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Featured Program: Sycamore MS 3-D Printing
 
A team of three students at Sycamore Middle School hardly knew each other, and knew little about 3-D printing, when they were given the task of creating a prosthetic hand using the school's high-tech printer.  But in the process, they not only managed to create a usable model...they also learned about teamwork, and the patience required to build a prototype.
 
Matthew Slider, Lauren Harris and Ethan Brannon appeared at the May 4th Rotary Club meeting to show the members what they have achieved with their printer.  After months of design, trial and error and revisions to their concept, they created an artificial hand with a degree of movement closer to what a real human hand can achieve than what most prosthetic limbs are capable of.
 
They demonstrated their prototype hand, and also showed off some of the other more common items they've created using the 3-D printer -- such as a cell phone case, and a bottle holder for bicycles.
 
May Student of the Month: Isabel Dobbel
 
Isabel Dobbel and her family moved around a bit when she was younger; but after staying in Mississippi for a while, they made the 12-hour drive up north to Sycamore...and she says she's been happy living here ever since.
 
Isabel has been named the Sycamore Rotary Club's Student of the Month for May, the final recipient of this school year.  She has a weighted GPA of 4.27; she is studying AP courses in Literature, English and U.S. History...and taking Kishwaukee College courses in Business and Biology.
 
She has been a member of Rep. Bob Pritchard's Youth Council, as well as an intern in his office; she was a member of the varsity volleyball team, a member of the Student Council and has served on the Spartan Senate.  She is also a member of the DeKalb County Community Foundation's Youth Engaged in Philanthropy, a Teen Volunteer with T.A.Gs and Vice President for Big Sis Lil Sis.
 
Isabel plans to attend Northwestern to study Social Policy; in recognition of her accomplishments, the Sycamore Rotary Club has provided $100 for donation to the charity of her choice, Hope Haven.
 
Sycamore Rotary donates to Pay it Forward House
 
The Sycamore Rotary Club is making two critical donations, of cash and workers, to the Pay-It-Forward House – as part of the Club’s annual Rotarians at Work Day.
 
As part of Give Local DeKalb County on Tuesday, May 3rd, the Rotary Club donated $250.00 to the Pay-It-Forward House, NFP; this is earmarked for gardening supplies, which will be used on Saturday, May 7th as Rotarians performing gardening work at the House. The donation will count towards the Pay-It-Forward House’s total collection on Give Local DeKalb County, a one day on-line campaign; like other donors, the House will be eligible for a proportional matching donation based on the amount of monies taken in that day.
 
The Pay-It-Forward House, at 719 Somonauk Street in Sycamore, provides respitality care for the families of patients seeking medical treatment at nearby Kindred Hospital and other medical facilities in DeKalb County; this home-away-from-home provides a welcome relief, for families who have been staying in hotels and hospitals while their loved one is dealing with a serious medical issue. The Serenity Gardens at the House also provide an oasis of relief for these guests, and is a vital part of the Pay-It-Forward House’s mission.
 
Along with sending a work crew to the House’s Serenity Garden on May 7th, Rotarians will be on site at Rotary Park at Sycamore Lake to take part in the Sycamore Park District’s Park Pride Day.  Workers will also help mow and weed the graves of fallen service personnel at the Joiner Cemetery west of Sycamore, in advance of Memorial Day…and will help the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association with office filing, and tending to its interactive garden, at Hopkins Park in DeKalb.
 
Pictured (L-R):  Ben Bingle, DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership; Joyce Mathey, Sycamore Pay it Forward House NFP; Anita Zurbrugg, DeKalb County Community Foundation; Brian Adams, Sycamore Rotary Club
 
Read more...
Saturday proclaimed Rotarians at Work Day in Sycamore
 
The City of Sycamore has formally proclaimed this Saturday, May 7th as Rotarians at Work Day...in recognition of the Rotary Club's annual day of service projects.
 
Mayor Ken Mundy issued the proclamation at Monday night's City Council meeting; it recognizes the Sycamore Rotary Club's efforts over the past five years to provide help for local not-for-profit agencies, in a project similar to the United Way Day of Caring, NIU Cares and other service days.
 
This year's service projects will be held at Rotary Park at Sycamore Lake (as part of the Park District's Park Pride Day), the Pay it Forward House, the Joiner Cemetery and the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association.
 
Former Rotary meeting site at Fargo to be torn down
 
The banquet room at the Jane Fargo Hotel, where the Sycamore Rotary Club met for decades before its move to Blumen Gardens, will be torn down as part of a renovation project by developer John Pappas.
 
