Meetings:
Tuesdays,
7:30 AM


Location:
Sheraton Bucks County, Ocford Valley Road, Langhorne
(opposite the Oxford Valley Mall)


Links:

Rotary
International

Join Rotary!

Contact Our
Club

Make Up at
eClubOne

District 7450
Rotary Calendar

Home Page

Awards:
Best Web Site
District 7450:
2003-2004
(the only year the award was given)

Presidential
Citation
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005

District Governor
Citation
Best Program Chair,
Bill Cowan - 2004

Commitment to  Service Award
District 7450,
Bill Cowan - 2005
(Rotary's Centennial year is the only year the award was given)

We are delighted to greet you and welcome you to the Family of Rotary! Unlike most networking groups or other clubs, because Rotary is an international organization there is no country you can visit without finding immediate acceptance, friendships and help - should you need it - through your membership in Rotary. Belonging to Rotary not only gives you personal fulfillment through the community and international service you will become involved with through the club, but connects you to some of the most powerful and influential people in the business and political world.

Visitors are always welcome! To join our club you need to contact a current member to be your sponsor. Our membership list is below - see who you might know that you can contact.  If you don't know anyone personally, contact our Club Secretary, Eric Stark , and he will be delighted to sponsor you.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about membership in Rotary:

Q: How often do I have to attend meetings?
A: Our club meets weekly, on Tuesday mornings, for breakfast. As a member you should make every effort to attend every meeting; however we all have occasions - either because of illness, business, vacation or other emergency - that we miss a meeting. When that happens it is important to make up the missed meeting, preferably at another local club, although you can also make up online. The reason is to continue to foster the fellowship and connection to community on which Rotary is based. Rotary is not a "Lone Ranger" outfit, but a network.

Q: What is the cost to join Rotary?
A: Rotary International has annual dues of $100 per member; our club dues are $130 per quarter, billed quarterly, to cover the cost of your breakfast. Both of these dues payments are required as part of membership. In addition, there is a one-time membership application fee of $30 (which covers the cost of your installation and new member materials). Twice annually we have events for which members are billed - our holiday party in December and the annual Installation Dinner (for new officers) in June. Each event is $35 per person, which is also billed on your quarterly invoice. If you miss a meeting and make-up, you will be credited for that meeting on your next invoice.

The above dues are required as a part of your membership in Rotary International and in the club itself.  During the year we also have various fundraisers, such as Pancake Day, our annual Raffle, Entertainment Books and so on, which help pay for our various programs and scholarships; some of these may involve a financial contribution, but that is strictly voluntary, and no member is required to participate. We also have our weekly fundraising opportunities: "Happy Dollars", in which a member may contribute one (or more) dollar bills because they are happy about something that has happened in their life (some Happy Dollars have included sports teams winning, finding frost on your windshield in the morning, the birth of a child, etc.) and the "50/50", in which tickets are sold ($1 each, 3 for $2) for a chance at the pot (the weekly winner always gets a prize).

Rotary International, as well as our District 7450, have Foundations that make charitable contributions locally and around the world. There are annual fundraising campaigns for both of these Foundations as well, and giving levels are suggested, but again, these are voluntary, and no one is required to contribute. The only mandatory fees are the annual dues to Rotary International and quarterly to the club.

Q: Are there residency or business requirements?
A: There are no strict residency requirements, and although most of our members live or work in the Levittown-Fairless Hills area. The geographic reference in our name is an indication of our area of service - what makes up our community.

Strictly speaking there can be only one representative of a business per club, however we have in the past waived that rule upon agreement by the current member of our club who is in that category. Some categories are so broad - accounting, for example - that more than one person, representing more than one facet of that profession, can become a member without waiving the rules.

