The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, March 28, 2002 5 Rotary (continued from page 1) . Night held last week at Apple- tree Terrace, Newberry Estates. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of two Paul Harris Fellowship award winners for “Service Above Self.” otar splays Promise as high ire beted in the ph; apier Amateur Ath] oy gh jump McLean Park | etic and Cycling ast Congo Bacon gt Swelt Valley My record book shows; Joh Gager week “to see what 1 could do” an wrence Hilbert of Dallas at J. Gager took first | Say-ger) Cones (Pronounced he hag ; from Daj. 5 Pennsylvania, and = otary eXchange student Napier last few hea api ds at | last May. not jumped since were recognized with Rotary In- ternational’s highest honor. Each award is contingent on a $1000 donation by the local club acular, but the back. | "il next June, groun ; : ) * to the Rotary International Dona- 9 es drtugial | able to make a contre in the high jump, =" . S Season ’ : . : os on. His tion Fund and is not given lightly. [< *TTike 10 oatiy. od with | was 5 57 Dae eves li i he j Formal nomination letters are submitted by members in the fall and a paper ballot is voted on by previous winners of the award. “It is a genuine single honor,” said Paul Rodda, committee chairman. “Larry Hilbert's award said he is one those people al- ways there, always ready to say ‘yes, ” The whole selection pracess is kept secret until the announce- ment. “George Bacon had about 20 family members waiting outside to surprise him,” said Rodda. “It was really a touching moment.” The international theme for the year is “Mankind Is Our Busi- ness” and true to that theme, the local Rotary is looking at projects ranging from Habitat for Human- ity to the new Back Mountain recreation area. Members join Rotary for a vari- ety of reasons. “Basically, I liked the availabili- ty of different avenues of service. If you aren't interested in one project, there are always two or three others to choose from,” said A. Duncan Whitehead, who has been a member for over 30 years. “I was born in England, raised in Australia and traveled all over the world, so I like the international aspect of the organization. I've been to Rotary meetings in Eng- land, Australia and, even, on the QE2. Our meetings are always interesting, with a guest speaker, and planned well ahead of time. They start on time at 6:30 and wind up by 8 p.m.,” said White- head. The Dallas Rotary Club has a special affiliation with the Back Mountain Memorial Library. Each year Rotarians man the food booth that their members clean both before and after the auction. In fact, the food booth and the auction block were built by ‘the Dallas Rotary club mem- bers. chalkboards used when the li- rary was a school for Back ountain students. All proceeds enefit the library where the Larry Hilbert proudly displays his Paul Harris Fellowship award, the highest honor to be bestowed upon a Rotarian for “Service Above Self.” His wife, Debbie, looks on slates are available for purchase. The distaff side of the Rotary club, called the RotaryAnns, is also involved with the library. This group, made up of the wives of current members, makes it possible for residents of the Back Mountain to borrow wheelchairs, crutches and other such items when they need them. “Any resident can simply go to the library, sign a release form and borrow the things they need. The Kiwanis Club helps us with repair and replacement costs,” said Margaret Reinert, president. § The RotaryAnns exemplify the high principles of Rota Turkeys were the main course at the Dallas Rotary around. Working on the project were, from left: Jack Ryan, Red Ambrose, an unidentified helper, and Myron Baker. A “Rotary windmill” acknowledged the contributions made to the student exchange program by the Ambrose family. The windmill was made by Rotarian Stefen Hellersperk, far right, and flanked by Red Ambrose, left, and Walt Mohr, president of the club in 1964-65. Two Ambrose daughters went to Holland under the exchange program during its first two years of operation. “It is an opportunity to give something back to the community.” John Kuderka New Rotarian “We have two major projects. One is our annual contribution to George Bacon, with his wife Beverly, was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship award. Bacon has been a Rotarian since 1986 and serves as the club’s treasurer. the library because they house our wheelchairs. The other is a contribution to College Misericor- dia’s Women with Children pro- gram. We make a contribution to help them buy their school books,” said Reinert. The RotaryAnns were responsi- ble for the purchase of furniture for the new children’s wing of the library. They used a unique fund raising project to help with that expense. “Four times a year the Rotary club cleans up a section of the highway. We prepare a din- ner for them and they pay us what they would have spent to go to a restaurant. It's kind of like recycling funds but we all have a good time with it,” said Mrs. Reinert. ry through many programs of community care and compassion. From left, first row: Kay Whitehead, Pauline Roth, Jean Rodda, Jean Alexander, Sally Stager. Second row: Sally Lehman, Joan Martin, Debbie Hilbert, Maxine Priebe, Beverly Bacon, Margaret Reinert. Third row: Pat Baird, Grace Reishus, Dorene Rhoads, Dee Mohr, Karen Boback, Marsha Landis. 