Traditions have certainly changed over the years in the ERC. For a number of years, the club secretary at meetings would call the roll and every Rotarian present had to answer giving his classification. Members would be assigned seats at meetings, while the newest member always handed out the badges. There also used to be a coat and tie rule for attendance. It was later dropped for several
months during the late Spring, Summer and early Fall, and finally discontinued completely in the late 1950s. Until November, 1962, the club had a policy of periodically paying speakers. It was then decided these monies could be better spent in other ways to help the community.
Roger Whitcomb
Mary Cook, our current Rotary District 7430 District Governor, presented at our last ERC Breakfast Meeting.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR ZOOM MEETING OPTION!
Here is the Zoom info for our weekly Rotary meetings:
As you as shopping, please consider the Grocery-PLUS Pantry
needs for our collection on Thursday, September 4th.
Current needs for September 2025
• Canned Mandarin oranges
• Crackers, such as saltines, Triscuits, wheat thins,
Cheese-its, etc.; 10-16 oz boxes)
• Ketchup, BBQ sauce (plastic bottles)
• Deodorant
• Napkins (small or medium packages)
Ongoing needs
Gift cards from Aldi, Giant, Wegmans or Weis
(which we use to buy food)
Any non-perishable food within its “use by/best by” date
NOTE FROM
Bethel Church and Groceries-PLUS Choice Food Pantry
(PLUS = Prayer, Love, Understanding, Support)
Thank you to Rotarians and Friends who contribute
126 households served last month
246 different households received food in 2024
Ups and downs in the food supply:
• Second Harvest, the regional food
warehouse, is doing everything they can to offer a wide variety of non-perishable and perishable foods. However, the supply is much more variable than it was in the past. Some weeks, they have a lovely selection of frozen meats, but no fresh produce. Another
week, there’s nothing for our refrigerator but lots of beverages. Your financial donations allow us to purchase food to fill some of the gaps.
• On the “rejoicing” side, the farmer who was providing fresh milk under a grant program has agreed to give us milk for the next two months, at just the cost of the cartons.
THANK YOU, JOANNE
Hello Rotary Friends!
As many of you know, our NextTrex bench from our first successful recycling challenge has been delivered to the Wildlands Conservancy. It will be placed at the Black River Sanctuary sometime this Fall. There will be a date scheduled to dedicate the bench with a ribbon cutting ceremony so stay tuned on that.
In the meantime, we will have a plaque made for the bench to commemorate the achievement. I’d like to invite Club members to submit a quote or phrase to be considered for this plaque. The theme of the inspirational message is “how small actions make a difference.”
This can incorporate nature, general good deeds, and/or our 100th anniversary.
(Please note that the centennial will be noted regardless, even if it is a sentence after the message) This can be a quote from another person or something that you write yourself.
Here are a few examples:
“The small act of planting a tree today is the hope of shade tomorrow.” — Lucy Larcom
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh
“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” — Edmund Burke
“It is the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.” — Wangari Maathai
Submissions are due by Friday, September 19th. I will compile a list for a vote on the winning message by the end of September.
You know that I am deeply committed to Rotary Youth Services. The STEM Academy (STEM YEA), introduced for the first time in July 2022, serves a younger set of students who are still exploring what educational path they wish to pursue. The 2025 STEM YEA will be held July 10-13, 2025 on the Kutztown University campus. The Fourth STEM YEA Big Ticket Reverse Raffle fundraiser is only 3 months away. This is an important function to bring visibility to the Rotary STEM Youth Explorer Academy and also raise funds to help offset costs in order to make tuition affordable for all clubs wishing to sponsor students.
The guest speaker is Dhruv Seshadri, a member of Allentown West Rotary Club and an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Lehigh University. He received his B.S. in polymers science and engineering in 2014, M.S. and PhD degrees in biomedical engineering in 2018 and 2022 respectively from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His research involves the development, validation, and translation of wearable technology, bioelectronic devices and therapeutics targeting human health and performance. In addition to his academic achievements, Dhruv has been a member of an International Rotaplast team.
The 2025 “STEM YEA Big Ticket Reverse Raffle Night” is scheduled for September 27, 2025 at the Franconia Heritage Banquet & Conference Center, 508 Harleysville Pike, Unit A, Telford, PA. Tickets can be purchased in advance through August 1, 2025 to take advantage of a 10% discount. Total ticket sales are limited to 150. Your ticket helps to fund the operational costs of the STEM YEA program for middle schoolers, especially under-resourced students, to make it affordable for all our clubs to sponsor students, The ticket entitles you to a fun evening including hors d’oeuvres, drinks, dinner, a Caricatures by Emily Byrne, and a lottery ticket with a chance to win one of numerous prizes totaling $5,000 when 150 tickets are sold. Organize your group and act now to purchase your tickets. We are also looking for sponsorships from businesses and individuals along with contributions of silent auction items. Please reach out to Darlene Scott with any questions.
I'm planning to arrange an Emmaus Rotary Club table of 8 for us at the "STEM YEA Reverse Raffle Big Ticket Night" at a discounted ticket rate. If interested in joining us at our table, please let me know by September 11, 2025! Tony
610-295-7691
anmoyer1229@gmail.com
Also, I'm planning to create a wine basket on behalf of our Emmaus Rotary Club that will be raffled at the "STEM YEA Reverse Raffle Big Ticket Night" on 9/27/25. If you're willing and able, please bring a bottle of wine to an ERC Breakfast Meeting through September 18, 2025 for the basket raffle donation.
Speaker Recommendations
Now booking for October and November 2025 BACKUP SPEAKERS for last-minute cancellations.
Do you know someone who would be a great speaker for one of our upcoming Thursday morning meetings? If so, please contact Valerie Deneen.
Meeting Roles
September 11, 2025
Greeter
Kraus, Bob
Sign In
Lahanas, Mike
Invocation
Linde, III, Eric
September 18, 2025
Greeter
McElhaney, Jr., Jeffrey
Sign In
McNealis, Patrick
Invocation
Modrick, Sarah
September 25, 2025
Greeter
Newhart, Barry
Sign In
Omondi, Tom
Invocation
Phillips, Cynthia
October 2, 2025
Greeter
Prokop, Eileen
Sign In
Pugliese, Joseph
Invocation
Raynock, J. P.
If you will not be at the meeting when you have an assignment, please arrange for another member to swap or cover for you.
