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Are you interested in serving others and learning about your community while having fun and making new friends?

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Rotarians are people from all walks of life who want to make positive changes in their community and the world. Our Club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship, and also enjoy being a part of global initiatives like the eradication of polio, clean water resources, support for mental health, and education - local projects and a global impact. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of folks who share your desire to give back.

Our motto is SERVICE ABOVE SELF!

Shannon Kubik shares Milborn Seeds story

Shannon Kubik, Milborn Seeds marketing director, told Rotarians at a recent meeting the story of the locally-owned company that sells virtually all seeds except corn, soybean and vegetable. The company's goal is to have more green growing all the time and to encourage cover crops in farmers' fields. "By providing the right products, to the right place, at the right time, we are positioned to be the single source for your seed needs - no matter your goals." Thanks for such an interesting program, Shannon!

Rotarians relate Hope Haven mission trip to Romania

Brookings Rotarians Erich Olson and John Folkerts recently participated in a District 5610 trip to Romania, celebrating Rotary's 20-year partnership with Hope Haven International. Hope Haven distributes wheelchairs to children and adults worldwide, and recently opened a new facility in Barlad. Erich and John met with Rotarians from Barlad, Focsano, Bucharest and Izmail, Ukraine. There also was time for extensive touring of medieval villages, castles, citadels and the mountains of Transylvania. Pictures here with President Jen Olson, Erich and John present flags from clubs they visited. SERVICE ABOVE SELF!

Rotarians tour First Bank & Trust Arena

Brookings Rotarians toured First Bank & Trust Arena for their April 8 meeting, hearing from Rachael Anello, Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities, Events, and Operations. She described her role at FB&T Arena, and praised the administration for supporting a healthy work-life balance for employees. Rotarians saw facility features that include old Frost Arena gym floor planks, and men's and women's practice gyms, competition area with seating and lounges, and third-floor loges and suites. Thanks, Rachael, and GO JACKS!

Agriculturalist expands to viniculture

Craig Converse of Converse Wine Co. near Arlington shared with Rotarians his story of turning an SDSU degree in agronomy into a successful winemaking operation. A long-time corn and soybean farmer, Craig began experimenting with new Midwest varieties of grapes, and is now selling product at Brookings Liquor Store and Hy-Vee. Thanks, Craig, and CHEERS!

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE MAY 2025

May is here! It is hard to believe that spring is finally upon us. Over the past week we have received much
needed rain the grass is greening up. The greenhouses are open for business and I have heard of
friends/family planting their gardens! Along with the wonderful things consider the downside of the season:
allergies, mud, and unpredictable weather such as tornadoes, flooding & derechos.

Rotary is committed to eradicating polio. Our efforts have witnessed huge successes. Since 1988 when
Rotary partnered with organizations around the world to end polio, the wild poliovirus cases have been
reduced by 99.9%. Today in Afghanistan, house-to-house immunization campaigns are prohibited, while in
Pakistan, conflict, insecurity and migration limit access to children. Yet – Rotary continues to rise to the
occasion and the challenge – just as we did in India before the country was declared wild polio-free in 2014. In
Nigeria, Rotary faced similar obstacles, but in 2020 – all of Africa was certified wild poliovirus-free.

April 24th – April 30th is World Immunization Week. The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of
immunizations and to protect people and children against vaccine-preventable disease, such as polio. Polio
workers vaccinate more than 370 million children per year to prevent polio. We are so close to eradicating
polio, but we are not there yet. Every donation to the Rotary PolioPlus Fund is matched 2-to-1 by the Gates
Foundation, which triples the impact in the fight against this disease. Please consider donating by going to
www.rotary.org.

April was another full month for Brookings Rotarians! The noon meetings had excellent programing from Craig
Converse of the Converse Wine Co. that is north of Arlington, SD. On the 2nd Tuesday of April, we gathered at
First Bank & Trust Arena on the campus of SDSU for a wonderful tour of the new facility. Our very own Erich
Olson & John Folkerts provided a detailed presentation about their trip to Romania with Hope Haven.
Shannon Kubic of Millborn Seeds gave great information on this growing company in Brookings. Plus,
Brookings Rotarians packed dental kits to be used by Delta Dental, Salvation Army and other non-profits.
Rotarians gathered at Wooden Legs for Thirsty Thursday and Kool Beans for Wake-Up Wednesday to get
together to enjoy each others’ companies. PELS (president elect learning seminar) was held on Saturday,
April 26 th with Rotarians from Brookings, Mitchell and Madison with a Zoom call with other District 5610
Rotarians and numerous Rotarians from around the United States.

May looks to be another great month for Brookings Rotarians. On Thursday, May 1st we gather at Steve
Sewell’s house to assemble the Activity Boards, which is one our grants for 2025. Social times will continue to
be Thirsty Thursday at Cubby’s and Wake-up Wednesday at Kool Beans. Noon meetings have some fabulous
speakers for May so you won’t want to miss a week! Upcoming projects also include planting the Rotary
Garden at McCrory Gardens so start thinking about that.

As I type this message, I realized that I only have one left. My year is ending and it makes me quite sad
because I am really having fun! More on that next month.

Finally, remember as Rotarians to live by the 4-Way Test. It provides a framework for making ethical decisions
in your personal and professional (if not retired) life. The 4-Way Test is rooted in the values of honesty,
fairness, goodwill and benefit.

Once again – thank you for your Service Above Self!

See you on Tuesday at noon for Rotary!

President Jen Olson
605-690-4458
jennifer.olson@ebankstar.bank

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE APRIL 2025

April showers bring May flowers! This is one of my favorite sayings because it means spring is here! And with
spring comes new growth – flowers, grass, tree buds, vegetables, baby calves, baby kittens and I could go on
and on and on and on…….

How does this essence of spring affect our lives as Rotarians?? Growth as a person or a club! The Rotary
Motto – Service Above Self – is all about your growth as a person and your journey of self-improvement and
along the way the uplifting of people in need. An example would be helping in a service project that not only
improves yourself but by giving back to the community and supporting others in need. In March, Brookings
Rotarians completed a service project at the Brookings Humane Society. Rotarians cleaned, reorganized and
made the area more usable and efficient. The day improved the lives of the animals at the Humane Society
and helped the workers be more effective at their jobs and the Rotarians felt a sense of satisfaction of a good
day of work done that helped others. That is the essence of GROWTH!!!

My homework to each of the Brookings Rotarians – how can you grow as person and at the same time give
Service Above Self. This may be as easy as buying a coffee for the person behind you at Kool Beans or
Scooters. Or attending the Delta Dental Kit Packing Event at 4pm on Thursday, April 3 rd at the United Way
Building.

In Rotary, April is dedicated to Maternal and Child Care Health Month. This initiative focuses on improving
access to quality healthcare for mothers and children, including immunizations, medical services and
empowering local communities. Every day mothers risk their lives giving birth and millions of children die each
year from treatable, preventable causes. Worldwide, at least 7 million children under the age of five die each
year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, Rotary provides
immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improve access to essential medical services, and support trained
health care providers for mothers and their children. Rotary projects ensure sustainability by empowering the
local community to take ownership of health care training programs. How do we in Brookings as Rotarians
help these international projects? We already help by each of us donating to the Rotary Foundation. For as
little as 60¢, a child can be protected from polio.

Brookings Rotarians have a busy month in April so mark your calendars!!
 Tues., April 1 at noon Rotary Lunch & Guest Speaker Craig Converse from Converse Wine Co.
 Thurs., April 3 at 4pm Delta Dental Kit Pack at United Way Building
 Thurs., April 3 at 5pm Thirsty Thursday Rotarian Social at Wooden Legs with donation to
Brookings Humane Society
 Tues., April 8 at noon Tour of First Bank & Trust Arena at SDSU and lunch
 Tues., April 15 at noon Rotary Lunch with Erich Olson & John Folkerts discussing Romania Trip
 Wed., April 16 at 7:30am Wake-Up Wednesday Rotarian Social at Kool Beans
 Thur. April 17 at 8am Brookings Rotary Board Meeting at United Way Building
 Tues. April 22 at noon Rotary Lunch with Guest Speaker Shannon Kubic from Milborn Seed
 Tues. April 29 at noon Rotary Lunch with Guest Speaker Molly Perry from Volunteer Service
Bank

NOW – that is a busy month! So many ways to get involved with Brookings Rotary and talk to some great
people!

Recently, I sent 2 emails to all Rotarians looking for a couple of people to step up and help out! The club is
looking for a new Service Projects Chairperson and additional help on the Public Image Committee. A few of
our key people – Michael Gonda and Kay Norton – are taking a step back after many years of remarkable
service. Please….consider stepping up and helping out. If interested, give me a call, text or email! Or maybe
just a shout out at the noon meeting!

Finally – it is Raffle TIME! Whoo hoo!!! That means I challenge EACH of you as Brookings Rotarians to buy a
raffle ticket (or 10)! Each ticket is $10 and you have a chance to win a great prize! This year it is very easy to
buy tickets either electronically or by paper. Electronically can be done by clicking on the QR code in this COG
and walk through the steps. Remember to select $0.00 when it asks you to donate to Zeffy. If you want to buy

paper tickets – either talk to me at a noon meeting or contact me via phone or email (see below). AND -
Brookings Rotary grant projects (local and regional) are funded through this raffle. When our club applies for a
Rotary District Grant, the funds allotted to the club comes from the Rotary Annual Fund but originates from
donations 3 years earlier. So…. approximately 50% of the money given through these raffle tickets will be
available to our club in 3 years, doubling the project’s available funds!

Once again – thank you for your Service Above Self!

See you on Tuesday at noon for Rotary!

President Jen Olson
605-690-4458
jennifer.olson@ebankstar.bank

Brookings teen tells Rotarians about her journey through dyslexia

Evian Johnson, a Brookings High School junior, presented an excellent program to the Brookings Rotary Club today about her diagnosis of and adjustment to dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disability that does not indicates a person's intelligence, but rather requires different methods for the learning process. Evian, 16, was diagnosed at age 9. She currently reigns as Miss Hot Springs Teen, and has chosen dyslexia awareness as her platform. Thank you, Evian, for your willingness to share your story with us. We wish you much success!

Sen. Tim Reed updates Brookings Rotarians on legislative session

South Dakota State Senator Tim Reed updated the Brookings Rotary Club last week on the 2025 legislative session, summarizing proposed bills and budget considerations. Thank you, Sen. Reed, for your presentation!

Rotarian Ann Volin presents "Magazine Minute"

Each month a Rotarian shares at a Club meeting a short presentation about the current Rotary Magazine, highlighting articles of special interest. This week Ann Volin told us about several of the fascinating stories she read in the March edition, including the cover story on Rotary's efforts to help women who have been sex-trafficked. A very serious topic, but so important to read. Ann also shared an article about one Rotarian's appreciation for the humble earthworm, and she closed by pointing out that every edition has a recipe. This month's entry, Arroz con Leche, reminded Ann of her own childhood memory of a sweetened rice dessert. Thanks, Ann, for encouraging us to read Rotary Magazine!

New Brookings Rotarian Brad Hennings shares his background and passion for service

Brookings Rotarians welcomed to the microphone new member Brad Hennings, a retired pharmacist, who shared a bit about his interesting background. Brad noted he loves the mountains and trees, motorcycles and target shooting. He also described a previous career in which he was a food delivery driver to convenience stores, including those on the Rosebud Reservation. We welcome you, Brad, and are excited to share with you "Service Above Self!" (BTW, Brad's wife, Jane, is also a Rotarian!)

Rotarians learn about park district and library system in interesting programs so far in March

Brookings Rotarians learn so much about their community by attending regular meetings and hearing our great speakers! At our first program in March, we heard an update from Kristin Zimmerman, Brookings Park and Rec Director, who shared updates and exciting new projects that provide recreational opportunities for everyone in our city. And this week, Ashia Gustafson, Brookings Director of Library Services, talked to us about the breadth and depth of services offered through the Brookings Public Library. Both of these city departments contribute mightily to the great quality of life here in Brookings...Thank you, Kristin and Ashia!

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE MARCH 2025

Last month (February) in Rotary was full of fun and new ideas and information!

The month started out with the first Rotary meeting on Tuesday Feb. 4^th. Unfortunately, there was a minor mix-up with the speaker so there was no speaker. So……the amazing President that I am had to swivel quickly, very quickly! Thus – we had a networking/conversation time with other Rotarians for the last half of the meeting. Almost all of the noon Rotarians stayed and enjoyed each other’s company and stories. I have noticed that most Rotarians love to visit and are sometimes disappointed when I have to start the meeting at 12:10pm because they are in such a good conversation with friends. Maybe we can do this type of meeting more often at the noon hour…on a surprise basis of course. Then Thirsty Thursday at Mosaic Wine Bar on the 6^th brought Rotarians together again with laughs and great conversation.

The 2^nd week of February continued with the noon meeting on the 11^th with speaker and author Jeff West who talked about his experiences in life that resulted from his deployment to Vietnam in 1969. He was truly inspirational and emotional. Jeff and his wife live in Brookings. His books are available on Amazon – Welcome Home: The Army & Vietnam: How we lived, how we fought and how we survived. The 2^nd book is Looking Back: An Old Soldier’s Hindsight. Both books were written to help him cope with PTDS.

Week 3 was a full week for Brookings Rotarians. The weekly meeting brought an informative topic from the City of Brookings about the Marketplace, which is the retail center that is to be developed east of I-29. Paul Brisino, Brookings City Manager; Ope Niemeyer, Mayor; and Bonnie Specker, City Council, all attended the Rotary meeting and gave valuable information and answered many questions. Our own Lisa Hager added an update on the City Charter Committee, on which she serves. Then on Wednesday the 19^th, Wake-Up Wednesday and coffee at Kool Beans with Rotarians once again being able to socialize and enjoy friendships. On Thursday the 20^th, Brookings Rotarians stepped up to volunteer at Feeding Brookings which provides food and necessities to Brookings area resident in need.

Finally, week 4 brought the sunshine and warmth back to Brookings! We can all smile about that. The weekly program was given by two ladies: Phyl Naffziger and Dawn Jones. They discussed and showed their pictures about their adventures to Churchill, Manitoba Canada which is the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Their journey was detailed and explained so many interesting facts about the area and polar bears. One more place to add to my bucket list (and maybe yours).

I am sure you are asking why I am giving a recap of the month. I think because it was such a great month of fellowship and service and we had such great speakers! We involved all aspects of Rotary: fellowship, service, diversity, integrity and leadership. Another reason to recap to remind some of our members who have been “missing” meetings to realize the fun and great speakers we have each week.

March is here! So that means more great speakers, time to gather and have fun with fellow Rotarians and the opportunity to provide service! Fellowship includes Thirsty Thursday on March 6^th at Skinner’s Pub, weekly conversation at Tuesday meetings and Wake-Up Wednesday at Kool Beans on the 19^th. Service includes a project on the 8^th at the Humane Society starting at 11am. The Humane Society needs so much help due to a large influx of cats and dogs they are caring for. Please consider signing up. You can contact me if interested.

Last month was a GREAT month to be a Rotarian – let’s do it again in March!!

See you on Tuesday at noon for Rotary!

President Jen Olson

February meetings wrap up with fascinating programs

The last two Brookings Rotary Club meetings in February featured some great programs! City Manager Paul Briseno and Rotarian Lisa Hager, a member of the City's Charter Committee, joined Mayor Ope Niemeyer and Councilor Bonny Specker in bringing us up to date on some of Brookings' important projects. The following week, Phyllis Naffziger and Dawn Jones told us all about their quest for polar bears in faraway Churchill, MB. Always great programs and fascinating things to learn at Rotary!

New member Stacey VanBeek helps Rotarians learn of her passion for service!

Brookings School District Director of Business Services Stacey VanBeek is one of Brookings Rotary Club's newest members, and she shared a delightful presentation about herself, her family, and her passion for service at last week's meeting. Welcome, Stacey, and thanks for choosing Rotary as one of your avenues of service to community and the world!

Vietnam veteran and author shares stories with Brookings Rotarians

Jeff West, of Brookings, served his country as a member of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, and 45 years later was finally diagnosed with PTSD, a condition that had affected him dramatically since his combat experience. He has since authored two books, and presented a fascinating program to Brookings Rotarians. Welcome home, Jeff, and thank you for your service! Jeff's books are "Welcome Home: The Army and My Vietnam" and "Looking Back: An Old Soldier's Hindsight."

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FEBRUARY 2025

When you think of February – what do you think of?? Maybe you think of Valentine’s Day or Super Bowl or Groundhog Day? Personally – I think of love even though I don’t really like or celebrate Valentine’s Day. I also think about flowers this month but I KNOW I won’t get any of those from my husband because we are a bit too conservative and flowers are very expensive this month. The question is…..why am I telling my favorite Rotarians about this? Maybe it is just a filler of the message? Maybe it is to get a laugh? Or maybe it is about thinking about what is important? My thought – maybe a little of all 3 of those!

What is the importance of Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl, Groundhog Day and flowers? It is the recognition of something important!! As Rotarian’s we should always be focusing upon what is important – Service Above Self. That is very easy to do during the holiday season which is long past. But a little bit harder this time of the year with the cold and wind (no snow yet).

In January at a Brookings Rotary meeting, Scott Parsley from the Madison Rotary Club talked about a couple of groups that focus on helping others – Helping Kids Round First and the World Food Program. Helping Kids Round First is based in Flandreau, SD has done numerous projects in Haiti, Nicaragua, and now Chad, Africa. This non-profit has found that by collaborating with other organizations – more can get done! We as Rotarians in Brookings need to be always looking for ways to help others and possibly work with other groups. Currently, we are collaborating with Brookings Area United Way with the Delta Dental Van. We are also working in conjunction with the Brookings School District to create and build activity boards for the elementary students. My challenge to Brookings Rotarians – think of a project that we can focus on in 2025-2026!

One of Rotary’s BIG international projects is eradicating polio. Unfortunately, there has been some bad news in 2024 on the increase in the number of cases of wild polio virus with a total of 81 cases (56 in Pakistan & 25 in Afghanistan). This is compared to 5, 22 and 12 in years 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. Based on the economic and political problems in those countries, the increase was to be expected. Pakistan sent approximately 500,000 Afghans back to their home which caused some children to not being immunized. In Afghanistan, the Taliban stopped immunizers from going home to home and instead had to meet at sites. One way that Rotary has gotten around this is by giving a bar of soap to the families that bring their children to the immunization sites. In Afghanistan, a bar of soap is in great demand. Rotary International continues to collaborate with other groups – The Gates Foundation, Global Eradication Initiative, UNICEF, World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Donating to the Rotary Foundation will directly help end polio: www.rotary.org (see the Donate button on the top right).

The above are just a few ways to give Service Above Self. Need more suggestions? The School of St. Jude, Happy Dollars at Brookings Rotary Club go directly to SDSU scholarships, donating a winter coat/hat/gloves to the Salvation Army in Brookings, signing up at Feeding Brookings to distribute food, attending Thirsty Thursday or Wake Up Wednesday and donating money to a local need/non-profit in Brookings, picking up litter on the sidewalk, paying for someone’s coffee who is in line behind you, donating food to the Brookings Food Pantry. The list is ENDLESS! The point is – find something important to you!

As President, I am always talking about Service Above Self. Well……..Rotary is also about socializing and having fun!! I am huge fan of having fun!! Getting to know your fellow Rotarians and having a laugh is also what Rotary is all about. I hope to see a few new faces at either Thirsty Thursday on Feb. 6^th at 5pm at Mosaic or at Wake Up Wednesday on February 19^th at 7:30am at Kool Beans!

See you on Tuesday at noon for Rotary!

Happy February! Let the fun and magic continue.

President Jen Olson

Rotarians join others in packing meals for the hungry in Africa

Brookings Rotarians stepped up to join members of the Madison Rotary Club and other area volunteers pack meals that will be sent around the world to feed hungry people in Africa. The goal was to pack 100,000 meals in six hours, and the busy group exceeded that by 675! The non-perishable meals include rice, protein, vegetables and nutritional supplements, and will be shipped to Chad via a long and sometimes treacherous journey that takes months. Local projects and global impact...that's how Rotarians live out "Service Above Self!" Pictured below are crew members from the first two-hour shift: Standing, from left: Ann Volin, Devan Schaefer, Stacey VanBeek, Marcia Janssen, Larry Janssen, Deb DeBates. Kneeling are Alexis Stolicker and Lisa Roker.

Zeno Wicks and John Folkerts worked the afternoon shift, along with Victoria Blatchford, pictured here with her friend, Todd Kringen.

Rotarians worked side by side with other volunteers to help pack meals to be shipped to hungry people in Africa.

Hope Haven's Luke Russell issues passionate plea for assistance in Brookings

Luke Russell, Director of International Ministries of Hope Haven, shared with Brookings Rotarians his passion and plans for the organization, which now has a presence in Brookings. Hope Haven has had a long-standing alliance with Rotary, providing wheelchairs for those in desperate need around the world. In the past 30 years, about 150,000 wheelchairs have been delivered to adults and children in more than a hundred countries worldwide, and several local Rotarians have been instrumental in delivering the chairs to other countries. "Our goal is to share the love of Christ by bringing mobility to as many people as possible," said Russell, who noted the new Brookings location near the airport welcomes volunteers who will focus on refurbishing chairs for children. Also participating in this important work locally will be Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Russell, a Sioux Falls West Rotarian, estimated 70 million people worldwide are in need of a wheelchair. Thank you for a wonderful program, Luke, on ways in which Rotary can help impact the world for good! For information on volunteering, contact brookingssdrotary@gmail.com. For more information on Hope Haven visit www.hopehaveninternational.org

Brookings Rotarians will join Madison club in humanitarian effort for Africa

Rotarians serve their communities and impact the world! Brookings Rotary Club thanks Madison Rotarian Scott Parsley for a great program this week, as he discussed this weekend's "Madison Food Pack." Members of the Brookings Rotary Club and two nonprofits (Kids Against Hunger and Helping Kids Round First) will join the Madison Club in packing non-perishable meals that will be shipped and distributed to extremely needy and hungry people in Chad, Africa. The goal is to pack 100,000 meals in six hours! SERVICE ABOVE SELF!

Kelly Beinhorn named Rotary Paul Harris Fellow

Congratulations to Brookings Rotarian Kelly Beinhorn, left, who received her Paul Harris Fellow pin at this week's club meeting, presented by Club President Jennifer Olson. A Paul Harris Fellow is one who has donated at least $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation (TRF), or for whom someone else has donated $1,000 in his or her name. Donations to TRF go to help with projects in one of seven areas of global and community service: Promoting Peace; Fighting Disease; Providing Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; Savings Mothers and Children; Supporting Education; Growing Local Economies; and Protecting the Environment. Congratulations, Kelly!

Welcome to our Club!

We meet In Person & Online

Tuesdays at 12:00 PM

Brookings Activity Center

320 Fifth Ave
Brookings, SD
United States of America

RSVP by emailing Club President Jennifer Olson at jennifer.olson@ebankstar.bank. Our meetings and programs are currently being conducted via a hybrid system in person and via Zoom. Access opens 15 minutes early for a social time of sharing.

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