5 to support issues in the Bac Mountain. I also wanted to devel- op my leadership abilities.” It must have worked. Saxon was the first woman elected pres- ident of Dallas Rotary. She was in charge of last year’s Rotary Leadership Camp for girls. This 14-year-old program is held at College Misericordia for stu- dents who have completed their sophomore year. Nearly 50 high schools are involved. “The pro- gram provides them leadership training, helps them prepare to become professionals in careers and to learn skills of responsibili- ty,” Saxon said. This year Saxon is in charge of the New Membership Mixer to be held in mid-May at the Castle Inn. “There is a social hour and a Some of the past presidents in attendance at the 75th anniversary, from left, first row: Clinton Lehman, Edwin Roth, James Alexander, Jack McCain. Second row: Duncan Whitehead, John Rhoads, Buzz Boback, John Reishus, Bob Baird, Al Landis, Joe Stager. * New Dallas Rotarians ready to serve. From left: Mike Slacktish and his wife, Christine and John Kuderka and his wife, Colleen. The RotaryAnns also sell pan- sies in the spring to help with their charity work. You can buy a flat of 32 pansies for $12 by call- ing Debbie Hilbert at 675-3003 this week. Scheduled pickup is April 20. The Rotary Club is always look- ing for new members and they were happy to have seven people join during the last year or so. “I attend the library auction every year and I see the efforts that, the Rotary Club extends,” said John Kuderka of Center- moreland, one of them. “It is an opportunity to give something back to the community. You meet a lot of interesting and enjoyable people,” he added. Melissa Saxon, Trucksville, is employed full-time, the mother of five children and still finds time for Rotary. “We meet every Thurs- day at the Castle Inn in Dallas and I learn a lot from our speak- ers. I joined Rotary to get in- volved with my community and presentation. Were looking for people who want to make a com- mitment to community projects. We are a working organization.” One future goal of the Dallas Rotary is to get more involved with local schools. : “I'd love to get members from Penn State, College Misericordia, Dallas and Lake-Lehman high schools,” said Reisch. “They should get involved because we are helping their students. We just donated to the Dallas Indoor Color Guard and we have our an- nual book scholarships. We also started a new Interact Club at Dallas High School that I hope to get more involved with next year.” Anyone interested in becoming a member of Dallas Rotary may talk to any current member, get more information on Rotary In- ternational from their Internet site and watch the paper for more details on their membership mix- er. athletics while 1 haven’t said this” week, 'm here byt | Petition wo BR the tj Put everything into Hine to | college or | ’ a Pp | rounder ang B. Fraser “I've partici fe : v pated high Jump for only To yore and I've never done ap Spectacular,” | “High jump;j |all Tve frieq | Vaulting byt gj it very much.» g is aboy I tried ly dn’t go into | Athletics | States wag - fe John Gager was featured in a New Zealand newspaper during his stay in that nation in the mid-1960s. Exchange (continued from page 1) in getting the program up and running,” said Peggy Harvey, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Les Jordan. “She traveled to Europe, Brazil, and many other places with my father.” Dr. Jordan wanted the Rotary Exchange Program to be differ- ent from other programs avail- able in the 1950s. He saw a need for students to live in a family setting when they trav- eled. The program was designed for one year of travel to be spent with two or three different fami- lies. “We must have hosted at least 10 different students during those years. We still keep in touch,” said Peggy. She and her three sisters all participated in the exchange program in the 1960s. “I only went for a summer study ' program "to Austria. | knew I couldn't go for the full year but it was really wonder- ful,” she said. John Gager, of Dallas, did go for the full year, to New Zealand in 1966-67. The program had a great impact on his life. “I met my wife in New Zealand. We went to school to- gether when I was a senior in high school,” said Gager. “We corresponded for two years, then she came here for a Christ- mas holiday and I went back and worked there for a summer. We were married during my ju- nior year in college.” Gager and his wife, Beth, have two children, Allison, 27, and Phillip, 24. “Phillip caught a 30- inch, 10 pound rainbow trout on his last trip to New Zealand,” said Gager. “My wife goes back every year.” Beth, who has now lived in the United States for 32 years, became a naturalized citizen this week. “It was the best year of my life. There is no experience like it.” Jeri Baranowski Daughter of Dr. Les Jordan Founder of Rotary International Student Exchange The Rotary Student Exchange Program is not presently active in the Dallas Club. Current members are not of an age to want to host high school stu- dents. Many did act as host families in the past and would like to see new members join and take on that responsibility. “For two years, 1999-2001, the local club did agree to spon- sor the program and two Lake- Lehman students participated. I found the local host families,” said Jeri Baranowski, Dr. Jor- dan’s daughter and a teacher at Lake-Lehman High School. “I am really hoping that they will consider it again in the fu- ture,” said Baranowski, who traveled to England from 1966- 67. “It was the best year of my life. There is no experience like it.” She has also acted as a host family to students from Bolivia and Sweden. “We keep in close touch with our ‘daughters’ and have been to Sweden to visit a few times. We hope to go to Bolivia, also.” She is a strong proponent of the benefits of the Rotary Ex- change program through her many family experiences with it. “Students today pass up too many opportunities. They don’t understand that an experience like this prepares them for everything else in life,” Bara- nowski said. POST PHOTO/M.B. GILLIGAN John and Beth Gager at home in Dallas. They met when John was a Rotary exchange student to New Zealand in the mid-1960s. Beth returns to her native country each year, and their two children have visited there.
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