They persevered through the Great Depression, through WWII, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Civil Rights Unrest, and even women joining Rotary. As long as humankind exists, there will be things to be done, people to be fed, helped and loved. The heart of service never grows old, Rotary will be there to do it.
These clubs, The Rotary Club of Elizabethtown, The Rotary Club of Lititz, and The Rotary Club of Mt. Joy has done it for 100 years – 100 years of impact, of friendship, of service. The crowd joined in raising a glass "To those who started it, those who continued it, those who serve today – and to those who will carry it on."
That is 300 years of impact - of improving their community, global partners, and of friendships. When you add in the other five clubs in our District that have already hit 100 years (Carlisle, May 1921, Gettysburg Nov 1920, Lancaster July 1915, Lebanon April 1921 and York June 1916) that's 800 years of impact!
The friendships alone are worth joining Rotary, and when you add in the bonus of service, it is just one way you can help save the world (which everyone wants to do, but doesn't want to help Mom do the dishes...). There were displays on Saturday showing the clubs through the years. One large picture showed our District as once part of East Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. My, how we've grown.
It's time to grow Rotary again - for the friendships, the leaders, and for Service Above Self. I hope you enjoy Rotary as much as I do - and if not, tell me why. While each club has its own culture, it is still part of a movement across the world. With our help, we can help bring about another 100 years of impact - or in our District, 4,000 years of impact. How? By inviting your friends, neighbors and coworkers to join you at a meeting or to find a meeting near their home. Talk about Rotary, what your club is doing and why. Talk about why you continue to go. Tell your leadership what you'd like to be doing differently or in addition to current projects. Tell District if there is a Resolution you think RI needs to consider at the next Council of Legislation. The organization is good and useful to you in response to the effort you give to it. Help us Create Lasting Impact (next year's theme by the way).
The District Learning Committee is hard at work building opportunities for our Rotarians to grow their knowledge and skills. To that end, we are starting a series of monthly on-line learning sessions (7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) on various topics that should be helpful to your Rotarians and club leaders. The first session will be about Rotary’s Learning Center, an incredibly useful resource that is available to all Rotarians right on their favorite personal computing device. Joining us for the session will be Amy Hopkins from Rotary International’s learning team. Amy is the content developer for the Learning Center, so we will hear from the most knowledgeable person about our learning center capabilities. She will also be interested to hear about your experience with the site and desired topics for future development.
District 7390 is holding its annual Grant Training on Thursday, January 29th, from 6:30–8:30 PM on Zoom. This session will prepare you to complete the four required online tests to be certified as Grant Trained.
If your Rotary club plans to apply for a District Club Grant or Global Grant in RY 2026–2027, at least one Rotarian from your club must be Grant Trained each year.
CLICK HERE to register in advance with the District using the link below so we can ensure all clubs have appropriate representation and don’t miss out on the opportunity to CREATE lasting CHANGE across the Globe, in our Communities, and in Ourselves!
The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of D7390 Passport, West Shore and Yellow Breeches will host the 79th RMB networking event in Rotary District 7390 history and the first event of the 2026 RMB season on Thursday, February 12 at the Rolls Royce Museum (189 Hempt Road, Mechanicsburg) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Rolls Royce Museum also will be the Venue Sponsor of the networking event and will provide tours of the venue for interested attendees. Other sponsors are Dickinson College, Fairway Home Mortgage and the Rotary Club of Hershey.
The event will be FREE and include light hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer, soft drinks, and water.
This will be another in a longstanding series of great business networking opportunities for both profit and non-profit organizations. Do not miss it!
Also, please consider bringing potential Rotarian guests, Rotaractors, and Family of Rotary.
Rotary's Mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
The District Learning Assembly is a great opportunity for all Rotarians to enhance their understanding of key areas that contribute to the success of a club. This event will equip you with valuable insights and practical knowledge on crucial topics such as: Using AI, Mentoring, Legal Issues for Clubs, Membership Success, RI Apps, The Rotary Foundation, and MORE!
By attending, you'll walk away with a comprehensive understanding of these areas and be better prepared to help your club achieve its goals and create a positive impact. Whether you're a seasoned Rotarian or new to the role, this assembly will be an inspiring and enriching experience for everyone involved.
Plans are underway for the District-wide, one-day community event to recycle Lithium-ion batteries. It will occur this April and is being coordinated by the District Environment Committee as part of a larger Rotary International effort.
For the event, clubs will select a drive-through location where people can drop off their batteries. The recycling company working with Rotary (Redwood Materials) will provide appropriate containers for collecting the batteries and cover shipping costs to the recycling center.Rotarians provide labor and enthusiasm!
Planning for the event will take several weeks, and April is not far away!To allow enough time, please talk to your club members now about participating. For more information, contact Mark Tillman (Carlisle-Sunrise) or Joe McNally (West Shore) via ClubRunner.
Our meeting starts at 7:15 AM.Clari should be speaking around 7:30 AM IAW with our standard meeting template.However, trying to process others into the Zoom after we start can be problematic.Therefore, recommend everyone log in NLT 7:10 and hold for a few minutes. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87589719713?pwd=YNJcfZdfm6n8hzSoWiZLuUnGNjI82a.1
As the Rotary Club of Mount Joy approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, the organization is preparing to mark that milestone with a project rooted in remembrance. The club has a long history of enhancing the town, from installing the Main Street clock to helping build Rotary Park and contributing significantly to the rebuild of Kids Joyland. Now, Rotarians are turning their efforts toward a project that carries deep local meaning: the creation of a Malmedy Massacre Memorial at Veterans War Memorial Park.
