(Click here for the full 30-minute video posted on YouTube.)
On August 17 and 18, the Rotary Motorcycle Fellowship Group went on a two day, three state ride. We started at The Pancake Café in Fitchburg for breakfast and coffee. There were twelve of us (Jeff & Angela Bartell, John Bonsett-Veal, Dave Billing, Dave Boyer, Peggy Lescrenier, Peter Cavi & Amy Conover, Tom Solheim, Uriah Carpenter, Todd Weis and Jan Bonsett-Veal) on ten motorcycles and one “chase vehicle” driven by my wife, Jan.
We traveled over beautiful driftless region roads in southwest Wisconsin on our way to lunch at Zio Johno’s in Anamosa, Iowa, the home of the National Motorcycle Museum, which was amazing.
After more riding, we wound up at the Super8, in Savanna, Illinois. That night, we all went out for a great meal to a “Motorcycle Enthusiast Bar” (Biker Bar) called Poopys.
On Sunday, we stopped at Galena, Illinois, for a breakfast/brunch buffet at a restaurant in one of the local hotels in downtown Galena, after which we stopped at Hauge Log Church for sightseeing, a photo session, saying good-byes and thanking the organizers, Dave Billing and Dave Boyer. Dave and Dave did a great job, and we had a wonderful time!
They began at the base of Wisconsin’s largest natural bridge, the anthropological site of the oldest residents of the Midwest, some 12,000 years ago. Our Rotary hikers meandered up and down the steep hills of deep forests, passing a high overlook, across a meadow–then finished in a field with sweet corn towering above their heads! A wonderful display of nature’s beauty and great fellowship. Following the hike, they shared a picnic lunch in Sauk City at August Derleth Park. Pictured in the photo from left are: Dean Nelson, Jackson Fonder, Ted DeDee, Gail DeDee, Jeff Bartell, Leigh Richardson, Suzanne Qualia and Angela Bartell. Our thanks to Suzanne Qualia for this photo and to Leigh Richardson for organizing this event.
Rotary provides many opportunities for local and international service. Meaningful community service is born out of a passion for humanity. As Rotarians, we must never take our position to serve for granted. The world needs individuals that are willing to give a helping hand and keep burning issues of civil injustice, business and economic development and environmental concerns at the forefront. Through weekly luncheons and fellowships with members of the business, civic and academic fields we are in a position to make a difference and change lives for the better. There is hope for our community as long as caring individuals are willing to serve.
Throughout my term on the Board of Directors and as Club President, I have worked to spark our interest in public affairs that will motivate us to produce positive change for the community we serve. It has been an honor to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Madison. I look forward to an effective and prosperous new century for our club and a wonderful fresh beginning from our highly competent and visionary President Renee Moe.
Yours In Service, Wes Sparkman, Club President, 2012-13
It was a picture perfect day for our club’s inaugural SummerPalooza event on the Capitol Square! There was music and entertainment outside of the Madison Children’s Museum and free admission to the museum throughout the day. A parade started at noon and looped around the Capitol Square.
We had 39 Rotary volunteers and 20 BMO Harris Bank volunteers who helped out during the event. There were 16 community grant organizations and 14 other groups that participated in our parade. The Madison Children’s Museum welcomed 3,187 guests inside the museum which is a record number for the museum.
It is estimated that the event drew 4,000 attendees, 300 parade participants, and there were about 2,000 additional people watching the parade on the square.
Error
This video doesn’t exist
It was a success on many levels, and we thank Steve Goldberg for chairing the planning committee within our club, and thanks also to all of our volunteers.
Our thanks to the following sponsors for making the event possible: BMO Harris, MGE Foundation and UW Health & Unity Health Insurance.
As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, our History Sub-Committee is taking a look back in our club’s rich history and is sharing highlights from the past century. This week’s message is shared by committee member Rich Leffler:
From left: John McKenna, C.R. (Rex) Welton, Art Schulkamp and Bob Nickles
These days 100 years ago were momentous for the Rotary Club of Madison. As you all know, the first meeting to discuss the possibility of forming a Rotary Club here was held on March 13, when Bob Nickles invited three fellow businessmen to have lunch at the Elk’s Club. In addition to Nickles, those in attendance were John C. McKenna, Art Schulkamp and C. R. (Rex) Welton.
On March 20, ten men met and probably discussed a letter and some Rotary literature that Nickles had received from Chesley Perry, secretary of the International Association of Rotary Clubs in Chicago, that explained what Rotary was all about. The group apparently was interested, and they decided to form a “temporary organization,” anticipating that they would affiliate with the IARC. They also elected McKenna as “acting chairman” and Welton as “acting secretary.”
On April 3, nineteen members of the Rotary Club of Madison met at the old Madison Club, adopted a constitution and bylaws, and voted unanimously to affiliate with the IARC. They then elected their first officers, including as president, John C. McKenna, who appointed a membership committee to recruit appropriate people for the Club. Perry had sent Nickles some suggestions on how to recruit members. He advised that forty or fifty business leaders of different lines, many already known to Club members, should be called upon and that it should be explained to them that the Club was “something new and unique which would be a benefit to the city and to them as individuals.” He advised, “Make sure that those who join with you have caught the spirit of Rotary and exclude those who see in the Rotary club naught but possible commercial advantages for themselves.” He also invoked the concept that “He profits most who serves best.”
