Stories

2025 Holiday Party

On December 17th, we enjoyed a delicious meal, a bit of playful chaos with a Yankee Swap, and the joy of catching up with familiar faces. A few competitive gift-swappers kept things lively, and it was wonderful to see PDG Gerry Long!  Hotel Bethlehem provided such a warm and inviting setting for this kind of holiday gathering.  

 2025 Holiday Party Dee Dee Foran 2025-12-17 05:00:00Z 0

Join the Movement Luncheon

Rotarians attended Join the Movement Luncheon, a Bloom for Women event at the Hotel Bethlehem. Panelist shared their expertise, while survivors of sex trafficking inspired us all with their powerful stories.  We collected 4 cars full of clothing to donate to My Sister's Closet, a woman's charity boutique in Bethlehem.  Thanks to everyone that supported this project.  We also presented a check for $1,000 to Carol Anderson, CEO of Bloom.  What a difference this organization is making in the Lehigh Valley, and we are proud to support their mission.  Change happens when we stand together!
 
 Join the Movement Luncheon Dee Dee Foran 2025-03-14 04:00:00Z 0

Southside Tomorrow Presentation

The Rotary Club of Bethlehem met on July 17th for the first time at our new location - the Perkins on Bethlehem's South Side.  Our guest presenter was Anna Smith, Director of Community Action Development Bethlehem, a subsidiary of CACLV.  Anna spoke eloquently about "Southside Tomorrow" -- a multi-year program of community engagement and development. 
 
Our own Ham Malek has been a volunteer working for eight years on the housing committee, having followed Dale Kochard in the same role.  Anna is looking for Rotarians willing to train to serve as mediators between tenants and landlords to help preserve relationships and prevent evictions.  If you're interested, you can contact her at asmith@caclv.org.  
 
Click HERE to see Anna's exciting presentation.
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Southside Tomorrow Presentation 2024-07-17 04:00:00Z 0

Polio Survivors Serving Others

Carol Ferguson spoke at the June 26, 2024 meeting about how Rotary's efforts in support of the World Health Orgnization's live-oral vaccination program has helped the World Health Organization accomplish nearly 100 percent elimination of wild polio virus throughout the world.  The low cost of live orally-administered vaccines makes them widely available, yet because the vaccine uses a live form of the virus, the virus can derive variants that may have paralytic capabilities.  The speed and volume of air travel worldwide makes the spread of such novel viruses likely, even in the US where we are used to thinking that Polio no longer exists.  Thus childhood vaccination in the United States cannot be emphasized enough.  Please take a few minutes to watch this important video, that Carol intended the audience to see on Wednesday, but that would not run on the Moravian Village projection system.
 
Click HERE to watch.  
 Polio Survivors Serving Others 2024-06-28 04:00:00Z 0

BAVTS Students Create Electric Car

 
Overr the summer of 2023, two BAVTS automotive technology students and their instructor retrofitted a gas-engined ccar with a brand new electric power system.  
 
The "Grand Unveiling" ceremony took place on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 12:30 pm with remarks by very special guests.  Light refreshments were served.  
 
Bethlehem Rotarians were invited to join BAVTS faculty and students in celebrating this achievement.
 BAVTS Students Create Electric Car 2023-09-11 04:00:00Z 0
Admiral Scott Pappano Visits Bethehem Rotary Club 2023-08-17 04:00:00Z 0

Join Rotarians as we read books about homelessness

Choose a book and read it before we discuss the books at our club meeting on September 28.
  • Welcome Homeless: One Man’s Journey of Discovering the Meaning of Home by Alan Graham
  • Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help by Robert Lupton
  • Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
  • No Room Of Her Own: Women’s Stories of Homelessness, Life, Death & Resistance by Desiree Hellegers
 Join Rotarians as we read books about homelessness 2022-08-19 04:00:00Z 0

Donegan 3rd Graders Getting Their Dictionaries

On Friday, June 3rd, Lisa Jordan, plus Al & Deb Philpotts, presented dictionaries to each of Donegan's three third grade classes.  It was a great day to be sure.  Lisa told them about Rotary and pointed out some of the interesting additional content - such as a page with American Sign Language symbols.  It was a great day, made even greater when they all sang The Rainbow Connection to us.
 
