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HEARTS & FLOWERS ISSUE FEBRUARY 14, 2026
VOL. 6 NO. 20
EA-WR SAS STUDENTS-MORGAN & NOAH
NEWS-NOTES-NONSENSE
Look for your next Eastender News to drop on March 7th.
On Thursday we were joined by the Executive Director of Refuge, Erin Bickle. It is one of the agencies housed within the Riverbend Family Ministries building in WR. The agency serves children and their caregivers who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and violence through counseling, caregiver support, and education. They serve children in Madison County from birth thru age 11. Refuge has a staff of 13, with 6 interns. Erin noted out that April is Child Abuse Month and that Refuge will have a kickoff on April 1st, 9AM at their site.
JoeS has received notification from the Illinois Secretary of State that our foundation is now officially the Riverbend East Rotary Club Foundation.
EA-WR January SAS students Morgan Eberlin and Noah Norton were on hand along with family members and school officials.
Our gumbo fund raiser is scheduled for April 25th @ the Keasler Center.
Our foundation Trivia Night is scheduled for Feb 28th. As of Thursday we had 17 tables reserved, with a goal of 30 tables. Get your team together, $200 a table for up to 8 players. Register by TODAY for free toasted ravs. (Contact JoeS) Round sponsorships are $100. Got a bottle of booze collecting dust? Donate it for our booze barrow raffle. SherryT is in charge of the basket raffle. See both trivia flyers below for additional details.Through the Decades is the theme. All ages are welcome.
Thanks for your years of service-TommieM-31 years, ChrisH-19, SherryT-11 and LindseyH-9.
We will have a social night at the Atomic Pinball Arcade https://atomicpinballarcade.com/ on Friday March 6th, 7-9 PM. Come when you want, stay as long as you like. $10 gets you an hour of unlimited play. Prez Mark plans to chow down at the Burger Bar around 5:30 https://www.facebook.com/fergusonstreetburgerbar/ before heading to the arcade. He welcomes everyone to join him.
Leonard Berg was back in the house with more Chow Down tix.
Early-birders included Prez Mark, LoriP and BradP.
Slide-right-in Obi Wan ChrisH was joined by GlennB and PaulH.
Last to arrive included RodneyD, ScottL and PaulH.
We had 18 members dining on mostaccioli, mixed veggies, rolls, Caesar salad and cookies.
SAA RickH recruited BillP to serve as the finemaster. Bill paid a Happy Fine. Winter Olympics were the trivia topic. We answered 3 out of 5 Q's correctly. And yes, Sarajevo was in Yugoslavia and not Czechoslovakia. Not a EA-WR HS grad? Pay a $.
The $131 jackpot went unclaimed by Prez Mark and our guest speaker. GeorgeM won the scratch-off.
Opening duties were covered by ChrisH, MattK and BillP.
TRIVIA NIGHT FLYERS
PRESIDENTS-NOW & OUR FUTURE
PREZ MARK WELCOME STUDENTS
PICK YOUR CONVERSATION TOPIC
ALL THINGS TRIVIAL
Where were the first officially designated Winter Olympics held?
A-Chamonix, France
B-St. Moritz, Switzerland
C-Lillehammer, Norway
D-Lake Placid, New York
(Find the answer near the end of the newsletter)
Today is National Cream-filled Chocolates Day
What country sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. in 1803?
Spain
France
Portugal
England
For the price of $11.25 million and an agreement to forgive $3.75 million in national debt, France sold 530 million acres of land to the United States in what became known as the Louisiana Purchase. The U.S. nearly went to war with France over the territory before an agreement was reached between Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Sourced from the Eastender News, Make-Up and Banner newsletters
February 2019
SherryT introduced the EA program presenter, Todd Kennedy. He told us all about the Eastgate improvement project.
DonnaK introduced the newest WR member RobinK.
It was determined that the recent basketball tournament was the 30th edition.
GeorgeM wiffed on the $540 jackpot.
Pastor Andrew was headed back to New Jersey after announcing that RodneyD had been selected as the new Church of the Nazarene pastor.
MikeK paid a Happy Fine.
JeanK, LindseyH and SherryT were all promoting the upcoming Disco Bingo event.
JoeS, SherryT and BradP all shared some 'fond" memories of coaching youth sports.
