Last week during our lunch meeting, Diane Donaher turned our attention to Rotary International. So often our focus becomes concentrated on the good that we do in our local community, we have a tendency to forget about the effects that we can have internationally. It is important to remember that gifts to The Rotary Foundation can help support international AND local efforts through the use of district grants. In the chart that Diane shared with us during our meeting, it was a great reminder of the wide range of support that our club has provided through the use of our district grants, both locally and internationally!
This year, our goal is to have 100% participation AND to raise $18,000. To date, we have raised less than $1,000…. so we have work to do! You will be receiving a mailing from Diane soon that will provide many easy ways to contribute to Rotary International. Remember that you can always give a check directly to Diane if you find that easier to do! Diane will continue to provide updates throughout the year to help us get to our goal….. Thank you Diane!!
We also had an opportunity to hear from Liberty High School junior Alexandra Hutchinson. For those who were present, it was a perfect example of why we like to provide the students with this opportunity. When Alex first started speaking, she was shy and difficult to hear, and by the end of her remarks, you could already see the boost in her confidence! Thank you all for being a gracious and welcoming audience for her.
On Thursday, I attended the breakfast meeting of the Morningstar Club to hear Dr. Christopher Borick from Muhlenberg College. Dr. Borick was on hand to speak about the six areas of local need that were identified and chosen by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. You might recall this from Bernie Story’s comments at our meeting a few weeks ago. More than $300,000 of grants were awarded to support agencies in the areas of:
- Mental and Behavior Health
- Cultural Enrichment
- Food and Housing Access
- Environment and Sustainability
- Human Trafficking
- Veterans Affairs
Dr. Borick at Morningstar Rotary
The grants were not only to provide direct support to the agencies, but there was also a focus on awareness. This community assessment of need can be very instrumental in our efforts to secure district grants, and it will be important to leverage this information toward that end. Attached is a link to the reflections paper written by Dr. Borick… please take the time to take a look at this paper as it relates these important societal issues to our local community.
This week, come hear Kate Racculia as she provides an update on the Cohen Room at the Bethlehem Area Public Library!
IMPORTANT:
- CALL FOR DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS – It is that time of year when we must fill our slate for open Board positions. The following 9 positions are available and must be filled:
- Vice President
- Secretary
- 5 – 2 Year Positions
- 2 – 1 Year Positions
Please contact Thea Phalon or Ham Malek if you are interested in learning more about, or filling one of these positions.
- Please be on the lookout for a separate communication from me early this week about nominations and elections for Board positions. The date for the elections has not yet been set… but when it is, Ham Malek, as Chair of the Nominating Committee will be handing out Macy’s gift cards at that meeting to boost attendance and ensure that we have the required quorum! As soon as I establish the dates, I will send a message to the entire membership.
Some reminders:
- No Lunch Meeting on December 26th or January 2nd.
- RAGAS Movie Screening (Sex and Money) at Moravian College will be held on January 11th in Prosser Auditorium. Mark your calendar and watch for more details. We are hoping for a large turnout (Prosser holds 250 people!!)
- Registration for District Conference is open. The conference this year is in Allentown, so it will be very convenient for us all to attend. Here is the link to view the event and get registered…
