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: October 8th
Ed Futa
Rotary Update with Ed Futa
Ed Futa is a past General Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. As such he managed operations for one of the world’s largest global humanitarian service organization with 33,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographic regions. Futa comes from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was president of an international marketing consulting firm. He is a keynote speaker at many Rotary International events including club and district conferences and international assemblies and conventions. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Honolulu, Hawaii. Ed lives in Madison, WI.
In “retirement”, Ed served five years as Dean of the Rotary Representative Corps. This included Rotary appointed representatives to the following:
The United Nations, New York City; UNOG (United Nations Office In Geneva; UNOV (United Nations Office Vienna; ECLAC (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Santiago, Chile); ESCWA (UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Beirut, Lebanon); ESCAP (UN Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand; UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris, France); OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, France); Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France); AU (African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); ECA (Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, Kenya; UNEP (UN Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya); WFP (World Food Program, Rome, Italy); FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy); IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome, Italy); World Bank, Washington DC; OAS (Organization of American States, Washington, DC); European Union, Brussels, Belgium; Commonwealth of Nations, London, England; League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt.
He currently serves as an alternate Rotary representative to the United Nations.
The Rotary Leadership series will involve featured speakers providing insight and information about various aspects of leadership The events are scheduled in a virtual format on the second Thursday of the month on an alternating schedule with the STAR program. 7:00-8:00 am.
The Rotary Leadership Series is designed for the members of the nine La Crosse-area Rotary clubs. Members may invite guests.
On October 8th we will welcome Carolyn Colleen Bostrack.
Carolyn is the founder of the FIERCE Network, an online program that helps women create life strategies that enables them to have the life they dream of—without sacrificing their families, careers, or lifestyles. She is also the author of F.I.E.R.C.E.: Transform Your Life in the Face of Adversity, 5 Minutes at a Time!
Carolyn is a consultant and thought leader for Case Western Reserve University as a leader within the Xchange approach, an initiative built upon a scientifically based, multi-disciplinary approach for leading and managing teams. In addition, she is currently publishing a second book focused on academic entrepreneurism and is the Executive Director of 1Life Fully Lived, a nonprofit organization that provides people of all backgrounds the tools to achieve success.
From standing in a food line at the Salvation Army to Ph.D., Carolyn is avid about sharing her own life story and encouraging others to make changes that move them from fear to focusing on the pursuit of their passions.
Registration is required to attend, guests must provide their email address. To register, clickHERE. Those registered will receive an access link shortly before the October 8th event. We hope you will be able to attend. Meanwhile, look for announcements regarding future speakers.
In service, the Rotary Leadership Series Committee:
Lee Rasch, Andrew Bakkum, Scott Butler, Stephanie Fraase, Mary Beth Hensel, Art Lyons, Emily Nolte
On Saturday, September 26, 2020 we had over 45 people gather to clean up trash along the Mississippi River. This was part of a project led by The Mississippi Runs Through US Provisional Cause-Based Rotary Club that gathered many Rotary clubs the same day. Our gathering consisted of the Downtown Rotary Club of La Crosse, Rotaract members and Rotary Club of La Crosse After Hours members. We picked up many things from fishing line, to barrels, to dentures. There is an annual river clean up that is done in La Crosse each spring. In the future, we plan to support the spring effort and continue to lead the fall river clean up effort. We tracked our garbage pick up through a Marine Debris Tracker led by National Geographic. We'll be able to know how much was picked up on Saturday by the shared Rotary efforts. DATA below. Thank you to everyone who participated and to Jamie O'Neill for chairing the project! PHOTOS OF THE DAY
Last year Dean had announced he would no longer organize our Christmas Program. He has agreed to co-chair with Katie Berkedahl this year and help her plan the program. The show will go on!! Thank you to Dean and Katie for agreeing to co-chair this event. Please contact Dean or Katie if you have children, grandchildren, friends, etc. that would be willing to entertain us virtually on Thursday, December 17th.
Fruit Basket Fundraiser.....will now be a Fruit BOX Fundraiser! Yes we will be having our fundraiser despite COVID-19! We are replacing the baskets with a box - same amount of fruit (8 apples, 4 oranges, 4 pears and a bag of peanuts). Boxes will cost less than the baskets, are recyclable and you will be able to personally send them to family and friends out of town.
David Amborn and Steve O'Malley have met with the La Crosse County Health Department to review what we will need to do to make this a safe and healthy event for our members and customers. Things may be a little different this year....we will be wearing masks and gloves, distant ourselves and work in shifts. This year we will not be allowing children to help unless parents take them on deliveries with them.
