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Club Information
Thiensville-Mequon Rotary
Service Above Self
We meet Tuesdays at 12:00 PM
Ozaukee County Club
10823 North River Road
Mequon, WI  53092
United States of America
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Stories
Welcome Our New Member, Jenne Hohn
Welcome to the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club, new member, Jenne Hohn. Pictured above receiving her Rotary New Member Kit from Sponsor, Maureen O'leary. We are very excited to have Jenne join the club. She has already spent some time with us serving corn at Fun Before the 4th and we look forward to her future contributions to our club!
Our Honorary Paul Harris Award Winners
 
We celebrated the achievement of Greg Sommersberger and Diane Robertson for being named Honorary Paul Harris award winners they will each have $1,000 donated to the Rotary Foundation. We look forward to the continued contributions of these two great members!
Rotary at Fun Before the 4th
We had an exciting time at the Fun Before the 4th event on June 29th.  Due to a rental corn roaster with a low powered motor, the corn roast got off to a dark start. Fortunately after some manual labor and a great reduction in cooking temperature we were able to start producing  high quality corn of the for the lovely patrons at the event. In addition to the corn, we also served free ice cream to the many children and adults who were  fortunate enough to arrive before our great supply ran out!
Calendar of Upcoming Events and Dates
June 25- August 20: Meetings will be held at Rotary Park on Highland Rd. On August 20 we will have Family Night from 5 PM to 7 PM
 
July 13: We will have a tent at Gathering on the Green. Announcements for how and where to buy tickets will be announce at an upcoming meeting.
 
July 31: Chinooks Game at 7 PM. 
 
October 10: Fall Into Comedy. 
The Rundown July 8th, 2019
1. 2019 Summer Schedule has been distributed at meetings by Sandy Custer assigning head chef's and cooking crews for summer meetings. If you don't have your date on your calendar, get it on there. 
 
2. Congratulations to Dianne Robertson for being selected as the parade marshal for the Fun before the 4th parade. 
 
3. Dan Gannon will be taking ticket orders for the Lakeshore Chinooks game on July 31. 
 
4. Rotary will be sponsoring a tent for Gathering on the Green on Saturday, July 13. Tickets are $100. Enjoy a beautiful evening outdoors listening to great music with a private tent, catering by Ferrante's. craft beer and wine, good friends and a fundraiser for our rotary foundation. Talk to Rob Kos for more information or see the flyer distributed at last weeks meeting.

 

Changing of the Guard 2019-2020
On June 18th, we gathered together at the American Legion Post 457 to celebrate our 2018-2019 Rotary year! During this time we were able to Thank Tim Vertz for his service as Club President as well as the board that served during his tenure to help him keep us in line. Following those recognitions, we took some time to honor a few Rotarians who stood out in the last year!
 
For the first time ever we had recipients of the Sam Azinger Award! This was bestowed upon Ellen MacFarlane, Greg Huffman, Jack Weise, John Wirth, Karl Hertz, Pam Koch, Rob Kos, Sam Azinger, Sandy Custer, Stan Smith, Tim Vertz, Tyler Briggs. All of these members donated $100 or more to the rotary foundation and/or Polio plus in the 2018-2019 year. If you were not in attendance at the Changing of the guard you can expect them this Tuesday at our first outdoor meeting.
 
 
Many were also honored for their years of perfect attendance.
 
 
Next, we honored Megan Borland with the Service Award!
 
 
 
Rotarian of the Year was presented to Sam Azinger and shared with his children!
 
 
 Finally, Greg Sommersberger was named an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow for which our club will donate $1,000 in his name to the Rotary Foundation! Following the applause and celebration, to our surprise, Sandy Custer took the microphone and gave out one more award. For her great service to our club, Diane Robertson was given an honorary Paul Harris award having $1,000 donated to the rotary foundation in her name as well!
 
 
 
Once the dust settled, Our New President  Rob Kos took time to introduce our new officers and directors for the 2019-2020 rotary year. Those officers and directors are pictured above from left to right as follows.
 
Pam Koch: Fall into Comedy
Megan Borland: Director of vocational Service
Peterson Apfelbach: Director of Club Service
Heather Mader: Secretary-Treasurer
Sam Azinger: President Elect
Rob Kos: President
Ellen MacFarlane: Director of International Service & Club Outreach
Sandy Custer: Director of Community Service
 
 
Ukrainian Visitors
This week, five infrastructure professionals from Ukraine visited our club! In recent years, the government in Ukraine has worked to decentralize its power giving more responsibility to the local governments. During their visit, they took time to learn about the various forms of local government and visit different work sites to better understand the processes we use to keep our infrastructure in great condition.
 
