlehem Rotary Club at Hotel Bethlehem. Bethlehem Rotary hopes to top the $30,000 they raised last year through this ticket sale and auction event which benefits Lehigh Valley veterans. Rick not only attended the event, but was an integral part of the “tunes” as the strolling accordion player.
Join us this Thursday October 9 for Hev Siang speaking to us about how "Your Differences Are the Key to Your Success". Hev is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and Rotarian – a member of the North Philadelphia Madrugadores Rotary Club which is a Latina y Latino breakfast club. Since Morning Star is a very “different” Rotary Club filled with some very “different” members, Hev will help us discern how our differences can lead us to great success as we “Light Up Rotary” in 2014 – 2015.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
p.s. Reminder to Board Members of Board Meeting on Wednesday evening October 8 at 6:00 PM in the Board Room at Moravian Village.
Our own Dr. Janet Sipple is hosting the 8th Sipple Lecture on Wednesday October 22 at 5:30 PM.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING GLOBAL AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES
FOY HALL, MAIN STREET CAMPUS, MORAVIAN COLLEGE
What an opportunity for Morning Star Rotary to support our member, learn more about this international problem, identify for future endeavors if this is also a local challenge in our community as well as educating ourselves so that we can Light Up Rotary.
We will be listed as a sponsor of this event with special seating at the lecture and we are also invited to meet and greet at the reception immediately following the Lecture. The Lectures are open to all students and members of the Lehigh Valley Community. Contributions to the endowment fund may be sent to the Office of Development, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 or made online at www.moravian.edu/giving if you choose to do so.
Following the reception we can all continue our fellowship at the Brick on the first floor of the Bank of America building at the corner of N. New and E. Broad Street’s.
To set the stage and wet our appetite the guest speaker at our Club meeting on Thursday, October 16 will introduce us to Human Trafficking.
Please let us know if you will attend the Lecture and avail yourselves of the fellowship that will follow.
Sign-up sheets will be available at the Club meetings preceding the Lecture.
Yours truly,
Tom Mohr
Fellowship Chair
Oct 22 FELLOWSHIP AT AND FOLLOWING THE SIPPLE LECTURE
Juan Proaño advises that the $18,500 contributed by 5 clubs in District 7430 (including $2,000 by Bethlehem Morning Star), resulted in a 2013-14 Rotary Foundation Global Grant of $39,450. Three water filtration distributions have been made so far, and several Rotarians from our District are going to Peru to participate in the next one on November 8. (If you are interested in joining them, please email me for Juan’s contact info.) It is heartwarming that our efforts will help provide access to clean water for drinking and cooking to more than 5,000 people living within the poverty belt that surrounds Lima, Peru for the next 3 years!
The Healthy Rotarian – #11 How to Achieve Positive Mental Health
Strong family relationships are vital to overall health. However, there is no perfect family or perfect relationship. The key to wellness is how you handle problems and support one another. There will inevitably be times when stress, adversity or trauma negatively affect your sense of well-being. During these difficult times, it is healthy, and advisable, to seek support and guidance. Sharing your challenges and problems with someone can lead to greater insight. You may think “how can a therapist understand my spouse and our relationship?” Actually, an outside person can often offer a valuable perspective that can only be gained through objectivity. Families may also benefit from educational materials that aid in improving overall health and well-being. Maintaining physical health means employing preventive practices including good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and regular medical and dental check-ups. Each area is important on its own, but positive improvements are even more powerful when they are combined. Like the attentive gardener, you must know the correct ways to feed and maintain your body so that it can thrive. (To be continued)
If you signed up but are now unable to serve, we will appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Could we be any busier here in Morning Star Rotary during September? Three days of the MOM-n-PA Dental Clinic on the heels of official approval of our District Grant . . . 5K / 10 K Race readiness including race bag stuffing, sponsor recruiting, t-shirt design contest, food preparation, course layout, chip timing setup . . . Red Badge to Blue Badge ceremony . . . member sponsor awards . . . race bag pickup . . . and finally . . . RACE DAY . . . including setup, successful event and cleanup. Just writing that run on sentence tired me out!!
At our September 25 meeting, Dr. Charlie Incalcaterra provided a rundown on the results of the MOM-n-PA Clinic which he described as “exhausting, but exhilarating”. Most impressively, the two day clinic served 2,047 patients and provided dental services in excess of $1 million in value. The 2015 clinic has already been scheduled for next May. Charlie reported that MSR was well represented by our volunteers, including Charlie, yours truly and the following folks:
Ginny Wolkoff
Dee Elliott
Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Rafael de la Hoz
Lynn Milet
Jean Searfoss
Ron Searfoss
Val Walk
Janet Sipple
Ron Helmuth
Charlotte Hartmann- Hansen
Cheryl Baker
Susan Burnett
Janet Kolepp
(If I missed anyone, let me know)
Last Thursday, we officially “Blue Badged” six of our members - Shawn Deiter, Jan Chicka, Janet Westlund, Alex Shnaydruk, Iryna Levytska and Steve Bajan. Membership Chairs Jessica Elliott and Rick Santee splurged on a bit of the bubbly for all the new Blues in recognition of Steve Bajan’s almost eternal Red Badge status. Congratulations to our new Blue Badges – we look forward to “lighting Up Rotary” with all of you!
The Membership Committee also honored those MSR members who have sponsored members over the last year with new pins with colored backers signifying the number of members sponsored. Honorees and number of members sponsored included: Jean Searfoss (4); Ginny Wolkoff (2); Tom Kolepp (2); Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen (1); Ellen Roberts (1); and Tom Mohr (1).
On Friday and Saturday, the plethora of activities being coordinated by Race Director Jeff Kicska, Assistant Race Director Wayne Achey and the various committee members was mind boggling. Friday morning the tents went up next to Old York Road and in the afternoon race packets were being picked up by the Illichs Mill pool. By 3AM, Rotarians were making coffee and assembling the “stuff” needed to host 600 runners. By 5 AM, the race site was filled with Rotarians engaged in setup activities. By 6:30 AM, race participants began to arrive. At 8 AM, the starting pistol sounded and the chip timing team was on-line. By 11AM, we were done – awards given, site cleaned up, trash in the bins and tables and chairs going back to Leisers.
Whew !! What a whirlwind. The list of contributors to making this race a success is too long to include in the bulletin. You all know who you are. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding Service Above Self required to successfully complete this great annual event.
While we catch our breath before plunging headlong into our Dictionary Project and into ticket sales and sponsorship acquisition for the Salute the Troops Concert on November 9, please join the club for our October Fellowship Event on October 22. It’s the Annual Sipple lecture at Moravian College and this year’s topic of “Human Trafficking” should be of interest to every Rotarian as we strive for peace. Please see the Fellowship Committee announcement on the website for all the details.
Please join us for our October 2 meeting to hear Melinda Stumpf, Regional Affairs Director at PPL, tell us about “Improvements to the PPL System.” It should be a great opportunity to reflect on how essential reliable electrical service is to our modern lives. (The 5K / 10K Race “Coffee Team” and “Chip Timing Team” both know that their job is impossible without circuit breakers that stay on!)
Looking forward to this weekend, those of you attending RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) in Harrisburg should have your registrations in by now. We will huddle on Thursday morning to arrange ride sharing.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's continue to "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
Please join us for these celebrations, breakfast cheer and warm MSR fellowship!
SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS - RED TO BLUE BADGES SPONSOR RECOGNITION MOM-n-PA Update – Dr. Incalcaterra will provide an update on the success of the dental clinic.
After many months of preparation Race Director, Jeff Kicska and the MSR race committee are ready to hit the trails. The race this year will feature professional timing and scoring facilities. As President Kolepp raises the cry "All Hands On Deck" it is time for ALL of us to Light Up Rotary(we start setup at 5AM) and make this event a resounding success. With registrations approaching record levels, an outstanding course and the state of the art timing and scoring equipment, we really need course marshals and supporting personnel! We ask you to help and to bring family, friends and students (community service credit!) if possible on Saturday.
SATURDAY SEPT. 27 - RACE DAY!!!
Where: Start/Finish and Registration is on Old York Road - enter from Union Boulevard behind the Senior Centers.
When: 5:00 AM Setup Begins
6:30 AM Registrations and Race Packet Pickup Open
8:00 AM Race Begins
9:30 AM Awards and Raffle Prize Giveaway
Followed by clean-up!
All Volunteers - Come early and ask at Registration where you can assist. Thank you!
If that doesn't provide the answers you need, then please call Race Director Jeff Kicska at 484-542-2204. With about 500+ registrants to date, he is VERY busy - so we ask that you contact him only if really necessary.
BAG STUFFING
Special thanks to all Rotarians participating last Thursday. Circled the tables, stuffed the bags and MSR fellowship!
Toenail fungus, or onychomycosis, is an infection underneath the surface of the nail caused by fungi. The nail often becomes darker in color and smells foul. Debris may collect beneath the nail plate, white marks frequently appear on the nail and the infection is capable of spreading to other toenails, the skin, or even the fingernails. Bed and bathroom partners may spread the fungi between direct contact. Unless treated, the infection can spread and possibly impair your ability to work or even walk. The resulting thicker nails are difficult to trim and make walking painful when wearing shoes. Onychomycosis can also be accompanied by a secondary bacterial or yeast infection in or about the nail plate. The fungus grows best in moist, damp, dark places such as feet in closed shoes with sweaty feet, dirty socks worn over and over without washing, failure to bathe and dry feet/shoes. Those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, circulatory problems, or immune-deficiency are especially prone to fungal nails. Toenail fungus is often ignored because the infection can be present for years without causing any pain. The disease is characterized by a progressive change in a toenail's quality and color, which is often ugly and embarrassing.
A daily routine of cleansing over a period of months may temporarily suppress mild infections. White markings that appear on the surface of the nail can be filed off, followed by the application of an over-the-counter antifungal agent. Even the best over-the-counter treatments may not prevent a fungal infection from coming back. You should visit a podiatrist when you notice any discoloration, thickening, or deformity of your toenails. The earlier you seek professional treatment, the greater your chance at getting your nails to clear. Treatments may vary, depending on the nature and severity of the infection. Your podiatrist can detect a fungal infection early, culture the nail, determine the cause, and form a treatment plan, which may include prescribing topical or oral medication, and debridement of an infected nail. Proper hygiene and regular inspection of the feet and toes are the first lines of defense against fungal nails. Clean and dry feet resist disease. Laser treatment of the fungal nail has become popular and successful. Most mild cases can be effective with one laser treatment costing approximately $100. Have a question? Go to http://toenail-fungus.org
Our September 11 club meeting was a lively visit by our current District 7430 Governor Gary Fedorcha. Gary's theme is "Light Up Rotary Through Education" and he did a fine job of educating us - especially about our own organization. He made three main points about Rotary. First, Rotarians must identify ourselves by wearing our Rotary pins everywhere we go, announcing our projects with bigger signs, and getting the Rotary word out in our community. Second, Rotary has changed meeting attendance requirements to fifty percent of meetings and Rotarians can use their Rotary service hours as credit towards meeting attendance. Third, Rotary is encouraging clubs to find alternative ways to attract members, including satellite clubs. Gary wrapped up his presentation by lighting a candle and asking all of us to pledge to wear our pins and let people know we are proud to be Rotarians. (FYI: the attendance and the satellite club provisions are included in the revised Rotary constitution which Morning Star adopted in May, 2014.)
Governor Gary's official visit concluded with our annual Governor's visit to our Board meeting with Officers and Directors in attendance. Gary gave Morning Star a good review indicating that we have met all our reporting requirements, are properly organized and are giving great service to our community.
Our next meeting on September 18 will be "Race Bag Stuffing Day" and Jeff Kicska will have things organized for a day of bag stuffing, fellowship and breakfast cheer.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Let's "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
p.s. The MOM-n-PA Project was absolutely outstanding. Please refer to pictures elsewhere in the bulletin.
The 2014 Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) hosted by D7390 is being held on
Saturday, October 4th , 2014.
at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg East
4751 Lindle Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111
For registrations and other scheduled RLI sessions offered in the Fall of 2014 go to www.rlinea.com.
Please register early. The important thing is to REGISTER! You won't be disappointed.
Morning Star has selected this date and location since our District 7430 sessions occur on September 27 -the same date as our RACE!
Morning Star will reimburse MSR attendees for the full tuition!!!
See www.rlinea.com for curriculum, registration and directions.
Please register before September 29, 2014.
If you need additional information please feel free to call or email Ron Searfoss 610-504-1460 rsearfos@ptd.net
Morning Star and Rotary were well represented. MSR Rotarians included Cheryl Baker, Raphael DeLaHoz, Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, Ron Helmuth, Charlie Incalcaterra, Tom & Janet Kolepp, Janet Sipple, Barb Seifert-Simon and Ron & Jean Searfoss. (Apologies if anyone missed....this was a 3-day project from the weee hours of the morning and all day!)
What an incredible example of Service Above Self!!!
Our September 4 meeting was an apiarian delight with that "bee geek" ("beek" for short) Sharon Jones Zondag, Executive Director of the Laros Foundation, bee-guiling us on the topic of "Why Bees Matter and Why They Matter Now More than Ever." Sharon is a third generation bee keeper and a real honey with a serious bee in her bonnet about all things connected with hives, queens and drones. She educated us on the ecological and economic importance of bees, especially in pollination of food bearing plants. Sharon provided information about the classes she teaches at NCC, encouraged us to learn more about this important niche in our ecosystem and even brought sample honey from the NCC hives.
The MOM-n-PA Dental Clinic is here - this Thursday, Friday and Saturday September 11-13 at AgHall in Allentown. Volunteer registration is officially closed, but the website indicates volunteers can still register on-site on the day of the event. Registered volunteers can visit the website for frequently asked questions and answers at http://www.mom-n-pa.com/volunteer-faqs/. Volunteers for Thursday set up are still needed - just show up and register. Feel free to address any questions to Charlie Incalcaterra. All volunteers are requested to wear Morning Star or other Rotary logo wear and your Rotary pin.
This week's meeting on September 11 will be District Governor Gary Fedorcha's official visit. Gary will be presenting the program, connecting us to the "big picture" of Rotary International and District 7430. Our formal meeting will be followed by a short Board Meeting chaired by Gary and Tom K. All Officers and Directors are urged to attend.
REMINDER TO BOARD MEMBERS:We have a regularly scheduled MSR Board meeting on Wednesday evening at 6PM, then as per above, we meet again with Governor Gary after Thursday morning's regular meeting.
I remind you all to wear your Rotary pin every day as a way to
create awareness of our organization. In District 7430 during the
governorship of PDG Frank, we began looking at establishing a
Public Relations Committee, and we are continuing to work
toward that goal. We recognize the need to communicate more
with each other - sharing what we do, inviting each other to
attend our functions, and even partnering to accomplish more.
We need to provide more awareness about what Rotary is and
does, not only around the world, but right here in our
communities. We need more and bigger signs on our projects. We
need to share all we do with local news media, Facebook, Twitter,
and websites. We need to constantly educate ourselves and our
members to look at alternative ways to meet the needs of our
membership and our future members. Education is the Key to Rotary’s future.
LIGHT UP ROTARY THROUGH EDUCATION!
District Governor Gary
Sharon Jones Zondag, the Northampton Community College beekeeper is a 4th generation "Beek". Growing up with bees, (her father is in his fifth decade of beekeeping and at 85 continues to be her #1 mentor. Every beekeeper needs one!) Join us for this very interesting presentation and learn "Why Bees Matter Now MORE than Ever!"
On August 28, David Roth, Executive Director of Moravian Village, presented a very informative program about BAM (Bethlehem Area Moravians) with special focus on the healthcare facilities owned and managed by the regional Moravian Church. We had a great turnout to hear David and we took the opportunity to thank him for the great service provided by the Moravian Village staff at our weekly meetings.
One of our guests was young Isabel Burnett; she has participated in several Rotary service projects with her Mom Susan, Dad Ron and her sisters. We were also joined by Lynn Milet who submitted her new member application listing Ginny Wolkoff as her sponsor.
Volunteer registration is officially closed for the MOM-n-PA clinic on September 12th & 13th. Registered volunteers can visit the website for frequently asked questions and answers at http://www.mom-n-pa.com/volunteer-faqs/. The MOM-n-PA website indicates that it is still possible for volunteers to register on-site on the day of the event. Feel free to address any questions to Charlie Incalcaterra.
A rundown on last week's meeting would be incomplete without a quick admission of a few extraordinary glitches that we overcame just in time for David Roth's presentation. For the life of me, I could not connect my laptop to the projector - so no rolling announcements. Connectivity also eluded the crack technology team of Robin Metzler, Jeff Kicska and Ron Helmuth. Ron played presentation messiah by obtaining his laptop from his car - and voila - instant connectivity. All would have proceeded perfectly from there had I not flubbed David's introduction by calling him "Michael" due to some inexplicable synaptic asynchronicity. Oh well, please forgive the imperfect parliamentary prowess of your present President! (Ed. probably means future vacations may be in jeopardy!)
Our September 4 meeting will feature Sharon Jones Zondag, Executive Directror of the Laros Foundation, informing Morning Star Rotary about "Why Bees Matter and Why They Matter Now More than Ever." (See story below). Reminder: on September 11, District Governor Gary Fedorcha will make his official visit so mark your calendar so that you do not forget this special event. (Officers and Directors should plan to attend the Governor's meeting with the Board immediately following the close of our 9/11/14 meeting.)
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
It was another fun and inspiring Morning Star Rotary Thursday morning meeting on August 21.
We celebrated August birthdays with Tom Mohr as the 'birthday meister'. Most notably, a "Fossil of the Month" opted for a chocolate Rotary wheel over a dinosaur.
Ms. Cathy Heimsoth, the Executive Director of Traditions of Hanover, presented an inspirational program on "Living a Vibrant Life." Cathy talked about the benefits of living in community and she was very complimentary of our MSR culture of supportive fun and living by the Four Way Test. Cathy also shared her personal story of surviving cancer as a mother of five children and how her choices and motivation carried her through this difficult time. We look forward to seeing Cathy again in the spring when we do our once per year meeting at Traditions.
Charlie Incalcaterra wants everyone to know that registration for volunteers for MOM-n-PA project closes on August 31. Help is needed on Thursday September 11 for set up. Translators, Patient Ambassadors, and Parking Attendants & Security Monitors are needed for both Friday and Saturday. Patient Ambassadors and Translators continue to be the biggest need. Visit the MOM-n-PA website or our MSR website for registration details.
Please attend our next meeting on August 28 when David Roth, Executive Director of Moravian Village, presents a program on Healthcare Facilities Managed by the Regional Moravian Church. David is also our "host" for our weekly meetings, so let's turn out to support him.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Adult Immunization. Most of us think that once we have come through adolescents that we no longer need vaccines to protect us from communicable diseases. Below is a link to the recommended schedule of vaccines for adults. Please check your status and talk with your primary provider about updating your immunizations. For further information go to http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/adult.html
What a busy week: Libations at the Library, regular monthly Board Meeting, Annual Meeting of the Morning Star Charitable Organization, Club Assembly with a Twist during regular meeting time and Saturday's first production use of Morning Star Rotary's (MSR) new chip timing system.
Our "Libations at the Library Fellowship Event" held Tuesday August 12 was a wine tasting led by Tom Bailey followed by a program about the multiplicity of library programs available to all with a library card. Mr. Bailey's vintages included: Peccorino (Italy), Petite Sirah (Lodi), Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain) and a very nice Pinot Noir. The library's on-line demonstration showed the breadth of the resources available remotely including: downloadable music, foreign language learning, investor research, and easy e-books for beginning readers. Development Director Lisa Holzinger, Outreach Librarian Regina Kochmaruk and Library Director Josh Berk led us through a Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) knowledge game with winners taking home prizes, including Rick and Molly Santee and Annika, our exchange student.
On Wednesday August 13, we held the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of our Board of Directors. Official business included filing the MSR Semi-Annual Report with RI for 60 members and the approval of our secretary and treasurer reports. Once a year, we hold a meeting of the club's charitable organization 501c3 to conduct official business. We use the 501c3 for all of our charitable fund raising and disbursement. Administratively, our club is on track to give our report to Governor Gary Fedorcha during his September 11 Official Visit.
At our Thursday August 14 meeting, Cheryl Baker led the invocation and celebrated the fellowship of Rotary while weaving in her news that Radio Disney is closing their stations and she is losing her job. (Let's rally around Cheryl through her job search.) The "Club Assembly with a Twist" was a fun way to jump start committees for the program year. There was a lot of energy in the room and everyone was charged up for Rotary service.
On Saturday August 15, the MSR 5K / 10K "Chip Timing Crew" volunteered to time the Palmer Community Days 5K with all proceeds benefiting the Miracle League of Northampton County. Under the leadership of our Race Director Jeff Kicska, Morning Star Rotarians Dee Elliott, Alex Schnadruk, Iryna Levytska, Robin Metzler and Tom Kolepp were joined by a young techie named Chris (who works with Robin) to successfully time the race. The new chip timing system performed like a charm. Thanks to Jeff and Robin for all their work ordering, assembling and tuning up the chip timing system. We are looking forward to the first MSR Celtic Classic 5K / 10K with chip timing run by our own club members!! (I think Jeff deserves a service champion award. He has a new baby and is race director of two races within six weeks of each other - wow! His wife Mary was also in charge of the food for the race. Let’s hear it for the Kicskas.)
If you have not already done so, please sign-up for the MOM-n-PA Mission on September 11, 12 or 13 and reserve the morning of Saturday September 27 to volunteer at the 5K / 10 K Race. These events need the active support of all members - there is a role for everyone to play. Bring your family and friends to the Race to help - it's a great way to introduce prospective new members to Morning Star.
Please attend our next meeting on August 21 when Ms. Cathy Heimsoth - the Executive Director of Traditions of Hanover - tells us about "Living A Vibrant Life." The program will be preceded by Tom Mohr acknowledging birthdays through August with the customary frivolity and chocolate.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Aug 14 – Working Committees Meeting – Club Assembly with a Committee Twist!
Committee chairs are asked to contact their members, and have a bullet list of items to discuss.
Committee Members, Committee Assignments and Committee Descriptions are available under the Download section on the first page of the Bulletin and MSR Website.
Sleep matters to immune function, metabolism, memory, learning and other vital functions. While there are still mysteries about “why” we sleep, it is clear to sleep scientists that sleep’s potential role in memory and health is particularly relevant to life in the 21st century. Tips for healthy sleep
Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals (pain relievers) that Interfere with Sleep
Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment (quiet, dark, cool)
Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine
Go to Sleep When You’re Truly Tired
Don’t Be a Nighttime Clock-Watcher
Use Light to Your Advantage
Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Our August 7, 2014 meeting was filled with "shades of things to come" - and exciting things they are.
Our speaker, Dr. Charlie Incalcaterra, gave us the full introduction to the Mission of Mercy in Pennsylvania (MOM-n-PA) organization and the MOM-n-PA Mission scheduled for Friday September 12 and Saturday September 13, 2014. Charlie reminded us that last year's Philadelphia mission served 1,820 patients and provided about $850,000 in donated dental services. This free, no questions asked clinic is sponsored by several Rotary clubs including MSR, Downtown Bethlehem and Warrington. MSR is donating $1,500 and Warrington is the sponsor of the multi-club District Grant.
Charlie reminded us that there are many unfilled volunteer positions and demonstrated how easy it is to register at http://www.mom-n-pa.com/volunteer-information/. (or click on download on the right). "Patient Ambassadors" and "Spanish Speakers" are especially needed. Charlie also indicated that help is needed on Thursday September 11 for set-up.
Another exciting event was the introduction of Annika, our Rotary exchange student from Helsinki Finland. Annika is seventeen years old, speaks excellent English and will be attending Liberty High School. The Kolepp's are Annika's first host parents and Carl Kolepp visited our meeting to welcome her.
Remember that Tuesday August 12 is our "Libations at the Library" fellowship and prospective member event. See the event section for more information and see you there starting at 5:30 PM. I bet Ginny Wolkoff will bring Lyn Milet who was Ginny's guest at our August 7 meeting.
MSR All Hands on Deck Notice: Please reserve Saturday September 27 on your calendar - meet us at sunup to prepare for the Morning Star Rotary Celtic Classic 5K /10 K race.
Notice to Board Members: Remember our regularly scheduled Board Meeting is this Wednesday August 13 at 6PM at Moravian Village.
If you are visiting or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Now that an amazing "rain free" Musikfest is over, let's "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
Libations and Fellowship at the Library August 12!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) to Host Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary
11 West Church Street
Laros Room (Second Floor)
Please join Morning Star Rotary and BAPL for an evening at the Library, capped off by wine tasting and hors d’houvres in the Laros Room! This will be a fine opportunity to observe first-hand the results of the support funding from our joint Rotary Golf Tournaments of 2011 & 2012. There will be a presentation by Liza Holzinger, Public Relations Manager & Director of Development, sometime between 6:30-7 PM. She will address what is new at the library, the Room To Grow project and how Morning Star interacts with the Library with the Dictionary Project.
Following Q&A interested parties may wish to head downtown for dinner and fellowship.
Cost is $5 per person for Rotarians & spouses. Please consider inviting prospective members to join us to experience this wonderful facility and for fellowship. (Bonus - No cost for prospective members!) Parking available in the city underground lot with easy access to Library lower entrance.
Libations and Fellowship at the Library August 12!
You and your Club are Invited to meet the new Rotary International President Gary C.K Huang 2014-15 at Strike-Out Hunger Night, Wednesday, August 6th and Dinner, Thursday, August 7th. To download and view the attachment, please click on the link below: StrikeOut Hunger 2014 Dinner D7430 Rev2.pdf
GREAT NEWS!
In appreciation for our 30th Annual Strike-Out Hunger the Phillies will now be giving back to the Rotary Foundation “$9.00 on EVERY ticket” sold. Each participating Club/District will receive RI Credits that can be applied to PolioPlus or Annual Giving and be used for Paul Harris Fellow Awards. And to make it even better, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be matching 2 for 1 each dollar raised for PolioPlus. That’s $9+$18= $27 for the Rotary Foundation on every ticket. This is an easy way to get credits and raise money for the Rotary Foundation.
The 30th Annual Strike-Out Hunger:
Strike-Out Hunger is a regional event involving over 200 Rotary Clubs in seven Districts in PA, NJ, DE and MD. Thanks to the Phillies organization, the Rotary Foundation has benefited by over $855,000 to help eradicate Polio, plus TONS of food have been contributed to local Food banks.
Good Seats are Still Available!
There are still good seats available in the 100, 200, 300 and 400 Levels; from $17 to $33 each. Let’s make this 30th Anniversary the year we break the $1 Million raised mark and show The Foundation what Delaware Valley Rotarians can do. Remember, even the $17 ticket raises $27 for PolioPlus and the Rotary Foundation.
Meet the Rotary International President at Dinner:
Welcome the RI President at the Strike-Out Hunger Dinner. Join District Governors, Club Presidents, Rotarians and the Phillies own Scott Palmer for a casual “Baseball” dinner. This is an opportunity to get a photo with the RI President or present any Paul Harris Fellowship Awards. There will be lots of prizes and surprises. The Dinner will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cherry Hill, and is Only $35/person. There will also, be a “Strike-Out Hunger Special” rate for overnight guests.
I Need Your Help.
I need your help and support in getting your Club involved to sell Phillies tickets. I also need your support by attending the Strike-Out Hunger Dinner. This is a rare opportunity to meet the new RI President and other Rotarians from the tri-state area. I GUARANTEE it will be FUN.
We are taking TICKET ORDERS, RESERVATIONS and PAYMENT only until July 10th. Seats are limited, so please review the attached flyer and call or email me all your requests. I am always available to answer any questions.
For anyone planning a make-up at Downtown this week PLEASE NOTE
The Meeting on August 6th promises to be exciting, as it will be at Musikfest!
Location: Backstage Lounge (same location as last year, behind the Sands Steel Stage)
Time and Cost: Same as our usual meeting; checks payable to Bethlehem Rotary
Parking: ArtsQuest Member Parking (Steel, ArtsQuest Circle lot). Enter from the 2nd Street entrance, and attendant will give you a parking pass. (same lot as last year)
The Healthy Rotarian – Series #7 Know Your Numbers?
The American Heart Association initiated the Know Your Numbers campaign to help you understand the importance of knowing and monitoring your most significant health indicators, such as
*Target numbers differ among authorities, check with your health care provider for their recommended targets for you.
Most of us struggle to reach and maintain these targets, but keep in mind the objective is to strive for wellness rather than wait till disease strikes and then engage in treatment. It is never too early or too late to begin your effort to capture wellness…Never, never give up! There are many tools to assist your personal tracking of numbers by going to http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/ Have a question? Send it along and I will research it. All information is document by scientific research if you wish those references just let me know.
Aug 7 MOM-n-PA Dental Project Update - All Hands on Deck!
This Thursday our own Dr. Charlie Incalcaterrawill present an update of “MOM-n-PA,” or Mission of Mercy in PA.
Morning Star is one of the lead Rotary clubs supporting this effort through a 2014-15 District Grantfor a select portion of the project.
Members have enthusiastically embraced Morning Star support for this effort – both financially and with ‘sweat equity.’
As President Tom stated This is an "all hands on deck" event!
This annual two-day free dental clinic will take place on September 12-13, 2014 at the Agri-Plex at the Fairgrounds in Allentown, serving “Dentistry with a Heart” to people from all around the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Registration is open at the MOM-n-PA website. Please sign up for a volunteer role.
Think of this as a mini Rotaplast project for teeth!
Aug 7 Program - Dr. Incalcaterra - MOM-n-PA Dental Initiative Update
The July 31 meeting of Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary celebrated our Community Grants program. Peter Brown, Executive Director from the American Red Cross, provided us with an overview of Red Cross programs, particularly the "Free Night Out to Reconnect" program which MSR helped fund through our 2013-2014 Community Grants.
"Free Night Out to Reconnect" provides service members returning from deployment a getaway evening. It is typically a gift certificate funding a dinner at a local restaurant with their spouse or significant other. To entertain other family members, the Red Cross provides baby sitting and other kids’ related activities. Peter also described other programs for both deployed and returning veterans. These struck a chord with some of MSR's vets who shared the good work Red Cross did for them during their military service.
Peter was introduced by Desty Bonstein. Peter and Desty were formerly banking industry colleagues and they served together on the Red Cross board.
Please attend the August 7 meeting when our own Dr. Charles Incalcaterra gives an inspiring presentation on our Club's District Grant project for 2014-15 the MOM-n-PA Dental Mission of Mercy. Morning Star Rotary is one of the lead Rotary clubs supporting this effort.
The MOM-n-PA Dental Mission will be held on September 12 and 13 at the Allentown Fairgrounds Ag Hall. Registration is open at the MOM-n-PA website. Please sign up for a volunteer role.
Our next social event is the "Wine Tasting at the Library" from 5:30 - 8:00 PM on August 12. Prospective members are free and MSR members are only $5.00.This is the perfect opportunity to introduce someone to Rotary, especially during August which is "Rotary Membership Month" across all of Rotary International.
The current plan is that, Annika, our Rotary Exchange Student from Finland, will arrive in Bethlehem this week. The Kolepps will be her first host family and we encourage all Rotarians to welcome her and take part in making her year a positive and memorable experience.
If you are visiting town, visiting our website, or want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Wishing you all the best during Bethlehem's Musikfest week. Enjoy the music and "Light Up Rotary". Regards. President Tom
The Healthy Rotarian – Series # 6 Muscle Strengthening
In addition to the 30 minutes of daily exercise, national guidelines recommend strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest abdomen, shoulders and arms) at least twice a week. One set including 8-12 repetitions of the same movement per session is effective. Muscles need at least 48 hours to recover between strength training sessions. A few tips
Warm up and cool down for 5-10 minutes
Focus on form and smooth movement, beginning with light or no weight, then work up with the amount of weight
Work at the right tempo which helps you stay in control, count to 3 while lowering a weight, hold, then count to 3 while raising it to the starting position.
Pay attention to your breathing during these exercises. Exhale as you work against resistance by lifting, pushing, or pulling; inhale as you release.
Keep challenging muscles by slowly increasing weight or resistance.
Peter Brown, Executive Director of the American Red Cross will speak on the program our Morning Star grant is supporting: "Free Night Out to Reconnect".
Our July 24 meeting of Morning Star Rotary was an ode to Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) or as we call them in District 7430 “Camp Neidig”. RYLA District Committee Co-Chair Charlie Incalcaterra introduced the history of RYLA and how he got involved. (Someone extended a personal invitation to participate – hint, hint – invite your first prospective member of the year to our next meeting or to the “Libations at the Library” fellowship event on August 12.) Charlie also talked about the planning the District Committee does to hold a successful camp each year and encouraged all MSR members to learn more at www.campneidig.com.
MSR Camp Neidig members Rick Morrissey and John St. Clair spoke about their involvement with the Committee and the increase in MSR support for RYLA by sending four – not the traditional three – rising seniors to Camp Neidig this year.
Matthew Connor, one of our Camp Neidig participants, told us about his experiences at camp. Matt was accompanied to the meeting by his parents. (The other three participants were at other camps or on trips; we hope to hear from them sometime in the fall.)
Betty and McGehee Isaacs attended their last MSR meeting before the movers came to pack up and move them to Columbus, Ohio. We all wish them our best and they are welcome back anytime – as guests and as members if they ever move back to the Lehigh Valley.
The club is still in need of a host family for Annika, our Finnish exchange student. Annika will be arriving in NYC on August 4 with all the other Finnish exchange students. On August 7, a representative from MSR will bring her back to Bethlehem. Please contact your friends with high school students at Liberty about this great opportunity to share your home and life with an exchange student. Also, we need a volunteer to pick up Annika. Please call Janet Kolepp or me with hosting leads or to volunteer to pick up Annika.
Don’t hesitate to contact Tom Bailey or Tom Mohr to sign up for “Libations at the Library” on August 12. It’s only $5 per Rotarian and prospective members are free.
By the time our next meeting rolls around, it’s less than two months to both the MOM-n-PA Dental Clinic on September 12-13 and the MSR Celtic Classic 5K / 10K Run on September 27. These are “all hands on deck” events – please mark your calendars and identify friends and prospective members as volunteers for these worthwhile events.
If anyone has questions about Rotary International or our Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary Club, please contact me at tkolepp@gmail.com or at 484-241-1251.
Have a great week as you “Light Up Rotary”. TK
The National Institutes of Health recommend the TLC (Therapeutic Life Change ) dietary program as a basis for healthy eating. The principles of the daily TLC program include the following:
Total calories: adjusted with exercise to attain/maintain healthy body weight
Saturated Fats: < 7 % of total calories, e.g. animal food sources
Total fats: 25-35% of total calories
Polyunsaturated fats – up to 10% of daily total fat limit, e.g. plant based foods
Monounsaturated fats – up to 20% of daily total fat limit, e.g. legumes, nuts (lowest)
Cholesterol intake below 200 milligrams, e.g. mac & cheese, hamburgers, ice cream
Sodium: limited to 2400 milligram, e.g. choose fresh/frozen not canned, read labels on products
Follow dietary plan daily + minimum of 30 minutes exercise
Our July 17 meeting was filled with fun and fellowship - celebrations of all sorts in mid-July.
Celebrating the newest in our midst - Jeff Kicska and wife Mary Postma formally introduced us to the youngest member of our Morning Star Rotary (MSR) family - Master Andrew Kicska! The Kicskas are just one month into Project Andrew, but already both Mother Mary and Daddy Jeff are in the parenting groove. We look forward to watching Andrew grow up with MSR - like so many of our sons and daughters have done before.
Celebrating a "Rotary retirement", Assistant Governor (AG) Janet Kolepp presented Outgoing AG Marianne Aronson with a gift in commemoration of Marianne's several years of AG service to the District. Marianne's service was unique because she served as AG in two different Areas within District 7430. We look forward to having all of Marianne's experience right here in Morning Star. It was also fitting that Marianne received her recognition while her sister, Terry Pucciarelli was visiting for the second week in a row from Arizona.
Celebrating Morning Star birthdays, the loquacious Mr. Tom Mohr led the recognition of June and July birthdays, awarding a "Fossil of the Month" to John St. Clair and a "Young Pup of the Month" to Jan Chicka.
Celebrating a long awaited "Red Badge, Blue Badge, Avoid Dead Badge” classification talk, Steve Bajan gave a very informative presentation - a perfect combination of family history and his personal story. And what a story from the Nazareth-centric guy with a super work ethic who has traveled to five continents. Football star. His great migration to Muhlenberg College. Bank CFO. Telecom servicer. Happily married to Janis for 30 years (and celebrating on island of St. John's). Father of two grown college grads. We are glad that he wanders south every day to work at Saucon Mutual and that he is a member here at MSR.
Three Morning Star footnotes to Steve's presentation:
Steve is possibly the longest tenured red badge holder in MSR history - almost two years from induction on August 23, 2012 to classification talk. This is a record that should never be broken!
Steve was introduced by one of Thursday's birthday laureates - Dee Elliott. Dee assisted Steve in assembling his multi-media presentation and served as his official "Vana White-style slide advancer." This is an MSR first and may have established a new standard in classification presentation protocol.
Steve "built goodwill and better friendships" by including a newspaper clipping with an image of both him and Barbara Seifert-Sigmon before Barb had a hyphen in her last name.
Looking forward to another celebration, please note on your calendar the August 12 "Libations at the Library" Wine Tasting Social and Prospective Member event at the BAPL. This is being hosted by the Fellowship Committee and is the perfect opportunity for "every member to bring a prospective member". (See details below.)
If you want to learn more about Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Tom Kolepp via email at tkolepp@gmail.com or via mobile phone at 484-241-1251.
Enjoy your week as you live out the Four Way Test and "Light up Rotary". Cheers and blessings. President Tom
RSVP 7/22: How will you “Light Up Rotary” this year?
A tremendous amount of the work we accomplish at Morning Star is through every member participating in one or more committees. In the Download section of our Home Page please see the COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS – 2014-15 for information on our committees and how they relate to the Rotary International 5 Avenues of Service.
Would you please review the various opportunities there are for service? You may notice there are significant differences in the activities of the various committees. Club Service is deeply involved in the on-going weekly and monthly operations of the club, including Communications, Programs, Membership and Fellowship. Community Service is more project oriented, e.g., 5K/10K Race, Dictionaries, Salute the Troops, Golf Tournament and Spaghetti Dinner. These events are focused at specific times during our Rotary year and have their own timeframes of intensity.
President Tom requests that you consider which committees interest you most for your service this year, and forward your selections as soon as possible, but not later than July 22, 2014. Please submit in order of your personal preference and identify multiple committees for service. Every effort will be made to populate the committees based upon preferences, but please bear in mind the needs of the club may be matched up with your areas of expertise and experience.
The Healthy Rotarian - #2 FEET (This is a catch-up and given the subject, quite appropriate!)
FEET - the most neglected part of the body. Unless you are a diabetic no one dies of “sick feet”. A person who began walking at one year old, lives to be 80 years old, engages in moderate physical activity over a life time will take 211,262,500 steps in their life. Usually we ignore basic care of feet unless they hurt. Right? So, scrub your feet daily with a soft-medium firm brush (stimulates circulation and reduces bacteria from sweaty feet). Towel and air dry feet and use a hair dryer to dry toenails (to prevent fungus growth in toenails. Take your shoes off soon as you can to air feet from a sweaty shoe work day. Change shoes daily as it takes 48+ hours for a sweaty shoe to dry out (this is where bacteria growth thrives). Proper shoe fit throughout a lifetime is critical to “happy feet”! More on this topic later. http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Your-Feet-and-Toenails
At our July 10 meeting, our speaker Sue Durdock presented "Reverse Mortgage 101" and educated us about how reverse mortgages help seniors keep their homes in these challenging times. Sue is a Reverse Mortgage Specialist and she demonstrated her passion and knowledge, especially during the Q&A session.
Special thanks to our Program Co-Chairs Eileen Dunn and Ron Searfoss for arranging Sue as a substitute when we found out on Tuesday morning that our scheduled speaker had had to cancel and ask for a new date. By the time I listened to Ron's voice mail about the cancellation, Sue had been scheduled and the communication was ready for club members. What a team we have at Morning Star!!
Generally, we look forward to the news presented during Happy Dollars time. This week, we were all glad to hear that McGehee Isaacs had been promoted at Grange Mutual Insurance, but then Betty put in a sad dollar because they are relocating to Columbus, Ohio at the end of July. They have already investigated some Rotary options in Columbus, because they want to continue their "Rotary stories" in their new town. Please wish the Isaacs all the best as they go off on a new adventure.
We welcomed a couple of visiting Rotary big wigs: District Governor Elect Doug Cook (Collegeville) and Past DG Bill Jahn (Skidaway Isle, S.C.). Bill thanked Morning Star for the great hospitality shown to him and Karen on their recent trip; they hope to be back for the holidays.
In addition to Sue Durdock, our speaker, we welcomed Terry Pucciarelli as an honored guest. Terry is Marianne Aronson's sister and shares the same upbeat, fun attitude as Marianne. Plus, long-time MSR member Desty Bonstein was here for the first time in several months and she hopes to be a more regular attendee.
Just a quick note on the July 9 Board Meeting. This was our first BOD meeting with our four newest Directors: Wayne Achey, Cheryl Baker, Jan Chicka and Jessica Elliott. BOD supported the "every member brings at least one guest" initiative and the "Every Member Every Year" Club goal. We passed the new Operating and Charitable Account budgets and worked on committee assignments; everyone will be asked to confirm their committee interests (see story below).
Don't be surprised -- we have added the Four Way Test to our Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance during our meeting opening. It's a great way to reinforce our primary Rotary values. (Ed note: notice the Fifth Test on the Rolling Announcements! This is Morning Star!)
Please be sure to attend our July 17 meeting when Steve Bajan will speak on "How Not to Manage Your Career." It promises to be an entertaining time.
Enjoy your week as you live out the Four Way Test and "Light up Rotary". Cheers and blessings. President Tom
Heart intelligence influences our choices. Life is more about win-win and less about competition. The interconnectedness of life is a natural understanding and experience now referred to as “heart intelligence” also known as the universal web of life (Davis, 2014). One heart touches all and all hearts touch one another. Heart intelligence opens this awareness, inspiring one’s mind in service. Heart intelligence gives a deep sense of confidence in life's journey. Home is more than something one constructs in the world but what one finds welcoming us inside. The future gyms will not only build physical strength, but will offer exercises in generosity, self-acceptance, and acceptance of others. Heart science will acknowledge the results from compassion practices and simple peace. Skills in listening, understanding, forgiveness, patience, community service, and personal development will be the norm in a future world that acknowledges heart intelligence. It appears to me that Rotarians have a head start on heart intelligence. …what do you think? See the new Johnson-Johnson campaign on Love Matters at http://seehowloveworks.com/
We had a nice crowd for the July 3 meeting, including Visiting Rotarians Bill and Karen Jahn and Tom Santee, guest of his dad Rick. Tom is on his way to Penn State to study rocket science (aeronautical engineering) – pretty impressive.
