Happy Birthday Paul Harris! 

The Spirit of Rotary Lives in Each of Us! 
 
 
 
As we remember Paul Harris, (founder of Rotary) on his Birthday, imagine what he would think of Rotary today. I imagine he would look at what he started over 100 years ago and be proud of what Rotary has become and all the accomplishments Rotarians have achieved together through the simple concept of Service Above Self. 
I recently watched a video about the history of Rotary and one segment stuck with me.  I can't remember the quote exactly, but the idea is this:  I joined Rotary on (fill in the blank)....But I became a Rotarian when (the lightbulb moment when you realize what Rotary means to you). 
 
I ask you to take a moment to think on this. It is going to be different for everyone. Have you had your aha moment yet? If so, what was it? When did it click? What made you feel a part of something bigger? What made you feel like YOU made the difference? What inspired you TO make the difference? What friendship sparked a change in you?  If you feel compelled to share, I'd love to hear your story.  Tell us at our next meeting during Happy Dollars or email or call me. I'm all ears! I know this has been a common theme throughout my term, but I feel strongly about the enthusiasm behind our purpose in Rotary. So, I will keep encouraging us to look inward to put our best foot forward. 
 
With that being said! I need us ALL to take a bit of action RIGHT NOW.  We have two major fundraising events upon us, and we need to spread the word and get more people involved. 
  • Sunday, May 7th is our Third Annual Bags and Beer Cornhole Tournament. We are seeking more teams to participate and more guests to simply enjoy the party. This event will help sustain our food packing program. It is a BIG deal! 
  • Saturday, May 20th is the Emmaus Rotary Pottsville Train Excursion. This is a BIG day for ERC as we go full steam ahead into preparations for our upcoming Centennial Celebrations. It is VERY important that we have at least 100 riders on this excursion. Let me rephrase that! We ONLY need 100 people to come out for a super fun day! 
Both events are going to be a ton of fun! I certainly don't expect everyone to attend everything! BUT I'd like to ask that you join in if you can, invite some friends to come with you, SHARE the events with your network, hang up a few posters in the break room or around town. (Think grocery store, bank, library). Its crunch time. This is when we really shine!  If we all pitch in, we can make these two events huge successes.  Let's make Paul Harris proud! 
 
Shine Bright Friends! 
Meghan Reed
President, Emmaus Rotary Club 2022/2023