Click the image to play the video
Lisa Jordan & Deb Philpotts talking about Rotary and the dictionaries. (Photo Al Philpotts)
 
 
 
 Donegan 3rd Graders Getting Their Dictionaries 2022-06-04 04:00:00Z 0
DISTRICT 7430 SHOWCASE TUESDAY - June 2022 Al Philpotts 2022-06-01 04:00:00Z 0
District 7430 Changeover Dinner Len Gieseler 2022-05-16 04:00:00Z 0
Centennial Park Cleanup - THANKS TO ALL. Pete Mickolay 2022-04-30 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary and the Peace Corps

 
In the 60 years since its creation, more than 240,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps. Chances are there might be a returned Peace Corps volunteer in your club or district. The relationship between Rotary International and the Peace Corps, made official with a 2014 partnership agreement, has its foundation in the organizations’ shared values. Learn more about how Rotary members and returned Peace Corps volunteers are working together and take part in events 20-26 September to highlight the partnership. 
 Rotary and the Peace Corps 2021-09-18 04:00:00Z 0
Our Club is a Shelter Box Hero 2021-08-16 04:00:00Z 0
Rotary District 7430 Welcome Aboard! 2021-07-29 04:00:00Z 0

New Rotary Int'l President

Shekhar Mehta envisions Rotary's next chapter
 
Rotary’s president for 2021-22, Shekhar Mehta, has a vision for Rotary's future and is ready to make it happen. A member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, India, Mehta trained as an accountant and founded a real estate development company, Skyline Group, which he also chairs. But his professional title tells only a small part of the story. He is also a director of the India arm of Operation Eyesight Universal, a Canada-based nonprofit focused on preventing avoidable blindness. He helped establish more than 15 eye hospitals, in several Indian states and he started Saving Little Hearts, a project that has facilitated more than 2,500 heart surgeries for children from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and countries in Africa. Learn more about Mehta and visit the president's page to learn about upcoming presidential conferences and Mehta's presidential initiatives.
 New Rotary Int'l President 2021-07-09 04:00:00Z 0

How Rotary Alleviates Refugee Crisis 

In 2019, 79.5 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced. An estimated 40% were under the age of 18. On World Refugee Day, held every year on 20 June, people worldwide salute the strength, courage, and contributions of refugees who abandon their homes in a desperate search for safety. Rotary clubs have demonstrated how we are people of action by assisting refugees in a variety of ways. Learn how Rotary clubs in Switzerland created a program that supports the professional integration of young refugees into society.
 
 How Rotary Alleviates Refugee Crisis 2021-06-26 04:00:00Z 0

Stove Team Makes Progress

 
At our Wednesday June 9th meeting, our video program featured Stove Team International - an effort begun by a Rotarian from Oregon who, in her sixties, went to Guatemala and took action when she witnessed women tending open fires INSIDE their small living spaces to cook meals for an average family size of eight.  More than four BILLION people cook this way around the world, using biomass (dung, wood, charcoal) to cook and causing irreparable damage to the health of themselves, their families, and the environment.  Stove Team addresses this issue head on, starting local businesses that build stoves that are vastly more efficient and vent all smoke emitted outside the home while at the same time greatly reducing the amount of fuel, usually firewood that is consumed.
 
Here are links that may be of interest:
 
 
 
 Stove Team Makes Progress 2021-06-10 04:00:00Z 0

Monarch Butterfly Sister Schools Pgm
 

Monarch Sister Schools Program
 
Mary Anne Rishebarger spoke to our club about the Monarch Sister Schools Program that was created by the educational nonprofit Natural Partners to involve students in a real environmental problem: the ongoing destruction of Monarch butterflies’ habitat in the U.S. and Canada (driven by herbicide use on farms) and of their over-wintering habitat in Mexico (due to illegal logging), resulting in a precipitous decline of the Monarchs population. Through hands-on projects, students learn about the habitat, life cycle and the amazing migration of the Monarchs, while collaborating across borders on projects to restore habitat for future Monarch generations.  
 
Mary Anne is a Rotarian from the Baltimore area and very active in promoting the importance of Common Milkweed in private and public spaces as a vital foodsource providing nectar-rich flowers to attract and feed Monarch Butterflies and leaves on which the adult butterflies lay eggs and that provide the single most important food source for emergent catterpillars.  Milkweed is both home and host.
 
Here are links to her slide presentation, plus documents she has sent:
 
 
 
 
 Monarch Butterfly Sister Schools Pgm  2021-05-05 04:00:00Z 0
Bethlehem Rotary's TREE-mendous Success 2021-04-26 04:00:00Z 0
Dictionary Project - WORD of the day = SUCCESS Al Philpotts 2021-04-05 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Expands Sanitation Access in Phillippines

 
Expanding access to sanitation in the Philippines
More than 10 million households in the Philippines lack sanitation facilities, exposing communities to diseases like diarrhea and cholera. The Rotary Club of Intramuros-Manila had been partnering with an Australian club for two decades to provide water and sanitation to barangay around Manila when they learned about two mountain villages in need of facilities. Overcoming many obstacles, the clubs delivered 28 toilets to the families of indigenous Aeta who live on ancestral lands, accomplishing something no other organization had. Learn more
 Rotary Expands Sanitation Access in Phillippines 2021-04-02 04:00:00Z 0
Tri-District Conference 2021 2021-02-23 05:00:00Z 0
Rotarian Chris Nelson Writes Morning Call Op-Ed 2021-02-13 05:00:00Z 0

