Jeannine Desautels: A Rotarian of Service, Compassion, and Rotary Spirit
by Gail Groy
Jeannine Desautels, a member of The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton, embodies the very best of Rotary values. For more than two decades, she has been a beacon of service—both locally and internationally—demonstrating through her actions what it truly means to “serve above self.” I sat down with her to learn more about the woman behind the mission.
What drew you to nursing? My passion for nursing started in high school when I volunteered at a local hospital. I remember passing juices around—nothing glamorous—but the whole atmosphere captivated me. The energy, the sense of purpose, the knowledge that we were making a real difference in people’s lives. I was hooked.
My path wasn’t always straightforward. I started nursing school in Winnipeg but had to leave after six months due to financial constraints. Life took me through teachers’ college, marriage, and raising three children, but nursing never left my heart. I finally completed my degree at 35 years old, with three kids in tow. Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.
Your most impactful moment as a nurse? One story stands out above all others. A 12-year-old boy from Nicaragua came to us for open-heart surgery, and my husband and I became his temporary foster parents. After the first surgery, he needed another due to severe malnutrition. He came home the night before Thanksgiving—on IVs and feeding tubes—right into a house full of holiday guests. We managed the IVs every four hours, taking turns so one of us could sleep. It was exhausting but necessary. Though his journey was ultimately heartbreaking, caring for him taught me more about resilience and unconditional love than any textbook ever could. He passed away recently, and when I saw his mother, she insisted and gave me her most precious wedding ring before leaving, and I treasure it every day. That experience shaped who I am as a nurse and as a person.
Describe your incredible work with Rotary’s Guatemala scholarship program My medical missions with Rotary in Guatemala began about 20 years ago. During my first trip, I noticed children coming in with aches and pains consistent with much older patients. When I investigated, I learned they weren’t attending school—they were cutting sugarcane in the fields instead. That first year, we sent three children to school. When word got out, people started sending me donations. By the second year, I had enough for 33 scholarships.
The generosity was incredible, and I realized we needed to formalize it. So, we established The Oliveros Scholarship Fund.
Today, we’re sending 69 children to school annually, ranging from grades 1-6, with an additional 20 university scholarships. Our board just met and we’re committing to do the same next year. What started as helping three children has grown into transforming dozens of lives each year.
That’s the power of Rotary.
How do you balance it all? I’ve been blessed with an exceptional support system. My husband has been my rock through everything—his career, my nursing degree, raising our family, and now our service work. When you have a true partner who shares your values, balance becomes possible. We make it work together. I also continue volunteering at a specialty clinic locally, which fulfills me in different ways than my clinical nursing career did.
Service takes many forms, and I’ve learned that you don’t always have to use the same skills in the same way. The important thing is showing up and doing what you can, where you can.
The best joke you’ve heard at Rotary? Jeannine: Here’s one I’ve been sharing for years—it always gets a laugh: Two ladies are at a funeral home looking at one woman’s deceased husband in the coffin. The widow opens her purse, pulls out an envelope, and places it in the coffin with him. Her friend asks, “What on earth are you doing?” “Well,” she says, “before my husband died, he had a lot of money and made me promise to bury his money with him.” Her friend looks at her in disbelief: “Are you crazy? He’s dead—how will he ever know?” The widow smiles and says, “Don’t worry. I wrote him a check.” ☺
Jeannine’s legacy at Rotary is one of genuine compassion, tireless dedication, and an infectious spirit of service. Whether she’s caring for a patient, mentoring young scholars in Guatemala, or brightening a room with her humor, she reminds us all why we joined Rotary in the first place.
Raymond Vernie Holloway, 77, of Poncha Springs, CO, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Friday, November 8, 2019, at his residence.
Ray was born on February 16, 1942, in Panama City, Florida, to Vernie Madison and Zelda Gray Schell (Shelly) Holloway.
He received the Eagle Scout Award and the American Spirit Honor Award in 1961. During his military service with the Air Force from 1961-1965, Ray was a Morse Intercept Operator at a remote base outside of Istanbul, Turkey, and he was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado.
Ray married Jane Esther Kiner on June 13, 1964, and he graduated from the UW-Madison, in 1967.
He was a Certified Financial Planner and loved helping his clients in Madison and the surrounding area until his retirement in 2016. He also enjoyed serving the community through the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne Middleton D 6250. His favorite activity was traveling around the world and exploring new cultures. After retiring, Ray moved to Colorado to be near his daughters and grandchildren.
Bryce was a Charter Member of our Club and played an active role in our activities. Older members will remember the Christmas Party for the Elderly which he spearheaded. In 1990, he moved to Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula to indulge in his love of sailing. And he joined the Rotary Club there shortly after he arrived. He passed away on November 26, 2019.
Member John Gerold shows off his Korea-era Army intelligence map-making skills below in guiding us to parking at Lussier on Gammon Road, just north of Jefferson Middle School.
This Week’s Speaker: Dick Wagner on his book We Were Here All Along on early gay history
Last Week’s Speaker: Matt Blessing spoke on the Wisconsin Historical Society and the new preservation facility. Fascinating talk on the under-appreciated treasure right here in Madison. The State Archive Preservation Facility at 204 Thornton Street is 188,000 square feet and filled with wonders about the state and the nation. Overall the Society is considered one of the nation’s top historical institutions, drawing scholars and interested people from around the world. Their collections include hundreds of thousands of items … history, archeology, state interest, and national interest items. It’s a rich and engaging resource that we all own. Tours are available, as is lots of information. Email them at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org or visit the website wisconsinhistory.org.
This Week’s Speaker: Dick Wagner - We Were Here All Along
Just a reminder that MAMA (Madison Area Music Association) is looking for your old, neglected, emotionally-starved musical instruments (no pianos) to recycle to kids that can’t afford their own instruments. Venture down to your basement or up into your attic, dig them out, dust them off and bring them to Friday’s meeting, where they’ll be collected
Raymond Vernie Holloway, 77, of Poncha Springs, CO, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Friday, November 8, 2019, at his residence.
Ray was born on February 16, 1942, in Panama City, Florida, to Vernie Madison and Zelda Gray Schell (Shelly) Holloway. He received the Eagle Scout Award and the American Spirit Honor Award in 1961. During his military service with the Air Force from 1961-1965, Ray was a Morse Intercept Operator at a remote base outside of Istanbul, Turkey, and he was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. Ray married Jane Esther Kiner on June 13, 1964, and he graduated from the UW-Madison, in 1967.
He was a Certified Financial Planner and loved helping his clients in Madison and the surrounding area until his retirement in 2016. He also enjoyed serving the community through the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne Middleton D 6250. His favorite activity was traveling around the world and exploring new cultures. After retiring, Ray moved to Colorado to be near his daughters and grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Jane Kiner Holloway, and his granddaughter, Lila Jane Walters. He is survived by his three daughters: Ginny Kay H (Clint) Mays of Cotopaxi, CO; Laura L Holloway of Salida, CO; and Wendy A (Chris) Walters of Poncha Springs, CO; and his four adopted children: Rafael D Cruz (Jenny) Holloway of Caloocan City, Philippines; Ferdenand Rey D. Cruz (Mara) Holloway of Middleton, WI; Grigorio Paulo D Cruz (Jerlyn) Holloway of Middleton, WI; Anna Kristina D. Cruz Holloway of Middleton, WI; and nine grandchildren.
Two memorial services will be held to honor Raymond Holloway. A Pot Luck/Open House of friends and family will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at his home in Poncha Springs, CO (10457 Mesa View Court) from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. On Saturday, December 7th, 2019, a graveside service with Military Honors will be held at Forest Hill Cemetery at 1 Speedway Road in Madison, Wisconsin 53705, starting at noon. Following the graveside service, will be a Celebration of Life at St. Thomas Aquinas Church located at 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53719, at 1:00 pm. This celebration will include a light lunch and time for sharing memories and stories about our time with Ray.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Jack’s Place Endowment, PO Box 1529, Vail, Colorado 81658; or online at https://donate.vailhealthfoundation.org/give/210210/#!/donation/checkout (Choose “Jack’s Place” in the drop-down menu for donation support and in the leave a comment section state: “Endowment”).
Paul Terranova is going to talk about the Lussier Framework. The Lussier Framework is a visual representation of how the LCEC approaches our work. We ground our programming and interactions in the overlap between the five bases of research and practice that make up the Lussier Framework. Sometimes we think about them as lenses, as in “How does looking at this situation through a trauma-informed lens or a racial justice lens change our response?”
The development of the Lussier Framework came in response to two types of questions that we would often get. People frequently ask “How do you know you’re really having an impact?” In addition to the short-term evaluation that we are able to do internally, we look to well-developed foundations of research to guide us in what has been shown to be effective over the long term. They help us both look critically at what we are doing and push ourselves to deepen our knowledge and skillsets. The other question that repeatedly came up as we were hiring staff and developing partnerships and collaborations was “Does this person/organization/partner get us? Do we share enough values and approaches to work together well?” The Lussier Framework gives us a way to articulate what we are looking for and be clear with partners about the way we need to work together.
Below is a document about the Lussier Framework as well. We will have a lunch similar to our offsite at Pope Farms so please sign up in advance so we can plan accordingly. Hope to see you all there.
Some Background on Lussier Programs (for Dec 13 meeting there)
Ruth Domack's son texted Deb Dieter yesterday and Ruth wants to share her news. She is out of surgery (2:45 pm) she is cancer-free. Margins are clean, she did not need any blood transfusions during the procedure. She will be staying in the ICU overnight for observation, but then will be staying in the hospital for 10-12 days to undergo physical therapy before returning home. She is in room 5919 in the East Tower at St. Mary’s. Send cards instead of a visit. Check to make sure she’s still there before sending flowers.
Mary Beth Growney-Selene and visiting former District Governor Joe Rusky encourage us to consider donating to the Rotary Foundation for all the tremendous work it does around the world. December 3rd is Giving Day and Madison West Towne Middleton Rotary can help "Connect The World" by contributing to The Rotary Foundation that day. Gifts of all sizes are meaningful and important to continue the incredible work of our Foundation. In addition to feeling proud of being a part of this important effort, a gift of Rotary sway awaits you at our meeting on December 6! Plan now to be a part of Rotary Giving Day! Here’s a link that will tell you what you need to know: https://www.rotary.org/en/donate
Last Week’s Speaker: Tim Bolhuis from Pellitteri Waste Systems on the latest in waste management & recycling. Tim has been with the company for a long time and seen all the changes in the industry. Lots of artificial intelligence technology involved in the sorting of materials to keep the greatest amount out of the landfills. The company moved into shredding sensitive documents more than fifteen years ago, and into a residential curbside pickup as well. They now handle curbside pickup for more than 50,000 homes. Prices paid for materials are down in the industry right now, but the company continues to innovate. Some helpful steps we can take: 1) nothing smaller than a Post-it, 2) rinse things out, and 3) recycle plastic bags only in bulk (put a bunch of them into a single bag).
This Week’s Speaker: Rotary at Work: Club Committee Worktime
Their annual wine tasting fundraiser next Wednesday, 11/13, from 6:30-8:30 at Yahara Bay. Proceeds will be used to fund the scholarships we award to students at the VAHS. Tickets are $50 in advance, $65 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Yahara Bay, or online:http://bit.ly/2Mw5EIy
Ruth Domack's son texted Deb Dieter yesterday and Ruth wants me to share her news. She is out of surgery (2:45 pm) she is cancer-free. Margins are clean, she did not need any blood transfusions during the procedure. She will be staying in the ICU overnight for observation, but then will be staying in the hospital for 10-12 days to undergo physical therapy before returning home. She is in room 5919 in the East Tower at St. Mary’s. Send cards instead of a visit.
