REMINDER - We have a meeting this Thursday, Nov. 21st, 7:00 AM Stevies Cafe.

Reminding everyone we will have our meeting this week on Thursday. We are collecting new hats/mittens for the Free Clinic! Our guest speaker is Jenifer Mason, director of Benjamin's House with an update on their operation. Kathy R. hosts.

Last week Ken hosted a tour of the new Pregnancy Help Center facility. We learned about the services they provide from Danielle Hendricks, CEO, and were able to give them their donation raised from the Bourbon Tasting.

On Monday, Monika, Clare, BJ, Jason, and Andre (Monika's son) cooked and served 82 people (plus staff it equaled 105) a great meal of giant tacos (burritos?) ;-) , pico de gallo black beans, chips, salsa, cheese, raisen oatmeal cookies, and applesauce. Thank you for doing this service on behalf of our club.

OTHER BUSINESS:

Board meeting held last week. Board discussed the budget format and donation request form. We are close to bringing it to the club.

Board also recommended a social event Christmas Celebration in December. Kathy R. will host a celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 6 pm. We are calling it Bourbon and Briskit. Club members can bring an appetizer to share and own beverage. Also looking at an opportunity to have a game of some sort where we all throw in $10 and the winner gets to determine where it is donated on behalf of the club. Looking for thoughts and/or other ideas as well.

OLD BUSINESS:

Treasurer Report:

Audit went well - found one minor discrepancy.

We received the bill from the Rose sales. Looks like our profit is $4810.40 (we have a little reconciling to do)

We are still looking for a new Treasurer starting in July 2025. Kathy will be retiring and won't have the same technology availability. If you are interested please let her or any board member know now - you can get a LOT of training in ahead of time.

Also, if someone is interested in doing some PR (facebook and/or web page) we could use your help!

NEW BUSINESS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Ruby's Pantry - Next date is Sat. Dec. 21 - please put it on your calendar.
We will be looking for times/dates locations for Salvation Army Bell Ringing. That will start next month!

UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

Reminder we began our trial on the new meeting system of two formal meetings per month and one social event. The social event will be planned by two club members as part of the meeting host rotation. Please be flexible and open minded - this is a trial. You will get information each week - you just need to read the bulletin ;-) and mark your calendars! Since the last quarter of the year was not a typical month, will continue trial of this process through the first quarter of 2025 with an evaluation at the end of March.

November will have slight adjustment due to the Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov. 21 - Meeting (due to Holiday next week) Kathy R. hosts Jenifer Mason, Director of Benjamin's House with an update on their activities.

Nov. 28 - No Meeting due to Thanksgiving Holiday

December will have slight adjustment due to Christmas Holiday

Dec. 3 - Tuesday Board Meeting

Dec. 5 - No Meeting

Dec. 12 - Meeting - Jason S. hosts

Dec. 12 - Rotary Noon Club Christmas Party

Dec. 18 - Social event - 6pm Holiday Party at Kathy R. home. Kathy with help from board and Dean host.

Dec. 19 - No Meeting - social event on 18th..

Dec. 21 - Saturday - Ruby's Pantry

Dec. 26 - No Meeting due to Christmas Holiday

January

Jan. 2 - Meeting - Jim S. hosts

Jan. 7 - Board Meeting

Jan. 9 - No Meeting

Jan. 16 - Meeting - Ana hosts

Jan. 23 - No Meeting - Social Event Mike VG and BJ host

Jan. 30 - Meeting - Monika hosts

February

Feb. 4 - Board Meeting

Feb. 6 - No Meeting

Feb. 13 - Meeting - Mark B. hosts

Feb. 20 -No Meeting - Social Event - Duana B. and Cathy B. host

Feb. 27 - Meeting - Don D. hosts

Please be sure to let me know as soon as you have a program set up so it can be added to our schedule. If you do NOT have a program, please let us know that as well so we can either get a program or some other focus for those attending. If you need a zoom link please let Trudy/Joe E. know that as well. Thanks!

Announcements:

How to celebrate Rotary Foundation Month

Your generous gifts to The Rotary Foundation help create lasting change in communities close to home and around the world. In honor of Rotary Foundation Month in November, we’re asking club and district leaders to thank donors and reflect on all the good that their donations make possible. Here are three ways you can celebrate Rotary Foundation Month:

Make a special gift to the Foundation on Giving Tuesday, 3 December. The clubs that participate the most will be featured on My Rotary. Take a look at last year’s top Giving Tuesday performers.
Help others in need by giving the gift of Rotary at any time during the month.
Organize a fundraiser using Raise for Rotary, an online peer-to-peer fundraising tool. People have used it to create more than 3,000 fundraising pages, collecting more than US$2 million for the Foundation.

FOR CLUBS

The secret to a flourishing club

One thing successful clubs have in common is effective goal setting. When club leaders plan for the future, they give the club a sense of direction. Whether you aim to welcome more members, complete more service projects, or improve the experience your club offers members, setting goals motivates members to work toward a common purpose.

Rotary Club Central makes it easy for Rotary and Rotaract clubs to plan and track their goals. Club leaders can now set yearly goals for up to three years and record the club’s accomplishments, and all members can view the club’s progress. Plus, future leaders can use past goals to make informed decisions about the club’s direction. It’s never too late to start planning for your club’s future. Visit Rotary Club Central and get started.

FOR DISTRICTS

Required courses for district Rotary Foundation chairs

Online learning plans give governors-nominee, governors-elect, and district Rotary Foundation chairs (DRFCs) an advantage in preparing for these key leadership roles. In particular, DRFCs have fewer in-person learning opportunities than some other leaders do, so online courses are critical in preparing them to lead grant activities effectively. Completing the courses helps them ensure that their districts follow Foundation guidelines and that our members’ hard work makes a significant impact for people in the community.

These learning plans are required for all DRFCs and recommended for all members of the district Rotary Foundation committee:

District governors-nominee are asked to complete District Governor Basics in the Learning Center before attending the governors-nominee learning seminar. Governors-elect should complete the District Governor Intermediate learning plan before the governors-elect learning seminar. District Governor Advanced is a learning plan that builds on insights gained in the previous two plans. All three plans have been updated for next year’s officers and are available now.

DID YOU KNOW

Online scams escalate this time of year

The end of the year is a busy time for cybercriminals. Here are three ways to protect yourself from online scams:

Be wary of phishing attacks. Holiday-themed phishing emails are common. Always double-check the sender’s address, and don’t click on any suspicious links. When in doubt, go directly to the company’s website.
Be smart with your passwords. Create strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts and avoid using information that could be guessed. Consider using a password manager to generate your passwords and store them securely.
Enable two-factor authentication. Add an extra layer of security by enabling two-factor authentication on accounts that you especially want to keep private. This protects your account even if your password is compromised.

SERVICE CONNECTION

Project fairs foster collaboration

Rotary project fairs provide an invaluable opportunity to meet with possible partners for international service while learning about community priorities and making new friends. Read about how a project fair in Colombia built lasting relationships and strengthened communities and get a list of upcoming project fairs.

HISTORY

How to visit Rotary headquarters

Do you want to visit Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA? Our inspiring lobby exhibit highlights the impact that Rotary makes around the world. Guided tours of the building help you explore our history and our vision for the future. Plan ahead and request a tour at rotary.org/visit.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Trudy Kroeger