The Sycamore City Council voted 7-nothing Monday night in favor of a $100,000 façade grant for the Fargo; it will be used to restore the exterior of the Fargo, and will kickstart Pappas’ plans to renovate the interior of the hotel…and convert it into residential apartments.
 
The 39 rooms on the upper two floors will be converted into 16 residential apartments, including one and two-bedroom suites.  The banquet room and a house adjacent to the Fargo will be torn down, to create tenant parking; the lobby will be converted into a TV viewing and reading area, and the bar and retail space will be renovated.
 
Mayor Ken Mundy says the banquet room has become obsolete, while the former Ellwood house is a “code nightmare” which is too old to bring up to date.  The house was kept intact as a condition of the hotel’s construction; it’s attached to the main building, and has been used as a suite.
 
Mundy says the apartments will be similar to ones Pappas developed on the former Fargo Motors site down the block.  Pappas says it will be unusual for him to renovate a building, rather than start from the ground up…but he believes that the Fargo can be reshaped into a profitable enterprise, after this work is done.
 
Revised rules for Ovitz Award now posted
A new set of rules covering eligibility and the selection process for the John W. Ovitz, Jr. Rotarian of the Year Award has been approved by the Board of Directors.
 
With a change in policy making recipients eligible to win again after five years, the process has been refined in order to ensure fairness in the tabulation process.
 
All Rotarians who have been members of our Club prior to January 1st of the previous calendar year are eligible, except for the President, the President-Elect and the last five recipients.
 
Ballots will be sent electronically on the first Wednesday in June, and paper ballots will be provided at the Rotary meeting on the second Wednesday.  They will be counted up by a Tabulation Committee, consisting of the incumbent Club President, the President-Elect and the most recent winner of the award.
 
The Ovitz Award will be presented at the Installation Dinner on June 29th.
 
The rules and specifications are posted in full on the Rotary Club website.
 
Srdan Selimbegovic posting on Facebook goes viral
 
Our story about Srdan Selimbegovic, one of the Bosnian refugees who came to Sycamore with his basketball team as a teenager, set a Rotary Club record for views on our Facebook page.
 
Nearly 20,000 persons have viewed the story on our page, which generally averages about 100 persons reached for a typical posting.
 
May 25th Rotary Club meeting at DTMA
 
The Sycamore Rotary Club will be going on the road -- or more properly, the tarmac -- when it holds its regular weekly meeting on Wednesday, May 25th at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport.
 
Rotarians will get a chance to see the airport hangars, equipment and aircraft up close...and learn more about the airport and its operations.
 
Roll of past Rotary Club officers available on line
A listing of past Rotary Club officers and others is now available on the club website.
 
Go to the main page to find a list of all Rotarians who have served as:
     -- Club President
     -- Secretaries and Treasurers
     -- District Governor
 
Also available is a listing of every recipient of the John W. Ovitz, Jr. Rotarian of the Year Award
 
Sycamore exchange student Gracia Watson's Japan blog
 
This year's Outbound exchange student Gracia Watson is spending a year in Japan; to find out what she's up to, go to her blog at this link
 

Attendance -- May 4, 2016

     Attendance:  58.97%

     Visiting Rotarians:  Tim Kunkel

     Other Guests:  Ryan Schrader, Sycamore M.S.; Michael Fleetwood, Sycamore M.S.; Nancy and Charles Dobbel

 
Speakers
May 18, 2016
Dan and Pat Stovall
Citizens of the Month
 
May 25, 2016
Meeting at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport
 
Jun 01, 2016
Paul Stromborg
Re-Classification Speech
 
Jun 08, 2016
James McGuire
Little Free Libraries
 
Jun 15, 2016
Terry Hannan
Sycamore Forest Preserve
 
Jun 22, 2016
Sejal Patel
Hinduism from a Layman's View
 
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Golf Outing Make-Up Session
Sycamore Golf Course Clubhouse
Jun 29, 2016
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
 
Sycamore Rotary Club Golf Outing
Sycamore Golf Course
Jun 29, 2016
1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
 
Sycamore Rotary Club Installation Dinner
Sycamore Golf Course Clubhouse
Jun 29, 2016
5:30 PM – 8:00 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 2015-16
President -- Russell Bishop    
President-Elect -- Sue Emberson  
Past President -- Riley Oncken
Secretary -- Sally Bruch    
Treasurer -- Michele Jurkovic    
Assistant Treasurer -- Lavarre Uhlken
Director -- Eric Jones    
Director -- Ray Dembinski    
Sergeant at Arms -- Brian Adams
 
