Rotary International - Sakuji Tanaka, President, 2012-13 District 7430 -Tony Jannetta, District Governor, 2012-13
Area 3: Marianne Aronson, Assistant District Governor
Meetings: Wed. @ 6:30 PM in the Club Room at the Kutztown Tavern, 272 West Main Street, Kutztown
The Kutztown Rotary Club was begun on a brisk April 14th in 1926. William Derstine of the Quakertown Club was instrumental in organizing the Kutztown Club. The need for a service-oriented club in the Kutztown seemed to be a view shared by a number of business and professional people within the community.
With the help of Arthur Bonner, the club organized in the spring of 1926 to include the following members: John H. Bieber, Arthur Bonner, John W. DeTurk, O. H. Dietrich, Charles Esser, 0. Raymond Grimley, Dr. E. E. Hamilton, Quinton D. Herman (Pres.), William D. Landis, Rev. R. B. Lynch, George H. Rohrer, Dr. Amos C. Rothermel, Dr. Henry W. Saul, Robert Schlenker, William Siegfried and Charles Stein.
On one evening, Kutztown petitioned the State Highway Department to stop their plans for re-routing route 22. They felt it would hurt Kutztown and the surrounding communities.
The years of World War II saw Rotary grow steadily in Kutztown. The expressed feeling of the club seemed to be that we needed to include our total business community in the club because we both needed each other.
1945 saw the start of the club’s popular annual Farmers Night.
One of the most significant community projects begun during the post-war years was the establishment of Camp Edmar. The 8 acres was a gift from Edna and Marcus Held. It was incorporated in 1952 as a camp for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Brownies. The lodge was completed in 1953. Kutztown Rotary paid off the debt on the lodge in 1956 and installed toilets in 1957. Starting in 1958, the Camp Edmar Committee has served ham and string bean dinners to Rotary and Lions in appreciation of their support. In 1959, Rotary purchased 5 more acres for Camp Edmar.
At it’s 50th anniversary in 1976, a glance at the weekly bulletin described 25 separate functions of the club - from distinctly club activities, such as the 50th year celebration, to community efforts such as Town and Gown, vocational service such as F.F.A. to international service such as Rotary Foundation. There is little doubt that Rotary encompassed the truest meaning of the word Service.
In 1980, the Kutztown Rotary club initiated it's annual golf tournament. This became the club’s major fund-raiser and has funded many worthwhile community projects and scholarships. Today it is known as the Donald L. Boyer Golf Tournament in memory of Rotarian Donald L. Boyer (in picture on right).
The club started sponsoring an annual Health Scan project in 1884. 1984 also saw the start of the clubs highly successful “Student of the Month” program.
In 1985 four members from the disbanded Topton Club came to the Kutztown Club: John W. Tallman, Forrest K. Fetherolf, Isaac R. Evans, and Dean G. Wetzel.
1986 saw the introduction of the song, R-O-T-A-R-Y at all meetings. The club has been a singing club every since.
The millennium saw a milestone in the history of the Kutztown Rotary Club. Erin Webb became the clubs first female president. Today our club has 9 female members and 6 women have served as Club President.
The Kutztown Rotary had tried several times to organize a Rotaract Club at Kutztown University. This effort finally was successful in 2003, when Tom Turner formed a partnership between our club and the Lambda Chi Alpha service fraternity. They assist our club with our service projects and we assist them with theirs. It is a great relationship. Both groups have increased their level of community service since working together.
2003 saw the start of the annual Kutztown Rotary Main Street Golf Tournament. 2004 saw the first Flatworks Rotary Art Show and Sale.
Traditional annual events included a Valentine’s Dinner, Reading Phillies nite, ushering the Flag Day Concert in the park, a picnic and steak fry, and a Christmas party. Another one started in 2007, participating in Main Street Trick or Treat night at Hildenbrand’s Funeral Home.
In 2008, the club’s oldest member and member with the most tenure, Martin Ritter, died at age 99. He had been a member 72 years. Martin was President of Kutztown Rotary Club during 1942-1943.
In 2009, the club started a short tradition of selling spiedies at the Energy Fest and car shows. After one year the club changed to hot dogs.
In 2010, Kutztown Rotary started its very successful Taste of Kutztown, a wine tasting event featuring local wines and Main Street merchants.
In 2011, a group of Berks County Rotary Clubs held the first Casino Night which proved to be a very popular fund-raiser and likely will become an annual event.
The Kutztown Rotary Club has sponsored a number of outbound and hosted inbound Exchange Students. Recently inbound students came from Brazil, India, Chile, Germany, Japan, and, in 2011-1012, Finland.
During the past 85 years, many Rotarians have unselfishly given of their time and talents in making the Kutztown area and the world a better place to live. The Kutztown Rotary salutes the many club members who have served in the past and present. Whether it be the Mini-Golf or Taste-of-Kutztown, the Kutztown Rotary Club is a conspicuous part of life in Kutztown and Topton.
Rotarians' annual dues, plus individual Rotarian's contributions to the Rotary Foundation, help fund many International projects worldwide. These International projects represent tens of millions of dollars spent annually for eradicating polio, providing clean water, small business loans, housing development, and school and medical center construction just to name a few.
In June, Kutztown Rotary installs its new officers at the annual installation held at Camp Edmar, a Boy Scout Camp the Kutztown Rotary Club was instrumental in founding.