Since it was the first week of the new Rotary year, we retired the “Engage Rotary, Change Lives” banner and replaced it with the “Light Up Rotary” banner representing RI President Gary Huang’s theme. I presented the “Engage Rotary, Change Lives” banner to Immediate Past President Jean Searfoss. Jean truly lived into last year’s theme and inspired Morning Star Rotary to do so.
During program time, I spoke about Morning Star Rotary’s goals for 2014-2015 as we “Light Up Rotary” . Here are the summary points:
The Four Way Test will be our guide to all our actions as a club.
Continue the positive momentum established over the last few years – keep all the great stuff happening.
Reviewed the five awards Morning Star Rotary won under Immediate Past President Jean’s leadership including the RI President’s Award with Distinction.
Membership: We just finished a great year where nine new Rotarians joined us and four other prior Rotarians rejoined or joined from other clubs, while losing the Jahn’s and Gretchen Vaikener. By meaningfully incorporating them, Morning Star Rotary will build on the base established by our founders and early leaders and demonstrate “Service Above Self” through our projects and programs. Our quantitative membership goals assumed a net retention of 92% of current members, loss of 5 and gain of 7 for net growth of 2 to 63 members for the year.
New Member Recruiting: Don’t hesitate to tell your “Rotary Story” to all potential new members, including younger, more diverse contacts, and then personally invite them to attend. Morning Star Rotary’s recruiting challenge for 2014-2015 will be for every Rotarian to bring at least one potential member to the club. With 61 potential new members visiting us our “Welcoming Club” culture will certainly allow us to meet or exceed our new member goals.
Service: The five Avenues of Service (Club,Community, International,Vocational and Youth) represent the core of our Morning Star Rotary activities. All of the projects reviewed are on our website. Our District Grant project will be the MOM-n-PA Dental Clinic led by Dr. Charlie Incalcaterra. All Rotarians should be serving on committees that interest and inspire them. Fellowship events present an opportunity to engage and incorporate new members and better connect with current members. And, “just say yes” to the Nominating Committee as we continue to develop future club leaders. Remember that there are many opportunities for District and RI service. Hosting Anikka, our Finnish exchange student, presents a great service opportunity – and we urgently need a host family in the Liberty HS area.
Rotary Foundation: We have established club goals of $6,000 to the Annual Fund and $2,000 to Polio Plus. Please consider becoming at least a Foundation Sustaining Member with a contribution of $100 per year. If all members do that, then we would be an “Every Member Every Year” club which will ensure all members are engaged in the work of the Foundation.
Last Page: I wanted to let everyone know that “I work for a living”, that my day job is running Operations and I will be doing my Morning Star Rotary work at night and on weekends. I concluded by thanking the club for their trust and that as a team we will continue to do great things.
Please be at our July 10 meeting to hear Peter Brown of the American Red Cross tell us about the “Free Night Out to Reconnect”. This is a program about service to American GI’s and veterans.
Don’t forget to read Nurse Sipple’s column of “Healthy Rotarian”.
All the best for a great week and “Light Up Rotary”. – President Tom
As alumni success stories go, this is certainly one for the books. Spillman Farmer Architects (SFA) of Bethlehem is the first firm ever to receive the Architectural Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Pennsylvania Chapter. It is also a story of networking: No less than 12 Northampton Community College (NCC) graduates and former students - almost half of SFA's total architectural staff - are employed by the firm. Of significance to MSR is our own Russ Pacala who is a partner in the highly successful local firm. Special thanks to Ben Tenaglia for the input.
The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Imagine what a spandex fabric would look like after 80 years? Compare that to your skin that over a lifetime will be washed, sunned, and stretched by fat or pregnancy, constantly worn, exposed to sun rays and environmental elements and on and on. Think about it. Tips: control stress , eat healthy (vitamin C essential for healthy skin), no smoking, be consistent with sun protection (seek shade, avoid 10 am -4 pm rays, apply sunscreen/SPF 15+ every two hours, and wear protective clothing) and engage in gentle bathing (limit bath time, avoid hot water and strong soaps, shave carefully, pat dry, and MOISTURIZE-MOISTURIZE-MOISTURIZE men and women! Be happy in your skin, you’re going to be wearing it a long time. For more information go to
At our regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday June 26, Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary celebrated the achievements of our club during the administration of President Jean Searfoss and then conducted the annual changeover ceremony with Jean happily becoming immediate Past President and Tom Kolepp becoming President for the 2014-2015 term.
President Jean Searfoss began the program with a special award to Ronald Burnett for his dedicated service to our garden projects over the last two years. She presented Susan Burnett with a handmade “Rotary Andy” doll replete with plastic gardening tools. Susan gladly accepted the responsibility of conveying said doll to her husband Ron.
The highlight of the meeting was the “passing of the gavel” through 21 of our 25 Past Presidents:
Charlie Incalcaterra could not attend but was capably represented by John St. Clair
Geoff Wright
Barb Siefert-Sigmon
Past District Governor Tore Hartmann-Hansen
Claire Rij was one of our distinguished visitors
Mike Long
Butch Macri
Stan Vasiliadis
Diane Donaher is now a member of the Downtown Bethlehem Club
Tom Hartzell
Gary Hartney
Past District Governor Bill Jahn now belongs to the Rotary Club of Skidaway Isle, GA
Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
Gordon Sommers has been full circle from Downtown Bethlehem, to Charter Member MSR and Saucon and back to Downtown
Dee Elliott
Tom Mohr
Ron Helmuth
Dave Cincera
Jim Santanasto
Eileen Dunn
Susan Burnett
Jean Searfoss
We were only missing four past Presidents: Charlie (as noted above); Gary Langensiepen; Dick Roberts; and Don Scanlon (resides in Portland, OR). Thanks to Past President Jean for starting this tradition and recruiting all the past Presidents to attend.
As her last “official act” as President, Jean installed Tom. Tom then thanked those members rotating off the board for their service, including:
Past President Susan Burnett
Director Marianne Aronson
Director Jeff Kiscka
Director Gary Hartney
Director Ben Tenaglia
Tom then installed the new and continuing board members:
Immediate Past President Jean Searfoss
President Elect Ron Searfoss
Vice president Jeff Kicska
Secretary Val Walk
Treasurer Sue Reeps
Sergeant at Arms Russell Pacala
Continuing Director Rafael de la Hoz
Continuing Director Robin Metzler
Continuing Director Ellen Roberts
Continuing Director Barb Siefert-Sigmon
New Director Jan Chicka
New Director Wayne Achey
New Director Cheryl Baker
New Director Jess Elliott
As part of the celebration, we welcomed many visiting Rotarians and guests, including those not mentioned in the parade of past Presidents above:
Karen Jahn, Skidaway Isle Rotary
Lyndsey Frigm, Nazareth Rotary
Diane Moody (guest of Todd Heft)
Lawson Sipple (guest of Janet Sipple)
Susan Sommers (guest of guess who)
The Reverend Tony Pompa (guest of Tom Kolepp)
Tim Fehr (guest of Tom Kolepp)
Carl Kolepp
Please come to our July 3 meeting where new President Tom will tell us about how he will fill the large shoes of past President Jean and continue the great momentum Morning Star has established during 2013-2014.
Morning Star Recognized by Rotary International, Zone 32 and District 7430!
The hard work of Morning Star members this year has been recognized by Rotary International, Zone 32 and District 7430!!!
2013-14 Presidential Citation with Distinction. RI President Ron Burton set criteria in areas of promoting membership growth, enhancing humanitarian service through Rotary Foundation, and strengthening our network through the Family of Rotary. By accomplishing four criteria in each of those three areas, only 6 of 44 clubs in District 7430 earned this year’s Presidential Citation “with Distinction” – and Morning Star is one!
Zones 24-32 Vibrant Club Award. To qualify, a club must implement at least 7 of the 10 defined “Best Practices” and document 3 individual unique events/programs/projects that keep the club vibrant. Criteria included planning, membership growth, communicating, establishing continuity, updating bylaws, fellowship events, training, involving club members and assigning committees. The Morning Star events described on the application were our 5K/10K Run/Walk, Salute the Troops Concert and Spaghetti Dinner, with added mention of the jointGolf Tournamentand joint Dictionary Project.
Zone 32 Membership Award. Requirements include implementing at least 12 of 17 protocols related to membership, plus achieve 5%-9% net growth for Honorable Mention, or 10% growth or more for Distinguished Merit. Morning Star's Membership Committee has done terrific work over the past several years, and we grew from 51 to 61 active members this year, an increase of 20%!
District 7430 Governor Award. Similar to the Presidential Citation, with fewer items required per category, and without the requirement to increase net membership.
District 7430 Public Relations / Communications Award. Requires an active website and two of six additional listed items. We completed five of those six, including a weekly bulletin, club brochure (“Be Our Guest”), a Facebook page, involving the community in a fundraiser, and joining with other organizations in a community event!
Yes, all your hard work has been noticed and recognized.But even more importantly, we have Engaged Rotary and Changed Lives! Just ask local athletes who last week competed in Special Olympics USA (and their families). Talk to veterans atVictory Housewho are working to rebuild their lives, and the elderly or disabled folks whose quality of life is improved by ShareCare. See the smiles of 3rd graders receiving a personal Dictionary, and young students who can now see the front of the classroom with glasses provided by Vision Vouchers.
From Youth Exchange to the Four Way Test Speech Contest, Camp Neidig, and establishing the Steve Godbolt Scholarship Fund we are changing the lives of so many young people! Both adults and youth benefit from enhancements we helped provide to New Bethany Ministries and The Literacy Center. In the past 14 months we have built two raised bed gardens – one to feed Hogar Crea residents, the other to teach students local history at the Freemansburg Canal Lock.
Internationally we are providing clean water to Peruvians, fixing cleft lips/palates withRotaplast, helping disaster victims with ShelterBox, and immunizing children in the last push for Polio Eradication. Through Rotary Foundation we support international friendship, vocational exchange and peace and conflict resolution studies.
Together, we have done so much more than any one individual could possibly hope to accomplish.THANK YOU!!!
Morning Star Recognized by Rotary International, Zone 32 and District 7430!
June 23– Congratulations, Gratitude Part III, and come to the Changeover Celebration!!!
Congratulations to Jeff Kicska & wife Mary on the birth of their son Andrew!!!
Tremendous thanks to Tom & Janet Kolepp for once again graciously hosting our“Kickout Party” last Thursday!!!
It was a wonderful evening of food, fellowship and fun – even the weather cooperated!
Thanks to Iryna Levytska for the photos!
Camp Neidig night last Monday was inspirational – we’ll hear from some of our sponsored students in a July meeting program.
Today my appreciation goes out to EACH and EVERY Morning Star Rotarian for sharing your time, talents and treasure this year to help people locally and around the world!!! We accomplished so much, especially for a club of our size – please see the “Awards” article below for some details. Our Dues, 50/50, Happy Dollars and fundraisers netted more than budget, and we granted out more money than initially planned. Our few cost overages were for investments in the future – extra members attending district training, and a chip timing system for the 5K / 10K. Our club is in excellent financial shape – we’ll provide more info after the June 30 year-end numbers are in.
Please come this Thursday for our Changeover Celebration!
We will “pass the gavel” through at least 21 of our 25 Past Presidents (including 4 no longer in Morning Star!) to incoming President Tom Kolepp, and a special recognition will be presented.
Note: With many guests and much revelry, this meeting may run past 8:30 am. Please stay if you can, but we certainly understand if you need to leave on time.
June 26 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Janet Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Melinda Hoffner
50/50 – Tom Mohr
Invocation – Dee Elliott
Introductions – Todd Heft
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star will be well represented at both the District Changeover DinnerandPDG Roger Whitcomb’s talk about “Seeing Ukrainian Crisis from Putin’s Perspective” on Thursday evening.
Reminder: Dues are Due– please get your check to Sue Reeps at the meeting this week, mail your check to the address on the notice, or pay via credit/debit card by clicking the link on our home page (after logging in).
Please see the story below for news aboutStrike Out Hunger!
Final QUOTE of the Week
There seems no better quote to conclude this feature than the one we opened up with a year ago …
“Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” – Anonymous
Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart for a wonderful year - I have been honored and privileged to serve as Morning Star Rotary President! You truly “Engaged Rotary and Changed Lives!”
I hope to see you this Thursday at our Changeover Celebration!
Welcome to The Healthy Rotarian series which will appear in the Club’s eBulletin providing information when utilized by you could make a positive contribution to your overall health status. So here goes…..
#1--Summertime & Water Hydration Water is an essential element of any adequate adult dietary plan. For example, the water intake for a 160 pound adult with no limiting factors would be 80 oz. evenly spread across the day. Water intake needs are altered by extreme hot/cold climates, high altitudes, when exercising, when pregnant or breastfeeding, alcohol consumption, episodes of diarrhea /fever, and chronic disease. Never allow yourself to experience thirst. For more specific water calculation go to
June 16– Gratitude Part II, and Sleep In this Thursday!
Thanks to last week’s presenter, Josh Berk, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library, and author of books for boys and young adult males. His life journey held our interest, and he has offered to hold a future Morning Star event at the library! We also inducted our final new member of the year, Sharon Fontana!
Today I’d like to express my appreciation to all our board members and committee chairs/co-chairs. Planning and organizing the logistics of our club functions, community projects and fundraisers, and support of international and youth programs required the hard work, dedication and cooperation of so many members. My heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you!
Sleep in this Thursday – NO MORNING MEETING
Tom & Janet Koleppwill once again graciously host our “Kickout Party” on June 19 from 6 to 9 PM at their home - 4575 Dolores Lane, Bethlehem, PA 18017.
Brats and hot dogs, beer/wine/soda and dessert will be provided by the club. Please bring a side dish or appetizer, and drop in for any or all of the three hours to help “kick me out”!
Events wrapping up the year …
“Camp Neidig Night” is tonight, with several Morning Star members attending. Our own Charlie Incalcaterra is a driving force behind this annual Rotary youth leadership camp.
Our Club Changeover Celebration the morning of June 26 will feature many Past Presidents, and promises to be great fun!
The District Changeover Dinner will be held the evening of June 26 at Brookside Country Club in Macungie. For more info, please contact Tom Kolepp or me, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org. (Our club changeover will be that morning.)
That same evening, PDG Roger Whitcomb will speak about “Seeing Ukrainian Crisis from Putin’s Perspective” in Newtown. For more information, please contact me or call Jerry Taylor (215) 493-6625.
As previously publicized, on June 27 Allentown Rotary will celebrate its 100th Anniversary with a dinner at Lehigh Country Club. If you are interested in attending, please contact me.
And starting into the next Rotary year, Strike Out Hunger at the Philadelphia Phillies will be held August 6. If interested, please contact Tom Kolepp before July 2.
Morning Star Final “FUN FACT”
Don Scanlon suffered very serious health problems while serving as president, and greatly appreciated the outpouring of Morning star support – especially by Jim Santanasto who stepped up to handle all the presidential responsibilities long before his term was scheduled to begin. (2009-10)
We hope you have enjoyed these snippets of Morning Star history. All Fun Facts from the year may be seen at www.morningstarrotary.org – click “Fun Facts” on the left side of our home page.
QUOTE of the Week
“I believe that if we can get prospective members to help us with a project … the rest will take care of itself. They will realize that they made a difference in someone’s life.”
– Rotary International President Ron Burton in the June 2014 issue of The Rotarian
Happy Father’s Day to all our Dads, Grandpas, StepDads, Foster Dads, Host Dads and those who have been like a Dad!
I hope to see you this Thursday at the Kickout Party!
Thanks toButch Macri, all participants, sponsors and donors for the Joint Golf Tournament! Please see photos in the separate article below. We appreciate the great job done by Barb Seifert-Sigmon and the Membership Committee for conducting another warm and wonderful New Member Soiree.
Thanks to last week’s presenter, Julie Sherk of St. Luke’s University Health Network. One of our Community Development Grants will provide Vision Vouchers to 15 students in need, enabling them to get an eye exam and a pair of glasses. In addition, two representatives of Traditions of Hanover visited us in order to deliver their donation of both food and money collected from their residents and staff to benefit New Bethany Ministries. We very much enjoyed visiting with “alumni” Past DG Bill and Karen Jahn, and inducted our newest member, Kristian Schafer!
Starting to say “Thank You” for a wonderful year …
I feel so much gratitude, it can’t possibly all fit in one message! My heartfelt appreciation goes out to several special people who keep Morning Star Rotary running week after week, month after month, and even year after year! Secretary Val Walk does an exceptional job handling minutes, attendance, tracking membership, official reports/communications and more. Treasurer Sue Reeps revamped our financial reporting for the club’s operating account and charitable foundation account – both the monthly summary and the comparison to budget – greatly improving understanding by the board and club members. Sergeant-at-Arms Russ Pacala, with Tom Bailey and Robin Metzler, handle our weekly meeting logistics and finances. No matter what else is going on in their lives, these members consistently go above and beyond to make sure that Morning Star’s needs are met. THANK YOU!!!
June 12 PROGRAM
This Thursday Josh Berk, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library will speak to us about Bethlehem Books and Baseball for Beginners.
We will also be inducting another new member - Sharon Fontana!
Please plan to join us, and consider inviting a guest.
June 12 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Tom Kolepp
Greeter – Steve Bajan
Sergeant-at-Arms – Jan Chicka
$2 Per Week – Jim Santanasto
50/50 – Marianne Aronson
Invocation – Cheryl Baker
Introductions – Todd Heft
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Events wrapping up this Rotary year are …
“Neidig Night” on June 16 is the closing ceremony of District 7430’s 4-day Rotary Youth Leadership Award, called Camp Neidig in honor of its founder. To see these amazing young people, please join us at Camp Manatawny for the traditional chicken dinner and an evening of celebration and recognition. Tickets cost $15, and are available or online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-neidig-2014-neidig-night-chicken-bbq-registration-10689102393.
On June 19, our annual evening “Kickout Party”at Tom & Janet Kolepp’s will replace our morning meeting! Please see the sign-up sheet or contact Tom or Janet. Brats & hot dogs, rolls, beer & soda and desserts are provided. Attendees are asked to bring a side dish – like a summer salad or other complement to the meal.
Our Club Changeover Celebration the morning of June 26 will feature many Past Presidents, and promises to be great fun!
TheDistrict Changeover Dinnerwill be held the evening of June 26 at Brookside Country club in Macungie. (Our club changeover will be that morning.) For more info, please contact Tom Kolepp or me, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org.
That same evening, June 26 at 7:00 PM, Roger Whitcomb, Past District Governor of Rotary District 7430 will speak about “Seeing Ukrainian Crisis from Putin’s Perspective” in Newtown. For more information, please contact me or call Jerry Taylor (215) 493-6625.
As previously publicized, on June 27 Allentown Rotary will celebrate its 100th Anniversary with a dinner at Lehigh Country Club. If you are interested in attending, please contact me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Enjoyed the news and pictures sent from South Africa by Carl Kolepp, our sponsored exchange student. (2008-09)
QUOTE of the Week
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”
– Henry David Thoreau
REMINDERS
Board Meeting is this Wednesday, June 11 at Rosanna’s Restaurant(NOT Moravian Village).
Attendance Credit – Val has a list of the New Member Soiree attendees. If you’d like attendance credit for the Golf Tournament or another make-up, please email Val Walk val@btcu.org .
MOM-n-PA – Registration for volunteers is now open, and non-dental people are needed! Please see the flyer in Downloads on our home page, or go to www.mom-n-pa.com for more info. We have joined with other local Rotary Clubs in applying for a District Grant to help fund this project.
June 2– A Great Week - Joint Golf Tournament and the New Member Soiree!
Butch Macri asked, and Mother Nature listened - the weather forecast for today’s Joint Golf Tournament is perfect!!! We’ll share more about this event, which benefits the Steve Godbolt Scholarship Fund, next week.
Barb Seifert-Sigmon and the Membership Committee are conducting another warm and wonderful New Member Soiree this Wednesday evening at The Hanoverville Roadhouse, with over 20 members and guests signed up!
Thanks to last week’s presenter Kevin Moyzan of ShareCare. He explained how a Morning Star grant will help recruit and train more volunteers to provide caregiving assistance to the elderly or disabled in the Lehigh Valley. Assistance with transportation and a wide variety of household or personal tasks helps people maintain independence and dignity, improving their quality of life.
June 5 PROGRAM
This Thursday Julie Sherk of St. Luke’s University Health Network will speak to us.
Another of our Community Development Grants will help provide Vision Vouchersto local students in need, enabling them to get an exam and a pair of glasses.
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Though the Rotary year may be winding down, our calendar is still quite busy the next few weeks …
“Neidig Night” on June 16 is the closing ceremony of District 7430’s 4-day Rotary Youth Leadership Award, called Camp Neidig in honor of its founder. To see these amazing young people (including 4 sponsored by Morning Star), please join us at Camp Manatawny for the traditional chicken dinner and an evening of celebration and recognition. Tickets cost $15, and are available online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-neidig-2014-neidig-night-chicken-bbq-registration-10689102393 (insert link).
On June 19, our annual evening “Kickout Party” at Tom & Janet Kolepp’s will replace our morning meeting! Please see the sign-up sheet or contact Tom or Janet.
Our club Changeover Celebration the morning of June 26 will feature many Past Presidents, and promises to be great fun!
The District Changeover Dinnerwill be held the evening of June 26 at Brookside Country Club in Macungie (Our club changeover will be that morning.) For more info, please contact Tom Kolepp or me, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org.
That same evening, June 26 at 7:00 PM, Roger Whitcomb, Past District Governor of Rotary District 7430 will speak about “Seeing Ukrainian Crisis from Putin’s Perspective” in Newtown. For more information, please contact me or call Jerry Taylor (215) 493-6625.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Supported the successful election of Bill Jahn as District Governor Nominee, leading to his term as District Governor in 2011-12. (2008-09)
QUOTE of the Week
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Please join us this Thursday, and consider inviting a guest.
Another gathering of the Morning Star Rotary knitters, quilters and crafters will be at Jan’s lovely home on Thursday May 29 from 7-9 pm.
Jan’s address is 224 Gallagher Road, Whitehall, PA. Directions: US 22 West to 15th Street. Go North on Mauch Chunk Road, (about a mile) turn right on Gallagher (one block after Presidential). House is at the crest of the hill on the right.
In case you have questions etc. feel free to call Jan's cell 215-720-4060.
Today we remember those who gave their all for our freedom.
Lest we take that freedom for granted, I recall the story told by a Youth Exchange host Mom. Soon after arrival from a South American country, her exchange son saw a TV show making fun of the president. He was worried that they would get in trouble for watching the show, and that those who aired it would be arrested. The USA is not perfect (no country is) – but it’s better than any other alternative of which I’m aware!
Thanks to last week’s presenterMaryAnn Przekurat of The Literacy Center. She explained how a Morning Star grant will provide books and curriculum materials for their GED and English as a Second Language programs – and how important those programs are. In addition, she is a member of the Allentown Rotary Club, and was first introduced to Rotary many years ago when she helped give polio vaccines while teaching at an international school overseas!
May 29 PROGRAM
This Thursday Kevin Moyzan of ShareCare will speak to us. Another of our Community Development Grants will help ShareCare volunteers provide caregiving assistance to the elderly or disabled at no cost in the Lehigh Valley.
In addition, we will vote on the “Final” revised club Constitution and Bylaws which were emailed last week.
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Let’s Enjoy June! As we wind down the Rotary year, we still have one major fundraiser and several social events!
Please check out the stories below on our joint Golf Tournament (Monday, June 2) and New Member Soiree (Wednesday, June 4).
“Neidig Night” on June 16 is the closing ceremony of District 7430’s 4-day Rotary Youth Leadership Award, called Camp Neidig in honor of its founder. To see these amazing young people, please join us at Camp Manatawny for the traditional chicken dinner and an evening of celebration and recognition. Tickets cost $15, and are available online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-neidig-2014-neidig-night-chicken-bbq-registration-10689102393 .
On June 19, our annual evening “Kickout Party” at Tom & Janet Kolepp’s will replace our morning meeting! Please see the sign-up sheet or contact Tom or Janet.
Our club Changeover Celebration the morning of June 26 will feature many Past Presidents, and promises to be great fun!
TheDistrict Changeover Dinner will be held the evening of June 26 at Brookside Country club in Macungie (Our club changeover will be that morning.) For more info, please contact Tom Kolepp or me, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org.
That same evening, June 26 at 7:00 PM, Roger Whitcomb, Past District Governor of Rotary District 7430 will speak about “Seeing Ukrainian Crisis from Putin’s Perspective” in Newtown. The Program is sponsored by the United Nations Association and Rotary. For more information, please contact me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Tore Hartmann-Hansen’s time as District Governor with a photo slide show, funny stories and fond memories of his successful term. (2008-09)
QUOTE of the Week
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
– Willie Nelson
Would you please join us this Thursday, and consider inviting a guest?
On behalf of Hogar Crea, I want to thank Morning Star Rotary for their gift of $89 to purchase plants for the garden we planted this year.
On Thursday evening, May 15, several of the companions from Hogar, plus several on the Steering Committee, plus our own Iryna Levytska and Russ Pacala, assembled to plant the garden. Within an hour, all 5 beds were planted with tomatoes, peppers, onions, watermelon, cilantro, basil, and radishes.
Several of those in attendance had never before in their lives planted anything in a garden. Andre, one of the Hogar companions, on the other hand, grew up on a 22-acre truck farm in New Jersey. He seized the opportunity. With him in charge, the garden is in good hands.
May 19 – Happy and Proud to be a Morning Star Rotarian!
I feel so happy and proud to be a Morning Star Rotarian! Eleven of our members participated in the District Training Assembly on Saturday – the most by any of the 44 clubs in the District! (In addition to those pictured below, Tom Hartzell was a presenter.)
We met the leaders for the coming year, heard about exciting plans and programs, and learned about resources available to help us do good locally and around the world. From district events, to hands-on projects, to fundraisers and social events, Morning Star members are truly “engaged”!
As heard at the District Training Assembly ....
"FIVE-WAY ROTARY TEST - The Fifth Question.....Is it FUN!!!!" Morning Star passes test #5 with flying colors :-)
Thanks to last week’s presenter Dee Elliott, Executive Director of New Bethany Ministries. She explained how a Morning Star grant will assist in the establishment of a Reading Room – a quiet place for clientele of several New Bethany programs.
May 22 PROGRAM
This Thursday MaryAnn Przekurat of The Literacy Center will speak to us. Another of our Community Development Grants will provide books and curriculum materials for their GED and English as a Second Language programs.
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Assorted Updates …
The revised club Constitution and Bylaws were emailed last week, and the final version will be voted upon at our May 29 meeting. (Thanks to Dee Elliott for her thorough review and suggestions.)
Unfortunately, District Grant funding was denied for the Canal Lock Education Center project, because work had started before Rotary International approval of the revised project. Misunderstandings of the new grant process and miscommunications have been identified to prevent a future recurrence. The Board understood that denial was a possibility, and had previously authorized full club funding if needed.
Seven Day Notices were issued for 3 proposed members, and we look forward to the continued growth of Morning Star! Watch for details in future issues. Thanks to our awesome Membership Committee!!!
“Neidig Night” on June 16 is the closing ceremony of district 7430’s 4-day Rotary Youth Leadership Award, called Camp Neidig in honor of its founder. To see these amazing young people, please join us at Camp Manatawny for the traditional chicken dinner and an evening of celebration and recognition. Tickets cost $15, and are available from Rick Morrissey or online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-neidig-2014-neidig-night-chicken-bbq-registration-10689102393
The District Changeover Dinner will be held the evening of June 26 at Brookside Country club in Macungie. (Our club changeover will be that morning.) For more info, please contact Tom Kolepp or me, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We completely revised the Bylaws to reflect the Morning Star “of today” and the wishes of its members. A big job led by Don Scanlon. (2008-09)
Isn’t this one timely?!? – Ed.
QUOTE of the Week
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they become inevitable.”
– Christopher Reeve
Please join us this Thursday, and consider inviting a guest.
Polio Plus Update - Foundation Donations by THIS THURSDAY please!
The World Health Organization has declared the spread of polio as an International Health Emergency. The virus has spread from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Syria to Iraq, and Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea. This matter should be of concern to all Rotarians who have worked hard in trying to eliminate polio over the past 25 years, and represents a setback in the worldwide effort.
With this in mind, Bethlehem Morning Star would ask members to consider making a donation to Polio Plus as their gift to the Foundation. Any contribution received prior to June 30 will be credited to the current Rotary year, and help Bethlehem Morning Star meet its commitment to the District. Your check should be made payable to “Rotary Foundation”, and note if you would like the contribution to be acknowledged as Polio Plus or the Annual Fund. Anyone who has been contributing $2 per week can also request that their contributions made since January 2014 be credited to Polio Plus. (To be submitted after the June 12 meeting.)
Keep in mind that the club will offer matching points for any contribution of $100, enabling members to move closer to attaining their Paul Harris Fellow.
Checks can be given to Tom Hartzell by June 12, or mailed to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18017.
Thank you!
Polio Plus Update - Foundation Donations by THIS THURSDAY please!
Posted by Barbara A. Seifert-Sigmon on May 18, 2014
NEW MEMBER SOIREE – JUNE 4
What is it? An informal evening of fellowship and Morning Star information.
Who should go? New and prospective members have been invited, with spouse/guest.
In addition, Sponsors of the new members, Board Members, Committee Chairs, and Membership Committee members are requested to attend. We'll advise if seats are available for additional attendees.
When will it be held? Wednesday, June 4, 2014
5:30 PM Cash Bar 6:00 PM Light Dinner
8:00 PM Adjourn (approximate)
Where? Hanoverville Roadhouse
5001 Hanoverville Road, Bethlehem, PA 18017
How much does it cost? $25 for "old members", i.e., those who are not “guests of honor” (plus cash bar).
Golf Tournament June 2 at Silver Creek Country Club
Our Golf Tournament, run jointly with Bethlehem Rotary, will once again benefit the Steve Godbolt Scholarship Fund, to be awarded by the Boys & Girls Club andNortheast Ministry in alternating years.
This year’s brochure is now available in Downloads at www.morningstarrotary.org. If you can golf and have not yet registered,please contact Butch Macri macri1@verizon.net ASAP. Thanks!
Golf Tournament June 2 at Silver Creek Country Club
Ron Helmuth is looking for a few gardener volunteers for next Thursday evening, May 15, at 6:00 PM for a 2 hour planting session at the Hogar Crea/Rotary garden, 1920 E. Market Street, Bethlehem, 18017.
The 5 beds are all prepared for planting, and we’ll have tomatoes, peppers, onions, and a few other vegetables on hand ready to plant. Bring hoes, rakes, trowels, gloves, and a sense of good humor!
Come ready to plant and to have some fun. We’ll be working side by side with a number of Hogar Crea companions, who will so appreciate your help and your company.
Special Thank You to all for the wonderful effort to make our Spaghetti Dinner 'FunRaiser' a resounding success! Val Walk and Shawn Dieter, committee chairs extraordinaire, were outstanding in their work with the many committee members, sponsors and volunteers. Thanks to the diners who made it all worthwhile. A special thanks to Butch Macri, Tom Bailey and Jim Santanasto, the '3 Chefs of MSR' who lead the assault on the pasta, meatballs and the '40 year old Macri Sauce' recipe. So many people to thank. Everyone's efforts are truly appreciated.
"Your volunteer efforts, whether in the kitchen, waiting tables, bringing desserts, doing takeout, manning registration table, running for extra supplies, promoting and selling tickets, or selling basket tickets all contributed to making this a successful fundraiser. Special thanks to those who stayed to the end to help with clean-up." - Val Walk
All should be proud to be a Morning Star Rotarian. Thank you for your help!!!
May 12 – Wishing a belated Happy Mother’s Day to all our Moms, Step-Moms, Grandmas, Exchange Host Moms, and all who have been like a Mom to someone special!
I hope all our members enjoyed a wonderful day with those you love, electronically if not in person. Though my Mother passed away years ago, I am still blessed every day for having had her as my Mom.
What a great week we had! Painting at the Canal Lock project was completed on Tuesday by Ron Helmuth, Iryna Levytska and Ron Searfoss. On Thursday, Jan Chicka presented her very interesting Classification Talk, and we heard from the Boys & Girls Club – one of two beneficiaries of the Steve Godbolt Scholarship Fund being endowed with funds from this year’s joint Golf Tournament. Then on Friday a tremendous volunteer effort of members, family, friends and Victory House folks served about 250 spaghetti dinners! (Photos in coming weeks.)
May 15 PROGRAM
This week Dee Elliott, Executive Director, will describe how New Bethany Ministries will use a Morning Star Grant in establishing a Reading Room to benefit their clientele in several ways.
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star has 11 (yes 11!)members registered for District Assemblythis coming Saturday at Bear Creek. I thank you for your giving precious weekend time to learn more about Rotary!
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
With the centennial of Rotary International, we linked up with Bethlehem Rotary for a Centennial Banquet at Moravian College, and completed the two-year $100,000 funding of the St. Luke’s Dental Clinic in the old Union Station Railroad Depot on the South Side of Bethlehem (2004-05)
QUOTE of the Week
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
– Albert Einstein. (To that, let’s add women, please!)
Eight Morning Star members joined with 200+ other Rotarians at Bushkill Falls to celebrate the year’s accomplishments, learn more about many great programs, and meet new friends.
Friday featured a warm welcome and speakers on Rotaplast, Polio Eradication, Shelterbox and the Friendship Exchange from Turkey. As “International Night,” many wore ethnic attire, and DG Frank Romano and his wife Jean appeared in Roman togas! Our club table at the House of Friendship showcased many events and garnered considerable interest.
Saturday’s daytime speakers described a variety of local and global projects supported by clubs in the district, plus the extremely impressive Four Way Test Speech Contest Finals.
After there was some time to enjoy exploring the Bushkill Falls.
At the Saturday evening Kentucky Derby Party, our club’s hat (created by our own southern belle, Janet Sipple) was much admired….and was so big it was almost assigned its own zip code! Young people, the future of Rotary and our world, were the theme of the night – from Youth Exchange, Rotaract and Interact to Camp Neidig ... presented by our own Charlie Incalcaterra.
On Sunday morning, recognition, memories of this event and a preview of next year’s conference wrapped up the proceedings. Harleysville Rotary hosted a fun, informative and inspirational weekend. We not only heard about Rotary, we FELT IT! The eight of us thank Morning Star for subsidizing our attendance, and hope you may consider a trip to Gettysburg on April 24 – 26, 2015.
May5– Thanks to Shawn Deiter;can’t wait to hear Jan Chicka!
As we catch up on Classification Talks, it is so interesting to learn more about the personal and professional lives of our members! Last Thursday Shawn Deiter shared “The Wild and Wacky World of Communications” – the circuitous route that brought her to us – for which we are very appreciative!
May 8 PROGRAM
Now we look forward to hearing Jan Chicka,
who entitled her Classification Talk “It’s Easier to Ask Forgiveness than Ask Permission” – I can’t wait to hear this one!
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
This Friday it’s time for our Spaghetti Dinner “Fun” Raiser. Please see the story above, and help however you can – sell (or buy) your tickets, post a flyer (from Downloads) and help that day or evening.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Increased the amount of publicity provided to our club. (2000-01)
QUOTE of the Week
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reminder – Please Register by May 7 for District Assembly at Bear Creek on May 17. (The form is in Downloads on our Home Page.) Please see the story below.
I hope to see you this Thursday and Friday at the Spaghetti Dinner!
The Food and Sponsorship Committee For the 5K/10K Race will be having a preliminary meeting May 8, at 7 am, before our regular weekly meeting.
We are looking for new committee members, especially for the Sponsorship/Marketing commitee. NO EXPERIENCE necessary!!!! We need fresh ideas to target coporations and Wellness teams at companies who might want to sponsor teams to run our race. Please join us at 7 am in the lobby.
District Assembly May 17 at Bear Creek -Register by May 7!
We invite current/prospective club leaders, as well as any new or "veteran" members interested in learning more about Rotary, to attend this informative event!
It is also a great way to be introduced to the District and to meet and talk with other Rotarians from other clubs. Sessions are planned to be helpful and hopefully make jobs easier. There will also be a session for Grant certification.
The registration form is in Downloads on our home page, and the $40 registration fee will be completely reimbursed by Morning Star Rotary after your attendance. Our goal is to have 10 club members attend this year - would you please be one of them?
District Assembly May 17 at Bear Creek - Register by May 7
Spaghetti Dinner "Taste of Tuscany" this FRIDAY!!!
We will hold our annual all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser "Taste of Tuscany" this Friday, May 9th, from 5pm to 8pm at East Hills Moravian Church, 1830 Butztown Road in Bethlehem.
The cost is $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. Tickets may be purchased in advance from any Morning Star Rotarian or at the door. Take out is also available.
Tickets have been distributed to club members for sale (or purchase), and the volunteer sign-up sheet is being routed. Please help at this "FUN-raiser" - we need a few more helpers, please! Special custom Morning Star Aprons will be provided for volunteers' usage and purchase!! If you can help but have not signed the sheet, please email Val Walk val@btcu.org.
The flyer is available in Downloads on our home page - please print a few and post them at churches, schools, grocery stores and anywhere else you think might invite interest. Thank you!
Spaghetti Dinner "Taste of Tuscany" this Friday!!!
Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center Project - just add PAINT!
With diligent efforts from a core group of volunteer members and their families, construction of the garden beds and picket fence is complete - whew!!! Special shout-outs to the "Picket Pair" Sue Reeps/Val Walk, TampMeister Todd Heft, Ron "The REAL Tool Man" Burnett, and Ron "The Director" Helmuth.
About 2/3 of the fence still needs to be painted. Chair Ron Helmuth is looking to use 2 paint sprayers and some brushes (for smoothing, and tough to reach places) to put "the icing on the cake". He'll let us know the date once decided, and it may be a weekday. We'll keep you posted.
Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center Project - just add PAINT!
April 28 – Thanks to Traditions of Hanover & Stan Vasiliadis; Looking forward to Shawn Deiter’s Talk
Heartfelt gratitude to Traditions of Hanover for hosting our meeting last week! They did not charge us, so all meeting fees collected go to the club for good works. Former member, Gretchen Vakiener, initiated this annual event about 8 years ago with her Classification Talk, and has helped continue the “Tradition” despite having to leave the club due to work and family time commitments. Thank you, Gretchen! A strong turnout heard Jennifer Murphy, Marketing Director, describe the lifestyle and in home assistance that Traditions can provide. Then our own Stan Vasiliadis, Certified Elder Law Attorney, (only one in the Lehigh Valley! ed.) shared valuable insights about legal issues in retirement planning – essential legal tools, public benefits, and long-term care planning.
May 1 PROGRAM & COLLECTIONS
This Thursday, Shawn Deiterwill give her classification talk – “The Wild and Wacky World of Communications.” Please join us, and consider inviting a guest.
We’ll also collect used cell phones/chargers to donate at District Conference, and Dee Elliott will gratefully accept food donations – unfortunately the pantry at New Bethany Ministries is bare.
May 1 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Marianne Aronson
50/50 – Jan Chicka
Invocation – Sue Reeps
Introductions – Ginny Wolkoff
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Provided $25,000 plus dollars to organizations that match our Rotary goals. (2000-01)
QUOTE of the Week
From the May 2014 issue of The Rotarian magazine, as we wrap up April, RI’s Magazine Month:
“Q: Is there a ‘silver bullet’ that will boost Rotary membership?
A: Engagement. I quit my Rotary club because I didn’t have anything to do. Then they asked me if I’d chair a committee…I stayed because I thought it was an important role. “The key is to give people the opportunity to contribute to their community.”
– RI President Ron Burton
The month of May offers many such opportunities to Morning Star Rotarians, including the District Conference, Spaghetti Dinner and District Assembly. Please also see the Canal Lock project update below.
I hope to see you this Thursday, back “home” at Moravian Village.
When the District Conference folks requested that each club bring a “Kentucky Derby hat” as part of the weekend celebration, we immediately thought of Morning Star’s own southern belle, Janet Sipple. Janet agreed to design and create our hat, and what a magnificent job she did!!! See for yourself …
Heartfelt thanks to Janet for her time, creativity and generosity!
April 21 – Spring Happenings at Morning Star Rotary!
I hope you have been enjoying this beautiful weather, celebrating Easter, Passover and/or spring with family and friends! (It was difficult to come inside to write this.)
Warm thanks to Cheryl Baker for sharing her life’s journey so far with us last week … including some unexpected detours!
This Thursday we will meet at Traditions of Hanover (see address and map above), which generously hosts us once a year.
April 24 PROGRAM –
JENNIFER MURPHY on Traditions of Hanover
and our own STAN VASILIADIS on Eldercare
We’ll also be collecting used cell phones/chargers to donate at District conference. (In return. Bushkill Inn is donating 30 tickets to Bushkill Falls for our Exchange Students. We understand the phones will be given to military service people/families.)
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Provided increased recognition for our members who contribute “above and beyond the call of duty.” (2000-01)
QUOTE of the Week
In follow up to the recent quote about lighting one small candle rather than curse the darkness, and in recognition of April being Rotary International’s “Magazine Month”
“The Rotary way is to light a candle. I light one, you light one, 1.2 million Rotarians light one. Together, we light up the world.”
– RI President-Elect Gary C. K. Huang, in the April 2014 issue of The Rotarian
Morning Star work continues at the Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center, with the push to completion this Saturday, April 26 – please see below and help if you can! Then May brings 3 Rotary weekends in a row – District conference may 2-4, Spaghetti Dinner May 9 and District Assembly May 17. These are closely followed by our joint Golf tournament on June 2 and the New member Soiree on June 4. So many ways to “Engage Rotary”!
Hope to see you this Thursday at Traditions of Hanover,
Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center Project – A Work-In-Process! Nears Completion!!!
Project Workday 2 met at the Ed Center last Saturday at 8:00 AM to continue the construction project.
Completion will require one more solid work morning on April 26 to finish. We really need a strong contingent of MSR Rotarians to achieve the final results. This is a wonderful community project that will be enjoyed by people for many years. Please plan to help out on Saturday morning.
