Today was a Zoom meeting with 31 people on line. After some conversations President Ralph Witcher opened the meeting at 7:30 A.M.
GUEST ON LINE:
DGE Bob Hobaugh, Kutztown RC: PDG B.J. Metz, Easton RC; Carolyn Jordan, West Reading Wyomissing RC; Bonnie and Harry Millward, Nick’s parents; and Capt. Nick Millward calling in from Japan:
HAPPY DOLLARS AND COMMENTS:
Gail Micca is back home after 8 weeks in Fargo, N.D.
Sue and Bill Weber are back in Vera Cruz, PA after a lengthy stay in Hilton Head. Not the same as N.D.
Sandi and Ernie Boll are back here after wintering in Green Valley, AZ.
Bill Rodgers is so busy with his new job that he may not stay in the AWRC.
Bill Weber is happy to be back home. The Sunset RC in Hilton Head sends its greetings.
Herb Klotz is happy to be getting his first covid19 shot tomorrow.
Herb also is pleased that the TRF Trail Hike has raised over $10,000 for the Annual Fund.
Ron Coleman is happy that he just made a profit from his Bitcoin investment.
Nick Millward is happy that the University of Queensland, Australia, has accepted his application for Fall classes as our Peace Fellow.
Gail Micca is happy that she spent 8 weeks with her parents; and now is home with the flowers blooming.
CELEBRATION DATES:
Pres. Ralph displayed the list of April members and their celebration dates. We applauded.
OPENING:
Pres. Ralph gave a very nice invocation. Then he led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S.
Ralph said that he likes the “Quote of the Week” in the last bulletin.
WELCOME GUESTS:
Chair Tom Friday extended a welcome to our guests on line with us today. He encourages us all to invite guests to join our meetings.
Guest, DGE Bob Hobaugh, reminded us of the upcoming virtual D7439 Training Assembly this weekend.
Pres. Ralph again said “The world needs more Rotarians.
FOUR WAY TEST:
Pres. Ralph showed a musical video with the singing of R-O-T-A-R-Y for a new district installation ln Asia that included Hong Kong and Mongolia.
Marlene Heller read the 4 items and then asked for volunteers to give an example, but there were none this week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Pres. Ralph said that the board is considering signing up with Amazon “Smile” that will donate ½ % of purchase prices to AWRC as a fundraiser.
Another fundraising effort starts today with the “Happy Auction.” Each week we hope to auction off donated items from members. Today Amir Famili’s donated Mexican Sombrero brought $120 from John Scott. And a pair of Boxing Gloves Signed by Larry Holmes went for $350 from Gail Micca after some serious bidding.
Amir specified that the proceeds be used to buy 10 air mattresses for the Family Promise foundation. Amir and Ralph added dollars to cover the shortfall.
Gail Micca reports that Sharon Goldner and Gisella Borelli packed 75 bags of produce for families who visited the Parkland C.A.R.E.S. Food Pantry on April 10th.Ed and Gail delivered them.
Amir Famili had 300 lbs. of produce delivered to the Lowhill Food Pantry.
The Community Bike Works sent a great thank you letter to us for the $1,200 donation.
Marlene Heller got AWRC some publicity about our recent Student of the Month ceremony.
Our new Book Club worked virtually with The Green Eyed Lama. Another book will follow.
Kits of garden seeds are being prepared. You plant them and you get two to keep.
May 1st is a Work Day as part of Camp Neidig.
Habitat for Humanity still needs volunteer painters on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Contact Amir.
The Tri-District Conference is comin April 29th.
Jean Masiko needs volunteers for the Kingdom Life Food Center distribution on Saturday April 24.
YOUR SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES:
Service Chair, Gail Micca, asks that you take a look at this section on the left side of this bulletin. New ones:
Highway Clean up: Saturday April 24, 7:30 am contact Gail Micca presidentelect@allentownwestrotary.org
Painting project at Lehigh Valley Zoo, TBD
Today, after this meeting, the “Search Committee” will meet to discuss the structure of AWRC future meetings once the restrictions are lifted.
STATUS OF MORNING MEETINGS:
The AWRC B.O.D. has suspended all AWRC face-to-face meetings until further notice. Zoom meetings are now scheduled for each Wednesday at 7:30 A.M.
NEXT MORNING MEETING:
Wednesday April 21, 2021 starting at 7:30 a.m. We will use Zoom to meet. Our program will be Jill Reynard, Admissions Counselor at Job Corps giving an Introduction to Job Corps & Lehigh Valley
STATUS OF THURSDAY EVENING MEETING:
No Thursday evening meetings are planned until after the pandemic..
PROGRAM:
Pres. Ralph Witcher had PDG Herb Klotz introduced Marty Peak Helman, Peace Initiative Committee Chr. to discuss The history of Rotary's work promoting Peace around the World Herb has been working with Marty for three years, and she is an incredible Rotarian, and her biggest passion is working toward world peace.
She is Martha Peak Helman, Zone 32 Innovative Club Advocate, Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club, District 7780. Martha and her husband Frank joined the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club in 2003, and in 2012-13 she served as Governor of District 7780 (southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire).
Marty is the 2020-21 chair of The Rotary Foundation's Peace-Major Gifts Initiative. ... Peace Fellowship Committee, which raised $1 million for the Rotary Peace Centers. This is reportedly the largest sum ever raised for a Rotary Presidential fund. Marty is currently Trainer for Zones 28/32 (2019-21).
Peace has been one of Rotary’s top goals almost since the day Paul Harris founded it in 1905.
Rotary approved the creation of Rotary Peace Centers Program in 1999, and the inaugural class of Rotary Peace Fellows began their studies in 2002. Rotary Peace Centers, located at universities around the world, develop leaders who become catalysts for peace in local communities and on the global stage.
Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,400 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.
Through the Rotary Peace Centers Program, up to 50 fellowships for master's degree and 80 for certificate studies are awarded each year.
Marty emphasized that these are not just scholarships. They are working relationships that continue long after the classroom time.
The Master's program university partners. Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (fact sheet) International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan (fact sheet) University of Bradford, Bradford, England (fact sheet) Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (fact sheet)
Marty told some fascinating stories of individuals who have become Peace Fellows. She began with a man from Sierra Leone. After others, she ended with that man’s success story of attending college and then becoming a Peace Fellow. He now is in Sierra Leone putting his training to good use.
There now is a Peace Fellow Alumni Association that is a great network for its members. We hope to find a local member to be a speaker for a meeting.
CLOSING:
Pres Ralph led us in the saying “One profits most who serves best.”
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