PROGRAM:
Congressman Holden, born March 5, 1957, is a native of St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Public service has played an integral role in Tim's family history. His father, Joseph "Sox" Holden was a four term County Commissioner. His great grandfather, John Siney, was founder of the Miners Benevolent Association, which evolved into the United Mine Workers.

After attending St. Mary's Elementary School and St. Clair Area High School, he received an athletic scholarship to Fork Union Military Academy, completing one year of college prep. Tim earned a football scholarship to the University of Richmond but an unfortunate bout with tuberculosis cut short his college career. After recuperating, Tim completed his education at Bloomsburg University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology.

In 1980 Tim earned his license as an insurance broker and real estate agent, enabling him to gain experience in the family business. Tim went on to work as a probation officer and then sergeant-at-arms for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Tim was Sheriff of Schuylkill County from 1985 to 1992.

Tim began his eighth term as a Member of Congress in January 2007. The Seventeenth District is comprised of Schuylkill, Dauphin and Lebanon Counties, as well as part of Perry and Berks Counties.

Tim has been a member of the Agriculture Committee since 1993, and was recently appointed Vice Chairman of the House Agriculture committee in the 110th Congress. He was also selected to serve as the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, and continues to serve on the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee. In the 105th Congress, Tim was appointed to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Tim serves on the Transportation Subcommittees on Highways and Transit and Aviation.
He and his wife Gwen live in St. Clair, Schuylkill County.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:             
August 25         James I. Scheiner, P.E., Vice President, Century Engineering, Inc.
Hilton               “Transportation in PA:  The good the bad and the ugly!”

September 8     Robert J. DeSousa, CEO The Vartan Group
Hilton                “My all expense paid vacation to Iraq”

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.

NEWS AND NOTES:  

• You're invited to Al Baker's Happy Hour on Thursday, September 11th from 5:30-7:30 PM.  This fabulous event will have a $20 minimum donation the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation for the Ecology Project.
Please RSVP to Linda: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with how many will be attending.

• New magnetic Rotary badges will be available soon.  If you have a pacemaker or cannot have a magnet near your body, please contact Linda so that she can put your badge on a string.
• Please note By-laws amendments that were e-mailed and on the information table at the Rotary meeting.  The vote will be on August 18.
• Special Thanks to Andy Rebuck and Lamar Advertising for currently running the Rotary design on the digital poster unit on Route 22 at El Rodeo Restaurant.
• DISTRICT INFO: 
-- August 21  from 5-9 PM. Please see the flier on the information table for the Byres HEC Clean-Up Night (515 S. George Street) scheduled for Light supper served.  Last year we had 55 Rotarians use some elbow grease to make the center shine! Let’s beat that number this year!
-- August 25 Membership Seminar –free—6:30 to 8:30 at Wyndham Garden Hotel.
-- September 13 THE ROTARY FOUNDATION SEMINAR   Susan Byrnes HEC, 515 S. George Street, York, PA 17401  8:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon

For more information contact District Initiatives chair Diane McNaughton or Linda.
For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TV
or check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  8/11/08       60%                      
Rotarians   90    Active Specials  10    Guests  6 Visiting Rotarians 0    = 106

Minutes by Karen Paris: 
Oh, what was missing?  That empty background noise turned out to be the sounds of silence because we were missing “Big Al Morrison”, our pianist.  Not to worry, however because  as soon as President Barry called the meeting to order Jean Beatty recognized the strength of leading an a capella group singing “America the Beautiful”.   She set the right tone (not too high or low) and we all did just fine, thank you very much.  The invocation was led by Albert Schmidt who on an impromptu basis gave us in a meaningful quote from Exodus.   After a long meet-and-greet among members, visiting Rotarians and guests were introduced by Steve Feinour. 

President Barry asked the group to applaud Al Morrison, in acknowledgement that we really missed what he adds to our meetings.

Ex-president Carrie shared two clips from the paper, including one on a member who was just introduced today!  Great forethought in knowing that, Carrie.  “Carrie’s Clips” will become a permanent addition to the agenda under President Barry;  if you see something in the news, clip it for Carrie, please.

We were privileged to welcome three new members to the Club today.  Carolyn Dumaresq introduced them and presented them new badges.  John and Chris Cavanaugh who have recently moved to Harrisburg from out-of-state are joining us as former Rotarians, and Joyce Libby who is already part of the community is coming to the Club via Peggy Grove’s sponsorship. 

The big announcement today is that we are getting new “MAGNETIC” badges (I thought we already had a magnetic personality as a Club…)  N.B.  If you cannot use magnetic due to health issues, see Linda Freedenberg. 

President Barry also announced that because the date for Homecoming at Harrisburg High has been changed, the Pancake Breakfast is now on the “fast track” for October 11, 2008!!! There will be a meeting today at 1:15 PM.  All new Rotarians were invited to join the Committee.

Bob Hostetter did his usual superb introduction of our speaker, Thomas Wolf, the Secretary of the PA Department of Revenue.  Mr. Wolf comes to Harrisburg via York, the community in which he has lived all his life.  He interrupted his college career to go into the Peace Corps but his wife entreated him to tell us that he did finish college.  Actually, the Peace Corps diversion sounds like it was a great move because following that, he got a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth, a Master’s from the University of London, and a PhD from MIT. 

Mr. Wolf told us that we should refer to the novel “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and just substitute “Wolf” and “Harrisburg” and we can then get a pretty good picture of his last 18 months on the job.  Prior to taking the position with the Commonwealth,  he had a long history of both private enterprise and community service, having run a family business, and serving on several community/charitable organizations’ boards in the York area. 

Secretary Wolf has made it a point to visit almost all 1200 people throughout the Commonwealth who work for the Department of Revenue during his brief tenure there.  He says he is impressed by their dedication and willingness to serve the State’s needs.  Those visits helped him to get to understand the Dept. of Revenue much better; as a new employee of the State, he did not have the advantages that he had at his family’s company, in which he worked himself up through the ranks.  (He claimed to be at one time the only forklift operator in York County with a PhD!)  He presented five treatises on his perspectives about State government, all of which provided us a fresh view of the Commonwealth’s inner workings.  

In the Q&A period, Richard Utley, who works for the Auditor General, asked Secretary Wolf to confirm a rumor he’s heard on the Hill – that Mr. Wolf may choose to run for Governor of PA in the next election.  As with any question in the political arena, I’m not sure that the answer was either yes or no; it sounded like a maybe to me…

Following Mr. Wolf’s presentation, President Barry presented him with a CD of Al Morrison so he can hear the “real thing” and we were sent on our way.

Great meeting, Mr. President!