Many thanks to this year's participants in our annual Rotary Reader Program! Pictured, left to right, are Julie Sgarlata, Jonelle Bailey, Riley Oncken, Jeff Petersen, Becky Springer, Steve Kuhn, Bob Brown, and Tasha Sims.
The annual Green Raffle fundraiser is now underway! Tickets cost $25 each or 4 for $100, and winners will be announced at our Mardi Gras event on April 25. Funds raised will support the club’s programs.
Party with a Purpose! Join us for a fun-filled evening of trivia, Cajun-inspired bites, music, and prizes — all supporting Rotary’s community service initiatives. Trivia | Food | Raffle. April 25, 2026 7 - 10 pm. St. Mary’s PAC, 312 Waterman Street Sycamore IL 60178. Scan the QR Code to purchase tickets and more information about the event. For sponsorship information, contact Brandon at BDiviak@ResourceBank.com
Party with a Purpose! Join community leaders, businesses, and friends for a festive evening of trivia, Cajun-inspired bites, music, and celebration — all in support of Rotary’s service initiatives. Let the good times roll — for a great cause. An Evening of Fun and Community Impact The Rotary Club of Sycamore invites you to partner with us for Mardi Gras Mind Games, a lively trivia night celebrating community while supporting Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self. Guests will enjoy: • Three rounds of lively trivia • Cajun-inspired appetizers and desserts • Green Raffle with prizes up to $1000 • Bottle pulls • Networking with community leaders This exciting event will bring together local businesses, community partners, and residents for an unforgettable evening while raising funds for programs that strengthen our community. The Impact of Your Sponsorship Your sponsorship helps support: • Youth leadership and scholarship programs • Local service projects and community initiatives • Rotary’s international humanitarian efforts • Global polio eradication efforts • Volunteer programs serving our region When you sponsor Mardi Gras Mind Games, you are investing in programs that create meaningful and lasting impact. Scan the QR Code to purchase tickets and more information about the event. For sponsorship information, contact Brandon at BDiviak@ResourceBank.com
Fred Barnhart, Dean of University Libraries at Northern Illinois University, provided a comprehensive update on changes in library services and facilities during this week's meeting.
Fred shared information with club members about:
The transition to digital collections and technology-based research.
The economic challenges, including journal subscription inflation.
The growing role of the library as a “third space,” complete with study areas, a digital media lab, a children’s area, and specialized archives.
Unique holdings at NIU, including medieval manuscripts, cuneiform clay tablets, and a robust Southeast Asian collection.
The restored Gutenberg Press and the popularity of hands-on book labs.
Collaborations with local organizations, including live musical performances in the library and specialized programs such as Earth Fest.
Ongoing fundraising initiatives for upgrades to key library facilities.
Club members congratulated Dean Barnhart on the library’s innovative expansions and asked about the public access to NIU’s collections.
The Rotary Club of Sycamore is excited to invite you to our upcoming Mardi Gras Mind Games – Party with a Purpose!
Saturday, April 25, 2026 7:00 – 10:00 PM St. Mary’s PAC – 312 Waterman Street, Sycamore, IL
Join us for a fun-filled evening of trivia, Cajun-inspired bites, music, prizes, and community fellowship, all in support of Rotary’s service initiatives.
March 9, 1451 – Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci is born in Florence, Italy. He explored South America and the Amazon River. Believing Vespucci discovered a new continent, a German mapmaker makes the first notation of the land as “America”.
March 10, 1903 – Politician, journalist, and playwright Clare Boothe Luce is born in New York City. She serves in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1943-1947 and becomes the first woman appointed as ambassador to a major country (Italy).,
March 11, 1952 – English author, screenwriter, and humorist Douglas Adams is born in Cambridge. His work “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” was originally broadcast as a radio comedy over the BBC in 1978 and was later adapted into novels, comic books, a television show, video game, stage shows, and a 2005 feature film.
March 14, 1879 – Albert Einstein is born in Ulm, Germany. His theory of relativity led to new ways of thinking about time, space, matter, and energy. He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921.
March 8, 1971 – Billed as “The Fight of the Century,” undefeated heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier fought undefeated champion Muhammad Ali in Ali’s comeback bid following a government-imposed exile. Frazier wins in 15 rounds although Ali won two subsequent rematches.
March 10, 1862 – The first issue of U. S. Government paper money occurs as $5, $10, and $20 bills begin circulation.
March 11, 1918 – The “Spanish Influenza” first reaches America as 107 soldiers become ill at Fort Riley, Kansas. The worldwide death toll from the virus approaches 20 million by the end of the epidemic in 1920.
March 12,1933 – Eight days after his inauguration, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives the first of his famous “fireside chats” to a national radio audience broadcasting directly from the White House. His topic centered around his decision to close the nation’s banks in order to stop panic withdrawals, the so-called “run on the bank.”. He went on to deliver 30 more of these broadcasts between 1933 and 1944.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2025-2026
President – Jonelle Bailey
President Elect – Becky Springer
Director (President Nominee) – Matt Nelson
Director (President Designee) -
Past President – Brandon Diviak
Treasurer – Dr. Michele Jurkovic
Secretary – Pat Shafer
Sergeant at Arms – Paulette Renault
Monthly Committees
July: Board of Directors
August: Brandon Diviak, Jeff Keicher, Pat Shafer
September: Dave Hamilton, Jeff Jacobson, Jim Stoddard
October: Paul Callighan, Matt Nelson, Paul Stromborg
November: Sue Emberson, Jeff Frank, Phil Meyer
December: Larry Berke, Ray Dembinski, Riley Oncken
Fellowship: Paulette Renault, Larry Berke, Sue Emberson, Dave Hamilton, Pat Shafer
Foundations:Paul Stromborg, Jim Buck, Sue Emberson, Matt Nelson, Jim Stoddard
Membership: Jonelle Bailey, Ray Dembinski, Brandon Diviak, Bob Hammon, Jeff Jacobson, Steve Kuhn, Phil Meyer, Matt Nelson, Riley Oncken, Jeff Petersen, Bob Wildendradt
New Generations: Chip Houdek, Julie Sgarlata, Becky Springer
Public Image: Bob Brown, Paul Callighan, Jeff Keicher, Joyce Klein, Tasha Sims
Scholarships:Tim Neubert, Don Clayberg, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Steve Kuhn, Julie Sgarlata
Service: Brandon Diviak, Alicia Cosky, Jeff Frank, Michele Jurkovic, Rob Mondi, Tim Neubert, Brendan Wilson
Saturday, April 25, 2026
7:00 – 10:00 PM
St. Mary’s PAC – 312 Waterman Street, Sycamore, IL