Happy New Year – 2023. It is hard to believe that we are at the halfway mark of the Rotary year. Our Presidents and District leaders are well on their way to rounding out a successful year and the President Elects are continuing with training in anticipation of their year starting in July.
I am proud of the work all the clubs have been doing within their communities with grants, fund raisers and projects. Don’t let up, keep the momentum going for the remainder of the year.
With that in mind, January is Vocational Service month. Vocational service is at the core of Rotary, embedded in its history, present and future. It calls on us to foster high ethical standards in business, recognize the value of all occupations, and dignify our occupations as an opportunity to serve our communities. By including men and women from diverse professions and backgrounds, Rotary recognizes the importance of all skills and occupations and encourages our members to leverage their skills and expertise to enhance communities.
Here are a few ways we can all use our vocational service in action:
Using our skills and expertise to serve a community.
Mentoring young people to help achieve their career goals.
Offering leadership and professional development guidance to others.
Practicing our professions with integrity and inspiring others to do so.
At the halfway mark, I would like to give you a few updates on some numbers. Our membership numbers continue to grow with 29 new members in our district as of the end of November. Continue to grow your membership; it is the lifeblood of your club and the district. Please make sure that your new members are being added to RI.
Please join in on our Grow Membership webinar on January 10th. The information to join is on the website and in this newsletter.
As good as our membership numbers are, we are behind on our foundation giving for the year. We need the foundation support so that we can have funds for the many grants that our clubs provide each year. We need everyone’s support on this effort.
Cocktails with the DG!(CDG). Starting January, I am planning on getting together in all areas of the district with as many clubs and members as possible at a local establishment for fun, fellowship, and relaxation. I have asked the AGs to help coordinate locations and clubs. We will plan to have a schedule and post it on the district calendar. This is a great opportunity to meet with other Rotarians from neighboring clubs and make new friendships. Please reach out to your AG with any ideas or suggestions. Our inaugural CDG will be Thursday, January 26, at Bru Daddy’s in Allentown for areas 1 and 2 but anyone can attend this, and all, CDG events.
The rest of the year will feature some great events such as: Our Foundation Spring Fling, Stem Yea Big-Ticket Night, RLI, District Training Assembly, Camp Neidig, Four-Way Speech Contest, Our District Conference – Casino Royal in May and District Changeover in June. I encourage our members to participate in all these great events and other programs. The more you can get involved, the more you can grow in Rotary!
HELLO ROTARIANS! The 2nd Annual Big Ticket Reverse Raffle (BTRR) will be held on April 15, 2023 at Brookside Country Club, in Pottstown from 5:30-10:00 p.m.
Last year, the fundraising efforts of STEM YEA Big Ticket Reverse Raffle 2022 raised $17,000. These funds supported two important STEM YEA Academy expense line items:
a. Student Celebration Dinner for all 150 guests attended and Student Awards
b. 41 student consumable swag bags valued at over $100 each
When you purchase a BTRR event ticket you are entitled to a fun-filled night that includes hors d'oeuvres, drinks, dinner, and dancing. You will also hear inspiring words from our guest speaker, Peter. R. Kowey, MD, FACC. Take a few fun pictures at our photo booth and enjoy a new attraction this year – Live Caricatures by Emily. Guests will go home with a party favor: a spot on, yet lighthearted likenesses that will be treasured forever! Emily is passionate about her craft. She will be sure to put smiles on our faces, both literally and figuratively. AND we can't forget... IF all 150 tickets are sold we will give away up to $7,500 in cash and prizes.
Below there are a few other ideas you or your club can act on to help to make this year's BTRR fundraiser become even more successful:
3. Donate a raffle basket valued at least a $100 or donate unique experience prizes
4. Help secure event sponsorships
Thank you for your support. Questions? Please email Al Engel at alengel007@aol.com or Darlene Scott at dscott8956@gmail.com. We can only Imagine and hope that we inspired 41 intellectually curious students that we served at STEM YEA 2022 to move forward to pursue a STEM career. Together we are building a brighter future for the students we serve. If you are interested in joining the special fundraising team or volunteering for STEM YEA 2023 please let us know. Many hands make light work.
What can we do to continue to support our foundation? What is happening?
Time to contribute… have you made your donation yet?—As of December, 2022 our District Annual fund donations are $118,281—not halfway to our goal – can you help?—our Journey to the Next Million will help us do more projects.
Grants: It is Grant application period until March, 30, 2023—Does your club have your grant application in for next year—don’t wait til the last minute. Do you need help? Contact Bonnie Eckenrode at beckenrode@amblersavings.com or Cindy Hornaman at hornamca@ptd.net
Grant Certification Training—if you were not able to attend the grant certification training in November you have an opportunity for Certification in January, 2023. Grant Webinar and Certification Training will be held : January 31, 2023 via zoom at 6:30 pm.
Join us in our Rotary District 7430 "Spring Fling" Saturday, March 18, 2023 William Penn Inn 1017 DeKalb Pike Gwynedd, PA 19436 5:30 pm Come for Foundation support, fellowship, fun, silent auction, entertainment
And maybe some surprise fun!
Stay tuned for some fun – and supporting our Foundation.
The International Convention for 2023 is in Melbourne, Australia, is an amazing place “down under.”
The time to register is now. Our district may be doing a separate group travel tour before or after the convention as well—for more fun, exploring, and fellowship.
Your Rotary Magazine for January 2023 includes the following calendar update:
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