Holiday Luncheon December 16th

Join us Monday for the annual holiday luncheon! A plated meal will be served, and we'll have entertainment from East High student musicians.

Captains Zac & Karissa Zumwalt from the Salvation Army will have the red kettle available to meet the greatest needs in our community. We will also collect funds to share with our amazing convention center staff who cook and serve us each week.

Guests are encouraged and welcome, but we ask that you please RSVP before 10am Monday morning to ensure we have an accurate count for meals.

Upcoming Programs

Our upcoming programs offer a wide variety of topics that you can offer to guests - maybe you could reach out and re-connect with your network and invite them to join us for lunch?

Dec 23 - NO MEETING Christmas Holiday

Dec 30 - NO MEETING New Year's Holiday

January 6th, 2025 - Tim Hurley / Waterloo World War II Heritage City

Jan 13 - Jacob Bates Western Home

Jan 20 - NO MEETING Martin Luther King Jr. - volunteer!

Jan 27 - Keegan Crawford / Bank Fraud

Upcoming Community Events

There are opportunities to volunteer or participate in upcoming community events. We'll use this space in our weekly Reporter to promote upcoming events that our fellow Rotarians are involved with:

Winter WonderLoo - Nov 30th thru Christmas Downtown Waterloo

Winter WonderLoo is Downtown Waterloo's holiday season of celebration! Join us for visits with Santa, Downtown Waterloo's Jingle Bar Hop, Visits with Santa, Merry Movie Magic, and activities for all ages!

If you have an event coming up that you'd like to share with our members, email Mason

OFF SITE MEETING DECEMBER 9th

One Monday, December 9th, we will meet OFF SITE at I HOPE Waterloo to enjoy a Pakistani lunch. We will hear from Pastor Oliver Zia, Founder and Executive Chairman at Gospel Faith International Church, Quetta Pakistan. Pastor Oliver and his wife Ruby and two sons recently moved to Waterloo under a religious worker visa. They have been missionaries in different countries and planted 17 churches in different parts of Pakistan. Pastor Oliver began his journey many years ago as an affluent athlete for the country of Pakistan. He has been a bold witness for Christ in the midst of a culture that is frequently hostile to Christianity. God has used Oliver to lead many people to experience salvation and healing in Jesus.

We are fortunate to be at the table with Pastor Oliver and his wife Ruby. She is a wonderful cook, enjoys cooking for and entertaining large groups, She is also a massage therapist.

Oliver is assisting Michael Peters in the One with Jesus discipleship program (formerly International House of Prayer (I HOPE)). Together they are helping Christian pastors, leaders and believers multiply their ministry through Kingdom Discipleship and Healing.

The International House of Prayer is located at 722 S Hackett Rd, Waterloo, IA. Near U-Haul and Young Plumbing and Heating off of University Avenue.

December Birthdays

Join us December 2nd and we'll honor Rotarians celebrating their birthdays this month:

Frank Seng	Dec 02
Jim Schaefer	Dec 6
Elizabeth Locke	Dec 14
Ryan Cose	Dec 21

Rotary Birthday Machine

Did you know our club has a "Birthday Machine"? Several years ago, one of our esteemed members Tom Arthur bought the club a plug-in Radon detector to be shared among our members. Tom was moved by one of our presentations about Radon and the prevalence of the radioactive gas in many midwestern homes. Radon increases the risk of lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. The original Radon detector needed to be re-calibrated after many years of use, so Steve and Liz Thorpe stepped up to purchase a new and easier-to-use battery-powered detector for our club. This month during the birthday table recognition, Mason will encourage members to check out the detector to take home and collect some readings, then use that information to buy a chemical test or seek a professional mitigation company.

Think of it as a machine that helps your family have MORE BIRTHDAYS...it's a birthday machine!

Fellow Rotarian Phil Nash shared this story with the club a few years ago:

NO MEETING NOV 25th

The Waterloo Rotary Club will take a Thanksgiving break and not hold a regular meeting Monday, November 25th. We will reconvene Monday, December 2nd to celebrate birthdays and conduct some club business.

West High's Brady Dean is 2024 Football MVP

Since 1946 the Waterloo Rotary Club has enjoyed the honor each year to celebrate outstanding performance by high school athletes in the city of Waterloo and surrounding areas. Football coaching staffs at each school in the city nominate a senior MVP from their team. In a secret ballot, area sportswriters make the citywide selection. The winner receives the Glen "Doc" Miller traveling trophy as top player in his sport. The winner is entitled to display the trophy at his school for the next twelve months.

You can see the list of all the 2024 MVPs and photos of the ceremony on our website, www.WaterlooRotary.com

Jada Smith of West High is our 2024 Volleyball MVP

Congratulations to the West High volleyball team and their MVP Jada Smith!

Since 1946 the Waterloo Rotary Club has enjoyed the honor each year to celebrate outstanding performance by high school athletes in the city of Waterloo. For the 32nd year, area volleyball coaches choose their team's MVP, then by ballot of all the coaches, award the trophy for overall Most Valuable volleyball player who is entitled to display the trophy at her school for the next twelve months.

You can see the list of all the 2024 MVPs and photos of the ceremony on our website, www.WaterlooRotary.com

New UNI Athletics Director Keynote Speaker Monday

Join us on Monday for our Annual Football Awards Luncheon and hear from UNI Athletics Director, Megan Franklin!

Want to join the Programming Committee?

