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...you can also view bulletins online.....www.rotarycluboflacrosse.org
Our club will have a ZOOM meeting again this week. We will be sending you a browser link via email Thursday morning. We will open at 11:30 and our meeting will start at Noon. If you have an announcement you would like to make...please contact Andy Bakkum. If you would like to have a guest attend, please let Andy know and YOU can forward your email link to them.
Thanks to Sarah Arendt-Beyer you can now view past Zoom Rotary Meetings - she will post each week on our web site......LINK.
This Week at Rotary:
Lee Rasch
LeaderEthics - Wisconsin
LeaderEthics-WIsconsin is non-partisan/non-profit organization. Our efforts are directed at encouraging citizen involvement in the electoral process that encourages ethical leadership by elected officials. We have developed the 2020 Citizen’s Guide to Ethical Leadership Among Elected Officials...a practical guide for the average citizen to promote ethical leadership. The Citizen’s Guide will be included the presentation.
We have one last quote we would like to share with Tami.
Thank you for empowering our members!!
Our club was busy this past year with our 100 year Anniversary, Cameroon Gardens, iFeed, Membership Grants, Fruit Basket Fundraiser, Packer Fundraiser, Warm Feet Warm Hearts, World Polio Day Fundraiser,
Monthly Fellowships, Deep Dive for Diapers Fundraiser, India Toilet Facilities Project, Youth Exchange Student-Inga, Salvation Army Bell rRnging, Habitat for Humanity Build Day, Razia Bus Fundraiser (ongoing), Fellowship Groups were created (Whiskey, Food, etc.), 25th Rotary Lights Banquet, The Rotary Price is Right and the list could go on and on.
We started 2019 with 185 members and 23 Honorary members....we start 2020 with 187 members and 26 Honorary members! We are growing.
We would also like to thank the Club Board for their dedication this past year: Tami Woods, Todd Restel, Andy Bakkum, Sarah Arendt Beyer, Nick Paase, Diana Carey, Kenna Christians, Pat Ruda, Mark Jolivette, Al Louis, Tim Dutsche, Alex Lueck, Catherine Kolkmeier, Steve O'Malley, Carol Abrahamzon, Miranda TerBeest who resigned and was replaced by Eva Marie Restel and Ashley Skoczynski who resigned and was replaced by Mary Beth Hensel. Thanks to our Rotary Works Board members: Pat Ruda, Kelly Krieg-Sigman, Craig Ubbelohde and Sue Durtsche.
YOUR Club Board and Rotary Works Board members are listed on our homepage of our web site for the 2020-21.
Each week President Andy will interview one of our Rotary Family. We will post the video each week in our newsletter. We we will also post on Facebook and our web site - PAGE LINK. You can share this site with prospective members.
This week Andy interviewed Past President Tami Woods.....click on her photo.
Andy Bakkum was chosen as one of our Rotarians of the Year. Andy's nominator's stated: He is a very active Rotarian with our club's events and he has been active in the Interact Program. Beyond that he brings fun and humor to the club. Another nominator stated he has been tremendously engaged as a leader propelling many of our Rotary initiatives forward. At PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar) Andy took the initiative to start a fundraiser for books for Razia's schools....over the weekend they collected $10,000+.
Lyn Sheffer
Lyn Sheffer was also chosen as one of our Rotarians of the Year. Lyn's nominators stated: Lyn has been deserving of this award for many years, and we can think of no one more worthy to be our Rotarian of the Year. Lyn emobies Rotary. She lives and breathes the Four Way Test and exemplifies Service Above Self. What we love most about Lyn is the kindness, respect, and compassion she shows to all of our members, and to our community. She greets us with a smile, listens patiently to our requests, and is always there to help. Lyn cares deeply about our older members and goes above and beyond to support their involvement. In a club where so many could be singled out for their service, Lyn stands out amongst us, and we are blessed to have her as a member and as a leader.
Our next STAR Meeting will be this Thursday, July 9th - Zoom - 7 am - 8 am
Please RSVP to Jodi Widuch and she will send you the link to the meeting.
They will highlight the following this week:
Rotary Structure – From your local club to the Rotary International Organization • Promoting Peace (one of Rotary’s Six areas of focus) • Rotary’s Monthly Themes: o Membership and Extension • Websites and Club Runner • Q&A and Idea Sharing
Thank you to Rotarians Jodi Widuch and Mary Beth Hensel for presenting our "Wheels of Hope" project. This is an international project that our club in cooperation with other Rotary Clubs has set a goal to raise money to fund a bus and a van to safely transport girls to their schools in Afghanistan. LINK to PowerPoint Presentation.
