Meeting Notes APRIL 22, 2015
Our meeting this morning was held at the Northwestern Lehigh Middle School.
Our Greeter this morning was Halyna Stegura and she did an excellent job.
President Barbara Kistler rang the bell at 7:30 a.m. Mike Henry gave a very nice invocation.
GUESTS:
Y.E. student Roberto Reyes; George Rodriguez, Mayra’s Father, and, her teacher Mike Sikora.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH:
Rev. Jeff Kistler honored Mayra Rodriguez as our Student if he Month of April. See separate article.
YOUTH EXCHANGE – REPORT FROM ROBERTO REYES:
Roberto still is having a good time. Their trip to Washington DC was great. They saw many historical sights and did a dinner cruise.
INTERACT CLUB of NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH H.S.:
AW Rotarian Hope Pearson introduced members of the NWL HS Interact Club and asked President Devon to explain their accomplishments this year. Devon noted that in September 2014 there were only 5 members and today there are thirty.
The students volunteered at the Halloween Party at the Miracle League. Their fundraisers have allowed them to purchase two $1,000 ShelterBoxes and also to donate to the Rotary Polio Eradication Fund. They did a floor hockey tournament and soon will do a baking competition.
Hope said that she is very proud of these fabulous kids. President Barbara distributed certificates to each Interact Club member present.
Then the Interact Treasurer, Brandon, presented AW’s Treasurer, Dale Hostetter, with a check for $2,000 for ShelterBox USA.
CAMP NEIDIG (RYLA) UPDATE:
Mike Gschwendtner introduced NWL HS student Lauren Fenstermacher who will be attending the 2015 Camp Neidig event for AWRC. Roberto, if available, may attend. And a Parkland student will also.
Camp Neidig is held at Camp Manatawny in Douglasville from Friday afternoon June 19th thru to Monday June 22nd’s BBQ picnic supper and closing ceremonies. Go on their website and buy your chicken BBQ tickets.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Barb thanks Dan Crane and his crack mulching team for their outstanding work at Ontelaunee Park last Saturday.
Tomorrow April 23rd is the , Thursday evening meeting at the Holiday Inn.
Snack Packing at Northwestern is next Wednesday April 20th; it’s the last this school year.
Tempting Tastes is set for May 3rd; Mike Henry reports that we have 144 admissions so far, and need more.
Barb has a basket and is looking for bottles of wine to add to it for the silent auction. Herb said that items for the auction must be in his hands by next Wed, April 29th.
Friday is a TT Committee meeting.
Gwenn referred us to the yellow and orange sheets on our tables for TT restaurant details.
Our April Dining Out will be on Sunday 4-26 at 6:00 P.M. joining with Emmaus Rotarians to put on a potluck dinner for the Friendship Exchange visitors from Wales. Location is Legacy Oaks in Macungie – Dale Utt lives there. AW Rotarians are asked to bring a bottle of wine or a dish to pass.
Directions to Legacy Oaks Club Room in Macungie --
Turn left coming South on Rt. 100 at the McDonalds on Donegal Drive; the Club House is right after the intersection with Village Lane just a block or so off Rt. 100).
May 16th is the District Training Assembly in Blue Bell at MONTCO CC starting at 8:00 a.m. Club officers and members are encouraged to attend. The fee is $30 which covers lunch. At 2:00 PM there will be an RI Foundation Grant Model training session for certification. Earlier Barb and Herb will be presenting AW projects.
Friday May 1st is the Interact Club’s cupcake cook-off. Contact Barb or Hope should you wish to help judge the event.
Saturday May 2nd is the Ziegels Church Yard Sale.
Saturday May 2nd is the Parkland Community Resource Fair at Asbury Church.
Lise Twiford is the scheduled Greeter for April 29th at Luther Crest. The Parkland HS Interact Club members will be there. Our Fall 2015 outbound Youth Exchange student will be introduced; she’s going to France.
LUCK of the DRAW:
The door prize donated by Halyna was won by Don Davis. The $45 pot of the 50:50 was not won by Jeff Kistler who selected a white marble.
FINES:
S-a-A Don Davis fined Joe Goll for coming late
HAPPY DOLLARS:
Hope Pearson was multiple happy for the Interact students, for herself actually being able to attend a breakfast meeting, and for having her picture in the paper.
Dan is happy that his crack work crew did such a great job on Saturday.
Bill Weber is happy that one of the visitors from Wales that he met knows a friend of his also from Wales.
Dale Heffner is happy that next month his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter will move to Maryland from Texas.
Mike Sikora is happy that Rotary provides great advisors.
PROGRAM:
Barbara introduced AW Rotarian, Dr. Mary Anne Wright, Superintendent of the Northwestern Lehigh School District. Barb noted that Mary Anne was an LCCC student at one time.
Dr. Wright delights in the great sense of community within the NWL SD, and she appreciates the ongoing relationship with Rotary. It started with the Dictionary Project for third-graders. And there were the annual scholarships to 2 of their seniors.
Then the snack pack project got started and it currently is serving 68 students each month. And for years we have honored some NWL HS students with our Student-of-the Month awards.
Dr. Wright proudly announced that the NWL SD finished #1 in the greater Lehigh Valley with the annual SAT test results. And for the second tear in a row the schools finished with grades in the 80s and low 90s for the overall School Performance Program. These calculations now include teacher evaluation scores.
Mr. Paul Fisher, President of the School Board told us that Dr. Wright is very inspirational and that her contract had recently been extended for 3 years. He also noted that the school district’s finances are in very good shape, and that there has been no property tax increases for 5 years.
Paul also complimented their fine faculty and excellent support staff. He thanks AW Rotarians for their continued support.
Barb noted that AWRC has an approved District Grant foe later this year for travel expenses for educators to go to the Centennial school in Sierra Leone and develop a plan to help the teachers and their procedures.
CLOSING:
Barb hit the right note to start us singing a good rendition of “God Bless America.” This was followed by the recitation of the Pledge to the Flag of the United States and then the saying “One profits most who serves the best.”
ocus on membership for our Club. 