Individuals who wish to "get involved" in their community may contact any Rotarian or come to Rotary's weekly meeting as a guest. Kutztown Rotary meets every Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. in the Club Room at the Kutztown Tavern, 272 West Main Street, Kutztown, PA.
Zachary Miller, from Brandywine Heights High School, won 1st place in the 2011-2012 Kutztown Rotary 4-Way Test Speech Contest.
Four-Way Test
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"
by Herbert J. Taylor (1932), adopted by Rotary International in 1943
Zach Miller repeated as the winner of the Kutztown Rotary 4-Way Test Speech Contest. This time he was the First Runner-Up in the Regional Contest. Miller's speech was on standardized testing used in schools throughout the country. The judges liked Zach's speech, but penalized him for running over the time allotted.
Starting in 2010-11, Kutztown Rotary ran a speech contest based upon the Rotary 4-Way Test under the leadership of Heather Piperato. In 2011 Zachary Miller of Brandywine Heights High School won this contest and went on to place Second Runner-Up in a Regional Contest. Miller's speech was based upon internet personal data havesting practices used by businesses.
Richard Wang, representing the Warrington, PA, Rotary Club, won the April 9th Regional competition at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading as well as the District finals held at the District Conference on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Bear Creek.
The 4-Way Test Speech Contest is a competition for 9-12 graders. It requires each
participating student to create and present a 5-7 minute speech on a subject of their choice,
applying the Four-Way Test to guide their thinking and their actions. The contest is a three level
contest, with Club Contest First Place finishers advancing to one of three Regional Contests and
those three First Place finishers advancing to the finals at the District 7430 Conference.
Kutztown Rotary sponsors outstanding students from Brandywine Heights and Kutztown Area High Schools to the Camp Neidig Rotary Leadership Camp each year.
About 130 students from 62 high schools in southeastern Pennsylvania attended a leadership camp in Earl Township this year. The students were sponsored by 52 clubs in the Rotary International District 7430, which stretches from western Berks County to Easton, Northampton County, and to Willow Grove, Montgomery County.
"We try to get the best of the best, the leaders of these schools," said Shawn Hinkle, camp director.
This is the 61st year for the annual four-day camp, which has been held at the Camp Manatawny grounds in Earl Township since 1995, except for three years when it was in the Poconos.
Camp Neidig was created in 1950 by Joseph S. Neidig, governing officer of Rotary District 2654. Neidig founded the "Leaders of Tomorrow" camp at Camp Delmont in Green Lane, Montgomery County. After District 2654 split in 1961, the newly formed District 7430 decided to rename the site Camp Neidig in honor of the camp's founder.
Camp Neidig is for high school juniors living within Rotary District 7430, which covers much of southeastern Pennsylvania. It is a leadership camp that brings together talented high school students for a four-day weekend of fun, friendship, and team-building activities. Campers will interact with guest speakers from various professional backgrounds who will discuss what it means to be a good leader. They will also participate in various problem solving activities that can be both physically and mentally challenging. Every activity we do throughout the weekend is designed to help campers develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. It is true what someone once said: "We come as strangers but leave as friends."
It is held at Camp Manatawny, a beautiful campgrounds and recreational facility in southeastern Berks County. It is designed to bring together students from various schools who have exhibited above average leadership abilities in various scholastic and/or community activities. Each of the campers is sponsored by their local Rotary Club, which coordinates camper selection with high schools in their districts.
Camp Neidig is proudly celebrated its 63rd year of inspiring tomorrow's leaders in 2012!
Each month the Kutztown Rotary Club recognizes one outstanding student each from Kutztown Area High School and Brandywine Heights Area High School. These students are selected by their school administrators and are often picked for significant improvement or overcoming challenges. Their parents and representatives from the school are always welcome. These students never fail to impress Rotarians with their positive impact on our community. We sometimes hear about students who get in trouble, but their are far more students who are a great asset to our community.
Kutztown Rotarians Pete and Kim Miller were members of the Rotary Dream Team - India. Their goal was to build a dam to collect rainwater during the monsoons to replentish the ground water for use in the dry season.
Rainwater harvesting can be used for groundwater recharge, where the runoff on the ground is collected and allowed to be absorbed, adding to the groundwater.
In India rain water harvesting was first introduced by Andhra Pradesh Ex Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu. His efforts bore fruit and increased the ground water level.
Rainwater harvesting systems serve 120,000 people and their livestock in Rajasthan, a state in northern India. Through another project, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, crop yields have tripled as a result of rainwater harvesting.
Kutztown Rotary supports Rotary's RotaPlast program to repair cleft plate and lip defects in children that would otherwise end up with an early death.
Rotaplast International is humanitarian organization providing free reconstructive operations and treatment for children in need worldwide.
Next year, Rotaplast will send approximately 500 medical and non-medical volunteers from the United States, Canada and other countries to 15 sites to cure 1,000 children of their debilitating cleft anomalies. Hundreds of families will be counseled on ways to reduce the incidence of cleft lips and palates, and scores of host country medical professionals will be exposed to volunteerism and have the opportunity to share their expertise with Rotaplast’s visiting surgeons. Without the support of Rotary Clubs, Rotaplast would not be able to give children in need a new chance in life.
The goal of Rotaplast International is to eliminate the incidence of untreated cleft lips and palates in children worldwide by the year 2025.
Although this child in Chad has been immunized against polio, others remain vulnerable to the disease until it is eradicated worldwide.