Paul Patenaude and new member Kathy Roberg received a $2,000 District Matching Grant in support of their effort behind the purchase of equipment to help Haitians convert local plant seeds into oil for domestic use, a project also supported by our Club.
District Grant to Support Oil Extraction Machines in Haiti
Tim Bolhuis from Pellitteri Waste Systems on latest in waste management & recycling
Last Week’s Speaker: Joe Ruskey (our District Governor 2017-2018) on the importance of the Rotary International Foundation. Joe gave us an inspiration dose of how the RI Foundation (not to mention the District) can supercharge our efforts to support good causes. Rotary is the oldest and largest service club in the world, with 1,200,000 members in 200 countries. And that size gives us the ability to support many projects.
Rotary helped with the Marshall Plan after WW2 and has established peace centers in six universities to help reduce violence between nations and peoples. PolioPlus started in 1979 in the Philippines, and it’s become the effort for which Rotary is best known. We’ve raised billions in our fight to eliminate polio, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and countries around the globe have contributed tens of billions more. We’re THIS close to ending polio on our planet.
This Week’s Speaker: Tim Bolhuis - Pellitteri Waste Systems
At the Board meeting last week, three members were approved for joining our Club. This is the first of two appearances in the Bulletin. Our plan is to induct them all at our October 11 meeting, assuming the scheduling stars align.
Lee Rasch of LeaderEthics Wisconsin spoke to us on the importance of our demanding ethical conduct and civility from our elected leaders. We’ve all seen a tremendous loss of trust in political leaders … fake news, refusal to answer questions honestly, constant bickering with opponents. LeaderEthics is a nonpartisan group that works to spread ethical awareness among the citizenry -- to include students – and candidates for office. We should expect our leaders to be truthful, transparent, unifying rather than dividing and dedicated to serving all constituencies. Leaderethicswi.org
This Week’s Speaker: Joe Ruskey on the importance of the Rotary International Foundation
Last Week’s Speaker: Lee Rasch - LeaderEthics Wisconsin
October 24, 2019, is World Polio Day and Madison area Rotary clubs are partnering with Great Dane Pubs in raising money for the Polio Plus Fund. The event is called Pints for Polio. On that day, Great Dane Pubs are donating $1 to Rotary's Polio Plus Fund for every pint of beer, crowler, growler and 6 pack of beer sold at pub locations. Every dollar donated will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As there are multiple Great Dane locations in Madison, we thought it would be fun to choose 1 location for our Club so we can enjoy social time with each other in addition to Rotarians from other clubs. We would like to meet at the Great Dane Hilldalelocation at 5 pm. I hope to see many of you there! Quaff one with your Rotarian pals to fight polio.
We heard about Rotary Friendship Exchanges from three of our members with a total of seven exchange adventures between them … Mary Van Hout, Dean Ryerson, and Jim Emerick. These exchanges expand the mind, build enduring friendships, offer a great life journey for a minimal investment. Upcoming destinations include Chile, Brazil, Russia and perhaps Israel. Contact any of the three world travelers for more information.
This Week’s Speaker: Lee Rasch from LaCrosse Rotary on the lack of civility among our elected officials.
The Middleton High School Interact Club, which we co-sponsor with Madison West, has grown significantly with new members who are looking for a joint volunteering service project with our Club.
Ludovica spoke to us about her considerable past travels and her interest in coming to the States for this year of study. She’s charming, fluent in English, and tells great stories. We look forward to hearing more from her as the year progresses.
This Week’s Speaker: Rotary at Work: Club Committee Worktime
Last Week’s Speaker: Inbound Exchange Student Ludovica Giada Malinverni
She’s just starting on her adventures with meeting fellow students, connecting with other Rotary students … and an emergency appendectomy soon after her arrival. You just never know what’s going to happen on a Rotary Exchange!
We have two vacancies in leadership positions for our Club. Please consider putting yourself forward for one of them. Contact either Dawn Frank or Steve Aune if you’re willing to pitch in.
Sundar Baladhandapani has had to leave the Board because of work pressures.
Ruth Domack was scheduled to be the incoming President-Elect starting July 1, 2020, but her health issues have forced her to step down from that position.
If you want to serve on a Nominating Committee, talk to Steve Aune.
Do you know any high school juniors or seniors interested in government? Then encourage them to sign up for the Senate Scholar Program, an elite program designed to challenge Wisconsin’s best students. One student from each of the 33 Senate Districts may participate in the week-long program in Madison.
The Senate Scholar Program is an intensive week-long educational program offered by the Wisconsin State Senate. Admission to the program is highly competitive and is limited to 33 academically exceptional high school juniors and seniors from around Wisconsin. Each Senate Scholar receives a hands-on, up-close view of the Legislature’s role in our democracy.
Senate Scholars gain experience in such diverse areas as policy development, constituent relations, and processing legislation by working with Senators, legislative staff and University of Wisconsin faculty. There are three sessions offered in 2020:
January 12-17
February 9-14
March 22-27
Applications are due November 8, 2019
Here’s a link with more information and the program application:
For over Forty (40) years our Rotary Club has provided entertainment on a monthly basis from October through May of each year by providing Bingo to the residents of Oakwood. Our new “Bingo Year” will begin on the third Thursday in October (October 17th) and continue each month on the third Thursday through May 2020. Bingo sessions run from 6:00 PM until approximately 7:30 PM and are held on the second floor, East Lounge, Hebron Oaks., at Oakwood, off of Mineral Point Road.
Working Bingo is an easy way to do a “make-up”, it is fun, and it contributes to our Community Service obligations. Rotarians are notified several daysbefore the event as a reminder and if there are any particular things one needs to know about the session. A Sign-up sheet will be passed around at our next few meetings for the first several sessions. We will need at least four volunteers for each session. You can also bring your children, spouse, significant other, or friend to help out.
Thanks to all who have participated in the past and we look forward to your help again this year.
Several Club members enjoyed spending time with the Exchange Team from the Netherlands … from giving them a place to sleep, to introducing them to the wonders of the Wisconsin Fish Fry at the Hilltop, to a drive through the Driftless Area to their next stop (via Prairie du Chien) in LaCrosse. Wonderful people and a great Rotary program.
Edwin Bos has been a proud member of the Fort Atkinson Rotary Club since 2003. He has served on the Board of Directors, as Youth Exchange Officer, as the chair of several club construction projects, as Club
President in 2012-13 and as Assistant Governor from 2014-2017. Edwin is a graduate of Fort Atkinson
High School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BSc Civil Engineering) and the Rotterdam School of Management (MBA). After graduation, he spent ten years working for a large Dutch construction company primarily in Amsterdam, Istanbul and the Caribbean.
Edwin strongly supports Rotary’s many exchange programs in part because exchange programs have defined his own life. His Dutch immigrant parents came to Fort Atkinson under the auspices of a Farm Bureau exchange. After studying in Madison Edwin took part in an IAESTE work exchange to
Gothenburg, Sweden and, after studying in Rotterdam, participated in an AIESEC work exchange in Poznan, Poland where he met his wife Joanna. Since returning to Fort Atkinson they have hosted two inbound exchange students.
Edwin has participated in several District 6250 Friendship Exchanges. He traveled to India with an RFE team led by PDG Dean Ryerson. While in India he met Dr. Anouke Arakal of the Pondicherry Beach Town Rotary Club and that connection led to a Rotary Global Grant, sponsored by the Fort Atkinson Rotary Club, which funded four dialysis machines in Pondicherry. He’s traveled to the Philippines with an RFE team led by Ms. Darla Leick of Marshfield Sunrise. That RFE led to a friendship with Rotarian Roger de Guzman of the Kalibo Rotary Club and a Rotary Global Grant, sponsored by the five clubs in Assistant
Governor group #8, for a pipeline that brought potable water to two spirited villages. He’s traveled to Nepal with an RFE team led by current District Friendship Exchange chair Dr. Dave Clemens and, most recently, he led an RFE team from his Assistant Governor group back to the Philippines to help dedicate their water pipeline project and to establish new Rotary friendships and contacts.
Edwin and Joanna live in Fort Atkinson. Their oldest son, Harry, is attending the University of Alabama and is a member of the Rotaract Club there. Their youngest son, Ernest, is co-president of the High School Interact Club and is planning to attend Arizona State. Edwin is a past member of the Fort Atkinson School Board, a Paul Harris plus member, a sustaining member, and a Paul Harris Society member. He, his brother and their wives own and operate Bos Design Builders LLC in Fort Atkinson. In his spare time, he enjoys activities that involve spending time with friends, family, and anyone who enjoys a little gezelligheid. Something that he feels Rotary and Rotarians already have in spades!
Last Week’s Speaker:Rotary at Work: Club Committee Worktime
Rotary Friendship Exchange offers the best in international travel opportunities! If you are available from September 19 - 25, you could host a Rotarian traveler from The Netherlands and help introduce them to life in the Madison area. Ten couples will spend some time in the Madison area and then head to the La Crosse area for another five days.
We have a wonderful itinerary planned to highlight our part of Wisconsin and show it off! Please consider opening up your home to one of the couples for a few days. You can provide them with a room and breakfast only or spend as much time with the whole group as you please. We guarantee that the experience will enrich your life in ways that may surprise you! Contact Mary Van Hout to be part of this RFE! maryevanhout@gmail.com or 608 836 1603.
And more …
Mary Van Hout, Dean Ryerson, and other Rotarians from our District participated in a Friendship Exchange to The Netherlands in late May. Seven Rotarians from the Netherlands will visit the Madison area from September 19-25. You are invited to join us as we welcome our guests and provide opportunities for them to experience life and culture in our area. On Friday evening, September 20 at 6:00 pm we'll experience a traditional supper club fish fry at The Hilltop (between Cross Plains and Pine Bluff). Let Dean Ryerson know if you would like to join us for this evening (dryerson@tds.net). As Kevin Welton pointed out following our meeting last Friday, it will be "Dutch Treat!"
We will gather at Mary Van Hout's home in Middleton for a pot luck picnic on Sunday afternoon the 22nd at 5:30. Again, if you want to join us let Mary know at <maryevanhout@gmail.com>. Bring a dish to pass, and preferably with some food in it! Looking forward to having club members join us for spirited conversations with our Dutch guests as Rotary "Connects the World".
Rotary Friendship Exchange from Holland, September 19-25
UW Geologist Eric Carson on Geology of Madison & Black Earth Creek. We learned about the impact of the glaciers on Wisconsin and the unique topography of the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. Eric covered hundreds of millions of years in a wind-buffeted meeting at the Pope Farm Conservancy.
This Week’s Speaker: Rotary at Work: Club Committee Worktime Farm Luncheon.
Last Week’s Speaker: UW Geologist Eric Carson on Geology of Madison & Black Earth Creek
Bingo Czar is still working up numbers, but the string of bingo crews that worked a total of sixteen hours at the Middleton Good Neighbor Festival did a great time, made some new Rotary friends, and raised a bucket of money. Details to come. But here’s a picture of our Prez Dawn Frank looking all bingoish.
BREAKING REPORT FROM MATT:
Thanks to all of our club members and friends who made bingo a smashing success at the Middleton Good Neighbor Fest. As a fundraiser, this was a winner--$2,025 net-net-net. As an opportunity for fellowship, it was even better—33 club members participated along with family and friends. As a chance to showcase our club in Middleton, it worked. Our club was 20+ years removed from bingo and Good Neighbor Festival hasn’t had bingo in years. We heard those festival patrons wanted it back, but it was uncharted waters for us. I am proud to say that everyone involved brought a positive attitude and made the event fun—thanks!
