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The weekly newsletter of the
Rotary Club of Norristown,  
P.O. Box 119, Oaks, PA 19456 - (484) 994-2349
 
Aug 20, 2023  - No. 2732
 
 
 
Aug 24, 2023
Meeting via Zoom
at noon
 
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There are plenty of volunteer sign up activities this week.
 
 
HELLO EVERYONE,
There is a lot going on right now at our club. Spoke is very full. Members be sure to volunteer online for our 4 club events. There is a detailed tutorial below, just 4 clicks.
 
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Editor
Dave Beach
Click on the screen below to
join our pre-scheduled
virtual meetings via Zoom
Upcoming Programs
Each week we ask a community leader to come speak to the club.  Guests are Welcome !! If you would like to speak at a future meeting, email us at RotaryofNorristown@gmail.com. Include your contract info and a brief description of your topic.
Sep 07, 2023
Norristown Bocce League
Sep 21, 2023
Personal Experience
Oct 05, 2023
Easter Seals of PA
Oct 19, 2023
District Governors Visit
Nov 02, 2023
Nov 16, 2023
Super Kids of Montgomery County
View entire list
MEMBERS: Grow Your club !
Recommend New Members Here
Club Meeting Information
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
HYATT HOUSE (1st & 3rd Thurs)
501 E Germantown Pike
East Norriton, PA 19401
United States of America
Phone:
(484) 994-2349
NOTE: The club meets at the Hyatt in person the 1st & 3rd Thursdays 12 noon and virtually on Zoom at noon on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays. For more in contact rotaryofnorristown@gmail.com or leave a message at at (484) 994-2349
Happy Birthday
Member Birthdays
Denise R. Ashe
August 9
 
Kelly Richardson
August 11
 
James L Hollinger
August 17
 
Since 1921
 
 
 
Upcoming Events
East Norriton Day Expo
E Norriton Twp Bldg
Sep 10, 2023
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 
Create Community
Martha's Choice Marketplace
Sep 12, 2023
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Art in the Park Rotary Expo
Elmwood Park Zoo
Sep 16, 2023
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 
Board Mtg
Sep 21, 2023 11:00 AM
 
Sole Harvest 5K Support
Norristown Farm Park
Oct 14, 2023
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
 
District Governor Diane Donaher Visits
Oct 19, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
 
Board Mtg
Oct 19, 2023 11:00 AM
 
View entire list
2023-2024 Theme
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* ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONLINE MEMBER VOLUNTEER SIGN UP IS ACTIVE
for major volunteer events notated 

FUTURE MEETING LOCATION CHANGE
NOTE: The October 5th meeting WILL NOT be held at the Hyatt.
The hotel has revoked use of the conference room that day.
We will be planning an alternate site for Oct 5th.
This applies to Oct 5th only.  Stay tuned for details.
 

8-31 Meet and Greet Social
5th Thursday, Meet & Greet Gathering at Chadwick's
When: August 31st from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Where: Chadwycks Restaurant & Bar at Shannondell (the former Gen. Washington Golf Club)
            in the bar area  (2750 Egypt Rd, Audubon)
 
There is no regular meeting on a 5th Thursday, that is time for Fun and Fellowship.  Come meet our club members. Ask about Rotary. All are welcome. Stop by, say hello.  Members please wear something Rotary. 
 

 
 
Celebrate Community  with Kiwanis)
Celebrate Community 2023
 
Rotary International and District 7430 have asked clubs to participate in Celebrate Community week Sept 11-17, 2023.
 
All four organizers are working to gather to plan projects together during this week to help the community.  
President Mary Onama is chairing the initiative and began working with Kiwanis.
 
Here is how you can help:
We have selected a community aid project working with Kiwanis and Martha's Choice Marketplace to collect family toiletries and food.
 
Can you donate these items to help them ?  Here is a list: 
  • Canned/pouch chicken
  • 1lb rice
  • Canned chili
  • Feminine hygiene pads
  • Bar soap
  • Paper towels
  • Toilet paper
  • Child diapers size 5 and 6
We will participate in two events.
 
