Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Rotary Holiday Party

Rotary Holiday Party


Instead of a regular Noon meeting last week, we enjoyed a Holiday party at the Washington Golf & Country Club for Rotarians and their spouse and family.

It was a nice evening of fun and visiting. Thanks to everyone that attended and made it special!





Melanie's daughter was tuned in to the pumpkin pie



Shawn and Cavin Redlinger


Lots of snazzy Christmas sweaters!

Club President - Michelle Redlinger
Colby and Fehr

Becky Patterson

The Poes

Laura Bombei and Brandi Hemsley

Amber Trettin and Denise Erpelding

Interactive Apps at Stewart Elementary


Kurt Sorensen and speaker Elizabeth Goodwin

YMCA Development Consultant, Nick Zimmer and Terry Engelken

New/Old Rotarian Matt Miller from the WCHC, and Dr. Ann Harris

Amy Schulte and new member Sean Cortum from CBI Bank

Emory VanGerpen was recognized for years of service, or his birthday, or wedding anniversary or something. Congratulations, Emory!
Emory VanGerpen

Thanks for Jeff Dicks inviting Stewart Elementary teacher, Elizabeth Goodwin to speak to the club about an interactive app used in classrooms at Stewart. Students use the app to provide question responses to teachers, and to perform all kinds of multi-media educational tasks. Parents and family can also see online some of the work that the students submit, which helps them understand what the student is working on in school.


Elizabeth Goodwin

Teams of Rotarians using the app - Don Vittetoe and Amber Trettin

Trying not to be the last team to finish the tasks.


UPCOMING PROGRAMS


December 21:  11am Rotary Board Meeting @ Jones Eden Funeral Home
December 21:  Dr. Ann Harris - Mary Beth
December 28:  NO ROTARY CLUB MEETING
January 4:  President's State of the Club w/ project updates *EXCITING*
January 11:  Susan Wellington - Daffodils fundraiser



Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Veterans Day & RI Foundation

Veteran's Day

Thanks to Bob Kennedy for inviting NCO Ashley Zerwas from the National Guard unit in Washington to speak to us for Veteran's Day.
Bob Kennedy (left) and Ashley Zerwas (right)
It was great to have several guests for our Veteran's Day program. Somehow the guests were all Kiwanis members.

Joe McConnell regaled those around him with his stories of navigating a bomber. Scott Lujan listens patiently, again, to Joe's stories.
Scott Lujan and Joe McConnell
Kiwanis member Lonny Milligan had his own stories of the calvary.
Lonny Milligan

It was also great to have Carol Miller, club president in Wellman, visit our club meeting. Welcome Carol!
Ashley Zerwas and Wellman's Carol Miller

Kurt Sorensen brought his office colleague, Becky Mougin to Rotary too. Welcome Becky!
Kurt Sorensen and Becky Mougin

Thanks to NCO Ashley Zerwas for your remarks about how you joined the National Guard and made it your career. Great job on your first presentation. We appreciate your service and leadership! 
National Guard's Ashley Zerwas

RI Foundation

Ray Poe invited PDG Terry Geiger to speak on Nov. 16th about the importance of the RI Foundation, and the local and global initiatives that they have undertaken to change the world. Polio eradication is one of the top priorities.
PDG Terry Geiger
PDG Terry Geiger presented club president Michelle Redlinger with 100% Member Participation in RI Foundation banner for 2016-17! Congratulations to all our Club Members!
Club Pres. Michelle Redlinger and PDG Terry Geiger

Bellringing

Thanks to everyone that has volunteered to bell ring for the Salvation Army at HyVee. This is a great way for Rotary to help serve the community.

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 30:  Dr. Ann Harris - Workplace Learning Connection's Judy Marshall
December 7:  Jeff Dicks - TBA
December 14: NO NOON CLUB MEETING
December 14: 5:30pm Rotary Holiday Party @ Washington Country Club!