Location: Lock 44 Education Center
Lock House Road
(The road/path is to the left of the Willow Grove Hotel as you look at it from the street. The hotel's address is 655 Main Street, Freemansburg, PA.)
Freemansburg Canal Project - A Work-In-Process! Nears Completion!!!
April 14 – StarWars has R2D2, but Morning Star has Ron3Sue2!!!
On a glorious spring morning this past Saturday, a hardy group of Morning Star Rotarians & family worked to build the raised garden beds and picket fence at the Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center, including 3 Rons (Helmuth, Burnett & Searfoss) and 2 Sues (Burnett & Reeps)! Please see the story below, and watch future issues for action photos from Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, and the follow-up work date.
Thank you to Melinda Hoffner for her wonderful presentation last Thursday, which shared so much of her family and background – I want to meet “Gram”! Plus we inducted new member Todd Heft.
April 17 PROGRAM – CHERYL BAKER’S Classification Talk: “Life’s NEVER what you think it will be – so enjoy the ride!”
This week we’ll learn about another new (to Morning Star) member, Cheryl Baker. Cheryl transferred to us from Bethlehem Rotary; she has been a Youth Exchange host, and a member of Bethlehem Rotary’s singing group, the Morganaires. Please come this Thursday to hear Cheryl’s story, and to see the fantastic “Kentucky Derby hat” created by our own southern belle, Janet Sipple, as our club’s entry to the District Conference hat contest in early May. (And this North Jersey gal will be trying to pose as a southern belle to model the hat.)
April 17 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Jan Chicka
Sergeant-at-Arms – Janet Kolepp
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
50/50 – Robin Metzler
Invocation – Cheryl Baker
Introductions – Ellen Roberts
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star charter member Gordon Sommersled the district’s Group Study Exchange team to India. (2000-01)
QUOTE of the Week
Since April is Rotary International’s “Magazine Month”, this’ week’s source is The Rotarian magazine!
“When you’re trying to rebuild a society, what’s the first thing you do? You have to build camaraderie. You have to build trust. Rotary clubs do that?” – Howard Buffet (Philanthropist, and son of Warren Buffet)
Please check out the District Assembly story below – I hope you can attend May 17 at Bear Creek!
Please consider inviting a guest to join us this week.
The winner of the contest held jointly by Bethlehem and Morning Star Rotary, Laura Fodale, will compete this Saturday, April 12, in the Regional contest in the Emmaus High School Auditorium at 10:00 AM sharp.
If you're not helping at the Canal Lock Education Center project that morning, you may wish to encourage and support these courageous talented students. You will be treated to an experience that you will not soon forget. The event lasts approximately one and a half hours start to finish. Please plan to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the listed times. Doors may close once the contest has started.
Thanks to Ben Tenaglia for handling our club contest, and to Rafael de la Hoz for helping with the District efforts.
Thanks to Marie Unger for her presentation on "Escape to Paradise". Marie presented statistics about how regularly abuse is passed from generation to generation. She also talked about how fortunate she is as a first time author to have the opportunity to have her work published.
Thanks to Dr. Jay Varrato for his excellent presentation on neurology. We learned a lot about neuralgia, migraines, neuropathy and other nerve related disorders. We also hear what an excellent patient Past DG Tore Hartmann-Hansen has been.
Thanks to Marie Unger and Dr. Jay Varrato for great programs!
What a nice turnout last Thursday to hear Classification Talks from Alex Shnaydruk and Iryna Levytska of Ukraine (as I learned, NOT “the Ukraine”). In addition to their personal and professional backgrounds, they shared an interesting social studies lesson on their home country! I hope we have as strong a showing this week as we continue to learn about our Morning Star members …
April 10 PROGRAM – MELINDA HOFFNER’S Classification Talk
Melinda is VP of Commercial Lending at the Merchants Bank (of Bangor) office which opened last year in downtown Bethlehem. Melinda says, "My Grandmother would have been a Great Rotarian...That's why I'm here today!" Plus, we are very happy to be inducting Todd Heft of Heft Media.
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Changed the meeting location for the first time in club history, to Kirkland Village. (2000-01)
Soon we will be contacting Past Presidents from 2001-02 and later for a memory or two from their years.
QUOTE of the Week
“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” – Chinese Proverb
This Saturday, April 12, features TWO Rotary events: the weather-delayed Freemansburg Canal Lock Education Center Project (manual labor), and the Regional Four Way Test Speech Contest (audience). All available members are asked to help! Please see the separate stories in this bulletin.
The combination of very wet grounds and predictions of more rain and a raw windy Saturday morning have led me to postpone till next Saturday, 4/12 the Freemansburg Canal Ed Center work day.
The joint 2014 Bethlehem & Morning Star Rotary clubs' Four Way Speech Contest was held on Wednesday, March 19th at the Bethlehem Town Hall, the Rotunda. This year we had 4 contestants; including our Sue Burnett's daughter, Abby. Laura Fodale will advance to the Regional competition to be held on April 12th.
Thanks to all the Rotarians who assisted in making this year's contest a success!
March 31 Message – 2 Classification Talks this Thursday, and Canal Lock Project this Saturday
Past two weeks …
Wow, I missed a lot in two weeks! Two outstanding programs: Marie Unger on breaking the cycle of domestic abuse in families, and Dr. Jay Varrato on fixing up Tore Hartmann-Hansen in a flash. Plus our Four Way Test Speech Contest and the Fabulous Greaseband concert – fun for all! Sincere thanks to Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp while I was away. So special to attend Cameron’s graduation from Basic and Advanced Infantry Training, and then spend the weekend together – no idea when or where we’ll see him next.
And this week is just as busy …
April 3 PROGRAM – Iryna Levytska and Alex Shnaydruk will give their Classification Talks which will be extra interesting with the international flavor of their homeland, the Ukraine.
April 3 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Sue Reeps
50/50 – Dee Elliott
Invocation – Need a Volunteer
Introductions – Ginny Wolkoff
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
April 5 CANAL LOCK PROJECT All available helpers are needed! Please bring family and friends if possible. See details above.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Set in motion several new policies – funding proposals and classification. (2000-01)
QUOTE of the Week
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi
This spring features many Morning Star Rotary happenings – the Canal Lock Project will be followed by the District Conference, Spaghetti Dinner, District Assembly and Joint Golf Tournament. Please check out our “Events” and mark your calendars.
Postponed to Apr 12 - Freemansburg Canal Education Center Lock Project
The project plan includes installation of 6 raised garden beds and construction and installation of an authentic period wood fence with gates around the periphery of the beds (a 10 x 80 foot area) encompassing 6 separate beds. It will illustrate a typical 19th century garden that the lock tender's family would potentially have had. All of this will be done at the Freemansburg Canal Education Center.
Please come to the Lock 44 Education Center in Freemansburg.
It’s on Lock House Road, right beside the Willow Grove Hotel,
655 Main Street, Freemansburg, PA
Bring gloves, and old shoes for tromping in the dirt.
There is some painting involved, brushes provided. If you want to help with painting, bring paint clothes.
We will start at 8 AM, hoping to be finished by noon.
Please plan to participate --- bring shovels, rakes, hammers, wheelbarrows, sawhorses, energy and lots of Morning Star enthusiasm.
If possible, bring family/friends to help, too!
Thanks to Ron Helmuth and the committee!!!
Apr 12 - Freemansburg Canal Education Center Lock Project
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you if you’re Irish, part-Irish, or pretend-Irish today!!! I sincerely hope that March will “go out like a lamb” – Ron Helmuth said that even skiers are tired of snow! Sorry to miss 2 excellent speakers and several club events while away – I encourage you to attend all that your schedule can accommodate.
Last week …
Thanks to Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp for last week’s program, which reminded us to wear Rotary pins and attire often, and to have an engaging, quick “Elevator Speech” ready. You just never know when the opportunity may arise – and you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression!
March 20 Program – MARIE UNGER on “Escape to Paradise: Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Abuse in Families”
Marie is a Registered Nurse, Rotarian and an author writing a trilogy about breaking the cycle of domestic abuse. Some of her examples are close to home - from here in the Lehigh Valley. Marie is a fellow Rotarian and was formerly on the District 7430 Exchange Student Committee.
She will be telling us more about her book and inviting us to her book launch in Reading on April 4.
March 20 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer, please help Tom K!
Greeter – Tom Mohr
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
50/50 – Betty Isaacs
Invocation – Janet Sipple
Introductions – Ellen Roberts
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Tom Bailey, Robin Metzler and Tom Kolepp.
March 27 Program – Neurologist DR. JAY D. VARRATO, D.O. will explain “How I Fixed Up Tore Hartmann-Hansen in a Flash!”
March 27 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Ron Searfoss
Greeter – Janet Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Jan Chicka
$2 Per Week – McGehee Isaacs
50/50 – Melinda Hoffner
Invocation – Cheryl Baker
Introductions – Barb Seifert-Sigmon
As noted above, if you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your recruiting a substitute, and notifying Tom Bailey, Robin Metzler and Tom Kolepp
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Our 10th Anniversary Charter Night was a wonderful evening attended by more than 100 people including 6 past/current/future District Governors, 3 presidents from other clubs, and 4 exchange students! (1999-2000)
QUOTE of the Week
“Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.” – Baltazar Gracian
I feel blessed to have so many good friends in Morning Star Rotary!
Fourteen organizations applied to Morning Star Rotary for Community Development Grants, which we understand may be the most ever! This year’s rotating theme is “Health & Human Services”. Of the requested $18,000+ total requested, the committee reviewed and ranked the proposals to allocate the $8,000 budget. The board unanimously approved the committee’s six recommendations as follows:
1. American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley. $2,000 to assist service members, veterans and their families by helping provide healthy snacks and dinner vouchers for “Free Night Out to Reconnect”.
2. New Bethany Ministries. $1,500 toward the establishment of a Reading Room to provide opportunities for educational advancement, intellectual growth, job skills enhancement and employment searches for clients of 3 of their programs.
3. ShareCare. $1,000 for the recruitment and management of 5 new volunteers. ShareCare provides compassionate and practical services to the elderly and those with special needs.
4. St Luke’s University Health Network. $1,500 to provide vision vouchers to 15 needy children in the Bethlehem Area School District. (Eye exam and pair of glasses at no cost to the family.)
5. The Literacy Center. $1,000 for GED and ESL (English as a second language) texts and curriculum materials for educational instruction.
6. Victory House of the Lehigh Valley. $1,000 toward the purchase of a portable AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to treat emergency cardiac arrest with a population whose lifestyles contribute to cardiac medical problems. This $1,000 supplements approximately $300 already collected for this purpose by member Janet Sipple to cover the entire cost of the unit.
The Allentown Band submitted an application requesting $1,200 to purchase new music to remain contemporary to its growing audience. This purpose does not fit the current theme, so the committee asked that a “Board discretionary” grant be considered. In thankful recognition of the Allentown Band’s contribution to 11 years of Morning Star Rotary’s “Salute the Troops” concerts, a $1,200 Board Discretionary Grant was unanimously approved.
Recipient organizations will be asked to present at future meetings to provide our members with a clear understanding of the projects being supported.
Understanding Young Professionals Webinar March 19
On Wednesday, March 19, Rotary will host a webinar to help members better understand the perceptions and needs of young professionals. Led by Rotary staff and a market research professional, this webinar will:
Provide background on the Young Professionals Campaign, an organization wide initiative to attract and engage younger members
Share research and findings from focus groups of prospective members in the 25-to-40 age range across U.S. markets, revealing what young professionals think about Rotary and how they fit volunteering into their busy lives
Present strategies and best practices to help your club recruit younger members
Nearly 110 high school student leaders will descend upon Camp Manatawny near Boyertown from June 13 through June 16 for Rotary’s Youth Leadership Award, also known as Camp Neidig. Camp Neidig is a leadership training program for students who have just completed their junior year. Over 80 schools from Berks, Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties will be represented.
Campers are sponsored by their local Rotary Clubs, which coordinate camper selection with high schools in their districts. Campers are chosen for the leadership potential, academic success and desire to further their leadership skills. Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary plans to sponsor 4 students this year from Bethlehem Catholic, Moravian Academy, Freedom High School and the Bethlehem Vo-Tech.
This leadership program brings together incredibly talented high school students for a four-day weekend of fun, friendship, and team-building activities. Campers will interact with guest speakers from various professional backgrounds who will discuss what it means to be a good leader. They will also participate in various problem solving activities that can be both physically and mentally challenging. Every activity is designed to help campers develop their leadership and teamwork abilities.
During the weekend, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the Yearbook Committee, the Interfaith Service, the Chorus, and the Closing Ceremony which will be held on June 16 at 6:00 PM following a chicken dinner for parents, campers and Rotarians. The student chosen as the Camper-Of-The-Year will be honored at the closing ceremony which includes a talent show and speakers.
Camp Neidig was founded by Joseph S. Neidig, District Governor of Rotary District 265, in 1950. During his term, Neidig of Quakertown founded the "Leaders of Tomorrow," camp. The purpose of this camp was to further the leadership abilities of young boys. After District 265 split in 1961, the newly-formed District 7430 decided to rename the camp "Camp Neidig" in honor of the camp's founder. After Rotary accepted women members, female students were invited to camp for the first time in 1990 as Camp Neidig became a co-educational experience.
Camp Neidig proudly celebrates its 65th year of inspiring tomorrow's leaders in
2014. For more information log onto www.campneidig.com
In addition to keeping Morning Star’s FaceBook page current, Iryna recently submitted 3 photos to District 7430’s contest. Here are her pictures representing Youth Service (Dictionary Project at Calypso School), Community Service (Special Olympics at Race Recognition Meeting), and Club Service (2014 Bowling Party).
All member photos are now in, and we’ll email your ClubRunner profile to you later this week. Please review it and update as needed – this is the contact info other members use to reach you. Login instructions are on the website. Several formats of Directories are available to print and/or download – click Admin at top right, then see “My ClubRunner” on the left side. “Club Documents” are there, too, including monthly board minutes and financials. You may also want to check out Rotary International’s revamped site at www.rotary.org .
March 10 – National Recognition for Lehigh Valley Economic Development! Your Rotary Elevator Speech on March 13.
Last week …
Don Cunningham,CEO of LVEDC, shared the great news that the Lehigh Valley was recently recognized as 2nd in the COUNTRY in development projects completed, for geographic areas with populations of 200,000 to 1,000,000! Development has been sustained – the Lehigh Valley was ranked in the Top Ten for the prior 5 years. Thanks, Don!
March 13 Program – “Rotarian Face-To-Face PR: Your Rotary Elevator Speech”
Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp will lead us in an audience participation discussion about wearing our Rotary pins (and logo’d apparel) to more than club meetings, plus ways to explain Rotary (especially Morning Star) when there’s only a minute or two available. Please join us to share your thoughts and pick up some new ideas.
The Spaghetti Dinner Committee will meet at 7:00 AM before our club meeting this Thursday, March 13, per chair Val Walk. New members who’d like to go beyond helping on the day of the event are welcome.
March 13 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Dee Elliott
$2 Per Week – Shawn Deiter
50/50 – Marianne Aronson
Invocation – Janet Kolepp
Introductions – Did someone sign up for this last week?
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We fulfilled our pledge of $5,000 to the City of Bethlehem Fire Department’s Bomb Squad – receiving wonderful press coverage. (1999-2000)
QUOTE of the Week
“Learn all you can about people in other parts of the world. Understanding how people in other countries live and work and play teaches us to respect them and promote peace everywhere.” – Carol Bellamy
As the mountains of snow gradually recede, crocus and daffodil sprouts are pushing through to remind us that Spring is just around the corner. Yes, really!
March 3 – MOM-n-PA Dental Mission! Don Cunningham to speak on March 6
Last week …
Many thanks to our own Dr. Charlie Incalcaterrafor sharing info on the Mission Of Mercy inPA, or MOM-n-PA. His moving presentation showed how a large team of volunteer dentists, technician, assistants, other health professionals and lay people will serve completely free “Dentistry with a Heart” to people from all around the Lehigh Valley and beyond on Sept. 12-13 in Allentown. The members in attendance at the meeting all raised their hands when asked if Morning Star should support this project. The Board subsequently voted (via email) to commit a $1,500 donation, volunteers, and to join with one or more other Rotary clubs to apply for a 2014-15 District Grant.
We re-inducted Past President Dave Cincera as an Active Member, and are so happy to welcome him back! (Great to see Robin Metzler, too, after his hospital stay for pneumonia.)
March 6 Program – Don Cunningham
Don’t miss our meeting this Thursday, when Don Cunningham, CEO of LVEDC, will update us on economic development in the Lehigh Valley.
March 6 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up and/or Breakdown – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Dieter Bender (yes, Dieter the Greeter!)
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Melinda Hoffner
50/50 – Wayne Achey
Invocation – Tom Kolepp
Introductions – Dave Cincera
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Presented Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech with a plaque of the Annual Vocational Award winners to display at the school. (1999-2000)
QUOTE of the Week
“If someone is too tired to give you a smile, leave one of your own, because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give” – Rabbi Samuel Hirsch
Please mark your calendars for our many events coming up over the next few months.
This month I celebrate 20 years in Morning Star Rotary, with heartfelt thanks to my sponsor, Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen, and to all of you for the the warm friendship shared as we help people nearby and around the world!
If you never got around to uploading a photo into your ClubRunner profile, you may be surprised to find one there! For those missing, first we scoured the internet: work websites, Linked-In, and images found by Google. Then we searched the old grayscale photos previously used in our printed directories. The result? Now only 4 members are without a photo, helping newer members get acquainted with everyone more quickly. Charlotte H-H will hunt down those last 4 with a camera at meetings. If you don’t like the picture we selected, fell free to change it any time! Later this week, members will receive an email with the current directory attached, and a reminder on how to log in to update your listing if needed. Thanks!
Thanks to Cheryl Baker for her thought-provoking Feb. 27 Invocation:
Life, and we, move on – forward, always forward.
Our past is not for what we should pine; it is the building block for today. All we have lived and done focuses us for our future; deliberately we move to enhance and grow beyond what we know today.
So what will we do with it…this New Year? Will we accept the challenge: To eradicate polio THIS year; to end world hunger THIS year; to provide shelter in the midst of natural disasters THIS year? To be a force for change in our local community; in our district - will we accomplish all of them; none? We may not finish any of these this year, but we owe it to ourselves, and the world, to try.
For it is only in trying that we succeed. Nothing is won by inaction. And so, we Rotarians pick up our wheel – symbolic in our logo, real in our journeys, and go. And as we go, we have the blessings of fellowship; of caring; of love for others, to make the crooked ways straight and the roads safe and smooth. Whatever it is that gives us life and breath, urges us: Onward!
Thanks to Cheryl Baker for her thought-provoking Feb. 27 Invocation
Allentown Rotary Club Moves to America on Wheels Museum
The Rotary Club of Allentown changed venues for their Friday noon meeting to the America On Wheels museum, 5 N. Fourth Street, Allentown.
AOW is an interesting venue that offers plenty of free parking and has several possible meeting rooms, depending on program needs and projected size of the group; and included in the price of lunch is free admission to the AOW museum – a bargain! http://www.americaonwheels.org/
Bob Stevens, President
Rotary Club of Allentown
Allentown Rotary Club Moves to America on Wheels Museum
The Bethlehem and Morning Star Rotary Clubs are sponsoring a joint 4 Way Test Speech Contest at The Rotunda (on Church Street, between City Hall and the Library) on Wednesday evening March 19. Our winner will move on to the area contest, and the area winners will compete for the District prize. All 3 levels award cash prizes.
The contest is open to all area high school students: public school, charter school, private school, parochial school and home-schooled students. (They do NOT need to be on the debate team!) The maturity and insights demonstrated by contestants in prior years were amazing. If you are aware of any potential participants, or know someone who may have appropriate contacts, please put them in contact with Ben Tenaglia.
We are looking for audience members for Wednesday evening, March 19. Ben Tenaglia is chairing this effort for Morning Star – he may be reached at btenagliaiii@gmail.com . And Rafael de la Hoz is helping at the District Level.
Last week Betty and McGehee Isaacs shared information about their professional careers and their family … and the photos were enjoyed by all!
Feb. 27 Program: MOM-n-PA Dental Project
This Thursday our own Dr. Charlie Incalcaterrawill present an overview of “MOM-n-PA,” or Mission of Mercy in PA. This annual two-day free dental clinic will take place on September 12-13, 2014 in Allentown, serving “Dentistry with a Heart” to people from all around the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
The Morning Star Board is considering applying for a 2014-15 District Grantfor a select portion of the project. This week’s meeting will help us determine whether members would enthusiastically embrace Morning Star support for this effort – both financially and with ‘sweat equity.’ District Grant applications are due by March 15. Think of this as a mini Rotaplast project for teeth!
We will also re-induct Dave Cincerathis Thursday. (He is kindly postponing his Reclassification Talk so we can hear from Charlie.)
Feb. 27 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Ron Searfoss
Greeter – Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week – Marianne Aronson
50/50 – Tom Bailey
Invocation – Cheryl Baker
Introductions – Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Started the Morning Star Rotary Foundation temporary fund, to provide tax-deductibility for donations to MS Projects. (1999-2000)
QUOTE of the Week
“Six essential qualities that are the key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.” – William Menninger
Ed. note: No wonder Rotarians are successful!
Please mark your calendars for our many events coming up over the next few months.
I hope to see you Thursday as we learn about Mom-n-PA, re-induct Dave Cincera; Desty Bonstein will be accepting reservations for the Greaseband Concert, too! (Please see story below.)
Global Grant Apporved for Peru Water Filter Project
I am very pleased to announce that on February 04, 2014, The Rotary Foundation informed us that our application for a Global Grant Application was approved. As you recall, the funds contributed by the Ambler, Morrisville-Yardley Area, Newtown, Bethlehem Morning Star and Doylestown Rotary Clubs, were matched by funds from District 7430, adding to $37,000. The total award approved by The Rotary Foundation is for $42,442. The difference is made up by contributions from the Lima Sunrise Club in Lima, Peru and by District 4450, also in Peru. This Global Grant is recorded by The Rotary Foundation as GG 1414616.
In order to comply with The Rotary Foundation sustainability requirements, the Lima Sunrise Rotary Club has had to contract the services of a NGO, (Non Governmental Organization), which for a period of 3 years will carry out the work of interviewing and training the families receiving the filters on aspects of hygiene, and will keep records of the effectiveness of the disease prevention in these families. The cost of this service, is in the order of $9,500 over the 3-year period.
At the present time, the Lima Sunrise Rotary Club is proceeding with the steps indicated by The Rotary Foundation to proceed with the disbursement of funds.
I take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity in contributing with this project with which we will be benefiting a minimum of 1,200 families.
Yours in Rotary,
Juan Proano
President, Morrisville-Yardley Rotary Club
Global Grant Apporved for Peru Water Filter Project
Feb. 17 – What a Wild Winter! Betty & McGehee Isaacs this Thursday
Wow, will this winter ever end?!? Last Wed. evening we squeezed in the Board Meeting before the flakes flew. Then the storm caused cancellation of Thursday’s regular club meeting. Hope all of you weathered the storm safely, and enjoyed Valentines Day!
Fortunately, both Betty and McGehee are available, so their Classification Talks will be given this week. Please come and hear from two of our newer members!
Feb. 20 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Ed Ortelli
Sergeant-at-Arms – Sue Burnett
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
50/50 – Tom Mohr
Invocation – Mike Long
Introductions – Butch Macri
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Members supported “Coats for Kids” through the purchase of Bethlehem Christmas CDs and direct donations.
QUOTE of the Week
“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” – Joseph Caldwell
Please mark your calendars for our many events coming up over the next few months. Also, visit Morning Star's Facebook page - Iryna Levytska has been doing a terrific job posting photos and more!
With a warming trend in the forecast, I hope to see you this Thursday as we learn more about McGehee & Betty Isaacs!
The Fabulous Greaseband is a seven member "Best of the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's Rock 'n' Roll Party Band." Their highly entertaining and energetic delivery of the greatest dance songs ever written has kept the group on top for the last thirty five years!
Friday March 21, 2014 at Ag Hall Allentown Fairgrounds sponsored by the Emmaus Rotary. Admission $25 pp. BYO Food and Snacks for a fun evening of great music and dancing.
Morning Star contact is Desty Bonstein, dbonstein@embassybank.com, 484-358-5350. She will forward to the Emmaus Rotary. Desty will coordinate tables placing Morning Star folks at tables close together.
Feb. 10 – Let the Good Times “Roll”, and “DoubleTalk”!
Thirty or so Morning Star Rotarians, family and friends enjoyed an evening of BOWLING, fellowship and food on Saturday! Thanks to Iryna Levytska for these great photos:
Strikes and spares were applauded, and all had fun whatever their score. Many thanks to Sue Burnett for arranging this event again!
City Center Lehigh Valley
Jim Harbaugh’s presentation last Thursday gave us insight into the transformation underway in downtown Allentown – so much more than just the hockey arena.
Please come and learn more about two of our newer members.
Feb. 13 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Need a Volunteer
Greeter – Jan Chicka
Sergeant-at-Arms – Sue Reeps
$2 Per Week – Jim Santanasto
50/50 – Melinda Hoffner
Invocation – Janet Kolepp
Introductions – Tom Kolepp
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We had a bowling tournament for kids with ALERT Partnership. (1998-99)
(Just seems like the right week for this memory …)
QUOTE of the Week
“Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.” – Henry Ford
Please check out the story below on another Morning Star fellowship event – The Fabulous Greaseband Concert on Mach 21! Weather permitting (this winter has lasted about 10 years), I hope to see you this Thursday as we hear from McGehee & Betty Isaacs!
Arlen Specter’s “ single bullet theory” was the keystone of the 1964 Warren Commission Report that blamed a lone assassin for President Kennedy’s murder. Evan Laine and David Kratzer will speak about Philadelphia University’s “Single Bullet” exhibit at the Wednesday February 5 meeting of the Huntingdon Valley Churchville Rotary.
The 6:30 dinner meeting is open to the public and takes place at Lamberti’s Feasterville, 1045 Bustleton Pike. Dinner cost is $20 per person.
Tom & Janet Kolepp represented Morning Star at the Jan. 29 Leadership Dinner in Montgomery County. Per District Governor (DG) Frank Romano, PA Governor Tom Corbett mentioned both the government and Rotary helping those who truly can’t help themselves. DG Frank suggests finding these people through a community assessment process and various organizations that have contact with people in need, such as Salvation Army, Goodwill, Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens, Abused Women and Children Agencies, Schools and churches, plus Police and Fire Departments. “So dig deep into your communities and with dignity, compassion and service reach out to do-good-in-the-world right here in your community.” – DG Frank Romano
Rotary Leadership Meeting Featured Gov. Tom Corbett
Our time in California was wonderful, though the travel each way turned into adventures. Many thanks to Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp (TK) for covering everything!
Anne Kitch
TK reports: At our January 30th meeting, the Reverend Canon Anne Kitch gave a wonderful presentation about the work that has been going on in Kajo Keji, Sudan funded by the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem's "New Hope" campaign. Anne presented pictures from her trip to Sudan and showed the progress being made in rebuilding the educational infrastructure and establishing the tailoring trade school for women. She also showed lots of pictures about everyday life in Kajo Keji.
Feb. 6 Program: Jim Harbaugh, Exec VP and COO of “City Center Lehigh Valley”
City Center Lehigh Valley is a dynamic new development that is transforming downtown Allentown into one of America’s most vibrant urban communities and the region’s hub for culture, business and metropolitan living. Please come and hear about this exciting and visionary project!
Feb. 3 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Ron Searfoss
Greeter – Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Betty Isaacs
50/50 – Janet Westlund
Invocation – Butch Macri
Introductions – Ellen Roberts
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Met and interacted with Group Study Exchange Teams from other countries. (Many years)
QUOTE of the Week
“Do what you can to show you care about other people, and you will make our world a better place.” – Rosalynn Carter
Please check out the “events” column and mark your calendars, and join us this Thursday to hear from Jim Harbaugh about City Center Lehigh Valley. I also hope to see you at Hampton Lanes on Saturday!
We are bowling at Hampton Lanes on Saturday, Feb 8th from 7-9. Its is a LOT of fun for all ages - Friends, and family are ALL welcome, It is only $20 a person, $11.50 if you are only cheering your loved one on and not bowling. The food is great and its all you can eat.
We have at least 33 people already signed up - a new record!
Its NOT Super Bowl Saturday and its not the Figure Skating finals of the Olympics so no excuses and it can't possibly snow because it only snows on school days....
Gary Hartney can now mark off his last “To Do” for our 2013 Salute the Troops Concert – recognizing the sponsors and all who contributed their time, talent and/or treasure to this great event. Terrific job Gary – thank you!!! And thanks to Tom Kolepp for running the meeting last Thursday.
Jan. 30 Program –
This week we will welcome Anne Kitch, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, who will speak on "Sacred Dust: Sharing New Hope with Bethlehem, PA and Kajo-Keji, South Sudan".
Jan. 30 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Ron Searfoss
Greeter – Alex Shnaydruk
Sergeant-at-Arms – Iryna Levytska
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
50/50 – Stan Vasiliadis
Invocation – Cheryl Baker
Introductions – Tom Mohr
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
The Morning Star “FUN FACT” andQUOTE of the Week are on vacation, too, and will return with the next bulletin.
Please check out the “events” column and mark your calendars, and join us this Thursday to hear from Anne Kitch!
As you know, we have requested a transfer to The Skidaway Rotary Club in Savannah GA. This was very difficult for us because our lives for the past 20 years in Bethlehem have revolved around our club's activities and our fellow members who remain in our hearts. It is with joy that we recall our early days at the Holiday Inn, the inaugural 5-K Run with "Stan the Greek God", "Desty - The Flying Nun", and our most favorite the "Flapping Chicken". Tom and Jeff are to be congratulated for making this a true Bethlehem event.
The thing that stands out above all is the caring that each club member has for each other. Our Happy Dollars began supporting Jean and the others who suffered with cancer. This developed into today's "Proud of, Grumpy with, Supportive of and just plain old "HAPPY because..." dollars. We have also watch our club's "children" Charlie, Ron, Geoff, Jean/Ron, and Chris's sons, Dee and Ginny's daughters and many, many grandchildren have grown, gone to college and now are soon to be Rotarians.
Personally we want to thank you for the honor of representing the Club as District Governor and First Lady and for the wonderful Conference that the Club provided to the District. We have had two DGs now and both conferences were trend setters.
Jan. 20 – Impromptu Club Assembly, and Concert Recognition!
Last week’s fill-in program was an impromptu Club Assembly. Membership continues to grow, our community and fellowship events so far have been terrific, grants awarded to date have met or exceeded budgeted amounts, and our club’s financial condition is strong. Plans for second-half Morning Star events and activities are well underway – please check out the “events” column and mark your calendars!
Jan. 23 Program – “Salute the Troops” Concert Recognition, and Victory House!
I’m very sad to be missing this week’s program. Would you please attend and show appreciation to our major sponsors: Sands Casino Resort – Bethlehem, Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley, and Susquehanna Bank?
From the very beginning, the Allentown Band has made all this possible, and this year Northeast Middle School provided a wonderful venue … and musicians! Victory House is a terrific partner (signing up sponsors and patrons, plus selling tickets), and a most appropriate beneficiary. Executive Director Pat DiLuzio will explain how they help get veterans and others back on their feet. And please give yourselves a hand, too! Members sold (or bought) tickets, sponsor ads and Patron or In Honor Of listings – all essential to the concert’s netting the funds to benefit Victory House and others. Thank you!
Jan. 23 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Volunteer Needed
Greeter – Iryna Levytska and Ron Helmuth
Sergeant-at-Arms – Tom Hartzell
$2 Per Week – Sue Reeps
50/50 – Jan Chicka
Invocation – Butch Macri
Introductions – Tom Hartzell
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star planned and ran the District Conference. Thanks to Bill Jahn and Diane Donaher! (1998-99)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Nothing is more important for the public welfare than to form and train our youth in wisdom and virtue.” – Benjamin Franklin
Please join Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp this Thursday and show appreciation to those who made our “Salute the Troops” Concert such a resounding success!
Many of you have seen Jan Chicka’s beautiful knitting and crocheting. Several members are also knitters and decided that it would be nice to get together with fellow Rotarians who share similar interests.
So, the first gathering of the Morning Star Rotary Knitters will be at Jan’s lovely home on Thursday January 23 from 7-9 pm. We hope to make this a monthly get together.
Jan’s address is 224 Gallagher Road, Whitehall, PA. Directions: 22 West to 15th Street. Go North on Mauch Chunk Road, (about a mile) turn right on Gallagher (one block after Presidential). House is at the crest of the hill on the right.
In case you have questions etc. feel free to call Jan's cell 215-720-4060.
The Board has authorized half reimbursement ($25) for any Morning Star members who attend. If you would like more info, please contact Tom Kolepp tkolepp@gmail.com .
After the induction of Betty Isaacs last week, this Thursday we welcome back Morning Star Past President (2008-09) Dave Cincera!
Dave is our 10th – (yes 10th) new or reactivated member this Rotary year. Thanks to Rick Santee, Jess Elliott, the Membership Committee, and the sponsors…but most of all, warm thanks to the wonderful people who have joined our efforts toEngage Rotary and Change Lives: Cheryl Baker, Dave Cincera, Jan Chicka, Melinda Hoffner, Betty Isaacs, McGehee Isaacs, Tom Mohr, Ron Searfoss, Janet Sipple and Janet Westlund.
Gretchen Vakiener’s resignation, due to work and family commitments, was regretfully accepted by the Board, and Bill and Karen Jahn are officially transferring to the club near their new home in Georgia. Even so, over seven months Morning Star has a net increase of 7 members, or +14%.
Last Thursday Jeff Kicska led a great program recognizing our 2013 race sponsors – thanks, Jeff! Louise Tusak of Special Olympics was visibly moved by our $7,500 donation.
Jan. 16 Program – Dave Cincera's Classification Talk! (Steve Donches needed to reschedule his presentation on the National Museum of Industrial History – new date will be published when finalized.)
Jan. 16 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Volunteer Needed
Greeter – Melinda Hoffner
Sergeant-at-Arms – Janet Kolepp
$2 Per Week – Jim Santanasto
50/50 – Frank Lulewitz
Invocation – Sue Reeps
Introductions – Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Dues Reminder: Second half dues are due now. (You can now pay via Pay Pal – see below)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star member Tore Hartmann-Hansen was District 7430 governor (1998-99)
QUOTE of the Week:
“We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.” – Ben Sweetland
Please join us on Thursday to help welcome back Dave Cincera!
Rotarians and Guests were joined by the Liberty Singers, led by Gayle Justice, and our own Maestro, Rick Santee, in a wonderful holiday celebration capped by the Morning Star Rotary Twelve Days of Christmas. Photos courtesy of Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen.
Thanks to Tom Koleppfor his interesting program on PechaKuchalast Thursday. In the audience, only Russ Pacala knew that this is a special PowerPoint presentation format of exactly 20 slides for 20 seconds each. After describing its origin and usage, Tom gave the PechaKucha he developed about Rotary, focusing on PolioPlus, RotaPlast and ShelterBox. When he first gave it (to a non-Rotarian group), one of the listeners gave him a donation check for ShelterBox!
And thanks to all of you for all your help during the first half of my term – hard to believe it’s half over already! And I hope that all of you are keeping healthy – tough to do these past few weeks!
Jan. 9 Program – RACE RECOGNITION! Please come to help us show appreciation to the sponsors who helped make the 2013 Morning Star Classic 10K Run / 5K Run/Walk such a great success!
NOTE: Please notify any Sponsors and appropriate personnel of our new meeting location:
Moravian Village 562 Wood Street Bethlehem (Across from the Post Office)
Jan. 9 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Jeff Kicska
Greeter – Marianne Aronson
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ed Ortelli
$2 Per Week – Janet Westlund
50/50 – Tom Bailey
Invocation – Gary Hartney
Introductions – Butch Macri
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Dues Reminder: Second half dues are due now. (You can now pay via Pay Pal – see below)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star Rotarians helped students at Donegan Elementary School with a tutoring program. (1997-98)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Please join us on Thursday to show appreciation to our race sponsors!
Thanks to Mike & Terri Long for once again graciously hosting our Holiday Party on Dec. 28!
Everyone enjoyed great food, and even better fellowship! Thanks also to Tom Mohr for making arrangements and getting the ham etc., and to all who brought food or beverages to share.(Tom has already signed up Mike & Terri to host next year, too!)
About 10 members attended the Dec. 26 “non-meeting” at The Palace Restaurant. (Unfortunately, illness prevented me from going.)
I hope that each one of you celebrated this season with family and friends from near and far.
Jan. 2 Program – TK Special Surprise!Plans to recognize concert sponsors this week did not work out, and Tom Kolepp promises us something special.
Jan. 2 DUTIES
Meeting Set-up – Need a volunteerto help with set-up and/or take-down – (banners, podium, bell, sneaker, badges, etc.)
Greeter – Shawn Deiter
Sergeant-at-Arms – Sue Reeps
$2 Per Week – Need a Volunteer
50/50 – Melinda Hoffner
Invocation – Tom Kolepp
Introductions – Geoff Wright
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Dues Reminder: Second half dues are due now. (You can now pay via Pay Pal – see below)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We held quarterly evening meetings to socialize and for committees to meet, plus we enjoyed two visits from Miss Pennsylvania. (1997-98)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of Love!” – Hamilton Wright Mabie
For your convenience, dues may now be paid via PayPal! After logging in, click “Pay Dues” on the left side (alphabetical under Site Pages).
Not sure of your ID and password? After clicking Login, click “New and existing users: retrieve login and/or reset password”, and ClubRunner will send you a message with the info. (The email address must match what ClubRunner has for you – if problems please contact Jean Searfoss or Val Walk.)
Going forward, members and others will be able to pay for certain Morning Star tickets and events with PayPal, in addition to Dues. Huge thanks to Jeff Kicska and Sue Reeps for navigating through the extensive bureaucracy to set this up!
Thanks to Liberty High School Acapella Singers, Gayle Justice and Rick Santee!!
What a wonderful time we had last Thursday! Gayle led 24 talented singers in a delightful assortment of songs, and Drew Donaher (Diane & Dean’s son) stole the show with his solo! Then all 83 of us sang along with Rick Santee on his accordion, culminating in Morning Star’s traditional “Twelve Days of Rotary”. The warmth and camaraderie were a true joy to behold!
No official meeting this week, but we invite you to breakfast at The Palace Restaurant (3250 Easton Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18020) on Thursday Dec. 26 starting about 7:15-7:30, our usual time. No announcements, no program, no asking you for money (except to pay for your own food, from the regular menu). Just fellowship!
We’ll wrap up the holiday celebrations on Saturday with our club party, graciously hosted once again by Mike & Terri Long (see story below).
Whatever holidays you may celebrate, I wish you love and joy, sweet memories from the past, and special times this year to remember in the future!
They Shot For Zero, But Couldn't Squash Polio In 2013
An interesting update on the continuing battle to eradicate polio. As football fans know, it gets harder when you are in the red zone and closer to the goal line.
On Dec. 12, Allan Syphers of Blue Bell Rotary gave us a moving presentation on the amazing work done by ShelterBox. For individual donations, he requests that checks be made payable to ShelterBox USA and mailed to him at PO Box 535, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437. He keeps district records (please note Morning Star), and will forward the checks on to ShelterBox USA. For additional info, please use the form in Downloads, see www.shelterboxusa.orgor email Allan at architect@aol.com.
On Dec. 7 we raised $1,001 for Salvation Army at Christkindlmarkt!
While the snowstorm kept some shoppers home this past Saturday, we added a nice sum at the Moravian Bookshop. Many thanks to our volunteers!
Dec 12 Program – Musical Holiday Celebration
with Liberty H.S Acapella Singers and Rick Santee!!!
Please join us for my very favorite meeting of the year – feel free to invite family, friends and former Morning Star Rotarians! Our annual club election will also be held – see below.
Dec. 19 DUTIES
Greeter – Steve Bajan
Sergeant-at-Arms – Val Walk
$2 Per Week – Chuck Uhl
50/50 – Tom Bailey
Invocation – Mike Long
Introductions – Ellen Roberts
Meeting Set-up – Need a volunteer to help with set-up and take-down – (banners, podium, bell, sneaker, badges, etc.)
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
And the fun continues …
Thursday, Dec. 26 with a “non-meeting” breakfast at The Palace Restaurant (3250 Easton Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18020) starting at 7:15-7:30, our usual time. No announcements, no program, no asking you for money (except to pay for your own food, from the regular menu). Just fellowship!
Then we wrap up the season on Dec. 28 as Mike & Terri Long host our casual evening Holiday Party – please see below.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE DISCOUNT EXPIRES DEC. 31
Please remember that Dec. 31 is the district’s cutoff registration date for the $50 discounted price to the District Conference on May 2-4, 2014 at Bushkill Falls. Please click District Conference on the left side of www.rotarydistrict7430.org . (This discount is in addition to Morning Star’s $100 per member rebate, to which the cutoff date does NOT apply.)
BOARD “SoundBytes”
On Dec. 11, Rotary Board approved the major grants related to two very successful fundraisers. From the Morning Star Classic 5K / 10K, $7,500 will be given to Bethlehem Special Olympics.And Victory House of Lehigh Valley will receive $9,000 from our Salute the Troops concert.Heartfelt thanks to chairs Jeff Kicska and Gary Hartney, and to all our members and sponsors who helped and supported these events!
In addition, Seven Day Notices have now been issued for Dave Cincera(Past Pres.) and Betty Isaacs(McGehee’s wife), our 9th and 10th new members this year!
Reminders: Second half dues are due by Dec. 31; Rotary Foundation/Polio Plus donations to Tom Hartzell now for 2013 tax deduction.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Our turnover breakfast featured mimosas – thanks, President Diane! (1997)
QUOTE of the Week:
“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” – Arthur Ashe
Hope to see you Thursday for our wonderful, musical celebration!
Ellen Roberts, Ron Helmuth and Irnya Levytska handed out books ( and handshakes) to over 100 students at Spring Garden School. And in their 18 MINUTES even covered ShelterBox, PolioPlus and Rotaplast!
Thanks to Morning Star bell-ringers at Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, the Salvation Army can help more families this holiday season! Fortunately Friday’s rainstorm had moved on and a sprinkling of snow added to the festive atmosphere. Next Saturday, (Dec 14), we’ll be ringing in front of the Moravian Bookshop on Main Street – so if you’re downtown please stop by!
