New Members John Cobb and Ahleea Zama Give Classification Talks
There’s nothing like new members to boost the club’s vitality. Both John Cobb and Ahleea Zama bring great enthusiasm and plenty of smiles to help make Madison South an even better service organization.
John is a Madison native who started his career as a glass blower. Although he enjoyed it, he quickly realized it didn’t pay the bills. He’s currently the Associate Director of Retail Operations for St. Vincent DePaul. In his spare time, he loves hiking, Memorial Union, Picnic Point and sharing adventures with his wife and kids. Incredibly, John already has visited all of Wisconsin’s State Parks!
Ahleea has lived all over the country, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, California and of course, here in Madison. She’s even lived in Spain.
The daughter of a physician, she says her dad accurately diagnosed a thyroid condition and saved her life!
She’s studied theatre, but claims to be an introvert. She prefers being behind the scenes.
Currently, Ahleea is Development Director for the Madison Youth Arts Center.
When she kicks back, she’s teaches yoga classes, as she is certified to do so. She even offered to lead classes for the club. Creative writing is also one of her passions.
Welcome Ahleea and John! We’re so lucky to have you join us at Madison South Rotary.
This past week Madison South Rotarians Jeff Mayers, Kathie Newman, and Paula Possin volunteered at the Dane-ARC Wings for All event at the Dane County Regional Airport. They were guides throughout the flight experience to assist developmentally disabled participants and their chaperones. Paula mentioned, "We could see firsthand the emotion, thrill, and gratification the event generated. We were all touched by our involvement in this amazing happening!"
This past week, Madison South Rotary hosted Rotarians from the Philippines, who performed a dance and song routine after Monday's lunch. Thanks to Rotarian Aaron Frank for coordinating the visit and offering a truly memorable Madison-area experience for our guests!
2024 Madison South Rotary Foundation Grant Recipients Announced
We are proud to announce the selection of local nonprofits for our 2024 grant program. These grants, which support vital community services, will help organizations address critical needs in youth development, homelessness, mental health, and senior care.
The Foundation is committed to positively impacting the Greater Madison area by funding programs that directly benefit our community. We encourage local nonprofits to prepare for our next grant cycle in early Spring 2025, where they can apply for funding up to $2,500 to support their essential work.
For more information and application directions, please visit our GRANT PAGE >>
2024 Madison South Rotary Foundation Grant Recipients Announced
Photos from Madison South Rotary's Changing of the Guard party at The Madison Club on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Thank you to our outgoing President Adam Peck and board members, and best wishes to our newcomers led by President Steve Fine for our 2024-2025 Rotary year.
#PeopleOfAction - Shout out to our Habitat for Humanity of Dane County volunteers Rob Gooze, Mike & Lee Ann Dillis, John Deininger, Eric Fleming, Jordan Smith, and Dan Millmann! You guys are the best!
Kay Wilson reported that the Triangle Ministry Dinner last Monday was enjoyable for both residents and Rotarians. Deacon Meg Nielsen was pleased that time was taken to visit with the residents. The food was also delicious!! Thanks to everyone who participated.
Erin West received Madison South's Service Above Self Award, earning a standing ovation from fellow members! Erin has served as President of our club, Sergeant at Arms, and Brat Stand Czarina, in addition to being part of various committees and fellowship groups.
Thanks for all you do, Erin!
The award was presented by Ginny Olson, our 2021-2022 Winner.
2022-2023 Service Above Self Award Recipient: Erin West
Sheila Olk-Martin, Executive Director and JoAnne McCann, volunteer nurse and board member of Specialty Care Free Clinic visited the club to share information about their clinic – the best kept secret in Madison. Specialty Care Free Clinic provides no-cost specialty care to uninsured, low-income patients. The clinic has over 90 specialty health care professionals that volunteer their time. The clinic has also been recipients of grants from MSRF and are located in the Madison South Community. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/GsqW3zzxrqw
Well it was quite a raucous crowd at this years Changing of the Guard party. It made for a fun evening as you can see by the picture slideshow sent out by Kathy Siebert – here is the link if you missed her e-mail:
The atmosphere also lent itself to some amazing fund raising for a new scholarship opportunity for MSR families and building up the president’s purse for Adam Peck’s new year. There was recognition for the club and foundation board members whose terms were up. And of course there was President Dan’s speech sharing highlights from his year as president and incoming President Adam’s goals for the 2023-24 Rotary year.
Today we were joined by Priscilla Lentini, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Housing Director and Julie Bennett, CEO and Executive Director of St. Vincent De Paul. Priscilla and Julie shared what is new and changing with the Seton Program, including the new facility that is currently under construction at the corner of Williamson and Baldwin Streets. They also shared their insights into the program and answered many questions from club members. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/XO3UpwWKtog
Today we held the annual meeting of the Madison South Rotary Foundation (MSRF). The Foundation board reported out on the results from this past year and Joe Balles shared the annual report with the club. Ginny Olson shared the biographies of the three club members running for a seat on the board – Mike True, Rob Gooze and Mike Dillis. Mike Dillis pulled his nomination and will instead work on the Ad-Hoc committee “The Future of the Madison Rotary Foundation”. Congratulations to Mike True and Rob Gooze on their three year term on the MSRF board and thank you to Mike Dillis for his leadership on the future of our foundation. Also a big thank you to the two members whose terms on the board are up – Ginny Olson and Joe Balles – You’re leadership over the last three years on the board has been invaluable.
Randy Sproule presented the 13 high school senior’s who will receive a scholarship from MSRF this year. Common themes include overcoming significant obstacles in their lives and no expected financial support from their families. You may ask why 13 scholarships this year? In the past, some students may have elected not to go to Madison College and would forfeit their scholarships. That timing would make it too late to award the scholarship to another deserving student. So Randy is backing these extra scholarships personally if all 13 students go to Madison College. Thanks, Randy for your leadership and generosity. Due to privacy reasons, we are not able to share the video of Randy’s presentation.
On the shoulders of Giants: Today we honored the legacy of our previous club presidents - from 1970-71 president Bill Giswold to our most recent 2021-2022 president Erin West. It was fun for all of us to hear the stories/wisdom shared from each previous president. I think Randy Sproule said it best – in every 5-year span there is at least one inexperienced knucklehead who was president. No one was perfect, but collectively these previous presidents helped make Madison South Rotary the great club it is today. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/_gJP6iHDK_0
Mike Leckrone, COPA’s lead community ambassador and Joe Ross, COPA board member, stopped by today to tell us about COPA’s mission to provide opportunities for underserved children and adults to pursue their interests in performing arts. Mike along with his family has created the “Leckrone Arts Fund” which will provide financial support for the many users and organizations of the planned COPA arts education campus. If you are interested in supporting the Leckrone Arts Fund, here is a link to their page: https://copamadison.org/give-today/ If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation, including the many charming/funny stories Mike shared with the club: https://youtu.be/RcjptWCRSFE
Mike Leckrone and Joe Ross – Community Organizations Promoting the Arts (COPA)
Joe Balles lit a candle and led the club in a moment of remembrance for the four police officers that lost their lives in the line of duty this year. Joe introduced former colleagues of the Madison Police Department - Liz Merfeld, Project Coordinator for the Community Oriented Policing Services and Shannon Blackamore, Captain of Community Outreach. Joe, Liz and Shannon shared with the club the new initiative to build trust and legitimacy through community policing advisory boards. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/hw3ED_W9mhM
Madison Police Community Policing Advisory Boards Project
Vern Stenman, President of Big Top Sports + Entertainment, stopped by today to tell us a little about the history of rejuvenating Breeze Stevens Field first with concerts and now the Forward Madison FC soccer club. Vern also shared insights on the soccer club from the kits (uniforms) to the players to the club boosters. If you missed it, here is a link to Vern’s presentation: https://youtu.be/zc4VOn9eleA
Patti Batt and Kjersten Bakke from Rock Steady Boxing program stopped by today to share their insights on Parkinson’s disease and the positive impact the Rock Steady Boxing program has had to improve the physical and mental lives of those impacted by Parkinson’s. If you missed it, here is a link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/QY0IhZ-CsEg
Patti Batt and Kjersten Bakke from Rock Steady Boxing Program
Sam Rubin – General Manager for the Madison Mallards, stopped by today to share what’s new with the Madison Mallards and how they are engaging to give back to the local Madison community. We even learned what a Muskellard is (you’ll have to watch the presentation to understand). If you missed it, here is a link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/UjxEvDF1b0I
Bill Pritchard, Co-Chair of the District 6250 Youth Exchange Committee, stopped by via Zoom today to share some history on Rotary Youth Exchange going back to the very first exchanges prior to WWII and how exchanges have changed over the years. Today in addition to the traditional in-bound and out-bound exchanges, there is a short (3-4 week in each country) exchange over the summer months. Madison South Rotary sponsored a student to Spain last summer and Steve Fine tells us there are a couple of candidates looking to do the short exchange this summer. Bill encouraged us to get back to having a traditional in-bound student in the future. It was also good to hear from MSR members who have been involved in the Rotary Youth Exchange program in prior years and how they have stayed in contact with their exchange son/daughter over the years. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/l_w84zKO-1Y
Bill Pritchard - Co-Chair District 6250 Rotary Youth Exchange Committee
Dana Pellebon, Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County stopped by to inform club members about RCC and sexual violence. RCC is celebrating 50 years of service to Dane County this year. RCC’s services includes education in schools to understand sexual violence, healthy relationships and boundaries, and building a safer community. Other services include: advocacy programs, safer bar program, Chimera self defense training, 24-hour/365 day a year helpline that took 3,478 calls in 2022, therapy services and referrals to other Dane County providers and support groups. Dana also fielded many questions from club members. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/BHZ3zdDdVzc
Dana Pellebon - RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County
Today Dr. Pat McBride shared with the club his insights on cardiology. Pat touched on some career highlights at UW and the most important advice for the club members - get up and move around. Pat answered health questions posed by Rotarians ranging from the use of statins to tobacco/alcohol use. And of course, Pat couldn't get by without at least one reference to baseball as today is the home opener for the Milwaukee Brewers. If you missed it, here is the link to Pat's presentation: https://youtu.be/KvDNk76VkIg
Today we were joined by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway who shared with the club an update on all things happening around the City of Madison. Some of the highlights included an update on the new developments in south Madison, including affordable housing, preventing displacement of current residents and strengthening community ties. Satya highlighted a couple of building projects in south Madison, including the Black Business Hub, Centro-Hispano, the Center for Black Excellence and the redevelopment of the land across Badger Road from Madison College. On a macro perspective across the city of Madison, Satya highlighted priorities for growing affordable housing for the middle class, the bus rapid transit system with electric buses, the first electric fire truck in the country here in Madison, and public safety to decrease violence and safer streets (reduce speeds). Satya also fielded several challenging questions from Rotarians.
