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.
This week at Rotary we will welcome Jeanine Black. She is originally from the North Side of La Crosse, and I was able to study abroad twice thanks to the La Crosse Rotary Club (undergraduate scholarship to France) and Rotary International (graduate fellowship to Switzerland).
Her presentation will be on "Operation Lifesaver, Inc." Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) is a national non-profit organization. The mission of OLI -- and its authorized volunteers (OLAVs) around the country -- is to educate people about the dangers on and around railroad property so they make better and safer decisions (e.g., not to climb on or under rail cars, not to try to beat a train, not to walk or jog along tracks). If you are not familiar with Operation Lifesaver, please take a quick look at its website: https://oli.org.
We will also welcome the recipient of our first Youth Service Award.... Grant Simmons, a senior at Logan High School. Information on the Youth Service Award can be found on our web site.
Grant Simmons, a senior at Logan High School, has been named winner of the first Rotary Club of La Crosse Youth Committee Community Service Award.
Grant, the son of Mary Jacobs and Lonnie Simmons, was a Rotary Student of the Month in December 2015. He has been active in the Logan Rotary Interact Club, serving this year as vice president and also working as the main coordinator of the 2016 iFeed event. In addition, Grant has served the community in other ways, including organizing blood drives with the National Honor Society and working as volunteer mentor teaching middle school students in Connecticut basic programming and other skills during the summer.
One of Grant's advisors for Rotary Interact says Grant "continually lives the Rotary motto of 'Service Above Self.' " Stephanie Fraase praised Grant's work on iFeed, including efforts to organize teams of readers to visit elementary schools to read the book "I'm Hungry, I'm Hungry, I'm Hungry Too!" and for organizing multiple food drives to contribute to the record-breaking total.
Grant was chosen from among six applicants, all of whom were recognized as juniors as a Rotary Student of the Month. He receives a $1,000 prize. The award by the Club's Youth Committee is designed to recognize and encourage academic excellence, good citizenship and career development in youth.
Last week Rotarian Angela Czerwinski shared her life story with us. Angela is a AVP/Mortgage Loan Officer at Citizens State Bank. She joined our club on January 21, 2016. View her PowerPoint.
District Governor Dean McHugh invites you to the 6250 District Conference in La Crosse on May 12-14, 2017
Rotary International President John Germ has encouraged us this year to be "Rotary Serving Humanity". As I visited the 63 clubs in District 6250, I have seen evidence in every club where we are living up to this, both locally and internationally. Even more powerful, we are working together with our friends as we make meaningful differences in the lives of others.
I encourage you to celebrate Rotary friendship and Rotary progress with your fellow Rotarians in La Crosse. At District Conference 2017 we will learn about some of the outstanding projects happening as a result of the efforts of our District's clubs and assistance from The Rotary Foundation. We will have opportunity to learn more about specific Rotary roles and programs at District Assembly and at workshops. We will hear from several young people whose lives have been changed forever by Rotary Youth programs. We will hear inspiring messages about service and philanthropy from Rotarian and non Rotarian keynote speakers. Probably most important of all, we will meet and talk with Rotarians from all around our District, taking home new ideas to improve our clubs.
Join me in La Crosse to renew old friendships and make new ones in Rotary. May Rotary friends and Rotary ways continue to help us serve.
ROTARY DISTRICT CONFERENCE.....Help us welcome 63 Rotary Clubs to the Rotary District Conference to be held in La Crosse....May 12-14, 2017 at the La Crosse Center. This is a great opportunity for fellowship and showing visiting Rotarians that the La Crosse area is a welcoming and fun place to visit. We hope you will VOLUNTEER a few hours that weekend. Click here to volunteer.
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, May 30, 2017 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Click here to volunteer.
Youth Exchange Committee: Our club's next exchange student will be Rebeca from Brazil. She should arrive around the middle of August. Please review the letters from her and her mother to get to know her better. Click here to view letters.
