A very special THANK YOU to Jim Counsellor for arranging a private tour of the VA Campus. We spent time with Dona Drew and Dr. Bret Berger along with other VA dignitaries. The Veterans Affairs committee from the Sunrise Club joined us. It was an extremely informative event.
Annette Meyer is the founder of Annette Meyer Studios and Meyer Music Therapy Services. Having established these businesses in 2001, both have expanded to service numerous counties in two states, bringing music and all its benefits to both adults and children alike. Our clients all share the joy of music, and we use this as a means of achieving personalized goals designed around each individuals talents and skills.
Working with a diverse range of clients, we work to cultivate and empower each one, as the key to motivation and success, by introducing possibilities utilizing their own strengths. Having established small and large group programs, as well as working one-on-one, Annette is able to customize and deliver a positive, goal based experience, which benefits all participants.
This commitment to music as a means of personal expression is the foundation of Annette’s approach and methods. Music is a positive construct on so many levels, and whether listening, active playing, song writing or collaborating, everyone can experience the benefits on an intimate level.
The origin of this fund takes us back to the late fifties (1958-60) during the presidencies of Rudy Peters and Ralph Huiras. Ralph had been initiated into the mysteries of corn roasting by Doc Elbe, and very quickly Ralph conceived a plan for a family picnic to be known as the Annual Corn Roast and Bratwurst Fry. Others joined in on the development of the fundraiser which would also serve as a community service project. The net profits from the picnic were to be used to finance Boy Scout programs and school scholarships, and in some cases the fund could be used for other community projects. These profits were kept in segregated funds and invested separately from the club’s operating fund. Over the years, successive Corn Roasts continued to generate profits and the segregated fund grew to the point that earnings were enough to finance the Scouts and the scholarships. The goal had been set to build the fund to $25,000.
By 1967 when Jack Wiese because president of T-M Rotary, the fund had grown to $13,000. The time seemed right to set up the fund in a more formal and legal format. Wiese appointed a committee to study the entire Scout-Scholarship Fund situation and come up with a recommendation to the club. The committee consisted of Merton Campbell, Chairman, Dr. T. D. Elbe, Clem Freitag, Ray Hintz, Ralph Huiras, Francis Meer, Russ Risley, and Harry Schmit. After several meetings the committee finished its job, with Ralph Huiras providing the legal expertise. In September 1967, the report was submitted to President Wiese, who then presented it to the Board of Directors for its perusal. The Board accepted the recommendations with a few minor changes, and shortly thereafter the THIENSVILLE-MEQUON ROTARY CLUB FOUNDATION became a legal entity. The purpose was to provide scholarships to aid graduates of Homestead High School, to provide support to the Boy Scouts of America in the Thiensville-Mequon area, and to provide for emergency services connected exclusively with services to the communities of Thiensville and Mequon or to non-profit or charitable organizations within these communities. A Board of Trustees of five members of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club was to administer the fund, and the method of selecting the Board was specified. The first Board of Trustees consisted of Ralph Huiras, Harry Schmit, James Schmitz, Harold Viste and Jack Wiese (past president). In 1986 the FOUNDATION was reviewed again and some amendments were made, namely; (1) A modification was made in the selection of Trustees, with the treasurer to serve a five-year term; (2) An annual donation of $1000 was to be made to the Frank J. Weyenberg Library Foundation; and an annual donation of $1000 was to be made to the International Rotary Foundation as a Paul Harris Fellowship; this became known as an Honorary Paul Harris Fellowship to be determined by the Club Board of Directors.
Shortly after T-M Rotary launched the Rotary Park project it was necessary to review the foundation again and amend it to cover the initial expenditure of $80,000 plus additional future expenditures toward this $2,500,000 project. Currently the fund is entitled the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Park Foundation, Inc. The foundation continues to be a vibrant force, as was it’s predecessors for the past 33 years, in meeting the service obligations and commitments of Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club as it serves our local communities.
Join us to honor the first female member of Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club, and former Mequon Mayor Connie Pukaite on Tuesday, June 4 at North Shore Country Club.
The Mequon-Thiensville Community Foundation (MTCF) will hold its annual Pillars of the Community Award Luncheon on Tuesday, June 4th at 11:30 a.m. at North Shore Country Club. This year, the Foundation will honor Mequon resident and former mayor, Connie Pukaite. “Connie’s passion for people and the environment shines through everything she does – in her past professions, her service to the city of Mequon, and her countless projects that have positively impacted our community and beyond. Connie truly exemplifies what it means to be a Pillar of the Community,” says MTCF President Lori Lorenz.
