Happy February Rotarians. It has been a cold and snowy winter this year, but we are tracking slowly toward the end. We have conflicting reports on how long winter will last. Punxsutawney Phil said six more weeks of winter, while Buckeye Chuck said early spring. I am not sure who is correct, but we only have 38 more days until spring. Warmer weather is forecast for this week, so let us hope we melt some of this snow away!

February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution month and marks the 121st anniversary of the first Rotary meeting held on February 23, 1905, in Chicago. February is dedicated to promoting peace and resolving conflicts. It is a month that Rotarians take time to reflect on their commitment to peace and engage in various activities aimed at fostering understanding and resolving conflicts in their communities and beyond. Remember, Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo stated, “Peace is not simply the absence of war. A life free from conflict but marked by hunger, instability, or the inability to care for one’s family is not true peace. Peace requires liberty, opportunity, and respect for human dignity.” Let us all take this to heart as we work toward true peace and human dignity.

With February being Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month, it is a good month for your club to think of becoming a Peacebuilding club in the district. Most of everything we do as Rotarians fits well into being a Peacebuilding club. To qualify as a Peacebuilding club, a club needs to have two members sign up at $20 per year. Clubs must perform two peace-building activities per year (Foodbank, youth programs, and food drives all qualify). My goal is to eventually have all fifty clubs be peacebuilding clubs. To register, please contact Tom Carlisi, Chair of the Ohio chapter of the Rotary Action Group for Peace. His email is carlisiandassociates@gmail.com or he can be reached at 614-332-5974. Tell him you are from District 6630, and he will take it from there. I will report next month on the 2026 Community Peace Summit that was held last Saturday in Elyria. I was unable to attend, but heard it was fantastic.

Membership

IPDG Dale has been busy helping clubs learn how to grow. We have another great membership forum coming up. Please join us on February 21, 2026, at the Twinsburg Community Center (10260 Ravenna Road in Twinsburg) to Create the Perfect Rotary Club! Doors open at 9:15 for coffee and donuts; the interactive event runs from 10 AM until 11:45 AM. During this event, we will have breakout groups that create perfect traditional, companion, and cause-based Rotary Clubs. Throughout the event, we will be sharing ideas for member attraction and engagement that will be applicable now. There is no cost for the event, but we are asking that attendees register in advance! Here is the registration link.

8 in 8 Membership Challenge

Our Rotary International Zone Director Brian Hall has a new challenge we are starting called 8 in 8. We have joined this effort and IPDG Dale will be discussing it more at the Membership event on February 21. All clubs that add eight new members will be added to a drawing for $1,000 to use on a membership event. IPDG Dale will be sharing with you all an additional incentive from the district for this event. Stay tuned for more details. Below is a synopsis of the challenge. I will be sending more out in an email later this month.

This February, Rotary clubs across Zones 30 and 31 are invited to begin planning for the 8 in 8 Membership Challenge, a focused, achievable effort to strengthen clubs through intentional growth. Beginning March 1, clubs will have 8 weeks to add eight new members. Early planning starts now.

The Challenge Goal: Add 8 new members in 8 weeks 

Timeline: March 1 through April 30 

Eligibility: Any Rotary or Rotaract Club in Zones 30 & 31 There is no complicated scoring or comparison by club size. Meet the goal, and you are in.

The Incentive Clubs that successfully add eight new members during the challenge period will be entered into a drawing for $1,000 to host a member social event in May or June. The social event must include members bringing guests, reinforcing Rotary’s culture of invitation and fellowship.

All Ohio PETS

All Ohio President Elect Training is right around the corner on March 13-14 at the Renaissance in Columbus. If you are a President Elect or an Assistant Governor, please register now if you have not done so. The hotel fills up fast. Hotel reservation discounts close February 23rd. Please go to allohiopets.org for conference and hotel registration information.

Rotary for Reading 2026

Each year, the President-Elects of the five Districts in Ohio have a fundraising challenge. This year, the District Governors-Elect chose Rotary for Reading 2026. This project supports Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and making reading accessible, impactful, and exciting for Ohio children. Donations are being collected to help pay for a monthly book for a child to age 5. Information has been sent to each club President about how to donate. You can learn more about this exciting project by going to OhioImaginationLibrary.org. Please reach out to District Governor Elect Terri Speck with any questions at tspeckrotary@gmail.com.

