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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
DistrictSiteIcon District Site
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Stories
Student of the Month February: Aubrey Wycklendt

The Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club honored their most recent Student of the Month, Aubrey Wycklendt, for the 2019-2020 school year. Aubrey is a senior at Homestead High School and is the daughter of Shawn & Craig Wycklendt of Mequon.

Aubrey is an honor student at Homestead High School and a member of the National Honor Society. She has been an active member of the Latin Club for the past 4 years, and has participated in the Roses program as well as the theatre costume department. She has also volunteered at Ascension’s Ozaukee campus in the pharmacy department.

One of her most impactful service projects was the mentor program she participated in at Wilson Elementary School. She has been a mentor to 4th grade female African American students for the past 2 years. She has been a leader to these young students helping them to become confident future leaders like herself.

Aubrey will be attending the University of Alabama this fall. Aubrey, we thank you for your “service above self” and all that you do for your school and community

 

 

Calendar of Upcoming Events and Dates!
April 14 - May 26: Expect an invitation to a Zoom meeting for a Rotary video conference! This will be our standard way to gather for the time being.
 
 
If clicking this link does not work, here are a few alternatives to gain access to the meeting. Copy and paste the link into your search, visit zoom.com and use the meeting ID and password, or access the Zoom app on a smart device and use the ID and Password. I apologize for the added inconvenience.
 
June 27: Family Fun before the Fourth!!!
 
July7- August 25: Meetings at Rotary Park
 
July10-11: Gathering on the Green. 
 
July 30: Rotary at the Lakeshore Chinooks game! $45 buys two drinks and all the brats and burgers you can stomach!
 
August 20: Ozaukee County Relay for Life event!
 
October 15: Fall Into Comedy
Award Standings
Sam Azinger Trophy:
Halfway Point Club Contribution Report:
Sunrise $2,640
Noon $4,250
Let's keep the pressure up. don't give them a chance for a comeback!
 
Peterson Apfelbach Award for Excellence in Attraction
 
Sam Azinger 5
Stan Smith 3
Maureen O'Leary 2
Stan Lind 2
Tim Carr 1
 
Astounding! a few people are starting to pull away from the pack!
Totals to date 2/17/20 Please be respectful of other Member's Guests in reference to this award.
 
Business Meeting 4/28
We will be having our regularly scheduled business meeting During our next meeting. In order to not have each committee talking over each other, each committee will, following initial announcements, separate into their own conference call. You should look for an email coming from your committee chair, or take an opportunity to reach out to them before the meeting on Tuesday. 
 
As in previous weeks, our large group zoom call will begin at 12:30 and can be found using the following information.
 
If clicking this link does not work, here are a few alternatives to gain access to the meeting. Copy and paste the link into your search, visit zoom.com and use the meeting ID and password, or access the Zoom app on a smart device and use the ID and Password. I apologize for the added inconvenience.
COVID-19 #RotaryResponds one-hour Telethon
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a COVID-19 #RotaryResponds one-hour Telethon to raise critical funds for disaster response. This Facebook Live event will be simulcast on the Rotary International Facebook page. The goal is to raise more than $1 million dollars. (the link is now live)

Rotary’s 1.2 million members across the globe have taken swift action to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $3.4 million in Rotary Disaster Response Grants have already been put into action on the frontlines to battle COVID-19. Additionally, millions more have been raised by our #PeopleofAction - they have responded quickly and are truly saving lives. Now, we need to do more and the need for additional funding is a priority.

Join this live event to hear stories of hope, inspiration and gratitude from Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of Rotary from across the globe as they share what they are doing to help their communities. The telethon will also showcase how our polio eradication infrastructure is helping to combat COVID-19.

How can you participate:

1. Participate in the telethon on Facebook Live on 2 May at Rotary International's Facebook Page (facebook.com/rotary). The live stream will be simulcast in eight languages.

2. Share this event & spread the word through your social media channels.

3. Invite friends, family, and members of your community to watch and see first-hand what Rotary's People of Action are doing to combat COVID-19.

