Sycamore Rotary’s December student of the month is Amanda Jamrog. Amanda is ranked first in her senior class at Sycamore High School, she is a captain of the cheerleading squad, yearbook editor, AP scholar, and involved in various other clubs and organizations. She told Rotarians she most enjoys her yearbook experiences because she sees it as “history in creation.” Upon graduation, Amanda plans to attend either Nebraska or Illinois State University to major in History Education. She will be donating her $100 check from Rotary to the Barn on Baseline Road where she has been a volunteer.
Rotarians Alisa Stewart (left) and Ciara Stahly promoted the Rotary Youth Exchange during this week’s meeting. As a teacher,Stewart participated in a six-week exchange with two students to Bolivia. While in high school, Stahly did a full school year exchange to Sweden.
Loves Park Rotary Club Secretary and Youth Exchange Officer Ciara Stahly says she was “completely changed” by her personal experience as a youth exchange student to Sweden while in high school. That experience prompted her to continue involvement with Rotary after college graduation and she now is part of the District 6420 Youth Exchange team. Joining Stahly at this week’s meeting was Alisa Stewart, president of the Mendota Rotary Club. She took part in a six-week exchange to Bolivia with two students while teaching in Putnam County. She noted that the Mendota Club has hosted two youth exchange students since she joined the club.
Stahly and Stewart praised the Rotary program as the flagship youth exchange offering. Its goal is to promote peace through cultural understanding and develop leadership. It will be sponsoring 9,000 students in 40 countries. They said all clearances and oversight are covered making club sponsorships easy. They added that there is something special about building lifelong relationships as a result of the youth exchanges.
Stewart and Stahly encouraged Sycamore Rotarians to consider raising funds to host a youth exchange next fall. Both the short term and long-term programs will be offered.
I am reaching out to you as we have out Holiday Green Raffle going on. We currently have distributed just over 100 of the available 500 tickets and this is my ask of you:
Please reach out to your friends, family, and acquaintances to see if they would be interested in purchasing a raffle ticket. We will have three $1,000 winners to be drawn on 12/18/2022 so there isn’t a ton of time left to sell them. I would be happy to hand-deliver tickets to you or leave them at Resource Bank for you to pick up. We need to sell about 130 tickets to break even, but every additional ticket sold supports the work that we do in our community and will go to assist our local food pantries at a time of year when the need is great! Please let me know if I can assist in any further way. Below is a copy of an email that Bob Brown sent out to his friends and family if you want to use this as a template. Hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful weekend!
Thanks,
Brandon Diviak
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Here's a chance for you to possibly win a $1,000 Cash Raffle before your Christmas bills arrive at your home!
My Sycamore Rotary Club is offering raffle tickets at $25 each with a chance to win three $1,000 cash prizes. The drawing is on Sunday, December 18th so the window of opportunity is fast approaching.
Since some of you are not local, I would be happy to "front the money" for your ticket purchase. Just email me back your quantity of $25 tickets, put a check in the mail written out to me...in the meantime I'll fill out a raffle ticket for you, send you via email your ticket stub, and submit your entry before the drawing day!
I'll publish the winning names by the end of Monday, December 19.
Thanks for again supporting our Rotary efforts! Best of Luck!!
As with Happy Dollars and fines, 50/50 raffle proceeds have long been earmarked for the scholarship fund for Sycamore High School seniors. In an effort to "spread the wealth" and support more causes, the members of your Rotary Board have determined that 50/50 raffle proceeds collected each month will benefit a different cause.
For the month of June, 50/50 raffle proceeds will help support CASA DeKalb County, Inc. to advocate for and serve as the voice for children who have experienced abuse or neglect in DeKalb County. The Board has committed that the total amount given to this cause will be no less than $250.
Thank you for your support of this important cause...and best of luck with the raffle!
December 5, 1901 – Animator, voice actor, producer, entertainer, and the creator of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney, is born in Chicago. During his storied career he wins a record 22 Motion Picture Oscars dominating the Best Animated Film category.
December 6, 1896 – Famed lyricist Ira Gershwin is born in New York City. He collaborated with his brother George to become a musical powerhouse team that includes the Pulitzer Prize winning musical play “Of Thee I Sing.”
December 8, 1765 – Cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney is born in Westboro, Massachusetts. His invention that removes seeds from harvested cotton prompts yearly cotton production in the U. S. to jump from about 3,000 bales a year to 73,000 bales a year.
December 9, 1886 – American inventor and founder of the modern frozen food industry with a company that bears his name, Clarence Birdseye, is born in Brooklyn, New York.
December 5, 1933 – Prohibition ends when the 21st Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. It repeals the 18th Amendment which made the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquor illegal.
December 6, 1877 – At his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, Thomas Edison spoke the children’s verse “Mary had a Little Lamb…” while demonstrating his newly-invented phonograph.
December 7, 1941 – The Japanese attack the U. S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii leaving 2,403 Americans dead and leading to the U. S. entry into World War II.
December 9, 1990 – Labor leader Lech Walesa wins a landslide victory in the Polish presidential election becoming their first democratically elected head of state since communist rule began after World War II.
Birthdays & Club Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Robert Wildenradt
June 1
Stephen Hansen
June 14
Jeff Keicher
June 17
Robert Brown
June 24
Christine Kalina
June 25
Join Date
Julie Sgarlata
June 6, 2012
11 years
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2022-2023
President – Tim Neubert
President Elect – Brandon Diviak
Director (President Nominee) – Steve Wilder
Director (President Designee) - Jonelle Bailey
Past President – Paulette Renault
Treasurer – Dr. Michele Jurkovic
Secretary – Sally Bruch
Monthly Committees
July: Board of Directors
August: Jeff Keicher, Steve Kuhn, Pat Shafer
September: Michael DeVito, Dave Hamilton, Jeff Jacobson, Velvet Mason
October: Paul Callighan, Matt Nelson, Paul Stromborg
November: Jim Buck, Sue Emberson, Jeff Frank, Mark Spiegelhoff, Jim Stoddard, Heidi Wright
December: Paul Barnaby, Larry Berke, Troy Oates, Riley Oncken
January: Ray Dembinski, Chase Goodeill, Joyce Klein, Rob Mondi
February: Jonelle Bailey, Becky Springer, Steve Wilder
March: Chip Houdek, Brendan Wilson
April: Bob Hammon, Jeff Petersen
May: Bob Brown, Brandon Diviak, Paul Loner
June: Stephen Hansen, Fred Peltz, Paulette Renault
Standing Committees
Membership: Jonelle Bailey, Ray Dembinski, Bob Hammon, Steve Kuhn, Troy Oates, Jeff Petersen, Bob Wildendradt
Public Image: Bob Brown, Paul Callighan, Dave Hamilton, Stephen Hansen, Jeff Keicher, Joyce Klein
Fellowship: Paul Barnaby, Larry Berke, Jeff Jacobson, Paul Loner, Riley Oncken, Paulette Renault, Pat Shafer, Mark Spiegelhoff
Service: Brandon Diviak, Jeff Frank, Michele Jurkovic, Rob Mondi, Fred Peltz, Brendan Wilson, Heidi Wright
Foundations: Jim Buck, Sue Emberson, Chase Goodeill, Curt Lang, Matt Nelson, Jim Stoddard, Paul Stromborg
New Generations: Michael DeVito, Chip Houdek, Velvet Mason, Julie Sgarlata, Becky Springer, Steve Wilder
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