Norsk News 10/1/25
Attendance: Peggy Zalucha, Dana Fager, Brent Yauchler, Keith White, Tracy Diehm, Shawn Bollig, Paul Christiansen, Dave Reed, Russ Christian, Heidi Kopras, Judy Steinhauer, Susan Smith, Steve Salerno, Gary Tree, Mark Rooney, Sarah Straka, Elizabeth Grabe, Aubree Hanks. Student Rotarians Tim Kruse and Molly McCue and exchange student Zandra Heilmann.

Happy Bucks

Mark shared his gratitude for a successful trip to the Shenandoah Valley and Luray Caverns, where he also came across a meaningful handprint. Shawn celebrated several family milestones—her daughter recently got married, and her sister-in-law, who passed away, made a symbolic appearance at the wedding in the form of a rainbow. Her son-in-law received his two-year residency card, one of her daughters is expecting, and Shawn is now brainstorming fun alternatives to the title “grandma.” Liz was happy to report that Brent just signed the paperwork for the Green Team, putting them on track for submitting the Rotary Community Corps (RCC) to Rotary. Gary and his family are looking forward to an upcoming trip to New York City. Steve expressed pride in our youth for their incredible energy and spirit during Homecoming Week, giving thanks to the leaders who guided them throughout the festivities. Tracy shared a touching moment from a recent football game—a young player scored a touchdown just before his mother passed away, highlighting the deep emotional moments tied to community sports. Dana gave a shoutout to Zandra for her fabulous Homecoming outfit and mentioned how much she enjoyed biking to the meeting.

Peggy had the pleasure of giving our Swedish friends a tour of Mount Horeb. Stops included Brix, the Driftless Historium, the Homecoming parade, and Blue Mounds State Park. Gary joined them for lunch, and Bob and Fae later joined the group for a traditional fish fry.

Zandra Heilmann shared that she attended the Homecoming dance on Saturday, followed by a Sombr concert on Sunday. She’s looking to earn extra money to fund an exchange student trip to either New York or Hawaii and is available for babysitting, pet-sitting, or housework. Tim Kruse had a great time taking his girlfriend to Porta Bella and also had a strong race performance last Saturday. Molly McCue recently got a new job, which she accepted on the spot. She also invited a good friend from church to join us at Club Interact.

Keith noted that the only item not yet transferred is the Mount Horeb Rotary Foundation. A six-month extension is available if needed. From this year’s Frolic, we brought in $3,100 and have already paid our advertising bill to the Mount Horeb Mail. Overall, we increased our fundraising by about $7,000 compared to last year, resulting in a $15,000 profit from the 10k. These funds will be distributed across committees based on proportional funding for the year.

Liz is now chairing the Outreach Committee, which oversees PR, articles, and social media. Shawn is chairing the Membership Committee, focusing on engagement and onboarding of new Rotarians. As a reminder, our third Wednesday meetings will continue to include 20–30 minutes of committee work, followed by an additional 30 minutes of club business or updates. Committee chairs are encouraged to remind their team members to attend and prepare for these sessions.

We’re also excited to support an upcoming water project in Guatemala in partnership with the Milwaukee club, along with a trash compactor grant featuring a 2:1 match. Three trips are planned, each lasting about a week (excluding airfare). For more details, connect with Gary.

Finally, we are in the process of revising our club bylaws, and there’s a Friendship Exchange trip to Newfoundland in the works, with priority given to members who have not participated in an exchange before.

Green Team October meeting Monday 10/6 starting at 7 pm at Icki Sticki.

Roadside Cleanup: Sunday, October 12, with Interact and the Green Team. What to bring: closed-toed shoes, long pants, and gloves.

Lunch & Learn – Club Activity Day: Wednesday, October 29, at noon in the Violet Room. A great way to stay informed and engaged.

Thanksgiving Meal Delivery: Join us in giving back to the community again this year. More details coming soon.

Guatemala Water Project Trips: Three trips are scheduled (approx. one week each, airfare not included). See Gary if interested in joining or supporting.

Friendship Exchange to Newfoundland: A unique opportunity—priority for first-time exchange participants.

Outside Brix Cider

At the Driftless Historium

Homecoming parade and peppering local law enforcement with questions.

Hiking at Blue Mounds State Park.

Friday fish fry at Ope Haus in Barneveld.