Happy April, Rotarians! Longer days, warmer temperatures, and the return of green trees and grass make this a wonderful time of year. Unfortunately, the swings between low and high temperatures can be wild. Several times this year, I’ve had the heat on in the morning and the air conditioning on in the afternoon. Still, it is far better than the cold and snow of January and February. I believe we’ve made it through another winter!

April is Maternal and Child Health Month

April is designated as Maternal and Child Health Month, highlighting the critical need to improve health outcomes for mothers and children worldwide. Millions of children under five die each year from preventable causes such as malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation. Rotary clubs support initiatives such as immunizations, access to essential medical services, and training for health care providers to empower local communities and ensure sustainable health programs for mothers and children. As Rotarians, we remain committed to supporting those most in need.

All Ohio Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (AOP)

A special thank you, and job well done, to the Ohio District Governors-Elect for their hard work and preparation in providing a world-class experience at AOP in Columbus. I loved how the DGEs used caricatures for their headshot banners, they looked great. I heard many compliments from Presidents-Elect about the training sessions and what they learned from their peers. District 6630 Presidents-Elect were especially appreciative that the District offered a $400 stipend to help with the cost of the weekend. The Assistant Governor sessions were also very well done, and several of our AGs said they were worthwhile. The speakers were excellent and complemented each other with a unified message for the Presidents-Elect. RID Brian Hall, Michael Angelo Caruso, PRID Brenda Cressey, and RIPN Larry Lunsford all shared valuable insights on improving the club experience, with Larry’s core message focused on creating lasting impact in everything we do. Again, well done to Terri Speck and her team for a successful AOP.

Rotary International Service Above Self Award Bestowed on Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski

Rotary International honored our own PDG Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski with its highest individual honor on Thursday, April 9, at Windows on the River. Beverly was surprised by her husband Dave, fifteen Past District Governors, and members of her home club during their regular lunch. There is no one more deserving of this honor for all she does for Rotary and our district. Congratulations, Beverly, and thank you for being a guiding light in our district.

Click here to view photos from the event 

2026 District 6630 Conference of Clubs 

⇒Register Here!

We are one week away from our District Conference. DGND Carrie Heppner has done a fabulous job with her team in once again raising the bar and providing our members with a world-class Conference of Clubs.

We are starting the conference Friday afternoon to better accommodate those who work. Friday will include our annual business meeting, followed by the Celebration of Life honoring Rotarians we lost this Rotary year. After a short reception, MC Paul Qua will introduce our Peace Scholar, Wisdom Addo, who will speak about PeaceJam, an event he hosts each year in Ghana for youth there and from neighboring countries.

After Wisdom’s speech, we will open the food stations for dinner. The food stations were a great addition last year, and we are excited to continue them. After dinner, we will enjoy a rousing game of Rotary Jeopardy hosted by E-ClubNEO President Steve Warren. Each of our eight club clusters will have a team. We will play three rounds: four clubs in each of the first two rounds, with the winners facing off in Final Rotary Jeopardy. The winning final Jeopardy team will receive 1,000 Paul Harris points from the District.

Don’t forget to join us in the Hospitality Room for a reception sponsored by all Past District Governors. Come for fellowship, snacks, and a libation.

Saturday Schedule - We begin Saturday morning with breakfast hosted by MC Kim Polatas, followed by the District Learning Assembly. We have six well-planned sessions that address important issues facing our membership.

9:00 a.m.

Telling the Story — Presenter Todd Morgano

Creating the Perfect Club — Presenter PDG Dale Smith

10:00 – 10:45am

Compassion Over Division — Presenter Wisdom Addo

Keep More Members: Design the Experience That Makes Them Stay — Presenters Tina Ingraham and Dale Smith

11:00 – 11:45am

From ‘Oops’ to ‘Oh No!’: Stopping Misunderstandings Before the Chairs Start Emptying — Presenter Sue Nelson

Rotary Youth Exchange: International Ambassadors of Peace — Presenters Kevin Wermer, Tanisha Taylor, and Jennifer Kelly

⇒Youth Luncheon

Our Youth Luncheon is our signature event, and I promise it will not disappoint. Interact Chair Chelsea Talty will again be our MC. We have a full and exciting lunch planned, including:

* Parade of Flags for Youth Exchange

* Outbound Youth Exchange Commissioning

* Lunch

* 50-year Rotarian recognition

* Interact service project

* RYLA presentation

* Launch of the 250 Acts of Kindness project

* 4-Way Test Speech Contest winners

* Presentation of the Dick Pitcher Award

⇒District Service Project – Pack Away Hunger

After lunch, we will move to our district service project: Pack Away Hunger. Our goal is to pack 20,000–25,000 meals in one hour. Rotarians, friends, Interactors, and Youth Exchange students are all welcome. These meals will be distributed within our district.  Thank you to all individuals and clubs who donated to make this service project possible.