4. Post on social media during the broadcast and on the day of the event using the hashtag #RotaryResponds.

5. Donate as an individual or as a club at http://on.rotary.org/drf [Note: Be sure to login to your My Rotary account to receive your Paul Harris Fellow recognition points.]

6. Encourage your Rotary District to donate District Designated Funds (DDF) at https://on.rotary.org/ddf-donate. (Note: DDF received between April 22st and May 3rd will be considered part of the telethon fundraising total.)
 
Thank you for all of your assistance in creating awareness about this opportunity to do more Good in the World!
Rotary Roadside Clean Up
6 members of Thiensville Mequon Rotary spent 1 1/2 hour picking up Cedarburg Road on Saturday, April 25.  We left 8 bags of trash in front of the Kwik Trip on the corner of Cedarburg and Donges Bay Roads. We were very careful of social distancing and cross contamination problems. Participating members included Rob Kos, John Rosing (on his youngest daughter's wedding day), Tim Carr, Kathleen Schneider, Jenne Hohn, and Sandy Custer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rotary Speaker: Christine Hill

HISTORY OF THE FUTURE MILWAUKEE PROGRAM

For more than 40 years, Future Milwaukee (FM) served as a community partner in the development of Milwaukee's area leaders. Many public, private, and nonprofit professionals have traveled along the FM path, creating an ever broadening web of connected and committed residents. Over 1,500 alumni have contributed their leadership gifts to positions in government, business education, religious and non-profit institutions.

Future Milwaukee Graduates

  • Ethnic diversity: 38 percent people of color (including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and those from the Asian-Pacific and Indian subcontinent)
  • Gender diversity: 60 percent women; 40 percent men
  • People with disabilities
  • Age diversity from early 20s to mid-60s
  • Employment diversity: 50 percent from private sector; 40 percent from nonprofit sector; 10 percent from government sector
  • Geographic diversity from the four-county Greater Milwaukee area
Final Bracket Results and Winners
 
In a stunning turn of events, the Final 4 games were played on Facebook Live (that's not the stunning turn of events). Kansas outscored Duke on a buzzer beater to move onto the Championship Game. In the second game Maryland showed its dominance over Oregon and would also move on. After a stunning rendition of the National Anthem by Shaka Khan, Maryland played the game of their lives, but still fell short to the Makeshift NCAA Champions. 
 
For those of you who fill out brackets every year, you know that the last thing you do after you pick a champion is to predict the Championship Game score, which would serve as a tiebreaker. Being that (1) there wasn't going to be a score, and (2) I've never seen a tie before, I elected to skip this step, but here are the results:
 
          Rob Kos 1 Bracket had 1,150 points,
          Sandy Custer 1 Bracket has 1,150 points, tying for first place,
          Sam Azinger 1 Bracket came in 3rd place with 1,100 points, and
          Maureen O'Leary 4 Bracket came in a close 4th with 1,080 points. 
 
So what now? Is there such thing as a tie in the TM Rotary Makeshift March Madness Tournament? I think not. 
 
This Tuesday at our regularly scheduled meeting we will have a virtual match to determine the winner. Sandy and Rob will each be asked to select a final score and a score will be randomly generated between 140 and 200. Whoever selects the closer score will be crowned the winner.
Rotary Speaker: Kathleen Schilling and Tim Vertz
Last week our speakers were Kathleen Schilling, executive director of Ozaukee Economic Development, and our own Tim Vertz to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on our local economy and small businesses across the state. The key message I received from their time is a lack of coherent plan within our legislature to get necessary relief funds where they are needed the most. If you are interested about what you personally can do to get the ball moving in the right direction, contact Kathleen Schilling at kschilling@co.ozaukee.wi.us or our past president Tim Vertz. They has many great talking points you can bring up with our state representatives.
TM Rotary Zoom schedule and info
Topic: Thiensville-Mequon Rotary
Time: Apr 14, 2020 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
        Every week on Tue, until May 26, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
        Apr 14, 2020 12:30 PM
        Apr 21, 2020 12:30 PM
        Apr 28, 2020 12:30 PM
        May 5, 2020 12:30 PM
        May 12, 2020 12:30 PM
        May 19, 2020 12:30 PM
        May 26, 2020 12:30 PM
 
 
 
If clicking this link does not work, here are a few alternatives to gain access to the meeting. Copy and paste the link into your search, visit zoom.com and use the meeting ID and password, or access the Zoom app on a smart device and use the ID and Password. I apologize for the added inconvenience.
 
