August 16: Creating Hope Through Storytelling

Posted on August 18, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Joy Cardin

Michelle McGrath, who joined the Rotary Club of Madison in 2008 and served as our club president from 2016-17, is sharing stories on how to create hope as she travels the region in her new role as District 6250 Governor.

She says Rotarians can make a difference in the lives of the increasing number of young people in Wisconsin and nationwide who are experiencing depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.   We can do this by showing up, surrounding ourselves with kind people, and by serving ourselves and others.  

She shared a story about how she showed up in her early days as a new member of Rotary. She attended a board meeting just to observe, but nervously stood up to contribute to a discussion about a new (at the time) social media site called Twitter. The board wasn’t sure how this worked and whether Rotary Club of Madison should use it.  Michelle took a selfie of herself and four board members – all presidents – and tweeted it with the caption:  Four presidents and a peon.  Not anymore Governor McGrath! 

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ-GdQgxkfI.

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Posted in District 6250, District 6250 Conference, District Governor, Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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Teresa Holmes Receives Club’s First DEI Service Award

Posted on August 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–presented by Joyce Bromley on August 16, 2023

Teresa Holmes pictured here with Club President Charles McLimans

In 2015, our Club was the first large Rotary club to establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In doing so, we were ahead of Rotary International by five years.  

Our Club’s strategic plan commits us to achieving diversity, equity and inclusion through recruitment, education, member engagement and community service.   

The importance of this commitment brought our Club’s Board of Directors to create a new annual service award to recognize a member who has contributed to our Club’s DEI endeavors.  I am pleased today to announce that Teresa Holmes is our club’s first DEI Service Award recipient.  

Teresa has chaired our DEI Committee, served on our Board of Directors, was our Club president for the Rotary Year that began on July 1, 2020, and spearheaded a strategic planning/governance task force that has resulted in streamlining and creating continuity within our club’s committees and leadership.  In each of these roles, she shared her insights about how our Club could achieve our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. Teresa is recognized as a leader who diligently worked to align our values with our practices. We are confident that she will continue her DEI commitments as a Board member of Rotary District 6250 while she serves a 2-year term on its Board which began on July 1. 

Congratulations, Teresa and thank you for your Rotary service! 

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Posted in Club Service Award, Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Club Service Award

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August 9: New McKenzie Center: Educating Young People in the Skilled Trades

Posted on August 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Joy Cardin

From left: Michael Johnson, Alan Branch, Club President Charles McLimans and John McKenzie

Rotarians heard from the key leaders in the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County’s new McKenzie Regional Workforce Development Center that just celebrated its grand opening on July 15.  The center was created to address the labor shortage in the skilled trades industry.  John McKenzie, owner of the McKenzie Apartment Company and donor to the project, approached BGCDC president and CEO Michael Johnson when he realized the only way to meet the demand was to diversify the workforce – which is largely male, white, and aging.  McKenzie says the center will be good for the economy, business, and the social fabric of the community.   Johnson says the $30-million project is the largest workforce training center in Boys and Girls Club history and has spurred similar efforts in 20 other communities.  Alan Branch, the vice president of workforce development for BGCDC, says it is important to interest children between the ages of 9 and 13 in the skilled trades before they eliminate them as a career choice. The McKenzie Center will offer some participants an alternative to college and a path directly from high school to a job.  There will also be opportunities for apprenticeships, education about wealth management, entrepreneurship, and post-secondary education.   

If you missed last week’s program you can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sBXA3PkCo0&t=1574s.

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Posted in 2. Meetings, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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August 2: Science Behind a Smile

Posted on August 7, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Joy Cardin

Why do we smile?  Why do people smile more in some countries than others?  And how are our smiles perceived?  UW-Madison Psychology Professor Paula Niedenthal shared some of the answers to these questions in her presentation before the Rotary Club of Madison. Neidenthal, who researches smiling around the world, has found countries like the U.S. that are more ancestrally diverse, smile more than others.  She theorizes this is because people from different cultures and countries who spoke different languages (and who emigrated to the United States) would use smiles and facial displays of emotion to better communicate and build trust.  On the other hand, in European countries with less ancestral diversity where only one language is spoken, don’t smile as much and perceive the North American smile as “fake” and intended to “sell you something”

Neidenthal was smiling as she began her presentation because the Madison City Council the night before started the process to change an ordinance than bans keeping pigs in Madison. The proposed change would allow miniature pet pigs to live in the city.  Neidenthal is hopeful this will mean her pet pig, Rudi, the subject of numerous recent news stories, will be able to continue to delight his fans around her near westside neighborhood.  

If you missed last week’s meeting, you can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_OhddgERD8&t=13s

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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July 26: Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) and WI Athletics

Posted on July 31, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman

Brian Mason is the Director of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Strategy with the UW Athletic Department.  Under recent state legislation and Supreme Court decisions the rights of student athletes to control and use their name, image and likeness for monetary gain was established. There is also federal legislation pending with the objective of creating a level playing field for all athletes and programs instead of fifty different sets of laws to follow. He clarified that NIL cannot be used as a recruiting inducement by schools.

The NIL strategy at UW seeks to facilitate the connection between student athletes and businesses. In addition to the traditional pillars of athletic performance, academic achievement, and personal development, the impact of financial advancement is also positively guided and supported. The UW Athletic Department works toward helping the student athlete develop the business and life skills to manage NIL benefits.

If you missed our meeting last week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za6kqTh-uQ&t=1918s.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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July 19 Program: Changing Behaviors

Posted on July 24, 2023 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman

UW-Madison psychology professor Markus Brauer punctured some myths and practices in programs designed to bring about change and good behavior; specifically, with application to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. These efforts include providing information in the hopes people will change; targeted initiatives such as mandatory training; and relying on good people with knowledge, interest and common sense. They are all ineffective and sometimes counterproductive.

Methods that have worked include using a structured, studied approach that targets behaviors, audiences, identifies barriers and benefits, and uses social marketing elements to achieve DEI goals. Importantly, changing people’s perceptions of social norms by creating conditions for social pressure and conformity has great benefit for DEI success for marginalized groups. Additionally, having committed, supportive, and positive leadership and adequate resources devoted to DEI is critical.

If you missed our meeting last week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/if_Axz-1vcI.

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Posted in Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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