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.
After presiding over exactly one meeting as President, I was off last week on vacation. As a club, we are fortunate to have a deep succession plan which includes the identification of our next two club presidents. This early selection process enabled our President-elect Tami Woods to attend the President Elect Training (PETs) program back in January 2018. By attending PETs, Tami has already met Rotary International’s training requirements to run our club. Thank you Tami Woods for filling in for me!
As a follow up to my earlier messages to the Club, for my year as President, I plan to include two video links in each week’s Club Runner newsletter. The first link will be a video on Rotary International (“RI”). My goal in having this link is for our club to develop a more broad understanding of RI beyond our local club’s boundaries.
In honor of Tami Wood’s first meeting as President Elect, the RI video that I have selected is RI’s President Elect Mark Maloney’s acceptance speech given at the recent Toronto Convention. It’s short, but offers a first look at our future leadership. Here is the link: https://vimeopro.com/rotary/toronto-convention/video/279341516
The second link is an interesting TED talk recommended by our very own District Governor, Bill Hoel. This video dates back to a talk given in 2006 by Hans Rosling of the Karolinksa Institute at the University of Upsala which illustrates some interesting data about our world. Although Hans has passed away, the organization he founded, Gapminders.com, continues under his son. The book the son published, Factfullness, is the book Bill Gates this year gave to every single college graduate in the US. Here’s the link:
I have a few reasons for selecting a video for you to watch each week. One of the reasons is that if you happen to be sitting with a table of Rotarians that you don’t know, but you have all watched the video, then the table will have a common experience with which someone can utilize to start a conversation.
Since I wasn’t at the meeting last week, I want to remind you of a few new initiatives.
One, in an effort to gain some new members, the cost of 100 meals has been prepaid. These meals are to be used to bring a guest with you. While there will be no policing set up for this program, I do have a few asks. If you use this money, please be sure that the guest is a true potential member that might join our club. Also, if you have a company that reimburses your meals, please let this benefit be used by those who pay out of pocket to bring guests. With this being our 100th anniversary, we should have plenty of exciting reasons for a guest to want to join our club. We just need to invite them.
Two, Eva Marie and I want to treat each member of our club to either a lunch or dinner during the 2018-19 Rotary year. You are welcome to bring your spouse or significant other. If you have a family with kids and want to bring them, then we will set something up at our home that will be child friendly.
Lastly, I have two final comments. First, hopefully you noted that we are having a Music Trivia slide each week. There is no cost to participate meaning that you don’t have to purchase a raffle ticket to potentially win. Second, if you have recommendations for future links in our newsletter, please email those to me. I love discovering new areas of interest from other people that I respect.
This week at Rotary we will have 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. See her bio below.
If you will be bringing a guest....please register your guestonline here so we can adjust our meal count if we need to.
INA PINKNEY—AUTHOR, SPEAKER, RESTAURTEUR, FILM PRODUCER, AND MUCH MORE
INA PINKNEY WHO SURVIVED POLIO AS AN UNFANT, NOW SUFFERS THE EFFECTS OF POST-POLIO SYNDROME, HAS HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND CAREER EMBODYING THE HUMAN SPIRIT IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.
INA WAS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE ROTARY TRICON IN THE WISCONSIN DELLS, MAY 5, 2018. SHE SPOKE ABOUT HER LIFE AS A POLIO SURVIVOR WHO NOT ONLY SURVIVED BUT THRIVED. HER MESSAGE IS AWE-INSPIRING!
Chris Hardie, Chief Executive Officer from 7 Rivers Alliance was our speaker.
By 2026 the 7 Rivers Region will be more than 15,000 workers short of what we need to keep pace with the projected job openings. There are not enough people in our region to keep pace with the retirements and the outmigration our region experiences. To solve this, the 7 Rivers Alliance has developed the WISE (Workforce Innovation for a Strong Economy) Plan, a 10-year comprehensive workforce development plan. 7 Rivers Alliance CEO Chris Hardie will present highlights of the plan and talk about solutions. The WISE Plan: Workforce Innovation for a Strong Economy. PowerPoint presentation. www.7riversalliance.org
Our Humanitarian Committee is asking for donations to help bring a little comfort to human trafficking survivors by donating personal care and other items at our July 26th meeting. Donations will be provided to New Horizons and Breaking Free for distribution. Click here for a list of requested items.
Our program on June 28th was on Human Trafficking - Investigator Crystal Sedevie from the Holmen Police Department was our speaker. Here is her PowerPoint Presentation.
Beca, our exchange student headed home on Tuesday. Thanks to all who sent her off at the airport. We wish her the best and hope she will come back sometime to visit.
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.
Every Rotarian is Responsible for Membership Growth
Jamie Schloegel Community Foundation Executive Director
Proposed by Mike Swenson
If no written objection to the proposal stating reasons is received by the Board of Directors from any member of the club within seven days following publication of the name of the prospective member, the prospective member shall be considered to be elected to membership.
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.
COME FOR SUPPER....The Humanitarian Committee will be helping again with the "Come for Supper Meal Program" at Our Savior's Lutheran Church - 612 Division Street on Tuesday, July 31st from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Click here to volunteer.
Thank you to everyone that took time out of their busy schedule to attend Elmer Grassman's 92nd birthday party. Thanks to his daughter, Karla Grassman for hosting the party.
We received the following from Karla:
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You do not know how much this meant to dad. He had a smile on his face all week. At least 3 of his nurses told me how good his mood was this week. Thanks to you and all of his friends at rotary!!!!! You all are very special to us!
Elmer and Dean Dickinson (Thanks Dean for bringing Elmer's favorite drink!)
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.
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.
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.
Valley View Rotary: Moon Tunes - Riverside Park on Thursday evenings, 5:30-8:00. This week Moon Tunes will be Tuesday and Thursday due to the cancellation last Thursday.
Happy Birthday Carey Shilts - July 25 Jeff Richardson - July 27 Jerry Arndt - July 29 Clint Torp - July 29 Sean Henneman - July 30 Jeanne Meyer - July 31 Joyce Wichelt - July 31
Happy Wedding Anniversary Steve (Jill) Doll - July 24 Tim (Glenda) Ehler - July 25 Cheryl (Victor) Hancock - July 27 Kyle (Jodie) Visker - July 28 Bill (Karen) Hoel - July 29 Dillon (Megan) McArdle - July 31
Happy Rotary Anniversary Brian Langenhorst - July 2 - 19 years Pat Smith (honorary) - July 27 - 23 years Fred Ross (honorary) - July 30 - 54 years
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
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 19th: Raffle $45: Fines $130: Scooters $8: Scrip $10
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.