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Guest Speaker:  Betty Mullins
 
Growing up in western Canada, Betty Mullins likely never suspected that baseball would lead her to America...and to a career in the game, during World War II.
 
As a youth in Regina, Saskatchewan, she was recruited to her high school softball team to play third base -- mainly because she was the only girl in school who could make the throw from third to first.  Unbeknownst to Betty, her skill got her noticed by a scout for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, an all-women's league started by P.K. Wrigley to keep the game alive during the war...and kept on going for a few years after that.
 
Betty was eventually offered a chance to try out for the league; all players had to go through tryouts, whether they had experience or not, and weren't assured a spot on any team...let alone the one they may have played for the prior season.  She was a skilled third baseman, and wound up playing for three seasons in towns including South Bend, Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
 
Her best season came in 1949, when the Grand Rapids Chicks made it to the league's championship series, losing to the Rockford Peaches 3 games to 2.  During her career, she had one spectacular game...making a dozen putouts from third, something that's never been done by any player in Major League Baseball.
 
She and her husband eventually settled in Sycamore, where they continued to remain active in sports through coaching; her work with the school's softball team led to full-time employment as a teacher, even though she'd never received any formal education in teaching.  And she now keeps alive the legacy of the league, which eventually folded in 1954; it's enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, she herself is in three different sports halls of fame in Canada...and today, she is the last surviving player from all three teams she was on during her pro career.
 
Sycamore Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast set for October 29th
 
The Sycamore Rotary Club's annual Pancake Breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 29th; it will be from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Federated Church in Sycamore, during Pumpkin Festival weekend.
 
This annual fundraiser for the Rotary Club's scholarship and youth programs offers all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage; admission is $5.00 per person.  Tickets are available from any Sycamore Rotarian, or at the door; the general public is invited.
 
New host family urgently needed for Rotary exchange student
 
 
We are urgently seeking families interested in hosting Marcela Silva, our Brazilian exchange student. 
 
We need help from our fellow Rotarians to identify families with an interest and preferably with a high school aged female student.  The family we had identified will not work out and we are in a bit of a scramble for a replacement family. 
 
The transition would take place around the week of Thanksgiving. 
 
We need a good Rotarian response for this wonderful young lady.  She’s our guest and we need to see to it that she has an experience that exemplifies what it means to be a part of Sycamore.
 
Please let Chip Houdek know if you have a family in mind; call him at 815-501-1173. 
 
Tickets still available for Make a Difference raffle
 
Tickets are still available for the Make a Difference DKC raffle, to support the Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack event in November.
 
Rotarians are encouraged to sell these tickets between now and November 13th; the grand prize is $10,000 in cash, and Rotary will get back $8 from every $20 ticket sold.
 
For more information, please see Heidi Wright at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting.
 

Attendance: October 12, 2016

     Attendance:  57.97%

    

Attendance: October 19, 2016
 
     Attendance:  62.32%
 
     Guests of Members:  Dennis Jagodzinski (Riley Oncken) 
 
 
Speakers
Oct 26, 2016
Pentagon 9/11 Survivor
Nov 02, 2016
Ledil, Inc.
Nov 09, 2016
Veteran's Day Program
Nov 16, 2016
Also: Citizen of the Month; Pumpkin Baking Contest Winners
Nov 30, 2016
Sycamore LIFE Missions
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Pumpkin Festival Pancake Breakfast
Federated Church
Oct 29, 2016
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
 
Make a Difference DKC 2016
The Suter Company, Sycamore
Nov 10, 2016 10:00 AM –
Nov 13, 2016 5:00 PM
 
Make-Up Session
Blumen Gardens
Nov 23, 2016
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Sycamore
Service Above Self
We meet Wednesdays at 11:45 AM
Blumen Gardens Banquet Facility
403 Edward Street
Sycamore, IL  60178
United States
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
 
VenueMap
Venue Map
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2016-2017
President -- Sue Emberson    
President-Elect -- Eric Jones
Past President -- Russell Bishop    
Secretary -- Sally Bruch    
Treasurer -- Michele Jurkovic    
Director -- Ray Dembinski
Director -- Pat Shafer   
Assistant Treasurer -- Lavarre Uhlken    
Sergeant-at-Arms -- Brian Adams
 