FIG Bethlehem features Winston Alozie

 
 
FOR WINSTON ALOZIE , CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem, it’s all about the kids. He knows from experience: he was a kid, 13 and new to Bethlehem from Shreveport, Louisiana in 2001. The Club was a place not only to make friends (“and eat snacks, food my parents didn’t want us to eat”), but for necessities–like heat–through the hard cultural and socioeconomic shift. “The Club has a storied tradition of being here for the most vulnerable children and families,” he says. And the work is about letting those kids and families know “their presence here matters. And is appreciated.” 
 
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
 
Fig connects people with local shopping, dining, arts and entertainment, organizations, services, and events. Fig promotes a media message that energizes a thriving, sustainable local economy and revitalizes the community.  
 FIG Bethlehem features Winston Alozie 2021-01-21 05:00:00Z 0

AGUA CALIENTE GLOBAL GRANT FULLY FUNDED

OUR CLUB HELPS FUND AGUA CALIENTE GLOBAL GRANT
 
On December 24, 2020 (Christmas Eve) the $130,457 for this Global Grant was electronically deposited in the bank account established by the Rotary Club of La Antigua, Guatemala.  Despite many Corona virus-related restrictions upon this effort, Rotarians persevered and the funding goal was achieved.  When completed, this project will benefit 290 families (approximately 1,827 residents) by funding the cost of materials to construct a complete water system with spigots at every household, 290 gray water filters and 153 vented improved pit latrines for the families without these facilities.  The men and women in Agua Calient will supply ALL labor to construct the project. Construction has begun - supervised by an NGO Cooperating Partner, ABPD, and members of the Host Rotary Club of La Antigua, GUA.
 
Oscar Santos Simon Roquel 
 
“I am the president of Agua Caliente COCODE. Almost 300 families don’t have access to enough water in the community. We build our water system more than 30 years ago and it was designed for less than 200 families. Thanks to the support from ABPD (NGO Cooperating Partner) and The Rotary Foundation our dream of having water is becoming true.”
 
  
 
 AGUA CALIENTE GLOBAL GRANT FULLY FUNDED 2021-01-21 05:00:00Z 0
ShelterBox recognizes Rotary with Global Humanitarian Service Award 2021-01-03 05:00:00Z 0

Every Rotarian Every Year

 
Thanks to the gifts of generous Rotarians, its members were able to complete more life-changing projects last year than ever before! You can make a difference by helping people in need — from supplying equipment that protects health workers against COVID-19 to training peace builders who’ll work toward a future with less conflict. It all starts with giving the gift of Rotary.

The Rotary Foundation funds the work of Rotary members who provide sustainable solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs. This work is necessary now more than ever, and Rotary needs people who will take action and help make these projects possible.

With your gift today, together Rotary can fund projects that make a big impact by strengthening communities to create real, lasting solutions. Please consider giving a gift to the Foundation so Rotarians can keep doing good in the world.
 
Click the image above to donate.
 
 Every Rotarian Every Year 2020-12-09 05:00:00Z 0

Why I finally joined a Rotary Club

 
Erin Maloney had never given much thought to joining a Rotary club. She had little interest in the traditional Rotary model of weekly meetings. But after attending the 2020 Virtual Rotary Convention led by her brother, 2019-20 RI President Mark D. Maloney, she discovered several reasons to join, including an increased flexibility and people who share her interest in ending modern slavery. Learn more of her story on our blog, Rotary Voices
 Why I finally joined a Rotary Club 2020-11-01 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Why it is good to be good 
 
Rotary members know the value of doing good, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more relevant than ever. Studies show that helping others boosts serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel satisfied. And that’s a big incentive for community service, the very thing Rotary clubs excel at, as people everywhere face anxiety about health, families, jobs, and the future. 
 
     READ MORE     
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2020-08-21 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Jennifer E. Jones nominee for 2022-23 president
Foundation Trustee Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2020-08-09 04:00:00Z 0

Tastes & Tunes 2019

Posted on Aug 02, 2019
 
Click the graphic ABOVE for details and ON-LINE registration, plus links for sponsors, caterers, and auction donors.
 
Click the graphic BELOW to download and print an event flyer and ticket order form.
 