Q: I've been to a couple of meetings, but I still don't understand what Rotary is about. Can it be explained simply?
A: Yes, in the Object of Rotary:

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 of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace  through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The weekly club meetings serve the first function primarily - to "foster the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service". No matter how large or small the club, you will inevitably meet business people that movers and shakers in the community. While not a networking group in a strict sense - as we do not promote our own businesses at  a club level at weekly meetings - it certainly is a part of what happens between the individuals. The hour we spend together once a week helps us to know one another better, so when we pull together in a service project our sphere of influence is that much greater.

Will you see amazing things happening at every meeting? Probably not, unless you look beneath the surface to see what happens through our efforts with fundraising, recognizing local students, seeing where we can reach out and touch other lives through the speakers we invite to educate and inform us. Then you will see the amazing things Rotary does in our community and in the world.

Q: What else do I need to do to be an active member?
A: To keep our club strong, every member needs to be involved in membership recruitment and retention. The easiest way to do that is simply invite friends and business associates to have breakfast with you one Tuesday morning. Our club also has   an annual membership drive, called "March Madness" - a contest to see how many guests and new members we can bring in. A point is given to the member for each   guest who visits; if they join the club the member gets 3 points. The person with the most points by the end of March wins a wonderful prize package. Last year's winner received a night for two at the Sheraton, with dinner and buffet breakfast included.

Upon your installation you will be asked to join a committee: Service, Fundraising or Family of Rotary, depending on your interests. Your active involvement in the activities of the committee are also a part of being an active member. Once a month we have "Club Assembly", in which the separate committees meet to discuss ongoing projects or develop new ones. Once a quarter the Club Assembly is for reports from the chairs so the entire club is kept current on developments.

At some point you may also be asked to be our Greeter for a month. This involves arriving about 10 minutes early to greet members and guests as they come to the meeting. It is not only good manners in regard to our guests, but also a way for you to get to know the other members of the club.

The club also has social occasions aside from the two annual events mentioned earlier. We've been to Trenton Thunder games and out to dinner at wonderful restaurants; our Family of Rotary committee is always planning new and fun things we can do not just as a club, but with our spouses and children, making up one big family that is Rotary.


You most probably have more questions that we have not included, but we hope we were able to cover some of the most basic ones for you. Please contact our Club President, Tim Birch, Secretary, Scott Krzywonos, or any member listed below to ask about anything that concerns or interests you, or to be sponsored for membership. Also listed are the speakers and events for the upcoming months. In addition we have quarterly informational meetings that will give you a good view of Rotary International as well as our club. If you are interested in attending that meeting, please contact Eric for the date.

We look forward to adding your name to our roster of business professionals in service to our community, and welcoming you into the family that is the Rotary Club of Levittown-Fairless Hills!

UPCOMING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS

Tuesday, August 14th: James Cawley, County Commissioner
Tuesday, August 21st: Allen Reese, Pathways-PA Programs
Tuesday, August 28th: Club Assembly and Committee Meetings
Tuesday, September 4th: Patrick Murphy, U.S. Congressman
Tuesday, September 11th: Bill Melody, Country Music
Tuesday, September 18th: Gene Marks, Penny Pinching Tips
Tuesday, September 25th: Club Assembly and Committee Meetings

Our next Club meeting is Tuesday, August 14, 2007, at 7:30 AM at the Sheraton Bucks County, on Oxford Valley Road. You are invited to join us for breakfast and discover what Rotary is all about!  Please note: The June 26th meeting is an evening meeting. Regular breakfast meetings resume on July 3rd.

Our next Board meeting is Thursday, August 16th, 2007 at 7:30 AM, in the conference room of Cowan & Kelly. All members of the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rotary club are welcome to attend any and all Board meetings.

Our next Rotary Information meeting date is to be determined, but will take place during our regular Tuesday morning meeting. You are invited to join us for breakfast and learn more about Rotary International and our club. This presentation is designed for new members and anyone interested in finding out more about Rotary. Breakfast is provided, courtesy of the club. To assure the best experience for everyone, we encourage you to make a reservation by contacting our club President, Dave Gill, Secretary, Eric Stark, or Committee Chair Laura Weber-Carnevale.

OUR MEMBERS

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