VIEWING YOUR NEWSLETTER...You will notice at the top of the newsletter a statement... "Having trouble viewing this email? Please click here." This format will allow you to see any embedded videos and animated ads within the newsletter. Email newsletter will allow you to see your commitments at the end of your personal newsletter...online newsletters will not show this, the bulletin on the web site may have a more readable format....click here for online bulletins.
Last week, Greg Curti talked to our club about the membership committee. We literally have dozens of people working hard for the benefit our club. The following is a list of our club’s committees. I hope at least one of these clubs peaks your interest and inspires you to reach out to get involved.
CLUB SERVICE Annual Support Event Planning Fellowship Membership Nomination Orientation Program Public Relations/Social Media STAR
COMMUNITYSERVICE Club Service Project Fruit Baskets Humanitarian Mobile Meals Rotary Lights Salvation Army Bell Ringing
NEW GENERATIONS SERVICE Ethics Interact RYLA Youth Youth Exchange
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE Vocational Team Training/Friendship Exchange World Community Service Project
AD HOC COMMITTEE Club Charter Centennial Celebration: Help plan our 100th anniversary ….June 2019.
The following link should allow you to read more about what each committee does and who the leadership for each committee is.
This week’s primary video is on the relationship between Rotary International and Shelter box. https://youtu.be/5tcetG0z4sw. If this gets you thinking about Erik Elsea who was the Rotarian who canoed through La Crosse on his trip to paddle the entire Mississippi River to raise money for Shelter box, here is a link to his website which contains a GPS locator. http://erikelsea.com/schedule/
This week’s non-Rotary related video is a TED talk by Kelly McGonigal titled “How to make stress your friend.” It runs just over 14minutes long.
As a reminder, one of the reasons that I am including these video links is that if you happen to be sitting with a table of Rotarians that you don’t know, but you have all watched the video, then the table will have a common experience with which someone can utilize to start a conversation. Second, these videos can be interesting, educational, funny, and/or address many topics and issues that are relevant to our lives.
This week at Rotary our presenter will be Karl Green, Community Natural Resource and Economic Development Agent - La Crosse County - UW Extenson. The program will be Challenging Trends in Housing Data.
We will welcome a new member, Jamie Schloegel, Executive Director of the La Crosse Community Foundation. She was proposed by Mike Swenson.
Fight the Flood 2018 Fundraiser will be Thursday, September 13th from 11am - 11pm at the Oktoberfest Grounds. The Board approved a $1,000 donation and we hope that our members at our meeting on Thursday will match that. We will have baskets on the tables for your donations. Checks should be written out to Rotary Works Foundation Fight the Flood. More information. Members from our club will present a check that evening at the Fight the Flood 2018 Fundraiser.
Our next STAR Meeting will be Thursday, September 13th We will meet at the Radisson Hotel in the Wisconsin Room 3 - 1st floor at 7:00 a.m. Please RSVP if you will be attending to Lyn at rotarylax@charter.net
ALL NEW members become a member of this committee for one year. This breakfast is hosted (no cost to the new members). The breakfast and presentation will last no longer than one hour and the meeting will count as a make-up. The STAR Committee, in addition to meeting other new members and some of the present membership will learn more about various aspects of the Club.
The Fellowship Committee will be having fellowships on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Rotarian Tom Behrenbeck and his wife Julia will be hosting our September fellowship on Tuesday, September 18th at their home, 864 Shore Acres Road, La Crescent from 4:30-7:00. Appetizers and drinks will be available. Monetary donations will be taken for the Centennial Project - checks should be written out to Rotary Works Foundation - Growing Hearts Across the World.
We ask that you register for this social either online or at our upcoming meetings. Register link.
Some members have completed their process and have volunteered at the lounge.
Here is the link for those that have completed the process and would like to volunteer ....volunteer today
If you started the process and have not completed it yet,
please do so by October 1, 2018
Would you like to represent our Rotary Club of La Crosse by volunteering at the USO La Crosse Regional Airport lounge? In order to volunteer you will need to complete the online training and background check.
Information below is how to start the process of becoming a volunteer.
Please also email rotarylax@charter.net so we can include you in the Rotary Contact List in ClubRunner and that the USO knows you are from our Rotary group.