⇒Saturday Evening

After the service project, DGE Terri Speck and the Presidents-Elect will meet to approve the budget and discuss other topics Terri wishes to share.

That evening, we will have a reception and fellowship hour followed by dinner. You will not want to miss our keynote speaker, Katie Spotz, a former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Katie is an endurance athlete, American adventurer, and clean water advocate. She became the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 2010.

Some of her many accomplishments include:

* Running nonstop across Maine and New Hampshire, becoming the first person to do both.

* Breaking the female world record in 2021 for the most consecutive ultra-marathons by completing eleven straight 31-mile runs.

* Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2025.

Katie will be interviewed by former Channel 3 newscaster Lee Jordan and our PI Chair Tina Ingraham about her newest challenge: rowing solo across the Pacific Ocean to raise money to bring clean water to 100,000 residents of Fiji. Come hear this riveting story of perseverance, determination, and impact.

After Katie’s talk, we invite everyone back to the Hospitality Room, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Stow-Munroe Falls. If you have not registered, please visit our website and register today. The hotel room deadline has passed, but we reserved a few extra rooms on a first-come, first-served basis.

⇒House of Friendship

Please take time to visit our exhibitors at the House of Friendship. One table you should not miss is the ClubRunner Help Desk, where PDG Cheryl Warren will be available to answer questions and help with website issues. It may be easier to reserve time with Cheryl before the conference by emailing her at cawarren@neo.rr.com. Many irritating issues are often simple fixes away.  There will also be:

* A booth for 250 Acts of Kindness, where clubs and families can learn how to participate.

* A booth hosted by our district botanists about planting 250 trees for our Semiquincentennial celebration.

* Youth Exchange tables.

* Several club tables.

250 Acts of Kindness – United States of Kindness

The United States of Kindness is a nationwide campaign launching in 2026 to mark America’s 250th anniversary through action. We are asking Rotarians and their families to take part in 250 Acts of Kindness and share their stories, creating a visible, unifying movement that reaches every corner of the country. Through sharing acts of kindness, we hope to lessen rising division and disconnection while giving our members a meaningful platform to celebrate service.

This program begins on April 24, with 250 days left in the year. We will provide Rotarians with a simple way to record these acts as a district. Families may also register to participate.

US of Kindness will have a table at the House of Friendship. I will send a separate email the week of April 19 explaining the program and giving Rotarians the tools they need to participate. It is free, and it will make an impact.

250 Trees in Our District

Because 2026 marks our nation’s Semiquincentennial, we wanted to celebrate with an environmental project that makes a lasting impact. This year, we plan to plant 250 trees throughout our district.

The trees will be sourced through two botanists we are working with, and planting will take place in October, the best time for planting. We will have more information at the District Conference of Clubs, including an informational table in the House of Friendship.

Please stop by to review the display and learn more. We will have approximate pricing, tree recommendations, and guidance on choosing the right tree based on planting location. These trees can also serve as wonderful memorials or gifts. More details will follow next month regarding the program, costs, pickup locations, and planting instructions.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)

Once again, District 6630 will host its renowned RYLA Camp from June 21–25, 2026, at Hiram College. This is our 33rd year of RYLA, and each year it gets better. This camp has been transformational for many high school seniors as they develop leadership and personal skills that will help them become the next generation of leaders.

The cost is $600 and includes all food and lodging. Applications are being accepted online through May 6, 2026, and payment is due by May 11. We hope to have a full class of fifty-five participants with strong support from our Rotary clubs.

There will be a cookout on June 23 at Case at 6:00 p.m. in honor of our participants, as well as a closing banquet on June 25. Please register on the website to attend one or both events and meet these outstanding young adults. You will be glad you did.

Zone 30 & 31 Summer Leadership Seminars

Each year, Zones 30 and 31 hold leadership training seminars in several locations over the summer. These seminars are excellent opportunities for members to learn more about Rotary, grow their leadership skills, and make new friends. This year’s dates and locations are:

July 11, 2026 — Springfield, Illinois

July 18, 2026 — West Chester/Liberty Township, Ohio

July 25, 2026 — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

August 1, 2026 — Franklin, Tennessee

August 8, 2026 — New Orleans, Louisiana

Peacebuilding Clubs

We are still actively looking for clubs interested in becoming Peacebuilding Clubs. A Peacebuilding Club completes two peace-related activities or projects each year within Rotary’s seven areas of focus. It only takes two members to register, with a $20 fee per person.

Our district has been a Peacebuilding District for several years, and we would love to extend that commitment to the club level. Please contact me at 330-801-0159 or rorotary20252026@gmail.com for more information.

