C. Kim Bracey was sworn-in as the 24th Mayor of the City of York on January 4, 2010. Her talk on July 21, 2010, will focus on the "State of the City" and her vision for the future of the city.  Mayor Bracey has a long history of helping revitalize the City of York. Read the rest of the article to find out.

The Youth Leadership Committee has completed the recognition of Students of the Month for 2009-2010 school year. There are 10 students attending the Rotary Leader's Conference at Messiah College from June 13-17th, 2010.

In addition, the Rotary Club of York donated an Ambassador Sponsorship for 11 students to attend the Hugh O’Brien Youth leadership conference at Millersville University, May 20-23, 2010.

The Rotary Club of York was entertained at their annual YORK PRIDE Club Meeting on April 7 at the Valencia Ballroom by talented youth from our community.  The students danced, sang and played musical instruments to the delight of almost 200 Rotarians and their guests.  Rotarians Lyn Bergdoll coordinated the program and Rotarian George Trout introduced the performers.  Student performers included The Treble Clef Quartet from Dallastown Middle School (Sam Ward, Aaron Ward, Rachel Writer and Jenna Abrahamsen), The Ward Boys Quartet composed of Samuel, Jacob, Aaron and Benjamin Ward, Vocalist Vanessa Trauger, Irish Dancers Hannah Dreibelbis and Joshua Srour,  Classical Pianist Alison Liu, Dancer Samantha Herman, Vocalist Allegra Ketterman, Dancer Eric Hue, and volinist Ashley Gochoco.

Click on the title to see a photo of the performers.

On May 19, our speakers will be the inbound Youth Exchange Students, talking about the experiences and challenges they have had during this year.   The students are Mizuho Takahashi from Japan, Sebastian Chiriloae from Romania and Diana Izurieta is from Ecuador. Clickon the title for a photo and more information on these outstanding ambassadors.

The CAREER NETWORKING Committee’s role is to introduce unemployed professional people to Rotarians, in order to expand the network of contacts for those seeking employment with the ultimate goal of helping them secure a job.   If you know of an unemployed professional who could benefit from a Career Networking opportunity,   contact Committee Chair Carolyn Schaefer (cschaefer@yorktraditionsbank.com ) for information.

Representatives from Crispus Attucks' YouthBuild Charter School, York Academy Regional Charter School, and Logos Academy will engage Rotary members in a panel presentation on March 31.

Their presentation will highlight the similarities and differences between the three schools and how they are working to provide choices beyond a traditional public education.

The year 2010 marks the 20th year of the Farm & Natural Lands Trusts efforts to preserve critical agricultural and environmental lands in York County.  This exciting presentation will cover what we’ve done, how we do it, what we’re up to in the future and how our efforts effect citizens and businesses in the area.  It won’t be boring!  FNLT board president Dave Davidson, FNLT legal counsel Tim Bupp and executive director Sean Kenny will bring a humorous and informative approach to how FNLT accomplishes the mission of preserving our farm and natural lands for future generations.  With over 80 properties totaling close to 8,000 acres, chances are you’re enjoying the benefits of land preservation and you don’t even know it!

Check out the following page for some examples of the natural beauty of our county.

The program for February 17, 2010, featuredd a presentation by Kim Young that focused on the York County Envirothon and also gave us a close look at "Thermal", a real red-tailed hawk.

The members of the Rotary Club of York s' Charitable Endowment Fund Committee face a daunting challenge every spring.  There is never enough money to fill all of the requests from non-profit organization which help underprivileged children in our community.  The Endowment Fund proceeds plus additional money donated by club members meant that the club could issue grants totaling  over $22,000 last year.  Organizations must be 501(c)3 registered to apply for a grant, and there are many such organizations in our community that provide needed services for children who might not otherwise receive the support  they need.

Auntie Anne’s has grown from a single outlet in 1988 to more than 1000 locations worldwide and a workforce of more than 10,000.  Auntie Anne's, with its international headquarters in Lancaster, PA., has found a niche among snack-seeking mall shoppers. Today, Auntie Anne’s has over 300 franchisees in 19 countries and continues to be recognized for its superior product and service standards.

Anne Beiler will be our featured speaker on Wednesday, January 20,2010.  Don't miss it.

Upon starting my position as Executive Director of Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, I spent several months 'settling in' to my new position until I felt it was time to join the Rotary Club of York, PA.  I must say, after working for the York County Chamber of Commerce for over five years, I missed the regular interaction with community leaders, so I was excited to join.

The District 7390 Youth Exchange committee recently completed a two weekend process of qualifying high school students between the ages of 15 1/2 to 18 1/2 to participate in the year long exchange program.

Rotary Youth Exchange students spend up to a year living with a few host families and attending school in a different country.  You’ll learn a new way of living, a great deal about yourself, and even a new language. You’ll also be an ambassador, teaching people you meet about your country, culture, and ideas. You can help bring the world closer – and make some good friends in the process.  More than 8,000 young people each year have experiences like these through Rotary Youth Exchange. 

Jim Poland just wants to share that our Veterans Networking With Rotarians event went very well.  As you recall it was held shortly after our weekly club meeting last Wednesday on Veterans’ Day.

Check out the photo gallery to see some of the photos from the 'wildly successful' District 7390 conference.  Click Here

For Earth Day 2009, members and volunteers of the Rotary Club of York, PA, Preserve Planet Earth Committee were at a local school to plant a tree and read a story about trees to students of the school.