Welcome to the New Year! DG Diane Donaher has some words of wisdom to share with Rotarians in District 7430 to start the year and highlight Vocational Service Month.
Have you ever considered giving the gift of Rotary membership to someone you would like to join your club? Now is a perfect time! Simply inviting someone to Rotary is a gift – it tells someone that you think very highly of them and you want to share something special with them. But what if you took it one step further? Consider asking your Club’s board to offer a special deal to members who join in January and make it easier to gift a membership for those who might do so.
The Membership Committee is busy planning more learning opportunities for you. On February 5, our Membership Monday will focus on “Companion Clubs” and how they help us expand our reach. As life trends change, so must we. Adapting and growing is part of what we do. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us as we explore “NextGen” and “Impact” club options and open your minds to the future of Rotary. Raise your hands and say yes!
It is a New Year—what better way to start out 2024 than by making your Donation to the Rotary Foundation? We have six months to go to reach our Million Dollars—we can do it!
IT IS GRANT APPLICATION TIME FOR 2024-2025
STARTING NOVEMBER 1-MARCH 31, 2024. Is your club planning your next project?
Did you know?-
This Rotary Year we have 20 Rotary District Grants ongoing with our clubs. Projects include areas such as the environment (pollinator gardens, tree planting and clean ups), food insecurity, medical equipment, community development, disease prevention and more. Use our foundation dollars to support your club projects. Is your club sponsoring a District Grant?
Our District, in 2023-2024, has 63 Paul Harris Fellows and 87 Paul Harris Society Members!
We have 148 Rotary Direct Participants—an easy way to contribute to the foundation.
POLIO RACE TO ZERO A SUCCESS:
Our 2023 Race to Zero netted nearly $8,000! Special thanks to the Horsham Club for sponsoring the event this year. Stay tuned for 2024 planning. Polio ERADICATION is our number-one goal.
Join us in Celebrating our Foundation at the 2023 District Conference Saturday dinner!
Marty Helman, Rotary Foundation Trustee, will speak on the history of Rotary's work for Peace, and give an update on the Rotary Peace Centers, including our newest center in the Middle East, and will also discuss continued expansion plans. She will be speaking via Zoom to the Allentown West Rotary Club, held at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, on January 24. Rotarians and guests from District 7430 are all welcome to share this unique opportunity to attend, either in person or via Zoom. The program will begin at 7:45 a.m. RSVPs are required. For the Zoom link, or to RSVP for the breakfast, please contact President@AllentownWestRotary.org. Cost of the in-person breakfast is $20.
Is your club hosting a 4-Way Test Speech Contest in 2024 as part of our district-wide competition? It would be AWESOME to get 100% club participation this year. All you need to do is host a contest in February or March and give out prizes to the winners (typically $100, $75 and $50 for the top three students)...oh, and pay $200 to the district to support the next levels of the competition. The youth are the future, let's help them grow in positive ways. There will be a letter sent to the club presidents soon with all the details. You may also look up the information on the district website. https://rotarydistrict7430.org/sitepage/four-way-speech-contest/4way-speech-contest/ Can we count on your club to participate in this district-wide activity? Complete the club registration form and send in the $200 fee by January 31st. You might even gain a new member or two if you invite the parents of the students to attend the competition!
What is the 4-Way Test Speech Contest? We ask the students, what are you PASSIONATE about? And could you persuade others while answering these questions?
THE 4-WAY TEST of the things we think, say, or do:
First: Is it the TRUTH?
Second: Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Third: Will it build GOODWILL and Better FRIENDSHIPS?
Fourth: Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
If they answered yes, they are eligible to compete for cash prizes from the Rotary District 7430 speech contest each spring. Cash prizes are awarded for the first-, second-, and third-place winners. The club winner will compete in one of the five regional level contests for additional cash prizes. Top prize at the regional level is $200 per region.
SATURDAY, April 6, 2024 starting at 10 a.m.
Locations vary
The five regional winners will go on to the final round at the District 7430 Conference.
Top prize for the District level is $1,000!
SATURDAY, April 27, 2024
starting in the morning; exact time TBD
Wind Creek – Bethlehem, PA
Let's open this opportunity to all youth in our district by having all clubs participate. Complete the club entry form with $200 payment by January 31st to be included this year.
