Rotary and ShelterBox celebrate the power of partnershipEvanston Ill., Rotary International announced on 3 June a three-year partnership renewal with its disaster relief project partner, ShelterBox. For almost 20 years,
Rotary announces US$100 million to eradicate polioEVANSTON, Ill. (June 10, 2019) — Rotary is giving US$100 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that once paralyzed
Rotary’s 110th annual convention concludes; one of Hamburg’s most multicultural, non-profit gatheringsMore than 26,000 registrants representing 3,605 Rotary clubs in 170 countriesRotary commits US$102 million
mytaxi donates proceeds from rides to RotaryHAMBURG, Germany (31 May 2019) — To multiply the impact of the 25,000 Rotary members expected to attend the service organization’s international convention 1-5 June, mytaxi will donate all
A special report prepared for Rotary International by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies estimated the value of Rotary member volunteer hours at $850 million a year.
Elmbrook Rotary Club will participate in supporting the Elm Grove Family Fun Fest (which includes the Fun Run) on July 4. Volunteers are still needed to assist with operating the Sprecher concession stand (5:00-7:00 p.m. shift & 7:00-9:30 p.m. shift). All activities are stationed at Elm Grove Village Park.
Volunteers will sell Sprecher products (provided by Sprecher), sodas & water (provided by Sendik's), popcorn (popper provided by Tri-City Bank), and glo sticks.
The June 26th "Changing of the Guard" event included installation of the 2019-2020 Officers of Elmbrook Rotary Club.
The 2019-2020 Officers are:
President, Mike Schmeling
President-Elect, Tom Hochuli
Secretary, Thom Arndt
Sergeant-at-Arms, Harry Farchmin
Treasurer, Mark Zalewski
Immediate Past President, Kevin Roche
2018-2019 ERC President Kevin Roche and his team were given well-deserved gratitude for their leadership during the past year. It was also announced that the Elmbrook Rotary Club will receive a Rotary Citation with Gold Presidential Distinction for the club's successes during 2018-2019. Well done!
In his acceptance speech, 2019-2020 President Mike Schmeling lauded the past successes of Elmbrook Rotary and appealed for continued support throughout the next Rotary year. The Rotary International Presidential Theme for 2019-2020 is "Rotary Connects the World." Mark Daniel Maloney (Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA) is RI President for 2019-2020 and believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience. “(Rotary) allows us to connect with each other, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences,” Maloney says. “It connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us to our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.”
Concurrent with the 2019 "Changing of the Guard" event on June 26, there occurred additional fundraising opportunities for the 123 members and guests (a record #!) in attendance. Three opportunities presented themselves: Silent Auction, 50/50 Raffle, & a Cork Pull.
The Silent Auction netted a total of $10,288. The 50/50 Raffle brought in an additional $1,000, and the Cork Pull netted $500. [The recipient of the 50/50 Raffle donated the $500 winnings back to the overall effort.] The grand total, to be added to the "Spikes for Types" proceeds, is therefore $11,788. The Elmbrook Rotary Foundation's Board of Directors is responsible for distribution of these monies via grant requests and other community charity involvement.
Sincere thanks to all ERC members (especially committee members) and guests for a wonderful gala evening and successful fundraising efforts!
June happens to be "Rotary Fellowships Month." Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
Locally, a number of Elmbrook Rotary Club (ERC) members belong to a Rotary Fellowship called "Shooting Sport." The International Fellowship of Shooting Sport Rotarians was established in November of 2005. Since then a Spring Clays Shoot has taken place annually in NE Florida in various locations over the years.
ERC members of this fellowship call themselves the "Elmbrook Straight Shooters" and engage in several shooting events throughout the year. Both handgun and long gun events are held. All ERC members and guests are welcome to participate. Contact Harry Farchmin or Gary Gilmore for more information.
After a rather long hiatus, the Fireside Chat has resumed at Elmbrook Rotary. The fireside chat is a tradition that has endured as a fun, welcoming social activity that provides new members with a history of Rotary and an explanation of the various opportunities for involvement. This is an informal way to learn about community and international projects and find common interests.
The first renewed Fireside Chat occurred in the home of Mark Thurner on Wednesday evening, June 19. Participants learned much about the programs and activities of Elmbrook Rotary Club in addition to those of District 6270, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation.
The next Fireside Chat is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16. If you have never attended a Fireside Chat, please contact ERC member John Allen to add your name to the guest list. You won't regret it.
As always, there was great food and lots of good fellowship. Thanks to everyone who helped with set-up and take-down, who got the teams on and off the court on time, and those who cooked, served, and cheered on the teams. Congratulations to Tom Steinbach who was the winner of this year's Spikes Raffle, and thanks to John Allen for selling out of all his raffle tickets by twisting a few arms!