COME FOR SUPPER....The Humanitarian Committee will be helping again with the "Come for Supper Meal Program" at Our Savior's Lutheran Church - 612 Division Street on Tuesday, September 25th from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Click here to volunteer.
As our club continues to grow, it becomes more difficult to know your fellow Rotarians. Beyond the fellowship that we enjoy each Thursday and beyond committees on which you may serve, there may be activities or interests that you share with other members, but you simply haven't discovered that mutual bond.
We have put together a survey to identify some of these common activities or interests. Please complete the survey and return to Lyn by September 27th. You will be contacted shortly afterwards with the results of the survey. For more information and to fill out the survey click on the Survey Link.
ATTENDANCE FOR THE 2017-18 YEAR....Congratulations to the members who achieved 100% attendance for the 2017-18 Rotary year...click here to view. If you believe you should have 100% attendance and are not on the list, please email Lyn at rotarylax@charter.net. We will draw four names on Thursday, September 27th for $25 gift cards.
It would be great to have 100% participation from our members for our 100-year anniversary project!
Drop your pledge card off at the registration table this week.
Why members are supporting this project....
I support "Growing Hearts Across the World" because...it combines support for the arts, promotion of our community, education about our sister city in Cameroon, a celebration of 100 years of local Rotary service, and on-the-ground support for the children of Kumbo. - Catherine Kolkmeier
I gave to the Growing Hearts Across the World Campaign for two reasons. The first is because I love how it publically promotes the acceptance of cultural diversity in our community. And secondly, this project has local and international impact which perfectly aligns with Rotary and its causes. Jodi Widuch
I support Growing Hearts Across the World because it tics so many boxes: contributing to the physical beauty of La Crosse while teaching about and honoring the culture of far away friends, working on a project that is collaborative—providing fellowship and unifying our area Rotary clubs, dramatically improving the education of Cameroon children….and showing anyone watching that many hands do, indeed, make light work. Sue Durtsche
I support Growing Hearts Across the World as a tribute to Sister Mark. Sister Mark was at our club meeting last year where she was presented with a Paul Harris award. Her work at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Shisong, in Cameroon has made a huge difference in the dental care and procedures the people in her town and the surrounding area are able to receive. When I told her of the plan to add Cameroon to our international garden she was overjoyed at the prospect. Sister Mark is an inspiration to me and many other people whose lives she has touched.Kathryn Sexauer
Rotary Works Foundation is supporting our project - $5.000
District 6250 Grants Sub-Committee Chair, Josh Mansee
presented Rotarian Lee Rasch with a
$14,500 check from Rotary District 6250
to support
"Growing Hearts Across the World"
Rotary East President Natalie Olsen and Past President Spencer Niebur
presented a check for
$500 to our President Todd Restel and Rotarian Lee Rasch
to support "Growing Hearts Across the World"
Centennial Project Fundraiser - Growing Hearts Across the World.
Message from the Fundraising Committee: Lee Rasch, Kerstin Boudreau, Kenna Christians, Sue Durtsche, Mary Ann Gschwind, Chuck Hanson, Kathryn Sexauer, Mike Swenson, Jodi Widuch, Todd Restel, Katie Berkedal and Catherine Kolkmeier.
As you know, we are celebrating 100 years of Rotary service to our region with the Growing Hearts Across the World campaign. The campaign will culminate with the completion of the Cameroon Garden in Riverside Park in the summer of 2019. The Garden will honor the rich cultural traditions of Cameroon and provide a wonderful gathering place overlooking the area where the the “Three Rivers” meet. Most importantly, it will serve as a model for community and international service for the upcoming generations of Rotarians.
To date, we have received excellent support from Rotarians. But we have not yet heard from all of you. The next phase of the Growing Hearts Across the World campaign will be to the Seven Rivers Region community. It is very important to be able to state to the community at large that Rotarians are fully committed to Growing Hearts Across the World. Indeed, there is no better message than to state...every Rotarian in our Club contributed. We have asked members to consider a $100 contribution pledge for up to two years. However, your contribution at any level will count. Please complete a pledge card and include with your payment.
Please turn in your pledge cards and contributions to Earlamae Dahlby or send your contribution to Lyn Sheffer at P.O. Box 1914, La Crosse, WI 54602-1914.
One hundred years of service by Rotary has had a profound impact on the lives of many in our region and throughout the world. Come join us in celebrating this service...and help set the stage for generations of Rotarians in the years to come.
