PROGRAM:
Joyce M. Davis is a veteran broadcast and newspaper journalist, as well as author of 2 books on international affairs.

Ms. Davis is now Senior Vice President, Content, for WITF, Inc., a public media center in Harrisburg, PA. that is a PBS and NPR affiliate.  Ms. Davis supervises WITF TV and WITF FM, an NPR and PRI affiliate.  She also supervises the monthly magazine, Central PA. as well as WITF's internet news sites.

From 2003-2007, Ms. Davis was based in Prague, Czech Republic, as Associate Director of Broadcasting for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, supervising broadcast services to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia.  She also served as deputy foreign editor for Knight Ridder Newspapers, then the second largest newspaper chain in the U.S.  Ms. Davis spent 7 years with National Public Radio as an on-air reporter, foreign editor, and acting Director of News Staffing.

Ms. Davis is the author of two books on the Middle East and Islamic affairs: "Between Jihad and Salaam: Profiles in Islam," published in 1997; and "Martyrs: Innocence, Vengeance and Despair in the Middle East," published in 2001.  She is a former fellow with the United States Institute of Peace and Journalistes En Europe, a program sponsored by Columbia University and the Center for the Formation and Perfection of Journalism in Paris, France.

Ms. Davis has served as chair of the National Press Club’s Forums Committee and has spoken to audiences around the world on issues of international affairs , terrorism, the divide between the West and the Islamic world, and interfaith dialogue.  Ms. Davis has lectured at the U.S. Naval War College on the motivations of terrorism and has addressed audiences at West Point, the United Nations, the U.S. State Department’s Open Forum and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Ms. Davis is a former Pew Journalist in Residence at Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced International Studies, as well as a member of the advisory boards of Women in International Security, the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and the Globalist.

In 2006, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Kyrgyz International University for her work in helping to develop an independent media in the country.  She also attended Loyola University in New Orleans from 1970-74; and the Center for the Formation and Perfection of Journalism in Paris from 1989-89.

She lives in Middletown with her husband and son.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:             

January 5      Dr. Joyce Davis, Senor VP Content for WITF Hilton          “My View For The World On The Eve Of A New Year”

January 12      Robert D. Hanson Rotary Excellence Award Hilton

January 19      NO MEETING

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

NEWS AND NOTES:  
• Meal charge in 2009 will be $14 for Guests, Visiting Rotarians and Active Specials.

• The Rotary Club of Harrisburg will host Breakfast meetings on Thursday, January 15th and Tuesday, January 27th at the Diner in Homeland Center (1901 N. 5th Street) at 7:00 AM.  No cost.  Please come to use this as a meeting make-up or opportunity to bring a prospective member.  RSVP to Linda by Wednesday, January 14.

• The Nominating Committee welcomes nominations in writing until January 4 for the Vice- President position (President 2011-12) and the four Board vacancies (serve 2009-11). Rotarians must have at least 3 years of Rotary service.

•  4th Annual Teacher Impact Awards seek to recognize teachers (Pre-K – 12) who have made a significant difference in the lives of their students. Nominations are being accepted now thru January 30, 2009. Five winners will receive a plaque and $1000 to their school. Form is available from Linda or online at www.office7390.org

• HOST FAMILY NEEDED in Central Dauphin High School: Paul (Po-Kai) Huang, our 17-year old Rotary exchange student from Taiwan needs a Host Family.  Since he is attending Central Dauphin High School, we are seeking a 2nd and 3rd host family in that area.  We are looking for a host family from mid-December through March and another host family from late March until July 1st.  Please contact Linda or Ron Guss.     
• DISTRICT INFO: 

     2008 District Conference  April 30-May 1

Check out the tentative schedule:

Thursday, April 30 Golf Tournament—Country Club of York
Friday, May 1– Yorktowne Hotel Plenary / Breakout Sessions
Lunch/ Factory Tours including Harley Davidson
Dinner at Sovereign Bank Stadium

Saturday, May 2—Yorktowne Hotel - Plenary Sessions
Lunch/ Downtown/HistoricalTours/ Governors Banquet

  Registration materials will be available shortly!!

    100th Rotary International Convention  Birmingham, England  June 21-24, 2009
Register Online! (Ask Linda for your RI # or check your Rotarian magazine mailing label)  It’s convenient and secure. Your confirmation materials will be e-mailed to you.  Birmingham Convention Bureau will handle all individual and group housing requests. Reservations are filled as requested. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You will receive a hotel confirmation from the Birmingham Convention Bureau indicating the hotel name, address, room rate per night, room type requested, and dates reserved. All housing changes/inquiries must be made directly to the Birmingham Convention Bureau until 8 May 2009. Please return your completed reservation form by 17:00 GMT on 8 May 2009.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR KATRINA BUILD

Joining Hands, District 7390’s disaster relief project, will be building its second new construction home along the Mississippi gulf coast from January 5th – March 27th, 2009. Major financial support will be coming from a $15,500.00 District Simplified Grant. Clubs participating in this Grant are Hanover, Colonial Park, York, York North, Carlisle, Hershey, West York, Mechanicsburg North, Littlestown and Mt. Joy.

