Club # 5417
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem
Bethlehem

Celebrating More Than 100 Years of Service

We meet In Person & Online
Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
Perkins Restaurant
205 W 3rd St.
Bethlehem, PA 18018
United States of America
Full A/V & internet available for speakers. Server will take individual food & beverage orders. If you plan to eat pls arrive early. NOTE: 1st Wednesday each month we meet 5:30 PM at Adagio Seafood Restaurant. See "Upcoming Events" for exceptions.
Rotary in Motion
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tastes & Tunes Goes to the Races
was a RUNAWAY success.
Hold your horses...
More details coming soon!
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem met on July 17th for the first time at our new location - the Perkins on Bethlehem's South Side.  Our guest presenter was Anna Smith, Director of Community Action Development Bethlehem, a subsidiary of CACLV.  Anna spoke eloquently about "Southside Tomorrow" -- a multi-year program of community engagement and development. 
 
Our own Ham Malek has been a volunteer working for eight years on the housing committee, having followed Dale Kochard in the same role.  Anna is looking for Rotarians willing to train to serve as mediators between tenants and landlords to help preserve relationships and prevent evictions.  If you're interested, you can contact her at asmith@caclv.org.  
 
Click HERE to see Anna's exciting presentation.
Carol Ferguson spoke at the June 26, 2024 meeting about how Rotary's efforts in support of the World Health Orgnization's live-oral vaccination program has helped the World Health Organization accomplish nearly 100 percent elimination of wild polio virus throughout the world.  The low cost of live orally-administered vaccines makes them widely available, yet because the vaccine uses a live form of the virus, the virus can derive variants that may have paralytic capabilities.  The speed and volume of air travel worldwide makes the spread of such novel viruses likely, even in the US where we are used to thinking that Polio no longer exists.  Thus childhood vaccination in the United States cannot be emphasized enough.  Please take a few minutes to watch this important video, that Carol intended the audience to see on Wednesday, but that would not run on the Moravian Village projection system.
 
Click HERE to watch.  
     
 
Rotary District 7430 Changeover Dinner
Thursday June 20, 2024
Come celebrate as our club's DG Diane celebrates her 
"Create Hope in the World" 2023-2024 Year
And welcomes in the "The Magic of Rotary" 2024-2025 Year
with new District Governor Katie Farrell
 
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
 
Overr the summer of 2023, two BAVTS automotive technology students and their instructor retrofitted a gas-engined ccar with a brand new electric power system.  
 
The "Grand Unveiling" ceremony took place on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 12:30 pm with remarks by very special guests.  Light refreshments were served.  
 
Bethlehem Rotarians were invited to join BAVTS faculty and students in celebrating this achievement.
We were surprised and delighted to have a guest speaker for the last lunch meeting of Rotary Year 2022-2023. Asher Schiavone, Bethlehem's Economic Development Coordinator, shared an amazing PowerPoint on the expanding work of Partnership for Innovation and the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ).
 
Reflecting on the highlights of the past year, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude for the hard work of scores of club members. Among those who stepped up and offered tremendous assistance to the club are:
  • Al Philpotts and Mark Walter in the area of communication and technology
  • Gerry Long and Darlene Heller inviting a steady flow of guest speakers
  • Jill Long ordering and organizing our weekly lunch menu
  • Sylvia Doyle, Gerry & Jill Long for organizing our Holiday Luncheon
  • Dana Huber for organizing a steady supply of inspired and inspiring students from BAVTS
  • Deb Walter, the mastermind behind another successful Taste and Tunes
  • Maria Dietrich for her work with LHS Interact Club, Toys for Tots, and B.E.S.T. mentorship
  • Lisa Jordan, the coordinator for our tree planting effort in Brazil
  • Diane Donaher for initiating the plans for our evening at the Christmas City Follies
  • Bill Rowe, the organizer of our 5 th Wednesday Socials
  • Dee Dee Foran, the creative force behind our potluck picnic
  • Pete Mickolay, the driving force behind the maintenance of Centennial Park
  • Maria Dietrich for leading the panel discussion on the books we read about homelessness
  • Darlene Heller and Deb Walter for a variety of board walks
  • Gerry and Jill Long and Winston Alozi for coordinating the Boys and Girls Club outing to Coca-Cola Park for an Iron Pigs game
  • Al Philpotts for coordinating the Schrempel Scholarship
  • Paul Ricciardi for organizing the Dictionary Project and our club's monthly Happy Hour gatherings at Twisted Olive
  • Ham Malek for leading the Nominating Committee
  • Rose Cash, our weekly greeter
  • Maria Nathans, our regular lunch treasurer
  • Jack Worsley, Jr., our Sergeant-at-Arms and ArtsQuest luncheon coordinator
  • Bill Eckert, managing the 50-50 Draw every week
  • All board members
  • All regular attendees at a variety of club meetings, service and social events
  • All guest speakers, especially club members Gerry Foran, Kamran Afshar, Deb Walter, Bill Eckert, Rose Cash, and George Mowrer
  • All visitors from District 7430 including DG Len Gieseler, PDG Bob Hobaugh, PDG Cindy Hornaman, and our own DGE Diane Donaher
On Wednesday April 12, 2023, members of the Bethlehem Rotary Club shared their career stories at Liberty High School with the Interact Club's high school seniors.  It was a very rewarding hour.  
 