We have dedicated a page on our web site for our Centennial year to keep members updated on our project. Click here to view.
If you would like more information, please contact Lee Rasch.
We are looking for someone to chair the Rotary Lights Float project.
We have not had a float for a couple of years and would like to showcase our 100 year anniversary. We do have some decorations in our room at the Rotary Lights building. If you would like to help chair this project, please contact our president Todd Restel.
Rotary Youth Exchange A Step Toward WorldUnderstanding. The La Crosse area Rotary Clubs are looking for students who are interested in a unique experience of attending high school while living in another Rotary International country. Rotary International has a program which annually involves over 10,000 high school students living nearly a year in another country. Candidates must be sophomores to seniors in high school at the time of application and 16-18 1/2 years old when they leave for their assigned country. Applicants must rank in the upper half of their class.
How to apply. If you know of someone that is interested in this program for the 2019-20 school year, simply have them complete and return the application. Click here for application and more information. An informational meeting will be September 19, 2018, 6:30 pm at the Children's Museum, 207 5th Avenue, La Crosse. Preliminary application due, September 19, 2018. Local interviews will be October 1, 2018 and final application due October 24, 2018. District interviews will be held on November 4, 2018 in Baraboo.
Jamie Bakkum Gamez MD will give a presentation on Henrietta Lacks. (Jamie is the sister of Rotarian Andy Bakkum.)
We are giving you a heads up so that you can either read the book or view the film prior to her presentation.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Now an HBO® Film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.
The Rotary International Convention is scheduled for June 1-5, 2019 inHamburg, Germany.Travel Leaders is exploring five day pre and post-convention tours of the north of German and of the south to include Munich and Bavaria.
A program will be presented by Dannette Jacob from Travel Leaders on Germany in September.
Registration and convention housing materials are available from Lyn or at Rotary.org.
If you are considering attending it is recommended that you get registered and book your accommodations while in Hamburg. The tour elements will be inclusive of travel and hotels while on those tours. Club members who attended the Toronto convention, the Restels, Hoels, Dickinsons, Tami Woods and Roz Schnick would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
Rotary Attendance policy is to attend or makeup at least 50% of the club meetings during the first six months and the second six months. They can be done by: • Attending regular club meetings • Making up meetings at other Rotary Clubs ( which includes E-Clubs) • Engaging in club projects/events/fellowship/board meetings.
RESIGNED: Cary Shilts NEW MEMBERS: Scott Bradford & Patty Nuttleman
Honorary Members 24
Associate Membershipis a program to recruit younger members, millennials, to membership. Associate Membership is available to anyone who is proposed for membership who is 35 years of age or less. Associate membership will end when that member reaches the age of 38. They would pay for dues and $100 for meals per quarter no matter how many meetings they attend that quarter.
Corporate Membership is a program to allow multiple employees of a business Rotary participation under one primary membership. Each corporate membership is limited to a three-year term. After the three-year corporate membership term, the individuals are required to become individual members. View Corporate Membership Policy.
Family Membershipis a program to allow a second individual Rotary participation under one primary membership. View Family Membership Policy.
Honorary Membership is offered to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. View Honorary Membership Policy.
Excused Membership is offered to members if the aggregate of the member’s years of age and years of membership in one or more clubs is 85 years or more, the member has been a member of one or more clubs for at least 20 years, and the member has notified the club's secretary in writing of the member’s desire to be excused from attendance and the board has approved. Excused Members will pay the quarterly dues and only for meals when they attend a meeting.
Membership Proposals....we will no longer ask for three references when you propose a new member. This was a criteria that our club had set not RI. This will help us process new members into our club more efficiently. You can access the membership proposal form online, under the Club Information site page.
Please note: Raffle, Fines, Birthday, Anniversaries and Scooters are all donations that will go to the club If you are making a donation and would like it to go to the Rotary Works Foundation or Rotary International Foundation, we ask that you write a check to the Foundation of your choice.
Sept 6: Raffle $42: Fines $128: Scooters $6: Scrip $35
If you would like to volunteer for Rotarians in the News, be a greeter, a hospitality greeter, raffle ticket seller, scrip seller or announce guests, you can email the Monthly Duty Roster Coordinator that are listed above....just click on their name. If you would like to give your classification talk please contact Program Committee Chair Andy Bakkum.