Alan Arntsen, chair of the Lake Monona Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee, stopped by to share future potential plans to transform the Lake Monona waterfront. Alan shared presentations from the three finalists bidding to design the waterfront and answered questions the club members had on the project. Here are links from today's presentation and the community survey that Alan referenced in his presentation.
Today Ray Williams and Melanie Ramey from the Madison Committee on Foreign Relations (MCFR) shared with the club information about their association and examples of recent topics/speakers presenting at recent MCFR meetings. Melanie, a 32 year Rotarian, made a connection between a recent topic on world hunger and what Rotary is doing to provide compact nutritious meals…who knew? If you missed it, here is the link: https://youtu.be/22rc7ppQti8
Today Dave Schroeder, National Security Research Strategist at UW Madison and Army National Guard cyber warfare officer, shared with the club information about the United States Cyber Command structure and what they do to protect the United States from cybersecurity threats. Dave answered cybersecurity questions related to infrastructure, elections, social media, surveillance balloons and more. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/zla4Ka5zv-s
Madison South Rotarians spent Saturday, 3/4 helping to get a Habitat for Humanity of Dane County property ready for its new owners.
Paul Sukenik, Dan Millmann, Shawn Fischer, Lisa and John Gits, Don Taylor and Steve Busalacchi all donned hard hats, wielded hammers and installed siding on the one-car garage. They posed with the appreciative owner at the end of the day.
Thanks to Paul for arranging this wonderful project!
Comedian Pat Dwyer stopped by today to share some interesting thoughts on improv as well as what we can learn about our communication with others. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/GnYbYaWvus8
Today we were joined by Ximena Muillo and Elizabeth Ngere to tell us about the United4Change Center and how they are impacting the lives of many women in Kenya. Ximena and Elizabeth worked on a Rotary Global Grant to reduce gender-based violence and achieve positive peace by empowering women affected and infected with HIV in the slums of Kisumu, Kenya. Both Ximena and Elizabeth are also both Rotary Peace Fellows.
Rev. Dr. Alex Gee stopped by today to share with the club some history of black culture in Madison, including his own personal journey of moving to Madison as a young child. Dr. Gee also shared plans for the Center for Black Excellence and Culture that he is currently fundraising for and hopes to have built by 2025. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/1e9MjewgmsI
Today John Fassl, Director of the Dane County School Consortium and Annie Johnston, coordinator for work based learning at the Madison Metropolitan School District, stopped by to share an overview of the Youth Apprenticeship Program Areas by Pathway. The program is an industry driven, highly successful and nationally recognized talent acquisition strategy in which employers hire high school juniors and seniors for a one or two year apprenticeship. Students pair courses related to the profession to enhance on-the-job learning. John told us that there are 400 students in the program today and he is continually searching for new vocations to build out additional pathway opportunities for students. If you missed it, here is the recording: https://youtu.be/lp1ZzSuw83M
Today the club leadership shared an update on club operations, the brat stand and the club's foundation. Dan Millmann walked through cash flow diagrams of the club's operations, presidents purse and Madison South Rotary Foundation. Erin West discussed the final results of the brat stand and the related cash flow diagram. Don Taylor shared some history of the foundation from its inception. Ginny Olson shared information included in the foundation's annual report for 2022. Joe Balles discussed the "Foundation for the Future" concept to build up the corpus in the foundation. If you missed it, here is the recording: https://youtu.be/ePdRJrXsF3g
Michael Flaherty, a 22-year, award-winning journalist in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington D.C. stopped by to visit with the club and share his insights into print journalism and where it is heading. Michael even weaved in some of the elements of the Rotary 4-way test (Is it the Truth and is it fair to all concerned) in his presentation. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation and lively question and answer session: https://youtu.be/Ggt0t_6r9rM
Dr. Pat Remmington, former Director of the UW Madison Public Health Program, the UW Population Health Institute and the UW Preventative Medicine Residency Program, shared with the club insights into public health communications, including its many challenges with disinformation published through various media and social media. Pat also answered many questions Rotarians had on public health. If you missed it, here is a link to Pat’s presentation: https://youtu.be/52SM0krrZb4
Public Health Confidence by Citizens, with Dr. Pat Remmington
Our very own Randy Sproule shared some facts about the scholarships the club provides primarily to Madison College students.
And, Maggie Porter Kratz, VP of Philanthropy at Madison College shared insights into the Madison College Foundation and how it supports students' school and sometimes personal needs.
Dean and Bobbie shared with the club their experiences from a recent friendship exchange to Poland. In addition to food and drink, Dean and Bobbie were emersed in the Polish culture. They also saw firsthand how the Polish people are embracing and caring for the Ukrainian refugees, over 8 million of which are now in Poland. If you have interest in supporting the Ukrainian refugees, the link to the District 6250 website to do that is:
Rowan Childs, founder and executive director of the Madison Reading Project joined the club to share her passion for the Madison Reading Project. Since 2014 the Madison Reading Project has been on a mission to connect the Madison community with free books and literacy resources that ignite a love for reading and affirm and reflect the diversity of young readers. The program has grown so fast that in 2022 the Madison Reading Project will give away over 100,000 books to children in Dane County. The Madison Reading Project has programs like the Big Red Reading bus that moves around and delivers thousands of books to children across Dane County, holiday giving of books through the empty stocking club, the local partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as well as partnerships with local schools and their teachers. If you missed it, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/eGnMaakLnu4
Rob Gooze, Madison South Rotary member, provided an overall understanding of The Rotary Foundation and how it works. Rob also shared his experiences as a recent inductee to the Arch Klumph Society (a high level of lifetime giving to Rotary International). Rob’s wife Mary even shared her observations from the ceremony and how well she was treated by the Rotarians. If you missed the presentation, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/sYNt4MP8CLM
Terry Siebert, Rotarian from the Madison West Middleton Club and husband of our very own Kathy Siebert, shared his passion for Supper Clubs in Wisconsin. Terry and Kathy have traveled all over Wisconsin dining in Supper Clubs listed in “Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience, by Ron Faiola.” Terry shared stories about their favorite supper clubs, cocktails, salad bars, steaks and many other unique things they have encountered along the way. It is also a great gathering spot for family and friends to relax and enjoy a great meal together.
Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward, shared with the club her background in the bio-tech industry and being a jack of all trades to help biotech startups succeed. Lisa shared some history and statistics on the biotech industry in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Lisa also told us about the current state of the biotech industry in Wisconsin and the challenges going forward. If you want to learn more, BioForward publishes annually the “Wisconsin Biohealth Industry Landscape and Economic Impact Report”: https://www.bioforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TEConomy-Wisconsin-BioForward-Report-webready.pdf If you missed the presentation, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/pfkGQ0_86lI
Biotech in Wisconsin - Lisa Johnson, Bioforward CEO
Dan McGown is a four-time participant in the World Series of Poker. This week, Dan shared the evolution of the World Series of Poker, including some of his experiences. Dan also told us about the changes in strategy and the ins and outs of playing poker.
We did an in-meeting service project. Each Rotarian took a couple of beginning to read books, added a Rotary sticker to the inside cover, inserted some fun Halloween stickers and wrote a short note to the child receiving the book. We sent a box of 52 books back with Alice Erickson from One City Schools to distribute to the K-5 kindergarten class.
Alice Erickson, Volunteer Coordinator for One City Schools, shared with us some history about One City Schools including that the school is charted by the University of Wisconsin. This charter allows children from all over Wisconsin to attend – and they do from as far away as Janesville. One City Schools has an enrollment of over 500 children and a waiting list of 400 children. Alice also shared her personal volunteer journey with One City Schools and the many volunteer opportunities that exist. If you want to get on Alice’s volunteer list, you can reach her at volunteer@onecityschools.org. If you missed today’s presentation, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/8_lpEl64PSU
Krista Flanagan, Oregon School Board President and Dr. Leslie Bergstrom, Oregon School Superintendent, shared with us the education challenges of K-12 education. Krista and Leslie informed us about current funding trends, retention and attraction of teachers as well as mental health support as some of the key challenges facing all school districts in Wisconsin. They also shared the more significant solutions applied to address these challenges.
Craig Culver and the restaurant chain bearing his last name is truly a Wisconsin success story now spanning across 25 states. But it wasn't always that way. Hear Craig as he talks about the early years when there were too many doubts as to whether the little restaurant was going to survive to the fast growing franchise it is today.
Kelsey Brennan, a veteran actor with the American Players Theatre gave us some insights about what it is like to be an actor with the American Players Theatre (APT) in Spring Green. APT puts on eight plays each summer/fall and actors like Kelsey learn parts for four plays. Kelsey also told us about the professional division of APT that she leads in coaching business leaders on their presentation and mentoring skills. There were many questions for Kelsey and APT Managing Director Sara Young.
Today Mike Peck, VP of Marketing for the Rockford Icehogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) shared with the club insights into the AHL and its affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Many Icehog players have gone on to star in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup. There are also mny former Badgers that have played and coached for the Icehogs. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/EBlZYboexbo
September 26, 2022 – American Hockey League and Connections to the Madison Market
Sarah Eskrich, Executive Director of Democracy Foundation and a fellow Rotarian with the Downtown club, shared with the club the theory of the final five voting. Final five voting is based on the concept of breaking partisan gridlock to save our democracy from the book “The Politics Industry” written by Katherine M. Gehl and Michael Porter. Under final five election system, there is a single ballot primary with the top five candidates advancing to the final election. In the final election, there is a ranked choice ballot to pick the winner. Sarah shared that there is bi-partisan support for final five voting and a bill is in its initial stages with the Wisconsin legislature. Sarah shared the state of Alaska just completed a special election using the final five system.
Today Jim Gilmore from the American Family Children’s Hospital shared with us all the great things happening at the hospital. The hospital has comprehensive pediatric services and specialty care areas, special support services for patients and even a school for the children too sick to leave the hospital. The hospital has four programs of distinction – cancer, heart, transplant and neurology and has been on the front lines of creating new treatments and advancing pediatric research. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/RAZrC8VKpLU
September 12, 2022 - Jim Gilmore - What's New at American Family Children's Hospital
Brat Czarina Erin West shared with us some interesting history of the brat stands origins. We also found out that this is the 50th anniversary of the Madison South Rotary’s brat stand. Over these 50 years, the brat stand has netted over $1.2 million to fund grants given out by the clubs foundation. What an amazing legacy. The current brat stand year kicks off September 3rd with a 6:00 pm game. There are also three 2:30 pm game starts, which sets up favorable conditions for a strong brat stand year. Thank you Erin for your leadership this year! If you missed Erin’s presentation, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/TSrn2HZInl4
Rotarian Jason Beren from the Downtown Madison Club shared his Ironman Wisconsin story that started as a participant back in 2004 that evolved into volunteering, to a volunteer leader, and then onto Ironman’s staff. Volunteering with both Ironman and Rotary has enhanced Jason's personal and professional life. Jason shared the different distances of triathlon, the investments in training that participants make, what’s required to put on a large event like this in our community, and the economic impact to the area. 5,000 volunteers are needed to help 4,200 participants achieve their goal of completing Ironman Wisconsin If you missed it, here is the link: https://youtu.be/ljVHmO_9Iqo
Julie Mucilli from Habitat for Humanity joined us today to share insights on the U.S. Housing crisis, a brief history/facts on the organization and the ways Habitat is impacting the local community through advocacy and neighborhood restoration. Habitat partners with qualifying families to secure affordable housing as well as many organizations and businesses in the community to support their mission. There are also many volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups on projects and the Restore locations. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/j_nsd9oqnGE
Today County Executive Joe Parisi and Director · Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change Kathy Kuntz shared with the club with an update on Dane County's Climate Action Plan. The presentation covered water issues with our lakes and waterways, actions being taken to reduce the county's carbon footprint to net zero, leadership with other counties to replicated Dane County's success and many more ideas. If you missed it, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/p4Gx59pNt8E
MSR Rotarian Steve Fine shared with us his expertise on estate planning. If you missed it, here is the link to Steve's presentation: https://youtu.be/BgIu75ajsns
Also, a note from Steve: Many thanks for the opportunity of sharing with you my work and my passion. Both I and the company I represent, Legacy Assurance Plan, share the belief that regardless of the size of a person's estate, probate can and should be avoided. That a true plan requires knowledge of not only the beginning but who will be there in the middle and then the end, and what will be the cost. The legal document is only the beginning of complete estate planning. If you'd like to learn more, the links below would be a good place to start:
John McKenzie, local real estate developer, and Stephanie Johnston, Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development, shared with the club the impact the new McKenzie Regional Workforce Center of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County will have on Madison’s minority youth. Some of the topics touched on by John included diversifying the workforce; the unique partnership between the Boys & Girls Club with the Madison Area Builders Association; interest in taking this program nationally using this model; partnering with the Harvard Business School, local schools (starting at 4K) and Habitat for Humanity; status of the fundraising. Stephanie shared that all building trades – carpenters, electricians, HVAC and plumbers – will be taught at the new center. The youth will build skills needed, have apprenticeships and finish off with a capstone project before they graduate from high school. There is also a focus on building entrepreneurial skills so that students can someday own their own businesses and build generational wealth. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/L6oQmsqJxTI
Below is a virtual walkthrough of the new building:
July 11, 2022 - Impact of the New McKenzie Regional Workforce Center
We had a lively discussion on how we have spent our brat stand proceeds, including presentations from the MSR Foundation, scholarships and international projects. Thanks to all who participated and offered their thoughts. If you have additional thoughts or comments, please email me at danmillmann@gmail.com. The Club and MSR Foundation boards will create some action items from the collective thoughts shared at the club assembly.
The Madison South Rotary Foundation board held its annual meeting as our program on June 13th. The club elected two new members to the Madison South Rotary Foundation board - Steve Iliff and George Silverwood - congratulations Steve and George. Joe Balles and Mike Dillis gave a brief summary of the Future Foundation Advisory Committee. This committee's goal is to review options and strategies which could be implemented to both preserve and grow the Madison South Rotary Foundation corpus for future Madison South Rotarians. A more in depth discussion of the boards long term strategic goals will be presented at a future Rotary meeting.
Dr. Pat McBride grew up in a middle-class family in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa. His parents were both hard driving reporters for the Milwaukee papers (Journal for his dad and Sentinel for his mother). Politics was an everyday topic in the McBride household and led to arguments between Pat's alcoholic parents. What looked normal from the outside was a very dysfunctional family that included seven children. Pat's big break was a 25 word essay contest he won to become a ball boy for the Milwaukee Brewers who were just moving to town. He parlayed that job into adding the Milwaukee Bucks ball boy and the Packers ball boy jobs later that year. He is the only kid in America to serve as the ball boy for three major professional sports teams. Pat worked extremely hard in these jobs and he was well respected by his employers. The managers and others in those organizations became mentors to him and helped him escape the dysfunctional household he grew up in. Pat would go on to become a successful medical doctor and administrator at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where Pat would go on to mentor many future physicians.