4 Way Test Speech Contest – District Finals

We are looking forward to Rotarians joining us at the 4 Way Test Speech Contest District Finals on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 9 AM at Springfield High School. 9-11 AM is the first round and noon-2 PM are the finals. WE NEED JUDGES! If you are interested in judging for this event, please reach out to DGN Rich Cole at rcole@iamsuper.org for more information.

District Conference of Clubs

Planning has begun in earnest for our annual Conference of Clubs. This year’s event will be held at the Marriott East in Warrensville Heights on Friday & Saturday, April 24-25, 2026. We have condensed Friday to begin registration at 2 PM Friday to better serve those who work. We hope to have a full schedule done and registration open sometime this month. Friday will be the business meeting and Memorial service followed by social hour and then dinner. Dinner on Friday will be at food stations followed by a speaker. After the speaker, we will play Rotary Jeopardy with our eight clusters. Stay tuned for more information on this fun event. Saturday will be our breakfast, followed by our District Learning Assembly. Our signature Youth lunch will follow. This is the most impactful and fun event that is always well attended. After the Youth Lunch will be a new and exciting service project that all can participate in. Pack Away Hunger is the event that will have us pack at least 20,000 meals in ONE HOUR. These meals will be distributed to food banks and food pantries IN OUR DISTRICT. Each meal costs 40 cents for a total of $8,000. We are collecting donations for this, so please give what you can. 

Donations can be sent to:

Chagrin Valley Rotary Foundation PO Box 82 Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022 (Note “Pack away hunger” in the memo line)

Or contact me (330-801-0159) or Carrie Heppner (440-477-4711) with any questions.

United States of Kindness – A Nationwide 250th Anniversary Challenge

To celebrate our country’s 250^th anniversary, we are going to join a national movement to help unite Americans through a grassroots challenge of 250 Act of Kindness in 2026, making kindness visible, measurable, and actionable nationwide. In the simplest terms, we will ask each Rotary Club and their Family of Rotary to perform 250 Acts of Kindness and share their stories in 2026. This is something that every Rotary Club, no matter the size, can participate in and celebrate during the year and beyond. I will be sending an email out later in the month explaining the program in depth. Stay tuned for this impactful program which can also be implemented with our youth, in our communities and shared with our humanitarian partners, you will be glad you did!

250 trees to be planted in the district

I talked last month about a goal to plant 250 trees around our district to celebrate our nation’s birthday. This would happen in DGE Terri Speck’s year, as the trees would be planted in October. We now have two arborists helping us further plan and finalize before we launch the program in May, after all the planned events are completed. I will share information each month on our progress before we launch.

Presidents Elect & Club Executives in ClubRunner

It is that time of the year when we begin to update our ClubRunner executives for 2026-2027. This is an amazingly easy task to accomplish, but a particularly important one. We use these positions you fill in to contact that group of Rotarians (President, President Elect, Treasurer, etc.) with essential information throughout the year. Please take the time to complete these. If you are not sure how, ask your President or reach out to Cheryl Warren for help. Take the time now as it will help you for your upcoming year.

Thank you for all you do to make our world a better place. Your time, talent, and treasure are so appreciated in everything we do. Remember, Unite for Good!

Yours in Rotary,

Bob Oborn
District Governor Rotary International District 6630
Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary Club
Tel: 330-801-0159
Email: rorotary20252026@gmail.com

Marc West is deeply committed to Rotary’s mission of developing leaders and strengthening communities through Service Above Self. He has spent his career in higher education and student leadership development, bringing a strong emphasis on mentorship, collaboration, and ethical leadership to his Rotary service.

As District Chair for Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), Marc leads one of Rotary District 6630’s most impactful youth programs. Camp RYLA is the result of nearly year-round planning and coordination, including logistics, curriculum development, facilities management, budgeting, risk management, and continuous program evaluation. Marc works closely with district leadership, a dedicated committee, camp staff, Rotary club chairs, educators, and volunteers to ensure a high-quality experience for every participant.

