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At our club's weekly meeting on November 6, April Sutor, president of the Rochester Rotary Risers club, will present a PEACE POLE commemorating our club's 100th anniversary. What is a Peace Pole you may ask?
A Peace Pole is a monument or obelisk that prominently displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" (often translated into multiple languages on its sides) as a universal prayer or affirmation for global harmony. In the context of Rotary International, it serves as a key symbol and tool in their peace building and conflict prevention initiatives, one of Rotary's core areas of focus. Rotary clubs worldwide participate in the Peace Pole Project, which involves planting these poles in public spaces, schools, parks, or community centers to inspire dialogue, foster understanding, and promote lasting peace. These installations often include dedication ceremonies that bring together community members, emphasizing Rotary's commitment to advancing peace through grassroots actions. The project originated from the World Peace Prayer Society but has been widely adopted by Rotary, with thousands of poles planted globally as beacons of hope and reminders of shared humanity.
Presenting a Peace Pole commemorating a Rotary club's 100th anniversary holds deep symbolic and communal significance, and is often presented by another club as a sign of respect and honor. It serves as a lasting monument to the club's century-long legacy of service, emphasizing a renewed commitment to fostering global harmony, multicultural understanding, and community unity in an enduring way.
We are grateful and honored to receive this very special recognition from our fellow Rotarians in the Risers club. I encourage all to attend this momentous event and to spread the news to former Rotarians, spouses, and guests.
Of course you would, otherwise how can we celebrate our success or learn how to improve. To help build on the successes of 2025, we are asking for your feedback on:
Your Rotary experience
Ideas for recruiting the next generations of Rotary leaders
Please click on this survey and share your feedback. The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete and is anonymous. We'll collect your insights over the next couple of weeks (survey closes on November 11), and we’ll share the results during a December meeting.
The three Rochester Rotary Clubs are sponsoring a Courage Retreat for all Willow Creek Middle School 7th graders on November 13 and 14. This project represents the evolution of Rotary’s support for educating Rochester youth about ethics, peacebuilding and building character since 2017.
The purpose of the Courage Retreat is to inspire students to use courage to do the right thing and make responsible, ethical decisions despite their fears. Youth Frontiers, a Minnesota-based organization that has been leading retreats for schools since 1987, is presenting the retreat in their high-energy style that students enjoy and can relate to. For a glimpse of a retreat in action, go to: St. Paul Academy & Youth Frontiers Courage Retreat.
Half of the 300 7th graders will attend the retreat on November 13 and the other half of the class will attend on November 14. Most of the 7th grade teachers will attend, which will be important as they plan to incorporate the retreat concepts throughout the remainder of the school year. Juniors and seniors from Mayo High School will serve as small group facilitators.
Key learning objectives for the Courage Retreat include:
Identify the everyday fears that prevent you from doing the ethical and right thing
Commit to an act of everyday courage to make school a better place for yourself and others
Deepen relationships with classmates to break down social barriers
Following the retreat, Youth Frontiers will survey the students and Willow Creek will assess the results to provide insight for future plans. Together with Willow Creek staff, Rotarians are discussing follow-up activities that can help the students apply the concepts of the retreat. The Rotary 3-Club Leadership team will determine Rotary’s future involvement and/or funding. Our club’s representatives on the 3-club planning team for this project are Sara Gilliland, Celeste Hofer, Jeff Pieters, and Stewart Rassier. To learn more the Courage Retreat, visit the Youth Frontiers website.
If you’d like to observe a part of the Courage Retreat, please read the information below andsign-up for a time.
Important:As soon as you sign up, complete the Volunteer application for Rochester Public Schools. Go to: RPS Volunteer application It’s a 3-step process, with an online background check as the third step. Although the instructions say it may take up to two weeks to receive email confirmation that your background check has been approved, most approvals are received within a day or two. If you are a current STRIVE mentor, your background check is complete.
Please sit in the area designated for observers, which will be at the back or side of the activities. Please do not take photos of students because three students have not given permission.
Courage Retreat location: National Volleyball Center, 2601 Viola Rd NE, Rochester (next to Century High School)
TRCR member Stewart Rassier gave a Rotary moment at a recent Willow Creek Middle School assembly.
Rotarians, along with your family and friends, are encouraged to show your holiday spirit, share your smile, and sign-up to ring bells for Salvation Army in November and December. The club has committed to providing two volunteers per each two hour shift from 9:00 am - 7:00 pm from Saturday, November 15 to December 20. There are opportunities to ring both inside and outside. See the flier for additional information.
November 22: Sam's Club (outside)
November 29: Sam's Club (outside)
December 6: Hy-Vee Barlow Plaza (inside)
December 13: Walmart North - Market Entrance (outside)
In the next few weeks, members of The Rotary Club of Rochester will receive new rectangle-shaped member badges. At this time, please take a look at your current badge and let John Woodruff know if you would like any changes made to your current badge, such as a nickname, etc. Thanks to an anonymous donor, members, nor the club, will incur any cost for the new badges.
It was a brisk Fall day, but a perfect Rotation Day as TRCR members visited Quarry Hill and the cave and learn how it was once used by the Rochester State Hospital. Thank you to Pamela Meyer for hosting us.
November is Rotary Foundation Month, a time to honor and support the work of The Rotary Foundation. During the month, Rotary clubs focus on raising funds and awareness for the Foundation's projects, which include eradicating polio, promoting peace through the Rotary Peace Centers, and supporting initiatives in areas like water and sanitation, education, and health.
A Peace Pole is a monument or obelisk that prominently displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" (often translated into multiple languages on its sides) as a universal prayer or affirmation for global harmony. In the context of Rotary International, it serves as a key symbol and tool in their peace building and conflict prevention initiatives, one of Rotary's core areas of focus. Rotary clubs worldwide participate in the Peace Pole Project, which involves planting these poles in public spaces, schools, parks, or community centers to inspire dialogue, foster understanding, and promote lasting peace. These installations often include dedication ceremonies that bring together community members, emphasizing Rotary's commitment to advancing peace through grassroots actions. The project originated from the World Peace Prayer Society but has been widely adopted by Rotary, with thousands of poles planted globally as beacons of hope and reminders of shared humanity.