The memorial will honor the more than 80 American soldiers who were executed during the Malmedy Massacre on Dec. 17, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge. It will also pay special tribute to the 10 Lancaster County soldiers from Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, among them Mount Joy's own Harold Billow, the last-known survivor of the World War II massacre, who passed away in 2022 at age 99.
"The Rotary Club of Mount Joy has always been committed to enhancing their local Mount Joy community in the Rotary spirit of Service Above Self," said Rotarian Dave Christian. “The club's primary focus for the memorial is to tell the story of that horrific day, so it is never forgotten.”
The massacre unfolded on a bitterly cold morning near Malmedy, Belgium. An American convoy of about 30 vehicles unknowingly approached a crossroads from the east at the same moment a heavily armed German SS unit advanced from the west. Outgunned and forced to surrender, the Americans were gathered into a field, where, moments later, the German soldiers opened fire. Unarmed POWs were gunned down where they stood; some were shot at close range as they lay wounded. Only those who managed to feign death, including Cpl. Billow, survived long enough for the Germans to leave the area.
Five of the 10 Lancaster County soldiers present were killed that day. Sylvester Herchelroth of Marietta, Charles Haines of Columbia, George Steffy of Stevens, Luke Swartz of Stevens and Carl Frey of Hopeland all lost their lives. The others - Billow, Bill Reem of Elizabethtown, Robert "Sketch" Mearig of Lititz, James Mattera of Marietta and Ernest Bechtel of Reinholds - returned home after the war.
For decades, Billow honored his fallen comrades by displaying 87 American flags in his yard every Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Dec. 17. Those flags became a poignant personal ritual and now serve as the inspiration for the new community memorial.
"The inspiration for the memorial was heavily influenced by Eagle Scout Todjr Dohl of Mount Joy, who was designing a Malmedy memorial project several years back for his Eagle Scout project," Christian said. “The Rotary Club of Mount Joy chose to give new life to Todjr's vision, carrying forward most of his proposed design elements.”
The club's proposed memorial incorporates symbolism in its central feature: a field of 87 miniature American flags, arranged exactly as Billow placed them each year. Set in river gravel and illuminated at night, the field will serve as a quiet but powerful reminder of the soldiers lost at Malmedy. The flags will remain in place year-round, except during times of heavy snow.
A granite monument with a bronze plaque will stand beside the flag field, offering visitors a brief account of the Malmedy Massacre. A stone bench will provide a reflective space for those who wish to pause, remember or pray. The memorial area will be accessible by an ADA-compliant walkway and surrounded by plantings of red, white and blue flowers and several small flowering trees.
Community involvement is central to the project's design. The walkway surrounding the memorial will be lined with donor-sponsored, laser-etched brick pavers. Individuals, families, organizations and businesses are invited to purchase a paver in honor of one of the Malmedy soldiers.
Ten larger brick pavers - each bearing the name of one of the Lancaster County soldiers present at Malmedy - are available for sponsorship. Sixteen additional pavers will display World War II service branch insignias, mottos and Gold Star symbols honoring families who lost loved ones in the conflict.
The Rotary Club estimates the total cost of the memorial at $35,000 to $40,000. If fundraising progresses quickly, the goal is to complete and dedicate the site on Memorial Day 2026.
"If contributions exceed expectations, we hope to add a historical storyboard to the memorial space that would pictorially and descriptively convey the story of the Malmedy Massacre and the 10 Lancaster soldiers who were there," Christian said.
Community support will be essential in bringing the project to life. Donations of any amount will help ensure that the memorial stands as a lasting tribute to the men who never returned home and as an educational reminder for future generations.
Check out the Upcoming Club Events Around the District! If you want your Club events listed in the newsletter, simply send an email with details to office@rotary7390.org!
Share the love this Valentine’s Day with a heartfelt message displayed on a lamppost in downtown Lancaster. Surprise your sweetheart—or celebrate a beloved pet—with a personalized Valentine heart.
Sweetheart messages will be hung throughout downtown Lancaster, while pet dedications will be proudly displayed at Binns Park or the Dog Park on Marietta Avenue. Finding your heart becomes a fun Valentine’s scavenger hunt as you explore Lancaster’s restaurants, galleries, and unique shops.
Spread love, support the community, and make Valentine’s Day extra special.
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg is gearing up for the 2026 Super Bowl on February 8 with a fun new fundraiser to support Rotary’s humanitarian activities.
The club is selling 100 Super Bowl Squares at $50 per square, with $2,500 in total prizes up for grabs. At the end of each of the first three quarters, $500 will be awarded to a lucky winner, and $1,000 will go to the winner based on the final game score.
No football knowledge is required to play—just a willingness to have fun while supporting a great cause! The fundraiser is based solely on game scores, so it doesn’t matter which teams make it to the Super Bowl.
To purchase a square or for more information, contact Anna-Mae Kobbe at amkobbe@gmail.com.
Join the fun, enjoy the game, and help Rotary make a difference!
Rotary Districts from Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey are joining forces to bring you the ultimate Rotary Experience - A celebration of leadership, fellowship, and service that goes beyond the ordinary.
This is your opportunity to:
Connect with Rotarians from Across seven Districts
Learn from dynamic leaders and innovative projects
Engage in inspiring discussions that shape our Rotary future