Our club should plan to return to GNF next year and plan to do better. To make that happen we must gather all of your feedback and look for ways to improve our operation and thereby results. I will be at this Friday’s meeting, September 6, at 11:45 and will stay later to hear your ideas for improvement. You are also welcome to send me ideas at matthewloch26@gmail.com.
Ed Fink reports that our support efforts for the TLC Adopt-a-Cot effort in South Africa are paying off. Kids are growing up healthy and energetic. Some pix:
Rotary Friendship Exchange offers the best in international travel opportunities! If you are available from September 19 - 25, you could host a Rotarian traveler from The Netherlands and help introduce them to life in the Madison area. Ten couples will spend some time in the Madison area and then head to the La Crosse area for another five days.
We have a wonderful itinerary planned to highlight our part of Wisconsin and show it off! Please consider opening up your home to one of the couples for a few days. You can provide them with a room and breakfast only or spend as much time with the whole group as you please. We guarantee that the experience will enrich your life in ways that may surprise you!
The Rotary Foundation recently established a Rotary Disaster Relief Fund to which Rotary Districts impacted by a Disaster can apply for Funds. This includes District 6250 should any of our communities or our region face a future Disaster. If, during this Labor Day weekend, you were thinking about the people suffering through Hurricane Dorian consider a contribution to this Fund. Please follow the link for more information and to make a donationhttps://my.rotary.org/en/disaster-response-fund.
On August 8, Ludovica from Italy was greeted at Dane County airport by her host families and Youth Exchange Counselor Connie Smith and Youth Exchange Office Donna Brendmeuhl.
Rather than a speaker at our August 2nd meeting, the club had breakout sessions, with members choosing to meet with their preferred Avenue of Service. We asked for reports from each Avenue and received them from the International and Community Avenues.
International: Dick Murray chaired the group, and projects discussed or mentioned included the Orphan Train Project, Oliveros Scholarship Fund, Global Grant for Midwifery, Approved District Grant for Thiottle Haiti (school for poorest of poor children), Rotary Youth Exchange, Feed My Lambs in Haiti, Medical Mission to Guatemala and Shelter Box. Dick indicated some project requests might have to be scaled back, though he seemed to think all might be funded. Connie told us our latest Rotary Exchange Student had arrived from Italy. The group discussed possibilities for distributing some of these funds over the course of the year, rather than all at once. The delayed distribution for some of the projects seemed possible in certain cases. It was mentioned that our support of various international projects attracts and encourages outsiders to donate to them, through our club foundation. A visitor interested in Rotary, i.e. Attorney Noelle H. Long, sat in on the discussion.
Community: Barry Pace chaired the discussion and reported as follows:
Projects currently planned for funding
Buffet Scholars/Lussier
Food Pantries (Lussier, MOM, River, Grace Episcopal)
Habitat for Humanity
Summer School Scholarships at Lussier
Group comments mentioned the need to identify more projects, for funding and volunteering. Barry and Patrick will contact other organizations for purposes of identifying community needs in our area. These will include PorchLight, MOM, Lussier, Jefferson, Pope Farms and United Way. Other possibilities mentioned include the Kohl Fund, Evjue, MCF, Rotaract and the After Hours Club.
Total Community Services Funding Projection - $12,000
Notes from Our Aug 2 working Meeting (thanks to Ed Fink)
Bingo is back! After a several year hiatus, the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton is bringing Bingo back to the Middleton Good Neighbor Festival at Fireman’s Park next to the high school.
Bingo will be held from 6-9 PM on Friday, 1-4 PM and 6-9 PM on Saturday and 1-5 PM on Sunday. $1 per card, cash prizes! Fast-paced, with 6 plus games per hour. Must be 18, or have an adult present on the grounds. Proceeds benefit the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton charitable programs.
Discover how new Rotarians have already made an impact in their communities
‘Seasoned’ Rotarians will answer your questions
Vitense Golfland, 5501 Schroeder Road Madison. Includes beverages, appetizers, prizes for new members of one year or less. Donations toward cost accepted.
Ludovica Giada Malinverni was greeted at Dane County Airport August 8th by her host families and Youth Exchange Counselor, Connie Smith; and Youth Exchange Officer, Donna Brendemuehl.
The Orphan Train Project is made possible by the Madison West Towne-Middleton Rotary Foundation, Inc. It seeks to assist children living in foreign orphanages in a variety of ways, and has been doing so for twenty-two years. Over the past two decades, more than fifty children’s homes, in ten different countries, have been helped. Some of the assistance has been for a number of years. However, help has sometimes been given once, with a single goal in mind.
We are in very good shape to bring bingo back to Good Neighbor Fest in Middleton this year. This community is a big part of our service area and we are excited to raise our image in Middleton. Mark your calendars for our bingo sessions as follows:
Friday, August 23, 6-9:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 24, 1-4:00 p.m. and 6-9:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 25, 1-5:00 p.m.
If you are volunteering for a session, get ready for some fun and fellowship. If not, grab a seat at the table and get ready to make some money. Make sure to encourage your friends and family to join us for bingo and many other fun things at GNF including:
Great food including a Friday Fish Fry, Saturday chicken dinner and a dessert tent
Fun for the kids with a midway, games, movies and lots of other activities
Live music all day long in the VFW and Youth Hockey tents
Art fair with vendors from around the area
5K run on Saturday and Sunday’s parade
Of course, bingo, bingo, bingo…
What a great way to celebrate summer and promote Rotary in one of the nation’s great small cities. See you there!
Katie Hensel is changing the face of what Triathlons look like! She founded Tri 4 Schools in 2011 to promote active kids and healthy schools. This summer there's Tri 4 Schools triathlons in Waunakee, Sun Prairie, and Middleton. Ms. Hensel rushes in to help like an over-caffeinated Rotarian, a dynamo of goodness for creating healthier kids ages 3-14. Her kids say things like "Sportsmanship, don't be scared of what you can do. You can do it too!"
Tri 4 Schools gives kids access to extracurricular sports, especially those who have few options at their schools. Triathlons and mud runs your child will love! www.tri4schools.org
This Week’s Speaker: Club CommitteeWorktime
Last Week’s Program: Katie Hensel on Tri 4 Schools
Possibly the most flamboyant and confident exchange student we've welcomed recently, Goodness condensed her year in America into a lively half-hour!
From when she learned at Lagos, Nigeria that's she's going to America, to her poignant thanks you's and I'm gonna miss you's at our July 19th lunch. A few Goodness glimpses:
"I ate cheese and I didn't even like cheese!"
"I visited with five families and learned from each one."
"I'm lucky I took this step out of my comfort zone. Not easy, culture shock, but you get along."
"Become American-ized, I'm Wisconsin!"
"All exchange kids learn from each other, I'm glad I did this!"
Thank you. You've met a Nigerian. Very wonderful, I am so blessed I ended up in this club."
We see dozens of Goodness photos with friends and families, accompanied by Rhianna's tearful "Farewell."
This Week’s Speaker: Katie Hensel on Tri 4 Schools
Last Week’s Program: Goodness on a Year in Her Life.
Wisconsin State-Journal health reporter David Wahlberg and Dane County Safe Community Task Force's Ruth Meyer enlighten us on how to prevent falling. Why does Wisconsin have the highest percentage of falls for adults over 65? Alcohol, binge drinking, higher aging population/demographics, and Wisconsin does a better job of reporting falls than other states.
If you've fallen once in the last 12 months, you're 50% more at risk for your next fall. Ms. Meyer teaches fall prevention classes, called "Stepping On," a 7-week workshop series. Prevention: exercise, vision checkup, medication review, home safety. Tripping over dogs and cats happens a lot. Take Stepping On class reduces your risk of falling by 30%! Other prevention: Tai Chi, Ballroom Basics for Balance, leisure activities such as pickleball, tennis, biking. Be an advocate to prevent falls!
This Week’s Speaker:Goodness on a Year in Her Life!
Last Week’s Program: David Wahlberg from Wisconsin State Journal - Preventing Fatal Falls
This month’s issue of InBusiness features a lengthy article on member Cory Recknor’s role with the American Cancer Society in its Coaches vs. Cancer program. Important work!
Thursday, July 25, 6:15 PM Evening Picnic hosted by Linda Olson, Mary Van Hout and Nancy Comello at Linda and Don’s home, 5796 County Road K, Waunakee, 53597 (intersection of Hwy K and Hwy M. The house is not visible from the road. Look for the balloons). Potluck for Madison-area Rotarians, bring: • Last name beginning with A-J: salad • Last name beginning with K-P: noodles or other carbs • Last name beginning with Q-Z: dessert • Optional: bring own beverages and lawn games
Rotary Friendship Exchange Farewell to our Australian Rotary Guests
President Dawn Frank received the following letter from Jim:
It is with great regret that I need to inform you of my resignation from the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton. My decision is two-fold: predicated upon accepting additional personal and family time commitments and, with relocating to Lodi. Attending Club meetings and participating in project activities has significantly limited my ability to remain an active member. I appreciate your understanding. I have enjoyed my seventeen years with this special organization to all our members I have the great pleasure of knowing. I leave with fond memories and the wonderful works and activities we did, knowing together, we made Madison, Middleton and the greater world communities a better place. I will miss all of you and wish the Club continued success. Who knows I may just drop in to say hello to all of you at 12:12 pm some Friday in the future.
Our Exchange student, Goodness Otun, has been keeping busy. She attended Concerts On The Square thanks to Jeannine Desautels. She also went to Circus World in Baraboo with her current host parents, Dan & Mary Fose and was treated to a fantastic horse & buggy ride and picnic, courtesy of Mary Ruth Marks. Goodness recaps her year in Wisconsin in a talk to our Club at the 7/19 meeting.
Joyce Bromley from Downtown Rotary Club spoke on Keeping Ghanaian female students in school every day by providing supplies and training to help with their menstrual needs.
This Week’s Speaker:David Wahlberg from Wisconsin State Journal on Preventing Fatal Falls
Last Week’s Program (June 28): Joyce Bromley, Downtown Rotary
Our greenhouse Reconstruction Project Quetzeltenango in western Guatemala is progressing nicely. It will help the girls at Luis Amigo …
Dear Claudia Gonzaga, I hope that God bless your day.
I share with him, Mrs. Mary Van Hout and members of the Rotary Club thanks to the economic support given to the Home Luis Amigó, is the reconstruction achieved our greenhouse. Why we are happy and motivated in the cultivation of products that will be beneficial for girls who are sheltered in our home.
To know more details is attached to mail a written report on the results of Greenhouse Reconstruction Project has been carried out, also photographs of the process. Thanking your attention and collaboration, I remain sincerely: Sister Aura Marina Alvarez Luca.
Last Week’s Program: Changing of the Guard … new Club Officers and Board members, plus a review of accomplishments in the past Rotary year. See article later in Bulletin.
This Week’s Speaker: Joyce Bromley on Everyday School Periods in Ghana with Downtown Rotary
Final numbers aren’t in, but preliminaries look very promising. This was our major fundraiser, and members and their golfing buddies turned out to support it. Numbers and pics next Bulletin. Thanks to Kevin Welton and his crew for all their work.
Our club will be bringing bingo back to the Middleton Good Neighbor Fest August 23-25, 2019. This is part of some throwback features including a Friday fish fry and Sunday chicken dinner. We will need volunteers for bingo sessions on Friday (evening), Saturday (afternoon & evening) and Sunday (afternoon). Mark your calendars now, because Wisconsin summers fill up quickly. We have a small committee formed including Deb Dieter, Jack Ferreri, Dawn Frank, Kevin Moran, Rod Nilles, and Matt Loch. We can use some more committee members and we are meeting this Friday after our club meeting. C’mon, join the fun!
