Our Greeter today was Rev Jeff Kistler and he did a marvelous job.
President Jeanne Shipe rang the bell at 7:30 A.M. to open the meeting and welcomed all to AWRC. Then Chuck Ehninger gave a very nice invocation.
Pres. Jeanne began the meeting having the members recite the 4 Way test, followed with our saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S.A.
GUESTS:
Judy Ehninger, wife of Chuck; Marlene Heller, guest of the Webers: Dave Dries, Spring Twsp RC; Alec Hildebeidel, grandson of Dave Dries; Carrie Reed Ballek, almost a member; Dr. Ann Bieber, President, LCCC; Dr. Thomas Meyer, Vice President of Academic Services and Student Development at LCCC; Mr. John Wursta, Melanie’s husband; Mrs. Marcia Bittner, Melanie’s sister.
Pres Jeanne showed a number of pictures from last week including Dale Heffner and Geoff Legg at the Lowhill Food Pantry last Saturday. And there was the picture of a group at the Thursday Evening meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Tomorrow Gail Micca’s project “Hope & Heroes” will meet at Target to wrap gifts for the children and she can use some AW Rotarian volunteers.
LOWHILL FOOD PANTRY:
Please remember that the Collection jar is at the registration desk for cash and check contributions.
KINGDOM LIFE FAMILY CENTER FOOD PANTRY WILL CONTINUE with AW volunteers on the second Friday of the month for the next year, said Chair, Jean Masiko.
THE NEXT THURSDAY EVENING MEETING will be on December 13th at the Holiday Inn at 5:30 P.M..
TEMPTING TASTES 5 UPDATE:
Pres. Jeanne read an impressive list of restaurants and wineries and distilleries already committed to supporting TT5. Also LCCC again will sponsor TT.
HAVE YOU PAID YOUR AWRC DUES FOR THIS HALF YEAR?
If not, please be sure to do so ASAP. We pay RI and District dues for each member. Pres. Jeanne reviewed where the dues monies go.
FOUNDATION MATCHING DONATIONS CONTINUE:
Foundation Chair Barbara Kistler said that the dollar and recognition points matching of our gifts to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund-SHARE will continue through December and beyond if the match funds hold out.
ANNUAL AWRC CHRISTMAS DINNER:
THIS FRIDAY Dec. 7th –at Brookside CC in Macungie from 6 to 9 P.M. There will be great appetizers, a cash bar and a buffet dinner. Entertainment will be by Seth Witcher and his Guitar
VOTING for NEXT YEAR’S OFFICERS:
At our Dec 12th morning meeting and Dec 13th evening meeting we will be voting for AW officers for the 2019-2020 RY.
NO MEETING on December 26th. Happy Holidays.
SPECIAL NEW YEAR DINING EVENT is set for Thursday evening December 27th at 6 PM at Louie’s Restaurant in Allentown.
ALL NEW THURSDAY EVENING MIXER:
January 10th at the Holiday Inn in Breinigsville starting at 5:30 P.M. will be a MIXER meeting for potential AWRC members discussing all things Rotary. Start now to schedule your guests.
TT5 PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING is on Friday January 18th at the Holiday Inn at 7 a.m.
JANUARY DINING OUT:
January 24, 2019 – Dining Out at Curious Goods 6PM
Pres. Jeanne read a list of AWRC Past and future Presidents to us and thanked them for their service. She also said that if you did not hear your name called, please volunteer to serve.
NEXT MEETING -- Dec 12th -- It is a Club Assembly and our annual voting of next year’s officers will take place. Our Greeter will be Bob Gordon.
Pres. Jeanne introduced our Sgt-at-Arms, Mitch Huston who conducted the drawings and collected Happy Dollars.
The door prize Sangria Mix donated by John Scott was won by Ronnee Klotz.
The $25 pot of the 50:50 was not won by Geoff Legg‘s ticket being drawn followed by a white marble.
Ten marbles will be around for next week.
HAPPY DOLLARS:
Mitch tried to get us involved with the many people names in Christmas Carols, but we just did not recognize them.
Dale Heffner is most pleased to report that his son and family living near Anchorage, Alaska were not harmed by the recent earthquakes.
Ron Coleman is most happy to report that he became a Grandfather three days ago.
Geoff Legg said that he and Dale Heffner had a great time volunteering at the Lowhill Food Pantry last Saturday.
Geoff also is happy that he and his family went to the White House and spent 1-1/2 hours touring. The red trees were great.
Al Lewis is happy that there were no deaths from the Alaskan earthquake.
Judy Ehninger expressed greetings from George Ikeda. Judy also said that she has known our Honored Guest, Melanie, since 1981.
Sue Weber is happy that we are about to induct three new members.