 
 Tastes & Tunes 2019 2019-08-02 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jun 24, 2019
New club models enhance connections
 
Rotary’s new strategic plan is underpinned by four key priorities – to increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt. The emergence of new club models is evidence that Rotary clubs and districts are working actively to advance these priorities.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-06-24 04:00:00Z 0
Rotary Strikes Out Hunger (Click image to download flyer) 2019-06-16 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jun 04, 2019
Rotary brings the world to Hamburg
More than 24,000 Rotary members from 170 countries are gathering in Hamburg, Germany, 1-5 June to attend the 110th annual Rotary International Convention. But you don’t have to be in Hamburg to Capture the Moment. Follow all of our convention coverage including photos, videos, social media posts, speeches, and more as the action happens.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-06-04 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on May 18, 2019
Rotarians seek solutions to opioid epidemic
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a recorded 47,600 opioid deaths across the United States in 2017. Rotarians in the New England area have come together to prevent overdose deaths through public education campaigns in schools and seminars that educate the community on the dangers of opioids.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-05-18 04:00:00Z 0

DID YOU KNOW...?

Posted on Apr 28, 2019
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem was organized on April 13, 1916 in the old Eagle Hotel and was chartered as the 225th Club of Rotary International on June 1 of that same year. There were 29 charter members. Robert Sayre Taylor, Sr. was the first President.
 
The Eagle Hotel
 
Did you know that in 1916:
  • Bethlehem was three separate boroughs-North, West, and South. The three boroughs would not be combined into the City of Bethlehem until the following year with Archibald Johnson as the first Mayor.
  • A covered bridge still spanned the Lehigh River and the Hill-to-Hill Bridge would not be built until later.
  • The first eight miles of a demonstration highway using local-produced cement connecting Bethlehem and Easton was completed and dedicated in. It was named The William Penn Highway.
 DID YOU KNOW...? 2019-04-28 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Apr 22, 2019
2019 Rotary Int'l Council Elevates ROTARACT
 
The 2019 Council has completed its work. Among its most important actions, the Council elevated the status of Rotaract clubs, allowing them to join Rotary International the way that Rotary clubs do. The change is intended to increase the support that Rotaract clubs receive from RI and to enhance their ability to serve. The Council is made up of representatives from each Rotary district, and meets every three years in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to review the rules that govern the organization.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-04-22 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Apr 14, 2019
A Rotary Peace Fellow’s journey to Antarctica

Emilse Anabella Palacios began her relationship with Rotary as a Youth Exchange student and later a member of a Group Study Exchange. Later as a Rotary Peace Fellow, she began to hone the leadership skills that would become a permanent part of her life. On the last day of 2018, she joined 89 other women aboard a research vessel to Antarctica as part of the largest female expedition to that continent. The group's goal is to heighten the influence and impact of women on decisions that shape our planet.

     READ MORE     

 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-04-14 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Apr 14, 2019
Follow the Council on Legislation live
Representatives from around the world are gathering in Chicago 14-18 April for the 2019 Council on Legislation. The Council is Rotary’s process for considering changes to the rules that guide Rotary clubs with the goal of keeping the organization modern and relevant. Some proposals this year build upon flexibility measures adopted by the last council three years ago. Follow all of the action as it happens on our live blog.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-04-14 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Apr 08, 2019
Rotary and Climate Change
Rotarians understand that the whole world is their backyard. They can see the effects of climate change in communities they care about, and they haven’t waited to take action. They’re tackling the problem the way they always do: coming up with projects, using their connections to change policy — and planning for the future.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-04-08 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Mar 22, 2019
Celebrate World Water Day
Rotary has worked for decades to provide people with clean water by digging wells, laying pipes, providing filters, and installing sinks and toilets. But the biggest challenge has come after the hardware is installed. Too often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed. As we celebrate World Water Day 22 March, read why Rotary has shifted its focus over the past several years to emphasize education, collaboration, and sustainability.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-03-22 04:00:00Z 0
Networking Event Invitation 2019-03-21 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Mar 11, 2019
Empowering women through Rotary
 
The Seven Women Center in Kathmandu, Nepal, provides a respite from the discrimination and violence many Nepali women face in their personal lives. Stephanie Woollard, a former tour guide with a passion for social justice and a knack for connecting with people, started the center after several encounters in Kathmandu revealed the plight of women there. Now a member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Australia, Woollard’s drive for justice led her to the Rotary Peace Centers at Uppsala University in Sweden in 2013.
 
     READ MORE     
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-03-11 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Feb 23, 2019
Take a virtual tour of Room 711
 
On 23 February, Rotary celebrates its 114th anniversary. Take a virtual tour of Room 711, a re-creation of the office where Paul Harris met with three acquaintances to start a club based on “mutual cooperation and informal friendship.” Thousands of visitors to Rotary world headquarters experience the room every year. But we wanted to give all our members an opportunity to experience the room without traveling to Evanston. 
 