Thank you to all who have volunteered for BINGO at Good Neighbor Fest so far. Here is a list of 20 places we still need to fill:
Saturday, August 24, 1-4 pm
Cashier (1)
Saturday, August 24, 6-9 pm
Bingo spinner (1) Treasurer (1)
Sunday, August 25, 10 am-1 p
Parade volunteers (2)
Sunday, August 25, 1-3 pm
Bingo caller (1)
Bingo spinner (1)
Treasurer (1)
Cashiers (4)
Sunday, August 25, 3-5 pm
Bingo caller (1)
Treasurer (1)
Cashiers (4)
Sunday, August 25, 6-8 pm
Grounds Crew (1)
Monday, August 26, 5-8 pm
Grounds Crew (1)
You can email debragdieter@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
DON’T BE ONE OF THOSE … ‘AW, SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO IT. BE THAT SOMEONE!
With a career that involved lots of driving the state, combined with a love of beer, Robin Shepherd became an effervescent expert on beers, especially those of the upper Midwest. Drawing on his penning a trio of books on the breweries and brewpub of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, as well as regular beer articles in Madison’s Isthmus, he regaled us with tales from his deep knowledge of the beer culture of our region. The 1980s saw the emergence of craft and home brewing, ending the total dominance of the big national brewers. This trend has continued to accelerate. Wisconsin is home to about 175 brewers now, with perhaps 500 in the Great Lakes region as a whole. All beer comes from just a combination of water, hops, barley, and yeast, but the different techniques and flavors added to make for a wide palette of flavors. Lagers, ales, pilsners, bocks, stouts, sours, tarts, lambics – the variety appears to be endless. Wisconsinites approve: they manage to consume thirty-three gallons per person.
This Week’s Speaker: Changing of the Guard – New Club Officers
Last Week’s Program:Robin Shepard on History and Trends in the Wisconsin Brewing Industry
Your intrepid Bulletin Editor and Cub Reporter Ferreri tagged along with the McAdow Miles team last Saturday. Great time pedaling together, although your editor was clearly the slacker. Jerry McAdow, Paul Patenaude, Peter Hoff, and Leo Edelstein (behind the camera) made the ride south and west from our start point at Pacific Cycle on Hammersley Road. Jerry shared some of his road wisdom with the slacker. Wonderful time, beautiful weather, and 12 miles on the road. Great fun!
Mary Van Hout spoke about this program at the last meeting and it created some buzz. Use your Amazon spending (and more) to help Rotary change the world. See further info in this screenshot. Use the URL on top to go to the original page. Thanks, Mary!
Matt Loch received the following letter and wanted to pass it along. It matches up well with our existing interest in Guatemala.
My name is John Hunt, and I am a past District Governor and member of the Rotary Club pf Ohio Pathways (D6600). Joe Berninger, founder of the Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP), and I are organizing Rotary service trips to Guatemala and we are looking for interested Rotarians.
The GPL is the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district effort in the Rotary world not directed by Rotary International itself- the "goldstandard" of Rotary projects, according to former RI President Ian Riseley. Over 600 Rotary clubs from 8 countries have participated in the GP: since its inception in 1996. GPL Textbook, Computer, Teacher Training, and Youth Development programs currently serve more than 50,000 impoverished children.
We need Rotarians to join the following service trips to Guatemala:
July 21 - 27, 2019
July 30 - August 4, 2019
November 14 - 17, 2019
February 1 - 9, 2019
February 18 - 23, 2019
July 12 - 18, 2020
July 21 - 26, 2020
These trips offer a variety of experiences: Some are longer or shorter; some more "hands-on" - and all of them give you the opportunity to be a meaningful part of Rotary's work fighting poverty in Guatemala. Please visit the Project's website for more details.
Could you share this opportunity with members of your club?
If you have any can email me at info@guatemalalitericy.org
Deb Dieter, Kevin Moran and Matt Loch will be going through our storage room at Zor Shrine after the meeting on June 21. It is a large climate-controlled space that doesn’t cost additional money. We plan to inventory what’s there and I am sure that we have acquired a number of items that are no longer needed. If you have any Rotary club items at home, feel free to bring them to the club meeting. We’ll take them from you and free up valuable home storage space. Contact Matt with any questions.
Please join your fellow MWT-M club members and donate to our golf outing silent auction. We can make it easy – purchase a bottle of Rose (pronounced Ro-say) at Hy-Vee, Trader Joe’s Total Wine, pretty much anywhere. We want at least 12 bottles for our Rose All Day display. So far, we have 1 bottle. Or a 6pak/12pak of Micro Brew! Or buy a few lottery tickets – they are $1-2/each. You’ll have to buy them the Friday or Saturday before the outing. Just let Ruth know you’re going to buy them. Thank you. Your silent auction committee: Jeannine Desautels, Deb Dieter, Ruth Domack, Leo Edelstein, Cherie Gon, Mary Van Hout
Cherie Gon presented our High School Scholarship Awards;
Scholarship Recipients 2019
Middleton High School
The Robert Jones Memorial $1000 Scholarship: Megan Chandler ***
The Robert Jones $500 Scholarship: Hope Marshall ***
Wisconsin Heights High School
The Richard Williams Memorial $1000 Scholarship: Jenna Wendt
The Richard Williams Memorial $500 Scholarship: Shravan Parman
Edgewood High School
The Richard and Ellen Meister $1000 Scholarship: Thomas Beyer ***
The Richard and Ellen Meister $500 Scholarship: Marcela Chavez ***
Madison Memorial High School
The John Byrne Memorial $1000 Scholarship: Harrison Glen
The John Byrne Memorial $500 Scholarship: Lamar Whigham
*** attended the luncheon
Leadership from the Middleton HS Interact Club discussed their new Club and plans for its future. The Interact Club is raising money to build a well in Nigeria. Their GoFundMe site is https://www.gofundme.com/MHSinteract.
From left to right: Guyan Gibson, next year Co-Pres, Emery Engling, next year Co-Pres, Owen Engling, this year Pres and Founder of the Club, Mathew Zander, next year Secretary Madison West Towner Middleton Rotary Club
This Week’s Speaker: Gary Cannalte was scheduled to be our speaker, but a family situation has forced him to cancel. Instead, we’ll be discussing books/reading that members find engrossing. Think about some books you’ve enjoyed.
Last Week’s Program: High School Scholarship Awards
Mary Cobb-Dunn’s daughter Meredith passes along this thirst-quenching opportunity … The Fitchburg-Verona Rotary Club is volunteering at Verona Hometown Days, selling beer tickets & collecting cover charges, this weekend on Friday and Saturday (the 31st and 1st). Normally we're able to fill our spots with our own club members, but we got the confirmation on dates and volunteer needs so late this year that many of our members had already committed to other plans. This has left us with a few spots that still need to be filled. We still need people the following evening/night shifts:
And yes, everyone (of legal drinking age, of course) volunteering gets a couple of free beers (and they typically have a few local craft beer options in addition to domestics).
If you have any questions, please let me know. If you have someone in your club who wants more information or has a question, please feel free to share my email with them and they can contact me directly.
Mike Knight gave an entertaining talk on raising tilapia and specialty greens via aquaculture in Lodi, Wisconsin. Along the way, he recapped his colorful career in data analysis and how he’s applied those skills to his current project. Technical issues abound (for someone with zero farming experience), but understanding market demand and pricing proved to be key issues he learned along the way.
This Week’s Speaker: Cherie Gon presents our High School Scholarship Awards; Leadership from the Middleton HS Interact Club will discuss their new Club and plans for their future.
Last Week’s Speaker: Mike Knight on Aquafarming & Hemp
Jeannine Desautels is rounding up volunteers for the many jobs that need to be handled for this event. She passed around sign-up sheets the last couple of weeks, but be proactive and reach out to her and ask her how you can help. You can reach her at jeanninembd@gmail.com.
We are looking for ideas for service projects that we can participate in. If you have an organization you feel strongly about supporting and would like to explore an opportunity for a club service project, please contact Patrick Rees (patrick.rees@usbank.com ).
We need volunteers for our Adopt-A-HWY project. Our section of HWY clean-up is the south right-a-way of the Beltline between Whitney Way and Gammon Road. This is approximately 1.3 miles long. It usually takes 3 hours to pick up the trash. Volunteers are to meet at the Vitense’s parking lot between 4 and 4:30. Any late-comers will need to catch up with the crew on the right-of-way.
Transport cars will be parked at the Gammon Road end to ferry the crew back to Vitense. Yellow Safety vests and trash bags will be provided. Bring good footwear and work gloves. Family members and friends are welcome. Children must be 14 years old and have adult supervision.
Mary Beth Growney-Selene, Deb Dieter, and Roxanne Brazeau attended on May 21st. Our work on behalf of Jefferson Middle School was a part of this great effort. We have authorized a pat on the back.
Historically, at this time of year, the board approves both a club budget and a foundation budget for the following year. Some of the feedback we heard from the club survey and our small group discussions are that our foundation budget supports the same projects every year and that we should review our process. We discussed this at our board meeting this past Tuesday and the board agreed to delay the approval of the foundation budget for a few months to allow us to develop criteria for approving funding requests. As we have historically done, the current board will review and approve the club budget at our June board meeting.
Once we have developed our criteria for approving funding requests, we will notify the club and allow additional time for members to submit funding requests. If you have already submitted your funding requests, you do NOT need to submit it again; just recognize there will be a delay in receiving a response. Also, we recognize that traditionally we actually fund many of the requests in July/August. However, as we reviewed previously funded projects, we thought Jefferson Middle School was the only one that may have a time-sensitive need for funding that correlates with the beginning of the school year. If there is another funding request that absolutely needs to be funded during this delayed time period, please let me know and the board will discuss how to address the issue.
Revised Timeline in Foundation Budget Process, from President-Elect Dawn Frank
He spoke to us about his work in Guatemala, which includes managing a group of 100 UW engineering students with projects in the mountainous western part of the country … water projects in Pajuya, Azucenas, and Zapote as well as a bridge in Rio Lindo. They get the community involved and work with the community on determining the most pressing needs … often it’s wells and water distribution systems to provide clean water to villages. His video of engaged UW students on-site was inspirational. And it looked like they were having fun as well.
Last Week’s Program: Kevin Frost, President of the local chapter of Engineers Without Borders
Our inbound student Goodness is performing in a comedy called "She Kills Monsters" at Memorial High School Thursday (tonight) through Saturday at 730. The tickets are $5.00. She was hoping some of the membership would come out to see her.
At our May 3rd club meeting we had small group discussions to gain more qualitative insight on the club survey results. As indicated earlier, our club survey results were overall very positive. Based on lower scores or consistent themes in the written comments, there were 4 areas that we chose for discussion: members not inviting people to join our club, the types and amount of fundraising our club does, the lack of community service projects, and our club’s pace of change. Here are some themes from the survey and/or the small group discussions:
We have too many check writing “fundraisers”; we need another signature fundraiserlike the golf outing. When our club was formed, it was to be about service, not just writing checks.
We want a better understanding of how we spend our fundraising dollars. There is alsosome confusion about our club foundation and the Rotary Foundation.
We want more service projects; especially one that occurs on a monthly cadence and at night to meet the needs of people who can't get away during the day.