 
 
If you can't access the meeting via the app, you may join through calling these numbers
 
Dial by your location
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
        +1 253 215 8782 US
        +1 301 715 8592 US
Meeting ID: 409 911 778
Password: 636224
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/atM4btTXl
 
 
Although these meetings are currently optional, if you will not be able to do the pledge or inspiration as scheduled, please find someone who can cover for you. Check the weekly Rotary email.
Rotary clubs help fight the COVID-19 pandemic 
The COVID19 global pandemic is threatening our health, safety, and way of life. But Rotary International President Mark Maloney reminds members hw we can set an example from others by doing what Rotary does best - working together and caring for each other. you can watch his message here: http://owa.edwardjones.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=6ZhUdtHbT-FbURB15J6zyuPzvmOCjLWkvLueZvhSV0HYglf3LNrXCA..&URL=http%3a%2f%2fmsgfocus.rotary.org%2fc%2f18ESeyufKEVxAfGzPPlI76oM4CT
 
Using the vast infrastructure developed to identify the poliovirus and deliver vaccination campaigns, the polio eradication program is pitching in to protect the vulnerable from COVID19, especially in Polio-endemic countries. learn more here: http://owa.edwardjones.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=PaKwm97vDel5rDLhg-g3V9wOgtAgn3GMx5F6Fs4ndM7Yglf3LNrXCA..&URL=http%3a%2f%2fmsgfocus.rotary.org%2fc%2f18ESeGgYpu62xGK7YYTMDvb4py6
Official Bracket Standings and Final 4
 
The Final 4 is set for the TM Rotary March Madness Makeshift Tournament. Games took place on Facebook Live at 3:30 PM on Friday to narrow the pack from 16 teams to the last 4 standing. A path to victory remains for almost 20 Brackets, but only 2 Brackets still have their Championship Game selections still in tact. Top three Brackets will receive Trophies, and the Best bracket will have $760 donated to the Rotary Foundation in their name, and they will receive an additional 240 points toward a Paul Harris Award. Second place will receive 500 points towards and Paul Harris Award, and Third Place will receive 250 points towards a Paul Harris Award. If you otherwise have questions about giving to the Rotary Foundation or would like to make a contribution, please email Sam and he'll give you all the info you need. All points will be given by Sandy Custer (who repeatedly requests to not be recognized, but forgot in this instance). Unfortunately, the bottom three Bracket positions have already been determined. Fortunately, Maureen can claim (and Sam can verify) that someone else filled out those Brackets for her. 
 
Club Updates
Meetings will be suspended until further notice! We encourage everyone to continue this practice of social distancing. This will not be taken into account for your attendance for those pursuing perfect attendance. Also, you will not be charged for your lunches at this time. I recommend putting those excess funds to work with the Rotary Foundation or to local non profits such as Ozaukee Family Sharing.
 
For those looking to continue to find ways to be of service during this event, I encourage you to visit  http://volunteerwisconsin.galaxydigital.com/. there are a number of opportunities including things that can be done from home!
 
While it seems distant, summer meetings are just around the corner. Anyone interested in being a head chef for one of these meetings should reach out to Sandy at cust1234@aol.com. These meetings will be July 7- Aug 25.
 