The Membership Committee’s first quarterly “Welcome Meeting” last Wednesday was a rousing success at The Mint. (Best use of a bank building I’ve seen in a long time! Ed.)So many new, prospective and veteran members came that we had to move to a bigger table. Thanks to Rick Santee, Jessica Elliott and the committee for providing a nice casual, unhurried opportunity for fellowship and sharing Rotary information!
NEWEST MEMBER - Please join me in giving our newest member, Melinda Hoffner, a warm Morning Star welcome. Tom Mohr (her sponsor) had the honor of inducting her. Melinda is a Vice President of Commercial Lending at Merchants Bank of Bangor in their new Bethlehem office. She resides in Nazareth with her husband, Chris.
Dec 12 PROGRAM – please see ShelterBox Story below.
Dec. 12 DUTIES
Greeter – Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Susan Burnett
50/50 – Jan Chicka
Invocation – Butch Macri
Introductions – Barb Seifert-Sigmon
Meeting Set-up – Need a volunteer to set-up and take-down (banners, podium, bell, sneaker, badges, etc.)
If you signed up but are now unable, we’ll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE DISCOUNT EXPIRES DEC. 31
Please remember that Dec. 31 is the district’s cutoff registration date for the $50 discounted price to the District Conference on May 2-4, 2014 at Bushkill Falls. Please click District Conference on the left side of www.rotarydistrict7430.org . (This discount is in addition to Morning Star’s $100 per member rebate, to which the cutoff date does NOT apply.)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We accumulated contributions for Rotary foundation in “Paul Harris buckets” and funded over 3 homes in Curitiba, Brazil (1997-98)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together”
- President Woodrow Wilson
Hope to see you Thursday for a ShelterBox update and Morning Star fellowship!
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! It is already December now, a very busy time for Morning Star. We start with the Membership Committee’s new “Welcome Meeting” this Wednesday, continuing with bell-ringing for Salvation Army on 12/7 & 12/14, and our wonderful musical holiday programon 12/19, then finishing up with our terrific party hosted by Mike and Terri Longon 12/28 – Tis the Season!!!
DEC. 5 PROGRAM
We’ll hear more details about the May 2-4 District Conference at Bushkill Falls from Co-Chair LaVerne Scheetzof Harleysville Rotary.
Plus, we’ll recognize members who have achieved Paul Harris Fellowstatus for cumulative donations of $1,000 (or multiples of $1,000) to Rotary Foundation and/or PolioPlus.
DEC. 5 DUTIES
Greeter – Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms – Dee Elliott
$2 Per Week – Rafael de la Hoz
50/50 – Ron Searfoss
Invocation – Sue Reeps
Introductions – Tom Kolepp
Meeting Set-up - Need a volunteer to set-up and take-down - (banners, podium, sneaker, badges, etc.)
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
DICTIONARY PROJECT
We are handing them out at additional schools! Please see Ellen Roberts, or email her editor@wherebooksbegin.com .
RING THE BELL for Salvation Army
Dec. 7 at Christkindlmarkt and Dec. 14 at Moravian Bookshop
Please contact Mike Long at this week’s meeting or at mike@longfuneralhome.com to sign up. There are a few time slots open, and extra help is welcome at any time if you'd like to participate!
DISTRICT CONFERENCE DISCOUNT EXPIRES DEC. 31
Please remember that Dec. 31 is the district’s cutoff registration date for the $50 discounted price to the District Conference on May 2-4, 2014 at Bushkill Falls. Please click District Conference on the left side of www.rotarydistrict7430.org . (This discount is in addition to Morning Star’s $100 per member rebate, to which the cutoff date does NOT apply.)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star was one of the youngest clubs to successfully nominate a member for District Governor – Tore Hartmann-Hansen. (1996-97)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
– Marcel Proust
I hope to see you Wednesday at the Membership Committee’s “Welcome Meeting”, and on Thursday at our regular meeting to hear about the District Conference, and recognition of new and multiple Paul Harris Fellows!
Place and return the Rotary Bell and Gavel along with smaller banners on podium,
Place and collect the 'Sneaker' and 50/50 basket and
Place and return the Badges box,
Put all of above, except banners and stands, in the storage box in the dining room closet to the left of the entrance as you come into the dining room.
On December 12, please join Morning Star Rotarians in welcoming Allan Syphers for an update on "ShelterBox".
Allan is a fellow Rotarian, a member of the Blue Bell Club and our Rotary District 7430 ShelterBox Ambassador. Allan will tell us about the recent campaign to get more Shelter Boxes into Syria, and the overall ShelterBox mission to "provide shelter, warmth and dignity to disaster survivors worldwide.
In the midst of George Mowrer's very interesting presentation on a special event with daughter, Katie, the altitude proved to be too high! We experienced a power outage and the AV, etc. was MIA. George soldiered on as this then allowed time for an excellent Q & A from the Rotarians present.
"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - WT Purkiser
At Thanksgiving and throughout the year, I feel grateful for so many blessings in my life - most of all for my wonderful family and friends, including each one of you!
Working with you as we share our "time, talent and treasure" to help others for almost 20 years in Morning Star Rotary has enriched my life beyond measure!
Wishing you love, health, happiness, a warm home and good food this Thanksgiving and Chanukah,
MORNING STAR BOARD APPROVES 3 CLUB INTERNATIONAL GRANTS
At the Nov. 13 Board Meeting, three club donations were approved, each for $1,000 as budgeted. These contributions are meant to supplement (not replace) contributions by individual Morning Star members to these incredibly worthwhile causes!
POLIO PLUS
Rotary Foundation’s polio eradication fund. The number of annual polio cases worldwide has decreased over 99% since Rotary’s efforts began in the mid 1980’s. Joined by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are “THIS CLOSE”!!! For more info, or to contribute personally, please see http://sites.rotary.org/en/contribute/funds/polioplusfund/Pages/ridefault.aspx
ROTAPLAST
We heard two very moving presentations from Jean McGill on cleft lip and cleft palate surgery in the Philippines. District 7430’s Dec. 7 On-Air Auction will fund the next Rotaplast mission, and is still in dire need of donated auction items. If you can provide an auction item, would you please bring it to the Joint Thanksgiving Luncheon this Wednesday? Please use the form provided at meetings, or get it from Downloads on our home page.
SHELTERBOX
“Providing shelter, warmth and dignity to disaster survivors worldwide.”
The need for help in the Philippines is immense. District 7430’s ShelterBox Ambassador Allan Syphers has been rescheduled to present at our Dec. 12 meeting. For individual donations, he requests that checks be made payable to ShelterBox USA and mailed to him at PO Box 535, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437. He keeps district records, and will forward the checks on to ShelterBox USA. For additional info, please use the form in Downloads or see www.shelterboxusa.org or email Allan at architect@aol.com.
Thank you!!!
MORNING STAR BOARD APPROVES 3 CLUB INTERNATIONAL GRANTS
Location: Right here at Morning Star’s usual meeting place
Cost: $20 (includes $5 for Polio Plus)
Program: Current Issues in Higher Education
Speaker: Byron L. Grigsby - President of Moravian College and Theological Seminary
The cost and the value of higher education is being discussed in all circles as we strive to define and measure the desired outcomes of pursuing advanced degrees and knowledge. Join us to hear Byron Grigsby speak about these relevant issues. Byron is a 1990 graduate of Moravian College and began his tenure as President July 1, 2013.
JOINT THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON this Wed. Nov. 20 at 12 Noon
Nov. 18 – This week: George Mowrer's Ascent of Mount Kilamanjaro, and more!
Thanks to Dennis Schollfor his informative program last Thursday on the Freemansburg Canal Education Center! Ron Helmuth and a few club members will be meeting with Dennis to determine projects that Morning Star Rotary could do in the course of a work day next spring, helped by $3,100 funding (including a District Grant). If you’d like to help identify and evaluate potential projects, please contact Ron at ron.helmuth@rcn.com.
We also inducted our newest member, Cheryl Baker, a transfer from Bethlehem Rotary who is Account Executive with Radio Disney near Philadelphia. Cheryl is an avid fan of Rotary’s Student Exchange program, has already helped our 5K/10K, supported and attended our Salute the Troops concert, and has a beautiful voice. Please be sure to introduce yourself to her. Welcome, Cheryl!!!
NOV. 21 PROGRAM
On November 21, 2013, Morning Star Rotary will welcome fellow Rotarian George Mowrer for an inspirational presentation about his recent ascent of Mount Kilimanjarowith his daughter, Katie.
George will present a 12 minute video of the trip highlights and share observations about taking on this challenge with his daughter. George is a long-time friend of Morning Star. He is the Immediate Past President of the Bethlehem Rotary Club. He grew up in a "Rotary family" (grandfather, father and uncle all Past District Governors or PDGs), with PDG Gordon Mowrer as his dad and they hosted many exchange students. George works with Tom Hartzell and the team at Hampson Mowrer Kreitz Insurance. He is married to Betsy and they have three children.
Please join us this Thursday for a unique look at an African adventure with George!
NOV. 21 DUTIES
Greeter – Dieter Bender
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week – Jan Chicka and Chuck Uhl
50/50 – Robin Metzler
Invocation – Janet Kolepp
Introductions – Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
Roadie – ???
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
DICTIONARY PROJECT
We are packing up the additional dictionaries Monday afternoon, and look forward to handing them out! Ellen Roberts is routing a sign-up sheet at meetings, or email her editor@wherebooksbegin.com .
JOINT THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON – Nov. 20
Please see separate story below.
RING THE BELL for Salvation Army – Dec. 7 and 14
Please see Mike Long to sign up. There are a few time slots open, and extra help is welcome at any time if you'd like to participate!
Reminders
November and December quite busy! Please see “Upcoming Events” on the side of this bulletin so you don’t miss anything! And please remember that Dec. 31 is the district’s cutoff registration date for the $50 discounted price to the District Conferenceon May 2-4, 2014 at Bushkill Falls. Please click District Conference on the left side of www.rotarydistrict7430.org . (This discount is in addition to Morning Star’s $100 per member rebate, to which the cutoff date does NOT apply.)
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Outgoing President Stan Vasiliadis almost literally “missed the boat” for his Kickout Party on the canal boat. (1996-97)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Life is an echo – what you send out comes back.”
– Anonymous
I hope to see you Wednesday at the Joint Thanksgiving Lunch or Thursday at our regular meeting to hear George Mowrer’s amazing story … or hopefully at BOTH!
Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary General of United Nations, presented three major challenges for organization and human society in this century: eradicating the poverty, focusing on sustainable development, and developing free society.
Rotary International is a great partner organization for United Nations. The strategy and philosophy of both organization correlate together. There were prominent speakers who showed how to be both dedicated Rotarians and true global citizens. We have heard stories about projects for improving humiliating conditions of women in India, supporting maternal and child health in Central America, building Rotary organizations in Russia, tackling into the problem of shrinking reserves of drinkable water supply, and developing the strategy for sustainable energy and waste management. Certain focus was given on how to make the impact with international projects, while creating the sustainable ecosystem to carry over all the developments into the future.
Several partnering organizations were presented: PACE Universal, UN Global Compact LEAD, Gift of Life International, Center for Citizen Initiatives, World Bank, WASH at Unicef. There were also great initiative organizations built by Rotarians: Wasrag (Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group) and Shelterbox (responding instantly following disasters by delivering special boxes of aid with all needed appliances to provide a temporary shelter). For instance, Shelterbox has over 50,000 boxes distributed in several logistics center and ready to be delivered to the next disaster. Each box costs approximately 200 USD and can provide emergency shelter for a family, taking into consideration various climate zones.
Contributed by Alex Shnaydruk and Iryna Levytska who attended this event.
The Rotary Foundation is the engine that drives Rotary’s international humanitarian service. Without the Foundation, Rotary would be a very different and less powerful force for good in the world. (Former RI President, Wilf Wilkinson).
November is Rotary Foundation month, and Rotarians are asked to contribute a minimum amount of $100 to the Foundation as part of the “Every Rotarian, Every Year” campaign. This includes newer club members as well as club members who have previously achieved Paul Harris status ($1,000 lifetime gift). Morning Star Rotary has 64 Paul Harris Fellows, 43 of whom are current club members.
Through gifts to Rotary Foundation, monies are made available to clubs and districts to fund grants for local projects (Hogar Crea, Freemansburg Canal Education Center) in addition to international projects (polio eradication and disaster relief to the Phillippines).
Morning Star Rotary members are asked to consider making a minimum $100 contribution to Rotary Foundation for 2013 by December 12. There are three ways to make a contribution:
· Check payable to “Rotary Foundation”
· Make $2/week contributions. There is a Rotarian on duty at the registration table that will assist you when you sign in and pay for breakfast each week. There are about 15 Rotarians that make their contribution in this manner.
· Rotary Direct – Contributions are deducted regularly from your credit card – monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Checks can be given to Tom Hartzell at any of the upcoming Rotary meetings. Tom can also answer questions about the $2/week program or provide a form to sign up for automatic withdrawal.
Our club Foundation goal for 2013-14 is $5,000. We need the help and support of all club members to meet our goal.
Additional Info on Matching Points:
At the Nov. 13 Board Meeting, the Foundation Committee's recommendation to approve matching "points" was approved. For members who have not yet achieved Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) status for $1,000 cumulative donation, the club will match their donations of up to $100 with an equal number of "points" towards PHF recognition, allowing them to reach it sooner. (Depending on the number of points available, the match may also be offered to PHF members who donate also.)
Nov. 11 - SUCCESSFUL “SALUTE THE TROOPS”, and much more!
Many thanks to our sponsors, ticket-buyers, attendees, helpers and the Allentown Band!Our 11th concert featured special appearances by “Chesty” (the US Marine Corps bulldog in full uniform who salutes), a moving rendition of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, soprano Katherine Christopher, clarinet soloist Steve Reisteter, a few words from US Congressman Charlie Dent, and members of the Northeast Middle School Band joining the Allentown Band. Homefront (Musical Memories of WW II) and the Armed Forces Salute (recognition of those in audience who served or have family who served) brought a tear to many an eye. Gary Hartney(concert Chair) and Pat DiLuzio(Executive Director of Victory House of the Lehigh Valley, our primary beneficiary) did the lion’s share of work – their efforts paid off and are very much appreciated! Please check out the article in today’s print edition Morning Call, and the photo gallery available online at http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-pictures-allentown-band-salute-the-troops-20131110,0,7434127.photogallery
Would you please get any outstanding money for tickets, sponsors, patrons and “In Honor Of” listings to Gary Hartney promptly, so we can determine the net proceeds and get a check to Victory House sooner? Checks may be given to Gary at a meeting, or mailed to him at 1757 Greenleaf Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Thank you!
NOV. 14 PROGRAM
Dennis Schollwill tell us about the Freemansburg Canal Education Center,and what it will mean to the community. We also hope to hear about some possible projects at the Center for a club like ours that could be done in the course of a work day, helped by $3,100 funding.
NOV. 14 DUTIES
Greeter – Iryna Levytska
Sergeant-at-Arms – Alex Shnaydruk
$2 Per Week – Ed Ortelli
50/50 – Tom Bailey
Invocation – Ron Helmuth
Introductions – Dee Elliott
Roadie – ???
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
NOVEMBER IS ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH
Please see the story below from club Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell, and help Morning Star achieve our annual Foundation goals to help projects locally and around the world. The Rotarian Magazine and www.rotary.org also have great info on Rotary Foundation.
DICTIONARY PROJECT
Chair Ellen Roberts will firm up stamp/pack and delivery dates after the additional shipment is received – hopefully early this week. Student response has been heartwarming!
JOINT THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON – Nov. 20
Bethlehem Rotary will host its annual Joint Thanksgiving Meeting right here at Moravian Village on Wed. Nov. 20. This great event includes your favorite Thanksgiving foods plus salads, wine and a sundae bar. Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian College, will be the speaker. We hope to have strong Morning Star representation as we meet with Rotarians from around the Lehigh Valley. Please let me know if you won’t be at our meeting this Thursday and plan to attend the Joint Luncheon – we need to give an estimated count of attendees from our club. Cost is $20 per person at the door, with $5 of that going to Polio Eradication.
Reminders
November and December quite busy! Please see “Upcoming Events” on the side of this bulletin so you don’t miss anything!
Board Members – if not already done, please notify Val Walk whether you will attend the meeting this Wednesday 11/13 at 6 PM. Thank you.
And this Friday, Nov. 15 is the due date to apply for Community Development Grants.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Morning Star was district leader (among 50+ clubs) in contribution to Rotary Foundation. (1996-97)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Freedom isn’t free. Thank you to all who paid that price.”
– Unknown
Please come this Thursday to hear from Dennis Scholl about the Freemansburg Canal Education Center, and for the (delayed) induction of Cheryl Baker, our newest Morning Star member!
Nov. 4 Message – In Bethlehem, Rotary is on a Roll!
The Morning Star and Bethlehem Rotary clubs have been very busy lately … and very successful!
SALUTE THE TROOPS IS ALMOST HERE – NOV 10!
Chair Gary Hartneyneeds 8-10 volunteersto help with parking, ticket sales and handing out programs. Please email glhartney@aol.com or sign up at this week’s meeting. (Plus a few people afterwards to help straighten up. Note: All volunteers will be able to enjoy the concert in its entirety.) I hope Ron Demkee’s terrific presentation on the Allentown Band last Thursday encourages even more of you to sell (or buy) tickets, and to attend!
Our primary beneficiary is Victory House of Lehigh Valley, specifically its veterans’ programs. Victory House is an excellent partner with marketing, selling tickets and sponsorships, as well as supplying volunteers for the concert and our Spaghetti Dinner.
DICTIONARY PROJECT & NOV. 7 SPEAKER JACK SILVA
Phase one of our Dictionary Project with Bethlehem Rotary is going beautifully, and chair Ellen Roberts will let us know the stamping, packing and handing out dates for additional schools when the next book shipment is received. Don’t miss our Nov. 7 program!Jack Silva, Assistant Superintendent BASD, will give a curriculum guru’s views on Bethlehem’s 3rd graders, dictionaries and reading! Because Jack needs to get to work, his presentation will start about 7:35 AM – please arrive early.(We’ll have club announcements afterwards.)
NOV. 7 DUTIES
Greeter – Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms – Janet Kolepp
$2 Per Week – Wayne Achey
50/50 – Sue Burnett
Invocation – Tom Kolepp
Introductions – Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
5K / 10K
Two matching grants of $1,000 each have been approved by Thrivent Financial for Lutheran chapters! We’ll have a good estimate of net proceeds after this month’s board meeting.
Joint Thanksgiving Meeting Nov. 20
Bethlehem Rotary will host its annual Joint Thanksgiving Meeting right here at Moravian Village on Wed. Nov. 20. This great event includes your favorite Thanksgiving foods plus salads, wine and a sundae bar. Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian College, will be the speaker. We hope to have strong Morning Star representation as we meet with Rotarians from around the Lehigh Valley. Please let me know if you plan to attend – we need to give an estimated count of attendees from our club. Cost is $20 per person at the door, with $5 of that going to Polio Eradication.
Congratulations for Bethlehem Rotary’s “Tastes & Tunes”
Sunday’s Morning Call featured a very nice article on Bethlehem Rotary’s first (but not last!) “Tastes & Tunes” fundraiser, which netted over $30,000 to benefit the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley. Congratulations to our “parent” club on a great new event!
Reminders
November is quite busy! Please see “Upcoming Events” on the side of this bulletin so you don’t miss anything!
Nov. 15 is the due date to apply for Community Development Grants (see story on website).
And please contact Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp tkolepp@gmail.com if you might be interested in serving on the board next year.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Initiated the now-annual joint Golf Tournament with Bethlehem Rotary. (1995-96)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Tell me and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I may not remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
– Native American Proverb
Please come this Thursday to hear about Bethlehem’s 3rd graders, dictionaries and reading; and the induction of Cheryl Baker, our newest Morning Star member … and remember to vote tomorrow!
Bethlehem Rotary Travels to Sands Hotel this Wednesday – PLEASE NOTE: Bethlehem Rotary meeting, October 30 at 12:00 noon, will be held in the Foundry Room of the Sands Hotel. The Foundry Room is located on the second floor of the Sands Hotel. You do not need to enter the casino or park in the large parking garage serving the casino to enter the hotel.
The Sands Hotel has its own separate entrance. There is free parking in parking lots adjacent to the hotel. Enter the hotel and proceed to the elevators. The Foundry Room is on the second floor of the hotel.
Bob DeSalvio, President of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, will be the speaker. Topic - Bob’s plans for the Sands Resort. NOTE: Lunch will still be $12.00.
Oct. 28 Message – More on ROTAPLAST, and we prepare to “SALUTE THE TROOPS”!
Last Thursday when our scheduled speaker fell ill at the last minute, Past Assistant Governor Jean McGill graciously agreed to return and share some Rotaplast info we missed when her original presentation was cut short. Her videos demonstrated so vividly how Rotaplast changes lives! Thank you, Jean.
ROTAPLAST ON-AIR AUCTION
ITEMS SOUGHT – Please see the sheets emailed last week. If you have any items to donate, such as event tickets, restaurant or other gift cards, collectibles, household goods in excellent condition, etc. please let me know. Linda Young can collect items from our club when she visits the Board Meeting next month.
No items? No problem! Monetary donations or your purchase of auction items on Dec. 7 also help tremendously!
This week our meeting falls on Halloween!Let’s have some fun and wear spooky ties, earrings, accessories or clothing!We’ll hear fromRon Demkee, Conductor about the Allentown Band(America’s Oldest) and our concert.
Victory HouseDirector Pat DiLuzio plans to attend, too. Please see the separate story on “Salute the Troops”.
OCT. 31 DUTIES
Greeter – Jan Chicka
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week – Chuck Uhl
50/50 – Tom Mohr
Invocation – Mike Long
Introductions – Marianne Aronson
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
MEMBER HANDBOOK
The Morning Star “Member Handbook” was emailed last Thursday, and is also available in “Club Documents” under Admin on the website (after sign-in). Rick Santee, Jess Elliott and the Membership Committee have done a terrific job – please check it out!
REMINDERS
November will be quite busy! Please see “Upcoming Events” on the side of this bulletin so you don’t miss anything!
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
For the president’s turnover, we held a Road Rally and picnic. (1995-96)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Look up and not down.
Look forward and not back.
Look out and not in, and lend a hand.”
– Edward Everett Hale
Please come this Thursday to hear some great music and have some spooky fun!
Starting this week and continuing into November, we will handing out dictionaries jointly with Bethlehem Rotarians to 3rd graders, and explaining a little bit about Rotary to them!
Once our additional books arrive, chair Ellen Roberts will be looking for more helpers to stamp/pack and hand them out at the additional schools. Everyone who has participated in the past describes the experience as wonderful. When Ellen sends around the info, we hope you'll find a spot to volunteer!
And on Nov. 7, our speaker will be Jack Silva, Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum in the Bethlehem Area School District. The program is titled: "A Curriculum Guru Talks About Bethlehem's Third Graders, Dictionaries And Reading."
“Salute the Troops” Concert - Patrons and "In Honor Of" listings by Oct. 31
If buying tickets you are unable to use, please notify Gary Hartney - we'll fill seats by inviting Victory House residents and others.
Who? The Allentown Band will entertain Rotarians, friends, family, veterans, students and the general public
What? An excellent concert by the oldest municipal band in the country, featuring patriotic and related songs.
When? Sunday, Nov. 10 at 3:00 pm
Where? Northeast Middle School’s new Auditorium
1170 Fernwood St., Bethlehem
(Parking very close, and easy access)
Why? To benefit Victory House of the Lehigh Valley and other Morning Star Rotary charities. Many of those served by Victory House are Veterans.
How can you help?
Buy (or sell) the 6 tickets (or more!) given to each member by chair Gary Hartney. Adult ticket price remains $10, and this year a special Student rate of $5 is offered to encourage attendance.
Become a Patron (listing in the concert program book) or recognize an active or veteran member of the Armed Services with an “In Honor Of” listing. (Get the form at meetings, or from Downloads on the club home page.)
Post concert flyers in grocery stores and anywhere else potential concert-goers might see them!
Help the day of the concert with taking tickets, ushering, etc.
Yvette Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K Run/Walk - The DeSales University Rotaract Club and Rotary District 7430 are holding the Purple Pinkie 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, November 3rd at DeSales in Center Valley. The funds raised all go to the Polio+ Fund to eradicate Polio from the world. And each Rotarian’s donation will count toward a Paul Harris Fellow award. Please run, walk, work and/or sponsor. Check out yppp5k.blogspot.com/
Oct. 21 Message – MORNING STAR IS ENGAGING ROTARY!
Last Thursday we talked about how well our club is progressing towards annual goals, and heard updates from each committee. Morning Star Rotary is growing, and almost half of our 57 members serve on the Board and/or as a committee chair or co-chair. Plus, over 80%helped with the 5K / 10K by planning, volunteering on race day, stuffing bags or donating to the event!
Four members have sponsored new members so far, and six attended Rotary Leadership Institute. November is Rotary Foundation Month, so we’ll hold off on review of those goals until afterwards.
Morning Star’s finances are strong, and reports are available in “Club Documents” on the website (after you log in). The Board has reallocated $700 originally budgeted for Youth Exchange to the Dictionary Project (see separate story), since Retief had to leave early and we did not receive a student in September.
Secretary Val Walk asks that your meeting make-ups be emailed to val@btcu.org – she’s not always aware when committees have met or who was there.
Thanks to all the committee leaders who brought us up to speed on activities to date and future plans. Monthly Board Minutes contain much info, and are posted in Club documents after approval. If you have any corrections/changes to the committee members “snapshot” distributed last week, would you please email me?
ROTAPLAST ON-AIR AUCTION ITEMS SOUGHT
If you have any items to donate (such as electronics, home goods, jewelry, toys, gift baskets, tickets, or sports memorabilia) please let me know. Linda Young can collect items from our club when she visits the Board Meeting next month. For more info, please see www.district7430.org .
OCT. 24 DUTIES
Greeter – Eileen Dunn
Sergeant-at-Arms – Dee Elliott
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
We celebrated the Fifth Anniversary of our Charter Night at the Hotel Bethlehem. (1995)
QUOTE of the Week: The Serenity Prayer
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
– Reinhold Niebuhr
Please come this Thursday as Allan Syphers updates us on ShelterBox!(See story above)
Oct. 24 is World Polio Day! ... an occasion to recommit ourselves towards eradication of polio.
Dear Rotarians:
World Polio Day Is October 24th. There is a Streamed live event at 5:30 pm CDT at www.endpolionow,org.
At this event we will hear from world renowned speakers such as Dr. Bruce Aylward (Director, Global Polio Eradication Initiative) and the Northwestern UniversityCenter for Global Health will deliver a global status update on the fight to end Polio.
Rememberthe Gates Partnership of two-to-one, up to US $35 million per year. For example every $100 dollars Rotary commits to End polio, the Gates Foundation will provide $200, making it $300 to be used for the End Polio Now Initiative.
Community Development Grant Applications Due Nov. 15
Desty Bonstein and the Community Development Grants Committee now invite applications for our 2013-14 grants. While this year’s theme is Health and Human Services, we ask that you think “outside the box” for potential applicants. The PROJECT (not the organization) must fit the theme. So a human services project by a youth group or arts organization would qualify. Grants generally range from $500 to $1,500 each, with a total of $3,000 budgeted.At least one application has been received so far.
If you volunteer with or are otherwise aware of any potential applicants, would you please forward the Request for Proposal (RFP) to the appropriate people there? The “Request for Proposal” document was emailed to members last week, and is also in Downloads on www.morningstarrotary.org for easy access - no log-in required.
Alternatively, email that organization's info to Desty: dbonstein@embassybank.com . Super if you can provide a contact person with email address or phone number.
Applications must be postmarked no later than November 15, 2013 for consideration.
Thank You!
The Community Development Grants Committee
Community Development Grant Applications Due Nov. 15
All who attended last Thursday’s meeting now understand how diverse and interesting our member and Assistant Governor (AG) Marianne Aronson is! I felt tired just hearing about all the places she has lived and worked, and all her activities … sure leaves VERY little time for TV. I am so happy that she fits Morning Star Rotary into her retirement schedule! Marianne is Past President of her former club in NJ, and she is in her 3rd year as AG in District 7430. For the first 2 years she covered 5 clubs in Berks County, often traveling busy, narrow Rte. 222 and back roads in the dark before breakfast meetings and after dinner meetings. Fortunately for us, she now works with Bethlehem, Morning Star, Nazareth and Easton. Marianne, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful photos and stories, and even more for your dedication to Rotary!
DICTIONARY PROJECT
On Tuesday we will help Bethlehem Rotary stamp and box the books for delivery to the schools. Then later in October and into November we’ll do the same for some additional locations, as well as participate in handing both sets out to the 3rd graders in many schools. If you’d like to help but haven’t yet signed up at a meeting, please contact chair Ellen Robertseditor@wherebooksbegin.com . Our thanks to Deb Storm, Bethlehem Rotary and Ellen as we initiate Morning Star’s participation in this very meaningful project. On Nov. 7 our speaker will address the value of dictionaries in this digital age, and we plan to share the project experience with the club at another meeting after all has been completed.
ROTAPLAST ON-AIR AUCTION ITEMS SOUGHT
If you have any items to donate, such as event tickets, restaurant or other gift cards, collectibles, household goods in excellent condition, etc. please let me know. Linda Young can collect items from our club when she visits the Board Meeting next month. For more info, please see www.district7430.org .
SAUCON ROTARY ROAD RALLY THIS SUNDAY OCT. 20
A fun drive through scenic countryside with stops including local wineries. This fundraiser costs $35 per person for driver and co-pilot, $10 for passengers. Please contact me for the event flyer.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST …
Past President Dave Cincera had so much fun at our changeover meeting that he plans to visit soon, and even contemplates rejoining. Tim Brion continues to be very busy, and hopes to visit us in the spring or summer.
OCT. 17 PROGRAM – CLUB ASSEMBLY
Progress towards our goals for the year, and committee updates
OCT. 17 DUTIES
Greeter – Dee Elliott
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Janet Westlund
50/50 – Sue Reeps
Invocation – Janet Sipple
Introductions – Ellen Roberts
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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)
228 runners posted finishing times. Congratulations to overall winner Craig Neiman at 36:31.3, and to Dan Sobinski who finished hot on his heels at 36:31.9. Carolyn Dunham was the fastest female with a time of 40:06.5.
5K Run & Walk
390 participated, with Michael Lehtonen smoking the field at 16:14.3. Kami Reinhard was the first female across the finish line, in 18:54.1.
Kilts and more
Celtic spirit infused the event, with kilt-wearers receiving food and beverage tickets donated by Celtic Classic. (Though the dog in a kilt wasn’t old enough to drink a beer.) And the “Muskets of the Crown” group took this spirit to a whole new level!
On Saturday Oct. 5, six Morning Star Rotarians experienced Rotary Leadership Institute, or RLI, in King of Prussia, PA. The annual turnover of leadership positions in Rotary requires constant effort to prepare more Rotarians for those responsibilities. The leadership course is offered in three full-day parts. Iryna Levytska, Ron Searfoss and I attended Part I, with sessions on leadership, how Rotary is organized, engaging members, the Rotary Foundation, ethics and vocational service, and service projects. Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp and Asst. Gov. Marianne Aronson attended Part II, which covered strategic planning & analysis, targeted service, club communication, team building and attracting members. Past. Pres. Sue Burnett, having already completed Part III, took part in the in-depth seminar of the Graduate Program. (This after she attended new grants training last Saturday after all her help before and during the race - thanks Sue!)
Sharing the experiences and ideas of people from so many different clubs is terrific, and we made new friends, too. RLI’s sessions on leadership help the personal development of participants in all areas of their lives, not just for Rotary. Morning Star reimburses 100% of the cost, and we encourage ALL interested members to attend. (There is no commitment to be a club leader afterwards; we simply think that learning more will motivate members to volunteer.)
RLI of Northeast America holds classes throughout the northeast (naturally). While King of Prussia was the closest location, several others may be within commuting distance. Please see www.rlinea.com for future dates and cities. And please talk to any of us who just attended if you may be interested!
Reminder: Board Meetingthis Wed., Oct. 9 at 6 pm, Moravian Village
OCT. 10 PROGRAM
“Everything you always wanted to know about MARIANNE ARONSON … but were afraid to ask!”(Also known as her Classification Talk.)
OCT. 10 DUTIES
Greeter – Ron Searfoss
Sergeant-at-Arms – Iryna Levytska
$2 Per Week – Alex Shnaydruk
50/50 – Shawn Deiter
Invocation – Gary Hartney
Introductions – Butch Macri
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
(Memories from each Past Presidents related to the year he or she served.)
Each year, raised and donated more funds than the prior year. (1994-95)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Every day when I got off the bus to walk to the build site, I had this movie quote in my head … that said “do good things today”. I guess that’s enough to ask, and the very minimum that I should expect of myself. And last week, I made it.”
– K. Catherine (Casey) Roney
On the Habitat for Humanity “Mekong Big Build”, where she volunteered with her Dad, Tom Roney, who presented to Morning Star Rotary last week.
Please come this Thursday to hear our own Marianne Aronson!
Last Thursday we heard Tom Roney's inspiring program on the "Mekong Big Build".
Tom and his daughter went to Vietnam to participate in an international Habit for Humanity build of multiple houses in the Mekong Delta region. Tom told us about the trip, the work and the country. Tom shared his unique perspective as both a Habitat volunteer and a Vietnam era veteran. (This week's quote is from Casey Roney - please see above.)
Sep. 30 Message – Congrats & Thanks for Fantastic Morning Star Celtic Classic 5K / 10K!!!
Our 23rd Race was a resounding success. Funds raised from this event have cumulatively benefited Special Olympics over $100,000 as well as other Morning Star Charities.
Wow!!! While race stats may have to wait a week or two, congratulations and thanks abound now! Race director Jeff Kicska describes the event as “stunning”! Our 600+ runners and walkers on Sept. 28 included about 150 from Essroc alone (see photo)!
With help from our members (current, plus past and future), family and friends, we registered, fed and timed so many participants! The location, route and even the weather were perfect! (Using so many exclamation points, I feel like Sue Burnett.)
Our heartfelt thanks to Jeff and the entire race committee for their meticulous planning and preparations, which resulted in such a smooth operation on Saturday morning. And a special shout-out to those who arrived in the dark and/or stayed all the way thru garbage drop-off.
If you helped but were not on the sign-up sheet, please email Val val@btcu.org for attendance credit. And please return the “Ask Me About Rotary” buttons to me for use at future events. We’ll update you on race results in the coming weeks.
Guess what … after a brief rest, we have more important happenings this fall!
Community Development Grants
Distribution of the Request for Proposal details is expected in the next week or two.
Dictionary Project
We will help Bethlehem Rotary with the 9 schools they serve, and we hope to serve additional third graders, too. The anticipated timing is late Oct./early Nov., and specific dates will be shared as soon as known.
“Salute the Troops” on Nov. 10, 3:00 pm
Our concert by The Allentown Bandwill benefit Victory Houseand other Morning Star charities. We are now seeking sponsors, patrons and “In Honor Of” listings for the program book. Chair Gary Hartney will be distributing tickets which we ask you to sell (or buy). New location this year: Northeast Middle School’s great new auditorium.
Upcoming Programs
Please check out the interesting speakers scheduled in October, and consider bringing a visitor to one of our meetings.
Joint Thanksgiving Meeting on Nov. 20 with Bethlehem Rotary
The speaker will be Bryon L. Grigsby, President of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary. Please see the flyer in Downloads on our home page.
OCT. 3 DUTIES
Greeter – Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ed Ortelli
$2 Per Week – Sue Reeps
50/50 – Wayne Achey
Invocation – Ron Helmuth Introductions – Need a Volunteer
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Our Theatre Night at Touchstone Theatre in southside Bethlehem. (1995)
QUOTE of the Week:
“To help yourself, help others. Whatever good you do travels a circle and returns to you many times over – but remember, life isn’t about what you get, it’s about what you become.” – Dennis Gaskill
Please come this Thursday to hear Tom Roney’s presentation on the “Mekong Big Build” (see story above)!
If that doesn't provide the answers you need, then please call race director Jeff Kicska at 484-542-2204. With about 600 registrants to date, he is VERY busy - so we ask that you contact him only if really necessary.
Sep. 23 Message – Three … two … one … AND WE’RE OFF!
After many months of hard work by Jeff Kicska and the entire race committee, it’s now time for ALL of us to make this year’s race a success! With registrations approaching record levels and a new course requiring more marshals, we ask you to help and to bring family, friends and students (community service credit) if possible on Saturday.
BAG STUFFING
At Thursday’s meeting we will stuff the race bags. Many hands make for light work, and we have fun doing it!
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 – RACE DAY!!!
Where: The Start/Finish Line is on Old York Road – enter from Union Blvd. behind the Senior Centers.
When: 5:00 AM Setup Begins
6:30 AM Registrations and Race Packet Pickup Open
8:00 AM Race Begins
9:30 AM Awards and Raffle Prize Giveaway
Followed by clean-up
Even if you are not on the sign-up sheet, please come early and ask where you can assist. Thanks!
SEP. 26 DUTIES
Greeter – Ellen Roberts
Sergeant-at-Arms – Val Walk
$2 Per Week – Chuck Uhl
50/50 – Tom Bailey
Invocation – Tom Kolepp
Introductions – Frank Lulewitz
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Thanks
My thanks to Tom Kolepp for covering again last week. I missed an amazing program, “Two Blind To Ride” – see below.
Bethlehem Rotary’s Tastes & Tunes
The deadline to register for Tastes & Tunes has been extended to Friday, September 27. The event will be held on Sunday, October 6, at the Hotel Bethlehem from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Reservation forms can be found in Downloads on their homepage at www.bethlehemparotary.org.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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!
QUOTE of the Week:
“We aren’t limited if we can’t see. We’re only limited if we don’t look.” – Two Blind To Ride
Please come this Thursday for bag stuffing, and on Saturday to help with the 5K/10K!
Morning Star Rotary Hosted Special Presentation of “Two Blind To Ride”
On Thursday September 19 we welcomed two bicycle enthusiasts who rode their tandem bike 16,000 miles from Ushuaia, Argentina through 14 countries to Deadhorse, Alaska. Traversing the entire span of two continents is no easy feat on a bike – especially when both riders are legally blind. These two great adventurers - Christiana “Christi” Bruchok and Tauru Chaw – will be our program for the day.
Both Christi and Tauru have severe visual impairments, but this has never stopped them from chasing their dreams. After riding across America in 2009, they set their sights on a new goal – to ride from the tip of South America to the top of North America - while simultaneously raising awareness globally about the abilities of the sight-impaired and inspiring people everywhere to chase after their own dreams.
Christi and Tauru earned their bachelors and masters degrees in their chosen fields and they both work for Intel Corporation. Christi is from right here in the Lehigh Valley. They were visiting Christi’s parents – Gary and Tina Bruchok – so this was a rare opportunity to hear how two people are changing their world and the world around them. If you want to learn more about them visit their website at www.twoblindtoride.org.
I apologize to all of you, and especially to last week’s speaker, Jean McGill. Due to announcements etc. running long, the time for her moving presentation on Rotaplast was cut short. We are trying to get a copy of her file to post online for those who’d like to see the videos for which we didn’t have time.
The before and after photos are amazing, only to be outdone by the 1 year later pictures. And to see prior recipients of this life-changing (and sometimes life-saving) surgery grow up to come back and help with the missions is incredibly heartwarming.
District 7430’s On-Air Auction to fund the next Rotaplast mission will be held Dec. 7. Donations are already being sought. We’ll provide you with more info for the types of items needed as the auction approaches. Your help will be tremendously appreciated!!!
SEP. 19 PROGRAM
My thanks again to Tom Kolepp for filling in while I’m out of town!
SEP. 19 DUTIES
Greeter – Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Tom Bailey
50/50 – Ron Searfoss
Invocation – Butch Macri
Introductions – Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and, for this week, Tom Kolepp.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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!
QUOTE of the Week:
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you” – Princess Diana
Please come this Thursday, and sign up to help with the 5K/10K!.
Heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Jeff Kicska and wife Mary for designing a new 5K/10K course that keeps us very near Celtic classic without interfering, and provides much scenic, off-street mileage for the runners/walkers! It is now up to all of us to help make this revamped 5K/10K a resounding success. The new location and route require more volunteers for setup, course marshals and tear-down. Would you please sign up at this week’s meeting, or email Jeff@kicska.com? Family, friends, students, groups (scouts, teams, etc.) and past grant recipients are all very welcome!
Our 5K/10K epitomizes the Morning Star tradition of having lots of fun as we help people. Unless you are out of town, are incapacitated or have an urgent conflicting event, I hope we can count on your support. Thanks!
SEP. 12 MEETING
JEAN McGILL, Orthodontist, Rotaplast Mission Participant and our Past AG
“Rotaplast Mission Through an Orthodontist’s Worldview”
Last year’s moving presentation on Rotaplast motivated generous member contributions. This week we will hear from Dr. Jean McGill and learn even more about the program, this time from a mission participant who is also a health care professional!
SEP. 12 DUTIES
Greeter – Tom Hartzell
Sergeant-at-Arms – Jess Elliott
$2 Per Week – Jim Santanasto
50/50 – Dee Elliott
Invocation – Mike Long
Introductions – Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
Donations included child seats to Bethlehem police for emergency transport, a wheelchair for racing, blankets and coats/packets for Bosnia/Croatia. (1992-93)
QUOTE of the Week:
“This is a changing world: we must be prepared to change with it. The story of Rotary will have to be written again and again.”
Paul Harris
Please come this Thursday to hear more about Rotaplast, and sign up to help with the 5K/10K!.
We are excited to join with Bethlehem Rotary to provide an excellent dictionary to third graders. With the addition of Morning Star funding and manpower, chair Ellen Roberts reports that the goal has been expanded to provide them to every third grader in the Bethlehem area. The experience of many US Rotary clubs is that even in this digital age, personal possession of this special book means so much to so many students. Too often, this is the only book in the house!
The dictionaries will be stamped with Rotary info, personalized with each child’s name, and handed out by one Rotarian while another tells the class about Rotary. Bethlehem and Morning Star Rotarians will help stamp the books, pack them up, and deliver them to the third grade classes.
Schools already covered are (alphabetically, of course!): Calypso, Donegan, Dual language Charter School, Fountain Hill, Freemansburg, Holy Infancy, Lincoln, Marvine, and William Penn.
In hope that Morning Star can supply resources to cover additional schools, we are researching Asa Packer, Buchanan, Clearview, Farmersville, Governor Wolf, Mill Heights, Notre Dame, Spring Garden, and Thomas Jefferson.
