Norsk News 12/3

Attendance: Franke Wallitsch, Sarah Straka. Dave Reed, Judy Steinhauer, Paul Christian, Heidi Kopras, Elizabeth Grabe, Tammy Wedig, Jorge Sevilla, Keith White., Tracy Diehm, Gary Tree, Peggy Zalucha. Bill Dunnington, Brent Yauchler, Elizabeth Grabe.

Happy Bucks: Paul shared that his eldest daughter became state champion on the balance beam, earning the nickname “Beam Queen,” and his youngest daughter will start her season on Friday. Peggy celebrated delivering over 95 Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday and expressed gratitude to all who helped with this effort.

Personal Updates: Zandra shared that she celebrated her first Thanksgiving last week, tried turkey for the first time, and won her basketball game on Tuesday.

District & Community Communications: The District issued a warning about a potential phishing scam; members are encouraged to be vigilant and contact Brent if anything seems suspicious. Additionally, the District Governor will be visiting on December 21, and the club plans to assemble a welcome basket. Members are encouraged to contribute items or club swag in the coming weeks.

Events: Trivia Night at Brix is scheduled for January 21 at 6:00 p.m., with the club receiving 10% of profits from the evening. Eighty questions have already been prepared, and members are welcome to submit additional questions to Peggy. In February, the Green Team will host another trivia night at 7:00 p.m., with details forthcoming.

Flag Exchange Program: The club maintains 7x10 banners featuring our logo for exchanges with other districts, which is particularly important for visiting exchange students. Peggy will request feedback on flag options, and Gary, who will be traveling to Guatemala early next year, plans to bring a flag and possibly some stickers. The club currently has approximately 400 flags circulating; with 120 flags at $7 each, this supply would last about 15 years.

Club Officers, Election and Nominees 2025-26:  After July 1, 2026 Liz will be serving as President, with Brent as Past President. Other board positions include President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, and Member at Large.
Presidential terms are one year, while other roles are two-year terms. 

We need your vote to elect the next President-elect nominee.

Peggy and Keith both volunteered to be nominated for President-Elect; following two years in that role, the President-Elect  will be eligible for President.

Bylaws will be finalized first, followed by a user-friendly handbook. Keith is reviewing and compiling standard operating procedures for the Treasurer and is working to separate the Outreach and Membership committee budgets.

Grants Update: Gary, as Chair of Grants, outlined five categories: unallocated/unanticipated funding (such as collaboration with the Lions Club), regular community grants, international grants (including the Guatemala water project and Chile trash compactor), district grants (such as the MARC Center project coordinated by Heidi), and Rotarian capital grants. The goal is to increase excitement about grants and engage members. Members pursuing grants must attend the Rotary introduction session to be eligible.

Outreach & Social Media: The club is working to establish an Instagram account. The Green Team produced a video on home energy assessment that includes recognition of the Rotary Club. The Thanksgiving post highlighting the club’s community work received 25 likes and 1,000 views.

Membership Committee: Led by Tracy, the committee is focused on engaging members after their first meeting to encourage ongoing participation and retention.

Fundraising & Events: Paul emphasized that events such as the Super Bowl Brunch and 10K are critical to funding grants and other initiatives. Members are encouraged to contact individuals on the sponsorship list to confirm their support for this year. Brunch tickets are included in sponsorship sales, and members can request tickets from Paul or Sarah. Will-call options are available for those who prefer not to receive PDFs, and receipts can be requested via email.

Special Guests: Crumble, the district service dog, will be visiting next week from the Mount Horeb Area School District.