Time certainly flies when you're having fun, and I am having fun! From August 1 to today, I've had the pleasure of visiting ten clubs, attending the Youth Exchange orientation, enjoying a very well-attended Cleveland Guardians game for End Polio Now, and spending a week at the Rotary Zone Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
I also attended the Mentor Putts2End Polio and the Ashtabula Pours to End Polio at Laurello Winery in Geneva. I was also honored to be a part of the 20-year remembrance of the Mentor Club answering the call to help with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and to spend some time at the Geauga County fair.
It's a lot to fit into a schedule, but it has been a pleasure meeting members, speaking to clubs, and hearing about all the good you do in the community and beyond.
End Polio Now Guardians Game
What a fun-filled evening with a great group of Rotarians and their families for our District 6600, 6630, and 6650 End Polio Now Cleveland Guardians game! Well over 300 people enjoyed good food, great fellowship, and an entertaining baseball game. View photos from the event - click here.
Thank you to everyone who donated gift baskets and those who spent considerable time making this event great. A special thanks to Stew and Cherie Buchanan from the Akron club for all they do, and a big thanks to Albert Tein of the Chagrin Valley club for all he and his family did to make this happen. We hope to have the final results and donation amount for End Polio Now by the next newsletter.
Rotary Zone 30 & 31 Institute in Columbus, Ohio
Our District is a member of Rotary Zone 30. Each year, we have training and leadership seminars at a location in our combined Zones 30 and 31, known as the Heart of America. Zones are like a larger-scale District. For example, our District 6630 has 51 clubs and approximately 1,600 members, while the combined Zones 30 and 31 have 31 districts, over 1,450 clubs, and 63,000 members across 13 states!
The annual institute allows the District Governor Line to attend training with their respective positions before the Zone Institute begins on Thursday. The institute allows emerging, current, and past leaders to meet for three days to sharpen their skills, learn more, and understand the bigger picture of Rotary.
District 6630 had 23 members and guests attend the Zone Institute this year, the most in recent years. This included four Assistant Governors and three Rotarians from the District identified as emerging leaders. This is a critical part of our program to train future leaders and give current leaders the opportunity to learn more.
Many Past District Governors, several Past Rotary International Presidents, and our new Rotary International President Nominee, Larry Lundsford, attended this year. The event was well done with over 80 breakout learning sessions. All of our attendees said how valuable it is to attend events outside your club and even our district to recognize the enormity of what Rotary does. I hope our attendees share the value of this training and experience with our members and clubs.
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month
This is a theme that is near and dear to all of us. Many of us have provided dictionaries to third-grade students in our club's locations. Rotary has a long tradition of supporting education and literacy objectives all over the world.
More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate, making up 17% of the world's population. Teacher training, adult literacy programs, and mentoring student programs are cornerstones of Rotary's efforts to increase the worldwide literacy rate.
Locally, we have the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio, youth reading and mentorship programs, and partnerships with local libraries, schools, and other organizations. The Rotary Club of Akron has also organized a book drive with the Summit County Sheriff's Office to help reduce recidivism by helping individuals further their education. See the flier below in the stories if you would like to donate books.
These are all great things we do when we "Unite for Good." Please share any other programs we can advertise throughout the community.
Membership
Our Membership Committee, under the direction of IPDG Dale Smith, has been working hard in the early 2025-26 Rotary Year. Several clubs are in the beginning stages of forming companion or satellite clubs, as well as brand new clubs.
For those who attended last year's Membership Experience Summit, we made a lot of strides in developing the tools and processes needed to support new club formation. The Membership Committee will hold a second ClubExperience Seminar on Saturday, October 25, at the Cleveland Marriott East in Warrensville Heights. Please click here to REGISTER! The time is from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the ballroom. A post-fellowship meeting is also being planned. Watch for updates from the committee, but get that date on your calendars.
Presidents-Elect
Each year, we begin the process of selecting a club President-Elect to follow our current club President the next Rotary year. This has been difficult over the last several years as our lives get so busy. Please consider stepping up now if your club does not currently have a President-Elect.
DGE Terri Speck is working hard to develop the training for PEs in the district and with the All-Ohio DGEs to create the program and training for the All-Ohio President-Elect Learning Seminar in Columbus in March. We also have a $400 stipend this year to help pay for the All-Ohio training and lessen the cost to our members.