Only 12% of women in Afghanistan are considered literate. The Zabuli Education Center is one of the few successful schools for girls that is working to change that sad statistic. The Wheels of Hope Project is an important support to expanding educational opportunities for girls and creating safety. This work is inspired by Razia Jan, last year’s District Conference keynote speaker and founder of the school.
Follow-up from Jodi Widuch...….
Thank you very much for the opportunity to talk with you about the Wheels of Hope Project.
As follow up here details of how to donate:
1. Here is the link to our Go Fund Me Page. This is the easiest way to used a credit or debit card. There is a small processing fee that you can choose to pay for. charity.gofundme.com/razias-wheels-of-hope
2. You can also donate by check, payable to Rotary Works Foundation, Wheels of Hope in the memo, and mail to Jodi Widuch, 2555 Edgewood Pl., La Crosse, WI 54601
The Holmen Area Rotary Service Auction is live online! Bidding starts July 6th and runs 2+ weeks, leading to the live event streamed on Youtube on July 23.
Consider Being a Sponsor: You will notice that we currently have just 2 sponsors, whose logos appear on the page of each auction item offered. Please consider being a sponsor and adding your logo. Increased numbers attending our service auction means greater exposure for your business/brand. Cost is $200. Contact Holmen Rotarian Bob Buck: vonbuck100@outlook.com.
Happy Birthday Stephanie Jobe - July 5 Candice Tlustosch - July 5 Mark Jolivette - July 6 Mike Swenson - July 6 Andrew Dickinson - July 7 Tim Durtsche - July 7 Dan Howes - July 9 Patt Boge - July 10 John Honadel - July 10 Roger Stanford - July 11
Happy Wedding Anniversary Glena (Stephen) Temple - July 7 Tom (Jean) Thompson - July 9 Katie (Sam)Berkedal - July 10
Rotary Anniversary Marv Davis - July 7 - 37 years Rob Jordan - July 11 - 1 year
NOTE DATE OF EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED - October 6, 2020 - The Committee is revisiting this date....watch for more information.
Every year the nine area Rotary Clubs gather for a celebration of club projects and honor members that have lived the Service Above Self motto. Clubs will also honor their Rotarians of the Year. This year our Avenues of Service Banquet will be Tuesday, October 6th, at the La Crescent Area Event Center, 595 Veterans Parkway, La Crescent, MN. A decision will be made on July 18th if we will have the event. The celebration will begin at 5:30 with a social. This is a fundraiser for our Rotary Works Foundation. We hope you will save the date. It is a great night of fellowship and celebration. More details coming.
We are now looking for nominations for the following categories: Avenue of Service Nominations for Club Projects, Lifetime Achievement Nominations and the Rising Star Nominations. More information and nominations forms can be found on the Avenues of Service Dinner page on our web site....LINK. Deadline to submit nominations isJuly 15th
NOTE the forms have been updated this week with Patt Boge's new email address. If you sent a form to her library address, please submit again to patriciaboge@yahoo.com.
Starting July 26 through August 28, Al will be fishing up at Lake Vermilion with the hopes of catching many Muskies. He is hoping to get out each Tuesday and Thursday night to chase Muskies for four hours each night. If all goes well he will get 10-12 trips during the dates listed. It takes 10,000 casts to catch one Musky and last year Al was lucky enough to catch four. Al is contributing $100 per Musky he catches during that time frame and challenging our members to match any $ amount towards each Musky. If you want to challenge Al to $10 per Musky and he catches 7, your generous contribution of $70 would go towards the fund. You can also just donate a flat rate of any amount. Last year we raised over $4,000 which went to The Parenting Place for the 2019 Diaper Drive. Al’s minimum donation will be $500 and he will also be promoting this fundraiser at his honorary clubs in Arizona and Minnesota. His Lake Havasu Club has already agreed to match up to $1,000.! Anyone donating $50 or more will receive a bronze Centennial coin. Al's goal is $20,000!! He has already collected $4,000+ and we haven't even started the fundraiser yet!
You will be hearing more about the fundraiser and how you can sign-up to challenge Al and help five nonprofits in our community that support families, the elderly and children!
Associate Membershipis a program to recruit younger members, millennials, to membership. Associate Membership is available to anyone who is proposed for membership who is 35 years of age or less. Associate membership will end when that member reaches the age of 38. They would pay for dues and $100 for meals per quarter no matter how many meetings they attend that quarter.
Corporate Membership is a program to allow multiple employees of a business Rotary participation under one primary membership. Each corporate membership is limited to a three-year term. After the three-year corporate membership term, the individuals are required to become individual members. View Corporate Membership Policy.
Family Membershipis a program to allow a second individual Rotary participation under one primary membership. View Family Membership Policy.
Honorary Membership is offered to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals.Unlike other membership categories that can be requested by the member, Honorary Membership is bestowed upon a member by election from the Board of Directors. View Honorary Membership Policy.
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 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.