Not all students at schools in affluent areas are affluent, and we do not wish to stigmatize anyone by trying to give only to those “in need”. Would you please help Ellen identify any additional third graders not yet being considered? Please email info to her: editor@wherebooksbegin.com . Thank you!
The 2013 Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) hosted by D7430 and D7450, is being held on
Saturday, October 5 th , 2013.
at the Radisson Hotel, King of Prussia, PA. For other scheduled RLI sessions offered in the Fall of 2013 and registrations go to www.rlinea.com.
Please register early.(Click Here to Register) The important thing is to REGISTER! You won't be disappointed.
If you need additional information please feel free to call or email
District 7430 RLI Chair: Linda Young 610-392-6864 lryoung2011@gmail.com
Aug. 29 – Special thanks to Pres. Elect Tom Kolepp for a great meeting!Larry Eighmy, the founder and leader of Stone House Group, and Retief’s host dad, spoke on energy efficient buildings and LEED certification.
Please join me in giving our newest member, McGehee Isaacs, a warm Morning Star welcome. Tom Kolepp (his sponsor!) had the honor of inducting him.
September means that vacation is over (it was great!), and it’s back to school and work. September is also Rotary International’s “New Generations Month”. As the current issue of The Rotarian states, “When you invest in young people, you invest in Rotary’s future.” Morning Star has a long tradition of support in this area, from Youth Exchange (inbound and outbound), to Camp Neidig (District 7430’s RLYA or Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), to the Four Way Test Speech Contest and including young helpers in our service projects.
Additional Rotary initiatives for “New Generations”, or youth service, include:
Interact – ages 12-18, usually in high schools
Rotaract – ages 18-30, both in colleges and community based
Rotary Community Corps – groups of non-Rotarians who work with Rotary on service projects
Rotary Peace Fellowships – academic opportunities related to conflict resolution
DG Frank Romano suggests that clubs partner with scouting organizations – we share many of the same values. Young scouts learning about Rotary may encourage them to participate, and eventually perhaps become Rotarians themselves.
SEP. 5 MEETING – Maestro Kicska and the Race Committee
The Committee will address the significant logistical challenges with the race at the excellent new venue. Detailed maps of the event and the Race Committee needs from the club will be the focus.
Apparently we had 2 sheets out there, and both signed up
Invocation – Ron Helmuth
Introductions – Butch Macri
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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)
QUOTE of the Week:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead
Please come Thursday and sign up to help with the race!
Many of you have approached me in a dead panic, terrified that it is too late to sponsor the 23rd Annual MSR 5K/10 Race!
I am here to put your fears at ease. It is in fact, NOT TOO LATE. But time is fleeting!
We are still accepting sponsorships for the RACE. But they are due soon. Sponsorships are due to me by September 13th. I don't need the money by then, I just need to know that you will be sponsoring and how much. Money is due by the end of September. $500 gets your company logo on the back of the T-shirt AND 3 free Race Registration for anyone in your organization to run in the race. Below $500 and your NAME gets on the shirt.
We really need all the sponsors we can get this year. We have additional expenses this year since we are not part of Celtic and we lost a couple of our older sponsors. So any sponsorship amount is greatly appreciated.
We also are still in need of Raffle Prizes. All runners are entered in a raffle. Please bring all raffle prizes to the September 12th meeting. Or let me know by email what they are. They need to be organized and Jeff makes a really nice Prize board.
Also do not forget to tell all your friends who love to run or walk about the race!
Thank you so much for your continued support!
Susan Burnett
Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star
Highly coveted Race Sponsorships are NOW available but they will not last long and they are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!!! AND, space is LIMITED on the T-shirt!!!! Just like last year, a $250 sponsorship will get your name on the shirt, a $500 sponsorship will get your LOGO on the shirt and $10,000 sponsorship will get YOUR FACE on the shirt AND I might name my last born grandchild after you! All sponsors get to put your marketing material in the Runner's race day bags. That is great publicity!
Here is a link to the forms (sorry, we can't attach documents to the bulletin; if any trouble copy below and paste into your web browser) ...
But they are merely a formality, I will accept your money without them filled out. Actually, Sue Reeps will take your money. Just make sure she knows what it's for. I need your logo in some type of electronic format for the shirt. And Jeff needs to know that you were a sponsor so he can get your logo up on the website.
Not up for a sponsorship but still want to support the race? You can also donate a prize for the raffle. All the runners are entered in our raffle and they LOVE the raffle!!! Especially last year when that guy won the free tanning session and body waxing session. He was SOOO EXCITED. He ran right up to the stage, positively giddy.
Aug. 23 Message – Breaking News, Terry Reed on membership … and LARRY EIGHMY!
Breaking News – Rafael and Paula de la Hoz’s baby was born on Aug. 16! We don’t yet have details yet, but Rafael plans to be there next week to give a couple of very happy dollars!
On Aug. 22, Terry Reed, District Membership Chair, shared some great ideas with us. Under the leadership of Rick Santee and Jess Elliott, our club Membership Committee is already doing many of Terry’s suggested actions – good job! We also learned some potential new ways to attract and retain members.
Next Thursday, Larry Eighmy will speak on energy efficient buildings and LEED certification. Larry is the founder and leader of Stone House Group, and was Retief’s host dad. Please give him a warm welcome. And if McGehee Isaacsis available, Tom Kolepp (his sponsor!) will induct him – Tom is kindly filling while I’m away.
AUG. 29 DUTIES:
Greeter – Desty Bonstein
Sergeant-at-Arms – Tom Hartzell
$2 Per Week – Bill Jahn
50/50 – Jan Chicka Invocation – Need a Volunteer
If you can help, please email Tom Kolepp tkolepp@gmail.com
Introductions – Charlie Incalcaterrai
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Tom Kolepp (this week).
The “FUN FACT”and QUOTE of the Week are going on vacation this week with me.
Bethlehem Rotaryoffers to add you to their weekly bulletin distribution – please send your name and email address to Al Philpotts aphilpotts@gmail.com .
Anyone who would like to be added to the distribution for Bethlehem Rotary's Weekly Bulletin should email name and email address to Al Philpotts aphilpotts@gmail.com.
Aug. 19 Message – Retief’s Farewell … and Membership Month!
RETIEF’S FAREWELL
A nice turnout (including most of the Eighmy family) bade Retief a fond farewell last week, after seeing his excellent photo presentation.
What an experience! In thirty-one days he visited so many places across the US that some of us have never seen, and made friendships with students from around the world. Although his time here was cut short, it will impact Retief’s entire outlook on life. (We’re asking Retief for permission to post his presentation on our website, accessible by members only.)
AUGUST 22 MEETING
August is Rotary International’s “Membership and Extension Month”, and Tom Kolepp has arranged for an inspiring presentation this week from Terry Reed, Membership Chair for District 7430.
Terry’s ideas will complement the already wonderful job being done by Morning Star’s Membership Committee: “Be Our Guest” brochures, plus New Member packets / handbooks and mentoring. After inducting McGehee Isaacs (his 7 Day Notice is out), we will already have SIX new or reactivated members since June 30! Please be sure to welcome and get to know Janet Westlund, Tom Mohr, Janet Sipple, Jan Chicka and Ron Searfoss as well as McGehee … and Bill Hunter plans to rejoin in the fall.
From RI Pres. Ron Burton’s letter in the August issue of The Rotarian:
“We have to make sure that every Rotarian, in every club, has a meaningful job – one that makes a real difference to the cub and the community. Because when you’re doing something meaningful in Rotary, Rotary is meaningful to you.”
AUG. 22 DUTIES:
Greeter – Dee Elliott
Sergeant-at-Arms – Val Walk
$2 Per Week – Ed Ortelli
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss.
THANK YOU!
My personal thanks to each one of you for getting this year off to such a strong start. As of August 15, all dues were paid, freeing up board time for more productive club business. And the August 14 board meeting included reports from every committee that’s active at this time of year. All the positive energy and attitudes are a joy to behold. Morning Star will be very well represented at RLI on October 5 (Rotary Leadership Institute – see separate story), and at the District Conference the first weekend in May. Janet Sipple has agreed to create our club’s “Kentucky Derby Hat” for the conference – a perfect fit!
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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!
QUOTE of the Week:
“‘The only true gift is a portion of yourself.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
The next bulletin will be both early (Friday) and quite brief – it’s vacation time!
Please come Thursday to hear some inspiring membership ideas from Terry Reed, District Membership Chair.
Polio Immunization and West Africa Project Fair Trip for Rotarians - October 2013
Announcing an upcoming trip to Togo, West Africa in October 2013 to participate in a polio immunization exercise, attend the 9th Annual West Africa Project Fair, and engage in a hands-on work project. For detailed trip information contact Jean Searfoss.
Trip Dates: October 15 – 24, 2013
Travel to: Lomé, Togo, West Africa
Per Person Price: $1,689, double occupancy
Program includes: Hotel accommodations, transfers, most meals, polio immunization exercise, hands-on community service field work, West Africa Project Fair registration, special Rotary and fellowship events, sightseeing, etc.
In October 2013, North American Rotarians will travel to Lomé, Togo, for a life changing experience. Have you ever heard a Rotarian speak about their personal experience participating in a polio eradication exercise, a cleft lip/cleft palate mission, or work on a humanitarian grant? These trips have a profound effect upon the individual. For those of you who have gone on one of these trips you know, and for those of you who have yet to enjoy this experience, you should.
The experiences you have stay with you forever. You get up early in the morning, travel with local Rotarians to a village, health clinic or impoverished neighborhood, and for the next few hours, you change. Small children come up to you to say thank you. Mothers and fathers smile at you knowing that you are giving their child a chance for a better life. You meet with the leaders in the village to learn of their needs and their hopes. It is hot; it is dusty; it makes you uncomfortable; it is exquisite.
The West Africa Project Fair is endorsed by Rotary’s Reach Out to Africa Committee (ROTA), who is trying to generate greater connectivity between the African and North American Rotarians to generate greater support of the projects of Africa. Your involvement, or your club’s involvement, in this Fair would not only provide an opportunity for project support, it would also help your members to grow and to understand the benefits of being a Rotarian. Involvement in Rotary gives the ordinary Rotarian extraordinary opportunities to do things that they could never do anywhere else. This trip is just such an experience.
Bradford R. Howard, PDG
North American Coordinator West Africa Project Fair Committee
Aug. 12 Message – Club Plans, plus Retief’s Adventure and Farewell
Club Plans
Last week our program opened with the demographics of our 51 members at 6/30/13 – broken down by gender, age and years in Rotary. We then reviewed club goals for membership/participation and Rotary Foundation as well as planned service projects and activities. A few brief comments on committees (please email me your updates!) were followed by a summary of our annual budgets for both the Operating Account and the Charitable Account*. (* Donations by individuals are tax-deductible as contributions, and beneficiaries must be qualified charitable organizations.) When looking at the budget, please remember that the Golf Tournament funds run through Bethlehem Rotary’s bank account and do not appear here.
The presentation is available on www.morningstarrotary.org as a pdf in case you missed it, or might like to review any of the slides. (After signing in click Admin, then under “My ClubRunner” on the left side click “View Club Documents”.) The detailed budget is also posted there.
AUGUST 15 MEETING
This week Retief will show and tell us about his 31 Days Across America with Students from Around the World … aka “10,000 Miles on a Bus!”
Please plan to attend, as it is also our farewell to Retief, who is returning home to South Africa early to improve his academics for university qualification. We are so sorry to see him leave so soon, but understand he had to make a very tough decision that will impact the rest of his life.
AUG. 15 DUTIES:
Greeter – Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms – Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week – Alex Shnaydruk
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Ron Searfoss.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
First, an addendum to last week’s Fun Fact on the history of Morning Star’s 5K …
After Bill McCoach moved away, John Gisolfi chaired the event for 2 years before Tom Kolepp took over.
And for this week …
In 1991 we designed and constructed a float for the city of Bethlehem’s 250th Anniversary Parade!
QUOTE of the Week:
Concerning all the wonderful ways Rotarians serve …
“‘Why?’, they ask. Because we can … and we care!”
– Frank Romano, District 7430 Governor 2013-14
Please come this Thursday to hear about Retief’s once in a lifetime trip, and help us bid him a fond farewell!
Aug. 5 Message – DG Frank and Club Plans for 2013-14
Our thanks to District Governor Frank Romano and his wife Jean for visiting us last week.
Frank’s inspiring talk was one of the best I’ve ever heard from the DG. He highlighted how mayor international projects like polio eradication and shelter boxes grow from the idea and passion of a single person to an initiative at a club or local level and expand to encompass a nation and then the world through Rotary International. Thanks also to our own Marianne Aronson, who as Assistant Governorserves as Frank’s liaison to clubs in Bethlehem, Nazareth and Easton. (Previously she covered clubs in Berks County.)
After the club meeting, Morning Star’s board met with DG Frank to review our goals and preparations for the coming year. He praised the club’s diversity of projects, and the service of Morning Star members at the District Level (more on this in future issues).
We were delighted to induct two new members on August 1 – a great start to Rotary International’s “Membership and Extension Month”. Please extend a warm welcome to Jan Chicka and my husband Ron Searfoss. Jan has already been recruited to help with food for the 5K/10K, and Ron is the new weekly bulletin editor and handling A/V at meetings!
AUGUST 8 MEETING
This week we’ll talk about our Club Plans for 2013-14. Starting with a snapshot of the club at July 1, we’ll then present goals for the year including membership, service and Rotary Foundation. After a brief overview of our committees, we’ll share a summary of the club budget so you can see where our money comes from … and where it goes. Would you please join us?
AUG. 8 DUTIES:
Greeter – Ed Ortelli
Sergeant-at-Arms – Jess Elliott
$2 Per Week – Dee Elliott
50/50 – Marianne Aronson
Invocation – Tom Kolepp
Introductions – Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
In 1990 we started the “5K Run With Rotary”to benefit Bethlehem Special Olympics, a brainstorm of then member Bill McCoachwho 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, Tom Koleppstepped 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, and the event is now ...
QUOTE of the Week:
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
For those of you who may not have heard yet, Morning Star Rotary lost a wonderful long-time member on July 31 when Rev. Dr. Mary Matz passed away. Her obituary describes Mary as “a theological pioneer and the first woman to become an ordained minister within the Moravian Church in America.” In addition to extensive pastoral and other religious responsibilities, Mary served the United Way, YWCA, Rotary International and new Bethany Ministries. Morning Star was blessed to have Mary as a member from 1991 until a few years ago when medical issues prevented her continued participation. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her husband Bill Sr. (of the Bethlehem Rotary Club), and sons Bill Jr. (former Morning Star Rotary member) and Randall. When I saw Bill Sr. last Thursday he said that Mary missed Morning Star … we will certainly miss Mary.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, at East Hills Moravian Church, 1830 Butztown Rd., Bethlehem PA 18017. Online condolences may be placed at www.longfuneralhome.com.
July 29 Message – Important Speaker, plus 2 New Members to be Inducted!
Our first “official” meeting at Moravian Village on July 25 was a resounding success – several members even gave happy dollars for the great breakfast! While there may be a few kinks to work out getting used to our new home, all went rather smoothly and we think this move will be very beneficial to Morning Star Rotary.
Camp Neidigwas the program topic – many thanks to Rick Morrisseyfor making all the arrangements. John St. Clair(club committee chair) introduced Charlie Incalcaterra, District chair or co-chair of the camp for about 25 years! Charlie described his recent trip to Ireland, and tied in how leadership characteristics demonstrated at the camp can make such a difference in the real world. But the real star of the show was Greg Wright - Geoff & BethAnn’s son and Don Smith’s grandson. Greg’s overview included specifics on one of the speakers (a Holocaust survivor) and a mock-up of one of their problem-solving exercises. He is already using some of what he learned in leading his group within the band, and looks forward to practicing more of the skills taught.
AUGUST 1 MEETING
This Thursday is our official visit from District 7430 Governor Frank Romano.
I have had the pleasure of talking with DG Frank at Pre-PETS, PETS (Pres. Elect Training Seminar), and the District Assembly. Please come to show your support and respect for DG Frank’s hard work, and to hear his great ideas! After the club meeting, the board will meet with DG Frank for about an hour, and committee chairs are invited to join us.
In addition, we will be inducting two new members: Jan Chicka and my husband, Ron Searfoss. Let’s give them a warm Morning Star welcome!
AUG. 1 DUTIES:
Greeter – Stan Vasiliadis
Sergeant-at-Arms – Rafael de la Hoz
$2 Per Week – Jim Santanasto
50/50 – Sue Reeps
Invocation – Gary Hartney
Introductions – Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
YOUR CLUBRUNNER PROFILE
Our lives are so busy, it can be easy to overlook updating your Rotary profile. An email was sent earlier this week asking that you check your listing, make any necessary changes, and add a photo if not already there. We’d like to get all the info current so members can contact each other easily. (If you’d like any help with ClubRunner, please see the story on our club home page or contact me.) And if there's no photo of you in there yet, we may take one at a meeting and upload it so it's easier for members to get to know each other.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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-Sigmonwas 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.
QUOTE of the Week:
“Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid."
– Albert Schweitzer
I hope to see you this Thursday as we host our District 7430 Governor, Frank Romano!
Various club members have assorted supplies at their homes and offices ... and maybe even their cars? Val Walk (secretary), Russ Pacala (Sgt-at-Arms and Historian) and Rick Santee (Membership Chair) come to mind immediately. We'd like to create a club "Inventory" list indicating who has what, so it will be easier for club members to find what they need. (I'll cover items at Moravian Village, plus some extras from Kirkland currently at my house.)
If you are holding Morning Star "stuff", would you please email the details to me at jsearfoss@cementemployers.com ? Thanks!
Meet Your 2013-14 Board – Recap from July 18 Meeting
Since more of you appear to glance through the bulletin than visit our club websitewww.morningstarrotary.org, we’d like to introduce your 2013-14 Morning Star Rotary
Board members:
OFFICERS:
President.... Jean Searfoss
President Elect.... Tom Kolepp
Vice President.... Need a Volunteer!
.... (Contact Tom Kolepp for info)
Secretary.... Val Walk
Treasurer.... Sue Reeps
DIRECTORS thru
June 2014.... Marianne Aronson (Asst. Governor)
.... Gary Hartney
.... Jeff Kicska (staying an extra year!)
.... Ben Tenaglia
June 2015.... Rafael de la Hoz
.... Robin Metzler (started early!)
.... Ellen Roberts
.... Barb Seifert-Sigmon
In addition, Russ Pacala does an excellent job as Sergeant-at-Arms, a non-voting position.
Thanks to all for serving!
Meet Your 2013-14 Board – Recap from July 18 Meeting
July 22 Message – Our New Home, and Camp Neidig Presentation
Thanks to Bishop Rev. Kingsley Lewis from the Rotary Club of Antigua Sundownfor his interesting and informative presentation last week. For a 10-year-young club with 28 members, they do so much! He will advise us of any potential international collaboration projects, in case we might like to partner with them.
July 25: This week is Morning Star’s first “official” meeting at our new home, Moravian Village, and our program is CAMP NEIDIG! We’ll hear from John “Forever Young” St. Clair(club Chair), Charlie Incalcaterra(Chair or Co-Chair of the District Camp Neidig Event for many years), and some or all of our students.
This year Morning Star sponsored three students to Camp Neidig for 4 days over Father’s Day weekend:Taylor Treadwell from Bethlehem Catholic, Gregory Wright from Freedom (Geoff & BethAnn's son) and Kyle Whang from Moravian Academy. (Next year we will invite a student from Bethlehem Area Vo Tech also.)
What is Camp Neidig, you ask? The website explains ...
WHO: High school juniors living within Rotary District 7430, which covers much of southeastern Pennsylvania.
WHAT: A leadership camp that brings together talented high school students for a four-day weekend of fun, friendship, and team-building activities. Campers interact with guest speakers from various professional backgrounds who discuss what it means to be a good leader. They also participate in various problem solving activities that can be both physically and mentally challenging. Every activity throughout the weekend is designed to help campers develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. Many campers feel that: "We come as strangers but leave as friends."
I had the pleasure of attending the closing ceremonies this year, and was very impressed. The counselors enjoy Camp Neidig so much they return year after year, some traveling from very far away. Monday evening’s presentation highlighted 8 leadership characteristics: focus, passion, temperance, respect, self-discipline, consistency, order and cooperation. It was a delight to see so many terrific young people working together!
Please come to Moravian Village this Thursday to hear for yourself what a difference Camp Neidig makes in the lives of our young men and women!
Duties:
Greet – Tom Kolepp
Sgt-at-Arms – Janet Kolepp
$2/Week – Chuck Uhl
50/50 (yes, it’s back!) – Robin Metzler
Invocation – Mike Long
Introductions – Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
Then Aug. 1 will be our visit from Rotary District 7430 Governor Frank Romano. Board members are requested to stay afterward for about an hour to meet with him, and other Committee Chairs are invited to join us.
Committee Assignments RSVP:
If you have not yet responded to the email about your committee assignments, would you please do so by this Friday, July 26? We’d like to firm it all up for distribution and posting on the website. Thanks!
Morning Star “Fun Fact”:
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 Mari, 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!
Quote of the Week
“The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.”
You may park anywhere in their lot, except spots marked handicapped or reserved. Parking is also available on both sides of Wood Street and sections of Market Street. (Please do not park in the Post Office Lot.)
Fellowship begins at 7:00 AM. Help yourself to beverages and fruit/cereal/pastry/yogurt anytime. The meeting "officially" starts at 7:30, and the hot entrée is served then.
What a wonderful way to start our new Rotary year! My thanks to each and every one of you – the warmth and support last Thursday took my breath away. The forty members plus twelve visitors in attendance included 20 of our 24 Past Presidents, with Dave Cincera, Diane Donaher and Gary (& Betty) Langensiepen visiting to join the festivities.
We recognized each Past President with much revelry! Other meeting highlights were inducting Janet Westlund, and reactivating both Tom Mohrand Janet Sipple! We announced that Seven Day Notices will go out shortly for Jan Chicka and my husband,Ron Searfoss. And if you’d like icing on the cake?Desty BonsteinandDick Roberts will be much more actively involved this year.Wow!
While our veteran members are the “roots” of Morning Star Rotary, ALL members are the “wings” that can help us soar to new heights.
On the heels of that amazing meeting came a birthday celebration for my oldest sister – a simple party that had morphed into a 3-day family reunion in New Jersey. I awoke at 3 AM on Friday morning and was as excited as a young child at Christmas – couldn’t get back to sleep for hours. Forty-three family members came from ten states (including Hawaii and California) with less than one-month’s notice! Although one of my sisters was unable to attend, getting even 8 out of 9 siblings together had not happened in many years. Yes, the guest of honor was VERY surprised - it was better than Christmas!
It is NOT a surprise that Morning Star Rotary feels like “home” to me. My parents were loving, giving, helpful and inclusive. Family trumped differences in politics, professions, culture, and even religion. We continue to share joys and sorrows, and are there to help each other whenever and however possible. We are quite irreverent and joke in non-hurtful ways. Sound familiar?
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Tomorrow we plan to email preliminary committee assignments. After reviewing the descriptions, where you are currently listed and where we have needs, I’ll ask that you advise me of any additional ways you’d like to be involved or other changes.
JULY 18 MEETING
Before the program this week we will thank outgoing Board members introduce your new Board and committee chairs – we ran out of time last week! Then former member Bill Hunter(who hopes to return in the fall) will introduce our speaker, Bishop Rev. Kingsley Lewis, Past President of the Antigua Sundown Rotary Club.
Bishop Lewis would be happy to stay afterwards to talk with any Board or Foundation/Grant Committee member who might be interested in possible international collaboration.
As RI President Ron Burton says in the July issue of The Rotarian magazine, "We change the lives of the people who need us … And along the way, our lives are changed as well."
July 18 DUTIES:
Greeter – Alex Shnaydruk
Sergeant-at-Arms – Ellen Roberts
$2 Per Week – Iryna Levytska
Invocation – Butch Macri
Introductions – Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
MISSING IN ACTION!
We have been looking for the large Morning Star club banner which we used to hang up front at meetings. (The Four Way Test banner and two large ones with many small banners from various clubs sewn on are in the storage area at Kirkland, but not the main club banner.) Maybe it was taken for a club event and accidentally left at a member's home or business, or perhaps in a vehicle? If you have any idea where it might be, please contact me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
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.
Note: All Past Presidents as well as other members are invited to provide memories for our weekly “Fun Facts”. We hope these tidbits may help newer members feel connected to Morning Star more quickly.
QUOTE of the Week:
“Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living." – Albert Einstein
Note: Fun Facts and Quotes from prior weeks may be found on the website – click the links at the left side of our home page.
Please see the separate story below about our impending move to Moravian Village – we’ll start there on July 25.
I hope to see you this Thursday for our last meeting at Kirkland Village, so we can Engage Rotary and Change Lives!
July 8 Message: “Celebrate Our Past, Embrace the Future”
Our July 11 changeovermeeting will celebrate Morning Star’s Past and Embrace its Future –with some special surprise guests you just won’t want to miss!(So unless you’re out of town or really tied up, I hope you’ll set your alarm clock.)
Please join us as we “pass the gavel” and thank Past Pres. Sue plus the outgoing board members. Then Janet Westlund will be inducted, and Tom Mohr will return to Active status (from Honorary) – OORAH!
Morning Star Rotary has 24 Past Presidents -we will recognize every one with some bits of history, and introduce all those in attendance.
We'll also introduce this year’s board members and committee chairs. Next week you will receive a list of preliminary committee assignments and we'll ask you to help "fill in the blanks" - there aren't too many!
Your new Board will meet “officially” for the first time this Wednesday evening, and on Thursday morning we’ll update you on the meeting location issue and survey results.
At our August 8 meeting we will share the full plans for 2013-14 with you, including the club's Budget. As RI President Ron Burton says in the July issue of The Rotarian magazine, "... the more we challenge ourselves, the more we can achieve."
July 10 DUTIES:
Greeter - Butch Macri
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Tom Hartzell
Invocation - Special Guest
Introductions - Barb Seifert-Sigmon (hopefully)
Note: Barb may be unable to attend; if that happens, we'll ask someone to fill in.
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and me.
Morning Star “FUN FACT”
On January 13, 1990 District Governor Ronald A. Williams officially presented the club charter to President Charlie Incalcaterra at the Holiday Inn East (now Best Western). At the time of Charter, Geoff Wright was President Elect, Dick Roberts was Secretary, John St. Clair was Treasurer, Don Smith was Assistant Sec'y/Treas., and Tony Ortwein was Sergeant-at-Arms. Gordon Sommers, Fran Chizeck and John Watts Barrett were club Directors.
QUOTE of the Week:
“We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give" - Winston Churchill
I hope to see you this Thursday at Kirkland Village so we can Engage Rotary and Change Lives!
I feel honored, humbled and excited to serve as your Morning Star president this year!
Heartfelt thanks to Janet & Tom Kolepp for hosting a fabulous Kickout Party last Thursday! Neither rain, nor thunder & lightning, nor heat without central A/C were enough to keep a great group of Rotarians, members-in-process, assorted spouses and our Exchange Student away – we’re more intrepid than the post office! A soggy yet smiling Tom K served up delicious burgers and brats off the grill. Ice-cold beverages and a window A/C held off the heat generated by so many warm bodies … and all the hot air generated by us gabbing away. The “salad” table had about 6 items while the dessert table had more like 20 – sounds like the right balance, don’t you think?
Sue Burnett looked delighted to now be “Past” President, and she received thanks for her boundless energy, enthusiasm, commitment to Rotary and inclusion of her family to help us … as well as for her sense of humor and introducing “Grumpy Dollars”! While it is a tribute to hard work by all club members that we earned RI’s Presidential Citation and two district awards, it simply would not have happened without Sue trudging through all the paperwork and creating the promotional video. Thank you, Sue!
Starting today, our Rotary International President is now Ron Burton of Oklahoma, joined by wife Jetta. Is this kismet? My husband of 31+ years is also named Ron, and all of my 3 cars since the mid 1980s have been VW Jettas. The theme this year is also perfect: “Engage Rotary, Change Lives”. Building on the 23-year legacy of Morning Star Rotarians, we are reaching out to re-engage former and Honorary members as well as drawing new members into club activities quickly.
Morning Star “Fun Fact”
During Rotary year 1988-89, the Bethlehem Rotary Club undertook a feasibility study for a second club in Bethlehem, with recommendations for a breakfast meeting. Several Bethlehem Rotary Club members were “released” to start the new club – including 2 members who continue to be very active in Morning Star: Charlie Incalcaterra and John St. Clair!
Quote of the Week:
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.” - Tagore
No Meeting on July 4th!
Hope you enjoy family, friends, fun and fireworks over the Fourth of July – Happy Birthday, America!
Our “official” changeover meeting is July 11 at Kirkland Village – more on that next week!
Unpaid Dues to be Discussed at July 10 Board Meeting
Dues were Due June 30
As explained in the letter accompanying your Dues Notice, payment is needed earlier, and the amount is now $200 per year or $100 per half year. Please make your check out to Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary, and give it to Treasurer Sue Reeps or mail it to her at 45 Connard Dr., Easton, PA 18042. (Please be sure your name is shown on the check.)
If you have not yet paid and wish to remain in the club, please contact Sue Reeps, Val Walk (Secretary) or myself ASAP, and definitely before the July 10 board meeting.
Too often in the past, Morning Star has paid dues to Rotary International and District 7430 for people who subsequently resigned without paying the club. As a result, the Board passed a motion several months ago reserving the right to terminate the membership of those who do not pay dues and/or fail to meet the 50% attendance requirement. This is NOT automatic, and each person will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Thanks for your cooperation in remitting your dues promptly!
Unpaid Dues to be Discussed at July 10 Board Meeting
On July 10, the Morning Star board will be making a decision about our meeting location. This will impact our club for years to come, and your opinion is very important!
Many thanks to the 25 members who have already taken the survey! About half the club is a great response in less than a day!
If you haven't yet done so, please see the June 24 email for background info, then go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PVSZTBV to take the 9 question survey.
We'll appreciate your participation by July 3, so there's time to get the results out to the board in advance.
(that is sort of behind Weis Market off of Rt 512)
NEXT WEEK:
There is no meeting because it is the 4th of July!!!!
So, I have pretty much run out of things to say. So I started thinking about all the things I would miss when I am not President.
I am not usually a sentimental person but here goes nothing:
All the things I am going to miss when I am not President…
I am really going to miss saying “There are no hats in Rotary” to my cubicle mate every Wed night. Every Wed evening as I leave work for the last two years I remind him that I will be in late the next day, and I ask him if he would like to come and he always says “No thanks, I don’t really look go in hats”. And we share a little chuckle (partially because of course, Rotary is not Kiwanis, or the Lions, or whatever club actually does wear hats and partially because he doesn’t really look that good in anything he wears).
advising number of people and whether you will bring a salad or dessert.
(But if you don't RSVP and find you can attend, please come anyway!)
Those already signed up were alerted yesterday that the Kolepp's AIR CONDITIONER IS BROKEN. Now, this was planned as an outdoor event, and the Kolepps will create as much shade in the back yard as possible with their big tent and a couple of umbrellas. Plus, after 7pm the entire back yard gets shady. There will be plenty of ice cold beverages - leaded and unleaded - to keep people cool!!! And Tom & Janet are working on getting a window A/C so the kitchen can be cool.
Only one person cancelled after yesterday's notice went out, so
And our speaker is Natalie Bock of the Hotel Bethlehem. I hope she has some ghost stories
Greetings Rotarians,
Last Friday night I met Jean and Marianne down south near Philly for the District Changeover dinner. For you newbies, this is similar to what OUR changeover event will be NEXT week, only much more formal and with not nearly as good food because Tom was not there to grill it.
Again, mostly for the newbies, this is when the outgoing DG, Tony says his goodbyes and we welcome in the new incoming DG (District Governor) which in this case, is Frank Romano. I am a little embarrassed to say that this was my FIRST Changeover dinner. And I have to say, it was really terrific (ok, maybe not the food part but the important parts).
Again for the newbies, The District runs a lot like a mini-club. Or maybe it’s a mega-club. There is a Head person – the District Governor – who comes and goes with the new Rotary year, and DGE (District Governor Elect), like our Jean, the President Elect, who is learning the ropes, and a PDG, Past District Governor – who hangs around for a year to help train the new person and then there are a bunch of committees that oversee the all the operations of the District, like the Foundation, Youth things, 4 Way Test Speech, Finances, Secretary etc… JUST LIKE WE have in our club.
And so at the end of the year, the whole district comes together to kick out the old, ring in the new and thank those that have worked hard all year long to make the district a success.
So I would just like to take a moment and thank everyone in the club because we have all worked really hard this year and it has been a truly terrific year. We have raised a lot of money and had (mostly) fun doing it. We have overcome a lot of challenges. We have welcomed some terrific and interesting new members. We are enjoying a wonderful exchange student. We have had some vibrant speakers, including many of our own. This will go down as the year of the re-classification talk for sure. But …
A year in a club does not stand on its own.
Our club had a great year because it has had many great years before it. And it will go on having great years because no matter how tough thing get, Rotarians always come through.
I would like to thank Bill and Karen Jahn, and Dee and Ron and Tony for their mentorship this year.
A huge thank you to Jean for many, many things. First for all her hard work as Communications Lead and getting these newsletters out. I just write them. She fact checks them; spell checks them and adds all the other stuff. But mostly, we all need to thank her for jumping into the abyss last fall and accepting the role of President Elect (which carries the added burden of Speaker Coordinator). Jean and I have worked through a number of club issues over the year and I cannot tell you how helpful it has been to have someone there to bounce ideas off and opinions off of. Of course, we didn’t always agree but at least that kept things interesting.
Finally, I would like to thank my Family for their support over the past 2 years as I fulfilled my role here. It was a learning experience for all of us. I could not have done it without their patience and understanding. And I would like to thank my Dad for introducing me to Rotary and encouraging me to get involved. It has given us a lot to talk about and wonderful stories to share as he has visited clubs all over the world, as I hope to do with my children.
Greeter - Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms - Val Walk
$2 Per Week - Ginny Wolkoff
Invocation - Janet Kolepp
Introductions - Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
Jeff Kicska set up Morning Star on Facebook a while back, and Iryna Levytska has “picked up the ball” and is running with it! Shawn Deiter will help with content and Alex Shnaydruk plans to assist with privacy settings and some of the technical aspects.
Iryna has already updated the information about our club on the Facebook page. She would like to develop a step-by-step promotion for it:
First thing is to fill it up with content: events, photos, projects, information, etc.
Next stage is to get everyone from our club to "like" the page. Our goal is 30 "likes" very soon, and to reach 100 by the end of this year. Only those people who “like” our Facebook page can receive information from our it directly.
Iryna asks, “If you are already on Facebook, would you please "like" our page? The more "likes" we have and the more people are "tagged" in photos and stories, the more publicity we get! Then everybody can ask their relatives and friends to "like" our page, and we will have an active page!”
We will be coordinating our communications to utilize the website/bulletin, emails, and Facebook, as well as pursuing traditional avenues of publicity for our club events.
New Member Soiree was informative, warm, fun and funny!
Many thanks to Barb Seifert-Sigmon and the Membership Committee for our New Member Soiree on June 4 at the Hanoverville Roadhouse! Attendance was strong at 24 - almost evenly split between new members/spouses and "veteran" members. In a relaxed, informal manner, we went around the room and shared Rotary and Morning Star facts and stories, plus why we joined and have stayed in Morning Star Rotary.
Next year's theme is "Engage Rotary, Change Lives". With the terrific New Member packet, the soiree, and pointers for sponsors and mentors, our Membership Committee is doing a wonderful job helping new members to become fully involved in the club. We are very grateful to chair Rick Santee and all the committee members for their hard work over the past couple of years.
Every current member can play a part in engaging new members. Please reach out, sit with and talk with our newer members at the meetings. Thanks!
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
Morning Star is sponsoring three students to Camp Neidig this year - Taylor Treadwell from Bethlehem Catholic, Gregory Wright from Freedom (Geoff's son) and Kyle Whang from Moravian Academy. What is Camp Neidig, you ask? The website explains ...
WHO: High school juniors living within Rotary District 7430, which covers much of southeastern Pennsylvania.
WHAT: A leadership camp that brings together talented high school students for a four-day weekend of fun, friendship, and team-building activities. Campers will interact with guest speakers from various professional backgrounds who will discuss what it means to be a good leader. They will also participate in various problem solving activities that can be both physically and mentally challenging. very activity we do throughout the weekend is designed to help campers develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. It is true what someone once said: "We come as strangers but leave as friends."
WHEN:
Friday June 14, 2013 through Monday June 17, 2013
WHY:
To bring together students from various schools who have exhibited above average leadership abilities in various scholastic and/or community activities.
HOW:
Campers are sponsored by their local Rotary Clubs, which coordinate camper selection with high schools in their districts.
WHERE:
Camp Manatawny, a beautiful campgrounds and recreational facility in southeastern Berks County.
Join us for MONDAY NIGHT'S BBQ DINNER on June 17
We understand that Rick Morrissey may have some extra tickets. If you'd like to go and don't have your ticket yet, please contact him at rickm@moravian.com .
The students completely develop, plan and conduct an amazing program/celebration held on Monday evening, and you are invited for only $15!!! Tickets may be purchased online with a credit card at http://neidigbbq.eventbrite.com/# . Alternatively, the form can be downloaded and mailed in - but act quickly since the dinner is on June 17. For more info please see Rick Morrissey, John St. Clair or www.campneidig.com . While some tickets are available that day, they prefer advance sales since the food order has to be put in ahead of time. This counts as a Rotary Make-Up meeting.
We hope to schedule the kids as a meeting program before school starts this September!
Greeter - Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Alex Shnaydruk
Invocation - Ron Helmuth
Introductions - Tom Kolepp (yes, he's doing this, too!)
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
I held my breath all morning yesterday until the sun broke through just before noon. I don’t have all the details but I heard the Golf Tournament went off with aplomb and I am sure Butch will catch us upon Thursday and regale us with stories. Maybe we will have some photos for NEXT week’s newsletter.
TONIGHT is the New Member Soiree at the Hanoverville Road House, another great annual Morning Star event. I know that when I was a new Rotarian, this was the moment when I really got to know some Rotarians really well and started to make some friends and feel like knew some folks, and they got to know me and my husband.
The Kilt!
Now has a permanent home on our website. There is a link on the web that takes you to the District website to whatever issue is most current. They just published the newest edition and there is a really cool story in there about a certain club. I just hope that our new and illustrious (I am really wearing out Dictionary.com this morning) governor, Frank Romano, keeps the District newsletter going, otherwise, this will be a short link.
Better late than never…
Ok, I owe Bill Jahn an apology. I was supposed to write about this a few weeks ago and I kept forgetting and now the deadline may be past or they may already have a candidate but you never know so here goes nothing. The Rotary Foundation sponsors scholarship program called UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. The scholarship is paid for from the Foundation. Three programs are available: Water and Sanitation, Water Management and Water Science and Engineering. The District can send a student from Lehigh University, thru the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering but the deadline to apply is July 15th (0h, I thought it was June 15th, I am not so late).
Here is the best part – our club can sponsor a student AT NO COST TO US!!!!! It is covered thru the Packaged Grant program.
So if you know of any college students that might be interested, please contact me, I have a little more info but probably I will refer you to Bill Jahn or the District.
Reminders
District Changeover Dinner – June 14th
Meeting moved to Moravian Village – June 20th
Kickout Dinner – June – 27th
No meeting – July 5th
We are still looking for folks to champion the Raffle and food for the 5K/10K race. If you are interested, please speak to Susan and Jeff respectfully.
This week’s speakers:
Lynn Cunningham and Kasara McLaughlin from the Downtown Bethlehem Association
Next week’s speakers:
Bill Andress and Tom Kocsis from the Nancy Run Fire Company
And last, but not least, you should have, by now, received your dues notice from Val. Please get them in to Sue Reeps as soon as possible as our fees are due to the District and RI and the majority of your dues go to cover those fees.
After some Monday morning deluges, the skies cleared and our Golf Tournament was held as planned yesterday at Silver Creek Country Club in Hellertown ... much to Butch Macri's relief!
At our April 18 meeting, we heard about the establishment of a scholarship fund in memory of Steve Godbolt, to forever benefit the kids at Northeast Ministry and the Boys and Girls Club about whom he cared so much. This year and next year, proceeds from our Golf Tournament, run jointly with "Downtown" Bethlehem Rotary, will get this scholarship started.
Butch thanks all the golfers, sponsors (especially event sponsor Embassy Bank!), patrons and members who provided gift certificates and purchased squares on the raffle board. Raffle prizes won by Morning Star members not at the tournament will be brought to the meeting this Thursday - please check and see if any are yours!
And WE THANK BUTCH - without all his hard work this annual event simply couldn't happen!
(Full disclosure: I stole this story from Marianne. So when she finally decides to become President and finds herself stuck for a weekly email topic, I totally owe her one).
True story (according to Marianne). At one of the recent winter Olympics, the bobsled finals came down to 2 teams: the British and Italians. It was a fierce rivalry. The British were to race first. Just before they were to launch, they realized that their sled was missing a critical bolt. They did not have an extra and would not be allowed to race. The Italians waiting to race, heard about the reason for the delay, and, finding out the reason, offered their extra bolt. The British were able to complete the run. As it turned out, the British had the faster time and won the Gold while the Italians came in second for the Silver. The British thanked the Italians profusely. Back at home the British were heralded as heroes while the Italians were ridiculed as traitors. They could have brought home the Gold if they had not rescued the British.
And that is how it is with Rotary. We don’t do the things we do in our community and around the world for personal glory. We don’t expect honors and awards and accolades. We do the work we do, simply because it’s the right the thing to do. It’s as simple as that.
Coming Up
Even though it’s the end of the Rotary year, it’s a really busy time of year for Rotary. As I wrap up my year, Jean is just gearing up for hers so please think of how you would like to serve Rotary in the coming year and what you would like to learn about in Rotary or in your community, and pick a committee that best suits your goals. And let Jean know.
There are lots of events coming up. I don’t want to sound like a broken record here so please check our calendar and the District Calendar. There are no shortage of ways to get your Rotary fix in June and July.
Except for Golf! I will remind you that next Monday is the Golf tournament and I sure it’s not too late to register to golf. Or find a sponsor.
Speakers
A special “Thank You!” to Diane Donaher and Molly Santee for an interesting presentation last week.
This week we welcome Laura Savenelli of Family Answers who will be speaking on the topic of “The Re-Entry of Prisoners into the Community”.