Kutztown Rotarian Pete Miller is among this group of Rotarians in India on a Rotary project to immunize children against polio. India is one of the last countries to eradicate polio. Pete and his wife Kutztown Rotarian Kim both participate in this project.
Kutztown Rotarians and the Rotary Club itself both contribute each year to PolioPlus to eradicate polio.
In addition, Kutztown Rotarians Pete and Kim Miller have traveled to India to participate in a PolioPlus project to immunize children.
After 25 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating polio, but a strong push is needed to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions.
Reaching the ultimate goal of a polio-free world presents ongoing challenges, not the least of which is a US$535 million funding gap through 2012. Of course, Rotary alone can't fill this gap, but continued Rotarian advocacy for government support can help enormously.
As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk. The stakes are that high.
Despite the dramatic drop in polio cases in the last year, the threat of transmission continues due to immunization gaps. Plans are to boost vaccination coverage in the three remaining polio-endemic countries -- Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan -- to levels needed to stop polio transmission.
Polio eradication activities have resulted in several landmark successes since 2010. India, long regarded as the nation facing the greatest challenges to eradication, was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February. Outbreaks in previously polio-free countries were nearly all stopped.
During that same time span, however, polio outbreaks in China and West Africa due to importation from Pakistan and Nigeria, respectively, have highlighted the continued threat of resurgence. Failure to eradicate the disease could lead within a decade to paralysis of as many as 200,000 children per year worldwide.
“We know polio can be eradicated, and our success in India proves it,” says Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee. “It is now a question of political and societal to allow 55 cases this year to turn into 200,000 children paralyzed for life, every single year?”
Part of the Kutztown Rotary Club's program to support local libraries is to buy and dedicate the book of each guest speaker's choice to the library of their choice. In addition, the club gives monetary support to the Kutztown Community Library and the Brandywine Community Library.
Dr. Len Marrella, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and president of the Center for Leadership and Ethics in Wyomissing, addresses students at the New Generations Youth Leadership Conference at Penn State Berks.
Kutztown Rotary sponsors outstanding students from Brandywine Heights and Kutztown Area High Schools to the New Generations Youth Leadership Conference each year.
"Ethics" was the theme at this year's New Generations Youth Leadership Conference, which drew more than 300 middle and high school students to Penn State Berks.
Fifteen Berks County middle schools sent students, while 21 high schools were represented, making this year's conference the best one yet, according to Dr. Len Marrella, founder and president of the Wyomissing-based Center for Leadership and Ethics.
"The mission is to develop character," Marrella, a retired Army colonel, said of last week's conference.
Now in its 15th year, the conference is sponsored by Rotary Clubs from across Berks County.
As part of this year's event, eight cadets from the U.S. Military Academy traveled from West Point, N.Y., to speak with students.
"They discuss ethical issues in high school, and the kids really respond to the cadets because they're only a couple years older and they have life experience," said Marrella, a West Point graduate. "It's amazing how the kids relate to them. They're kind of role models, young role models, and they can deal with the issues that they've faced themselves."
The cadets were escorted to Berks County by Master Sgt. Timothy Morgan, a noncommissioned equal opportunity adviser at West Point.
Morgan, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke to the Rotary Club of West Reading/Wyomissing at a luncheon, recounting his career path and stressing the importance of ethics in education.
"The cadets are young," he told Rotary Club members at the Inn at Reading. "They say, 'I want to be a soldier. I want to learn how to shoot. I want to jump out of an airplane. I want to repel out of a helicopter. I want to drive a tank.' They want to do all these great things. But what I teach is respect and ethics."
Darlene Henning of Fleetwood retrieves her ball Wednesday night at the golf hole at
Dunkelbergers's Fine Jewelry and Gifts. With Henning are her husband, Steve,
and
Jiasu and Kaili Gore, ages 7 and 9. All were taking part in the Kutztown Rotary
Miniature Golf Classic on Main Street.
[courtesy of Reading Eagle: Ben Hasty]
CASH PRIZES: 1st team - $150, 2nd team - $100, 3rd team $50 & Merchant Hole-in-One Prizes
The Tournament concluded at the Kutztown Tavern where all scorecards were turned in by 9:00 p.m. to
Kutztown Rotary in order to be eligible for the prizes. In case of a tie, players were present for a tiebreaker playoff.
"Adventurous golfers putted their way through downtown Kutztown on Wednesday evening in the annual Kutztown Rotary Miniature Golf Classic. The downtown duffers worked their way through 18 holes, one at each sponsoring business along Main Street.
"This is a great way to show what's available in Kutztown and to get to know the community," said Jim Springer, Rotary president. Golfers with the best scores took away about a combined $300 in prizes, awarded by participating businesses. More than 50 players paid $15 each, or $50 for a team of four, to participate. Money raised will be used to underwrite Rotary programs.
The Kutztown Rotary Club sponsors a youth exchange program, a student-of-the-month program and Merchants Trick-or-Treat Night. It also underwrites the Louisa Gonser Community Library and the Kutztown Community Partnership."
[courtesy of Reading Eagle: Ben Hasty]
By Jennifer Hetrick
Patriot Correspondent
Kutztown Patriot, June 2, 2011
A much anticipated second Taste of Kutztown swept across town May 21 with wine glasses in hand as locals walked the streetscape for a multifaceted cause, soaking up some long awaited sunshine on the stroll.