     LEARN MORE     
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-02-23 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Feb 09, 2019
Meet Pakistan’s virus hunter
 
Dr. Ujala Nayyar dreams, both figuratively and literally, about a world that is free from polio. Nayyar, the World Health Organization's surveillance officer in Pakistan’s Punjab province, says she often imagines the outcome of her work in her sleep. In her waking life, she leads a team of health workers who crisscross Punjab to hunt down every potential incidence of poliovirus, testing sewage and investigating any reports of paralysis that might be polio.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-02-09 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Feb 02, 2019
Rotary clubs fight opioid epidemic
After months of doing research and consulting with health officials, substance abuse experts, educators, and media professionals, New York Rotary members put together a plan to fight a major U.S. problem: opioid addiction. But they needed an international partner for their Rotary Foundation global grant project. Six months of searching connected them with the Rotary Club of Tijuana Oeste, Baja California, Mexico. Clubs in Canada and India also agreed to support the project with funds.
 
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-02-02 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jan 25, 2019
Building peace through organic farming
Hong Kong native Spencer Leung completed the Rotary Peace Center program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in 2013. Convinced that organic agriculture could be a powerful peacebuilding platform, he quit his job at a Thailand seed company and used his own savings to start Go Organics. The company aims to improve productivity and sustainability for small farmers, who produce about 80 percent of the world's food. Learn more about Leung, and how you can support other Peace Fellows through Rotary's Peace Center program. Applications for the next class become available 1 February.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-01-25 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jan 19, 2019
After the storm
A year after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, local Rotary members continue to rebuild homes and lives. Mayagüez is home to 75,000 people and to the island’s second-oldest Rotary club after San Juan. In the past, the club carried out smaller projects, but the massive devastation caused by Maria motivated members to do more to help their neighbors, especially the very poor.
 
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-01-19 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jan 06, 2019
Two decades of service beyond borders
When Rajendra Saboo finished his term as president of Rotary International in 1992, he started thinking about how he could continue to help people. By 1998, after serving as Rotary Foundation trustee chair, he knew he wanted to do something hands-on. He and a fellow Rotarian who is a pathologist and past district governor organized the first of many medical missions to perform corrective surgery on patients with polio in Uganda. In the 20 years since that first trip, they've sent hundreds of volunteers around the world to perform 67,000 surgeries and examine 250,000 patients. 
 
READ MORE
 Rotary Weekly Update 2019-01-06 05:00:00Z 0
Rotary Action Group Against Slavery Event 2018-12-17 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Dec 15, 2018
Early-registration discount deadline
 
December 15 is the last day to take advantage of the early-registration discount for the 2019 Rotary Convention in Hamburg. You won't want to miss this chance to capture the moment in Hamburg. This beautiful port city is the perfect setting for our biggest event of the year, where the Rotary spirit fills the air with a level of energy and enthusiasm you can't find anywhere else. If you've already registered, check out these recommendations for places to see while you are in Hamburg, provided by local members of Rotaract clubs.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-12-15 05:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Nov 26, 2018
5 reasons to give to Rotary Giving Tuesday
You have many choices where you donate this Giving Tuesday, 27 November. Why should Rotary be your charity of choice? For starters, our accountability and transparency have earned The Rotary Foundation 11 straight years of four-star ratings — the highest possible — from independent evaluator Charity Navigator. Ninety-one percent of Foundation funds are spent directly on programs. Check out our five reasons to give to Rotary.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-11-26 05:00:00Z 0

AFP Honors Rotarian Hank Barnette & His Wife Joanne
 

Posted on Nov 15, 2018
 
The Eastern PA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award upon Hank Barnette, a member of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem, and his wife Joanne at the chapter’s 2018 National Philanthropy Day Awards Breakfast on Nov. 15 at DeSales University.  Presented by chapter’s Board of Directors, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the extraordinary lifetime achievement of individual philanthropists whose impact upon the greater Lehigh Valley community has been profound, inspiring, and sustained.
 
Hank and Joanne Barnette have been philanthropic and volunteer leaders for decades in the Lehigh Valley, West Virginia, Connecticut, and elsewhere.  
 
Hank Barnette is a lawyer, businessman, and Chairman Emeritus of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Within the Lehigh Valley, he is a Moravian College Trustee and Chairman Emeritus of the National Museum of Industrial History. He also is a member of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission, the Bethlehem Rotary Club and a Director for the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Lehigh Valley Partnership. He was previously a Director for the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, Lehigh Valley PBS39, and Lehigh University. Joanne Barnette has served in the Lehigh Valley as President of the Junior League, Chair of the Board of the Allentown Art Museum, Vice Chair of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, and a Director of the United Way of the Lehigh Valley.
 