These wonderful guests were brought to us by Bob Blazich, a member of the Sunrise Club, through Friendship Force, a group funded by congress to bring the best and brightest from the former Soviet Union to help them learn how our communities have been able to grow and prosper.
 
Guests pictured above from left to right
Alexander works to protect city from natural hazards.
Roman does research on cities open spaces works to have cities be more human centered.
Serhii works with construction and engineering of roads.
Tatiana recently received PhD and now works for her City Council.
Maria works for increased accessibility.
Elisabeth gets her Graduation Ceremony
 
 
AFS had their final picnic and invited Elisabeth to join them. They found out that Elisabeth (Rotary Exchange Student) and Yasmine, here from Cameroon, would not be able to attend the graduation ceremony on Sunday. Yasmine is on a program through the US Congress and has to be in Washington D.C. this week. Elisabeth leaves for her tour of the western US on Saturday. As a surprise, they played Pomp and Circumstance, had their caps and gowns available, and provided them with a graduation ceremony.
Calendar of Upcoming Events/Dates
June 18: Changing of the Guard will take place at the American Legion on Mequon Road. Cocktails at 5 PM and dinner at 6.
 
June 25- August 20: Meetings will be held at Rotary Park on Highland Rd. On August 20 we will have Family Night from 5 PM to 7 PM
 
July 2: No Meeting: Happy 4th of July!
 
July 13: We will have a tent at Gathering on the Green. Announcements for how and where to buy tickets will be announce at an upcoming meeting.
 
July 31: Chinooks Game at 7 PM. 
 
October 10: Fall Into Comedy. 
Showdown Between Noon and Sunrise
The esteemed Rotary Club Foundation Chair has taken the liberty of challenging the Sunrise Club to raise more money for the Rotary Foundation/Polio Plus before the end of the 2018-2019 fiscal year.  As of May 21, the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club ("the Good Guys") has contributed $4,100.00 total, nearing our ultimate goal of $5,500 between the Foundation and Polio Plus. The Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club ("the Other Guys") has raised $4,075.00, trailing by a narrow margin.
 
The Other Guys are bringing the competition request to their Board for approval, but the Good Guys are just going with it, because the ultimate objective is to raise money for the Foundation and the reward is merely bragging rights. Posted below are instructions for making one time or regularly scheduled contributions online. Otherwise, a check made out to the Rotary Foundation can be given to Sam Azinger at a meeting (or dropped off at his office at 414 N. Main St. in Thiensville). If you would like assistance with online contributions or setting up automatic contributions, Sam would be more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance (your place or mine). 
 
Additionally, for the first $400 that is contributed this year, our new member, Tyler Briggs has agreed to contribute a matching amount. Needless to say, Sam will be very disappointed if we as a club do not take full advantage of this opportunity. 
NEWS FLASH: THIENSVILLE-MEQUON ROTARY REGRETS PLACING FOUNDATION CHAIR IN CHARGE OF NEWS BULLETIN: Sub-News Flash: Unless you don't have 2 minutes and $25.00, you don't have an excuse!
I'm new at this, so I don't know know that I'm getting all of my facts right.  But here's how I understand the facts:
 
Our club goal for Foundation contributions from July 2017 to July 2018 is $5,500.
Our total contributions for the year is $3,550 (plus my measly $25.00 contribution today)
 
If I'm reading the reports correctly (which I acknowledge I may not be) the full $3,550 in contributions came from 5 members! Thank you to those 5!
I mentioned my measly contribution, because I would like to encourage a whole lot more measly contributions. It took me less than 2 minutes to make my contribution (it was easier than ordering a pizza).
 
So why can't we all take two minutes to make a small (medium or large) contribution?  Here's the link: https://www.rotary.org/en/donate. If you need help, give me a call and I'll come over. 
 
While you're at it. Go ahead and make that a monthly, quarterly, or yearly contribution. Admittedly, this will add 4-6 seconds to the process, but will save you 2 minutes every month, quarter, or year, plus the headache of remembering.  Further, if everybody signs up for monthly, quarterly, or yearly contributions, I won't post stories like this all the time (which I reserve the right to do).
 
Together, we can blow this goal out of the water! 
 
As an aside, and without board authorization, I will personally give a pat on the back to anyone who makes a contribution before the end of June. 
 
 
Welcome New Member, John Wirth
 
Welcome to the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club, new member, John Wirth.  John is the newly elected Mayor of the City of Mequon and an attorney with Mallery & Zimmerman.  Picture above receiving his Rotary Pin from Sponsor, Kathleen Schneider. John's membership was co-sponsored by Stan Smith (not pictured). We are very excited to have John join the club, and look forward to getting to know him as a fellow Rotarian. 
Congratulations Tim Vertz on Achieving Paul Harris
 
Congratulations Club President, Tim Vertz, who was presented with a Paul Harris Award on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Shown above being presented with the recognition by Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club Foundation Chair, Sam Azinger.  
 
