Happy spring in district 7390! Each week I get to go to one or more club’s activities and it is great to see our wonderful Rotarians in action. Thank you for all that you are doing to serve others in your communities.

 

The Carlisle club invited me to attend a special meeting they jointly hosted with the Popel Shaw Center at Dickinson College. This meeting included Carlisle Rotarians, Dickinson College faculty and students, and staff of the PA Human Relations Commission (PHRC). The keynote speaker was Mr. Chad “CD” Lassiter, PHRC executive director, who gave a passionate presentation about various challenges and opportunities in human relations in our state and in our backyard of Carlisle. Some of what he discussed was unsettling to be sure, but it was necessary to hear to better understand our community. I am grateful to our Carlisle Rotarians for doing this special session. The lesson I pass to all clubs and Rotarians in the district is to try one of these special meetings to learn more about your community. Invite state, county, and town officials or other agencies who can help illuminate areas of the
community that may be hard to see as Rotarians but need Rotary’s help. Then talk as a club how you might make a difference based on what you discover. The community will benefit while making Rotary in south-central PA even stronger.

We are just over two weeks away from the district conference. You can register until April 10th. The conference is designed in three parts and you may attend one or more of the separate parts according to your intertest and availability. The details are on the district web site under the District Conference 2024 link at the top. Our Saturday morning service projects are coming together well. Even if you are not planning to attend the other parts of the conference, the service projects on Saturday are opportunities for service and fellowship. Bring yourself, your family, your neighbors, and your co-workers. Show them the heart of Rotary. I am grateful to the Rotarians who agreed to coordinate the separate projects on our behalf. AG Larenda Twigg (Carlisle-Sunrise) and Judy Wheaton (Carlisle) have a project in the Carlisle area at the King’s Gap Environmental Education Center to help them
prepare for the new season. DGND Rebecca Zalit (Palmyra) has a project with Quittie Creek Nature Park near Annville to clear invasive species plants. And Joe McNally (West Shore) has coordinated two activities: the Watershed Association of York County (WAY) will hold a riparian buffer project to stabilize a riverbank; and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area’s Zimmerman Center will hold an educational event about the Susquehanna river. Thank you to all of them for their efforts in finding and coordinating worthy projects for our collective service.

I’ll see you at the District Conference and around the district.

DG Fred.