The Kutztown Rotary Club sponsored this wine tour mingled with appreciation for main street merchants and pairings of good eats at each spot.
Eight shops throughout the borough signed on in hosting tastings from wineries, including the Main Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, the Edward J. Hildenbrand Funeral Home, Adam 'N Eve Boutique, Kelchner Cleaners, Dunkelberger's Jewelry, Jackie & Daughter Flower Shop, College Town Bakeries and Sorrelli Jewelry.
Rotary Club President Jim Springer said the idea for this community-wide event came to him a few years ago when a dog show fundraiser faded out of the picture, and he knew the organization needed a night on the town.
Last year's event raised around $3,000 which went to local fire companies, libraries, Friend, Inc. and ShelterBoxes meant to help families around the globe with needed items and supplies after disastrous events.
Bringing wine and paired pleasantries of food to the shops is only a part of the goal.
Springer said the other element of mingling palate pleasers of course is inspiring those curious about tasting wine to visit main street shops they might not otherwise venture into regularly.
These two angles work together swimmingly in bringing attention to a dip of culture new to town for the weekend along with what's already there, with the embedded benefit of building up a monetary reserve so the Rotary Club can continue to support locally and possibly in Japan soon since natural disasters months ago.
The Rotary Club is also sponsoring a Japanese exchange student from Tokyo, so part of the money raised from A Taste of Kutztown is likely to make its way across the globe in Rotary International's motto this year–Building Communities, Bridging Continents.
At Kelchner Cleaners, pairings of specialty olive oils and aged vinaigrettes topped an outdoor table, straight from Seasons in Bethlehem, and Stonekeep Meadery offered samplings of honey-sweet mead.
The Kelchner Brothers Blues Band, an unexpected up and coming band comprised mostly of young teens, kept the crowd always curious as they belted out better beats for the rarely sunny spring afternoon.
TC's Family Restaurant even brought out a sampling of Greek food to Hildenbrand's.
At College Town Bakers, the still-new shop of sweets gave away dessert nibblings paired with wines from Kog Hill Winery, including a buttery vanilla bean cheesecake topped with peach compote to go alongside a Niagara white wine.
A pear almond tart went fittingly with a sunset blush wine, while a Twin Valley red went with a bittersweet pretzel bar.
Owner Michael Reitnour said he could barely keep the samples out and ready for tour goers, ecstatic to see newcomers delighting in his fiancée Emily Bolasky's pastry arts.
"I started at the end and am ending at the end," Nancy Brooks of Maxatawny Township said with a perked voice, while happily trying on necklaces at Sorrelli Jewelry.
Meeting the merchants and undoubtedly enjoying the wine is what Brooks said she liked most about the evening, along with the opportunity to spend the night on the town per sip with her good friend Julie Karaisz, also of Maxatawny Township.
"It's very intimate," Karaisz said about A Taste of Kutztown. "We're here to support our community, and this is a positive plus to strengthen it."
The two women also said the walking tour stood as a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends they hadn't seen in a while, meeting and greeting in the street between stops at shops.
With this event's growing popularity and continued following, A Taste of Kutztown is bound to become an annual part of the town's celebration of both new and old along the main street, and all in the name of promoting good in the community.
Welcome to our Inbound Exchange Student Diego from Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Diego Pinto
Bolivian tennis champ enjoys rural life at Brandywine
by Zach Miller, Senior, Brandywine Heights
Kutztown Rotary’s 4-way Test winner for 2 years.
Diego Pinto traveled more than 4,000 miles to arrive in Berks County. A native of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Diego will spend the rest of this year in the United States studying here as a Rotary Club Youth Exchange student.
In his native country, Diego is an all-star tennis player who has represented Bolivia in international matches, including some here in the U.S. For the next few months, however, he will be experiencing a different lifestyle as a student at Brandywine Heights High School.
Diego said he became an exchange student for a number of reasons.
“My family is very involved in Rotary, and my cousins have been exchange students before,” he said. “They loved it.”
Diego also pointed to his curiosity about the United States.
“I had been to America to play tennis and for vacation. but I wanted to know what regular life was like,” he said. “”I wanted to see how the people are here.”
The move to rural Berks County has been a bit of a change for the Bolivian tennis champ. Diego’s hometown of Santa Cruz is a sprawling metropolis with more than 1.5 million residents, a far cry from the sleepy borough of Topton, his temporary home.
“Here you need to get in a car and drive 20 minutes at least to go anywhere,” he lamented. “Where I live, I can walk a few minutes and be at a market, or walk a little more and be at a grocery store.”
Another big change, he made clear, was the prevalence of technology Diego said that ‘things are very technological here. Most things are more modern, and many more people have access to technology.”
The move to rural Berks County has been a bit of a change for the Bolivian tennis champ. Diego’s hometown of Santa Cruz is a sprawling metropolis with more than 1.5 million residents, a far cry from the sleepy borough of Topton, his temporary home.
“Here you need to get in a car and drive 20 minutes at least to go anywhere,” he lamented. “Where I live, I can walk a few minutes and be at a market, or walk a little more and be at a grocery store.”
Another big change, he made clear, was the prevalence of technology Diego said that ‘things are very technological here. Most things are more modern, and many more people have access to technology.”
Asked what he liked most about life in the United States, Diego thought for a moment.
“I like the girls very much, for one thing,” he said with a smile and a hearty laugh.
