Carrie will recount her time in Nicaragua, and tell us why it is a project worth supporting! This is a great chance to celebrate what we do as a club and what our "Why" is. Please invite prospective members, as this program is sure to impress!
I would like to take a moment to thank all Past Presidents of the Waterloo Rotary Club. It’s awesome to see the growth our Club has experienced over the many years of successful leadership. This day is a special day to honor those who have taken on this fun, exciting role within our Club. We hope many Past Presidents will join us on this special day on Monday!
Money raised will be used to buy sock and other items for vets who need assistance
The Rotary Club of the Cedar Valley will hold a fundraiser dinner February 22 for veterans who need a boost.
The club is asking us to support the effort by attending the dinner or by making a donation of socks or cash. The dinner will be held at the American Legion Hall at 728 Commercial from 5 to 7 pm.
One of our largest annual events, Rural Urban Day brings area farmers and producers downtown to enjoy lunch and a presentation of shared interest. This year, we'll welcome Brad Kinsinger who will speak about highlighting global agriculture; it’s importance, and what we can learn from farmers and agriculture professionals around the world.
Brad Kinsinger serves as an assistant professor in the Agricultural Business program at Hawkeye Community College along with leading the Global Agriculture Learning Center at Hawkeye. Before arriving at Hawkeye in 2010 Brad was the agricultural instructor and FFA advisor at West Branch High School. Brad has fostered and cultivated agricultural partnerships in Brazil, Denmark, Haiti, and Nicaragua with new connections in the works. Brad received his bachelors of science in agricultural education from Iowa State University and is currently pursuing a master’s in international agriculture through Oklahoma State University.
Last week, our club’s foreign exchange student Gabe Voldoire moved-in with Rotarian Bonnie Smith-Davis and her husband Roger. Gabe wrestled for West High this winter and now has his sights set on a trip to Hawaii in next month. Gabe had been living with Rotarian Mark Durbahn and his wife Brenda. They were excellent hosts to Gabe and did a great job of acclimating him to our country, state, and community.
Without the generosity of our volunteer hosts like Bonnie, Roger, Mark, and Brenda, our student exchange program would not be sustainable. They are great representatives of our Rotary club! Thank you! Anyone interested in assisting with the student exchange program can contact Luke Jenson (ljenson@mrs-lawfirm.com) for more information.
Iowa RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is holding its annual 6-day leadership conference in Grinnell, Iowa from Sunday, July 16 through Friday, July 21. The objectives of RYLA are:
To encourage and assist youth leaders and potential leaders in methods of responsible and effective leadership by providing them with a training experience;
To encourage continued and stronger leadership of youth by youth; and
To publicly recognize the outstanding qualities of many young people who are rendering service to their schools and communities as leaders.
Waterloo Rotary Club is sponsoring two attendees to RYLA, one of them being our 2017-2018 outbound exchange student, Holly Harris. We are currently accepting applications and recommendations for another student. High school sophomores or juniors (classes of 2019 and 2018, respectively) may apply. Our Club pays for the entire fee for the student. To learn more information, and to obtain an application form, visit www.iowaryla.org.