LindseyH reported that Color Run sponsorships had topped $3,000.
Changing the WR meeting day/time was still under consideration. A membership vote favored Monday or Wednesday.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
DATELINE:ROTARY
50 YEARS OF ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE:WHY ALUMNI MATTER
By Hans Lee, a member of the Rotary Club of Berlin Platz der Republik, Berlin, Germany and co-founder of Rotex International
I watch time pass by with a mix of emotions in the world of Rotary Youth Exchange. Programs grow, traditions change, challenges are overcome and generations of students pack their whole life into a suitcase and move to a country where they do not know anyone.
Then — after experiencing transformations they can never fully explain to their friends and families — they leave that world that had adopted them. Somewhere on that journey back, a quiet truth emerges: exchange doesn’t end when you return home.
Why Rotex exists
Rotex alumni associations exist to help returning students continue on their journey. As we mark 10 years of Rotex International — and reflect on 50 years of Rotary Youth Exchange as an official RI program (as of 2025) — I’ve been thinking a lot about the alumni who built our history.
The roots stretch far back. Rotary clubs were organizing student exchanges as early as the 1920s. In 1975, Rotary Youth Exchange became an official RI program.
Those moments weren’t simply milestones; they are glimpses of how deep the roots of Rotary Youth Exchange run. By the time we held the first international Rotex gathering in Bordeaux in 2012, it was already clear alumni were no longer just participants who “graduated” from Youth Exchange. They are problem solvers, cultural ambassadors, and mentors who continue to move the organization forward as long as they stay connected to Rotary.
The recognition of Rotex International in 2019 as a Rotary alumni network acknowledged the reality that exchange alumni are globally-minded and driven to connect the Rotary world.
Yet every year, thousands of young leaders complete their Youth Exchange and drift away from Rotary. Not because they want to, but simply because the bridge back to Rotary isn’t always easy to find.
“I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."-Carl Sandburg
"Winter tames man, woman, and beast."-William Shakespeare
"I would unite with anybody to do right; and with nobody to do wrong."-Frederick Douglass
"In a way winter is the real spring, the time when the inner thing happens, the resurge of nature."-Edna O’Brien
SMILE
When I see lovers' names carved in a tree, I don't think it's sweet. I just think it's surprising how many people bring a knife on a date.
A man asks his iPhone: “Siri, why am I still single?!” Siri activates front camera.
My boss told me that I don’t know my boundaries. So I fired him.
Years ago, I threw away a boomerang really hard. I’ve lived in constant fear since.
How do you rob a snowman? With a hairdryer.
What is white and rolls up a mountain slope? An avalanche who is homesick.
THE NUMBERS
Super Bowl numbers-The National Retail Federation estimated that 121.1 million people were planning parties and 18.2 million planned to watch from bars or restaurants. Estimated spending adds up to $20.2 billion, or nearly $95 a person, on food, drinks, apparel, and other stuff.
Roughly 53,000 U.S. home-purchase agreements were canceled in October, equal to 15.1% of homes that went under contract that month, up from 14.3% a year earlier-Redfin
In just over three years, AI usage has gone from almost nil, to something 62% of Americans report using several times a week-Pew Research Center.
Wedding parties are an average of 20% smaller now than they were in 2019-The Knot
U.S. state and local pension funds invested some $1.3 trillion in private equity and other private assets as of the 2024 fiscal year, according to Boston College data, up from $200 billion in 2005
Roughly 32% of all data-loss incidents at organizations worldwide over the past year involved a malicious insider, up from 20% in 2024-Proofpoint
The average price of a new car reached $50,080 in September 2025—a new record—up from less than $38,000 in early 2020-Kelley Blue Book
(Trivia answer-A)
Rotarian Code of Conduct
The following code of conduct has been adopted for the use of Rotarians:
As a Rotarian, I will
1-Act with integrity and high ethical standards in my personal and professional life
2-Deal fairly with others and treat them and their occupations with respect
3-Use my professional skills throughRotary to: mentor young people, help those with special needs, and improve people's quality of life in my community and in the world
4-Avoid behavior that reflects adversely on Rotary or other Rotarians
5-Help maintain a harassment-free environment in Rotary meetings, events, and activities
