Rotarianette 02/18/2026 (Feb 18, 2026)

Rotary Friends,

You need to make plans to attend our meeting this week. Our featured speaker is Dr. Drew Van Horn the new President of William Jewell College. You will have the opportunity to hear first hand how WJC is doing this year and how plans are developing for the future of the college.

We continue to focus on collecting SHOES! Jodi carried in two big boxes of shoes, very cute, last week but the prize (a gift card to Saltgrass Steak House) for the most shoes went to Anne Champ who who reported that she had 60 pairs at her house. Anne is using the shoes to to make center pieces for D6040 Conference in April. Mitch, our Shoe Chearleader, promised another gift for this week…..so bring SHOES or Donations!

Yours in Rotary Service,

Reed

Reed Hastings, President

Rotary Club of Liberty

February: World Understanding and Peace Day is celebrated annually on February 23 to mark the anniversary of the first Rotary International meeting in 1905. It promotes international understanding, goodwill, and peace through humanitarian service and dialogue. Rotary clubs worldwide use this day, part of February's Peace and Conflict Prevention Month, to focus on community-building initiatives.

District Grant Project: Our District Grant this year is to add Rotary branding information to Rotary Plaza in order to answer the #1 question we get from visitors---What is Rotary all about? We will be adding signage(4 way test) along with a Peace Pole, a dog waste station, and a little free library. All of the new additions represent important Rotary themes. We are developing signage to go with each item and if you are interested in helping with signage, contact Pat Knauss, Service Chair: patknauss.rotary@gmail.com

Supporting the Environment:

Preserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Our plaza is located along one of the major dog walking routes in Liberty! This station will allow quick and convenient disposal of animal waste….and make it will make it so much nicer to empty the waste container rather than our large trash cans!!!

Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention:
Training leaders, supporting peace-building, and promoting conflict resolution. Our peace pole is being created now! It is 8ft tall and made of Cedar. The eight major languages for Missouri will be represented: English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Vietnamese, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Sign Language.

Basic Education and Literacy:

Supporting education initiatives. Rotary Plaza is enjoyed by the adults and children every day. The library will provide them with something to do while they enjoy the garden! We still need a ‘librarian’ to help keep the books organized. Contact Pat Knauss: patknauss.rotary@gmail.com if interested.

Choice Sponsors:

BEM Business. Blue Dog Merch, Curry Real Estate, Hawthorne Bank, Isley Curry & Howerton, Life Unlimited, MO Farm Bureau, MO Pork Association, Paul & Carol Richards, Pony Express Bank, The Exercise Coach, Thomann Financial Inc, Verimore Bank, Withers Brant Igoe & Mullennix, Zipco.

IN KIND:

Action Printing, Cumpy's, Eileen's Cookies, KC Dumpster, Mendel Law Firm, Pittman Printing, Poney Express Bank

Blue Ribbon Sponsors

Attic Storage-Liberty S.

Hallmark Cards

Premier Network

Scratch Office Catering

Prime sponsors

Bank of Shoal Creek

Drs Waterman & Baker

Knauss Consulting

Liberty Live Well

RC Jones

Tracy Tucker State Farm

GOAL: $30,000

Raised to date: $21,700

Click here to Sign Up

District Conference - 2026

District conference will be at the Rotary Youth Camp in Lee's Summit April 24th and April 25th, with a special concert to be held on Friday, April 24th.

Please click the link below for more info and to register. PLEASE NOTE - EARLY BIRD registration is only $50 per person through March 15! After that, the cost will be $65 per person.

Click on the Poster to the right to register >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It is not too early to make arrangements to attend the Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan, June 13-17, 2026. Make new connections and create unforgettable memories at the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei City, where traditional and contemporary culture intertwine beautifully. Click here for registration options.

Club History: Want to check out the digitalized version of Jim Tanner's book, Wheel Within a Wheel-The Rotary Club & Liberty 1935-2010? You can access the book with this link to Flipbook: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/a7a2edf49b.html Want a pdf copy of the book, just let us know and we will email you a copy.

Want to learn more about Rotary? Check out the website for ‘Heart of America - Zones 30-31’. Rotary clubs are organized into Districts, our club is in District 6040. Rotary Districts are organized into Zones and D6040 is in Zone 30. The ‘Heart of America - Zones 30-31' website is filled with information, educational materials, and ways to connect with other Rotarians.

February - Message from the District Governor

District 6040 January DG Update – Club Visits, Leadership, and Celebrations Ahead

January has been a rewarding and energizing month as I’ve had the privilege of visiting many clubs across our district. Each visit has reinforced what I already know to be true—our strength lies in our people. I have been inspired by your service projects, your commitment to fellowship, and your dedication to making a difference in your communities. Thank you for the warm welcomes, meaningful conversations, and the work you do every day to live out the values of Rotary.

As we move forward, the next few months offer exciting opportunities for connection, learning, and celebration.

In March, we will come together for ShowMe Rotary PETS, https://showmerotary.org/, a vital step in preparing our incoming club leaders for a successful Rotary year. PETS equips leaders with the tools, relationships, and confidence needed to lead with purpose and vision. I strongly encourage all incoming presidents, president nominees and leadership team members to complete their registration and make plans to attend. Your participation is essential to the continued success of your club and our district.

April will bring us to one of the most anticipated events of the year—our District Conference. This gathering allows us to celebrate the impact of Rotary across District 6040 while strengthening the bonds of fellowship that unite us. This year’s conference is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Shoes for Orphan Soles, recognizing a remarkable legacy of service and the countless lives changed through this extraordinary project. Stay tuned for more info and registration details early-mid February.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Rotary and to one another. I am honored to serve beside you as your District Governor and look forward to seeing many of you at PETS and in the months ahead.

Yours in Rotary,

Jodi Sundaram
District Governor, Rotary District 6040

Rotary Club of Liberty

Go go District Site

Rotary's Learning Center - How to Access

Take advantage of a wealth of training materials designed to help you learn new skills and become more successful in what you do. Check out the Online "Rotary Learning Center."

Accessing Rotary’s Learning Center is easy, and you’ll soon be taking courses and finding resources about the topics that matter to you the most.
• If you haven’t used the Learning Center yet, go to rotary.org/learn, sign in to My Rotary, and accept the privacy policy to enable your access. Direct links to courses work only if you have visited the Learning Center before.
• If you need to create a My Rotary account, use the same email address that your club has on file. If that email isn’t valid, ask your club secretary to update the club’s record in Rotary International’s membership database.