Hello ERC Friends! I wanted to share this valuable resource available to Rotarians. Being a member of Rotary offers many benefits that we often don't think about such as; building our professional skills and growing as community leaders. I encourage you to take a look at this program offering through the Rotary Learning Center. I've already signed up! I hope many ERC members find it helpful in your pursuit of learning about your leadership styles and personal goals. If you do decide to take advantage of this program, please let me know. I'd love to connect with you as we take the course.
Shine Bright!
Meghan Reed President, Emmaus Rotary Club 2022/23
Online program allows leaders to build their skills!
The new Leadership Fundamentals program can help Rotary and Rotaract members build the skills they'll need to take on leadership roles. This online program presents key leadership skills and is available through Rotary's Learning Center only for members.
In this program, members will learn to:
Lead and motivate others
Create a positive team environment
Delegate responsibilities
Build consensus and inclusive environments
Recognize the strengths in others
Understand, manage, and resolve conflict
Create and deliver effective speeches and presentations
This program also features questions that participants can discuss in a community forum and assignments that let them apply what they've learned. Participants identify their leadership strengths, then learn how to use them to be more effective.
We encourage you to share the sign-up link for this free leadership program with members in your club. Key Dates
Registration closes: 6 February 2023 Program begins: 20 February 2023 Program ends: 12 June 2023
Board Meeting This Week! Thursday February 23, 2023. 8:40am- 10am in the downstairs banquet room at Superior Restaurant.
Ralph E. Lewis Food For The Needy Collection EVERY THURSDAY THIS MONTH.
Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley are very low on their care packages they give out, and particularly - FULL SIZE - SHAMPOO and CONDITIONER for their Safe House families. Karen Hobson will be collecting each week for them - she will leave a box for you to place any items you may give. Thank you.
We are offering a chance to be a Super Bowl Winner and support Emmaus Rotary Club's food program. We have been distributing food to East Penn School District students for over three years.
You and your friends can purchase one square for $50 and if your square matches one of the end of quarter scores or end of game score you will win! Win Money! More importantly all proceeds will be used to keep our food program going.
The Super Bowl board will be laid out in a 10 x 10 grid. We will collect money for the squares up to the day before the big game on February 12th, 2023
Payment:
I will be accepting electronic payment through Venmo https://venmo.com/u/Gary-Guthrie-13 or QR-code bellow. You can share the QR-code with your friends, family and co-workers. You can also give me cash or check at any Rotary Meeting. Please make checks payable to ERC Foundation. Checks can be mailed to Embassy Bank, c/o Gary Guthrie, 180 W. Main St, Macungie, PA 18062. I recommend that you email me g.guthrieerc@gmail.com when you send payment with your name, email address, and number of squares purchased, so that we know to add you to the board.
When all 100 squares are sold, we will randomly enter everyone's names on to the board. Next, we will select the team representing the NFC or AFC team and place them on the two axes of the board. Lastly, we will randomly select and place 0 through 9 for both axes. Once this has been completed the board will be emailed to all participants.
PAYOUTS:
End of quarters (1st, 2nd, & 3rd) matching score will win $250 (Bonus: REVERSE SCORE will win $50.)
End of Game matching score will win $500(Bonus: REVERSE SCORE will win $100.)
EXAMPLE: Sample board attached
Your square is Tampa 7 – Kansas 0
If the score at the end of the 1st quarter is Tampa 17 – Kansas 10 ( it is the last digit of the score that is used), then you are the winner of the 1st quarter prize. If you square is Tampa -0 & Kansas -7 you win the reverse score prize.
We need to sell 100 squares to make this happen so please telling your friends, family and co-workers.
Share with us whats happing when its happening,Where and when are you travelling to??
What are you celebrating??
When you Share your Happiness, you are supporting a good cause.
4th Quarter Funds raised will go to the Emmaus Rotary Scholarship Fund.
Call for Mentorship! You may have noticed some new faces at our meetings recently because our membership is growing! The Welcome Committee strongly encourages our seasoned club members (three years of service or more) and/OR any past presidents to become mentors for our new members. Mentorship offers a valuable opportunity for our experienced members to share their vast knowledge and expertise with new members who can benefit from their guidance. Becoming a mentor can positively impact our new members' attendance, participation, and overall engagement.