STEM YEA (Youth Explorer Academy) is a four-day residential camp for students who will be entering eighth grade in September 2024 and have a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The Academy, held at Kutztown University, from July 11- 14, 2024, provides hands-on learning experiences, such as building rovers and landers, solving engineering challenges, and exploring renewable energy sources. The experience aims to inspire students to tackle global issues and make a positive impact on the world. You can learn more about STEM YEA [here].
Registration begins in January. Please contact gwenn.carr@verizon.netfor registration details.
CAMP NEIDIG BUILDS STRONG CHARACTER
Camp Neidig scholarship covers a four-day camp for students who will be seniors in high school. It is designed to enhance their leadership potential and help them network with other leaders in the district. The camp features motivational speakers, group discussions, team-building activities, and more. You can find more information about Camp Neidig [here].
Impact Club will officially Charter on Jan 9, 2024 with nine members, at Bru Daddy's in Allentown.
The Founding members of the Impact Club are:
Gloria Power, Stephanie Wexler, Michele McGrath, Melanie Sanchez Jones, Jamee Pemberton, Robin Lysek, Sara Seidensticker, Nick Millward, Diana Dunn
Impact Clubs do not have regular meetings; instead they focus on service projects. The Areas of Focus for this Impact Club are Immigrant/Refugee Support, Youth Services and Food Insecurity in Inner City Allentown
Current Programs
Immigrant/Refugee Support
ESL Classes and after school programs at the Refugee Center (Church of the Mediator.)
Supporting a recent Afghan refugee couple
Youth Services – After School Programs
Supporting Various Programs within the Community Bike Works Organization: After school programs, Youth Leadership programs, Earn-a-Bike Program
Food Insecurity
Food Bank at Keck Park (614 S. Carlisle St, Allentown)
Partnering Program with Iglesia Cristiana Nuevo Renacer
The Impact Club needs members that know the community, speak the language and understand the culture of the community we intend to serve. Toward this goal, we are developing a Partnership with the ICNR.
Anyone interested in joining the Impact Club should contact Diana Dunn at dunndianas@gmail.com
Hello, welcome to a New Year. The district theme for this, the first month of 2024, is Vocational Services and within this month we also honor the 38th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a federal holiday. This year the MLK theme is Living the Dream: It Starts With Me: Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity.
One of the principal cornerstones of Rotary is "Service Above Self" because "we are greater when we look beyond ourselves and when we do for others." The theme is appropriate to start off a new year and seems to mesh with the vision theme for MLK Day.
Rotary's definition of vocational service differs slightly from the standard dictionary definition as it is broader in its meaning, as it embraces the overall initiative of having members serve others to help them reach their goals.
Rotary has five avenues of service: clubs, service, community, international and new generations
Vocational Service is the second avenue of service in Rotary. It encourages Rotarians to serve others through utilizing their vocations, education, unique skillsets, and expertise to address community societal problems and needs by helping others discover new professional opportunities and interest, which encourage high ethical standards. This service advances goodwill and peace, which should start with the members and extend outward to all others.
Although times have changed, has Rotary's core service message changed? The answer is a resounding "No." Our Rotary is deep and multi faceted, but not complex. From the initial thought 119 years ago, Rotary has not wavered from its core principle of 'Service Above Self' as the principal motto of Rotary, because it best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.
What has occurred, is an adapting of these values to fit with today's societal environment. For example Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This concept and issue is not new. Through the years the name changes to adapt to how society is embracing the issues.
DEI actually started during the Civil Rights movement, on which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had a profound impact. He worked diligently to ensure that all people, regardless of race, were treated with dignity and respect.
I’m old enough to remember that famous quote from the 1967 movie, “The Graduate.” Dustin Hoffman’s character (Ben) had just graduated from college and was confused and undecided about his future. The advice he received from family friend Mr. McGuire was that the future was in plastics. Boy, was it ever!
Since then, virtually everything is made from plastic. It has now gotten to the point that plastics are a major societal and environmental problem. This is especially the case with plastic materials that don’t get recycled.
