The Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club dedicated two Peace Poles last Thursday in a celebration of Peace, Inclusivity and Global Unity, appropriately timed to occur on the International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
The collaboration on display for the well-attended event was precisely what the peace pole concept envisions for outreach, impact, and engagement. The Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club and Bethany Village, along with its Bethany Associate Belonging Council, formed the Committee to plan the simultaneous dedication of both peace poles on its campus. Thanks to Executive Director of Bethany Village, Brian Grundusky, the ideal partnership between Rotary and the community achieved the plan that included dozens of residents as participants.
Two special Rotary couples, Clarence and Susan Asbury, and David and Judith Clovsky made a great commitment to peacebuilding by underwriting the peace pole project and seeing it through. Together with Bob Saline, who coordinated the publicity, they took a giant step forward in the Rotary role toward global peace, creating on that day the equivalent of an Institute of Understanding similar to what Rotarians undertook 85 years ago. The historical aspect of the gesture was very evident. View the ABC 27 News Coverage here.
In 1945, when a delegation of 49 Rotarians attended the United Nations Conference on International Organizations in San Francisco, they set the example for how Rotarians can be engaged in public discourse concerning understanding, good will and ultimately peace. If there were to be another such global planning session for a revised UN, surely the Asbury’s and Clovsky’s would be high on the list of volunteer Rotarians to attend!
This symbolic gesture and the words on the two poles, each in 8 languages, plus braille, convey the essential message of MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH. Many of the languages were chosen by the employees at Bethany Village, and the Committee even included the language of the Lenape to reflect the indigenous peoples from this area!
As Rudyard Kipling concluded in the Ballad of East and West:
But there is neither East nor
West, Border, nor Breed, nor
Birth
When two strong men stand
face to face, tho’ they come
from the ends of the earth!
The peace poles are an integral part of Rotary’s vision that positive peace starts right here in our community. In addition to our New Year’s Day Mile Peace Walk, our District has already held numerous peace workshops at Club meetings, the World Affairs Council, and at two District Learning Assemblies.
The next Peace Workshop is on May 31 at Central Penn College from 8:30 to noon. It is free, including breakfast, and attendees will leave with profound insights about positive peace, community assessments of areas of conflict, and next steps to make progress in addressing the pillars of peace. The session will be facilitated by District Peace Activator, Dr. Hector Ortiz, and is open to all Rotarians and community government, educational, and religious leaders. Please bring along someone from your community and register on the website.
The May 31 workshop will endeavor to achieve what the Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club did in facilitating the Peace Pole ceremony: charting a path to changes in attitudes, institutions, and structures toward the goal of greater understanding and positive peace.
Global Health Center Medical Projects for Clubs and Individual Rotarians
In another area for global engagement, our District has been in talks with the Penn State College of Medicine Global Health Center concerning opportunities to support medical projects in several nations where its medical students are interning. Several students have written proposals to enable them to undertake medical projects in Ghana, India, Philippines, and Nepal. The chart below shows the proposals, with scope and costs. The medical students would do these projects and then report back with detailed briefings after their overseas experience. Clubs and individual Rotarians may wish to directly support one or more of these projects as a way of staying engaged with this important area of focus, and the unique opportunity to deal personally with the medical students, before and after the mission. Click here for further information.
(Highlighting Rotary in Action During Autism Awareness Month)
As Autism Awareness Month comes to a close, it is the perfect time to highlight Harrisburg Rotarian Hagir Elsheikh and her remarkable work with Kareem’s Mission. Located in Enola, Pennsylvania, Kareem’s Mission is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with Autism and their families throughout central Pennsylvania and beyond. Their goal is to provide comprehensive support, resources, and advocacy, creating a community where everyone impacted by Autism has access to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.
This year marks an exciting milestone for Kareem’s Mission: they have secured a new home on the campus of Central Penn College! Their new center—slated to open later this year—will be the first of its kind in the area, providing a welcoming and supportive environment for children, teens, and adults living with Autism. The organization is actively partnering with local businesses, organizations, and schools to help complete and furnish their new space.
The Kareem’s Mission Center will feature a variety of thoughtfully designed spaces, including an indoor gym, art room, music room, digital studio, and a calming space. The building will also offer a teen-focused classroom with computers, a family café to encourage relationship-building among families, and adult classrooms to provide guidance and support for navigating an Autism diagnosis at any stage of life. These spaces will be available for families, children, and therapists as they work together to meet developmental goals and build lifelong skills.