Mentors are asked to: • Let the new members know how to contact them • Check with new members regularly to make sure they’re comfortable • Introduce them to other club members • Encourage them to invite someone they know to a meeting • Show them Rotary’s tools on My Rotary, including Club Finder and the Learning Center • Talk to new members about open roles they could fill or opportunities for involvement • Accompany new members to events when possible
Subject: Semi Annual Dues / January 1 st , 2023 to June 30 th , 2023
This is to notify you that semiannual Emmaus Rotary Club dues are payable by January 15th, 2023. Please remit $110.00, check made payable to the EMMAUS ROTARY CLUB, Attn: Jean Onyambu at the address below. You may also give the check to Jean at a club meeting. Alternatively, you may also choose to pay the full annual dues by sending $220.00 which covers your dues commitment from 01/01/2023 thru 12/31/2023. You will not be billed in June 2023. VENMO: To pay by Venmo, if your Venmo account is based on a bank account or debit card, you can send $110 or $220 to Don Blose. If your Venmo is based on a credit card, send $113.30 or $226.60 by Venmo to Don. Background: To give members an alternate way to pay, Don Blose has offered to use his Venmo account to accept dues payments. Members can Venmo dues to Don, he will write a check and the Secretary will deposit it. The only glitch is that to use credit card based Venmo transactions to pay dues, there is a service charge of 3%. It would raise the dues to $113.30 or $226.60 for Venmo payments based on credit card. Venmo accounts tied to bank accounts and debit cards have no fee. You can also make a contribution at this time to the ‘Rotary Foundation’ and/or ‘Emmaus Rotary Club Foundation’ by writing separate checks for each. Please note that contributions to both foundations can be made at any time during the Rotary year. Please attach the form below with your check or checks to help ensure proper credit is given. Please remember January 15th, 2023 is the dues payment deadline.
Emmaus Rotary Club Dues NAME: ________________________________________________________ Dues: Made payable to “EMMAUS ROTARY CLUB”. $ ______ Rotary International Foundation Contribution: This check must be made out to $ ______ “ROTARY FOUNDATION” and separate from checks for dues or the Emmaus Rotary Club Foundation. Emmaus Rotary Scholarship Endowment Fund: This check must be made out to $ ______ “EMMAUS ROTARY CLUB FOUNDATION”. Thank you in advance for your timely response. Jean Onyambu Club Secretary Cell: 4842013335 Email: erclubsecretary@gmail.com Address: 1055 Cetronia Rd, D3, Breinigsville, PA 18031
ERC Fellowship Invites you to attend Emmaus High School’s night at the Phantoms on March 4, 2023!
Rotary values giving back to the Angel Network! Get your Tickets TODAY!
The EHS Interact Club, Key Club, and Chorale will be hosting the EHS Phantoms Night open to all East Penn Families and Friends. The EHS Choral will be performing O Canada and selling discounted group tickets for just $23. $5 from each ticket sold will go directly to support EHS Angel Network and the Music Department. Order tickets before Saturday, February 4th to be entered into a raffle for free future tickets, one of 6 spaces on the Fanboni during the game, and Phantoms swag. Use this link:https://fevo.me/3FrksVA and please share with anyone who you think would enjoy a fun night out at the Phantoms while supporting our EHS Community.
Thank you for your dedication, leadership, and support on behalf of The Rotary Foundation. As a leader in Rotary, you play an essential role in ensuring that Rotary Foundation programs can continue to create positive and lasting change in your community and around the globe. One way you can help Rotary continue to do good in the world is by encouraging members to enroll in Rotary Direct, our Foundation’s recurring giving program.
Last year, our Foundation raised over $434 million and funded more than 1,190 global grants, 470 district grants, and 225 disaster response grants to help communities thrive. Rotary Direct is one of the easiest and most secure ways for our donors to support the Foundation: because contributions are automated, donors don’t need to worry about sending checks or remembering to make an annual contribution on time.
Rotary Direct saves time and reduces administrative costs. Monthly, quarterly, and annual gift options are available. Members can enroll at the Rotary Direct page, return a completed Rotary Direct enrollment form, or enroll by phone by calling the international office that serves their area or +1-866-976-8279 if in the U.S.