Marc’s dedication to leadership at both the district and club levels has been recognized through multiple honors, including being named a Paul Harris Fellow (twice – TRC of Berea), Rotarian of the Year (TRC Berea, 2010–11 and 2014–15), and recipient of the Governor’s Award of Excellence (Rotary District 6630, 2024–25). As of this fall, Marc also serves on the District Youth Protection leadership team, further strengthening Rotary’s commitment to safe, ethical, and high-quality youth programming.

“Camp RYLA is Rotary at its best—Rotarians working together to invest in young leaders 
and create an impact that lasts far beyond one week of camp.”
— Marc West

Professionally, Marc has spent his career with a focus on student engagement, leadership development, and community building. He is the former Director of Parent and Family Programs at Baldwin Wallace University and has served in a wide range of Student Affairs roles, including Alcohol Education, First-Year Experience, Fraternity and Sorority Life, New Student Orientation, Residence Life, Student Life & Involvement, and the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program supporting student-athletes. Across each role, Marc has emphasized mentorship, relationship-building, and service-oriented leadership, helping students and families navigate key transition points and build a strong sense of belonging.

A proud graduate of Wittenberg University (Class of ’88 – Tiger Up!) and Cleveland State University (Class of ’95 – Go Vikings!), Marc holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Adult Learning and Development. A lifelong member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, he also served for seven years as Chapter Advisor for the Iota Iota Chapter at Case Western Reserve University. Marc is an enthusiastic advocate of the FISH! Philosophy and is known for bringing energy, positivity, and purpose to his work (makes a great club presentation). He and his wife, Detra, recently celebrated 33 years of marriage and live in Strongsville with their 12-year-old Shih Tzu, Meechie.

Patrick Scherer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Great Trail Council, Scouting America, headquartered in Stow, Ohio. The council serves more than 8,000 youth across Medina, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, Mahoning, and northern Wayne counties.

With 35 years of professional experience in Scouting America, Pat has served in five councils nationwide, holding senior leadership roles including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Development Officer, and other key positions focused on organizational leadership, program delivery, and fundraising.

Pat is an active member of the Hudson Rotary Club, where he served as Club President during the 2021–2022 Rotary year and currently serves as President of the club’s foundation. 

He also serves Rotary District 6630 as Grants Subcommittee Chair, working with Rotarians throughout the district to support community and international projects, ensure compliance with Rotary International Foundation policies, and lead annual Grant Management Seminars that guide clubs through grant eligibility and matching processes.

A four-time Paul Harris Fellow, Pat is married to his wife, Mara, and has two grown children, Maija and Tyler.

Pat Myers served as The District 6630 District Governor in 2020-2021 during Covid and credits her Assistant Governors for their fantastic work in keeping the club Presidents prepared early in 2020. 

A member of Hudson Rotary since 1990 she joined 21 fellow club members in starting Hudson Clocktower Rotary with a focus of training future leaders of Hudson. The club formed Leadership Hudson in 2002 and in 2010 Junior Leadership Hudson. Both organizations provide leadership skills to classes every year. Clocktower Rotary continues to sponsor each class, as well as attending graduations and all Alumni gatherings. 

Prior to serving as a PDG, DG, DGE, DGN, DGND, Pat was the North Summit Cluster Assistant Governor for three years, Conference committee member, grants committee member for 9 years, club President and Foundation chair. 

Pat is currently District 6630 Alternate Representative to Rotary International Councils on Resolutions and the 2028 Alternate Representative to Rotary International Council on Legislation.

 She also currently serves on the District By-Laws/MOP committee.

Pat has always been very interested in the law as the Legislative Agent for Higher Education for 20 years in Ohio and 11 Years in Florida; as well as the Grants Manager for the State of Florida. She served on many boards including Florida Arts Council as chair, Florida Symphony, Ballet Florida. In December of 2024 she completed ten years on the Hudson Community Foundation Board as Vice-president of operations and grants chair. She currently serves on the iGift Fund Foundation Board and the Laurel Lake Foundation Board. 

Pat and John love being with their children and grandchildren; travel often, including visiting Rotary One Headquarters, in October 2025, visiting ancestors’ homes and towns, meeting new and old friends.

Please sign up online for the 2026 Grant Seminars.  

Each club will need at least two participants to complete one of the three seminars in order to qualify for grant submission.