Typically for this Club, although the Club had voted unanimously on April 3 to affiliate with the IARC, there seems to have been some ambivalence about a relationship with the greater Rotary organization. Welton told Perry of these doubts: “Many of the members, in fact most of them, have somewhat hazy ideas of what the Rotary Clubs are really doing and of the lines along which they are working.” Perry would have liked to have sent more explanatory literature to the Madison club, but he explained that “As the whole Rotary movement is in a process of evolution–not only as to its philosophy but as to its literature, we are not able to send out just the printed matter we should like you to have.” Instead, Perry appeared personally before the Club on April 17. Finally, on May 16, the Rotary Club of Madison formally applied for affiliation.
On June 10, Perry wrote to the Madison club that “We are pleased to advise you that your application for membership in the International Association has met with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors by whose vote [on June 2, 1913] the Rotary Club of Madison has been made an affiliating Rotary Club.” Perry enclosed with the letter The Charter, making Madison, with thirty-three members, the seventy-first Rotary Club in the world.
The following summary article about our February 26th Centennial Event is a fictitious account of a conversation between our Rotary News reporter, Mark Stover (above right), and Paul Harris (above left), the founder of Rotary.
“Good evening, Mr. Harris.”
“Good evening.”
“Welcome to the 100th anniversary celebration of the Rotary Club of Madison here in the historic Capitol Theater.”
“It’s a lovely venue. I believe I recall being here shortly after it opened. About 1927 or ’28, if memory serves. And let me tell you, at the tender age of nearly 145 years, memory gets a bit tricky at times.”
“I imagine it does indeed. Still, you look in fine form tonight, sir.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
(Pictured above from left: Don Helfrecht & Ross Levine; Keith & Juli Baumgartner; Dick & Liz Fayram with Susan Hunt & Karl Gutknecht)
“We have reserved a special place for you here in the anteroom to the Theater itself. People are very excited to have their picture taken with you. This is Dave Ewanowski (pictured at left with his wife, Mayo) and
John Bonsett-Veal (pictured at left with his wife, Jan). They’ll be assisting you this evening.”
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you gentlemen. However, I didn’t come all this way just to sit in one place. Rotary is all about getting around to meet your fellow business men and now, of course, business women. I’ve brought along this cut-out that can stand in for me. Really, in the two-dimensional photograph it will be hard to tell if it’s me or not. I’ve gotten quite thin these last 66 years or so. Completely lost my appetite. I suppose you understand why – I mean the obvious reason, of course. So, gentlemen if you can make do with my cardboard counterpart here, I’d like to meet some of these fine Madison Rotarians.”
(Pictured above from left: Kirk Kittleson & Jessica Schock with Jocelyn & Ryan McFadden; Marcia Whittington, Beth Prochaska & Traci Mann; Greg Anderson, Herman Baumann & Kay Schwichtenberg & Mike McKay)
“Of course, sir. I guess we can pass on the hors d’oeuvres then. I’ve sampled some and they’re delicious. Oh, sorry. Of course.”
“So many interesting people. And the dress has changed. I notice, for instance, women wearing boas. How very modern.”
“Ah, that’s Dawn Crim (left). She’s chosen to reflect the promotional work that Tracy Perkins and Juli Aulik did to get so many people here tonight. Over 230 members and guests in attendance, as I understand. And Juli is one of seven women to serve as Club President.”
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see that change in the Constitution of the clubs – women as members, I mean. Really rounds out the emphasis on full community service, don’t you know.”
“I do indeed, sir. Ah, here’s Wes Sparkman (right), the current Club President. He’s about to make a few remarks and lead us all in a toast to the future of Rotary in Madison.”
[All Club members and guests assembled to sing “Happy Birthday” to the accompaniment of the old theater pipe organ ably played by Elaine Mischler.]
“I see the tradition of music and singing at Club meetings is alive and well in Madison.”
“Oh, yes sir. At every meeting. Madison’s own Mama Digdown New Orleans-Style Brass Band is also playing here tonight. One of the band members is related to our own Jeff Bartell – he generally plays piano to accompany the Club’s regular weekly musical stylings.”
“Ah, this is all so pleasant. But, I’m afraid at my advanced age, I’m not able to keep up for long with you young people.” “You do appear to be fading, sir. I mean, quite literally. I can actually see through you to Renee Moe (at left with Dave Johnson), our next Club President coming up behind you. Oh, Mr. Harris. Are, are you there?”
“I’ll always be with you, if not in form, certainly in spirit. My best wishes to all Madison Rotarians – and congratulations. Keep up the tradition of service above self. That work actually does last forever. Good night – good night all.”
(Pictured above from left: Tracy Perkins & Juli Aulik; Virginia & Perry Henderson; Vince O’Hern & Linda Baldwin)
(Pictured above from left: Melanie Ramey; Brian Fick & Dora Zuniga; Lester Pines & Roberta Gassman)
Our thanks to the Event Planning Committee of Juli Aulik (co-chair), Terry Anderson, Jeff Bartell (co-chair), Virginia Bartelt, Everett Mitchell and Tracy Perkins and to Centennial Planning Committee Co-chairs Deb Archer and Linda Baldwin and the entire Centennial Committee.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 