Herb Klotz id happy that the Zone Membership Chair has appointed him to serve as a Regional Membership Chair for four districts in our Zone 32. Congrats, Herb.
Dave Dries is happy that Alec, his grandson, was here today for his first Rotary meeting.
John Scott is happy that his friend, Bob Hobaugh, of the Kutztown RC has been selected to be our District Governor for RY 2021-22.
PROGRAM:
Pres. Jeanne introduced Chuck Ehninger, Chair of the Awards Committee, to begin the program of the presentation of AW Rotary’s Service Person of the Year Award.
Chuck turned the meeting over to Barbara Kistler who actually nominated Melanie for this award. Barb’s emotional review follows:
Melanie Wursta, who is a Professor of Early Childhood Education, Lehigh Carbon Community College, is being honored today by AW Rotarians.
One of Rotary’s founding visions was to use your vocation or profession as a springboard for service. Melanie Wursta has done that.
Melanie began her career at Lehigh Carbon Community College as part of the teaching staff at “Stay ‘n Play” which was LCCC’s childcare facility. She finished a four-year degree and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood to become a full-time faculty member with the rank of Professor over the forty years since she began.
In that time Melanie has not only served the college and her students, but also the community . She is a leader with vision and integrity who rallies others to join her in serving others. Thousands of students have learned and thrived under her tutelage, going on to serve as early childhood educators, center directors, center owners and teacher.
As a colleague of Melanie’s in the past I can attest to her passion and enthusiasm in achieving her student’s career dreams, but her service extends to all the young children of the Lehigh Valley. Her service to the college has been recognized by her peers receiving both the George W. Elison Service Award and the Faculty Excellence Award.
Melanie has used her job as a springboard to mentor and serve all students coming to LCCC who have not always enjoyed educational or economic advantages. The truth is that Melanie works tirelessly to provide her students with the best and latest resources in Early Childhood Education.
She has received millions of dollars of grants and awards from outside the college to fund her cutting-edge curriculum and learning environment. The Early Learning Center is where students can observe and participate in a Reggio-Emilia model of Early Childhood Education . The Center itself is NAEYC accredited and has consistently attained four Keystone Stars in the PA Keys ranking system.
Building better relationships with all her students including helping fund a student with her own money to obtain a four-year degree shows how beneficial she is as a role model. Her students are taught to work together and for each other’s benefit.
Besides using her vocation as a springboard for service as mentioned above, Melanie serves on multiple boards such as Community Services for Children and Lehigh Valley Childcare. She has organized events for Early Childhood Educators throughout the Lehigh Valley such as Super Saturday and Week of the Young Child. This permits LCCC to share best practices and research results with hundreds of current and emerging early childhood educators annually.
But it is Melanie’s service above and beyond the classroom that distinguishes her and demonstrates the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”.
Here are just a few of the projects Melanie has organized:
Cupcakes for a Cure—Each year Melanie organizes students and staff to bake and sell cupcakes on the LCCC campus with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society
Lights of Hope—A ceremony organized to recognize survivors of Breast and other cancers with donated paper bag or glass lanterns lining the mall on campus with lights inside. Weeks before other fund raising activities were organized by Melanie leading up to this with all proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Koman fund.
Hearts for Haiti—Each year Melanie organizes a craft table around Valentine’s day with supplies to make valentines. Proceeds go to benefit Haitian hurricane relief.
Warm Hearts, Warm Hands—Artificial trees line the halls of LCCC during the winter season waiting for donations of hats, gloves, and scarfs from the LCCC community. They are donated to the children of Central Elementary School in Allentown. This year on Nov. 27 over 4000 items were distributed to children at Central. She and her team were featured on WFMZ Channel 69 and had a picture in the Morning Call.
Pencil drive—Each fall Melanie mobilizes students and staff to collect pencils and other school supplies for the children of Central Elementary School.
“Snack Pack” Food Drive—Melanie solicits wrapped snacks for the children of Central Elementary School to be sent home during long holiday breaks.
Melanie spoke about how this Rotary Award was the impetus for creating a line-item in the LCCC Foundation for Caring Hearts for Children so that she can receive other monies for service. Melanie was awarded a plaque from AWRC and a gift of $250 that went to the new foundation.
AW Rotarians also awarded Melanie with a Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Barb also explained its significance.
Melanie thanked the AW Rotarians for this honor. She noted that she is a child of Allentown, and even lived in center city. She always has wanted to give back to our schools and the children,
LCCC President, Ann Bieber congratulated Melanie for receiving this award. Ann spoke highly of Melanie and thanked her for her continued good work.
CLOSING:
We closed our meeting by reciting the saying “One profits most who serves best.”
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