A Paul Harris Award is granted to a Rotarian who contributes $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation or Polio Plus. Money raised by the foundation goes to carry out an array of programs that achieve beneficial changes in our world, including improved living conditions, increased food production, better education, wider availability of treatment and rehabilitation for the sick and disabled, new channels for the flow of international understanding, and brighter hopes for peace throughout the world.
 
Thank you Tim for your contribution and caring heart. 
 
 
Read more...
Rotary Speaker Erica Turner - Bridge the Divide
 
Thank you to Erica Turner for speaking and sharing with the club at Tuesday's meeting. Erica is with the grassroots organization, Bridge the Divide. The Cedarburg based organization is a forum for discussion and action around racial reconciliation. The group seeks to identify instances of inequality, foster empathy and educate individuals to recognize their part in the problems and solutions.
Welcome New Member - Tyler Briggs
 
Rotary is happy to have inducted new member, Tyler Briggs from RBC Wealth Management, to the club. We look forward to getting to know Tyler as a fellow Thienville-Mequon Rotarian! Tyler passed the first test of being a Rotarian by hardly flinching while sponsor Roger Kirgues placed his pin on his collar. 
Student of the Month - Josh Hodge
Student of the Month, Joshua Hodge, with Vocational Director, Megan Borland
 
Joshua Hodge (center) with parents, Doug Hodge and Wanda Hodge
 
On May 7, 2019, we honored our final student, Joshua Hodge, for the 2018-2019 Student of the Month program.  Joshua is a senior at Homestead High School and was accompanied by his parents, Doug Hodge and Wanda Hodge.
 
Joshua was selected as our Student of the Month for his dedicated volunteer and community service work.  Some of Joshua’s accomplishments include Champions, a program that promotes remaining alcohol and drug free to local middle school students.  He has also been very involved with serving his church as a lead Sunday school teacher for 4th and 5th graders.  He has also participated in mission trips as well as the church’s Vacation Bible School the past 4 years.  Joshua has been a member of Homestead’s choir for the past 4 years.  He has served as the co-captain for his volleyball team and a member of the Track and Field team. 
 
Joshua will be studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall.  Joshua, we thank you for your service above self and all that you do for your school and community.
OMG - If Tony Only Knew!
 
Andrew Petzold with Concord Development Company joined the club for lunch on Tuesday. After two years with the club, Sam Azinger is happy to announce he has not met all of the members. Andrew may or may not have coordinated coming on a week that Tony was not present, but if he didn't, hopefully he was prepared for the fine of a century. 
Rotary Exchange Student Update
 
Rotary Exchange Student Elisabeth is pictured (right) at a recent track event in which she plays on the Homestead JV Team. Host parent Todd Tischer, Ellen MacFarlane, and New Generations Director for the morning club, Dave Schlageter were all there cheering her on. 
Representatives for the Kettle Moraine YMCA  
 
 
Kirsten Coenen, Ron Johnson and Kate Hoffman spoke at Tuesday's meeting about what's happening with the Kettle Moraine YMCA. There are several locations associated with the Kettle Moriane YMCA, including the West Washington Branch in West Bend, the River Shores Branch in West Bend, and the Feith Family Ozaukee Branch in Port Washington/Saukville. They offer many great activities and are hoping to expand in the near future. Specifically, they highlighted their child care and other fun physical activities, such as the growing popular Pickle Ball.  Thanks to Kirsten, Ron and Kate for joining us and keeping us informed on what's happening with the YMCA. 
Student of the Month 
 
Thank you and congratulations to Matthew Patch, this month's Student of the Month Award recipient. It's always great to hear about the things that our youth are doing to better our communities, and it's always fun to have the student and parents join us, and even more so when they are friends and neighbors of Rotarians. Congratulations Matt.  
Concordia University and Vertz Marketing expand partnership
 
Students in Concordia’s eCommerce and Digital Marketing class will be able to assist more small businesses with their digital marketing needs thanks to an expanding partnership with Vertz Marketing. Read the Full Article.
Ted Neitzke, Board President of Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville
Riveredge Nature Center is southeastern Wisconsin's first independent nature center and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Ted Neitzke first visited Riveredge in 1979 as a student in the Port Washington School District. That's when his love for nature and, particularly Riveredge, really began to blossom. Ted now serves as Riveredge's Board President and works hard to connect our communities to the outdoors through education and in their own backyards. Professionally, Ted is the Agency Administrator/CEO of CESA 6 with Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. Riveredge is proud to have Ted as a passionate advocate supporting the organization's mission. 
 