We don’t know how to ask people when inviting them to a club meeting; maybe a needfor training/materials
Next step...I would like to review our existing committees, have every member sign up for a committee and leverage some of our club meetings for committee meetings. I would like our committees to have goals they are working towards and all members engaged. Several of our committees are committees of 1 and for those, I’d like to get other people to join the committee. The thought process is that active committees will lead to more engaged club members, increased member retention and eventually more members joining our club. In the near future, I will get a sign-up sheet for all of our members to choose a committee. As for committee meetings, starting in July, I have asked our speaker committee to allow 1 meeting a month for committee meetings or other club topics we feel we need to have. The monthly cadence may change to quarterly or something else but we will figure that out as we go; we just need to start and we can adjust as we feel necessary. We will try some new ideas; some will be great and others may need to be modified. Please keep providing your ideas/input within the committees and provide feedback along the way. I am looking forward to seeing the progress we make in addressing the feedback from the club survey.
Following up on our Club Survey, from President-Elect Dawn Frank
Our club will be bringing bingo back to the Middleton Good Neighbor Fest August 23-25, 2019. This is part of some throwback features including a Friday fish fry and Sunday chicken dinner. We will need volunteers for bingo sessions on Friday (evening), Saturday (afternoon & evening) and Sunday (afternoon). Mark your calendars now, because Wisconsin summers fill up quickly. We have a small committee formed including Deb Dieter, Jack Ferreri, Dawn Frank, Kevin Moran, Rod Nilles, and Matt Loch. We can use some more committee members and we are meeting this Friday after our club meeting. C’mon, join the fun!
Reach out to Deb Dieter to reserve your volunteer slot. You can email debragdieter@gmail.com to reserve your spot. DON’T BE ONE OF THOSE … ‘AW, SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO IT.’ BE THAT SOMEONE!
Wow! The donations and creativity are coming in! This year’s Silent Auction promises to be a Big Success thanks to you! Just received Deb Dieter’s Donation – UW Sunburst Chair!
If you need ideas here’s one – how about sharing Madison’s cultural events? Tickets to the Overture Center, Symphony, Opera, Nutcracker Ballet, Children’s Theatre (CTM), Children’s Museum, American Players Theatre, Stoughton Opera House, Firehouse Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Madison Forward Theatre to name but a few. A big THANK YOU to Deb and the other MWT-M members who have already stepped up with 2019 donations.
Please remember, the golf outing and silent auction benefit the club’s Foundation and the requested projects in 2019-2020. Your participation is critical to our success.
Please join in!!! Your Silent Auction Committee: Jeannine Desautels, Deb Dieter, Ruth Domack, Leo Edelstein, Cherie Gon, Mary Van Hout
MWT-M Golf Outing Silent Auction Another Donation Request
It’s in La Crosse this year on June 7 & 8. All Rotary club members are welcome to volunteer for an hour or two of service. This is a great opportunity, especially for Rotarians who have never attended the conference. It gives them a clear purpose and an easy way to connect, while they look around, learn and meet other members from around the district.
Jobs include:
• Registration Desk - work with District staff, welcome Rotarians to La Crosse
• Sergeant. at Arms for meals (glorified ticket taker)
• Breakout session assistants - be the 'go-fer' if the speaker needs anything.
McAdow miles team is looking for more riders. We ride Saturday mornings at 8:30 for about 20 miles. It’s not a race. We meet at the parking lots listed.
May 11 Pacific Cycle, on Hammersley Road behind Home Depot.
Coming up on June 9th our club has an opportunity to raise money for a great cause while supporting a wonderful Madison event. The IRONMAN organization in Madison is looking for volunteer Run Course Marshals to help keep athletes safe while they complete the race. If we provide 15 volunteers, we will be eligible for a grant from the IRONMAN organization, the proceeds of which will benefit Tri 4 Schools. Tri 4 Schools is a non-profit that supports health and fitness initiatives in local schools. Registration must be completed online and there are a variety of volunteer times and locations available. To volunteer please follow the instructions below:
Scroll down to the Run Course Marshall opportunities and select your desired time and location.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and complete all the information fields. Make sure to include the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton as your volunteer organization.
Scroll through the waiver, click the box to accept, enter your electronic signature and click ‘sign up to volunteer’.
Please note that each volunteer is committing to participate regardless of whether the club reaches our 15-volunteer goal. Thank you for all your efforts.
IMPORTANT DATES
Saturday, June 1st
deadline for all IRONMAN Foundation Grant applications. You must have it submitted by this deadline to receive grant payment following the race. Not sure if you have completed it yet - send me an email and Amber and I will let you know.
Thursday, June 6th
Captain's meeting at Olin Park Pavilion. Time TBD, but likely around 6 PM. This is your chance to meet IRONMAN staff you will be working with, receive Captain's gear and credentials, receive gift cards to purchase snacks (aid stations) and ask questions
Friday, June 7th
DAY 1 of Athlete Check-in at Olin Park
Saturday, June 8th
DAY 2 of athlete check-in and mandatory bike check-in
Sunday, June 9th
RACE DAY!!!!
Monday, June 10th
Volunteer Party at Coliseum Bar, 5:30 PM - all volunteers welcome. We will serve refreshments and appetizers.... and raffle off some fun prizes!
Thank you again for all you do. Please let me know if you have any questions.
The success of the Golf Outing Silent Auction is dependent on member donations or solicitations of businesses for almost any product. This week we’d like to suggest gift cards from a variety of businesses: Nevada Bob’s, restaurants, hotels, spas, bars, hair salons, barbershops, nail shops for manicures or pedicures, Best Buy, Knoche’s Meat Market, Trader Joe’s, Steve’s Liquors, Total Wine Store. We will accept gift cards that you purchase or gift cards are given to you by businesses.
Your Silent Auction Committee: Jeannine Desautels, Deb Dieter, Ruth Domack, Leo Edelstein, Cherie Gon, Mary Van Hout
We are starting to build the club and foundation budgets for the fiscal year 2019-2020. Like last year, we plan to approve next year’s budgets at the June board meeting. This is a request to get all your Request for Project Support forms completed and submitted to the appropriate Avenue of Service director as follows:
• Community Service – Kevin Welton or Patrick Rees
• International Service – Paul Patenaude or Steve Aune
• Vocational Service – Roxanne Brazeau or Deb Dieter
We will accept all such requests through May 15. That will provide time to evaluate your request, follow up as needed and develop a recommendation for each avenue of service. Just a reminder that we will need annual reports for all fiscal year 2018-2019 approved and funded projects.
A few weeks ago we asked you to complete a membership survey. Thank you for taking the time to provide your input. The survey results have been compiled and overall, the results are very positive. Now, for the next step. We would like to gain more qualitative input from our members on some specific survey questions. We are going to use the May 3rd club assembly meeting to have small group discussions. I will then work with our incoming board to establish goals for the upcoming year. Please make every effort to attend the May 3rd meeting as we want to hear from as many members as possible so we can make our club even better than it already is.
Members had a casual lunch meeting at JMS. Club member Andy ‘Waz’ Washicheck laid out our Club’s contributions to the school … $31,387 to date, including Chromebooks, backpacks, busses for school trips, band cases for instruments, staff books, school supplies, Mindstorm software, a 3D printer, and more. We’ve also helped out with a range of other contributions … clothing, personal items, playground equipment, and clothing. Our members volunteer their time and experience for more than a half-dozen activities at the school. Principal Kurth expressed her appreciation and her delight at seeing us there. We then received guided tours of the school with a half-dozen teachers and staff members. MWTM Rotary is making a difference at Jefferson!
This Week’s Speaker: Club Assembly, with breakout sessions on topics that emerged in the recent member survey.
Our Golf Outing will tee off on Monday, June 17 at Pleasant View Golf Course. Our Silent Auction is an important part of this fundraiser and we need your help. Each week, we will write about ideas for your donations, but your creativity is also encouraged.
This week we’d like to suggest donations that are “all things golf-related”: gloves, hats, ball markers, tees, balls, golf bags, clubs, golf towels, golf umbrellas, golf course foursomes, rain gear for golfers, golf shoes, golf socks, club covers, shirts, shorts, sunglasses.
We also would like to create a “pyramid” of local brewery beers for a display. We need several donations of a 6-pack of local brew. The more variety the better!
We are seeking fun creative gifts and ideas. Do you cook? Paint? Handyman skills? A big THANK YOU to our fellow MWT-M members who have already stepped up with 2019 donations:
Jack Ferreri
2 Penzey’s Boxed Spices
Doug Coerper
Foursome + Cart + Fish Dinner – Lake WI CC
Cory Recknor & Aprilaire
Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
Matt Loch
1 week at Marco Island Condo
Roxanne Brazeau & BMO
4 tickets to Overture Broadway Musical “Anastasia”
Greg Blum
2-night Cabin in Dells
Mary Van Hout
Quilt
Deb Dieter
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey And Old Fashioned glasses, muddler
We had a great member turnout (about 40) at the visitation and services at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church and the luncheon following at Blackhawk Country Club. Beautiful service … and a solid show of support from our members. It meant a lot to Ellen Meister.
Lots of Spring and Summer Events coming up. Find something to volunteer at as a MWTM Rotarian. We’ve supported this program, both with funds and volunteers, for several years.
Richard W. Meister passed away at Agrace HospiceCare on April 13, 2019. He was born April 11, 1926, in Black Earth, WI, son of Albert and Grace Lockwood Meister. He attended McPherson elementary one-room school grades 1-8 and graduated from Verona High School, 1944. Following high school graduation, he worked on the family farm until enlisting in the US Army on October 15, 1946, with assignments to Camp Lee, VA, Seattle WA, and Sapporo, Japan. During the overseas assignment, he served as a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division. As a special military honor, he represented his regiment in the July 4, 1947 parade in Tokyo, with General Douglas McArthur as the reviewing officer. He also played on the regimental basketball team.
Following military discharge, he earned BS and MS degrees - education, UW Madison, married Ellen Hefty, and received his Ph.D. - Educational Administration, UW- Madison, 1972. Dick taught school at Kewaskum, Deforest, and Madison Sherman and East Junior high schools. He served as an administrator at Madison Memorial High School, Jefferson Middle School, and West High School. Following retirement from Madison, he served as an interim Administrator / Principal at Kickapoo, Waupun, Richland Center, and La Follette High School.
Losing his father at six months of age, growing up on a farm, experiencing strong discipline during paratrooper training, and earning 3 university degrees while working full-time certainly impacted his exemplary work ethic which he shared with hundreds of high school students during his career.
Dick's special interest in sports included being a successful basketball coach for 13 years, and officiating basketball/football/baseball for more than 35 years. He was an avid UW Basketball fan and a golfing member at Blackhawk Country Club. Another special interest was his affiliation with the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton, being a charter member with perfect attendance for more than 35 years. He was honored as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow for his involvement with several Rotary Club special projects: development of Pope Park on Old Sauk Rd, establishing fundraisers for the orphanages supported by Rotary and going to El Salvador and Guatemala several times to work at the orphanages. Dick enjoyed traveling to Idaho, Arizona, Europe, and Asia. He cherished his membership in the Catholic Church (Our Lady Queen of Peace), never having missed attending mass his entire life, except when aboard military ship going to Japan.
He is survived by his wife Ellen; brother-in-law Wayne Hefty; niece Rebecca Freitag; nephews Ron, Garry, Don, Tim and Rich Meister; and several great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Albert, mother Grace, brothers Eugene and Donald, and nephew Joseph.
Memorial services will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 401 S. Owen, Madison on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, with a visitation starting at 10:00 am, mass at 11:00 am with lunch and reception at Blackhawk Country Club to follow. Cemetery Services will take place at a later date at Oak Hill Cemetery in the township of Springdale.
Memorials are suggested to the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton Foundation, PO BOX 620312, Middleton, WI 53562-0312 or the Meister Memorial Fund @Blackhawk Country Club, 3606 Blackhawk Drive, Madison, WI, 53705
Dick was a long-time member of our Club, with decades of involvement and charitable give.
