We meet in person on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays. Elevator is available. Park in LOT C. Flex meetings/dining out first week of each month TBD, see calendar.
Welcome to your newly designed Palmer Post. We know that Rotarians get a lot of email, and we know that Rotarians lead busy lives. You now receive the Palmer Post once a month, in an easy-to-read format, with the important news first. If you want the details of what occurs at a meeting, such as who won the door prize and who gave happy dollars, you are welcome to attend the meetings in person or via Zoom. If you are the chair of a committee that needs publicity, please contact the editor via email (marleneheller@mac.com) and we'll be happy to include your information in the next newsletter, and/or create a social post about it for you. Comments are welcome!
As the summer is winding down, our Rotary year is gearing up and there are a few things to know for the upcoming year.
First, we need everyone’s help with the Flags for Unityproject. It will be our main fundraiser for the year and require all of us to help out in order to be successful. Earnie Bliss and Herb Klotz are leading the effort.
We are tentatively planning a club picnic on Sunday, September 15, at Gwenn and Gary’s house. More information will follow.
On Friday we got our exchange student, Anaya, from the JFK airport. Anaya is from Nagpur, India. The geographic center of India is located in Nagpur, and it is one of the hottest cities. This summer they had temperatures close to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Anaya will spend the first half of the school year with us, and the second half with Geli and Craig Haviland.
The Allentown Rotary Club will have a stand at Art in the Park on Saturday, September 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Allentown’s West Park. They have asked us to help at their table to raise awareness of Rotary projects and to recruit new members. If you are interested in helping, contact Ibi at the Allentown Club at ibalog@verizon.net.
When you start the conversation with someone about Rotary, don't leave it on the floor. Pick up the pieces of their interest and take it to the next level. Invite them to a meeting or an activity. Let them see what goes on inside of Rotary. Not sure where to do from there? Refer them to our Membership Committee for followup! Use the following link to move to the next level: https://allentownwestrotary.org/form/refer-a-member/
Remember, while they can always say "No thanks," they can also say "Yes!" But first, they have to be asked!
Wanted: an Allentown West Rotarian to coordinate our speakers for upcoming meetings.
What's involved? You will take suggestions from members or come up with some of your own, and contact potential speakers, usually via email or phone. You will coordinate the dates for them to speak at our club meetings, request bios and headshots as needed, and coordinate any special requests for the day of their talk. And you will confirm the date about a week before they are scheduled. As a plus, you get to know some really cool people.
If this sounds good to you, contact Chris Blechschmidt at Chris@lockridgeengineering.com
Our annual picnic will again be held at the home of Gwenn Carr and Gary Englehardt. It's a great day to socialize and get to know members, old and new, in a casual, comfortable setting.
September 15
138 Deer Run Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
Start thinking about what you will be bringing to the picnic! More details will be coming soon....
What kind of speakers would you like to hear at our upcoming meetings? Do you know someone who you think would be interesting to our members? Maybe someone you work with or live near would be a great speaker at our breakfast! Or maybe you just want to weigh in on what type of speaker you would like to hear from. In the past, we have had speakers who came from the political arena, nonprofit groups, industry, education, law enforcement, and service industries. We learned about safety on the internet, how the Allentown police department put some programs into place, many different programs in Mongolia, and what some of our public officials do.
We had someone talk about human trafficking, a presentation about ShelterBox, and more talks that explained the international projects of Rotary.
Going forward, what would YOU like to learn about? Maybe you have an expertise you'd like to share?
Send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to Chris Blechschmidt, or reply to this newsletter email. We want to hear from you!
AWRC has chosen to use the first week of the month as a dining out event. If you are fairly new to our club, you may not be familiar with Dining Out. Here's how it works:
One member identifies a restaurant that would be group-friendly, and checks with management to be sure they can handle a large group. (Usually 12-25 people.)
The member notifies the Dining Out chair, and the club is then notified of the month in which the event will take place.
If a menu is available, it is sent to members, who must RSVP by a given date.
The management is notified that we are coming, and given a final count by a specified time.
We gather together and have a great time!
Note: We need a new volunteer for this easy-to-handle chairmanship.
Dining outs are also a great time to introduce prospective members to Rotary. They will meet club members at a purely social occasion, and can decide if they'd like to know us better.
Meals on Wheels delivers on the second and third Tuesday of each month. The start time is 9:45-10:00 a.m. The meals are provided by Asbury United Methodist Church on 1533 Springhouse Rd. Anyone interested in joining in this service project should contact Helen Papathanasiou at elenavasso@gmail.com. (Photo of Meals on Wheels recipient by Helen Papathanasiou)
The food bank at Kingdom Life Family Centerdistributes healthy food on the second Saturday of each month to an ever-increasing number of families in the Lehigh Valley. More volunteers are needed to help set up, help with the distribution, and tear down afterwards. Contact Jean Masiko at masiko@aol.com for information on volunteering or to sign up. The next dates for volunteering are:
September 14
October 12
November 9
SNACKPACKING
The NWL snack packing takes place on the third Wednesday of each month from 2-2:35.
More volunteers are always appreciated! If you would like to help, email Diana Dunn at dunndianas@gmail.com. SnackPacking will resume in September.
PARKLAND C.A.R.E.S. PRODUCE DELIVERY:
The Pantry holds its food distributions on the first Saturday of each month. Three volunteers are needed each time. Food collections for Parkland C.A.R.E.S. are held the third Wednesday of each month at the Pantry on Kernsville Road.
CLUB SERVICE:
Help plan a Dining Out or Event for a First Wednesday. It's easy! Pick the place; find out if they can accommodate about 20 people. Confirm a date. We'll invite the club; you keep track of attendees. Contact President Chris Blechschmidt if you have a date and place in mind. Chris@lockridgeengineering.com
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FAMILY OF ROTARY
Do you know of any member of our Rotary family who would benefit from our support with cards, flowers, or visits? If so, please notify Marlene Heller at MarleneHeller@mac.com
Sangkoo Yun, of the Rotary Club of Sae Hanyang, Seoul, Korea, is the selection of the nominating committee to become Rotary International’s president for 2026-27.
With transplant changes afoot, Rotary members push to end global organ shortages. One kidney donor crisscrosses continents in his SUV to dispel fears about giving
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