Pat shared with the club many stories - here are a few. Pat's mother took Pat and several of his siblings on a trip to Washington D.C. to cover the Nixon presidential campaign. Pat and his twin brother snuck out of the hotel room to see candidate Nixon start his speech with his famous "peace-sign" pose. On Pat's first day as a ball boy for the Brewers, he shared his first encounter with a major league ball player - Mr. Cub Ernie Banks - who asked Pat to play catch with him (something Ernie never did with his own kids). He also met the retired hall of famer Joe DiMaggio and had the courage to strike up a conversation and ask if it was true that he had a dozen roses put on Marilyn Monroe's grave each week. After Joe responded yes, Pat stated that he hoped someday to love someone so much. It worked - he got Joe's autograph. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: https://youtu.be/nDWuW5sHGYY
Alice and David Anderman are both retired pastors with the United Church of Christ. Through the church they have extensive experience with overseas missions. Alice focused on two trips to Roatan, an island approximately 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras. The first trip, taken in 2012, was comprised of five women who were tasked with helping to carefully tear down a building housing a small church, move the disassembled components to a new rural site, and begin reassembling the building. To the surprise of the local men the visiting women wrestled lumber, pulled out nails, loaded, transferred, and reassembled the bulk of the building on the first visit.
Two years later, 2014, a much larger group was able to return to Roatan, complete the church building and with the aid of volunteer healthcare professionals deliver medical services to the local people. Teens from a bilingual school who befriended the group in 2012 served as invaluable translators for the larger mission trip. Key to the success of both trips was listening to the local people express their needs. By listening, Alice and her team avoided the trap of presuming, as outsiders, what should be done.
Alice and David shared photos from both trips. The images revealed the mix of men, women, and children all on hand to help, to feed, to play, and to learn. Alice closed her remarks by sharing that the hands-on nature of such missions truly changes your life. If you missed it, here is the link to the program: https://youtu.be/UgKzoFSUDrQ
A Feel Good Meeting and a highlight of our Rotary year was provided by Jon Callaway sharing the results of the rigorous selection process of the Scholarship Committee whose members include Paula Possin, Ginny Olson and Randy Sproule. Jon explained the process from inviting counselors from all the Madison area schools to recommend students through to the painstaking review of each candidate.
This year 37 candidates were screened before the committee narrowed the list to the top ten plus five alternates. Alternates are selected to fill openings created when a student’s plans change. Each of the ten students will receive a $1,000 scholarship ($500 per semester) for the first year and will be matched by Randy Sproule’s family for $1,000 in year two.
Jon reviewed the criteria for candidates which include outstanding academic performance, proven financial need, being the first in a family to attend college, and selecting Madison College as their institution of choice. Not one of the criteria is citizenship and one of the highly recommended selections would not have been on the list of finalists otherwise.
A big thank you to the committee for all of their efforts to select ten outstanding students.
Neighborhood House is Madison's first and oldest community center located in the Greenbush Neighborhood.
For over 105 years Neighborhood House has offered programs and services to all people and has a long and varied history. They have also received grant funding from Madison South Rotary! Director Laura Gundlach shared their long history and the work that they currently do. And there are plenty of volunteer opportunities from assistance with building projects to collection of toiletries to mentoring youth.
Refugees and immigration have been in the news because of the war in Ukraine, the US departure from Afghanistan, and the ongoing southern border issues. Steve and Carmel shared the history of the Center, the range of services offered, interesting volunteer opportunities, and the profound complexities of the government's obstacles to aiding families in need.
Originally called St. Martin House, the Center has been open since 1946. The current building opened in 2002. Their focus on immigration started in 2009 and as an organization, they shifted their relationship from The Diocese to the Our Lady Queen of Peace parish. All denominations are served in the eleven counties of the Diocese. As Executive Director Steve explained when asked about their association with the church and the families they serve, “We don’t serve them because they are Catholic. We serve them because we are Catholic.”
Carmel, the lead attorney, shared revealing statics: the Center has helped people from more than 70 countries, she and her staff of one paralegal and an additional attorney have 600 open cases, and of 189 cases files only 133 have been approved. Sadly 85% of the cases nationwide are not approved. If you missed it, here is the video: https://youtu.be/XjpRo2IDHD0
5/9/22 - Immigration Services at the Catholic Multicultural Center: Helping New-comers Become Neighbors
Dear elves, reindeer, cookie bakers, bingo callers, and party planners, put away your hats. Hang up your jingle bells. Store the bingo cards.
Do put on your masks and share a sigh together. A positive COVID case has interrupted the 2021 festivities. Our St. Mary’s BINGO party is shelved for yet another year. Please hold good thoughts, and until the season comes around again here’s a quick story being shared throughout the Rotary District about our treasured tradition.
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It starts with one. One man, one mom, one Christmas, and one Rotary Club. The Madison South Rotary Club.
And how do families make a holiday special? With food, friends, a few very suspicious-looking reindeer, and a whole lotta fun. And what’s more fun than BINGO? BINGO with cash prizes!! Add food, lap blankets, trays of tasty holiday treats ... a Holiday tradition is born.
For more years than Lisa Gits can or wants to remember members of the club have chosen to bring a Bingo party to the residents of St. Mary’s Care Center. It originally was because one of the club member’s moms was there. When word spread, a little Santa magic with a generous dollop of Rotary fellowship and goodwill, more than a handful of elves of various sizes and shapes, a party with food and gifts materialized. The tradition goes back far enough that there are notorious tales. No one will share the one about Juanita in B4…but if you ask Ted See, he just might share a story or two.
Other than a little, or a lot, of Holiday Cheer, what does a senior citizen want? A little warmth. Cue RSVP and generous gifts of handcrafted lap quilts. Even a global pandemic will not stay the arrival of these personal warmth delivery devices.
Sometimes service is ambitious. Sometimes it’s playing BINGO on a December evening with some of our vintage community members. This is what the "Family of Rotary" is all about.
Some Rotarians ride bicycles for fun, some for their health, some to get to work, and some even ride for a cause. The cause that drew District 6250 leaders to their bikes on November 6th is the fight to eradicate polio.
From Chippewa Falls to Madison and Mt. Horeb riders came to Verona to mount their bicycles and stay in place. Because the goal is to get to a polio free world, and your bike doesn’t need to move to reach that goal. District Governor Karen Hebert arrived with her game face on, literally. She sported an End Polio Now tattoo on her cheek. Joining her in a matching tutu with flashing lights was DGN Dr. Michelle McGrath, who sported pigtails designed to bob in the breeze created by the whirring of bike wheels.
Representing Madison South Rotary were District Polio Chair Randy Sproule and club Secretary Lee Ann Dillis, also wife of AG Mike Dillis the driving force behind the ride.
Rocket Bicycle with Madison South Rotary Club hosted the first annual District 6250 Ride to End Polio. Rocket Bicycle and SBR Endurance provided high-tech bike stands that transform moving bicycles into stationary bicycles, temporarily. Rain or shine Rotary would ride to end polio on November 6th.
The teams arrived by 8 AM to check out “the course” and calibrate their bikes to the sophisticated tracking equipment that would provide second by second feedback about speed, miles, and more. Ahead of the riders, spanning nearly the full length of the wall, was a dynamic display of information projected in giant numbers. A graphic silhouette of hills (more than one) revealed which rider was leading and how the team was progressing as they raced to add miles as the minutes ticked up to the limit of 45. Only 45 minutes had been allocated for the ride this year. Pledges rode on each push of a pedal.
And just as can happen on the open road, only ten minutes into the ride Lee Ann realized this just wasn't going to be her day. Like the athlete she is, she listened to her body and got off her bike. Never fear. The ride was not over for Team B.R.A.T. As she dismounted her bike, Lee Ann spied Club President Erin West, who had stopped in just to cheer on the team standing there watching. In the true spirit of a team player and without missing a beat, Erin shed her coat, handed off her coffee, and stepped onto Lee Ann’s bike. But the next 35 minutes were far from the biggest challenge for President Erin. Lee Ann is of modest height and Erin towers over her. So the fit was awkward. Add to this size mismatch that Lee Ann had clip-in pedals which require clip-in shoes, of which Erin had none. So pedaling on her toes for the next 35 minutes Erin West rode one for the team.
Riding on the open road nine cyclists from West Towne-Middleton met in Verona in the afternoon on November 6th and rode for 14 miles.
And in the end what did the District 6250 Ride to End Polio achieve?
Team Tutu: $12,534.00 Team B.R.A.T: $13,053.00 Team M-WT: $1,520 -------------------------
Total: $27,107.00
With the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2:1 match, the event raised $81,321.00!
In 2019, Madison South created and held our first Pints for Polio event on World Polio Day. It was hosted at all four Great Dane Brewing locations around Madison, WI.