#1 Members - YOU are INVITED !
There will be a pre-planning social pot luck picnic to meet & assemble donated items and socialize together
with Kiwanis on the evening of  
 
When: Wed, August 30th at 6:30PM
Location:  the home of Barbara Jones, 113 Farmhouse Dr., Eagleville, PA 19403
Bring: Pot luck food items to share with the teams attending
Bring: Collected donated items for the benefit to be delivered on 9/12
 
Please let Mary know RSVP
 
If you can not attend the picnic, can you bring the above items to our meeting on September August 7th ?
or get them to President Mary by then.
 
#2 Next, we will team up on the actual benefit event distribution 
 
When: Tues, September 12 from 9am-1pm 
Location: Martha's Choice Marketplace, 353 E Johnson Hwy, Norristown, PA  19401, United States
 
We would like to get a Member Photo Op that morning
 
WE NEED MEMBER VOLUNTEERS NOW
WANT TO SIGN UP ?
Go to the 'Upcoming Events' column, at the top/right of this newsletter
Find 'Celebrate Community' and click on it.
Click on the 'Online Registration' button and add your name.
(full tutorial below)
 

 
MAUI Assistance 
Letter to President Mary:
 
Dear Mary ,
Many have asked how our clubs can support our friends and Rotarians after the tragedy in Hawaii.  I wanted to share this information in case you haven't seen it on Facebook.  We know that the money will be well stewarded and go directly where it is most needed guided by Rotarians. Thank you for your generosity.  You can forward this email to your club members so they have direct donation information if they would like to contribute personally or put it in your club newsletter.
 
A note from Mark Merriam, District Governor Rotary District 5000 - Hawaii, USA
August 9, 2023
Aloha:
Today has been a tragic day for our families and friends on the Island of Maui. The fires across the island have changed lives forever. Truly devastating. Our sympathy, thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted. Rotary members are people of action, and we can take immediate action. As we come together to recover and rebuild, we need to support each other. We need to Create Hope for Maui. Through our Hawai’i Rotary District 5000 Foundation, a relief fund has been established. Foundation President Dave Hamil and Treasurer Sharon Amano will handle all donations. A committee will be organized shortly to find the greatest needs for the distribution of monies. A single fund will be the most helpful over time to provide the most significant benefits.
Please consider donating to this special fund. (https://bit.ly/3YuAIwG)
Mark Merriam, District Governor
Rotary District 5000, Hawaii, USA
May be an image of text that says 'Maui Rotary Clubs ව in the WORLD CREATE HOPE Sending our aloha and prayers to our Maui 'ohana! DONATE TODAY Rotary District 5000 CEST SHAWAUROTARY MA RELIEF MAUI FIRE'
 
Diane Donaher
District Governor 7430
610-442-8589

E Norriton Day Expo
East Norriton Day Expo
 
Come help your club meet the community
and interest potential new members.
We need help with the tent and covering the table while we circulate flyers.
 
Saturday, September 9 from 3-6pm
WE NEED MEMBER VOLUNTEERS 
to help setup and take down the tent and watch the table while we circulate
WANT TO SIGN UP ?
Go to the 'Upcoming Events' column, at the top/right of this newsletter
Find 'E Norriton Day Expo' and click on it.
Click on the 'Online Registration' button and add your name.
(full tutorial below)

 
 
Art in the Park 2023
 
Saturday 9/16 from 10-3pm
 
WE NEED MEMBER VOLUNTEERS 
to help setup and take down the tent and watch the table while we circulate
WANT TO SIGN UP ?
Go to the 'Upcoming Events' column, at the top/right of this newsletter
Find 'Art in the Park' and click on it.
Click on the 'Online Registration' button and add your name.
(full tutorial below)

Sole Harvest 5k
 
Saturday 10/14 from 9-11am.
Our club will be supporting the Sole Harvest 5k again this year. Turnout last year was good. We had transportation and a loud cheering station out by the water tower, made lots of noise and had a lot of fun. And an opportunity to help the Norristown Hospitality Center as well as our community.
 
This year we will be displaying our support rally signage and Rotary's commitment to serving our community.  
 
