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.
I really hope to see you at our District 6250 District Conference at the end of this week. Attending this meeting will help you grow as a Rotarians and is ultimately a huge sign of respect for District Governor Bill Hoel. As you know, Bill is a member of our own club and has provided countless hours of leadership to help keep our organization great.
Bill Hoel introduced me to an organization last week called “Playing for Change.” Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. Playing for Change LINK
As you know, I like to play “chaser songs” at the end of each meeting as you leave. Since I am unsure that I will be able to get one of these “Playing for Change” videos to play at the meeting, I thought I would share this in advance and let you spend some time with the group. While there are many videos, this link will take you to a version of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) the dock of the Bay” and includes Jack Johnson who is one of my favorite artists. Dock of the Bay LINK
June marks the beginning of Rotary International’s focus on “Rotary Fellowship” month. The link to the Rotary website below describes many of the existing fellowships, how to join them and even how to form a new fellowship. Our club is active in a number of fellowships from the club level up to the international level. Fellowship LINK
June is going to be an exciting month for our Club. Please do your best to attend the many events that we have planned.
Effective with the 2018-19 School Year, the Rotary Club of La Crosse changed the criteria and process for awarding funds to graduating seniors who are pursuing higher education. These awards were previously administered through the Rotary Works Foundation, but now will be handled directly by the Rotary Club of La Crosse through its Youth Committee. Our budget allowed for $3,000 to be distributed....$1,000 per high school....Aquinas, Central and Logan. Criteria and process LINK.
Up to eight volunteers to carefully spread mulch around the new plants. 2 people would be forking mulch into wheelbarrows, 2 more would be putting that mulch into small buckets and 4 would be hand spreading the mulch around the plants.
The two forking the mulch must be capable of loading park into wheelbarrows. The other jobs involve only light weight, but lots of bending and reaching. This will make the flower beds look finished and will really brighten up the garden!
We would start at 5:15 pm. Work would take about an hour, no more. Volunteers should plan to get dirty, should bring work gloves if available, and plenty of drinking water, as it will get warm that day. LINK TO VOLUNTEER
Thanks to those who have already helped at the Cameroon Gardens planting trees and flowers.
We send our condolences to the Bob Masewicz family. Bob's sister Catherine Joan (Masewicz) Kost, 59 passed away on May 25th. Link to Obit. Bob's address is W5750 Sherwood Drive, La Crosse, WI 54601.
Last week at Rotary, Rotarian Nancy Flottmeyer gave her classification talk. Nancy has been a Rotarian for only three months and stepped in to help with our Centennial Celebration. After hearing her classification talk ....we have a professional designing and planning our event ! Wedding by Nancy/WBN Event Group. Her love for her family and passion for her work was very evident. We thank Nancy for sharing her story with us.
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. and you get a free car wash with each ticket....every ticket we sell we will get $5. First place will be four club seats to a Packer Game - plus 2nd- 4th place prizes will be awarded. Last year we made $2,100 from this fundraiser and our club had 3 of the 5 winners! Drawing will be Tuesday night, September 5th at 7 pm at Shenanigan's.
Thank you to Grant Withrow who will chair this fundraiser. Tickets will be for sale at our upcoming meetings. Sell to your family, friends and coworkers.
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, August 13th at the new La Crescent Area Event Center, 595 Veterans Parkway, La Crescent, MN.
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. Downtown Rotarians $20 and guests $35 (NO Rotary meeting on August 15th).
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 Avenue of Service Dinner page on our web site....LINK. Deadline to submit nominations is July 15th.
Join us in helping bring a little comfort to human trafficking survivors by donating personal care and other items during this year's Rotary 6250 District Conference on June 7 & 8 at the La Crosse Center. Donations can be dropped off near the registration kiosk throughout the day during each day of the conference. Donations will be provided to New Horizons, a shelter for individuals and families who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse, or human-trafficking. New Horizons provides shelter and services to a seven-county area in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The following items would be appreciated: Bus tokens, Gas cards, Hand sanitizer, Flip flops, Chapstick, Kleenex, Chewing Gum, Day Planners
Phone cards, Small bottles of lotion
Monetary donations are also welcome. Checks may be made payable to New Horizons.
