Happy Birthday Month Rotary! Wear your pins this month in honor!
This Week: John Armbruster, Tailspin
Discussion with slides focusing on Gene Moran of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. During WWII, Gene, a 19-year-old tail gunner on a Flying Fortress bomber plane, was shot down over Nazi Germany and fell four miles without a parachute. He survived, but was quickly captured by the Germans. My talk will focus on Gene's war and the development of the book which told his story - Tailspin.
John Armbruster grew up in rural Central Wisconsin and currently resides outside Viroqua, Wisconsin. He graduated from UW-Madison with a journalism degree and then went on to write for a public radio program and two Wisconsin newspapers: The La Crosse Tribune and the Marshfield News Herald. John returned to UW-Madison and earned a degree in secondary education-social studies, and later, a master’s in education from Viterbo University. John recently retired after a 30-year career teaching a variety of middle school and high school social studies courses. John has two sons: Matthew, a police officer in Madison, and Joe, a biosecurity technician for the USDA in Iowa.
Tailspin is John’s first book.
Last Week: Annual Meeting
Our new slate of board members was unanimously approved. THANK YOU to our new board members who have agreed to represent our club on that level
Lunch this week: Chicken Salad on a croissant, kettle chips and a pickle
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!
Annual Meeting Update
We raised $419 to be split between Rotary Works Foundation and Polio Plus on behalf of our club through our Annual Meeting donations. Thank you to our Games Committee for helping us step out of our comfort zones, make us think outside the box, and raise a little money for great causes. More pictures from the meeting can be found HERE!
TriCon Registration is Open!
Tri-Con Registration is now open.
TriCon brings together members from three Rotary International Districts: 6220, 6250, and 6270. These districts serve clubs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a portion of Minnesota, and most of Wisconsin.
At TriCon, participants learn, are inspired, and grow through interactive workshops, plenary speakers, and networking opportunities. All this truly makes TriCon an outstanding Rotary conference experience.
NOTE: Our club's connection with this event:
The District Governor belongs to our club!
Our club is a sponsor of the event.
Rick Kyte is one of the keynote speakers.
Don't miss out on this lively, educational, and fun-filled Rotarian experience.
Thank you Jed and Willow for a great February Social at ORA Trails.
February Donation Drive: Dept. of Corrections
Our club is helping to support the new Corrections Closet. There are a number of La Crosse residents transitioning to treatment facilities. These individuals lack a support system as they begin their recovery to change. They are looking for the following items:
Personal hygiene products (with no alcohol content or sharp items such as razors): deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, tampons, pads, Chapstick, combs, hair brushes
Clothing (mostly for men): socks, underwear, shirts and t-shirts, shoes, pants, shorts
Other items: puzzle books, crossword books, journals, notebooks
We will have a collection bin near the badge table through the month of February for items to be dropped off. Cash/check donations can be dropped or Venmo the club to be passed on at the end of the month. Thank you for considering! See Jeanne Meyer with any questions.
Do you have a poetic genius hiding inside? Well, now’s your moment to shine! The Rotary Poetry Awards 2025 are upon us. The event sponsor, the Rotary eClub of Innovation, is accepting poems from January 1st – March 31st of 2025. This year's categories are: The Magic of Rotary and an Open category.Visit https://poetrycompetition.org to learn more or to enter.
Rotary Friendship Exchanges Happening
PDG Edwin Bos is leading a Holland / Poland combo weekend Rotary Friendship Exchange in April. To the Tulips in the northern Netherlands and visiting Rotary friends and Sun Prairie Global Grant in Poznan, Poland. Interested? Get in touch with Edwin. Contact details here: PDG Edwin Bos at edwin@bosdesignbuilders.com
Our wonderful Rotary District 6250 Friendship Exchange Committee has planned an exchange with Sweden! Pack your bags because from June 5-15, 2025, we’ll be jet-setting to Sweden with a lucky crew of 10-12 adventurers. And guess what? District 2410 will be making their grand return visit from September 19-29, 2025! Just a heads-up, we’re keeping our travel squad cozy at no more than 12 folks!
For further information, feel free to reach out to the undersigned, RFE Chair Mark Etrheim at 608-769-7200 or via email at mark@mchlax.com if you are interested in hosting or traveling.
Let's Celebrate!
Active Rotarians
179
Honorary Rotarians
15
Rotary Attendance
122 between in person, guests, and Zoom
Welcome to Week ONE of RI’s Month of Peace & Conflict
Prevention/Resolution.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of our peace centers. All around the world, TRF contributes to peaceful resolutions of conflicts through its funding of The Rotary Peace Fellowship. This week’s FM is a reminder of what RI, through TRF, does in the area of peacekeeping.
“Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses. Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,800 fellows who now work in over 140 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments; NGOs; education and research institutions; peacekeeping and
law enforcement agencies; and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed or leaders with work experience in peace and development. Our fellows are committed to community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and up to 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.”
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