For those who had expressed interest in our March Madness tournament competition, Sam Azinger has devised an alternate format for the tournament. the goal is to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation. For everyone who is curious about how the tournament would have played out, here is the ESPN Basketball Power Index simulation. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28915817/bpi-projects-how-2020-ncaa-tournament-played-out
 
 

 

Official Bracket and Standings Through Round of 32
 
It was a wild Round of 64 and Round of 32 that took place the the T-M Rotary Club's Facebook page live at 3:30 last week Friday. As expected there were several upsets, including 15 seed Stephen F. Austin taking down Dayton in the first round. In the second round we saw 9 Seed LSU take down 1 seed Baylor and 2 seed Michigan State eliminated by 7 seed Colorado.
 
Many brackets are decimated, but many still stand strong. Brackets have been graded and standings through the Round of 32 can be found below. Although some brackets seem to be performing well, many have seen their Final 4, Championship game, and Champion's eliminated early, leaving them with few points possible. Be sure to tune in next week Friday at 3:30 to the T-M Rotary Facebook page for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. It's guaranteed to be a good time!
 
Rotary Speaker: Dr. Matt Joynt
This week our speaker was our fellow member and superintendent of schools Dr. Matthew Joynt. His presentation provided information regarding the proposed referendum for the Mequon-Thiensville School District. The referendum has many goals: maintaining a commitment to facilities, providing high quality adaptable physical environments for students, addressing current and future learning needs, providing value to all stake holders, and staying financially responsible.
 
Following an initial review, six areas were identified for potential support.
 
The area highlighted as the main concern was enrollment and growth. the existing capacity for our elementary schools is 1524 students; the current enrollment is 1561.  before adjusting for expected growth in the next 5-10 years, we are above our limit. The plan would call for renovations at the three elementary schools to increase space available for all classes, expand cafeterias, and renovating targeted spaces at the middle schools including musics specialist for current needs.
 
The next important area identified was safety/security. In a world with ever evolving dangers and threats, it is important students feel safe in our schools. That in mind, the district is looking to improve traffic circulation and parking lot queuing space, make restrooms and play grounds more accessible for those with mobility impairments, create a more identifiable main entrance at homestead and district wide, improvements to control visitor, and connect municipal water and enhance fire suppression at middle and elementary levels.
 
The other four issues, outdated learning environments, maintenance, community and recreation use, and athletics are important; however, they are not the current priority of the district.
 
If you have additional questions, I encourage you to visit https://www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/district/facilities/referendum or talk with Dr. Joynt.
 
Rotary Speaker: Amanda M. Roddy
Amanda M. Roddy is the Field Organizer with Marsy's Law for Wisconsin. She is also a newer member of the Waukesha Noon Rotary Club. Amanda has been married 15 years this summer, and her and her husband have 3 daughters. They enjoys road trips with the family and live theater and music. She also loves to help plan and run events, which, as we all know, will make her an excellent addition to her Rotary Club.

Amanda is here to tell us about Marsy's law, which is a proposed constitutional amendment which will support rights of crime victims and their families. If passed, Wisconsin would become the 14th state to pass ballot measure for the adoption of Marsy's law. The resolution was co-sponsored by Senator Alberta Darling and Representative Jim Ott, among 51 State Senators and Representatives.
 
 
 
Doc turns 101!
Last week we celebrated a birthday number 101 for our esteemed member, Dr. George Witte. At 72 years, he is our longest active member and a true servant of the Thiensville-Mequon community. We wish him another year of health and happiness.
 
 
Using film to build peace and understanding

Using film to build peace and understanding


Visiting the wreckage of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor with her Japanese father and American mother left a lasting impression on Megumi Nishikura as a child. But it was the terrorist attacks on the US in 2001 that convinced the then film-student to pursue a Rotary Peace Fellowship and commit to using media to pursue peace.

READ MORE <http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/181xVIBEwmqgJPGXiYwzpblmSyc>
How Rotary is helping refugees
Since 2015, more than 4 million people have fled an economically devastated Venezuela. The latest issue of The Rotarian tracks the stories of three refugees to put a face on the crisis. Also read how Rotarians are helping people fleeing from Venezuela and those who remain behind.


