November 5, 2008 – The club hosted the high school students-of-the-month. Meghan Ferry of Brandywine Heights High School is the daughter of Janet and Stephen Ferry. She was Brandywine’s representative to  the Berks County Outstanding Young Women competition. She has participated in Concert Choir, Choraliers, Key Club, Spanish Club, County Chorus, District Chorus, NHS, and Genesis Bible Club. She is active in her church. She works as an after-school babysitter.
Adam Galczynski of Kutztown is the son of Denise and Jerry Galczynski. He is has participated in baseball, football, track & field, NHS, and student council. He has assisted with youth sports and with church dinners. He works at the Dryville Hotel.

November 12 – Patt McCloskey introduced the evening’s speaker, Dr. Derek Mace, professor of psychology at Kutztown University. He demonstrated that our memory is a “kaleidoscope,” rather than a mirror, Rolodex, or even an Etch-a-Sketch as one of us opined, that we take in information and associate it with other bits of information that our mind already holds, to some strange outcomes. He gave us lists of associative words to remember, left the topic, and five minutes later asked us to write down all the words we remembered. Most of us remembered the word “sleep” although it wasn’t on the list, because sleep was the theme of the list. He had us look at a picture and answer the question about the speed the cars were probably going when they “smashed” or “hit” depending on the version we received. Usually, although not for this rational Rotary group, faster speeds are estimated for the “smashed” question than for the “hit” question. We were tested on our memory of the head of a penny, and whether there was a woman in the crashed-cars picture. All proving hindsight is kaleidoscopic.

November 19 – At the Club Assembly, Jim Springer asked each of us to explain why we joined Rotary and asked for our help regarding membership. Terry Simmons from the West Reading/Wyomissing club gave examples of clubs with membership-building strategies that are working. District Governor-elect Mike McCarthy, Pottstown club, talked about the RI Foundation and why “Every Rotarian Every Year” is important. Then Yvette Palmer asked for support of the on-air auction which was devised to provide funding for matching the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant of $100 million for PolioPlus.
In other business, D. Lutz reported that we have $5,559 in checking and $9,464 in savings. Jim Springer reported that we earned about $2,000 on Flatworks and that we are committed to continuing the yearly event for the next 2 years (we made that agreement with Synergy, the credit-card processing supplier).

November 26 — Thanksgiving

Announcements

• Board meetings are the 3rd Wed. of the month.
• To contribute to the RI Foundation’s Annual Program Fund (“Every Rotarian Every Year”) you can make out your check to Rotary Foundation and give it to Steve Henning who will coordinate with Dennis to send your contribution in with the club’s matching funds.

Birthdays

• 12/8—N. Hildenbrand

Anniversaries

• 12/29 —J. Springer

Programs

• 12/3—Student of the Month
• 12/10—Christmas Party
• 12/17—Foundation Night
• 12/24—No meeting (Christmas)

Board Meetings are the Third Wednesday of the Month

Kutztown Rotary Club Officers

Avenues of Service

Meetings: Seasons Grille – east end of Kutztown near 222 Bypass; Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM