*** Important note: The social this Sunday, September 15th, will begin at 6:00 pm for dinner with Edwin at The Post. Same location, just a half hour earlier. ***
Our calendars have been so full of Rotary lately - and it's a great thing! Whether at Bucky Beads (we made $651 before the Central Michigan game!), the President's Social (congrats to Bingo-winner Lori!), Ironman Wisconsin, or the STAR Program (thanks Connor for the impressive PowerPoint!), I've been so impressed with everyone's enthusiasm and dedication. And those events were just in the last two weeks...Take a look at the club calendar on our website and you'll see that we're not slowing down at all over the next six weeks!
Even though we have so many service and social events locally, Rotary also provides us with opportunities to travel abroad and enrich our lives and the lives of others through service and fellowship. Dave Warren (frequent guest to our meetings, but member of the Janesville Club) has designed part of the Humanitarian Expedition trip to Nicaragua from December 4th - 9th, with a possible extension through December 13th. I also recently received information on service trips to Guatemala in partnership with the Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) that will take place in February and July of 2020. The GLP is the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district effort in the Rotary world not directed by RI itself and, according to former RI President Ian Riseley, the "gold standard" of Rotary projects. Over 600 Rotary clubs from eight countries have participated in the GLP since its inception in 1996. GLP Textbook, Computer, Teacher Training, and Youth Development programs currently serve more than 50,000 impoverished children.
I've added more information about these trips to our club website (in the news section), but you can also ask Dave or me if you're interested in participating.
See you on Sunday,
Erin Luken 2019-2020 President
Upcoming Events
Sunday, September 15th – Club Meeting: Edwin Bos, District Governor
The Post at Park Hotel, 22 S Carroll St, Madison, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Our guest speaker this evening will be Edwin Bos, the District Governor of 6250 for 2019-2020. This is a great time to bring guests! Edwin Bos has been a proud member of the Fort Atkinson Rotary club since 2003. He has served on the Board of Directors, as Youth Exchange Officer, as the chair of several club construction projects, as Club President in 2012-13, and as Assistant Governor from 2014-2017. Edwin is a graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BSc Civil Engineering) and the Rotterdam School of Management (MBA). After graduation, he spent 10 years working for a large Dutch construction company primarily in Amsterdam, Istanbul, and the Caribbean.
Saturday, September 21st - Club Fundraiser: Bucky Beads
Next to the Madison South Rotary Club Brat Stand, 1437 Monroe St., Madison, 8:00 am - 11:45 am
Come over before the UW Badgers vs. Michigan football game and help raise money for our Youth Exchange Program. All proceeds from our bead necklace sales go towards funding our exchange students. Shifts are 8:00 am - 10:00 am and 10:00 am - 11:45 pm. Sign up for shifts here or email us at madisonrotaryah@gmail.com.
Saturday, September 28th - Service Event: Books for the World
Wright Street Warehouse, 1849 Wright St., Madison, 10:00 am - noon
Books for the World is a global literacy project, supervised by Rotarians, that puts used books from the Unites States that might otherwise be discarded into the hands of children in other countries where educational resources are in short supply. Join the Rotary Club of Madison-Breakfast as we sort and pack books at the Wright St. warehouse. We would like to know by September 20th if you will attend. Thanks!
Sunday, September 29th - Social Event: 5th Sunday Brunch
Waypoint Public House, 320 W. Broadway E, Madison, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
It only happens a few times a year - time for 5th Sunday Brunch! This month we'll be meeting at Waypoint Public House in Monona. Bring your appetite (and a friend!) for updated American Classics and your Sunday morning beverage.
Saturday, October 5th - Volunteer Event: Lussier Food Pantry
Lussier Community Education Center, 55 S. Gammon Rd, Madison, 11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Volunteer with us at the Lussier Community Education Center food pantry! Four volunteers are needed to work from 11:45am until 1:00pm. Sign up for shifts here or email us at madisonrotaryah@gmail.com.
Join us for our meeting on Sunday, September 15 for a visit from our District Governor, Edwin Bos, of the Rotary Club of Fort Atkinson. Instead of our usual 30 minute social, we'll be starting a little earlier at 6:oo pm with dinner with Edwin at The Post. Our meeting this week will be upstairs in the Capitol Rooms on the 2nd floor from 7:00-8:00 pm.
Edwin Bos has been a proud member of the Fort Atkinson Rotary club since 2003. He has served on the Board of Directors, as Youth Exchange Officer, as the chair of several club construction projects, as Club President in 2012-13 and as Assistant Governor from 2014-2017. Edwin strongly supports Rotary’s many exchange programs in part because exchange programs have defined his own life. His Dutch immigrant parents came to Fort Atkinson under the auspices of a Farm Bureau exchange. After studying in Madison Edwin took part in an IAESTE work exchange to Gothenburg, Sweden and, after studying in Rotterdam, he participated in an AIESEC work exchange to Poznan, Poland where he met his wife Joanna. Since returning to Fort Atkinson they have hosted two inbound exchange students. Edwin is a past member of the Fort Atkinson School Board, a Paul Harris plus member, a sustaining member, and a Paul Harris society member. He, his brother and their wives own and operate Bos Design Builders LLC in Fort Atkinson. In his spare time, he enjoys activities that involve spending time with friends, family and anyone who enjoys a little gezelligheid. Something that he feels Rotary and Rotarians already have in spades!
Our meeting on October 6, 2019 will feature Rotary Exchange Student Vheneka Magazi as the speaker. Vheneka arrived in Madison from Harare, Zimbabwe in January 2019, one week before the polar vortex. He is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Madison and is a senior at West High School.
Dave Warren, of the Rotary Club of Janesville, has helped design a portion of this multi-club humanitarian expedition to Nicaragua. The main trip will be from December 4th- 9th, and there is an optional add-on to stay and continue the visit through December 13th. There are several visits to schools and hospitals on the schedule, as well as distributing Christmas gifts. To see the entire schedule, costs, and how to sign up, click on "Club Documents" on the upper right of our website, and choose the Nicaragua Trip folder. The details of the trip extension that Dave has planned can be accessed here. Contact Dave Warren for more information and answers to your questions, too.
Prizes will be awarded to the first person to complete items 1-7, everyone that completes items 1-7 before December 31, 2019, and to anyone that completes items 1-12 before June 30, 2020.
October 24th is World Polio Day and to celebrate, all Madison Great Dane Pubs will be donating $1 to Rotary’s Polio Plus Fund for every pint, crowler, growler and 6 pack sold that day. Every dollar donated will be matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. All Rotary members are encouraged to share this event and also attend with families and friends. See you on the 24th!
Pints for Polio shirts can be ordered directly via Madison Top's website. The cost is $15. A portion of that will cover the cost of production and the remainder will go back to the clubs. The shirts, when ready, will be sorted by club and delivered for further distribution.