Monthly Program Committees
July
Sally Bruch, Gary Evans, Curt Lang, Jim Moris, Chip Houdek
 
August
Dave McCann, Barry Schrader, Ben Swedberg, Lloyd Larson, Jim Buck, Julenne Davey, Nicole Stuckert
 
September
Tim Carlson, Mario Fontana, Suzanne Anderson, Paul Michel, Rose Treml, Bert Gray, Jeff Jacobson
 
October
Don Clayberg, Jeff Frank, Marcy Buick, Dave Andrews, Jim Schwarzbach, Lavarre Uhlken, Dave Miller
 
November
Tami Armstrong, David Galica, Pete Johnson, Julie Sgarlata, Kreg Wesley, Kathy Countryman
 
December
Dan Gibble, Steve Balster, Zac Sheedy, Bob Wildenradt, Heidi Wright, Brad Waller, Eric Jones
 
January
Paul Barnaby, Michele Jurkovic, Pat Shafer, Tom Sparacino, Jesse Boelter, Keven Dahl
 
February
Larry Berke, Brian Gregory, Ahmed Kamel, Fred Peltz, Richard Willey, Jude Wilbers, Rose Henton
 
March
Dave Hamilton, Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault, Russell Bishop, Ray Dembinski, Phil Ruff
 
April
Bob Hammon, Paul Borek, Shelley Hendricks, Jim Bowers, Troy Oates, Marijo Schwartz
 
May
Cliff Bottigliero, Sue Emberson, Mark Spiegelhoff, Darryl Wolff, Eric Johnson, Mark Hilde
 
June
Jim Stoddard, Paul Stromborg, Michael Flora, Craig Mathey, Brian Adams, Jeff Keicher
 
New Generations
Chair—Julie Sgarlata
At-Large Committee Members – Kathy Countryman, Eric Jones, Don Clayberg, Julenne Davey, Nicole Stuckert, Darion Page
Sycamore H.S. Interact – Ben Swedberg  
Sycamore M.S. Interact – Nicole Stuckert 
South Prairie EarlyAct – Julie Sgarlata  
North Grove EarlyAct – Mark Hilde       
Long Term Youth Exchange – Chip Houdek
Short Term Youth Exchange – Tim Carlson
Group Study Exchange – Fred Peltz, Troy Oates
RYLA -- Ben Swedberg     
Student of the Month – Steve Balster
 
Foundation & Grants
Chair – Paul Stromborg
At-Large Committee Members – Don Clayberg, Bob Hammon
Polio Plus – Paul Stromborg, Rose Henton, Curtis Lang, Bert Gray
Annual Giving – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Riley Oncken, Jim Bowers
Foundation – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Riley Oncken
Scholarships – Peter Johnson, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Don Clayberg, Darion Page, Julenne Davey
 
Service Above Self and Service Projects
Chair – Ray Dembinski
Multiple Club Project Coordination – Fred Peltz, Bob Hammon, Paul Stromborg
Water Project – Heidi Wright, Ahmed Kamel, Keven Dahl, Bob Wildenradt, Tami Armstrong, Julenne Davey, Lavarre Uhlken, Marijo Schwartz
Meals on Wheels (August) – Curt Lang, Bob Smith, Cliff Bottigliero
Dictionary Distribution (September) – Lavarre Uhlken, Brian Adams, Suzanne Anderson, Shelley Hendricks
Pancake Breakfast (October) – Marcy Buick, Michele Jurkovic, Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault, Dave McCann, Jesse Boelter
Feed My Starving Children (November) – Heidi Wright, Jeff Frank, Eric Jones, Paul Stromborg, Paul Borek, Ed Eggers, Marijo Schwartz
Salvation Army Bell-Ringing (December) – Dave Andrews, Jim Moris, Kathy Countryman, Rose Treml
Adopt a Family (December) – Heidi Wright, Dave Miller, Brad Waller, Julenne Davey, Paul Callighan, Marijo Schwartz
Rotarians at Work Day (April) – Brian Adams, Pat Shafer, Bert Gray, Brandon Diviak, Sejal Patel, Mark Spiegelhoff, Rose Henton, Darion Page, Troy Oates, Marijo Schwartz
 
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, David Galica, Jude Wilbers
Sergeant at Arms – Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Barry Schrader, Curt Lang
 