The concept was pretty simple ... for every pint, growler, and crawler sold from lunch through dinner, The Great Dane donated $1 which will then be matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In just a few hours, $1,689 was raised and with the Gates Foundation match, that total rises to $5,067!
Afterward, when we were announcing the success of the event, the event branding went viral. Pints for Polio logos, T-shirt art, social media posts, and posters were sent to Rotary clubs around the world - literally from Australia to Europe!
My dad served in World War II during the Battle of the Bulge. He arrived in France two weeks after D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in history.
“I never got my boots wet,” Dad told me, incredulous at the courage and determination of those who led the way. Among them was our good friend and Rotarian Tom Lucas, who died July 14, just two years shy of a century old.
As we all know, Tom was a paratrooper who dropped in to France as a teenager just days before D-Day. Miraculously, he survived wounds for which he was awarded five purple hearts.
Beyond his ability to survive the ravages of World War II combat and the Korean War, his ability to lead a successful, long life afterwards is equally amazing. I’ve always thought Tom’s way of dealing with the horrors of war was to confront them openly. Was there ever a day at Rotary when Tom did not mention something to do with his military service? Instead of bottling it all up, Tom chose another approach. He explained what it was like to anybody interested in learning. I certainly was.
Tom once brought his collection of war memorabilia and laid it all out on an open table. It was fitting enough for a Smithsonian exhibit. All kinds of stuff, including Nazi emblems, belt buckles and a black dagger. After the meeting, he told me about the knife.
“I always had that fastened to my ankle,” he explained, as he pulled up his pant leg. Then he hugged me from behind and proceeded to show me how he used it to survive hand-to-hand combat! That was Tom. No need to sugar coat it.
On the lighter side, who can forget the laughs and groans Tom would elicit when he began a happy dollar comment with, “I was in my basement and found…” There were the gold coins, the fishing rods, the newspapers, the this and the that. All were part of the fabric of a very long and successful life.
Ted and Jacci See, and I am sure other caring Madison South Rotarians, went out of their way to make sure Tom didn’t celebrate a birthday alone. They also provided the most beautiful cakes to mark the occasion. This was yet another form of service before self to help honor a Rotarian who could hardly have given more in service to his country.
Tom, your fellow Rotarians salute you, not just for your outstanding service, but for your friendship and service to the community over so many years.
My dad lived 88 years, a full decade less than Tom. But like Tom, Dad returned from the war and had an incredibly successful and happy life. I can’t help but think Tom Lucas and his courageous buddies who went in first, were the reason my dad and all those who followed, had a chance of surviving at all.
This week at MSR, we held the annual meeting of our very own Madison South Rotary Foundation (MSRF). Joe Camilli, current President of MSRF called the annual meeting to order and the members voted to approve the 2020 MSRF Annual Meeting Minutes. Mike Dillis and Joe Ballas then presented the Annual Report, which was distributed to all members via email. The MSRF Annual Report outlines the Future Foundation Advisory Committee and goals of the MSRF, financials and grants, future foundation corpus growth and the legacy society. The members then voted to elect Firoz Khimani and Paula Possin as MSRF Board Members for 2022-2024 terms.
This week we heard an incredible presentation by Luke Vorstermans, Founder of Roll a Hippo Foundation.
The hippo water roller was a flip in thinking. This innovative re-design of the wheelbarrow will transform the way over 1 billion women and children in the developing world collect and transport their daily household water.
All tickets include 18 holes of mini golf on Vitense’s Wisconsin Course, contest entry, door prizes, and a coupon for a free beverage or scoop of ice cream! All Proceeds Benefit: Madison South Rotary Initiatives
This week at MSR, professional speaker Leslie Ferris Yerger shared that breast cancer is now the number one cancer diagnosed in the world. In this informative presentation, we discovered interesting facts about breast cancer screening, find out why you may need to Ask, Learn, Insist, and Persist to get the breast cancer screening you deserve.
Below are links shared by our presenter:
MyDensityMatters website for more information and helpful downloads:
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!
Rotary Volunteers for Lake Monona 20K Water Station
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.
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.
Rotary Peace Fellow - Peacebuilding through economic empowerment
Youth and women's economic empowerment is one of the greatest needs in peacebuilding, 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. 0
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.
Madison South Rotary and the Oregon Interact Club Help Refurbish a School for Disabled Children in Guatamala
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.
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
Genocide on the Tigray Tribe in Ethiopia Touches District 6250
Just to recap, there will be a matching program 1:1 for anything donated to The Rotary Foundation from February 24, 2021 until April 30, 2021, to help you obtain or reach the next Paul Harris Fellow level.
Donations can be to any Rotary Foundation fund but remember it is the Annual Fund that allows us to obtain all the various district and global grants.
At the top, click on My Rotary, then sign in and THEN click on "Donate". If you don't sign in first, our club won't get credit.
Select "Annual Fund" and continue prompts to enter credit card info. You will get an email confirmation. Forward a copy to Cary Grunder, cary.grunder@nm.com, so he can allocate the appropriate matching points
Option B - Mail a Check Check should be made payable to: The Rotary Foundation and mailed to
Madison South Rotary PO Box 259672 Madison WI 53725
Any questions do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for making a difference in the world!
This week at Madison South Rotary, we heard the presentation "Ignite Your Life: Making Room for More Pleasure" by Christie Bemis, from Hot Pink University
She asked us to create a list of items under each of these four categories:
What do I want to be? What do I want to do? What do I want o have?
What do I want to feel?
Then, she described a way to create a hierarchy among the list to know where to focus your time and effort.
Our Inaugural Rotary Scoops Event Was a Huge Success!
Due to the pandemic, Madison South Rotary was forced to cancel our Brat Stand fundraiser which funds our club’s many activities including our local nonprofit grant program, international projects, student scholarships, outstanding student program, and so much more.
To replace these funds, we decided to host a Human Sundae Fundraising Challenge. Eight Rotarians participated in the challenge - Tara Ingalls, Erin West, Jay Hinkens, Ted See, Aaron Frank, Kathy Sibert and Joe Balles - with the highest (Erin) and lowest fundraisers (Dan) being crowned “winners.”
Sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the event and to everyone who donated - we raised over $13,600 for our Foundation!
This week's presenter was Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy, a shareholder and co-founder of Horn & Johnsen SC.
Here presentation entitled "Estate Planning 101" provided an overview of estate planning, including the basic estate planning documents everyone should have in place, regardless of your age or the size of your estate, along with a brief discussion about living trusts and when they should be considered.
This week we heard a presentation by Lyn Kenney about Madison South Rotary's International project in Guatamala for 2021-2022: the Guatemala Community Center project.
Did you miss the meeting? Click below to watch Lyn's presentation.
Speaker: Rob Gooze Topic: The Why, What, How, When of a Cancer Clinical Trial
This program will discussed the science and objectives of clinical trials and also the issues and perspectives of a real life patient Mary Gooze, Rob's wife, who has just started on a clinical trial at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.
Thank you Lee Ann & Mike Dillis for hosting a “Winter Warmer” event last Saturday afternoon!
The weather was absolutely perfect to enjoy great conversation around a blazing bonfire, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and some frothy beverages. Thanks to the craft beer fellowship group for organizing this winter wonderland get together!
Speaker: Randy Romanski, Secretary-designee, State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
The Secretary touched on the wide-spread role of the agency, which is described as a “Partnership with all the citizens of Wisconsin to grow the economy by promoting quality food, healthy plants and animals, sound use of land and water resources, and a fair marketplace.”
It’s like the Ice Bucket Challenge and an Ice Cream Social had a baby!
For the month of February, our club will be hosting a fundraising event called Rotary Scoops to replace funds normally raised by our Brat Stand to support our Foundation's Grant program this spring.
These eight brave Rotarians have offered to be candidates for the event. The one with the highest fundraising total on 2/26 becomes a "Human Sundae."
Click below to visit their individual fundraising pages:
This week we had such an interesting presentation by Melinde Byrne about Forensic Genealogy and the Rotary Four Way Test.
Is it the Truth? Absolutely! Forensic Genealogy using DNA evidence has revolutionized crime solving, not just for cold cases, but also for deterring criminals who know they’ll get caught.
Is it Fair to All? Yes, if you believe justice should be served in cases of violent crimes like kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder.
Lois Smith and Mitchell Paquette joined us today to explain the purpose and goals of the Global Scholars Grant program as well as how individuals can apply for these grants. Mitchell Paquette, a District 6250 sponsored Global Scholar Grant Recipient, also shared his history, scholar experience, and career goals.
Today we heard a wonderful presentation by Abbi Kruse from The Playing Field. The Playing Field has created a one-of-a-kind model for early care and education that breaks barriers faced by low-income families in accessing high quality programs.