President-Elect Larry Steffens is looking for Programming Committee members. Please e-mail him larrysteffens51@gmail.com if interested!

Annual Rotary Volleyball Awards Banquet Nov 11

Reminder...please come early Monday as we will be honoring area high school volleyball seniors and announcing who is selected as the MVP this year! We will start promptly at 12:10!

We'd like to thank our PREMIER SPONSOR of the event, OMJC Signal...

We also would like to thank our Presenting Sponsors...

Friends of Rotary Sponsors

Amy Rousselow, Barb Prather, Beth and Kevin McCrindle, Bonnie Smith-Davis, Brandon Marks, Bryan Burton, Dave Buck, Dave Lee, E.J. Gallagher, Frank Seng, Gene Leonhardt, Jaclyne Heller, Jay Crisp, Jim Schaffer, Jim Seely, Joan Rice, John Beecher, John Bunge, Kathy Braun, Lindy Lindenberg, Phil Nash, Ryan Cose, Tom Arthur

KWWL's David Warrington Speaking at Rotary Banquet on Monday

Our Keynote Speaker for the Annual Volleyball Awards Banquet is David Warrington from KWWL!

Born and raised in Eastern Iowa, David is thrilled to continue calling it home and telling its stories.

He was raised in Central City, Iowa, a town of 1,200 people near Cedar Rapids. A graduate of Central City High School, he got his media start in sports broadcasting, announcing sporting events for the Central City Wildcats.

Operation Warm just needs $400 !!

First-grader Tyshon Harris has help from David Buck Nov 21 2011 MATTHEW PUTNEY Courier Photo Editor

Our club is so close to raising all the funds needed to provide warm coats for kids in 6 Waterloo elementary schools - can you help us over the finish line? If you haven’t already donated please consider donating now to our Operation Warm project. Or if you have donated please consider making an additional donation. Donations can be brought to the club meeting today (November 11), or made through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa’s website.

Thanks,

David Lee Jim Seeley

Nov 4 - Astor Williams on Proposed New Waterloo School

Today we will hear from Waterloo School Board member, Astor Williams.

November Birthdays

We have a birthday group this month led by everyone's all-time favorite song leader Hovey Brom! Hovey will celebrate his 99th birthday and we'll gather to send him good vibes in absentia.

*Hovey Brom '87	Nov 05
Jay Crisp	Nov 06
David Allbaugh	Nov 08
Luke Jensen	Nov 08
Donna Miller	Nov 12
Shannon Thies	Nov 15
Tavis Hall	Nov 16

Reminder: Annual Volleyball Banquet Next Week

Next Monday, we are hosting the Annual Rotary Volleyball Banquet that honors local high school athletes. Please arrive early, as we will start promptly at Noon!

Dr. Jared Smith Speaking Monday on New School

We will be hearing updates from Dr. Jared Smith - Superintendent of Waterloo School District - on the new high school plans.

Former Army Media Reflects on World Polio Day

Why World Polio Day is my favorite day

Posted on October 22, 2024

By Jeffrey Walsh, Rotary Club of Bloomington-Normal Sunrise, Illinois, USA

I am a former Army medic and a returned Peace Corps volunteer. I joined Rotary recently, and I am excited to be part of an organization that is working to eradicate polio. I would love nothing more than to help achieve our top priority by entering combat zones and going to distant countries.

Iowa's Second District Candidate Sarah Corkery Oct 21

Candidate Sarah Corkery - who is running for U.S. House - is speaking today.

Meet Sarah Corkery, candidate in Iowa's 2nd District

Five Reasons to Attend Rotary Peace Conference

Led by Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick, the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, 20-22 February 2025, will be an opportunity for the Rotary community and our partners to build on Rotary’s contributions to promoting peace by exploring:

Peace in a polarized world
Technology, media, and peacebuilding
Environmental issues in peacebuilding
Making peace last

NewAldaya Lifescapes Presenting Monday

Marcy McNeal - CEO of NewAldaya Lifescapes - will be speaking to us on Monday.

Guest Lunches Now $25

Due to the large increase in food costs, guest lunches now cost $25/person.

Congresswoman Hinson Speaking Monday

Join us Monday to see Congresswoman Ashley Hinson speak and answer questions.

The First Five Things to Know About: Representative Ashley Hinson

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson proudly represents Iowa’s 2nd district in Congress.

An Iowa native, Ashley is an award-winning journalist and a proud wife and mother of two. Ashley previously served in the Iowa state House and represented Iowa’s 67th House district, serving Hiawatha, Robins, Cedar Rapids, and Marion, where she currently resides. As a state Representative, she worked successfully to balance the budget, cut taxes, and protect the most vulnerable in her community.

In Congress, she continues to be a common-sense leader and pursue pro-growth policies. She has introduced and supported bipartisan legislation to improve child care access for working families in Iowa, root out corruption in Washington through federal lobbying bans, and create opportunities for workers in the community. She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, where she oversees the government funding process and fights to ensure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for and spent responsibly. As a mother of two, she also has a keen interest in protecting the safety and security of Iowa families.

Prior to serving Iowans in public office, Ashley was a reporter for KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids. For more than a decade, she had the opportunity to connect with Iowa’s small business owners and community leaders. Ashley’s extensive reporting on rising healthcare costs, devastating flooding, and other critical issues impacting Eastern Iowa drove her to seek opportunities to better serve her community and take action to solve the problems she had covered for years.

Last Call to Sponsor Athletics and Academic Banquets