NO MEETING JAN 19
NO MEETING JAN 19
Martin Luther King Day is on Monday, January 19th.... The Convention Center is closed since it is a Federal Holiday....but we are still looking for a volunteer activity that week and we will keep you posted if we will meet off-site. 
 
The following week, Monday, January 26 we will meet at the Waterloo Library to hear from Waterloo Fiber...Thank you for hosting, Amy! There will be a board meeting that day at 11 if anyone wishes to attend.  
 
We'll meet at the Convention Center on Groundhog Day and celebrate February birthdays.
 
 
Rotary Raffle Drawing Monday
 
 
Thank you to everyone who either bought or sold Rotary Raffle tickets.  All proceeds will go to Waterloo Rotary Projects which we will vote on in the near future.  Also a Big Thank you to Rick and Debby Morris for donating their Condo in Florida to Jump start this Raffle. 
 
Our Raffle drawing was Monday, January 12th at our regular noon meeting....for those that could not attend, the drawing was livestreamed on our Facebook page.
 
Congratulations, Dave Lederman!
 
 
 
 
January 12 Program - Public Safety
January 12 Program - Public Safety
Our guest will be Jane Wagner, a Cedar Falls native and 1991 UNI graduate. She holds a master's degree in Justice Administration and was the first female detective in the Black Hawk County Sheriff's office.  She is currently a public safety officer and adjunct instructor at Hawkeye Community College.
 
 
 
Kathy Braun 1939-2025
Longtime Rotarian and past president of our club Kathy Braun passed away peacefully on December 31st, after complications from a fall.  Click the image below for her obituary.
 
 
 
Our club honored Kathy several years ago with a series on Women in Rotary.
 
Memorial services will take place in late spring when family and friends can gather to remember Kathy. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Waterloo Community Foundation Kathleen and Robert Braun Charitable Fund or a non-profit of your choice.
 
 
 
 
January 5th Program - Boys & Girls Club
 
Join us for our first meeting of 2026 and we'll hear from fellow Rotarian Bryan Burton, Chief Executive Officer of the  Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley.
 
Boys & Girls Clubs of The Cedar Valley enables young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
 
 
 
January Birthdays
January Birthdays
We'll kick of 2026 on January 5th with a shout out to these fellow Rotarians celebrating birthdays this month!
 
Kevin McCrindleJan 6 
Todd HolcombJan 07 
Rochelle KaneJan 13 
Bonnie Smith-DavisJan 17 
Erin TinkJan 20 
 
 
 
 
Rotary updates
Rotary updates
Raffle ticket sales continue for one last week, and we'll plan to have our drawing on Monday the 12th.  Turn in your raffle money to Allison Beach January 5th...make sure your name is associated with your money so you don't get billed.     
 
Rotary Membership is forefront in 2026.... If you know of someone who would be interested in joining the Waterloo Rotary Club please invite them to a meeting as a guest.  Prospective members eat free! 
 
Thank you to everyone who attended our Christmas Meeting, we had a great turnout. 
 
Our club is on the waiting list for the fill the Dome / Martin Luther King Service Day Monday, January 19th - there is a chance we won't get invited to participate so if anyone else has ideas for an alternate service project that day please contact either Jordan or Larry. 
 
Next Rotary Board meeting will be January 26th, members are welcome to attend.
 
 
 
Win a stay at the Best Beach in the USA!
 
As our members spread out to sell Rotary Raffle tickets - Rick Morris would like to remind everyone the top prize of a week at his condo is on the BEST BEACH in the whole United States!
 
Ranked the #1 Beach in the U.S. and #4 in the World in 2025 by Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards™, Siesta Beach shines with its quartz-crystal powdery sand, soft turquoise waves and an abundance of sun and fun. Thanks to the large parking area, concession stands, the free trolley to get around the island and to downtown Sarasota, and nearby restaurants and shops of Siesta Key Village, you can plan your whole trip centered around this gorgeous Key without getting bored.
 
Click here for details and reach out to President Larry to get yourself tickets for the drawing January 12th!
 
 
 
Rotary Raffle
We kicked off our Rotary Raffle on December 8th; tickets will be distributed to members to sell over the next few weeks - 250 tickets at $25/ticket.  Rick Morris has graciously donated the top prize; a week at his condo in Florida!
 
 
The drawing will be held on January 12th.   
 
 
 
 
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!  For those people that have been given raffle tickets to sell; we will assume you will sell them -or- buy them yourself. If you are having trouble selling them and are not planning to buy them yourself please email President Steffens by January 1. This allows time to get them sold, otherwise we will bill you.  You can begin turning your sold tickets/money on Monday, January 5th to our Treasurer Allison Beech.  
 
If you are interested in becoming a Paul Harris Fellow now is an excellent time to start.  There are matching funds available if you are interested.  See Deb Van Pullin or Larry Steffens. 
 
 
 
Service Above "Elf" ? 
President Larry whispered his Christmas wishes for our club into Santa's ear...we're going to have a GREAT 2026!
 
