World Affairs Council of Greater Reading

The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading is a non-profit, non-partisan, all-volunteer organization based in Reading, Pennsylvania, that brings international affairs programming to Berks County residents. Organized with 501(c)(3) status, the Council describes its mission simply: to connect people, engage minds and expand thinking. Its programs are built around speakers, discussion, reading and student competition rather than advocacy, and the Council does not take positions on the issues it presents.

The group traces its beginnings to the late 1960s, when it was founded locally as the Foreign Policy Group. It affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America, the national network of independent councils that share study materials, speaker resources and student programming. That affiliation still shapes much of what happens locally, including the study guide used for the high school competition and the national discussion curriculum used by local groups each winter and spring.

Across a typical year, roughly two thousand members, students and guests take part in Council activities. Everything is run by volunteers, including board and leadership team members who moderate discussions, host the television program and coordinate scholarships.

Monthly Luncheon Speaker Series

The best known Council activity is its luncheon speaker series, held at the McGlinn Conference Center at 460 Saint Bernardine Street in Reading. About ten programs are presented each year, featuring diplomats, former government officials, journalists, scholars and other specialists on international questions. The buffet opens before the presentation, and the format generally includes a talk followed by audience questions.

Registration is required for luncheons, and separate rates apply to members, non-members, students and those attending without a meal. Select programs are also offered as webinars for people who cannot attend in person. Corporate and individual sponsorships underwrite reduced student admission so that high school and college students can attend alongside members. Sponsors have included Weik Capital Management, Penn State Berks, Reading Area Community College, Kutztown University and Tompkins/VIST Bank.

In addition to the midday programs, the Council schedules breakfast programs featuring community experts, which are generally shorter and more informal.

Great Decisions and the Book Club

The Council hosts Great Decisions, the national discussion program on world affairs coordinated by the Foreign Policy Association. Local sessions meet at the Reading Public Library, the Wyomissing Public Library, Phoebe Berks and the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks, with faculty from area universities serving as facilitators. Recent topic lists have covered American foreign policy direction, tariffs and the world economy, relations with China, nuclear proliferation, Ukraine and European security, the future of multilateral institutions, engagement with Africa, and international law. Participants read background briefings in advance and discuss them in a moderated group setting.

The Sam DeWald Memorial Book Club meets monthly for roundtable discussion of books on international subjects. Titles are chosen by club members and a member of the Council's leadership moderates. Selections have ranged across regional histories, intelligence and espionage, great power competition and contemporary surveys of public opinion in other countries.

Student and School Programs

A substantial share of the Council's work is directed at students in Berks County.

• Academic World Quest is an annual team competition for high school students, based on the national World Affairs Councils of America study guide. The winning local team advances to the national competition in Washington, DC, and is interviewed on the Council's television program.
• The Alan Miller Scholarship Program awards scholarships each year to Berks County high school seniors who plan to major in international studies, political science, public administration or related global fields. The fund was established in memory of Alan Miller, Esq., a former Berks County Solicitor and Council vice president. Recipients are recognized at a spring Council meeting.
• The Global Scholars Certificate Program is open to students in grades nine through twelve. Participants accumulate points by attending Council programs, Zoom seminars and approved school or college events, with participation verified by a school advisor or parent. Completed worksheets are submitted at the end of the school year, and certificates are presented at a Council program or at the student's own school.
• Guest speakers visit local high schools when their travel schedules allow, adapting their talks for a classroom audience and discussing careers in diplomacy, international business, development and related fields. Participating schools also receive a weekly current events quiz on international news for classroom use.

At the college level, the Council partners with the Penn State Berks World Affairs Council club, which has organized a Passport Caravan providing free passports to students, and with the Albright College World Affairs Club. Internships are available for local college students studying international subjects.

Annual Excursion, Trivia Night and Television

Once a year the Council organizes a day excursion by chartered bus to an institution connected with international affairs. Past destinations have included embassies, the United Nations and foreign policy councils, and a recent trip combined visits to Dickinson College and the U.S. Army War College. The fee covers transportation, meals and programming, with separate rates for members, non-members, ambassador level members and students.

The Pub Global Trivia Challenge is a fundraising event held at Sly Fox Taphouse, 820 Knitting Mills Way in Wyomissing, hosted by WEEU's Mike Keller. Teams compete over a buffet dinner, with raffles and a cash bar, and proceeds support the Alan Miller scholarships.

The Council also produces What in the World, a monthly program on Berks County TV hosted by leadership team member Mike Sutton. Episodes cover global issues, often with a focus on students, and include the annual interview with the winning World Quest team. Past programs are posted on the Council's YouTube channel.

Membership and Support

Membership is offered at individual, family, ambassador and benefactor levels. A family membership covers two people at one address, while ambassador membership includes luncheon attendance and a reduced rate on the annual excursion. Memberships run for a full year, include a monthly newsletter and email updates, and are tax deductible given the Council's 501(c)(3) status. The newsletter reaches several hundred recipients each month.

Operating funds come from dues, event sponsorships and donations. The Founder's Club Fund is a dedicated investment fund established for long-term sustainability, overseen by a committee of board members. It accepts cash, stocks and bonds, bequests, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, life insurance assignments and transfers of property. Questions about planned giving may be directed to John Spitko at (610) 777-1866.