A big "Thank You" goes out to all those of you who sponsored a team or who solicited a team sponsor. If you did, there are extra 2019 Spikes long sleeve T-shirts for each of you; so make sure you pick one up at our Friday meeting. Extra T-shirts can be purchased by others for $5.00 each.
Watch your email for an upcoming date of our "Spikes Sponsor Thank-You Breakfast and Awards Ceremony." Please invite those who donated $500 and over to join us.
Thanks again to everyone! This is truly a team effort and couldn’t happen without the hard work of our committee chairs and everyone who volunteered their time. And, with your help, we were able to reach our fundraising goal of over $50,000!!
The next big event is the Elmbrook Rotary Club Changing of the Guard on Wednesday, June 26. It’s a great night to celebrate the Rotary year, thank those who served the club this past year, and look forward to the year ahead. Please plan to join fellow Rotarians—along with their spouses, significant others, and guests—for a fun evening at the Western Racquet Club later this month.
On May 27, 2019, Elmbrook Rotary Club participated in the 72nd annual Elm Grove Memorial Day Parade. ERC President Kevin Roche led the parade unit, which included Tom Hochuli, Larry Myers, Chris & Carina Salani, Matt Smanski, & Mark Thurner. In addition to receiving good exercise by walking the parade route, they distributed 75 lbs of candy to children (and children-at-heart) who observed this annual tradition alongside the streets. Thanks to all who assisted! Special thanks go to Jeanne & John Allen, who offered their yard and home before, during, and after the parade for before-parade treats, a great view of the parade itself, and an after-parade cookout. Approximately 40 ERC Rotarians, including family members and guests, enjoyed the hospitality of the Allen's.
On Friday, May 24, representatives of ERC's two Interact clubs visited Elmbrook Rotary and provided a briefing of their 2018-2019 activities.
Elmbrook Central H.S. Interact Club Representatives
During the past academic year, the Central H.S. Interact Club assisted with the German Holiday Fest, the Ekal Vidyalaya Milwaukee Fundraiser, Hope Center Clothing Sorting, and tutoring. They are currently helping to locate a host family for a 2019-2010 Rotary exchange student coming from Japan.
Elmbrook East H.S. Interact Club Representatives
The East H.S. Interact Club set a new record this year with 86 members. With such a large membership, they excelled in the number and quality of service projects. Their support included the following projects and organizations: Turkey Trot, Fight for Air, Santa Hustle, German Holiday Market, the MYSO, Sunset Playhouse, Open Door, House of Peace, CareAge, Raising Readers, tree and brush clearing at the Brookfield East Nature Center, river bank clean-up at Underwood Park, fund raising for the Humane Society, and an end-of-the-year locker clean out to gather school supplies to donate to the Capitol West Academy.
Congratulations and thanks to both Interact clubs in demonstrating Rotary's emphasis on "Service Above Self"!
Recipients of the 2019 ERC AVID Scholarships have been announced. There are two four-year awards and one two-year award. To be eligible, students have to be actively involved in the AVID program at Brookfield Central H.S. or Brookfield East H.S.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a school-wide approach to curriculum and rigor adopted by more than 4,000 schools in 45 states and 15 countries over 28 years. It is a research-based program that equips students to meet the challenges of rigorous coursework in high school and college.
The recipients at Brookfield Central are Anita Ayala (four-year winner), who intends to major in Criminal Justice at UWM, and Emily Metzinger (two-year winner), who will pursue a Business associate degree at WCTC. The Brookfield East recipient is Mariana Brown (four-year winner), who intends to study Business at Arizona State University.
ERC President Kevin Roche with Mariana Brown
2019 AVID Scholarship Winner at Brookfield East H.S.
Elmbrook Rotary extends hearty congratulations to the scholarship recipients and wishes much success for them in their college endeavors!
When we say "WE RISE & SHINE” to others, it means:
WE RISE to meet early every Friday.
WE RISE to the occasion by helping those in need.
WE RISE to make a difference in our community and the world.
WE SHINE by living the Rotary 4-way Test.
WE SHINE by staying positive and encouraging others.
WE SHINE by lighting the way for service above self in Brookfield, Elm Grove, and beyond.
The tagline appears on our Coffee Mugs, on our Web site, on club emails, and on other communications going out. Try using the tagline the next time you’re talking to someone about Elmbrook Rotary or Rotary in general. In fact, consider purchasing an Elmbrook Rotary Coffee Mug for $7.
Enjoy this humorous video about what Rotary really is. Click me to view!
Filmed in 2017 in the Fargo-Moorhead area (North Dakota Minnesota border region), where there are five Rotary Clubs. Video was supported by Rotary District 5580.