Please consider "taking the plunge" and serving as President. It is a very rewarding experience!
Youth Exchange
The Youth Exchange team has been working very hard to attract potential outbound students for their YE and short-term YE programs. The Finance Committee and the Board of Directors just approved funds to revamp our marketing campaign and how we reach potential students. They have been working with other districts on a program that reaches out to schools to advertise this great program.
We are also in the planning stages for a Youth Exchange Summit sometime before the end of the calendar year. This would be a program for Rotarians, potential host families, and parents of potential outbound students to hear from people who were in these roles. There will be no lectures, just information to help you make a great decision. More information is coming soon.
Drug Addiction and Recovery
We are slowly gathering information on agencies that support recovery efforts across our district. The first event we are working with is Keys 2 Serenity, a 501(c)(3) program that helps support children impacted by parental addiction. They have a fundraiser on September 20 from 6 PM to 10 PM at the Loyal Order of Moose Club at 4444 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls. Come join us in supporting this great organization! For more on the fundraiser, please go to www.keys2serenity.org.
In the coming month, I will be working with Cheryl Warren and Tina Ingraham to set up a webpage with a directory of agencies in our district. If you have an agency in your area that you would like to be included in the directory, please send the information to me at rorotary20252026@gmail.com. We hope to have the site up and running by October.
District Conference
I wanted to talk about the benefits of attending our District Conference in April well before the event begins. Rotary is an amazing organization, and we do so many things. It is important to understand that if you want to learn and do more in Rotary, we sometimes need to venture from our clubs to larger groups to learn and see what other clubs do.
We do this with our Assistant Governors and clusters, and on the district level, we do it with our District Conference. A lot has changed in the last five years with the format of the conference to make it more attractive to our members.
Please consider attending the conference, or at least one of the days, to expand your Rotary horizon. Come enjoy your Rotarian brothers and sisters. Please discuss this at your club meetings as I promise a great experience and different ideas you can use for your club.
I will end my ramblings with a “thank you.”
Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place. Thank you for the kindness and support you have shown me in these two short months. Thank you for being a part of this great organization that lives this year's presidential message: “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
You can click on the photos in this article to view them larger.
In September 1925, C.W. Seiberling, of the Barberton Club and and District Governor Leonard Skeggs undertook the effort to charter a Rotary Club in Wadsworth. On October 5, 1925 the Rotary Club of Wadsworth organized its first meeting with 19 charter members from local businesses. At one time the club grew to 75 members and today we have a mighty group of 19 wonderful members who are remarkably active.
Several of our members represent the 3rd and even 4th generation of Rotarians in their families, underscoring the deep roots of service in Wadsworth. Among our most distinguished members was Dwight Patterson, who served with Rotary International from 1947 until his retirement in 1974.
A $100,000 FUNDRAISING GOAL!
In honor of 100 years of service, instead of just celebrating internally, the club launched a $100,000 fundraising to give back to the community over a four-year period to support:
a new Safety Town Village ($40,000)
a new Salvation Army building ($40,000)
adding park benches to local parks ($20,000)
Half of the goal has been met, and the club is actively working to raise the remaining $50,000 through the Parade of Flags program, donations, and events. We expect to reach our goal a year early and present the remaining $50,000 at our 100th anniversary event.
A SPECIAL CELEBRATION We are holding our 100th anniversary event and fundraiser on Tuesday, October 14th at the Birdseye Barn Western Star located on Greenwich Road from 6:00 p.m. To 9:00 p.m. We will have a dinner and auction along with Jim Tressel as our keynote speaker. The cost of a ticket is $100 (tickets are limited). Join us to celebrate our 100th Anniversary! Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased through our website www.wadsworthrotary.org or through a Wadsworth Rotarian.Tickets to the event are $100 per person.
OUR SIGNATURE PROJECTS The Parade of Flags program provides community-wide recognition, and we make an environmental impact through our annual shredding event we have been hosting since 2020 partnering with the city and local shredding company. The city helps us promote the event by including information on their website and utility bill inserts. Subscribers can also purchase Veteran Honor Plaques, adding a personal tribute to the display. This project is both a visible symbol of service and a steady fundraiser.