 
 
 
 
Holiday Cheer
 
We gathered December 15th to celebrate another year of service, catch up with several spouses, thank our wait staff, and enjoy a wind ensemble from West High.  
 
Be happy and safe with friends and family this season, we'll look forward to meeting again January 5th, 2026!
 
 
 
 
Matching Funds Available
District 5970 has released a program called Rotary Rush for matching funds to encourage donations to the Rotary Foundation.  Rotary Rush is available for a limited time and will conclude February 28th, 2026. Matching funds between $100 and $500 have been generously donated by district Rotarians and those funds may be exhausted before the end of February, so get started today!  Click this link for more details and see Deb or Larry if you are interested in participating in this program. 
 
 
 
 
Christmas Banquet Dec 15th
 
December 15 will be our Christmas program and our last meeting of the 2025 calendar year. 
We will have a special meal prepared by the Waterloo Convention Center; this is an excellent time to bring your spouse or a guest to Rotary.   
The Salvation Army will be at the door with their Bells and Kettles, A group from the West Waterloo Band will entertain us with Christmas music.  Also, we traditionally pass the basket for our servers at the Convention Center to show our appreciation for those that prepare our meals each week.  (we will try to keep this part discrete)
If you plan to bring a guest, please contact Larry Steffens or Jordan Bancroft BEFORE Friday at 4pm so the Convention Center has a headcount. 
 
 
 
December 8 Program GBPAC
 
Join us Monday to hear from fellow Rotarian and soon-to-be-retired GBPAC Executive Director Steve Carignan.  After leading the region's best performing arts center for 27 years, Steve is going to give our club a glimpse into the process of selecting shows for the upcoming season.  
 
 
 
Operation Warm UPDATE
THURSDAY, December 4 - All the coats for operation warm have been distributed to these elementary schools: St Edward's, Cunningham, Lincoln, Lowell, Highland, and Irving.  Our club provided just short of' 500 coats for students in need!  A huge thank you to Dave Lee and Jim Seeley for all their work leading and organizing this project.  Also to the members of Rotary that were able to be a part of this wonderful project. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 1st - Business Meeting
December 1st - Business Meeting
Operation Warm is under way and there are 4 schools remaining.  The kids are very excited for their coats and very appreciative. 
 
Today's December 1st meeting we will be upstairs in the convention center, and our agenda is a Rotary business meeting with updates on our financials for Operation Warm and the recent sports banquets. Also a briefing on our upcoming raffle to be held soon. 
Deb Pullin Van Auken will provide information on the Rotary Foundation; what it does and how it benefits communities. 
 
December 8th Program will be presented by Gallagher Bluedorn and involve reviewing potential performances.  This should be very interesting ..... we will get first hand input on what we may be seeing in the future. 
 
December 15th will be our Christmas program; there will be a special lunch if you what to invite your spouse or a guest you are welcome ... Cost is $25.  There will be special Christmas music provided by the West Waterloo High School Band.  If you plan to bring a guest, please let Larry or Jordan know for an adequate meal number.  Also the Salvation Army will be on hand with their bells and kettles. 
 
 
 
***NO MEETING NOV 24th***
***NO MEETING NOV 24th***
No Meeting on the 24th in observance of Thanksgiving
 
Waterloo Rotary Club Business Meeting on December 1st - we'll discuss financials, Operation Warm, Football and Volleyball Banquets, The Rotary Foundation, inbound/outbound exchange students, and we'll roll out a fundraising raffle. 
 
Christmas Dinner will be December 15th; Salvation Army will be there with their bell ringers, and we are finalizing details for live music during our feast. 
 
 
2025 Football MVP - Carson Nielsen, West High
Congratulations to West High School's Carson Nielsen - our 2025 Glen "Doc" Miller 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 and is entitled to display the trophy at his school for the next twelve months.

The traveling trophy is given in memory of an outstanding Rotarian, Glen "Doc" Miller, a great athlete and president of the Waterloo Rotary Club in 1954. "Doc" was captain of the University of Iowa football team in 1923, and a player on the great Iowa teams of 1921-22 which beat Yale.
 
 
Learn about a Rotary Club in Italy
Meet the Rotary club doing things a little differently. Global ROOTS in Italy brings young professionals together to create impact, connect globally, and turn ideas into action in a new and fresh way
 
 
Four individuals smiling and posing together on a waterfront promenade with sailboats and hills in the background. They are dressed in smart-casual attire.

As a teenager in southern Italy in 2005, Maria Vittoria “Mavi” Gargiulo was “kind of forced” to join an Interact club that her father’s Rotary club was trying to reestablish. The students wore suits (or at least coats and ties), and the atmosphere was very formal. “Everybody was pretending to be adult while I just wanted to be 15,” she recalls.

She quit as soon as her father was off his club’s board, but she reconnected with Rotary while attending the University of Salerno when she found a “more chill and relaxed” Rotaract club.