You can click on the date(s) below to register.  The Zoom link will be sent a couple days prior to the event to those who register. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 9:30AM-11:30AM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 6:30PM-8:30PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 9:30AM-11:30AM

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER

You can use this QR code to donate now!

Wednesday, 2/4/2026 was our club's 75th anniversary celebration at Welshfield Inn.  

40 members, guests and past members attended a spectacular event.  President Jeff Pascoe and secretary Bob Johnson presented the program.  A Proclamation from Middlefield Village was read by Andrew Pleso, another from Burton Village was read by Brian Brockway and one from Geauga County was read by Commissioner Jim Dvorak.  

A special announcement was made by member Fran Bayless announcing that she wants to donate $750 to our America250 tree planting project that will start in the spring.  She would like the project to be in honor of her late husband,Tom Bayless.  

Both Jeff,  Bob and Brian Brockway spoke about past club accomplishments and members that have been part of the club since our founding in 1951.  Welshfield provided a great dinner off their menu that was enjoyed by all.  As Andrew was introduced to read his Middlefield proclamation it was pointed out that being the club's youngest member would make him the most likely BMR members to attend the 100 anniversary in 2051.  A celebration slice of decorated cake was served to all in attendance and the celebration ended at 8:30PM.

Photo: (L-R) Jeff Pascoe - 2025/2026 BMR President, Jim Dvorak, County Commissioner, Bob Johnson, BMR Club Secretary 

Is your Club looking for an International Project that is fun and interactive, and has a way to track its progress?

Then I have a project for you.

Bob and I were at the International Convention in Calgary this past summer.  Walking through the House of Friendship I spotted an inflatable shark. (Side note - sharks are my spirit animal).  At the booth we meet Ben Davidson from the Pocatello Rotary Club of Idaho, where he explained this project.  It is based on the premise of Shark Tank.  You meet entrepreneurs from Malawi and decide to help them with a microloan. 

The entrepreneurs receive training from a group called Entrapov.  They must pass this program, they learn about business (accounting and making a business plan).  They are provided a mentor who helps them.  They have a connection to the local rotary club.  In order to apply for the loan they must provide a business plan and accounting and how this loan will help their business.  They must pay the local rotary club back for the loan.  The rotary club then uses this money to pay it forward and help other businesses. 

Our club, The Rotary Club of Stow-Munro Falls, did this project at the end of January.  We had 5 judges who meet with Rich Kirkham (PDG District 5400) and did about an hour training with him.  He explained how the zoom call would work.  Before meeting the entrepreneurs we were given background information about them both personal and professional.  We were able to study their business plan and prepare any questions we might have for them. 

We did the actual program during our regular meeting.  Ben was the emcee and introduced everyone. Our first proposal was from Witness who ran a copy company and also taught computer lessons. He wanted a loan for better equipment.  Our second proposal was from Jane, a pig farmer, who needed to build better housing for the pigs.   They told us about families and struggles.  We told them about ourselves and asked questions.  Ben and Rich who were also on the call helped with questions and kept the program moving. 

We decided to back both projects.  You have the choice of supporting none, one or both.  If you didn’t like the proposals, you could offer constructive criticism.

The cost of the loan for your club is $1000.  $900 goes to the loan $50 to the mentor and $50 to Entrapov. 

After you fund a project, Ben and Rich set up a WhatsApp group with them so you can send info about yourself and they, in turn, can tell you how things are going with their projects.

For more information about this project please feel free to reach out to me either by phone (330-813-2059) or email aoborn@att.net 

Yours in Rotary Service - 

Annette Oborn
Rotary Club of Stow-Munroe Falls
Club President 2023-2024

We’re excited to announce that 

sponsorship opportunities are now available

for the upcoming 2026 District Conference!

This highly anticipated event brings together leaders, professionals, and decision-makers from across the district—making it an outstanding platform to showcase your business, products, and services.

As a sponsor, you’ll gain:

• Strong brand visibility before, during, and after the conference

• Direct access to a targeted and engaged audience

• Recognition in event materials and promotions

• The opportunity to align your brand with a respected and impactful event

If you’re looking to increase exposure and connect with key community and business leaders, this is a fantastic opportunity to do so.

We encourage you to review the sponsorship packages and secure your spot early—availability is limited!