This project is sponsored by the Rotary Club of La Crosse Humanitarian Committee. Support for this project is provided by the Rotary Club of Caledonia and the Rotary Club of La Crescent.
You can also bring your items to our Rotary meeting this week. We will have Kwik Trip gas cards available for $10 and $20 if you would like to purchase and donate to the cause.
Centennial Dinner Celebration: La Crosse Center - June 20, 2019 - Speaker will be Stephanie Urchick - a member of the Rotary Club of Canonsburg Houston, Southpointe. She has served Rotary as a Foundation Trustee, RI and TRF Committee member, District Governor, Regional Foundation Coordinator for ZONE 29, International Training Leader, RI President's Representative, Regional Leaders Training Institute Moderator, district delegate to Councils on Legislation, Training Leader at Zone meetings, and in various club and district Foundation roles.
Invitations were sent by mail if you didn't have a chance to pick them up last week. You can also register online at Eventbrite.
A number of members asked about naming rights at the Cameroon Gardens. Here is the list of what is available and what has been spoken for. Naming Rights Opportunities. Please contact Lee Rasch if you have any questions.
If you haven't made a pledge yet....now is the time to do so. Pledge cards are available at our meetings. Check should be made out to Rotary Works Foundation. Please contact Lee Rasch if you have any questions.
History Committee is looking for old photos, directories, etc that could be put on display at our celebration and used in our Centennial booklet. Please contact Patt Boge if you have something you would like to share.
Centennial Coins are now for sale at our meetings. Bronze $15 and Silver $30.
We will also be ordering sweatshirts with the Centennial Logo...order forms will be available at our meetings.
Featured article about the Riverside International Gardens is in the L.I.N.K. Magazine.
Happy Birthday Dick Swantz (H) - June 2 Todd Wilson - June 5 Glena Temple - June 6 Steve Doll - June 7
Happy Wedding Anniversary
Dave (Sandra) Riley H - June 1 Bob (Marlie) Bendiksen - June 2 Roger (Carolyn) Sorenson H - June 3 Kathy (Paul) Van Kirk-Przywojski - June 5 Al (Brenda) Louis - June 6
Rotary Anniversary Dave Riley (H) - June 1 - 32 years Katie Berkedal - June 2 - 3 years Al Louis - June 2 - 3 years Dan Roemhild - June 2 - 3 years Tom Fider (H) - June 4 - 27 years Sandra Cleary - June 6 - 4 years Kurt Schroeder - June 6 - 17 years Lu Cagin - June 8 - 13 years
VALLEY VIEW ROTARY MOON TUNES: Riverside Park - Bill Miller and friends June 6, 2019. Web Site.
ROTARY EAST LOBSTERFEST: Join La Crosse Rotary East's 3rd Annual Lobsterfest at Colgan Air, Hangar #4. All Lobster Dinner Tickets ($50) will be advance purchase only (as we will be flying in fresh lobsters for the event). Sweet Lou barbeque as well as beer, wine and soda will be available for purchase the day of the event. We will have live entertainment during the event. Proceeds from the event will continue to go to supporting the Chad Erickson Memorial Park. ***Attendees are not required to purchase a Lobster Dinner Ticket ***Lobster Dinners will be served from 4pm-8pm. ORDER TICKETS HERE.
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.
May 30th: Raffle $52; Fines $170; Scrip $60; Scooters $0
ROTARY ATTENDANCE May 2nd - 60% May 9th - 55% May 16th - 59% May 23rd - 56% May 30th - 59%
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 - Sheila Wieser August - Bob Riutzel September - Peter Grabow October - Chuck Hanson November - Grant Withrow December - Tami Woods January - Kenna Christians February - Cindy Erickson March - Ed Neuman April - Cindy Erickson
Resignations Wendy Franke Bruce Norgaard Clint Torp
Honorary Members
23
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.
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 Sarah Arendt-Beyer.