SERVICE ABOVE SELF since NOVEMBER 1, 1971
We meet at 
Tanner's Bar & Grill
1611 Deming Way, Middleton, WI 53562
Fridays at 12:12 PM
Nonmembers feel free to join us.

Speakers

Upcoming Speakers
Daniel Rortvedt
Dec 13, 2024 12:12 PM
clinical Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin School

"Leaving Space for the Unexpected: Reflections on the Circle of Community Collaboration" is the title of Daniel Rortvedt's presentation. Dan is a clinical Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin School of Education Occupational Therapy Program. In 2011 Dan and his fellow occupational therapy students working with the Orphan Train Project traveled to Peru to work with orphanages serving handicapped children. Program by Ed Fink.

Club assembly
Dec 20, 2024 12:12 PM
Club assembly
no meeting
Dec 27, 2024 12:12 PM
no meeting
Past Speakers
Abby Benbow
Dec 06, 2024 12:22 PM
TBD
no meeting
Nov 29, 2024 12:12 PM
no meeting

Speaker/Program Coordinator

To schedule programs and/or speakers, please contact:
Jim Olmsted
608-575-7562
jolmsted7562@gmail.com
Supporting Safe Birth
 
Supporting Safe Birth assembled training teams that traveled to Guatemala to train birth attendants and equip them with supplies. Master Trainers were trained and equipped with mannequins and teaching materials. Trainers use two programs— Helping Mothers Survive and Helping Babies Survive—that were developed specifically for use in low-resource countries and have been used successfully since 2010.
 Pledge Today! 
 
 
At the end of each meeting, The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton members and guests typically lift their glasses or cups of water, coffee or sugared beverages, offering a salutatory toast to each other. Changing the routine, this week’s toast was fueled by a bit of bourbon, provided by product enthusiasts Cory Recknor and Gregg Riek. The two speakers’ presentation was entitled “All Bourbons are Whiskey, but not all Whiskeys are Bourbon.” For those who imbibed, designated drivers weren’t required, as only a thimble’s amount of the drink ever touched the lips of the participants.
 
 
Middleton Wildlife photographer Kevin Munson’s presentation at a meeting of The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton was entitled “A Walk Through Wonderland - Wildlife in the Middleton Hills Wetlands Conservancy.” It was an eye opener, revealing the beauty of the creatures sharing the Walk-Through city with us. As the name of his talk suggests, most of the 50+ slides Munson showed were taken in the Middleton Hills Wetland Conservancy, although a few were photographed in Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The latter is the largest of Middleton’s conservancies.
 
 
I’ve been a Rotarian for over thirty years, most with what is now known as The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton. Previously, for three years, I was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Richland County. It’s been a great ride!
Katherine Ryback, guest speaker at The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton’s Friday meeting, quickly read the room. She noticed several people, like herself, wearing hearing aids. Ms. Ryback’s hearing problems were discovered, while being tested for kindergarten. Many surgeries followed that discovery. Ms. Ryback’s career included work as a special education teacher, later focusing on deaf and hearing-impaired students. A member of the Hearing Loss Association of America - Madison Chapter, Ryback talked about some problematic statistical data. She said 14% of adults aged 20-69 have a hearing loss. Some 28.8 million adults in the United States could benefit from using hearing aids. Yet, despite a diagnosis in hand, most people will wait 7 to 10 years before addressing the problem. Maybe that’s you! This dawdling can have a negative impact on one’s physical and emotional health. It can stress family interaction, self- esteem and the ability to work with others on the job and/or at school.

In 1989, a New York Magazine article by Eric Pooley, offered the phrase “if it bleeds, it leads.” Only on rare occasions do we read about the positive efforts made by the women and men in blue and how they quietly work to prevent human tragedy and the bloodshed which may accompany it. Madison Police Officer Mackenzie Cole, a member of the Madison Police Mental Health Unit, (MHU) is just one of those people. Officer Cole recently addressed members of The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton. She told her personal story and the work of her unit.
 
Madison Police Officer Mackenzie Cole, a member of the Madison Police Mental Health Unit, (MHU)
 
Time to Resume our Team McAdow Bike Rides! The 2024 biking season is upon us. Weather permitting, we are planning to hold our first official Team McAdow bike ride this Saturday, April 6th. The forecast for Saturday is sunny all day, with temperatures in the 30’s in the morning and 40’s in the afternoon. Let’s meet at 1:30 PM at the Odana Hills Golf Course parking lot. Tentatively, we are planning to ride through the UW Arboretum to Olin Park and back on the Southwest Path – about 12 miles. Depending on who shows up, we may modify this plan.
 
Over decades, the Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton and its two predecessor clubs hosted many Rotary Youth Exchange Students and sponsored others to study abroad. Some of our members had long tenure as Youth Exchange Officers, including Mary Feldt, Connie Smith, Dan Fose, Susan Titus and this writer, to name a few. Unfortunately, this program is missing from our current portfolio of activities. We wish to bring it back, and seek new members willing to become involved, so we can offer the opportunity of Rotary Youth Exchange to more area high school students. Duties include finding potential outbounds from local high schools and families for those coming our way.
The Dean from the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, Dean Mark Markel, was the guest speaker at the Madison West Middleton Rotary Club recently. He was very happy to tell us about the new hospital and research facility being built north of the current school’s current site. Construction of the North Building started in July 2021 at a cost of $180,000,000. The North Building will open in spring 2024. The existing veterinary school referred to as the South Building is being remodeled and completion on that will be early 2025.
Dean Mark Markel and Assistant Dean Kristi Thorson

RYLA

Established as a Rotary Structured Program in 1971, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. The Rotary District 6250 RYLA program is a camp designed to build future leaders and Rotarians who exemplify the four-way test. If you know a high school sophomore who would benefit from leadership training, please refer them to RYLA!! 

Applications have been sent to local schools and to our Interact Club at Middleton High School.

For many years we have enjoyed this vocational service experience and are so happy it is continuing!   
 
Contact Mary Van Hout to be a part of this project.
Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens. Exchanges for students ages 15-19 are sponsored by Rotary clubs in more than 100 countries.
What are the benefits?
Exchange students unlock their true potential to:
  • Develop lifelong leadership skills
  • Learn a new language and culture
  • Build lasting friendships with young people from around the world 
  • Become a global citizen
How long do exchanges last?
Long-term exchanges last a full academic year, and students attend local schools and live with multiple host families.
Short-term exchanges last from several days to three months and are often structured as camps, tours, or homestays that take place when school is not in session.
What are the costs?
Room and board are provided, as well as any school fees. Each program varies, but students are usually responsible for:
  • Round-trip airfare
  • Travel insurance
  • Travel documents (such as passports and visas)
  • Spending money and any additional travel or tours
How can I apply?
Candidates are ages 15-19 and are leaders in their schools and communities. Contact the Madison West Middleton Youth Protection Officer to see what exchange opportunities are available and what the application process involves.
Oliveros Scholarships in Guatemala
Oliveros Scholarships in Guatemala provide funding for children to continue their education beyond 6th grade. Project is being run by Jeannine Desautels with The Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton which is located in Rotary District 6250.