Welcome to Our Club

TOGETHER WE CAN END RACISM

The Rotary Club of Wilmette offers help and support to all communities locally and internationally wherever and whenever there is need in the human family.

The Rotary Club of Wilmette was chartered in 1924 with 21 members. Today there are over 59 active members who gather to do good for others while enjoying good fellowship.

Our Club members enthusiastically live the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” both locally and internationally. Recent projects include water well installation at schools in Angola, the collection and delivery of over 20,000 books annually to inner city schools in Chicago, supplying ultrasound equipment and related training to people in Uganda, resettlement assistance to legal refugees in the Chicago area, providing disaster relief supplies to hurricane, typhoon, and other natural disaster survivors, food packing for people in Guatemala and Central America, and supporting local food pantries and literacy efforts.

NOTICE: As of August 4, we are returning to Zoom Fellowship meetings as a precaution against the Delta variant. Those wanting to join via Zoom can contact debora@pftl.net for link.

We meet Wednesdays at 12:15 PM at the Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Drive, Wilmette, IL 60091.

We’d love to have you join us!

Welcome!

Our Motto:
Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Wednesdays at 12:00 PM

Wilmette Golf Club

3900 Fairway Drive
Wilmette, IL 60091
United States of America

Beginning August 4, 2021, we will return to Zoom virtual meetings. Contact debora@pftl.net for the Zoom link.

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

Rotary Meeting Update

Club lunch meetings are now both in-person and Zoom. Our first priority is always safeguarding the health and well-being of our members and their families, however, we believe we can safely meet in person at this time. Zoom links will be available for those who want to join virtually.

We welcome prospective members and guests to come to our meetings. Please contact Debora at debora@pftl.net if you would like to join us either in-person, or by Zoom.

July 28 Program - New Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy

Dr. Thomas Meade, Northwestern professor, researcher, inventor and entrepreneur, presented some fascinating insights into "theranostics" for the 21^st century. He explained that people who are diagnosed with cancer rarely die of the initial cancer, but rather it is when the cancer cells metastasize (spread) and affect other organs that 99% of people die. So improved diagnostic and therapeutic techniques with minimal side effects are being developed to identify and stop the spreading of cancer cells. Dr. Meade explained how early diagnostics through imaging can find the cancer and determine where it will spread. Then tumor specific therapy can be employed to slow down or stop the metastasis. Cancer will never be “cured”, he said, but lives can be saved with early diagnosis, imagining and tumor specific treatment.

RAD Party Was a Blast!

The Rotary After Dark (RAD ) group hosted a western-themed party to highlight their service projects this last Rotary year. It was held at the Old Neighborhood Grill in Evanston. It was a lot of fun and attracted some potential new members as well.

July 21 Program - Electric Railways

Our member, John Plante (President Elect) spoke to us about how electric railways work. He explained the structure, the uses, the precautions, the safety features, etc. of the Chicago electric rail system. It was a fascinating look at this unique system of transportation.

July 14 Program- Drug Enforcement Administration

Our member Carly Morell and her colleague, Joe Mele presented an overview of how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) functions, and their role as Diversion Investigators. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the FBI, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The DEA has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and abroad.

This was our first hybrid meeting, combining Zoom with an in-person meeting. Despite some technical glitches, the presentation was excellent and well- appreciated by the group.

June 30, 2021 - John Lenhard

Volunteers Make a Difference for the Coast Guard

Club member John Lenhard was the speaker for the June 30, 2021 meeting of the club. John provided us with an overview of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, an active arm of the United States Coast Guard staffed by volunteers. John, an active member of the Auxiliary, reviewed the history of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and talked about the great variety of functions and volunteer opportunities within the organization. A primary mission is boating safety through water patrols, boat safety checks, and training for boaters. Go to their website, https://www.cgaux.org, for further information.

Following John's presentation, it was noted that, barring any changes, this would be the last fully virtual meeting of the club. The Installation Dinner will be held on July 7 in the evening (registration this page) and in-person meetings will begin on July 14. Thank you to John Held and Frank Candioto for their leadership during this unusual time!

International Project Update

Posted by Ray Zeiss

This has been an active month for our Club's Global grants and a brief update is as follows:

1. Angolan wells. The well at the RISE International, Denda School in Angola has been completed and turned over to the community. Funding $11,000. RC Glenview Sunrise sent RISE International $4000 cash that allowed funding of our second well at the Bairro Novo School in Angola to be drilled as the new school is being built! This well will serve over 1000 children in that community. Funding $11,000.

2. We supported Glenview Sunrise in a global grant, Clean Water for El Potrero to supply water to an entire village in Guatemala. Funds from our Club ($2813 in DDF) were enhanced by our District to $3516.

3. New Global grant in Uganda, ICU Equipment-Bwindi Community Hospital, Uganda-Phase 1 identified by Steve Jambor. Supported by multiple Clubs in our District.
We supported this grant with $4108 from our Club’s present year DDF funds and pledged $4108 in cash ($2000 this Rotary year and $2018 next year). The District enhanced our $4108 DDF contribution to $5135.

4. Steve’s Global grant, Delivery of Ultrasound Services for Mother and Newborn Health, Uganda is spending money for clinic equipment.

5. Our International Service committee committed $500 for Breathe India for oxygen concentrators recommended by our District to help with the India Covid surge.

4. Total RC Wilmette Global grant footprint this year for doing good in the world totals $41,711.

June 16 Program- Railroad Safety

Dr. Lanny Wilson spoke to us about his personal tragedy of losing his daughter, who was hit by a train while in a car driven by his son. He became an advocate for railroad safety. Lanny now serves as chairman of the DuPage Railroad Safety Council, which encourages awareness of the dangers of railroad crossings and the building of fences and gates at crossings. He believes that accidental deaths at railroad crossings are 100% preventable. Unfortunately, trespasser suicides are on the increase, but fences may help address this.

June 9 Program - Elmwood Dunes Preserve

Patrick Duffy, resident of Wilmette, talked to the club at its June 9, 2021 meeting about his efforts to restore the area formerly known as Elmwood Park in Wilmette. After learning that the Village might turn the 80 foot wide, public right-of-way to Lake Michigan over to the neighboring properties, Patrick put together a plan that would clean out the overgrowth and trash and restore the natural vegetation to the area and preserve the open space for public access. Working in cooperation with the Village and with the aid of grant monies, the area is now a beautiful spot from which to observe the lake and the natural shoreline. Club members recently completed a public service project assisting in the removal of some of the invasive plants in the renamed Elmwood Dunes Preserve.

May 26 Program - 6440 Harassment Prevention

Betsy Kmiecik, Harassment Prevention Committee Chair for District 6440, described the development and enactment of the District's Harassment Prevention Policy. RI adopted a policy on harassment in 2019; District 6440 formed a committee in May 2020 to develop a district policy. Basically, harassment is any "unwlecome physical. contact, comments or advances". But to be considered legally "harassment", it must fall into one of 12 protected categories: age, ethnicity, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, abilities, socioeconomic status, culture or gender identity. Betsy explained the remedial process as well.