Park in the parking ramp or street parking where available
Allow for time to go through buffet line!
September 24 - Oktoberfest Grounds
October - Radisson
This Week: Rotary Committee Update
An annual report from a few of our club committies. We will learn who they are, what their purpose is, what they are working on, and how members might become more involved.
We will hear from the Humanitarian Committte, Youth Exchange Committee, Fruit Box Committee, and Interact Committee this week.
Next Week: District Governor, Scott Ryan
Scott was accepted as a Rotarian on December 3, 2008. He has held several roles in his club, particularly in the area of youth development, serving as Holmen Area Youth Exchange Officer and Holmen High School Interact Advisor. However, if you ask his friends when he “became” a Rotarian, it was four years later when he and members of the Holmen Area Rotary Club traveled to Peru to deliver bio-sand water filters to families living on an active garbage landfill and drinking contaminated water out of the Rimac River. For the cost of a good pair of shoes this filter could prevent disease and save lives for a family of nine. It was at that point Rotary opened his eyes and heart and empowered him to believe that a single person can make a difference with the dedicated support of 1.2 million members devoted to making a world better for everyone.
Another Rotary gift he has received is the confidence from District 6250 to serve as District Governor Nominee Elect and eventually as District Governor. When he is not doing something Rotary related, he owns and operates a family business selling manufactured homes and managing several manufactured home communities in the LaCrosse area. His family includes 3 adult children and his wife of over 33 years, Mary. In addition to any family event, the Ryan’s enjoy traveling anywhere in the world and sharing a meal or libation over a game of cards with friends and family.
Rotary has made him a better person, business owner, husband, father and friend. He is humbled and excited to be asked to serve in this leadership role for District 6250. Let’s make the world better…together!
Lunch this week: Soup and Salad bar, BBQ pulled pork, cornbread. The items on the buffet line will be clearly marked for our vegetarian and gluten free members and guests. Coffee, ice tea, lemonade, and water bar will available.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnlby the end of day Monday for the meal on Thursday.
Hospitalizations
Erik Vose is having knee surgery this week. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers for a healthy and speedy recovery.
SAVE THE DATE
Riverside International Friendship Gardens Clean Up date is October 17th from 9am-12pm. Watch for more details in the coming week.
World's Largest Polio Walk - October 24th
Our area Rotary Clubs will be participating by holding a 1.17 mile walk beginning at Myrick Park on Saturday, October 24th. Registration begins at 9am, line up at 9:30am, and walk at 10am.We hope to see a big gathering of La Crosse Area Rotarians walking in style in the purple polio shirt!
Register to walk ($20), donate, or sponsor ($100)!
Sponsorships are available at $100. We will need your logo logo and it will be on our walk signage along the trails.
Bring some cash for raffle tickets! There will be a raffle basket drawings immediately after the walk at the gun shelter.
We have secured an after-party spot at the Rookery located at 1914 Campbell Road right by Myrick and UWL. This spot has graciously said we are welcome to come after to have drinks, food and fun. It is an easy drive to head over after the walk and gather and socialized with fellow Rotarians. More info: https://www.therookerylax.com/
Please let Mark Jolivette know if you have any questions or concerns! DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH.
Please considering traveling to the Guatemala Highlands in 2027 with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. There are two trips planned, and they would love to have you join us. Sheila Riley and Cindy Erickson are already signed up!
Trip #1: January 9th - 17th, 2027
Trip #2: January 30th - February 7th, 2027
On a typical trip we will:
Experience the beauty of the people and the country of Guatemala
Stop at 4 to 6 other project sites and meet community members
Celebrate the start of a recent project with our community partners
Build new friendships with local Rotarians
Explore new project opportunities
Enjoy a meal with one or more local elected officials
Valley View Rotary will be sponsoring a Rotary Fellowship Danube River Cruise April 10-17, 2027. This will be a Viking 8-day cruise from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary, with stops in Linz, Krems and Vienna, Austria, as well as Bratislava, Slovakia.
All Rotarians in District 6250, including their friends & family (18 years and older), are invited to join in, and we hope to connect with at least one Rotary club along the way for a meet-up, service project or to make plans for joint projects or RFEs in the future. Some of the best parts of Rotary happen outside our meetings—the conversations, friendships, shared experiences, and people we meet along the way. So why not take that fellowship all the way to Europe?
Viking's intimate river ships carry up to 190 guests with meals onboard, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, guided excursions, and cultural enrichment included. You unpack once and stay in the same comfy cabin each night but get to enjoy the beauty and history of amazing scenery and destinations throughout the journey.
PRICES START AT $2,474 PER PERSON based on double occupancy (a discounted price from what is on their website). Additional discounts may apply and deposit is only $25 if you book with Matt before 8/31/26. Matt Boshcka, Valley View Rotarian and owner of Dream Vacations, has generously offered to do all the legwork to make this Fellowship Cruise happen. Contact Matt at 608-397-1855 or mboshcka@dreamvacations.com with any questions or to reserve your cabin. Come join us! Click here for more information on Danube Waltz - 2027 Itinerary - Passau to Budapest | Viking®
FOUNDATION MINUTE: September 146, 2026
Welcome to Week Three of RI’s Month of Basic Education & Literacy.
Recently in Taipei, Taiwan, Yin Khvat, a senior producer and host of the country's weekly current affairs program, Taiwan Talks, sat with a leading advocate for girls’ education and one of the youngest Nobel Peace laureates, Taliban survivor and Oxford graduate Malala Yousafzai on a number of topics especially educating the girl child in her native Pakistan:
“We actually bought a piece of land in my parents’ village, Shangla, in the north. I had this dream. I said, “This is the place where my mother could not complete her education. This is a place where we still do not have a high school for girls.” And everybody said, “It’s up in the mountains and it’s hard to construct a school there.” I thought, if we can make it happen there, we have no excuse not to do it anywhere else in the country. We made this amazing state-of-the-art school and started enrolling girls. Last year, I got an opportunity to visit and meet the first graduating class. These girls were incredible. They are so ambitious and bold. They were telling me about their dreams, that they want to be teachers, engineers, and doctors. They want to serve their community. They were painting and playing chess and sports like cricket. They also had a mental health office. Like other students, these girls are under a lot of pressure, and they also have real challenges at home, from safety and security to forced marriages. Just recently, a 14-year-old girl was forced into a marriage. The school administration and local police saved that girl. She remains in school. We’ve saved the lives of so many girls and are helping them continue their education. They are role models to that community and have changed the future for women and girls there.”
What kind of tips can you offer Rotary members if they want to take practical steps to help women’s equity?
“First, I want to tell Rotarians that it’s not the first time I’m hearing about them. In Swat Valley where I grew up, my father was a Rotary member. He was doing a lot of community work, helping clean the river, doing cultural events, and helping kids get into school. So for me, this is full circle. All your Rotary work reaches so many different parts of the world that you can’t even imagine. I want people to understand the power that it has. Each individual act matters. Never feel alone when you are getting started.” (Rotary Magazine, September 2026).
