The Spoke -- October 11, 2016 (Oct 11, 2016)

District 6420 Governor Scott Shore told Sycamore Rotarians on Wednesday that they'd better get ready to celebrate.

This year marks the first century of Rotary Foundation, which advances world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty, according to its website. Rotarians support the Foundation’s mission with donations.

"This is Rotary Foundation's 100th anniversary of doing good in the world, and we can all take great pride in that," Shore said. "Our projects and community service locally and worldwide are the ... difference we can make in the lives of others."

The club's first opportunity to party will be a gala to honor the Foundation 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 5 in Deer Valley Golf, 3298 Hoover Road in Deer Grove. The event will feature a dinner and speaker Chris Offer from District 5040 in British Columbia, Canada, presenting "Your Rotary Legacy." Cost is $55 or $45 if registered by Oct. 15. Email Event Chair Ruth Lee at Rotarianruth@gmail.comto register.

The second chance to celebrate will be at the district conference, held April 28 to 30 in Starved Rock State Park. Rotarians will get a taste of the Big Easy with Dixieland jazz and zydeco music, cajun and creole cuisine and a ghost tour. If you have questions or wish to sponsor the event, contact Shore at dgscott6420@gmail.com.

Finally district members have a rare opportunity to attend a Rotary International Convention from June 10 through 14 in Atlanta, Ga. This is nearby, relatively speaking, Shore said. It has been held this close for years and likely won't be for years to come.

Shore also noted that Sycamore Rotary does many amazing things year after year worth celebrating such as donating the new Rotary Park, the wells project in Mozambique, participating in Feed My Starving Children, funding Sycamore scholarships, distributing dictionaries, sponsoring an Early Act and two Interact clubs and huge participation in the exchange program.

Shore shared that the Sycamore club's Sisterhood of Schools program received worldwide recognition at the recent Rotary International convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

"Together we can accomplish so much more than any one of us can accomplish individually."

The annual Dictionary Distribution will be held on Wednesday, October 12th immediately following Rotary Club meeting; volunteers are being sought to help deliver dictionaries to 3rd grade students in the Sycamore School District and independent schools.

For years, the Sycamore Rotary Club has participated in The Dictionary Project; experts say third grade is the time when students begin to explore and learn the meanings of words, and that this is the best possible time to provide them with dictionaries...in order to help along that process.

If you are interested in helping out with this year's distribution, you can sign up at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting.

Sycamore Rotary gears up for annual Pancake Breakfast

Preparations are underway for this year's Pumpkin Festival Pancake Breakfast, to be held on Saturday, October 29th at the Federated Church in Sycamore.

Rotarians wishing to help out can participate by doing the following:

-- Sign up for a shift at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting; volunteers are needed from 6 to 9 a.m. and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, October 29th...and for set-up on Friday, October 28th from 2 to 4:00 p.m. (The Club has discontinued its policy of giving members who do not participate a special assessment; all Rotarians are free to volunteer, at will.)

-- Sell tickets to friends, neighbors, colleagues, anyone in need of a hearty pancake breakfast. Tickets are $5.00 each, and are available at any Rotary meeting.

-- Take one or more of our posters; display them at your place of business, or put them up anywhere around town. These are also available at each Rotary meeting.

Be sure to contact Dave McCann for more information.

Kishwaukee Sunrise hosts 25th Anniversary Dinner on October 11th

The Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club will hold its 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on Tuesday, October 11th; it will be at Faranda's Banquet Center, at 302 Grove Street in DeKalb.

The evening begins with a cash bar and appetizers at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:30. The program will celebrate the history of the club; the featured guest will be Kirk Reed, the first President of the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary.

If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Ken Olson at olsonpt@comcast.net, or call (815) 520-2857 by October 1st. Please specify the number to attend, and entree choice (stuffed pork chop, stuffed chicken breast or vegetable lasagna).

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 5, 2016

Attendance: 56.52%

Visiting Rotarians: DG Scott Shore (Putnam County); AG Jim MacMurdo (Kishwaukee Sunrise; Laurie Borowitz (Rochelle)

Other Guests: Marcela Silva, exchange student

Oct 19, 2016

Doreen Mullins

Women's Pro Baseball in WWII

Oct 26, 2016

Ryan Yantis

Pentagon 9/11 Survivor

View entire list

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!

Service Above Self

We meet Wednesdays at 11:45 AM

Blumen Gardens Banquet Facility

403 Edward Street
Sycamore, IL 60178
United States

District Site

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