We are currently looking for one host family. We have two families, one that will host when she arrives and the other will be her third host family. Each family would host for 3 to 4 months. To hear about the benefits of hosting, please talk to Lisa Herr or Robin Moses, both of whom recently have hosted.
To host:
-- you can live in La Crosse, Onalaska, La Crescent or anywhere in the Coulee Region.
-- you may have no children at home, or younger children, or children around Rebeca's age of 16.
-- thus, all 170 members of our club are eligible to host.
-- if you cannot host for some reason, please suggest someone who can.
We will have Anita's cards available each week...self-service some weeks. Anita will still take special orders. Place your order by emailing Anita at anitafroegel@centurytel.net
Aquinas, Logan and Central graduation cards will be available along with Birthday, Wedding, Sympathy, Get Well, Anniversary, Congratulations, Note Cards and other cards, All cards are unique and hand-made. Thank you cards are only $1.00, as are the note cards, which are blank inside. The regular cards are $2.00 and $3.00 each. Some cards are three for $5.00 and some three for $10. Anita donates all sales to the Rotary Works Foundation!
Anita sent $175 to Rotary Works Foundation for the first quarter of the year...thank you to Anita for creating the beautiful cards and to all who purchase them.
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.
April 27th: Raffle $53; Fines $82; Scooters $4; Scrip $335
Happy Birthday Jim White (honorary) - May 5 Kenna Christians - May 8 Joan Parke - May 8 Jodi Widuch - May 8 Dick Wolfe (honorary) - May 8 Jim Lewis - May 9 Dave Riley (honorary) - May 9 Tom Thompson - May 9
Happy Wedding Anniversary None
Happy Rotary Anniversary Catherine Kolkmeier - May 8 - 9 years
ROTARY ATTENDANCE April 6th - 60% April 13th - 57% April 20th - 62% April 27th - 62%
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.
100% Attendance Raffle
July - Sue Durtsche August - John Wettstein September - Mary Ann Gschwind October - Tim Durtsche November - Candice Tlustosch December - Bruce Swanwick January - Todd Ondell February - Kurt Schroeder
Honorary Membership is offered to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. Honorary membership is the highest distinction that a club may bestow and should be conferred only in exceptional cases. Honorary members cannot propose new members to the club or hold office and are exempt from attendance requirements and club dues. Honorary members will continue to receive The Rotarian Magazine compliments of the club.
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 of $70 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.
Grant Restel, son of Rotarians Todd and Eva Marie Restel is one of our outbound exchange students...he is in Osaka, Japan. You can follow Grant's year on his Facebook.
Ashlyn Neader, one of our outbound exchange students has arrived in Austria! She will have a blog on her adventures...... click here to view. Updated post...... 'A Day in my Life'
Rotary Works Foundation Golf Outing: Please join us Wednesday May 24, 2017 at Cedar Creek Lane, Onalaska. 4-person teams, $85 per person includes: 18 holes, cart & dinner; $30 Dinner only. Schedule of Events: 12:30 pm Shot Gun Start, 5:00 pm Cocktails, 6:00 pm Dinner. Register online here. Questions: Contact Bob Allen at 708-785-1727 or email Rotary Works.
Rotary East Lobsterfest: Please support Rotary East and their Lobsterfest on Friday, June 16, 2017 from 4-9 at Colgan Air, 2709 Fanta Feed Road. Music by Three Bears 'Til Dubuque and Tom Conrad. Ticket $45. Advance sales only.Web Site Info. Proceeds will benefit Chad Erickson Memorial Park Adaptive Pathway.
If you would like to volunteer to do Rotarians in the News, be a greeter, raffle ticket seller, scrip seller or announce guests, you can email the Monthly Program Chairs that are listed above....just click on their name. If you would like to give your classification talk please contact Program Committee Chair Todd Restel.
.jpg)
.jpeg)
duate scholarship to France) and Rotary International (graduate fellowship to Switzerland). 
.jpg)
.jpeg)
Grant Restel, 
