November is Foundation Month and on Saturday, November 4, the District held its annual Rotary Foundation Dinner, resulting in a festive celebration and recognition of our many Clubs and Members who made the past year such a great success, together with a realistic depiction of the present need for more peacebuilding and how we can each participate, followed by positive declarations about promising future initiatives for our District, all that interspersed with a compelling District achievement video and live music from students in the Spartan Modern Band of the Milton Hershey School, a local life-changing educational institution that participates in a joint Interact Club with Derry Township High School. That was a long paragraph, but so was the Dinner.

 

The celebration hailed super accomplishments by Clubs and individuals on both sides of the Foundation process: those who contributed funds to PolioPlus, specific areas of global focus and assistance, and to general funding that enables those fellow District Rotarians on the District, Global, and Scholarship grant side of the process to then use those funds to ‘do good’ in the community and the world.  

 

What a great story! And, how fortunate we all are to tell it over and over again. The takeaway, apart from the great food and chocolate, and the selfie photos with the dropdead likeness of Paul Harris, and the Heads and Tales after dinner stretch is the touching backstory to everything that is Rotary: it is the contributions of dedicated Rotarians to fuel the projects; and then it is the people who execute that intent through service. So, the real Foundation is the People.

 

Paul Harris knew it in 1905. Arch Klumpf devised the structure to enable it in 1917. And now, not only the 183 who signed up for the Dinner, along with the hundreds of other donors who were not there (including our newest Arch Klumpf Society Member) but everyone else in our District can participate in that formula. Give a dollar to the Foundation for whatever compels you, from Polio eradication to areas of global focus, and include the designation of some funds to the Annual Fund, and $47.5 cents of that latter investment will come back to our District to spend on District, Global, and Scholarship Grants! The rate of return on that dollar thus becomes exponential!

 

Our thanks to the hundreds of Rotarians in our District who played a key part in supporting the Foundation Dinner. The Foundation Dinner Committee consisted of Pam Whitenack, Tom Davis, Jim Gainer, Mike Kinney, Anna-Mae Kobbe, Kathleen Stoup, Maria Thompson, Doug Nicotera, and, of course, Melissa Kopp, each contributing highly valuable advice and time to meet the demands of hosting that discerning group of attendees. From providing essential counsel and insights, to delivering and wrapping giant chocolate bars, to procuring Paul Harris, our sincerest thanks to each of them.

 

You had to be there to take it all in, but briefly here are some highlights:

 

Our Inbound Exchange Students, dressed to beat the Spartan band, which was extremely well dressed that evening, marched in with their respective country flags, as only exemplary diplomats could do, as we welcomed young ambassadors from Belgium, Brazil, Indonesia, Sweden, and Thailand.

 

Our indomitable Immediate Past District Governor, Juliet Altenburg, set the standard by providing a first-rate video summarizing the many inspirational activities of our Clubs, followed by presentations to best in show categories.

 

Our indispensable Foundation Committee Chair, Anna-Mae, then announced top individual donors in select categories of giving, and leading Club contributions for Every Rotarian Every Year, Total Annual  and Total Foundation Giving, End Polio Now, and Global Grant Service Streamers.  As the Chair, Past District Governor Anna-Mae coordinates Foundation activities from initial District 7390 Contributions to final grant disposition, ensuring Rotary International goals and guidance are met.

 

Ed Hauck followed this by providing inspirational updates on three of the remarkable students who have recently received Global Grant Scholarships from his Committee, and the good things they are accomplishing in their areas of study.

 

DG Fred Gellert then announced a campaign to enable our District to become designated a Global Peacebuilding District, which would illustrate tremendous support to the Rotary Focus Area of Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention.  This goal will reflect our mutual intent to enhance the study and spread of peace to reduce conflict around the world. If you wish to join that campaign, you can do so directly online at Rotary Direct or by sending a designated check to Melissa.

 

Looking to the future, Kathleen Stoup explained the tremendous success of Operation Braveheart operating on kids with heart issues in the Philippines, and the plan to apply for a Program of Scale which would expand that project to the entire country.  Only one District a year is selected for this program, but our District should be very competitive due to the great success of Braveheart and the urgency of the cause.

 

Rick Coplen described Rotary Veterans Initiative activities, and announced plans to found a District Rotaract Club for veterans, aged 18 to 40, who wish to hone their leadership skills, network about academic pursuits and jobs, and engage in service projects as well as social events.  This Club would meet in person and online, as many of the prospective members are spread out while attending local colleges Two young vets from Penn State Harrisburg were introduced as the first officers of the Club.  .

 

Becky Morgenthal described a similar plan to create a District Global Issues Rotaract Club for young global grant scholarship recipients and youth exchange students who wish to likewise exercise leadership opportunities, while networking about academic pursuits and jobs, and undertaking service projects, and social events.  While the Club would be an online, passport Club, that would be compatible with the location of its members spread around the globe.

 

The final act consisted of Past District Governor John Anthony purporting to be an auctioneer, as only he can, and deftly raising over $1300 for the Global Peacebuilding Campaign. 

 

At the end of the evening, it was all over but the shouting of satisfaction and determination, which never ends. That was the whole point. The Foundation Dinner provides a lot to digest, but that is what Rotary is all about, a gourmet banquet of choices where each Rotarian can find unique fulfilment and then share that sustenance far and wide, wherever there is need.

 

Click here to view photos from the dinner! 

 

See you next year, or tomorrow.

 

DGE Paul