Members of York East Rotary endured the heat and humidity to pull weeds surrounding the pond at the Leg Up Farm in Mount Wolf. Leg Up Farm is the only pediatric therapy facility in the country to provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy, behavioral health services, nutrition counseling, therapeutic horseback riding and educational and recreational programming under one roof.
A big “Thank You” goes out to Greg Kern, Reid Kern, Kris Pollick, Karen Comery and Chris Izzo for helping on Saturday.
Tom Gump is passionate about growing Rotary Membership through forming new and innovative, cause-based Rotary, Rotaract and satellite clubs. He founded the first ever Rotary Club to serve veterans and co-founded the world’s first Rotary club to end human trafficking. He helped found the Rotary Club of Network for Empowering Women and The Kaleidoscope Rotaract Club, to serve those with Autism and their families. He also helped form the Rotaract eClub for the Environment - the first ever cause-based, international, Rotaract eClub focusing on the environment, which was the innovative club example used by Rotary International General Secretary and CEO JohnHewko in his closing remarks at the 2021 Rotary Virtual Convention.
Rotary Club of Lancaster South is holding a motorcycle ride/pancake breakfast fundraiser on September 25, 2021. This event will benefit the affordable housing programs at Tenfold, which was created by the merger of Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership and Tabor, as well as funding our philanthropic work in our community. The event will be held at the Willow Street Fire Company in Willow Street PA with breakfast starting at 9 a.m. until noon, and will feature three great rides in Lancaster and York Counties. These are self guided tours with maps and .gpx files provided by the organizers. For more information, please contact Dan Hess at dvhess@comcast.net or visit our website at https://lancsouthrotary.org/event/motorcycle-ride-pancake-breakfast/. Early registration opens August 1, 2021 and closes on September 15, 2021. Register before September 15 and single rider with breakfast will cost $35, and rider with passenger and breakfast will cost $45. After September 15, fees are $40 and $50 respectively.
Motorcycle Ride/Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser - September 25
Check out the latest post on the District Blog at https://bit.ly/3ep3iKh featuring an article by Passport Club President Melissa-Kopp Smith! While you are there subscribe to the Blog to get articles mailed directly to your inbox.
Subscribing is easy and located at the bottom of the homepage.
The Passport Club welcomes visitors and is looking to partner with area Rotary Clubs on service activities. Read more on the blog about how to connect with Melissa and the passionate members of this club!
Rotary Club of Lancaster South provided three $1,000 college scholarships to the following high school seniors who graduated in the Spring and are attending college in the Fall - Alexander Knapp a Lampeter-Strasburg graduate attending George Mason University, Delaney Reitnauer a Penn Manor graduate attending Delaware State University and Faith Redcay a Solanco graduate attending Longwood Gardens Professional Horticulture Program.
Michael Newsome is Gov. Tom Wolf’s Secretary of Administration. When the governor called upon him to serve, he had been mostly retired for three years, still working a part-time job as a member of the state Liquor Control Board, but spending more time playing golf with his wife, traveling, doting on his grandson. Life was good, and he enjoyed retirement, more than he thought he would. But the governor – who was also an old friend, a man he had known for decades and worked with saving Wolf’s family business from bankruptcy – called, and he took the job, recalling that he once told him that if there was anything he could do for him, just call.
Newsome grew up in the South, in poverty, in public housing and, during his youngest years, in a house that didn’t have an indoor bathroom, raised, for the most part, by a single mother, one of nine kids. It was while he was working at the York Daily Record that he became aware of Tom Wolf. And it was during a period of friction between Wolf – and members of the York business community – and the newspaper that the two men became acquainted. Newsome joined the Wolf Organization as a senior vice president and controller. He was later promoted to chief financial officer until he retired.
On June 12, 2021, the Rotary Club of York-North dedicated a bench at Cousler Park in memory of Lynn S. Kilker, former member of the club from 1996 to 2010. Lynn always unselfishly gave of herself to help others less fortunate. Lynn's husband, Paul, and his immediate family, friends and co-workers were in attendance for the dedication. The bench is located behind Rotary Field, a project our club has sponsored for many years.
The Gold Star Garden started with the dream of Cher Kondor, a fellow York East Rotarian and American Gold Star Mother who lost her son, SPC Martin W. Kondor, in 2004. (“Gold Star” is a term derived from American Gold Star Mothers Inc., who were formed in 1928 as a family response to the many lives taken during the first World War. Now, Gold Star is applied to family members who have lost a loved one serving in the U.S. military.) Eight years later, with the help of board members, the City of York, and the Gold Star families of Pennsylvania, her dream of creating a memorial for all veterans came true.
You will find here all the names of the Pennsylvania fallen in the war on terror. In addition all the York County fallen from the time of the founding of the American Gold Star Mothers are also inscribed on the black Pennsylvania granite Wall of Honor. This living monument is a gathering place for those who want to commemorate, remember the fallen and celebrate the lives of our intrepid sons and daughters who volunteered to protect this country.
Pictured L to R: Cher Kondor, Sandi Graham, Club President
The Rotary Club of York is proud to introduce their officers for the 2021-2022 year.
(Photo – L to R) President-Elect Glenn Miller, President Jackie Summers, and President Elect Nominee Aaron Jacobs (not pictured: Doug Berman, Financial Vice-President/Treasurer).
The Rotary Club of York, currently ranked 24th largest the world in membership, holds weekly hybrid club meetings (in-person at the Country Club of York and on zoom) every Wednesday at noon. The 2021-2022 Rotary International Theme is "Serve to Change Lives". For more information, please contact Executive Director Lynne Morrison at lmorrison@yorkrotary.org.
The Rotary Club of York Announces 2021-2022 Leadership
2020-2021 Rotary Club of York President Anne Druck honored Past District Governor Paddy Rooney with a Presidential Citation at the Wednesday, June 30, 2021 club meeting at the Country Club of York. Paddy, a member for 14 years, including President 2016-2017; was awarded for his outstanding “Service Above Self”, loyal dedication, and unwavering commitment to the Rotary Club of York. The Club bid Paddy a heartfelt goodbye and best wishes on his move to the Raleigh, NC area. (Pictured L-R: Rotary Past President Anne Druck and Past District Governor Paddy Rooney)
As Rotarians our stories are an important way of sharing the meaningful ways we serve our communities and how we are inspired by the good work of our fellow club members. One way to share your stories is through the District 7390 blog. Examples of topics can include a member spotlight, service activities that you are proud of, and innovative ways your club is making the community a better place. To learn more, go to: https://d7390rotaryblog.wordpress.com/contributor-guidelines/ While you are there subscribe to the blog, so stories go into your email inbox. Subscribing is easy. Go to the blog homepage at https://d7390rotaryblog.wordpress.com/ and scroll down to the bottom. Don’t be shy! Celebrate your club and its members by submitting a story!
District 7390 has a meetup group comprised of 132 members that acts as a way for people in the community to volunteer for service activities. It is called the “Service Above Self” meetup group and anyone can join for FREE. When you join you will be asked if you are a Rotarian. Once approved you will be given the ability to post your club’s events including fundraisers, service activities and even club meetings to an audience beyond Rotary. Join at https://www.meetup.com/Service-Above-Self/
Join the Service Above Self Meetup Group to Advertise Club Events!
The Penn State Extension is looking for Rotary Club volunteers to participate in a Research Study geared toward assessing and enhancing safe food preparation practices for group gatherings. FREE food will be delivered to participants as part of the study. Click here to learn more!
Please contact Lynne James at Lsj11@psu.eduby July 15th to participate!
Participate in Penn State Food Safety Research Study!
District 7390 Governor, Greg Staub on the left, installed the Rotary Club of Hanover’s Officers for the 2021-2022 Rotary year on Tuesday, 5 July. Standing next to Greg from left to right is: Brandon Gething, President; Kathi Fuhrman, President Elect; Christy Lucus, Board Member; Terry Gingrow, Treasurer; Mary Kay Bernosky, Board Member; Chris Helt, Past President; and Warren Risk, Board Member.
Professional development is right at your fingertips with the Rotary Learning Center, which offers members a range of interactive courses on navigating Rotary's online tools and developing leadership skills to prepare for new Rotary roles.
Are you a new member looking to learn more about Rotary or a Club Leader looking for resources to prepare you and strengthen your knowledge base?
Remember - Anyone with a My Rotary account can take a free course in the Learning Center. Among the many courses available are How to Run a Webinar, How to Propose Legislation, Rotary Club Central Resources, and role-specific selections such as President, Secretary and Treasurer.
One of the most popular courses is Strengthen Rotary, which teaches members to incorporate Rotary values into everyday activities. The Rotary Club Central Resources course, another popular offering, helps members set goals and improve membership information.
At a glance the Rotary Learning Centre carries information on the following topics:
Get started by finding the Learning Center under the LEARNING & REFERENCE tab on Rotary.org or simply go to https://www.rotary.org/learn (You will need a My Rotary account to access)
Participants can monitor their progress via their own personal dashboards which registers and monitors your status through each course and as well awards points based on your completed Learning plans.
Members may not be aware but the Learning Center also generates a Leaderboard and if you are the competitive type, you may be interested in following our District and Global Leaderboards and see where you fit. Have some FUN while learning!
At a small gathering on Saturday, June 26, 2021 dedicated to the installation of new District Leadership for the 2021-2022 year, DG John Anthony reflected on his past year as District Governor of District 7390. In honor of his many contributions to our district including his passion, dedication and unrelenting optimism, we feature his reflections to the audience. Thank you DG John for your leadership during the many challenges and triumphs of the year!
2020-2021 - ROTARY OPENS OPPORTUNITIES
Wow! How Prophetic was THAT Theme! Do you remember your very first Roller Coaster Ride?
But wait....first you had years of anticipation as you needed to GROW. You were not ready even if you thought you were.... you weren't... You waited and you waited. And then finally, the year came. The year YOU were tall enough to ride the BIG Roller Coaster. But wait again... first were weeks and then days of anticipation. You worked on a plan. What is the front cart like? Too scary?
You spoke to others who had taken the ride before. You took in as much advice as you could. You lined up the people you would go with on the ride. You felt prepared... you felt nervous... you felt excited... and you were ready! Then the day came. More anticipation. More planning. You made sure not to eat or drink too much.
Finally you were in line. You patiently waited and you were ready. And you watched others as they exited the ride watching for any hint of knowledge they would bestow through their expressions or comments. And you positioned yourself to be in the front car... because you believe... that's the BEST place to be. Finally you are in your seat... strapped in... locked in ... ready to rock! And what a ride it was!! And then... it was over. WAY TOO SHORT... But AWESOME!!
Was the ride what you thought it would be? Did you scream the entire time? Grab onto the person next to you for security? Did you throw up a little? Laugh a little? Cry a little? Now what???
What an incredible year we have had.
The entire District Team stepped up their game working in their area to bring value to the clubs. Re-working, Re-structuring, Recreating, and Creating. Our Rotarians came together to strengthen OPPORTUNITIES for service by strengthening and expanding current programs such as... Rotary Means Business, Rotary Veterans Initiative, Teachers Impact Awards, Pints for Polio, Planning and educating for RYLA, Planning and educating for Youth Exchange, Pre-pets, MA Pets, Global Scholarships, A Virtual Conference, And SO much more...
Our Rotarians came together to create so many NEW OPPORTUNITIES including...Safety Committee, Communication Committee, Polio Plus Society, Billboard Campaigns, Mentor Program for new members, Ride for Polio, Monthly District Development Sessions, Monthly Leadership Calls for Club Leaders, Service Page, District BLOG, DG VLOG, Speakers Bureau, 72+ Initiative, Grant Certification Programs, Grant Programs to help smaller clubs get grants for their communities, and SO much more... and we added a New Club!
SO many leaders who made SO much happen. It was incredibly heartwarming to watch the passion and the drive offered by so many leaders and volunteers. The Presidents and leaders throughout the district Opened the Doors of Opportunity for Service to their clubs, their members, and their community which seemed to have been closed. And the members...the members found OPPORTUNITIES to continue to BE ROTARIANS. To offer service above self. In Clean Water Projects and Helping with COVID Vaccinations and easter egg hunts and helping in food pantries and helping local veterans and helping children in so many ways and in helping the environment with many Tree plantings and community garden projects and so much more locally and globally. And So much more...
Can you imagine a world without Roller Coasters? I cannot. BUT it is my time to let the next person in line. The next super excited, well trained and ready leaders... to have the front car. I CANNOT adequately express my gratitude for every single team member who helped to make this year a success. I CAN however, just as so many before me have, promise that I am NOT getting off the roller coaster. Nope the ride is too fun...too important...
You will find me with so many other wonderful PDGs, sitting in the back of the coaster, offering support and service, because like you all, we love the ride. We love Rotary. We love being of Service Above Self. It has truly been an honor to be your District Governor this year. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to you. Rotary will CONTINUE to OPEN OPPORTUNITIES through all of you. Thank you all for ALL that YOU do EVERY day for your Community, for your World, and for Rotary. District Governor Greg.... best wishes on this incredible ride. We are buckled in and ready to roll. - District Governor John Anthony, 2020-2021
DG Greg Staub taking the oath of office.
DGE Juliet Altenburg & DGN Fred Gellert taking the oath of office.
PDG John Anthony receiving his PDG pin from PDG Una Martone.
2021-2022 District Leadership!
A great group of PDGs in attendance along with the current District Leadership.
The Rotary Club of York presented the “Service Above Self” Award to Jason McSherry in honor of his heroism in rescuing his neighbor from a house fire.
Pictured from left: RCY member, Kevin Schreiber; Jason McSherry; RCY Member Jeff Vermeulen; RCY Member Silas Chamberlin.
The Rotary Club of York’s Literacy Committee presented checks from proceeds raised from the Club’s Literacy Book Drive to two local organizations to provide books for their childcare centers.
Pictured from left: RCY Member Deb Harrison; Carmen Banzaca, Child Development Center at First Church of the Brethren; Major Tom Babbit, Salvation Army; RCY Member Sarah White
The Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club will be sponsoring a Golf Tournament on Monday, September 13 at the Carlisle Barracks Golf Course. The tournament is open to 133 golfers, and includes 18 holes of golf, open driving range, hole-in-one, putting, long drive, and closest to the pin contests. The tournament begins with a 1 PM shotgun start, preceded by a lunch. The cost is $125 per golfer. This is a fundraiser for Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club Community Veterans and Youth Projects. Proceeds from the tournament will support numerous programs for veterans and students within the local area. Our Rotary Veteran’s Initiative provides scholarship funds at Central Penn College, HACC and PSU Harrisburg to help with costs. An active mentoring program provides even more greatly needed help. Other proceeds will be applied to additional veteran and youth programs like these: • Hampden Township Veteran’s Park • VA Hospital Aquarium Project • High School Senior Scholarships including Students of the Month/Year • High School Leadership Training, including East Pennsboro High School InterAct Club • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) • Rotary Youth Park • High School Speech and Essay Contests • High School International Youth Exchange. Sponsorship opportunities are available. To register or to sponsor a hole, carts, lunch, dinner or general sponsorship, contact us at rcmngolf@email.com. You can register at Tee It Up for Veterans & Youth with Mechanicsburg North Rotary Tickets in Carlisle, PA, United States (ticketleap.com)
The Rotary Club of York will hold it's Annual Golf, Tennis and Croquet Outing at the Country Club of York on Monday, September 13, 2021. Rain date is Monday, 9/27
PDG Paddy Rooney recently presented PDG Ben Hoover with the District 7390 Lifetime Achievement Award from the 2019-2020 Rotary year. Please continue to read his remarks when presenting the award:
"As we all know, this disjointed time caused by the pandemic, has disrupted all our lives and schedules for the past 16 months or more. The result was that I, along with so many others, found our plans and intentions abruptly interrupted in March of 2020. I was then still serving as Rotary District Governor and one of the great joys at the end of that year of service is the opportunity to recognize those individuals who have given so much to our District over the year and over a lifetime of service. Alas that was not to be.
And that was particularly disappointing for me since one of the awards I was looking forward to presenting was to be the recognition of a man who has exemplified for me and countless others the spirit and presence of Rotary in so many ways over the years that it is almost impossible to count. But today we get to rectify that omission and now come to present a Rotary lifetime achievement award to Dr. Ben Hoover.
Most of you know that Ben has been a member of this club and a Rotarian for more than 50 years. But there are members and there are Rotarians and I believe that Ben is one of the latter. His work, his service, his commitment and his dedication all speak to that presence Ben has been recognized in our community as a true servant leader and one who is passionately committed to our common purpose and goal of being a Rotarian. His service as President of this club and then as District Governor in the year 2008-09 under the theme “Make Dreams Real” a goal he has continued to exemplify from that day to this with his ongoing involvement in club and District committees, particularly his chairmanship of the Global Scholar grant award committee, all of which speak to his desire to put service above self.
Additionally, Ben has been a mentor to many Rotarians who have followed him in this club and I count myself as one of those fortunate enough to have benefited from such mentorship. When I was thinking about applying for the position of District Governor, Ben was one of the first people with whom I spoke. His support, encouragement and kindness urged me forward and when I assumed the office in 2019 there was no one else I would have wanted to pin me with the District Governor pin, than Ben Hoover.
Many special people have served Rotary over the past 100 plus years of our existence. Many have been examples of commitment and dedication. Many have served long and faithfully. And today I wish to add to their ranks another man who has truly exhibited all those qualities and more and done it in abundance; a man who has shown himself to be that model of true service above self; a man who has truly lived a lifetime of service.
My fellow Rotarians I would ask you to join with me and congratulate our friend, colleague and fellow Rotarian Dr. Ben Hoover as we present him with this lifetime achievement award on behalf of our club, our District and Rotary International. Congratulations Ben."
PDG Ben Hoover Receives District 7390 Lifetime Achievement Award
You are invited to a Celebration of Life for John Judson, Past 7390 District Governor (2014-15) and Rotary Club of Harrisburg President (2010-11).
The Celebration will be held Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at the Rife Center on the East Campus of Bethany Village in Mechanicsburg, PA. The family will be receiving in person guests in the Center’s lobby between 1 and 2 p.m. The Celebration of Life will begin in the Auditorium at 2 p.m. An outdoor reception will follow.
Guests may attend in person; however, seating is limited. Unvaccinated attendees will be required to wear masks and sanitation stations will be available.
If you would like to attend in person, please RSVP to ruthjudson@hotmail.com by 4 p.m. Thursday, July 8. Please provide your name, name of guest, phone number and e-mail address. We plan to alert those attempting to attend in person if seating is or is not available. When seating is at capacity, you may view the Celebration via Zoom.
We will Zoom the Celebration portion and provide the Zoom link closer to the event.
Jack Detwiler has been a member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg for 27 years and recalls working on or chairing the Club’s Ecology Committee for most of those years. Annually, he has coordinated the Club’s judging and awarding of a prize for students winning the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair (CASEF).
According to Detwiler, “Our committee members are asked to serve as judges for student entries from area schools. This year we received 15 presentations to review. This year’s judges included President-Elect Matt Staub, Past President Jeff Boswell and me. There was a wide range of topics from 15 candidates.”
CASEF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization and a PA EITC Innovative Educational Program initiative. For these competitions, CASEF follows performance standards of the Society for Science and the Public (ISEF) with a goal focused on promoting the understanding and appreciation of science. That organization sees the critical role science and engineering play in our society: to inform, educate, and inspire. CASEF provides a scoring guide to provide consistency of presentation quality.
It is no surprise the 2021 CASEF student competition were virtual. Instead of live presentations this year competitors will submit short videos. Fair award dates in 2021 were March 8-11, 2021. CASEF participants submitted their projects to a centralized web. Detwiler says, “All judging is done blind meaning the judges do not know the names of those submitting a presentation. We are in the Special Award Category at the RCH and we present a $750 check to the student winning in the Senior Division.”
This year’s winner and RCH Grand Champion is Sam Koda a sophomore at Hershey High School for his project to determine which lanternfly traps are more effective and cost efficient. He noted in his presentation, “There are no commercially available traps for these insects, but of the four systems I tested, the most effective can be homemade for just over .50 cents per trap.”
According to Valerie Knowles the CASEF Director, “Recent events confirm that it is very evident that we need to be encouraging young scientists to find solutions to life’s greatest challenges and prepare a healthy and sustainable future.”
Public and private schools in the 41 Central Pennsylvania service area are eligible to register in the CASEF. Senior division grand champions advance to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair and the highest scoring projects of the junior division enter the Broadcom MASTERS competition.
Detwiler believes he’s seen, “Projects ranging from beetles to stream water studies. Detwiler noted, “Last year's winner of the Rotary Ecology Award was Kathryn Miller, a sophomore at Carlisle HS. She demonstrated how Oxbenzone in sunscreen effects and eventually kills coral polyps. She did this project in the lab with actual coral polyps.
Says Detwiler, “Over the years some of our winners actually did their experiments in various creeks and streams in the Central PA area, such as Madeline Grossman, a senior at Cumberland Valley HS in 2017 with her project, 'It's All "Creek" to me, or Kyle Wise a senior at Carlisle High School with his project, "D-Netting vs. Leaf Bagging; Which Macro Invertebrate Collection is the most accurate."
Most notably he adds, “One of our previous winners was Eric Horstick from East Pennsboro High School. His project was how Moss could be used to temper the effects of Acid Mine Drainage. He credits Rotary with inspiring him in his future studies. He went on to get a PHD and currently works for National Institute of Health.”
Anyone who has ever golfed or organized a golf fundraiser knows that tons of work precedes the actual event. Then there is lots of help behind the scenes and “on the course” to make everything run smoothly.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg members stepped up to the needs of the day to help make the Christian Churches United and Help Ministries Golf Outing a huge success.
Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area (CCU) is a partnership of over 100 Christian congregations in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties working together with concerned individuals, public and private funders, and numerous partner agencies to support our neighbors in need.
HELP Ministries a program of CCU is often referred to as "The HELP Office." Help Ministries is a social service hub in Dauphin County, providing a comprehensive approach to homelessness and poverty alleviation through crisis resolution, emergency aid, and housing assistance.
Harrisburg Rotary members and friends worked behind the scenes to ensure golfers could concentrate on their game. Signs were put in place, beverage and food made available and no hitch would complicate a day of fun and funding important causes.
Members Frank Frailey, President James Good and Bruce Grossman move supplies into place.
New member Meghan Bachmore moved directional and descriptive signs into place.
President James Good enjoys fellowship with Aisha Mobley, CCU’s Community Mobilization Coordinator.
Taking a much need break are Frailey, Grossman, Bachmore, Alex Rajis, member Brad Gebhart, Addeline Alaniz Edwards and daughter Sophie.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg Members and Friends Ensure Others a Great Day of Golf and Fundraising
The 2021 Virtual Convention will be better than ever, opening more innovative opportunities to learn and to engage with the family of Rotary, near and far. You’ll be able to network in virtual lounges, meet new partners in service, and join fun activities with Rotary members from around the world.
The West York Rotary Club proudly announces six recipients from the 2021 graduating classes for the West York Rotary Club/Clair D. Worley Scholarships. Selected for the $1500.00 awards are Brian Kramer and Cole Shaub from Spring Grove Area High School, Thomas Urrunaga and Jacqueline Kizka from West York Area High School, and Lydia Eifert and Lauren Waits from Dover Area High School.
The Color Code is a world renowned personality assessment that helps build self awareness and helps members of working teams understand how to best leverage one another’s strengths. Unlike some personality assessments that focus only on behaviors, The Color Code unveils each individual’s Driving Core Motivation which answers WHY we do what we do. This understanding can help improve the success of any “team” in Rotary: boards of directors, committees, leadership teams, etc. On Monday, June 14, PDG Una Martone will facilitate a condensed version of The Color Code training for participants in the District Development Session. All registrants will be email instructions for taking The Color Code personality assessment and a link to a free version of the test.
District Food Safety Education with Research Opportunity!
The Penn State Extension is looking for Rotary Club volunteers to participate in a Research Study geared toward assessing and enhancing safe food preparation practices for group gatherings. FREE food will be delivered to participants as part of the study. Click here to learn more!
Please contact Lynne James at Lsj11@psu.eduby July 1st to participate!
The Peace Garden is a tranquil garden along the Susquehanna River two blocks north of the Governor’s residence at Maclay Street. This reflective stretch of fauna and sculptures is the result of nearly 30 years of collaboration between the city of Harrisburg and the Harrisburg-Hershey chapter of the international Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR).
PSR has primary responsibility for designing, planting and maintaining the Peace Garden and the city provides routine maintenance like mowing the grass, removing broken limbs, installing benches as is does throughout Riverfront Park.
Since 2018 the Rotary Club of Harrisburg leadership and members have made the Garden a major annual project. 2021 has been no exception. In early May of this year, volunteers from the Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Rotary Club of Harrisburg completed the annual bed cleaning and planting flowers.
The PSR and its amazing long-time leader Dr. Jim Jones, developed and maintain this beautiful garden as a thought-provoking message about world peace. Michael Lehman was the designer of the Peace Garden and Gwen Lehman have been overseeing the garden for at least 5 years with an "artistic eye." Ann Marie Judson and the late Dr. John Judson, Past RCH President and District 7390 Governor, have been members of PSR since the late 1980s.
PSR Harrisburg-Hershey is an affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. It is an organization of physicians committed to two issues safeguarding humanity; environmental protection as well as prevention of nuclear war. Common areas of concern are famine, drought exacerbated by climate change, poor water sources, air and ground contamination. The international group received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
RCH President-elect Matt Staub was on hand to make beauty happen. Staub sees our Club’s work with the Peace Garden as, “an important demonstration of Rotary International’s People of Action branding campaign. These community outreach efforts demonstrate what happens when community leaders in Rotary join together.”
Helping tend and beautify the Garden this year were RCH members Bruce Grossman, David Morrison, Beth Mihmet, Toni Mark and Ann Marie Judson.
One of three sculptures in the park by surgeon and artist Dr. Frederick Franck, a colleague of Albert Schweitzer, “Hiroshima” depicts a vaporized victim of the atomic blast whose only remain was a silhouette shadow on nearby concrete. This sculpture suggests the indomitable resilience of mankind, even in the wake of annihilation.
Volunteers Join To Beautify Harrisburg’s Peace Gardens
On Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m. - noon, Hershey Rotary Club will be volunteering to help the Derry Environmental Action Committee (DEAC) clean up a portion of the creek that runs along Cocoa Avenue, near Fishburn Road (and behind the former PNC Bank building).The Derry Environmental Action Committee is a group of neighbors and friends in Derry Township who work to preserve the natural surroundings and keep Hershey clean and livable.
This is a particularly family-friendly event and a great opportunity to introduce someone to Rotary. Sign up to volunteer with your partner/spouse/friend/child/grandchild.
A Celebration of Life for PDG John Judson will be held Wednesday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. at The Rife Center at Bethany Village in Mechanicsburg. Please mark your calendars!
A 2020/21 Club Grant, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hanover, provided the Hanover Area Council of Churches with a new oven and griddle. HACC prepares 52,000+ meals annually for its various programs: free hot lunches 365 days a year and breakfast two days a week through the Provide-A-Lunch program, delivered home meals through Meals-On-Wheels, and food for individuals and families in the Homeless Shelter. Food insecurity hinders people from meeting their full potential in regards to employment and family care. For some folks, the Provide- A-Lunch program is the primary meal of the day. The Meals-On-Wheels program provides meals to those home-bound with physical restrictions impeding their ability to prepare their own meals. Pictured are (l.tor.) Rotarian Peg Sennett, Joan Potter Coordinator of PAL and MOW, and Mirna Wildason, Interim Executive Director and new Rotarian.
Both dedicated to humanitarian efforts, seniors Katie Mercer ’21 and Jenna Thoretz ’21 have been awarded Rotary Global Grant Scholarships to continue to pursue meaningful work. An international network of leaders dedicated to improving their home communities and those around the globe, Rotary International focuses their work on promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health, supporting education and literacy, and growing local economies, and the Rotary Global Grant Scholarships empower students like Mercer and Thoretz to advance this important work.
Learn more about Mercer’s and Thoretz’s experiences at Gettysburg College, and what they hope to accomplish in the future with their scholarships.
Her favorite class at Gettysburg was Global Health with Prof. Amy Dailey. The course, Mercer says, set her on the path of studying global health, and credits Dailey with being a very important part of her Gettysburg experience.
“My four years at Gettysburg have been extremely impactful in shaping my graduate school path. My advisor, Dr. Amy Dailey, has been extremely supportive and helpful not only during this process but through my time as an undergraduate student discovering my interests in global health. She has inspired me with her work and allowed me to grow as a researcher by assisting in her community-based research projects,” stated Mercer.
After graduating from Gettysburg in May, Mercer will study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to continue her studies. The scholarship will allow her to engage with leading researchers and advocates in the field of global health, as well as support her research around the Rotary’s goal of disease prevention and treatment.
“I hope to someday use my specialization in the control of infectious diseases to create disease management, tracking, and treatment programs alongside humanitarian organizations in areas of conflict,” said Mercer. She continued, explaining that “The violence of war/conflict extends far past the battle lines; it causes system-wide destruction and degradation of human life. I plan to use my degree to bridge these health gaps and hopefully contribute, in some small part, to the improvement of health around the world.”
Mercer also recognized how her time working for CPS has played a role in teaching her to identify such gaps, and given her impactful life skills.
“CPS has taught me how to ask critical questions, analyze issues of intersectionality, and understand social mechanisms impacting biological processes. These Gettysburg experiences have helped me to grow and motivated me to pursue a career where I can continue to do so.”
Of being named a recipient of the scholarship, Mercer said, “Although I always knew what I wanted to study, at times it felt like I would never be able to make a real impact. Knowing that I have the support of an international organization like the Rotary Foundation gives me confidence and grounding that the things I am working on are important.”
Thoretz credits these varied experiences with preparing her to take this next step in her academic career: “Gettysburg provided me with incredible educational opportunities that prepared me to apply for the scholarship. My professors and mentors have been instrumental in helping me develop my academic interests and apply them to work in the community and in internship experiences.”
Her experience extended beyond the Gettysburg campus, too, where she had the opportunity to study global health and development policy in Geneva, Switzerland, through the Center for Global Education. “[The experience] exposed me to the humanitarian community and ignited a passion that I have been able to continue back at Gettysburg through my coursework and research.”
Upon graduating, Thoretz hopes to continue the work of improving international development and humanitarian systems worldwide, and will pursue a Master of Science in international development and humanitarian emergencies at the London School of Economics in the fall.
“Upon completion of my graduate degree, I intend to re-invest the education I receive into improving international development and humanitarian systems worldwide,” Thoretz says of her future aspirations. “In working with humanitarian organizations, I plan to be an advocate for the special consideration of women in all development and humanitarian initiatives. In addition, I hope to shift focus from international actors to local actors in order to build more sustainable solutions to economic development.”
Thoretz shares that she is most looking forward to having access to an international network of Rotarians working on similar issues, and towards a shared vision for the future.
Bright futures
“This honor is an incredible opportunity,” says Thoretz. “Not only does it allow me to pursue graduate education, but it allows me to forge connections with like-minded individuals through Rotary. I am incredibly grateful to the Rotarians in Gettysburg for providing me with this life-changing opportunity,” stated Thoretz.
When asked what the scholarship means to her, Mercer agreed that the connections are paramount: “The… scholarship will not only provide me financial assistance and the capability to attend graduate school but to connect with other international advocates through Rotary who are engaging in the field I am studying.” She sums it up simply, saying, “This honor means more than words can describe.”
For both Mercer and Thoretz, the scholarship not only means the financial support to help fund their future research in London, but also the career-launching support of an international organization that will connect them with colleagues and allow them to fully pursue their future aspirations in the world.
