The Rotary Foundation is recognized as one of the most effective and well-managed charitable organizations in the world, with 12 consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator and an A-plus rating from CharityWatch. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. Visit https://my.rotary.org/en/donate today to learn more about supporting the Foundation and consider a gift the Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund.
The celebration continued with our Gala where we recognized and celebrated Foundation giving for 2022-2023. Thanks to all who came out to LaVera Party Center for some engaging fellowship with Rotarians across the District. Visit THIS LINK to see event photos.
The behavioral health collection is underway and is still going until November 30th. Use the QR code and ship items direct for the much needed items that help children and adults work through their trauma in creative ways.
Finally special thanks to these clubs that hosted me as their guest this past month, Nordonia, Wickliffe, Westlake, Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley, Solon, Twinsburg, Chagrin Valley, Bedford and Geauga West. I also enjoyed the opportunity to welcome Interactors to this year's Shaker Heights hosted Interaction where high school students gathered to share Rotary and work together to serve. Watch for Chelsea Talty's (District Interact Chair) article on this amazing day for youth in our Rotary community.
Thank you all for all your service to our communities!
More than 100 students from Interact clubs throughout Northeast Ohio met at Shaker Heights High School for our annual Interaction Conference. The day was a great success with engaging speakers, collaboration between clubs, and great opportunities to talk to other students from this area. The students voted to help Refuge Host Homes, who help support pregnant mothers, as our Rotary District 6630 service project this year! More details to come.
Assistant Governor Coordinator Julie Brouhard joined the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 2005. She has served in various capacities including as President in 2016-17. Her favorite service project has been PROJECT YESS (Youth Empowered to Succeed through Sailing) that teaches personal development and leadership skills to high school students. The best part of PROJECT YESS is watching the growth of students from the beginning to the end of the program. Julie also enjoys working at the Cleveland Food Bank and the get-togethers that always follow.
Julie was named Assistant Governor Coordinator in 2023. Julie works with the Assistant Governors and the Governor chain as a conduit for information, to answer questions, and to help the Assistant Governors with their clusters. Julie was named Assistant Governor of the NE Cuyahoga Cluster in 2021 and continues to serve in that position until her replacement is named. Julie was honored to receive the Rotarian of the Year Award from Past District Governor David Jones last June.
Julie grew up in Indianapolis with her husband Ben. They’ve been married for 53 years and have one daughter and two beautiful grandkids who live in Washington, DC. Julie started her career as an elementary school teacher, but determined she didn’t want to be cooped up with little kids all day! As she & Ben moved to Durham, NC and Galveston, TX, she worked as a legal secretary and finally decided she was just as smart as the attorneys. She went to law school at the University of Houston and worked for a firm in Galveston that specialized in Maritime Law representing shipowners in all kinds of cases. She continued her practice after moving to Cleveland until she retired in 2016. Over the years she had the opportunity to travel to such exotic places as Honolulu, Amsterdam, and Orange, TX. She now keeps busy volunteering for Rotary, Meals on Wheels and the Red Cross.
On Friday evening, Oct. 13, 2023, the Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield (BMR) was one of the organizations recognized at the popular “Pasta with a Purpose” fund raiser held annually by the Red Tulip Project in Claridon Township. This is a Geauga County non-profit that focuses on women in crisis. They provide a home for these victims while they work to get their lives back in order and become productive citizens again. Red Tulip has become a very important part of the social network in our county in just a few years. BMR has supported this project from the beginning, originally helping with some of the actual construction of the house and grounds. They stepped up this year with a major contribution of funds geared to build and strengthen the Red Tulip operation. BMR was recognized as a major sponsor of the program at their popular “Pasta with a Purpose” dinner held this year at Veteran’s Lagacy Park on Rt. 44 in Newbury Township. Over one hundred guests were on hand for a great dinner provided by Guido’s Restaurant in Chesterland, a wide variety of gift baskets, important talks about the health and status of the Red Tulip project and some great entertainment.
BMR continues to support this and other critical non-profits in Geauga County through their incredible Maple Splash Raffle which will start this year’s ticket sales soon.
The Chili Open Golf Classic will be here soon after the Holidays and we need your help to make this another successful event!
Purchase or sell a minimum of 10 raffle tickets, (or more), at only $20 each, and stand a chance to win one of the following great prizes:
1st prize is a 2024 KIA K5, or $19,000 cash payout – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a $2,500 Flooring Credit courtesy of Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design
3rd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you, Rotarian Jeff Sheeks!
Please bring any sold raffle tickets to our weekly club meetings, or mail them to the Camp Office (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Tickets can also be purchased online, by clicking on this link. Also share this fantastic opportunity with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Thank you for your support in making the Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
The person chosen from the Rotary Club Ashtabula to receive the Paul Harris Fellow is not a Rotarian, although he exemplifies a Rotarian in every sense of the word. If you spend time with him it’s easy to tell his character would pass the four way test. When it comes to volunteering we can count on him to be there. Especially at Wine and Walleye, he’s the first to volunteer to work the Beer Tent. We have our Rotary Park that our Club maintains, and our recipient has taken it upon himself on his own time to do some maintenance work. For these reasons and many more, our nomination for the 2022-23 Rotary Year is William Howe.
Burton-Middlefield – Andrew Pleso
Andrew Pleso joined Rotary only a short year and a half ago. Since joining he has shown to be a dedicated member who is anxious and willing to take on any assigned task at Burton-Middlefield events. He enthusiastically accepted the position of chair of our yearly fund raiser called the "Jeep Invasion" which is a gathering of Jeep Wrangler models. This event is a fund raiser that our club puts on to raise money for a multitude of Veteran needs in Geauga County. This year over $15,000 was raised to benefit many veteran's causes in conjunction with the county Veteran's Services Agency. The almost cult like Jeep Wrangler owners gather at a local drive-in theater for viewing of other Jeeps by the participants, coffee and donuts with patriotic activities by and for veterans. This is followed by a 20 mile tour of the county behind the squad car of the county sheriff. The tour has run through county park trails and this year through an active sand mining pit where the jeepers got to show their off-road skills with their pride and joy Wranglers. They return to the drive-in for hot dogs and the awarding of prizes based on their entry ticket numbers. Andrew organized this entire event this year including music, prizes, advertising, signage, registration and every other aspect of the event. Our club has been fortunate to have him join us as a member.
Chagrin Valley – Karen Poccia
Karen has been instrumental in rebuilding our club’s committees and reinvigorating our club. She has maintained our hybrid meeting structure. She led many of our successful fundraisers.
Fairlawn – Ken Smith
If you were to ask those that know Ken, whether that be fellow Rotarians, Friends, Family, or Co-workers, to describe him, in only a few words, those words would be: selfless, giving, caring, hardworking, generous, fair, and kind. Ken is the person that always volunteers first to take on the toughest part of the job. Ken sacrifices his personal time to help and give back to others. He leads by example. As a past president of Rotary Club of Fairlawn, Ken has played an integral role in the annual fundraiser each year. In fact, since Ken joined the club, he has been instrumental in ensuring the club has moved in a positive direction. The bottom line is that Ken care about those around him and it shows in everything he does.
Hillcrest Sunrise – Joseph Cicero
Joe exemplifies a True Rotarian. Always working behind the scenes getting the job done.
Always completing a task without hesitation. Never says "no". Service Above Self completely describes Joe. He serves on several Community Boards: Senior Transportation Connection Board; Ursuline Nuns Board; Project NICU Board,
Community Partnership on the Aging Board: while volunteering with Meals on Wheels almost daily.
Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley – Joel Morgan
Joel Morgan is an outstanding candidate for the Rotary Paul Harris Award due to his commitment and contributions to the community. As a devoted supporter of our school district's butterfly garden, Joel has tirelessly dedicated his time and expertise to create a haven for native plants and butterflies. His passion for preserving the environment has not only beautified the region but also raised awareness about the importance of ecological conservation. This garden was made possible by a Rotary grant and Joel has coordinated efforts with our school district to work collaboratively with our Rotary club on maintaining and preserving this great space. Furthermore, his role as the youth protection officer demonstrates his dedication to safeguarding the welfare of the younger generation. His exceptional work in this capacity has not only ensured a safe and nurturing environment for our youth but has also set a remarkable example for others to follow. Additionally, Joel's active participation in various club fundraising events showcases his dedication to Rotary's mission of service above self. His efforts have significantly contributed to the success of these events, raising funds that support numerous charitable initiatives. Joel Morgan's commitment and multifaceted contributions to both the environment and the community make him a truly deserving recipient of the Rotary Paul Harris Award.
Port-Summit - Shelley Monachino
Springfield Local Schools Superintendent Shelley Monachino has been a breath of fresh air since joining the Rotary Club of Port Summit. She has taken an active role in all our club's fundraising efforts, service projects, and particularly all projects relating to students and youth. She took the initiative to rewrite the process by which we advertise, interview, and choose scholarship applicants, and she was instrumental in serving at the Club and District Four-Way Speech contests, both at Springfield Jr/Sr High School. Shelley is a natural leader, and will lead our club as Club President commencing April 2024. We are very lucky and blessed to have her as a member of the Rotary Club of Port Summit.
Twinsburg – Carol Branstetter
Carol Branstetter grew up on a small farm in Central Missouri. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class. She is a Chemical Engineer from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She married her HS sweetheart, Scott and worked in the process controls industry until the birth of their first child. She’s been an active stay at home mom for almost 21 years. She homeschooled both boys in order to provide them a great science-based education. She started and led a First Lego League robotics team consisting of 6-8 wild and wonderful 6-8th graders. Her teams competed at the state level, winning multiple awards for design and team spirit. When her husband became Scoutmaster of Troop 223, she enthusiastically supported him and gave selflessly to the troop. She used her knowledge and passion from the First Lego League experience to become a counselor for the Robotics Merit Badge. And in a huge show of support for family & scouting, she and Scott spent their 25th wedding anniversary backpacking the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire with a high adventure crew of Scouts.
Carol’s involvement with the Scouts led to a partnership with the Rotary Club of Twinsburg. The club runs a program known as The Parade of Flags. This program involves installing hundreds of American flags on subscribers’ tree lawns during five holidays. The program is a major fundraiser for the Club, proceeds of which benefit many community organizations, including the Scouts. Carol brought her characteristic level of organization and excellence to the execution of the program. She managed routing, distribution and marshaling the large number of scout families required to install and remove the flags throughout the year. During her tenure Carol helped to significantly grow the program, which is now a seminal event in the Twinsburg community and one which brings visibility to the Club and engenders much goodwill throughout.
They were recognized for their years of service on events to raise funds for End Polio Now. They have hosted numerous events over the years at Progressive Field and other venues that have raised much needed funds and awareness. Stew and Cherie are amazing individuals and truly exemplify Service Above Self.
Photo L-R:
Frederick T. "Rory" McGuire, Grandson of Arch C. Klumph, Father of The Rotary Foundation, Rotary Club of Cleveland, Cherie Buchanan, Stew Buchanan, Kevin Kelly, CFRE, Regional Gifts Officer, Rotary International
Clubs have been adding speakers but we want more!! Has your Club had a speaker that they would recommend to speak at other Clubs? If so, follow the directions here and we will add them!
Only Rotary Clubs and their members may submit speaker names. We ask that the speaker has been vetted/heard prior to being recommended.
This page is designed to help clubs find and share speaker information.
This is only effective with your input. The page will include speaker names and contact information submitted from Clubs.
To submit a speaker name: On the page is a short form you can complete with the speaker name and information.
After you submit that form we will post the information.
This Learning Center course will show how a prospect experiences the membership leads process, and how club and district leaders can create a consistent, positive experience for prospective members.
.png)
The behavioral health collection is underway and is still going until November 30th. Use the QR code and ship items direct for the much needed items that help children and adults work through their trauma in creative ways.
