It’s hard for most of us to imagine not having access to clean water. Perhaps there was a time when a major storm hit, and we were advised to boil water before using it. Sometimes, a municipality “flushes” the pipes in the street, and the toilet water turns brown for a while. Sometimes you go camping and..well...I personally go glamping and that solves THAT.
Here in Warminster, PA, it’s a little different. Our groundwater was contaminated decades ago by the former Naval Air Warfare Center through their use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are “forever chemicals” and designed to be indestructible. They do not biodegrade and can only be removed through filtration or destroyed using extreme industrial processes. In our communities, Municipal authorities purchase water supplies from areas that are not tainted, so the public isn’t at risk of exposure (there was a time when we were).
In America, we have the resources to remedy and ensure clean water. In other parts of the world, today, there isn’t even running water. People still bathe, drink, and cook with water from streams, and this is where Rotary makes an impact. District Governor Mary Cook talks about this in her monthly video. Enjoy!
~Karin
Click on picture or the link below for the March 2026 DG Video message.
Four-Way-Test Speech Contest moves to the Regional Level
Get ready for the Regionals! Winners of club level contests will be competiting on March 7th. Good luck!
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
There will be a learning opportunity about RLI on March 28th. The more you understand Rotary, the more meaningful your experience becomes! The Rotary Leadership Institute is one of the best ways to build that strength. Read about it and register by clicking here.
Public Image
Thanks to those who attended the Public Image webinar on 2/9/26. Many topics were covered and resources shared. If you missed this webinar, you can find information by clicking here. Do you have a question regarding public image? Reach out to anyone on the District PI committee for help!
April is Environmental Sustainability month. If you haven't done so recently, invite committee chairman Terry Reed to come speak to your club about the different initiatives. Mark your calendars: April 11th is Rotary Day of Service, and you're encouraged to do an outdoor project on that day or sometime during the month. Click here for more ideas, catch up on Plastics Recycling, learn about Food Waste Composting, and Circular Economies.
Mental Health & Wellness
Spend 2 Hours and Save a Life! Three free educational events are scheduled to teach individuals how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and learn some strategies to offer hope to support someone. The name of the seminar is QPR - Question, Persuade, and Respond. Join us at one of these FREE events – for Rotarians AND community members
Monday, April 6 from 6-8:00 pm at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center, 105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA. 18073 Hosted by Upper Perk Rotary Club
Tuesday, April 21 from 6-8:00 pm at the Northampton County Human Services Building at 2801 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem, PA. 18020. Hosted by the Easton Rotary Club
Monday, May 6 from 5:30–7:30 pm (location TBA) in the Bucks County area.
QPR is like CPR. Much of the world is familiar with CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation. QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created in 1995 by Paul Quinnett. An abbreviation for Question, Persuade and Refer, the intent is also to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care.
You do not need to be a counselor. You do not need medical training.
You only need the willingness to care and the courage to ask.
STEM YEA 2026 Needs YOU.
This year’s STEM Youth Explorer Academy promises to be the best yet. Join us for our fifth year serving rising 7th graders from clubs in our District.
STEM YEA is scheduled from Thursday, July 9th, through Sunday, July 12th. Volunteers walk the students from the dorms to the dining hall and to the north side of the Kutztown University campus, where the “Astrobiology: The Search for Life on Mars” theme is carried out. You may volunteer for as little as four hours or for the entire 3 ½ days. We especially need volunteers for four-hour overnight shifts. We provide a sleeping room for you.
Please go tohttps://www.stemyea.com/volunteer.htmlto learn more andregister. There is no cost to you, and you are cordially invited to join the students for meals.
For additional information, you may also contact Gary Englehardt, Volunteer Coordinator, atgenglehardt@thepegasusorg.com.
President Elects Gather at Liberty PELS!
D7430 President Elects gathered in Valley Forge from 2/26-2/28 for training. Inspired by the Savannah Bananas framework, leaders from Rotary Districts 7390, 7430, 7450, and 7505 came together to learn, connect, and grow. To all incoming Club Presidents, Assistant governors, and District leaders: the energy you brought was electric! To our speakers, facilitators, and partners: thank you for making this so much more than a seminar, you made it a movement. The year ahead belongs to you! Be sure to look at the photos from this event in our monthly photo album.
District Conference
April is right around the corner. Don't forget to register for the upcoming Multi-District Leadership Summit in April, to be held in Gettysburg, PA.
Who's going on the ghost tour with me?
