With CoViD-19 lockdowns hopefully behind us, the Elmbrook Rotary Club is back to socializing and having fun.   Our monthly socials are one of the ways that our members  “build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS,” the third tenet of the Four-Way Test of "the things we think, say, or do."  Mark your calendars now for the following socials.

August 13 — Pabst Mansion Mini-Tour & Beer Garden.  Our August social is going to be a special one . . . a private mini-tour of the Pabst Mansion & Beer Garden.  We'll start gathering at 4:30 p.m. with the mini-tour starting at 5:00 p.m. 

September 18 — Elm Grove Oktoberfest.  It's the best beer time of the year, and we're going to celebrate all the special seasonal brews at the Elm Grove Oktoberfest.  This social is a club favorite and supports the Elm Grove Community Foundation.  Hope to see you and your family there!  Look for our starting at 4:00 p.m. in the beer tent.

October 9 — Progressive Dinner.   We’re going to do things a bit differently this year (for health safety reasons). Instead of having dinner at members' homes, small groups will meet for dinner at various restaurants (TBD).  After dinner, we’ll all progress to Steve and Mary Ponto’s home for dessert.

The Elmbrook Rotary Club is special because of the camaraderie shared among all our fellow Rotarians.  We hope you will join us at some/all of these great social events.  Spouses, guests, and prospective members are always welcome. 

The 11th trip to Antigua, Guatemala—in partnership with Common Hope—now has the  travel dates of February 7 and 13, 2022.

There is a core group of members/spouses planning to go. As was true in the past, the larger the team the better the experience.  As of this moment there are 10 persons who are planning to make the trip, and all have participated in prior years.  Newer members are most welcome, and encouraged, to join the group.  This is handled on a "first come first serve" basis, and the team can fill at the last minute.  At the moment there are around eight (8) slots open.

Please call  or write for further information.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Erik Moeser,  an International Committee member, or any previously involved ERC member.

Elmbrook Rotary members and guests participated in the annual "Walk for Hope," supporting Common Hope's programs in Guatemala, on Saturday, June 5.

We walk because less than 20% of kids graduate from high school in Guatemala. We walk to support education for students living in poverty, so that they can graduate and help end generational poverty for their family. We walk for the kids just starting school, where they will likely hold a book for the first time. We walk so that families have access to quality health care. We walk to help young people dream, grow, and succeed.

Now more than ever, all of us appreciate the Power of Healthcare, Community, and Hope. Let's walk the Extra Mile to fight poverty with diplomas!

Each $1,200 we raise will sponsor a student and their family for one year. Approximately $3,000 was raised on Saturday morning, June 5.  Support our team by going to our fundraising/registration page (click here).

See a handful of photos from the June 5th event by clicking here.

The Elmbrook Rotary Club and Foundation have been honored to support the Veterans in Focus Photography Group at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center since its inception in 2017.

The idea for the photography group came from visits that Courtney Zeller, HUD VASH Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist, had with veterans in their homes. Since many veterans had challenges finding stable housing in the past, Courtney took note that their living environments were “relatively stark."   A photography group class could potentially enable Veterans to experience the health benefits of camaraderie and self-exploration while additionally creating personal framed photographs to display at their home.

Veterans in Focus has been very successful and has evolved over the past five years, with two sessions offered annually in the spring and in the fall.  Together with three talented community volunteers, the veterans learn the technical skills of using the camera and photography along with skills that can be applied to improve their mental health. Then they explore various places in the community to practice their skills.  Some of these places have included the Milwaukee Lakefront, the Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center, the Water Tower, and the Harley Davidson Museum, to name a few.  Each session is concluded with a  photography exhibit open to the public for the veterans to display and share their work. The past community venues which have offered their sites for exhibits have included The Wilson Center, Northwestern Mutual, Carroll University, Milwaukee County Library-Central Branch, and the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.

The exhibits are accompanied by an online slideshow which proved to be especially helpful in 2020 due to the pandemic. The most recent slide show, dated October 14, 2020, can be viewed online at  www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAbD6RAKq6g . The 10 minute slideshow demonstrates the stunning photographs taken by the Veterans during the  Fall 2020 session, and takes one to the rich venues visited, including the Sculpture Gardens, Havenwoods State Forest, Mitchell Domes, 3 Bridges Park, MKE Urban Stables, and the War Memorial! One of these photographs (taken during the fall session by Jeffry Peterson) is exhibited in this article.