In addition, the Club is visible in the community with a prominent role in Wadsworth Blue Tip Festival Parade, a community signature event.
Members are committed to youth and education through high school scholarships, the 4-Way Test Speech Contest.
We are exploring initiatives to grow membership and improve retention – we want to continue our club's legacy of service.
HOW TO REACH US
The club can be reached through the 2025-2026 President of the club Terri Whitlam at 330-807-3369 or Past President Tim Manion at 330-730-8279. Also, reach us through our website www.wadsworthrotary.org, and through Facebook - Wadsworth Rotary Club.
As in any great orchestra, we need a conductor or in this case our great coordinator. Julie works with all eight Assistant Governors to assure we are meeting our clubs needs and getting the information back to the district. She assures that they have periodic Zoom meetings with the Presidents and Presidents-Elect to allow others in the cluster to know what their sister clubs are doing. It is so important and Julie keeps everyone rowing in the same direction!
Julie Brouhard joined the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 2005. She served the Club in various leadership positions including as President in 2016-2017. She has been the Assistant Governor Coordinator for District 6630 since 2023. Prior to then, she served as the Assistant Governor of Cuyahoga County NE from 2021-2024. She’s a member of the District LEAD Committee and has been a speaker and session chair at several District Conferences.
Julie is a retired maritime law attorney who now spends her time volunteering, playing bridge & canasta, reading and traveling. Julie loves Rotary because of the amazing service projects it carries out both in our District and around the world. She is especially motivated by the great strides Rotary has played eradicating polio around the world. Rotary has given Julie an opportunity to serve her community through various service projects, and to make life-long friends in the process.
She enjoys being Assistant Governor Coordinator because she can provide training and guidance to the Assistant Governors so they can work with the clubs in their clusters. She also keeps the AGs up to date on important Rotary happenings and provides a connection between the District Governor, other District officers, and the AGs.
Cuyahoga County Northeast Cluster Rotary Clubs: Chagrin Highlands, Cleveland, Hillcrest Sunrise, The Heights of Greater Cleveland, Wickliffe, Willoughby, Willowick-Eastlake
After 20+ years in the vehicle leasing business, in 2012 Scott founded and is the Principal Agent for Maverick Insurance Group.
Started as a captive agent where he learned the basics of running and growing an insurance agency. In 2018 he expanded to become an independent agency owner offering many carriers which assisted him in double digit growth year over year.
He has the “old school” approach of meeting clients in person at their home or office.
Scott has held many positions for many organizations over the years through what he refers to as “Building your business by volunteering!”
Scott enjoys working around the yard, cruising the countryside on his Harley, playing with his grandkids and traveling.
Married to Ann Marie since 1989, they have 4 children and are expecting their 7th grandchild in December of 2025.
Summit County North Cluster Rotary Clubs: Cuyahoga Falls, Northeast Ohio (E-ClubNEO), Hudson, Hudson Clocktower, Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley, Stow-Munroe Falls, Tallmadge
Kim Polatas strives to make her corner of the world a little better each day. She joined Rotary initially because the service above self resonated with her core values. As a member of the Tallmadge Rotary Club she has served as PI chair for four years and is a past President 2021-22. Some of her favorite Rotary times are doing cluster projects with the N. Summit Cluster.
When she was approached to be an AG for the Cluster she eagerly accepted to continue the passion of service to all 7 clubs and seek opportunities for the clubs to connect more often.
She and her husband live in Tallmadge and have three grown daughters, 2 sons-in-law and the most beautiful grandchildren you will ever see! Kim serves as the Executive Director for the Tallmadge Chamber of Commerce and is running for school board this fall. Wish her luck!
Please join us for our second Club Experience Summit on October 25 at the Cleveland Marriott East! This Summit will be a little different from last year. It will again be nearly completely interactive, but the goal is for you to leave with plans for your club's growth based on proven ideas that we will be sharing with one another. You proved last year that you have fantastic ideas for growth! Join us on October 25 to develop your plans to Attract, Engage and Grow!
Registration will open at 9 AM with the event starting at 9:30 AM. We will be done by 12:30 PM. We are still working on the exact arrangements, but we hope to have fellowship over lunch and perhaps some adult beverages at a nearby establishment following the event. There is no Ohio State Football game on October 25 - see you there!
