Welcome to Our Club


The Rotary Club of Wilmette has merged with the Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club, the combined clubs are now all officially the Rotary Club of Wilmette. The original Wilmette Rotary Club was chartered in 1924 and was known as the Noon Club.  In 1990, the Wilmette Harbor Club was chartered, and was known as the Morning Club.  In 2019, a satellite club was established as part of the Noon group.  Today there are over 80 active members who gather to do good for others while enjoying good fellowship, with the choice of meeting either morning, noon or evening.
 

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, food packing and providing necessities to the homeless in Chicago, supplying ultrasound equipment and related training to people in Uganda, providing disaster relief supplies to hurricane, typhoon, and other natural disaster survivors, providing winter coats and shoes to low-oncome children, food packing for people in Guatemala and Central America, and supporting local food pantries, literacy efforts and diversity.

NOTICE: We are currently meeting in-person on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 am and Noon, and the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Our meeting place for the 7:30 am meeting is the Sheridan Shores Yacht Club.  The Noon meeting is the Wilmette Golf Club. 3900 Fairway Drive, Wilmette.  Meeting place for the evening meeting will vary.

We’d love to have you join us!

 
Welcome!   
Wilmette

Our Motto:
Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
Wilmette Golf Club
3900 Fairway Drive
Wilmette, IL 60091
United States of America
We have three groups: two meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 7:30am at the Sheridan Shores Yacht Club and at Noon at Wilmette Golf Club. The other group meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7pm. Mailing address is: PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
Stories
Joe Coughlin is a co-founder and the editor in chief of The Record North Shore. The Record North Shore is a nonpartisan community newsroom dedicated to the North Shore suburbs of Chicago.  Joe spoke about the non-political nature of his publication, which is a non-profit and endeavors to bring unbiased, straightforward news of interest to the North Shore. He stressed the importance of feedback and information from his readers to keep the news stories current and relevant. Although The Record is free, a subscirption can be purchased which helps to keep the publication going. Joe was candid about need to keep the publication objective and report on newsworthy events that the public wants to know about.
 
This presentation will be repeated on March 27 at our Noon meeting.
Buses are still arriving at the Wilmette train station with migrants who have been transported here from Texas.  The buses arrive unscheduled, and the Wilmette Police and volunteers try to assist the migrants to get "Take Care" packages and coats before they get on the train to Chicago processing centers. In connection with SaLT an organization in Highland Park, volunteers have packed bags with hygiene items, water and snack bars to give to the migrants when they leave the bus, along with winter coats that have been donated by the public.
 
Needed donations can be made at various locations (Click to see locations), and can include Water, Shampoo, Soap, Small first aid kits, Aspirin bottles, Toothpaste and Toothbrushes, Chapstick, Wipes, Face masks and Snack bars. If you are interested in donating funds, click HERE
 
Volunteers at our monthly Lunch-packing event on March 5, made a record 248 lunchbags, which were delivered the next day to Connections for the Homeless in Evanston.  This ongoing event is a fun and effective way to provide a necessary service to those who are less fortunate in our population.  The next Lunch-Packing event is April 2 at 6PM at St. Joseph Church, southeast corner of Lake and Ridge in Wilmette.
                                       

Lucy Mellen, Sustainability Coordinator for the Village of Wilmette and Wilmette Park District gave an excellent and informative presentation about what "sustainability" is, what it looks like in Wilmette, and what you can do at home to be more environmentally-conscious.  Lucy enthusiastically related the projects that are ongoing and planned in Wilmette, including creating and maintaining native habitats, conserving water, reducing emissions, increasing energy efficiency and educatiing residents on the importance of sustainability. 

The morning group heard from Paul Boer with the Chicago Furniture Bank. This non-profit organization founded in July of 2018,  serves as an intermediary between Chicagoans who have extra furniture and those who need it. They provide furnishing packages to clients in need that include beds, couches, armchairs, dressers, desks, end tables, coffee tables, kitchen tables + chairs, dishware, rugs, lamps, artwork, mirrors, and more. As of 2023, the Chicago Furniture Bank has furnished over 13,000 homes for over 21,000 people and given away furniture weighing over 6,000 tons. Each home furnished by the Chicago Furniture Bank provides stability, dignity, and comfort to a Chicagoan in need.
 
The noon group heard from Sarah Murphy of Toes n' Water. This grass-roots organization's mission is to make those who love and use Lake Michigan become aware of how to protect it, explore it, and adore it. Through educational workshops, beach clean-ups, and everyday tips, they hope to make it easy for people to become "guardians" of Lake Michigan.
Tracy Mc Keithen, Executive Director of Family Promise Chicago NorthShore (FPC) spoke to us about her organization. FPC helps families with young children find stability and new homes.  Last year FPC also helped 1000 individuals.  FPC has been performing these services since 2010 to help families who are homeless (or at risk of being homeless) to get back on their feet and provide stable lifestyles for their children. 

FPC provides food, shelter, sleeping facilities, education and work training to its participants. It intervenes with landlords to help keep the needy from being displaced without cause; it provides summer camps for the children of working parents; it provides information about tenants’ rights and responsibilities, how to avoid eviction, how to do “life skills” functions such as use of laundry equipment, and how to save some money for emergencies.  

FPC offers families a daytime location with a mailing address and a place for their children to get picked up for school.  Presently they have approximately 28 local church congregations and other organizations who help the FPC program.
2023 was a turning point for our Rotary presence in Wilmette.  The merger of the Rotary Clubs of Wilmette Harbor and Wilmette resulted in an 80 member organization of Rotarians, under the name Rotary Club of Wilmette.
 
