This Week: Dr. Carolyn Bostrack, Lead FIERCE, One Bold Step at a Time
Dr. Carolyn Colleen Bostrack, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, international speaker, executive leader, and humanitarian whose work inspires transformation and resilience. She is the founder of the FIERCE Foundation, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals to overcome challenges and achieve personal and professional success.
Carolyn is the author of F.I.E.R.C.E: Transform Your Life in the Face of Adversity, 5 Minutes at a Time! and co-author of Academic and Educational Entrepreneurship, works that have impacted thousands globally. As a UN Delegate for the Commission on the Status of Women, Carolyn champions overcoming adversity and bridging divides through communication and leadership.
Her mission is to foster respectful dialogue and collaboration through effective communication and leadership. Carolyn's FIERCE Action Framework equips individuals and organizations to tackle adversity with courage and clarity, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
With almost two decades of experience in healthcare, leadership, and executive coaching, Carolyn's work has touched lives around the world. Her impact is seen not only in her leadership initiatives but also in her ability to spark transformation, inspiring others to thrive against all odds.
Classification talks help us learn about the life experiences and professional backgrounds of members.
If you didn't know the sense of humor associated with this Rotarian, you do now! Bob provided us a look into is world (both "fact checked" and not). Click the button below if you missed Bob's presentation to get to know him better.
Lunch this week: Quiche: broccoli, sun-dried tomato, chevre cheese; with house salad
Coffee, ice tea, and water available.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnl if know you are bringing guests but last minute invites are also welcome!
Hospitalizations
Please keep our President, Mark Jolivette, in your thoughts and prayers as he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. He is home and recovering slowly. Although he will not be leading the meeting this week, he is hoping to be present.
Youth Host Families Needed
Rotary After Hours is currently seeking their firs (and maybe second) host family for their new inbound student. The student seems very sweet. Giorgia will turn 17 in September and comes from Italy. If you, or someone you know, is interested in more information, please reach out to Phil Waselik. Thank you for considering!
THANK YOU to those who helped wit the Riverside International Garden Clean up last weekend!
Saturday, May 10th
Letter Carrier Food Drive
Niki needs a partner!
8am-approx. 12:30pm
Reach out Niki!
STAR Meeting Coming Up!
Our next STAR Meeting will be Tuesday, May 13th from 12-1pm. Location: The Parenting Place, 1500 Green Bay Street, La Crosse. Hosted by Jodi Widuch, Todd Restel, and Jeanne Meyer
STAR - Specialized Training for Action in Rotary....you will meet other new Rotarians from the area. We will provide programs on the Avenue of Service, The Rotary Foundation, and the Rotary Works Foundation, along with other aspects of Rotary. This is a great time to ask questions you may have about our club or Rotary in general. Hope you will be able to join us.
Please join us for our next Cooking Fellowship Saturday, May 17th at 6pm. Julia and Tom Behrenbeck have generously offered to host this potluck meal at their beautiful home in La Crescent on the Mississippi River. Our theme is Enjoying Spring’s Bounty and will feature mostly plant-based dishes. Julia is taking the lead and will be preparing Jackfruit Barbecue as our main course. The rest of us are invited to prepare an appetizer, side/salad or dessert to share with the group. Fruits, vegetables, and grains will be the stars of the evening, but include dairy and other ingredients as needed for your dish of choice.
Partners/spouses and plus ones are welcome. We are also inviting fellow club members from the Environmental/Climate committees. In addition to lots of socializing, let’s take some time to share our practices and ideas around eating for our own health and the health of our planet. Your tips on incorporating more vegetarian meals into your routine, reducing personal food waste, favorite veggie recipes, etc. may be just the idea or nudge another club member needs. (My tip: Cauliflower Tacos – they are amazing!!)
Details:
When: Saturday, May 17th, 6pm
Where: Julia and Tom Behrenbeck
864 Shore Acres Road
La Crescent, MN
Please RSVP with number of attendees. If you know in advance what you plan to prepare please email Mary Bethor Sheila. It’s helpful but not necessary.
May Club Social - Camp Decorah, May 22nd
Join us at Camp Decorah to fellowship in the outdoors. Enjoy the views of the Black River, the stocked Trout Pond, or other sites such as the Bouldering Wall, Nature Trails, and Skilled Trades Post. Valley View Rotary has also been invited. Light snacks will be provided.
Contact Bill LaRue for tickets or more information!
FOUNDATION MINUTE: May 5, 2025
Welcome to Week ONE of RI’s Month of Youth Service.
More than 100,000 books shipped to South Sudan have been unloaded and are in
the hands of students. The materials, received in 2024 by the Rotary Club of Juba,
include legal, pharmaceutical, and other science textbooks, along with 11 computers
loaded with an additional 33,000 textbooks. The shipment had a value of over $1.5
million. “The books are of great value to the students because not all of them could
access online information due to internet issues,” says Simon Yongo, a past president of the Juba club. The shipment was coordinated by Books for Africa, a Minnesota
nonprofit supported in part by Rotarians. Charles Cogan, a member of the Rotary Club of Northfield, Minnesota, who led the project, says senior Rotary leaders helped the project coordinators connect with UNESCO and the humanitarian arm of the U.S. Defense Department. “The partnerships were the key here and turned a smaller project of one container into five containers with 100,000-plus books,” Cogan says. The project was supported by the Juba club as well as 14 clubs in Minnesota and Wisconsin and a District 5960 matching grant.
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