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 I meant to lead off with a local video showing the La Crosse Sheriff’s department having fun and happened to have cameo appearances from three of our Rotary members. The video was made to participate in the national law enforcement lip sync craze sweeping our great country. Unfortunately, right before sending this message to Lyn to post in the newsletter, I checked the link and the video has been taken down. Hopefully, you were listening in the last week’s meeting and went ahead and watched it. Enough people saw the video that I can assure you that no fake news is coming out of this week’s message. It did exist, but is now removed.
This week at Rotary we will welcome Esme Brekke and Maisie Bailey, two youth exchange rebounds. You will hear about their amazing and life changing experiences from their year as a youth exchange student.
If you know of a student who would like to live a year in another country, there will be an informational meeting on September 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Children's Museum, 207 5th Avenue South, La Crosse. See information below.
Rotary Youth Exchange A Step Toward WorldUnderstanding. The La Crosse area Rotary Clubs are looking for students who are interested in a unique experience of attending high school while living in another Rotary International country. Rotary International has a program which annually involves over 10,000 high school students living nearly a year in another country. Candidates must be sophomores to seniors in high school at the time of application and 16-18 1/2 years old when they leave for their assigned country. Applicants must rank in the upper half of their class.
How to apply. If you know of someone that is interested in this program for the 2019-20 school year, simply have them complete and return the application. Click here for application and more information. An informational meeting will be September 19, 2018, 6:30 pm at the Children's Museum, 207 5th Avenue, La Crosse. Preliminary application due, September 19, 2018. Local interviews will be October 1, 2018 and final application due October 24, 2018. District interviews will be held on November 4, 2018 in Baraboo.
The Avenues of Service Dinner will be Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at WTC - Lunda Center. The social and basket raffle will begin at 5:30 and the dinner and program at 6:30. Cost will be $2o for Downtown Rotarians and $35 for guests. FLYER We will recognize the hard work of our area clubs and honor the area's outstanding Rotarians. Our club will recognize our Rotarians of the Year - Steve Lindeman and Steve O'Malley. Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Chuck Hanson from our club and Leo Chaput from the La Crescent Rotary Club. Rising Star Award will go to Julie Nelson from Valley View Rotary.
The Avenues of Service Awards for 2017-18 are:
Club Service: Sink the Sled - Onalaska Rotary Club
Community Service: Welcome in La Crosse-Rotary and Habitat for Humanity Partnership - La Crosse Downtown
Community Service: La Crosse Rotary Habitat Project - La Crosse Downtown
International: Mexico Water Project - La Crosse Rotary After Hours
Vocational: None submitted.
New Generation: Youth Committee Community Service Award - La Crosse Downtown
Please register at our upcoming meetings or online....PLEASE NOTE your meal choice. Lemon Herb Chicken, Burgundy Petite Tender of Beef or Aspargus Gnocchi. If you do not indicate meal choice we will select chicken for you.
Erik Elsea, President of Cape Coral, Florida Rotary Club and ShelterBox volunteer is canoeing the length of the Mississippi River to raise money for ShelterBox USA and raise awareness of the great work of Rotary along the route. ShelterBox is a huge international partner of Rotary, speeding pre-positioned supplies to disaster scenes around the world. It is without doubt a worthy cause. Charity Navigator ranks them almost as high as the Rotary Foundation, with an overall rating of 95.8 and transparency rating of 100. They get the highest rating of fours stars.
Our club and Valley View Rotary club will be hosting a fundraiser party this Sunday, August 5th at Pettibone Boat Club, 600 S. Pettibone Drive from 2:30-5:30. Tickets will be $20 which will include a drink and appetizers. Every ticket sold $5 will be donated to ShelterBox. Bring your family and friends to help support a worthy cause.
We will also take up a collection at our meeting this week. Last week we had a donor give us a $500 match donation - we collected $315 in our baskets so we have raised $815. Thank you to all who have donated to support Erik and Shelterbox.
Last week at Rotary we had as our guest speaker - Ina Pinkney. Ina who survived childhood polio has had an extraordinary life and career embodying the human spirit in the face of adversity. Her bio.
We also recognized our past president Jodi Widuch with her RI 2017-18 banner and a gift of our appreciation of her great leadership last year.
Jack Haase spoke about Rotary Fellowships. Jack is a member of the scuba diving fellowship. They do two dive trips a year and have a newsletter.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience. For more information on Rotary Fellowships visit their web site.
Our Youth Exchange Student for 2018-19 will be a girl, Lucia from Spain. Lucia will be arriving on Wednesday, August 15th at the La Crosse Airport at 5:56 pm. Come and welcome her to La Crosse! Info on Lucia.
