Thank you to everyone who joined us for our June “Change Over” night. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the accomplishments of the past year and looking ahead to another year of service and fellowship.
I also want to apologize for the summer hiatus on the Rotary bulletin! As many of you know, I’ve been a little busy moving Care & Share from Souderton to our new location in Harleysville. It has been quite a summer, and I appreciate everyone’s patience—and all of you who asked, “Where’s the bulletin?” I’m glad you missed it!
For those who were unable to attend our Change Over, I’ve included my speech in this issue. It was an honor to serve as your president, and I’m grateful for the support, friendship, and encouragement I received throughout the year.
And now, the gavel has been passed to Frank Tranzilli. I know Frank is going to be a great president, and I’m excited to see all that he and our club will accomplish together in the coming year.
Thank you again for being such a wonderful Rotary family. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things—and getting our bulletin back on track!
Sarah Bergin
Immediate Past President
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My speech from the evening
Tonight, as I reflect on this past year, I can't help but think of one of my favorite movie scenes from The Sound of Music.
Maria leaves the convent on her way to the Von Trapp villa, terrified. She knows she's completely out of her comfort zone. So she begins singing, "I Have Confidence." What's funny is that if you really listen to the song, she's trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
She sings:
"Strength doesn't lie in numbers. Strength doesn't lie in wealth. Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers when you wake up... wake up! It's healthy."
"Strength doesn't lie in numbers. Strength doesn't lie in wealth. Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers when you wake up... wake up! It's healthy."
She wasn't fearless.
She was simply willing to take the next step.
When I accepted the opportunity to serve as President of the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club during our 100th Anniversary year, I felt a little like Maria, boarding the bus and wondering how it would all turn out!
One hundred years. That's a lot of history. A lot of expectations.
And a lot of incredible leaders who came before me.
There were certainly moments when I wondered if I was the right person for the job. But Rotary has a wonderful way of reminding us that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about serving alongside remarkable people.
And what remarkable people you are.
This wasn't my Centennial year. It was our Centennial year.
Together we celebrated 100 years of Service Above Self with energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to dream big.
We hosted an unforgettable Party in the Park.
We celebrated with our Roaring Night of Giving, bringing our community together while raising funds to continue making a difference.
We planted trees for future generations.
We supported students through scholarships.
We partnered with our incredible Interact students.
We raised money to help eradicate polio.
We supported Shop with a Cop, Rotaplast, STEM education, local nonprofits, and so many community organizations.
We laughed together at our Clam Bake.
We planned, we volunteered, we served, we celebrated—and somewhere in the middle of it all, we created memories that will last far longer than this Rotary year.
None of these accomplishments happened because of one president.
They happened because every person in this room said "yes."
Yes to serving. Yes to volunteering. Yes to showing up. Yes to making our community better.
Our Centennial wasn't just about looking back at 100 years of history.
It was about proving that after 100 years, this club is still vibrant, still generous, still innovative, and still ready for the next century.
That gives me tremendous confidence.
Maria ends her song by singing,
"I have confidence in sunshine... I have confidence in rain... I have confidence that spring will come again."
Tonight, I have confidence too.
I have confidence in this club. I have confidence in our friendships. I have confidence in our mission.
And I have confidence that the next 100 years of the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club will be every bit as meaningful as the first.
And finally, thank you for trusting me with the honor of serving as your Centennial President.
As I pass the gavel to Frank, I do so with complete confidence. I know this club is in wonderful hands, and I can't wait to see where your leadership takes us next.
Congratulations, Souderton-Telford Rotary Club.
Congratulations on an amazing 100th Anniversary year.
Here's to our first 100 years... and to the next century of Service Above Self.
Thank you.
Now I would like to present a few awards:
Please come forward when you hear your name:
#1 The Leadership Team – Kate Hoath, Frank Tranzilli, Rick Kowey
Thank you for your support of our club. The monthly meetings, your enthusiasm for this club.
In addition, I would like to thank Kate for her leadership with our grants including the local one this year with the tree planting. Thank you for making it happen!
#2 The Club Officers – Jean Wieder, Dave Washam and Jay Glickman
Thank you for helping me keep things straight this year. Good golly – because of all the extra events we did, there were a lot of check requests and extra pieces to keep track of. Thank you for your support.
Noelle Steglik – Thank you for your support and excellent work of keeping up with us and all of the checks and balances!