.Let’s show a strong Club presence at his visitation and memorial service
Thanks to all, especially Peder Moren, H.G.A. (Svein Morner's employer) and Svein for creating this fund to provide additional support for the Adopt-a-Cot program at TLC in South Africa. These folks are saving babies and finding "forever homes" for them. It seems like the babies keep coming and the financial strain is great. I would encourage you to get their newsletter.
Here's the Thank You from TRLC:
Dear friends at Madison-West Towne Rotary Foundation
We are so delighted to receive your generous donation to help us continue our life saving work. Thank you for partnering with us in this significant way as we try to build families for the abandoned and orphaned babies of our nation.
Your donation of $2607. 88 will go directly into our Adopt-A-Cot program which is our sustainable funding project helping with the work of rescue, relief and the rapid, responsible placement of infants into permanent families.
We were so blessed to have you supporting us, please be encouraged to follow our activities on Facebook or Instagram as we always share lovely pictures and stories to keep you connected with the wonderful work being done here. Bless you all, we wish you every success.
The Oliveros Scholarship Fund is grateful to the members of Madison West Towne-Middleton Rotary Club for your generous support of our "Soup's On" fundraiser. Because of you, we are able to provide nearly 20 scholarships to the kids of Oliveros. Thank you for cooking and setting up and donating! It means that the kids we serve have a better chance for a sunny tomorrow!! You truly are the greatest Rotary Club in the world!!
Headquartered in Tampa Bay, Schools for Haiti has ten schools with 1,850 students in Montrouis. Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere … and 85% of the education is done by charitable organizations. Brandon Williams, former Packer and NFL player has been actively involved. There’s a local gala for the organization on April 27th at the Madison Marriott West. For more details, go to schoolsforhaiti.com.
This Week’s Speaker: NO MEETING … Good Friday
Last Week’s Program: Doug Fearing on Schools for Haiti
Spend some informal time with your Rotary pals (or get to know new ones) while relaxing at Vintage Brewing at Odana and Whitney. It starts at 4:30 pm and runs until whenever you’ve got to head home. Lots of fun conversations about non-Rotary topics … and it’s a relief from workplace stresses. Stop in and chill with us. Brian Brown is the organizer at Brian_J_Brown@glic.com
Madison College offers over 140 programs on 9 campuses in 12 counties in south-central Wisconsin. They’ll be opening a new South Madison campus in early September near Park St. and Badger Road. It’s a lot more than trades at MC … they have a bustling Center for Entrepreneurship with an Entrepreneur in Residence. Top overall programs are nursing, IT, Police/Fire/EMT, and liberal arts transfer. Madison College has the most UW transfers of any school. And 90% of grads go right into jobs, 80% in Wisconsin.
This Week’s Speaker: Doug Fearing on Schools for Haiti
Last Week’s Program: Brian Woodhouse with Update on MATC South Campus
The Golf Outing Planning Committee needs help with the marketing and promotion of the upcoming Golf Outing. We’re looking for a Club member to join in the capacity of marketing and promotion. The Committee will guide this member on the specific things they will be asked to accomplish, however having their own ideas and concepts will be encouraged. This is by far our Club’s largest fundraiser, and its success is critical to funding the great things we support. We don’t need a marketing guru … just someone (or two) with some energy and commitment to help out and work with us. Maybe you? Reach out to Kevin Welton at kevinw1420@tds.net.
An inbound Rotary Friendship Team from Australia will be visiting the Madison area in late July. We are co-hosting this with Madison Downtown Rotary. We’ll need accommodations for five couples and two singles. Hosts will pick up the 1 or 2 people at the agreed-upon place on Monday, July 22, provide overnight accommodations and breakfast, and transportation to the daily activities. Many hosts trade off days and attend the daily events with the guests if possible or drop them off with the group in the am, meet them for dinner, etc.
Who: Volunteers We Need You - many of you have volunteered in the past and “thank you”, “thank you.” We will pair up newbies with seasoned volunteers where possible. No job to big or small.
Morning Shift: (7:30 - 12:30ish) Volunteers to be at the farm 7:30 a.m. Go to the tent and look for a sign for volunteers to get a volunteer ribbon for your shirt (gets you a
yummy free lunch) and have a roll and coffee and get your assignment. Dressage starts at
8:30 so everyone must be "in place" at that time. Please see the Chart below for Volunteer
Positions and Descriptions
Afternoon Shift: (12:00 - 4:30ish) Volunteer assignments made while enjoying lunch - Marathon starts at 1:30 so everyone must be "in place" at that time. Please see the Chart below for Volunteer Positions and Descriptions
We will feed and hydrate you and guarantee fun whether rain or shine - please bring your own
chair, sunscreen, rain gear (if needed) and good sense of humor - we provide the fun!
How: Fun, fun whether rain or shine - - - be there or be square! and THANK YOU!!!!
Parking: All volunteers park to the west (behind) of the show tent (go left as you come in the gravel drive from Riverside Road). We will have signs. Contact: Mary Ruth Marks at 608-513-7490; maryruthmarks@gmail.com.
Our MWTM Golf Outing is June 17, and the Silent Auction promises to be another success! Please start bringing your donations to the Friday meeting and give them to Ruth Domack. Our committee is very talented in making great basket displays from various donations so don’t worry about ‘presentation.' Thanks to the following members and their generous donations to date:
The crisis is bad, continued rain and rising floodwaters are expected to last a week or longer. Authorities are concerned about possible cholera outbreaks from dirty water.
Our response team met with the Rotary District 9210 Governor Hutchson “Hutch” Mthinda and Past District Governor Stallard Mpata, both from the Rotary Club of Lilongwe, on Friday evening to discuss plans. The team is now in Chikwawa, one of the worst-hit districts of southern Malawi. They’ve visited families living in collective centers to understand how ShelterBox can help.
There are tens of thousands of families with nowhere to call home. Most of the families have lost all their possessions in the floods. Many of them are sheltering in schools, so children are missing out on their education. Conditions are crowded and cramped, putting people at increased risk of disease, violence, and even trafficking. Emergency shelter is desperately needed, to give families space and tools to recover in privacy. We expect support may include emergency ShelterKits so families can repair or create shelter, as well as water filters and mosquito nets so families can protect themselves from diseases.
Rotary District 9210 is the most affected, covering Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. District Governor Hutchson Mthinda is in close contact with ShelterBox and has been providing local updates. We have reached out to The Rotary Club of Limbe in southern Malawi, who supported a previous ShelterBox response to flooding in 2015.
We have been closely monitoring the impact of the flooding and cyclone across the whole region, which has also affected Rotary District 9400, which covers some of South Africa, Botswana and, crucially, Maputo in southern Mozambique. We are in regular contact with Past President Bruno Maximiano do Amaral of the Rotary club of Polana in Maputo, who has worked with our teams previously and is ready to offer assistance if required.
ShelterBox is ready to support families with emergency shelter and other essential items. With your support, we can help more people.
We’re working to reach communities as soon as we can, but the devastation slows everything down. Roads and bridges are washed away, communications are down, floodwaters stay high and continuous rain hits people with the misery of more flash floods. Families who’ve seen their homes swept away are building temporary shelters with the few materials they could salvage. The challenges are frustrating, but we’re doing everything we can to get to where we’re needed.
Kevin Welton on June 17 Golf Outing Fundraiser. Kevin has done his customary masterful job in organizing the Golf Outing. See the next page for a poster of the event that will give you the information you need to promote it to family, friends, and co-workers. See the Club Facebook page for more information and shareable items. We need lots of volunteers to make this major fundraiser a success. Join in.
This Week’s Speaker: Brian Woodhouse with Update on MATC South Campus
Last Week’s Program: Kevin Welton on June 17 Golf Outing Fundraiser
Meet between 4 and 430 at the Vitense Golf Land parking lot -- 5501 Schroeder Rd
We’ll be cleaning the Beltline, South R/W (right of way), starting at Whitney Way and ending at Gammon Rd. The route is about 1.3 miles.
We’ll supply trash bags and yellow safety vests. Bring your own yellow top if you wish.
Wear good shoes for working over uneven ground. AND WORK GLOVES.
Weather cancellation: We will be watching the weather. If it looks bad the night before, we will email you to let you know if we plan to cancel the event.
We’ll have cars/vans will be parked at the west end of the clean-up route to bring us back to Vitense.
Family and friends are welcome. Young people must be over 16 and have adult supervision. Safety: Hwy traffic will be heavy and noisy, so stay focused, and stay in the grassy right of way. Don’t go on the gravel shoulder of the Hwy. Be safe!!
The 2019 MWT-M Golf Outing is June 17th this year. We need committee members to help solicit donations and prepare the items for the auction. Currently, the committee consists of Jeannine Desautels, Deb Dieter, Ruth Domack, Cherie Gon, Leo Edelstein, and Mary Van Hout. Join the fun – we need you!!!! Let any of us know you’re interested and thank you for what you do for Rotary.
You will soon be receiving a survey via e-mail. The intent of the survey is to get input from our members regarding the coolest club in the world. Like all great things, there is always room for improvement. We ask that you please take 5-10 minutes to respond to the 9-question survey. The survey covers topics such as our club’s service projects, meetings, fundraisers, etc. In addition, we would like to strongly encourage you to attend the May 3rd club assembly meeting where we will have small group discussions to gather more qualitative information on the survey topics. Your input will then drive our leadership’s goals for the next couple of years.
Dr. Zorba Paster on Tuberculosis in Tibet Worldwide, one billion people have TB. It kills more than twice as many people worldwide as malaria and cholera combined. It flourishes among poverty, overcrowding, and poor access to healthcare. The Tibetan diaspora, largely in India, has suffered mightily from tuberculosis. Because latent TB carriers show no symptoms, education is key. Dr. Paster, working with Johns Hopkins University and the Dalai Lama, has been involved in TB outreach among this population since the late sixties … to include training, screening, and medication, especially among monks, nuns, and children.
This Week’s Speaker: Larry Graves on Veterans’ Benefits
Last Week’s Program: Dr. Zorba Paster on Tuberculosis in Tibet
Last Week’s Program: Lou Ann Novak on The Ice Age Trail Enthusiasm, experience, and deep knowledge … that’s what Lou Ann brought to her presentation. She’s a 1,000-miler, having completed 1,000 miles of the 1,200 Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin over a number of years. Part wild area, part small-town main street, the trail tracks the edge of the last glaciation in the state 10,000 years ago. It runs from Potawatomi State Park near Sturgeon Bay in the west to St. Croix Falls. Sixty-two miles are in Dane County. The website is loaded with details: www.iceagetrail.org/
Next Week’s Speaker: Dr. Zorba Paster on Tuberculosis in Tibet
Last Week’s Program: Lou Ann Novak on The Ice Age Trail
At our February, we welcomed a new Paul Harris Fellow … former Club President Tony Burns. He couldn’t make the Social, where Paul Harris Fellows are announced (something about wrestling, we understand), but here he is with his new honor.
We currently have only three members in the Club’s rotation to give the invocation. It would be good to have more. The invocation isn’t a prayer. It’s a thoughtful moment when the presenter gives us brief something that prompts us to think about life, about mankind, about our individual role in the world. Maybe it’s something you read or heard that’s touched you, that gave you a new perspective on things. Please consider joining the rotation. Send Jack an email.
Our annual Club Social took place on the blustery night of Saturday, 2/23 at the Town of Verona Town Hall. With southern food catered by Liliana’s (with members contributing pies and cornbread), we had about 45 members and guests for a grand time. Mary Ruth Marks was the prime instigator, and the night concluded with a spirited round of a version of the classic What’s My Line? TV show from the fifties and sixties. With four or five guests of assorted obscure occupations or avocations, as well as two celeb mystery guests (Lenny Mattioli of American TV fame & WISC-TV’s Weather Guru Gary Cannalte), the evening was filled with high spirits.