Their School Family includes children impacted by homelessness alongside those from more advantaged families and has been recognized as a model for trauma sensitive practices.
This week's presenter was Ryan Michael McAdams, Neonatology Division Chief at UW Madison
Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially premature and other critically ill newborns.
Dr. McAdams discussed neonatal care practices worldwide including the latest medical advances, current dilemmas, and future directions in neonatology.
This week we heard a delightful presentation by Laura Berkan Mael, CPO of Pareto's Talent. "Goals apply to all aspects of our lives. Most of us have professional goals – a sales quota, a monetary income achievement, a promotion – but we don’t have personal goals to define success and happiness once we reach those financial goals. If we don’t have balanced goals, you sacrifice your health or personal relationships in exchange for financial success. On the other hand, if we are happy, healthy, and feeling well, we tend to have an easier time achieving other goals."
This week's speaker was Lisa Robb from Raining Glitter Coaching. Mindset is the foundation upon which we can build our hopes and dreams. How firm is your foundation?
In this inspirational program, Lisa shared lessons that will help you effectively establish a more positive mindset. She encouraged us to dream big, radical, impossible dreams and believe in them, too.
We learned about seven mindset mantras we could put to use right away!
Chronic childhood malnutrition is a problem all over Guatemala. Almost 50% of children aged 5 and under are malnourished. In the highland villages of Tecpan, however, the number is as high as 95%.
In 2019, Madison South Rotary wrote a Global Grant for a Water and Sanitation Project in two villages in the highlands of Tecpan, Guatemala. We partnered with ABPD (Association Behrhorst Partners for Development), the Antigua RC in Antigua, Guatemala, District 7750 in South Carolina and clubs in Florida and Maine. At the same time, Deb Walters from District 7790 (Maine and Quebec) wrote a Global Grant for Maternal and Child Health for one of the same villages plus one other that had been assessed to need this type of help. The “ask” comes from the village leaders themselves then a detailed assessment is done by ABPD.
Thank you Valerie Johnson Renk from Habitat or Humanity Dane County for sharing how the program works, who qualifies and the results of your program! And, thanks for all you to do support our community!
Congratulations to Madison South Rotary for recently receiving a 2019-2020 Rotary Citation from Rotary International! This citation was given in recognition of our Club's support of Rotary International's strategic priorities which focus on uniting people and taking action. A few examples of things we accomplished were having an active Membership Committee, being active in a polio fundraising event (Pints for Polio), hosting successful Club projects (Brat Stand & St. Mary's Bingo) and using social media (Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube) to help promote the good work of our Club to others in our community.
Kudos to all members of our Club who helped us achieve this recognition from RI! 🥳
Madison South Rotary Receives Citation from Rotary International
Thank you Walter Dewey from Resonant Capital Advisors for presenting to our club on the topic of "The Cloud, COVID, FISC & Fed: Economic and Investment Prospects During Extraordinary Times."
It's definitely an interesting time for investing!
This week we had the privilege of meeting Nan McCreadie from Rotary International. Nan joined Rotary in 1997 and became her club president in 2000-2001. She quickly thereafter became District Governor in 2005-2006. Rotary International of Great Britain and Ireland was formed as an organization in 1910. Nan made history when she became the first female president in 2013. At that time, there were 53,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland.
She said, "If you don't prepare, you won't perform well. Flying by the seat of your pants is just not going to allow you to reach the standards you are capable of. Believe in preparation and high standards, and you will be amazing."
This week at Madison South Rotary, Kevin Peterson from Peterson Technology Group presented his top 10 precautions to protect you and your company from cyber threats.
He shared no nonsense, practical advice, and better armed us against cyber criminals including ...
Our club's virtual Halloween party today was so fun! 🎃☠️👺
Special appearances by Mr. Incredible, Count Dracula, Maleficent, Don Taylor, and even Santa!
Congrats to our B-I-N-G-O winners Joe Balles, Jacci See, LeeAnn Dillis, and Kari Paterson. And, kudos to our costume winner Stephen Mundt and the 2020 "Dress your Brat" winners Mike & LeeAnn Dillis! Happy Halloween everyone!
Madison South Rotary was very pleased to welcome Tom Farley to our club meeting this week.
Tom shared "Life Lessons" he learned from sharing a bedroom with his brother, the late Chris Farley, including:
1. Finding your lane - being true to who you are instead of what others expect you to be
2. Connecting with your audience - learning what does and doesn't resonate with people
3. Embracing the ensemble - at some point every single person on your team is an integral part of your business. He advised, "Resist evaluating people solely on their talent. Evaluate people on how their skills can enhance the group and how their weaknesses (and we all have them) are diminished by this whole collective. Shifting to an 'ensemble mindset' creates several benefits. First, it's much easier to welcome new member because everyone feels important. They feel they matter, their presence is welcome and their voices will be heard. And, if/when someone does leave, a well tuned ensemble is far better positioned to seamlessly refresh."
In today's presentation, Phil Martin provided 6 great practices to engage and connect deeper with individuals, both at the office and in our relationships. Phil is a motivational speaker and author of the book Play Hard – Have Fun: A Philosophy for Life
This week at Madison South, we met Joanne Mani, Director of Business Travel at Burkhalter Travel. She discussed what business travelers in Wisconsin are experiencing amidst all the uncertainty of opening and closing borders and changing pandemic safety protocols.
Masood Akhtar is the Founder/President of "We Are Many - United Against Hate" Overpowering hate through engagement and education. People are not born with hate. They are taught to hate. If they are taught to hate, we can easily teach them how to love. But we need to realize that what makes America exceptional and has built our great nation is our policy of accepting all people, no matter their origin, color, or even political affiliation. Therefore, let's be proactive, strategic, non-partisan, and then act. Silence is no longer an option.
Below are links provided by Masood after his presentation:
Jennifer Udulutch, AuD, an Audiologist at SSM-Dean Medical Group presented today on hearing loss - causes, treatment options and assistive listening device options.
Dr. Udulutch is an Audiologist at SSM-Dean Medical Group and her presentation will highlight treatment, causes and types of hearing loss in addition to various assistive listening devices.
Dr. Udulutch is an Audiologist at SSM-Dean Medical Group and her presentation will highlight treatment, causes and types of hearing loss in addition to various assistive listening devices.
In 1989 the slogan “Service Above Self” was formally established as the principal motto of Rotary because it conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service that defines our mission & purpose. Each year our Club awards a Paul Harris Fellow to a member who demonstrates their commitment to helping others by volunteering their time and talents.
This year’s recipient, Ginny Olson, has been a Rotarian since 2011 and joined our club in 2015. She's held the following positions within our Club: Sergeant at Arms, Secretary, Member of the Board of Directors, Membership Committee Chair, Editor of the Newsletter and Member of the Foundation Board.
Madison South Rotary's 2019-2020 Service Above Self Award Winner is Ginny Olson
Terry Payne, Investing in and Caring for Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron cookware pieces are timeless as well as versatile. "Buy it once ... use it forever and hand it down as a family heirloom," remarks this week's presenter Terry Payne.
Vintage cast iron cookware has a smooth cooking surface and vintage cookware is lighter in weight compared to modern cast iron.
Curt Fuszard, Executive Director REACH-A-Child™ is a Madison-based non-profit currently partnering with First Responders in many communities across Wisconsin. This effort involves the creation of REACH BAGs which are then delivered to the offices of the First Responders. Our organization aims to put smiles on the faces of children in crisis through the power of books. Whether the children are in the hospital, victims of domestic disturbance, or automobile accident or temporarily homeless, REACH-A-Child wants to help the first responders engage these children in a positive way.
This week at Madison South Rotary ... We heard from David Drake, a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist with the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW-Madison who presented on "Urban Coyotes and Red Foxes in Madison."
The UW Urban Canid Project has been studying coyotes and red foxes living in Madison since 2014. His presentation shared the methods they use to research these fascinating animals and some of the unique results our project has discovered.
Speaker: Missy Mael,Senior Director of Education, Outreach, and Prevention
Serving Dane County since 1973, the Rape Crisis Center (RCC) provides services to survivors (and their family and friends) of all forms of sexual violence, including recent sexual assault, past sexual assault, incest (past or present), sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation. These services are provided free of charge and include crisis intervention and support via our 24-hour Helpline (608-251-7273), our Spanish language line La Línea (608-258-2567), short-term counseling, support groups, medical and legal advocacy and accompaniment, community education and outreach.
Six Madison South Rotarians braved the heat to help Habitat for Humanity Dane County. Dan Millmann, Lauri Schwartz, Joe Camilli, Tara Ingalls, Steve Fine and Chris Dodge were definitely PEOPLE OF ACTION!
Madison South Rotary has been working on many different projects in Guatemala for the past 5 years. Some of the team members have worked in Guatemala for 9 years.
