Present at the meeting were: Keith White, Mark Rooney, Dana Fager, Elizabeth Grabe, Paul Christiansen, Sarah Straka, Peggy Zalucha, Judy Steinhauer, Dave Reed, Aubree Hanks, Russ Christian, Steve Salerno, Tammy Weidig, Franke Wallitsch, Gary Tree, guest Zandra Heilmann, and Randy Sproule.

Zandra shared about her time living in a large family home—a "huge mansion"—in a beautiful area surrounded by lakes. She enjoys hiking and relaxing in the peaceful environment.

Peggy expressed her appreciation for Zandra, who recently helped her assemble five pieces of furniture after Peggy took her up on her offer of handiwork and babysitting to help pay for a Rotary trip Zandra would like to go on. If you have any work for Zandra to complete, please let her know.

Bob has recently moved to the Middleton branch but has kindly offered to continue helping with the Thanksgiving food delivery. Julie informed the group that she will be leaving the club, and both Jason and Jeremy have also decided to step back from their roles. On a positive note, we are hopeful that John will soon submit an application for membership.

We’re excited to begin using a new interview process—thanks to Shawn, we now have a membership and exit interview template provided by Rotary International. Looking ahead, our meeting scheduled for November 26 will be cancelled due to the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27.

In terms of the holiday schedule, the club will not meet during the last two Wednesdays in December or the first Wednesday in January, as we take time off for the holiday season. Planning should begin soon for our upcoming pancake breakfast, and members are encouraged to start thinking about roles and logistics.

Elections are scheduled for November, during which we’ll be selecting the President-Elect-Nominee. We are also looking for members who are interested in serving on the executive board. Keith has already stepped forward as a volunteer candidate.

 

Additionally, the club is currently voting on a proposal to divide responsibilities between the Membership and Outreach committees. Members have 30 days to submit their votes. Finally, next week’s meeting will feature a special “Lunch and Learn” session focused on how to use ClubRunner mobile, Rotary International and District websites.

Randy Sproule, an attorney for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and a Level 3 Major Donor in Rotary, joined as our guest speaker. He is a long-time member of the Madison South Rotary and one of only six individuals to receive a prestigious award for his work in polio eradication.

Randy opened by highlighting how Rotary's 1.3 million members have changed the world. He shared a powerful and personal story to illustrate the human impact of polio: a young boy woke up one morning unable to move his legs. The diagnosis was polio. His family couldn’t afford a wheelchair, and he wasn’t strong enough for crutches, so he had to crawl or be carried. After six months in bed, he regained some strength in his legs, but the rest of his body had atrophied. His right leg and foot remained smaller due to the disease, and he faced ridicule and physical challenges throughout his life. That boy was Randy’s father.

Randy explained that post-polio effects impact 50% of those who contract the disease. While polio has been eradicated in the U.S., the vaccine—which costs less than 50 cents—remains critical. In 1955, Rotarians launched the "Polio +" program to distribute vaccines in underserved regions. Despite early doubts about funding, the initial $120 million goal was far surpassed; over $2 billion has been raised, helping vaccinate more than 3 billion children.

Challenges persist, especially in remote areas where electricity to refrigerate vaccines is unavailable. Rotary members have gone to incredible lengths—traveling door-to-door, boat-to-boat, and even trekking for days in remote Asian villages to administer the vaccine.

The World Health Organization has turned to Rotary in times of need, such as delivering vaccines in Sudan. In India, over one million volunteers have participated in vaccination efforts. Today, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic.

Randy emphasized the global difference Rotary has made, estimating that 22 million children have been saved from polio. Families of those children are profoundly grateful for Rotary's efforts.

During the Ebola crisis, Rotary’s infrastructure and vigilance helped prevent the worst-case death toll predictions—limiting fatalities to under 14,000.

The Gates Foundation has pledged to match Rotary donations two-for-one. Randy himself has also committed to matching the club’s contribution dollar-for-dollar. For example, a $100 donation becomes $600 when matched. A $1,000 donation becomes $6,000—demonstrating the extraordinary impact we can have. The matching funds are in effect until this December.

The goal is to fully eradicate polio by 2030. Rotary continues to partner with local organizations to ensure vaccines reach those in need. Randy shared a recent case from New York where a man, exposed to polio in an unvaccinated community, will never walk again.

Finally, Randy noted that live polio virus is still occasionally found in wastewater, most commonly transmitted through poor sanitation. Continued vigilance is essential.