Hank and Joanne have contributed to numerous organizations and capital campaigns and they have concentrated much of their support for higher education. They have endowed scholarships and lectures locally at Lehigh University, the Bach Choir, Central Moravian Church, DeSales University, Moravian College, Northampton Community College, and St. Luke’s University Health Network. They also are long-time members and former Co-Chairs of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Tocqueville Society.
Read more...
AFP Honors Rotarian Hank Barnette & His Wife Joanne  2018-11-15 05:00:00Z 0

Bob Cohen Book Launch

Posted on Nov 02, 2018
Fellow Rotarian, Bob Cohen, died unexpectedly and far too soon, on December 6, 2016.  A Renaissance man, Bob artfully continually reinvented himself, with ART at the center of each reinvention.  Bob, the singer, thespian, and author, adored libraries and gave special attention to the Bethlehem Area Public Library where he served as a board member, donor, and friend.  The library, in turn, dedicated the Bob Cohen Room, a concert venue and multi-use main floor space that will host lectures and meetings and plays and art galleries. 
 
The library has just published "Home at my Typewriter," a book of selected poems that Bob wrote over many years.  Bob's wife Amy Miller Cohen, invites us to a book launch.  Details follow, but space is limited.  Please RSVP directly to Amy by phone at 610-867-5501.
 
Saturday, November 17, 2018
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
SAHL Communications, Suite 904
West Broad Street, Suite 904, Bethlehem, PA
(Brick Sign faces Broad Street)
DIRECTIONS - click HERE
 Bob Cohen Book Launch 2018-11-02 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Oct 28, 2018
World Polio Day lauds partnerships, success
 
After 30 years of bold action, historic achievements, and sometimes discouraging setbacks, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have nearly brought polio to an end. This groundbreaking public-private partnership and its innovative strategies were celebrated Wednesday during Rotary’s 6th annual World Polio Day event, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Watch the livestream.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-10-28 04:00:00Z 0

World Polio Day

Posted on Oct 24, 2018
 
World Polio Day is here
The livestream of Rotary’s World Polio Day event starts at 18:30 Philadelphia time (UTC-4) today! This year’s program:
  • Reflects on the progress we’ve made against polio and the work that still needs to be done
  • Highlights the role of women in polio eradication
  • Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
 World Polio Day 2018-10-24 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Oct 21, 2018
What are you doing World Polio Day?
 
You don't have to travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to take part in Rotary's World Polio Day event on 24 October. You can watch a livestream of the proceedings on your computer or smartphone starting at 18:30 Philadelphia time (UTC-4). Clubs worldwide have also been holding events leading up to the day to raise funds and awareness. See a gallery and promote your event. 
 
 
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-10-21 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Oct 15, 2018
Turning youth away from crime
 
Rotary clubs in Canada are investing in an urban peace initiative that aims to break the cycle of youth crime. PACT, which stands for Participation, Acknowledgement, Commitment, and Transformation, is a Toronto-based charity, supported by Rotary clubs, that works with at-risk young people and those who have committed crimes to change their direction in life. 
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-10-15 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Oct 10, 2018
Meet 6 trailblazing young innovators
Six members of Rotary and Rotaract will be honored this November as People of Action: Young Innovators during Rotary Day at the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya. These innovators – all under the age of 35 – are being recognized for their commitment to solving problems with measurable and lasting results. Learn more about the six, including Paul Mushaho of Uganda (center of photo above).
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-10-10 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Sep 24, 2018
Check out Rotary's newest Virtual Reality Film
Patience Asiimwe, a Rotaractor from Kampala, ventured deep into her native Uganda with a polio vaccination team as part of Rotary’s newest virtual reality film, Two Drops of Patience. "When we first started filming, I was focused on what we were going to shoot. But that changed when I did my first vaccination. I felt like a hero. It was a satisfying feeling, knowing you probably just changed someone’s life." Read more of Asiimwe's story and check out the virtual reality film.
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-09-24 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Sep 14, 2018
Benefits of a Rotary Youth Exchange
 
On the first day of her Rotary Youth Exchange orientation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Marie Tornquist recalls being confused about the nationality of her country officer. Though the officer was living in the United States as an American, she continued to identify with the Brazilian culture. Tornquist's own experience quickly taught her how Rotary Youth Exchange, and the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in your host's culture, allows you to become a global citizen. Read about her experience in our blog, Rotary Voices.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-09-14 04:00:00Z 0

Golf Outing

Posted on Sep 10, 2018
                   
 
Please join fellow Rotarians, friends, and family of all skill levels for fun and fellowship 
at PUTT U Miniature Golf, 5201 Route 309 Center Valley PA
 
Thursday, September 20th 
Shotgun start at 5:30 PM
Cost = $5 per person, payable at the door
Food & soft drinks available for purchase.
 
