The Billings Downtown Rotary Club partnered with Billings City Parks and Recreation in a pilot project to plant a fruit orchard in Rose Park. This “Editable Forest” will consist of a total of twenty trees. This is the first of what the city. Parks and Recreation Division plans for other parks in the future. The trees were planted on the west side of Rose Park on Friday, May 18th.
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Stories
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On December 15th, we completed our holiday food basket drive for the 2017 season. We packed 800 food baskets inclusive of both our Thanksgiving and Christmas drives. Approximately 15 -20 members of the club, with the support of some family members, Rotaract Club members, and volunteers Food Services of America packed 450 bags during each session approximately one week before each holiday. The club successfully attained our pledge contribution goal of $24,000 with the cost of each basket at $30. Food Services of America procured the food and forwarded only the raw cost of the products to the club. Family Services then distributed the food baskets to needy families in the Billings community. The holiday food basket drive is over a 30 year tradition of our club. |
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A beloved annual tradition now, Rotary Club assists as bell ringers for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Every December close to 20 Rotarians take a shift ringing the bell and greeting shoppers. Family of Rotarians also help with many members bringing their children to take in the holiday spirit. Also, the Interact Club of Senior H.S. joins on the day where they can. It has become a custom for Rotary Club to be involved in the fundraising for the vulnerable in our community.   |
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More than 10% of our Rotary Club members participated in the Educator for a Day event on Nov 17. The event included a breakfast meeting at the Northern Hotel featuring Rotarian Todd Vralsted, BEA Foundation Chair, convening the meeting, and Darrell Ehrlick, Billings Gazette Editor, serving as moderator for a panel which included Rotarians Steve Arveschoug, Dr Terry Bouck and Dr Bob Wilmouth.
Participants then spent two hours on site at local grade schools, middle schools or high schools. Participants included Rotarians Eric Nord, Bill Dutcher, Carl Jackson, Tom Hanel, Robyn Sargent, Darrin Rich, Andy Gott, Kyle Lantz, Kim Kaiser, Kristie Asay, Bob Carr, Sarah Brockel, Zach Dunn and Sandy Wong. |
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.jpg) We had a great turnout with 25 Rotary Club Members and 12 Interact Student from Senior High School. We will be packing another 400 food baskets for Christmas at FSA on December 16th at 8 AM. Warren Helmer will again be providing breakfast for volunteers following the food basket packing in December.
Thank you to all who volunteered!
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The Hartman Scholarship was established through a generous bequest from former Rotarian Dr. Gerhard (Gerry) and Fern Hartman. Dr. Hartman was a devoted member of the Billings Rotary Club and a Rotarian for 52 years. Gerry and Fern’s desire to have a long-lasting impact on the college education of youth within the Billings area was the motivation behind the establishment of the Hartman Scholarship.
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 The Club’s Centennial Book was distributed at our celebration April 25th to all Rotarians. If you were not in attendance, you may pick up your copy of the book at the guest check-in table at any May meeting. Also additional copies will be for sale for $50, with check payment the preferred method. |
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We desperately need one more host for one of the female members of the Tasmanian Exchange Team. The host will need to provide housing for four nights: Sunday, May 8 through Thursday morning, May 12. The host family does not need to plan activities during the day, as Gregg Glueckert, President of Billings West Club, and President Sandy Wong are working on that schedule. We really, really need someone to come forward – call Sandy on her cell at 855-4829 if you can be a host!
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Clean-up along the Rims trail will be in conjunction with Bright & Beautiful this Spring and will take place Saturday, April 30th. Meet at 8:00am at The Billings Community Center at 630 North 23rd St. for bags and equipment. There will be a lunch for participants afterward at 11:30am. Contact Carolyn Ostby or Bill Dutcher for more information.
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The Billings Rotary Foundation would like to acknowledge Memorials made to The Foundation by Allan Karell and Jock Michelotti in honor of late Rotarian Don Bjertness. Thank you to these Rotarians for their support of The Foundation’s charitable purposes as a way to pay respect to a great, long-time Rotarian.
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 Rotarian Cindy Bye has recently returned from Liberia, West Africa, where she visited the project sites where our club is working, with the participation of the Billings West Club and a District grant. This year two villages in an area off of the road system received a well and a latrine. They finally have safe drinking water! The people were also given training in sanitation and health. |
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The five members of the Rotary Tasmania Exchange Team will be coming to Montana to visit beginning in April. We will be fortunate to have them visit Billings and attend our May 9th meeting. They will need hosts to stay with while they are in town. The Billings West Club already has hosts committed for three of the members. We need a few members in our club to come forward and commit to hosting the other two. They will be arriving in Billings on Sunday, May 8th, and leaving for home on Thursday, May 12th. Please contact President Sandy Wong (855-4829) and let her know if this would work for you/your family as soon as possible. It’s a rewarding experience all around!
