Allow for time for parking and to go through buffet line!
October 22 - La Crosse Center Ballroom C
October 29 - Radisson Center
This Week: Jon Bingol: Failing to Plan or Planning to Fail?
Mr. Bingol will provide an overview of MRRPC and discuss the importance of Planning for communities and organizations. This presentation will provide an overview of Community and Economic Development with examples illustrating how they can be used to improve our Quality of Life. He will also share ideas that you may be able to use in your organization or community.
Jon Bingol, Executive Director of the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC) – Has over 30 years of experience in community and economic development as well as extensive experience in Continuous Improvement and Community Engagement. He strives to help communities and organizations plan for their future and improve their current processes. Jon is involved in all aspects of Community and Economic Development. MRRPC assists communities with Comprehensive Plans, Land Use, Outdoor Recreation Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans, Economic Development Plans, Housing Studies, Historic Preservation Plans, Workforce Development, Tourism, Strategic Planning and many other projects related to advancing our Region as a great place to live, work and play. He also conducts/facilitates educational sessions and community engagement meetings across the Region on various topics.
Next Week: Michelle Skemp, Improving Rotary's Public Image
How to improve Rotary's Public Image.
Meal for This Week
Lunch this week: Soup and Salad Buffet, garlic bread, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. Vegetarian soup availalbe upon request.
Coffee, ice tea, milk, and water available.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnlby the end of day Monday for the meal on Thursday.
Zoom Option for Weekly Meetings
Thank you for your patience and our apologies for the Zoom connection when we meet at the Radisson Center. The connection is very unstable and the space has older equipment. Each space at the Radisson has a different tech set up and we are making adjustments as needed and doing the best we can. We really do appreciate your patience when on Zoom.
Quarter 2 Invoices
Quarter 2 invoices were sent out last week. Please reach out to Niki Pohnl if you did not receive your invoice. Note the following payment options:
FREE - cash, check, Venmo, Paypal
1% fee applies to payments through Quickbooks using your personal checking acount
3% fee applies to payments through Quickbooks using a credit or debit card
Football Board Winners
Thank you to all who participated in our first football board fundraiser. The winners are as follows. Congratulations! See Niki at the enxt meeting for your payout!
Quarter 1 - Richard Strauss (0-7)
Quarter 2 - Tim Durtsche (7-14)
Quarter 3 - Andy Bakkum (7-23)
Quarter 4 - Dave Pohnl (7-31)
New Member Proposals
The following community member has been proposed to become a member of our club:
Lisa Lincoln, Lemonade Photos, proposed by Scott Horne
Mary Beth Hensel, CEO Resolve Through Sharing, proposed by Richard Strauss
Richard and Ellen Greer, proposed by Bridget Thomas
Lynda Crowley, Catholic Charities, proposed by Richard Strauss
JC Wagner-Romero, CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters, proposed by Bridget Thomas
According to club procedure, applicant names are to be published in our weekly email bulletin for two weeks. If there are no objections from the current membership, these applications will be approved. Please contact the Club Administrator if you object to these proposals by Octpber 21st.
Didn't sign up to “walk the walk”? No problem! Join us at the Rookery for the AFTER PARTY! All area Rotarians participating in the walk will gather there after the walk.
Stop by to celebrate the efforts around 11:30/12:00. Hope to see you there!
We invite you to sponsor of our sixth annual Youth Exchange Cultural Celebration planned for Thursday, November 5, 2026 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at The Dash Center, Onalaska, WI. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the cultures of our Coulee Region exchange students and to show them a warm welcome. The students have hand-picked recipes that represent their culture and are working with local chefs to give attendees the opportunity to taste “comfort food” from their country. There will also be hors d'oeuvres and 50/50 raffle.
Proceeds from the event go towards the exchange students’ end-of-year trip to the East or West Coast of the United States. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. We are grateful for any support that you can provide and we offer a variety of sponsorship levels to accommodate all levels of giving. We know that you have many choices regarding sponsorships. The Youth Exchange Cultural Celebration is valuable for our exchange students as well as our community and we hope that you will join us in sponsoring this event.
The Rotary Works Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. If you have questions, please contact me and I look forward to speaking with you.
The next football board starts THIS week!
CLICK HERE to sign up or view more upcoming opportunities
Welcome to Week TWO of Economic & Community Development.
The news is from the Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan, where the Rotary Club in that city received three special recognitions from TRF. In a letter to the Rotary Club from Chief Philanthropy Officer of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, Eric Schmelling, the organization was recognized for the following:
One of only 1,520 clubs to achieve Top Three Highest In Per Capita Annual Giving honors in their district (only clubs with a minimum $50 Annual Fund per capita contribution were eligible).
One of only 3,900 clubs worldwide to attain status as a Every Rotarian, Every Year Club (clubs must have achieved a minimum Annual Fund contribution of $100 per capita with every dues-paying member contributing $25 or more to the Annual Fund during the Rotary year).
One of only 4,800 clubs worldwide to become a 100% Foundation Giving Club (clubs must have achieved an average of US$t00 in per capita giving and 100 percent participation, with every dues-paying member contributing at least US$25 to any gift designation during the Rotary year).