Boxes will be $23 each and every Rotarian must buy or sell 5 baskets OR if you wish you can do a buy out at $100. This is our major fundraiser of the year and we hope you will start promoting our fundraiser to your friends, family and co-workers. Do you know of a business that might want to purchase them as a gift for their employees? All proceeds go to our club and are used to support a wide variety of activities and initiatives (Youth Exchange, Interact, Wheels of Hope, Kids Coulee..lots of things.)
We will be assembling the boxes the weekend of December 12th....with deliveries on December 12th and 14th. So save the dates. More information will be coming in the next few weeks.
Advertise in the 2020 Rotary Lights Booklet. The full-color book will feature a history of the project, maps, schedules, photos and much more! 30,000+ will be printed and will be personally handed out to each vehicle and to groups of walkers that enter the park and can be viewed on the Rotary Lights web site.
Rotarians are "Walking for Wheels".....Thomas Behrenbeck is walking for wheels....how about you!! He will match the first $500 donated to our Wheels on the Bus Fundraiser...starting September 1st!
"Walking for Wheels" documentation from Thomas......
September 24th
Thursday, cursed Thursday, the day, that’s packed with meetings, then the Rotary Zoom meeting, and then again, more conference calls and meetings. Though I don’t want to complain, these meetings are quite effective, and I believe COVID has taught us we don’t always have to be there in person. At least for Julia and me, it is a lesson that we won’t be traveling as excessively as we have in the past, and we look forward to that.
No outside hikes today, but some interesting guests dropped by. A blue heron is visiting us often, I won’t tell the story, because it would reveal that even birds can be quite foolish when it comes to ladies. Just a little hint, our heron has fallen in love with one of our sculptures (a crane with a fish in its mouth), and can be frequently seen to try to attract the attention of the immovable object.
We love the little titmouse with its tiny crown, the happily pick the remaining tomatoes, and we have yellow finches galore, which are beginning to molt.
It is always fun to have our ‘visitors’ dropping by in a socially responsible way, even if it is just for the goodies we set out.
Show of hands; how many of you are familiar with, and how many of you have hiked Duck Egg Lake, Vernon County Forest?!?! If you have not heard of it, or have not hiked there, please put it on your high priority bucket list. I guarantee you, it’s worth it. It is a hidden gem, and today, well today, was the culmination of every hiker’s dream. Duck Egg Lake presented itself in its utmost beauty. The weather, fantastic, hiking conditions, excellent (sometimes, the trails can get a bit muddy and slippery), and nature’s fall colors, absolutely stunning. The photos don’t do justice to nature’s display she had in store for us, it was just mesmerizing. We took, guess what, the duck egg trail, which runs down the bluff along and partially around the lake, and then slopes back up to the upper parking point. Even the turtles were out to admire the display of colors, and despite this phenomenal spectacle, we had the trail essentially all to ourselves. Wow, what a treat. Couple of things for those who are interested in exploring them: please bring good walking boots, and I would recommend walking sticks for those who do not hike regularly. There are some parts that are a bit steep, and can get slippery after rains. In any case, I highly recommend taking the 40 minutes it takes to drive from La Crosse to this oasis, you can top it off by going to near-by Viroqua and eating at the Driftless Cafe (I have mentioned it before), or visit the Co-Op, which is one of the best I have seen, especially after its recent renovation and expansion. Clearly something, Julia and I will remember, and it will sustain us through some of the winter days, which we don’t like that much (I hear there are some of us, who look forward to -20 degrees, count us out, though). Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay in touch, Cheers, Thomas PHOTOS
September 26th
Today is a day in contrast, from the sublime beauty to the.......well, you could call it hiking for garbage. Julia and I followed Jamie O’Neill’s call to preserve the environment, particularly the danger of microplastics to the wildlife around us, and so we felt compelled to contribute our share, since we do want to continue enjoying nature hikes, and not encounter the sight of refuse. Kind of interesting; if you ask people if they throw their empty beer bottles, and pop cans into their living room, they’d look at you as you had lost your marbles, and yet, as soon as we are in nature, we treat her like an infinite garbage dump. Enough of the more philosophizing, back to the pragmatic. Jamie had things well in hand, she was superbly organized, and Rotarians came prepared: we had boats, canoes, boots, buckets, and all the accoutrements one needs to give nature a helping hand. Scott, Julia and I were assigned Pettibone Park, which is just in our backyard, and off we went, armed with buckets and bags to collect refuse, and indeed we were quite successful. From plastic sandals, to a burnt out carburetor, to a bicycle tube, to lots of bags of chips, and the favorite, empty bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade (though I hear at other places Mountain Dew was the favorite). For us, the most garbage was found around 20 feet around the strategically placed garbage cans. It has to be that our basketball skills are quickly diminished after the consumption of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, how else could you otherwise explain such a phenomenon. Another favorite, plastic bags with dog dodo, if there is someone who can explain this logic to me, I’d love to hear that. Anyhow, after a very successful stint, and a trunk full of ‘goodies’ we headed back to Clinton’s landing, where we could deposit everything in the provided container. Jamie dutifully documented our ‘trashures’ (yes, there is an App for that), and everybody headed for their respective shower. It was worthwhile, though it was definitely a day of contrast. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay in touch, Cheers, Thomas PHOTOS
September 27th
The last (really, I hope not), wonderful day of fall, and it was wonderful in many regards. My daughter Laura, and her husband Gavin, visited us here in La Crescent, and immediately wanted to go hike with us. Just one small problem, Gavin just had surgery for torn tendons and early Dupuytren on his left wrist, and is still in a cast. Remind you of anybody? So where do you take somebody like that on a hike 🧐🤔?