9 AM - Registration Opens 9:30 AM - Interactive Event Begins Topics Knowing and Sharing Your Rotary Experience Attracting New Members Engaging New Members Engaging Existing Members Planning for Growth 12:30 PM Fellowship - Saucy Brew Works at Pinecrest (TBD)
Inbound International Rotary Youth Exchange Students from eight high schools in northern Ohio arrived at the beautiful lakeside Akron Rotary Camp for a welcome to the USA and weekend orientation. Our newly arrived students hail from: Austria, Brazil, Columbia, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Peru, and Thailand.
A schedule of educational workshops and team development activities was sponsored by Ohio Rotary Districts 6600 and 6630, a part of the sprawling Ohio-Erie Multidistrict which serves six states, including Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. After such a full schedule, students enjoyed a Sunday afternoon of soccer, basketball and cornhole. Good luck and best wishes to all for a year of learning, adventure and fun.
Have you always dreamed of ... - Traveling the world? - Living in another country? - Becoming fluent in another language?
Rotary Youth Exchange is a Rotary International student exchange program for secondary school students under license through the US Department of State and the Council for Standards for International Educational Travel. Since 1929, Rotary International has sent young people around the globe to experience new cultures. Currently, about 9,000 students are sponsored by local Rotary Clubs every year. Typically, highly qualified students are sent to another country for a year-long stay, generally living with multiple host families during the year, and are expected to learn another language and culture within the household as well as attend school in the host country.
Almost everyone looks forward to the Great Geauga County Fair each year. There are a myriad of events with something to please and interest everyone. This year all four Rotary clubs in Geauga; Burton-Middlefield, Chagrin Valley, Chardon and Geauga West (Chesterland) had a booth in the Merchants Hall #2 and displayed Rotary info along with plans for participation in the “America250” program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great country.
Record crowds of fair goers produced lots of traffic and interest. One of the smaller events, but no less exciting, is the Kiddie Tractor Pull sponsored by the Buckeye State Pedal Pullers Assoc. (BSPPA) out of Bucyrus, OH. This is a state and nationally sanctioned event held around the country.
A variety of pedal tractors that are size specific for different age groups pull a small “sled” that is geared to move weight from back to front thereby increasing the effort required to pull it as the kids pedal down the course. It’s a scaled down version of the big monster tractors that pull at the grandstand course. Ages run from 4 to 11 years old with a separate category for each age.
Rotary has financially supported, and also supplied workers for this event for the last three years. Rotary does this as part of our youth programs support that includes many scholarships, seminars, speech contests and more that help support youth in increasing their knowledge and life experiences.
The new and much larger Arena building was the location for the pull this year and provided a much better venue for pull participants and especially better grand stands for the parents and spectators. Parents enjoy the event as much as the kids and the noise and cheering increase exponentially as the kids peddle their tractors down the course. Parent “coaches” are thrilled at what their little peddlers can accomplish.
The popularity of the event increases yearly with 66 participants showing their stuff this year. Another event put on by BSPPA last week at another county fair drew 89 participants. The top three in each age group are invited to participate in next year’s state event held in August and the top three winners at that event go to the national contest held in South Dakota in September.
This is truly a fun and competitive event for young kids and another great example of many of why we look forward to the Great Geauga County Fair each year.
Berea Rotary met at the Aviator Event Center on Aug. 12 to recognize two of our Scholarship recipients and to hear a report from our RYLA camper.
Linda Kramer presents scholarship checks to Christina Calvis and Lance Lease.
Christina Calvis and Lance Lease were unable to attend the Berea Rotary Scholarship Dinner in July. Christina is attending Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, near Dayton. She is studying early childhood education. This summer, she was a camp counselor.
Lance is a sophomore at Cleveland State University, studying civil engineering. This summer, he interned with the Cuyahoga County Public Works Department and worked on projects at the Metroparks yacht club.
Splendide Ngulamposo was our 2025 RYLA camper at Hiram College.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” she said, but found the experience “life-changing.”
She learned to emphasize “having a positive attitude” and “pushing yourself to the limits”
As you know, one of my special areas of Interest are Substance Abuse Recovery and Rehabilitation. I have our first Agency that I am humbly asking our clubs and members to support. The Name of the Agency is Keys 2 Serenity and their bio is listed below. Their fundraising event is Saturday, September 2oth from 6-10pm at the Loyal Order of Moose located at 4444 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls.