“I like living with Joey (Coco, a senior at Brandywine and his host brother) and my host family.”
Diego also pointed to the strengths of education here.
“School is important,” he said. “People are very serious about their classes and studies.”
Indeed, this new focus on study has changed Diego’s daily schedule. In Bolivia the school day is shorter, leaving plenty of time for three-hour tennis workouts and open evenings for partying with friends.
“Live is so different now,” he said. But in spite of a shoulder injury and a busy schedule, Diego said he intends to play tennis for Brandywine in the spring.
Diego mentioned a few more differences between Bolivia and the United States. For Halloween, Bolivians mark the holiday with parties, but few people don costumes.
Experiencing Halloween in America will be another exercise in cultural differences. Eventually, however, he will return to Bolivia, where more studies await.
“I will have to finish high school in Bolivia,” he said. After that, Diego wants to return to the U.S.
I hope I can come back and study in the United States,” he said.
Amy is the Kutztown Rotary's outbound exchange student to Ecuador. Even though she has already graduated from Kutztown High School, she will technically be a high school student. "Since I'll have already graduated, I will be able to concentrate on learning the language and getting to know the culture," she said.
Her passion for other cultures and world views helped her earn the top social studies award in Reading Eagle Company's annual Berks' Best scholarship project.
After spending a year in Ecuador, Amy plans to major in international relations at Wellesley College near Boston.
"I think living in such a small town, you get a feel for how important it is to think beyond your town, your area and your country," she said. "You also have to pay attention to the past, especially internationally, to deal with future international relations."
Rotary District 7430
International Youth Exchange Program
HOLIDAY DINNER and SHOW
Tuesday December 27, 2011
Social Time 5:00 5:45 pm ~ Buffet Dinner 5:45 pm
West End Fire Hall C&C Catering
1319 Park Avenue, Quakertown, PA 18957
Cost
$22.00 (5 years and up) $0.00 (under 5 years)
Rotex Members - $18.00
2011 - 2012 Inbound Students - $0.00
2012-2013 Outbound Students plus 2 Family Members - $0.00
Hosts: Youth Exchange Committee
For questions please contact: Janet Kolepp
484-241-1252 email: jkolepp@gmail.com
RSVP By December 18, 2011
Payment must be received with RSVP Form
Proper Dress Please!
Kutztown-Fleetwood Rural-Urban Night February 2, 2011
Russell C. Redding (photo by Jeremy Drey, Reading Eagle)
Since 1979, the Kutztown Rotary Club has been showing the local farmers their appreciation with the annual Urban-Rural Night. It is an evening to say 'thank you' to farmers in the area and to show appreciation for their work. In 2008, the Kutztown club added the Fleetwood Rotary Club to the endeavor to include more farmers in the Kutztown-Fleetwood area.
Bob Hobaugh, with Kutztown Rotary and a lawyer at Stevens & Lee, has organized this event for many years. "What we celebrate is the farm community in Kutztown and Fleetwood," he said.
Some of the changes he has seen over the past 25 years include more women are involved in rotary and more women are farmers. "Agriculture is the biggest business in Pennsylvania. We're very fortunate to have a very strong agriculture community in Berks County," said Hobaugh. "We have some of the best soils. We have a wide range of agricultural enterprise." Berks agriculture includes dairy, grain, cattle and more recently horticulture, he said. "Tonight is a big celebration. The focus is very Berks County. As you can see by the attendance, it's a pretty well appreciated," he said.
The late state Sen. Michael A. O'Pake left a lasting legislative legacy to Pennsylvania's agriculture community.
That was the message Russell C. Redding, former Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture secretary, brought to a recent event aimed at honoring farmers in eastern Berks County.
And since the event included farmers from the 11th Senatorial District, a seat O'Pake held for nearly 38 years until his death last year, Redding decided to honor O'Pake's contributions to the state's agriculture industry.
"Time and again, his work was on behalf of Berks County, and Pennsylvania agriculture," Redding said. "We miss him and his steady hand."
Redding spoke Thursday night at the annual farmer appreciation dinner hosted by the Fleetwood and Kutztown Rotary Clubs. The event at the Fleetwood Grange honors farmers in eastern Berks for their hard work.
O'Pake, a Reading Democrat, played a role in the legislation that created the Pennsylvania farm preservation program, Redding said.
Also, the senator was a leading supporter of the ACRE law, which allows the state attorney general to review local laws that farmers believe are too restrictive, he said.
"His standard greeting to anyone in agriculture was that Berks County led the state in farmland preservation," Redding said of O'Pake. "We knew that was important to him."
Redding, who served as secretary in the Rendell administration, was recently hired as dean of agriculture and environmental sciences at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown.
That position was held until recently by Judith L. Schwank, who is running on the Democratic ticket for O'Pake's seat in the March 15 special election.
She faces a challenge by Republican Larry Medaglia.
Gov. Tom Corbett has nominated George Greig, a Crawford County dairy farmer, as the next secretary of agriculture.
Redding said that the new administration has a number of pressing agriculture issues to address, including new federal regulations on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the lack of private capital flowing to farms and revisiting the state's milk premium program.
Currently, Pennsylvania consumers pay a 25-cent-a-gallon fee for milk.
However, some of that money is getting stuck in the system and is not getting back to the farm, Redding said.