Katie Mercer and Jenna Thoretz receive Rotary Global Grant Scholarships, are headed to study in London
On Saturday May 22, the Rotary Club of Lancaster South helped plant trees and bushes at the Stevens Greenland Cemetery in Lancaster City. Six Lancaster South club members along with three members from the Penn Square Rotary Club joined more than fiKy (50) people from the Lancaster community with the project which included cleaning headstones, removing debris, and doing general cleanup. The Lancaster South Club also donated 16 rhododendron bushes to the cemetery.
The Stevens Greenland Cemetery has a lot of history and many stories of African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War, Spanish- American War, both World Wars and the Korean War. There are also individuals buried in the cemetery that were community leaders of Lancaster City in the past whose last names still have deep ties to Lancaster City. A special Memorial Day ceremony entitled “Honoring Our Forgotten Heroes” will be held on May 31, 2021 at 11:00 am to honor the veterans and others buried in the cemetery.
Lancaster-South Service Project at the Stevens Greenland Cemetery
As part of their ongoing service project, Hanover Rotarians and their spouses filled food bags for Ruth’s Harvest. Ruth’s Harvest provides much needed food for children in need every Friday. Hanover Rotarians are Terry Gingrow, Walt Maust and Ralph Jodice. Spouses are Betsy Gingrow, Judy Risk and Judy Jodice.
In January, District Governor John Anthony shared Rotary International’s Call to Action regarding Vaccines. Our Hanover Rotary Club has accepted the challenge to combat vaccine hesitancy. We partnered with the York/Adams Immunization Coalition and the PA Polio Survivors Network to put together 1,000 vaccine information packets in both English and Spanish, containing credible vaccine resources. With COVID safety in mind, we are working together to make this happen, so these packets can be distributed to all parents in our area.
The Rotary Club of York’s Student Education Committee congratulates Maya Fetrow as the Edwin P. Mangold Rotary Scholarship recipient. The scholarship has a value of $ 4,000 ($ 1,000 x 4 years) towards her undergraduate studies in Molecular biology at the University of Pittsburgh. The Rotary Merit Scholarship was established in April 2007 from the estate of Rotarian Edwin P. Mangold. Maya is the daughter of Daniel and Jennifer Fetrow and is a 2021 graduate of Dover Area High School. She was presented the scholarship check at the May 12 Rotary Club of York club meeting at the Country Club of York.
The Rotary Club of York Awards Merit Scholarship
Maggie Scarborough, daughter of Robert and Jennifer Scarborough, was recognized at the May 12 meeting of the Rotary Club of York as the recipient of the Charles and Alma DIEHL Scholarship. A 2021 Kennard-Dale High School graduate, Maggie was awarded the $ 1,250 scholarship check to begin her studies at Virginia Tech as a Chemical Engineering major. The scholarship is made possible through the Charles W. Diehl, Jr. Rotary Education Fund of the York County Community Foundation.
L to R: Rotary Club of York President Anne Druck, Maya Fetrow, and Student Education Committee Chair Diane Merino.
L to R: Rotary Club of York President Anne Druck, Maggie Scarborough and Student Education Committee Chair Diane Merino.
I am asking you and/or your club for support for a project in India that falls outside the boundaries of Rotary Foundation parameters.
DG Rajan Gandotra of D3250 (Bihar and Jharkhand in India) is a personal friend of mine, and I have stayed with him and his wife (Anju) twice on my visits to India. Our district conducted a global grant with them a few years ago.
You have heard in the news how severe the COVID crisis in India is. They are critically short of oxygen throughout the country. DG Rajan is raising funds to purchase oxygen concentrators for the hospitals in his area. Getting amounts transferred to a Club Bank Account in India is a big challenge. The bank account has to be FCRA Compliant. (Foreign Currency Regulation Act). And to get official permission to do so can take months.
They have set up a GoFundMe Page (https://gofund.me/4790490e) wherein this US $ 3000 motivated by you or any additional amount can be immediately transferred by May 20th 2021. This amount will be used to purchase Oxygen Concentrators in US / Singapore itself and shipped to India. Four clubs have joined to collect US $ 70000 in this mission.
I have personally donated $1000 to this cause, and hope that you and/or your club will do the same.
On April 27th, the CDC released new guidance for vaccinated people allowing them the freedom to use fewer precautions. Now fully vaccinated people can gather in small outdoor gatherings with fully vaccinated family and friends with no masks. The Pennsylvania Department of Health still requires that masks be worn at indoor gatherings regardless of vaccination status. This is important to keep in mind as more Rotary clubs are moving to in-person activities including club meetings, fundraisers, and service events. Read more at: https://bit.ly/33lWs27
District Food Safety Education with Research Opportunity!
On Monday, May 24th, at 6 PM the Penn State Extension will be providing FREE Zoom education to Rotarians on food safety. This education is especially timely as many of us plan outdoor picnics with our club members and families. Our speaker is Lynn James, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Extension Educator, Food Families & Health & Food Safety & Quality teams, Penn State Extension, Adams County. Lynn will also invite attendees to participate in a special research study involving the delivery of free food to the participants home, creation of a meal, and post meal education on what SHOULD have been safe food preparation. Join in on this free and educational event over the dinner hour. YES, YOU CAN EAT YOUR DINNER IN THE ZOOM ROOM. 😊 Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vd-GgrDkuHtTg5yg8BG8R57lLu2gbbi6Z
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
COVID-19 DISCON Breakout session available on demand!
On May 2nd, Dr. Angela Shen from the Vaccine Research Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia presented a session on COVID-19 at the multi-district conference. The session included information on its history, prevalence, and the steps all of us as Rotarians can take to end our Pandemic once and for all. View this excellent presentation at: https://youtu.be/zDuFUfxcpJA
Congratulations to Four Way Essay Contest Winner Sophie Ahrens from Red Lion High School! Sophie presented her winning essay last week at DisCon2021 for a Zoom audience that was deeply moved by her courage and willingness to share such a personal story of how the Four Way Test inspires her to keep on living every day. With her permission we share her winning essay on the District Blog at: https://d7390rotaryblog.wordpress.com/ We applaud Sophie for her willingness to share her challenges which will help so many others who don't have the same courage!
D7390 Four Way Essay Contest Winner’s Moving Essay featured on District Blog
On Monday, May 23rd, at 6 PM the Penn State Extension will be providing FREE Zoom education to Rotarians on food safety. This education is especially timely as many of us plan outdoor picnics with our club members and families. Our speaker is Lynn James, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Extension Educator, Food Families & Health & Food Safety & Quality teams, Penn State Extension, Adams County. Lynn will also invite attendees to participate in a special research study involving the delivery of free food to the participants home, creation of a meal, and post meal education on what SHOULD have been safe food preparation. Join in on this free and educational event over the dinner hour. YES, YOU CAN EAT YOUR DINNER IN THE ZOOM ROOM. 😊 Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vd-GgrDkuHtTg5yg8BG8R57lLu2gbbi6Z
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
District Food Safety Education with Research Opportunity!
On Wednesday, May 12 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. EDT, Zones 28 and 32 are holding an hour of virtual speakers and entertainment to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Jennifer Jones, Rotary International President Nominee 2022-23, Mike Govern, Chair of the PolioPlus program, Past International President, Barry Rassin, and Drew Kessler, RI Director Nominee (speaker at our Tri-District conference) are just a few of the Rotarians who will bring you messages about Rotary’s signature effort to eradicate polio and open other doors of opportunity. Entertainers include Alex Lifeson, Canadian guitarist/rock legend with the Canadian band, Rush.
You may ask, “Why 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.?” Zones 28 and 32 represent Rotarians in Bermuda, Canada, France, and the United States which means this event will span 6 time zones. Finding a time that worked for thousands of Rotarians takes planning.
Tickets to the virtual event are available by going to trellis.org/rotary-gala. Tickets are $110 USD plus applicable fees, of which $100 is a fully credited donation to TRF - you get a charitable tax receipt and 100 Paul Harris Fellowship points, and your District gets credit towards their Foundation goals.
Rotarians, their clubs, and Districts are reaching the goals they have set for Foundation donations this year. The donation will be directed 75% to the Annual Fund of TRF and 25% to the PolioPlus fund. This event provides a unique opportunity to support TRF and make a difference in the world.
Anna-Mae Kobbe, Ph.D.
Rotary District Foundation Chair-Elect
Zones 28 and 32 VIRTUAL ROTARY FOUNDATION GALA & FUNDRAISER
You never forget the teacher who makes a difference…
In a year like no other, teachers deserve a round of applause! Help us celebrate educators who made an extra-special impact. Join WITF and Rotary 7390 as we recognize and celebrate 14 outstanding teachers who go the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of their students.
Due to the pandemic, we were unable to hold an awards ceremony last year. So, this year’s virtual online event will be super-sized as we celebrate the Teacher Impact Awards Class of 2020 and 2021 together.
On Saturday April 24, the Rotary Club of Lancaster South sponsored a service project at the 1719 Herr House Museum. Tiffany Fisk, Manager at the Herr House welcomed us, and gave us a brief orientation to the site and a bit of its history. The task was to clear the overgrown kitchen garden, which was a patch of weeds when we began. By noon the group had filled 24 lawn and leaf bags and four wheelbarrows of weeds and the garden was completely cleared, ready for restoration as an exhibit of historic plants and gardening. Another flower bed with a display of old mill stones was weeded as well. Six Rotarians, five members of the Lampeter Strasburg Interact club with their advisor, and one spouse, accomplished this work. Ideas emerged for finding opportunities for future collaboration with the students in the Interact Club, as well as the possibility for continued partnership with the 1719 Herr House Museum. It really was an enjoyable morning, with wonderful spring weather in a beautiful setting, and good people to share the work.
Lancaster-South Service Project at the 1719 Herr House Museum
On May 19, 2021, the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation will award 22 students $71,000 in scholarships for the school year 2020-21. The Foundation awards scholarships to Dauphin County Technical School, Central Dauphin East, Central Dauphin, Harrisburg Christian and Bishop McDevitt High Schools. Scholarships range in amounts from $500 to $21,000.
In late 2013, the Rotary Club of Colonial Park authorized the formation of the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation includes, but is not limited to, the following: to help meet the educational, charitable, community enhancements and benevolent needs of organization and individuals within Lower Paxton Township and surrounding communities; and other communities where disasters have occurred.
In 2016 the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation raised funds from donors in the Rotary club to start a scholarship program for students in the Central Dauphin School District and Dauphin County Technical School. During our first year of awarding scholarships, the Foundation granted $20,000 for one nursing scholarship, $10,000 for one engineering scholarship and $15,000 from our golf tournament to sponsor three $5,000 scholarships to HACC. Currently we offer scholarships to five high schools in our area. Unless specified by the donor, which some scholarships are, the students may apply to any accredited college program of their choice.
Randy Sibert, President of the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation states: “Since 2002, the Rotary Club of Colonial Park and the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation, has awarded $603,908 in scholarships. When you add our community giving funds to organizations in the area, our total scholarships and community giving totals $825,808.”
World Immunization Week (WIW) 2021 comes as COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out around the world, and vaccination is unprecedentedly the focus of daily news cycles and everyday conversations. The milestone, which will take place from Saturday, 24 April to Friday, 30 April, serves as a chance to broaden the conversation about the polio program’s contributions to global health, including its support of equitable COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This year’s community-wide WIW theme is “vaccines bring us closer,” which aims to build on the current public spotlight on vaccines and reach a wider audience beyond immunization partners with important messages about vaccine efficacy and safety.
The polio program delivers more than the polio vaccine. Polio health workers also respond to #malaria, #Ebola, #measles, and now #COVID19 – strengthening health systems and working toward improved health for all. #EndPolio #VaccinesWork
York East Rotary members (from left) Deborah Klinedinst, Tim Koller, Tony Molinaro, Charles Wurster, Greg Kern, Reid Kern (Greg’s son) and Greg Klinedinst (not Pictured) participated in a recent cleanup effort. The club picks up litter along Edgewood Road between Prospect Street and Kingston Road.
Since April 13, 2020, the York-North Rotary Club has been supplying over 100 sandwiches per week to Our Daily Bread soup kitchen. The soup kitchen provides breakfast and lunch to 150 – 200 people in York, and the York-North Rotary Club has been assisting them in this effort. Fifteen club members have been taking turns every three weeks to make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, package them (along with some cookies), and deliver them to Our Daily Bread. These sandwiches are offered to everyone who visits the soup kitchen to take home with them, as a meal for later in the day.
At the one-year anniversary of this service to our community, the York-North Rotary Club has already delivered over 5000 sandwiches, along with coffee, oatmeal, potato salad, and other food staples. After the COVID 19 guidelines are relaxed, the York North Rotary Club plans to continue to provide food staples and to volunteer from time to time to serve food at Our Daily Bread.
The following tribute to PDG Chuck Cenkner was printed on Penn Live
Amid these times of political, social and healthcare concerns, we wanted to reflect on the loss of a Harrisburg area leader, Charles L. Cenkner. Chuck, who passed on Feb. 15, had an extensive background in finance. His calm, competent ways made him an ideal leader for the Capital Area Cosmopolitan Club, which he served as club Treasurer and Vice Chairman in 2020. He was especially active in its fundraising for diabetes projects, including the Setebaid Service Summer Camp for diabetic children in Pennsylvania. Setebaid has established the Charles Cenkner Memorial Fund to remember his life and legacy and is accepting contributions. Chuck lived in Shipoke, where his quiet, tireless manner made him a hero in helping to keep this neighborhood clean. Chuck was also active in Rotary, serving as District Governor in 2002-2003 and working diligently on efforts to eradicate polio globally. In 2011, he received Rotary’s Distinguished Service Award. We pray that Chuck finds peace and is happily reunited with the love of his life, Marilyn. William M. Dallam and friends of Chuck Cenkner
In tribute to Charles L. Cenkner, a respected community leader
Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, District 7390 raised $30,386.00 specifically for Puerto Rico recovery efforts. It took some time for us to identify an appropriate project and in January 2020 we sent a check in the full amount to the Jane Stern Community Libraries to cover recovery and operating costs at two of their satellite locations in Toa Baja and Mameyal. Unfortunately, COVID 19 has slowed the recovery process; schools and libraries have been operating on a spotty virtual basis which has slowed their progress in offering expanded programs.
We received a report dated March 16, 2021 showing a remaining balance of $13,025.94 along with plans to shortly return to a normal schedule where they can again offer school library programs during the day and community programs in the evenings that include language and literacy programs for adults, teens and children, along with early education play areas with books and toys, and reliable internet access for digital resources.
Rotary District 730 is recognized as a Major Sponsor at the Library’s main entrance and on their website, social media, and print material.
UPDATE ON THE JANE STERN COMMUNITY LIBRARY PROJECT IN PUERTO RICO
The Harrisburg Rotary Foundation is the charitable arm of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg which was founded in 1911 as the 23rd club in all the world.
The Foundation is funded by Club members and Club-sponsored fundraisers. The Foundation typically disburses about $50,000.00 per year in college scholarships, grants to the Harrisburg School District, local charitable organizations, programming for local youth, local and international service projects.
In addition to the normal service and support, from March 2020 to April 2021, the Rotary Club of Harrisburg has donated the unused portion of the members’ meal budget to organizations who have been supporting those who need extra help during the pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, members typically enjoyed lunch, Club updates and a notable speaker most every Monday at the Hilton Harrisburg in the center of the city.
To date, Foundation has donated an additional $30,400.00 from the lunch budget to the following organizations since March 2020.
American Red Cross- Central PA Chapter
Bethesda Mission
Boys and Girls Club
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Downtown Daily Bread
Hanna's Pantry
Hospice of Central Pennsylvania
Humane Society of Harrisburg Area
Jewish Community Foundation's Food For Children Campaign
Latino Hispanic American Community Center
Rotary Foundation's Polio Plus Fund
Salvation Army- Harrisburg Capital City Region
Save the Bananas
Shalom House
YMCA- Camp Curtin Branch
YWCA of Greater Harrisburg
Harrisburg Club’s Foundation Donates Lunch Meeting Funds to 16 Non-Profits While While Socially Distancing
Many of you have asked about our Rotary-United Nations activities, especially regarding the popular United Nations Days, we had pre-covid.
Recently our friends in NYC District 7230 helped to coordinate a virtual UN day, with lots of great content and speakers. Below are links to archive videos of the first 3 sessions.
I have also been doing Zone and District presentations on the 75th anniversary and history of Rotary’s founding contribution to the UN. Below is an archive video from a recent RID 3860 celebration event, hosted by Banilad Metro RC in Cebu, Philippines. My UN presentation starts at about the 11:40 minute mark. 75th Anniversary Celebration of Rotary & the United Nations
We hope you enjoy this information on our Rotary-United Nations partnership. Please like and subscribe to receive notice of new videos when uploaded.
With best regards.
Doug V
PDG Doug Vincent, D7080 ON, Canada
Rotary UNAC United Nations Rep
RCMP Federal Community Police Advisor
744797 CR 17, Woodstock, ON N4S 7V7 +1 519-537-3753
We are excited to offer a $ 5,000 scholarship to someone dedicated to community service and serving others while enrolled in college! Applications are currently being accepted for this inaugural scholarship. Eligible applicants are current full-time undergraduate college students enrolled for their junior year this fall 2021. All scholarship criteria, including the downloadable application, are available on www.yorkrotary.org/downloads. Completed applications must be received before the May 31, 2021 deadline. Contact Student Education Administrator Renea with any questions officeassist@yorkrotary.org.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF YORK STUDENT EDUCATION CHAIR’S SCHOLARSHIP
This is the 17th annual golf tournament sponsored by the Rotary Club of Colonial Park will be held Friday, May 21, 2021. The tournament is named after Past President Norman P. Hetrick, who passed away on June 30, 2009. Norm was president of the Rotary Club of Colonial Park during the Rotary year of 2001/2002. As President, it was Norm’s goal to raise funds for community projects and organizations, especially to benefit students in area schools and the Harrisburg Foundation.
The Colonial Park Rotary Club is designating the proceeds from the golf tournament to be used as scholarships for three students who would not have the ability to pay for tuition. These scholarships can be used at any accredited post-secondary educational institution. Three eligible graduating seniors from Dauphin County Technical Schools will each be awarded a $5,000, one-year scholarship. Over the past 17 years, the club has awarded more than $180,000 towards providing scholarships to local students and assisting civic non-profit organizations. The Colonial Park Rotary Club is working to make this the best year ever!
The Rotary Means Business Fellowship (RMBF) gained Rotary International approval as a business networking fellowship in 2013 and has been growing ever since. It now has over 100 Chapters worldwide covering every continent except Antarctica (penguins may be joining soon) and almost 1,000 individual paid members. The Purpose of the RMB Fellowship, i.e., the “what” and the “why” follow: Rotary Means Business encourages Rotarians to support the success of their fellow Rotarians by doing business with them, and by referring others to them. After all, we follow the Four Way Test so trust is built into all parts of Rotary. As a result, the RMBF helps develop stronger businesses, stronger communities, stronger members, stronger Rotary Foundation, stronger Clubs, and ultimately a stronger Rotary.
Chapters may be formed in varying ways – a group of Rotarians in a geographical area may decide to form a chapter, a part of a District may form a chapter, or the chapter may be formed based on a District-centered/managed model. Chapters join the RMBF to use the logo and RMB brand name for a modest annual fee. There is no requirement that chapter members join the Fellowship as individuals but this is recommended. Chapter leaders are required to join the RMBF. Individual annual memberships or lifetime memberships are available at a reasonable cost.
The RMBF provides its members and Chapters many benefits to include being part of a growing worldwide Rotary business networking movement with the opportunity to exchange views with Rotarians from around the world. When you join and fill out your member profile, you automatically are part of a global Rotarian “Yellow Pages”. For local chapters when more and more of the members join the RMBF, the chapter has effectively created its own “Yellow Pages” since if you search the database for a particular US state and a particular profession the name of local members in that profession will pop up. The RMBF also is developing a Mentoring database, which will allow Rotarians to mentor other Rotarians that seek advice in various fields. You can also promote your business networking events on the RMBF website at www.rotarymeansbusiness.org.
To find out more regarding forming a Chapter or joining as an individual, please consider stopping by the RMBF virtual booth in the Hall of Friendship. Members of the RMBF Board of Directors to include the Chair and Vice Chair will be able to answer your questions and point you to the best path to join as a Chapter and/or an individual.
Hall of Friendship times are as follows:
Friday evening April 30 - 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Saturday morning, May 1 - 8:30 to 9:30 AM
Saturday evening, May 1 - 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Sunday, morning May 2 - 10:30 to 11:15 AM
See you there!
ROTARY MEANS BUSINESS FELLOWSHIP: OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR A CHAPTER AT THE TRI-DISTRICT CONFERENCE
Although Supporting the Environment has recently become a standalone area of focus, over the past 5 years, more than $18 million in Foundation global grant funding has been allocated to environment related projects. Click Here.
Past Rotary President Gary C.K. Huang says that with the global population reaching near eight billion, protecting the environment is increasingly important.
It is time for us to use our collective resources to invest in a smart and efficient way to protecting our environment,” says Huang. “We are qualified to take this initiative because we are a global group of problem solvers with diversified talents.
The Rotary Foundation will be supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance environmental sustainability, and foster harmony between people and the environment. If you want to learn more see the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus Policy Statements by Clicking Here
From the Rotary web page: Rotary shares an interest in protecting our common legacy: the environment. We are committed to supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment. We empower communities to access grants and other resources, embrace local solutions, and spur innovation in an effort to address the causes and reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
To do projects that have a larger impact, and broader reach, ongoing donations to the Rotary Foundation will be needed to permit Rotarians to plan and implement global grant projects. One way to assure that funds are there when we need/want them is to make gifts that are targeted towards supporting the environment via the world fund. The interest from these donations will then be directed only to global grants that are focused on this new area of focus into perpetuity.
Consider being a donor leader in supporting this new area of focus.
Supporting the Environment: A New Area of Focus and New Opportunities Coming July 2021
The Rotary Club of York is currently accepting applications for $ 2,000 WHITELEY EDUCATIONAL LOANS for full-time, undergraduate college students. All criteria and downloadable applications are available on the club’s website www.yorkrotary.org/downloads. The deadline to receive a completed application is May 31, 2021. Contact Student Education Administrator Renea with any questions officeassist@yorkrotary.org.
York Accepting Applications for Whitely Educational Loans
Rotary Means Business District 7390 hosted a Virtual RMB networking event on March 24 for which 23 Rotarians registered and 16 or 17 attended. The event had members of the Rotary Clubs of Carlisle, Carlisle Sunrise, Hanover, Harrisburg, Harrisburg Keystone, Mechanicsburg North, Lancaster Hempfield, Lancaster Penn Square, Paradise, and York North attend along with two out-of-district guests from the Chicagoland Chapter of the Rotary Means Business Fellowship. Also, another guest was from New Jersey but had attended Chicagoland events and another guest was from New York and is the Vice Chair of the RMB Fellowship.
Scott Stevens, the President of the Governing Board of District 7390 RMB, ran a very smooth and fun meeting during which a lot was accomplished and great business connections were made. Linda Kemp, the co-founder of the Chicagoland RMB Fellowship Chapter # 100, gave a brief talk about two very helpful networking apps (HiHello and Bomb Bomb) and discussed her upcoming hybrid (in person and virtual) Chicagoland RMB networking event on April 15 at the newly renovated Chicago-area home of Rotary International founder Paul Harris. District Governor John Anthony gave a short presentation regarding the upcoming virtual District 7390 Conference April 30 to May 2. Everyone had a chance to give their elevator pitch concerning their businesses and then the meeting broke down twice into smaller groups for more in depth discussion giving everyone a chance to know one another better.
All in all the 61st RMB District 7390 networking event gave everyone an opportunity for great fun, fellowship, and successful business networking. RMB District 7390 and the RMB Fellowship will be prominent parts of the upcoming district conference. Please do not miss this opportunity to participate again in Rotary Means Business.
Missed the bus with applying for a 2021-2022 District Grant?
No worries!
You can still “HOP ON THE BUS” with us!
While the March 15 deadline for submitting the Form of Intention for 2021-2022 District Grants may have already passed, you can still be a part of a District Grant by joining our multi-club, district-wide project. You can learn more about the project on our club’s website HERE or by watching DG John Anthony’s VLOG HERE.
We are still in need of ONE MORE CLUB to be a grant partner along with the Harrisburg Keystone, West Shore, Mechanicsburg North, and Littlestown clubs! And even if you already have your own District Grant project lined up, you can still join other clubs, such as the Lancaster South and Perry County clubs, that have generously donated to this project in addition to their own club projects. Our club has set up a donation link HERE, and each donation, whether from clubs or individuals, help us reach our $25,000 District Grant goal and push this bus a little closer to finish line!
Just as a reminder, we’re also offering to match up to $500 of each club’s donations (Read more about the matching challenge HERE). So far, that’s already added up to $2150 in additional money going towards the project.
We know that by working together we can multiply the good that we can do in the world. Thank you so much for your consideration!
Yours in Rotary,
Meg & Duke
P.S. For any questions related to the project, please feel free to reach out to us here:
Applications are currently being accepted for the Carol Wagman NursingScholarship. Eligible applicants are York College of PA students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in their junior year or above. All criteria, including the downloadable application, are available on www.yorkrotary.org/downloads. The application deadline is May 31. Please contact Student Education Administrator Renea with any questions at officeassist@yorkrotary.org
Rotary Club of York Carol Wagman Nursing Scholarship
The Rotary Club of York is currently accepting applications for the $ 3,000 Donna E. Hayes Equine Scholarship. Eligible applicants are current full-time students in the EQUINE field of study in college (majors including management, studies, science, therapy, business, etc.). The application and informational letter are available on www.yorkrotary.org/downloads. Please contact Student Education Administrator Renea Oberdick with questions officeassist@yorkrotary.org. The application deadline is May 31, 2021.
Here are recent graduate (and Tech Services staffer) Kyle Wall with Computer/Business Education Teacher Mr. George and Secondary Principal Dr. Ebert getting familiarized with the wide array of new digital cameras, lavalier microphones, lighting, and portable green screens made possible through a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Northern Lebanon County.
The Northern Lebanon Secondary School wants to thank Elaine Ludwig and the entire Rotary Club of Northern Lebanon County for investing in broadcasting, journalism, and communications education!
Northern Lebanon Rotary Donates Equipment to Local High School
Rotary District 7390 RMB will host the 61st RMB networking event on Wednesday March 24 at 4:00-5:30 PM via Zoom. As with most Zoom events, there will be no charge, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. Registration can be made through the following link: http://bit.ly/RMBmarch2021
The value of continuing education can never be underestimated.
For many years, Rotary Club of Harrisburg (RCH) members have financially and functionally support high school students from area schools attain valued scholarships. The scholarship awards are for $2,000 each. It is estimated the Club members have funded hundreds of scholarships.
According to Scholarship Chair Curt Stutzman, “Our committee has been supporting four students for quite some time now. Typically, we select one student from each of the four area school districts in our Club’s footprint. I say, typically, because one year our committee had tied scoring sheets.”
Students from John Harris High School, Harrisburg Sci Tech, Steelton-Highspire High School and Bishop McDevitt High School are encouraged every year to submit detailed applications. Committee members score the applications using a scoring system that looks at a number of factors, including financial need, rank in class, an essay and more. Committee members review the submissions and make the final scholarship determinations.
Stutzman says, “The RCH pancake breakfast held in October each year is the largest fundraiser for the Club. Most of the scholarship funding comes from the proceeds. Occasionally, as in the case of the tied scoring, we need to request additional funding from the Club’s Foundation coffers.”
Stutzman has been the Scholarship Committee’s chair for four years. When asked why he serves, he said, “I like to be of service in ways that I can help and this is one way to do that for our Club. I enjoy the interaction with the students at the lunch when we host them to present the awards. I like to hear their goals and plans for their future.
Over my years as a committee member and chair, I’ve seen many of these students as future leaders in our community and hope they eventually become engaged Rotarians. I also think my being detail oriented helps in updating the application and tabulation of the scores.”
Students frequently send thank you notes like this one, “Thank you so much for this opportunity, this really means a lot to me and my family! Thank you again.” A.C.
Members of the Scholarship Committee include Karen Cullings, Carolyn Dumaresq, Michael Eby, Peggy Grove, Betty Hungerford, Curt Stutzman (Chair), Michele Tantardini and Sue Ward-Diorio.
RCH Members Support Future Leaders Through A Decades Long History of College Scholarship Funding
Celebrating 75 Years of Joint International Service
The United Nations (UN) serves as a global forum where countries raise and discuss the most difficult issues, including problems of health, climate, education and peace. Since helping to charter the United Nations in 1945, Rotarians and the United Nations have worked together toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues worldwide.
In September 2020, the United Nations reaffirmed its commitment to leave no-one behind, protect our planet, promote peace, engage young people and be better prepared for future crises. These are opportunities for us to take action.
On 10 April 2021, join people of action from around the world for an online event “75 Years of Action,” celebrating Rotarians’ lasting support of the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals.
This event- a live premier of reflections and flash talks with first-hand experiences- will emphasize UN officials and Rotarians’ shared values and ongoing history of empowering and connecting people to opportunities through a series of flash talks and brief discussions.
Dr. Dave Zuilkoski, President, and Dr. Erik Orndorff, President-Elect, of the Paradise Club of Rotary in Lancaster County have decided to “put their money where their bellies are” when it came to charitable fundraising ideas during this COVID pandemic! Dr. Z and Dr. O are superintendents of the Conestoga Valley School District, and Pequea Valley School District, respectively. Knowing that in-person fundraising events were limited or non-existent per safety guidelines, they looked no further than each other for inspiration.
“We both knew we could lose a few pounds and figured out a way to have a healthy competition that would benefit our local charities,” Dr. Z stated. Dr. O added, “we’ve never taken ourselves too seriously, so putting ourselves out there for a weight loss challenge was a great way to get funds and food for our local charities.” Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services (CVCCS) in Conestoga Valley, and The Factory Ministries in Pequea Valley are two local organizations that help those in need, to include a food pantry at both locations.
The premise of the local “Biggest Loser: CV v PV” is that for every pound that Dr. Z or Dr. O lose, people can sponsor them either monetarily or with food items. For example, people can donate a per pound amount (i.e., $1 per pound lost, or one food item per pound lost), or can make a straight fixed amount donation (i.e., $25 or a bag of groceries). This 90-day challenge began on February 1, with the final weigh-in being held on April 30. So far, it’s been nip and tuck! (No pun intended!)
In addition to this Rotary-sponsored event, both school districts have opened up the weight loss program to their faculty and staff and have made it part of their respective wellness programs. The partnership between the Paradise Club and the local school districts is beneficial to both the charitable organizations and the individuals in the two districts!
For more information, check out the introductory video or visit the two districts’ website to find out how you can donate to make a difference!
Paradise Club of Rotary Biggest Losers for a Good Cause
Let me share a focus for your club moving forward.
Rotary International has established a Taskforce for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
District 7390 is forming a new committee to assist clubs with growth through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. If you are interested in joining this committee please email PDG Dennis Zubler, dennis.zubler@gmail.com
A top priority for Rotary is growing and diversifying our membership to make sure we reflect the communities we serve and are inclusive of all cultures, experiences, and identities. We're creating an organization that is more open and inclusive, fair to all, builds goodwill, and benefits our communities.
To help us achieve our goal, the RI Board of Directors passed a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement: As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Rotary will cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in which people from underrepresented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders. Making diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority is everyone's responsibility — from Rotary members to staff at the Secretariat.
The eradication of Polio is Rotary International's number one promise to the world. It is our largest global project. We have made much great progress over the years, yet there is still much to be done. The infrastructure of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (of which RI is a partner) has most recently been used to combat COVID. Now countries around the world are re-instituting Polio vaccinations for their children. And Rotary is there to help.
But it is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that the effort needs money in order to keep going. So, I am asking you to make a special donation of at least $100 to the PolioPlus Fund. This would be over and above your normal annual donation to PolioPlus.
