PROGRAM:
Ronald J. Naples currently serves as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Stimulus Oversight Commission and Chief Accountability Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, having been named by Governor Rendell in April, 2009.

Mr. Naples was the Chief Executive Officer of Quaker Chemical Corporation , and it’s Chairman of the Board..  Previously, he was Chairman and Chief Executive of Hunt Manufacturing Company from 1981 to 1995.

He served as the Executive Director of a Presidential Task Force on energy problems and is a former White House Fellow.

Mr. Naples holds a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, and a Master of Arts (1972) in International Economic Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.  Mr. Naples received a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy.

Our speaker is a Viet Nam veteran where in he was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, the Air Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.

Mr. Naples is Chairman of the Board of the University of the Arts. and has served s  as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.  He also serves on the boards of directors of The Philadelphia Museum of Art, American Red Cross (Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter), the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and the Rock School for Dance Education.and is also a director of P. H. Glatfelter Company and Glenmede Trust Company.

Mr. Naples and his wife have three children and have opened their home over the years to 15 foster children.

James P. Creedon was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of General Services (DGS) on July 6, 2005, and oversees one of the largest operating departments to support the core operations of Pennsylvania state government. DGS has a $160 million operating budget and over 1,200 employees. Most recently, Secretary Creedon was appointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell as Pennsylvania’s Chief Implementation Officer for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Secretary Creedon is a member of the governing bodies of the State Public School Building Authority, the Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority, the Capitol Preservation Committee, and a member of the PENNVEST Board.

Secretary Creedon joined DGS as Deputy Secretary for Public Works in 2003. As deputy secretary, he managed and coordinated hundreds of commonwealth-funded construction projects, helping to improve the quality of services while reducing the cost of operations.

A life-long resident of the Lehigh Valley, Secretary Creedon received both a bachelor's (1983) and MBA (1991) from Lehigh University. he has served as both manager and consultant to the Martin Simonds Associates, Seattle, WA., where he provided management consulting services to engineering and architectural firms throughout the United States and Canada.

Secretary Creedon also served as Vice-President for Communications and Community Affairs, and later as Senior Vice-President for Business Development, North America, with United Water.  He is also an adjunct faculty member of Temple University’s Graduate Program in Community and Regional Planning, where he teaches courses in Project Management and in Continuity of Operations.

Secretary Creedon and his wife have two sons and a daughter.

NEWS AND NOTES:

• MARK YOUR CALENDARS!     September 10th is the very special Happy Hour at Al Baker’s$20 to Harrisburg Rotary Foundation.    October 24th is the Annual Apple Harvest Pancake Breakfast.• Please send or give Linda your $10 cash or check for the 2009-10 Support the Troops effort.• HRF 100% participation goal – All Rotarians have received their $100 invoice for the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation.  We have already received 41% of our membership’s contributions.  •  The Harrisburg Rotary Club will have a Rotary Exchange Student from Bielefeld, Germany during the next school year.  Lukas Kebschull will be a Senior at Susquehanna Township High School.  We want to make sure that Lukas has an enjoyable and rewarding year.  Therefore, we are asking the members of our Club to provide entertainment opportunities to him over the next year.  If you have Senators tickets, Penn State tickets, HersheyPark tickets, Hershey Bears tickets, Whitaker Center tickets, IMAX tickets, Theater tickets or tickets of any other kind that you can donate to Rotary for use by Lukas and his host families, please give them to Linda at any Rotary meeting.

Lukas will also be available for dinner/other invitations with Harrisburg Rotarians and their families.  We have been told that Lukas is an excellent golfer.  If you would like to invite Lukas to join you or your family, please contact Dave Bedard (Lukas' Rotary Counselor) after August 17th to get on Lukas' calendar.

Thank you for helping to make our Foreign Youth Exchange Program more successful.

Caryn Carr & Ron Guss
Youth Exchange Committee Co-chairs    • Looking for Doubles Team tennis players. The District Doubles Tennis Tournament will be held on September 17th at Allenberry from 2:30-5:30 PM with dinner to follow.  Cost to players will be approximately $40 (which includes court time and dinner).  Please contact Linda if you are interested.

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  8/10/09       56%
Rotarians  64     Active Specials   7           Guests    5     Visiting Rotarians  0   = 76

Minutes by: Karen Paris
Today’s meeting was called together by our fearless leader, El Presidenta, Carolyn.  Caryn Carr led us in a round of “God Bless America” and Bridget Montgomery  gave the invocation.

