I hope everyone enjoyed the unofficial start of summer this weekend. Beautiful sunsets to be had by all. We are ending our journey together with a lot of new ideas, hopes, and dreams to pass onto the next administration. I am looking at our annual goals and I would like everyone to look at their Foundation giving for the year. If you have not given, please consider giving at least $5, as it is the foundation that gives us the monies to eventually do a lot of the wonderful giving to our own community and for our global grants. I appreciate everyone that has helped bring a new person to our cub this year. We are close to achieving our goals of member retention and member additions. Thank you to all of our new members for making Rotary your home for your service time.
We have enjoyed a year of interesting, passionate, knowledgeable and controversial speakers. We have always tried to keep our speakers as non-partisan as possible. I look forward to a new year to see what new and passionate speakers we will see next year. Our rules will not change for speakers, non-partisan, non-religious, (unless specifically asked) and affiliated to a 501C3 or non-profit. As we look forward to next year I want to say a special thank you to everyone who has made this year entertaining, thoughtful, motivating, and especially rewarding for me and our executive committee. All organizations have issues and it is my belief that it is how they handle the issues that makes or breaks a club.
Next week we will vote on adding a new member group to our community. The East Penn Employees and Staff member group. I realize that this is a new concept. We are adding the East Penn School District for new opportunities for our club and for value. It will give us the opportunity to have a new membership classification, along with new ideas. I do realize we are starting them off at a significantly lower membership level. First they will not be attending 75% of our meetings because they are developing youthful minds on a Thursday morning. We look forward to them coming to our morning when time allows in the summer months, to see what we do and how we do it. Rotary International is looking for ways to expand our clubs and reach our potential. This type of membership is happening all over the district and all over the world. Our group will again be the first of its kind that actually invites their school district employees and staff to be part of Rotary. We are always within our Rotary International boundaries when we look to do something new in our club.
A few weeks ago Joseph Marlin, the founder of Plant A Row, spoke to us about how his program is providing freshly grown vegetables from over 300 gardeners each summer.Rotarians Mike Waddell and Tony Moyer would like to give this a try with our club starting Thursday, June 20 (note change from June 13) and running the second Thursday of each month through September 12. All you need to do is grow some vegetables, dedicate a portion for the hungry in the Lehigh Valley, wash and bag them and give the produce to Mike or Tony at the sign-in table when you enter....simple as that. Examples of what to bring - lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, and much more. Questions - Ask Mike or Tony.
Rotarian Dr. Roger Whitcomb once again gave us his non-partisan view of the state of the world from his viewpoint as a former college political science professor and world traveler. He began by noting that we've been living in "the global liberal order" for the past 75 years with overall very positive results for humanity where cooperation is more sensible than conflict. The liberal world order of the 21st century is more prosperous, healthy and peaceful than ever before. Great progress has been made but he feels that people are losing faith in the liberal order because of some recent events and Nationalists have come out of the woodwork saying that we don't need global cooperation.
Whitcomb believes that the major problems of the threat of nuclear war, terrorism, climate change and technological disruption can only be addressed through global cooperation. He pointed out that Mr. Trump's detractors see him as a man whose rhetoric and actions threaten the fabric of American democracy whereas his supporters believe that he has been necessarily tough on non-American entities like China and North-Korea. He also believes that Mr. Trump has acted erratically in the Middle East much like his predecessors.
Please bring any used children’s books k-3 and 3-5 to our Rotary meetings for the next 4 weeks. These books will be used and donated as a part of our Feeding East Penn School District summer reading and food program at Lincoln Elementary School. Sal Verrastro will collect them for us and our club will be distributing them to needy children in the East Penn School District.
As your editor I'm very pleased that we have lots of information to share each week. All is going well, but, this is a reminder that all requests for articles to be included in the newsletters should come to me at mgwaddx@gmail.com. This gives me an opportunity to ask questions about your submissions and make sure that you've included everything pertinent to your topic...thanks.
Emmaus Rotary Club dues are $220 per year or $110 per half year. The Club Secretary sends a statement of dues due in mid-May. They are due to be paid by June 15. Please pay them in a timely fashion by mailing the check to Jim or giving him your check at a meeting. For May 16 and May 23, give your checks to Craig Reber as Jim Palmquist will miss those meetings.
A few Rotarians have already paid the $110 upcoming dues. I will send them an email saying they do not owe dues this six months and I will not send them a statement.
If you prefer a paper dues statement, you can pick them up in mid-May at the sign in table along with a self-addressed envelope to mail the check to Jim.
Save the date and join us for the Emmaus Rotary Recognition and President's Dinner at Bear Creek Mountain Resort on Thursday evening June 27th from 5:30 to about 7:30 PM This is an evening to build better friendships, eat good food and have a chance to celebrate the 2018-2019 Emmaus Rotary Year under the leadership or Rick Zayaitz. Spouses or significant others are encouraged to attend.
The price will be $25/per person; includes hors d'ouerves, dinner (Pronto Buffet), dessert, coffee, tea, water, iced tea and lemonade. There will be a cash bar.
Please RSVP to Jeff McElhaney at jeff.mcelhaney@edwardjones.com. Note who is attending with you. You can make checks payable to 'Jeff McElhaney' and mail to Jeff McElhaney, 16 S. 4th St, Emmaus, PA 18049, or send cash.
Agenda:
5:30 - Social Hour - Hors d'ouervers & Cash Bar
6:20 - Welcome and Invocation
6:30 - Dinner - Pronto Buffet (Salad, meatballs, penne alla Vodka, White Wine Chicken, Portobello Mushroom Raviolli, Bread, Cannolis, Cheesecake)
Calling all Motorcycle Riders! Enjoy a fun Poker Run for a good cause, then head back to Blackman's Cycle Center for BBQ Lunch and Beer. Performance by the dynamic duo James Supra and Sara Ayers!!! Only $20 to register to ride the Poker Run, $15 for non-riders. Event is hosted by Emmaus Rotary and Blackman's Cycle Center, and sponsored by New Tripoli Bank. Proceeds benefit Tails of Valor, Paws of Honor-- Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD and TBI.
Check the list below to see if you are scheduled to serve as Greeter & Raffle, Sign-in Table, Invocation or EREY.
If you will not be at the meeting when you have an assignment, it is your responsibility to arrange for another member to swap with you or cover for you.
NOTE-Changes may be made from previous editions of the TRUMPET...check here before each meeting.
Thank you for taking your turn and helping Emmaus Rotary run a smooth, fun and friendly meeting...it's just another way to serve our club!