Click HERE to see more photos.
On Saturday May 13th on a beautiful day, a lucky dozen Rotarians gathered to help spruce up Centennial Park on Bethlehem's Sand Island as preparation for the park's gentle offering of tranquility and beauty for parents and children over the warm months of spring, summer, and fall.  Special thanks to Rotarian and past president Pete Mickolay who provided the mulch and gardening tools used with such great impact.  Thanks Rotarians.
 
 
Cliek HERE to see photo album.
 
Thanks to the gifts of generous Rotarians, its members were able to complete more life-changing projects last year than ever before! You can make a difference by helping people in need — from supplying equipment that protects health workers against COVID-19 to training peace builders who’ll work toward a future with less conflict. It all starts with giving the gift of Rotary.

The Rotary Foundation funds the work of Rotary members who provide sustainable solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs. This work is necessary now more than ever, and Rotary needs people who will take action and help make these projects possible.

With your gift today, together Rotary can fund projects that make a big impact by strengthening communities to create real, lasting solutions. Please consider giving a gift to the Foundation so Rotarians can keep doing good in the world.
 
Click the image above to donate.
 
 
Erin Maloney had never given much thought to joining a Rotary club. She had little interest in the traditional Rotary model of weekly meetings. But after attending the 2020 Virtual Rotary Convention led by her brother, 2019-20 RI President Mark D. Maloney, she discovered several reasons to join, including an increased flexibility and people who share her interest in ending modern slavery. Learn more of her story on our blog, Rotary Voices
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December 2024
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Upcoming Events
Links
Links
Meeting Duties
Service Team
Attendance
Royer, Bill
 
50/50
Worsley, Jr., Jack
 
Invocation/Thought of the Week
Foellner, Don
 
Welcome Visitors & Speakers
Knerr, Lori
 
Speakers
Upcoming Speakers
NO MEETING
Dec 18, 2024
Replaced by Dec 19th Holiday Luncheon
Charlene & Hank
Dec 19, 2024
World Heritage Presentation
Mark Rittle
Jan 08, 2025
New Bethany Programs & Partnerships
Danielle & David Sheehan
Jan 22, 2025
St. Michaels' Warriors
Fevata Crawford (Diane Donaher intro)
Feb 12, 2025
Kwanzaa Curious (Black History Month Theme)
Past Speakers
Rocco Damato
Dec 11, 2024
Foundation Annual Presentation
Tastes & Tunes 2023
Tastes & Tunes 2023 is in the record books. 
Congratulations
 
Click here for photos
 
 
 
Thanks to our SPONSORS
 
 
Hotel Bethlehem
Hank & Joanne Barnette
Janney Montgomery Scott
Scott Family of Dealerships
JustBorn Quality Confections
Marty & Carole Fins
Gerry & Jill Long
Embassy Bank
Lehigh Valley Health Network
QNB Bank
Aykroyd Hardware
King Spry
Unity Bank
Mike & Lynn Albarell
Kerry & Stacy Wrobel
 
Total funds raised will be divided equally between the Bethlehem Rotary Foundation, whose grants help local charitable service organizations and BATTLE BORNE, a LV-based collaborative effort among like-minded individuals and organizations intent on repairing and restoring people who have served our country.