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Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill Celebrates 30 Years of Service
Editor’s note: This article appeared in the November 13 issue of the Chestnut Hill Local.
At 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 5, a large crowd gathered inside Center on the Hill, a community hub located in The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The atmosphere was jubilant as the attendees mingled and shared breakfast together.
This was a meeting of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill, a network of neighbors who strive to help others through service and fellowship. Although the group meets every week, this particular morning was different: The Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill was celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Since 1995, the club has been a constant presence in the Northwest Philadelphia community and beyond, with local volunteer and philanthropic efforts as well as global initiatives. With 30 years of service under their belt, the Rotarians had plenty to celebrate — and even more to look forward to in the future.
History of the club
The idea for the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill was born in the early 1990s, when half a dozen neighbors joined forces to form a service-based membership organization for Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown. Enthusiasm grew over a series of meetings in the Chestnut Hill Hotel and on Oct. 1, 1995, the club was formally initiated as part of Rotary International. The Chestnut Hill group was the first “spin-off” sponsored by the Rotary Club of Philadelphia.
Of the first 27 members, three Rotarians still remain current participants: Rebecca Anwar, Maxine Dornemann, and Phil Tankel. According to Dornemann, being a member of the group has changed her life.
“I’m an Episcopal priest so I have friends who are Jewish, other faiths, or no faiths that I would have never met if it were not for Rotary,” Dornemann told the Local. “[In Rotary] you try to make the world care about people who are hurting and you bond with people when you’re working together in that way. It’s not the only service club, but I like to say it’s the best one.”
Anniversary celebration
At the celebration on Nov. 5, club members and guests reflected on the organization’s roots and discussed how it can continue to grow.
Cathy Brzozowski, president of the club, spoke about her connection to Rotary, inspired by the legacy of her father, Ned Mitinger, who was a devoted member for 24 years.
“I saw the club’s work distributing dictionaries in local schools (including Jenks [Academy for the Arts and Sciences], where I attended through 5th grade), supporting neighborhood partners, and improving our corner of Philadelphia, and thought, ‘I want to be part of that,’” Brzozowski said.
Other speakers included Jan Biros, governor of Rotary District 7450 in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Corinne Scioli, principal of Jenks and a Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill member. Members discussed a relief fund for Jamaican communities devastated by Hurricane Melissa and donated a $1,000 check to Face to Face Germantown, a nonprofit that provides social services. The meeting also included a speech from Elliot Schwartz, a member of the club since 1996, and an “In Memoriam” video honoring former members.
Core missions
Since its founding three decades ago, the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill has focused its efforts on four core missions: supporting education, improving communities, responding to disasters and fighting disease, and protecting the environment.
For the group’s educational initiatives, Rotary has worked with schools such as Jenks, Eleanor C. Emlen, Henry H. Houston, and Anna L. Lingelbach. Efforts include distributing dictionaries to students, building playgrounds, planting trees, and funding a lending library.
The club’s community outreach has focused on relief and aid for people experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, working with organizations such as Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels and the Papermill Food Hub. Members have also taken on international projects in countries such as Guyana and Uganda, providing support for orphaned children and impoverished families.
Disaster response and disease fighting often takes the form of contributions to organizations such as PolioPlus in the effort to eradicate polio or Prevention Point Philadelphia in the effort to care for those with substance abuse disorders.
Lastly, Rotary prioritizes protecting the environment through park maintenance, electronics recycling, and environmental volunteering.
‘United for Good’
All of Rotary’s efforts are made possible through fundraising. The organization has held events such as art auctions, pancake breakfasts, chili cookoffs, and several iterations of the Ducky Derby, in which donors “adopted” rubber ducks before they raced down a watery course. The club’s longest-running fundraiser is Lobster Fest, an annual cookout that netted more than $28,000 this September.
Even with plenty of initiatives keeping members busy, the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill is also striving to expand its reach and engagement. The organization had 59 active members as of October, but Brzozowski is eager to attract even more.
“It’s less about what one person can do and more about what we can accomplish when we unite for service,” Brzozowski said. “For me, being in Rotary is a reminder that service is contagious: One project inspires the next, and together we walk forward, ‘United for Good.’”
To learn more about the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill, visit chestnuthillrotary.org.
Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.
If you like the great work of the Local, you may make a donation for the Chestnut Hill Local Emergency Appeal by mailing a check to the Chestnut Hill Community Association, 8434 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Please note the donation is for the Chestnut Hill Local.
