Category Archives: 4. Fellowship Groups

Madison Rotary — Dinner & Discussion Group

Posted on October 4, 2011 by gThankYou! | Leave a comment

Do you Like to Eat? Do you Like Stimulating Conversation?

If you answered “yes” to these two questions, you might enjoy the Dinner and Discussion Fellowship Group. The group held its first meeting of the year on September 22 at Bonfyre. Eight eager Rotarians (pictured below) joined in a spirited discussion and dined on fine food.

Back (L-R): Deb Raupp, Jacqui Sakowski, Jim Ruhly, Carol Koby, Karen Christianson & Bill Muehl. Front (L-R): Robyn Kitson & Denny Carey

The group discussed the purpose of the fellowship and decided that we prefer a low-key, open-ended discussion rather than a rigid agenda. We would like to have a casual night out with food and conversation. We plan to discuss philosophy-behind-the-news rather than current events. We’re committed to listening to each other’s viewpoints and learning from each other, regardless of beliefs or opinions. We invite all perspectives and beliefs to deepen the conversation.

The next meeting is planned for Monday, October 10, at 6:00pm at Great Dane-Hilldale. Please join us! If you enjoy food and conversation, this group is right up your alley!

Contact the Rotary office at office@rotarymadison.org or 255-9164 to sign up and to receive invitations to attend the Dinner and Discussion Fellowship Group meetings.

Thanks to Deb Raupp for this post.

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 4. Fellowship Groups, Dinner & Discussion

Tagged Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary International

Rotary Madison — Notable Books Fellowship

Posted on September 29, 2011 by gThankYou! | Leave a comment

So, what goes on at a monthly meeting of the Rotary Notable Books Group you ask?

A lot of discussion about interesting books! For example, on September 22, the Rotary Notable Book Group met at the Takara Japanese restaurant to discuss the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The book has been on the New York Times best seller list for many months.

Notable Books Fellowship Group (L-R): Ruth Ann Schoer, Darrell Behnke, Rich Leffler, Joan Leffler, Frank Stein and Roberta Sladky.

Frank Stein, a member of the group, gives us the following summary of their meeting:

Essentially the author describes the case of Henrietta Lacks, a mother of five who died in 1951 from cervical cancer. While in treatment at the noted Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a slice of cancerous tissue was taken from the cervix and given to a laboratory scientist for analysis. The cancer cells in the tissue proved to be very much alive and continued to reproduce at a tremendous pace. This was a great scientific breakthrough since previous tissue cultures used in laboratory research containing cancer cells usually died within days.

The most fascinating part of the book was the depiction of the Lack’s family. They were descendants of black slaves from Virginia who lived on the edges of society in poverty with poor education and lack of opportunities to better their lives. Another aspect of the story was the question of informed consent in research studies and who benefits from research that uses tissues from someone’s body? We had a lively discussion of the abuse of research in the lack of informed consent to patients in the past, such as with syphilis
patients and prisoners who were given live cancer cells. In this book Skloot examines specifically how the exploitation of poor, uneducated people who are unaware of the research taking place can lead to legal dilemmas especially when huge profits are made on the basis of the findings. Should patients have any financial gains from tissues taken from their bodies? This question has not been completely settled and the courts have been split in their verdicts.

In summary this was an excellent book that raised many scientific issues and described a culture of poverty that still exists in this country.

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Posted in 4. Fellowship Groups, Notable Books

Madison Rotary Beer Fellowship – Habitat for Humanity Build Event

Posted on August 29, 2011 by gThankYou! | Leave a comment

Saturday, August 27 was a beautiful day for volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity project. Rotarian Steve Landry invited the Beer Fellowship group to join him at the project in Mount Horeb. He promised a trip to the Grumpy Troll Brewpub afterward. Keith and Juli Baumgartner, and Neil Fauerbach joined Steve bright and early at the site. Fellow Rotarian and Habitat CEO Perry Ecton joined us for the afternoon.

Steve volunteers for Habitat and assists with fundraising. It was a first experience for Keith, Juli, and Neil. The project we helped with is a duplex on a beautiful lot on the outskirts of the city. The future owners, Karen and Jean were with us all day, coordinating our paperwork and pounding a few nails. They spend a great deal of their time working on their new homes.

Since 1987, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County has helped 190 families own their own home. Their process for educating the new owners on the economics and responsibility of home ownership has shown astonishing success. Of those 190 homes, they have only had to take back one. Part of that success is due to the required involvement of the owners in the planning and building process. Just being selected as an owner is a competitive process requiring a good deal of education and research. New owner, Jean, explained the joy she and her family felt when they were selected to be the next HFH family.

Here's the new homeowner, Jean.

On Saturday, we pounded nails, mudded drywall, swept floors, installed siding and made some new friends. It was a beautiful day for “service above self.”

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 chapters 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 chapters 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 4. Fellowship Groups, Beer

Madison Rotary – Scotch Whisky Lew Harned Society Fellowship

Posted on August 25, 2011 by gThankYou! | Leave a comment

Tthe Scotch Whisky, Lew Harned Society Fellowship Group was hosted by Lew Harned at his home on Lake Mendota on Monday, August 22. It was a beautiful evening with 35 people in attendance!