Joshua Scoble is a 16 years old boy living in Emmaus and has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOB) since 3 months old. Last year Joshua's Future of Promises (FOB) Bingo for a Cure raised $90,000 for FOB Research and over the past 16 years his family have raised $1.3 M for FOB research!!
On 3/19/23 is the next bingo for this great organization and they could still use some help.
How can we help?
1. We could help make baked goods for them to sell at the bake sale the day of the bingo event. (eg. a few cookies in a small baggie).
2. We could donate any type of $20 gift card for them to use in their raffle baskets the day of the bingo event.
Both of these can be dropped off at Karen Hobson's home 2 Stoklea Drive, Emmaus. The gift cards can be dropped off any time but the baked goods can be dropped off on Saturday, March 18. Karen's cell number is 484-560-1711.
3. Help is needed with Set-up : tables, chairs, programs, (last year 1,400 were at the event), at the Agr-Plex on Saturday morning, 3/18/23 from 10 am - until noon, pizza then follows.
4. Help is needed at Tear Down : 5 pm - this is physical work and should take approximately 1 hour on Sunday, 19th March at the Agr-Plex.
Bingo is at the Agr-Plex Hall in Allentown Fairgrounds on Sunday, 19th March, Doors open 10.30 am, Bingo Begins at 1 pm. Tickets are $35 (and a $4 processing fee added) and at the Door $40. Tickets can also be purchased online and at Buss Paints, see flyer for more information.
Alicia Ruiz-Orbin Receiving The Rotary Foundation Major Donor Award. Congratulations Alica and Thank You for generosity!
Photos Below. Cindy Hornaman and Mike Mihalik share their experiences in Mfuwe, Zambi while completing a HUGE Global Grant Project. The project built a new science wing, provided computers and lab equipment, and provided vocational training to the teacher at the local school. Congratulations Cindy and Mike on the coordination and completion of this incredibly life changing project for the students of Mfuwe.
In a conversation last fall, Roger Whitcomb brought to my attention an interesting find in our chapter archives. It was a letter exchange in 1969 between a local resident, Mr. Forrest Trittenbach of Chestnut Street in Emmaus and the Secretary of Emmaus Rotary at that time Mr. Fred Shaffer.
Mr. Trittenbach was a local rail historian and a conductor on the Reading Railroad. He met with the President of the Reading Company and secured for Emmaus Borough the donation of a caboose to be displayed at the park. The letter writing alludes to a cooperative relationship between Emmaus Rotary, the railroad, the borough, and Mr. Trittenbach in making the display of the caboose possible.
On November 5th, 1969 the railroad brought a chosen caboose from Reading to Sixth Street in Emmaus. For a nominal fee of $1,000.00, Emmaus Rotary legend Wilmer Shultz facilitated a mobile crane, two flat bed trucks, and necessary personnel to move the caboose to the display site. Apparently, the hauling fee was forwarded to the Interclub Council of Emmaus Service Clubs. However, the Emmaus Rotary Board of Directors approved painting of the exterior of the caboose for the following spring.
Of course, my first response to Roger was….where’s our caboose? So a little digging around revealed a happy ending and a personal connection for me. First stop was an excellent book that I soon bought from a friend of mine: Reading Company Cabooses by John W. Hall. There, I learned that our Emmaus Caboose was Reading Company Number 92830. Further digging on the internet led me to find out that the caboose later became an attractive nuisance in the park and was eventually moved to the WK&S Railroad in Kempton, PA where it resides in operating condition today. Ironically, in the early 2000s, I was a volunteer at the WK&S and actually spent a cold winter on weekends painting the interior of this very caboose. What a small world!
For your enjoyment, I’ve attached two photos of the caboose from the aforementioned book. Also attached is a copy of the correspondence that Roger found in our archives. Lastly, here is an excellent internet link for more information on our caboose. Jeff's WK&S Railroad Pages (jeff-z.com)
Rotary and Welcome.US are working together to support displaced Ukrainians.
Offer people who have fled the war a stable environment
Rotary has been collaborating with our partners and other organizations to meet humanitarian needs in and around Ukraine. Clubs have been providing food, water, medical equipment, and other supplies.
What people who have fled their homes need most is safety — and Rotary members have been instrumental in finding them shelter. But people still need help.
