Category Archives: 1. President’s Messages

Celebrating 100 Years: A Look Back in Our History

Posted on September 20, 2012 by | 3 comments

Rotary Club of Madison-Centennial Logo

THIS MONTH IN DOWNTOWN ROTARY HISTORY
As part of our celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Rotary Club of Madison, Jerry Thain and Rich Leffler are today beginning a series in which we will publish original documents from the Club’s archives. We hope that these documents will recall for you the rich history of the Club and the times during this momentous century.

Here is our first posting for the series:

Paul F. Hunter, Sr.

On September 1, 1939, the German Army and Air Force attacked Poland. After diplomatic efforts failed to end the invasion, on September 3, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. For the second time in a generation, the lights were going out all over Europe. The essay, almost certainly written by Paul F. Hunter, Sr., the longtime Club secretary and the editor of The Rotary News, appeared in the News issue of September 12, 1939 (volume XXIV, no. 18, p. 3).
The essay is beautifully, lyrically written and also suggests the broad  international connections our Club had at the time. It presciently fears  “what may be the worst war in the history of the world.” Even that  understated the horrors that were to come. It also speaks of a halcyon America,  which was perhaps a rose-colored vision of the reality of 1939. But it may have  been true of Madison, Wisconsin. Even then, in the last days of the Depression,  Madison was a special place.

–submitted by Rich Leffler

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Posted in 2. Meetings, Centennial Celebration, History

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At the Heart of Rotary

Posted on August 7, 2012 by | 6 comments

Last week I took the time to visit the Madison Horizons Rotary Club at the Radisson Inn West on Grand Canyon Drive.  I guess, I’m already missing some of the usual weekly interaction that comes from small lunch table conversation.  I always wanted to visit Madison Horizons but never took the time until last week.  They have a big Rotary Wheel outside of the hotel so I figured that they must be doing something right.  Well, I entered as a visitor, and I came out feeling like a member of the Club.  They gladly welcomed me and made sure that all of the visitors were formerly introduced to the entire club as we sat to enjoy a hardy lunch.

They had a very lively and upbeat speaker who provided valuable community information about the threats of poisonous gas in households.  I felt well informed and a little closer to the issues that fellow Madison homeowners face.  It was clear to me that Rotary plays a vital role in community service, education and public discourse.  It’s important to discuss vital issues face-to-face, when you can, to exchange ideas and creatively work to find solutions to problems.  As I took a minute to look around the room to see if everyone was engaged in the presentation, I also noticed one other thing.  Almost every Rotarian was wearing a Rotary pin.  The meeting was important to them, and they were proud to wear their pins.  It didn’t take me long to realize that this, community-oriented, Rotary Club sits at the heart of Rotary.  I’m going to take the time, during this Rotary year, to visit and fellowship with other clubs in Madison and I hope you do to.

Yours In Service,
Wes Sparkman
Club President

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Posted in 1. President's Messages, 2. Meetings, 4. Fellowship Groups

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100 Avenues of Service Project Off to a Great Start!

Posted on July 31, 2012 by | 1 comment

–submitted by Neil Fauerbach,  100 Avenues of Service Sub-Committee Chair

   Your Rotary Club of Madison has had a tremendous impact on our community and the world.  It is one of the reasons we are Rotarians–to make the world a better place, one small step at a time.
   As we mark our 100th year as a Rotary Club, we have many events, projects and celebrations to mark this milestone. One of the projects the Centennial Celebration Committee has planned is called “100 Avenues of Service.” This project will keep track of, count and document the projects that Rotarians carry out between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013.  The idea is not to be boastful but to illustrate to our members and prospective members the value of being a Rotarian.
   What is a “Project”?   Sticking with the Strategic Priority, the projects should fall into one of our five avenues of service: Club, Community, Vocational, New Generations and International.  All Committees and Fellowship Groups will be asked to communicate their projects for documentation.
   Projects such as Polio Plus or the annual Ethics Symposium–even though they have multiple “touches” or meetings throughout the year–are considered ONE project.  A fundraiser by the Wine Fellowship Group to benefit a Rotaract project is ONE project.
   The 100 Avenue Projects will be communicated in a number of ways, as we all receive our information through different channels.  Projects will be recorded on our blog, tweeted, reported on our website, documented in our club newsletter and occasionally reported from the podium. The goal is to increase our activities in our Centennial year, document those activities and show the true impact our activities have on our community.
   When one gives of their time, their money and themselves, it not only helps others but also strengthens our own spirit. Some of the happiest people we know are the busy volunteers in our midst.
   This year we will show 100 more reasons we are proud to be Rotarians!  We are off to a good start with the following:

Pete Christianson

#1 – The Community Projects Committee organized the 3rd Annual Rotary Blood Drive held on July 11 around our weekly meeting. Twenty pints were collected from Red-Blooded Rotarians. (It was falsely reported that the Rotary Scholars/Mentors picnic was the first. Sorry, Ellie!)

Ellie Schatz (second from right) pictured with 3 of her mentees.

#2 – Rotary Scholar/Mentor Picnic was held on July 15th at the home of Nate Brand and Regina Millner. Twenty-five scholars and their mentors were served a cookout feast by the Kitchen Committee.

