Chartered in 1967, Madison South Rotary is a group of active, friendly professionals who value the Rotary motto “Service Above Self.” While contributing to Rotary International’s world-wide projects, we also provide scholarships to outstanding students and fund grants for local nonprofits.

Our club meets weekly on Mondays 12:00-1:15pm. Due to COVID, we are meeting on Zoom.

Be our guest at an up-coming meeting!! Click here to pre-register.

About our Membership

As a medium sized club of 70+ members, the Madison South Rotary club spans all ages and occupations with active involvement of all members on our committees and projects. This diversity is the key to our success.  
 

Active Fellowship Groups

Social connections are the biggest reason our members remain in our club. Unlike committees, fellowship groups are organized by club members, for club members, to promote social interaction and fun.
 

Our Brat Stand

Our fall Brat Stand across from UW Madison's Camp Randall Stadium is our primary fundraiser. Rotarians, their family, and friends volunteer in shifts to help set up, prepare or sell food/drinks at all home Badger football games. The club then returns much needed financial assistance back to the community using a deliberate, thoughtful grant process each Spring.

Member Testimonials

“Madison South Rotary truly represents the motto “Service above Self” and I’m proud to be an on-going part of that tradition.”
- Captain Joe Balles, Past President, and Retired Officer of Madison Police Department
 
"Rotary allows me so many ways to support my community and give back. Working at our Brat Stand, our main fundraiser, is an absolute blast. I'm so glad I joined back in 2006!"
- Tara Ingalls, Owner, Tingalls Graphic Design and President 2020-2021
 
"I love the size and friendly personality of the group. I was sold after the first meeting. I am really happy I joined!"
- Christopher J. Dodge, Attorney at Law
Club News & Meeting Highlights
Mike Hanson - Madison Police Department
Posted on May 10, 2021
This week at Madison South Rotary, we enjoyed a presentation by Mike Hanson, Captain of the Madison Police Department. Captain Hanson provided an update on our new Police Chief, review of 2020, status of the Officers serving in our District, crime trends and our Drone Team.
 
Catch the Replay at https://youtu.be/wQjjfxOeEXM
Rotary Volunteers for Lake Monona 20K Water Station
Posted on May 01, 2021
Special shout out to Lisa Gits and her husband John, Tara Ingalls' Family, and Joe Camilli for volunteering at water station #1 at the Lake Monona 20K / 5K Saturday 5/1.
 
It was a great way to kick off a beautiful weekend!
 
How to Work Together When You Can Not Be Together
Posted on Apr 19, 2021
Today we heard a wonderful presentation by Shari Storm - "How to Work Together When You Can't Be Together"
 
Social distancing creates all sorts of stressors on working relationships. We learned a few tips we can use to ensure we interact with our co-workers, Rotary members, or anyone else, with grace and empathy. She explained how small changes in the way we communicate can have a long lasting impact on the connections we have have with the ones we value most.
 
Catch the replay on YouTube - https://youtu.be/sU0NqYSJYz0
 
 
Madison South Rotary and the Oregon Interact Club Help Refurbish a School for Disabled Children in Guatamala
Posted by Lyn Kenney on Apr 11, 2021
A school in Alotenango, Guatemala (Ensename a Pescar) has been serving the needs of 50 severely handicapped children with a number of disabilities. Through the years, they have asked Rotarians for help in any number of areas. The government provides very little for them except a space for the school. In their original location, clubs from South Carolina were able to put in two businesses (for sustainability); provided needed medical equipment like wheelchairs and crutches; and most important, fund raised to help pay for a Physical Therapist.With her work over 4 years, 14 of 25 children were able to walk again.Then the government decided to take their school and tear it down for an office space. They were put in a very poor space where they could not hold school and had to store furniture on the roof. The furniture was destroyed by a volcano. Parents united and worked hard to get rid of the local mayor and voted in someone supportive of the school.
 