There, her Rotaract career took off. In 2022, she decided to also join a Rotary club at the urging of her closest friend, whose father was serving as president. It was what she calls a “legacy club,” focused on lunch meetings and weekly speakers. The dues of 1,400 euros amounted to her entire salary as a post-doctoral student. “They were a good club, and a lot of district governors come from it,” Gargiulo says. “Some people really look forward to that kind of social gathering every Thursday, which is fair — that’s the experience they want. That’s just not the experience I like.”

So she created the club she wanted to belong to instead. The result was the Rotary Club of Global ROOTS – District 2101, which chartered in April and has become a space for Rotaract members and others who had expressed interest in Rotary but hadn’t found a club where they fit in.

Click below to read the rest of the story:
 
 
 
November 17 - Football Banquet
November 17 - Football Banquet
This week we have our largest meeting of the year - The Waterloo Rotary Club Football MVP Banquet. Please arrive early as we'll have over 100 hungry athletes, parents, coaches, administrators, and Rotarians.  A plaque will be presented to this year's MVP along with the  traveling trophy. This tradition has been going on since 1946. Thank you to Wade Itzen and Rick Morris for organizing this event. Once again we will be upstairs in the convention center. Our guest speaker will be UNI Head Football Coach. Todd Stepsis.
 
 
 
Football Banquet Keynote Speaker
 
Todd Stepsis was named the 24th head football coach at the University of Northern Iowa on Dec. 3, 2024. Stepsis joined the Panthers after a six-year stint as the head coach at Drake University. 
 
The Shelby, Ohio native guided the Bulldogs to consecutive appearances in the FCS Playoffs after winning back-to-back Pioneer Football League championships. Drake compiled a 16-7 record over that two-year span in 2023-24, including a 15-1 mark in conference play. Stepsis earned Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year honors for a second consecutive year in 2024.
 
UNI Director of Athletics Megan Franklin said. “Todd is a mentor of men. His winning culture is predicated on the cultivation of the very best from the brotherhood of the team. Coach Stepsis has been a winner from his playing days to serving as head coach. His experience as both an offensive and defensive coordinator gives him a unique edge in the head coaching role.
 
“Todd is the absolute right leader of the next era of men in the UNI locker room and on the coaching staff, and he will embrace our storied alumni,” Franklin continued. “Todd's vision to recruit and mentor men who lead on the field, on campus, and in the community will result in winning championships and graduating men of service to their families, professions and communities."
 
 
 
2025 Volleyball MVP - Allyson Landers, West High
Congratulations to Allyson Landers from West High - she is our 2025 Most Valuable Volleyball Player!
 
 
Since 1936 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. Area volleyball coaches choose their MVP's and then by ballot of all the coaches award the trophy for overall Most Valuable volleyball player. The winner is entitled to display the trophy at her school for the next twelve months.  You can see photos from the ceremony here.
 
 
Club Information
Peace Through Service
Waterloo Rotary

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Mondays at 12:00 p.m.
Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center
4th & Commercial
Waterloo, IA 50701
United States of America
District Site
Bulletins
Venue Map
Site Pages
Club Executives & Directors
President
Larry Steffens
President Elect
Jordan Bancroft
Secretary
Cathy Nicholas
Treasurer
Allison Beach
Rotary Foundation
Deb Pullin-Van Auken
Membership
Amy Rousselow

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Photo Albums
2024 Honor Student Luncheon
2022 Football Luncheon
2022 Volleyball Luncheon
2022 Cultural Immersion Workshop
2022 Honor Student Luncheon
Ashley Hinson visit 2022
2021 Football MVP
2021 Christmas Luncheon
Rural Urban Day 2022
2021 Volleyball
VGM Heartland Conference 2021
Food Bank Sept 2021
Hovey Brom WWII Photos
Steve Thorpe
Bill Robert
2020 Football
2020 Rural Urban Day - Mike Naig
2019 Holiday Luncheon
2019 Football Luncheon
2019 Volleyball Photos
2019 Family Picnic
2019 Student Scholars Luncheon
2018 Volleyball Luncheon
2018 Football
Hops & Grapes 2018
2018 Student scholars Luncheon
2017 Student Scholar Luncheon
2017 Football Luncheon
2017 Volleyball Luncheon
Shoebox Service Day, 2017
2016 Student Luncheon
June 2016 Kelli Farewell
Centennial Celebration June 25, 2015
2015 Holiday Luncheon
2015 Family Picnic
March 9th Meeting
Rotary Day Feb 23rd 2009
Chili Supper 1-18-09
2016 Family Picnic
Mason's trip to LA
Rural Urban Day 2009
2004 Million Dollar Hole In One Kick Off
2009 Shoebox pickup
2004 Million Dollar Hole In One Parade
Sullivan Museum 2-2-09
Photos of Dick Winegarden
April 20 Meeting
April 6th Meeting
Family Picnic July 31, 2008
2002 - First trip to Nicaragua
Recent Projects
Family Picnic 2009
2009 Steak Fry
July 6th Meeting
Hops & Grapes June 11
District Conference May 1-2
Nicaragua Journal
1965 Convention

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