Club Fellowship
Chair – Jeff Keicher
Fines – Jeff Keicher, Marijo Schwartz, Darryl Wolff, Jeff Jacobson
Golf Outing – Dan Gibble, Brian Gregory, Steve Balster, Brad Waller, Jude Wilbers
100% Attendance Lunch (August) – Sally Bruch, Jim Buck, Robert Smith
Holiday Party (December) – Jeff Petersen, Zac Sheedy, Gary Evans, Dave Hamilton, Tami Armstrong, Paulette Renault, Craig Mathey
Rural-Urban Day (February) – Bob Wildenradt, Troy Oates, Eric Johnson, Lavarre Uhlken
Hula-for-Loota (April) – Paul Michel, Rose Henton, Tami Armstrong, Darryl Wolff, Jim Bowers
 
Membership
Chair – Sue Emberson
Recruitment – All members are expected to bring at least one prospective member as a guest
New Member Orientation – Bob Hammon, Ray Dembinski
Member Retention – Jim Stoddard, Bob Wildenradt, Larry Berke, Nicole Stuckert, Kathleen Merner
 
- See more at: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/5772/Stories/committee-assignments-2015-2016#sthash.x7dtgs3j.dpuf
 
Monthly Program Committees
January -- Paul Barnaby, Michele Jurkovic, Pat Shafer, Tom Sparacino, Jesse Boelter, Keven Dahl
February -- Larry Berke, Brian Gregory, Ahmed Kamel, Fred Peltz, Richard Willey, Jude Wilbers, Rose Henton
March --Dave Hamilton, Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault, Russell Bishop, Ray Dembinski, Phil Ruff
April --Bob Hammon, Paul Borek, Shelley Hendricks, Jim Bowers, Troy Oates, Marijo Schwartz
May --Cliff Bottigliero, Sue Emberson, Mark Spiegelhoff, Darryl Wolff, Eric Johnson, Mark Hilde
June --Jim Stoddard, Paul Stromborg, Michael Flora, Craig Mathey, Brian Adams, Jeff Keicher
 
New Generations
Chair—Julie Sgarlata
At-Large Committee Members – Kathy Countryman, Eric Jones, Don Clayberg, Julenne Davey, Nicole Stuckert, Darion Page
Sycamore H.S. Interact – Ben Swedberg  
Sycamore M.S. Interact – Nicole Stuckert 
South Prairie EarlyAct – Julie Sgarlata  
North Grove EarlyAct – Mark Hilde       
Long Term Youth Exchange – Chip Houdek
Short Term Youth Exchange – Tim Carlson
Group Study Exchange – Fred Peltz, Troy Oates
RYLA -- Ben Swedberg     
Student of the Month – Steve Balster
 
Foundation & Grants
Chair – Paul Stromborg
At-Large Committee Members – Don Clayberg, Bob Hammon
Polio Plus – Paul Stromborg, Rose Henton, Curtis Lang, Bert Gray
Annual Giving – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Riley Oncken, Jim Bowers
Foundation – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Riley Oncken
Scholarships – Peter Johnson, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Don Clayberg, Darion Page, Julenne Davey
 
Service Above Self and Service Projects
Chair – Ray Dembinski
Multiple Club Project Coordination – Fred Peltz, Bob Hammon, Paul Stromborg
Water Project – Heidi Wright, Ahmed Kamel, Keven Dahl, Bob Wildenradt, Tami Armstrong, Julenne Davey, Lavarre Uhlken, Marijo Schwartz
Rotarians at Work Day (May) – Brian Adams, Pat Shafer, Bert Gray, Brandon Diviak, Sejal Patel, Mark Spiegelhoff, Rose Henton, Darion Page, Troy Oates, Marijo Schwartz
 
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, David Galica, Jude Wilbers
Sergeant at Arms – Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Barry Schrader, Curt Lang
 
Club Fellowship
Chair – Jeff Keicher
Fines – Jeff Keicher, Marijo Schwartz, Darryl Wolff, Jeff Jacobson
Golf Outing – Dan Gibble, Brian Gregory, Steve Balster, Brad Waller, Jude Wilbers
Rural-Urban Day (February) – Bob Wildenradt, Troy Oates, Eric Johnson, Lavarre Uhlken
Hula-for-Loota (April) – Paul Michel, Rose Henton, Tami Armstrong, Darryl Wolff, Jim Bowers
 
Membership
Chair – Sue Emberson
Recruitment – All members are expected to bring at least one prospective member as a guest
New Member Orientation – Bob Hammon, Ray Dembinski
Member Retention – Jim Stoddard, Bob Wildenradt, Larry Berke, Nicole Stuckert, Kathleen Merner
Russell Hampton
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