Zone 30 & 31 – 8 for 8 Membership Challenge

We still have twenty days left in our membership challenge. Any club that inducts eight members in March and April will be entered into a drawing for $1,000 to use toward a membership event.

A few clubs have already met this goal. If your club has not yet reached it but still wants to host a membership event, please contact Membership Chair IPDG Dale Smith. We still have district funds available for clubs that:

Have a membership committee of three

Have an action plan to grow membership

Have a way to measure results

If those three items are approved, the district will reimburse 50% of the cost of your event, up to $2,500. Use your district’s support to help grow your membership.

Recovery Assistance Resources

I want to apologize to our members for the delay in posting a list of recovery agencies and facilities within our district. I had hoped to have it available by January, but my new goal is to post it by the end of the Rotary year. This year has simply been very busy, and this was the one item that fell behind. Please reach out anytime if you are looking for a local facility or agency, and I will help you find resources that fit your needs. Please also remember that many of these facilities need help with fundraisers or events, so keep them in mind for service projects.

That’s a wrap for this month. I hope to see you at the District Conference in two weeks - it promises to be a great event. I also hope to see you at your club events. Please send me a note if you have a service project or event you would like me to attend, and I will do my best to make it. Thank you for everything you do for Rotary and your community. You make a difference every day.  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

Rotary E-ClubNEO had a great event in March. We inducted 2 awesome new members, created some amazing bags for residents of Providence House and enjoyed some outstanding company (and maybe a little wine) at the Wine Mill!  

Come join us! For more information contact Club President Steve Warren at stevewarren77033@gmail.com

Opening Night: New Works by Dennis Kleidon is a spectacular premiere showing of the artist’s newest paintings. This new virtual show is proudly presented by the Walter Wickiser Gallery of New York, New York. The online show runs from April 9 – June 17, 2026. The show can be viewed at www.walterwickisergallery.com . Kleidon is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Akron Myers School of Art and member of the Rotary Club of Fairlawn, Ohio.

Kleidon’s paintings are unique in the world. While one might see in his work a nod to Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, or Josef Albers, as well as his own background in architecture, none of these fully accounts for the robust abstractions he unleashes on canvas or paper. The final brushstrokes – which appear to be spontaneous – exist within planned compositions that are precisely textured, graphic, and balanced.

Kleidon’s work has been recognized by the world-renowned art critic, Edward Lucie-Smith, as “deeply personal” and “bursting with life.” Recent reviews have appeared in Art & Antiques Magazine, White Hot Magazine, Art Miami, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly newsletter.

Kleidon’s paintings have been shown recently at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York City, Gallery Andrea in Scottsdale, Art on Paper in New York City, Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary, Art Miami Context, Art Space 349 Gallery in Palm Desert, California, Art Wynwood in Miami, Vista Center for the Arts in Phoenix, Art Now Fair in Miami, Seattle Art Fair, and the Los Angeles Modern & Contemporary Art Show.

Kleidon is dedicated to advancing excellence in design and art and to improving the visual environment. Always a teacher, Kleidon wants the freedom, power, and optimism of his paintings to enrich the lives of all who see and own them. He asks viewers to “experience the excitement of bold colors in motion and their abstract implications. Become saturated with their visual transformation.”

More of Kleidon’s paintings can be seen at www.denniskleidon.com.

Join us for fun and fellowship at our annual fundraiser!

The Bill Garrison Memorial Golf Outing is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cleveland on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Coppertop Golf Course. 

For those of you who did not know Bill Garrison, let me tell you a bit about him. A native of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, he spent his childhood years in Findlay, Ohio. As a youth, Bill earned numerous awards in Scouting.  Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Ohio Bill Wesleyan University, a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University, and a Master of Science in Management degree  from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Early in his career, Bill was a caseworker with the Municipal Court of Chicago and held the same position with the United Cerebral Palsy Association in Philadelphia.  After moving to Cleveland, he served as Executive Director of the Cleveland Eye Bank and the Cleveland Society for the Blind, now known as the Cleveland Sight Center, as well as Director of Resource Development and Director of Personnel and Training at the Center for Families and Children.  For twenty years, Bill was President and CEO of Lake View Cemetery Association and Vice President of the Lake View Cemetery Foundation. He was also President of the Greater Cleveland Cemetery Association and the Ohio Association of Cemetery Superintendents and Officials.

Bill Garrison was a long-time Rotarian, and he served as President of the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 1997-98. Sadly, he passed away on June 20, 2025, at the age of 85. He was survived by his wife, Mary Jo Lipovec Mlakar, and other family members. 

Edward G. Thomas
Professor of Marketing Emeritus
Cleveland State University
330-225-0069
e.thomas@csuohio.edu, edthomascsu@gmail.com

REGISTRATION IS OPEN - CLICK HERE

The Maple Splash Raffle is off and running again.  

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.

BUY A TICKET

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.