And, if you do, I will:
Personally obtain the commemorative coin (actually, I already have them)
Personally mount the coin in a coin display thing-a-ma-jig. (Actually, I already have these, too)
Personally purchase the padded envelop (news flash, I already have these, too)
Personally address the aforementioned padded envelop to you. My personal handwriting is sure to be a collector’s item some day.
Personally mail you an official US Mint one dollar coin which commemorates the discovery of the Polio vaccine. (actually, my bookkeeper will mail it since the post office is on the way to work for her.)
So then, I buy the coin. I buy the coin display thing-a-ma-jig. I buy the padded envelope. I will hand address the envelop in nearly calligraphy-like perfection. Or at least legible enough for the post office. I pay for the postage.
And all you need to do is make a one-time contribution to PolioPlus. Over and above your normal PolioPlus donation.
Here is how you do it. Select endpolo.org or myrotary.org. After you sign in, look in the upper right-hand corner of the home page for the DONATE button. Click that button and follow the easy-to-understand instructions. You will get Paul Harris points AND, more importantly, you will join thousands of Rotarians across the world in eradicating a horrible disease.
To get the coin, just email me a copy of your receipt from TRF to pdgjohn2015@gmail.com and I will get the coin in the mail to you, with my personal thanks. Oh. And this offer is limited to the first seventy-seven people who respond. That's all the coins I have left.
Join members of my club who have already made a special contribution to PolioPlus.
Join us in Rotary's number one mission! And thank you.
We are excited to be your guides as we set out exploring new opportunities together. Our path will take us into a world of leadership, learning, fellowship and fun! All from the comfort of your own home!
This exciting adventure will also include the opportunity to join with fellow Rotarians safely in service throughout the three districts!
If the video does not appear, please click here to view it.
We are gathering information on service activities that have taken place in the District or that your club is planning to complete. The projects will be listed on this page and will not be taken off. This page will showcase the good works of Rotarians and Rotary Clubs in District 7390!
Submit your service activity information today by clicking here!
This weeks District Blog features PDG Ben Hoover who is celebrating his 50th Rotary anniversary as a 3rd Generation Rotarian. You will be inspired by Ben’s incredible life of service and all the opportunities that enriched Ben’s life as a result of his time with Rotary. Read more at: https://wordpress.com/view/d7390rotaryblog.wordpress.com
Check our our Member Spotlight on the D7390 Rotary Blog!
To better assist clubs that are experiencing financial hardship or have not completed a club project in the last two years, the District Club Grants Committee has established two new grant opportunities for Rotary District 7390 Clubs.
Pre-Funded District Club Grants provide Rotary District 7390 Clubs with advanced funding for a District Club Grant (DCG) that may not otherwise have the financial resources to fully fund a DCG up front. Clubs showing financial need may request up to $2,500 in DCG funding.
District Micro Grants of $500 is available for clubs that are experiencing financial difficulties and have not completed a District or Global in the last two years.
For more information and the applications to apply, please click here. DG John Anthony and District Grant Committee Co-Chair Amy Spotts also discuss these two new grants in the 2/26 VLOG.
The members of the Rotary Club of New Holland are mourning the loss of their fellow member, Titus Musser, who passed away on February 11, 2021. Having joined the club in 1961, Titus was a dedicated, long-time member, and served as its past president, Secretary and Treasurer. Titus was just as dedicated to Rotary on an international level and was recently awarded the Paul Harris Fellow +5 pin shortly before his death. Titus retired from his excavating business after 60 years, was very involved in the retirement community where he lived, and enjoyed gardening and woodworking. In the photos, you can see an example of Titus’ woodworking craftsmanship in the model he built of a one-room schoolhouse he attended as a child. All of us in the club thank you, Titus, for your inspiration and dedication to our club. You will be missed!
The District has a Meetup Group which is open to all Rotarians to join free of charge. It’s a place to see service opportunities, fundraisers, and education AND post your own club’s activities. Go to https://www.meetup.com/Service-Above-Self/ and click “Join”. DGN Juliet Altenburg will then approve you and make you an “event planner” so you can post all your club’s activities. This site is open to the public so it is a great way to advertise all your events and reach out to the community and other clubs.
Join the District 7390 Service Above Self Meetup Group
For the third year in a row, members of the Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club were #FreezinforaReason as part of the Capital Area Polar Plunge!
This Special Olympics fundraiser is normally held at the lake of Gifford Pinchot State Park. To limit social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's event was held virtually, similar to the "Ice Bucket Challenge." Over $650,000.00 has been raised by Virtual Polar Plunge Participants across the state to empower Pennsylvania's Special Olympics athletes.
This year's Rotary team, Addeline Alaniz Edwards, Robert Ihlein, Becky Boone, and John Abel have raised nearly $700.00 so far! Help the team meet its goal of $1,000.00. Visit https://www.classy.org/team/336704 to donate.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg Members Make a Difference in Someone’s Troubled Life!
Maybe you believe in giving people a second chance, maybe a third; maybe beyond. That seems to be the common denominator of those Rotary Club of Harrisburg members serving on the Care Court outreach.
Started in 2009 by two exceptional Rotarians The Honorable Yvette Kane United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and then Rotary Club of Harrisburg president and known people activist Karen Snyder. The dynamic duo brought a concept of caring and compassion in the court to life.
Care Court is designed to give those who were incarcerated a hand up. It gives them someone outside the federal court system to help face the challenges of everyday life when they may have had no role model or languished too many years in “the system.” Since its founding, the Care Court concept has been a role model for other similar programs around the nation. In-person meetings are currently on hold due to the pandemic restrictions.
In a unique approach, Care Court is a completely voluntary commitment at all levels. Those adults leaving incarceration who are seeking that second chance, members of the regional federal judicial system and, of course, our Club’s members/volunteers make the Care Court a reality today.
RCH Care Court Chair Richard Utley notes, “one of our most unique gifts to the mentee is a fresh perspective on what they can accomplish with the right attitude and direction.” Participants, volunteers from the judicial system and Rotary volunteers typically meet monthly to provide a support group and get updates. Utley noted that during the pandemic, meetings are on hold, but he hopes they resume soon.
Prior to the pandemic, RCH Care Court committee members met directly with their assigned participants on an as needed and mutually agreed basis. Often these meetings allowed RCH mentors to just listen or help navigate the unfamiliar and challenging life outside imprisonment. It is hoped in-person meetings can resume.
A long-time committee Karen Paris adds, “We often help participants with practical stuff like budgeting, developing a resume for a job, listening to family challenges or just talking over a cup of coffee. The mentors often find that their personal life experiences are just what the mentee needs to start making the right decisions in life.”
A Care Court volunteer working in the federal judicial system, Daniel Karhnak, Senior US Probation Officer, first volunteered in 2013. Having started as a probation officer he knew he wanted to work in the judicial system as he likes, “helping people learn how to make better decisions. Helping them think more clearly and weigh the consequences of their actions.” While this sounds so simple to many of us, He sees many of those “in the system” come from broken homes and have had little positive parental support in life.
Karhnak also complimented the Rotarian volunteers’ engagement. “Rotary mentors are a key component and are absolutely essential to the success of this program.”
The Rotary Veterans Initiative is looking for mentors in the following fields: Computer Information Security, Computer Networking/Penetration Testing/IT/Cyber Security, and a Physician.
Mentors can be from our network of district Rotarians or from their friends and acquaintances that may be experts in these areas. Please contact PDG Alden Cunningham at amccjc2@gmail.com if you can mentor or have anyone that has agreed to be a mentor for a student veteran from Harrisburg Community College. Thank you.
Bringing a new member into your club is exciting – you’ve met the challenge of recruitment and want to share all of Rotary with your new member!
Losing a member of your club is disheartening – how could that person possibly not have caught the Rotary passion that we all share?!?!
District leadership would like to help you with the challenge of mentoring, engaging and keeping your members – hence, the formation of a Committee!
DG John Anthony has entrusted Elizabeth Wolf (York-East) with getting this committee up and running. He has spoken about it with every club during the course of his official visits. Do you have an interest in helping with this effort? As always, with a district activity, those who participate expand their network, their understanding of the incredible scope of Rotary and their commitment to Rotary.
The Rotary Club of Mount Joy invites our friends and neighbors to volunteer a little time at Rotary Park in Mount Joy. If you enjoy playing in the dirt, the Spring Workday and Community Celebration is for you! Join in on Saturday, April 10 AM – drizzle or shine – from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Rain date is April 24).
More than ever, your help is needed! The annual workday helps us prepare the park for the season and is being planned as a 2021 community celebration. Rotary Park is home to Hotchkiss, Merchandiser, and Don Pop Staley Fields. The park is a great place to play ball, take a brisk walk, or lounge at the picnic tables while the little ones play at the tot-lot. If you want to help polish this lovely community gem, consider joining the Rotary team for a few hours.
Mark your calendar now for Saturday, April 10. Help us plan by registering before April 7th. To register or ask a question, send an email to Dave Christian at dave@dcalarch.com or call him at 717-492-4295 (daytime)/717-653-2622 (evenings). Join the Rotary team that Saturday at the Fairview Park entrance, across the street from the former Lions’ Club Pool entrance. Additional parking may be found off the Market Street entrance.
Please bring your tools and dig in! Individual and group opportunities exist for all ages and at all skill levels. Your email address will also help us keep you informed of workday details as they develop. (Softball anyone?) A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided to our volunteers. Please provide an estimate of the number of people you are planning to bring to the event when you register.
If the April 10th date does not work for you, there are other opportunities to get involved. Contact Dave at the numbers above to volunteer to keep the park beautiful throughout the growing season. Help with weeding, mulching, or other hands-on projects this summer. Give your family, team, church, workplace, or club a chance to develop their community spirit this year.
Visit the Rotary Club of Mount Joy’s Facebook page to learn more about Rotary and the Mount Joy Club’s activities. If you are interested in being a guest at either the Tuesday noon or Thursday evening meetings, call Randy Wolgemuth at 717-468-6128 or send an email to mountjoypres@gmail.com.
Pictured left to right Mindy Merkey and Sandy Christian.
The tree picture: yellow shirt Dave Christian, with back to the photographer is Brian Ebersole, and the other adult is Scott Everhart. The children are helpers who just stopped by that day we do not have their names.
If anyone has questions the PR says to contact Dave Christian. That is the best info. I will be out of the area in April.
The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidance document is now updated on the District 7390 webpage by clicking here. Additions include:
New Rotary International Position Statements outlining the importance of Rotary Clubs advocating for COVID-19 vaccines, risk mitigation practices, and service activities aimed at supporting public health efforts during the pandemic.
New CDC guidance on best practices for mask wearing including covering the face/nose and “double masking” to optimize protection.
An emphasis on avoiding food consumption during club meetings to minimize virus transmission based on the lack of mask wearing.
A new Appendix F titled “Club Safety Liaison Position Description”.
The District Safety Committee is encouraging clubs to appoint a “Club Safety Liaison” who would serve as the recipient and distributor of safety guidance to their club from the District Safety Committee. Ideally this person would also assure safe practices are considered during any in-person activities of their club. Club Presidents should submit the name and contact information for their Safety Liaison to DGN Juliet Altenburg at DGJuliet2022@qrpc.com.
Interested in participating in vaccine distribution? There are several ways to help within our district! Just go to the links below to learn more!
Advertise your club’s support for mask wearing on a Digital Billboard!
Due to the generosity of Lamar Advertising, Rotary Clubs in our District can purchase an electronic billboard for just $100 to show how they provide “service above self” in the community. One way to use your billboard is to highlight a member wearing a mask! Learn more at: https://www.rotary7390.org/documents/en-us/be47eb30-b95e-49e9-9910-abe333f99761/1
Experts Needed in develop and implement District Crisis Management Plan
Rotary International now requires that every District develop a Crisis Management Plan. We are looking for a team of experts to help us create this plan and also serve as a member of the Crisis Management Team (CMT). This team would function as a subcommittee within the District Safety Committee. Please contact DGN Juliet at DGJuliet2022@qrpc.com if you or someone you know, is willing to help. Membership in Rotary is not a requirement to lend your expertise. To read more about this project go to: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/developing-crisis-management-plan
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg has been distributing dictionaries to third grade students for many years. The club usually meets in a bar for happy hour to put Rotary labels on the dictionaries. That wasn’t possible this year but the Rotarians were determined to get the dictionaries to the students. President-elect Larry Redding and Foundation Chair Anna-Mae Kobbe chaired this year’s effort. Masked Rotarians met in the Gettysburg Times distribution depot with the garage door open to prepare the dictionaries. About 800 dictionaries will be distributed to students in Bermudian Springs, Upper Adams, Conewago Valley, Gettysburg, and Fairfield school districts as well as Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School, Vida Charter School and Gettysburg Montesorri School.
Incoming Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta urged members to become more involved in service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own.
Mehta, a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India, revealed the 2021-22 presidential theme, Serve to Change Lives, to incoming district governors on 1 February during the Rotary International Assembly. The assembly, a yearly training event for district governors-elect, was originally set to take place in Orlando, Florida, USA, but was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mehta spoke about how participating in service projects through Rotary changed him as a person and made him empathize more with the needs of others. Soon after joining his club, he helped carry out projects that benefited rural communities in India.
Some of the poor conditions he saw in those communities strengthened his commitment to service. “I truly understood the plight of my brethren,” he said.
Mehta participated in initiatives that brought artificial limbs to children, clean water and sanitation to homes, and better health care facilities to communities.
“Rotary kindled the spark within me to look beyond myself and embrace humanity,” he said. “Service became a way of life for me and I, like many others, adopted the guiding philosophy that ‘Service is the rent I pay for the space I occupy on this earth, and I want to be a good tenant of this earth.’”
Mehta encouraged district governors-elect to lead by example during their term and inspire Rotary and Rotaract members to participate in projects that have measurable and sustainable impacts. He’s asking each club to conduct a Rotary Day of Service.
“At the end of your term as district governor, you should feel that because of your leadership, because of your inspiration to Rotarians and Rotaractors, the world has changed for the better because of the service done by them during the year,” he said.
An international commitment theme of Rotarians around the world is Service Above Self. These three simple words guide Rotary International members everywhere to serving others. Since 1911 members of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg (RCH) have taken the service commitment to heart. Starting in 1977 particularly active members have been recognized by their fellow club members with the Community Service Award.
While there is no financial award for these community spirited individuals, the recognition from fellow members is a, “celebration of Rotary service and its transformative impact on my life,” says the 2020 and 43 recipient Susan L. Anthony. Nominations are made from the potential recipient’s service and performance with organizations not related to the person’s work within the Rotary Club of Harrisburg.
Nominated from the vast majority of her approximately 200 RCH colleagues, Anthony was recognized for her years of working with numerous boards of non-profits and human service organizations in the region. Among those most recent board positions are the HANNA Foundation (HANNA’s Pantry), the Susquehanna Art Museum and the Dauphin County Library System. Her contributions to such organizations often include leadership direction, project development and coordination and have been known to last years and often decades.
According to Anthony, “While I may have helped organizations I believe in by providing food for hungry bodies through the HANNA’s Pantry or food for the soul and spirit through the Susquehanna Art Museum; I’m the one receiving the blessings of personal enrichment and a sense of satisfaction.” A select list of other organizations Anthony has counseled include the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, president of the Council for Public Education, president of the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society and the Pennsylvania News Media Association.
Even her work world was centered in community enhancement. For 30 years, Anthony worked for the Patriot-News organization in the community service department then serving as the director for 20 of those years. The organization’s premier community-focused events were the internationally recognized Newspaper in Education (NIE) program saluting student achievements including the Central PA Spelling Bee, Central PA Scholastic Art and Writing and the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair.
“I am particularly proud that one of our NIE Projects in collaboration with the Harrisburg School District raised the reading comprehension of elementary aged children by 30 percent and was awarded the acclaimed Young Reader Prize by the World Association of Newspapers,” adds Anthony.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg’s 43rd Community Service Award winner Susan L. Anthony outside of HANNA’s Pantry.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg’s 43rd Community Service Award winner Susan L. Anthony (person waving) helps pack literature bags for Dauphin County Libraries To distribute to young readers.
Regional Leader Receives Prestigious Rotary Club of Harrisburg’s 43rd Community Service Award
We are pleased to announce the launch of the new District 7390 blog which will feature the good people and good work of Rotarians throughout District 7390! Unlike the Rotary Reporter, the blog will be a place for Rotarians to share the stories BEHIND the news. Examples of stories can include innovative club service projects, member spotlights, and ways your club is impacting the community.
Go to http://d7390rotaryblog.wordpress.com/ to read our first featured post submitted by members of the Harrisburg Keystone Club! While you are there, subscribe to the blog by scrolling down to the bottom of the homepage and inserting your email address. By doing so, you will automatically get happy stories delivered to your in-box once they get posted. We hope to publish stories weekly but need authors! Go to the “Contributor Guidelines” on the blog for submission guidance.
This new platform was launched as a project of the new District Communications Committee chaired by Passport Club member Patricia Green-Rodgers. Contact her at patricia@stoneofsconefarm.com with questions, suggestions, and ways you would be willing to share your expertise in spreading the good work of Rotary in our community.
Colonial Park Rotary Club is hosting an INDOOR MINI GOLF OUTING on February 6 with tee times starting at 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. Register your team of 4 people! The cost to register a team is $100.00. This is a fun for every age event! You will will play an 18 hole mini golf course set up in the building of Colonial Golf and Tennis Club (4901 Linglestown road Harrisburg, PA).
Sponsor this unique event:
Event Sponsor - $1,500.00 - Identification on all promotional materials; Signage throughout the “golf course”; Three foursomes for the tournament, any flight
Gold Level Sponsor - $1,000.00 - Special signage and Two foursomes any flight
Silver Level Sponsor - $750.00 - Special signage and one foursome, any flight
Bronze Level Sponsor - $500 - Special signage and one foursome, any flight
In the project, they will work with an implementing agency called FEDICAMP. They are proposing to put modern latrines in 140 rural homes. These farmers are in networks supported by FEDICAMP. Their partner club is the Matagalpa Rotary Club in Nicaragua.
So they are looking for help with funding and also can channel some donations through your club in order to trigger matching money. Total project cost is $74000—but have a $20000 foundation grant. Commitments of about $10000 thru two clubs (Matagalpa and Fanwood scotch Plains Club).
Anyone who is interested in participating, please contact Brooks Smith at smithjbrooks25@gmail.com.
Club Seeking International Partner for Global Grant
In a year like no other, every teacher deserves an award! Help us celebrate educators who made an extra-special impact. Do you know a math teacher who has a special way of making learning numbers fun for students? Or a science teacher who opened a new world for your child? Nominate an extraordinary teacher for the 2021 Teacher Impact Awards!
We all know teachers who have gone the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of their students. This program is designed to recognize and celebrate seven K-12 teachers in public and private schools in the Rotary District’s seven county area which include:
Adams
Cumberland
Dauphin
Lancaster
Lebanon
Perry
York
A committee of Rotary and WITF staff will review nominations and produce a special compilation television program featuring the outstanding teachers that will air on WITF TV. The top teachers will also be honored at a special awards ceremony on May 26, 2021.
Carlisle Rotary Clubs present a check for $20,592.33 to CPARC. The funds were raised during Rotary’s annual holiday auction. Pictured from left to right are Mike Zick, President of the Carlisle Sunrise Rotary Club, Anne Couldridge, CPARC Executive Director, Justin Doty, President of the Carlisle Rotary Club and Bill Blankmeyer, Rotary Auction Coordinator.
Each year Carlisle’s two Rotary Club Presidents identify one project or organization to be the focus of their holiday auction. Selected this year was the Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties (CPARC), a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides support, training, and opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities.
Rotary’s goal was to match the $20,000 that was raised last year. However, the fear was that this simply could not be done due to the ongoing pandemic. The first challenge was Rotary’s holiday dinner was cancelled due to COVID-19 public gathering restrictions. Since the auction has traditionally been conducted at the dinner an alternate solution was required. Not to be dissuaded, Rotary Club Presidents Justin Doty and Mike Zick suggested the auction be conducted online.
This challenge was taken up by the auction coordinator, Rotarian Bill Blankmeyer, to find an auction platform that would support Rotary’s needs. Fortunately, thanks to recommendations from previous online auctioneers in the community, the 32 auctions platform was found to be very affordable and user friendly.
However, a new challenge developed as to where to store and eventually distribute the 100+ auction items. The solution came from Rotarian Michelle Crowley, President of the Carlisle Chamber of Commerce who offered storage space at the Chamber building which also served as a perfect location to facilitate the distribution of the items once the auction was over.
The online auction bidding took place from 4 to 13 December and raised just over $7,000. In support of the auction, over $13,000 was raised in sponsorships provided by members of both Rotary Clubs, bringing the total for the auction to $20,592.33. This was only possible thanks to the generosity of Rotarians and local businesses who donated items to be auctioned and the tremendous support from community participants in bidding during the auction.
The last challenge was the snow storm on 16 December that hampered the distribution of auction items at the Chamber building. As the last item was picked up on 21 December everyone was glad the auction saga was finally over and extremely thankful that Rotary’s fundraising goal for CPARC was exceeded.
On January 11th, Club Presidents Justin Doty and Mike Zick presented the check to CPARC’s Executive Director, Anne Couldridge at a brief ceremony outside CPARC’s building. Couldridge was extremely appreciative of Rotary’s donation stating “the funds would be applied to the ongoing financial costs associated with helping the people we support stay healthy during these unprecedented times.”
While Rotary’s dinner had to be cancelled this year, the tradition of recognizing each club’s annual distinguished award recipient continued by presentations at regularly scheduled club meetings currently being conducted via zoom. The Carlisle Sunrise Rotary Club selected Past District Governor Kevin Cogan to receive the “Buzz Coho Distinguished Service Citation.” The Carlisle Rotary Club selected Past President Carol Lennon to receive their “Four Way Test Award”.
Carlisle Rotary Auction Overcomes Challenges to Reach Goal Set for CPARC
Rotary International “Call to Action” encourages Rotarians to promote COVID-19 Vaccination
The Board of RI and Trustees of the Rotary Foundation met during a joint session and agreed that Rotarians have a major role to play not only in Polio eradication but COVID-19 eradication through the promotion of vaccine distribution. In their “Call to Action” published December 15, 2020, RIP Holger Knaack and Rotary Foundation Chair KR Ravindran outlined strategies including working jointly with local partners to “combat the powerful, growing force of vaccine resistance and misinformation” in our communities. It is our civic duty as Rotarians to join forces with others to eradicate disease and save lives through vaccination and risk mitigation strategies. To read the entire letter, click here to go to the district website safety page.
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Distribution Plan highlighted at Press Briefing
On Tuesday, January 14, a press briefing was held by Governor Tom Wolf, Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, and a Dr. Cynthia Chuang from Penn State Hershey Medical Center regarding the COVID-19 vaccine including its safety and plans for distribution. To view this excellent video click here. To view new information on where to obtain the vaccine in PA, please click here.
You are invited to the Next Safety Committee Meeting February 3rd, at 7 PM.
The next District Safety Committee meeting will take place on February 3rd, at 7 PM via Zoom. We encourage any Rotarian to join our committee at any time or to attend as a guest. Agenda items will include District Involvement in promoting COVID-19 vaccination and developing District Wide Education on COVID-19 risk mitigation and vaccination support. Additionally, we will be reviewing a submission from a club on how to reduce risks associated with an in-person service event. We invite all clubs to reach out to us in similar ways to seek out recommendations on how to keep members and the public safe. Contact Committee Chair DGN Juliet for more information. DGJuliet2022@qrpc.com
COVID-19 has caused us to take a pause in our normal way of operating. Yet, your District 7390 team, led by District Governor John Anthony, is hard at work on behalf of each of us. This blog is a primary source for stories and information about how local clubs, and their members, are making a difference in their communities and globally. Duke Adams, President-elect of the Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club, is one of them. Read his article and consider how you can help Duke to provide the children of Liberia, West Africa, a safe way to go to school.
This blog is a product of the newly formed communications committee. We are recruiting members. Do you enjoy spreading the good news about our District’s accomplishments? Do you have eyes and ears on great stories that are happening at your local club level? Are you ready to collaborate with other organizations of like thought and vision in a way that makes District 7390 stronger?
We are more than 2100 strong. Good work and good people have gotten us where we are today. You each bring what is valuable to the whole. We can do this together in support of countless community services. Let us hear from you. Great ideas start with imagining the possibilities and the drive and determination to get to the finish line. Ready! Set! Go!
Yours in Service,
Patricia Green Rodgers
Chair, District 7390 Communications Committee
patricia@stoneofsconefarm.com
District 7390 Is As Great As We Can Imagine Together
DGE Greg Staub is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna-Mae Kobbe, Ph.D. to serve as the District Rotary Foundation Chair (DRFC) beginning July 1. She will follow current DRFC John Kramb who will complete his term of office June 30, 2021.
Although Anna-Mae is relatively new to District 7390, she has been a Rotarian since 2000 when she was inducted into the Rotary Club of College Park, Maryland. She held numerous positions at the club level including Club Foundation Chair and Club President 2008-09. Also active in District 7620 (Central Maryland and Washington, DC), her involvement included District Paul Harris Society Chair, member of the District Scholarship Committee, Assistant Governor, and District Governor 2016-17. She was the District 7620 Foundation Chair in 2018-19. It is a requirement that DRFCs have served as District Governor.
Anna-Mae is retired from the Federal Government. Her career with the Department of Agriculture’s Land Grant University System includes service with the University of Missouri and University of Tennessee Extension Services and at USDA Headquarters in Washington, DC. Following retirement, she was a Visiting Professor at the University of Kentucky.
Dr. Kobbe and her husband, Rotarian Doug Newell, moved to Fairfield, PA in 2019 and transferred their memberships to the Gettysburg Club. They are Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellows, Paul Harris Society members, and Level II Major Donors. Anna-Mae is a new member of the District PolioPlus Society. Anna-Mae serves as Club Foundation Chair for the Gettysburg Club and serves on the recently- formed District Safety and Communications Committees.
“District 7390 is indebted to Past District Governor John Kramb for his years of leadership as DRFC. We are grateful to John for his efforts to grow support for The Rotary Foundation and to advocate for high quality district and global grants. His work on the District Million Dollar Journey resulted in a total of $1,650,742 raised for The Rotary Foundation,” said Staub.
PDG John will continue to serve as the End Polio Now Coordinator for Rotary International Region 39. In this role, he works with districts to focus polio eradication fundraising efforts to meet Rotary’s goal of a world free of polio.
If you would like to reach out to Anna-Mae, please do so at amkobbe@gmail.com.
I am pleased to report your District Governor Nominating Committee has met and recommended Frederick J. Gellert, Rotary Club of Carlisle-Sunrise, to serve as your District Governor for the 2023-2024 Rotary year.
Fred Gellert was raised in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Carlisle for employment at the Army War College. Fred retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel after 30 years of service. He served in infantry assignments and then became a force manager working at senior-level headquarters to implement changes in organizational structure, resourcing, and operations. Fred is currently working at the U.S. Army War College as an instructor in leadership and management, science and technology and the Asia-Pacific region. In this position, he trains senior officers in strategic leaderships and the creation and resourcing of military forces at the national level.
Fred holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Wayne State University, a Master’s degree in Astrophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Fred joined the Rotary Cub of Carlisle-Sunrise in 2012 and served as Club President twice and as the Club membership chair for three years. At the District level Fred served as an Area Membership Coordinator and is currently serving as an Assistant Governor. He is a member of the Paul Harris Society, the Polio Plus Society, and is committed to becoming a Major Donor in 2021.
In accordance with the guidelines established in article 14 of Rotary International Bylaws, you are hereby advised of this recommendation. Any Club may submit a challenging candidate for consideration provided this club has previously suggested such candidate to the nominating committee. The challenging candidates must be submitted no later than January 27, 2021 in conformity with article 14.020.8 in the Rotary International ByLaws. In the absence of such action or any other objections, Frederick J. Gellert will be designated as District Governor Nominee for 2023-24.
Many thanks to PDG Paddy Rooney and the members of the District Governor Nominating Committee for their diligent and timely actions.
Rotarian Frederick Gellert Selected to be 2023-2024 District 7390 Governor
YWCA York is holding an upcoming Courageous Conversation on Building Authentically Diverse Boards on 1/25 at 6:30PM. The goal is to engage boards of directors and their CEOs/EDs in a candid conversation on why diversity in its many forms makes for stronger, more productive organizational governance. The Courageous Conversation model includes guidelines for small group conversations following a presentation by a speaker.
The speaker for this event is outstanding! Kimberly Ellison-Taylor has a finance and tech background and is currently working at Oracle. Last month she joined the Mutual of Omaha board and is a national speaker on inclusive leadership topics.
Our organization is equally committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we hope that you will be able to participant in this important community conversation. We would like everyone to come away with the commitment to achieve greater board diversity over the next year.
Feel free to share this invitation widely. There is no fee for this event thanks to a sponsorship by White Rose Credit Union.
President John Bomberger and Cy Fritz presented $1120.00 in checks, that were collected from our club members, to the Loft Community Partnership in Millersville. The Loft supports the needy families in the Penn Manor School System. Every Wednesday they are serving around 200 families. John and Cy had an opportunity to observe the volunteers in preparing for the Food Pick-Up that evening and had the opportunity to ask several questions about their operation. They were extremely grateful and thankful for our support as their need continues to grow. A great big thank you to our Rotary Club members for the excellent response to our Food Bank Drive in an effort to help the food insecurity in our service area.
On Saturday, December 19 five Rotarians from Lancaster South Rotary Club met at a storage facility near Millersville to move office supplies and equipment for the local affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Rotarian Dave Cope of Classic Lancaster Cabinetry in Willow Street generously provided his large box truck to make the move. Lancaster South President John Bomberger coordinated the Service Project with Lancaster NAMI board member Donald Grabowski, who is also President of the Rotary Club of Elizabethtown. Of special note, the President of the local NAMI affiliate Vivian Spiese (back row left) shared her respect and appreciation for Rotary and mentioned that her father was a member of the Columbia and Mt. Joy Rotary Club for many years before his passing.
Lancaster South Rotary Club created 50 gift bags of assorted items (tissues, toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick, comb, lotion, hand sanitizer, orange, apple, chocolates, whole wheat chips) for the residents at Oak Leaf Manor South Personal Care facility, and delivered them on Tuesday December 22, just in time for Christmas. A gift box of assorted candies, cookies, pretzels, etc. was given to the staff. Special thanks to PJ Roberts, club secretary and Dan Hess, club vice-president for helping to assemble the gift bags and to Oak Leaf staff for distributing the bags to the residents. Lancaster South is looking forward to the day we can return to the facility for in-person meetings. Currently the club is meeting via Zoom.
Habitat for Humanity Project is a great collaboration between Yorkk-East & York North. The clubs volunteered on December 4th and 5th at the Habitat (701 Chestnut Street, York) project. The work day projects were dry walling, mudding & painting. Our clubs with the help of a Rotary Foundation grant contributed $10,000 to the project. York Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer driven, Christian housing ministry that builds safe, decent, and affordable homes in partnership with lower-income York County residents living in substandard housing.
York Habitat Photo Pictured Left to right:
Greg Kern (York East Rotary), Kasey Lofties (Habitat for Humanity), Patrice Joseph (York North Rotary), Kyle King (York East Rotary President)
Rotarians working at Habitat for Humanity
York-East & York-North Rotarians Partner with Habitat for Humanity
If the video does not show, please click here to watch a video of DG John interviewing PDG Kevin Cogan regarding the 72+ Program.
The District 7390 virtual Foundation Dinner in November announced a program called 72+ which makes suggestions to everyone about tax savings opportunities for charitable giving provided by the government’s SECURE Act and CARES Act. The 72+ program urges senior Rotarians to give strong consideration to making a contribution to The Rotary Foundation from their IRA. This especially applies when one reaches age 70.5 to make a Qualified Charitable Contribution (QCD) or when one must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) upon and after age 72 (hence the program name 72+). There are significant tax savings provided by the SECURE and CARES Acts. The 72+ program is further explained in a informative brochure produced by District 7390 by clicking here.
