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Echo Hill Station - Celebrating our local role in the space program
Visit Our Club
We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 12:00 PM
Indian Creek Country Club
2401 Indian Creek Road
Marion, IA 52302
United States of America
Marion, IA 52302
United States of America
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Siren Wednesday
The Edison Pub and EaterySep 02, 2020 5:15 PM
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Siren Wednesday
The Edison Pub and EateryOct 07, 2020 5:15 PM
Welcome to Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary
We are fortunate this week to have Mark Stoffer Hunter, our local history expert, as our speaker. He will present via Zoom and you can attend in person or stream Mark using Zoom beginning at noon. If you wish to have a meal while attending, please let Cindy Shipley know by Friday afternoon.
Marion Rotary is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 995 6802 1052
Passcode: 719127
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We have sad news. Tom Wilkinson passed away early Saturday morning. His wife, Alice, asked to share this with the Club.
A memorial gathering will be held at a later date, most likely when the pandemic is more under control. There will be an obituary posted in the coming days at www.stewartbaxter.com. Our condolences to Alice and Tom's family.
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated by the Rotary International Nominating Committee to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history. Jennifer has been a friend of our Club and her rise in Rotary has been watch as one of our own. She was part of our Zones "Rollin' with Rotary" tour along with past District 5970 Governor, Kathy Fahy which assisted many Clubs with service projects including the Cedar Rapids Metro Clubs while touring our Rotary Zone.
Jennifer will officially become president-nominee on October 1 if no other candidates challenge her. Congratulations Jennifer.
Read more here.
The Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary had its Recognition night for the 2019-2020 year and transitioned to the new 2020-2021 Rotary Year on Monday, Jul6 at Indian Creek Country Club. It has been a very unusual year led through it by President Tracey Koenig and the Board. As Tracey remembered members who passed away or had health issues who could not join us regularly or as the Covi-19 pandemic caused us to meet in new ways and canceled fundraising and service opportunities as well as our experimental evening Club spinning off to join the Mt. Vernon Club to form a new Linn County Iowa Rotary Club, it was a challenging year in unpredictable ways. Tracey recognized Craig Novak for his 19 years of service as our Club Secretary. Craig in turn presented perfect attendance awards to several members and some with significant consecutive years .
Tracey also recognized this year's Service Above Self Award to Greg Hapgood who dealt this year with various health issues but as he has done for several years hung in there with a smile, good humor and encouragement to other Rotarians in our Club and throughout District 5970. Tracey also presented the Rotarian of the Year Award to Kesha Billings who helped in support and leadership through this challenging year.
The culmination of the night was the official handing the gavel to Kesha Billings who is the 2020-2021 President of our Club. The year begins with many unforeseen challenges however Kesha is up to the task with the support of our Club as we share Rotary in MECR Rotary style. Thank you Tracey for all your work this year for the Club while transitioning at work to a new building and look forward to your continued guidance as Past President.
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When the sirens sound be reminded it is Siren Wednesday. Hopefully we can get together on September 2nd at The Edison Pub and Eatery, 475 Northland Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids which will be our normal location due to it's size and wide menu options. The social distancing and restaurant availability due to Covid-19 will determine whether we meet again that month. The Edison has reopened so August is looking more of a possibility. On occasion we will meet at a restaurant featuring more dedicated cuisines such as Asian, Italian and other. Please keep an eye on our web site, The Wheel and/or reminder emails. Join fellow Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotarians and friends on for a beverage and visiting starting around 5:00 PM. If you chose, please stay for dinner as the evening continues. This counts as a meeting make-up and is an enjoyable way to relax and pass some time. Watch this location for more information.
"We would like to express our thanks for sponsoring Jacob on the youth exchange a few years ago and provide you with an update on Jacob’s accomplishments. Much of this is due to his involvement in RYLA, Interact and the exchange program itself," writes Renee Wheaton who was our teacher sponsor of Linn-Mar Interact Club and mother of Jacob Wheaton. Jacob is graduating from Iowa State University as Outstanding Senior in materials engineering this year. (https://news.engineering.iastate.edu/2020/05/04/jacob-wheaton-outstanding-senior-in-materials-engineering/) He has shown leadership skills and confidence which to which Rotary can contribute, Jacob being a great example of that. Congratulations Jacob and best wishes in your future endeavors.
Our Echo Hill Station is well under way. We have obtained two 8' in diameter Andrew parabolic dishes to be purposed as "whisper dishes" which can be used by children of all ages and abilities. Barnes Manufacturing has been instrumental in acquiring the dishes. The Linn-Mar Design, Engineering and Materials Department will be involved in this transformation. After a safety meeting, students mounted one dish on a steel post in order to test the dishes. Another dish was mounted on a fork lift and yes, you could whisper and hear someone 50' away in the building. Novak and Brannon Monument Company is in the process of design of the monument portion of the project. The Arthur A. Collins Legacy Association has reviewed wording and graphics for scientific and historical accuracy.
Of course fundraising is still underway. The project estimated to cost about $55,000 has over $34,000 committed to date so we still welcome contributions from companies and individuals who relate to the history, education and economic development this activity has brought to our area. See Erik Miles or Cindy Preussner for more information. This project highlighting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills is still on schedule for Spring completion.
Kids go to school every day with footwear that is failing them, no longer fits or that their family cannot afford. That is the reason the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary has been providing shoe cards since to families, primarily through school nurses in Linn County. Through February 4, 2018, 6468 shoe cards have been turned in for shoes since 2004 to assist those kids and their families. 2017-2018 Rotary Year was the most active year for shoe cards being used with 893 cards redeemed. The Marion Club has raised money directly or through fundraisers to provide this needed service. Many of us in Linn County do not realize the need locally, however reports from school nurses emphasize that need. Many thanks to everyone who has donated or worked to make this project possible!
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Kesha Billings 2020-2021 President
Welcome to the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club website. Chartered in 1969, our growing club is currently made up of over 35 men and women that are actively involved in serving our local community as well as internationally. We have opportunities to be involved in almost any area that you are passionate about!
The Rotary motto is “Service Above Self” and I am honored to work with fellow club members who volunteer to help others.
Our goals for this year include continuing to support programs such as our Shoes for Kids project, as well as Rotary International’s humanitarian efforts which includes world Polio eradication. Currently there are only three countries in the world (Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan) which have cases of polio. We are very optimistic that complete eradication is very close to happening.
Within our community our club supports both a boys and girls troop of Scouts BSA activities and Interact Clubs (Interact gives students ages 12-18 the chance to make a real difference while having fun!) and we hold several fundraising events during the year, which include our Marion-East Cedar Rapids Annual Waffle Breakfast and the Marion Airport Fly In – Drive In Breakfast.
Experience firsthand the “goodwill and better friendships” shared by our members.
We meet every week for an interesting program, a delicious lunch and enjoyable fellowship.
We meet every week for an interesting program, a delicious lunch and enjoyable fellowship.
Visitors are encouraged and welcome!
The Marion East-Cedar Rapids Rotary Club is The BEST place to be on a Tuesday in Marion, Iowa!
President
President Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Rotary Foundation
Membership
Public Relations
Youth Protection Officer
Immediate Past President
Service Projects