Well, follow the brilliant suggestion of the other person, and off we went: of course to lower Hixon Park, and the Hickory and Bicentennial trails (I would like to respectfully rename them “Le chemin des Invalides” after the “Dôme des Invalides” in Paris, both are equally beautiful in their own right). The perfect trail to be close to nature, and not too strenuous, if you have decent footwear. Even though some of the photos show the same view from a couple of days ago, you might realize that the colors are changing rapidly here in the Midwest). Hopefully we get to enjoy this spectacle for a couple more days.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay in touch, Thomas PHOTOS
September 28th
Yup, today was clearly a reminder that a more inclement season is on its way, let’s just hope we will have a couple more days to enjoy the outside. Like the weather with its ups and downs, there was no time to put in a decent hike in one piece, so when somebody hands you lemons, you know what to do, add them to Mike’s Hard Lemonade (this is only for adults of course, and add lemons responsibly). Julia was off to helping again at the food shelf, and I know she likes it when I pick her up, so off I went; got about 10 feet out of the house, and it promptly rained. Back into the house, and the rain poncho, so no problem. Half a mile down the road, it got mighty warm, since the sun decided to make a comeback. Halfway on the Waggon Wheel trail.....you get the drift...... I felt I was a in a dressing room changing in and out of stuff. Nevertheless, the walk was fun, as always, and I actually made it in record time (for me that is). In the evening, another smaller walk with the entire family, for digestive purposes; we had ordered out, and as always, the eyes were hungrier than the stomach, yet one cannot waste good food. Still a good day with good mileage. Two more days to go, the finishing line is in sight (though I think I am getting addicted to all the great trails around here). Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay in touch, ThomasPHOTOS
September 29th
The end of the walking challenge is in sight, and it’s been fun. Today I would call family day. My daughter Laura and her husband Gavin visited us for an extended weekend and we thought it would be a great idea to include Julia’s mom, Grandma Carlene, in the walking effort. To keep things civil (Grandma Carlene is 89 years old and despite being in excellent physical shape, five miles are a bit much for her), we decided to set out in downtown La Crosse, pick her up, take her for a walk and then mosey back downtown before the kids had to head back home. The downtown promenade is very nice as all of you know, love the new docks, now we can actually visit La Crosse by boat for an outing. Unfortunately, one cannot continue along the shore due to the water treatment plant, so we had to cut across behind the old brewery. This gave the kids a chance to see the Rotary Lights headquarters, where we entered Houska Park on our way to Eagle Crest South. Past the baseball fields, and a very nice dog park, you cross one of the side arms, and go by an interesting three level tree house. Just before reaching Eagle Crest, you pass the Green Island Ice Arena, which is now under new ownership. They have done a great job of adding a bunch of new tennis courts on the outside. Really a nice area for a stroll. Grandma Carlene was waiting for us, and we took her on what she lovingly calls her turtle walk, down to the pier built by Eagle Crest with benches, and I understand, in the future a dock to pick up our senior citizens for a boat ride. After an initial cloudy and slightly rainy day, the Gods blessed us with a beautiful fall day, and we enjoyed a respite on the pier, before walking back downtown after safely taking Carlene back to her apartment. You see, you don’t have to go far to have a great relaxing walk. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay in touch, Thomas PHOTOS
September 30th
It’s been a fun month, hard to believe it’s over. We have achieved our goal to provide Razia with a bus and a van to continue her awesome work to educate young girls in Afghanistan, and hopefully, the walking challenge contributed a small part to it. Aside from walking during the Rotary meetings, Julia and (we did most of the walks together) individually covered a little more than 159 (!) miles in September exploring the various trails and hiking opportunities around us (and we have just scratched the surface). So what does one do for the grand finale? Julia and I had come up with so many fantastic possibilities to impress you all:
1) Scaling the Montblanc in Switzerland 2) Hiking up Kilimanjaro 3) Hiking the Pitzer Tal in Austria 4) What about the effigy mounds in Iowa? 5) What about a pub crawl (despite a great suggestion from Dean, not a good idea in the current pandemic and the increasing case number)