The Rotary Club of York sadly announces the retirement of long time Executive Coordinator, Bert Oberdick. Bert has faithfully served the Rotary Club of York for nearly 30 years, overseeing dozens of active committees, providing meeting details, working closely with the Rotary Club of York Board of Directors and the Charitable Endowment Fund Board, invoicing, tracking and reporting all financials, and so much more! Bert has always exemplified the Rotary Four Way Test and consistently models the values of Rotary. March 31is scheduled to be Bert’s last day.
Rotary Club of York Announces the Retirement of Long-time Executive Bert Oberdick
Hanover Rotarians Dave Erlemeier, Warren Risk (and his wife Judy), and Ralph Jodice (and his wife Judy) packed food bags for Ruth’s Harvest as part of the Club’s ongoing community service project. On Friday’s, Ruth’s Harvest gives needy children in the local area 7 meals to take home for the weekend to help to ensure they do not go hungry.
Hanover Rotarians Pack Food Bags for Ruth's Harvest
If your club would like to do a District Grant but doesn’t have a project yet, well, have I got a solution for you!
“Hop on the Bus” with the Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club to partner on a District Grant that will purchase a school bus for the children and greater community of Monrovia, Liberia in Africa. In addition to the safety and educational benefits this bus will provide for Liberian students, it will also assist the community with transportation, provide jobs for women, and continue the efforts of youth empowerment in Liberia. To learn more about the need and benefits of this project, you can watch our “Hop on the Bus” video.
To make this project a reality, our club is partnering with YesLiberia, a local non-profit that is spearheading the effort, and several Liberian non-profits, including YMCA Liberia, Educate the Future Liberia, the Rotary Club of Sinkor, and the Rotaract Club of Monrovia. And you can join our “Hop on the Bus” project too!
Our goal is to optimize the District Grant by partnering with as many District 7390 Clubs as possible to reach the $12,500 maximum goal. To sweeten the pot, we are offering up to $500 of matching funds for any of your clubs that are ready to Hop on the Bus! Step right up, Ladies and Gentlemen. Everyone’s a winner on this Rotary project!
We are very excited about this project and would like to talk with you more about it. We would be available to answer any questions individually or to do a presentation for your club to provide more details. Please contact Meg Ramey and Duke Adams for more information.
Rotary Club of York is hiring a new Executive Director to provide staff leadership to the 24th largest Rotary Club in the world! We are looking for a goal-oriented self-starter with an entrepreneurial approach to help drive the future of Rotary Club of York and our Charitable Endowment Fund. Click here for the full job description and application instructions.
Join our team: Rotary Club of York Executive Director!
As the new year approaches, the Rotary District 7390 4-Way Test ESSAY Contest deadlines approach. Hopefully you have planned or are in the process of planning your club’s contest for this year. We have a fresh, new essay prompt that we hope will be timely and thought provoking to the students: Is it the Truth? – How I Define What is True in My Life.
The contest is open to 9th grade high school students. Submissions by your club to the 2020-21 District 7390 contest are due March 5, 2021. Contest rules, critical dates, and information for both Rotarians and Students are available at the District 7390 Website. Any questions or requests for further information can be directed to project chair, Steven Grubb, at stevengrubb@comcast.net.
Dr. John P. Judson passed away peacefully on November 29, 2020 at Harrisburg Hospital. John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ann Marie, and their 5 children, Ruth Judson of Arlington, VA, Andrea Judson of Baltimore, MD, Sarah Salkeld (Brett) of Severna Park, MD, Therese Karl (John) of Rye, NY, and Chris Judson of Winnipeg, Canada; 6 beloved grandchildren, Chloe, John Vincent, Leah, Sophia, Owen, and Nate; his siblings Joyce Hartzell of Vancouver, WA, Mary Hutton of Kennesaw, GA, Michael Judson of Isle of Palms, SC, Margaret Easton of Sandpoint, ID, and Patricia Riehm of Athens, GA; and many extended family members. He was born July 14, 1939 in Washington DC, the son of the late John Hobart Judson and Joyce Duffield. He married Ann Marie Uhl on June 20, 1964; she has often described their long marriage as a loving partnership. John was educated at Villanova University, Georgetown University Medical School, did his surgical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, and later a cardiothoracic surgical residency in Salt Lake City, UT. John's passion for medicine as a general and cardiothoracic surgeon included work in Blacksburg, VA; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX; Benton Harbor, MI; and Harrisburg, PA. For over 50 years John volunteered at Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, serving as the Medical Director from 1997-1999 along with Ann Marie. He was an avid pilot, volunteering to transport patients through Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic. His long-time involvement in Rotary included roles as President of the Harrisburg Club, District Governor, and Rotary International grant efforts. Those who knew John will remember him as a man who deeply loved his family and had a tireless commitment to medicine and his patients. As one who pursued life with integrity and passion, he was always there with a listening ear and readiness to help others. He cherished his relationships and stayed connected to friends and family near and far. A Celebration of Life for John is planned for July 14, 2021 at 7pm at Market Square Presbyterian Church, 20 S 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA. In the spirit of John's life of service, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to: Hopital Albert Schweitzer www.hashait.org; Market Square Presbyterian Church www.marketsquarechurch.org; Harrisburg Rotary Foundation www.HbgRotary.org (for Peace Garden or Haiti Projects); Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania www.psrpa.org www.pennlive.com/obits
Rotary International must receive proposed enactments, including confirmation of the district’s endorsement from the governor, by 31 December 2020. If you would like to propose any new enactments to the COL, please send that information to the District office by December 20, 2020. To help you and your district prepare legislation, we have updated the How to Propose Enactments and Resolutions course in Rotary’s Learning Center. You can also read about submission requirements in our How to Propose Enactments guide. If you have any questions about the Councils, please email council_services@rotary.org.
STUDENT REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31, 2021!
District 7390 will support a virtual Four Way Test Speech Contest in 2020/2021. Students who have already competed in a club level contest are welcome to register for the Virtual Mid Levels. Upon registration, students will be assigned to one of the four Virtual Mid Levels in an equitable process that will ensure fair numbers and diversity across the board. The finale will be facilitated virtually in conjunction with the District Conference between April 30-May 2, 2021. Details are still in progress with the District Conference Planning Committee. All new materials are uploaded to the district website at this link. https://rotary7390.org/page/four-way-test-speech-contest
New this year, students will be asked to deliver their speeches in the framework of “Life in the Pandemic.” This can include, but is not limited to actual experiences in their life; their observations of reactions & responses during the pandemic; school during the pandemic; physical distancing and safety measures; and expectations about the “new normal.”
It's hard not to wonder what PDG Ken Roberts would have done with the Four Way Test Speech Contest in this unusual year! Hopefully, this direction would do him proud. His legacy continues through this important program.
On December 10, 2020 Governor Tom Wolfe announced temporary Protective Mitigation measures in an attempt to halt increasing community spread of COVID-19 which is severely impacting the capacity of hospitals to treat patients. Positivity rates in PA are now at 40% and 5,850 patients are currently hospitalized due to the virus alone. This past week close to 1,100 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported across Pennsylvania which is the highest mortality rate to date from the virus. The measures outlined in his news release https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-sec-of-health-announce-new-protective-mitigation-efforts-to-put-pennsylvania-on-pause-through-early-january/ and summarized in the graphic below, will be effective 12/12/20 through 1/4/21. As Rotarians focused on Disease Eradication it is vital that we heed the call of our local officials in supporting mitigation efforts in whatever way possible. We ask that all Rotary Clubs cease in-person meetings during this 3 week period, and if applicable, any gatherings that fall within the categories of the outlined mitigation plan. To view a special message from District Governor John Anthony on this topic please go to: https://youtu.be/sGr9WaKJjY8. Thank you for all of your support in serving the community in this very special way.
The Council on Resolutions of Rotary International met online from 15 October to 15 November 2020. In accordance with section 9.150.1. of the RI Bylaws, I am issuing this report on the actions taken by the Council. 30 resolutions and one enactment were transmitted to the Council. The Council adopted 11 resolutions and the enactment. Of the resolutions, nine were recommendations to the RI Board and two were recommendations to The Rotary Foundation Trustees. The Board and the Trustees will consider the resolutions at their upcoming meetings. The enactment will take effect in one month. At the end of this report is an Opposition to Legislation Report Form. In accordance with section 7.090.3.3. of the RI Bylaws, any club may use this form to record its opposition to the adopted enactment only. Oppositions may not be submitted on resolutions. Completed forms must reach Council Services by 23 December 2020. Please note that a club should complete and return the form at the end of this report only if it wishes to oppose the adoption of enactment 20E-01. If a club does not wish to oppose the action of the 2020 Council on Resolutions, no action is required. While it is rare, if the required number of votes in opposition are filed regarding the enactment, the item will be considered suspended. A ballot of all Rotary clubs will then be conducted according to the provisions of section 9.150. of the RI Bylaws. Based on the results of the ballot, the suspended item will either be nullified or reinstated. Should you have any questions about the Council on Resolutions or the adopted items, please contact Council Services at council_services@rotary.org. The deadline for submitting resolutions to the next Council on Resolutions is 30 June 2021.
On Wednesday, December 9, Rotary Means Business District 7390 will host a virtual Zoom meeting from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is FREE so bring your favorite drink and hors d’oeuvres and let’s get RMB going again.
Once registered, you will be given a meeting ID and password and the link to join. Also, as you may know, you can go to Zoom.com and click on the “Join the meeting” link and put in the meeting ID and password. See you there!
A tremendous success for West Shore Rotary Club’s first year of “Flags for Heroes” fundraiser. The Club displayed 160 flags along Route 15 in Camp Hill over Veterans Day.
For more years than most Rotary Club of Harrisburg (RCH) members can remember, the cost of a lunch at the downtown Hilton Hotel has been included in their dues.
As we all continue to navigate the holiday season amidst a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is with great pride that the RCH members have donated more than $20,000 from the lunch budget to more than 10 local and regional non-profits.
The RCH Board began donating the unused portion of weekly meal budget on behalf of Club members as a way to assist all of the important local organizations who are bravely fighting to keep Harrisburg families fed and protected during this desperate time in our nation’s history.
In addition to the countless hours of typical service and support the Rotary Club of Harrisburg members provide, the lunch monies have provided much need cash donations to the following organizations since March 2020:
American Red Cross- Central PA Chapter
Bethesda Mission
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Downtown Daily Bread
HANNA's Pantry
Hospice of Central Pennsylvania
Humane Society of Harrisburg Area
Rotary Foundation's Polio Plus Fund
Salvation Army- Harrisburg Capital City Region
YMCA- Camp Curtin Branch
YWCA of Greater Harrisburg
According to President James Good, “As the 23rd Rotary Club in all the world, our members have been serving the Harrisburg community since 1911. Continuing upon our tradition of Service Above Self, the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of the Club, typically disburses about $50,000 yearly in college scholarships, grants to the Harrisburg School District, local charitable organizations, programming for local youth, local and international service projects.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg Turns COVID Missed Lunches Into Welcomed Donations To Regional Non-profits
Living up to their school motto of being "Doers of the Word," the Interact Club at Delone Catholic High School (McSherrystown, PA) has not allowed the pandemic to stop their good deeds! This group of young people has connected to their community in several ways that include a non-perishable food collection that was donated to Roots for Boots, a 501c3 that hosts a food bank for veterans in need; a school wide toy drive for Toys for Tots; a garden clean-up on the school grounds; 125 handwritten Thanksgiving cards for residents in local nursing homes, and they will be participating in the Boxes of Joy program through Cross Catholic Outreach. Caught doing good, these students are to be commended for all of their accomplishments that have truly made a difference to others by putting service over self! (photo is of food donation to Roots for Boots)
The Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club is hosting a vision clinic in Harrisburg this spring. If you are an optometrist, optician, or ophthalmologist, your expertise is needed to help make the event happen. Please consider giving a day of your time to this community service event. The clinic will be run by Mission-Vision.org with help from Rotary volunteers and you.
Dates & Times: Friday, April 9, 2021 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. & Saturday, April 10, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church (2217 Derry Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104
Details: Please see https://mission-vision.org/the-mobile-clinic-experience/
Patients will register in advance. You will simply arrive at the clinic location early enough to become familiar with the location and equipment.
Mission Vision treats patients of all different ages both young and old who come from low income or disadvantaged communities. We often work with the homeless, elderly, unemployed, veterans, and school aged children who otherwise would not have access to the eye exams and treatments we provide.
Our exams are designed to both provide for an eyewear prescription, while screening for ocular eye diseases. We screen for Macular Degeneration, Color Blindness, Astigmatism, Glaucoma, etc. Since we do not dilate their eyes, we do not give out written or oral eye prescription, only free glasses.
There are 4 separate stations of the clinic: 1) Check-in, 2) Technician’s pre-testing station, 3) Doctor’s station, and 4) Optician’s station where the frames are picked if needed and fit appropriately for the client.
How it works: “Using our unique delivery model, we are able to cost-effectively provide and make sure that eye care and prescription eye wear go directly to the people with the most need. Collaborating closely with partner organizations, we identify those most in need and we are able to educate them on the importance in maintain good eye health. All mobile clinics are staffed by dedicated and caring medical professionals, as well as trained staff members and volunteers. Upon arrival, patients are greeted by the clinic coordinator who then checks them in and reviews their medical history. From there, an optometric technician screens them for distance and near visual acuity, eye motility, visual field, auto-refractions, pupil response, intraocular pressure, color vision and depth perception. Next, a state licensed optometrist performs a thorough eye exam to determine whether or not prescription glasses are needed. If, however, during the course of the exam, any medical condition requiring further evaluation is detected, the optometrist will explain the situation and provide a referral. With an impressive sampling of frames (donated brand new by major eyewear manufacturers) to choose from, patients make their selections with the help of an optician who also takes the necessary measurements to ensure a perfect fit. Two to three weeks later, the prescription glasses are first inspected and labeled by Mission Vision staff and then delivered back to the partner organizations (https://mission-vision.org/the-mobile-clinicexperience/). Progressive no line glasses are not available. Clinics are restricted to age 5 and older. When we treat a patient at one of our clinics, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the joy on their face when given the gift of clear vision for the first time.
If you would like to volunteer or learn more, please contact Dawn Brotherton at dawnbrotherton@gmail.com or 717-623-1843.
Thanks for your consideration! Harrisburg Keystone Rotary
Your expertise as an eye professional is needed. Can you help?
End Polio Now! We are this close and Rotary District 7390 is working to make a difference. The Ride to Eradicate Polio event raised nearly $1,000 which grows to nearly $3,000 thanks to matching gifts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But we can do more. We have these great long sleeved event t-shirts on hand and will gift one for each $25 donation to End Polio Now. They are navy blue with the Ride to Eradicate Polio graphic shown. Simply click here to make your gift and then enter your address and shirt information! The awesome event shirt will be mailed to your address. We have another $1,000 in potential contributions with your help! Thank you for participating.
The Rotary Club of Carlisle and the Rotary Club of Carlisle-Sunrise are asking for your support of their annual holiday auction. The proceeds from this year’s auction will benefit the Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties (CPARC), a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides support, training, and opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The goal is to match the $20,000 that was raised at last year’s auction that benefited the Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties. Click here for the auction brochure.
The auction is open to the public and provides an excellent opportunity to advertise for your organization or business by donating gift cards or certificates for services. It is also an excellent way to donate items that you might want to get out of your attic such as handcrafted Items, artwork and collectibles. To donate an item or to learn more about the auction, please contact Bill Blankmeyer at blankmeyer66@comcast.net or (717) 590-7229.
The auction runs from 4 to 13 December and is a great way to do your Christmas shopping and to support CPARC. Click here to view the auction site!
District 7390 Rotarians and RMBers I want to share with you information regarding the Rotary Network, which also contains a Rotary Network video done by RI in conjunction with District 6450 and its Chicagoland Chapter of the RMB Fellowship. It contains an overview of the Rotary Network at www.rotarynetwork.org and its mission to help Rotarians get through COVID and prosper in the future after COVID-19. Also, please post your business information in the Rotary Business Directory, which is a FREE service of the Rotary Network. This is in effect a Rotary worldwide "Yellow Pages" and it is FREE so please participate Click here to view the Rotary Business Directory.
Click here to view the October 22 Global Meet presentation by Professor Subramoney, a business and management consultant in India and globally, regarding the steps necessary for businesses to take in the time of Covid-19 and beyond. I hope you find it useful!
Friends - we have launched a fun and easy way for you to support us in our efforts to help the community. COVID-19 has affected our ability to hold fundraising events, but we all know that the needs of our community remain. To help us raise funds, we are having an online raffle! We have some GREAT items available, and it's easy and affordable to purchase tickets for your chance to win some great items.
The greatest thing is that only 50 chance for each item will be sold .. very good odds .. for this to be a success though, we need to drive traffic to our Facebook page .. https://www.facebook.com/DenverEphrataRotary/
Please follow us and share the link as much as you can ..
Blackstone 22" Griddle Yeti Wine Bottle Cooler Lego 3-in-1 Set Power XL Air Fryer Roomba Vacuum
Each of these items are BRAND NEW, and chances will start as low as $5.00 for some items!
All proceeds allow the Denver-Ephrata Area Rotary Club to continue making charitable donations to important non-profit organizations like Ephrata Area Social Services. EASS needs to purchase a handicap accessible van and our club is committed to helping them with this, but we need your help!
Rotary Global Grants Scholarships fund an awardee’s first year of graduate study abroad in one of Rotary’s six Areas of Focus (listed below). Candidates must live in or attend college in District 7390, which encompasses Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties in Pennsylvania.
Scholarship highlights…
Plan to pursue career in one of Rotary’s Areas of Focus (listed below).
Award is for first year only of graduate studies abroad
District 7390 will not fund any applicant’s study which is for the second or later year of a multi-year graduate study program abroad.
Minimum study budget of $30,000 per year. Award capped at $30,000.
Must be proficient in language of host country.
Based on…
Academic merit
Studying a Rotary Area of Focus
Residence in or attendance at a college in District 7390
Rotary’s Areas of Focus are…
Promoting peace
Fighting disease
Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
Saving mothers and children
Supporting education
Growing local economies.
The deadline to apply for a Global Grant Scholarship is January 10, 2021. The interviews will be held February 13, 2021 and applicants MUST be available for the interviews on that date. For more information, click here!
Rotary contact: Edward A Hauck, District 7390 Global Grants Scholarship Committee at hauckedward@gmail.com or (717) 293-8687.
York-East Rotary members volunteer to pick up trash and litter along Edgewood Road between prospect Street and Kingston road. The effects generally coincide with PennDOT’s Road Cleanup Days. Participants in the recent effort included (from left) Greg Kern, Kyle King, Ben Marchant, Todd Kuri and (not pictured) Tim Koller.
The time has come to begin the nominating process for our District Governor 2023-2024. You are encouraged to suggest a qualified candidate for the District Governor Nominee 2023-2024. Suggestions must be made in the form of a resolution adopted at a regular Club meeting and certified by the Club Secretary. You may suggest a Rotarian from another Club so long as you first obtain the concurrence of the Club where the proposed candidate is a member.
Every club has an outstanding leader who could be a potential District Governor. Look around and ask yourself, who is that person in our club? It is the person who is a good leader, interested, involved, gives financially to Rotary and The Rotary Foundation and is helpful to other members. Ask that person about his or her interest in serving as District Governor. We all need to give encouragement and “plant the seed” for others to move forward.
The District Governor is the officer of RI in the District, functioning under the general control and supervision of the RI Board. The Governor has responsibility for organizing new Clubs; strengthening existing Clubs; promoting membership growth; supporting The Rotary Foundation; planning and presiding at the District Conference, PETS and District Training Assembly; issuing a monthly newsletter; reporting promptly to RI; focusing attention on important Rotary issues; motivating Rotarians to participate in service activities; recognizing the outstanding contributions of Rotarians in the District; and many other related activities. The candidate should be aware of the qualifications, duties and responsibilities of a District Governor and must demonstrate willingness, commitment and ability (physically and otherwise) to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the office of Governor.
Please keep in mind that it is each Club’s duty to the District and Rotary International to give serious consideration to suggesting candidates for District Governor. Your suggestion for District Governor Nominee 2023-2024 must be received in the District Office by December 11, 2020 to be considered by the Nominating Committee. Interviews for the 2023-2024 District Governor will be held Monday, January 11, 2021. A location is yet to be determined.
District Governor 2023-2024 Nominations Due December 15
The Rotary Club of York Student Education Committee has selected its first recipient of the Carol Wagman Nursing Scholarship, Jenna Hufnagle. Jenna was awarded a $ 2,000 scholarship towards her York College of Pennsylvania education. A 2017 graduate of York Suburban High School, she is currently a junior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) major. Jenna is employed by WellSpan as a Nursing Assistant for the Nursing Resource Team at York Hospital.
A Rotary Club of York member for over 5 years, Carol Wagman established the Carol Wagman scholarship in 2018. This scholarship is set up to help York County High School graduates fulfill their educational goal pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from York College of Pennsylvania. For more information about the student scholarship program, please contact Rotary Club of York Student Education Administrator Renea Oberdick at officeassist@yorkrotary.org.
The Rotary Club of York Awards $ 2,000 Scholarship to a York College Nursing Student
It is with great pride that we announce the chartering of The Rotary Club of District 7390 Passport. This newest addition to our District has submitted all the necessary paperwork and is awaiting the official charter. We will be holding a virtual Charter Night celebration on Tuesday, November 17 at 5:30 p.m.
If you cannot join us for the Charter Night celebration, please remember that you are always welcome to make up at any District 7390 Passport Club meeting!
Many ESRAG members have been hard at work on the Feral Freon™ collection project. Rotarians are needed NOW for last 17 U.S. cities in pilot project. Do you live in or near these locations?Or do you have friends, relatives, or Rotary contacts near these cities? Are you available to volunteer to contact Rotary clubs to help find contacts?
Contact Ariel Miller with questions or to sign up.
If you live in one of these American cities and volunteer a four hours on two different days before the end of October, you can help ESRAG permanently prevent the escape of 50,000 tonnes of Freon™, an incredibly potent greenhouse gas. The impact will be equivalent to taking 9,463 gas-powered cars off the road for an entire year.
Most cities in the pilot have only 100 pounds of Freon – just a few cylinders – to collect this fall. Freon is non-flammable, non-explosive, and non-corrosive.
Only 17 of the cities in the pilot project are left to cover do not yet have Rotary champions: help us cover them!
For the pilot project to succeed, we need 2-4 volunteers from a Rotary Club within 50 miles of each city. This link explains the minimal time and storage space required, and the tasks that the Rotarians will carry out to document and prepare the cylinders for collection and destruction.
If this pilot project succeeds, and we can move into the next phase - ESRAG will have the chance to earn as much as $1 million by the end of 2021 to fund projects that slow global warming, such as wind and solar projects, reforestation, reducing food waste, and educating girls.
Thank you for your support of this project!
Jennie Lewis
Eastern North America Regional Chapter Chair, Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG)
Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG)
The weather was sunny with a slight breeze and laughs were being shared on the green by approximately 70 golfers on Tuesday September 22nd. The Rotary Club of York East’s annual Golf Tournament was off and running with golfers taking the course at Briarwood Golf Club for a good cause.
“We are very happy to have it and I think our strong response this year is a result of a lot of other things not taking place, so people were happy to come to our event,” Rotary Club member said.
Now in its 17th year, the golf tournament has always supported local groups. And as it has the last couple of years, the tournament has benefited local charities Catholic Harvest Food Pantry, New Life for Girls, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Susquehanna Heritage, Salvation Army, Veterans Gold Star Garden, York County Veterans Court and York Rescue Mission.
Rotary members believe they have a shared responsibility to take action on both local and our world’s most persistent issues.
Pictured left to right: Becky Disney, Committee Chair, Major Thomas Babbitt, Salvation Army, and Kyle King, Club President.
Sponsor a Star on the American Flag with a $200 donation. The first 50 Star Sponsors will be recognized on a beautiful plaque to be posted around the community. Please provide your name, contact information, and/or the name of the person you'd like to honor in the comments or send an email to “sycrotary@gmail.com” Thank You!
With the recent construction at the Shrewsbury 83 Interchange, your local civic organizations are looking to install a 40' flagpole to fly the American Flag and a "Welcome to Southern York County" sign at the interchange. We need your help in raising funds so we can make this dream a reality.
The New Freedom Lions Club, New Freedom VFW Post 7012, Shrewsbury Area Centennial Lions Club and Southern York County Rotary Club are working together to sponsor the new Shrewsbury Exit 4 Ramp on Interstate 83. We could use your support!
Current Project Needs: 1. Welcome sign welcoming travelers to Southern York County (estimate $6k-$8k) 2. 40’ flagpole with pole mounted lighting fixture (estimate $2.5k) 3. American made USA and PA flags ($400)
Once construction on the interchange is complete, our organizations will work together to install the above items as well as provide perpetual upkeep of the interchange through basic maintenance and litter cleanup.
How You Can Help: 1. Donate to help us purchase the above mentioned project needs. Any amount helps. 2. Sponsor a star on the American flag with a $200 donation. After the interchange is completed and all project items are installed we will host a ceremony honoring all Star Sponsors. 3. Share our fundraiser! The more you share the more community members are able to help contribute to this project.
Show your civic pride and love for Southern York County! Make a donation in any amount to help us create a beautiful and welcoming entrance to Pennsylvania!
Fellow District 7390 Rotarians and RMBers, Rotary International has developed what it calls the Rotary Network to help Rotarians in the time of COVID-19 and beyond. It consists of six key areas: Career Services, Business Networking (the RMB Fellowship and its 104 Chapters worldwide), the Rotary Business Directory (a sort of worldwide Rotary Yellow Pages), Vocational Mentoring, Financial Information, and Sharing Ideas (a Rotary BLOG). Please go to www.rotarynetwork.org and check the site out. After that please open the Rotary Business Directory and enter your business contact information along with a brief phrase on what your business is about.
Right now there is one entry from our district from a Rotarian business in Lebanon. I think what happens is when you go to the Business Directory you should see all the nearby area Rotarian businesses. I am hoping to confirm this by having District 7390 Rotarians post on the Business Directory, and then we can see whether this will serve as a Yellow Pages function for us - a sort of "first stop" when we are looking for services Second, I want to get your feedback on the Rotary Network itself. Does this have value for you? Will you use it? Thank you for your support.
RMBers, here is an opportunity to be part of a virtual international RMB Fellowship event hosted by two Indian Chapters in Bangalore and Pune India but also including Chapters from Brazil, Mexico, the USA and more. The RMB Fellowship Event ( a chance to see how the RMB Fellowship of which we are Chapter # 4 operates internationally) will take place on Thursday, October 22 and will begin at 9:30 AM Eastern time on that date. This is an opportunity to hear interesting speakers and make international connections in the wider world of the RMB Fellowship. Even if you regard your business as essentially local, you may learn something valuable and make unexpected connections that will help your business.
If you decide to join the meeting, please send the following information to Sachin Gururaj at sachingururaj@gmail.com: your name, club name,phone number with country code [US country code is +1 (001)], email address, Rotary classification (vocation/business), do you wish to be contacted by phone or email for any business opportunities and if you do what is your preferred local time to receive a call. Please send your RSVP with this info directly to Sachin Gururaj by email and copy Alden Cunningham amccjc2@gmail.com.
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
Jones will officially became president-nominee on 1 October if no other candidates challenged her.
Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact.
“As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”
As the first woman to be nominated to be president, Jones understands how important it is to follow through on Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement. “I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion … begins at the top and for us to realize growth in female membership and members under the age of forty — these demographics need to see their own reflection in leadership,” Jones said. “I will champion double-digit growth in both categories while never losing sight of our entire family.”
Jones is founder and president of Media Street Productions Inc., an award-winning media company in Windsor. She was chair of the board of governors of the University of Windsor and chair of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized for her service with the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award, a first for a Canadian. Jones holds a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.).
A current Rotary Foundation trustee, Jones has been a Rotary member since 1997 and has served Rotary as RI vice president, director, training leader, committee chair, moderator, and district governor. She played a lead role in Rotary’s rebranding effort by serving as chair of the Strengthening Rotary’s Advisory Group. She is the co-chair of the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee, which aims to raise $150 million for polio eradication efforts.
Jones recently led the successful #RotaryResponds telethon, which raised critical funds for COVID-19 relief and was viewed by more than 65,000. Jones has also received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service. She and her husband, Nick Krayacich, are members of The Rotary Foundation’s Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, and the Bequest Society.
The members of the Nominating Committee for the 2022-23 President of Rotary International are: Robert L. Hall, Dunwoody, Metro Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bradford R. Howard Oakland Uptown, California, USA; Per Høyen, Aarup, Gelsted, Denmark; Peter Iblher, Nürnberg-Reichswald, Zirndorf, Germany; Ashok Mahajan, Mulund, Mah., India; Sam Okudzeto, Accra, Accra, Ghana; Eduardo San Martín Carreño, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; Takeshi Matsumiya, Chigasaki-Shonan, Chigasaki Kanagawa, Japan; Michael K. McGovern (secretary), Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA; José Alfredo Pretoni, São Paulo-Sul, São Paulo, Brazil; Saowalak Rattanavich, Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand; Hendreen Dean Rohrs, Langley Central, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; Kenneth M. Schuppert, Jr (chair)., Decatur, Alabama, USA; Ravindra P. Sehgal, Belur, West Bengal, India; Noel Trevaskis, Merimbula, Tura Beach, Australia; Giuseppe Viale, Genova, Genova, Italy; and Chang-Gon Yim, Daegu-West, Daegu, Korea.
Rotary Leadership Institute Hosted by D-7390 Registration for the Harrisburg, Oct. 24, 2020, Virtual RLI is now open!
Please plan to attend the next Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) hosted by D7390, which will be held virtually on Oct. 24, 2020. Please save the date and register at your earliest convenience. As you know, RLI is a leadership and development program to strengthen Rotary Clubs through education, collaboration and the exchange of ideas among its future leaders. A three-part curriculum facilitated by experienced, trained faculty members engaging participants through open discussion, problem-solving and creative role-play. The Rotary Leadership Institute is an opportunity to meet with other Rotarians, share experiences, and learn new skills to take back to your club. You don't have to be in the leadership chain to benefit from this institute. If you want to learn more about this wonderful organization that we call Rotary and find out what you can actually do to start changing the world, PLEASE place this event on your schedule.
When can I attend RLI? Saturday, October 24, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. via zoom.
Ready to register? Go to www.rlinea.org. Look at the schedule on the left-hand menu and click on "More Info". Then click on Read More below to see the step by step instructions.
Registration closes October 20, 2020! The cost is $25.00.
Course Levels: Parts I, II, III, and Graduate (The graduate-level will focus on Fundraising)
Questions? Contact PDG Hector Ortiz, RLI Site Chair at richie1166@msn.com or 717-608-0444.Please register NOW for the Oct. 24, 2020 virtual RLI at www.rlinea.org
The Rotary Club of Red Lion-Dallastown Annual Student Scholarship Chicken BBQ When: Sept 26th, 2020 Minimal Contact pick up from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Living Word Community Church (2530 Cape Horn Road, Red Lion, PA 17356) $8.50 per dinner: includes 1/2 chicken, baked potato and butter, applesauce, and roll
On September 22, 2020 the Rotary Club of York East announced their 2020 Grant recipients. Each year the club raises funds from its annual golf outing and other charitable events. The grant committee accepts applications and awards those grants that benefit humanitarian projects in the local community.
$1,000 to York Literacy Council for their health literacy program
$2,000 to York County United Way for their ready Freddie program
$2,500 to Golden Connections for their dementia family support program
$3,000 to YMCA for the East York Branch for teaching children to swim for free
$5,000 to York Habitat for Humanity including a matching grant from District Rotary 7390
Congratulations to these great organizations!