This is where Madison South Rotary comes into the picture. In meetings with the school and the UWARA Rotary Club of Guatemala City, we were asked for help in fixing up a new space provided by the local government. Several of us visited that space in January of 2020. The school was to double in size and staff were to take an additional 50 children with learning disabilities. They primarily needed paint, equipment, furniture and supplies for the added number of children. In addition, all desks needed to be replaced. Staff, parents and community members provided the labor.
 
A district grant for less than $10,000 in total, provided everything they needed to open. Unfortunately, this was right around the time Covid came along so everything was shut down and items could not be purchased right away. Normally, we would have brought a team of Rotarians down from our club and others interested that would have worked alongside the UWARA club Rotarians to join in the painting and decorating of the school. We were not able to do this, again due to Covid.
 
The UWARA club, under the leadership of Monica Davila and support from other Rotarians in her club, purchased all items at great prices, watching for sales and bargaining with vendors. Since the school was closed, they stored many items in their homes until the school was close to opening. They saved nearly $3,500, so we were able to go back to our district and request additional items that were needed. Once approved, we were able to use all of the grant and add needed Covid supplies. Take a look at the picture of the desk and attached chair that they were able to buy for $15 each (made in Guatemala). They have buying power because they purchase so many for other schools.
 
Some will ask, what if they get moved again? Well, the only thing that won’t go with them is the paint used in the school and the wood for building a railing on the stairs. We take that into consideration when funding a project. An additional plaque with the
 
Madison South Rotary and Oregon Interact Club will be added to the school wall when we are able to visit the school, hopefully in March of 2022.
 
 
  
 
 
Peace building through economic empowerment
Posted on Apr 12, 2021
Rotary Peace Fellow Solomon Ochieng shared information this week on "Peace building through economic empowerment."
 
Youth and women's economic empowerment is one of the greatest needs in peace building, since youth are the perpetrators of violence, supporting them economically is an assured way to cohesion with 70% of youth being unemployed in Kenya, they have been the missing link in building peace.
 
Save Lives of Vulnerable Women and Girls in Kenya - Visit their Go Fund Me Page to make a Donation  >>
 
Genocide on the Tigray Tribe in Ethiopia Touches District 6250
Posted on Mar 23, 2021
This week at Madison South Rotary, Karen Dahl, Co-President of the Viroqua Area Rotary Club, presented with Danayt Raied on the on-going genocide on the Tigray Tribe in Ethiopia. 

Danayt, a former Rotaracter, is now studying at Alverno College, Milwaukee but is originally from Ethiopia where her parents still reside. Danayt and her family are part of the Tigray Tribe that is embroiled in the Ethiopian civil war.

View their presentation on YouTube >>

If you'd like to donate goods or dollars to help Danayt and her host family, please reach out to Karen below. Our Madison South Rotary Club will be donating $250 from Tara's president's purse to help assist with Danayt's college tuition and also the purchase of some personal items.

Karen Dahl
℅ Viroqua Area Rotary Club
P. O. Box 261
Viroqua, WI 54665
Email: kdahl@mwt.net
Phone:  608-632-0224

Madison South Rotary
P.O. Box 259672
Madison, WI 53725
 
2020-21 President:
Tara Ingalls
(608) 225-5525
Club Executives & Directors
President
Tara Ingalls
President Elect
Erin West
Treasurer
Jane Tereba
Secretary
Lee Ann Dillis
Sergeant-at-Arms
Adam Peck
Brat Czar
James Iliff
Past President
Keith Lehnherr
Membership
Tara Ingalls
Public Relations/Social Media
Tara Ingalls
Board of Directors - At Large
Paula Possin
Board of Directors - At Large
Jay Hinkens
Board of Directors - At Large
Lisa Gits
Board of Directors - At Large
Paul Sukenik
Board of Directors - At Large
Scott Braun
Board of Directors - At Large
Erin West
Foundation Chair
Cary Grunder
MSR Foundation Chair
Steve Mundt
Youth Exchange Officer
Keith Lehnherr
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