#3 Board Members – Michelle Kane, Chris Moyer, Karla Myers, Nicole Spiese
The four of you were great board members. I could tell, you gave thoughtful comments and advice that would not be to your benefit, but to the benefit of the club. Thank you for your service
#4 Committees – Ed Brubaker, Darlene Scott, Liz Herman, Kelli Scarlet, Michelle Kane
Rotary Foundation Chairperson – Ed Brubaker. Thank you for your enthusiasm and promotion of the Foundation.
RYLA & STEM YEA – Darlene Scott. Thank you for supporting Sarah di Lis this year as our Rotary Youth Exchange Student and for the way you represent our club with the district at STEM YEA.
Membership Chairperson – Liz Herman. Thank you for the enthusiastic way you reach out to those interested in our club. I sincerely thank you for the time and energy you give to promoting our club with potential members.
Scholarship Chairperson – Kelli Scarlett. Thank you for organizing the scholarhips. I loved hearing your excitement about the students you got to interview! This is one of our biggest expenditures as a club, and I want to congratulate you and the other members on the committee for doing an excellent job.
Publicity – Michelle Kane. Thank you for stepping in and helping as it was difficult to be the President and the publicity chair at the same time.
Please be seated
#4 ½ - Committee part 2
Interact - Karla Myers. You are an amazing Interact Advisor who is always thinking of new ways for us to “interact” with the students. Thank You for the awesome way you represent our club in the school district. (applause)
Karla has a few awards she would like to give at this time.
Attendance awards.
I asked my two young adult daughters what percentage of attendance should earn an award. One didn't hesitate: "One hundred percent, of course!" The other thought for a moment and said, "I think 75% is pretty good."
That conversation reminded me that attendance isn't really about a number—it's about making a commitment.
I know every person in this room has a busy life. Between work, family, travel, and countless other responsibilities, it isn't always easy to make it to Rotary. That's why I especially appreciate those of you who consistently made our meetings a priority. Your presence mattered. You helped create meaningful discussions, welcomed guests, supported our speakers, and encouraged one another.
Rotary is at its best when we're together.
As a small way of saying thank you, I donated my Paul Harris Recognition points to the members receiving attendance awards tonight to help move you to the next Paul Harris level. It's my way of recognizing that your commitment of time is one of the greatest gifts you can give this club.
Thank you for showing up, for participating, and for helping make our Centennial year such a success.
When I call your name, please come forward:
Liz Herman and Phil Goshow – both attended 76.66% of our meetings. The both will be receiving a PHF +1
Jim Leary – attended 86.66% of our meetings. He will be receiving his PHF +3
This person has the highest attendance rate for this year, tying with the President of the club at 90% of all our meetings. Let’s congratulate Karla Myers on her excellent attendance. She will be receiving her PHF +3 tonight.
#5 - Events
We had many great events this year, and I wanted to thank those Chairpersons at this time. I know life is busy, but you stepped up and organized an event! Thank you!
Concert Sundaes - Tom Trumbore
Indian Valley Beer Fest – Cochairs: Ginny Vandenburg and Suzi Berry
Tip Off Classic – Steve Kendra
4-way test – Ginny Vandenburg
Centenniel Golf Outing – Chris Moyer
The Italian Exchange – Nicole Spiese
#6 Centenniel Committee
The final category I ‘d like to recognize tonight is our Centennial Committee. Could the following people come forward: Kate Hoath, Leon Moyer, Karla Myers, Janet Pesini, Frank Tranzilli, Dan Yocum
It's hard to believe that we've been meeting since 2022. What started as a room full of big ideas and excitement eventually became an unforgettable 100th Anniversary celebration.
None of these events happened by accident. They happened because this committee was willing to dream big, plan carefully, and put in countless hours behind the scenes. Your creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication made our Centennial year something our club can be truly proud of.
But beyond the planning, I'll treasure something else just as much. Those meetings became a place where we laughed together, shared ideas, solved problems, and simply got to know one another better. The friendships that grew around that table are just as meaningful as the events we created.
Thank you for believing in the vision, for supporting me along the way, and for helping make our Centennial year one for the history books. It has been a privilege to serve alongside each of you.
Before we more to the formal induction ceremony for our new President and Leadership Board, Assistant District Governor Liz Herman has asked to share a few thoughts.
Now that we have heard about our Amazing Year – let’s watch a recap!