Correcting our plastic waste problem requires a fundamental change in thinking about how plastics are made, used, and discarded. But, in the meantime there are things we can do as individuals…there are things we can do as Rotary clubs to help solve the plastics waste problem.
First, don’t use single-use plastics at all. Do we really need to put our groceries in a plastic bag that will be used once and pitched? Carrying groceries and other purchases in reusable bags is a huge step towards reducing plastic waste. Do we need to buy cucumbers that are wrapped in plastic film? Hasn’t our convenience lifestyle become ridiculous?
Today we can recycle single-use plastic bags and plastic film (think Amazon packaging) very easily. We all have seen the collection bins at grocery stores where you can deposit your bags. But, there’s an even better way to do it and have a positive impact on our communities.
The Rotary Youth Exchange committee finished off 2023 with our current inbound students in style. We had a Friendsgiving celebration and marched in the Ambler holiday parade. For many students it was their first time participating in both types of events. Part of the youth exchange program is giving students the opportunity to experience something new. Many of these students learn more about themselves personally in one year than they have in the 15-18 years they have been alive. We encourage all Rotarians and clubs to get involved with the program as they are able. We always welcome new committee members, and people to offer an experience to the students (tickets to events or attractions, a trip to a vacation home, a hike to the highest peak in your area, a ride on your boat, learning how to make a family recipe…the possibilities are endless). If you have something to share, please let one of our committee members know or contact our chair Linda Kennedy to get connected to the right person. These youth will brighten your day and allow you to share our culture with someone new. Things you do everyday could be a new hobby or adventure for them.
Welcome Meghan Reed of Emmaus Rotary. Meghan will be serving as Co-Ambassador effective January 1. Both of us are available to speak to your clubs and share the story of ShelterBox. We have two presentations available. ShelterBox 101 is an introduction to the organization and best for clubs with newer members who may not be familiar with ShelterBox. Four Families focuses on four families in different regions and shows the impact ShelterBox has had on them, putting a human face to the work we support. ShelterBox has now aided over 2,500,000 people since it was founded in 2000.
D7430 shone in the first quarter of the Rotary year, standing second in the number of Hero Clubs ($1,000 minimum donation) in the US. Congratulations to the Bethlehem Morning Star, Blue Bell, Hatboro, Horsham, Kutztown, and Newtown Clubs for showing the way. More recently, Willow Grove Rotary made a donation of over $6,300, making then a true leader. Support from Rotary clubs and other donors allows supplies to be pre-positioned for a more rapid response.
For more information or to schedule a presentation, contact either Bill Tuszynski (bill.tuszynski@gmail.com) or Meghan Reed (meghanreed517@gmail.com). Current ShelterBox deployments are shown on the map below.
Contributors: Gwenn Carr, Cindy Hornaman, Terry Reed, Gayle Rogers, Bill Tuszynski, Carolyne Jordan, Stephen Burnham, Diana Dunn, Gail Micca, Herb Klotz, Nick Millward
Questions or concerns about this issue? Contact the editor at: marleneheller@mac.com
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Marty Helman, Rotary Foundation Trustee, will speak on the history of Rotary's work for Peace, and give an update on the Rotary Peace Centers, including our newest center in the Middle East, and will also discuss continued expansion plans. She will be speaking via Zoom to the Allentown West Rotary Club, held at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, on January 24. 
one of the five regional level contests for additional cash prizes. Top prize at the regional level is $200 per region. 
Hello, welcome to a New Year. The district theme for this, the first month of 2024, is Vocational Services and within this month we also honor the 38th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a federal holiday. This year the MLK theme is Living the Dream: It Starts With Me: Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity.
. Part of the youth exchange program is giving students the opportunity to experience something new. Many of these students learn more about themselves personally in one year than they have in the 15-18 years they have been alive. We encourage all Rotarians and clubs to get involved with the program as they are able. We always welcome new committee members, and people to offer an experience to the students (tickets to events or attractions, a trip to a vacation home, a hike to the highest peak in your area, a ride on your boat, learning how to make a family recipe…the possibilities are endless). If you have something to share, please let one of our committee members know or contact our chair Linda Kennedy to get connected to the right person. These youth will brighten your day and allow you to share our culture with someone new. Things you do everyday could be a new hobby or adventure for them. 
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