We’ve had a cancellation. Got an interesting hobby? Are you an expert in something that may engage our members? Had an intriguing trip? Got a good prison story? Or do you have a friend that can speak to us on something thought-provoking (maybe not the prison story).If you can help out, contact Connie Smith @ CSmith@ward-brodt.com
Friday’s speaker was our Rotary Exchange Student, Otun/Goodness from Nigeria. She is from Abeokuta, Ogun State, in the western part of the country. Goodness told us about her family, home country and schooling. Her presentation and response to audience questions revealed a confident young woman with a warm smile and an engaging sense of humor. Goodness, a 16-year-old sophomore at Madison Memorial High School, is living with her first host family, Jennifer and Jim Luedtke.
In Nigeria, Goodness attends a school with approximately 500 students, whereas her new school has about 2,000 pupils. The adjustment has been made easier by the many friendly smiles she encounters in Memorial’s hallways. Other than differences in school size and systems, she mentioned a couple of culinary differences. She can’t quite understand our fascination with “cheese, cheese, cheese!” If she should happen to cook for you, Goodness warned, we should expect the meal to be very spicy. Goodness told us about cooking for her host family and trying to tone down her own preference for tongue-searing dishes. Despite her more cautious approach, Goodness left host mother Jennifer gulping down lots of water. The funny story was accompanied by a mischievous smile, resulting in lots of chuckles from the audience.
Goodness is the fourth of six children. Her father is a past president of his club, and Goodness is a member of an Interact club.
Nigeria is made up of 36 states, and its national capital is Abuja. The commercial capital is Lagos State. The country has a coastline, where its southern border meets the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria has numerous ethnic groups, but the largest three are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Goodness is a member of the Yoruba. The nation’s religious practices are dominated by Christians and Islamists, with a scattering of numerous indigenous faiths.
As to current events, Goodness told us she planned to go to Homecoming, on the weekend, with a group of girls. She hopes to take the Rotary-sponsored trip to the eastern part of the United States at the conclusion of her stay. Lastly, Goodness announced she will be appearing in a play at Memorial. Stay tuned for date and time of her performance.
We’ll be needing some Board members come July 1 of next year. We need to get them announced and confirmed before the end of this year. We’re looking for members in International Service, Community Service, Club Service, and Vocational Service, as well as a President-Elect. Extend your service to your Club and learn the details of how we do all the good things we do. Talk to President Matt Loch or President-Elect Dawn Frank for details. Rotary: Making a Difference.
In today’s world, working with youth means passing background checks. In working with youth related to Rotary, you can initiate a check on yourself easily by going to rotary6250.org (our District site) and search for Youth Protection. You find a form for submission, policies, and a training guide. Easy to complete and, once you submit, you’ll soon get a review and approval. You’ll need this for working with Interact, RYLA, and for giving students rides to or from meetings.
We have a replacement for the Meister Meter. Here's how the Pigskin Payoff works:
1) Members who opt in commit to paying $1 for each TD and $1 for each interception by the Badgers this season, not counting any Bowl games. Last year, they had 54 TDs and 22 interceptions.
2) Members who opt out pay $50.
3) Billing for both opt-ins and opt-outs will take place at the end of the season.
4) Just to Meister things up a bit ... when you sign up to participate, you get to make a guess on the total number of points scored by the Badgers in the regular season plus Big Ten. Last year, it was 473. Closest guess gets his/her contribution halved.
5) Another Meisterization ... for each game the Badgers win by 20 points or more, participants bring in a non-perishable food item. We're not going to track participants on this ... we'll just guilt them a bit. But items will go to needy families. Last year the Badgers won 7 games by 20 points or more. These items will also be collected at the end of the year.
We had great signups last week, including a dozen or so members who opted to DOUBLE their pledge. The Pigskin Payoff crew will be making the rounds at this meeting to round up those who missed the last meeting. To sign up, email jack46ferreri@gmail.com.
The Badgers scored 128 points so far, with 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.
From Toni Pabon, former member and now District Outbound Exchange Coordinator:
It’s that time of year again! Rotary District 6250 is now accepting applications for Youth Exchange for the school year of 2019-20. For more information, visit our WEBSITE.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2019-20
Not YOUNGER than 15.5 on August 1, 2019
Not OLDER than 18.5 on August 1, 2019
A minimum of 2.75 GPA or student ranking in the top 50% of class
The October issue features a range of stories on RI’s Polio Plus initiative, spanning many years and investing hundreds of millions of dollars in fighting polio. It includes The Annotated Guide to Ending Polio, much of it explaining the mechanics of the polio disease itself … how it spreads and how it impacts people’s health.
We’re about to be joined by our first Corporate member … Jefferson Middle School. Four teachers and staff from the school will share a membership in our Club. This has been a topic of interest for the Board for years, and we’re glad it’s finally come to pass.
Stan Koenig has submitted his resignation from the Club. “Life changes.” Greatly enjoyed his time in the Club. Sad to see him go.
Greg Blum has taken a leave of absence for a couple of months to referee college football. He’ll be gone Oct 7 until Dec 6.
Steve Aune received his 7th Paul Harris Fellow Recognition from President Matt Loch.
October 9 (5-9pm). Lodi Rotary Farm to Table Dinner benefitting PolioPlus. At Fitz’s on the Lake. W11602 County Road V. $65. This gourmet five course dinner, with wine pairing, will be prepared by distinguished chefs Grayson Altenberg and Maria Jaramillo. Be prepared to indulge yourself and loved one(s) for the sake of a good cause.
October 17 (6-9pm). One Rotary Summit at Warner Community Center – October 17 (6-9:00 p.m.). This meeting focus: membership, the RI Foundation and public relations.
October 24. Pints for Polio fundraiser for Polio Plus. Details to come.
May 17-19 2019. RYLA at Upham Woods, Wisconsin Dells