Volunteers to help with the building are needed for any of the following weeks. Some of the weeks have Rotarian Crew Chiefs. Needed are skilled construction/handymen, painters, and folks just
willing to help. Construction framing/roofing/siding phase will be January 5-8, January 12-17, January 19-23 with Crew Chief Jason Mead from Colonial Park Rotary, and January 26-30 with Crew Chief Chuck Van de Water from East York County Rotary. Drywall Installation will be February 16-20. Interior painting/flooring/cabinets/doors phase will be March 2-6 with Crew Chief Gail Crissey from Lancaster North East Rotary, March 9-13 with Crew Chief Randy Sibert from Colonial Park Rotary, March 16-20 with Crew Chief Peg Sennett from Hanover Rotary, and the week of March 23-27.

If you desire to volunteer but don’t want to work on the house, we can use cooks to prepare meals for the volunteers.

We will be housed at Camp Gospel, Pass Christian MS, an established camp that is currently housing volunteers. The camp is located on the beach, provides 3 meals, hot showers, bunk rooms, laundry facilities, fellowship, transport to/from airport. Volunteers either fly into Gulfport Airport or drive their own vehicles.

Learn more about the Joining Hands project and Camp Gospel at the District Web site. In left hand column of the site go to Search Our Site, type in Joining Hands and enter the site for District Relief. Volunteer by contacting Peg Sennett, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 630-8281. 

 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:  12/15/08       64%                    
Rotarians   73    Active Specials  18    Guests  20 Visiting Rotarians 2   = 113

Minutes by Mark Stone: 
President Barry Ramper opened our last meeting for the month of December at 12:19 PM. Jeff Boswell led us in prayer, followed by the pledge to our flag and the singing of God Bless America by the Harrisburg High School Choir.

Rotary Foundation Committee - Beth Peiffer reminded us of the important use of our $100 annual contribution to both the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation and the Rotary International Foundation that each member is ask to contribute by December 31st and June 30th respectfully.

Good News Reporting - Al Baker handled the good news reporting with the passing of the microphone within the membership.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests - Guy Patterson introduced Rotarians Jean Beatty, Betty Hungerford, Chuck Friedman and visiting rotarian Graham Hetrick who all introduced their guests.   

Rotarians in the News - Past President Carrie Wissler Thomas shared with us her newspaper clippings of Harrisburg Rotarians "doing good" in our community.

Salvation Army - Hal Hurwitz indicates that all time slots for our clubs participation in the "manning" of the kettle at Strawberry Square on Tuesday December 16th and Wednesday, December 17th are filled.  Members who signed up have the option of ringing a bell this year or using the rotating "ding"/"dong" sign from years past.
He thanked those who will give their time to assist the Salvation Army. On a related note, Jeff Boswell reminded Rotarians present of our competition with the Harrisburg Kiwanis Club for the "Kettle Award" which is awarded to the club whose solicits and collects the most money. Checks, payable to the Salvation Army, can be sent to Linda Freedenberg's attention at the Rotary Office with the designation "Harrisburg Rotary" in the memo section of the check.  

Presentation by Graham Hetrick,  Rotarian Colonial Park Rotary Club. Graham shared with us his community commitment by establishing Estamos Unidos, some fourteen years ago, which assists children within the Harrisburg School District. This organization will provide a hot meal to some 1,100 children on December 21st at the John Harris Campus of Harrisburg High School and is collecting toys for a distribution to children on December 20th. Toys can be dropped off at the Dauphin County Forensic Center located behind the former Dauphin County Nursing Home located off of Paxton Street in Harrisburg.

Mini Classification Talk - Dr. John Cavanaugh is the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), a fourteen member system of colleges in Pennsylvania who serve some 112,000 students. He informed us that 90% of these students originate from communities within Pennsylvania and that 80% of those who graduate take their first job in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PASSHE was formed in 1983 when the Commonwealth's State Colleges were integrated into a university system that PASSHE administers from their offices at Dixon Center, located on Front Street in Harrisburg.  PASSHE member schools offer academic programs in business, science, liberal arts, but is best known as the largest "producer" of teachers among academic institutions within the commonwealth. John and his wife were Rotarians in Pensacola, Florida where he had served as Chancellor of the University of West Florida until June 2008. Welcome to Harrisburg, John !

Resolution for Heath Allen - John A. Morefield introduced the family of our late friend and member, Heath Allen. Heath was a member of the Harrisburg Rotary Club for fifty-four year, seving as a board member for one term and was a Paul Harris Fellow. John reminded us of Heath's leadership within the Harrisburg community as a prominent attorney, member of Market Square Presbyterian Church, golfer, family man, and lover of his animals, friends and family.

Membership Development - Michael Carbon and Julie Girsch - Julie and Michael are hard at work reminding all of us of our role in bringing new members into our service club.  The first six month "challenge" introduced in July has been extended until January 31st. Additional opportunities to introduce prospective members to Harrisburg Rotary are available on Thursday, January 15th at 7:00 AM and Tuesday, January 27th at 7:00 AM at Homeland Center, where President Barry will host a breakfast.  Members who have joined our club since July were recognized. Our club goal is thirty-six new members by June 30, 2009.

Program - Harrisburg High School Choir - Bob Hostetter introduced Michael Clements, Director and five student members of the choir from Harrisburg High School who entertained us with some wonderful Christmas music.

Our next meeting will be on Monday, January 5, 2009 at noon at the Hilton Hotel.

President Ramper wished all a Happy Holiday season and concluded the meeting at 1:15 PM.