Happy Bucks
Heidi shared that her daughter’s nana recently had a tooth extraction that, unfortunately, became infected because antibiotics were not prescribed. The infection developed into an abscess, but the family was able to find a surgeon quickly. She is now stable and doing well. Heidi also expressed appreciation for the support Russ provided during the situation. Tammy shared that she recently traveled to Mexico with lifelong friends from college. It was a wonderful trip, and a great time was had by everyone. Dana reported that she recently hosted a baby shower and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with Zandra. With great pride, Russ shared Clementine’s top college choice, noting NC State. Gary reflected on the strong relationships he and his family have with their adult children. Recently, they traveled to Chicago to celebrate their daughter-in-law’s 50th birthday. The celebration included playing cards together and attending a show. Keith shared that the wrestling season has wrapped up, and more updates will come soon about basketball and swimming. He also shared a family update: when Theo was born, he had a small skin tag, and he recently had a quick procedure to remove it. Brent expressed appreciation for the District Governor’s visit and the support from the club’s leadership team. He shared that he feels proud to represent the club and enjoys being able to brag about how incredible the people in the organization are.
Zandra Update
Zandra has been enjoying some downtime now that basketball season has ended. She is currently preparing for the upcoming soccer season.
Student Rotarians
Anna Tranel shared an update on her Girl Scouts Gold Award project. She is collecting stretchy plastic materials—such as grocery bags, utensil bags, produce bags, and newspaper sleeves—to recycle into a community bench. The project was officially approved this past weekend. Anna is also active as a leader on the school’s Green Team. last spring, she attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), where she participated in leadership development and team-building activities.
Clementine Christian reported that she co-founded a Socratic Debate group with Nola. She is heavily involved in music, primarily playing the trumpet. Clementine also attended the Rotary World Fair and Ethics Symposium. In addition, she participates in both swim and track.
PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar)
Liz and Peggy shared highlights from their PETS experience, noting that connections began forming the moment they got in the car together. They made many valuable relationships with leaders from other clubs and are excited about opportunities to visit other clubs during their presidency.
They also discussed ideas for doing more to publicize Interact programs. Peggy especially enjoyed the speakers, including Dr. Richard Kyte, who spoke about the concept of the “third space” and referenced ideas from the book Bowling Alone. Another memorable speaker was Ed Futa, who discussed the power of Rotary and its role in advancing peace. As some members may recall, Futa previously served as Rotary’s representative to the United Nations. He may potentially visit the club in the future to help explore ways Rotary can continue advancing peace initiatives.
Guest Speaker: District Governor Mike Kloss
Brent added his presidential signature along with other club presidents to the traveling case for the Rotary District 6250's traveling companion, Victor the duck.
District Governor Mike Kloss explained that the role of District Governor is a volunteer leadership position. The governor supports Rotary clubs throughout the district, helping them succeed in their local service work. Each governor serves a one-year term and is responsible for visiting all clubs in the district.
Mike shared some of his personal background. He was born on an Air Force base, and about a year after his birth, his family moved to Africa, including time in Morocco. Although he was too young to remember the experience, he learned to speak French, English, and Arabic as he began talking. After his father’s military service ended, the family moved back to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Later, after his junior year of football, the family relocated to Indiana.
He attended Indiana University and earned a degree in marketing, though he noted he remains a Badger at heart. While in Indiana, he met his wife, Lisa, and they eventually started a family. Much of their family life centered around Scouting. Mike served as a Scoutmaster and proudly helped mentor twelve Eagle Scouts. One merit badge he frequently taught was Citizenship in the Community, which focuses on how individuals become involved in organizations that strengthen their communities.
That topic ultimately sparked his interest in Rotary. His family once hosted an exchange student from Bolivia through Rotary, and he also participated in a clean water project in Bolivia with the Chippewa Falls Rotary Club. Those experiences convinced him Rotary was an organization he wanted to join.
One of his standout Rotary memories was attending PETS, where speakers such as Dr. Sylvia Whitlock—the first female Rotary club president—and Ed Futa made a strong impression. He also shared a story about Raja Jean, who works to support young women and girls in accessing education in Afghanistan. During PETS, participants raised $10,000 to fund transportation buses to help girls travel safely to school.
Mike highlighted several initiatives currently happening across the district.
The district will soon introduce a Rotary specialty license plate, providing another way for members to promote Rotary in their communities.
The PolioPlus Walk is also approaching. The Wisconsin Rapids club is supporting the effort with a 2:1 donation match, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide an additional match for contributions toward global polio eradication.
He also promoted TriCon, a conference bringing together Rotary members from three districts. This year’s event will be held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells and will be designed as a family-friendly gathering. Programming will include discussions about water projects and a presentation from a representative of Native American tribes working with Rotary on community initiatives. A tribal chief will also offer a blessing over one of the meals.
Mike also discussed District Designated Funds (DDF), which support service projects and grants within the district.
Additionally, he explained the concept of a Rotary Satellite Club. A satellite club is a smaller, flexible extension of an existing Rotary club and requires only eight members to begin. Satellite clubs can meet at different times or locations to accommodate busy schedules, and some operate entirely virtually via Zoom. These clubs function under the charter of the sponsoring Rotary club while allowing new groups to engage with Rotary in ways that better fit their needs.
Mike emphasized Rotary’s strong commitment to advancing peace worldwide. Rotary supports Peace Centers and the Institute for Economics and Peace, which provide education and research focused on conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The organization also offers scholarships for students who want to pursue studies that advance peace and global understanding.
He encouraged members to listen to Ed Futa’s presentations on Rotary’s role in promoting peace and international cooperation.
Events & Important Dates
Several upcoming events and opportunities were highlighted for club members.
On March 13 at 6:45 p.m., members are invited to join Steve and Club Interact students at Feed My Starving Children at Good Shepherd. The event will include music, fellowship, and service as volunteers package meals for communities in need.
On March 14, the Meet the Candidates event for the Mount Horeb Village Board Trustees will take place from 9:30–11:30 a.m. in the High School Cafeteria Commons.
Save the date for October 24th at 10:00 a.m., the club will participate at the same time as other clubs in the district and zone in the Rotary Polio+ Walk in the village to promote the initiative's visibility. Club Interact students are also invited to join the effort.
Finally, TriCon, a networking conference connecting three Rotary districts, will take place April 17–18 in Wisconsin Dells. Financial assistance is available through the district for members interested in attending leadership training, such as PETS.
