Thank you to all who attended our meeting this week. Our speaker was fellow Rotarian Jim Palmquist. Jim is a member of the Emmaus Rotary Club, and he shared with us information about the important work being done locally and internationally through Rotary to support global peace. It was an excellent reminder of how peacekeeping is woven within the six areas of focus of Rotary. This was exemplified through the Peacebuilding Conferences that Past RI President Ian Riseley hosted during his presidency last year. We are thankful for dedicated Rotarians like Jim who take the time to visit other clubs and share this important message.
Jim Palmquist speaks to Bethlehem Rotarians
Also, thank you to Al Philpots who has updated our website to include all of the information and forms for the 2018 Tastes and Tunes event. As I mentioned in my message last week, this is our ONE signature event where we want to get the entire club engaged. The website included important information and forms to secure restaurants, sponsors, silent auction items and more. Please check it out and help make this a great event.
Note that you should have received your invoice for your annual dues. Take advantage of the ability to pay online with your credit card with no fees! Thank you Bob Smith for this excellent improvement that makes life a little easier for us all!
Please be sure to come this week to hear Lori Knerr deliver her classification talk. Lori has been extremely engaged since becoming a member, and I am anxious to learn more about her journey and how she came to join our club!
Announcements:
Applications are now being accepted for the District 7430 Outbound Youth Exchange. If you know of students who might interested in participating, please let me know, I and I will provide additional information.
Mark Your Calendars for these Upcoming Events
August 23rd – Mini-Meeting - Taps Tavern
October 7th – Tastes & Tunes – Moravian College
October 13th– Purple Pinkie 5K - LCCC
October 20th – Rotary Leadership Institute - DeSales
Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) Opportunity - but time to respond is short.
Due to a cancellation, our District can add two people to participate in the outbound group to District 1030 in Northeast England. Dates are Aug. 29 to September 10, 2018.District 1030 in Northeast England.
District 1030 is next to the border of Scotland and along the coast with Newcastle Upon Tyne the largest city in the district. Participants will have a chance to visit Hadrian's wall and castles as well as seaside towns. If you like meeting new people as well as learning about new cultures plus able to travel within a short time frame, please email Dee Eng ASAP. Participants pay their own travel expenses but are hosted in Rotarians' homes with some meals included. Participants will be asked to have their club host when District 1030 comes in the spring of 2019. At the moment tickets to Edinburgh airport which is 1 1/2 hours away by train is about $700 for economy and train tickets are about $30 one way.
Rotaract Club inside refugee camp creates sense of family
After fleeing conflict in their own countries, a group of young Rotaractors is healing wounds and bringing cultures together in a Ugandan refugee settlement. Established in late 2016, and officially inaugurated last July, the Rotaract Club of Nakivale may be one of the first based inside a refugee settlement. Read the story, watch the video, and learn about the effort from one of the Rotarians who helped make it happen.