~ Club News ~
The Rotary Club of Doylestown had an active January and February. Highly regarded Doan Gang expert Clint Flack, from the Mercer Museum, riveted us with his research on the cave that he found in Buckingham, where the Doan Gang hid in the 1780’s. Local historian Pat Mervine will be speaking about the Underground Railroad in Bucks County, focusing on Doylestown. (One of our members owns a house that was a “station”.) We held a very successful Beef n Beer, raising almost $10,000 in profits to support our local grants program. And we helped to pack 900 sandwiches at Caring for Friends in Philadelphia. ~submitted by Gail Linenberg
The Rotary Club of North Penn Presents Books to Local Schools
Book Presentation Event with a very special event. On 2/9 a collection of books were presented to the elementary schools within the North Penn School District. The purpose of this donation was to help raise awareness about Neurofibromatosis, a condition that affects many individuals and families. The presentation included several key figures from both the Rotary Club and the local schools. Those present were: Dale Rubinkam, project coordinator, John Geers, club president, Daniel Mina, principal of Walton Farm Elementary School, Pamela Roma, Connie Horton, Jeremy Roma. ~submitted by Dale Rubinkam
Souderton-Telford: Over the past month, as part of our 100th year celebration, the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club has intentionally visited organizations our club has supported throughout our history. On February 5, members were honored to hold our meeting at the Indian Valley Public Library,an organization we have supported since its very beginning.It was especially fitting that our guest speaker was local authorJulie Henning, whoshared the deeply personal story behind her book A Rose in the Ditch, a powerful message of resilience, hope, and finding beauty in unexpected places. Her authenticity and vulnerability resonated strongly with Rotary’s commitment to service, compassion, and lifting others up in times of need. Looking ahead, we’re excited to host ourRotary Centennial Classic Golf Tournamenton April 28, 2026, inviting golfers and sponsors to help us celebrate 100 years of service while supporting meaningful local and international projects. ~submitted by Michelle Kane
Lehigh Valley Passport: In the past month, the Passport Club has packed food at the Salvation Army and at the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank’s Elderly Food Program. We also prepare dinner at the Ecumenical Kitchen at the Lehigh Conference of Churches twice per month. Besides packing food at the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, we have been painting interior walls and trim there. We also conducted a coat drive and delivered our collection to the Lehigh Conference of Churches and Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church.~submitted by Mike Carolan
The Norristown Rotary wrapped up their "Love Your Neighbor" food drive in February. The successful event was held at the Redners market in Audubon. An estimated 12-14 "heaping" cards of groceries were gathered. Incoming shoppers were handed a suggested list of items, and most returned with bags of groceries; others donated cash. ~submitted by Alan Treisbach
Spring-Ford Rotary recently held their 4-Way Speech Test Contest at the Spring Hollow Golf Club. 3 Interact students impressively participated. SFR held their 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast on 3/1 at the Royersford Fire Department serving roughly 500 patrons. Next up, on 4/25 there will be an Arbor Day Tree Giveaway where approximately 300 native saplings will be distributed to the community. Also on deck is a cleanup of the Perkiomen Creek. ~submitted by Christopher Laskey
Berks County Rotary Clubs Joint Effort Eight Rotary Clubs in Berks County joined forces recently to support Helping Harvest with a generous gift of $1,000. Helping Harvest works to combat hunger in Berks and Schuylkill counties. ~submitted by Kurt Rohrbach
On February 17th, the Blue Bell Rotary Club awarded its Montgomery County Community College Scholarship to student Susie Delp. Susie shared her powerful personal journey of extreme challenges and hardship. Her story, perseverance, and commitment to creating a brighter future for herself and her family through her continuing education at Montco is truly inspirational. On February 10th, our club had an inspiring and educational presentation by Laurie Smolenski, a Rotary Peace Fellow based in Brooklyn, NY. Laurie Smolenski is the Director of Development at African Communities Together (ACT), supporting African immigrant communities in the U.S. She has worked in development for immigrant justice, human rights, and peace-focused organizations, including the Institute for Economics and Peace. Through a grant and our weekly volunteer efforts, the Blue Bell club continues to support the Do Better 4 Steve (DB4S) 'Coffee Crew' at the Ambler YMCA. DB4S is a 501(c)(3) non-profit initiative empowering young adults with disabilities through vocational training and community connection. Intended to foster independence, the 'Coffee Crew' serves coffee and other drinks and food items in the YMCA lobby every Wednesday morning and is supported by local partners like the Rotary Club of Blue Bell. This initiative, inspired by Steve's legacy of kindness, provides a welcoming space for YMCA members to connect and support meaningful, community-driven work. ~submitted by Allan Syphers
The Ambler Rotary Club will host a FREE Community Scavenger Hunt on
Saturday, March 14, from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM in the heart of Ambler’s downtown business district. We look forward to welcoming neighboring Rotarians to join us in the fun. This interactive, family-friendly event is designed to strengthen connections between residents and local businesses while increasing visibility for Rotary’s presence and service. Participants will explore Ambler’s Main Street, engage with merchants, and experience firsthand the vibrant small business network that makes our town unique. Through this initiative, Ambler Rotary aims to foster fellowship, promote local economic support, and demonstrate Rotary’s ongoing commitment to building stronger community relationships. ~submitted by Deirdre Cordero Marino
Supporting Food Insecurity - The List Contines To Grow!