How You Can Help
Individuals: Kareem’s Mission welcomes volunteers willing to donate their time and talents as they prepare for the center’s opening. They are also seeking in-kind donations to help furnish their themed rooms. Hagir emphasizes sustainability and is happy to accept gently used materials (e.g., padding material for walls/floors, art supplies, technology, etc.) from schools, organizations, or individuals.
Rotary Clubs: Kareem’s Mission aligns with Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Area of Focus—one of the Seven Areas of Focus. Education and literacy are fundamental building blocks for peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and community economic development. If your club is seeking a grant project or service opportunity, consider supporting Kareem’s Mission by purchasing an item from their wish list—or even sponsoring the complete furnishing of one of their special rooms!
We are fortunate to walk alongside Hagir Elsheikh during this exciting chapter for Kareem’s Mission. Her passion and leadership truly embody Rotary in Action!
For more information and to stay updated, visit kareemsmission.org, email them at kareemsmission@gmail.com, and connect with them on social media by searching @kmissiontv.
Time continues to move swiftly, and we find ourselves already completing the third quarter of the 24-25 Rotary year. Once again Rotary Clubs across the country have supported people devastated by disaster both near and far by donating to ShelterBox USA. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support. Below are some highlights of the last few months. It is with great pleasure that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Rotary Club of Elizabethtown on being honored with the Hero Award for outstanding contributions to ShelterBox. The Clubs dedication and relentless efforts have made a significant impact on countless lives, helping to rebuild communities and restore hope in times of despair. This recognition is a testament to exceptional commitment to humanitarian service.
At the beginning of 2025 Los Angeles wildfires tore through neighborhoods destroying thousands of homes and buildings and leaving tens of thousands of people displaced. With your support, ShelterBox USA has been on the frontlines providing relief to those in need. We joined forces with Rotary District 5300, Amazon Disaster, and a network of dedicated volunteers to provide the critical household supplies that residents urgently needed. Alongside staff and volunteers, one of our most inspiring heroes, long-time ShelterBox USA ambassador, Rene Amy, whose own home was lost in the fires, stepped forward to help distribute aid. Despite his personal loss, Rene’s strength and commitment continue to uplift his community, a testament to the resilience we all share. His selflessness exemplifies the true spirit of humanitarian service.
To amplify our impact, we committed a $100,000 matching grant to Rotary Districts 5280 and 5300, ensuring additional relief to those in the hardest-hit areas. Thanks to your unwavering support, ShelterBox USA is making a life-changing difference in communities struck by disaster, both at home in Los Angeles and around the world. This comprehensive response demonstrated the strength of collaboration between ShelterBox USA and Rotary, in supporting communities in crisis.
As you may have heard, a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar and Thailand, causing catastrophic damage and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Both countries have declared a state of emergency, and authorities in Myanmar have urgently requested international humanitarian assistance—a rare and critical appeal that underscores the severity of the crisis. Significant aftershocks followed, with tremors felt as far away as China. Search and rescue efforts are underway amidst damaged roads, bridges, and buildings, and the death toll continues to rise. This is an urgent humanitarian crisis. ShelterBox is responding and deployed a response team to Bangkok to coordinate relief efforts. Given the magnitude and shallow depth of this earthquake, we anticipate extensive destruction, particularly around Sagaing and Mandalay in Myanmar, areas already burdened by significant humanitarian crises and conflict-driven displacement.
How can you help? ShelterBox has extensive experience responding to disasters in Myanmar, providing families with emergency shelter, essential supplies, and critical support. But we cannot do it without you. Please consider donating—your generosity will directly help families facing unimaginable loss after disasters. ShelterBox USA is celebrating 25 years of providing humanitarian support, we are incredibly grateful for those of you who were able to join us in New Orleans to celebrate with us. It was a fun and motivational weekend. You can continue to help us celebrate 25 years of humanitarian service through the 25 in 25 Challenge!
Please join us on Wednesday April 30th from 9:00-10:00 am PST for the ShelterBox USA Webinar All Hands Rotary Update: Don’t Wait Until Disaster Strikes. Join us for an opportunity to celebrate Hero Clubs, hear from our ShelterBox USA President, Kerri Murray for an international response update and gain insight from a US response panel. Registration is required. Click here to register.