Pictured left to right – Kyle King, President Rotary York East, Joe Kirkenir YMCA, Stephanie Bennett York Literacy Council, Natalie Williams United Way, Dan Callaway Golden Connections and Chris Izzo Committee Chair person. (Not pictured is Tammy Morris York Habitat for Humanity)
Since 1995, teams at the Byrnes Health Education Center have been dedicated to educating and inspiring people of all ages to make healthy choices. Over these 25 years, our team has delivered over 7.5 million health education lessons to children, young adults, and their parents. The Center reaches communities stretching throughout South Central Pennsylvania and to participants thousands of miles away who reach us via internet. In the midst of a global public health pandemic overlaid with existing, long-term health needs and challenges, our mission is as relevant and vital today as it was decades ago.
While we are unable to host our 25th Birthday celebrations now, we look forward to the moment when conditions will allow us to physically gather and commemorate the Center’s first quarter century of delivering preventive health curriculum.
In the meantime, we invite you to help tell our story. Your memories can help us tell the impact the many dedicated BHEC team members have had on our communities. We want to hear from students, teachers, parents, community members, board members, volunteers – anyone who experienced the Center or shares our passion for health education. If we shared a connection, please tell us:
If you attended any education program, who was your memorable health educator? How did they impact you?
How did something you learned make a difference to your health or the health of someone you love?
If you attended childbirth classes at the Center, how did that impact your childbirth experience?
Did you pursue a career in the field of health care because of what you experienced at the BHEC? Why?
If you served on a board or working committee, what was your experience? How did you see the impact of health education on the community?
If you were you the recipient of a recognition such as the Founder’s Celebration of Life Award, how did the recognition amplify your work?
As a teacher who accompanied your students to the Center, what impact of the visit did you see on your students?
As a parent whose child has come to the Center, what did your child learn? Did you ever visit the center as a child yourself?
Please email your story to birthday@byrneshec.org or drop it via USPS/mail to 515 S. George Street, York, PA 17401 - Attention: Birthday
We would love to hear from you and, with your permission, to share some of your stories. As we look forward to future, in-person celebrations, we hope to collect a treasure of memories that only you hold.
25 Years of Service at the Byrnes Health Education Center - Help Us Tell Our Story!
Rotary Club of Lancaster South provided a total of $3,000 in college scholarships this year - $1,000 to three high school seniors who graduated in the Spring and are attending college this Fall - a Lampeter-Strasburg graduate attending the University of Pittsburgh, a Penn Manor graduate attending the University of Alabama and a Solanco graduate attending Hood College. The $1,000 was sent directly to each respective college/university in the student's name.
Uptown York Rotary Club awarded a total of $3,500 in grants to four nonprofit organizations to help support the York community. This is the second time in the club’s nine-year history that grant applications were solicited from the public, and the Community Giving Committee is excited to announce the results.
Bell Socialization Services was the recipient of a $1,000 grant to stock over-the-counter medications and diabetes monitoring kits to help alleviate general physical ailments for adults, children and infants in residence at Bell Family Shelter. Having cough or cold medicine available for an adult going to a job or housing interview can make a huge difference for these families.
A $1,000 grant was awarded to the Byrnes Health Education Center for Clearing the Air: Vaping Education & Prevention for York City 8th Grade Students. The program will teach about the dangers of vaping.
The Rotary Club of York will receive $1,000 towards its Kiwanis Lake Clean Water Project. Kiwanis Lake is one of the most noteworthy and beautiful water features within York City. The Rotary Club of York will help to repair and restore Kiwanis Lake back to its glory. The York City Parks team and Rotary's Preserve Planet Earth Committee have looked extensively at the issues affecting Kiwanis Lake. There are five critical pieces that must and will be addressed: humane wildlife management, aeration system installation, flood gate repair, smart lake technology utilization and bringing back floating fountains with lights.
Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD) was awarded $500 towards the education of trainers and handlers in York County. SSD provides service dogs for mobility, autism, post-traumatic stress, seizure response, hearing impairment, facilities, in-home service and companionship.
All grants approved by the Uptown York Rotary Club support programs that service York and the York County community. Many of the funded initiatives support Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus: Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic and Community Development, Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation.
Uptown York Rotary Club attracts a diverse group of professionals who share a passion for giving back to our community and making a difference in the world. Our service focus areas are downtown revitalization, environmental sustainability, and community and youth development.
Although we are serious about our service, we are a fun-loving and welcoming group! As a happy hour club, we gather weekly to celebrate our service, share professional and personal successes, and learn about businesses, organizations and programs that impact the quality of life in York City, York County and the global community. Uptown York Rotary Club usually meets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays on the second floor of Rockfish Public House, 110 N. George Street, York, Pennsylvania 17401. During this time however, the club is meeting virtually. Visit www.uptownyorkrotary.org to learn more.
Bell Socialization Services
From L to R: Joyce Santiago, Uptown York Rotary Club President, Rebecca Young of Bell Socialization Services and Judy Chambers, Co-Chair of Uptown York Rotary Club Community Grants Committee
Byrnes Health Education Center
From L to R: Joyce Santiago, Uptown York Rotary Club President, Anne Bahn, Executive Director; Lyndsey Macklemore, Director of Development and Judy Chambers, Co-Chair of Uptown York Rotary Club Community Grants Committee
Rotary Club of York
From L to R: Aaron Jacobs, PPE Committee Chair of Rotary Club of York and Judy Chambers, Co-Chair of Uptown York Rotary Club Community Grants Committee
Susquehanna Service Dogs From L to R: Judy Chambers, Co-Chair of Uptown York Rotary Club Community Grants Committee, Sarah Mewhirter, SSD Director of Donor Relations; Holly Wise and SSD Buster.
My name is Marilyn Bedell. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Lebanon, NH, USA. I am passionate about Rotary and the Rotary Foundation. This is why I was happy to accept Past Rotary President Ravi Ravindran’s invitation to be the Endowment/Major Gift Adviser for Rotary Zone 32. In this role, I cover all the clubs and Rotary districts in New England, parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania…and Bermuda.
Your District Governor and District Rotary Foundation Chair have asked me to periodically share information with you about opportunities to make major gifts and endowments to the Rotary Foundation.
It is my hope that you already know about opportunities to give to our #1 priority PolioPlus and to our Annual Programs Fund/Share (the money that help fund global and district grants). I have found that not as many Rotarian know about opportunities to make outright larger gifts and endowments to the Rotary Foundation.
Maybe it is because of Covid-19, or maybe it is because of my background as an oncology nurse, I continue to think about what I want my legacy to be. How do I want to be remembered? By giving funds to the Rotary Foundation’s Endowment Fund, there is a chance that long after I leave this earth, others will remember me as they do the good work of Rotary around the world.
Through major gifts, and the endowment we have planned, my husband and I hope others will understand how much we have learned through Rotary; how Rotary has transformed our lives; and how being part of Rotary has been a blessing beyond compare.
We have designated some funds to go to Annual Programs Fund/Share. It is my hope that the interest from our endowed funds will continue to help Rotarians in my district do global and district grants that will make a difference in lives of people in my district and around the world. In addition, we are giving some funds to support our Rotary Peace Fellows. We are committed to prepare individuals to do the work of peace building rather than war. Giving to any charity will happen only if the gift has meaning to you.
As you may already know, Rotary has seven areas of focus:
Promoting peace
Fighting disease
Providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene
Saving mothers and children
Supporting basic education and literacy
Growing local economies
Supporting the environment.
Consider the area of focus that brings you the most joy, and then consider supporting it via donations to the Rotary Foundation’s Endowment Fund. Can’t make up your mind which area of focus is your priority as you think they are all important, you can always make a gift to the World Fund which will be used to support all areas of focus. Please remember, gifts of any size are welcomed.
For information about becoming a Major Donor or a Bequest Society member, click here
The new District 7390 Safety Committee is proud to announce publication of its first resource for Rotary Clubs titled “Keeping Club Members and the Public Safe: Rotary District 7390 COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidance.” The Publication will be a “living” document with frequent updates as new guidance emerges on COVID-19 transmission and prevention based on national and state recognized sources such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Pennsylvania Department of Health. The document can be found on the district website by clicking here.
Next steps for the Safety Committee include creating a repository of signage for use by clubs in addition to ongoing webinars on COVID-19 from healthcare experts. Please direct all questions, comments, suggestions for improvement, and presentation requests to:
Juliet Altenburg RN, MSN Past President, Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North 2022-2023 District Governor Rotary International District 7390
Sincere appreciation is extended to the members of the D7390 Safety Committee and District Leadership for all their support in the creation of this guidance. We also wish to thank all the clubs throughout the District in being role models of safety as you serve the public and be of support to one another during this challenging time!
Keeping Club Members and the Public Safe: Rotary District 7390 COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidance
Thank you Rotary Club of Harrisburg and Lamar Advertising for the awesome Youth Exchange billboards! If you see one while you're out and about in the Harrisburg and surrounding area ~ please snap a photo and send it to us! #rotaryyouthexchange#RotaryClub23
CONGRATULATIONS ROTARIANS - This week Rotary International President Holger and Rotary Foundation Chair K. R. Ravindran announced that the African region has been certified free of the wild poliovirus. This has been a decades long effort across 47 countries of the African region and would not have been possible without the efforts of Rotarians around the world and our partners to create a polio free world.
Rotarians in District 7390 have been committed over the past 30 years to raising funds to immunize children worldwide and our efforts are paying off. You should be proud of the difference that Rotary have made in the lives of millions of children by eliminating this dreadful disease.
I want to thank you for your past efforts and ask that you recommit to helping us raise funds to finish Rotary’s number one initiative of eradicating polio. Rotary is still committed to raising $50 million a year for this effort.
As such, we are launching the District 7390 Polio Plus Society and are inviting you to join our efforts to continue to raise funds to eradicate polio. To become a member of the District 7390 Polio Plus Society you are asked to commit to making an annual donation of $100 or more to The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus Fund until the last two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, are certified free of the wild polio virus.
We hope that with your commitment in joining the District 7390 Polio Plus Society, we will make a significant increase in our contributions to the eradication of polio.
A Zoom Summit will be held on September 3rd beginning at 7:30 p.m. for any Rotarian who is in charge of the Interact Club in their club and for those interested in forming an Interact Club for their club. This Summit will be one hour and the discussion will be on how clubs are dealing with COVID as it relates to their Interact Club and how we can learn from each other in helping the Interact Clubs. Contact office@rotary7390.org for information on logging into the call.
The Rotary Clubs of Carlisle and Carlisle Sunrise hosted a very successful and well run 59th RMB event overall and second Zoom networking meeting on Thursday, August 20 with 19 Rotarians and guests attending from six District 7390 clubs (Carlisle, Carlisle, Sunrise, Hanover, Harrisburg, Harrisburg Keystone, and Mechanicsburg North). Michelle Crowley Hornick from the Greater Carlisle Chamber of Commerce and a representative of the Small Business Development Center gave an update on the business situation in our area and the impact Covid-19 continues to have on it as well as the resources available to help businesses deal with it. Scott Stevens, the master of the Circle and RMB District 7390 Chair, ran the event a little like "Hollywood Squares" and everyone had a chance to talk about their business or project. Stay tuned for our next RMB event.
On March 6, 2020, the Rotary Club of Hanover hosted their 6th annual Tastefest event – the Club’s largest fundraiser – about two weeks before COVID19 closures in PA. The evening was designed to celebrate the area’s independently owned restaurants, bakeries, and specialty beverage businesses while raising funds for local non-profits. Always a sold-out event at a total of 400 tickets but the majority of the money is raised through sponsorships, including major contributor, Hanover-area State Farm agents (Sue Beckner, Ryan California, and Devon Ellis). This year, funds were distributed to primarily benefit Hanover Area Council of Churches -Ruth's Harvest, Hanover YWCA Safe Home, Olivia’s House, Roots for Boots, Jessica & Friends, and the Family Readiness Group of the Hanover Armory. Over the past six years, the Rotary Club of Hanover has raised an average of over $33,000 at each Tastefest event.
We all have someone we look up to. Perhaps it's a family member or friend who inspires us to be a better person, or someone who lives "Service Above Self" in their daily life. Our HERO.
The Rotary Club of the West Shore invites you to honor that person through our premier fundraising event, Flags for Heroes. By sponsoring a flag in your hero's name, you will join with hundreds of others in making a bold statement that says:
We Honor you, Hero.
We Encourage you, Hero.
We Recognize you, Hero.
We Offer thanks to you, Hero.
Don't miss your chance to be part of this event! The powerful and emotional display of sponsored flags will take place the week of September 4-12, 2021, along the Taylor Bridge Bypass (1250 Camp Hill Bypass).
DG John Anthony created a VLOG series highlighting various committees throughout the District. Watch the most current video today!! Click here to watch past videos!
The Rotary Club of York Student Education Committee has selected its first recipient of the Donna E. Hayes Equine Scholarship, Margaret Brice. Margaret was awarded a $ 3,000 scholarship for her senior year this fall at Penn State University as an Animal Science major and Equine Science minor. She will resume her position as a live-in working student at the Penn State Quarter Horse Barn. Margaret was home-schooled in Duncannon and spent her summer working on a ranch in Montana.
A Rotary Club of York member for over 24 years, Alvin Hayes established the Donna E. Hayes scholarship in 2017 in honor of his late wife, who was very active in the equestrian circle in York County. This scholarship is set up to help students attain their educational goals in the equine field of study and further the local equine community. For more information about the student scholarship program, please contact Rotary Club of York Student Education Administrator Renea Oberdick at officeassist@yorkrotary.org.
I am going on my annual cross-country motorcycle ride, and would like to raise money for Polio Plus. The ride will be anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 miles long, depending on how sore my hindquarters get.
As a polio survivor, its an important project for me. I have been blessed to visit India four times to participate in National Immunization Days.
On August 3, 2020 Aaron Jacobs, Rotary Club of York, detailed their Kiwanis Lake project. York City’s Kiwanis Lake is one of the most prominent water features in our community and the Rotary Club of York has identified this landmark community legacy to be its focus project by repairing and restoring the lake as well as adding new ‘Smart Lake Technology’. Aaron outlined plan to have Kiwanis Lake functioning better than it ever has by 2021 and showing our community the tremendous impact that York Rotary has.
Although this is a man-made body of water, it has become a haven for aquatic life and park visitors year-round. Unfortunately, the lake has suffered in recent decades due to changes in the upstream environment, failing mechanical and maintenance features as well as an imbalance of wildlife, lake nutrients and water quality.
The Student Education Committee of the Rotary Club of York held virtual interviews June 16 for “Non-Traditional Student” Scholarships. A “Non-Traditional” Student is one who does not attend post-secondary education directly following graduation from high school. Instead, they select to enter the workforce, start a family, or enter the military. At a later date, they decide to pursue a degree and usually work and attend school simultaneously for a few years.
La’Tarsha Livingston and Melissa Rosario have been awarded a “Non-Traditional Student” scholarship with a value of $ 3,600. La’Tarsha is a part-time employee of WellSpan Health and a student at HACC – York campus where she is studying to be a nurse.
Melissa works full-time at Voith US and will complete her education from York College of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2021.
The Rotary Club of York has been proudly awarding these “Non-Traditional Student” scholarships since 2012 and have financially assisted 19 students with $ 25,200 to achieve their education goal! For more information about the student scholarship program, contact Rotary Club of York Student Education Administrator Renea Oberdick at officeassist@yorkrotary.org.
Time to start planning your club’s 4-Way Test ESSAY Contest. Unlike just about everything else in our lives, a written essay is one thing that COVID-19 cannot reach. Sitting down at a home computer and writing an essay is safe and can be done in a socially distant manner (maybe even without a mask!). So if any of your club’s projects are delayed or cancelled this year, this is a great time to consider starting an Essay Contest.
We have a fresh, new essay prompt this year: Is it the Truth? – How I Define What is True in My Life. We are looking forward to receiving essays from 9 th grade high school students which address questions like: What is true? Where is truth found? Is truth important? Is truth relative? Submissions for the 2020-21 District 7390 contest are due March 5, 2021. Contest rules, critical dates, and information for both Rotarians and Students are available at the District 7390 Website: https://www.rotary7390.org/page/four-way-test-essay-contest. Any questions or requests for further information can be directed to project chair, Steven Grubb, at stevengrubb@comcast.net.
The Rotary Club of York will host their Love Fore Community Golf/Croquet/Tennis Benefit on Monday, September 14, 2020. Click here for more information!
The next District Development session features Kevin Engle, Membership Chair Extraordinaire and credited for launching the "alternate meeting time" craze that has swept throughout the district. The focus is on MEMBERSHIP! Kevin will address “10 Tips to Growing Your Club” and Creativity & Flexibility in membership.
Join us on Monday, August 10 from 6-7 PM. Pre-registration is required!
The Rotary Club of Lancaster South recently held their summer Food Bank Drive to support the Solanco Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank. Since the Rotary Club has been meeting by Zoom, the Club’s Board of Directors suggested that the money normally spent for meals would be contributed to our Food Bank Drive. One thousand eight hundred forty dollars ($1,840.00) was collected by the club and was delivered to the Food Bank. Thanks to our Rotarians for stepping up to the challenge to alleviate food insecurity in our area.
On Monday, July 20, 2020 seven members of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg packed boxes for Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Since meeting virtually, Rotary Club of Harrisburg has donated $2,400.00 from the Club’s unused Monday meeting lunch budget to Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
The Food Bank implemented extra safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Operations have been moved to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex to allow space for social distancing.
Pictured are club members Harry Derrick, Matt Staub, James Good (Club President 2020/21), Kris Pedaprolu, Karen Good, Addeline Alaniz Edwards and Una Martone (PDG).
Rotary Club of Harrisburg Commits to Reducing Hunger by Aiding the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank During the Pandemic and Economic Crisis
Before the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic took over our day-to-day lives, our own, Charlie Santiago and a group of caring professionals became real-life miracle workers for over 400 children in the Dominican Republic.
In situations, life on the island for many of the countries youngest (and poorest) citizens can be very rough. When you need immediate dental care and do not have access to it, life can become outright unbearable.
Charlie Santiago and a team of medical professionals worked tirelessly to bring much needed relief to local communities in dire need of all the help they can get.
During a 5-day period, the team treated over 400 children. Some of the more heartbreaking cases involved multiple extractions, and children in unbearable pain. With outdated equipment, a faulty generator that needed fixing every day, and a lack of air-conditioning, the team persevered through it all.
Making it all worthwhile were the children. Some in excruciating pain when they arrived, left with wide smiles and eyes full of gratitude. Amidst these multiple successes, Charlie commented there were still many more children that were turned away as capacity, and the overall conditions of the facility, made it impossible to safely treat everyone.
Molly Grady, daughter of long-time Dominican project supporter and participant Dr. Grady says, "The Dominican Project through Rotary has become an essential part of my life because of my Dad who was an active member. Since his passing two years ago, I vowed to carry out his legacy and to honor him by joining the mission in his place. The Rotarians from all the participating clubs (i.e. Baltimore, Harrisburg, Wellsboro, West Shore, and Dominican) have become a second family to me.
“Each year in the Dominican, I see my Dad’s legacy in the Rotarians, the community, and the traditions. I have the privilege to live through what he helped establish and that is the absolute greatest blessing. This mission holds a special place in my heart because of how much it meant to him." Founding outreach strategist Robert Hall, HRC member and District 7390 Past District Governor, worked tirelessly with Dr. Grady and others for decades to help make the mission a continuing success. Co-planner gain this year was Jack Haskins previously a member of the HRC and now a member in the Baltimore Club.
When the pandemic subsides, making it safe to return, Charlie is working with the local Dominican Rotary club to ensure that they find a local clinic that can support a higher capacity, and provide better equipment for future trips to the region. As of now, his planning is targeting November for their next visit as soon as they receive clearance locally.
If you feel you would like to help in advance planning or on the next trip, please contact Charlie at 717 230-0610 or csantiago@nyl.com. Please help this critical outreach continue the decades of service the Rotary Club of Harrisburg has been a major pillar of this program.
Great Job Charlie and the Entire Team! GO ROTARY!!!!
Harrisburg Rotary Members Making a Dental Difference in the Dominican Republic
The Rotary Clubs of Hummelstown, Northern Lebanon County & Palmyra are hosting their annual golf tournament on Friday, August 21. Click here for more information!
Well, maybe the smiling faces of dozens and dozens and dozens of 3rd grade students in the Harrisburg School District receiving the gift of a dictionary.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg members were absolutely thrilled to present more than 600 students with this wonderful gift.
The RCH team had the opportunity to visit every classroom and outline the many features of these books. Members talked about the word "polio”, found the definition in the directories and noted that Rotary Clubs all around the world are engaged in eradicating this disease.
Just one of the many extraordinary community outreaches conducted by RCH members either around the world or in the community; especially if you love to see little folks smiling.
Is there anything better than the smiling face of a child?
It is with great excitement that I share the news that a new committee is being formed in our District aimed at keeping our members and the public safe during our global pandemic and beyond. Details of the new District 7390 Safety Committee are attached including an invitation to submit your interest in supporting the effort. Even if you can’t volunteer for the committee please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to express the different kinds of resources and guidance your club would find useful.
Now is a time for all of us to support one another in keeping ourselves, our families and the public safe during this uncertain time. The District is here to support you and I look forward to sharing my expertise as a nurse in helping the effort.
The 2020 Southern York County Rotary Golf Tournament will take place on July 17th at 1:00pm at Bon Air Country Club. And yes, the traditional crab feast will still follow at 6:00pm! Click here for all the details! You can also register online!
The course is in incredible condition this year! Social distancing measures will be in place for your safety and the golf course is the perfect place to spread out and get some fresh air. Proceeds benefit Southern York County Libraries and other Rotary projects, we thank you for your support!
Deadline to register is July 10th, hurry up and claim your spot before registration fills up. Any questions please contact Eric Anderson at 410-365-7086.
The 2020 Southern York County Rotary Golf Tournament will take place on July 17th at 1:00pm at Bon Air Country Club. And yes, the traditional crab feast will still follow at 6:00pm! Click here for all the details! You can also register online!
The course is in incredible condition this year! Social distancing measures will be in place for your safety and the golf course is the perfect place to spread out and get some fresh air. Proceeds benefit Southern York County Libraries and other Rotary projects, we thank you for your support!
Deadline to register is July 10th, hurry up and claim your spot before registration fills up. Any questions please contact Eric Anderson at 410-365-7086.
The York-East Rotary Club is hosting their 17th annual golf tournament on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 at noon. The event will be held at Briarwood Golf Club - East course. Golfer registration cost $90 per person and sponsorships are available. We'd love for you to join our club and help us raise money for local charities and our Students of the Month program. Please contact Becky Disney at bdisney@greaterpawv.wish.org for more info or click here to download a flier. Thank you!
Invitation to Join Nurses in Rotary Fellowshipby Juliet Altenburg, President Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North, District 7390 DGND
The Rotary International Theme for June is Rotary Fellowships. When I explored the fellowship page of the RI website, I was amazed at all the different groups there are and ways to form friendships with other Rotarians.
There was one group I saw that was missing that I had an interest in - Nurses in Rotary. So, sparked by my desire to meet other nurse Rotarians, I formed a new Rotary International fellowship group called "Nurses in Rotary".
I am inviting you all to reach out to nurses you know in your clubs to invite them into my group. Or if you give me their name there is a way for me to personally invite them through my fellowship page. My group is located at this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/exchange-ideas/groups/nurses-rotary-0
Looking forward to meeting my fellow nurses in District 7390 and from around the world. (A nurse from Nigeria just joined!)
Here is an overview:
Nurses in Rotary Fellowship
Created: 6-Jun-2020
Nurses more than ever play a significant role in responding to the health needs of our communities in a variety of settings. As Rotarians we can leverage our expertise and influence to do more good together than alone in our professions. The purpose of this group will be to share ideas on how to use our Rotary platform to meet the medical needs of our communities while also nurturing friendships among each other to support each other during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg recently donated $30,000 to South Central Community Action Programs to help the organization assist families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 and the temporary closing of local businesses has significantly impacted Adams County residents, according to SCCAP Chief Executive Officer Megan Shreve. Many essential workers were laid off, lost work, or had increased costs due to the pandemic. The Rotary Club of Gettysburg and its membership are committed to making sure this crisis does not become a life altering event for Adams County families, Rotary President Brad Hoch said.
“We are so appreciative of this grant from the Rotary Club of Gettysburg,” Shreve said. “Powered by Rotary, we will be able to provide coordinated assistance designed for long-term stability. No one should lose housing or have difficulty getting back to work because of a pandemic that was out of their control. These funds, aimed at helping individuals impacted by COVID-19, will be used to prevent eviction, get people quickly housed, assist with legally operating childcare for workers, or assist with items needed for work or transportation to work. These flexible funds allow us to do what a family needs to get them back on their feet, and we are so grateful for the help.”
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg Board of Directors felt “now is not the time to sit it out on the sidelines,” Hoch said. “When the national moratorium on home and rental evictions lapses, the hardship will worsen,” Hoch said. “Now is the time to do what we can. We cannot sit with cash in our pockets.” The $30,000 donation, presented Tuesday, is in addition to a $15,000 donation the Rotary Club of Gettysburg award to SCCAP last month. If a $5,000 grant the club applied for through its district is approved, the Rotary Club of Gettysburg’s total assistance to Adams County residents through SCCAP will be $50,000, Hoch said. “Many of us know director Megan Shreve. Many of us have seen the valuable work that SCCAP has done in our community for decades,” Hoch said. “However, board members were justifiably concerned about making a $30,000 donation without adequate oversight and financial accountability. We appreciate Megan and SCCAP understanding our concerns and commitment to timely and accurate reporting of results.”
The funds Rotary donated to SCCAP were made possible through a reserve account created seven years ago by its board under the leadership of then-president Mike Hanson. “At least seven Rotary presidents and dozens of board members and general members have expended hours in the search for a ‘Wow’ project. They have worked to accumulate, to grow and to steward club resources waiting for a moment in time when our help could make a decisive difference in the lives of our friends, our neighbors,” Hoch said.
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg is currently meeting the second and fourth Mondays of each month at noon via the Zoom video conferencing app. Anyone who wishes to learn more about the club and its commitment to assisting people in Adams County and throughout the entire world should email rotaryclubofgettysburg@gmail.com. “Our club only becomes stronger if our membership is strong. We invite those who have a commitment to service to consider membership,” Hoch said.
Rotary Club of Gettysburg donates $30,000 to SCCAP
On Monday, June 29 Rotary Means Business District 7390 will host a virtual Zoom meeting from 5:30 to 7:00 pm featuring Gordon Denlinger, Director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and former state representative, who will be speaking about the business situation in Southcentral PA and prospects for the future in the time of COVID-19. This will be followed by a virtual Circle wherein participants will have a chance to talk about their businesses and how they have been affected by COVID-19 and what they have done to survive. Obviously, the event is FREE so bring your favorite drink and hors d’oeuvres and let’s get RMB going again. Please RSVP quickly to be on the spreadsheet and only the first 50 RSVPs will be able to join the meeting. RSVP NOW at https://bit.ly/2020RMBvirtual
Once registered, you will be given a meeting ID and password and the link to join. Also, as you may know, you can go to Zoom.com and click on the “Join the meeting” link and put in the meeting ID and password. Here is the chance to get the big picture on business in PA and share best practices to survive and thrive going forward. See you there!
Congratulations to PDG Una Martone (Harrisburg) and Victoria Connor (Uptown York). Una and Victoria are nominees for the Central Penn Business Journal's Circle of Excellence recognition. To be considered for the recognition, women honorees have sustained leadership roles in their choice of profession, through mentorship and in their community. They are at the pinnacle of their careers and true icons of their industry. Below is the complete list of nominees:
Victoria Connor York County Bar Association/York County Bar Foundation
Susan Graham Susan Graham Consulting
Una Martone Leadership Harrisburg Area
Lisa Myers Boyer & Ritter
Tina L. Nixon UPMC Pinnacle
For more information, or to join the event, please visit:https://www.cpbj.com/event/women-of-influence/
Central Penn Business Journal Circle of Excellence Nominees Include Two Rotarians
All are welcome to join us for the installation of DG John Anthony and the 2020-2021 District Leadership Team, the 2020-2021 Club Presidents & Assistant Governors. RIDE (Rotary International Director Elect) Valarie Wafer will be joining the call to make a special presentation!
Please contact the District Office (office@rotary7390.org) for information on joining the zoom call for this kick-off of the 2020-2021 Rotary year!
The Mount Joy Rotarians gave the community a reason to celebrate on Saturday, May 30. Their famous Rotary French Fries and hot dogs were free for the asking. Freshly made in the Rotary Fry wagon, the free lunch was carried to waiting cars by Rotarians looking for ways to give back to the local community.
The community responded by enjoying nearly 800 hotdogs and 400 pounds of French Fries. Though freely given, the Rotary Club held out a donation bucket to support the Mount Joy Food Bank. Rotary Co-President, Greg Sallade reported, “The donations from the community were $795.41. That will all go to the Food Bank … we will also make a donation to the Fire Dept. for their help. So, it was a pretty successful event.”
Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution in your community and beyond through Rotary. Weekly club meetings are held at The Gathering Place in Mount Joy on Tuesdays at noon. Alternately, visit us from 5:30PM to 6:30PM at Twisted Bine on Main Street in Mount Joy.
For more information about the Club, or any of its projects, review the Mount Joy Rotary Club’s Facebook page or contact Greg Sallade at 717-648-0510.
This will be my last note as District Governor in our weekly newsletter. On Tuesday we will have the opportunity to join with DGE John Anthony as he assumes his new office of District Governor and to celebrate DGN Greg Staub and DGND Juliet Altenburg as they move into their new roles as DGE and DGN respectively. I want to begin by thanking them for being a great leadership team, for being so dedicated and committed and for all the support they have offered to me over the past year. I am confident that with these fine leaders in place our District will be well served into the future. Thank you John and Greg and Juliet for all that you have done and I know will do in the years ahead and please know that you have my promise of support as you assume your new roles and responsibilities.
And since the transition takes place on June 30, this is an opportunity for me to step back and reflect upon the year which is now rapidly drawing to a close and to offer a word of thanks and deep gratitude for all that this year has meant to me.
I hope it does not sound trite on my part to say that these last 12 months have been a unique experience and one which I will treasure for the rest of my life. It has been a pleasure and joy to serve District 7390 as Governor – a pleasure because I really did have a lot of fun and a joy because I got to see and experience firsthand the amazing and wonderful work that is being done by so many of our clubs and their members to make our communities and our world a better place to be. I enjoyed so very much the opportunity to visit clubs, meet their boards, work with their Presidents and share in their enthusiasm for this family we call Rotary. So my thanks do indeed go to all those who welcomed me to their clubs, listened to me, laughed at my bad jokes and shared their vision of how their communities can be a better place in the future. I have learned from all of you to value the depth and breadth of Rotary and to see it, even more clearly than when I started, for the amazing organization it is. And a particular word of thanks to the Presidents of those clubs who have carried the vision of Rotary to their members, leading them through the difficult days of this pandemic, nudging them when they needed it and generally being a cadre of leaders of whom we can all be very proud.
And it is with gratitude that I offer a word of thanks to all the Past District Governors who over the past three years have offered me their words of support and encouragement, wisdom and advice. We always build on those who have gone before us and it is with deep gratitude and respect that I recognize all the PDGs of District 7390 for their work on behalf of Rotary.
And I would be remiss if I did not offer a word of deepest thanks to Melissa our District Executive, without whom I could not have made it through the year. As the fount of all knowledge about our District and Rotary in general, Melissa helped me navigate the pitfalls and get the work done. Having a new Governor each year cannot be easy but Melissa’s sense of humor and gracious patience was greatly valued by me and I suspect all the DGs who have gone before me for the past 14 years. Thank you Melissa so very much.