That’s where Rotary members in the U.S. can get more involved. Rotary is collaborating with Welcome.US, an organization working to engage more Americans in welcoming newcomers, with a focus on sponsoring refugees.
Through Uniting for Ukraine, Rotary and Rotaract clubs and members in the U.S. can sponsor a person or a family that has fled the war and help them relocate to the United States.
To sponsor a Ukrainian refugee family and offer them a stable environment:
1) Worldwide polio cases have decreased an astounding 99% since 1988 due to Rotary’s PolioPlus participation in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotarians have vowed not to stop until polio is wiped from the earth to prevent this deadly disease from ever making a comeback.
2) $1.5 billion could be saved annually around the world if polio were eradicated. This money could be applied to other public health priorities, and the savings in human suffering is immeasurable.
3) More than $650 million have been contributed by Rotary members to PolioPlus.
4) The Gates & Buffett Foundation offered to donate $355 million to PolioPlus for polio immunization campaigns in developing countries if Rotarians contributed an additional $200 million by June 2012. Success is imminent as $160 million had already been raised by December 2010.
5) 9,000 secondary-school students annually experience life in another country through the Rotary Youth Exchange.
6) How big is Rotary International? 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world initiate service projects to address today’s challenges, including literacy, disease, hunger, poverty, lack of clean water, and environmental concerns. The clubs get to work immediately whenever a crisis strikes; at this very moment Rotarians are busy in the earthquake regions of New Zealand and Japan.
7) 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders make up the Rotary global network of community volunteers who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill and peace in the world numbers.
8) The organization that holds the highest consultative status given by the United Nations to nongovernmental organizations is Rotary International.
9) The first Rotary club meeting was held in Chicago on February 23, 1905. Five years later in 1910 Canada welcomed its first Rotary club to Winnipeg.
10) The furthest a Rotary Club banner has ever traveled: In 1968 astronaut Frank Borman, member of the Houston Space Center Rotary club, carried a banner on the Apollo 8 flight to the moon!
For more information about Rotary International please visit the website http://www.rotary.org/
I welcome your questions send them to me I will search
• District 9100 which comprises 14 West African Countries is recognized as the largest geographical District in the Rotary world. It was created in 1985 and uses three official languages - English, French, and Portuguese.
• The Rotary Club of Papeete, Tahiti, which is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the club that is most remote from any other.
• The southernmost Rotary meeting is that of the Rotary Club of Base Marambio Antartida in Antarctica. If in the area you can also visit the Rotary Club of Base Antarctica Esperanza. Both are Spanish speaking clubs that meet Wednesday evenings
• To visit the northernmost club you must travel above the Arctic Circle to the Rotary Club of Barrow, Alaska, U.S.A.
• If you attend the El Aguilar club in Argentina, you are meeting with the highest club in the world at 16,000 feet (4,880 meters) above sea level.
• The lowest club meets at 40 feet (12.2 meters) below sea level at El Centro, California, USA.
• There are 69 Rotary clubs with the word “Tokyo” in their club names.
• It is said that there is a Rotary meeting being held someplace in the world every hour of every day. If you attended one meeting per day, it would take nearly 80 years to visit all of the more than 34,500 Rotary clubs in the world, and by that time, no doubt, there would be thousands more new clubs to attend
Rotary International Theme for 2022-2023 Have you heard? Rotary International President-elect Jennifer Jones (who is also our first female president) has announced the 2022-23 theme Imagine Rotary. “Imagine, a world that deserves our best, where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.” The theme is a special one: the theme graphic was designed by an Australian Indigenous artist to link with the Melbourne Convention in 2023. Some of the symbolism includes: Circle connections to one another Dots around it - our people There are 7 Dots for Rotary's 7 areas of focus Circle + dots around it - a navigation star, our guiding light Green solid line - digging stick (used when doing hard work); for us it's People of Action, represents the tools for getting things done The colors purple, green & white - celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion Freedom to express ourselves differently but still with a special connection Purple is also the color of Rotary's Polio campaign Green represents the Environment White stands for peace; it also represents Empowerment and Newness and also the colors were utilized for the women's movement, highlighting the opportunity to grow our female membership.
The Emmaus Rotary Club embraces, practices and promotes the Rotary International Core Values of Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity and Leadership.
