Shawn shared that she is happy to be back from a work trip to Guadalajara. Her colleagues living and working in Puerto Vallarta are safe. She also enjoyed skiing in Oregon and visiting his expecting daughter, helping prepare the baby’s room. Mark reflected on the serendipity of belonging, noting that he worked with Heidi’s daughter and made a connection with her boyfriend, a carpenter, whom he now enjoys collaborating with.

Zandra shared that she attended a Bucks game — and they won! She also had a chance to do some shopping.

 

Jon LaVenture officially accepted his role as a Rotarian and received his plaques. The club voted unanimously to welcome him.

 

The club highlighted several upcoming events and opportunities.

 

On March 14, the Meet the Candidates event for the Mount Horeb Village Board Trustees will be held from 9:30–11:30 a.m. in the High School Cafeteria Commons.

 

Tonight (2/25), there is a Grant Seminar — members should contact Brent for more information; Mark and Russ are attending.

 

This Friday, Club Interact students will attend the Youth Ethics Program at Monona Terrace in Madison from 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., where they will learn about Rotary ethics.

 

On March 7, the students will visit Children’s Hospital, bringing homemade blankets, and members are welcome to join; bus space is available.

 

On March 11, the District Governor will visit, and the club will prepare a welcome basket — members are encouraged to contribute items in the coming weeks.

 

On March 13 at 6:30 p.m., members are invited to join Steve and Club Interact students at Feed My Starving Children at Good Shepherd, an event featuring music and fellowship, and serving the community by packaging meals.

 

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program will take place through May 11 at Camp Upham Woods, allowing sophomores to attend leadership camp with contests and conflict resolution activities; pick-up will be at 10 a.m.

 

Tricon, a conference for networking across three districts, will take place April 17–18 in Wisconsin Dells, and the District also offers financial assistance for members interested in PETS leadership training.

 

Additionally, Rotary will verbally support a political panel with the League of Women Voters on Saturday, March 14, 9:30–11:30 a.m.

 

Librarians Melissa Roelli and Hannah from the Mount Horeb Public Library shared updates on library programs and community engagement. Melissa highlighted the library’s “Disagree Better” initiative, designed to foster civil dialogue despite polarization. She shared that the library hosted 99 adult programs last year and noted stories of patrons finding support after life events, illustrating the library’s broader community impact. Upcoming programs include March 9’s “Communicating Across Divides” with Amber Wichowsky from the La Follette School of Public Affairs, April 28’s “Deciding What’s True in a Polarized Society,” and discussion moderator training on May 2 with Eric Giordano from the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy. Melissa also highlighted deliberation dinners, which provide free meals paired with guided discussion, and the library’s adult book club, featuring Moon Shiner’s Daughter.

Hannah shared information about lifelong services the library provides, with a focus on youth and early literacy programs. She discussed the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program, where children receive a crown and a hardcover book upon completion. Other programs include baby (pre-walker) story time starting in April, outreach story times, early release story times, and the annual Chocolate Eve event in February. Hannah highlighted the robust summer volunteer program, which allows high school students to earn Silver Cord hours, and encouraged the community to use the library digitally via the library app for eBooks and audiobooks. She also expressed gratitude for the club’s support of the library’s garden space and noted her collaboration with Melissa on many programs.