 
WE NEED MEMBER VOLUNTEERS
to support the race operation and help us make noise
WANT TO SIGN UP ?
Go to the 'Upcoming Events' column, at the top/right of this newsletter
Find 'Sole Harvest 5K' and click on it.
Click on the 'Online Registration' button and add your name.
(full tutorial below)

Rotaplast Benefit 10-21
 

 
Ronald McDonald House Zip Tab Collecting
Please Help the Ronald McDonald House 


The Board has decided to ask our members to collect aluminum can zip tabs or 'pop tabs'. These can be found on not only soda cans but all sorts of canned drinks.  The local chapter of the Ronald McDonald House still collects them to turn in for recycling and proceeds go to help local families by paying family expenses to stay will their child is in the hospital.  Start a jar, they add up.  At the end of the year we will accumulate our collections and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House. Please see Vanessa Cossari for more information


 
* NEWS
LAST WEEK
 
 
Cindy Serattore shares GSA adventures
Our speaker this week was Cindy Serattore presenting information about the Girl Scouts of America in the Norristown Area.
Recall Cindy helped our club this past Spring on Earth Day along with multi troop representation from the Norristown Area.
Cindy gave us a brief history of the Girl Scouts starting in 1812 in Savannah Georgia now represented in over 152 countries.
Some former girl scouts are – Jill Biden, Laura Bush, Hilary Clinton, Nikki Haley, Condalezza Rice, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Michelle Obama, Carrie Fisher, Grace Kelly, Lucille Ball to name a few.
 
The Norristown Area has 18 troops serving 120-150 girls. The activities range from camping to fund raising and helping others projects. Troop camp is an opportunity for many girls to get outside and experience some activities they might not normally get to experience. The organization is governed by a volunteer board. Their most famous fund raiser is selling Girl Scout cookies since the beginning.  All cookies are made by only two bakers and who in some cases they can't agree on what to call a particular cookie although it is the same cookie. Each make 8 cookies.  The cookie sales started with a troop in Oklahoma.  This year Norristown raised $30,000 through the sale. Money is spent on badges, programs, adventures, camping, skill building, donating to causes and parties.
 
 
The girls learn many useful skills like knot tying and making s'mores. they experience many educational sessions in science and many other topics through volunteer instructors from the community. The participate in many local events like the East Norriton Christmas Parade, work with the Norristown Garden Club.. 
 
In fact Saturday, September 23rd is their own meet and greet day at Rita's Water Ice.  If you know a girl who is interested come out that day and meet the troops.
 
 
 
 

 
Our Club receives a Citation
Congratulations to 2022-2023 President Sunanda Charles in leading our club through a banner year of achievement last year. Over 800 service hours all going back to the community. Achievement of nearly all our goals including establishing a Club foundation. Past District Governor Len Geisler and 2022-2023 Rotary International President Jennifer Jones have awarded the club this citation of achievement.
We are so proud.

President Mary received the following memo from Past DG Len Geisler

" Congratulations to you and your club for earning the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2022-23. During a year that was challenging for many Rotarians and clubs around the world, your club  demonstrated a commitment to achieve your goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

Please share this certificate with your club. Thank you for your support and dedication last year.  I truly appreciate it. "

Len Geisler

Thank you Sunanda, for leading our club in reaching this very high achievement last year. It was a good year.

 

Tutorial: New Online Volunteer SignUp
ONLINE MEMBER VOLUNTEERING IS EASY !!!
 
Our club has implemented ClubRunner's 'Online Member Volunteer Signup' feature.
With this feature members can volunteer (or unvolunteer) for any event listed in Spoke by yourself with just 4 clicks. It will even fill-in your name.
 
STEP 1
Open SPOKE.  Look in the right column for the event in which you are interested.
For example, let's say you want to volunteer for East Norriton Day Expo.
Find 'E Norriton Day Expo' under 'Upcoming Events' and click on the underlined event name.
 
 
STEP 2
You will see the Event Screen shown below. And on the left side it says, Online Registration. Click on the blue button containing the  Event Name.
 
STEP 3
You will see the following screen showing who is booked already and an orange 'SIGN UP' button, press the button.
 
 
STEP 4
You can check the Member Type  'Myself' dot which will fill in your info and click the orange 'SAVE' button
 
 
That's it !! You are Signed Up.  Thank you for supporting your club.
 
Laurel House Upcoming Events
 
 
 


 
 
 
District 7430 News
* DISTRICT 7430 NEWS
 
Sep 16, 2023 - RLI  Rotary Leadership Institute (Penn College, HARRISBURG)
 
Sep 26, 2023 - Welcome to Rotary hosted by D7430 6pm via zoom
                        great opportunity for Rotarians 3 years or less
                        Register Here
 
October 7, 2023 Vibrant Clubs Summit (DeSales Univ 8am-1pm) Fee $45
                        Register Here

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