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Celebrating 100 years of Billings Rotary Club, 1916-2016! Win $1,000 worth of wine or $750 cash. The drawing will be held April 25, 2016. You can get tickets from any Billings Rotary Member or at Kennedy's Wine Bar and Restaurant for $10 each, 3 for $20, or 15 for $100. Wine, valued at $100, will be selected and supplied by the experts at Kennedy's, 1520 24th Street West.
View the raffle poster:
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The Billings Wolves might have suffered a 51-28 defeat against the Sioux Falls Storm, but fun was had by spectators consisting, in part, of our own Downtown Rotarians. On Saturday, February 20, they got to see the action up close from a special reserved section in the lower arena just above the 50-yard line at a discounted price. Check out these pics:
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 Reserve your tickets on the Downtown Billings Rotary website, or in person at the Feb 1 or Feb 8 meetings, for family and friends for Rotary Night at Billings Wolves Season Opener at 7 p.m. February 20 at MetraPark. Tickets are for reserved seats in the Lower Arena in sections 16 and 18 for Rotarians and their guests to sit together. Special price for Rotarians is $13.50 per ticket regardless of age (infants ages 2 and under who will sit on a lap do not need a ticket). Tickets must be reserved by Feb 15; members will be billed by the club Treasurer. Pick up tickets at Will Call Window at Metra as early as 10 am on February 20; Doors to the Arena open at 6 pm. |
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Rotarian Bill Cochran, Director of the Billings Public Library, will be at Monday's meeting to let you know all about Pre-Sale orders of the "Billings Rotary Club – 100 Years of Service Above Self" Centennial Book available during February. Each member will receive one copy of the Book; these orders are to reserve additional copies as there are a limited number of additional copies being printed and we want to offer them to club members first -- $50 per book -- a 96-page hard cover coffee table book. Delivery is expected mid-April. There will be order forms on the tables, similar to Food Basket commitment forms. Bill is the contact person for any other orders or questions, cochranb@ci.billings.mt.us or 657-8292.
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The Downtown Billings Rotary Club welcomes is newest member: Andrew Gott. Andy recently joined the downtown branch of Stockman Bank as Vice President and Branch Manager. He was sponsored by Rotarian Jeremy Morgret. Welcome, Andy!
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At today's meeting, Melanie Schwarz invited fellow Rotarians to attend the 2016 Energy Briefing, What Your Business Needs to Know about the Clean Power Plan and Montana's Economic Future, hosted by Big Sky Economic Development. The briefing will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next Monday, January 18, from 11 AM to 1 PM and will feature guest speaker Montana Attorney General Tim Fox. An industry panel discussion will also be held, and a complimentary lunch will be served. For more information and to register, visit the Big Sky EDA web page here, or you can contact Melanie Schwarz at melanie@bigskyeda.org.
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Billings Rotary Club is accepting messages from, and for, its members, both present and past. These messages will be in the form of a 1-inch-deep by 7-inch-wide rectangular box positioned below historic information in the Club's coffee-table-sized book. This is a 96-page, hard cover book celebrating the Club's 100 consecutive years (1916 to 2016) as a member of Rotary International.
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Several members of our club pitched in to help pack holiday food baskets at Food Services of America on Friday, December 18. Hundreds of food baskets were prepared for distribution to needy families by Family Services. Check out some photos of the event:
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Many Rotarians and their families had a lot of fun last Saturday ringing the Salvation Army Bell in front of Van's Evergreen IGA. Click the "Read More..." button for pics.
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 The Thanksgiving Basket Packing at Food Services of America on November 20 was a huge success. Thirty-eight people showed up to participate and had a great time. If you missed out on the fun, don't fret. You have another chance to help pack food baskets coming up next week on December 18. Click here for more details.
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When you are making year-end gifts this year, please consider The Billings Rotary Foundation. There are a few ways a contribution can help the Foundation |
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 The RYLA camp is in need of at least 20 good-condition, used, round banquet tables to replace the old, very heavy, oversized picnic tables that the RYLA campers have been sitting on for their group sessions. If you know of a business that can donate some round tables that are no longer needed, please let Arlene Weber, RYLA Director/District Web Administrator, know at (406) 287-3866 or DG5390.2011@msn.com. |
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The Downtown Billings Rotary Club welcomes its new members: Brian Murphy, associate at Holland & Hart, sponsored by George Kimmet, and Brian Dennis with Boys and Girls Club of Billings, sponsored by Greg McDonald.