 
 
 
 Golf Outing 2018-09-10 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Sep 03, 2018
What are you doing for World Polio Day?
Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have had to take bold action in the historic fight against polio. At Rotary’s 6th annual World Polio Day event on 24 October in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, we’ll highlight the monumental and innovative steps that are getting us closer to our goal. We’ll also celebrate 30 years of achievements by the GPEI. Learn more about the event in Philadelphia and how you can promote your own event or find an event near you.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-09-03 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Aug 26, 2018
After hours with Minneapolis Evenings 
 
Twice a month, the Rotary Club of South Metro Minneapolis Evenings meets in a hotel near the Minnesota River. Young people trickle through the hotel’s front doors and gather at a long wooden table in the bar for happy hour. It’s not actually happy hour, but that’s what they call this casual gathering before their club meeting. It’s a nontraditional club, which has less to do with the average membership age of 33 than the fact they meet after work and tend toward activities like rock climbing, Whirly Ball, and escape rooms. For membership month, learn more about this innovative club.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-08-26 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Aug 20, 2018
Rotaract Club inside refugee camp creates sense of family
After fleeing conflict in their own countries, a group of young Rotaractors is healing wounds and bringing cultures together in a Ugandan refugee settlement. Established in late 2016, and officially inaugurated last July, the Rotaract Club of Nakivale may be one of the first based inside a refugee settlement. Read the story, watch the video, and learn about the effort from one of the Rotarians who helped make it happen.
 
Read more...
Rotary Weekly Update 2018-08-20 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Gupta is selection for 2020-21 RI president
Sushil Kumar Gupta, of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2020-21. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested. Gupta says he wants to increase Rotary’s humanitarian impact as well as the diversity of its membership.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-08-13 04:00:00Z 0

ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITY

Due to a cancellation we are able to add two people to participate in the outbound group to District 1030 in Northeast England.  Dates are Aug. 29 to September 10, 2018.

 

District 1030 is next to the border of Scotland and along the coast with Newcastle Upon Tyne the largest city in the district.  We'll have a chance to visit Hadrian's wall and castles as well as seaside towns.

 

If you like meeting new people as well as learning about new cultures plus able to travel within a short time frame email me directly : deeleng@gmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.

 

Travel expenses are paid by the participant although we are hosted in Rotarians home with some meals included.

Participants are also asked to have their club host when District 1030 comes in the spring of 2019.

 

At the moment tickets to Edinburgh airport which is 1 1/2 hours away by train is about $700 for economy and train tickets are about $30 one way.

 

My contact info:

 

Dee Eng

RFE chair

 

deeleng@gmail.com

cell:610-428-3355

 ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITY Dee Eng 2018-07-30 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jul 19, 2018
Meet RI President Barry Rassin
 
RI President Barry Rassin, a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is asking Rotarians to Be the Inspiration this Rotary year. In addressing the closing session of the 2018 Convention in Toronto, Rassin encouraged Rotarians to take the time to understand the real needs of their communities by talking to people in those communities, and to become agents of change through leading by example. Read more about Rotary’s 2018-19 president in The Rotarian.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-07-19 04:00:00Z 0
VIDEO: Human Trafficking Awareness June 26th Event 2018-07-16 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jul 15, 2018
Canada a champion in polio eradication
 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepted Rotary's Polio Eradication Champion Award at the Rotary Convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in recognition of his country's contributions to polio eradication. Canada has been a strong contributor to polio eradication efforts for decades.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-07-15 04:00:00Z 0
Where in the world are ROTARIANS??? 2018-07-03 04:00:00Z 0

Leadership Changeover

Posted on Jun 27, 2018
Past-President Gerry Foran and Newly Installed President Mark Reed
 
At its June 27th, regular noon-day meeting, our club continued a tradition more than 100 years old -- transferring the gavel of leadership from Gerald Foran to Mark Reed.  Mark is the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at Moravian College in Bethlehem.   As Club President, Mark will lead a growing club of more than 100 members who work together to serve humanity globally and locally.  CONGRATULATIONS MARK AND WELL-DONE GERRY!
 Leadership Changeover 2018-06-27 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jun 18, 2018
Rotarians prepare to find inspiration in Toronto
More than 24,000 registered participants from 175 countries are expected to gather in Toronto from 23-27 June for Rotary's largest event of the year, the annual convention. Like Rotary, Toronto is a city that values diversity. Rotary members will hear from a lineup of inspiring speakers including former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush and HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne. They will also have a chance to renew friendships and enjoy the hospitality of local Rotarians as they share Canada's rich heritage. Follow all our coverage.
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-06-18 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on Jun 03, 2018
Photo contest winners
The winners of Rotary International's 2018 photo contest were selected from more than 1,100 entries. The images show Rotarians as people of action, working together to make our world better. In addition to the winning photos and honorable mentions in the June issue, you will see more photos from the contest in The Rotarian throughout the coming year. Also read more about this year's judge, Stephanie Sinclair, and her work with the nonprofit Too Young To Wed.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-06-03 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update