And I think it’s Birthdays this week! So if May is your birthday, be sure and come to the meeting!
I hope that you all had a special and memorable weekend,
Diane Donaher, BAEF Executive Consultant, gave us a wonderful presentation on this foundation at last week’s meeting – with heartfelt comments added by Mollie Santee (President) and our own Rick Santee. (Morning Star member Ben Tenaglia is also on their Board.)
BAEF GOALS:
· Mobilize the community to recognize the important role of public education in Bethlehem.
· Promote teacher innovation to advance curriculum and dynamic learning environments.
· Support Bethlehem Area School District programs that emphasize Core Learning, Stretch Learning, Student Engagement and Personal Skill Development.
· Encourage family and community partnerships for student success.
· Raise money to support the mission of the foundation.
· Provide stewardship for designated scholarships.
Budget cutbacks year after year have reduced or eliminated many important student services, and the BAEF fills in some of those gaps. Please see www.beth.k12.pa.us/BAEF for more info.
Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to show any of BAEF’s 3 promotional videos on Elementary, Middle School and High School in the Bethlehem Area School District. Please go to http://www.youtube.com/user/basdpa and see how public education is working in Bethlehem!
CANCELLATION NOTICE: In case any of you were planning to go to the BAEF event at Lincoln Elementary School tomorrow which Diane Donaher announced, unfortunately it has been cancelled.
Rotary International has made some significant changes to its Foundation Grants effective for 2013-14. Our Foundation Committee is on top of it – our Global Grant application with lead partner Morrisville-Yardley Rotary Club for the Water Filter project in Peru was approved! We have also been approved for a 2013-14 District Grant to help fund a local project – improving the towpath, which is part of our 5K /10K route.
The New Foundation Grants can be quite confusing, however, and Marianne Aronson pointed out a great explanatory article from the November 2012 issue of TheRotarian magazine. In case you’re interested and don’t have a copy handy, here’s a link to the article:
GETTYSBURG DAY TRIP with Bethlehem Rotary on JULY 6
Pres.-Elect Kerry Wrobel has invited Morning Star members/family/friends to join Bethlehem Rotary on this trip. Here is the description, an excerpt from their bulletin:
In the category of "developing some deeper relationships with each other" here is one where that will happen, and you'll have some opportunities for some education as well. As President Elect Kerry mentioned last Wednesday, 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Bethlehem Rotary would like to charter a bus on July 6 to take Rotarians, family, and friends to experience a day of Civil War history including the battle reenactment of Cemetery Hill. The day will be packed with oral history provided by Confederate and Union generals discussing battle plans, the use of Civil War Spies and the challenges created for local civilians. In July 2013, Gettysburg will be the epicenter for historians and civil war buffs. You can be there as well for this historic occasion.
Friendship Exchange is when two Rotary Districts pair up and decide that they would like to get to know each other, their culture and become friends.
Rotarians ( and their spouses) travel to that country and stay with Rotarians, tour and get to know each other. The Rotarians from that country then come to visit our district. Costs are paid for by the individuals for the travel. There is typically a team of 4-12 people on each exchange. It is a great opportunity for your club to host and learn about other cultures.
Our district has participated in successful Exchanges in New Zealand and Australia and we are about to offer some more opportunities.
District 7430 Friendship Exchange with Western Canada
A Group of Canadians will visit our district from Western Canada on September 18-30, 2013. They are from the Vancouver area.HOST CLUBS ARE NEEDED- Clubs would host the team in their homes for about 3 days. An itinerary will be developed and we will have a van for transporting the team. If there are enough Morning Star members interested, we can contact the district about being one of the host clubs. (We would need a volunteer to coordinate the Morning Star effort.)
Canadian Return Trip – June 12- 24, 2014
Up to 10 Rotarians and their spouses.Tour will include the beautiful area of Vancouver, Victoria Island and the world renowned Butchart Gardens, Whistler and much more!
Topic:“The Re-Entry of Prisoners into the Community”
DUTIES:
Greeter - Steve Bajan
Sergeant-at-Arms - Janet Kolepp
$2 Per Week - Chuck Uhl
Invocation - Mike Long
Introductions - Tom Hartzell
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
Have you been in touch with CLAIRE HOWARD?
Since Claire is "R85" status and exempt from our attendance requirement, her absence from meetings did not raise any red flags. However, recent attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful and we hope she is okay. If you know how she's doing or have a personal email address for her, would you please let me know? Thanks.
HOGAR CREA GARDEN – A 7 Year Dream Realized in 4 Hours!
An extraordinary thing happened on May 18 at Hogar Crea in Freemansburg – Ron Helmuth’s 7-year dream of fresh fruits and vegetables for Hogar Crea residents became reality!
Hogar Crea was started in Puerto Rico in 1968 and provides Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation. Despite a crisis about 10 years ago which led to the loss of PA state certification and funding, Hogar Crea is still here for those who need its services so desperately. While missing more highly educated counselors and having constant financial struggles, there is a “silver lining” to the decertification … all the PA residents WANT to be there. (When the government is involved, a program is required to accept participants whose only other choice is prison.) After 30 days of detox, Hogar Crea residents are asked if they want to stay clean, and those who agree undergo up to 27 months (yes, MONTHS) of many types of therapy – which now number 18 with the addition of “Garden Therapy”. The process is really “re-education” – to restore the foundation of the residents’ lives. Privileges are added as responsibility is demonstrated, and they are given as much responsibility as they can handle.
Morning Star member Ron Helmuth started serving on Hogar Crea’s board 7 years ago, and became president of the board 4 years ago. NOT an honorary, cushy position – this board works very hard! “The inmates run the asylum” is Ron’s description, because former residents often graduate to running the facilities. (As the only Anglo, Ron is amazed they do not consider him an outsider.) The board usually meets weekly to be sure money is being handled wisely. In weeks they can’t meet, at least one board member goes in to review the finances. Funding is primarily from the sale of baked goods and the earnings of “work brigades” (more on this later).
When every dollar counts, grocery shopping tends to focus on calories per dollar rather than nutrition per dollar. Ron lamented the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, and dreamed of a garden on a vacant portion of the property. When Morning Star Pres. Sue Burnett suggested that Ron lead a club “sweat equity” project, he saw an opportunity. Gretchen Vakiener and Tom Hartzell submitted a District Matching Grant application … and it was approved! With $1,000 from the club and the $1,000 District Matching Grant (from our Rotary Foundation donations 3 years ago), the planning could begin!
The first area considered had many boulders, and protecting it from deer would have been a big problem. The second area was too shaded but otherwise looked good. Pres. Sue’s family came to the rescue with chain saws! Ron and Abby Burnett removed the 2 offending trees before our official “project day”. Ron Helmuth had ideas on how to design the garden, but decided to consult his friend Urbane Byler, who owns the “green”, organic Byler’s Farm near Blue Mountain. Those discussions completely changed Ron’s plans. Beds would be raised and 5 feet wide to allow tending the garden without trampling the soil. The result? Our two Rons plus Jess Elliott designed five 20’ x 5’ beds, which minimized lumber loss.
Volunteers were scheduled for May 18. (Missing from the photo below are Abby Burnett, who had to leave for work, and Gary Hartney, who took the picture.)
To be sure the manpower wasn’t wasted, all details were planned and meticulous preparations made:
· Lumber, fencing material, irrigation hoses, and lots of tools.
· Twenty cubic yards of fabulous topsoil delivered by Ron’s friend Tim Walters (610-737-4837), who has a landscaping business.
· Cardboard from Tom Kolepp for the bottom of the beds to deter weeds.
· A wonderful variety of veggie plants.
Ron Burnett led construction of the bed frames, and Abby demonstrated great skill with power tools! Rafael De La Hoz and Ramon Valentin (Treasurer of Hogar Crea's board) led the fence building group, while Jess Elliott led the dirt-moving brigade – 540 cubic feet fills many, many wheelbarrows! Morning Star Rotarians/family/friends toiled side-by-side with several Hogar Crea compañeros, and helpers from Byler’s Farm. Fueled by donuts, water, coffee, diet coke and orange juice, we worked through the morning.
The newly completed and filled beds were then planted with tomatoes, peppers, basil, cilantro, eggplant, onions, squash, beans … and watermelon for dessert! The final touch was covering with a gauzy material to protect the young plants from aphids and other pests. Everyone on hand could hardly believe the transformation accomplished in only 4 hours!
The thanks expressed by one compañero made it crystal-clear just how much our support meant to him – people in the community actually care! Hogar Crea then treated us to a lunch of chicken, beans, rice and salad - it surely felt good to sit down!
The Morning Star board will be asked to fund a permanent sign or plaque showing that Morning Star Rotary created this garden with some funding assistance from Rotary International/District 7430. (Then we can get some more “results” photos for Sue’s video.) If the club is interested, maybe we could plan a planting day next year (no building required!). Ron would suggest a Sunday afternoon when the residents are on site instead of out working and selling the baked goods.
More about Hogar Crea …
In Puerto Rico where the program is an alternative to prison for many and Hogar Crea has thousands of compañeros, the program graduated 12 residents last year. In contrast, of the 120 Pennsylvania compañeros an amazing 60 (or 50%) graduated in 2012!!! They would love to improve their services by having Treatment Research Center review their tactics and provide feedback as well as information on best practices in the rehab field … but the cost is prohibitive.
If you are interested in helping Hogar Crea, Ron’s number one suggestion is this:
Hire a Hogar Crea “work brigade” (2 or more residents, male or female) for a donation to Hogar Crea of $10 per hour. They can help you with painting, yardwork, cleanouts or any household project. Contact Raymond at 610-694-0700. Please consider asking them to sit down and share a meal with you, and ask their stories. (Again, knowing that people in the community care is so important.)
Warm thanks to everyone who helped in any way – the Hogar Crea Garden is one of the best Morning Star projects ever! It began with one member’s passion for a cause and a dream of how to help. With funding, planning and volunteers added, that dream is now a reality!
HOGAR CREA GARDEN – A 7 Year Dream Realized in 4 Hours!
Bethlehem Area Education Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is "to enrich the educational experience of students in the Bethlehem Area School District".
DUTIES:
Greeter - Tom Kolepp Sergeant-at-Arms - Need a Volunteer
$2 Per Week - Rafael De La Hoz
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Karen Jahn
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
BETHLEHEM ROTARY INVITATION:
TRIP TO GETTYSBURG ON JULY 6
2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Bethlehem Rotary would like to charter a bus on July 6 to take Rotarians, family, and friends to experience a day of Civil War history including the battle reenactment of Cemetery Hill. The day will be packed with oral history provided by Confederate and Union generals discussing battle plans, the use of Civil War Spies and the challenges created for local civilians. In July 2013, Gettysburg will be the epicenter for historians and civil war buffs. You can be there as well for this historic occasion.
President Elect Kerry Wrobel invites Morning Star Rotarians (and family/friends) to join Bethlehem Rotarians on this trip. If you are interested, please let me know and we'll get info on costs, timing, etc. from Kerry.
Have you been in touch with CLAIRE HOWARD?
Since Claire is "R85" status and exempt from our attendance requirement, her absence from meetings did not raise any red flags. However, recent attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful and we hope she is okay. If you know how she's doing or have a personal email address for her, would you please let me know? Thanks.
JUNE 20 Meeting will be at MORAVIAN VILLAGE; Speaker?
We are trying another potential meeting location on June 20 - Moravian Village (on Wood Street, across from the Post Office.) The presentation slot is open for that day. While I have several ideas and expect no problem in finding a speaker, I welcome your suggestions for a particular person or topic to finish out our Rotary year.
On June 27 KICKOUT PARTY will replace our morning meeting.
Tom & Janet Kolepp are graciously hosting our Kickout Party this year, starting at 6:00 PM. Details will be provided - for now, please mark your calendar!
At the beginning of the year, I was thinking, “What am I going to write about for 52 weeks???!!!” How am I going to be funny, and Rotaryish 52 times??? How long of a story is too long? Too short? How many times can I repeat a reminder before people stop reading? Should I have monthly themes? Or seasonal themes? Or what??? And many weeks I just couldn’t think of much to say at all, as I am sure you could tell.
But now that I only have 6 more to write I suddenly find myself thinking: “OH NO!!! I only have 6 more of these to write! I only have 6 more chances to impose my will on you! And try to make you come over to the dark side! It’s not enough time…….”
I just wish all weeks were as easy to write as this one! (I am really going to miss these exclamation points!)
Hogar Crea
About this time last year, as I was putting my committees together, I thought I would try to get a new committee and I asked Ron Helmuth to Chair it. I asked him to put together a Community Service Committee. My goal was to have a committee that would look for small, sweat equity projects that the club project could participate in the community, that would be fun fellowship events for us, increase our visibility in the community, not cost us anything because it would just be volunteer time and not take much time, because they would all be small short projects. I was thinking, for example, of helping the Downtown Associations on their festival days or Via on Race days, etc….
Somehow, some way, Ron heard translated that into “go get a fabulous District Grant and build something AWESOME!” and so that is what he did instead. And on Saturday, we got to experience the result of that.
At 8 am, a whole bunch of us, and some of our friends and families, and some folks from Byler’s farms along with the good men of Hogar Crea built a fence (yes, a whole 3 sides of a fence!), some giant planter boxes, filled them with a lot of dirt (A LOT OF DIRT!, we are talking, 1,000's of wheel barrows full, in fact, we murdered 2 wheel barrows in the process, it was that much dirt) and then planted them with, well, a whole bunch of different plants which required a bunch of standing around going "How far apart do you plant tomoatos?" "I don't know, how far apart do you plant watermelons?". All that in only FOUR HOURS!!!! And it was a ton of fun. And I am pretty sure that any minute now my back is going to stop hurting, I am sure. That was really a lot of dirt to shovel.
Through it all the one thing I learned is that I NEVER want to meet Val in a dark alley because she will/can TAKE YOU DOWN! That woman has some muscles! Watching Rafael with that post hole digger, I was pretty worried he was going to lose a leg there for a few minutes but it all came out fine in the end. Even John St. Clair proved useful, stomping down the dirt. We were saving that job for Isabelle, the 7 year old but she proved she could handle a rake so she got promoted.
All in all, I think a good time was had by all and I was thrilled that so many of you were able to come out.
A huge thank you to Ron and Jess and Ron for planning the garden so carefully. And also to the Foundation Committee, Dee, Tom and Gretchen for writing the grant and sheparding it through the process.
Just a Couple of Reminders
Don’t forget about the Golf Tournament – June 3 – We still need sponsors and golfers
District Change Over Dinner – June 14th – Please see the District website for details. Anyone is welcome but you do need to RSVP
New Member Mixer – June 4th – Please RSVP to Barbara if you are going – Please consider going if you are on the Incoming Board or Committee Chair, or most importantly a new Member (new being in the last year or so)
If that Link does not work, please go to the District website to check it out.
Facebook
Please welcome Iryna – as our NEW Social Media Guru – she will be working on our Facebook image so send her all your Rotary Photos! I also plan to ask her to help with the Website stories/content and photo albums but she doesn’t know this yet. Shhhhhh…. Don’t tell her, it’s a secret!
I am really excited about the meeting this week! First, it’s at thePalace Restaurant. Second, our speaker is Jack Helfrich of the Lehigh Wheelman Association. When I first saw that, I thought he was going to talk to us aboutwheel barrowsand I was planning on skipping out but then I found out he was going to talk aboutBIKINGwhich ILOVEso I will definitely be there. Plus, the food will be terrific AND there will be a 50/50
Did you know if you bike for an hour, you earn an extra 9 points in Weight Watchers? I hate Weight Watchers.
Moving on…..
AWARDS!!!
You know how I was so excited because we qualified for the Presidential Citation Award this year because we are such an AWESOME CLUB???
So there I was, reading the new KILT, which you can now read on the web (right Jeff?) and they published all the awards and there was the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary listed under 2 MORE AWARDS!!!:
District Peace Through Service
AND
District 7430 Governors Award
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have no idea what those are. I googled them and nothing came up, so I am hoping that Bill Jahn is at the meeting this week and maybe he can enlighten us and explain to us in what other ways we are such a SUPER INCREDIBLE AWESOME CLUB!!!!!!
Hogar Crea- Finally!
Is this weekend and the forecast is for SUNSHINE and perfect TEMPS! I will bring the donuts and the diet coke! ‘Cause, they both start with “D” I don’t drink coffee or own a coffee pot (and it starts with a “C”). The fun starts at 8 am.
District Assembly
There were 8 Morning Star Rotarians (including 2 new members!) at the District Assembly this weekend. That is, like 14% or so of the club. That is incredible! Frank Romano gave an excellent kick off speech and because there were so many of us, we were able to cover all the break out talks. I learned that they cannot possibly make the grant process any more complicated. But they do keep trying. If you want to find out what else happened talk to Jean, Tom, Marianne, Bill (who waved a lot of fish), Alex, Iryna, or Ben.
Oh, and totally check out this video on Youtube about a club in La Jolla CA. It’s about a club that does things a little bit differently – but very well, and they are a bit younger than us:
If you missed the meeting last week, you missed the great news that the Yardley Peruvian Water project was accepted. We are partnering with them to the tune of $2,000. There are a total of 5 clubs participating in this project and this is a DDF which will be matched 100%. The total somehow comes out to $39,550 (see my note above), which is a lot of water purification systems. I think DDF stands for District Designated Funds.
One thing I learned at the DA is that our chance of getting our grants accepted, increase significantly with full club participation in EREY. That is Clubs that support the Foundation, get support back from the Foundation – which makes sense. So make sure you get your donations in by the end of the Rotary year.
Don’t Forget!
Golf! We still need golfers, sponsors, raffle prizes
5K/10K! Jeff is still looking for someone to take over the food and I think Stan, who has very kindly agreed to take over as Sponsorship Coordinator, needs help with the raffle. It’s not that hard. You just have to walk up and down Main and Broad and ask the shop keepers, the raffle prizes practically fall in your lap. You walk in the door with your Rotary hat and they just throw the prizes at you.
OK, I think that is enough for one week. This blog isn’t as long as it looks; I just decided to use a bigger font because last week’s looked hard to read.
Speaker: Jack Helfrich, Lehigh Wheelmen Association
DUTIES:
Greeter - Dee Elliott
Sergeant-at-Arms - Jess Elliott
$2 Per Week - Jim Santanasto
Invocation - Mike Long
Introductions - Jean Searfoss
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
Palace Restaurant
3250 Easton Ave Bethlehem, PA 18020 (Near Wright Veterinary)
Note: it may be difficult to turn left from Butztown Road onto Easton Ave.
I felt very honored to run last week’s meeting while Pres. Sue was on vacation … we had nearly a “standing room only” crowd on hand to enjoy Retief’s great presentation! It’s hard to believe that English is not his native tongue. After giving background on South Africa, Retief shared information about his life and exchange experience. He also graciously handled a wide diversity of questions from the audience. Thanks, Retief!
Heartfelt appreciation also to Tom & Janet Kolepp for keeping Morning Star in the Youth Exchange Program this year, and to the Eighmy family for hosting. Host Mom Kate and host brothers Tucker and Stowe joined us to hear Retief, and Carl Kolepp was there, too. Carl is joining a Rotary e-club!
Geoff Wright brought wife BethAnn, father in law Don Smith (an Honorary Morning Star member), and Minori Kawai – a Youth Exchange Student who stayed with the Wrights many years ago! We heard a hearty OORAH after the pledge from Honorary member Tom Mohr, and former member Judi Dexter visited. (I’m delighted to tell you that Tom will be rejoining our “Active” ranks for the new Rotary year starting in July.) Happy dollars were in abundance and spirits ran high.
From a show of hands, it appears that Morning Star will be well represented at the District Assembly this Saturday at DeSales. We’ll let you know what we learn.
The Spaghetti Dinner last Friday was an awesome “FUN-raiser” as well as fundraiser! Details to come after chair Val Walk recovers from the weekend – she helped at another major charitable event early Saturday morning. We had much more help this year including our new members, many with their families – thank you!
Note: Val is automatically giving attendance make-up credit to any Spaghetti Dinner helpers who need it – you don’t have to send a request.
Jeff Kicska is asking for a volunteer to be “Food Czar” for this year’s 5K/10K Race. Barb Garrison isn’t able to do it this year, but will share her copious notes to help the new person.
See the separate stories about our Hogar Crea Garden Planting, Golf Tournament, and New Member Soiree.
To repeat a line quoted last Thursday … “Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” – Anonymous
Never thought I would be so happy to spend 10 hours sitting in a quiet office chair as I am this Monday. I am sure the thrill will have worn off by Friday.
Apparently I missed A LOT while I was away.
A GIANT THANK YOU to Val and her team for what I hear was a fantastic Spaghetti Dinner. It sounds like a wonderful time was had by all and there was a huge crowd. Even George, from the Downtown Club mentioned how much he enjoyed it. I am sure that Val will tell us all about it at the meeting.
I heard from Bill Jahn that the District Conference was a great success with over 240 attendees (including exchange students et. al.) and that the Speech Contest was the highlight. If you are planning on attending the DISTRICT ASSEMBLY this weekend, at DeSales, you will get to hear the winning talk.
Another huge thank you to Retief for a wonderful talk last week. I heard that it was very well attended.
A few dates to remember:
Saturday, May 18th: Hogar Crea Planting – please see the story below
Golf Outing: Monday June 3rd – See Butch or our website "Downloads" for the brochure – we need golfers, sponsors and raffle prizes
New Member Soiree: Tuesday June 4th: Hanoverville Road House – if you are a new Member (in the past 18 months) or a Committee head or a Board Member, please consider coming!
Board meeting – Tomorrow – May 8th – 6 pm
Did you know about Rotary Fellowships?
Rotary Fellowships are global social groups of Rotarians who share various hobbies. Here is the RI link:
There are some hobbies on here that I have no idea what they are! Like GO Playing and Esperanto and Geocaching? And there are some regular ones like Fishing and Golfing and Quilting and License Plate Collecting. It’s a great way to meet Rotarians from around the world who share your interests and hobbies, however unique they may be.
Speaker this week
Our speaker this week is a guest of Charlotte and Tore’s:
Hearing Loss Awareness and New Technology Solutions for Hearing Loss
NEXT WEEK!! - Listen UP!!
We are meeting at the Palace Restaurant on Easton Ave (AKA William Penn) – right across the street from Wright’s Vet, (AKA, the Keystone PUB!) – This is a potential alternative meeting place and we are meeting there to check out FOOD!!
Topic:Hearing Loss Awareness and New Technology Solutions for Hearing Loss
Janet is a prospective member, so let's give her an extra special Morning Star welcome!
DUTIES:
Greeter - Frank Lulewitz
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Sue Reeps
Invocation - Bill Jahn
Introductions - Tom Kolepp
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Pres. Sue.
You might not like the methods, but you gotta love the results! I think I counted 35 Rotarians at the meeting last week!
This week’s email is going to count for 2 weeks since I am on hiatus this week and will be buried in dirty laundry and over-due school work at the beginning of following week.
I am very sorry to be missing Retief, our Exchange Student. He has been very busy since his arrival and has an exciting summer planned. We were hoping to take him camping over the 4th of July weekend but he is off on a big adventure which I am sure he will tell you all about.
May 9th we will hear from Dr. Janet Westlund who is expert on new hearing loss technologies. I think there is a pun in there some place.
The FOLLOWING week we are going on Field Trip! So stay tuned for more info on that – or check out the calendar on the website.
There are lots of exciting things going on in our club over the next couple of months.
Please consider coming out to help on planting day at Hogar Crea on May 18th. Consider it a warm up/practice/gardener in training session for when we get our NEXT District Grant which is to help refurbish part of the Bike Path along the river!
And there is still time to sign up for the District Assembly which is May 11th at DeSales. Application is on the District 7430 website.
RI dues are going up!
$1/year/member starting in 2014/2015. Apparently they have been increasing $1/year/person for the past year. We now pay $53/person to RI. This was just voted on last week.
At the next Board meeting we will try to figure out if we can absorb these costs.
Have a good one.
Sincerely,
Susan
Note: This message was sent as a separate email on May 1 - not received in time for the April 30 bulletin. In addition, it will be in the May 7 bulletin.
RETIEF V., Our Exchange Student from South Africa!!!
Please come on Thursday to welcome Retief and the Eighmys (his host family), and to hear about this interesting young man, his home country, and his exchange experiences!
(Note: We have been asked to not publicize the last name of Exchange Students to protect their privacy.)
DUTIES:
Greeter - Shawn Dieter
Sergeant-at-Arms - Val Walk $2 Per Week -Need a Volunteer!!! *
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Susan Burnett
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Jean Searfoss. (Pres. Sue is on vacation this week.)
REGISTER NOW FOR DISTRICT ASSEMBLY on Sat., May 11
Board members and committee chairs are strongly encouraged to attend! In addition the District Assembly is a great way for all members (both new and "veteran") to learn more about Rotary. The club will reimburse your $30 registration fee after you attend.
It would be great to have someone from Morning Star at each of the breakouts. Would you please let me know which ones you prefer for both the first and second breakouts so we can try to coordinate that?
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala, Robin Metzler and Susan Burnett.
DISTRICT ASSEMBLY on Sat., May 11
Board members and committee chairs are strongly encouraged to attend! In addition the District Assembly is a great way for all members (both new and "veteran") to learn more about Rotary. The club will reimburse your $30 registration fee after you attend.
It would be great to have someone from Morning Star at each of the breakouts. Would you please let me know which ones you prefer for both the first and second breakouts so we can try to coordinate that?
KIM RESH, Mikayla's Voice (triathlon for all kids)
ANN GIBSON, Northeast Ministry and BERNIE STORY, L.V. Community Foundation and Boys & Girls Club
Topic: STEVE GODBOLT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (our golf beneficiary)
DUTIES:
Greeter - Sue Reeps
Sergeant-at-Arms - Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week - Janet Kolepp Invocation -Need a Volunteer!!! Please email Pres. Sue burnetts@rcn.com if you can help
Introductions - Susan Burnett
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Please join me in congratulating Laura Fodale who placed a very respectable 3rd in the Regional 4 Way Test Speech Contest last Saturday at DeSales University. Perhaps we can convince her to try again next year.
We have a very busy meeting this week so feel free to get your breakfast early. Before our regularly scheduled speakers, Ann Gibson of Northeast Ministry and Bernie Story of LV Community Foundation and Boys & Girls Club on our golf beneficiary (Steve Godbolt Memorial Scholarship), we are first going to hear from Kim Resh. Kim is the Executive Director of Mikayla's Voice. Mikayla's Voice is a triathalon for special needs children. It is being organized here in the Lehigh Valley this spring and they are looking for volunteers. What a great coincidence because we just happen to be looking for some sweat equity projects! Do you know who else is involved with this project? Our very good friend Diane Donaher!
Also at the meeting you are going to hear about the club’s first ever FELLOWSHIP CHALLENGE!!!! You don’t want to miss THAT!
And finally, I will tell you about Hilary Koprowski. I was going to tell you all about him here, in my newsletter but after I spent about an hour reading about him at work (don’t worry, my boss is gone for the day), I decided it wasn’t something I should really write down, which is why this newsletter is so short. So I will just tell you about him at the meeting!
Please do not forget to respond to Jean's breakfast survey.
Please donate 1 or 2 small items for themed baskets for Chinese Auction!
Part of the Spaghetti Dinner fundraising efforts will be a Chinese Auction (is that politically correct to say?). Rather than ask members to contribute an entire basket, Val would like to ask all club members to donate 1 or 2 items for our themed baskets which she will then assemble.
The baskets will include:
· “Good to the Last Drop”- coffee/tea related
· “Tour of Italy”- Italian/pasta/sauce/etc.
· “For Your Viewing Pleasure”- Movie/popcorn/candy/etc.
Remember, the Spaghetti Dinner will be Friday, May 3rd.
More hands make for lighter work - please help so this fundraiser will also be a "FUN-raiser"! We did not have enough members helping last year. If that occurs again this year, this event will be in danger of being discontinued. Please mark your calendar! Thanks.
The3rd Annual Yvette M. Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K Run/Walk will be on Sunday, April 21st, 2013 at DeSales University. Proceeds will go to PolioPlus to eradicate polio world wide, which is one of Rotary's main missions. The race is sponsored by the DeSales University Rotaract Club and Rotary District 7430.
99% of the world is currently Polio free. Polio cases have declined rapidly since 1985, but the fight isn't over. Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease, and for as little as US$0.60, a child can be protected against the virus for life. If we don't finish the fight right now, more than 10 million children under the age of five could be paralyzed by polio in the next 40 years.
We hope you're able to take some time on Sunday morning to either run or walk the race around DeSales's scenic campus! Attached is the flier and registration form. You can also register at the race site and on the web site at yppp5k.blogspot.com. Please feel free to forward this information along to friends, family members, colleagues, and fellow runners/walkers. We're hoping to get over 100 participants this year!
Thank you again for your support and forwarding this information along. I do appreciate it. Have a wonderful day and weekend!
Amanda
--
Amanda Fabrizio, Communications Specialist
Lehigh University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Thanks again to Gretchen and Jean for arranging breakfast at Traditions last week. It was delightful as always and a nice change of pace.
This week we are back at Kirkland and welcoming John Morganelli, the District Attorney of Northampton County. Hopefully you don’t have any unpaid parking tickets.
This Saturday, April 13th is the Regional 4-Way Test Speech Contest at DeSales! There will be 5 students competing for a spot in the finals including the winner from our contest, Laura Fodale. Here are the important details:
Place: DeSales University, McShea Student Union, Kender Conference Room, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA Time: 9:45a - 11:30a (doors close at 10:00 am) SaturdayApril 13 Admission: No charge - All are welcome Contestants: Slatington, Bethlehem Morning Star & Downtown, Allentown-West, Quakertown, Souderton-Telford
I had an interesting experience at my first ever Zumba class this past weekend (i.e. it kicked my *$#) and I was going to challenge anyone else in the club to join me next weekend. Sadly it is at the same time as the Speech contest so maybe the following weekend! I thought it would make a nice Fellowship event J. It is almost bathing suit season after all.
Cheers,
Susan
Pres. Sue's April 9 Message and Regional Speech Contest on April 13
Morning Star members who attended the Four Way Rotary Test Speech Contest last Wednesday evening were very impressed by the four contestants. Their topics were very relevant in today's world: Gun Control, Healthcare and how Social Media is Affecting the Ability to Relate in Person. The winner was Laura Fodale, a homeschooled student who spoke on Immigration with great poise.
Laura moves on to the regional contest on April 13 at DeSales University - time to be announced. The regional winner will compete at the District Conference for a significant cash prize.
Many thanks to Ben Tenaglia and Bethlehem Rotary's Charlie Walter for their persistence, the students for speaking, Sue Burnett for refreshments, and to all who helped!
Karen and Bill Jahn cheer on Carl Kolepp and the Lehigh Valley Rugby Team at the recent Savannah Rugby Tournament. Carl was their first non-family guest at their Savannah home!
Every year D-7430 strives to recognize the achievements of our Rotary Foundation and to also recognize those Rotarians who have put The Rotary Foundation high in their priorities. Please join us and be inspired by the accomplishments and commitments of District 7430 and its Rotarians. This year our Rotary Foundation
Recognition Dinner is scheduled for:
March 20, 20136:00 – 9:00 PM
William Penn Inn, North Wales, PA
Cost:$40 per person (checks Payable to Rotary District 7430)
Cocktail hour will start at 6:00 PM / Dinner will be at 7:00 PM / 8:00 PM Presentations & Recognitions
This year we celebrate closing in on the long-sought goal of POLIO ERADICATION.We ARETHISclose!!BUT there is till work to be done.We will remember those who have given there lives just recently to see that this does happen.
Also, our own Ron Smith will report on his recent trip to Uganda to plan a Vocational Training Team project focused on improving Child and Maternal Health.
How much good has your support for OUR Foundation done over the years?Come and find out!The statistics will surprise you, but the stories add the life to the impact these projects have had.
We will also be joined by a cadre of Rotary Foundation Alumni and DSG and Matching Grant Champions. A Major Donor, Bequest Society and Paul Harris Society Member reception will be held in conjunction with the Cocktail hour.
For Further information
Please refer to the D-7430 Website… www.rotarydistrict7430.organd to register for the event.(Under “District Events” on the left side of the Home page, the top item) OR
complete the attached form and send it to Mike using the information below.
#1: Juan Proaño,President Elect, Morrisville-Yardley Rotary Club
WATER FILTER PROJECT IN PERU
#2: Rick Santee, Dee Elliott and the Membership Committee
NEW MEMBER PACKETS AND MORE
DUTIES
Greeter - Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms - Jess Elliott
$2 Per Week - Chuck Uhl
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Ron Helmuth
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
LAST WEEK'S SPEAKER
Thanks to Lisa Giovanni and Patti Gates Smith for an informative and moving presentation. Feedback from our members demonstrated just how important hospice services are to patients and their families.
I just cannot believe it is the end of February already! The Rotary year AND the calendar year are flying by.
This is my last week of telling you all the things that I love about Rotary. Even though Rotary is a very serious, grown-up organization that set out to solve the world’s problems. And even though its full of a bunch of old men who are all CEO’s and other people who own their own companies and are terrifying to meet and approach and are all very intimidating…
NOT!
The thing I love most about Rotary is that is where I come every week to have FUN! And make FRIENDS! I lived and worked in the Lehigh Valley for 5 years and I did not have many friends to show for it until I came to Rotary. And the moment I joined Rotary, I suddenly had 1.2 million of them.
And I know that no matter what else is going wrong/crazy in my work or home life, when I come to Rotary on Thursday morning, or to bowling or to a 5K/10K meeting or to a Spaghetti Dinner or to a Conference Planning meeting or a to a Casino night or whatever it is, I know I am going to be surrounded by friends and I am going to laugh (hopefully a lot!) and I am going to have a great time. And that is always a great way to start the day, the night, the week, the month, the year,
Don’t get me wrong – there is going to be hard work involved, a little compromise, a few battle lost, and maybe a little hair pulling, and teeth gnashing and a few bad words spewed in frustration – but in the end, it will all be worth it and we will all be better for it. And we will look back on it fondly. Right Bill?
I joined Rotary for many reasons. To get closer to my dad, to get involved with my community, to Network. I have to tell you, I did not join Rotary because I thought it would be “Fun!” At no time did I ever think that walking into a large room full of strangers would be “fun”. That standing up and giving my classification talk would be “fun”. That asking people for money for a 5K/10 would be “Fun” – ok, that really isn’t “FUN” at all but its “REWARDING” and that is almost the same thing as “FUN” and I am out of weeks so close enough.
Anyways, the “FUN” part of Rotary turned out to be a total bonus to all the other reasons that I joined Rotary and it happened almost instantaneously the moment I was met by my first Morning Star person and that has made all difference.
This Week!
We have a very busy meeting this week so please be on time or even better- a few minutes early.
Please arrive promptly and get your food and get seated, by 7:30 if possible.
At 7:30 we will have the Invocation and Pledge and Introductions of guests and visitors.
We have TWO programs this week.
We have had a special request from the Yardley Rotary Club to present their Water Project to us. They are looking for financial partners for their Future Vision project. The deadline is the end of March. They are going to speak from 7:40-7:55, including questions.
We are asking the Membership to email Tom Hartzell any feedback about participation in the program- if you favor the club participating in the project or not. If you do not have Tom’s email, you can send it to me and I will forward it to him. Tom will summarize the feedback and present it to the Board meeting on March 13th
At 7:55 we will have our regular Business meeting followed by our regular program which is our Membership Committee. The Membership Committee has been hard at work creating some new material for new Members – just in time as we have 4 of them and a few more waiting in the wings!
DG Tony presents Eagle Scout certificate to Matt Kessler, grandson of Bill & Karen Jahn
Rotary Fellowship of International Scouting on behalf of Rotary International honored Matthew Kessler, Bethlehem PA with a certificate recognizing his attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout. DG Tony Jannetta presented this certificate on Sunday February 17th at Matthew’s Court of Honor. Matthew, 16, has been a scout since he was 10 years old. He is joining an elite group of Scouts (2-4%) that attain this highest level in Boy Scouting. Matt is a junior at Freedom HS, a black belt in Karate and active in his church. He is the son of Lindsay and Gary Kessler and the grandson of PDG Bill and Karen Jahn.
Rotary and Scouting: International Fellowship of Scouting (IFSR)
Rotary International has been a partner with the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in serving young people since their inception. As Rotary spread around the world, its support of Scouting and Girl Guiding also spread. In 1916, Rotarians in Edinburgh, Scotland, joined by 100 local Scouts, organized a special Christmas party for children whose fathers were serving in World War I. In 1922, the Rotary Club of Manila, Philippines, established a local Scout council. Rotary Clubs from Australia to Brunei built huts for Girl Guide groups.
IFSR has produced full color recognition certificates for your Rotary Club or District to present to U. S. and Canadian Scouts and Guides that achieve their association's highest award. What a great opportunity not only to recognize a young man or woman for his/her Outstanding Achievement, but to make these prospective future Rotarians aware of Rotary and its programs. Go to http://scouters.us/ifsr/ to learn how your club may recognize outstanding local scouts.
DG Tony presents Eagle Scout certificate to Matt Kessler, grandson of Bill & Karen Jahn
Applications for District grants for the 2013-14 Rotary year are now being accepted. The Club Foundation Committee is seeking ideas on projects for which we can apply for these funds. District Grants fund relatively short-term activities in amounts less than $3,000. Our club is waiting to receive funds for the current Rotary year to assist Hogar Crea in creating a garden area. Past projects have included acquisition of a bicycle rack for Victory House and purchasing books for Cops ’N Kids.
The grant project must be in one of the following areas of focus:
· Peace and conflict resolution
· Disease prevention and treatment
· Water and sanitation
· Maternal & child health
· Basic education & literacy
· Economic & community development
Due to changes in the grant process being implemented by Rotary International for the 2013-14 year, club applications are due to the District by the end of March. The Foundation Committee would like to make a recommendation to the Club Board by its March 13 meeting.
Happy 3rd Week Of Things I Love About Rotary, Rotarians!
The 3rd thing I love about Rotary is that there is always something new to learn or discover about Rotary, somewhere. I have been a member for 8 years and I feel like I have just barely scratched the surface. When I mentioned this to my husband the first thing he said was “Maybe you are just a slow learner.”
Let’s just assume for the rest of this weekly address that that is not the case.
Rotary is so vast, and opportunities to get involved no numerous and the people who participate are so many (and so interesting and so kind) and the challenges around the world sometime so seemingly overwhelming, and so ever changing that if you were in Rotary your whole life you could not possibly learn everything there is to learn or meet everyone there is to meet or solve all the problems there are to solve.
Rotary is not static. It is always changing because we are a service organization serving the needs of the communities that we live in and those needs are ever changing. As Rotarians we need to learn as much about Rotary as we can as fast as we can. It a large, fascinating, complex organization but it works and we all need to keep up.
Aside:And it gets even better (it always does!) We don’t only learn about Rotary at Rotary. We have great speakers at Rotary who come and tell us about thing we never knew we never knew. I can’t tell you how many times I almost blew off a meeting because the speaker was going to be someone from a Park or National Preservation something or other. But I am always thrilled I came. I used to work for a company and at the beginning of every meeting one person had to give a 3-5 minute energizer – some story that was so inspiring, it energized the room and go the meeting off to a great start. I consider my weekly Rotary meeting to be my WEEKLY energizer.
Speakers
We look forward to our speakers this week:
Patti Gates Smith & Lisa Giovanni
Topic: St Luke’s Hospice
Announcements
District Conference
The District Conference is April 26-April 28th at Skytop. On March 1st – the District has to release any un-booked rooms back to the hotel. You still may be able to get a room after that but it is not guaranteed. Please see the District website for further details.
4 Way Test Speech Contest
We now have 5 contestants for our 4-Test Speech Contest which will be held on the evening of March 20th at Bethlehem City Hall. They came in just under the wire!
SPEAKERS - Lisa Giovanni, Interim President, VNA of St. Luke's - and -
Patti Gates Smith, Dir. Professional Development, PA State Nurses Assoc.; Co-Chair, VNA Board of Directors; Hospice Advocate
TOPIC: St. Luke's Hospice
DUTIES
Greeter - Marianne Aronson
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Sue Reeps
Invocation - Karen Jahn
Introductions - Bill Jahn
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
LAST WEEK'S SPEAKER
Thanks to Dr. Tudor Stanciu, Lehigh Scholar in Residence, Fulbright Scholar and Romania professor for an enlightening and inspiring presentation last week on his work with orphans in Romania!
I am looking forward to becoming president of Morning Star Rotary this July 1. My “canned” description of our club? “We have a lot of fun while helping people locally and throughout the world!”
To help with planning I’d like to talk with each of you individually for a few minutes, and will email you to find out whether before/during/after a meeting or by phone is better for you. If those aren’t workable, we can do it via email.
As a club member for almost 19 years (and board member for about half of that time), I value many Morning Star traditions. I hope we can rekindle our camaraderie, sense of “family”, and fun as we keep be the best of the old while embracing the new. New members, new technology, and possibly some new projects and events.
Over the past 5 years our membership has declined about 15-20%, with the severe economic recession adding to the usual factors of people moving and experiencing other life or career changes. To continue our many good works, I’m asking each and every Morning Star Rotarian to be a truly “Active” member. Now, Rotary is not a one-size-fits-all organization, and “Active” encompasses many ways of supporting the club, the Bethlehem area, the district, and Rotary International. Some functions require time throughout the year, while others are concentrated around the date of a particular event.
I will be asking how you would like to be active in Morning Star during the next Rotary year.How can your time, talent and experience help our club? If you have a passion for a particular cause, would you consider leading an effort to benefit it? Would you like to participate more with local projects, or help us learn ways to reach out more beyond our borders? I hope to explore opportunities to partner with other Rotary clubs in our area on projects of mutual interest.
Morning Star needs to increase Publicity, including traditional media, but in particular to establish a social media presence. Would you help us get started on FaceBook?
Vocational Service is a Rotary “Avenue of Service” which may warrant more attention – maybe brief intros of “veteran” members, a meeting devoted to exchanging business cards, resurrection of our VoTech awards, or holding an occasional meeting at a member’s place of business. If this is important to you, would you help?
What types of social events appeal to you? Family picnics, sporting events, or an evening gathering for cocktails or dinner? Going to a play, concert or comedy show? We’re open to your ideas, and are very interested in what would engage our newer and younger members.
Please keep an eye open for my email. I ask you to carve out a few minutes to share your views so we can make 2013-14 a terrific year!
Kirkland Village advises that their virus outbreak has abated (but not disappeared yet), and we are good to go this week. Last week's speaker, Lorna Clause of Turning Point, has graciously rescheduled for March 7.
