Special Announcement:
I was disappointed, as I know we all are, when I was advised by Past President Diane Donaher that she was not selected as District Governor for the 2020 Rotary Year. She asked to me to thank all of our members for their support of her nomination.
The good news is that, with her usual chin-up style, she intends to throw her hat in the ring for District Governor for the 2021 Rotary Year. I can say with confidence that she has the support of all of Bethlehem Rotary members, and we all sincerely hope that our District will take advantage of her extraordinary commitment, formidable talents, and leadership skills for the 2021 year.
At our December 20th, our BAVTS Artisan of the Month, Amber Hunsicker, introduced herself to our club and spoke about her accomplishments and aspirations. She was accompanied by her teacher Mr. John Karb. Amber is a senior at Liberty, and honor student, and is active in several organizations, including the Skills, USA program. We presented her with a $100 check, which I understand she will be using to help pay her tuition for a course at Northampton Community College. Our distinguished and long- service member, Bob Weed, remarked to me that he feels our BAVTS scholarship is one of the best investments our club can make in our community. I agree.
Our RI Foundation Chairman, George Mowrer, asked us to think about making a year-end contribution to the Foundation. Potential changes to the tax law for 2018 may make it less attractive for tax purposes to postpone the deduction until after January. Your donations will help the Foundation to do Rotary’s good work today, and strengthen our ability to do so in the future. Donations received by December 27th will count for 2017.
Patrick Morgan and George Phillippi were inducted as our newest Bethlehem Rotary Club members. Patrick is a Physical Therapist, and has been active in our club since he attended his first meeting in September. He has the distinction of serving as a volunteer at our Tastes & Tunes event in October when he was not yet a member. George is the owner of Control Point Associates in Warren, NJ, and offers land surveying, geospatial, and consulting services through his company. Please welcome Patrick and George to Bethlehem Rotary.
Our speaker was Will Isemann, the CEO of KidsPeace. Some of us were surprised to learn that KidsPeace was actually founded in 1882 to serve orphans on the South Side of Bethlehem. KidsPeace today has multiple locations in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maine, New York, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. KidsPeace offers a comprehensive range of residential treatment programs, foster care, community programs, and psychiatric care to children with behavioral disorders caused by trauma, abuse, and neglect. Their objective is to provide mental health care and educational services in a safe environment.
Will showed us several videos that provided testimony from children helped by KidsPeace. One particular story came from a woman who, as a child, was saved from committing suicide by the dedicated staff. She later became a paramedic in New York City, and she ended up saving the lives of 42 people on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center. In that poignant moment, we learned how important it can be for all of us to support the good work of KidsPeace.
50/50 drawing was the second week using a new deck for our “Queen of Hearts” style drawing. Stacy Scholl had the winning ticket, but did not pull the Queen of Hearts. The pot will rollover and start at $30 next week.
Announcements:
- Tracy Bozik will be sending an e-mail to all members this week to ask for volunteers for the Dictionary Project. Please read and respond to Tracy’s request.
- Rotary International has sent out announcements about Rotary Global Rewards. By using the Rotary Global Rewards program, our members can receive discounts on many items that you already purchase. These include car rentals, vacations, etc. In addition to the member discount, there will also be donations made on your behalf to Rotary, and you can designate which programs should receive the donations. Please go to rotary.org to find information on the program.
- Should peace be left up to our politicians? Our RI President Ian Riseley thinks Rotary should lead the way. Our Zone 32, along with Zones 24, 25, and 26 has been selected by Rotary International President Ian Riseley to hold the first Presidential Peacebuilding Conference on February 10, 2018 in Vancouver, BC. If you would like more information, please contact me, or you can also go to https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50004/Stories/presidential-conference . There is also a link on the District Website.
- District 7430 has announced that the District will sponsor a Rotary Friendship Exchange which will take place between April 26, 2018 and May 7, 2018. There will be 6 Rotarian couples from Sweden who will be visiting us during this time. Our District 7430 will be providing an itinerary and a van for transportation during their visit, but we are looking for Rotarians who are willing to provide the couples with a place to stay during their visit. The visiting Rotarians will be paying for all of their own activities and tours while they are here. The District expects that they will plan on the Rotarians spending between one and three days at each home, depending on the eventual itinerary. This is a great way to enjoy the international nature of your Rotary experience, that is, by getting to know Rotarians from around the world right in your own home. If you would like more information, please contact me.
- PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017. SEE YOU AT OUR JANUARY 3, 2017 MEETING.
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