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The Board has decided that our club will participate in a project to equip a maternity and children’s ward in the Kotor Hospital in Montenegro. We will contribute $1,000, and the District will contribute $2,500. When the global grant is approved by Rotary International, and matching funds are applied, this will yield around $6,500 for the project.
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Attention Rotarians! One of the 2015-2016 Presidential Citation goals requires 85% member retention along with gaining a net of four new members, at least two of which are women. Accordingly, the Board of Directors has approved a new member recruitment promotion by offering a discounted lunch price through January 18, 2016. Rotarians that bring prospective new member guests will only be charged $5 with the balance covered by the Club. As you check in your guest, just indicate they are a prospective new member and we’ll take care of the rest. Thank you, in advance, for your thoughtful consideration!
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 The Downtown Billings Rotary Club is excited to announce that Rotarian Gareld Krieg and his wife, Barbara, have made a major donation to the Rotary Foundation. Major Donors are recognized by Rotary International when their cumulative donations to the Rotary Foundation reach $10,000. They are honored with a crystal recognition piece and a Major Donor lapel pin or pendant, as was Gareld as well as Past District Governor John Stewart and his wife, Susan. |
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 RiverStone Health will be providing flu shots before the regular club meeting on Monday, October 26th. Shots are being offered from 11:15 am to noon. The cost is $30; cash and checks will be accepted. For those with Medicare, bring your card. |
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 We're looking for volunteers to assist with dictionary deliveries to Beartooth and Bench Elementary Schools. We need a lead Rotarian along with an assistant for each location and have included the delivery schedule below. Please RSVP with Zack Dunn, zdunn@yellowstonebank.com if you are available to help. Interacting with the students is a great experience so please sign up!
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October 23rd is World Polio Day! There will be an event in New York City at 6:30 pm eastern (4:30 pm mountain time) through Rotary International that will stream LIVE on the RI website: www.rotary.org that you can watch. If you are not able to see it then, Rotarian Dave Lundin will be setting up a laptop about 11:30am just prior to our October 26 meeting to stream the re-play.
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 The Education Foundation invites you to join us for the 11th Annual Educator for a Day on Thursday, November 19, 2015. Educator for a Day is a program of the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools and Billings Partners in Education. On November 19th, we invite business, community, and government leaders into our elementary, middle, and high schools. Community members, who haven’t stepped inside the doors of a school for years, will have a chance to meet staff, visit classrooms, and learn firsthand what it takes to run a school in the 21st Century. We would love for you to join us! |
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Please welcome the following new Rotarians: Jared Le Fevre, a Partner at Crowley Fleck PLLP, proposed by Rotarian Jock Michelotti; Dr. Clifford P. Coppersmith, Dean at City College - Montana State University, proposed by President Sandy Wong; and Erika Willis, Company Leader, Market Development for Elation, Inc., proposed by Rotarian Bob Carr.
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 We have several students who are eager to participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange program sponsored by the Downtown Billings Rotary Club. Please contact President Sandy Wong if you are interested in leading the program. You can read more about the program here.Updated 10/21/2015: Rotarian Shawna Secker has agreed to chair this program. Thank you, Shawna, for supporting your club!
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 The Downtown Billings Rotary Club is accepting applications for the 2016-2017 Rotary Youth Exchange program. If you would like to be a foreign exchange student or are interested in hosting an exchange student from another country, read more here. |
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 On the evening of September 16th, Rotarians and their guests enjoyed a hilarious, fun-filled comedy, "Don't Dress for Dinner," presented by the Billings Studio Theatre, a volunteer-based community theater. |
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Second graders at Newman Elementary School, a Title I school, holding up some of the books purchased by the Downtown Billings Rotary Club. Teacher Mrs. Julie Schopp was sponsored by the club as a Rotary Exchange Student to Brazil in 1978. |
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The Friendship House had an open house to show off the new kitchen and other improvements that were completed with the $200,000+ we raised at Rotary Nite Out in April of 2014. |
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Paul Harris Fellow recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes outright or cumulatively (Sustaining Membership status), or in whose name is contributed, a gift of $1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program. The recognition consists of a certificate and pin. The reward is fulfilling the 4-Way Test and knowing you have truly helped those who benefit from the efforts of Rotary International. Contact the Club Secretary to become a Paul Harris Fellow!
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Please welcome returning Rotarian David Darby, who transferred from the Rotary Club of the University District in Seattle, Washington. David is retired form the US Department of Treasury and is married to Mary Lee.
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As part of the 2015-2016 Rotary International Presidential Citation, our goal is to have at least fifty per cent of our club's membership registered in My Rotary at the Rotary International website. Join My Rotary today!
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Invite your friends or spouse and join Rotary for this Fall Members' social!
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On August 11, we marked a tremendous milestone: one full year without a single case of polio caused by wild poliovirus in Africa.
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