We are teaming up with the Riverfest Commodores with a fundraiser. They are selling raffle tickets to benefit their Riverfest Commodore Foundation, Inc....each ticket is $10 or 3 for $25....every ticket we sell we will get $5.......1st Place is Four Club Seats to the Packers/Buffalo game on September 30th...includes a 6 passenger limo service to and from the game.....2nd - 5th price click here to view.Each ticket comes with a FREE Exterior Basic Wash at Ship Shape or Quick N'Clean coupon worth $8. We hope you will not only buy a ticket but take a pack of tickets to sell to your friends, co-workers, etc. We will use the money through-out the year for our projects. Please help us make this fundraiser a success. Pick up your tickets this week at Rotary.
PICK UP A PACK AND SELL THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS! Drawing will be Monday, September 10th at 7 pm at Shenanigan's. If you are not a member of our club and would like to purchase a ticket..email rotarylax@charter.net and we will connect with you.
Centennial Project Fundraiser - Growing Hearts Across the World.
Message from the Fundraising Committee: Lee Rasch, Kerstin Boudreau, Kenna Christians, Sue Durtsche, Mary Ann Gschwind, Chuck Hanson, Kathryn Sexauer, Mike Swenson, Jodi Widuch, Todd Restel, Katie Berkedal and Catherine Kolkmeier.
As you know, we are celebrating 100 years of Rotary service to our region with the Growing Hearts Across the World campaign. The campaign will culminate with the completion of the Cameroon Garden in Riverside Park in the summer of 2019. The Garden will honor the rich cultural traditions of Cameroon and provide a wonderful gathering place overlooking the area where the the “Three Rivers” meet. Most importantly, it will serve as a model for community and international service for the upcoming generations of Rotarians.
To date, we have received excellent support from Rotarians. But we have not yet heard from all of you. The next phase of the Growing Hearts Across the World campaign will be to the Seven Rivers Region community. It is very important to be able to state to the community at large that Rotarians are fully committed to Growing Hearts Across the World. Indeed, there is no better message than to state...every Rotarian in our Club contributed. We have asked members to consider a $100 contribution pledge for up to two years. However, your contribution at any level will count. Please turn in your pledge cards and contributions to Earlamae Dahlby or send your contribution to Lyn Sheffer at P.O. Box 1914, La Crosse, WI 54602-1914.
One hundred years of service by Rotary has had a profound impact on the lives of many in our region and throughout the world. Come join us in celebrating this service...and help set the stage for generations of Rotarians in the years to come.
We have dedicated a page on our web site for our Centennial year to keep members updated on our project. Click here to view.
If you would like more information, please contact Lee Rasch.
The Rotary International Convention is scheduled for June 1-5, 2019 inHamburg, Germany.Travel Leaders is exploring five day pre and post-convention tours of the north of German and of the south to include Munich and Bavaria.
A program will be presented by Dannette Jacob from Travel Leaders on Germany in September.
Registration and convention housing materials are available from Lyn or at Rotary.org.
If you are considering attending it is recommended that you get registered and book your accommodations while in Hamburg. The tour elements will be inclusive of travel and hotels while on those tours. Club members who attended the Toronto convention, the Restels, Hoels, Dickinsons, Tami Woods and Roz Schnick would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
Rotary Friendship Exchange...The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians and their families the opportunity to host and visit Rotarians around the world. In addition to experiencing other cultures and making lasting friendships, an exchange provides a strong foundation for carrying out other international activities and service projects. The primary goal of a Friendship Exchange is to build greater international understanding and goodwill among Rotarians and their families. In addition, exchange participants can learn how their vocations are practiced in other parts of the world, observe new customs and cultures, and promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide.
ROTARY ATTENDANCE July 12 - 58% July 19 - 54% July 26th - 55%
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 Winners July - Miranda TerBeest August - Sue Durtsche September - Tim Durtsche October - Jamie Capuzzi November - Wendell Snodgrass December - Al Louis January - David Amborn February - Lyn Sheffer March- Petra Roter April - Lee Rasch May - Earlamae Dahlby June - Roger LeGrand
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 Membership is 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. 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 of $76 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.
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.
July 26th: Raffle $47: Fines $43: Scooters $5: Scrip $150
If you would like to volunteer for Rotarians in the News, be a greeter, a hospitality greeter, raffle ticket seller, scrip seller or announce guests, you can email the Monthly Duty Roster Coordinator that are listed above....just click on their name. If you would like to give your classification talk please contact Program Committee Chair Andy Bakkum.