District 7430 Rotary Clubs support Food Banks and pantries throughout our region. The following is a partial list of organizations we support. If your club supports a food bank and isn't listed here, please drop us a note and let us know!
Ambler - Maddie Dixon Community Cupboard
Bethlehem Morning Star - The Bethlehem Emergency Shelter
Blue Bell - Family Promise, Montco Community College Food Bank
Central Bucks - The Grace Project
Collegeville - Daily Bread Community Food Pantry
Lehigh Valley Passport - Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, Conference Kitchen at the Lehigh Conference of Churches
Nazareth - Nazareth Area Food Bank
Norristown - Patrician Society
Perkasie - Pennridge FISH, Angels Sharing the Warmth
Quakertown - Quakertown Food Pantry
Slatington - Northern Area Food Bank, Slatington Area Food Bank
Souderton-Telford - Keystone Opportunity Center
Springfield Township-Flourtown - various
Upper Perkiomen - Open Link Food Pantry
Warminster - Warminster Food Bank
Warrington - Family Service Association of Bucks County, PA
West Reading-Wyomissing - Hope Rescue and LightHouse Mission
Kutztown: 100th Anniversary Dinner celebration on 4/1
Pottstown: Annual Pancake Breakfast on 4/4
Warminster: 6th Annual Golf Outing on 4/24
Whitehall: Paws in the Parkway on 5/9
Welcome & Congratulations
Congratulations
Bethlehem Morning Star: Officer William Rodriguez, People of Action Awardee and Paul Harris Fellow recipient.
Welcome
Warminster Rotary Club: Welcome new member John Magee
Beyond Borders
District 7430 is a part of Rotary International Zone 32. Our Zone Director is Chris Etienne, and she is hosting a special dinner during the Rotary International Convention in Taipai this coming June. Travelling in June? You're invited to attend! Click here.
Next up!
APRIL is
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MONTH
Let us know by 3/20 what your club is doing for this important area of focus.
training. Inspired by the Savannah Bananas framework, leaders from Rotary Districts 7390, 7430, 7450, and 7505 came together to learn, connect, and grow. To all incoming Club Presidents, Assistant governors, and District leaders: the energy you brought was electric! To our speakers, facilitators, and partners: thank you for making this so much more than a seminar, you made it a movement. The year ahead belongs to you! Be sure to look at the photos from this event in our monthly 
. The purpose of this donation was to help raise awareness about Neurofibromatosis, a condition that affects many individuals and families. The presentation included several key figures from both the Rotary Club and the local schools. 
Ecumenical Kitchen at the Lehigh Conference of Churches twice per month. Besides packing food at the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, we have been painting interior walls and trim there. We also conducted a coat drive and delivered our collection to the Lehigh Conference of Churches and Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church.
based in Brooklyn, NY. Laurie Smolenski is the Director of Development at African Communities Together (ACT), supporting African immigrant communities in the U.S. She has worked in development for immigrant justice, human rights, and peace-focused organizations, including the Institute for Economics and Peace. Through a grant and our weekly volunteer efforts, the Blue Bell club continues to support the Do Better 4 Steve (DB4S) 'Coffee Crew' at the Ambler YMCA. DB4S is a 501(c)(3) non-profit initiative empowering young adults with disabilities through vocational training and community connection. Intended to foster independence, the 'Coffee Crew' serves coffee and other drinks and food items in the YMCA lobby every Wednesday morning and is supported by local partners like the Rotary Club of Blue Bell. This initiative, inspired by Steve's legacy of kindness, provides a welcoming space for YMCA members to connect and support meaningful, community-driven work. 