PROGRAM -STEPHANIE HNATIW of the YWCA, on their TechGyrls program.
Please come and hear about this organization and the program which a Morning Star grant is supporting.
DUTIES
Greeter - Marianne Aronson
Sergeant-at-Arms - Ellen Roberts
$2 Per Week - Ed Ortelli
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Since February is the month of love, I have decided that each week I will highlight one aspect of Rotary that I love! This week it is the fight against polio. Did you know there is a whole new website dedicated to just THIS effort? – Here is the link – check it out:
There are many reasons that I love Rotary’s commitment to the fight against polio. One is because we are in it for the duration. We are very close to the end. We could back out now. We could say, “We have done enough, let someone else finish the job. We have given enough effort. It’s too hard. We have done all we can. It’s going to cost too much. It’s impossible.” But Rotary is not going to give up. We were there at the beginning and we are going to be there at the end. Sure, there are more popular diseases we could go after, maybe easier targets, maybe targets where we could see a faster “return on our money” but as our speaker at the District Conference said last spring: “If we are not there at the end, no one will remember that we were there at the beginning.”
Another reason I am so grateful for our fight against polio is because I know a small amount of help make a huge difference. And there are many ways to get involved. You can donate your time at a fundraiser. You can participate in an immunization day in India. There are always those infusions of cash and most importantly, you can always tell your friends about Rotary.
I am very proud to be a part of Rotary’s efforts in the fight against Polio. I think it was Napoleon who said, “The difficult we can do right away, the impossible just takes a little longer.”
This week we are delighted to welcome Stephanie Hnatiw as our speaker. She is with the YWCA Tech Gyrls Program and is one of our grant recipients. I am expecting lots of left over happy dollars from last week. I have a “Payback is a Bear” dollar.
Retief is 17 years old and a junior in high school. He is taking a "gap" year while in the US and will return to complete his senior year in South Africa. He comes from Randburg, just outside Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys outdoors sports like mountain climbing & mountain biking. He is very close with his parents and has one younger brother. He hopes his year as a exchange student helps him to grow emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. Retief has already attended one of our morning meetings, and we hope to see him often!
To get Retief's email and phone number, you must first log in on ClubRunner. If not directed to the Admin page, click "Admin" near top right of our home page. Then on right side of the Admin page under Membership Manager, click "Other Users", then double click his name (under "V").
His first Host Family is Kate & Larry Eighmy and their 3 sons.
We ask that EVERY Morning Star Rotarian make an effort to include Retief in at least ONE activity this year.Sharing a meal or an outing with a variety of families will give him a more fully experience life here. If you are just spending several hours with him locally, no form is needed. If you're having trouble getting his contact info from the website, he can always be reached via the Kolepps.
However, for the safety of the students, the State Department requires anyone having more than “casual contact” to complete a release form authorizing a background check. Any overnight visit/travel would necessitate a form. Please download the form from the club’s home page, then complete and submit it to Tom or Janet Kolepp (not directly to the district). They will take care of getting forms to the district, and the fee is covered. If you’d like to take him on a trip out of state or have any other questions, please check with the Kolepps.
Last week’s meeting was a lot of fun! And I have noticed as the year goes on that more and more people through my day on Thursday ask “Hey how was Rotary today?” So I guess word must be getting out. And last week I got tell them how much fun it was, not just because we got to give out $6,000 and have a lot of laughs doing it, but that we had two potential member there who got swept up in the fun … one that was a really good sport about it, at least I hope he was. We will see if he comes back.
Then right on the heels of that we had our second annual Rotary BOWLARAMA this past Saturday night with 28 people coming out for a great night of fun. It’s a good thing Jeff was bowling with a broken leg because his score was off by at least 5 points from last year and it gave the rest of us a chance to try and keep up. None of us will ever bowl as well as Gary’s sons but we banished them to their own lanes. I collected a VERY happy dollar from Rafael but I will let him tell you all about it at the next meeting. Karen will always have the nicest bowling shoes. Many thanks to the Hampton Lanes. They did a terrific job hosting us again.
So this weekend I was thinking, this is a GREAT time to bring in potential members to the club. We have several fun events coming up over the next few months that can make new members feel very welcome, and very Rotary-educated, very fast.
¨ First up we have a couple more speakers who are grant recipients, Lorna Clause of Turning Point and Stephanie Hnatiw of the YWCA
¨ The Foundation Committee is preparing a presentation to update us on Future Visions. Our club is qualified to apply for these grants already – so if you have any ideas for grants, or want to know more, talk to Gretchen, Tom or Dee.
¨ We have the 4-Way Speech Contest in March and then the Regional contest which will be in early April
¨ Our Spaghetti dinner this spring is great fellowship event, if you love to cook, if you love to wash dishes or even if you just love to EAT – we will be looking for your help
¨ District Conference, a great weekend event up at Skytop – a great way to meet other District Rotarians and celebrate the year that was, and get in some golf
¨ District Assembly – a shorter version of the Conference, half a day, at DeSales – (far less expensive!) – sometime in May
o CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR ON CLUBRUNNER FOR ALL THE DATES!!!!
So if there is someone you think might make a great Rotarian, this is a great time to introduce them to the club because there is A LOT of interesting and fun stuff going on and many opportunities for folks to get involved and learn more about Rotary.
We are looking forward to hearing from Lorna Clause this week.
Wasn't it great to meet our new exchange student last week, Retief van der Lingen from South Africa? And Debra Lamb's presentation on Lehigh Valley Children's Centers showed that our club's grant is very well used indeed.
We have 27 bowlers for this Saturday, 7-9 pm at Hampton Lanes in Northampton … I think that might be a record! (Never mind that it is only our second year, it’s still a record and I’ll take it.)
I am also really excited because this week is one of my FAVORITE meetings! This week we thank all the folks who SPONSORED the 5K/10K RACE and we give SPECIAL OLYMPICS their GREAT BIG CHECK!
AND … it gets even better! Thrivent is coming! Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has been financially supporting our race for 7 years and they have never, ever let us thank them in person before. This week they are FINALLY coming, and I cannot wait to meet them. So I hope you will come too, and help show them what Rotary is all about.
Birthdays this week, too! If your birthday is in January, we will be celebrating you this week. So don't forget to come and collect your birthday treat! (I hear Marianne is handing out apples this month!)
It's already time to start thinking about the NEXT ROTARY YEAR!
On March 1-2, Jean Searfoss and Marianne Aronson will be heading off to PETS – that is President Elect Training Seminar. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is an action-packed, fun-filled two days of training for Assistant Governors and incoming Presidents. Jean will be asking about next year’s Committee Chairs before then. Yes, ALREADY! So if there is an area of the club that you would like to serve or have been dying to serve, now is the time to let her know before she calls you … because she will be calling you. Or at least, now is the time to start thinking about how you might serve the club and Rotary, and any ideas for projects or fellowship events you may have. Any why wait until next year – you can always practice on this year.
POLIO ERADICATION UPDATE
Time Magazine has been running an interesting series of articles on the fight against Polio. They are now available on our website on the News section.
4-Way Rotary Test SPEECH CONTEST
We are still looking for contestants for our Speech contest. If anyone knows the debate coach or drama teacher at any of the local high schools, (other than Freedom, we have that one covered), please let Ben Tenaglia know. If you know of other ways to get info out to high school students via school contacts, traditional media, or social media, that would also be very helpful.
Please come and help thank those who supported our 5K / 10K, and see Special Olympics receive the check!
DUTIES
Greeter - Steve Bajan
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Rafael De La Hoz
Invocation - Both Mike Long and Karen Jahn signed up (more than 1 sheet circulated)
Introductions - Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
We are very excited that our new Exchange Student, Retief van der Lingen has arrived safely from South Africa, and we are looking forward to having him visit our club this week. Please come to the meeting and make him feel welcome. With any luck he will be at our….
BOWLING FELLOWSHIP EVENT!!!!!
Which is Saturday, Jan 26 from 7-9 pm at Hampton Lanes. Please see the info below, the flyer in Downloads, or me, Susan for more details. It is sure to be a lot of fun. I think we have at least 18 people signed up so far, and need a final count by Sunday.
4 WAY SPEECH CONTEST
Ben Tenaglia could use some help finding students to participate in the 4 Way Speech Contest. The schools are not being very cooperative. If you know a teacher with some pull or other means of getting word out to high school students, please help Ben. There is a lot of prize money available. The winning student stands to win $1,400 in total for winning all 3 levels: local, regional and district (I think?).
WEEKLY MEETING COST
Kirkland’s price to the club is officially going up from $8.50 to $10 per person this week. The club’s price to members will remain $10. (Historically, the $1.50 difference has been used to pay for speakers, plus prospective members with their 3 tickets.) The board decided that will use club funds to cover the cost of those guests for the time being. In addition, Kirkland now requires a minimum guarantee of 33 paid breakfasts every week, otherwise we have to pay $10 for each attendee under 33. So if we only have 30 people attend, we have to pay an additional $30. Please try to attend each meeting! Dee Elliott and Gary Hartney are looking at possible alternative meeting locations. If you would like to help them, please let them know. Their contact info is on our website.
Also, please plan for some change in the dues structure in the new Rotary year. We have also heard that the District may raise our District Dues this year. For those of you that missed my kick off meeting this year, the Morning Star Rotary Club has some of the lowest dues of any club in the District. We have not raised dues since I joined the club and that was 8 years ago. Of the dues that you pay, the club only retains about $35 or $45 for operating expenses. (The majority goes to Rotary International and the District.) Our only other sources of revenue for these expenses are now happy dollars and fines, since we are losing the $1.50 per member per meeting noted above. If you would ever like to take a closer look at our budgets, please see me, or our Treasurer Sue Reeps – that is Sue or Sue!
Which brings us to ... DUES!
Dues are due. If you only paid half your dues at the beginning of the year, the other half are now due. So please pay them promptly as the second half of our RI dues are due at the end of January.
Our speaker this week is Debra Lamb, Executive Director the Lehigh Valley Children's Centers – they were one of our grant recipients this year.
A few people have commented that they were having trouble contacting other members since we no longer hand out a printed directory or phone list. All that info and much, much more is available on our club website 24 hours a day and is continuously updated!!!
Yes, you need to log on to access phone numbers and email addresses. If you haven't done that recently (or maybe at all), here are step-by-step instructions ...
If you don't know your Login Name or Password, click "New and existing users - Retrieve your password"
Fill in your last name and email address. ClubRunner will immediately email your Login Name and Password.
Note: the email address must match what ClubRunner has on file for you. If you can no longer access that email address, contact Pres. Sue, Jeff Kicska or me with your new address, and we will update it in ClubRunner for you.
Then log in and explore!!! In addition to the stories you see in the bulletin, there is a Download section for public documents. Go to "Admin" for directory info and other items restricted to club members. Please update your profile so we have your current phone/email etc, and upload a photo if you don't have one in there yet.
It's really not too hard ... just ask Dieter Bender, who just did it!!!
PROGRAM -BETHLEHEM AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY and it's "ROOM TO GROW" project
Speaker - Janet Fricker,Executive Director
DUTIES
Greeter - Dee Elliott
Sergeant-at-Arms - Jess Elliott
$2 Per Week - Tom Hartzell
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Tom Kolepp
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
DUES ARE DUE
For those of us who did not pay for the full year, the second-half dues are due. Please see notice emailed by Val Walk, and give or mail your check to club Treasurer Sue Reeps. Thank you!
BOARD MEETING REMINDER - Tomorrow, Wed. 1/9/13 at 6:00 pm at Kirkland Village.
Wasn’t that a great program last Thursday? Thanks to Dr. Joel Rosenfeld for bringing us up to speed on the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine, the first one here in the Lehigh Valley. This week we are welcoming Janet Fricker and Liza Holzinger to give us an update on the Bethlehem Library’s “Room to Grow” project, which we have supported with our golf tournament proceeds the past two years.
BOWLING!
Please join us Sat. Jan 26th from 7-9 pm for Bowling at Hampton Lanes. Sign up sheets will be going around. I have to get a firm count to Hampton Lanes by Jan 20th so if you sign up, you are committed. Price TBD but I am trying to keep it to $20/person. And yes, we will have at least one lane with bumpers up!
POLIO ERADICATION UPDATE
Time Magazine has been running some interesting stories on the fight against polio. You can go to Time.com, or our club website, where we have created a page for the updates. The board has voted for Morning Star to contribute $1,000 to the PolioPlus campaign this year, using some of our funds from our fundraisers. Yes, we are THIS CLOSE!!! If you would like to help more, you can designate your EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) donation to Rotary Foundation for Polio Eradication.
The 3rd Annual Yvette M. Palmer Purple Pinkie 5K Run/Walk proceeds also will go towards PolioPlus. This event is organized by the DeSales University Rotaract Club and the district, and will be held Sunday, April 21, 2013 at DeSales University. There’s a website this year, yppp5k.blogspot.com.
CLEANING OUT AT KIRKLAND
I’m not able to clean out the back area at Kirkland this week so if you were hoping to get back there to save a memento, you have a reprieve. Please organize things you want kept, and mark them with your name and the date no later than Jan. 17th.
I hope everyone had a healthy and safe
and restful holiday. I cannot believe the Rotary year is half over! Still so
much to do.
I would like to thank Mike and Terri
Long for hosting a wonderful Holiday Party. We had a great turnout.
Very Important Breakfast Information
Kirkland has, unfortunately, made some drastic changes
to our breakfast situation. They have increased to the weekly cost of our
breakfast to $10/week. Some of you might not be aware but previously, Kirkland
has charged us $8.50 for breakfast. We have charged members $10. The additional
$1.50 covers the cost of guests – such as the speaker, exchange students etc…
The Board will decided at the next Board meeting how the club should address
this issue, either by raising the breakfast fee or by raising dues. You may
certainly offer your input. Please understand that it is a little bit difficult
to increase dues in the middle
of the year but we will try to figure out something “fair to all concerned”.
In addition, Kirkland has increased
our minimum attendance requirements to 35, from 33. So please do your best to
attend meetings as we have to pay for 35 membersevery
week.
ELECTION RESULTS
At
our Christmas meeting we voted in our new Board of Directors who will take
office on July 1st, 2013.
Please
join me in congratulating them:
President: Jean Searfoss (previously
selected)
President Elect: Tom Kolepp (previously
selected, to serve as president 2014-15)
Vice President:No Nominee
Secretary: Val Walk
Treasurer: Sue Reeps
Directors thru June 2014: (previously selected)
Marianne Aronson, Gary Hartney, Jeff Kicska and Ben Tenaglia
Directors July 2013 - June 2015:
Rafael De La Hoz, Robin Metzler, Ellen Roberts and Barb
Seifert-Sigmon
Sergeant-at-Arms: Russ Pacala
The position of VP is still open. If you got to thinking, over the
holidays that this is something you were really interested in, it’s almost
never too late to speak up!
Lots of Reminders:
January 24 is our Race Sponsorship Recognition breakfast – this is always a fun
meeting
If you move, get a new phone, a new
birthday (anything is possible) – don’t forget to update your profile in ClubRunner
– so you don’t miss any important communications from the club, or your
birthday chocolate bar!
The District Conferenceis coming up, the last weekend in April. More
info is available on the District website
The Rotary International Conferenceis also coming up; it’s in Lisbon, Portugal this year.
More info is available on the RI website and in your monthly Rotary magazine.
Our Exchange Student, Retief van der Lingen, is almost
here!!! Please plan to spend some time with him, even if it is just to invite
him over for dinner or a brunch.
If you only paid for half of your dues, the other half is now
due.
Our speaker this week is Dr. Joel Rosenfeldwho is the Dean of the new St. Luke’s /Temple University School of Medicine.
PROGRAM -THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S FIRST SCHOOL OF MEDICINE!
Speaker:
Joel C. Rosenfeld, M.D., M.Ed., FACS
Chief Academic Officer
St. Luke’s University Health Network
Senior Associate Dean
Professor of Surgery
Temple University School of Medicine
With an introduction by Ken Smith, former Mayor of Bethlehem and current Board Member of St. Luke's.
DUTIES
Greeter - Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Jim Santanasto Invocation - Need a Volunteer
Introductions - Jean Searfoss
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE
The download section of the website now has the "Committee Snapshot" as well as our "Twelve Days of Rotary" lyrics.
ROTARY "STUFF" STORED AT KIRKLAND - action by Jan. 17
If you have any Rotary related items stored on the 3rd floor at Kirkland, please go through it, remove anything not still needed or which can be stored elsewhere, and mark items to be retained with "Keep", the date, and your name. If we don't clean things up, Kirkland plans to dispose of them. Thanks!
DUES ARE DUE
For those of us who did not pay for the full year, the second-half dues are due. Please see notice emailed by Val Walk, and give or mail your check to club Treasurer Sue Reeps. Thank you!
SHELTERBOX UPDATE
ShelterBox has deployments in the Philippines and Fiji. They are also deployed to Haiti due to Hurricane Sandy, to three countries due to the Syrian crisis, to Nigeria, Uganda and Senegal due to flooding. That means ShelterBox is actively deployed to 9 countries now.
I hope that you can join us this week for a wonderful breakfast and lots of singing! It is our annual Holiday meeting!
We are on the 2nd floor this week - if you are not sure where to go, get off the elevator at the 2nd floor and follow the noise and the delicious smells!
The other important thing that happens this week is that we VOTE on next year’s Board of Directors.
An Update on our Friends, “FRIENDS FOREVER”
Those of you who attended the District Conference last year may remember a wonderful presentation about Friends Forever. FF started in 1986 and brings groups of Protestant and Catholic kids together for 6 weeks. It as expanded to Arab and Jewish youth as well. Rotary has been involved by providing programs and activities while the youth are in the US. Recently the founder, Bob Raiche was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize! That is the update. He did not win, he lost to the EU. (Yes, I am still scratching my head on that one too!).
Remember, there is NO MEETING NEXT WEEK, DEC. 27 – because we will all be partying at Mike and Terry Long’s house on Friday evening, Dec. 28.
Then we will return to our regularly scheduled programming on Jan. 3rd when our speaker will be Dr.JoelRosenfeld, who is the Dean of St.Luke’s/TempleSchoolofMedicine, which was the 1st in the Lehigh Valley.
Last week’s attendance was 33, right where we need it.
Happy Hanukkah Rotarians!
I have a confession to make … I was not ready to write this week’s message. I usually get some inspiration during the week. From the last meeting. From something someone said. Or something I read in the monthly magazine, or something that happened to me over the weekend. But this weekend was a bit of a blur. No, not because I was drinking heavily. (Although that would have been nice.) My parents arrive this weekend, and between the play and trying to remove 6 months of dog hair from house and finish Xmas shopping and get the cat to the vet … well, you know how life goes. So now it’s Monday morning and I am at work and I am supposed to be, well working … so I better think fast …
Where DO you go when you want to get inspired about Rotary? Well, duh, Rotary of course. I remembered I wanted to show this at our meeting but we never could get the internet to work
Have you seen this video? Its fantastic and even better, YOU CAN BE IN IT!!! Check it out! (Even if you have already see it, it’s worth a second look. It’s that good!)
Russ, thank you very much for such a magnificent talk last week! When I got into work and my co-workers asked me how Rotary was, I said, “It was GREAT! This guy told the story of his life through the Christmas cards he designed! It was completely unique and so lovely. And they gave me these funny looks and so I just said “Hey, if you want to know how great Rotary is, you have to COME TO ROTARY! It’s as simple as that.”
This week we have our regular meeting but NEXT week we are downstairs for a wonderful buffet and great Liberty singers. Please sign up if you are able to sponsor one of them. The last week of December we do NOT have a meeting but we WILL have a great Holiday party at the Longs on Friday evening!
PROGRAM -Susan will share a family story about revenge and stolen children books - you know it's going to be a hoot! (The originally planned Turning Point program has been rescheduled for Jan. 31.)
DUTIES
Greeter - Dieter Bender
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Need a Volunteer (let Russ Pacala & Susan Burnett know if you can help)
Invocation - Tom Kolepp
Introductions - Sue Reeps
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
The Camp Neidig Committee is proud to be partnering with the Reading Royals for our first ever Camp Neidig Group Outing & Reunion Night at the Reading Royals! All forner Camp Neidig campers, Rotary Clubs, and Rotarians are encouraged to join us on Sat. December 15th for a fun night of Royals hockey as they take on the Orlando Solar Bears. Game time is 7:05pm (gates open at 6:05). There will be a pre-game Camp Neidig reunion in the Coca-Cola VIP lounge at the Sovereign Center starting as soon as the gates open. Royals General Manager (and former Camp Neidig guest speaker) Mark Wallace will drop by with club mascot Slapshot and some other Royals special guests. Tickets are just $11!
Each Rotarian is asked to make a contribution of a minimum of $100 per year to Rotary Foundation. When members contribute a cumulative total of $1,000, they become Paul Harris Fellows. Our current membership includes over 35 Paul Harris Fellows.
One-half of your contributions are returned to the District for use after three years. Our club recently received a District Simplified Grant to support a project for Hogar Crea. This money is the result of District Rotarians making contributions to Rotary Foundation. The remaining one-half of your contribution is used by Rotary International to assist with projects for those in need throughout the world. NONE of the contributions are directly used to fund administrative costs.
In order to receive a tax deduction for 2012, please give your check payable to “Rotary Foundation” to Tom Hartzell at the club meeting on December 13 or 20. You may also mail your payment to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18017.
Many members also contribute to the Foundation by giving $2/week. More information will follow advising how you can have contributions deducted from your bank account on a regular basis, as another method of contributing to the Foundation.
Thanks to all members who have contributed to the Foundation this year, and for all Morning Star members for their continued support. Please contact me at thartzell@hmk-ins.com with any questions.
So there I was on Saturday night, in the dressing room of Fruitcakes (at the unofficial grand opening night - stay-tuned for THAT GRUMPY DOLLAR!), trying to listen for my cues, frantically trying to follow my bids for the Rotoplast auction on my PHONE! Do you know how hard it is to watch an auction on a PHONE?! Very hard! The print is very tiny. I kept having to run on stage, then to the back of the house to watch my daughter in her scenes. She is very cute, by the way. Then rush back to the dressing room to help her change costume. At intermission I have to jump out of my costume and out of my wig to help the stage manager because there is a lot of props to change. Then I have to check my phone and change my bids and yell at my phone! Then more running back on stage, then more yelling at my phone and every time, I have to sign back in! Never mind I was almost out of battery!
Someone finally asked me what I was doing. I said “I am trying to win this awesome guided tour of the Capitol with Charlie Dent, even if he is with that OTHER party, and lunch at the Capitol building and it would make the PERFECT Xmas gift for family but someone keeps out bidding me. It’s for the Rotary Rotoplast Auction!” It went right down to the wire. Finally it was time for the curtain call, 5 minutes before 10! I asked the stage manager “Do you thing the Director would be mad if I took my phone out with me and was bidding during bows and while we were singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas?” She didn’t give me a very nice look.
Suffice it to say, I didn’t win the tour. BUT, the point of the story is … there is NEVER a dull moment in Rotary!!!
And there is NEVER a dull moment this month at Morning Star.
This week we welcome our own Russ Pacala to give his re-classification talk, preceded by Jenn Sinclair of the Cancer Support Community speaking briefly on the project that Morning Star supported with a Community Development Grant.
Next week we will hear from Lorna Clause who is from Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, and after that we have two weeks of parties! The first will be the musical holiday celebration during our regular meeting time on Dec. 20, and the other which will be our club’s Holiday Party on the evening of Friday Dec. 28 at Mike & Terri Long’s new home. Stay tuned for more details. One thing is for sure, the food will be delicious both times!!!!
PROGRAM -Our own Russ Pacala's Classification Talk, preceded by a few words by Jenn Sinclair of the Cancer Support Community, one of our Community Development Grant recipients.
DUTIES
Greeter - Marianne Aronson
Sergeant-at-Arms - Dee Elliott
$2 Per Week - Ed Ortelli
Introductions - Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Note: KIRKLAND'S "MAIN" DOORS
Last week we reported that they were closed for more door construction. We have contacted Kirkland Village for an update and will send a separate email if that entrance will be operational for this Thursday Dec. 6.
The Camp Neidig Committee is proud to be partnering with the Reading Royals for our first ever Camp Neidig Group Outing & Reunion Night at the Reading Royals! All forner Camp Neidig campers, Rotary Clubs, and Rotarians are encouraged to join us on Sat. December 15th for a fun night of Royals hockey as they take on the Orlando Solar Bears. Game time is 7:05pm (gates open at 6:05). There will be a pre-game Camp Neidig reunion in the Coca-Cola VIP lounge at the Sovereign Center starting as soon as the gates open. Royals General Manager (and former Camp Neidig guest speaker) Mark Wallace will drop by with club mascot Slapshot and some other Royals special guests. Tickets are just $11!
Gentle reminder ... please use ClubRunner only for Rotary related events and business. There appear to be some differing interpretations of the club's "Business Solicitation Policy", which the Board will try to iron out at its meeting next week.
Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary was awarded a District Simplified Grant for $1,064 to partner with Hogar Creain Bethlehem to convert a 40' x 30' plot of land into a vegetable garden.
The vision for the project came from Ron Helmuth. With Rotarian support (and sweat equity), the untended grass will be converted into a garden.
The short-term goal is to prepare the soil, build the fence, and plant the first vegetables. The long term goal is to create a place, a garden, where the men of Hogar Crea can enjoy the benefits of working the soil, watching their hard work turn into something tangible and edible, and enjoying the "fruits of their labor" ... which in this case will be vegetables!
(Thanks to Gretchen Vakiener for this story, and for submitting the grant request to the District!)
Morning Star Rotary awarded District Simplified Grant
Once again Morning Star will "Ring the Bell" for Salvation Army, this year at The MORAVIAN BOOKSHOPat 428 Main Street, Bethlehem on Saturday, Dec. 15.
We have volunteers covering the time slots from 10 AM thru 6 PM, but need 2 more to cover just one hour, from 6 to 7 PM. Please sign-up at a meeting, or email Gretchen at g_vakiener@yahoo.com . If you're downtown on Dec. 15, stop by and say hi to the volunteers!
will benefit the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley this year.
They are only selling 800 tickets, so the odds of winning are very reasonable.
Tickets cost $25 each, or 5 for $100.
There are 5 prizes, and the total Prize Amount will be half of the money collected.
1st Prize - $5,000 (or 50% of the Prize Amount)
2nd Prize - $2,000 (or 20% of the Prize Amount)
3rd Prize - $1,500 (or 15% of the Prize Amount)
4th Prize - $1,000 (or 10% of the Prize Amount)
5th Prize - $500 (or 5% of the Prize Amount).
The drawing will be held at the Rotary Holiday Party on December 13th. You do not need to be present to win.
To purchase tickets, contact Gayle McGeehan at 610.865.6714 or gaylem@mribeth.com, or mail your check to her at 375 13th Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18018. Thanks!
PROGRAM - Megan Beste - blogger on the topic of Transplanting to the Lehigh Valley (Megan is Gary Hartney's daughter-in-law)
DUTIES
Greeter - Sue Reeps
Sergeant-at-Arms - Rafael de la Hoz
$2 Per Week - Chuck Uhl Invocation - Need a Volunteer
Introductions - Need a Volunteer
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Note: KIRKLAND'S "MAIN" DOORS CLOSED AGAIN TEMPORARILY
Sorry Tore! The wrong doors were delivered, so there will be more construction as they remove those and install the correct ones. We'll let you know when that entrance is operational agai
Where has ShelterBox helped people recently? Wherever disaster strikes - Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Nigeria, Senegal, Ugana ... plus New York and New Jersey! Go to www.shelterboxusa.org for stories on a baby born in a ShelterBox tent and more. Holiday donations are being accepted.
The Camp Neidig Committee is proud to be partnering with the Reading Royals for our first ever Camp Neidig Group Outing & Reunion Night at the Reading Royals! All forner Camp Neidig campers, Rotary Clubs, and Rotarians are encouraged to join us on Sat. December 15th for a fun night of Royals hockey as they take on the Orlando Solar Bears. Game time is 7:05pm (gates open at 6:05). There will be a pre-game Camp Neidig reunion in the Coca-Cola VIP lounge at the Sovereign Center starting as soon as the gates open. Royals General Manager (and former Camp Neidig guest speaker) Mark Wallace will drop by with club mascot Slapshot and some other Royals special guests. Tickets are just $11!
Once again Morning Star will "Ring the Bell" for Salvation Army, this year at The MORAVIAN BOOKSHOP on Main Street on Saturday, Dec. 15. Please sign-up at a meeting, or email Gretchen at g_vakiener@yahoo.com . We're trying for 2-hour time slots, but even if you can just spare one hour, your help will be greatly appreciated. If you're downtown on Dec. 15, stop by and say hi to the volunteers!
Morning Star and Bethlehem Rotary are joining together for the Four Way Test Speech Contest. Chair Ben Tenaglia reports that it will be held the evening of Wed. March 20, from 6 to 8 PM in the Rotunda (by City Hall).
I have 52 chances in these weekly addresses to reach out and make a point. Sometimes I am so rushed with the craziness of life that I don’t have time to make much sense. Sometimes (a lot of times), there are so many things to remind you about and I worry how long this message should be.
THE WEBSITE: IT'S UP TO YOU!
This week I’d like to talk about the Website. Our website is an awesome marketing and communications tool for our club! While the technical aspects are handled by Jean, Jeff and myself, the actualCONTENT of the website, depends on input from EVERY MEMBER of the club. Any member can submit a story. For committee news, or if you have been to a seminar, read an interesting story in the Rotarian, been to a student exchange event, visited another club and came back with a great idea, enjoyed one of our club events, read about an RI event online – write a few lines about it or send us a photo and we’ll be delighted to put it on the website! And it only takes about 5 minutes! Even better, want to learn how to do it yourself? We can show you how – it’s REALLY easy!
There is an area in the top left section of the home page for committee descriptions. Unfortunately we had no response to last summer’s request for committee descriptions. We’d like to include what the committees do, when they meet, what its challenges are, and what it hopes to accomplish this year. Committee chairs, would you please help?
At the backend of the website (click “Admin” at top right) are your profile, all the club documents, etc.If your email address or phone number changes – PLEASE UPDATE your ClubRunner profile so that you continue to get club communications! If you want to see the club by-laws – they are there. If you want to send the club an email – you can do it – but remember – only Rotary related items please!
Not sure how to do these things, but want to learn? I’d be happy to show up at 7 am before a meeting and walk you through it. It’s that easy!
Just remember, it is up to ALL OF US to keep the website working and meaningful. Thanks!
Our meeting this week will feature Megan Beste, who writes a blog about transplanting to the Lehigh Valley; then next week we will have a reclassification talk from Russ Pacala.
Sincerely, Susan
Pres. Sue's 11/27 Message - "The Website: It's Up to You!!!
Many thanks to Gary Hartney, the Sponsors, the ticket-buyers, the Allentown Band, and the almost 300 people who attended another wonderful Salute the Troops concert! Our primary benficiary, Victory House, is a terrific partner in this fundraising effort. Financial results will be shared when available.
There is a lot going on the next few weeks … hope I remember it all … can’t forget that November is Rotary Foundationmonth! But before I get to all that….
CONGRATULATIONS JEFF AND MARY!!!!!
We wish you all the happiness in the world on your new adventure and life together.
Joint Thanksgiving Lunch this Wed. 11/14
If you did not raise your hand that you plan to go to the joint Thanksgiving lunch but would still like to go, George Mower assures me that you are more than welcome to attend. The cost is $20 at the door, with $5 of that going to Polio Eradication. (See story below for details.)
This Week’s Morning Star Meeting
Our speaker this week is our own Janet Kolepp who will tell us all about Habitat for Humanity’s new ReStore and her wonderful life with Tom.
SALUTE THE TROOPS CONCERT THIS SUNDAY!!!
The Concert is this Sunday, Nov. 18! Please help spread the word. Gary needs about 6 volunteers to help usher and sell tickets at the door. Don’t forget to get your ticket money into Gary.
Last Week's Rotaplast Presentation
Last week’s meeting was FABULOUS! FANTASTIC!!! A great big thank you to presenter Alicia Ruiz Orbin, and especially to Gretchen for challenging the club, plus to everyone for coming together! We raised a lot of money for the Rotaplast mission (details next time), and a possible club donation will be discussed at this week’s board meeting.
Rotaplast / Hurricane Sandy Relief Auction
Dec. 1st, with Preview Night Nov. 29th
One thing I forgot to mention over and over was that the proceeds from the telethon on December 1st will be split 50/50 between Rotaplast and the Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts.
All the information you need to donate to the telethon or to bid can be found on the District website at:
The donated items are needed by November 19th which is fast approaching.
"The Kilt" - District Newsletter
The new edition of The Kilt is up at www.rotarydistrict7430.org , and will be up on our website as soon as Jeff finishes goofing off on his honeymoon (just kidding!!!).
NO MEETING NEXT WEEK - Happy Thanksgiving!
After Nov. 14, our next meeting will be Nov. 29th when our speaker will be Megan Beste (Gary Hartney’s daughter-in-law) who will talk to us all about “Transplanting to the Lehigh Valley.”
PROGRAM - Janet Kolepp on Habitat for Humanity's ReStore and Classification Talk
DUTIES
Greeter - Tom Hartzell
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler $2 Per Week - Need a Volunteer
Invocation - Janet Kolepp
Introductions - Jean Searfoss
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Rotary and Hurricane Sandy Relief
Please see the email sent out on Sunday by Kathleen Greiss via ClubRunner, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org and www.shelterboxusa.org ! Also see Allan's 10/26 email - it's very easy to vote for ShelterBox which is in contention for a $35,000 donation.
Do you miss the club directory and email/phone lists?
Well, they are still available, just in a different format and place. After logging in on the club home page, click "Admin" at the top right. then, under "My ClubRunner" on the left, click "View Club Directory" for the email/phone list. Or you can select a photo directory with full details.
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem Morning Star presents the 10th annual SALUTE THE TROOPS concert, in recognition of our veterans and armed forces worldwide.
This year’s concert will be back at Freedom High School Auditorium, 3149 Chester Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18020 on Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 3:00 PM. This year’s concert will feature The Allentown Band (America’s Oldest Civilian Concert Band, since 1828) conducted by Dr. Ronald Demkee and Freedom High School’s Fife and Drum Corps conducted by Michael Moran.
The concert features many familiar patriotic songs in tribute to all the veterans and current members of the armed forces. They and their families have sacrificed much to uphold our cherished freedoms. We join together in this celebration of their magnificent contributions.
This year’s concert is dedicated to support Victory House of the Lehigh Valley and other Morning Star Rotary Charities. Tragically, one-third of our country’s homeless population is comprised of U.S. veterans. Victory House is an accredited Veteran Service Agency, providing a continuum of quality care to its constituency. These services include emergency shelter, transitional housing, advocacy and case management, substance abuse treatment, life skills education and counseling. The goal of Victory House is to help homeless men in transition become fully participating, productive members of our society. Your participation in this event will have a direct impact on the lives of veterans right here in the Lehigh Valley.
How can you help to make the 2012 Salute The Troops Concert a success?
1. Put up flyers (in downloads) at work, the grocery store, the community center, senior centers, veterans' organizations and anywhere else you think people might be interested.
2. Volunteer to collect tickets or hand out programs on Sunday. Let Gary know you can help, and just be there no later than 2:15.
3. Sell (or buy) tickets to the concert and bring your family and friends to the program. Let’s make this year’s concert our most successful yet.
In 2009, Morning Star Rotary formed a charitable organization under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, thereby assuring that all contributions are tax deductible.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
Gary L. Hartney
2012 Salute The Troops Committee Chair GLHartney@aol.com
610.882.2466
Morning Star is one of the local clubs invited for a Joint Meeting with the Bethlehem Rotary Club for theirThanksgiving Luncheon.
When: Tomorrow - Wednesday, November 14 th from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
The Morning Star Board has decided to still hold a regular meeting on November 15th. The joint meeting qualifies as a make-up.
Where: At Bethlehem Rotary's regular location - the main dining room for Moravian Village in Bethlehem (634 E. Broad Street, Bethlehem).
Cost:$20, of which $5 will go to the Polio Plus campaign. (Pay at the door.)
Program:"Effective Cooperation in the Non-Profit Sector"
Speakers will be Frank Frey (Executive Director, Nazareth YMCA) and Carol Ritter (CarolTalks - Fundraising Consultant/Strategist). Learn how local non-profits agencies are cooperatively working together to effectively surmount the budget challenges they face.
PROGRAM - Alicia Ruiz Orbin on Rotaplast Trips and this year's Auction
Fellow Rotarian Alicia Ruiz Orbin from the Allentown Rotary Club wll share with us her experiences with Rotaplast International, and how Rotaplast, our district's clubs, clubs in the USA and other countres are "Changing Lives and Bringing Smiles" to thousands of economically deprived children around the world.
DUTIES
Greeter - Steve Bajan / Jean Searfoss
Sergeant-at-Arms - Dee Elliott
$2 Per Week - Jessica Elliott Invocation -Need a Volunteer
Introductions - Wayne Achey
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Rotary and Hurricane Sandy Relief
Please see the emails sent out earlier today by Kathleen Greiss and Allan Syphers via ClubRunner, or go to www.rotarydistrict7430.org and www.shelterboxusa.org ! Also see Allan's 10/26 email - it's very easy to vote for ShelterBox which is in contention for a $35,000 donation.
A few years after my husband and I were married, and he was finishing up his post doc work, we were trying to figure out where our next move would be from AZ (we were really tired of fire ants and giant cockroaches and snakes). We got out a big map of the United States and studied it. If we could live anywhere, where would we want to live? We had a lot of criteria we were looking at and eliminated a lot of places. We had family on both coasts, in lovely places, it was tempting to be near family, especially since we hoped to be starting a family soon and knew we would appreciate “free help” but then we decided we wanted to avoid any place that had the high likelihood to be affected by natural disasters.
So we settled on the Lehigh Valley, and I think we made a wise choice.
This week our speaker is Alicia Ruiz Orbin. She was one of the participants on the recent Rotaplast trip. She will tell us all about it and about the upcoming Rotaplast Auction.
I am sure that many of you are wondering about Rotary’s reaction to the recent devastation from Hurricane Sandy, so close to home. Tony Janetta sent out a message and some in the District are considering mounting a fundraiser to help those clubs in NJ and NY. Tony reminds us that Rotary is not a “disaster response organization” and that is best left to the Red Cross but there may be some longer term efforts and some matching grant projects we can do, along with some clothing and food drive projects. I will keep you posted on those efforts as I get information, and the District website is a good source of info: www.rotarydistrict7430.org .
This is a busy time of year for our club and especially to new members it may seem that there is never a time when Rotary is NOT asking you for money. First there were dues, then there was the race, then the concert, and why does Susan keep asking me to bring in books?!? Then we have a speaker about Rotaplast, November is Foundation month. There is always a disaster some place that we are asked to help (Shelter Box). Soon after I joined Rotary, I almost quit because it seemed that all it ever did was asked me for money.
But here is what you have to remember about Rotary, and this is the really, truly awesome thing, things, really about Rotary. Rotary does not expect you to give to everything.Rotary allows you to follow your passion. It gives you the opportunity to give what you can and what you want to where you want, to follow your passion. And to find others who share that passion. If you are passionate about literacy, start a book drive. If you are passionate about clean water, or clothing, safety, or even better, if you don’t know what you are passionate about, but want to find out, you can do that here, at Rotary. Rotary builds leaders.
And because Rotary is built by volunteers, and because it is built by people you know, the time and treasure and talent that you do donate, will get to where it needs to go, swiftly, and securely and entirely.
Since the election is less than a week away, I figured this was my shot to use that greeting ...
Our speaker this week (Nov 1) is going to be Janet Fricker, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library. She will talk to us about the library's "Room to Grow" program as well as its diverse variety of services. I think I have single handedly been funding the library with my overdue fines. (Of course, that doesn't count the proceeds of two of our joint Golf Tournaments.)
There are so many things going on in Rotary I feel like a broken record. Most important is our Salute the Troops Concert on Sunday Nov 18th. Please get your ads and ticket sales in to Gary and Jean, and remember that tickets are also available at the door.
Before that is the Joint Thanksgiving Lunch on Wed Nov 14th. I need to get a count to the Downtown club by Nov 9th so please sign up at the meeting or email me if you think you are going. Remember the cost of that lunch is $20 (with $5 going to Polio Eradication) and you pay at the door. It looks like a great program.
And please tune into the Auction on December 1st and bid!
Thanks again to Barbara for our wonderful speaker on Oct. 25, Morris Metz (LV Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge). I love all the history I learn at Rotary!
Several of our new members have "jumped right in", and others have offered to help "wherever needed". If you need additional assistance on your committee, please reach out personally to some of our new members. (See the "New Member" story on our website home page.) Please notify Pres. Sue and myself of anyone you add - we're putting together a "snapshot" one page summary of committee members. Thanks!
For New Members
You may be contacted to help with a committee. For the full list with descriptions and members, please see the "Download" section at far right of home page on our club website. Summarized here for your convenience are the Committees for 2012-13 in alphabetical order, with chairs. To learn more or help with a committee, please contact the chair.
4-Way Test Speech Contest: Chair Ben Tenaglia
Camp Neidig: Chair John St. Clair
Club Communications: Co-Chairs Jeff Kicska and Jean Searfoss
Community Development Grants - Chair Joan Paul
Fellowship: Chair Susan Burnett
Golf Tournament - Chair Butch Macri
Habitat House (NEW): Chair Deb Cummins
Membership: Chair Rick Santee
Nominating: Co-Chairs Susan Burnett, Jean Searfoss, Tom Kolepp
Programs: Chair Jean Searfoss
Rotary Foundation: Chair Tom Hartzell
Salute the Troops Concert: Chair Gary Hartney
Sergeant-at-Arms: Co-Chairs Russ Pacala, Tom Bailey, Chuck Uhl and Ellen Roberts
Service Projects (NEW): Chair Ron Helmuth
Spaghetti Dinner: Co-Chairs Val Walk and Stephanie Vavro
We are Announcing our 6th Annual Rotary TV Auction for Rotaplast!
As you know, Rotarians in District 7430 support a Rotaplast Mission trip every 2 years to make dreams real for many poor children and their families. in many cases, we are the only hope they have to give them a chance at a normal life. All this is made possible by your support and the funds we raise each year from the TV Auction. In fact, as I write this, our Team is just returning from a successful mission trip to Cebu City in the Philippines, again, only made possible by your help and support. In true Rotary tradition, we start all our hard work again to raise funds for the next trip!