Ron Guss made a presentation from the Youth Exchange Committee.  That Committee meets today following Rotary and needs your help in two ways.  1) Lukas, our exchange student, arrives on Wednesday – we still need host families.  2) The committee is looking for members – please join if you can help in any way.  President Carolyn, who has hosted several students, noted that this is, indeed, a great committee to be part of.

Howard Ross attended the Public Image seminar.  First, he announced that he has NO problem with public image.  Second he stated that the seminar should be called a Public Relations Seminar.  Thirty people attended the seminar led by our own Bob P.R. Works Saline (He was the only one who wanted to change the title, wasn’t he, Bob?)    According to Howard, Bob has a real hands-on approach where you get to see yourself over and over and… and get critiqued in many positive ways.    Howard warned us to never volunteer for anything in front of Bob or we’ll be held to it ten times over.  Howard was subsequently interviewed by a reporter regarding the seminar; he told the reporter the seminar was great and he urged us all to attend.  Howard, what did you tell the reporter you had in your sack that you had to have a permit for, again?

President Carolyn said that she really missed us last week when she was on vacation.  (Don’t we recite the four way test every week and isn’t the first principle “Is it the Truth?”)  She also urged everyone to make out a check today for the Troops citing John Smither’s commitment to this as well as recognizing that no one can say it as well as he can.

Fran Seeger was re-welcomed with a “blue badge” after her first six months in the Club.

Carolyn then noted that the DC (District Conference) will be held jointly with another District; dates are April 22 – 25 in Gettysburg.  She urged everyone to attend.

President Carolyn then introduced Connie Spark, our District Governor.  Connie is a member of the York East Club, joining after she participated in a GSE in Denmark.  DG Connie is relentless in her international work.  She has been on several Rotary missions in many foreign countries.  She has also received many awards.

DG Connie thanked the Rotary Club of Harrisburg for its dedication to Rotary’s mission.  She also gave special thanks to the Club for leading the Foose School Mission.  Connie reviewed the many ways that our Club supported the Community in 2008-09 and thanked us.  She also noted that we are her 5th visit out of many.

Connie noted that as Rotarians we realize that with determination, thoughtful direction, and hard work we can solve problems in the world one at a time.  As we stand on the shoulders of past Rotarians, it is our responsibility to determine Rotary’s future.

She reminded us of the 2009-10 theme – The Future of Rotary is in your Hands.  In order to support Rotary International, we must increase our membership.  All clubs so far have expressed concern with membership issues and future growth; our task is to ask others to join.  Connie thanked Bob Saline for helping us get the word out about joining Rotary.  While our District had 3000 members in the 1990’s, we now have just over 2500.

Connie spoke about our RI President’s expectations of us.  First is to continue to support Polio Plus.  The second would be to support international projects in the areas of water & sanitation, health and hunger, and illiteracy.

Through service, fellowship, diversity, initiative, leadership and public image, Connie left it up to each member to decide how to best support the Rotary values and mission.  She pledged herself to help in any way she can.

Rotarians need to contribute to RI’s Foundation, participate locally and participate internationally.  DG Connie recognizes that the economy has hit us all, but asked for our support of the $100 to the RI Foundation and to get one new member.  She noted that John Judson will lead a group of Club Foundation Coordinators to re-structure how foundation priorities in the District are set and how the Foundation operates.  She noted that the District will continue to match grants; however RI’s foundation will not support any matching grants for the rest of the year.

We were urged again to attend the joint District Conference with District 7320 in April.  She closed with the message of making Rotary history together.

Yours truly also credited Andy the Man with the great RI billboards running for the District.

President Carolyn presented the Al Morrison album and we all recited the 4-Way Test.

• Ronald Naples and James Creedon
  August 17, 2009 (12:00 PM)
  (Weekly Meetings)
  
  Ronald Naples, Chairman of PA Stimulus Oversight Commission and James Creedon, Secretary, PA Dept of General Service will address the club on "What's Happening with the Stimulus Funds in Pennsylvania" at the Rotary meeting at Noon at the Hilton.
• Dr. Gerald Kohn, Superintendent of Harrisburg School District
  August 24, 2009 (12:00 PM)
  (Weekly Meetings)
  
  Dr. Gerald Kohn will speak to the Club and receive the grant money from HRF.
• Pancake Breakfast Committee Meeting at 1:15 PM
  August 24, 2009 (1:15 PM)
  (Committee Meetings)
• Pancake Breakfast Meeting 1:15 PM
  August 24, 2009 (1:15 PM)
  (Committee Meetings)
• Community Service Award
  August 31, 2009 (12:00 PM)
  (Weekly Meetings)
  
  The 2009 Community Service Award will be presented to Tom Johnston at today's Rotary meeting.  Please join us as we thank Tom for his "Service Above Self" in the community.