There are lots of exciting things happening at Riveredge Nature Center, including the start of a charter school next fall, summer camps and other educational programs, and of course Frothy Forage on May 18, providing adults with an opportunity to drink in nature as god intended. They have been growing over the last several years, and have more than doubled their annual visitors from previous years. They are on track to have over 52,000 visitors in 2019 and hope you will be one of them. 
Ozaukee Economic Development - 12th Annual Outreach Event Wednesday, May 1
 
TM Rotary Club members interested in attending OED Outreach event on Wednesday May 1st, at Shully’s in Thiensville are more than welcome to attend but respectfully requested to please RSVP to the following:
 
Please RSVP to jhill@co.ozaukee.wi.us or 262.238.7730 on or before April 24th
Valet Parking Available
 
 
Roadside Clean-up Crew - Spring 2019
Tim Vertz and Son (sounds like a future company name)
 
Sam Azinger, Bruce Rowe and Sam's boys having a blast
 
Rob Holtz and Tim Carr full of smiles
 
Rob 'N Hood (Tim's other son, but I cannot help the play on words)
 
Dan Gannon and Kathleen Schneider not only swept the roadside for trash, but also mopped up as well, setting a record for most diligent roadside cleanup
 
TM Rotary Roadside Clean-up Crew met at 9 AM on Saturday morning and walked Cedarburg Road between Mequon Road and County Line. Not a single piece of trash was found, apparently due to the incredible job Dan Gannon must have done last Fall.
 
But really, Stan Smith and Sandy Custer (not pictured) along with a fine group of pictured Rotarians picked up 10 bags of trash and one Swiffer Wet Jet. The weather was cold, but the snow melted just long enough to get the job done before blanketing the ground once again. Thanks to everyone for participating. Not only is this event a great way to give back to the community, but it's also an opportunity to spend some quality time with fellow and future Rotarians and to instill values.  
Reggie Jackson - Nurturing Diversity Partners
 
"We believe our country is currently experiencing a uniquely 'teachable time' in its journey towards realizing its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. We formed Nurturing Diversity Partners to advance and support that journey by using methods we’ve honed over many years to build bridges from our past to our future across racial/ethnic, urban/suburban/rural, generational, and other divides. We look forward to partnering with organizations and individuals who seek to join this journey and cross those bridges together." - Reggie Jackson
 
Reggie Jackson with Nurturing Diversity Partners spoke to our club at this weeks meeting. If you were expecting Mr. October, hopefully you were pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to instead learn about the history of segregation in Milwaukee, and discuss the obstacles and hurdles people of color have had to face in breaking the segregation.  There is still work to be done. 
 
Nurturing Diversity Partners is a program of Jackson-Kaplan Consulting LLC, providing education, training, and consulting services that foster diversity  inclusion, and equity within institutions and the greater society.  Reggie has served as the Head Griot (docent/oral historian) for America's Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) since 2002, during which time he has become a much sought-after public speaker, researcher and writer for regional and national media.  Reggie has has garnered numerous awards for his work creating and facilitating public history programs, workshops, and interracial dialogues. 
 
Thank you Reggie for taking the time to speak to our club, and for the important work you are doing in our community. 
 
 
Student of the Month - Makayla Wright
 
Rotary Welcomes New Member, Peterson Apfelbach
Rotary proudly welcomed new member Peterson Apfelbach as the newest member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club. Peterson is a financial advisor with in the Thiensville Edward Jones office located near Fantasy Flowers. He is committed to our community having been raised in Mequon, and having a desire to give back. If you haven’t had the opportunity to introduce yourself yet, please do so. Welcome Peterson. 
Upcoming Speakers
Jul 09, 2019 12:00 PM
Voice Coach
Jul 16, 2019
Crises in Camaroon
Jul 23, 2019
Meeting at Mequon Rotary Park
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Evening at the Gathering on the Green
Jul 13, 2019
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
 
Lakeshore Chinooks Outing
Kapco Field - Concordia University
Jul 31, 2019
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
 
View entire list
Meeting Responsibilities
Prayer/Inspiration
 
July 9
Vertz, Tim
 
July 16
Von Rueden, Anthony
 
July 23
Weston, Shelley
 
Greeter
 
July 9
O'Connor, David
 
July 16
O'Leary, Maureen
 
July 23
Peterson, Thomas
 
Pledge
 
July 9
Kirgues, Roger
 
July 16
Koch, Pamela
 
July 23
Kos, Robert
 
If you cannot fulfill your responsibility, please make arrangements for someone else to take your place.
 
Seriously!
 
Russell Hampton
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