Monthly Committees
July -- Curt Lang, Gary Evans, Jim Moris, Chip Houdek, Sally Bruch, Fred Peltz
August -- Barry Schrader, Ben Swedberg, Lloyd Larson, Jim Buck, Julenne Davey, Dave McCann
September -- Mario Fontana, Paul Michel, Bert Gray, Jeff Jacobson, Tim Carlson, Brandon Diviak
October -- Jeff Frank, Marcy Buick, Dave Andrews, Jim Schwartzbach, Dave Miller, Don Clayberg
November -- Pete Johnson, Dave Galica, Julie Sgarlata, Kathy Countryman, Tami Armstrong, Troy Oates
December -- Steve Balster, Bob Wildendradt, Brad Waller, Eric Jones, Dan Gibble, Kathleen Merner
January -- Pat Shafer, Michele Jurkovic, Keven Dahl, Paul Barnaby, Heidi Wright
February -- Brian Gregory, Nicole Stuckert, Riley Oncken, Ahmed Kamel, Larry Berke
March -- Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault, Russell Bishop, Ray Dembinski, Dave Hamilton, Steve Kuhn
April -- Paul Borek, Shelley Hendricks, Jim Bowers, Bob Hammon, Paul Callighan, Sajel Patel
May -- Mark Spiegelhoff, Cliff Bottigliero, Rose Henton, Mark Hilde, Darion Page, Rose Treml
June -- Paul Stromborg, Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Jeff Keicher, Jim Stoddard, Marijo Schwartz
 
New Generations
Chair—Julie Sgarlata
At-Large Committee Members – Kathy Countryman, Eric Jones, Don Clayberg, Julenne Davey, Nicole Stuckert
Sycamore H.S. Interact – Ben Swedberg  
Sycamore M.S. Interact – Nicole Stuckert 
South Prairie EarlyAct – Julie Sgarlata  
North Grove EarlyAct – Mark Hilde       
Long/Short Term Youth Exchange – Chip Houdek, Tim Carlson, Jeff Jacobson, Jeff Keicher
Group Study Exchange – Troy Oates, Fred Peltz
RYLA -- Ben Swedberg     
Student of the Month – Steve Balster
 
Foundation & Grants
Chair – Paul Stromborg
At-Large Committee Members – Don Clayberg, Bob Hammon, Rose Henton
Polio Plus – Paul Stromborg, Curtis Lang, Bert Gray
Annual Giving/Foundation – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Jim Bowers, Riley Oncken
Scholarships – Pete Johnson, Jeff Keicher, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Don Clayberg
 
Service Above Self and Service Projects
Chair – Ray Dembinski
Multiple Club Project Coordination – Bob Hammon, Dave Miller, Paul Stromborg, Keven Dahl
Water Project – Heidi Wright, Riley Oncken, Julenne Davey
Meals on Wheels (August) – Brian Adams, Curt Lang, Sejal Patel, Darion Page, Mark Spiegelhoff
Dictionary Distribution (September) – Lavarre Uhlken, Brian Adams, Shelley Hendricks
Pancake Breakfast (October) – Dave McCann, Marcy Buick, Marijo Schwartz, Brad Waller, Michele Jurkovic, Fred Peltz, Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault
Feed My Starving Children (November) – Heidi Wright, Jeff Frank, Eric Jones, Paul Stromborg, Marijo Schwartz
Salvation Army Bell-Ringing (December) – Dave Andrews, Jim Moris, Kathy Countryman, Rose Treml, Paul Borek
Adopt a Family (December) – Heidi Wright, Dave Miller, Brad Waller, Julenne Davey
Rotarians at Work Day (May) – Brian Adams, Pat Shafer, Bert Gray, Brandon Diviak, Sejal Patel
 
Public Image and Awareness
Chair – Brian Adams
Website – Eric Jones, Fred Peltz, Paul Barnaby
The Spoke – Barry Schrader, Paul Barnaby, Brian Adams, Shelley Hendricks
Public Image Campaign and Social Media – Brian Adams, Marijo Schwartz, Mark Hilde
Sergeant at Arms – Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Barry Schrader, Curt Lang
IT/Audio-Visual – Eric Jones, Brian Adams, Dave Galica
 
Club Fellowship
Fines – Jeff Keicher, Riley Oncken, Paul Callighan, Marijo Schwartz, Jeff Jacobson, Jim Bowers
100% Attendance Lunch (August) – Sally Bruch
Holiday Party (December) – Jeff Petersen, Gary Evans, Dave Hamilton, Tami Armstrong, Paulette Renault, Julie Sgarlata
Rural-Urban Day (February) – Bob Wildenradt, Troy Oates, Larry Berke
Hula-for-Loota (April) – Paul Michel, Rose Henton, Julie Sgarlata, Tami Armstrong, Jim Bowers
Golf Outing (June) – Dan Gibble, Brian Gregory, Steve Balster, Brad Waller
 
Membership
Chair – Sally Bruch
Recruitment – All members are expected to bring at least one prospective member as a guest
New Member Orientation – Bob Hammon, Ray Dembinski, Brandon Diviak, Russell Bishop
Member Retention – Jim Stoddard, Bob Wildenradt, Larry Berke, Nicole Stuckert
 
Russell Hampton
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