It was also a night of announcing new Paul Harris Fellows. One recipient couldn’t make the social (and will be honored at an upcoming meeting), but the other was Paul Terranova, Director of the Lussier Community Education Center. Our Club has been active in supporting the Center for years. Paul is only the second non-member Paul Harris Fellow in the history of the Club, and his tireless work on behalf of the LCEC Community makes the honor well-deserved. John Olsen made the presentation.
Randy Sproule from Downtown Rotary talked to our Club about Rotary’s commitment to Polio Plus (since 1985) and just how close we’re getting to eliminating polio in the world. We’ve raised more than $1.5 billion to fight polio. Randy than played Jerry Apps’ Limping Through Life video about his life growing up in rural Wild Rose and contracting polio ion 1947 when he was 13 years old. It was a common scourge, especially of young people in those times after the war. He survived and flourished, despite the challenge.
Next Week’s Speaker: Tom Gross & Lou Ann Novak on The Ice Age Trail
February 15th Program: Randy Sproule from Downtown Rotary
C'mon to our Annual Club Social on Saturday, Feb 23 at the new Verona Town Hall at 7669 County Highway PD. Conviviality starts at 630pm, with dinner at 7 and a program at 8. It's a Southern-style repast, pulled together by our own irrepressible Mary Ruth Marks.
You'll cruise a buffet line of Shrimp & Grits, Jambalaya, Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, and Beans & Rice, accompanied by southern-style cornbread. Drinks will be red and white wine, along with bottled beer. Dessert? Chess Pie (look it up!) and Banana Pudding. Entertainment will be the announcement of two new Paul Harris Fellows, as well as a What's My Line game show with glib Rotarian panelists, an electrifying MC, and a series of mystery guests. A night to remember, y'all.
We're running a little late this year because of relentless Russian hacking and a debilitating polar vortex, so we need your RSVP RIGHT AWAY.
Please respond to Treasurer John Olsen (johno.olsen@gmail.com) and let him know if you're coming and if you're a one or a two.
The cost is $35 each. Please give John Olsen a check this Friday for your bill, or mail him a check at
Madison West Towne-Middleton Rotary
P. O. Box 620312 • Middleton
Wisconsin 53562-0312
Our Club Social is Right around the Corner: February 23rd
Jesse Charles: Bringing Their Stones Home -- Restoring Gravestones to the Old Dane County Asylum and Poor Farm. As President of the Verona Area Historical Society, our speaker has been engaged in a long-term project to uncover the history of a graveyard connected to the Verona Poor House on the southeast side of Verona, near the Farm and Fleet. Jesse shared with us his detective work, including talking to old-timers in the area who remembered the gravestones, which had since disappeared. He’s located some 70 of the total 370 stones and is gradually returning them to their original site with a commemorative plaque. Thought-providing program on history, mortality, and the perseverance needed to link the two.
Next Week’s Speaker: Randy Sproule with Jerry Apps’ Limping Through Life video about his life with polio
Last Week’s Program: Jesse Charles: Bringing Their Stones Home -- Restoring Gravestones to the Old Dane County Asylum and Poor Farm
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!! Questions?
His expertise shines through as he explained the latest stormwater chaos we’ve been through. The ‘rain event’ of Aug 20-21 was a 1-in-a-thousand-year event for us – meaning it had less than .1% chance of happening. But it did. His charts and graphs showed the tremendous amount of water that fell on the west side (with just 3-4 inches on the isthmus). 6.68” of rain would be a once-a-century amount in a 24-hour period; in some spots, we had 10.56” in 12 hours. Almost all the rain fell into the Pheasant Branch Creek Watershed and then flowed into the lakes, very gradually. Lakeside homeowners suffered not from rain, but from the lake levels rising.
Next Week’s Speaker: Jessie Charles: Bringing Their Stones Home – Restoring Gravestones to the Old Dane County Asylum and Poor Farm
This month our Club has engaged the services of a new bookkeeper, Sandy Gruber. Sandy will be assisting the Club Treasurer, initially with the recording of weekly deposits for both our Club and Foundation and also creating and sending quarterly dues invoices, using our QuickBooks Online software installed earlier this year. Later she will be picking up additional duties, including the reconciliation of the monthly bank accounts. The Treasurer will continue to issue checks, prepare the monthly financial reports, and attend meetings of the Board of Directors.
Sandy has served as the administrative office for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Risk Management Association for several years, an organization in which Derek Moehring has been active for many years. She also serves other Midwest chapters of the RMA. Sandy lives in rural Spring Green. We’re hoping she will be able to attend one of our Club meetings in the not-too-distant future, so you will have an opportunity to meet her. Our initial estimate is that Sandy will spend about ten hours per quarter supporting our Club. Her billing rate is $20 per hour, so the estimated cost will be about $800 per year.
Last quarter over 25 of our members paid their quarterly dues electronically using ACH (Automated Clearing House). The process is quick and easy, and there is no cost to either the Member or the Club. To make the payment, click on the “Review and Pay” box that shows up on the first page of the invoice email you receive and follow the instructions. The first time you use it, you will need to enter your checking account information – Routing Number and Account Number. You can then save that information, and you will not need to re-enter it the next time.
If you have any questions, please email or call Club Treasurer John Olsen – johno.olsen@gmail.com or 608-220-2826.
New Bookkeeper, ACH Payments of Dues – from Treasurer John Olsen
Our Club has supported this financially and with volunteers for many years. On Thursday and Friday, March 7-8, the 36th annual event takes place at the Glacier Canyon Conference Center at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. They need Speech Judges, Speech Timers, & Interview Judges, all from 4:00-840pm on the 7th. A shuttle bus will depart Madison at 230pm (pickup location TBD) to take Madison volunteers to the Dells and back. Mick Faulhaber leads our Club’s efforts. It’s a great event and a lot of fun. And it helps young people. Contact Mick directly (mfaulhaber@ward-brodt.com). The State Director is Janet Bailey at 920-617-5617, jbailey@cesa7.org.
As the Media Relations Manager at the UW Carbone Cancer Center, Susan spoke knowledgeably about cancer research and cancer stories. She’s spent years as a reporter for Madison Newspapers, and it showed in her ability to engage us in the subject. UWCCC is one of only five Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country. Paul Carbone, the founder, was famous for his work on breast cancer. His impact in the war on cancer is global. The center also studies extreme survivors – cancer patients who have long beat the odds on survival, sometimes for decades. Susan also made a strong case for the importance of animal trials, despite the controversy that sometimes surrounds them. She also spoke of Australia’s success in virtually eliminating the HPV virus. We learned about the CCC’s Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board, which brings world-class expertise to the diagnosis and treatment of cancers.
Last Week’s Program: Susan Lampert Smith on Cancer Research
Peggy Halloran, The Road Home of Dane County. Their mantra is Every Child Deserves a Home. The Road Home (TRH) works to provide housing for families who are facing hard times. They work with many partners in our community to make this happen. They worked last year with 170 families with 400 children. Their goal is to avoid “shelters” and get these folks into HOMES. But the problem is large … the School District estimates 1,200 homeless students last year. Eighty percent of families have a female head of household. TRH helps with programs for Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Support Housing. A good cause working on a problem that suffers from a lack of visibility.
Next Week’s Speaker: Susan Lampert Smith on Cancer Research
Last Week’s Program: Peggy Halloran, The Road Home of Dane County
You know the feeling. It’s 7 am on the third Tuesday of the month. You’re just hanging around in your robe and slippers, thinking about the tedious day ahead. But wait! You could be going to an MWTM Rotary Board meeting at Capitol Bank on High Point Road at 7 am on the third Tuesday of the month. The meeting typically runs until 8:30 or 9:00. You’ll get a chance to see all the behind-the-scenes effort and commitment that go into helping our Club do all its good work. If you see your Rotary membership as a long-term commitment, you’ll learn a lot in a couple of hours. Give it a try.
This Friday from 530-700PM at the Lussier Community Education Center, 55 South Gammon. Enjoy live music and dance performances in honor of the 2nd anniversary of Many Voice, One Community radio broadcasting from the LCEC at 95.5FM. Our Club is a long-time partner with this valuable organization.
Paul Patenaude reports that our team in Guatemala has had great success in conducting their health clinic. They’re there in support of our GMRP (Guatemala Medical Relief Program), which we’ve funded for years. Not to mention our serious on-the-ground commitment.
Paul: “We saw 750 people in 4 1/2 days. Jeannine worked in triage, Chris in medical of course, I worked in both pediatric and adult dental, and Mary and Dean were crowd control directing patients to the correct clinics. We also awarded 65 7-12th grade scholarships and 9 college scholarships.”
Madison Newspaper Reporter Barry Adams on Traveling the State. Barry writes the On Wisconsin for the Wisconsin State Journal (& Madison.com), and he regaled us with many stories of his adventures on the road. He’s covered flood impacts, prairie chickens, the Norwegian church formerly at Little Norway, out-of-way bars, the special culture of the state’s rivers, snowlessness, Camp Manitowish, retail calamities, and fishing, fishing, fishing. Lots of nice things to say about Madison’s lakes. He’s really writing about people, and he underscored how important photos are to make the personal connection. I estimate that half of our Club membership wants his job!
Next Week’s Speaker: Peggy Halloran on Housing Programs at Road Home Dane County.
Last Meeting's Program: Madison Newspaper Reporter Barry Adams
Hmmm … what do we have in common? We both have Middleton in our name. This event has been going for 50 years plus and the proceeds go to Middleton area service clubs and other NPOs. In an effort to better promote Rotary in Middleton, Jack and I attended the Middleton GNF board of trustees meeting on Monday. We have participated in this event in the past and believe it’s time to jump back in. I am looking for volunteers to join Jack and me on a Rotary club committee for this interesting fundraising and promotional activity. Please contact one of us soon. The Fest will be Aug 23-25, 2019.
Bill Pritchard, of the Rotary Club of La Crosse - After Hours, has been selected as District Governor Nominee - Designate, to serve as Governor in Rotary Year 2021-2022. Bill has served District 6250 as Membership Chair and is currently Inbound Coordinator for the District Youth Exchange. Bill has also served as Assistant Zone Coordinator, and Inbound Coordinator for Central States Youth Exchange, which covers 17 districts. His nomination will be confirmed by vote at our Annual Meeting at the District Conference in La Crosse June 7 & 8.
Nancy Comello has been the heart and soul of a project to provide midwife and birthing education to local Guatemalans. The goal is to reduce mortality and improve the lives of both mothers and children. She has been on a solo crusade with a lofty goal of raising over $80,000 through various sources. It is time to form a committee to support Nancy’s vision and make this effort a high-profile project for the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton. We can use help in grant writing, finance, project management, and promotion. Please contact me if interested.
The Red Badge program was developed many years ago to ensure that new members were made aware of our club’s leadership, operations, fundraising, projects, and charitable giving. We have modified the Red Badge program over the years and added a mentor program that we find more effective. At our January board meeting, we voted to end the Red Badge program and instead rely on the mentor program to onboard and support new members. As a result, all new members will immediately be given a blue badge. For those still slapping on a red badge on Fridays, you’ll be receiving a blue badge soon. On a side note, I personally set the record for the longest-tenured red badge and I didn’t want to lose that dubious distinction.
At our November foundation board of directors meeting we reviewed our funding and commitments. For fiscal year 2018-2019 we funded all approved projects and still had a total of $5,635 available. In one instance we did not receive a district matching grant for Jefferson Middle School. Further, we did not have approved projects to use all the community service funding. Due to high demand all district matching grant funds have been committed already. In keeping with our mission, we would like to find a way to best utilize these undesignated funds.