READ MORE <http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/181xVAOVRxfLMoDp9OYuSMz4xCZ>

 
Stepping up our Polio Eradication
Gates Foundation extends its match of donations to Rotary for polio eradication

On 22 January, Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that they would extend their long-term fundraising partnership, which generates up to $150 million annually for polio eradication. Under the agreement, Rotary commits to raising. $50 million a year over the next three years, and each dollar will be matched with an additional two dollars by the Gates Foundation. This expanded agreement will yield up to $450 million for polio eradication activities.
 
 

International delegation of Rotary leaders visits Pakistan to support polio eradication


Earlier this month, a delegation of Rotary International leaders from around the world traveled to Pakistan to meet with government officials to discuss recent challenges in the effort to end polio there. The government leaders praised Rotary for its prominent role in polio eradication and for providing vital financial support to Pakistan and other countries that are threatened by polio.

The Rotary delegation included Holger Knaack, 2020-21 Rotary International president; K.R. Ravindran, 2020-21 trustee chair of The Rotary Foundation; and Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. The group was accompanied by incoming Rotary Foundation Trustee Aziz Memon, the chair of Rotary’s Pakistan National PolioPlus Committee.



Learn more <http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/181NLmidNPbwwQ10zqPA6lZSYdt>
 

Polio eradication in Pakistan: Rotary members will finish the job


Pakistan is one of two countries that continues to report cases of polio caused by the wild poliovirus. Aziz Memon, an incoming Rotary Foundation trustee and chair of the Pakistan National PolioPlus Committee, explains what motivates Rotarians in Pakistan to finish the task of polio eradication.


Learn more <http://msgfocus.rotary.org/c/181NLu4WsEm1uh4yIAnECKMbj8G>
Rotary Speaker: Peterson Apfelbach
 
Our speaker this week was none other than our club's youngest member, Peterson Apfelbach! While he doesn't have as many years behind him, he still had plenty of great stories to tell!
 
Peterson has been a member of the Mequon-Thiensville community since he was three years old. He had the honor of receiving an education from the Mequon-Thiensville school district from K5-12th grade. During that time he was active on the tennis team, competed in chess tournaments, participated in curling bonspiels, and played clarinet in the band! During that time in the band, he taught himself how to play trumpet, a far more fun and flashy instrument! After a great adolesence, it was time to move on to something bigger, college.
 
While not his first choice, UW-Madison was always where he had been fated to attend. Even though a large portion of his time was dedicated to his studies in physics and economics, those were really just a side gig for his participation in the University of Wisconsin-Marching Band under the direction of Michael Leckrone. As a member of that band he got to travel all across the country performing for the best fans in the world at tailgates, sporting events, and numerous charity outings. 
 
Following his time at school, we find him where he is now, serving as a financial adviser for Edward Jones in the heart of Thiensville! When he isn't working, he would be happy to challenge you to a game of chess, or perhaps get back to his Ironman training to have a cleaner race than last time! We look forward to his continued contributions to the club and hope he doesn't get hit by another bus.
 
How Rotary and Peace Corps work together
 
As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Rotarian Maureen Duncan understood the value of reaching out to Peace Corps volunteers to help her district’s project. The project is advancing education and providing economic opportunities for youth in Guatemala. Your club can work with Peace Corps volunteers to identify beneficiaries, assess communities, and involve community members in projects.
 
Proper use of The Four-Way Test
In his blog post for Rotary Voices, Martin Postic Jr. explains why The Four-Way Test makes a better mirror than window. Postic argues that the test should not be used to put down the opinions of others or defend contentious social issues, but should be used to guide one’s own ethical behavior.
 
Rotary Speaker: Tyler Briggs
 
Last week our guest speaker was none other than Tyler Briggs! As with all members, he got an opportunity to share with us a little about himself!
 