We came up with the perfect solution: What better way to finish than with the two people who have introduced us to so many wonderful trails, and other good things in La Crosse, and who made us feel so welcome on Shore Acres Road?! You got it, we walked with Barb (who set the program), and Bud Hammes. Barb determined we needed sustenance first before striking out on our walk, and she had craving for Mexican food. So first stop was Fiesta Mexicana (first time for me, good food, even better company); despite a rather blustery day, we were able to eat al fresco. Then off to Hess trails, one of the first ones, we explored together as a quartet. As you can see, the ladies had to take shelter during the brief rain gusts, but otherwise, the weather was playing along. We even got a biology lesson from professor Barb about barberry bushes, a beautiful, but non-native species that is being sold at local nurseries and Home Depot because of their change from green to dark red colors, yet they are invasive and threaten the native fauna. (Every day I realize how little I know, and how much there is still to learn). The walk was lovely and enjoyed by everybody. Barb and Bud are in good spirits and facing their challenge with equanimity, dignity, and a great sense of humor. Well, that’s it, thank you to all who supported the project, I know these are challenging times so I am doubly grateful for everybody’s support. Hope you have enjoyed the reports a little bit; over and out! Stay safe, stay healthy and stay in touch, Cheers, Thomas PHOTOS
Thank you Thomas for your "Waking for Wheels Challenge!"
His challenge helped us get to our goal of $45,000 for the Wheels of Hope Project. It was great to see other Rotarians join Thomas!
The 2020 Musky Challenge has generated $42,500 in contributions!
Donations are still coming in!!
Al's Musky Challenge, benefiting New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Centers, Mobile Meals of La Crosse, Gateway Area Council Boy Scouts of America, La Crosse Public Education Foundation and Family & Children's Center.
Presenters Alyson Haugen, Kristy Honaker, Dr. Sig Gunderson and Dr. Steven Manson
All of Us Research Program now enrolling at Gundersen Health System
The All of Us Research Program wants to speed up health research and medical breakthroughs. To do this, they’re asking one million or more people to lead the way to provide the types of information that can help us create individualized prevention, treatment and care for all of us.
“The All of Us Research Program aims to change the face of medical care from ‘one size fits all’ to one that takes into account our individual differences. It is one of the most ambitious projects sponsored by the National Institutes of Health,” said Murray Brilliant, Ph.D., former lead investigator for All of Us Wisconsin and director of the Center for Precision Medicine Research. “Our vision for All of Us Wisconsin is to offer the opportunity to join this program to the entire state. Our current sites are in La Crosse, Marshfield, Madison and Milwaukee.
The Wisconsin consortium led by Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and joined by University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Gundersen Health System, is spearheading enrollment in Wisconsin. People ages 18 and older, regardless of health status, are able to enroll. The Wisconsin consortium is a partner of the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program and is one of several regional networks across the country where individuals can enroll.
Each week President Andy will interview one of our Rotary Family. We will post the video each week in our newsletter. We will also post on Facebook and our website: PAGE LINK. You can share this site with prospective members.
Last week Andy interviewedJamie O'Neillclick on photo to view.
Rotary International organizes a “Rotary International Convention” every year. The goal of the conference is to bring together members of the Rotary International family from around the world and give them a platform to exchange ideas and come together in friendship. The conference takes place in a different country every year. In 2021, 12 districts in Taiwan have the unique opportunity to host the Convention in Taipei!
Attending an RI Convention is a highlight for the members of the Rotary International family. Rotarians and Rotaractors come together in a welcoming atmosphere to exchange ideas, inspire each other and start the new Rotary year with fresh ideas. As the Convention takes place in a different country every year, it is an honor for Taiwan that the 2021 Convention will take place in Taipei, our capital city. This is the second time after 1994 for Taipei to host the Convention again!
The Convention is scheduled for June 12-16, 2021 at TaiNEX Hall 1 & Hall 2 (Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center). For the Convention registration, please visit riconvention.org.
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.
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