The last few months have been difficult for many of us on a personal and perhaps a professional level as well. We have all had to learn how to adapt in the face of this novel coronavirus as our world seemed to shift on its axis. I am grateful for all those clubs and their leadership who stepped up to the plate, figured out how to run Zoom and Go to Meeting, restructured their fundraising events and continued to award their scholarships. Yes it was and is disappointing that we are not yet meeting face to face. It was particularly disappointing for me to have had to cancel our District Conference and not be able to schedule it in other ways. It has been hard not to recognize in person those who have earned recognition for their contribution to Rotary over the past year or indeed our clubs for their fine work. But in the midst of those regrets I remain deeply grateful for those who have led, cheered and encouraged us to keep being the best that Rotary can be.
So looking back on the year, I will be the first to admit that I did not achieve all that I set out to do. I did not fulfill all my goals and aspirations. And sometimes I just failed to get it done. But I hope that, if nothing else, I have shared with you during this year my passion and love of Rotary and what I believe is our common goal, to leave this world a better place than when we came into it. You have all heard me say that Rotary makes a difference in somebody’s life each and every minute of each and every day. As that great philosopher Mr. Rogers was so fond of saying, “Life is for service” and I hope that my life this past year has been a model of such service and indeed that the service we have shown together in District 7390 will last far beyond this year and into the lives of those who will come after us.
While our efforts have been concentrated over the past few weeks and months on the novel coronavirus and the problems it has wrought within our communities, the issue of polio and its ongoing fight by Rotary to help eliminate this disease has continued. Our vaccination programs have in many areas been brought to a standstill since larger gatherings or house to house visitation to vaccinate children has had to be suspended. The fear is that, once we have dealt with the coronavirus, we may well see a resurgence of polio cases throughout the world, which would be a setback to our efforts over these past few years.
To help ensure that this does not happen, we in Rotary need to be ready and that means we have to support our commitment to this fight with some much needed resources. Indeed we now know that giving to Polio Plus over these last few months has decreased as resources have been channeled more into the fight against COVID and the personal ability of some Rotarians to give generously has been impacted by the economic situation.
To help fight this situation Rotary is asking that we use the week of June 10 to make a concerted effort to bring the issue of Polio back to the forefront of our thinking and make a commitment to join in the effort described below.
In this brief presentation we will hear from both Mike McGovern, who is our Rotary International Polio chair and Trustee Julia Phelps from the Rotary Foundation. And the aim, as you can see is to get at least 50% of Rotarians to give the amount that they would have paid for lunch that day, to the Polio Plus fund. We believe that this can be done in District 7390 which would mean some 1,100 members giving to this important work.
So I would ask you to publicize this effort. Encourage your members to participate. Stress the importance of our work in this area and show how, through this effort, Rotary will also continue to Connect the World.
COVID-19 continues to have an unprecedented impact on daily life, including access to and demand for essential health services. On March 24, the Polio Oversight Board (POB) of GPEI made recommendations related to polio eradication efforts for countries and regions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the recommendations were issued, thousands of polio workers have assisted in the COVID-19 response, and polio as well as other vaccine-preventable disease campaigns have been halted. COVID-19 related disruptions to polio programs have resulted in expanding transmission of poliovirus, further compounded by disruption to essential immunization and other essential health services. This is particularly of concern in polio-endemic countries affected by outbreaks of both wild and vaccine-derived polioviruses, where the circulation of polioviruses is expected to increase exponentially during the upcoming high transmission season. Other countries affected by outbreaks of vaccine-derived polioviruses are also expected to see increase in transmission. GPEI recommended that surveillance for polioviruses should continue, however, maintaining quality surveillance has proven difficult, leading to possible knowledge gaps on the extent of polio virus transmission.
GPEI reaffirmed unwavering commitment to polio eradication, and a regular review of the situation. Looking forward, the pandemic will evolve and affect regions, countries and subnational areas in different ways and in different stages. Similarly, countries and subnational regions will be in different stages of restriction on movement and population contact rates. In the context of the ongoing pandemic and the resumption of vaccination campaigns, GPEI will support countries to make decisions on when and where to implement polio vaccination campaigns, based on national risk assessments in close collaboration with national immunization and other health programmes. This will require innovative and adaptive strategies to engage communities.
I am honored to serve for one more term as the District 7390 Council on Legislation Representative. The COL term goes from July 1st, 2020 to June 30, 2023. Thank you very much to all of you for your trust and confidence for me to serve in this important position as Council on Resolutions and Council on Legislation Representative on behalf of D7390. I am humbled for this nomination and I will work with the best of my abilities to fulfill these responsibilities. As you may know, there are now two ways to actively participate in the Rotary International decision making process: Council on Resolutions (COR) and the Council on Legislation (COL).
Council on Resolutions (COR) The Council on Resolutions meets online every year to vote on proposed resolutions. Resolutions are requests to the Board or the Trustees to take any action that is outside the purview of the constitutional documents. Ideally, a resolution should affect the Rotary world, rather than address local or administrative issues. Council on Resolutions (COR) are held annually, voted by the COR and implemented by the RI Board of Directors. Remember that Districts can submit resolutions for the 2020 COR by June 30, 2020. Details on drafting and submitting resolutions can be found here.
Council on Legislation (COL)
Every three years, Rotarians meet at the Council on Legislation to review and vote on proposed changes to the legislation that governs Rotary. They consider enactments, which change Rotary’s governing documents, and position statements by the RI Board. Our District can also propose enactments to the 2022 Council on Legislation. Details on drafting and submitting enactments can be found here. It means legislation change to three fundamental documents: The Standard Constitution of a Rotary Club, RI Constitution, and RI Bylaws. Enactments for the 2022 Council on Legislation must be submitted through the COL RI online form by 31 December 2020.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this matter. As District 7390 COR and COL representative, I will keep you informed of the COR and COL advancement. If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at Richie1166@msn.com.
Sincerely, Hector R. Ortiz PDG 2013-2014 COR and COL Representative 2020-2023
Council on Resolutions & Council on Legislation
We have two months left to recruit qualified candidates for the 2021-22 Rotary Peace Fellowship and need your help! As a Rotarian, you play a critical role in communicating information about Rotary Peace Centers programs to potential candidates in your network. Clubs also play an important role in coaching candidates and helping them connect to districts for endorsement. We encourage you to use and share these resources: Send personalized emails with the fellowship announcement to contacts within your network. Do you know someone who could benefit from our program? Submit their name and email in our referral form and we'll follow up with them. Candidates have until May 31 to submit applications to their District. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by July 1. General inquiries regarding the fellowship program may be sent to rotarypeacecenters@rotary.org. We thank you for your dedication to the Rotary Peace Centers and your continuous support in educating the Rotary network about the fellowships! Find more information here!!
On Saturday, May 2, 2020, fifteen trees were planted at the York City Welcome Triangle across from the WellSpan York Hospital by the Preserve Planet Earth Committee, members of the Rotary Club of York, PA, family and friends. The trees included a variety of species ranging from October Glory, White Oak, Service Berry, Red Maple, and Black Gum Trees. The planting teams dug the holes, removed rocks, bricks and concrete, and then mulched the individual tree planting locations and the welcome center stone area and water feature. Special thinks to Rotarian Brian Mummert of W S Landscape Services who procured the trees and provided the mulch. A special thank you to the Garden Club of York for their shared financial support of this project.
The Student Education Committee of the Rotary Club of York held virtual interviews for their Merit Scholarships. Having received a total of 54 applications, we are pleased to announce that the scholarship recipients are as follows:
Anne Lawrence from Spring Grove Area High School will receive $ 1,000 x 4 years from the Edwin P. Mangold Rotary Scholarship. She will begin her studies at Columbia University in August studying to be a Psychiatrist.
Daniella Feistritzer of Central York High School will receive $ 1,000 x 4 years from the James C. and Carrie B. Bush Scholarship. She is headed to Columbia University to major in Biochemistry.
Emily Vergara-Pimentel from William Penn Senior High School will receive $ 1,000 x 4 years from the Charles and Alma Diehl Scholarship to major in Biochemistry at Temple University.
William Molina of William Penn Senior High School will be awarded a $ 1,000 Charles and Alma Diehl Scholarship to study Computer Science at Widener University.
Megan Dubien of Dallastown Area High School will receive $ 1,000 x 2 years from the Sanford M. Kranich Scholarship and will major in Business at Penn State University.
Bevan Fogdall from York Suburban High School was awarded a $ 1,000 Arlington Kahley "Rising Musician" Rotary Scholarship and will major in Music at Colby College.
Taylor Cromer from South Western High School was awarded a $ 3,000 John T. and Paige S. Smith Scholarship for Agricultural Studies to study Environmental Science at Saint Joseph's University.
The Merit Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements as well as community service and school participation. These outstanding students exemplify Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self". Congratulations students!
All Merit scholarship recipients are also approved for a student loan from the Whiteley Educational Loan fund for $ 2,000 per academic year for their undergraduate degree. For more information about the loan program, contact Rotary Club of York Student Education Administrator Renea Oberdick at officeassist@yorkrotary.org. The application deadline is May 31.
The Rotary Club of Gettysburg donated $15,000 to South Central Community Action Program Monday to help stock its food pantries in Gettysburg, York Springs, New Oxford, East Berlin, and Fairfield. Last year, SCCAP helped 6,121 individuals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, SCCAP has been serving 1,152 people each week, including families that have never sought services before. Pictured, from left, are Rotary Club of Gettysburg President Dr. Bradley Hoch, Rotary Club International Services Chair Chris Kimple, SCCAP Executive Director Megan Shreve, and Rotary Club of Gettysburg Secretary Alex J. Hayes.
Located just north of the Mason-Dixon line, Adams County has a rich history of stories of escaped slaves, Civil War heroics and the United States during a period of great change. Its location is also impossibly far for many of the country’s citizens to travel. Now, with the click of a button, students, teachers and history buffs across the globe can access interactive tales of self-preservation and heroism. Over the last month, Seminary Ridge Museum, 111 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, crafted seven detailed lessons allowing learners of all ages to immerse themselves in the centuries-old culture of a maturing country.
“Many of the groups we see come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York,” said Peter Miele, the museum’s chief operating officer and director of education. “This gives us a much wider reach, literally all over the world. Anyone with an internet connection can learn these lessons.” The Rotary Club of Gettysburg sponsored the creation of the new digital lessons by awarding $5,000 to the museum. The grant was originally intended to underwrite visits to the museum for Adams County schools. Following the statewide shutdown of all schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Miele and the club decided to redirect their educational goals. The museum was prepared to do so, thanks to another donor, who provided support to build an educational center a little more than a year ago. That endowment included money for iPads and the development of interactive programs within the museum. When the virus wiped out any hope of a strong spring season, Miele and two staff members went to work putting their vision together in a digital platform. “This is usually the busiest time of year. We’re outside working almost every day with school groups,” Miele said. “We’d been thinking about it for a while now, but we’ve really worked to get it out there this past month.” The website, www.seminaryridgemuseum.org/education, features five lessons for middle school students: James Pennington’s Quest for Freedom; Making Sense of the Gettysburg Address; Reasons for Southern Secession; Follow a Wounded Soldier; and Slavery and Freedom on the Border. There are also two geared toward high school students: States’ Rights and the Legal Battles over Slavery; and Civil War Emergency Care. Each section features a series of slides, quizzes, polls, photos, videos and open-ended questions constructed to mimic stories Miele and his staff would tell during in-person visits. “Thinking of this area eight miles from here as a fault line between slavery and freedom, it tells a story that we think of as a national story at a local level,” said Miele.
A series on battlefield medicine asks students to imagine themselves as 29-year-old George McFarland, a school principal from McAlisterville, Pa., and father of two who commanded the 151st Pennsylvania regiment. Photos taken inside the museum show a cramped hospital room with bloody and injured soldiers scattered on chairs, beds and worse. McFarland recalled spending three days on the floor before being treated. McFarland eventually had his leg amputated. Even after being transported home in September, two months after the battle, it’s another 42 weeks until he can leave his bed with the assistance of crutches. “It’s really inspiring what we can learn about American medical history as a whole,” Miele said. “We can draw larger conclusions that can be applied to the Civil War and present day.” Each web series has taken staffers between 10 and 20 hours to convert to an online format, Miele said. More time-intensive ones have required new video content and research, he said. Teachers have visited the site independently, but Miele was uncertain if they’d been used in a classroom setting since the start of the pandemic. He was excited to provide free, accessible content in a time when teachers are most in need. “It’s a challenge to translate some of our stories using videos, but it’s also fun to think of engaging activities to challenge students,” he said. “We ask them to take something they’re seeing and use it to create something new, like writing their own law to restrict slavery, how they’d incorporate it and why. Instead of being spoken to or spoken at, we try to create opportunities to show us they’re learning.” Dr. Bradley Hoch, Rotary Club of Gettysburg president, spearheaded the move to find funding for the project, Miele said. Though it’s changed its look from the start, both men were proud of the way it’s come together. “With the development of this digital learning platform, the internationally acclaimed Seminary Ridge Museum and its staff now have the ability to expand their educational reach throughout our entire nation and the world,” said Hoch in a press release. “I applaud their foresight, their creativity and professionalism. Miele has plans to continue growing the online database. Eventually, he hopes to provide digital tours with real-time question and answering sessions. Photo scavenger hunts and classroom sessions are also on the horizon, he said. Though developing the digital platform has been engaging, Miele looks forward to the time when the museum on the hill is bustling with inquisitive students once again. “At the beginning of March, I’d have given anything to have a month to work at home,” he said. “Now we’re hoping we’ll be back in business soon.”
The first annual report for the Rotary Club of York is available for download. If you would like to see what the 25th largest club in the world is doing, please follow this link: https://www.yorkrotary.org/downloads. Click on the “2018-19 Annual Report – Rotary Club of York” and you will get a PDF with 14 pages.
The Rotary Club of York-East is happy to announce that the following students were selected as the 2019/2020 Annual Senior Scholarship Award Winners. From York Suburban our Senior selection is Liam Waterbury son of Matthew and Melinda Waterbury and we have selected from York School of Technology Senior Jamie Hudler daughter of James and Susan Hudler. Liam will be attending Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Jamie will be attending Salisbury University’s Nursing Program.
As part of the selection process each student speaks before our club detailing their accomplishments and aspirations. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of good citizenship, academic performance and community service. Congratulations to the winners from both schools and thank you to all the candidates, you are all outstanding students.
The Rotary Club of Red Lion/Dallastown Area wanted to let the First Responders and Nursing Home Employees know how much they appreciate them during these difficult times. Since the club has not been meeting in person, they decided to use the funds they normally spent on lunch to provide lunch and treats to others!
On May 6th the club delivered 193 packs of sugar cookies to two nursing homes: Dallastown Nursing Center and Manor Care Home.
On May 7th the club delivered 83 Subway lunches to: York Regional Police Department, York Regional EMS, and the Red Lion Ambulance Association.
Red Lion/Dallastown Shows Appreciation to First Responders & Nursing Home Employees
Red Lion Dallastown Donates Shows Appreciation to First Responders & Nursing Home Employees
By now the superlatives have become almost trite – unprecedented, worse than…, nothing like this in our life time. But it is clear that we are all experiencing something that most of us never envisioned happening in our lifetimes – a shutdown to be sure but a form of social distancing that goes beyond anything most of us could have imagined. And this has impacted both our personal lives and our forms of social living as well.
And without a doubt, one of the things that has been impacted is the way we live our lives as Rotarians. Apart from the e-clubs and Passport clubs, most of us know and experience Rotary through our weekly club meetings which are often accompanied by a meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner. And there are often “rituals” attached to those meetings – a song, a prayer, the Pledge and the Four Way Test. Each club is different, each has its own ethos, but they bear a remarkable connectedness through those meetings regardless of where you are in the country or the world. Combine that with the organization of fundraising events, non-profit support work and participation in the life of so many communities and we have a picture of Rotary as it has run pretty successfully for almost 115 years with a format which is comfortably familiar.
All that has changed with this pandemic and the worry is what will Rotary look like, be like or act like as we move toward a “new normal.” Jeffry Cadorette, who serves as our Zone representative on the International Board of Directors, has challenged us time and again with a phrase I used in my club presentations earlier in this Rotary year when I asked, “If we sat down today and devised this thing called Rotary, would it look like it does at present?” And the answer is probably no! With technology, with busier schedules, with changes in our culture which says that joining any organization is something of a waste, then Rotary, if devised today, would look a lot different, perhaps even radically different.
Well some of that difference has been forced upon us by this pandemic. Many clubs have changed by going on line for their meetings; others have adapted to do fundraisers in the same manner. Training for future District and club leadership is now going on line. And having started this I suspect that much of this form of meeting and training is going to continue and we may not go back to the way we have done things for many years.
But what specific things do we need to be thinking about for our clubs in the District as we move toward re-opening? Here are some of my own thoughts which hopefully will prove helpful as we all learn to live in this new normal…particularly over the next few months while we are still living with the novel coronavirus without proper forms of treatment or vaccination.
Club meetings. Our meeting format may never be quite the same again. I would urge club leadership to consider how they can continue practicing social distancing; how many folks should be sitting at one table; how food is to be served if you use a buffet style for the meal; whether they should have a greeter but not one who shakes hands; how many people come to the podium; whether there is still a recommendation for the use of masks; whether there should be a song sung since singing has been shown to spread more droplets than just speaking; whether would should discourage people from shaking hands at all? There are so many issues like this to consider. Some of it may depend upon club size – the smaller clubs will have a little more ability to social distance than the larger or mid-sized clubs. The District and its Leadership Team, stand ready to assist you in whatever way possible to both prepare for such start up and how we will operate from that point on. Above all, however, we should follow whatever guidelines are offered to us from the CDC or our State Department of Health. Those guidelines are for our protection and for the good of those around us. We Rotarians understand our responsibility to the wider community and we show by caring for the wider community before ourselves.
Fund Raisers. We need to look at both our ability to organize fund-raisers and the community’s ability to want to come out and support them. We all recognize that our fundraisers are critical to carrying out the work in our communities but we also have to take into account the economic difficulties that have been caused by this disruption and the willingness of the community to be able to support it.
Future Training for Leadership. While we are far from making decisions about ALL training programs, it is clear that some programs will go on line and may stay that way. Can we do District training in a new way with short half day programs, learning modules on line, a new format for Presidents elect training, District Governor training and so on? District conference was cancelled this year because of the virus which was sad; but then we have to acknowledge that attendance at District Conference has been declining a great deal over the past few years and so what might happen if we never have another in person conference but rather pull together some great speakers, hold on line workshops and even announce awards on line. We had planned, for example, to have a panel discussion at District Conference on issues confronting our communities and therefore our clubs, issues such as Diversity and Equity, Teen suicide, opioid addiction and gender fluidity. These are important matters so we are planning on a virtual gathering at some point over the next few months to address these issues.
International Convention. The highlight of any Rotary year is the International Convention when Rotarians from all over the world gather in one city for some of the very best workshops, speakers and experiences you could ever have. This year we were supposed to have been in Hawaii but of course that was cancelled. Now Rotary International is going to take some of those important learning experiences and share them through a virtual Rotary Convention which will be held June 20-26. More details will be available soon.
So we will, at some point, get back to “normal.” We cannot say what that will look or feel like but we do know that Rotarians are amazing in their resilience, adaptability and willingness to embrace the issues which confront us. I am confident that we continue to have a bright future in Rotary and that together we will continue to fashion and support a future which will serve all. And if this virus has taught us nothing else, it has shown our interconnectedness in the world. But then we Rotarians always knew that because Rotary Connects the World.
The Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation recently announced the winners of their 2020 scholarship program. The Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in five schools: Central Dauphin, Central Dauphin East, Dauphin County Technical School, Bishop McDevitt and Harrisburg Christian School. One hundred and twenty students applied for 18 different scholarships that ranged from $21,000 to $1,000 for a total of $63,000.
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation also announced they will be funding three (3) additional initiatives with Harrisburg Area Community College this year:
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Norman P. Hetrick Paramedic Tuition Giveaway: Students who enroll in the HACC Paramedic Program will be eligible to receive one of seven $1,000 tuition giveaways made possible by the Rotary Club and HACC Foundation.
High school seniors or graduate of one of the above schools
Current HACC students enrolled in HACC’s noncredit Paramedic Program who are from one of the above schools can also apply
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Norman P. Hetrick Scholarship Award: This fund will award scholarships for HACC students to use towards their tuition, fees, books and/or program expenses
Students must be enrolled at HACC when applying for the scholarship and have graduated from one of the above schools
Preference will be given to HACC students who receive an award during the Rotary Club’s scholarship luncheon and are working a full or part-time job
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Fire Training Live Burn Fund: This fund will provide financial assistance to eligible fire companies to complete live-burn training sessions at HACC. The following fire companies will have the opportunity to participate in a least one eight-hour live-burn training: Colonial Park Fire Company, Linglestown Fire Company, Paxtonia Fire Company and West Hanover Fire Company
These three initiatives with HACC total $26,200 for 2020 and with the $63,000 in scholarships it brings this year’s total scholarships to $89,200 awarded by the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation.
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation Awards Scholarship for 2020
In this week’s Newsletter you will see a letter from Linda Spotts who is our District Chair for Rotary Youth Exchange. The letter is to inform all clubs that there will be no Youth Exchange for 2020-21. This decision was made by our multi-District Youth Exchange coordinating group called ESSEX and was made in light of the difficulties we are all facing in regard to COVID-19.
This was not an easy decision to make and last week those who had been selected to be our Outbound students were given the news. The District Youth Exchange team led by Linda have done a great job in working with the students currently here and while this news for next year is disappointing to all of them, it is our hope that this program will come back even stronger in 2021-22 and return to being that force in the world for good which it has been since its inception.
Knowing the value of this program, I ask clubs to take this “off year” and use that time to strengthen their club YE committees, to line up more host families and seek out those Rotarians who are interesting in being mentors and counselors to Inbound students. Together we can continue to make this one of our premier programs throughout Rotary and together we can continue to “Connect the World.”
Since its founding in 1911, the Rotary Club of Harrisburg has been a luncheon club in center city Harrisburg. Once the Hilton Harrisburg facility was finished, RCH started meeting in their ballrooms.
The Club’s Board of Directors recently made the decision to contribute a portion of the meal budget to help feed people in our community impacted by COVID-19.
Each week that an in-person meeting is canceled, the Club makes a contribution to a nonprofit organization selected by the Board members.
For some, the cost of member lunches is part of the dues structure. Those club members who are invoiced per meal, are encouraged to make a contribution on their own to that week’s organization.
For the weeks of March 16 and March 24, the Rotary Club of Harrisburg made a donation to the Central PA Food Bank and The American Red Cross of Central PA Chapter. The April lunch budgets are being donated to our local branch of The Salvation Army, Downtown Daily Bread, and The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus Fund.
To date, more than $4,000.00 has been contributed to local charities serving others during the pandemic.
To keep members informed and engaged, weekly meetings are conducted via Zoom. While a group sing is not practical via Zoom, the bell is rung and a song is played. Even speakers have joined in on the April 20th meeting.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg Feeds and Cares for Their Community with Rotary’s Missed Weekly Lunches
The Volunteer Surge is a program designed to allow those who wish to be of service to the community in the COVID 19 crisis, to be able to do so with purpose and direction. Rotary International Director Jeffry Cadorette was approached by the Global Impact Group since Jeffry serves in the region of Rotary which included New York, one of the most heavily impacted areas. Jeffry then took the information to the RI Board and the DG’s of the region for consensus and support… which he found to be unanimous.
The program is simple: we need more volunteers to help in this fight against COVID-19 and you can consider being a part of that effort and who better to support their communities through such a volunteer effort than Rotarians.
There are two options. 10 hours of training - which will allow you to help from your home under the guidance of local healthcare providers.
30 hours of training - which will glean a Certified Nursing Assistant certification. With this certification, you can serve at hospitals and other onsite locations under the direction of medical professionals.
Did we mention that the training is online and FREE!
OUR HOPE - to create 1 million volunteers through this program.
If you are interested, visit the website to learn more. Join your fellow Rotarians who have already volunteered and together let’s make our communities stronger and better. Thank you.
On behalf of our District Rotary Youth Exchange Committee, it is with deep regret to share with you that the Eastern States Student Exchange (ESSEX) Executive Board has suspended the long-term exchanges for Rotary Year 2020-2021.
Long Term Outbounds 2020-2021: The Outbound students for the 2020-2021 year, their parents and club YEOs/Counselors who attended the zoom meeting on 4/18/20 held by District YE Outbound Chair Amber Seidel were given the sad news. Both Amber and incoming District YE Chair Jill Tenny had complete sympathy with the other students/parents that morning as they too were an exchange student, and both have a daughter in this group of outbounds who were planning to go out 2020-2021.
During the meeting Amber provided the students their options for going on exchange for the year 2021-2022 and answered questions from students and parents. Those students who will still be eligible and want to continue will retain priority placement by ESSEX for 2021-2022. Additional zoom meetings will be held by Amber throughout the year with the students and their parents. Their CISI insurance and Tzell itinerary if paid will be fully refunded and partial refunds of our district fee will be made according to the status of each outbound. FAQs link per Amber: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vLRw34Hwuhf_Eo9TzIFGKWAkchwt1u6HoFnkYrpANgI/edit
Note: ESSEX stated that NO Rotary District can do a private Rotary Youth Exchange for 2020-2021.
Long Term Inbounds2020-2021: On 4/18/20 our Inbound Chair Walt Tilley notified all the Inbounds who were assigned to our district for the 2020-2021 year of the suspension of the Inbound program.
Several youth exchange events due to the coronavirus were canceled for 2020 including the March overnight hosted by the Harrisburg club, the April Annapolis day trip hosted by 7620, the end of May Farewell Picnic, the Dickinson College August Re-entry, and the 31 day Discover America trip for Inbounds hosted by 7170 (Inbound students will receive full refund).
Short Term Inbounds/Outbounds 2020-2021: The students/families and club YEOs were notified of suspension several weeks ago. ESSEX/Insurance fees were waived and 50% of district fee refunded. The students are eligible for 2021-2022 if they meet the age requirements.
The status of the 2019-2020 students: All but 1 of our Outbounds will have returned to our district by the end of April. Amber Seidel, Outbound Chair is planning on two zoom meetings – one for those who have returned and one when all have returned, dates to be determined.
4 of our Inbounds have returned to their native country. 4 of our Inbounds are currently being hosted by our district as it is felt by their natural parents that they are safer here than going home right now during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Their host families are gladly hosting them and are supported by their club counselor/YEO until it is a bit safer for them to go home in the next few months.
ESSEX will be busy developing recruiting tools for the 2021-2022 exchange year for all district members. In addition, our incoming District Youth Exchange Chair, Jill Tenny, along with her District Youth Exchange Committee, will be busy in engaging with clubs to promote the long term and short-term programs for the 2021-2022 year and beyond.
Thank you for all your contributions to the youth exchange program.
Yours in Rotary Service Above Self,
Linda Spotts, DYE Chair (2006-2020)
ESSEX Suspension of Long-Term Exchanges for the Rotary Year 2020-2021
Just prior to the Governor’s executive order to close schools throughout the Commonwealth, members of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg provided eager students with dictionaries.
The Rotary Club of Harrisburg Dictionary Project is an ongoing initiative that provides third graders in the Harrisburg School District reference books and teaches them how they can be used to enhance their education.
Even in this technological age, the students and teachers alike are thrilled to have their own book to use in the classroom and at home. For some students, this is the first real book they can call their own.
Thank you to Andy Rebuck, Gail Rebuck, Frank Frailey, Sara Frailey Garry Brinton, Mike Eby, Lee Tyre, Wendell Hoover, Steve Feinour and Chris Baldrige for presenting dictionaries to each third-grade student.
Students often write thank you letters to express their appreciation. To hear Addeline Alaniz Edwards, the RCH Executive Administrator read some of the thank you notes, simply click on this link.
You may have heard that there is a pandemic going on. World-wide. And Rotary is responding.
Last year, in response to requests from Rotarians, the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, established the Disaster Response Fund. This Fund is designed to fund districts’ need as they respond to local disasters. Districts may apply for a grant of up to $25,000 to use in response to a disaster. No district match is required; it is a straight out grant. Currently, the fund is practically depleted because districts around the world have been applying for grant money and TRF has been responding primarily to respond to COVID-19 needs like PPE, masks, test kits and the like, all around the world.
Right now there are over 100 district requests for grants in the queue awaiting funding. District 7390 (that’s us) is one of them. Grants will be funded as money becomes available. If $25,000 comes in, it gets applied immediately to a grant request. Grant requests are handled in the order in which they were submitted.
But, as noted above, the fund is out of money.
So now there is a plan.
Coming up soon, Rotary International will conduct a telethon in order to raise money for the fund. It will be held on Saturday, May 2nd, starting at 11:00 a.m. Details will be published closer to the date.
The Disaster response fund meets a critical need in this time of pandemic.
I encourage you to participate and to make a donation. If you don’t want to wait until May you can go to https://my.rotary.org/en/donate and make a donation to any of the funds.
Speaking of which:
The Polio Plus fund is still important. Polio vaccinations and monitoring have been suspended for now. However, the resources are being redirected to combating COVID-19. Monitoring, testing, and teaching are going on by the Polio teams, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Once we are though this dark tunnel of COVID-19, Polio vaccinations and monitoring will start up again. Funding of Polio Plus is still important.
The Annual Fund still matters. It is how we in the district get money back for club projects and global grants. Currently, global grants that are designed specifically for responding to COVID-19 response are on the fast track for approval, usually within three days of receipt at TRF.
Things are tough right now. But we are Rotarians, and we put Service Above Self. And right now we need for you to help support all of our Foundation Funds.
District Rotary Leadership fully appreciates that we are in a momentous time---one in which it is imperative to give thanks to so many people for all they are doing to provide service and assistance across our great Rotary District.
Perhaps it was just that thought that triggered asking Harrisburg Rotarian Andy Rebuck to assist with a big thank you to essential workers on ten area billboards. The locations were selected to greet and thank workers approaching seven hospitals located throughout Harrisburg, York and Lancaster.
If you get a chance to drive by one of these billboards we hope it will remind you to also say thanks to those that you know providing service above self.
Truckers have been working round the clock to keep our local businesses supplied and keep America moving. We wanted to thank them for this service by providing a hot breakfast on Good Friday.
This was a total community effort. We had 12 Rotarians participate and 10 non Rotarians who came out to volunteer. We also had 14 businesses and organizations donate or support the project in some way. All of the unused drinks and food were donated to the Ephrata Area Social Services food bank.
The drivers we met were from Quebec, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Indiana. Most of them had completed their deliveries and were heading off to Montreal, Virginia, Delaware, Florida and points unknown. A couple from Georgia had left home the week before and had planned on being on the road for weeks. By feeding these truckers in just 3-4 hours in Denver, PA, we definitely did our part to keep America running.
This project was the perfect representation of Rotary and living our motto of "Service Above Self". Rotary in known for bringing people together. Through the unlikely collaboration of organizations and companies, this became a total community effort. The Rotary Club used these new connections to seek donations. By wearing our masks during this time of the virus, we basically served anonymously. A true testimony to "Service Above Self".
The following is a Facebook post we received:
I just wanted to drop you a note to say that your rotary is a real class act. I am a truck driver from the Marietta area. I wasn't there for your free breakfast but it really brought a tear to my eyes to know that you cared so much. Thank you from truck drivers everywhere. This pandemic is horrible for everyone but maybe we needed this to allow us to reset and learn that taking care of one another is what really matters.
One of the things that we regularly do at our annual is recognize and give awards to individuals who have made significant contributions to the work of District 7390 over the years. Since our District Conference is cancelled I wanted to announce the recipients of the awards for this year and publicly thank them for their service to make our District and Rotary as a whole a stronger and better force for good in the world.