Tyler Grew up in Madison and graduated from Madison Memorial. Due to the incredible ability and outstanding nature of the program, and not his immediate proximity to UW- Madison, Tyler was a die hard Badger fan. He planned that after one year of attending UW-Milwaukee he would transfer; however, he fell in love with the school and the city of Milwaukee. As a result, he stayed there to complete his undergraduate degree. For his professional career, Tyler has long been involved with financial services. The majority of that time has been working as a financial adviser. While RBC is his current employer, Tyler has worked for a few other great companies along the way such as R.W. Baird. Since joining our club, Tyler has been a wonderful participant in many of our activities as well as a generous contributor to our causes already earning a Paul Harris Award. It is a pleasure having him in our club and we look forward to him sticking around for a long time.
People of Action around the globe
 
The Rotary Club of Manila Magic and the Rotaract Club of Manila inaugurated monthly medical visits at a child care center in Tondo, one of their city’s most crowded and hardscrabble slums. The program taps volunteer professionals, including five doctors. Hundreds of patients have benefited from the visits and from medicines purchased by Rotarians and their families. Read more in our monthly roundup of club activities.
 
Australian Rotarians respond to brushfires
Rotarians in the coastal community of Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia, answered the call when the country’s brushfires began burning close to home. Contacted by Emergency Management Services to help, club members provided meals for volunteer firefighters for a month and sorted and distributed relief supplies once the fires were contained.
 
Rotary’s alliance with Toastmasters
Rotary International is working with Toastmasters to provide opportunities for our members to grow their networks, leadership and communication skills and increase their impact within the community. Learn more about Rotary’s alliance with Toastmasters International and how you and your club can get involved.
 
Rotary, Gates Foundation extend funding match
Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are renewing their partnership to end polio. Under the agreement, Rotary is committed to raising $50 million a year over the next three years, and each dollar will be matched with an additional two dollars by the Gates Foundation. The extended partnership will raise an additional $150 million for polio eradication every year for three years. Donate today and your contribution will be tripled.
 
Rotary Speaker: Ed Fallone

Thank you to Professor Ed Follone for speaking to our club at Tuesday's meeting about some of the issues being faced in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election this Spring. Ed Fallone is a constitutional scholar. An expert in corporate and criminal law, whose advice has been sought from a wide range of people, including Senator Herb Kohl in connection with confirmation hearings of four United States Supreme Court Justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagen. Much like Justice Shirley Abrahamson, Barack Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he is an academic-- a law professor for the past ~30 years at Marquette University Law School where he has taught over 2,300 members of the Wisconsin Bar, including current and former judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and Rotary Club Presidents-elect.

Ed has been an advocate his entire life for individual rights, including civil rights, human rights, women's rights and more-- his entire career has been spent fighting for justice. The son of a Mexican immigrant, he is a leader in the Latino community who started the Latino Community Center for at-risk youth to prevent the school-to-prison pipeline in a previously high crime neighborhood of Milwaukee's Southside, Centro Legal which provides affordable legal services, and has done extensive work with Catholic Charities for immigrants.

Ed is running for Wisconsin Supreme Court looking to add some diversity to the otherwise all white Supreme Court. if elected he would be just the first Latino Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, and only the second justice of color in Wisconsin's history.

Rotary Welcomes a New Member: Jim Counsellor
Welcome to the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club, new member, Jim Counsellor. Pictured above with his sponsor, Stan Lind, and club president, Rob Kos. We are very excited to have Jim join the club. He is a 35 year member of the Mequon-Thiensville community and has been married for 32 years! He retired after 40 great years in the technology industry serving Oracle on an international basis. He served 10 years as a marine officer and is a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. We look forward to his continued contributions to our club!
A New Rotary Challenge!

 

Recognition

District 6270 Club Membership Growth Award.

Clubs are encouraged to attract new members and to fully engage and retain existing members. District Governor Steen Sanderhoff is offering an award to clubs with the greatest net growth during this Rotary year. The Award:

• Winning clubs each receive 1,000 Paul Harris points.

• Up to 10 Awards may be given for 2019-20.

• Award made to: Clubs with Largest Net Percentage Growth during the year.