Madison South Rotary did a district grant to provide classroom furniture for a new addition to Association Brazo Amorosos (Loving Arms), a school for disadvantaged indigenous children in San Andres Itzapa, Guatemala. Loving Arms provides education as well as a variety of programs including health, water filters, stoves and income generating cooperatives to promote sustainability and self sufficiency. The school serves kindergarten through 3rd (now 4th) grade. Their goal is to add an additional grade each year so they eventually serve the total educational needs of the children through high school. Parents are actively involved with the school.
LAURA BUYAN-DENT MD PhD Associate Professor of Neurology at UW School of Medicine and Public Health, guest of our own Lyn Kenney, presents on movement disorders
Bill Mundt, a dear Madison South Rotary member, passed away on January 15, 2017. The quote above by Randy Sproule reflects the feelings of all. We are the beneficiaries of Bill's efforts to develop the Brat Stand as a strong fundraiser, to set up transformational college scholarships, and to make this club special. In large part because of Bill's commitment, Madison South Rotary can make a difference in our community.
We "will be sad for a long while, but always grateful for the special man Bill Mundt was--a good man."
Longtime Madison South Rotarian Bill Mundt passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2017. He was fondly remembered at Monday's meeting. President Aaron Frank quoted Rotary Founder Paul Harris. "Rotarians are very much more disposed toward action than words." Bill was a man of few words and lots of action in service to others. "Bill would want us to think today about things we did together to help others," fellow Rotarian and friend Randy Sproule said. We are the beneficiaries of Bill's hard work to set up transformational college scholarships, to develop the Brat Stand as a strong fundraiser, and to make this club special. Madison South Rotary has the ability to make a difference in the community because of Bill's hard work and commitment. Randy spoke for all of us when he said, "I will be sad for a long while, but I will always be grateful for the special man that Bill was--a good man." (photo by Kathy Siebert)
Last fall, Rob Gooze, a member of the Madison South Rotary club visited his son, David, who was serving in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa. Rob also met other Peace Corps volunteers and a Shea Flynn asked if our club could help her village by funding a latrine and hand washing station.The middle school is the only school in the community with no latrine. It services over 700 students and they have nowhere to use the bathroom other than the family fields behind the soccer field. Girls miss school during their menstrual cycle because they have no place to safely attend to feminine hygiene issues. Construction started this past May and was completed in July for less that $4,000 US. Thanks to Madison South Rotary and the Peace Corps, over 700 students now have proper school sanitary facilities.
Be sure to click on the story to see all the wonderful pictures.
West High School's Jessica Bales earned Madison South Rotary's Outstanding Student award. She's pictured with her counselor, Andrew Stendahl, who said Jessica is not only a scholar (3.5 GPA), but an athlete and a volunteer. She enjoys gymnastics and helping out at the local food pantry. Jessica plans to pursue a nursing degree at Edgewood College.
Jon Callaway, who deals with lots of unhappy people because of the industry he works in, offers some tips on how to better deal with clients and customers.
Madison is a great place to live because there are so many residents with advanced degrees, comprehensive skills and creative minds. One of them is Michelle Sharpswain, PhD, who is incorporating the power of community service in the curriculum for a new Madison-area high school, scheduled to open next year.
We've come to a crossroads regarding our Madison South Rotary Newsletter and can no longer produce it in the way we have previously published. Instead, we will take advantage of the electronic Rotary program known as Club Runner, which easily integrates all of the key information Rotary Clubs must tally, as well as provides space for newsletter copy, upcoming events and announcements. We have been paying for this software for some time, but have not fully taken advantage of what it offers. It is my goal to do exactly that in the coming weeks and months, thanks to the help of Bob Vanden Burgt and others on our team.
His adventure started in a tiny, impoverished village seven miles off the main road in Togo, West Africa, where constant drumming and random screams are the norm. David Gooze is 25 pounds lighter since becoming a Peace Corps volunteer in Kemeni, a two-thousand person community. Despite Togo's small population, they speak 40 different languages! French, however, is the official language.
You don't have to be a billionaire to make a significant and lasting contribution to the causes you deeply believe in. Enter the Madison Community Foundation (MCF), led by President Bob Sorge.
You don't have to be a billionaire to make a significant and lasting contribution to the causes you deeply believe in. Enter the Madison Community Foundation (MCF), led by President Bob Sorge.
Grief counselor Cheri Milton speaks the power of gratitude. In her presentation before Madison South Rotary, Milton discussed why she chose to write, Before You Go: Lessons for a better life from those facing death.
"I never imagined how much they would give back to me," she said of her interactions with terminal patients.
If my math is correct, I believe we are entering the 45th year of our club’s existence. Although I am very excited and honored to accept my responsibility as our 44th president, it only seems appropriate to pause for a moment to consider and acknowledge many of the components that make the Rotary Club of Madison South Rotary a truly exceptional organization.
New Members John Cobb and Ahleea Zama Give Classification Talks
Kay Wilson reported that the Triangle Ministry Dinner last Monday was enjoyable for both residents and Rotarians. Deacon Meg Nielsen was pleased that time was taken to visit with the residents. The food was also delicious!! Thanks to everyone who participated. 
We had another new member induction this week - Welcome Amanda Fawver!
MADISON SOUTH ROTARY IS GROWING! 
Today Dr. Pat McBride shared with the club his insights on cardiology. Pat touched on some career highlights at UW and the most important advice for the club members - get up and move around. Pat answered health questions posed by Rotarians ranging from the use of statins to tobacco/alcohol use. And of course, Pat couldn't get by without at least one reference to baseball as today is the home opener for the Milwaukee Brewers. If you missed it, here is the link to Pat's presentation: 
Today Ray Williams and Melanie Ramey from the Madison Committee on Foreign Relations (MCFR) shared with the club information about their association and examples of recent topics/speakers presenting at recent MCFR meetings. Melanie, a 32 year Rotarian, made a connection between a recent topic on world hunger and what Rotary is doing to provide compact nutritious meals…who knew? If you missed it, here is the link: 
Madison South Rotarians spent Saturday, 3/4 helping to get a Habitat for Humanity of Dane County property ready for its new owners.
Comedian Pat Dwyer stopped by today to share some interesting thoughts on improv as well as what we can learn about our communication with others. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: 
Rev. Dr. Alex Gee stopped by today to share with the club some history of black culture in Madison, including his own personal journey of moving to Madison as a young child. Dr. Gee also shared plans for the Center for Black Excellence and Culture that he is currently fundraising for and hopes to have built by 2025. If you missed it, here is the link to the video: 
Today John Fassl, Director of the Dane County School Consortium and Annie Johnston, coordinator for work based learning at the Madison Metropolitan School District, stopped by to share an overview of the Youth Apprenticeship Program Areas by Pathway. The program is an industry driven, highly successful and nationally recognized talent acquisition strategy in which employers hire high school juniors and seniors for a one or two year apprenticeship. Students pair courses related to the profession to enhance on-the-job learning. John told us that there are 400 students in the program today and he is continually searching for new vocations to build out additional pathway opportunities for students. If you missed it, here is the recording: 
Michael Flaherty, a 22-year, award-winning journalist in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington D.C. stopped by to visit with the club and share his insights into print journalism and where it is heading. Michael even weaved in some of the elements of the Rotary 4-way test (Is it the Truth and is it fair to all concerned) in his presentation. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation and lively question and answer session: 
Our very own Randy Sproule shared some facts about the scholarships the club provides primarily to Madison College students.
Dan McGown is a four-time participant in the World Series of Poker. This week, Dan shared the evolution of the World Series of Poker, including some of his experiences. Dan also told us about the changes in strategy and the ins and outs of playing poker. 
We did an in-meeting service project. Each Rotarian took a couple of beginning to read books, added a Rotary sticker to the inside cover, inserted some fun Halloween stickers and wrote a short note to the child receiving the book. We sent a box of 52 books back with Alice Erickson from One City Schools to distribute to the K-5 kindergarten class.
Kelsey Brennan, a veteran actor with the American Players Theatre gave us some insights about what it is like to be an actor with the American Players Theatre (APT) in Spring Green. APT puts on eight plays each summer/fall and actors like Kelsey learn parts for four plays. Kelsey also told us about the professional division of APT that she leads in coaching business leaders on their presentation and mentoring skills. There were many questions for Kelsey and APT Managing Director Sara Young. 