Addressing those problems could help the state's dairy industry, which makes up 40 percent of Pennsylvania's agriculture, Redding said.
"What happens to dairy impacts the rest of the agriculture economy," he said.
Pervious speakers at Urban-Rural Night include Sheila Miller, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff, and Jeff Dorsheim, representing a new ethanol plant in the area.
Sponsors for this event include Fleetwood Bank, and Hildenbrand Funeral Home in Kutztown.
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide
ShelterBox started as the project of the Helston-Lizard Rotary Club in Cornwall, England, in 2000. By January, 2001, they were able to send 143 boxes to earthquake victims in the Indian state of Gujarat. Each box provided shelter, blankets or sleeping bags, cooking and dining equipment, tools, materials for children, and water purification capabilities for an extended family group of 10 people for at least 6 months. The boxes are different for areas with different stoves for cooking depending upon the cooking fuel available, and different tents and blankets or sleeping bags depending upon the climate.
Since 2001, ShelterBox has responded to more than 150 disasters such as earthquakes, refugee camps, war zones, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, drought, tornados, cyclones, tropical storms, landslides, fires, and volcanos. Often, ShelterBox is one of the first charities on the scene. It has responded to disasters in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Angola, Iraq, Algeria, Iran, Liberia, Uganda, Dominican Republic, Burundi, Palestine, Grenada, Haiti, Phillippines, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, Sumatra, Serbia, Romania, Sudan, Kashmir, USA, Guatemala, Somalia, East Timor, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Bolivia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Zambia, Somaliland, Mozambique, Swaziland, Ecuador, Ghana, Myanmar, China, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Jamaica, Peru, Turks and Caicos, North Korea, Mexico, Cuba, Congo, Australia, Gaza, Belize, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Italy, Columbia, Taiwan, Burkina Faso, Niger, Samoa, El Salvador, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Egypt, Chile, Fiji, Benin, St. Lucia, New Zealand, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, and other countries.
The goal of ShelterBox is to help 50,000 disaster stricken families every year. A donation of $1,000 sponsors one Shelter Box including delivery direct to those who need it. Kutztown Rotary tries to sponsor at least one Shelter Box each year. ShelterBox permits all sponsors to track where their Shelter Box is sent. Because of its increasing popularity as a charity, ShelterBox was able rapidly scale up and respond to major disasters such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in the USA, massive earthquakes in Haiti and the Kashmir region of Pakistan and wide-spread drought and famine in the Horn of Africa..
Kutztown University Rotaract Club/Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity
What:
Tenth Annual Ms. Kutztown University Pageant
Why:
To Benefit The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
When:
April 16th at 7 o'clock PM
Where:
Kutztown University Student Union Bldg., Rm. 183 (Multipurpose room)
Cost:
$4 Donation
The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, which is also the Kutztown University Rotaract Club, sponsors the 10th annual Ms Kutztown Pageant on April 16, 2007.
The philanthropy was founded by Lambda Chi Alpha alumnus Christopher Tomlin and over its eight years has grown to be one of the fraternity´s largest and most well known functions.
The event is set up just like the real Miss America pageant, with talent and formal wear portions of the contest. Last years event raised $1,100 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. A check was presented to breast cancer patient Gladys Collazo and Wanda Colon, program director of the Philadelphia branch of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, at the conclusion of the event by sophomore Adam Bauer, Vice President of External Relations for Lambda Chi and a Criminal Justice major.
"[Miss KU] is a wonderful event that brings awareness to students, faculty, staff and parents of eradicating breast cancer," said Colon.
Lambda Chi Alpha, the Kutztown University Rotaract Club, raises a similar amount of money for Breast Cancer in May when they participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Philadelphia each year.
This outpouring of charity is not new to this Kutztown University Fraternity. Since 1993, Lambda Chi Alpha has been coordinating an international philanthropy project that has now raised more than 28 million pounds of food for the needy across North America. Called the Lambda Chi Alpha North American Food Drive, this annual event is arguably the largest single-day philanthropic project sponsored by a collegiate organization. In 2006, Lambda Chi Alpha collected almost 2,564,846 pounds of food with approximately 100 chapters and colonies participating. Among all chapters, Kutztown ranks 7th with a total of 101,760 pounds, 4 times the national average. "Brothers Feeding Others" is more than a slogan. Kutztown Rotary has partnered with their Rotaract Club on this project and the Rotaract Club assists the Rotary Club with the dog show, the Flatworks Art Show and other Club projects that support Rotary International and its projects around the world.
Supporting local fire companies, libraries and other local charities.
Our most recent Foundation Dinner was November 14, 2012.
Paul Harris Award recipients, Larry and Shirley Biehl, Bill Bender, and Patt McCluskey with Kutztown Rotary President, Marie De Filipps.
Our November 11, 2009, meeting was a special Rotary Foundation Dinner. We took this opportunity to honor 3 Kutztown Rotarians, Patt McCluskey received her first Paul Harris Fellowship, Bill Bender received his second Paul Harris Fellowship and Larry and Shirley Biehl, who received their 10th Paul Harris Fellowship award. This award is for significant service to the Rotary Foundation, thereby furthering better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.
Rotary Foundation Chairman Larry Biehl stated:
"Since I became a Rotarian over 18 years ago, our Club has gone thru dramatic changes, but just as then our commitment today remains the same; service to our fellow-man.
Each of us contributes to Rotary in his or her own way and together we will make a difference. Lets continue showing the way."