• Phase 1: July 1 to March 31. Awarded at Celebration 2020 Conference. Award to top 7 clubs.

• Phase 2: July 1 to June 30. Awarded for full year. Award to top 3 clubs.

Kudos to top clubs in the district as of Nov. 27 (by net percentage growth)

#1 = West Bend Noon; #2 = Slinger-Allenton; #3 = Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise; #4 = Sheboygan Early Birds; #5 = Manitowoc Sunrise; #6 = Ripon; #7 = Fox Cities Morning; #8 = Oshkosh; #9 = Burlington; #10 = Green Lake, Two Rivers, Whitnall Park (tie)

Tips for Growing Membership

Look for fresh perspectives and new ideas for your club – especially from young Rotarians. (See Roc City Rotary in Rochester, NY)

Hold an event for non-Rotary service organizations to attract volunteers. (Recently done by Evanston Rotary in IL)

Make a list of club member responsibilities. Discuss it at a club meeting.

Rotary Speaker: Erica Vitek
 

For our meeting this week we were joined by Erica Vitek. She is an Occupational Therapist with Aurora Hospitals specializing in the treatment and therapy of individuals suffering from the progressive neurological disease Parkinson’s.

The form of treatment she adheres to is the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, LSVT, named after its first patient. It is designed to create sustained improvement in speech and voice structures. The movements we do by auto-pilot such as speaking, walking, or getting up from a chair are the most impaired. This program tackles those problems head on by emphasizing very intentional motion. Therapists request the patient to think BIG MOVEMENT and LOUD VOCALS during their 1:1 sessions. The goal is to clear the space between how the patient is perceiving their own signals and how others are actually receiving them.

If you have any further questions, I encourage you to reach out to Erica using her email. She is one of the finest in her field and travels across the country instructing others in how to care for those who are suffering from Parkinson’s

 

Erica.Vitek@aurora.org

LSVT Global

Student of the Month Jake Kallas
The Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club honored our first Student of the Month, Jake Kallas, for the 2019-2020 school year.  Jake is a senior at Homestead High School and is the son of Bonnie and Perry Kallas of Thiensville.  He is an Eagle Scout, he has received the Merit Award all 3 years of high school, is a member of the National Honor Society, and a trumpet section leader for the Homestead Marching and Symphonic Band.
 
Jake has distinguished himself as someone who truly cares about giving back to his community.  He has participated in several volunteer projects including Gathering on the Green, Family Fun Before the Fourth, and Lionsfest.  Some of his most impactful projects include achieving his Eagle Scout Award.  Jake’s projects included building planter boxes for Lasata as well as collecting toiletries for a homeless shelter in Milwaukee.  Jake has also volunteered for the Riverwest Food Pantry Christmas gift program for the past 6 years, which involved collecting and wrapping gifts each Christmas.
 
 
Jake, we thank you for your “service above self” and all that you do for your community!
Rotary Speaker: Jim Hahn
Jim Hahn started with KIDS MATTER in 2008 as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program volunteer. His professional background includes more than 25 years in nonprofit fundraising and administration. He served as a national award-winning officer of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and as a member of the Subject Matter Expert Corps charged with writing the international exam questions for the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential. While pursuing his English degree at West Virginia University, Jim joined Alpha Phi Omega National Service Organization in 1983. Having served at all levels of the organization including on their national board of directors and as the National Marketing Director, today he chairs their efforts to expand into Canada. His experience in nonprofit service has afforded him tenures in addressing homelessness, healthcare advocacy, small business development, literacy, local historic preservation, as well as victims of child abuse and neglect.
 

Working with kids matter has been a Passion project for Jim. He started as a volunteer with them 12 years ago has been brought into their staff recently. His major role right now is searching for volunteers to be Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA for short. their phrase for 2020 is to "change a kid's story." Court appointed special advocates are the voice looking out for the best interest of kids for safety and permanency as they enter and go through the process of the foster system. In some cases, the CASA may also be appointed the guardian ad litem for the child, but this does not always happen. Less than 50% of foster kids nation wide graduate from high school; however, in Milwuakee 100% of foster kids with a CASA have graduated.

