We have a lot of exciting things happening this month, so let me summarize here in one consolidated list:
May 17th- Club Meeting. Our speaker will be Peggy Elliott speaking about the Ronald McDonald House. Also we will have the formal presentation of the District Grant for World Without Orphans.
May 17th @ 6:30 at HGI. My Book Day Preparation
May 24th - Club Meeting. District Governor Kenny Klooster will be joining us to present Joanne Rosener with the Service Above Self Award for 2021-2022 by Rotary International. Our program will be by Jerome Ferson and Audrey Betcher to preview the presentation they will be giving (along with Elaine) at the upcoming convention on how the 3 Rochester Rotary Clubs helped to launch Cradle2Career.
May 31st - Club Assembly/Social Event @ 5:30 at Little Thistle. Guests and Family welcome to join!
With all these exciting events and special activities, it would be great to see as many of you as possible attend these in person!
Other top announcements/highlights this week's are:
Gail Baker's retirement celebration has been rescheduled to Friday May 20th. See details below
Jason Wagner is looking for pictures of our club in action to update our website. Please send any snaps you have to himjason.wagner@wagnerlegalmn.com
Each year, the Risers select a member of the a Rochester community to be a Paul Harris Fellow and nominations are now open. Details below on how you can nominate someone by May 22nd.
Please also see updates in the Around The District section for aCall for Comments on Proposed 2022-23 District Budget. Comment period is from now through May 18th. Our club officers will need to submit our vote for our club on June 22 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 22 online using Zoom.
Please remember to continue to check the updated Greeter list for this year and look for your scheduled time. You can reach via the website or link below.
Rochester Rotary Risers is a dynamic and inclusive club of engaged members dedicated to making a lasting impact in our community and the world.
Next Club Meeting is May 17th
Our next club meeting will be on May 17th. Our speaker will be Peggy Elliott speaking to us about the Ronald McDonald House where she is the Executive Director. The Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, Minnesota, provides a home away from home and gives support to families seeking medical care for their children and has been in operation since 1980. Also we will be joined by Judy O'Fallon who will make the official presentation of our District Grant in support of our World Without Orphans that our World Community Service Team has been leading for us.
Let's Get Ready for My Book Day 2022!
May 17th - 6:30pm at Hilton Garden Inn
As Riser's one of our key projects to support literacy in our children is to provide books, selected by the students, to 1st Grade youth from 6 elementary schools in the Rochester Public School District. This year, 394 students, all of which come from neighborhood schools where the majority of enrollment qualify for the free, reduced lunch program. We cooperate with the Rochester Public Library to obtain books at a reduced cost as well as to help the students obtain a library card, if they do not have one. 2021-22 is the fifth year of this program.
We need to get the books organized by school and also place stickers inside recognizing our various community members who have shared their time with us this year. Join us at 6:30pm on May 17th at the Hilton Garden Inn in our regular meeting room to get the books ready to distribute. Also looking for 6 people to each take 1 schools set of books and drop them off sometime that week.
Help Gail Baker Celebrate Her Retirement!
Nomination for PHF Community Award Recipient
Each year, the Risers select a member of the a Rochester community to be a Paul Harris Fellow. This individual exemplifies the Rotarian spirit and goes above and beyond to serve our local community. In year’s past we honored someone who was connected to the Risers through our programs over the past year. This year, we would like to broaden the selection process and we are asking for your help. Please respond by May 22, 2022. Please consider nominating someone from the Rochester community who meets the criteria below:
● Has made a significant impact on the community
● Goes over and above their job in serving the community
● Can be a Rotarian (including member of our club) or Non-Rotarian
The Rochester Rotary Clubs are sponsoring a male foreign exchange student, Ruben, from Spain to attend Mayo High School during the 2022-23 school year. During the school year, three families within the same high school attendance area (or able to provide transport if outside the area) are needed to host the student from mid-August – early June (approximately August-November, December-March, March-June). The exchange student does not require their own room, as they can share a room with a host sibling of the same gender as long as they have their own bed. A proper place to study is also needed and they are required to attend school. Please contact Melody Trimble if you are interested in being a host family for the 2022-23 school year or for more information or questions: Melody Trimble, Youth Exchange Officer, thetrimbleotherhalf@gmail.com, 507-250-2579.
KIM NEEDS YOUR HELP NOW!
Please, whenever you complete Rotary-related service projects or activities above and beyond our regularly scheduled meetings, send your hours to Kim Keilholtz at kimdtm@msn.com. Eligible hours include those spent delivering Meals on Wheels, volunteering at Channel One, tree planting, Adopt a Family shopping, Samaritan Bethany tree decorating, Salvation Army bell ringing, STRIVE mentoring, house painting, tree planting, District workshops and meetings, newsletter prep, etc. Those members who have accumulated hours since July 1 and not submitted them to Kim should do so now. Thank you!
Around the District
Call for Comments on Proposed 2022-23 District Budget - Comment Deadline June 2nd
On behalf of the District Finance Team. That Team and the District Board of Directors are proposing the 2022-23 District Budget along with a brief narrative are posted HERE. Pursuant to our District Manual of Policies and Procedures, 2.4.6.3(b), the proposed budget is being sent to you requesting any comments from your Club during a 21-day comment period. Comments are to be submitted via email to Finance Team Leader Paul Perez not later than June 2. Paul’s email address is paul.perezd5960@gmail.com.
Following the comment period, the District Board of Directors will again consider the proposed budget and will propose per capita (per member) District Dues for 2022-2023. The proposed per capita for 2022-2023 will then be decided by a vote of Clubs in our District.
We will hold the Annual Meeting virtually this year. Normally, it has been part of the Conference of Clubs, but given the changes to the Conference this year, we will hold a stand-alone Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 22 online using Zoom.
A District Governor Installation Like No Other
Get ready to party like it's 1929! Our setting is The Commodore, where Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald welcomed their only child into the world (in between dance sets on the old rooftop nightclub!). This Jazz Age cocktail party features live music by the Weinberg Trio.
Professional dancers will teach you the Charleston, the Black Bottom and other period moves. A collaborative painting project will turn brushstrokes from all the guests into a new art work that would put Picasso to shame.
This event includes a pre-party on Dayle and Scott's nearby porch and a limited-capacity walking tour about F. Scott Fitzgerald led by historian Mark Taylor.
Post-party digs available with a special Rotary rate at The Davidson and Hotel 340.