We will accept applications for such undesignated funds no later than December 31,
2018. If anyone from the club has a project that requires funding, they should complete the Undesignated Funds Request (available on Club Runner) and submit it to the appropriate Avenue of Service Chair as follows:
• Community – Kevin Welton
• International – Steve Aune
• Vocational – Roxanne Brazeau
I attached the Undesignated Funding Request form to the email carrying this Bulletin. Funding requests will be reviewed by the chair, who will make final recommendations to the board of directors. The board will review all recommended projects and vote to approve any such projects at the regularly scheduled board meeting on January 15, 2019. Applicants will be notified of the board decision shortly thereafter. If you have any questions, contact Matt Loch at matthewloch26@gmail.com.
Calling All Projects: Undesignated Funds FINAL NOTICE!
Dan Smith, Left, author of John Powless: A Life Well Played. John has had a long history related to Badger athletics, beyond being a world-class senior tennis player himself. He
coached Badger tennis and basketball and was a color commentator on it after he retired from coaching.
He got his start at the Frog Island Tennis Club. He was state high school tennis champ in Illinois in 1950-52, played at the US Open for the first time at age 18. He was a college tennis All-American at Murray State.
Over the years, he’s been ranked #1 in every five-year age category from 35 on up. He’s doubled with George HW Bush, played Santa with Lady Diana as Mrs. Santa and enjoyed a friendship with Bobby Knight and the late Al McGuire. Colorful guy, colorful speaker.
Next Meeting’s Speaker: Madison Newspaper Reporter Barry Adams on Traveling the State
Basketball Cards have arrived. Your Board of Directors would like 100%
participation. One packet is $100.00. A suggested buyout is $75.00.
Here is how it works: $10.00, buys a person one "membership card”. If they buy two, they can get a third card free on the www.basketballsweeps.com/FREE site.
Each card contains 4 NCAA Basketball teams below the scratch-off area. If you have a team that does not make the event, there will be a replacement team announced prior to the tournament. These teams are your teams for the duration of the tournament. You total all of the scores of your 4 teams to find your total for the event. The highest score wins $200.00, 2nd place $100, 3rd place $75.00, 4th place $50.00 and the lowest score wins $75.00.
Checks for winners will be distributed following the final game. There are 700 tickets available for sale. Ticket stubs must be retained and turned in with your money to Deb Dieter by March 22, 2019.
Deb Dieter runs this project. Questions, kudos, or gripes, email Deb at debragdieter@gmail.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.
At our November foundation board of directors meeting, we reviewed our funding and commitments. For the fiscal year 2018-2019, we funded all approved projects and still had a total of $5,635 available. In one instance we did not receive a district matching grant for Jefferson Middle School. Further, we did not have approved projects to use all the community service funding. Due to high demand all-district matching grant funds have been committed already. In keeping with our mission, we would like to find a way to best utilize these undesignated funds.
We will accept applications for such undesignated funds no later than December 31, 2018. If anyone from the club has a project that requires funding, they should complete the Undesignated Funds Request (available on Club Runner) and submit it to the appropriate Avenue of Service Chair as follows:
Community – Kevin Welton
International – Steve Aune
Vocational – Roxanne Brazeau
I attached the Undesignated Funding Request form to the email carrying the previous Bulletin. Funding requests will be reviewed by the chair, who will make final recommendations to the board of directors. The board will review all recommended projects and vote to approve any such projects at the regularly scheduled board meeting on January 15, 2019. Applicants will be notified of the board decision shortly thereafter. If you have any questions, contact Matt Loch at matthewloch26@gmail.com.
Rotary Fellowships consist of members who share a common interest in recreational activities, sports, hobbies, or professions. These groups help expand skills, foster vocational development and enhance the Rotary experience by exploring interests while developing connections around the world. Below is a sampling of fellowships for you to explore. Each listing is a live link (hold the control key and click on the link) See more information on the Rotary.org website.
Folks please pay a visit to ClubRunner and check that your anniversary and partner are listed in your entry. If you don’t know how to access ClubRunner, drop me an email.
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.
Help us grow back the income we lost with the demise of the Meister Meter. Supply your own advanced mathematics!
As of Saturday, November 24, the McAdow Miles Bike team has ridden 15,044 miles. Thanks to the riders.
Jerry McAdow Tony Burns John Olson Todd Weigand Leo Edelstein Paul Patenaude Svein Morner Peter Hoff Mary Ruth Marks
There are some who will still ride through the end of the year but this is the figure we'll use to wrap up the fundraiser. If you've pledged and paid, thank you so much for your support!
• If you've pledged and have yet to pay -- now is your time! • Don't be left behind.
If you haven't pledged yet, you can still do it. Help make the McAdow Miles Bike Team fundraiser a success.
Paul will send out donation receipt letters for tax purposes after the end of the year. If you have questions about your pledge status, contact Paul at ppaten98@gmail.com.
Posted by David Clemens, District Friendship Exchange Chairman on Sep 06, 2017
The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians (including a spouse or significant other) the opportunity to host and visit Rotarians around the world. In addition to experiencing other cultures and making lasting friendships, an exchange provides a strong foundation for carrying out other international activities and service projects.
The primary goal of a Friendship Exchange is to build greater international understanding and goodwill. In addition, exchange participants can learn how their vocations are practiced in other parts of the world, observe new customs and cultures, and promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide.
Rotary District 6250 Friendship Exchange Upcoming trip November 2017 Peru
As you may have heard, Mary Ruth broke her leg last week, less than a month after her hip replacement. She was released from the hospital and has been transferred to a rehab center on Maple Grove Road. Please keep her in your thoughts as she recovers.
She's answering her phone and visitors are welcome!
Friday, December 14, we will elect our new board of directors for the 2014-15 Fiscal Year. Below are the names we will vote on for the board.
President
Jeannine Desautels
Officer
Treasurer
Derek Moehring
Officer
Secretary
Kris Evans
Officer
Vice President
Toni Pabon
Officer
Past President
Svein Morner
Officer
Club Service
Ruth Domack
Director
Club Service
Marie Udulutch
Director
Community Service
Lynne Spielman
Director
Community Service
Charlene Breunig
Director
International Service
Ed Fink
Director
International Service
Paul Patenaude
Director
Vocational Service
Tony Burns
Director
Vocational Service
Debra Dieter
Director
Youth Protection Officer (YPO)
Stuart Herro
Other Club Position
Sergeant-at-Arms
Kevin Welton
Other Club Position
Membership Chair
Jim Wartinbee
Other Club Position
Public Relations
Leo Edelstein
Other Club Position
The Rotary Foundation
Michael Price
Other Club Position
Bulletin Editor
Laurie Ellis-McLeod
Other Club Position
Toni Pabon will be stepping down from the Rotary Youth Exchange Counselor for our club for 2014-15. If you are interested in this position please contact Toni or Dan Fose. We are looking for a female YEC for our club.
** Do note that we must guarantee meals with the Inn on the Park so your RSVP will obligate payment.**
Driving and Parking Instructions:
Valet parking is available at $3 plus gratuity. Parking at the nearby Dane County Parking Ramp is available at $1.25 per hours. Quarters are needed!! 113 S Henry Street or enter on W Main St..
From North: Exit I 90/94 on Hwy 151/E Washington Avenue (Exit # 135A) Take E Washington Avenue all the way to Capitol Square. Turn right (one way) on to the Capitol Square. Follow the Square around to the Inn on the Park for valet parking. Or continue to S
Hamilton Street, turn right. In one block turn right onto W Main to the Dane County Parking Ramp.
From South/West: Exit I-90 or 151/12/18 onto Hwy 12/18 (Exit 142A). Exit 12/18 onto John Nolen Drive (Exit #263) Turn left onto Broom Street and right onto West Main Street to the Dane County Parking Ramp
From East: Follow I 94 straight into Madison (at I 90/94, follow Hwy 30, Exit #240) Exit Hwy 30 onto E Washington Avenue to Capitol Square. Turn right (one way) onto the Capitol Square. Follow the Square around to the Inn on the Park for valet parking. Or continue to S Hamilton Street, turn right. In one block turn right onto W Main to the Dane County Parking Ramp.
Gary Huang, the President Elect of Rotary International, 2013-14
The Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton is passionate about serving others. We are involved business and professional men and women, who enjoy good company and the opportunity to play an active role in the betterment of our local and global communities. Although the club's weekly meetings are vitally important, they account for only a part of what it means to be a Rotarian.
about her considerable past travels and her interest in coming to the States for this year of study. She’s charming, fluent in English, and tells great stories. We look forward to hearing more from her as the year progresses.
For over Forty (40) years our Rotary Club has provided entertainment on a monthly basis from October through May of each year by providing Bingo to the residents of Oakwood. Our new “Bingo Year” will begin on the third Thursday in October (October 17th) and continue each month on the third Thursday through May 2020. Bingo sessions run from 6:00 PM until approximately 7:30 PM and are held on the second floor, East Lounge, Hebron Oaks., at Oakwood, off of Mineral Point Road. 
days. You can provide them with a room and breakfast only or spend as much time with the whole group as you please. We guarantee that the experience will enrich your life in ways that may surprise you! Contact Mary Van Hout to be part of this RFE! maryevanhout@gmail.com or 608 836 1603.
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e parking lots listed.
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takes place at the Glacier Canyon Conference Center at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. They need Speech Judges, Speech Timers, & Interview Judges, all from 4:00-840pm on the 7th. A shuttle bus will depart Madison at 230pm (pickup location TBD) to take Madison volunteers to the Dells and back. Mick Faulhaber leads our Club’s efforts. It’s a great event and a lot of fun. And it helps young people. Contact Mick directly (mfaulhaber@ward-brodt.com). The State Director is Janet Bailey at 920-617-5617, jbailey@cesa7.org.
Halloran, The Road Home of Dane County. Their mantra is Every Child Deserves a Home. The Road Home (TRH) works to provide housing for families who are facing hard times. They work with many partners in our community to make this happen. They worked last year with 170 families with 400 children. Their goal is to avoid “shelters” and get these folks into HOMES. But the problem is large … the School District estimates 1,200 homeless students last year. Eighty percent of families have a female head of household. TRH helps with programs for Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Support Housing. A good cause working on a problem that suffers from a lack of visibility. 
Madison Newspaper Reporter Barry Adams on Traveling the State. Barry writes the On Wisconsin for the Wisconsin State Journal (& Madison.com), and he regaled us with many stories of his adventures on the road. He’s covered flood impacts, prairie chickens, the Norwegian church formerly at Little Norway, out-of-way bars, the special culture of the state’s rivers, snowlessness, Camp Manitowish, retail calamities, and fishing, fishing, fishing. Lots of nice things to say about Madison’s lakes. He’s really writing about people, and he underscored how important photos are to make the personal connection. I estimate that half of our Club membership wants his job!
Dan Smith, Left, author of John Powless: A Life Well Played. John has had a long history related to Badger athletics, beyond being a world-class senior tennis player himself. He
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Raymond Vernie Holloway, 77, of Poncha Springs, CO, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Friday, November 8, 2019, at his residence. 
Lee Rasch of LeaderEthics Wisconsin spoke to us on the importance of our demanding ethical conduct and civility from our elected leaders. We’ve all seen a tremendous loss of trust in political leaders … fake news, refusal to answer questions honestly, constant bickering with opponents. LeaderEthics is a nonpartisan group that works to spread ethical awareness among the citizenry -- to include students – and candidates for office. We should expect our leaders to be truthful, transparent, unifying rather than dividing and dedicated to serving all constituencies. Leaderethicswi.org