Posted on May 28, 2018
Rotary wins Hero Award for polio eradication efforts
Rotary's commitment to polio eradication won a Hero Award from the One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign, an international global citizens' movement to tackle the world's most important issues. The campaign is the initiative of the PeaceJam Foundation led by 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Rotary was one of two finalists in the Best Nonprofit Act category.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update 2018-05-28 04:00:00Z 0

Learn About Sex Trafficking

Posted on May 20, 2018
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FREE Program, and Seats are Limited. 
Register on Event Brite: https://harmofdemand.eventbrite.com
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 Learn About Sex Trafficking 2018-05-20 04:00:00Z 0

Rotary Weekly Update - VOTE!

Posted on Apr 14, 2018
Help ROTARY.ORG win a Webby Award
Rotary.org has been nominated by the Academy of Digital Arts and Science for two Webby Awards, the leading international honor for excellence on the internet. Rotary is competing with four others in the association category for both a Webby Award, selected by the academy, and a Webby People's Voice Award, chosen by public vote. Help us win the People's Voice Award by voting between now and 19 April.
 
 Rotary Weekly Update - VOTE! 2018-04-14 04:00:00Z 0

Our Growing Club's Newest Member

Posted on Apr 07, 2018
On April 4th, members of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem joined club president Gerry Foran in welcoming Mark Walter as the newest member of the club.  Mark is employed by British Telecom as Client Compliance Officer.  He manages regulatory compliance aspects associated with several of BT's customers in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical products, HR outsourcing, banking and finance.
 
WELCOME MARK!
 
President Gerry Foran (L)  installs Mark Walter (R) as our newest member.
 Our Growing Club's Newest Member 2018-04-07 04:00:00Z 0

Our own Deb Geiger Receives Women's Day Recognition

Posted on Apr 04, 2018
Debra Geiger, a Bethlehem Rotary club member, was honored at the Emmaus Rotary Club's first International Women's Day celebration with an award from the Emmaus Rotary Club, plus a proclamation from the House of Representatives and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for her outstanding accomplishments.
 
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Deb Geiger receiving her award from Emmaus Rotary Club President Burt Duran
Read more...
Our own Deb Geiger Receives Women's Day Recognition 2018-04-04 04:00:00Z 0

Southside Film Festival: Old Men Singing (Documentary Short)

Posted on Jun 15, 2017
One of the feature films to be shown during the Southside Film Festival is Old Men Singing, a Documentary Short film directed by:  Mickey Rapkin and Zachary Weil

After losing touch for more than 50 years, the men of a collegiate a Cornell University a cappella group reunite on campus to reminisce, settle old scores and find out if they still have what it takes to perform together in this documentary short about the enduring power of music and the families we choose.  This film features Bob Cohen, our dear departed Rotarian and former director of the Bethlehem Rotary Morganaires.
 
Screening Times: Victory Firehouse, 205 Webster Street, 5:20pm Friday, June 16th | Victory Firehouse: 3:20pm Saturday, June 17th.
 
Cost to see this film at the Victory Firehouse is $5.  Single tickets are available at Deja Brew (101 W 4th Street) or at any of the venues during the festival. Please note, if you wish to use a credit card, please visit Deja Brew during business hours to purchase tickets.
 
 Southside Film Festival: Old Men Singing (Documentary Short) 2017-06-15 04:00:00Z 0

WHY WE SERVE

Posted by Alvin Philpotts on Aug 17, 2016
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Rotary is a volunteer organization with 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas.  It initiates humanitarian projects that address challenges affecting the world today, such as hunger, poverty, and illiteracy.  Rotary club members unite a broad cross-section of business and professional leaders around the world around a common mission:  Service Above Self. These 1.2 million men and women donate their expertise, time, and funds to support local and international project, helping people in need and promoting understanding among cultures.  

Rotary’s flagship program is its effort to protect children against polio. It aims to eradicate the disease from the world.

The members of the ROTARY CLUB OF BETHLEHEM continue to meet virtually each week and to work on projects in service to our community and beyond.  And we continue to grow.  We'd love to welcome you into our club. Want more info? Click the Tell me about Rotary! menu item at the top of this web page or reach out to Gerry Foran (forangf@gmail.com).  

 WHY WE SERVE Alvin Philpotts 2016-08-17 04:00:00Z 0