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

End Polio Now and UI Football Replays

End Polio Now

Rotarian Terry Engelken gave an update program on Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign. There are several key points about polio today:
  1. Polio mainly affects children under age 5
  2. There is no cure for polio, but it is preventable with a vaccine
  3. Only three countries remain endemic - Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria
  4. Cases of polio have been reduced worldwide by 99.9% since 1988
  5. Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk


In 1988, 350,000 polio cases were found in 125 countries around the world, including in North America. This was three years after Rotary International established PolioPlus with a fundraising target of $120 million to battle the disease.

By 2012, polio had been reduced to being endemic in just three countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. In part that is because in 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $350 million, and challenged Rotary to raise another $200 million for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.



Here is a 2:41 minute video highlighting our final push to finally eradicate polio to zero cases worldwide.


Rotary International, and Rotary club members like us, are making an amazing difference around the world. Together, we are making the world a better place.

Bontrager talks UI Replay Booth

Thanks to Rotarian Jim Mostek for inviting Kalona Rotarian Dan Bontrager to speak about his work as a high school football referee through the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and as a Big 10 Replay Official for the UI Hawkeye football program

In Dan's day job, he is a CPA and owns Bontrager Tax, Accounting, and Consulting LLC in Kalona.

Kalona's Dan Bontrager

Upcoming Events

November 9:  Bob Kennedy - Veteran's Day program
November 16:  11:15am Club Board Meeting
November 16:  Ray Poe - RI Foundation
November 23:  No Club meeting - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
November 30:  Ann Harris - Workplace Learning Connection's Judy Marshall

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Rotary Turkey Dinner, Biz & Industry Day

Serving the community and working together as a team are what makes our annual Rotary Turkey Dinner such a special event. This year, Rotary netted about $4,500 that will be used to fund local projects and scholarships.

Thanks to all the Rotarians, kids of Rotarians, pie bakers, and the United Methodist Church for allowing us to your their facilities.

Brandi keeping the water glasses full

Friendly servers smile, even if the opening is too short

Our friendly hosts, Gary Murphy and Susan Wellington


Bring more dishes to wash

Tough to keep the kids off their phones while they're on the clock

Rotarian kids love to come in to help dry silverware, and listen to Mostek stories

All laughs in the serving line

Desert Crew: Michelle Redlinger, Bob Kennedy, Becky Patterson

Don Vittetoe serving up coffee or water. I think its decaf

Sue Basten shows us a trick with Jim Gorham

The 3rd Picture in this series has mysteriously gone missing. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Junior Achievement

Thanks to Club President, Michelle Redlinger for inviting Stacy Voelliger to speak about Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa. Great program to have in our schools to encourage entrepreneurship and interest in business.

Stacy Voelliger of Junior Achievement


Premier 1 at Business & Industry Day


Thanks to Dr. Ann Harris for arranging for CEO Ben Rothe of Premier 1 to talk about what the international company is doing as it serves small livestock farmers.

It was the first Rotary meeting for new corporate members from CBI Bank & Trust
- Brandon Long and Sean Cortum

Brandi Hemsley and Tyler Friese

Brian Hayes of ACH Foam Technologies and Rotarian Kurt Sorensen

Olivia Hartzler and Rotarian Amber Trettin

Bob & Margaret Bell, and Karen Moenck

Rotarian Terry Engelken and Clay Whisler of Elliott Realty

Chris Canney of Wal-Mart with Rotarian Ray Poe

Brittney Gavin with Rotarian Sue Basten
Ben Rothe of Premier 1 Supplies and attorney Katie Mitchell


Rotarian Ed Lins with Elainie Turner of Latta Harris

Rotarian Lynn Koch with Leslie Allendorf

Karen Gorham and Gina Richardson


UPCOMING PROGRAMS

October 26:  Terry Engelken - TBA
November 2:  Jim Mostek - TBA
November 9:  Bob Kennedy - Veterans Day
November 16: 11:15am Board Meeting (make-up)
November 16:  Ray Poe - Rotary Foundation
November 23: THANKSGIVING - no club meeting
November 30: Dr. Ann Harris - Judy Marshall from Workplace Learning Connection