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Rotary Foundation accomplishes this vision to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
Kutztown Rotary Foundation
Kutztown Rotary Foundation Chairman Larry Biehl, Friend Inc. Interim Executive
Director Erica Hesselson, Louisa Gonser Community Director Janet Yost, Kutztown Rotary President Marie De Filipps, and Burn Foundation President Dan Dillard.
The Kutztown Rotary Foundation presented checks to representatives from the Louisa Gonser Community Library, Friend, Inc.; and the Burn Prevention Foundation.
The Kutztown Rotary Foundation supports the Rotary Foundation, but it also supports many local charities including the Kutztown Rotary Donald L. Boyer Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships to Kutztown and Brandywine Heights graduates; Louisa Gonser Community Library, Brandywine Library, Friend Inc., Kutztown Fire Co., Topton Fire Co., Lyons Fire Co., Burn Prevention Foundation, Salvation Army, and Berks Women In Crisis.
Funding for the Kutztown Rotary Foundation comes from many projects of the Kutztown Rotary Club including the annual Donald L. Boyer - Kutztown Rotary Golf Classic, the Kutztown Rotary Spiedies Sale at the Energy Fest, and donations from the Berks Kennel Club in exchange for Kutztown Rotary providing the infrastructure of the Kutztown Dog Show. Kutztown Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity operated by the Kutztown Rotary Club.
The Kutztown Rotary Club sponsors long term outbound and inbound student exchanges. All participating students must be under 18 years of age and must attend high school while they are in their host country.
The club is responsible for finding suitable homes for the guest exchange student, and for providing a support system for both the student and the host families. Exchange students are expected to participate in Rotary District events once each month (the club provides the transportation). They are expected to be a participating member of the host family's household. And they must follow the rules of behavior delineated by Rotary International and Essex, our exchange program operator. All incoming students must carry their own health insurance effective in the host country and are encouraged to obtain liability coverage.
The timetable for the exchange is generally as follows:
March - Enlist host families for following school year and advise District 7430 whether the Club will host an inbound student.
April - Receive initial information about the inbound student, i.e. gender, home country, etc.
May - Student's application packet is forwarded to host families, with photos and contact information. Adult members of host families and club members with significant contact supply background information consent for background check.
August - Student arrives within a week of start of high school. Student resides with first host family.
December - Student moves to second host family.
March - Student moves to third host family.
June - Student returns home by the end of June.
For more information contact Martin Handler at 610-987-0857. Patt McCloskey and Bob Hobaugh handled this exciting program in the past and deserve much credit for its success.
At the 2012 Boyer Golf Classic, Debbie Barrell was presented Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship Award. With Debbie are Pat Miller and her sons Matt and Nick.
The 2012 Winners Were:
Closest to the Pin #4: Scott Gardner 11 9
Closest to the Pin #9: Pat Miller 4
Closest to the Pin #13: Jim Gerhart 3 1
Closest to the Pin #15: Sherry Oberstadt 10 4
Longest Drive Senior (60 7 over): Jim Coker
Longest Drive Men: Pat Miller
Longest Drive Women: Roberta Handler
Gross
Net
Men:
1st – Ian Thomas 71
2nd –Joe Sleboda 72
3rd –Tom Clark 75
Men:
1st – Jim Gerhart 70
2nd – Randy Stubblebine 70
3rd – Pat Miller 70
Women:
1st – Brenda Winkler 96
Women:
1st – Sherry Oberstadt 79
2nd – Sheila Fulton 80
Best Ball of Foursome
1st – Tom DiSanto, Roy Miller, Jim Gerhart, Joe Sleboda
2nd – Steve Rathman, Tom Clark, Ken Kramer, Brian Noll
For future reference, the format is:
Proper Dress Code
Soft Spikes Required
1:00 PM Shotgun Start - Please Arrive at Noon
Individual Ball Format
Cost of $125 Per Golfer (Includes)
Lunch at Snack Bar
Dinner - Steak & Chicken - Following Golf
Longest Drive Contests (Par 5's)
Greens Fee and Cart
Prizes
Low Gross Champion
Low Net Champion
Ladies Champion
Best Ball Foursome Computer Callaway-Men
Best Ball Foursome Computer Callaway-Ladies
For Information Call:
Dennis Lutz at 610-683-6026
Larry Biehl at 610-562-3374
Rain or Shine
Entry Deadline is July 23, 2012 to Guarantee Participation
At last year's tournament eighty eight golfers and generous sponsors made this tournament a financial success, according to tournament chairman George Barrell.
Major corporate and individual sponsors included:
East Penn Manufacturing;
Kutztown Buick Cadillac GMC;
Wells Fargo Bank;
and Spring Ridge Surgical Specialists; Shirley & Larry Biehl; Bob Fisher Chevrolet; Fleetwood Bank; Kutztown University Foundation; Long, Barrell and Co., Ltd.; and National Penn Bank.
Hole sponsors included 35 businesses and individuals in the East Penn Valley. Because of this generous support, The Kutztown Rotary Foundation will be able to distribute approximately $10,000 to the tournament's major charities and other community projects. The major beneficiaries of the tournament last year were:
Kutztown Rotary Donald L. Boyer Scholarship Fund;
Friend, Inc.;
Louisa Gonser Library;
Brandywine Library;
Burn Prevention Foundation;
Kutztown Fire Company;
Lyons Fire Company;
Topton Fire Company; and
various other community charities
Additional funds are used for other Rotary community and International projects throughout the year. This years goal is $10,000.