Please feel free to share this information with colleagues, partners, or businesses that could benefit from this excellent opportunity.

We look forward to partnering with you for a successful 2026 District Conference!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SPONSORSHIP FORM (PDF)

REGISTRATION:  Click here or copy and paste this link https://medinasunriserotary.org/wineandroses/

Benefiting The Children's Center of Medina County, Feeding Medina County and Akron Children's Health Center, Medina and other local children's charities.

On a cold winter morning what could be more fun than having a warm pancake breakfast with sausage followed by a guided bird walk around the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Proceeds will help support our work with literacy, hunger relief and environment. 

To purchase tickets simply CLICK HERE or copy and past this link https://heightsofgreaterclevelandrotary.square.site

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FLYER

Download Files:

• Auction Donation Request Form
• Sponsorship Form
• Raffle Poster

Tuesday March 31, 2026 
5:30-9:00 pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Join us for fun and fellowship at our annual fundraiser!

The Maple Splash Raffle is off and running again.  January marks the start of ticket sales to the public.

Raffle tickets are again $20. each with several packages of tickets available online.  You can purchase a 5-5-5 package that gives you 5- MSR tickets, 5- Outdoor Adventure (OA) tickets and 5- 50/50 raffle tickets for $150; a $225 dollar value and the best deal going.  Individual OA tickets($20) and individual 50/50 tickets can be purchased on line.  Also 6 OA tickets can be purchased for $100.  As in past years, we have continued to upgrade and add to our prize list.  A new $60,000 Chevy Silverado pick up leads the list provided by The Chevy Network and Preston Chevrolet. Enter to win a brand‑new 2025 Chevy Silverado and other prizes!

A $6300 necklace from Stephen DiFranco Jewelers, a portable generator, a $200 package of high quality meats from Bonner Farms, a portable generator, a vacation package of your own design, a Samsung Apple watch, a $2500 live edge table from Unique Live Edge Tables, four prizes of cold hard cash ranging from $500 to $2500 and 9 other valuable prizes.  Something for everyone.  

The Grand Drawing and Maple Splash Festival will take place on Saturday, July 11.  

Rules and a complete list of prizes is available on maplesplashraffle.com.

Help support the Rotary Club of Burton Middlefield. Every ticket sold helps us continue to help our community through programs such as scholarships, school lunch programs, food pantries, Veteran’s programs and more. (see the “about BMR” tab).

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE TICKET

Prizes for the Outdoor Adventure package have been upgraded too.  These include a Polaris 450 ATV from Concord motorsports, a $300 meat package from Bonner meats, night vision binoculars, Outdoor chairs and a smokeless fire pit, a Deer Hunter equipment package, a Hiboy big wheel electric scooter, a patio fire pit and a $2500 vacation package from Beaches and Dreams travel. Along with this drawing Burton-Middlefield and the MSR also hold a monthly drawing on 1/28, 2/25, 3/25, 4/29 and 5/27.  Four tickets will be drawn on each of these dates with the first two being $500 winners and the second two will be winners of 5 free MSR tickets.  All of these winners are placed back in the main drawing drum and are eligible to be drawn again.

2025 50/50 WAS OVER $16,000.00 LETS SEE IF WE CAN DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR!

After purchasing your ticket you will be emailed with a ticket number and the pdf file of your ticket. The proceeds from this raffle will help to expand the work and mission of the Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield. The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield is committed to taking action locally and globally through service projects, grants and partnership with organizations that are living out service in the greatest areas of need.

Annette Oborn and the Rotary Club of Stow-Munroe Falls is holding their annual coffee drive to support the Haven of Rest in Akron, the areas largest homeless provider. 

This is the 6th year of collecting coffee for an organization that is solely privately funded. 

Our drive started out at 40 cans, last year we were at 350 cans, this year the goal is 400 cans. 

Please contact Annette Oborn @aoborn@att.net or 330-813-2059 if you need a pickup or do the easy way and use the two links below to order off of Amazon and ship to:

Annette Oborn
381 Silver Valley Blvd
Munroe Falls, Ohio 44263

TWO OPTIONS TO ORDER COFFEE via AMAZON:

• 6 pack of 22.6oz cans for $58.80
   
• single 27.5 oz can for $11.00