Connie moved to Mequon in 1966, having been raised on a farm in Massachusetts that was settled by her ancestors in 1725. Those early roots proved to be foundational to her love of woodlands, trees and all-things nature, driving a passion to preserve and maintain natural spaces for future generations to come.
Connie’s life of service is remarkable, with a mission to make the lives of those around her better than how she found them and to strive for service over self. However, her service to ourcommunity didn’t begin for several years after settling in Mequon. Instead, she immersed herself in work to advocate for those who couldn’t advocate for themselves: elevating the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities; helping draft legislation to establish special education in public schools; and fighting for affordable housing and neighborhood renewal in the Milwaukee Lindsey Heights inner city neighborhood.
Indeed, according to close friend and prior Pillars award recipient, Sandy Custer, “To say that Connie is a pillar of Mequon-Thiensville doesn’t begin to take into account the profound influence she has had beyond our community. To me, Connie is a Pillar of Ozaukee County, the city of Milwaukee, and the state of Wisconsin, all in one.”
Connie’s impact in our own community is indeed immense. She served as Alderman for eight years over three different terms; as Mayor and Chair of the Planning Commission for six years; as President of the Mequon Police and Fire Commission for three years; and held numerous leadership positions for the Sunrise Rotary Club over the past 15 years. In fact, Connie was the first woman elected to a top governmental position in Ozaukee County, and was the first female member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club when they asked her to join in the mid-1980’s!
During her many years of service, she made an indelible mark throughout the community. Connie was instrumental in creating the first comprehensive land-use plan for Mequon; developing the Mequon Industrial Park and saving Garvey Woods; constructing the Mequon Police and Fire Station; developing the gateway feature that graces the entryway to the Town Center; and securing the site for the Spur 16 development, just to name a few!
While mayor, she set the vision for Rotary Park, noting the need for a park large enough to bring the community together to celebrate and recreate – the first park of its kind in Mequon. And on her last day as mayor, the city honored Connie with an 18-acre parcel of land abutting the northern edge of Rotary Park and bearing her name: Pukaite Woods. For the past 16 years, she has been the chief steward of that land, clearing buckthorn, establishing a prairie meadow and oak savannah areas, and maintaining it for all to enjoy.
Joining the Sunrise Rotary Club in 2009 brought together two of Connie’s passions: love for the environment and a desire to serve. As chair of the Environmental Committee she organized the planting of hundreds of native redbud trees throughout the Town Center, tamarack trees along the Riverwalk, and oak trees in Pukaite Woods, providing a bounty of natural beauty throughout the community.
Ask anyone who knows Connie and the praise is effusive. According to Cindy Shaffer, long-time friend and owner of Shaffer Development, “Nearly two decades ago our paths crossed at Mequon Thiensville Sunrise Rotary, and since then, her unwavering dedication to service has left an indelible mark on all who know her. Connie’s commitment to bettering our environment and promoting the common good has been a guiding light for me, both personally and professionally. She embodies the essence of the Rotary motto—service above self—pouring her heart and soul into initiatives that uplift and enrich the lives of those around her. What sets Connie apart is not just her visible contributions, but the countless acts of kindness and generosity that often go unseen. In a world that often seems chaotic and divided, Connie stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us all of the transformative power of compassion and selflessness.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that for the past dozen years Connie has been tirelessly advocating for the homeless in Ozaukee County and helped to co-found the first homeless shelter, Family Promise of Ozaukee County. Initially her efforts centered around partnering with local churches to provide shelter but soon realized the need was so much more. Fast forward 11 years later, and Family Promise opened its doors in early 2023 – the first free-standing shelter in Ozaukee County – with an emphasis on human dignity and seeking to determine the root cause of homelessness and preventing it in the first place.
Connie lives in Mequon and continues to work on several boards and committees, serving the people and the city that she loves. For Sponsorship Information or to register for this event, please visit our Pillars of the Community event page!
Join members of Rotary and Guests from Districts 6220, 6250 & 6270 at our annual 3‑district conference in Green Bay
It is our pleasure to welcome you all to TriCon24, which will be held from the 18th to the 20th of April 2024. This conference promises to be a spectacular event that will bring together Rotary members from all corners of our three districts; 6220, 6250, and 6270.
Conference Agenda
Here's a quick summary.
Thursday - The Foundation Dinner at The Automotive Gallery
Friday Morning - TriCon24 Conference kicks-off with Annual District Meetings
Friday Afternoon through Saturday - Workshops, House of Friendship, Polio Silent Auction
Activities - Lambeau Field Tours, Pounding the Pavement 4 Polio, Dine Around, Question-Persuade-Refer Workshop, and more.
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