Our most distinguished award is the Service Above Self award which is given by the Board of Directors of Rotary International. There are only a few given out each year and I am pleased to tell you our recipient this year is Dr. Jess Socrates from the Rotary Club of Hanover. Jess has done amazing work for the past few years in providing funds to support efforts in the Philippines through a project called Operation Braveheart which has worked to provide heart operations for more than 140 children. For this work and for his numerous other contributions to his club, the District and RI, are pleased to give this award to Jess.
Our Life Time Achievement award recognizes someone who, over at least 25 years of service to Rotary, has contributed significantly to work of Rotary while at the same time modeling what it truly means to give Service Above Self. Our recipient for this year is a person who has shown both commitment and dedication to Rotary for almost 50 years at the Rotary Club of York and whose service has been exemplary. But the one of the most important characteristics of PDGDr. Ben Hoover is his modesty in all that he has done and continues to do. He has served not only Rotary but his community over the years first and foremost as a well-respected physician and but also as Board member and chair of a number of community organizations including York College. For all of this work, commitment and dedication, we are pleased to offer Dr. Hoover this recognition and award.
Our Outstanding Service Award is given to someone who has made an important but often little recognized contribution to the work of our District and Ed Hauck from the Rotary Club of Lancaster is just such a person. Ed is currently the chair of our Global Scholar and Peace Scholar awards committee. Each year Ed and his committee meet to select a person who will take graduate work at a University somewhere in the world in one of the Rotary six areas of service. In addition they would interview any candidates for our Rotary Peace Scholar award. The work of this committee is important since Rotary and our District combined provide a stipend of $30,000 for each Global Scholar. Ed has been more than diligent in following through with our recipients, seeing that the reports are due and caring for innumerable details. For all of this work and his support of our District we are pleased to recognize Ed with this award.
The Dogged Pursuit Award is given every year to a person who has, literally as well as figuratively pursued some goal on behalf of our District and has been persistent about achieving that goal. Steve Grubb, from the Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North has shown such doggedness and persistence. Steve is the chair of our 4 Way Essay Contest which is held for Junior High School students each year. The students write an essay which reflects the theme of our 4 Way Test and what it means to them. Like the students of our 4 Way Speech Contest, these students learn about Rotary and can use this forum as a way to express their Service Above Self. Steve has, over the years, worked hard with these students and helped sustain this program on behalf of our District. For all that doggedness we are pleased to offer Steve this award.
Given that are not having a District Conference at which these awards would generally be presented, we will now give them out at their club meetings when we get back to normal. The dates for each of these awards will be announced in our District Newsletter.
Rotary International's Disaster Response Fund is providing up to $25,000 to Rotary districts throughout the world in response to local vital needs as a result of COVID-19. These needs include buying food for people who were laid off, buying PPE for first responders and medical providers, and whatever else is needed now.
The fund needs replenishing so we can continue to do good in the world.
My friend, Julia Phelps, is asking people to donate at least $25.00 to the disaster relief fund. I ask you to do so at this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/disaster-response-fund Just follow the easy instructions. You will need your credit card.
Please give in honor of Julia Phelps, since it was her idea.
Rotary is closely monitoring the pandemic of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, and continuously assessing the potential impact on Rotary operations, events, and members.
Your health and safety are always our top priorities. Look below for information on Rotary activities that may be affected. We will update this page as new information becomes available.
In the near term, Rotary International recommends that districts and Rotary and Rotaract clubs meet virtually, cancel, or postpone meetings and events following the advice of national and local health officials.
Rotary encourages members and their families to take precautions to protect themselves from contracting the virus by: washing your hands often and thoroughly, putting distance between yourself and others if COVID-19 is spreading in your community, and staying home if you are sick.
Read how members are using ingenuity and flexibility to help people affected by coronavirus and to stay connected.
If your Club is holding on-line meetings, please send the meeting information to the District office at office@rotary7390.org. A list of the meetings is published on the District website. Click here! Enjoy!
By now the superlatives are wearing thin – unprecedented, unique, never seen anything like this and so on. Yet it is clear that we are living in a time which is clearly going to mark all of us for the rest of our lives – whether pre-COVID or post-COVID. And with normal life shut down, we are all struggling to adapt as best with can – for work, for family and for our communities.
In the midst of all this turmoil the work of Rotary continues. Indeed, we play an integral role in our communities and throughout the world and that work must continue. And from the top leadership of Rotary International down to the smallest clubs we are seeking ways to ensure that our work does intend go on. District Leadership has been invited to Zone meetings via Zoom. And in our own District, the District Governor line has been meeting regularly in order to address any number of issues. And it is the results of those meetings that I want to share with you now. So here goes:
As many of you know the RI Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel the Rotary International Convention in Hawaii scheduled for June. This is disappointing but understandable given that some 25,000 Rotarians from all over the world were scheduled to attend. Those who registered will get refunds through Rotary including the 38 who registered from our District.
As noted before our District Conference which would have been held May 1-2 is also canceled.
Because the District Conference is cancelled, the 4 Way Test Speech Contest and the 4 Way Test Essay contest will be conducted in a different manner which ensures recognition of the students involved and the work they did. More details on that will be forthcoming.
We have a number of students from various countries residing here in the US under our Youth Exchange Program. We also have a number of our US students living in other countries around the world. At this point in time, unless either the home District or the parents of the students in the US demand that they return home, our decision is to have them stay here. We currently have four students living abroad and we will also leave them there until the end of the school year unless their parents ask for them to come home.
Rotary International has offered Districts the ability to be more flexible with grant money which can be allocated for fighting COVID-19 or use the funds to support the Foundations Disaster Response Fund. Our Grant Committee will be looking at that issue when it meets on April 6th.
Part of our work at the District Conference was to have been the election of District Representatives to the RI Council on Legislation and the Zone 32 Nominating Committee. Those votes will now be done through the clubs. In the next couple of weeks Club Presidents will receive a notice and instructions on selecting a person in their club to vote and information on what they are voting for.
The Teacher Impact Awards Dinner, which we co-sponsor with WITF is also being postponed. Selection of teachers will take place and winners notified. Brief videos will be done by WITF for showing in the Fall. While there will be no dinner this year, all winners from 2020 will be recognized at the 2021 dinner.
There are a number of other awards that traditionally are given out at the District Conference. These include the Service Above Self Award, the Dogged Pursuit Award, the District Outstanding Service Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Individuals have been chosen for each of these awards and we will present them in their clubs when we are able to meet again in person.
Our wonderful Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program, due to be held at Messiah College under the incomparable leadership of Gary Crissman for these many years, is also canceled. This was not an easy decision for the RYLA Board of Directors to make but there are just too many unknowns and uncertainties and I support their decision.
Staying in Touch. This is a critically important component in the weeks and perhaps months ahead. As I said, RI is keeping in touch with Districts. District 7390 Leadership is trying to keep in touch with each other. We now will plan some Zoom meetings in the next few weeks with Assistant Governors, District Advisory Council and Presidents and Presidents-elect. Notice for all those will be going out shortly. Information will also be sent out about how to conduct Zoom meetings for your clubs. Keep communication going in so many different ways…emails, Zoom or GoToMeeting, notes and so on…not forgetting the really old-fashioned method of actually calling some of your members on the phone to check in with each other! Do not let our clubs go dark or our work will come to a grinding halt and for the sake of the world, we cannot let that happen.
In February, 14 individuals, including four D7390 Rotarians, traveled to New Bern, N.C. for our second trip to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Florence. Again this year, Rotarian John Bailey provided his Rotary themed coach and Shipley Energy in York donated fuel for the trip. We worked on three homes and got deserving families closer to returning home. You can find more information and pictures from February on the Disaster Relief page of the District website. And mark your calendars for a third New Bern trip scheduled for February 2021. Pictured Rotarians Phil Lehman, Bill Dress, Peg Sennett and Robert Ihlen.
The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North (RCMN) welcomes anyone interested in connecting to its 30 minutes on-line meetings to join them every Thursday from 8 AM – 8:30 AM. Speaker and connection information as well as recorded meetings can be found on the homepage of the RCMN website at https://www.mechanicsburgnorthrotary.org/ The meetings will also be advertised on the District Service Above Self Meetup group which allows any club in the District to post service activities, club meetings and fundraisers. Join at https://www.meetup.com/Service-Above-Self/. Contact club president Juliet Altenburg at DGJuliet2022@qrpc.com for more information or to recommend speakers!
Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North opens On-line meetings to all clubs and the Public
Rotary Means Business Events will be postponed until further notice given National Guidance regarding COVID -19 and the risks associated with large gatherings. Once the situation returns to normal, we will continue RMB and notices will be given regarding future events once again. Everyone stay safe and stay well.
Rotary Means Business Events Cancelled Until Further Notice
The 27th Annual Elizabethtown Rotary Golf Major will be held Thursday June 4, 2020 at Conestoga Country Club. Proceeds will again benefit countywide drug abuse prevention strategies plus many other regional needs the Elizabethtown Rotary Club supports. Click here for registration information!
The ROTARY CUP CLUB TOURNAMENT, in its 3rd year is being defended by the Mt. Joy Rotary Club. On one of the holes all men who contribute a small donation will be allowed to move to the forward tees (some call ladies’ tee) and put on a dress for a photo op for great fun! Women who donate will be allowed the same distance advantage.
The Rotary Club of Colonial Park and the Rotary Club of Colonial Park Foundation announces additional scholarships for 2020. In cooperation with the Harrisburg Area Community College three new scholarships have been established:
Fire Training Live Burn – Funding for each of the four fire companies in Lower Paxton and West Hanover Townships to conduct a full day of live-fire training. Crews practice different scenarios such as basement fires and attic fires. Teams rotate assignments from one scenario to the next so that all members have the opportunity to practice multiple roles.
Paramedic Tuition Giveaway – Six one thousand ($1,000) tuition giveaways for the noncredit Paramedic training program has been established for students attending HACC in the Paramedic program.
Scholarship College Credit Courses – Funds have been set aside to provide at least fifteen (15) scholarships for high school seniors from five school who have been accepted at HACC.
These are in addition to the sixteen (16) scholarships that will be awarded in May this year by the club totaling $68,000. Since the scholarship program started, the Rotary club has awarded $441,708 to high school seniors. With this year’s awards it brings the total scholarships awarded by the Rotary Club of Colonial Park to $509,708 since inception.
Rotary Club of Colonial Park Increases Scholarships for 2020
Both of Sherry Chroniger’s 6th grade social studies classes at St. Teresa of Calcutta in McSherrystown completed the Junior Achievement program, Our Nation, taught by Hanover Rotarian, Ralph Jodice. This 5 lesson program taught the 52 students about the free market economy, entrepreneurship and innovation, career clusters, getting and keeping the job, and global economic connections.
Uptown York Rotary Club thanks Collusion Tap Works for their generous donation of $250 to help end polio across the world! In December, Collusion brewed a special honey lemon pilsner, named "No Mo Polio" by Uptown York Rotary Club, with a portion of all sales benefiting End Polio Now.
Uptown York Rotary Club and Collusion Tap Works will be partnering on a larger scale in 2020 with a goal of raising even more money and awareness for the fight to end polio.
L to R: David Corman, Uptown York Rotary Club; Jared Barnes, Collusion Tap Works; Correll French and Zach Zimmerman, Uptown York Rotary Club.
Uptown York Rotary Club Partners with Collusion Tap Works to Raise Money to End Polio
Uptown York Rotary Club (UYRC) attracts a diverse group of professionals who share a passion for giving back to our community and making a difference in the world. Our service focus areas are downtown revitalization, environmental sustainability, and community and youth development.
One way we serve our focus areas is to provide funding for initiatives that make a difference in our community. UYRC is accepting grant applications for its Community Giving grant program to support needs in our service area.
Grant applications will be accepted through March 31, 2020. Grantees can apply for two levels – up to $500 for programs that serve the UYRC service area and up to $1,000 for the programs that serve the UYRC service area and impact one of Rotary’s six areas of focus.
Grants approved by the Rotary Club of Uptown York are to support programs that service York and the York County community. We are particularly interested in supporting organizations whose best practices and initiatives support Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus. The most successful and sustainable Rotary service tends to fall within one of these areas of focus: Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic and Community Development, Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation.
Not for profit or 501(c)3 organizations may apply for a grant. Selection criteria includes, but is not limited to: •How well the project demonstrates the use Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus •The level of impact on the community •The level of documented need for the program/project and/or the grant funding •The level of collaboration with other organizations or community initiatives •Clearly defined measures of success •Rotarian involvement (individual/group)
Applicants are asked to describe the sustainability of the project after the grant funds have been disbursed. Funding is not considered for ongoing operating costs of an organization, capital campaigns, scholarships or stipends for individuals.
Join the Rotary Club of West Shore as we host Trivia Night for Literacy. Teams will compete to be crowned Trivia Master!
Winning teams will receive a grand prize including a refund of their entry fee!
Raffles and other fun contests will occur throughout the evening. Enjoy the great food and beverage from Arena Grill as well!
Create a team of 6 or 4. No worries if you don't have a full team. Purchase individual ticket and you will be placed on a team.
All proceeds from this fun night will go directly to our club's youth and literacy initiatives. Current and past projects include The Dictionary Project which provides dictionaries to local 3rd grade students and West Shore School District's Kindergarten program where every incoming kindergarten student in the District received their own copy of David Shannon’s book Duck on a Bike.
The Rotary Clubs of Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg North, and West Shore in partnership with the RMB Northern Tier Steering Committee hosted a superbly run and super successful 57th networking event at Buhrig’s Gathering Place on February 13 with roughly 60 Rotarians and guests attending from 12 clubs (Carlisle, Carlisle Sunrise, Hanover, Harrisburg, Harrisburg Keystone, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg North, Palmyra, Perry County, West Shore and York) representing all parts of District 7390.
One attendee indicated that “he thought the event was surprising and wonderful and he wants to talk about joining Rotary”. Another guest indicated he wanted to attend the Mechanicsburg North evening meeting as a result of his opportunity to attend a RMB networking event. Venue and event sponsors Buhrig’s Gathering Place, Ella Home Care, AMIRACLE4SURE, Front Street Financial, DenMark Business Solutions, Merlin Communications, Mother Hubbard’s Kitchen, and Capstone Land Transfer contributed greatly to the success of this no-cost event. Thank you to all hosting club presidents and Scott Stevens the event “Circle” master who along with RSVP master Alaine Keisling made this event the success it was.
Clearly, this event demonstrated the value of RMB in terms of membership development and retention and the fun and fellowship opportunities it provides. Well done all!
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Thank You to our Major RMB Sponsors
Successful RMB held in Mechanicsburg on February 13
This will be my last note as District Governor in our weekly newsletter. On Tuesday we will have the opportunity to join with DGE John Anthony as he assumes his new office of District Governor and to celebrate DGN Greg Staub and DGND Juliet Altenburg as they move into their new roles as DGE and DGN respectively. I want to begin by thanking them for being a great leadership team, for being so dedicated and committed and for all the support they have offered to me over the past year. I am confident that with these fine leaders in place our District will be well served into the future. Thank you John and Greg and Juliet for all that you have done and I know will do in the years ahead and please know that you have my promise of support as you assume your new roles and responsibilities.
And since the transition takes place on June 30, this is an opportunity for me to step back and reflect upon the year which is now rapidly drawing to a close and to offer a word of thanks and deep gratitude for all that this year has meant to me.
I hope it does not sound trite on my part to say that these last 12 months have been a unique experience and one which I will treasure for the rest of my life. It has been a pleasure and joy to serve District 7390 as Governor – a pleasure because I really did have a lot of fun and a joy because I got to see and experience firsthand the amazing and wonderful work that is being done by so many of our clubs and their members to make our communities and our world a better place to be. I enjoyed so very much the opportunity to visit clubs, meet their boards, work with their Presidents and share in their enthusiasm for this family we call Rotary. So my thanks do indeed go to all those who welcomed me to their clubs, listened to me, laughed at my bad jokes and shared their vision of how their communities can be a better place in the future. I have learned from all of you to value the depth and breadth of Rotary and to see it, even more clearly than when I started, for the amazing organization it is. And a particular word of thanks to the Presidents of those clubs who have carried the vision of Rotary to their members, leading them through the difficult days of this pandemic, nudging them when they needed it and generally being a cadre of leaders of whom we can all be very proud.
And it is with gratitude that I offer a word of thanks to all the Past District Governors who over the past three years have offered me their words of support and encouragement, wisdom and advice. We always build on those who have gone before us and it is with deep gratitude and respect that I recognize all the PDGs of District 7390 for their work on behalf of Rotary.
And I would be remiss if I did not offer a word of deepest thanks to Melissa our District Executive, without whom I could not have made it through the year. As the fount of all knowledge about our District and Rotary in general, Melissa helped me navigate the pitfalls and get the work done. Having a new Governor each year cannot be easy but Melissa’s sense of humor and gracious patience was greatly valued by me and I suspect all the DGs who have gone before me for the past 14 years. Thank you Melissa so very much.
The last few months have been difficult for many of us on a personal and perhaps a professional level as well. We have all had to learn how to adapt in the face of this novel coronavirus as our world seemed to shift on its axis. I am grateful for all those clubs and their leadership who stepped up to the plate, figured out how to run Zoom and Go to Meeting, restructured their fundraising events and continued to award their scholarships. Yes it was and is disappointing that we are not yet meeting face to face. It was particularly disappointing for me to have had to cancel our District Conference and not be able to schedule it in other ways. It has been hard not to recognize in person those who have earned recognition for their contribution to Rotary over the past year or indeed our clubs for their fine work. But in the midst of those regrets I remain deeply grateful for those who have led, cheered and encouraged us to keep being the best that Rotary can be.
So looking back on the year, I will be the first to admit that I did not achieve all that I set out to do. I did not fulfill all my goals and aspirations. And sometimes I just failed to get it done. But I hope that, if nothing else, I have shared with you during this year my passion and love of Rotary and what I believe is our common goal, to leave this world a better place than when we came into it. You have all heard me say that Rotary makes a difference in somebody’s life each and every minute of each and every day. As that great philosopher Mr. Rogers was so fond of saying, “Life is for service” and I hope that my life this past year has been a model of such service and indeed that the service we have shown together in District 7390 will last far beyond this year and into the lives of those who will come after us.
On Saturday March 28, 2020, the Rotary Club of Harrisburg Keystone will hold its 3rd Annual Capital City Cornhole Classic at Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg. This indoor tournament will be a fun way to break cabin fever, compete with and against friends, and raise money to support our local community. Join us from 11:00 to 4:00!
Cash prizes will be awarded for: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. The prizes will start at the following levels and increase with more teams! 1st Place: $250 2nd Place: $100 3rd Place: $50
Team (2 players) registration is $50.00 includes an ABC craft beverage for each player as well as the buffet.
Spectator Tickets are $10.00 and include an ABC craft beverage as well as the buffet.
Each year every District in Rotary throughout the world holds a District Conference as required by Rotary International. But that sounds terribly cut and dried and honestly, not very exciting. So, following a trend over the past few years, District 7390 is trying to shake things up a little and present a program that is fun and exciting, educational and inspirational and, above all, both celebrates what we have done over the past Rotary year while at the same time looking forward to the challenges that still face us.
To that end the District Conference Committee, under its chair Rebecca Hanlon, has sought to put together a conference that should prove to meet our goal of engaging members further into the life of Rotary.
Our Theme With “A Legacy that Connects to the Future.” Taking some of the amazing history that is in York and connect it to the future of our Rotary efforts.
When and Where? We will meet on Friday evening at the York County History Center for a “Governor’s Reception.” The History Center is filled with a host of artifacts and displays that tell the story of York and its county. There will be heavy hours d‘oeuvres and refreshments with the ability to wander around the galleries and exhibits in the Center. But we will also have a special guest - General George Washington - who will tell us about his visit to York when the Continental Congress was there and that famous toast given by Lafayette.
After the Reception some may wish to go downtown (literally about 5 blocks) to join in the festivities for First Friday and Give Local York both of which celebrate the renewal and revitalization of York over the past few years.
Main Conference May 2 at Heritage Hills just off the Mt. Rose exit of Rt. 83.
Begin with Breakfast and the Fife and Drum Corp from Central York Middle School. Hear our dynamic speakers including Valarie Wafer, our incoming Zone representative on the International Board of Directors.
Join the panel discussion on the Alternative Meeting times concept for clubs and hear how they are growing.
After lunch, our amazing 4 Way Speech and Essay contests which always leave us inspired by the vision the students share with us.
Join us again for a second panel on issues facing our communities and therefore our clubs including Teen Suicide, Opioid Addiction, Gender Fluidity and Diversity and Inclusion.
The evening will feature a social time and a reception for Major Donors, followed by dinner with award presentations and club recognitions including our Rotary Youth Exchange students presenting a cultural evening with foods and goodies from their native lands - which will help support their end of year activities.
And to top the evening off you will not want to miss the performance from the Temple Guard, mostly Grade School kids under the auspices of the YWCA. They are phenomenal!
So come and join us for this exciting District Conference. May 1 and 2 in York Pa. Information about tickets, including early bird discounts and reduced fees for Rotarians under 40 can all be found here.
Through a Club Grant, the Rotary Club of Hanover provided New Hope Ministries of Hanover with a floor scale and two folding wire containers. The staff and volunteers have high praise for this new in-the-floor scale. Previously, volunteers had to physically push pallets onto an upgrade. With the new scale, pallets are moved onto the scale with a lift truck or hand jack, making the job less physical, more time efficient and much safer. In an average month, over 150,000 pounds of food are weighed and handled multiple times, serving between 800-900 households per month. That was a lot of pushing, pulling and heaving to get pallets of food onto the old scale. The durable, folding containers also improve the efficiency of operations, eliminating the need to store food in cardboard boxes that warp and become insecure. Pictured are Hanover Rotarians volunteering to prepare items for New Hope clients. Children of Rotarians also helped with the project.
Four more months of the 19-20 school year! This year has flown by. We still have many opportunities for you and your team.
Below are the upcoming volunteer opportunities in our one-day financial literacy, career readiness and STEM programs. The highlighted programs are those in which our need is the highest.
BizTown days for a few schools are included. All BizTown days are held at our York Office, 610 S. George St. Clearances are required to volunteer for the BizTown program. We will help each volunteer to apply for needed clearances.
In addition to the one-day programs listed below, we offer classroom programs at the elementary level that are five sessions and each session is 30-55 minutes. More information on classroom programs can be found below or by contacting Mary Reinhard MReinhard@jascpa.org
RI President-Elect Holger Knaack unveiled the 2020-21 Presidential Theme at the Club's Annual International Assembly held in San Diego, California on January 20, 2020. The theme ‘Rotary Opens Opportunities’, is encouraging Rotarians around the world to seize the many opportunities Rotary offers to enrich their lives and the communities in which they serve.
Knaack noted Rotary isn’t just a club for people to join, but rather “an invitation to endless opportunities,” He emphasized that Rotary creates pathways for members to improve their lives and the lives of those they help through service projects.
Knaack encouraged members to embrace change in order for Rotary to expand and thrive and suggested that Clubs should focus on keeping current members engaged and adding new members who are the right fit for their club. He remarked “we will capture this moment to grow Rotary, making it stronger, more adaptable, and even more aligned with our core values.”
RI PE Holger continued “we need to stop thinking of new members as people we can mark down as statistics and then forget about,” …“every new member changes us a little bit. That person brings a new perspective, new experiences. We need to embrace this constant renewal. We will grow stronger as we learn from new members.”
Knaack also wants to see more women in leadership roles and see Rotaractors play an integral role in how new clubs are formed and run. He said “we have to be open to new approaches, and creating unique clubs for younger people is just part of the solution,” ..“Let Rotaractors decide what kind of Rotary experience works best for them. These young people are bright, energetic, and they get things done.”
PE Holger also stated that “We will not let rapid change defeat us. We will capture this moment to grow Rotary, making it stronger, more adaptable, and even more aligned with our core values.”
Serving your community and having a great time never looked so good!
On a Monday when the Rotary Club of Harrisburg’s typical room was not available at the Hilton Hotel, an eager group of Rotarians invaded the Central PA Food Bank. Approximately 40 members were treated to a fine pizza and salad lunch then got directions on their two projects.
Two groups worked on stuffing boxes with bagged and canned goods while others stuffed envelopes for Food Bank mailings.
Multiple boxes were stuffed for ultimate distribution to seniors in the Central Pennsylvania region. From box prep all the way to box and envelope sealing, RCH members once again made a difference in the community.
Who stole the beans!?!?! Rotary Club of Harrisburg Provides Service on a Monday at the Central PA Food Bank!
Bruce Grossman, a member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, along with other members of the International Sking Fellowship of Rotarians, will be snow skiing or snowboarding at the Sun Valley Ski Resort, in the 2020 Higher Ground Challenge.
Grossman’s personal goal is to ski at least 30,000 vertical feet, starting at 9 a.m. that Wednesday January 29, 2020. He has successfully participated in previous such fundraisers.
He is asking for a financial pledge to the Davis Boyd Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization. All donations are tax deductible and will directly benefit physically challenged Wounded Warrior Veterans through Higher Ground, an adaptive ski program in association with Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, along with support for similar programs around the world.
Please make checks out to the DAVIS BOYD MEMORIAL FOUNDATION. c/o Jeffrey Penza, 401 Woodbourne Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21212.
All contributors will receive an acknowledgment from the Davis Boyd Memorial Foundation for tax purposes.
Tammi Morris of York Habitat for Humanity described the organization as a volunteer driven, Christian-based housing ministry that builds safe, decent, and affordable homes in partnership with lower-income York County residents living in substandard housing. Funded mainly by private donations. With the completion of York Habitat’s 136th home in 2019, over 600 men, women, and children live in Habitat Homes in York County! Since 1985, York Habitat has created over $7.8 million worth of new or rehabilitated affordable housing, which generates more than $383,000 in tax revenue. Over 8,950 volunteers work with York Habitat annually.
In spring of 2020, York Habitat for Humanity will be opening our ReStore at the Queensgate Town Center! You will soon be able to shop for and donate gently used or new home furnishings, appliances, and home improvement materials at a fraction of the cost.
Photo L-R: Hunter Mink, President Rotary York East and Tammi Morris, Director of York Habitat for Humanity
Your I started the New Year with my 100th blood donation!!
I started my blood donations around 1985 because a coworker asked me if I would be interested. Funny, isn't it, that his ask turned into such a long-term commitment? (Isn't that the best way to get new Rotary members, too, by asking?)
My father had a history of donating blood on a regular basis, but was permanently deferred with his diabetes diagnosis around the same time that I started donating. I felt like I stepped into his shoes in that role. Subsequent hospitalizations of loved ones and their need for blood products cemented my resolve.
There were periods of time when I had temporary deferrals, even for as long as a year or two, but I was always looking forward to the time when I could go back to donating. I count myself as being very fortunate to have a health status that allows me to donate. While my donations have always been whole blood, I do see platelet donors when I'm at the Wellspan donation center. Platelet donation is a more time-consuming process that I hope to try after my retirement.
I have always donated through Wellspan at its donor center at Apple Hill. They have a wonderful staff who appreciate every donor, and the facility is very comfortable for the donors. There are snacks at the end, including freshly popped corn, even for us 8 AM donors. From time to time we see some of the staff out and about and stop and chat. Several of the retiring phlebotomists have become my clients.
When coworker blood donors were discontinuing the practice, my husband stepped up to the plate and started to donate with me. In Rotary year 2012-13, York-East club president Joe Hackett wanted to start making blood donations in the name of the club. Since that time all of mine and my husband's donations have been for the Rotary Club of York-East.
My husband was making fun of me for taking all these pictures. It’s not like you cured cancer, he said. No, I didn’t cure cancer, but I’m pretty sure I helped some people suffering from cancer. Besides, he’s just trying to catch up to me. He only has 56 donations! 44 more and he can get his name on the board!
The 37th Annual York Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2020, from Market and Penn Streets. Live streaming of the parade will be on WRCTV sponsored by the Penn Mar Irish Festival. Media Sponsor CBS 21 and Master of Ceremonies Mike Gorsegner will be announcing parade entries at the Kinsley Grandstand on Continental Square.
Leading the festive 2020 Celtic celebration will be Grand Marshal Patrick J. “Paddy” Rooney.
Paddy Rooney is a native of England, born and raised in London, but he cannot deny his Irish heritage. Indeed, with a name like Patrick Joseph John Rooney that would be hard to do! His paternal grandparents moved from Dublin to England between the wars to help build the city and his mother, while raised in an English institution still had something of the brogue. While working with youth programs in England in the early 70’s, Paddy visited Northern Ireland at the height of “the Troubles” to help develop similar youth programs there. Over the past few years he has hiked much of Western Ireland, climbed Croagh Patrick and visited Skellig Michael and other sacred places there. Paddy completed his undergraduate studies at St. Mary’s College, London; studied philosophy at Catholic University of America; has a master’s degree in Counseling from Shippensburg University and completed his Lutheran studies at Gettysburg Seminary. He has been married to Sally for 40 years and they have two grown children and two grandchildren.
The Reverend Patrick J. Rooney STS retired in February of 2012 having served as the Senior Pastor of historic Christ Lutheran Church (1733) in York. Prior to going to York, he had served in Dillsburg for 11 years and before becoming a Lutheran he was a member of a Roman Catholic Religious Order for 10 years. He has worked extensively in the human services field including serving as Special Assistant in the Department of Welfare and as President and CEO of a large non-profit entity serving the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled. For almost five years, he also served as the interim Executive Director for two local ecumenical agencies.
He has served as a member and chair of the City of York General Authority. He is currently Chair of the York County History Center and on the Board of the Farm and Natural Lands Trust. He has previously served on the board of the York County Literacy Council and as President of the York County Council of Churches. He has also served on the Candidacy Committee for the Lower Susquehanna Synod as well as the Ecumenical Affairs committee and the Worship Committee. He is the author of several published sermons for three different groups including 10 published by CSS under the title “The Perfect Sacrifice.”
Pastor Rooney is a founding member of the Society of the Holy Trinity (STS), a Lutheran Order and Ministerium, which now numbers almost 300 pastors in the United States and Canada. He served as Dean of the local chapter for 12 years, as General Secretary for 3 and in September of 2015 was elected Senior (General Superior) of the Society. He has taught widely across the US and Canada at all 23 of the Society chapters. Pastor Rooney has also taught in the OLLI program at Penn State York and at several retreats throughout the United States and Canada.
In his “retirement,” Pastor Rooney is an active member of the Rotary Club of York - the 22nd largest club in the world. He served as President of the club in 2016-17. In Rotary District 7390 he served as Team Leader for the Group Vocational Study Exchange team to Argentina in 2013. He has served on various District committees. He completed all three levels of Rotary Leadership Institute and now serves as RLI faculty and as faculty at Mid-Atlantic President elects training. He was awarded the RLI Faculty of the year award in 2019. Paddy is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation and a member of the Paul Harris Society. He has received the York Club’s President’s Certificate of Appreciation for Service Above Self and the Avenues of Service Citation. He serves as District Governor for District 7390 in 2019-20 and recently returned from a two-week trip to India where he attended and spoke in Delhi at a Rotary District Conference as well as in Kolkata for the Rotary club’s 100 anniversary celebration. Prior to his departure, he humorously noted, “So an Englishman, with an Irish name who is serving an American Rotary District as Governor is heading to India for what promise to be a trip of real experience. Rotary truly connects the world!”
37th Annual York Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Announces 2020 Grand Marshal
Hanover Rotarians recently packed food bags for Ruth’s Harvest. Ruth’s Harvest ensures grammar school students in need of food go home on Fridays with enough meals to make it through the weekend. Ruth’s Harvest is one of the primary recipients for funds from The Rotary Club of Hanover’s largest fund raiser called Tastefest. Over the last 5 years, Tastefest has netted over $30,000 per year which the club pushes back out to the local community. Pictured here from left to right are Ralph Jodice, Rick McKee (holding the Rotary Coin). Judy Jodice and Tammy Miller.
