Rob Pruitt will join us to discuss the importance of pollinators and Cedar Valley Monarch Zones, and how the Cedar Valley Arboretum, with support from the Young Family Foundation, is working with homeowners and landowners to create special “zones” to help increase pollinator habitats and the monarch population.
Keynote Speaker: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Michael Naig
Our annual Rural-Urban Day is always one of the bright spots in our Rotary year when our agriculture friends join us for some great food and a wonderful speaker. This year, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Michael Naig will give our keynote address. Rotarian Bob Regenwether recently stated, “Mike spoke at a meeting I was at this week. He did an excellent job.”
How can you join in on the fun?
Invite your agriculture friends to join you at Rural-Urban Day or sponsor one or more. If you sponsor one or more person and are able to attend that day, we will pair you up a new friend(s). If you are not able to attend but want to sponsor one or more attendees, we thank you and will make sure they are warmly welcomed and hosted during the event.
The cost is the same as hosting a guest at a meeting (you are covered by your Rotary dues). This can be paid in advance or added to your next quarterly statement.
The event committee will be at the doors before the meetings leading up to the event to sign up your friends or to line up your sponsorship. If you are lining up your own guests, please relay the number and names to the committee for planning and billing purposes.
A recent review of our club’s bylaws revealed that we need to bring them into the “new” century! Ed Gallagher and Deb Pullin-Van Auken have volunteered to lead a group to identify possible changes to propose to the club. If you are interested in assisting with this project, please contact one of them (edjoe3@gmail.com or deb.pullinvanauken@usbank.com).
The time commitment for this short-term project is fairly minimal. Expectations are that volunteers will receive a copy of our club’s bylaws as well as bylaws from at least one other club and/or other materials from Rotary International to review. The group will then meet to go over our bylaws to identify and discuss changes, a proposed draft will be put together by the co-leaders, and then the group will meet one more time to for final considerations.
Do you work for a non-profit or serve on a non-profit board in the community? Do they have a fundraising event coming up? If so, we can feature on Facebook and on the Calendar of Events on the screen at Rotary meetings! Please send event details to jheller@kwwl.com.
Toastmasters International and Rotary International. Two organizations with a long history, global impact, and proven track record of helping people. And now they have something else in common: They are teaming up to strengthen their members’ skills and broaden their opportunities. The Toastmasters-Rotary alliance, announced in January, will leverage the strengths of both organizations to help members grow personally and professionally.
Later this year, Toastmasters will begin delivering eight educational courses tailored to members of Rotary and Rotaract (a Rotary-sponsored organization for 18-to-30-year-olds). The phased rollout of the eight courses will help Rotarians develop and hone their leadership and communication skills.
Toastmasters members, in turn, can benefit from connecting with Rotarians—1.2 million members in nearly every country in the world—and learning from the organization’s model of humanitarian service. Members can use their communication skills to impact their communities.
To learn more details about this alliance, visit the Toastmasters website and watch the video below.
Some Toastmasters and Rotarians have already teamed up in Toastmasters clubs founded by Rotarians. Rotarians say they benefit greatly from their Toastmasters involvement, pointing to the improvement in their communication and leadership skills—important attributes for members of an organization dedicated to such efforts as fighting disease, promoting peace, supporting education, and providing clean water to poor countries. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self.”
“It’s service, but if you don’t have communication skills and know how to work with people, it doesn’t work, and Toastmasters is key to that,” says Neal Marsh, a longtime member of both organizations and a founding member of a Toastmasters club in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Toastmasters members say they are inspired by Rotarians and their commitment to social issues. “There is a sense of camaraderie that permeates their attitude of ‘being of service,’” says Linda Farley, DTM, District 53 Director. “They share the Toastmasters core values but with a Rotarian perspective.”
When you are in Honolulu for the Rotary International Convention, 6-10 June, make sure to save room for dessert, because the Hawaiian Islands have some sweet treats in store for you.
Shave ice (calling it shaved ice or a snow cone is a quick way of revealing you’re not from around here) was introduced to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants. Inspired by a Japanese frozen treat called kakigōri, they hand-shaved blocks of ice to create mounds of delicate crystals, then flavored the ice with the juice of tropical fruits.
These days, the ice is usually shaved by machine and is often served over ice cream for an extra layer of indulgence. Flavors range from local favorites such as papaya, lychee, and pineapple to the more exotic (for Hawaii) black cherry, apple, and chocolate.
If your taste runs more to fried dough, you can indulge in malasadas, brought to the islands by Portuguese immigrants. In Hawaii, these luscious yeast doughnuts (the batter is enriched with lots of eggs, butter, and sometimes evaporated or fresh milk) have fillings such as custard, coconut pudding, chocolate pudding, and guava.
Whichever treat you prefer, try to sample the variety from different shops. Many have their own special flavors and fillings.
— HANK SARTIN
• Don’t miss the 2020 Rotary Convention in Honolulu. Register at riconvention.org.
• This story originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of The Rotarian magazine.
One reason we have amazing programs and speakers is to entice more community leaders to be a part of our club. Invite someone to have lunch and learn about one of these upcoming topics!
2/24 - Dr. Todd Holcomb - Hawkeye Community College President
3/2 - Birthday Celebration & Michelle Bell, District Governor
3/9 - Rural Urban Day; Speaker being confirmed; Invite your favorite guests
3/16 - Census 2020! It's coming are you ready? Learn ways to engage your community and constituents as well as what the Census data can do for you.
3/23 - Dave Beaty and the Air Service Working Group
4/6 - Birthdays and a presentation by Bruce Willemsen, Owner of Big Timber Barn Company. At Big Timber Barn Company, we’re passionate about constructing solid, rugged, and beautiful barns that will be a timeless addition to your estate. Whether you’re looking for an exquisite barn home, a space for hosting weddings and events, a unique commercial structure, or a functional storage or livestock barn, we can design a custom space that fits all your needs. https://bigtimberbarns.com/
4/13 - Waterloo Rotary VOLUNTEER DAY at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank! We will meet offsite at the Food Bank for lunch brief updates and an actual work project. More details to come. Timeframe will be noon-1:00.