Not only do we raise funds but it is our district's biggest TV PR promotion for Rotary and the many great things we do, so it has a double benefit for us all. This year's event will be live on WFMZ Channel 69 on Dec 1st and we need to ask your help to both promote the event and solicit donations by our deadline of November 20th.
I am heavily involved in this event each year and its success comes down to all your hard work and support. (This cause made me the Rotarian I am today!) While it sometimes conflicts with your own club fundraiser, we know you understand our need to "Ask" for your help to make these life changing missions possible.
For more details of this year's event, please go to:
Google doesn’t translate into Transylvanian, so that is the best I can do. I know Halloween is technically NEXT week, but in my Township, it’s this week.
I am really excited to hear this week’s speaker: Morris Metz who is the President of the LV Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of Bulge, and his topic is "Freedom Is Not Free". I am sure it is going to be a fascinating history lesson.
Even though October isn’t quite over, it is really in my rear view mirror. There are so many Rotary events going on, both within our club and the District. Please check out our website for a complete list.
Jean has written some important stories below so I am keeping my message here short.
Next year I really HOPE we have a Rotary float in the Bethlehem Halloween Parade!!!!!
Morning Star elections will be held in December for 2013-14 Rotary year, which starts July 1.
The club needs 4 Directors to serve for 2 years (July 2013 – June 2015). Responsibilities include monthly board meetings, regular attendance at weekly club meetings, act as liaison for some committees, and involvement in committees, fundraisers and social events. Board meetings are typically held at Kirkland Village on the 2nd Wed. of each month starting at 6 PM, and generally run 1.5 to 2 hours.
The VP position actually involves a four-year board commitment: the 2013-14 VP becomes Pres. Elect (2014-15), President (2015-16) and finally Past President (2016-17). Candidates should be willing to attend appropriate Rotary training.
We’d like to include some “newer” members on the board for fresh ideas as well as some “veteran” members to help us keep perspective.
If you are interested in serving, please contact one of us. Depending on the response, we may be contacting you to “volunteer” (aka be drafted). Thank you!
Would you believe that we have added 10 new
members so far in calendar year 2012 !?! That’s amazing! While they were introduced when inducted, and
some have already given their classification talks, the "content" section of this story provides a little background
on each in case you missed out, plus photos where available.
What wonderful additions to Morning Star! If
you’re not well acquainted with these new members yet, we ask that you please
introduce yourself at meetings and help integrate them into the club. To phone
or email them (or any Morning Star member), please go to www.morningstarrotary.org, log on, click “Admin” at the top right, then “Active
Member List” under Membership Manager on the right. Double-click the name to
get the individual profile. Committee chairs – if you need more members, please
reach out to these new folks to see if they can help you. Thanks!
Now that the race is over, I feel like I almost have nothing to do. It's such a weird (and slightly fabulous) feeling.
So, do you remember from the 80’s, that great Weird Al Yankovic “I Lost On Jeopardy” parody song”? Well, at this week’s meeting, we are actually going to SING that song! It’s going to be AWESOME! I can’t wait! It’s going to be really unique. A Rotary FIRST.
… actually, I am kidding.
We are really going to PLAY ROTARY JEOPARDY!!!!!!!!
YOU could win INCREDIBLE PRIZES!!!!!! (as soon as figure out what those are going to be.) But you can’t play or win if you don’t show up.
Here is what you do. You come to the meeting. If you want to play, put you name on a piece of paper when you sign in and put the paper in the hat that will be at the Registration table. (You only get to put it in ONCE!) We will draw 3 names to be out contestants.
Then we will play the game (just like on TV) during the meeting program time. Sue Reeps will be Alex Trebec, with judge Butch Macri and scorer Jean Searfoss. The questions will all be Rotary trivia - about RI, District 7430 and our club. So study up! You know what is a good source of club information? OUR WEBSITE! Check it out! Its going to be a blast! (Yes, I really am trying to see how many of these "!!!!", I can legitimately fit in one weekly bulletin).
IN OTHER NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
We are thrilled to welcome 2 new board members – Sue Reeps, our new Treasurer and Jean Searfoss, our new President Elect. Both come with loads of experience, but we are still going to give them a little time to settle in and our full support and help.
The Salute the Troops Concert is just around the corner. If you have not received your tickets from Gary, please chase him down. I am sure he would like to give them to you. There is still time to get ads into the book. Gary has put together a remarkable marketing campaign this year, and we are once again partnering with Freedom High School and their terrific Fife & Drum Corps this year.
PROGRAM -ROTARY JEOPARDY! See Pres. Sue's message for details
DUTIES
Greeter - Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Carol Almond
Invocation - Tom Kolepp (yes, he signed up for TWO duties this week!)
Introductions - Janet Kolepp
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
PROGRAM - Club Website Review, Race Wrap-Up and More! Janet Kolepp will be out of town so we will hear from her at a later date.
DUTIES
Greeter - Marianne Aronson
Sergeant-at-Arms - Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week - Sue Reeps
Invocation - Ron Helmuth
Introductions - Ellen Roberts
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Downloads: Several documents have been added to our club's Downloads this week - take a peek!
Form for Salute the Troops Ad/Patron/In Honor Of Listing
Salute the Troops Flyer
Duties Sign-Ups as of 10/4
RI Director Nomination
GlücklicheOctoberfest! I think that one is pretty easy to
translate.
Thanks to Rick and the Membership Committee
for an interesting club assembly last week.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD!!!!!
The new edition of “The Kilt“ is available on our website and also on the
District website. As usual it's packed with interesting information and important
dates. Please consider making it a regular habit to check the District website www.rotarydistrict7430.org
and the RI website www.rotary.org almost as often as you peruse our website for exciting
updates to the world of Rotary. I get so much information from
RI, from the District, from other Rotary organizations such as Shelter Box and
sub Rotary subcommittees. It is all important and interesting. I just have not
figured out a way to share it all with you without bombarding you ... but if there
is information you are looking for that you cannot find, let me know and I will
try to help you find it.
Salute
the Troops is Right Around the Corner
Fall is a busy time for Morning Star. We have just finished our fabulous
race (Jeff should be reporting those final numbers soon!) and the Salute the
Troops Concert is just around the corner, only a few weeks away. Please reach out to any friends you have who might be interested in
putting an ad (or Patron or In
Honor Of listing) in the program or coming to see the show. If you have
any questions, please see Gary Hartney.
This week’s meeting topic is a surprise!
(Our scheduled speaker, Janet Kolepp, will be out of town so we will hear from her at a future date.)
A world of thanks to chair Jeff Kicska and
his hardworking committee, plus all the sponsors, volunteers, and runners/walkers, for
making the 2012 Morning Star 5K /10K a resounding success. Setting up on
CelticFest grounds worked out great, and we had about 585 registered participants, per Jeff. Congratulations to overall winners: Craig Neiman of
Bethlehem in the 10K and Mark Zamek of Macungie in the 5K.
See below for some terrific photos provided by Russ Pacala,
Spillman Farmer Architects.
We had so much fun raising money to support Olympics and other Morning Star charities – see you there again next year!
DUTIES
Greeter - Jean Searfoss
Sergeant-at-Arms - Rafael De La Hoz
$2 Per Week - ______________ (Need Volunteer? My list is about a month old.)
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Dee Elliott
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Note: Several dates from the district have been added to our club's calendar this week - take a peek!
Tom & Janet Kolepp, Sue Reeps, Marianne Aronson and Deb Cummins attended RLI earlier this month.
Here are "graduates" Janet Kolepp and Sue Reeps with DG Tony Jannetta.
Did you know that Google translate, does not have a Celtic language? Bummer.
The earlier you show up for bag stuffing, the more chaotic it will be and the less late for work I will be, so come early. And, there will be a buffet!
A wonderful thank you to Wayne for a terrific talk last week. 7 years in Rotary and I have to say that Classification talks are and will always be one of my favorite parts of the whole experience.
I can't believe the Race is finally here! And that next week is October! If you can't make the meeting this week, don't forget that race set up starts at 5:30 am at the NEW START/FINISH LOCATION: W. Lehigh Street between Main and Conestoga Streets.
NOMINATIONS - The Nominating Committee will be meeting to in October/November. We are looking for 4 new board members and a Vice President with terms to start 7/1/13. If you are interested in serving the club, please let us know as soon as possible. The Board position is a 2 year committment and the Vice President is a 4 year committment (Vice President, President Elect, President, Past President).
From Deb Cummins ...
Please join us this Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. in the lounge area outside of our regular meeting room at Kirkland to get involved with a brand new initiative...a global project focused on clean water and decent housing. This is a great way to get involved as a new member of our club or for all of our veterans looking for something new and exciting to get involved with. If you are interested in the project but can't attend the meeting, feel free to check in with Deb about ways to get involved!
There is no appropriate translation for THAT Word so I will just leave it in English.
At the last meeting I said that NEXT week was Peaceable Kingdom and after THAT was the bag stuffing but I SKIPPED a very important week in there, and that was Wayne Achey’s classification talk. The race stuffing is the week AFTER that which is a GIANT relief because there is still a ton of work left to do for the race and we could use the time!
So just to recap our fabulous upcoming talks:
9/13 – Peaceable Kingdom
9/20 - Wayne Achey Classification talk
9/27 - Race bag stuffing
The lastest edition of “The Kilt” should be up on the web by the time you get this. There are ton of District events coming up. I will bring a few hard copies to the next meeting if you would like one. There are golf tournaments, the Rotoplast auction, other club’s events. If you need a Rotary fix, there is no shortage of opportunities.
I would like to thank Sue for a fascinating talk last week. I have a whole new appreciation of what a home-economics class can evolve into.
I am looking forward to our visitors from Peaceable Kingdom this week. One of our family members is from them, our cat, Macy. She is meaner than a wet hen but we don’t think its PK’s fault. We would gladly get another pet from them. They went down and rescued many animals after Katrina and Macy was one of them.
I would like to thank everyone for their comments about the Breakfast issues. It is great to have input from the club and the board appreciates the time the people take to come up with a solution
PROGRAM - Paula De La Hoz and a Board Member - Peaceable Kingdom
Peaceable Kingdom is a no-kill shelter. They do not euthanize animals except in cases of unacceptable aggression or incurable illness. Their mission is:
To provide care, protection, and assistance to animals who are mistreated, injured, abandoned, or otherwise in need.To minimize animal overpopulation through low-cost spay/neuter clinics.To create community awareness and gain support of animal needs through educational efforts.
DUTIES
Greeter - Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms - Val Walk
$2 Per Week - Carol Almond
Invocation - John St. Clair
Introductions - Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
5K/10K VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Please see the sign-up sheet at meetings, or contact Jeff Kicska. With both a 5K and 10K race, we need all the helpers we can get! Please recruit family, friends, and students who need community service hours.
A great big thank you to Tom Kolepp for a wonderful reclassification talk last week! It was delightful, amusing and explains so much!
This week we are looking forward to a Classification Talk by new member Sue Reeps. If you were at the District Conference, you know what an AWESOME job she did with the House of Friendship! Past RI President Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer said it was the best he had ever seen, and was like a mini-version of the one at RI’s international convention.
It is September and it is a busy month! We will have a presentation by Paula De La Hoz (Rafael’s wife) on Peaceable Kingdom, plus one more classification talk - from Wayne Achey. Rotary Leadership Institute is just around the corner and it is STILL not too late to register. The district Foundation training seminar is coming up at the end of the month as is our 5K/10K RACE! We still need runners, sponsors and gift certificates and/or raffle prizes.
DUTIES
Greeter - Ed Ortelli
Sergeant-at-Arms - Russ Pacala
$2 Per Week - Karen Jahn
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Carol Almond
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
5K/10K SPONSORS NEEDED! Please contact Susan Burnett. The sponsorship form is available in Downloads on the club home page, and the race website is up and running - click the link in the detail of the race listing in club Events.
Once again, the Blue Bell Rotary Club will be co-sponsoring a great day of golf at the Blue Bell Country Club on September 17 with the good folks at the Habitat for Humanity.
Grab some friends and let's raise some money to help those in need of shelter right here in our own community
Thanks in advance - and for more information, just send me an email at angelodevita@me.com and I will get you connected!!
Guess what came in my mail today? The Rotarian! If you got yours too, and have read it and were about to throw it away, DON’T! Please bring it in and give it to the Membership committee or to me. We would like to give them to prospective members or prospective Interact members. That is another word I sure wish I knew how to spell, prospective. From now on, I will just use "potential".
September is right around the corner. The Rotary year is whizzing by. We are looking forward to several classification talks in September, the RACE, RLI, Foundation training and more!
Please don’t forget to get me your committee blurbs. Hopefully by the time you read this, I will have put one up for the Fellowship Committee so if you would like to see an example of one…
If you had not had at least one meeting of your committee, please try to schedule one for September.
If you are like me and trying to get kids back to school, college, married, moved out, I know it’s a crazy time of year. I just found out that there are 8 telephone numbers I need for Freedom, depending on who I need to talk to … and that is just one of 3 schools – and that isn’t even the school with the daycare!!! Sheesh! So I really appreciate all the hard work everyone is putting in at Rotary.
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
LAST WEEK FOR FOOD DRIVE - Please remember your donations for New Bethany Ministries. See story below.
5K/10K SPONSORS NEEDED! Please contact Susan Burnett. The sponsorship form is available in Downloads on the club home page, and the race website is up and running - click the link in the detail of the race listing in club Events.
CLUBRUNNER CHALLENGES For those of you inputting events or other info, please note that items input under "Version 2" may not appear on our home page or E-Bulletin!!! For now, please use the "old" version. Thanks!
Our club is exploring the possibility of initiating a international service project around water and housing needs in Central America. We are in the preliminary stages of planning this project and invite any Morning Star Rotarian to join us for an initial meeting on September 12th at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at Kirkland Village to learn about how to get involved and discuss next steps. If you have any questions, please contact Deb Cummins directly.
International Service Project - Water & Housing - 9/12 Meeting
PROGRAM - Jeannette Eichenwald, Schools Program Coordinator Muhlenberg College Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding
Muhlenberg College has establihed the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding as an expression of its commitment to interfaith relations. The IJCU uses the resources of the academic community to foster such research and dialogue and to build bridges of understanidng between the faith traditions.
DUTIES
Greeter - Janet Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Carol Almond
Invocation - Tom Kolepp
Introductions - Joan Paul
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
FOOD DRIVE - Please remember your donations for New Bethany Ministries. See story below.
5K/10K SPONSORS NEEDED! Please contact Susan Burnett. The sponsorship form is available in Downloads on the club home page, and the race website is up and running - click the link in the detail of the race listing in club Events.
CLUBRUNNER CHALLENGES For those of you inputting events or other info, please note that items input under "Version 2" may not appear on our home page or E-Bulletin!!! For now, please use the "old" version. Thanks!
I would like to thank Dee for a wonderful re-classification talk last week. There is much more to New Bethany Ministries than I ever realized. We would love to hear more re-classification talks so if you are interested in participating, let Deb know.
If you were not here a couple of weeks ago, we officially welcomed 4 new members to the club, Karen Jahn, Sue Reeps, Janet Kolepp and Ed Ortelli. We just welcomed Wayne Achey a couple of weeks ago and in a few weeks, we will hopefully welcome one more new member. That is a lot of new faces to say “Good Morning” to so don’t be shy. I hope that the Membership Committee is planning on one of those chair raffles again. That is a great way to meet new people.
Interact
As you may have heard at the last meeting, my daughter Abby is starting 9th grade at Freedom in a couple of weeks and she is very excited to start an Interact Club. As it turns out, Bill Jahn’s grandson, Matthew, also attends Freedom and while he many not know it yet, he too is very excited about this prospect. At this point, we are on a fact finding mission, to determine the feasibility of starting a club. We need to find out how to do it and what resources the club would need to provide and if we are able to provide them. At the same time, we need to find a teacher at Freedom who is willing to champion the cause. If anyone else in the club is interested in helping us investigate this opportunity, please let me know. I am sure we can use all the help we can get.
Homework
I have a great favor to ask all of the Committee Chairs. On our website, in the top left margin, we have a section that describes our Club. There are several pages that were set up last winter. I would love to have a page that describes the Committees. This is the area of the website that potential members will look at to learn more about our club and what makes us unique and special.
I am asking that each Committee Chair write one or two paragraphs about their committee, that describes what your committee does. You do not have to give all the nuts and bolts but you can if you wish. Maybe a little history, maybe a statement of what you hope to accomplish this year, maybe what you have done in the past. Maybe include some of the challenges you hope to overcome so someone looking to join the club can see how their expertise can fit in with the needs of the club.
The purpose of this page is to let folks know a little bit about how everyone in our club works together to accomplish our goals and have fun at the same time.
If you could get these to me by the end of the first week of September, I would be very grateful. I will make sure they get posted. If every committee head does just the one for their committee, it will take each person maybe 10-15 mintues max but if one person has to write them all, it would take a really long time (and they might miss some really important information!)
PROGRAM - Our own Dee Elliott Executive Director of
New Bethany Ministries
The Mission of New Bethany Ministries is to provide care, services and facilities to the homeless, the hungry, the mentally ill and the poor with a level of quality that exceeds that of secular agencies. One building houses the Family Shelter, Mollard Hospitality Center, Food Pantry, Single Rooms and Administrative Offices. Our very own Dee Elliott will share this important story with our club.
DUTIES
Greeter - Ellen Roberts
Sergeant-at-Arms - Rafael De La Hoz
$2 Per Week - Sue Reeps
Invocation - Butch Macri
Introductions - Tom Kolepp
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
FOOD DRIVE - Please remember your donations for New Bethany Ministries. See story below.
5K/10K SPONSORS NEEDED! - Please contact Susan Burnett. The sponsorship form is available in Downloads on the club home page, and the race website is up and running - click the link in the detail of the race listing in club Events.
PROGRAMS and EVENTS - Programs are now listed thru September, and Events have been updated to include the "Salute the Troops" concert in November.
COMMITTEECHAIRS - PLEASESENDINFO This weekly E-Bulletin is our club's way of communicating with the membership. We ask committee chairs to send in info about their meetings and any developments to me for by end of day Monday for inclusion in that week's bulletin.
(Swahili, in honor of our impending South African Exchange Student)
I am looking forward to Dee Elliott as our speaker this week, to give us an update on the efforts of New Bethany. My daughter has been volunteering there this summer and it has been a very rewarding and educational experience for her. Remember that we are holding a food drive all of August to support the facility.
Here is your dues poem for today. It’s a little long, but pretty funny:
The Haunted Hunter by Charles Fotheringham
A Mason one day set out hunting,
Alone, and feeling so fine,
Out through the forest and muskeg,
Right into the timberline.
It started to rain, the elements
In pandemonium roared,
The lightning flashed and thundered,
The rain, it poured and poured.
He got soaked to the skin, and sheltered
Inside an old hollow tree,
He squeezed and squeezed inside it,
It was tight for a man such as he.
But he found 'twas better inside it
Than out in the rain as it poured,
For the rain came down in torrents,
He'd found the best place to be stored.
And now he started a-thinking
Of things he'd done amiss,
The times he could have done better,
My, how oft he had been remiss.
By this time the storm had abated,
The sun came out shining bright.
It started to dry out the tree trunk
In which he was wedged so tight.
He found he was stuck there and couldn't
Move any which way in that trunk.
For it seemed as the tree got drier,
It got tighter, he really felt "punk".
Well, again he started a-thinking
Of what his life might have been,
And there in that desperate position
His life passed by like a dream.
And then came the thought: he'd not paid
His dues to the Lodge, how he shrunk,
He began feeling smaller and smaller,
And climbed easily out of the trunk.
So, fellows, when comes time for paying
Your dues to the Lodge, do not flunk,
Just pay up and then you won't feel like
The guy who climbed out of the trunk.
PROGRAM - District 7430 Governor Tony Jannetta
This is the "official" visit by DG Tony Jannetta, who will be accompanied by Asst. DG Jean McGill.
The 2012-13 RI Theme is "Peace Through Service"
DUTIES
Greeter - Tom Kolepp
Sergeant-at-Arms - Jim Vitale
$2 Per Week - Jean Searfoss
Invocation - John St. Clair
Introductions - Dee Elliott
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
FOOD DRIVE - Please remember your donations for New Bethany Ministries. See story below.
COMMITTEECHAIRS - PLEASESENDINFO This weekly E-Bulletin is our club's way of communicating with the membership. We ask committee chairs to send in info about their meetings and any developments to me for by end of day Monday for inclusion in that week's bulletin.
I have been studing the pharmaceutical market in Brazil and so have been learning Portuguese on the fly. The above greeting hails from there.
I was going to write something witty about dues being due but then I thought “Why reinvent the wheel?” I simply googled “Poems about Dues” and it turns out there are many!
District Governor Tony Jannetta and Asst. DG Jean McGill will be visiting us this week. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if we all showed up in kilts? I will just throw that out there.
I know that August is a busy time for many of us as we start to get our kids ready to go back to school or off to college. Sometimes I just need to remind myself to stop and take a deep breath and look around. I think I will try to do that before September comes crashing in. I hope by now that all of the committees have had a chance to meet, or at least schedule a meeting. There is a lot going on this fall, with the Race and the Concert and District Grants due, RLI, Foundation Training, more Fellowship events.
Thanks to everyone who did get their dues in. That is a big help to Jim and our book keeping process.
There are two great opportunities for Clubs to provide much needed, immediate service. DG Tony has already informed you of the need:
For Warm Clothing in Colorado as a result of the wildfires. There is an organization Operation Warm that is collecting money and clothing to send to Colorado for the children and others in need.
To fund Shelter Boxes for the disaster in Russia.
What makes these two needs great service opportunities for Clubs is that each club can determine how much it can provide and how it wishes to collect the funds. There is no challenge from RI or the District. Each club can set its own challenge within the Club. For instance, a Small Club can choose to provide $250 from the Club budget and ask the members to match that from other donations, to send a total of $500 to Operation Warm or help with the Shelter Boxes. A large Club and aim for a larger amount to match.
Neither project needs to drain the budget, but the collective contributions can go a long way in helping our neighbors in Russia or Colorado. Of course, with all Club projects, there are opportunities to turn the fundraising into a fellowship event or public event. Public events lead to public awareness of “What is Rotary”. Public awareness can lead to support or increased membership for your Club. Joint Club involvement is also a possibility for any of these projects. Remember, even a small amount can go a long way.
You are already familiar with donating to Shelter Box, and if you want to support Operation Warm, go to: http://www.operationwarm.org
Thanks to Joan Paul and the Community Development Committee. After reviewing the proposals received, they recommended and the Board approved Morning Star 2012-13 grants to the following organizations:
LEHIGH VALLEY CHILDREN'S CENTER (Pre-K) ~ $1,300 funding for scholarship support (infants through school age) available to low-income families without the ability to pay for high quality care.
TURNING POINT OF LEHIGH VALLEY (At-Risk Children) ~ $1,000for books to be used and given to children (infant to 13) living in their Safe House.
CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY (Cancer Youth) ~ $1,000for 4-weekly sessions of horse-assisted therapy for 8 local children.
YWCA OF BETHLEHEM (Technology) ~ $1,000 for TechGYRLS, an after-school technology program for low-to-moderate income elementary and middle school girls to learn web design, animation, video game and robot design.
WDIY 88.1 LEHIGH VALLEY COMMUNITY PUBLIC RADIO (All Ages) ~ $850for the Annual Poetry Project in April 2013.
The successful recipients will be contacted regarding the award and our expectations to work together in the coming year. My letter will outline (1) the approved award amount, the Morning Star contact person for the coming year, the need to schedule a Morning Star Rotary program, and the volunteer participation opportunities (5-10K, Salute to the Troops, Spaghetti Dinner, other?) to work with us this coming year.
And in early September, we'll plan how we're going to tackle the greater question of what role MSR really wants to play in providing financial support to worthy charitable organizations.
PROGRAM - BERNIE STORY of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation Philanthropy is not simply the transference of money; it is the transformation of life. Few human activities are as exciting, as challenging, or as gratifying as philanthropy. Community foundations and their donors stand at an epicenter - where the need for help, the desire to help, and the means tohelp converge. Learn more about our won local Community Foundation.
DUTIES
Greeter - Wayne Achey
Sergeant-at-Arms - Ginny Wolkoff
$2 Per Week - Jim Santanasto
Invocation - Janet Kolepp
Introductions - Charlotte Hartmann-Hansen
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
CLUBRUNNER ClubRunner is making programming changes, and bulletins may not look quite the same 'til I figure things out - having trouble getting stories in the intended order.
Its only week 4 of the year and I am wondering if I can come up with 52 unique ways of saying "Hello". I think that next week I may have to try some new languages. This is Rotary after all, and we are nothing if not international.
I spend the week doing new exercises with my fingers and having my co-workers give me funny looks. (It’s not the first time for that though so it did not bother me.)
Our speaker this week is Bernie Story from the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. I am really looking forward to finding out what that is. Almost everything I know about the Lehigh Valley, I have learned from Rotary (you thought I was going to say Kindergarten didn't you?).
Things you should not forget:
· Food Drive for New Bethany Ministries (see separate story)
· Tony Janetta, District Governor will be visiting next week
· Board Meeting is also next week
· Dues are now officially really, seriously, due
· RLI(Rotary Leadership Inst.) is less than 2 months away - have you registered? I still have 4 seats left in my van!
A very special THANKS to Jim Vitale (and Lisa!) for hosting the first ever BMSR Pool Party! It was fantastic! Great food, great friends, lots of desserts! More details about that to come.
As noted in Pres. Sue's 7/24 message, Morning Star has decided to help New Bethany Ministries with food donations since they are especially needful at this time of year. Please bring your food donation to our regular weekly meetings through August.
Dee Elliott writes:
I am very thankful that the club has chosen to do this for New Bethany. I have been told by the people in charge of the hospitality center that at this time that the greatest needs are peanut butter, soup, juice and water in bottles.
Suparna has successfully treated chronic, repetitive strain sufferers (often after failed surgical attempts), and has instituted successful Repetitive Strain Injury prevention programs at major employers.
DUTIES
Greeter - Deb Cummins
Sergeant-at-Arms - Val Walk
$2 Per Week - Chuck Uhl
Invocation - Tom Kolepp
Introductions - Barb Seifert-Sigmon
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
CLUBRUNNER More thanks to Jeff Kicska - he has loaded the district directory onto our website. After you log in, go to Admin (top right on home page), then look under My ClubRunner for "View Club Documents". Other useful documents are filed there also. While you're in the Admin section, check out the other available info - including club member lists and directory. Check your own profile, and update if needed. Thanks!
Can you believe it?! It’s the week of the First Ever Morning Star PotLuck Bar-B-Q (aka Pool Party)! This Sunday at Jim’s house. I cannot wait. I have my camera, and extra batteries ready and my phone set to Facebook. Party starts mid afternoon and goes until whenever (it’s a school night for some of us). But don’t drink and drive. There are several Rotarians that live in the neighborhood who can put you up I am sure if you over indulge.
Don’t forget about our Food Drive for New Bethany. Bring in any non-perishables and then help Dee carry it all to her car.
August is just around the corner. Tony Janetta, our District Governor will be visiting August 9th
And last but not least, please, please, please, please, Pretty Please, get your dues in.
PROGRAM - LINDSEY BROWN FRIGM,
Former Nazareth Rotary Club President Jacobsburg Historical Society
DUTIES
Greeter - Eileen Dunn
Sergeant-at-Arms - Robin Metzler
$2 Per Week - Jean Searfoss Invocation - NEED A VOLUNTEER
Introductions - Tim Brion
If you signed up but are now unable, we'll appreciate your arranging for someone else to fill in, and notifying Russ Pacala and Susan Burnett.
Reminder: DUES are DUE
5K/10K SPONSORSHIP FORM is available in the Download section on the right side of the home page. - Thanks, Jeff Kicska!
GOLF THANKS Butch thanks all those who sponsored, golfed, bought raffle squares and donated gift certificates! Together with the Downtown Club, we will be making a generous donation to the Bethlehem Area Public Library's "Room to Grow" program!
SPAGHETTI DINNER PHOTOS Thanks to Jeff Kicska (web wizard) and Charlotte H-H (our photo bug), there are photos from the Spaghetti Dinner available on the website. On our home page, click "Our Events" (under the banner), then "Spaghetti Dinner", then under Photo Albums click "Spaghetti Dinner" again.
Thanks again to Rick, John and Charlie for a terrific program on Camp Neidig last week. Every year we see a terrific group of teens and it is a wonderful reminder of the power of Rotary outside of the clubs.
I have to apologize to Wayne Achey. We were supposed to induct him as a new member last week and in my excitement of getting Rick’s complex seating chart just right, I completely forgot, even though it was written on my sheet. So we will definitely do that this week.
One of my daughters, Abby, enjoys volunteering at New Bethany with Dee so I was asking Dee if she gets inundated with fresh produce during the summer. I was surprised to learn that the summer months are some of the most difficult for food banks. So I thought well, let’s have a food drive at Rotary! From July 19th through August 2nd, please bring in some non-perishable food to the meetings and help out New Bethany Ministries.
I already have two folks coming to Rotary Leadership Institute, Saturday September 15th. I have 3 more open seats in my van. Registration is www.rlinea.com and the club will reimburse you as soon as you have completed the day. It is a dynamic day. You will learn a lot and meet lots of folks from around the district. You do not have to be on the board, to come. You just have to want to learn more about Rotary.
The Potluck Bar-b-q (aka Pool Party) at Jim Vitale’s house has been postponed a whole day, to June 29th. Thanks to all those who responded to the survey. A new sign up will be going around at the next couple of meetings – please come even if you don’t plan to swim!
I cannot believe the year is finally here! I am so relieved I am no longer in charge of scheduling speakers! I will never lay awake at night again wondering “Will they or won’t they show up? Will they go upstairs without waiting for me or calling my cell and leave me standing in the freezing rain even though I asked them in 3 emails to call if they go upstairs on their own???” Good Luck, Deb. I am sure that you will do a fabulous job!
So our July Pool Party is officially scheduled for Saturday July 28th. Start time, 3-4 pmish at Jim Vitale's home - 4434 Kathi Drive, Bethlehem . I cannot wait to see everyone in their bathing suits. Bring the kids, grandkids, grandparents, aunts, uncles ... Pot luck - will send a sign up sheet around.
But before that, we have to say good-bye to Doriane this Wednesday from 7 to 9 pm at 3181 Rambeau Road, Bethlehem. (See details below.) If you plan on going, please let Judi Dexter know so she can get a head count.
Check out the new link on our homepage. It’s called “Things You Have Always Wanted to Know About Rotary” – It has a gazillion links and documents about everything Rotary – how to run a club, Future Visions, Friendships Exchanges, How to be Club Secretary – you name it, is there. The Ultimate resource, even if you have never figured out how to log on – you can still access it! I asked my daughter Lydia how long it took her to put all that up there and she said “About 5 seconds Mom.” And I said “Wow, that is too bad because if it was something really hard, I would have paid you a lot more.” She is available for IT consultations.
This week's program will be the kids from Camp Neidig. It is always an impressive and entertaining breakfast. I hope you can join us.
Cheers, Susan
(Someone once asked me why I always use the salutation “Cheers” – it’s because I can hardly ever remember how to spell “Sincerely”.)
The new Rotary year began on July 1, so we'd like to remind you who is currently on the Board:
President: Susan Burnett
President Elect: Deb Cummins (to serve as president 7/1/13-6/30/14)
Vice President: Tom Kolepp (to serve as president 7/1/14 - 6/30-15)
Past President: Eileen Dunn
Secretary: Val Walk
Treasurer: Jim Vitale
Directors 7/1/11 - 6/30/13:
Jeff Kicska
Stephanie Vavro
Mary Diggs
Dee Elliott
Directors 7/1/12 - 6/30/14
Marianne Aronson
Tim Brion
Gary Hartney
Ben Tenaglia
I am so excited for the year ahead! I hope you will join me this Thursday as we welcome in the year ahead, the new board and thank all those that worked so hard this past year, which, when you think about it, is all of you.
At the meeting we will look ahead at what we hope to accomplish this year and even beyond. We will also glance back at all the amazing things we accomplished over the past year and how they have help lay the foundation for what we hope to do in the future.
We have two great fellowship event planned for July and will announce those at the meeting (and they are both FREE!!!!)
Finally, a big thank you to Jim for hosting the Kick Out Party last Thursday night. It was a lot of fun.
Eileen, you were a wonderful President. It was a pleasure collaborating with you!
Doriane Manet, our exchange student from Belgium, is leaving us!
Peter and Cherie Young are Doriane’s current host parents. They would like to invite our Rotary Club to their home during Doriane’s last week for a send-off party! The Youngs live at 3181 Rambeau Rd. Bethlehem. This street is easy to find…if one turns onto Oakland Rd. from Linden St., Rambeau Rd. is the second left off of Oakland Rd.
The gathering is planned to be a casual dessert party on Wed. July 11th from 7 to 8:30 pm. Rotarians are invited to bring a dessert to share, if they like. However, Rotary will provide the refreshments (wine/beer/coffee/other desserts).
Doriane will be departing on July 13th. She is going on the Rotary-arranged “western trip” and will tour some fabulous sites in the western part of our country from June 25 to July 8th.
We hope that many Rotarians will find their way to the Young home to send off Doriane, and to thank the Youngs and the Wrights for their gracious hospitality.
RSVP to Judi Dexter at ja.dexter@verizon.net by 7/10/12. But if you do not reply you are still welcome as it is a casual gathering and there should be plenty.
Doriane's Last Hurrah - July 11 Party 7:00-8:30 pm
Did you know that most of your Morning Star Rotary dues actually go to Rotary International and District 7430? The club's semi-annual payments to RI and the District are due by the end of July, so your prompt payment to will be greatly appreciated. The Dues Notice went out via a 6/14 email from Val Walk. (For more info on club finances, come to the July 5 meeting.)
On June 7, 6-week old Zavaya Keme Oliver visited our meeting, together with her parents Jana & Caleb Oliver. Zavaya is beautiful and alert, and the family thanks everyone for the "book shower"! Thanks to Joan Paul for these photos!
It is time for Morning Star's annual "Request for Proposal" - which are due by July 5th for 2012-13 Rotary year grants.
Each year our club makes 3-5 grants of $500 - $1,500 each to local organizations, with a rotating theme.
This year's theme is YOUTH.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Programs will be considered in 2013-2014, and
ARTS & CULTURE Programs in 2014-2015.
The RFP form is available in the Download section of our website home page.
We ask your help in getting this RFP information to organizations near and dear to your heart - our best parnerships happen when a Morning Star member "champions" a particular cause.
Please contact Joan Paul with any questions.
Would YOU like a say in who receives Morning Star grants?
We would like to share this link with you. We think you will enjoy seeing our District's GSE Team visit to Japan, lead by Team Leader Bruce Dearnley, as it happens! http://rotary7430gse.blogspot.com/. Copy/paste this link to view.
Kathy Greiss
Administrative Assistant, District 7430
Phone: 484-680-1517 Email: krgreiss@gmail.com
This year Morning Star Rotary is sponsoring three students to attend Camp Neidig, District 7430’s Youth Leadership Camp: Devon Wasson of Moravian Academy, Lauren Wells of Bethlehem Catholic, and Thomas Goller from Freedom.
As anyone who has previously attended will enthusiastically tell you, the Closing Ceremonies are something special to behold. On Monday, June 18th, they will be from 7:00 - 8:15 pm, with Rotarians welcome to attend a barbeque chicken dinner as well starting at 6:00 pm.
The price of the dinner is $15. Orders need to be placed no later than June 8. If you are interested, please contact John St. Clair at johnb.stclair@gmail.com , 610-866-0846 (home) or 610-533-9694 (cell).
Rick Morrissey will be driving and leaving at approximately 4:30 pm. Anyone interested in attending the Camp Neidig closing ceremonies is welcome to come along (he can take 2 folks in addition to John St. Clair) or you drive down yourself (and follow Rick if you like). Contact Rick at rickm@moravian.com or 610- 746-1338.
Please visit www.campneidig.com for more details on this extraordinary program!
Our New Member Soiree on June 6 at the Hanoverville Roadhouse was wonderful! While enjoying great fellowship and food, 4 of oour new members and their guests learned about Rotary in general and Morning Star in particular. Barb Seifert-Sigmon gave a brief history of our club's 20+ year history, and "Veterans" made informal comments on how and why they joined Rotary ... and why they are still in the club. Various club functions, responsibilities and events were described, and the new members were encouraged to try out several committees and see where they best fit. Many thanks to Barb, the Membership Committee, and all who attended!
New Member Soiree was informative, funny and friendly!
Our annual Golf Tournament was rained out on Monday, June 4th, and will be held on July 9th. It is run jointly with the Bethlehem Rotary Club, and will benefit the Bethlehem Public Library's "Room to Grow" project. Please get gift certificates from restaurants that you patronize for use as raffle prizes. Golfers, one more foursome! The brochure is available on the home page in the downloads section, or by clicking the link below. Heartfelt thanks to Butch for all his work!!!
Golf - Butch requests 1 more Foursome for July 9th
The Kolepps and Helmuths recently took Doriane Manet (our Exchange Student) to and IronPigs game - her first baseball game ever! They think she is really a fun young lady. Doriane had a great time – she caught a shirt, received a baseball from someone nearby who caught it, and had her photo taken with the team mascot, Ferrous!
The Spaghetti Dinner Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in the Taste of Tuscany Pasta Dinner. Special thanks go out to those who spent many hours to make the dinner a success, as well as those who sold tickets, donated desserts, and sponsored the table tents. Please remember to turn your ticket money in to Val or Jim as soon as possible. Thanks!
Co-Chairs Val Walk & Stephanie Vavro
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to our co-chairs, the committee itself, and the “marathon” members who worked the kitchen over 12 hours on Friday! If you didn’t volunteer this year, we ask that you make time next year – it’s great fun, and the extra helping hands would be much appreciated.
The Conference Committee would like to thank all the Morning Star Rotarians who volunteered, came out and enjoyed the District Conference this past weekend. It was a huge success and would not have been so without the tremendous effort from everyone in the club - we are so grateful for such a terrific club. Congratulations to Bill on his vision for a unique and inspiring weekend!
It was all smiles as Alice Moat, Bethlehem Special Olympics manager, and Louise Tusak, Bethlehem Special Olympics special events coordinator, accepted a $5,000 check from Morning Star Rotary member Jeff Kicska, race director for the Morning Star 5/10K run.
It marked the 21st year that proceeds from the fundraiser have benefited the Bethlehem Special Olympics
A great scourge might soon be gone, but war, mistrust and even the death of Osama Bin Laden could get in the way the children in gadap town like to play tea party. There are no little tea sets here, not in this densely packed, grindingly poor Pakistani slum, the biggest in the megacity of ...
Twenty-three years after it was eradicated in the United States, polio still stalks Pakistan, one of three countries left in the world where the devastating disease is still endemic. Photographer Diego Ibarra Sánchez documented Pakistan's struggle to get a handle on the disease.
In case you have not been to the District website lately, there is an AWESOME video about Polio Plus
Check it out here:
NEWS FROM INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY!!!
Rotarians met the Gates Foundation Challenge to raise a $200 million match for their $355 million contribution to PolioPlus!! The total stood at $202.7 million on January 17th. Of course, the real goal is Polio Eradication. The recent announcement that India has gone a full year without a case of polio brings the world closer. The disease still remains endemic in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In recognition that there is work still to do, the Gates Foundation has provided an additional $50 million to the Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus effort. This is NOT a challenge grant, but it should inspire all Rotarians to continue to support this effort until the goal is realized.
10. Laser bowling starts at 8:55
9. There are some spectacularly bad bowlers in Rotary
8. Rotarians are related to/dating, some AMAZING bowlers
7. Jeff owns more bowling equipment than you ever knew existed
6. Gretchen is raising future Olympic bowlers
5. Those little slope thingies and bumpers... are for grown-ups too
4. There are not nearly enough size 8-10 sized bowling shoes in the world
3. Karen owns the MOST STYLISH bowling shoes. You never even knew bowling shoes could be stylish did you?
2. Marianne (and yes, I am pretty sure I am spelling your name incorrectly and I am sorry), bowls with her own cheering section/groupy
And the number #1 I learn at Morning Star Laser Bowling...
What happens at bowling.... STAYS at bowling, so join us next time and find out how much fun it is!
Top 10 Things I Learned at Rotary Laser Bowling Night!
ClubRunner secures all your private information using the latest security technologies. Hosted in a world class data centre with redundant power, Internet backbones and 24/7 security and monitoring, you can rest assured that your club data is safe and protected. Your members' contact information is secured behind unique logins and passwords. Access to information is also restricted, for example, a member can only view the list of members, but can modify his or her own personal information.
Data on the server is protected by TCP/IP filtering, firewall and anti-virus software that protect against any unauthorized intrusion. Backups of data are made daily and stored off-site.
ClubRunner makes it easy to publish your weekly Club eBulletin, and send to all members and friends of the club, by incorporating home page stories and events with the push of a button.
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Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is planned for Saturday, March 28, 2026 at DeSales University Gambet Center, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA beginning at 7:30 AM.
The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, through our program Holiday Hope Chests, has been supporting nonprofit organizations who serve children and youth, primarily underserved youth, with donated shoeboxes filled with gifts for the holidays. Since the program’s inception in 1999, we have distributed 75,000+ boxes in the community supporting on average 45-50 nonprofit organizations each year at the holidays. Making a difference and bringing smiles to children during the holidays is what Holiday Hope Chests is all about.
Twice a year, Morning Star Rotary offers Audrey Rafferty Memorial (ARM) Education Grants to clients in the St. Luke’s Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) Program. NFP empowers first-time mothers to transform their lives and create better futures for themselves and their babies. Specially educated nurses regularly visit first-time moms, becoming a trusted resource in providing care, support and advice.
At this past Thursday's meeting, Margaret Murphy, Executive Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Lehigh Valley, presented a program about the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with mental illness, NAMI Lehigh Valley is the local affiliate who provides support groups and education courses for individuals and their loved ones as well as informative presentations to schools, businesses, clubs, and civic organizations. nami-lv.org CLICK HERE to view presentation.
Research shows that positive club leadership is a major factor in the growth of a club. Yes, one person can make a difference! But it's the culture you create by working with the Board and engaging all members that will create the successful projects for your community and communities around the world. Rotar President Gordon McInally says that "service is the soil where hope grows!" We look forward to working with you this coming rotary year as we create Hope In The World.
The Traditional "Passing of the Gavel" from all Past Presidents present to Rod handoff to Betty!
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