We organized and participated in several Community Service and fellowship opportunities. We gained some members and we lost some members. The three groups have made foward strides to working and socializing together.  The following is a recap of some of the events in 2023.
 
January (and monthly thereafter) - Lunch-packing for the homeless
 
February - Wine Tasting Party
 
March - Food packing for Kids Against Hunger
 
April - Trivia Night Fundraiser; Supported the building of a new well for a school in Angola; toured the Wilmette Theater
 
May - Hope Walk for the Homeless Fundraiser; Memorial Day Parade March
 
June - Installation of new President, Mariana Alfar
 
JULY - Merger complete.  New Rotary year begins as one Wilmette Rotary Club.
 
August - Beach Clean-up Gillson Park
 
September - Trivia Night Fundraiser; Wilmette Block Party
 
October - End Polio Now Drive
 
November -Warm Coat distribution to local  kids and adults in need; Holiday Gift Fundraiser
 
December - Amazon Wishlist Gifts to Homeless; Holiday parties; New Trier Swing Choir performs.
 
 New Members:  Frank Cheswick, Mojgan Bowers, Ariel Talen-Keller, Duncan Wardrop, Marcia Srivastava
In Memoriam - Marsh Hammersley, Julie Minato
 
 2024 is the 100th anniversary for both our club and the Winnetka/Northfield Rotary Club.  We plan to celebrate together.  The Winnetka/Northfield Club has set June 20 in the beautiful Garden Room at the Winnetka Community Center for the combined celebration. We will also include the Installastion of  Co-presidents for both club for the 2024-2025 Rotary year..  Several of our club members have volunteered to assist in the planning, Yvonne Sito, John Held, Mariana Alfar, Debora Morris, Terry Porter, Nick Dallas, Maurice Sullivan, Heidi Voorhees.
 
Rotary memoribilia is being collected by Jackie Grant and Joe Goldstein.  Please contact Jackie (granatj@comcast.net) if you have any Rotary items that can be added to the collection or want to assit with collection and display at the June 20 event. 
Member John Kessler has restarted a long-standing project to collect eyeglasses.   The former Wilmette Harbor Rotary  had been doing this project for many years. Collection stations have been placed in the post offices in Wilmette, Kenilworth and Winnetka. In association with the Lion's Club, the eyeglasses collected are recycled and distributed to those who need them, locally and abroad.  
Drs. Patel and Nasrallah spoke to us about their organization, Global Foundation for International Cardiac and Community Services.  They offer unique opportunities for medical practitioners in Kenya to expand their individual skills and knowledge with the goal of providing improved health care and health equity to their own communities. They also collaborate with local community organizations to provide health care, education and leadership development.
Speakers
Sarah Murphy
Mar 19, 2024 7:00 PM
Protecting Lake Michigan

Sarah Murphy founded and manages Toesnwater.  Their mission is to make it easy for YOU and your community to be Lake Guardians. We exist to empower and inspire everyday people to live in harmony with lake nature through practical tools, resources, programs, and lake-loving goods.

Location: 1616 Sheridan Rd., Wilmette

Dick Farkas
Mar 27, 2024 7:30 AM
Cyber-crime and Cyber-warfare
Joe Coughlin, Editor in Chief
Mar 27, 2024 12:00 PM
The Record North Shore
Lisa Torem/John Philip Shenale
Apr 10, 2024 7:30 AM
What's AI Got to Do with It!
Lisa Torem and John Philip Shenale
Apr 10, 2024 12:00 PM
What's AI Got To Do With It
Kara Teeple, CEO Lawrence Hall
Apr 24, 2024 7:30 AM
Hope, Healing, and Resiliency
Dick Farkas
Apr 24, 2024 12:00 PM
Cyber-crime and Cyberwarfare
Ahlam Al-Jebory & Asma Jarad I
May 08, 2024 7:30 AM
Introduding ICNA
Ahlam Al-Jebory & Asma Jarad
May 08, 2024 12:00 PM
Introducing ICNA
John Kilner
May 21, 2024 7:00 PM
Interactive Assistance with Medical Decision-making
John Kilner
May 22, 2024 7:30 AM
Intereactive Assistance for Medical Decison-making
John Kilner
May 22, 2024 12:00 PM
Intereactve Assisitance for Medical Decison-Making
Lexy Gore & Holly Stevens
Jun 12, 2024 12:00 PM
C.A.R.E. Animal Welfare, Rescue and Adoptioin
Rodrigo Velarde
Jun 26, 2024 12:00 PM
5 Essential Training Techniques for Longevity
Siobahn Flynn
Aug 28, 2024 7:30 AM
TEDX Wilmette
Siobahn Flynn
Aug 28, 2024 12:00 PM
TEDX Wilmette
Donate Here for Our Foundation
 
 
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Club Events
 
Directors and Committees
President
Co-Immediate Past President
Co-Immediate Past President
Co-President Elect
Co-President Elect
Secretary
Club Foundation Treasurer
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Membership Chair
Public Image
COMMUNITY SERVICE CHAIR
YOUTH SERVICE CHAIR
CLUB SERVICE CHAIR
Web Site Coordinator
Program Chair
Bulletin Editor
Fundraising Chair
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHAIR
Club Foundation Chair
Finance Chair
Virtual Meeting Coordinator