Lastly, the Rotary International Convention is quickly approaching, June 22-25, 2025. We hope to see you there!
The Rotary Clubs of Harrisburg and Harrisburg Keystone will host and sponsor the Diamond Jubilee 75th RMB networking event in Rotary District 7390 history and the second event of the 2025 RMB season. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 7 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Capital Blue Cross Connect location (Hampton Marketplace, 4500 Marketplace Way, Enola, PA). The event will be FREE to attend. There will be light hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer, soft drinks, and water provided. 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. When we do business with Rotarians, we support the mission of Rotary. Rotary's Mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. REGISTER TODAY!!
In an effort to engage the many talents and passions of Rotarians throughout our District, we are interested in hearing from YOU about ways you would like to grow in service and leadership at a District level. Click here to complete the District 7390 Service questionnaire by June 1, 2025. If you are interested in learning more about these areas, you can review our District Annual Reports here. Thank you in advance for your willingness to share your time and talents with us!
This is the fourth Year that the Rotary Club of York-North entertained the Margaret E. Moul Home residents with Casino Night. The residents played blackjack and roulette, along with chuck-a-luck and the dice wheel. Rotarians made a new game this year called the human slot machine where the Rotarians were the actual slot machine.
Donna Keller from the Recreation Department commented that “we have a bunch of amazing volunteers from the Rotary Club that helped us put this on”. The residents had fun and won some prizes and just had a good old time playing some Vegas games.
A fundraising event for Veterans and First Responders with proceeds benefitting Veterans Organizations
Special honor to fallen West York Borough Police Officer Andrew Duarte
Flags will be displayed May 21 – June 4, 2025 *All orders must be received by May 20, 2025.*
Join us at 11:00 am, May 31, 2025 at the New Freedom Heritage Green next to Marlin’s Auto Repair for the 8th Annual Flags For Heroes Dedication Ceremony.
Proudly displaying our American Flag as we observe two weeks remembering and honoring those who protect us and have made our country free!
There is no safer country than ours because of their service.
Join Rotary District 7390 for a POSITIVE PEACE Community Workshop: Participate in building Positive Peace in our communities. This FREE workshop will be held on Saturday morning, May 31, 2025, at Central Penn College in the Capital Blue Cross Theater, 600 Valley Road, Summerdale, PA 17093.
Light refreshments will be available from 8:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. when the workshop begins, with coffee available during breaks. The workshop is expected to conclude by noon.
Dr. Hector R. Ortiz, Positive Peace Activator, North America and the Caribbean, and facilitator for the partnership between Rotary International and the Institute for Economics and Peace, will lead the comprehensive workshop as it focuses on practical steps for individuals and organizations!
Workshop objectives to understand the framework of Positive Peace and how it creates meaningful change in the community are:
Learn what Positive Peace is and why it matters: Positive peace goes far beyond the absence of conflict. It enhances attitudes, institutions, and structures that help societies flourish, through actions and programs that encourage understanding, promote equity, and foster social cohesion. Understanding the importance and process of Positive Peace can greatly enhance the profundity of one’s approach to peacebuilding, locally and globally, leading to peaceful societies.
Become familiar with Rotary’s seven areas of focus: Rotary International, a global humanitarian organization of 1.4 million members, addresses critical needs in society through service projects and initiatives. The seven areas of focus that address these key issues, and provide opportunities to improve them, help members make a difference in the world, in their communities, and in themselves.
Learn about the eight pillars of positive peace used by the nonprofit Institute of Economics and Peace to evaluate the attributes and effectiveness of nations and their state of governance. Those pillars, from a well-functioning government, with the free flow of information, to the acceptance of the rights of others, are key elements that contribute to Positive Peace. An analysis of all eight pillars will provide an understanding of steps to create a stable and just society. The global peace index, assigned to each nation by the Institute as a result of evaluating the eight pillars, has helped Rotary better understand the application and relevance of its areas of focus.
Plan steps to create Positive Peace in your organization and community: These steps will focus on actions that participants can implement to become peacebuilders—to make progress toward a safer and more secure community with decreased conflicts, domestically and globally. Specific steps, and a plan of action will provide ways to engage others in promoting peace through conflict prevention, and civic engagement.
This workshop is a great chance to get involved in tangible, meaningful changes, leading to Positive Peace!
The workshop is FREE, but please reserve your seat in advance by clicking here!
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