#3 – On July 21, the Bicycle Fellowship Group helped the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County in their annual bike ride to raise money for their great programs. The ride raised over $300,000 for the club.

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Commitment to Service

Posted on July 11, 2012 by | 3 comments

You know, there is nothing like the joy of helping others.  This year marks 100 years of dedication to the ideals of “Service Above Self” for the Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin. 

Many years ago, during my undergraduate years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., embarked on a journey to establish a food drive for needy citizens in the Madison area.  We stood outside of the Copps and Sentry grocery stores at Hilldale and Park Street and collected canned goods to be donated to local food pantries.  During the winter month of November, we stood in the cold, laughed, joked, collected cans, and froze, but it was great fun.  I still look back on those days with many fond memories.  I remember thinking of how much more effective we could be if we just had a few more members.  We could cover more ground in less time.  We would have a greater presence at the grocery stores and the exiting shoppers would be more willing to donate more food. More members would increase our overall enjoyment and camaraderie. 

I guess, in some ways, I’ve always been searching for an experience like the Rotary Club of Madison.  Chartered on June 2, 1913, our Downtown Club is pretty special.  Not only are we considered a large Club with a size that measures within the 10th largest Rotary Clubs in the world, but we truly have a lot of helping hands and warm hearts.  I had the right idea, during my fraternity’s food drive; it’s great to be part of a group with so many community advocates and business leaders.  It has been a busy season, getting ready for a new Rotary year.  I’m especially proud of our Club because we really care about this community and making the City of Madison a great place to live.  We have over 40 Club committees totally consisting of volunteers.  What a group!  As President, it will be my pleasure to spend an hour a week with so many of you that truly appreciate the joys of helping others.

Yours In Service,
Wes Sparkman
Club President      

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Posted in 1. President's Messages, 4. Fellowship Groups, 5. Members, History

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A Fine Year – Farewell from President Paul Riehemann

Posted on June 28, 2012 by | 2 comments

It’s been a remarkable year with many significant accomplishments.  Thank you for your commitment to our local and global community through Rotary.

Here are two year-end summaries:  1)  the Powerpoint  from the June 27 meeting (lots of photos) and 2) a  One-Pager with all the information.

Kudos to the Roast Committee – I’m ‘grateful’ to have survived!

In Service, Paul

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Posted in 1. President's Messages, 2. Meetings, 4. Fellowship Groups, Board of Directors

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How’s It Going?? – Rotary Club of Madison

Posted on December 13, 2011 by | Leave a comment

From President Paul –

How is your Rotary year going?  Are you getting the most out of your membership?  Have you been able to work on a committee?  Join in fellowship group activities?  I hope so.  If not, jump in!  Not a week goes by that I don’t hear a member’s story about benefits they’ve received through contributing and participating – even just getting to know others at fellowship group events.

Feedback on weekly programs continues to be excellent.  Dave Mollenhoff’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story was rightfully described as mesmerizing.

Please allow me to share a few updates on items from our strategic plan –

  •  Speed Rotary in August rocked.  110 out of 112 members that completed the survey said we should do it again.  Many thanks to Deb Raupp and her committee.  Look for a reprise in the spring.
  • The new member event at the Chazen was a hit – almost 300 attended and feedback indicated all had a grand time.  Thanks Petie Rudy, Virginia Bartelt and committees, and of course our hosts Mary Carr Lee and Russell Panczenko.
  • Scott Haumersen and his committee are working on Rotary Tri-Quest to benefit Dane County Youth — our Run-Bike-Golf fundraiser on May 20, 2012.  (Members Jason Beren, Susan Schmitz, and Carrie Wall & Jim Gilmore are pictured below.)
  • Derrick Van Mell has taken on the task of compiling a list of activities that our club may discontinue. Please contact him with ideas.
  • Laura Peck, Steve Goldberg, Wes Sparkman, Deb Archer, Linda Baldwin and their committees continue to lead projects related to our centennial in June 2013.  These include Rotary Plaza by the Madison Children’s Museum, Family Fun Fair and the Centennial Celebration.
  • And, many thanks to Rick Kiley, Paul Ranola and the Social Media Committee.  They are managing this blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and instituted ConstantContact for emails to members.  The emails are much more attractive, and we are gathering statistics on what is being looked at so we can adjust as needed.

How’s it going for me?  Really well.  What continues to amaze me is the spirit with which members embrace volunteer work for the community.  Recently I was asked to recruit a few more members to help on a committee.  The first five members said yes. 

Committee and Fellowship group chairs – remember, there is a standing invitation for you to pen an article for this blog to let members know what you’re up to.  Please remember to include a photo or three.

Wishing you and your family a festive holiday season!  In service,

Paul Riehemann

The Rotary Club of Madison has 500 members from business, academia, healthcare and public and community service.  It is one of the ten largest Rotary International clubs in the world and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.  Rotary International is a service club with local and global reach.  It’s 34,000 clubs in over 200 countries have 1.2 million members who meet weekly to develop friendships, learn, and work together to address important humanitarian needs. 

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Posted in 1. President's Messages