The Donald L. Boyer Kutztown Rotary Scholarship was established in memory of Donald Boyer, a devoted community member whose life was shortened by a battle with cancer. During Mr. Boyer´s life, he gave selflessly to the Kutztown community through participation and leadership in various civic, church, and political organizations, including Kutztown Borough Council, Kutztown Jaycees, Kutztown Rotary Club, Friend, Inc., and St. John's Lutheran Church. Within these organizations he held various leadership positions, including regional and state positions. This scholarship was created by family, friends, and the Kutztown Rotary to keep the spirit of Donald's volunteerism and leadership alive in our community's youth. The greatest portion of this endowment is contributed by the Kutztown Rotary Foundation with funds raised from the Foundation's Annual Donald Boyer Golf Classic.
The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and recognize youth volunteerism in our community. Applicants for this scholarship MUST
(1) Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.75 ; AND
(2) Enroll in an accredited post-secondary technical/vocational school, college, or university within 18 months of graduation.
In addition, all scholarship moneys will be released directly to the academic institution. Scholarship rewards are not payable to the individual recipient.
All applications must be postmarked by June 1, 2007. Any questions should be directed to Amy Howard at
.
Kutztown High School students can get their applications from Amy Howard.
Brandywine Heights High School students can download their application when they are available.
* There are three versions of each bulletin. The differences are:
1) pdf - Pdf is the best format to print. Most internet browsers can open pdf's. You will need a pdf reader such as Adobe Reader. If you don't have Adobe Reader, get a free copy from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
2) Word - This is the standard Microsoft Word .doc format.
3) html - Just click on this to read the Bulletin in your internet browser.
As of December 1, 2004*, our Bulletins are no longer printed on paper and mailed. Please give any new or changed email addresses to Steve Henning or send your e-mail address to
. Or you can visit this website to read the newsletter at http://www.kutztownrotary.org . News will be delivered more timely, more efficiently and cheaper via the web.
*This was approved unanimously by the board of directors, Wednesday, November 17, 2004. All efforts are being made to get an e-mail address of each member or to arrange for another member to contact those without e-mail.
If you are unable to fulfill your program assignment on a particular date, it is your responsibility to change with another Rotarian. Please advise the following people of any changes:
Bulletin Editor:
none
Program Director:
Renee Sufrinko
610-682-4288, SufrinkoR@dnb.com
President:
Dr. Martin Handler
610-987-0857, marhan@bhasd.org
Webmaster:
Steve Henning
610-987-6184,
Call Keith Snyder for more information.
Meetings: In the Club room at the Kutztown Tavern, 272 West Main Street, Kutztown; Wed. @ 6:30 PM
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service; encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians, members of more than 31,000 Rotary clubs in 167 countries.
Rotary's first emblem was a simple wagon wheel (in motion with dust) representing civilization and movement. It was designed in 1905 by Montague Bear, a member of the Chicago club, who was an engraver, and many Rotary clubs of the time adopted the wheel in one form or another.
In 1922, authority was given to create and preserve an official emblem, and the following year the present gear wheel with 24 cogs and six spokes was adopted. A keyway was added to signify that the wheel was a "worker and not an idler." At the RI Convention in 1929, royal blue and gold were chosen as the official colors.
Rotary International is one of the world's largest service organizations, with some 31,000 clubs in more than 160 countries. Members of a Rotary club are part of a diverse group of professional leaders working to address various community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world. Annually, Rotary clubs worldwide invite a limited number of men and women to become members.
These prospective members represent various businesses and professional activities in their communities. As a progressive-minded business or professional person, you will see that belonging to a Rotary club, where outstanding representatives of the different vocations in your community come together, has its benefits.
To be invited, you must be:
A leading representative of your business or professional activity
Willing to help and participate in projects that enhance your community
Willing to work on projects that help people in developing countries and promote international understanding and goodwill:
Rotary clubs provide:
Friendships with other managerial and professional leaders in your community
Prestige of membership in a worldwide organization
Ongoing practical education
A networking of people who can help you become more successful
Promotion of higher ethical standards in your business or profession
Projects to enhance your community
Help for communities in countries around the world
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
First: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
Second: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
Third: The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to his personal, business, and community life;
Fourth: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional men and women united in the ideal of service.
The mission of Rotary International is to assist and guide Rotarians and Rotary Clubs to accomplish the Object of Rotary; to ensure Rotary's continuing relevance; and to help build a better world, emphasizing service activities by individuals and groups that enhance the quality of life and human dignity, encourage high ethical standards, and creating greater understanding among all people to advance the search for peace in the world.
Kutztown Rotary Club 
In 1980, the Kutztown Rotary club initiated it's 
Rotarians' annual dues, plus individual Rotarian's contributions to the Rotary Foundation, help fund many International projects worldwide. These International projects represent tens of millions of dollars spent annually for eradicating polio, providing clean water, small business loans, housing development, and school and medical center construction just to name a few.
Recognizing Students of the Month
Diego Pinto traveled more than 4,000 miles to arrive in Berks County. A native of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Diego will spend the rest of this year in the United States studying here as a Rotary Club Youth Exchange student.
ShelterBox
The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, which is also the 
eradicating breast cancer," said Colon.
. 