Sarah Eskrich, Executive Director of Democracy Foundation and a fellow Rotarian with the Downtown club, shared with the club the theory of the final five voting. Final five voting is based on the concept of breaking partisan gridlock to save our democracy from the book “The Politics Industry” written by Katherine M. Gehl and Michael Porter. Under final five election system, there is a single ballot primary with the top five candidates advancing to the final election. In the final election, there is a ranked choice ballot to pick the winner. Sarah shared that there is bi-partisan support for final five voting and a bill is in its initial stages with the Wisconsin legislature. Sarah shared the state of Alaska just completed a special election using the final five system. 
MSR Rotarian Steve Fine shared with us his expertise on estate planning. If you missed it, here is the link to Steve's presentation: 
John McKenzie, local real estate developer, and Stephanie Johnston, Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development, shared with the club the impact the new McKenzie Regional Workforce Center of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County will have on Madison’s minority youth. Some of the topics touched on by John included diversifying the workforce; the unique partnership between the Boys & Girls Club with the Madison Area Builders Association; interest in taking this program nationally using this model; partnering with the Harvard Business School, local schools (starting at 4K) and Habitat for Humanity; status of the fundraising. Stephanie shared that all building trades – carpenters, electricians, HVAC and plumbers – will be taught at the new center. The youth will build skills needed, have apprenticeships and finish off with a capstone project before they graduate from high school. There is also a focus on building entrepreneurial skills so that students can someday own their own businesses and build generational wealth. If you missed it, here is the link to the presentation: 
Dr. Pat McBride grew up in a middle-class family in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa. His parents were both hard driving reporters for the Milwaukee papers (Journal for his dad and Sentinel for his mother). Politics was an everyday topic in the McBride household and led to arguments between Pat's alcoholic parents. What looked normal from the outside was a very dysfunctional family that included seven children. Pat's big break was a 25 word essay contest he won to become a ball boy for the Milwaukee Brewers who were just moving to town. He parlayed that job into adding the Milwaukee Bucks ball boy and the Packers ball boy jobs later that year. He is the only kid in America to serve as the ball boy for three major professional sports teams. Pat worked extremely hard in these jobs and he was well respected by his employers. The managers and others in those organizations became mentors to him and helped him escape the dysfunctional household he grew up in. Pat would go on to become a successful medical doctor and administrator at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where Pat would go on to mentor many future physicians. 
Neighborhood House is Madison's first and oldest community center located in the Greenbush Neighborhood.
Carmel Capati and Steve Maurice - CMC
Dear elves, reindeer, cookie bakers, bingo callers, and party planners, put away your hats. Hang up your jingle bells. Store the bingo cards. 
Some Rotarians ride bicycles for fun, some for their health, some to get to work, and some even ride for a cause. The cause that drew District 6250 leaders to their bikes on November 6th is the
n 2019, Madison South created and held our first Pints for Polio event on World Polio Day. It was hosted at all four 
Afterward, when we were announcing the success of the event, the event branding went viral. Pints for Polio logos, T-shirt art, social media posts, and posters were sent to Rotary clubs around the world - literally from Australia to Europe! 
In 2020 we didn't hold the event due to COVID, but we came back in 2021 at a new location - 
My dad served in World War II during the Battle of the Bulge. He arrived in France two weeks after D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in history.
This week at MSR, we held the annual meeting of our very own Madison South Rotary Foundation (MSRF). Joe Camilli, current President of MSRF called the annual meeting to order and the members voted to approve the 2020 MSRF Annual Meeting Minutes. Mike Dillis and Joe Ballas then presented the Annual Report, which was distributed to all members via email. The MSRF Annual Report outlines the Future Foundation Advisory Committee and goals of the MSRF, financials and grants, future foundation corpus growth and the legacy society. The members then voted to elect Firoz Khimani and Paula Possin as MSRF Board Members for 2022-2024 terms. 
This week we heard an incredible presentation by Luke Vorstermans, Founder of Roll a Hippo Foundation.
Join Madison South Rotarians for a fun afternoon “on the green!” 
This week at MSR, professional speaker Leslie Ferris Yerger shared that breast cancer is now the number one cancer diagnosed in the world. In this informative presentation, we discovered interesting facts about breast cancer screening, find out why you may need to Ask, Learn, Insist, and Persist to get the breast cancer screening you deserve.
Rotary Peace Fellow Solomon Ochieng shared information this week on "Peace building through economic empowerment."
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. 
Fellow Rotarians Rob Gooze and Cary Grunder presented to our club this week on The Rotary International Foundation.
This week at Madison South Rotary, we heard the presentation "Ignite Your Life: Making Room for More Pleasure" by Christie Bemis, from 
Our Inaugural Rotary Scoops Event Was a Huge Success!
This week's presenter was Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy, a shareholder and co-founder of 
This week, we heard a delightful presentation by Lisa Koenecke on "3 Strategies to Improve your Diversity, Equity & Inclusion"
Speaker: Rob Gooze
Craft Beer Fellowship's Winter Warmer was so fun!
Speaker: Randy Romanski, Secretary-designee, State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
For the month of February, our club will be hosting a fundraising event called Rotary Scoops to replace funds normally raised by our Brat Stand to support our Foundation's Grant program this spring.
This week we had such an interesting presentation by Melinde Byrne about Forensic Genealogy and the Rotary Four Way Test.
Today we heard a wonderful presentation by Abbi Kruse from 
Madison South Rotary Annual Member Meeting - December 28, 2020
This week's presenter was Ryan Michael McAdams, Neonatology Division Chief at UW Madison
This week we heard a delightful presentation by Laura Berkan Mael, CPO of Pareto's Talent. "Goals apply to all aspects of our lives. Most of us have professional goals – a sales quota, a monetary income achievement, a promotion – but we don’t have personal goals to define success and happiness once we reach those financial goals. If we don’t have balanced goals, you sacrifice your health or personal relationships in exchange for financial success. On the other hand, if we are happy, healthy, and feeling well, we tend to have an easier time achieving other goals."
This week's speaker was Lisa Robb from Raining Glitter Coaching. Mindset is the foundation upon which we can build our hopes and dreams. How firm is your foundation?
Chronic childhood malnutrition is a problem all over Guatemala. Almost 50% of children aged 5 and under are malnourished. In the highland villages of Tecpan, however, the number is as high as 95%.
Thank you Valerie Johnson Renk from Habitat or Humanity Dane County for sharing how the program works, who qualifies and the results of your program! And, thanks for all you to do support our community!
Thank you Walter Dewey from Resonant Capital Advisors for presenting to our club on the topic of "The Cloud, COVID, FISC & Fed: Economic and Investment Prospects During Extraordinary Times."
This week we had the privilege of meeting Nan McCreadie from Rotary International. Nan joined Rotary in 1997 and became her club president in 2000-2001. She quickly thereafter became District Governor in 2005-2006. Rotary International of Great Britain and Ireland was formed as an organization in 1910. Nan made history when she became the first female president in 2013. At that time, there were 53,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland.
This week at Madison South Rotary, Kevin Peterson from Peterson Technology Group presented his top 10 precautions to protect you and your company from cyber threats.
Madison South Rotary was very pleased to welcome Tom Farley to our club meeting this week.
In today's presentation, Phil Martin provided 6 great practices to engage and connect deeper with individuals, both at the office and in our relationships. Phil is a motivational speaker and author of the book 
his week at Madison South, we met Joanne Mani, Director of Business Travel at Burkhalter Travel. She discussed what business travelers in Wisconsin are experiencing amidst all the uncertainty of opening and closing borders and changing pandemic safety protocols.
Masood Akhtar is the Founder/President of "We Are Many - United Against Hate" Overpowering hate through engagement and education. People are not born with hate. They are taught to hate. If they are taught to hate, we can easily teach them how to love. But we need to realize that what makes America exceptional and has built our great nation is our policy of accepting all people, no matter their origin, color, or even political affiliation. Therefore, let's be proactive, strategic, non-partisan, and then act. Silence is no longer an option.
District Governor Bill Pritchard Speaks at MSR
In 1989 the slogan “Service Above Self” was formally established as the principal motto of Rotary because it conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service that defines our mission & purpose. Each year our Club awards a Paul Harris Fellow to a member who demonstrates their commitment to helping others by volunteering their time and talents.
Terry Payne, Investing in and Caring for Cast Iron Cookware
This week at Madison South Rotary ... We heard from David Drake, a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist with the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW-Madison who presented on "Urban Coyotes and Red Foxes in Madison."
Speaker: Missy Mael,
Madison South Rotary has been working on many different projects in Guatemala for the past 5 years. Some of the team members have worked in Guatemala for 9 years..jpg)
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West High School's Jessica Bales earned Madison South Rotary's Outstanding Student award. She's pictured with her counselor, Andrew Stendahl, who said Jessica is not only a scholar (3.5 GPA), but an athlete and a volunteer. She enjoys gymnastics and helping out at the local food pantry. Jessica plans to pursue a nursing degree at Edgewood College.
