Due to technical issues there is no December meeting recording.
Highlights from the meeting:
We have several position openings for the upcoming year, including membership committee, foundation committee, president, president elect, grants committee and treasurer.
We are still in need of a president elect for the 2025-2026 Rotary year. PETS Training is in February, we can't wait until summer for someone to step up. Changemakers will pay for the training and the lodging.
50-50 raffle - Valerie was the big winner this month. Yay Val!
District Grants are based on giving to the Rotary Foundation. We are all encouraged to participate in the very Rotarian, Every Year program of donating $100 to the Rotary Foundation each year. Go to myrotary.org to make a payment or set up ongoing contributions.
The next executive board meeting will be December 9th. All members are welcome. Find the meeting link on the website.
Join us for the service committee meetings, normally the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:00 pm. For December, we are moving it up a week to December 16th to avoid the holiday rush. Find the meeting link on the website.
The theme of the 2026 Rotary Rose Bowl Float will be unite for good. There is magic in teamwork. #Unite for Good.
Our application for a Rotary Peace Pole for Elmwood Elementary's Peace Pollinator Garden in Zion Illinois has been approved. Final logistics to get the chosen languages on the pole and delivery are underway. Elmwood Elementary School is planning a ceremony to dedicate and celebrate the pole, and to create an annual tradition to reaffirm their collective commitment to peace, empathy, and belonging.
Other ongoing projects we are following include the Ukrainian Refugee School Viktoria Vita Griessmuller, the refugee school project coordinator, has been recognized as a 40 under 40 Business Elite Europe awardee. Congratulations to Viktoria.
Next month Sydney Widell will present on the Coon Creek Community Watershed as our guest presenter. Coon Creek watershed suffered major damage during a serious storm a few years ago. The community has rallied to prevent this type of damage happening in the future.
Our December speaker was Nancy Comello, member of the Board of Directors of Supporting Safe Birth, and member of the Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton. Their club project is Improving the health and survival of mothers and babies in Guatemala.
They have an upcoming global grant with a Guatemalan rotary club. The goal is to educate birth attendants in Guatemala. They have a high mortality rate for babies and for the mothers. Most of the deaths are preventable.
Training will include sending Manikins and other training aids to train the attendants. The project conforms to Global Health Best Practices.
They are seeking partnerships to cwork toward the global grant, especially now during this unique district grant match time.
