MEET AT THE REINHART CENTER, VITERBO on March 23rd. Parking available!
This Week: Brad Furlano, La Crosse Blue Star Drum and Bugle Corps
Blue Stars were founded in La Crosse in1964 and have been performing for audiences throughout the country with their unique and entertaining productions for 59 years. The Blue Stars are 20-time Drum Corps International World Class Finalists, 3-time DCI Division II Finalists, and 17-time DCI Division III finalists. The corps is the 1989, 1993, 2001, and 2003 DCI Division III World Champions.
Brad Furlano joined the Blue Stars organization as a 10-year-old in 1982, marching until aging out in 1993. Prior to becoming the organizations’ CEO in 2006, Furlano held various positions with the corps, including: visual caption head, drill designer, interim corps director, and board member.
Furlano has a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and managed communications teams at several Fortune 500 companies, including Best Buy, Ameriprise Financial, and Eddie Bauer.
Brad lives in Onalaska, WI with his wife Niki and son Ethan.
Rotarian Jamie O'Neill had the opportunity to participate in the Rotary Environmental Tour in Mexico in October 2022. Over the six-day trip, the group visited five Rotary clubs located between Mexico City and Guadallajara, where they witnessed various environmental projects being carried out firsthand. These projects included river clean-ups, school environmental initiatives, water treatment centers, tree planting, and more. Jamie showcased these impressive projects and shared some key takeaways that can be beneficial to any Rotary committee aiming to make a difference. "It was truly remarkable to see the transformative impact that can be achieved when Rotarians come together. These Rotary groups in Mexico pulled in so many community partners and made large impacts in their communities." - Jamie O'Neill
If you missed this presentation, reach out to Jamie for a conversation.
Tom Monson'sfather, John Monson, passed away last week.
Bob Ruitzel's daughter, Rachel, passed away last weekend.
March 22, 2023 12:00 PM, Virtual Event
Register here: leaderethics.us
CONSIDER BECOMING A YOUTH EXCHANGE HOST FOR JAAKKO FROM FINLAND
We have been notified that a student has been assigned. Our next student will be Jaakko from Finland! We need to determine his first (from mid-August to around December 1) host family in the next 15 days! Once we have a family, we will also need to enroll him in a school. Both are required before we accept a student. We have a maximum of 30 days to get all paperwork signed and submitted.
Please determine if this is of interest to your family OR if you know some family who may be interested.
Jaakko's interests are varied - in his free time he enjoys playing ice hockey (which he has played since he was 7) and electric guitar. Even though he plays hockey he rarely watches it - he watches other sports like football and basketball. He listens to a variety of different artists and genres, but lists the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Guns n' Roses, and Judas Priest as some favorites. :-) He is described by his family as easygoing, calm, kind and polite. He makes friends quickly. He wants to try many new things - and has a dream of working abroad.
Please let Jim Salmo (jimsalmo@msn.com) know of your interest ASAP. His cell phone is 618-606-2862.
Our deadline to secure the first host family is Tues., Mar. 28.
Consider this quote from one of our members currently hosting: Hosting an exchange student gives you the chance to really connect with a student from another culture, more than you ever could on even an extended vacation. If you have kids (of any age) in your home, it's fun for them to get to know another student and share with them like a sibling. And you are able to give someone else's kid the chance to learn so many new things and really understand America. Mathilde is still living with us, and my kids are already asking to host again!
Add text here
Seeking Meeting Program Ideas
We are looking for ideas for Spring and Summer programs. Have you heard an interesting program you think the club might be interested in? Do you have a topic you would like to hear more about? Send your ideas and suggestions to Mark Jolivette. He and the rest of the Programs Committee are happy to follow up and see who we can get scheduled.
Fishing Fellowship Co-Chair Needed AND Beer Fellowship Co-Chairs Needed
We are seeking a co-chair for our fishing fellowship! This person would work with Kyle Visker to coordinate 2-3 fishing fellowships this year. We are also looking for a couple beer fellowship co-chairs to do the same. Contact Bridget Thomas if you are interested!
Annual Business Meeting for District 6250
We are looking for members of our club to represent us at the District 6250 Annual Meeting. This will happen on Friday, April 28th at 10:15am. Please reach out to Niki Pohnl for documents you will need to review before the meeting. We are allowed up to 8 members to represent our club.
TriCon - April 27-29
It's not too late to register for Tri Con, coming to La Crosse April 27-29. Follow this link to register and for further details: TRICON EVENT DETAILS
Al's Musky Challenge Accepting Applications
The attached form must be complete for an organization to be considered as a beneficiary of the 2023 Al's Musky Challenge. Al's Musky Challenge is a project of the Rotary Club of La Crosse Downtown and since inception in 2018 has raised more than $250,000 for organizations serving the youth of the Coulee Region.
Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:
eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions as evidenced by 501c3 public charity status
can demonstrate experience serving the youth of the Coulee Region
operate in alignment with the Rotary International mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace