Senator Tim Reed presented the program to the Brookings Rotary Club this week, updating us on the recent South Dakota legislative session. He specifically referenced and expressed appreciation for the contributions to community and political service by Brookings Rotarians, including Lewayne Erickson, as well as former Mayor of Brookings the late Orrin Juel, longtime Rotarian and husband of current member Millie Juel. Thank you, Sen. Reed, for a very informative presentation!
Brookings Rotarians and guests enjoyed lunch at SDSU and a tour of the beautifully renovated Lincoln Hall during a recent "field trip" meeting. Special thanks to SDSU President and Brookings Rotarian Dr. Barry Dunn for hosting the event, Dr. Lynn Sargeant, Dean of SDSU's College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences for the hospitality and tour, and Jamison Lamp, SDSU's Event Coordinator, for working with our Club Administration to make the arrangements for the event.
There are 46,000 Rotary clubs around the world, and members of three of them enjoyed a chance meeting recently in Chicago.
Brookings Rotarian and District 5610 Assistant Governor Don Norton, right, had traveled to the Windy City and scheduled lunch with his former student Ryan Kuro, seated. Kuro, who is legally blind, graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in Broadcasting, and is now a member of Rotary Club One, the very first Rotary Club, founded by Paul Harris in 1905. While lunching, Kuro introduced Norton to his current Club President, Aleta Williams, standing center. And visiting Club One that day was Annamaria Corrandini, left, member and Past President of the Palermo Liberta Club in Italy.
The Rotarians enjoyed the unexpected fellowship as well as the traditional exchange of Club flags. This week Norton presented the flags from the Chicago and Palermo clubs to Brookings Club President Michael Gonda. “The global presence of Rotary means you have friends all around the world,” remarked Norton, “and sometimes you meet those friends when you least expect it!”
Brookings Rotarian and State’s Attorney Dan Nelson presented a great program to the Brookings Rotary Club this week on the specifics of jury trials. Thank you, Dan!
Hello Rotarians! I hope you are having (or had) a terrific Easter Break and that you found the time to spend the holiday with family and friends. Tiffany and I stayed in Brookings with her family and had a relaxing long weekend. This month, we have excellent programs scheduled. I’m very excited. I’d like to highlight our April programs.
On April 2, one of our own, Dan Nelson, will bring us up to date on work in the State's Attorney's office. Then on April 9th, we will be meeting at Lincoln Hall on the SDSU campus. Lincoln Hall was recently renovated and SDSU would like to show it off! Lunch will be catered by SDSU (available to all who attend, regardless of whether you have a meal plan with our Rotary Club) and then we will tour the newly renovated building. More details about parking will be disseminated at our April 2nd meeting.
Next, on April 16th, Senator Tim Reed will visit our club to provide us with an update on bills being debated in the SD Legislature. It’s a blessing that State Senators, University leaders in higher education, and others in leadership roles value speaking to our Rotary Club. They visit time and time again because of YOU and how engaged you are with our speakers. Thank you so much for your presence and excellent questions for our speakers.
The tradition of Thirsty Thursday is still going strong. On April 4th, we will meet at Wooden Legs Brewing Company with donations going to the Brookings Regional Humane Society. Hundreds of animals are adopted each year from our humane society and they need our support. Let’s come together and donate for this worthy cause!
Then on May 11th the Brookings Rotary Club will be volunteering for the Brookings Marathon. Craig Johnson and Van Fishback (regular volunteers at this event) tell me this service by our Rotary Club to the marathon has been going on for more than 25 years and probably longer. We will need volunteers so make sure to add this to your calendar.
I will end by thanking a few Rotarians for their hard work these past few months. First, we are blessed to have Jim Gilkerson and Dave Odens helping with setting up and tearing down our meeting space each week and ensuring that lunch arrives. Jim also is our contact person for the Brookings Marathon. If you see them around, please thank them. Gregg Jongeling will be taking over again this Spring with these tasks. Gregg is our unsung Rotary “hero”; in addition, he serves on the Board and prepares the COG you’re reading right now. Finally, Chad Vilhauer continues to make sure our financials are in good shape each month despite what must be a crushing workload this time of year during tax season.
I thank people very often in Rotary because, of course, no one needs to do anything for us. Rotary is a volunteer organization. The people I mentioned above are giving their time and talents without any expectation of a reward. They embody the true spirit of Rotary. Would you like to get more involved in Rotary? Please let me know! What we do can’t happen without the engagement of all of our members.
Sincerely,
Michael Gonda
Ducks Unlimited Manager of Agronomy Brian Chatham spoke to the Brookings Rotary Club today, discussing the vital role of wetlands in preserving soil health and the ecosystem. Thanks, Brian, for a very interesting program!
Seventeen Rotarians and guests gathered at Skinner's Pub for the March Thirsty Thursday, netting $215 for Sleep in Heavenly Peace while having a great time with fellowship and friendship. Couldn't make it this month? See you in April! Watch for details...
Strength and Conditioning Coach Nate Moe was a great speaker for the Brookings Rotary Club today, emphasizing the benefits of fitness for persons of all ages and abilities. Indeed, Nate, for reminding us that "Strength Training is for Everyone!" Thanks for a great program.
Like all of you, when I first joined Rotary I started receiving the monthly issue of the Rotary magazine. The Rotary magazine does a great job at disseminating service projects happening at the club, district, national and international level. In the March issue, I learned about technology that can map polio outbreaks, a club in Washington that converts wine barrels to planters that attract pollinators (i.e., bees), how a Rotary club in Hungary stepped up to take over a summer camp for children with Down syndrome and other cognitive disorders, and "Harvest Against Hunger", which collects leftover farm produce in the fields after harvest for families in need of food. I even read about a Rotary Club in South Korea that volunteers at a local animal shelter for large dogs. Large dogs are difficult to place in homes in South Korea because many people don't have enough space for the dogs. Not to sound trite, but these stories are truly inspirational.
As I read the magazine articles, my mind turned to opportunities and challenges we have in the Brookings Rotary Club. First, I am excited that we are reinstating the Rotary magazine minute on a monthly basis. This magazine review will hopefully inspire you to pick up your copy of the Rotary magazine and read it! Second, these magazine issues are full of terrific ideas for service projects. One challenge we face in our club is identifying ideas for service projects, specifically projects that will attract younger people to Rotary. I think about how many of our youth love pets. Are there projects that we could undertake with the Brookings Humane Society or Animal Shelter? Many Rotarians are currently or formerly involved in agriculture or engineering. Are there projects we could work on that could benefit local farmers and producers, while also helping alleviate food insecurity?
I believe we must constantly be thinking of new ideas to serve Brookings. If we fall into a rut with the same service projects we've been focused on for many years, we risk growing stale. As my work schedule slows down this month, I'll be thinking about ways in which we can "think outside the box" with service projects and other activities that fit within our strategic plan. I invite you to "think outside the box" as well. If you have ideas, please share them with one of our dedicated Board members or myself.
Yours in Rotary,
Michael Gonda
Thanks to Brookings Rotarian Dr. Larry Janssen for providing us today with an update on the February 2024 Rotary Magazine. What a diverse assortment of articles! Have you read your Rotary Magazine lately? As Harry Truman said, "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." Great job, Larry.
Dr. Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan (Dr. Muthu), Klingbeil Endowed Department Head for the SDSU Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, addressed the Brookings Rotary Club today, describing the tremendous achievements of both students and faculty within the award-winning department. Focusing on the land grant institution's tenets of teaching, research and extension, the department seeks to impact the future of agriculture through engineering, precision and technology. Thank you, Dr. Muthu, for an excellent program! Club President Dr. Michael Gonda presented our speaker with a thank you gift.
The Brookings Rotary Club is grateful to the Boys and Girls Club of Brookings for hosting our meeting last week, since the Activity Center was closed for renovation! Not only did we hear a great program about an exciting new collaborative childcare effort between the B&GC, the Brookings School District and the City of Brookings, we received a personal tour of the B&GC facility. Jody Hernandez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains, presented the details of the childcare collaborative plan, which will involve innovative use of school buildings and the B&GC of Brookings to increase childcare capability. Implementation of the plan is scheduled to begin in Fall 2024 and is a multi-year plan. Special guest of Brookings Rotarian and Assistant Governor Don Norton was Past 5610 District Governor Loren Boyens (Rotary Club of Sioux Falls West), who serves on the Board of Directors for the neighboring Boys & Girls Club of the Sioux Empire.
Pictured from left, Jody Hernandez, Loren Boyens, Don Norton.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Dean of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at SDSU, presented a fascinating program to the Brookings Rotary Club on February 13. An excellent speaker and teacher, Dr. Kumar discussed the six departments in the College, where they are "training students for jobs that do not yet exist, to use technology not yet invented, and solve problems we don't know exist." He discussed the impact of Jerry Lohr, who graduated with a degree in engineering from SDSU in 1958 and has been a transformational donor. Thank you, Dr. Kumar, for a wonderful program about the power and influence of critical thinking!
The Brookings Rotary Club is pleased to welcome new member John Folkerts, inducted into the Club on February 6 by President Dr. Michael Gonda. John and his wife, Vicki, who is a librarian at Mickelson Middle School, own "The Bug Guy," a commercial and residential pest control company. Last year they also purchased a travel agency franchise, "Dream Vacations", and in addition John owns and operates a small business bookkeeping and consulting firm. The Folkerts have lived in Brookings for 38 years. "I wanted to become more active in the Brookings community and connect with other leaders through a service organization where I could both learn and provide services to the community," said Folkerts. "I look forward to working with other club members on making a positive impact locally as well as globally." Welcome, John!
Our best programs sometimes come from our own members! Today Rotarian Col. Steve Sewell spoke on his involvement as a volunteer with "Ski For Light," an annual event that gives persons who are visually impaired or have other physical limitations the opportunity to experience the slopes. Steve became involved in 2010, after returning in 2009 from deployment to Afghanistan and taking up skiing as a hobby. Ski For Light has been serving its participants since 1978, and offers assisted downhill and cross-country skiing as well as snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This year about 125 persons participated, with about 175 volunteers serving in various capacities. Thanks for your service and continued volunteerism, Steve (who is our Club's President Nominee!), and for a great program.
Below, Steve demonstrates to Club President Dr. Michael Gonda some of the equipment used in Ski For Light.
An energetic group of Brookings Rotarians spent time at the United Way center this week packing food items for the Brookings Packpack Project. The backpacks are sent home Fridays with area school children who are at risk of weekend food insecurity. The Brookings Backpack Project assists hungry youth in Brookings, Volga and Elkton with easy to prepare weekend meals and snacks all year round. By helping to sustain these children, BBP seeks not only to help meet their nutritional needs but also to promote their physical, cognitive and social development and to enhance their overall sense of well-being. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service!
Rotarians and guests gathered at Mosaic Wine Bar and Small Plates for the monthly Thirsty Thursday. Fun conversation, great beverages, and a pass-around collection for The Helpline Center. Thanks for setting up our monthly gatherings, Steve Sewell!
Dear Rotarians,
I hope that 2024 has started off well for you! Right about now is when I’m told most people drop their New Year’s Resolutions. I must confess that I didn’t make any resolutions this year. Don’t worry, however: my family and friends gave me plenty of resolutions I should focus on!! (Joking…hopefully) Even though it’s February, I decided to adopt a resolution for Rotary. That resolution is to finish what we started with the strategic plan that was written last summer. I still see two goals we need to accomplish. First, we need to advertise for corporate membership. We spent much time changing our by-laws to allow corporate members and creating advertising materials. It’s now time to hit the road! Second, we need to identify several service project themes we want to pursue on an annual basis. I think we’ve got one theme in place: mental health awareness. I’ll be working with the Service Committee to develop more themes. We will build service projects, fundraisers, and guest speakers around the themes we choose.
As the weather turns colder, I often think about travel. As most of you know, I grew up in Florida and am not a fan of winter weather! I want to remind you of the amazing travel opportunities that are available through Rotary. I haven’t heard of a single Rotarian who has regretted traveling with Rotary. Steve, Ginger, and Larry traveled to Denmark, Sweden, and Australia for Friendship Exchanges. Gregg traveled to Tanzania to support Lidia, the student we sponsor at the School of St. Jude. Erich traveled to Romania to support Hope Haven. Finally, many Rotarians over the years (including myself) have traveled to District and International Conventions. Tiffany and I plan to travel to Singapore for the Rotary International Convention in May. Traveling with Rotary allows us to meet real people across the globe, serve others, and learn more about ourselves. Please consider taking advantage of one of the many opportunities available to travel with Rotary.
Yours in Rotary,
Michael Gonda
The Brookings Rotary Club enjoyed a very special program on January 16 that truly exemplified "Service Above Self." Rotarians Steve Sikorski (Sioux Falls Downtown), Mark Siemonsma (Sioux Falls West), and Brookings Club Past President Erich Olson gave a presentation on the 2023 Hope Haven mission trip to Romania. Thank you for your service, Rotarians, and for a wonderful reminder of Rotary's local reach and global outreach!
Today Brookings Rotarians and guests learned about proposed development in the city when representatives of Brookings City Government presented the program on The Marketplace project. Pictured from left are Councilor Wayne Avery, Mayor Ope Niemeyer, City Manager Paul Briseno, and Councilor and Deputy Mayor Nick Wendell.
Brookings, SD
United States of America