Bell Socialization services has evolved and expanded to toady where 2,500 people are served each year through dozens of programs offering an array of housing and basic living supports. Many Bell programs are licensed and/or accredited to meet strict standards of quality care. With more than 50 properties throughout York and Adams counties, people using Bell services are an integral part of the greater community.
Bell Socialization Services is staffed by more than 250 employees and hosts hundreds of volunteers every year, including our Board of Directors. Bell offers programs and resources to help if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They not only help you secure a safe, affordable place to live, they provide the tools needed to live as independently as possible in the community. Pictured L-R: Hunter Mink, Rotary York East President and Averie Clark with Bell Socialization
Hello District leaders, Club Presidents, and fellow Rotarians. As your representative for the Council on Legislation and the Council on Resolutions (2017-2020), it is a pleasure to inform you that 33 Resolutions were considered in 2019 and from them, 26 were not approved. Therefore 7 Resolutions will pass to the RI Board or TRF Trustees for their consideration. RI Board and THF Trustees have the discretion to accept and implement these approved resolutions. The Council on Resolutions (COR) meets online each year.
If any Rotary Club would like to participate in the Council on Resolutions in 2020, please read the information below:
Council on Resolutions
Rotary International’s Council on Resolutions meets online each year to vote on proposed resolutions submitted by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the general council or conference of RIBI and any urgent enactments proposed by the RI Board. Adopted resolutions are then considered by the RI Board or the TRF Trustees. Every district designates a representative to the Council on Resolutions and every club and district may propose resolutions. If your club or district is considering proposing a resolution for the Council on Resolutions, please follow the guidelines below.
Deadline to Submit Resolutions
Proposed resolutions from clubs and districts for the Council on Resolutions must be received by Rotary International on or before 30 June prior to the Council on Resolutions, including the governor’s confirmation of endorsement. There are no exceptions to the deadline.
Proposing Resolutions
Resolutions are expressions of opinion of the Council. They can be submitted to the Council on Resolutions by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the general council or conference of RIBI. However, a resolution proposed by a club must also be voted on, or endorsed, by the clubs in its district at its district conference, a district legislation meeting, or through a ballot-by-mail, before it can be submitted to Rotary. Resolutions must be submitted by 30 June through the online form found on the Councils page of My Rotary.
You never forget the teacher who makes a difference…
Do you know a math teacher who has a special way of making learning numbers fun for students? Or a science teacher who opened new world for your child? Nominate an extraordinary teacher for the 2020 Teacher Impact Awards!
WITF is proud to partner with Rotary District 7390 to present the Teacher Impact Awards supported by Franklin & Marshall College.
We all know teachers who have gone the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of their students. This program is designed to recognize and celebrate seven K-12 teachers in public and private schools in the Rotary District’s seven county area which include:
Adams
Cumberland
Dauphin
Lancaster
Lebanon
Perry
York
A committee of Rotary and WITF staff will review nominations and produce a special compilation television program featuring the outstanding teachers that will air on WITF TV. The top teachers will also be honored at a banquet in May 2020.
Celebrate an outstanding teacher by completing the nomination form online or download and print the form to email to teacherimpactawards@witf.org. All forms must be received by February 28, 2020.
Forms can also be mailed to:
Debra Riek Education Director, WITF 4801 Lindle Road Harrisburg, PA 17111
Let’s gather together in the Home of the Articles of Confederation of the United States to celebrate, learn, and explore the value of being a Rotarian.
The day and a half conference will open on Friday evening with a private reception for all registered members and guests at the York History Center. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and 2 drink tickets are included.
The conference continues Saturday with outstanding programs that will INSPIRE you, inform you, motivate and entertain you throughout the day and into the evening. Check out the abbreviated Conference Schedule below.
ARE YOU UNDER 40? WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
As an incentive to INSPIRE younger Rotarians to experience the long-term value of a District Conference, we are offering a 40% discount off the registration fee for Rotarians under the age of 40. Please use promo code U40D when registering on the web.
REMEMBER...REGISTER EARLY FOR EXTRA VALUE AND SAVINGS
The early registration fee for the full conference is $140. The regular registration fee after February 15, 2020 will be $155. There are also options to attend portions of the Conference on the registration page.
SPECIAL ROOM RATES ARE AVAILABLE!
If you would like to reserve a room at Heritage Hills, please call 1-877-782-9752. Tell them you are with the Rotary District 7390 Conference. Rooms are $119 per night.
Check out the abbreviated Conference Schedule below. Check back often as more information will be added!
Conference Schedule
Friday, May 1, 2020
3:00 p.m. - Past District Governors' (PDG) Meeting - By invitation only.
5:45 p.m. - Registration opens at The York History Center (250 East Market Street, York) for all attendees.
6:00 p.m. - Opening Reception featuring heavy hors d'oeuvres and 2 drink tickets.
8:30 p.m. - Adjourn - Enjoy first Friday in the City of York.
11:15 a.m. - Session #3 - Alternative Meetings Panel Milton - Lead by AG Kevin Engle
12:15 p.m. - Lunch Buffet - Presentation by Red Lion/Dallastown Interact
1:45 p.m. - 4-Way Test Essay Winner Presentation & 4-Way Test Speech Contest
3:15 p.m. - Break
3:30 p.m. - Session #4 - Preparing for the Future – Panel discussion on how clubs can address topics surrounding diversity and inclusion, the opioid epidemic, and gender fluidity.
5:00 p.m. - Break
5:00 p.m. - Major Donor Reception - By Invitation Only
This year we have not one, but two representatives of Rotary District 7390 heading to the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego. Past District Governor Una Martone will join DGE John Anthony and hundreds of incoming District Governors from around the world for a one week immersion training event and celebration.
Una will be in the role of Training Leader. In fact, she is one of 40 Training Leaders selected from around the world to participate; she is one of only 26 NEW training leaders; and one of a dozen who only speak English. Una is the first and only female ever invited to serve in this role from District 7390. There is no application process to become a Training Leader, it is by invitation only and being invited is a coveted honor.
As a Training Leader, Una has been studying and preparing for several months. She will participate in a one week practice camp before the District Governors arrive and then she’ll start facilitating their sessions and participating in ceremonies and celebrations. Una and John will share details and news from San Diego on social media while they’re away. Stay tuned to the district Facebook page for posts and pictures.
Our Daily Bread, located in York, Pa. is a soup kitchen next to St. Mary’s Church that provides breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday for anyone who comes in. Members of the Rotary Club of York-East has volunteered at Our Daily Bread for over 20 years.
Pictured Left to Right: John Schmidt, Jim Walters, Tim Koller, Morrie Hooper, Jamie Binko and Matt Binko (not pictured)
York-East serves lunch to those who would otherwise do without
The Rotary Club of York has announced the availability of approximately $20,000 in grants for York County 501(c)3 organizations which directly impact underprivileged, abused, neglected or handicapped children and youth. The area of focus for this year’s grants is ABUSE OR EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN. The club is looking for creative and innovative applications in this area.
The Rotary Club gives for a specific program or project. It does not offset general overhead expenses, salaries, or capital fund drives. Program grants will be awarded in the $2,000 - $10,000 range with special consideration for larger grants up to $15,000.
NEW for this year, an INFORMATION SESSION will be offered for organizations to attend prior to completing the application to better prepare the application, select appropriate project, and provide opportunities for possible collaboration between organizations. This will be held on Wed. Jan 15, 2020 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm at the Cultural Alliance office (14 W. Market St. York). Rotarians Glenn Smith and Kelley Gibson will provide the information. Pre-registration will be requested to the Rotary office by January 10, 2020 at bert@yorkrotary.org or 717-848-1370.
The application form is available from the club website at https://yorkrotary.org/downloads. Interested organizations may also contact the Rotary Club’s executive coordinator, Bert Oberdick, at 848-1370 or email bert@yorkrotary.org for more information.
If you are interested in participating Sunday February 23 – Saturday February 29 in a mission trip to New Bern – deadline for registering is January 20th. Free transportation provided by Bailey Coach. Volunteer housing cost is $125/person. We will work with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders; they provide volunteer housing/meals, skilled construction leadership, tools and qualified projects. Contact Peg Sennett, 717-630-8281, pegsennett@hotmail.com
SIGN-UP DEADLINE FOR DISASTER BUILD IN NEW BERN N.C.
The dates below represent the events that are in need of more volunteers than we would like to see at this point in the glide path. With over 125 one day events this school year we know we are going to end up with some events that, even after all of our recruiting efforts, are posing a challenge. The following one day events in the Red Zone are in need of many more volunteers!
If you are already signed up for some of these events, thank you! If not, I hope you will consider joining us and as always, please share these opportunities with your colleagues, friends and neighbors. You are the BEST ADVOCATES we have and we cannot do this without you!
Event
Date
School
Volunteers Needed
YES
Friday, January 24, 2020
Landisville Middle School (Lancaster)
17
STEM
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
William Penn Senior High School (York)
11
YES
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Lincoln Middle School (Lancaster)
19
* this is not a complete listing of all events in the next 30 days…
STEM = Science Technology Engineering and Math focused Summit for 9th and/or 10th graders
REAL Life= Financial Literacy focused Forum for 11th and/or 12th graders
YES = Career Readiness, Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship for 6th, 7th and 8th graders
The Rotary Club of York’s Student Education Committee recently awarded numerous scholarships totaling $ 18,000.
Pictured L-R: 2018-19 RCY President Bryan Tate, Dejuan Gibbs ($ 2,000 Charles & Alma Diehl Scholarship, William Penn High School graduate studying Engineering at Temple University), Hudson Smith ($ 1,000 Arlington Kahley Rising Musician Scholarship, York Suburban High School graduate studying Music Education at Millersville University), Jacob Landis ($ 8,000 Mangold Scholarship, West York High School graduate studying Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech), Jordan Futrell ($ 4,000 James C. and Carrie B. Bush Scholarship, Susquehannock High School graduate studying Pre-Med at Penn State), Brooke Breon ($ 3,000 John T. and Paige S. Smith Scholarship, Northern York High School graduate studying Agriculture Business at Lancaster Bible College) and RCY Student Education Committee Chair Diane Merino.
$1,800 awarded to “Non-Traditional Student” Scholarship recipient Brandi Janicki.
Pictured L-R: 2019-20 District Governor Paddy Rooney, Non-Traditional Student Scholarship Recipient Brandi Janicki (HACC – York student studying Business/Applied Science), HACC York Campus Vice-President and RCY member Darryl Jones, and 2018-19 RCY President Bryan Tate.
$ 2,200 awarded to “Non-Traditional Student” Scholarship recipient Juanita Baxter.
Rotary Club of Lancaster South is holding a motorcycle ride/pancake breakfast fundraiser on September 25, 2021. This event will benefit the affordable housing programs at Tenfold, which was created by the merger of Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership and Tabor, as well as funding our philanthropic work in our community. The event will be held at the Willow Street Fire Company in Willow Street PA with breakfast starting at 9 a.m. until noon, and will feature three great rides in Lancaster and York Counties. These are self guided tours with maps and .gpx files provided by the organizers. For more information, please contact Dan Hess at 
Check out the latest post on the District Blog at 
Michael Newsome is Gov. Tom Wolf’s Secretary of Administration. When the governor called upon him to serve, he had been mostly retired for three years, still working a part-time job as a member of the state Liquor Control Board, but spending more time playing golf with his wife, traveling, doting on his grandson. Life was good, and he enjoyed retirement, more than he thought he would. But the governor – who was also an old friend, a man he had known for decades and worked with saving Wolf’s family business from bankruptcy – called, and he took the job, recalling that he once told him that if there was anything he could do for him, just call. 
The Rotary Club of York is proud to introduce their officers for the 2021-2022 year. 
"As we all know, this disjointed time caused by the pandemic, has disrupted all our lives and schedules for the past 16 months or more. The result was that I, along with so many others, found our plans and intentions abruptly interrupted in March of 2020. I was then still serving as Rotary District Governor and one of the great joys at the end of that year of service is the opportunity to recognize those individuals who have given so much to our District over the year and over a lifetime of service. Alas that was not to be.
Jack Detwiler has been a member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg for 27 years and recalls working on or chairing the Club’s Ecology Committee for most of those years. Annually, he has coordinated the Club’s judging and awarding of a prize for students winning the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair (CASEF).
A 2020/21 Club Grant, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hanover, provided the Hanover Area Council of Churches with a new oven and griddle. HACC prepares 52,000+ meals annually for its various programs: free hot lunches 365 days a year and breakfast two days a week through the Provide-A-Lunch program, delivered home meals through Meals-On-Wheels, and food for individuals and families in the Homeless Shelter. Food insecurity hinders people from meeting their full potential in regards to employment and family care. For some folks, the Provide- A-Lunch program is the primary meal of the day. The Meals-On-Wheels program provides meals to those home-bound with physical restrictions impeding their ability to prepare their own meals. Pictured are (l.tor.) Rotarian Peg Sennett, Joan Potter Coordinator of PAL and MOW, and Mirna Wildason, Interim Executive Director and new Rotarian.
On Monday, May 2
On May 2nd, Dr. Angela Shen from the Vaccine Research Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia presented a session on COVID-19 at the multi-district conference. The session included information on its history, prevalence, and the steps all of us as Rotarians can take to end our Pandemic once and for all. View this excellent presentation at: 
ongratulations to Four Way Essay Contest Winner Sophie Ahrens from Red Lion High School! Sophie presented her winning essay last week at 
On Monday, May 23rd, at 6 PM the Penn State Extension will be providing FREE Zoom education to Rotarians on food safety. This education is especially timely as many of us plan outdoor picnics with our club members and families. Our speaker is Lynn James, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Extension Educator, Food Families & Health & Food Safety & Quality teams, Penn State Extension, Adams County. Lynn will also invite attendees to participate in a special research study involving the delivery of free food to the participants home, creation of a meal, and post meal education on what SHOULD have been safe food preparation. Join in on this free and educational event over the dinner hour. YES, YOU CAN EAT YOUR DINNER IN THE ZOOM ROOM. 😊 Register at: 
The following tribute to PDG Chuck Cenkner was printed on Penn Live
Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, District 7390 raised $30,386.00 specifically for Puerto Rico recovery efforts. It took some time for us to identify an appropriate project and in January 2020 we sent a check in the full amount to the Jane Stern Community Libraries to cover recovery and operating costs at two of their satellite locations in Toa Baja and Mameyal. Unfortunately, COVID 19 has slowed the recovery process; schools and libraries have been operating on a spotty virtual basis which has slowed their progress in offering expanded programs.
The Rotary Club of York is currently accepting applications for the $ 3,000 Donna E. Hayes Equine Scholarship. Eligible applicants are current full-time students in the EQUINE field of study in college (majors including management, studies, science, therapy, business, etc.). The application and informational letter are available on 
Here are recent graduate (and Tech Services staffer) Kyle Wall with Computer/Business Education Teacher Mr. George and Secondary Principal Dr. Ebert getting familiarized with the wide array of new digital cameras, lavalier microphones, lighting, and portable green screens made possible through a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Northern Lebanon County.
ary Club of New Holland are mourning the loss of their fellow member, Titus Musser, who passed away on February 11, 2021. Having joined the club in 1961, Titus was a dedicated, long-time member, and served as its past president, Secretary and Treasurer. Titus was just as dedicated to Rotary on an international level and was recently awarded the Paul Harris Fellow +5 pin shortly before his death. Titus retired from his excavating business after 60 years, was very involved in the retirement community where he lived, and enjoyed gardening and woodworking. In the photos, you can see an example of Titus’ woodworking craftsmanship in the model he built of a one-room schoolhouse he attended as a child. All of us in the club thank you, Titus, for your inspiration and dedication to our club. You will be missed!
Incoming Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta urged members to become more involved in service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the new District 7390 blog which will feature the good people and good work of Rotarians throughout District 7390! Unlike the Rotary Reporter, the blog will be a place for Rotarians to share the stories BEHIND the news. Examples of stories can include innovative club service projects, member spotlights, and ways your club is impacting the community.
Colonial Park Rotary Club is hosting an INDOOR MINI GOLF OUTING on February 6 with tee times starting at 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. Register your team of 4 people! The cost to register a team is $100.00. This is a fun for every age event! You will will play an 18 hole mini golf course set up in the building of Colonial Golf and Tennis Club (4901 Linglestown road Harrisburg, PA).
The Board of RI and Trustees of the Rotary Foundation met during a joint session and agreed that Rotarians have a major role to play not only in Polio eradication but COVID-19 eradication through the promotion of vaccine distribution. In their “Call to Action” published December 15, 2020, RIP Holger Knaack and Rotary Foundation Chair KR Ravindran outlined strategies including working jointly with local partners to “combat the powerful, growing force of vaccine resistance and misinformation” in our communities. It is our civic duty as Rotarians to join forces with others to eradicate disease and save lives through vaccination and risk mitigation strategies. To read the entire letter, 
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Distribution Plan highlighted at Press Briefing
Yours in Service,
Although Anna-Mae is relatively new to District 7390, she has been a Rotarian since 2000 when she was inducted into the Rotary Club of College Park, Maryland. She held numerous positions at the club level including Club Foundation Chair and Club President 2008-09. Also active in District 7620 (Central Maryland and Washington, DC), her involvement included District Paul Harris Society Chair, member of the District Scholarship Committee, Assistant Governor, and District Governor 2016-17. She was the District 7620 Foundation Chair in 2018-19. It is a requirement that DRFCs have served as District Governor.
Fred Gellert was raised in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Carlisle for employment at the Army War College. Fred retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel after 30 years of service. He served in infantry assignments and then became a force manager working at senior-level headquarters to implement changes in organizational structure, resourcing, and operations. Fred is currently working at the U.S. Army War College as an instructor in leadership and management, science and technology and the Asia-Pacific region. In this position, he trains senior officers in strategic leaderships and the creation and resourcing of military forces at the national level. 
President John Bomberger and Cy Fritz presented $1120.00 in checks, that were collected from our club members, to the Loft Community Partnership in Millersville. The Loft supports the needy families in the Penn Manor School System. Every Wednesday they are serving around 200 families. John and Cy had an opportunity to observe the volunteers in preparing for the Food Pick-Up that evening and had the opportunity to ask several questions about their operation. They were extremely grateful and thankful for our support as their need continues to grow. A great big thank you to our Rotary Club members for the excellent response to our Food Bank Drive in an effort to help the food insecurity in our service area.
e local affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Rotarian Dave Cope of Classic Lancaster Cabinetry in Willow Street generously provided his large box truck to make the move. Lancaster South President John Bomberger coordinated the Service Project with Lancaster NAMI board member Donald Grabowski, who is also President of the Rotary Club of Elizabethtown. Of special note, the President of the local NAMI affiliate Vivian Spiese (back row left) shared her respect and appreciation for Rotary and mentioned that her father was a member of the Columbia and Mt. Joy Rotary Club for many years before his passing.
Dan Hess, club vice-president for helping to assemble the gift bags and to Oak Leaf staff for distributing the bags to the residents. Lancaster South is looking forward to the day we can return to the facility for in-person meetings. Currently the club is meeting via Zoom.
Habitat for Humanity Project is a great collaboration between Yorkk-East & York North. The clubs volunteered on December 4th and 5th at the Habitat (701 Chestnut Street, York) project. The work day projects were dry walling, mudding & painting. Our clubs with the help of a Rotary Foundation grant contributed $10,000 to the project. York Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer driven, Christian housing ministry that builds safe, decent, and affordable homes in partnership with lower-income York County residents living in substandard housing.
The Rotary Club of York sadly announces the retirement of long time Executive Coordinator, Bert Oberdick. Bert has faithfully served the Rotary Club of York for nearly 30 years, overseeing dozens of active committees, providing meeting details, working closely with the Rotary Club of York Board of Directors and the Charitable Endowment Fund Board, invoicing, tracking and reporting all financials, and so much more! Bert has always exemplified the Rotary Four Way Test and consistently models the values of Rotary. March 31 is scheduled to be Bert’s last day. 
Hanover Rotarians Dave Erlemeier, Warren Risk (and his wife Judy), and Ralph Jodice (and his wife Judy) packed food bags for Ruth’s Harvest as part of the Club’s ongoing community service project. On Friday’s, Ruth’s Harvest gives needy children in the local area 7 meals to take home for the weekend to help to ensure they do not go hungry. 
Dr. John P. Judson passed away peacefully on November 29, 2020 at Harrisburg Hospital. John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ann Marie, and their 5 children, Ruth Judson of Arlington, VA, Andrea Judson of Baltimore, MD, Sarah Salkeld (Brett) of Severna Park, MD, Therese Karl (John) of Rye, NY, and Chris Judson of Winnipeg, Canada; 6 beloved grandchildren, Chloe, John Vincent, Leah, Sophia, Owen, and Nate; his siblings Joyce Hartzell of Vancouver, WA, Mary Hutton of Kennesaw, GA, Michael Judson of Isle of Palms, SC, Margaret Easton of Sandpoint, ID, and Patricia Riehm of Athens, GA; and many extended family members. He was born July 14, 1939 in Washington DC, the son of the late John Hobart Judson and Joyce Duffield. He married Ann Marie Uhl on June 20, 1964; she has often described their long marriage as a loving partnership. John was educated at Villanova University, Georgetown University Medical School, did his surgical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, and later a cardiothoracic surgical residency in Salt Lake City, UT. John's passion for medicine as a general and cardiothoracic surgeon included work in Blacksburg, VA; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX; Benton Harbor, MI; and Harrisburg, PA. For over 50 years John volunteered at Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, serving as the Medical Director from 1997-1999 along with Ann Marie. He was an avid pilot, volunteering to transport patients through Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic. His long-time involvement in Rotary included roles as President of the Harrisburg Club, District Governor, and Rotary International grant efforts. Those who knew John will remember him as a man who deeply loved his family and had a tireless commitment to medicine and his patients. As one who pursued life with integrity and passion, he was always there with a listening ear and readiness to help others. He cherished his relationships and stayed connected to friends and family near and far. A Celebration of Life for John is planned for July 14, 2021 at 7pm at Market Square Presbyterian Church, 20 S 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA. In the spirit of John's life of service, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to: Hopital Albert Schweitzer 
On Wednesday, December 9, Rotary Means Business District 7390 will host a virtual Zoom meeting from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is FREE so bring your favorite drink and hors d’oeuvres and let’s get RMB going again. 
Living up to their school motto of being "Doers of the Word," the Interact Club at Delone Catholic High School (McSherrystown, PA) has not allowed the pandemic to stop their good deeds! This group of young people has connected to their community in several ways that include a non-perishable food collection that was donated to Roots for Boots, a 501c3 that hosts a food bank for veterans in need; a school wide toy drive for Toys for Tots; a garden clean-up on the school grounds; 125 handwritten Thanksgiving cards for residents in local nursing homes, and they will be participating in the Boxes of Joy program through Cross Catholic Outreach. Caught doing good, these students are to be commended for all of their accomplishments that have truly made a difference to others by putting service over self! (photo is of food donation to Roots for Boots)
The Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club is hosting a vision clinic in Harrisburg this spring. If you are an optometrist, optician, or ophthalmologist, your expertise is needed to help make the event happen. Please consider giving a day of your time to this community service event. The clinic will be run by Mission-Vision.org with help from Rotary volunteers and you.
End Polio Now! We are this close and Rotary District 7390 is working to make a difference. The Ride to Eradicate Polio event raised nearly $1,000 which grows to nearly $3,000 thanks to matching gifts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But we can do more. We have these great long sleeved event t-shirts on hand and will gift one for each $25 donation to End Polio Now. They are navy blue with the Ride to Eradicate Polio graphic shown. Simply 
The Rotary Club of York Student Education Committee has selected its first recipient of the Carol Wagman Nursing Scholarship, Jenna Hufnagle. Jenna was awarded a $ 2,000 scholarship towards her York College of Pennsylvania education. A 2017 graduate of York Suburban High School, she is currently a junior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) major. Jenna is employed by WellSpan as a Nursing Assistant for the Nursing Resource Team at York Hospital. 
Or do you have friends, relatives, or Rotary contacts near these cities? Are you available to volunteer to contact Rotary clubs to help find contacts?
The weather was sunny with a slight breeze and laughs were being shared on the green by approximately 70 golfers on Tuesday September 22nd. The Rotary Club of York East’s annual Golf Tournament was off and running with golfers taking the course at Briarwood Golf Club for a good cause.
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
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The Rotary Club of Red Lion-Dallastown Annual Student Scholarship Chicken BBQ
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On March 6, 2020, the Rotary Club of Hanover hosted their 6th annual Tastefest event – the Club’s largest fundraiser – about two weeks before COVID19 closures in PA. The evening was designed to celebrate the area’s independently owned restaurants, bakeries, and specialty beverage businesses while raising funds for local non-profits. Always a sold-out event at a total of 400 tickets but the majority of the money is raised through sponsorships, including major contributor, Hanover-area State Farm agents (Sue Beckner, Ryan California, and Devon Ellis). This year, funds were distributed to primarily benefit Hanover Area Council of Churches -Ruth's Harvest, Hanover YWCA Safe Home, Olivia’s House, Roots for Boots, Jessica & Friends, and the Family Readiness Group of the Hanover Armory. Over the past six years, the Rotary Club of Hanover has raised an average of over $33,000 at each Tastefest event.
The Rotary Club of York Student Education Committee has selected its first recipient of the Donna E. Hayes Equine Scholarship, Margaret Brice. Margaret was awarded a $ 3,000 scholarship for her senior year this fall at Penn State University as an Animal Science major and Equine Science minor. She will resume her position as a live-in working student at the Penn State Quarter Horse Barn. Margaret was home-schooled in Duncannon and spent her summer working on a ranch in Montana. 
I am going on my annual cross-country motorcycle ride, and would like to raise money for Polio Plus. The ride will be anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 miles long, depending on how sore my hindquarters get.
On August 3, 2020 Aaron Jacobs, Rotary Club of York, detailed their Kiwanis Lake project. York City’s Kiwanis Lake is one of the most prominent water features in our community and the Rotary Club of York has identified this landmark community legacy to be its focus project by repairing and restoring the lake as well as adding new ‘Smart Lake Technology’. Aaron outlined plan to have Kiwanis Lake functioning better than it ever has by 2021 and showing our community the tremendous impact that York Rotary has.
All are welcome to join us for the installation of DG John Anthony and the 2020-2021 District Leadership Team, the 2020-2021 Club Presidents & Assistant Governors. RIDE (Rotary International Director Elect) Valarie Wafer will be joining the call to make a special presentation!
The Mount Joy Rotarians gave the community a reason to celebrate on Saturday, May 30. Their famous Rotary French Fries and hot dogs were free for the asking. Freshly made in the Rotary Fry wagon, the free lunch was carried to waiting cars by Rotarians looking for ways to give back to the local community..png)
While our efforts have been concentrated over the past few weeks and months on the novel coronavirus and the problems it has wrought within our communities, the issue of polio and its ongoing fight by Rotary to help eliminate this disease has continued. Our vaccination programs have in many areas been brought to a standstill since larger gatherings or house to house visitation to vaccinate children has had to be suspended. The fear is that, once we have dealt with the coronavirus, we may well see a resurgence of polio cases throughout the world, which would be a setback to our efforts over these past few years.
Located just north of the Mason-Dixon line, Adams County has a rich history of stories of escaped slaves, Civil War heroics and the United States during a period of great change. Its location is also impossibly far for many of the country’s citizens to travel. Now, with the click of a button, students, teachers and history buffs across the globe can access interactive tales of self-preservation and heroism. Over the last month, Seminary Ridge Museum, 111 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, crafted seven detailed lessons allowing learners of all ages to immerse themselves in the centuries-old culture of a maturing country.
Just prior to the Governor’s executive order to close schools throughout the Commonwealth, members of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg provided eager students with dictionaries.
Truckers have been working round the clock to keep our local businesses supplied and keep America moving. We wanted to thank them for this service by providing a hot breakfast on Good Friday. 
In February, 14 individuals, including four D7390 Rotarians, traveled to New Bern, N.C. for our second trip to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Florence. Again this year, Rotarian John Bailey provided his Rotary themed coach and Shipley Energy in York donated fuel for the trip. We worked on three homes and got deserving families closer to returning home. You can find more information and pictures from February on the Disaster Relief page of the 
The 27th Annual Elizabethtown Rotary Golf Major will be held Thursday June 4, 2020 at Conestoga Country Club. Proceeds will again benefit countywide drug abuse prevention strategies plus many other regional needs the Elizabethtown Rotary Club supports. 
Uptown York Rotary Club thanks 
Uptown York Rotary Club (UYRC) attracts a diverse group of professionals who share a passion for giving back to our community and making a difference in the world. Our service focus areas are downtown revitalization, environmental sustainability, and community and youth development.
The Rotary Clubs of Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg North, and West Shore in partnership with the RMB Northern Tier Steering Committee hosted a superbly run and super successful 57th networking event at Buhrig’s Gathering Place on February 13 with roughly 60 Rotarians and guests attending from 12 clubs (Carlisle, Carlisle Sunrise, Hanover, Harrisburg, Harrisburg Keystone, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg North, Palmyra, Perry County, West Shore and York) representing all parts of District 7390. 
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Through a Club Grant, the Rotary Club of Hanover provided New Hope Ministries of Hanover with a floor scale and two folding wire containers. The staff and volunteers have high praise for this new in-the-floor scale. Previously, volunteers had to physically push pallets onto an upgrade. With the new scale, pallets are moved onto the scale with a lift truck or hand jack, making the job less physical, more time efficient and much safer. In an average month, over 150,000 pounds of food are weighed and handled multiple times, serving between 800-900 households per month. That was a lot of pushing, pulling and heaving to get pallets of food onto the old scale. The durable, folding containers also improve the efficiency of operations, eliminating the need to store food in cardboard boxes that warp and become insecure. Pictured are Hanover Rotarians volunteering to prepare items for New Hope clients. Children of Rotarians also helped with the project.
RI President-Elect Holger Knaack unveiled the 2020-21 Presidential Theme at the Club's Annual International Assembly held in San Diego, California on January 20, 2020. The theme ‘Rotary Opens Opportunities’, is encouraging Rotarians around the world to seize the many opportunities Rotary offers to enrich their lives and the communities in which they serve.
Bruce Grossman, a member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, along with other members of the International Sking Fellowship of Rotarians, will be snow skiing or snowboarding at the Sun Valley Ski Resort, in the 2020 Higher Ground Challenge.
Tammi Morris of York Habitat for Humanity described the organization as a volunteer driven, Christian-based housing ministry that builds safe, decent, and affordable homes in partnership with lower-income York County residents living in substandard housing. Funded mainly by private donations. With the completion of York Habitat’s 136th home in 2019, over 600 men, women, and children live in Habitat Homes in York County! Since 1985, York Habitat has created over $7.8 million worth of new or rehabilitated affordable housing, which generates more than $383,000 in tax revenue. Over 8,950 volunteers work with York Habitat annually.
The 37th Annual York Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2020, from Market and Penn Streets. Live streaming of the parade will be on WRCTV sponsored by the Penn Mar Irish Festival. Media Sponsor CBS 21 and Master of Ceremonies Mike Gorsegner will be announcing parade entries at the Kinsley Grandstand on Continental Square.
Hanover Rotarians recently packed food bags for Ruth’s Harvest. Ruth’s Harvest ensures grammar school students in need of food go home on Fridays with enough meals to make it through the weekend. Ruth’s Harvest is one of the primary recipients for funds from The Rotary Club of Hanover’s largest fund raiser called Tastefest. Over the last 5 years, Tastefest has netted over $30,000 per year which the club pushes back out to the local community. Pictured here from left to right are Ralph Jodice, Rick McKee (holding the Rotary Coin). Judy Jodice and Tammy Miller.
Bell Socialization services has evolved and expanded to toady where 2,500 people are served each year through dozens of programs offering an array of housing and basic living supports. Many Bell programs are licensed and/or accredited to meet strict standards of quality care. With more than 50 properties throughout York and Adams counties, people using Bell services are an integral part of the greater community..png)
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