There are several requirements for becoming a CASA. These include participation in a 30 hour training course to learn how to best evaluate, connect, and communicate with children and those involved in their lives. You must also be available to provide the court with your opinion at least every six months. The funding for the CASA program comes mostly from private donations although Kids Matter does receive funds from the state victim of crimes fund.

Food Drive!!!
The 2019 Holiday Food Drive is underway! Bring items with your name attached between now and December 17th to help the Family Sharing Food Pantry and your team!
 
THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST POSSIBLE DAY TO BRING DONATIONS!!!
 
Final Tally:
Red Team Captain Gannon:     974
White Team Captain Naggs:     1190
Blue Team Captain Wiese:        2062
Club total:                                 4226             Most ever by over 1000
91% of the club participated
Congrats to the Red, White and Blue!!!!
Rotary Event: Homestead Choir
 
This week we had members of the Homestead Choir Perform form several holiday tunes for us. They were led by their director Jennifer Schwingle. Having them perform is always a tremendous pleasure for our club and we look forward to hearing from them again next year!
 
 
Full Program list:
Rise Up Shepherd and Follow
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Apple-Tree Wassail
All So Still
While By My Sheep
Deck the Hall
Silent Night
Joy to the World
Rotary Speakers: Sandy Sullivan
 
Our Speaker Sandy Sullivan has led an exciting life and has had more than 300 opportunities to share those experiences with Rotary Clubs. She has a unique experience with the Packers having been on their ticket sales staff during the 1961 season and has documented and shared those experiences in her two novels!
 
Her adventures with the Packers started when Assistant GM Tom Miller employed her to sell Season Tickets for the 1961 Packers. On her first day, none other than Vince Lombardi greeted her and gave her all the lines she would need to sell the 6,000 they still had available. Following that season where she became aware of the who's who in Packer football, she attended UW Stevens Point and took on some modeling gigs. Following an event She was introduced to Paul Hornung, 1956 Heisman Trophy winner and star running back for the Green Bay Packers and a brief relationship began.
 
After this relationship fizzled, she went on to pursue a master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This was during a time of massive riots; however, this led her back into another famous Packer Dan Currie. They moved out to Washington DC and planned to marry in 1971, but when things didn't work out, she married Matt Sullivan team dentist for the Washington Redskins. They lived a happy life together enjoying the grandeur of the capital city.
 
In 1994, Matt Passed away and life with their 12-year old became cumbersome. She returned to Mauston, became a teacher, and started writing her stories detailing her adventures with the packers. Through her life she has maintained relationships with many of the Packers from the glory days and even had Paul Hornung write a foreword for her story.
 
She went on to run for Wisconsin Secretary of State; however, was defeated by a long tenured politician. During the Campaign, her novel gained national attention with national news outlets reaching out to have them appear on their talk shows. Many of the Packers rallied behind and supported her campaign following this trouble, however, she was not able to unseat the long time incumbent.
 
Unfortunately, she did not have time to share all of her adventures, but many more fun stories and adventures are contained within her books!
Upcoming Speakers
May 05, 2020 12:30 PM
View entire list
Meeting Responsibilities
If you cannot fulfill your responsibility, please make arrangements for someone else to take your place.
 
Although these meetings are currently optional, if you will not be able to do the pledge or inspiration as scheduled, please find someone who can cover for you. Check the weekly Rotary email.
 
Prayer/Inspiration
 
May 5
Naggs, Karle
 
May 12
O'Connor, David
 
May 19
O'Leary, Maureen
 
Greeter
 
May 5
Lind, Stanley
 
May 12
Lysaught, James
 
May 19
MacFarlane, Ellen
 
Pledge
 
May 5
Counsellor, James
 
May 12
Custer, Sandy
 
May 19
Davis, Todd
 
Russell Hampton
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