District Governor Karen DeMatteo was the speaker at the Sept 12 Rotary Luncheon. Karen is a 10-year Rotarian, has traveled to Honduras on projects and looks forward to her service as District Governor (DG). DG Karen gave out pins with the Theme for the year “Rotary Connects the World”. .jpg)
DG Karen DeMatteo 
L to R: Pres. Sandy Lane, exchange students Jana, Ale, Kike and DG Karen DeMatteo
Our RI Pres. wants us to grow Rotary and for our projects to increase our impact in our communities. Rotary has spent 20 years on polio eradication and raised billions of dollars to this end.
She then introduced our very own Samantha Maruzzelli as the new District Membership Chair and the source of resources to help grow membership, do meet and greets, and hold Fireside chats to educate members in the basics of Rotary. The Learning center at Rotary.org is a valuable resource with great classes.
Rotary Leadership Institute is coming up Oct 26 at Lackawanna College in Scranton from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. It is a BOGO opportunity. For every 2 members paid for by a club, 1 will be refunded after they attend the course.
Sam and DG Karen are starting a new club in the District in Swiftwater with the employees of Sanofi Pasteur, who are the only manufacturers of the polio vaccine. They are looking to have the meetings outside the factory at a local restaurant for these employees.
The polio fundraiser at the RailRiders Game was a success with $3,000 raised. Karen has also asked each club to donate $1,000 to polio and we have already allocated $2,000 for a polio donation from the club.
Rotary will be the major featured sponsor for the Steamtown Marathon Oct 12 & 13. 3,000 runners will have the end polio now and Rotary wheel on their shirts. The Race is the 13th. Oct 12 is the Expo day, where the runners go to pick up their bibs and info. The expo site will include a Rotary booth.
District Conference will be 2 single day conferences: Apr 18, 2020 9-9 PM at Shadowbrook and May 2 at Woodloch in Hawley. There will be different content at both. There will be Memorial services at each, 1 traditional, 1 a lantern release.
DG Karen DeMatteo
L to R: Pres. Sandy Lane, exchange students Jana, Ale, Kike and DG Karen DeMatteo