Please also forward me any information on Agencies in your area including contact info, a brief bio of the organization and any fundraising efforts they are having. We will soon create a link on the Website to access these organizations once we compile the list. Thank you in advance and let's Unite for Good!
Join Rotary Club of Cleveland at St. Sava Pavilion (2151 W. Wallings Rd., Broadview Heights) for Growing for the Greater Good, an exquisite culinary fundraising event to benefit the many humanitarian projects of The Cleveland Rotary Foundation. Fabulous local chefs, including the Cleveland Club’s “First Fella” (aka President Laura Gambrell’s husband) Chef Brad Gambrell will be bringing out their best farm-to-table plates, from meaty appetizers, to savory sides and delicious desserts.
PLUS – truly unforgettable live auction items, silent auction items and raffle prizes too. Join us all in this “Taste of Kindness”. Stay tuned to our social media pages for specific details on auction items.
Event Details: Sunday, September 21, 2025
4pm – 7pm
St. Sava Pavilion, 2151 W. Wallings Rd., Broadview Heights
Join us for the Rotary Club of Westlake-Bay Village’s Annual Fundraiser Golf Outing and Clambake on Friday, October 3, 2025, at Mallard Creek Golf Club!
This exciting event features a four-person scramble, delicious clambake, skill games, prizes, and great camaraderie—all while raising vital funds to support our ongoing work with local organizations.
By participating, you help us strengthen and enrich our community, as proceeds directly benefit the charities and groups we support throughout the year. Don’t miss this chance to make a difference and enjoy a fantastic day on the course!
Click Herefor registration and sponsorship opportunities.
Ways you can participate:
Event Sponsor: Includes signage at registration table, recognition in player material, two foursomes, and one hole sponsor: $1,500
Corporate Sponsor: Includes signage at registration table, recognition in player material, one foursome, and one hole sponsor: $725
Food Sponsor: Includes signage and recognition in player material: $500 (Limited to 1)
Prize Sponsor: Includes signage and recognition in player material: $500 (Limited to 1)
Cart Sponsor: Includes signage and recognition in player material: $500 (Limited to 1)
Hole Sponsor: Includes signage at a tee box and recognition in player material: $125
The Rotary Club of Fairlawn will host its14th Annual Gala on October 4, 2025, from 5:30 -10:30, at the Doubletree (Hilton) in Fairlawn.
This year’s theme is “Benefit Children’s Health, Education, and Wellbeing.” The Rotary Club of Fairlawn joins forces with the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, the New Leaf Center, The Blick Center, and the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation to make this a very special event. This year’s Community Service Award will be presented to Dan Flowers, for his service and dedication to our community. Mr. Flowers is president and CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. At this event Mr. Flowers will also be presented with Rotary’s distinguished Paul Harris Award.
The Rotary Club of Fairlawn has raised over $1.5 million for children in this community and around the world since 1964. The Annual Gala is the club’s only fundraiser. Its purpose is to help fund special projects for local charities. Through the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, this year’s proceeds will help local organizations that support children’s health, education, and wellbeing. As this year’s recipients, the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, the New Leaf Center, The Blick Center, and the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation will receive proceeds from this event. At our last event, the Rotary Club of Fairlawn raised nearly $50,000 for local organizations.
The Annual Gala fundraiser will be a fun-filled evening including a sit-down dinner, an open bar, a live and silent auction and entertainment. The ticket price is $150 per person. Table sponsorships are also available. Raffle tickets for many wonderful gifts are also available for purchase. Of course, the real winners will be the children of our community.
The Rotary Club’s efforts to support local charities and build goodwill throughout the community stem from Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self.” Rotary’s compassion stretches well beyond Akron as it works to combat polio, poverty, and illiteracy on national and international levels. Rotary was started in Chicago in 1905 by Paul Harris bringing together professionals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas and to form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Now it is an international organization spanning the globe. Rotary focuses on service projects encompassing peace and conflict prevention and resolution, disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, and economic and community development.
To purchase event/raffle tickets or to donate to the Gala fundraiser, visit gala.fairlawnrotary.com. For additional information, please contact Mark Whitlam at 330-321-8141 or at mark@jcwhitlam.com.
Corporate sponsorships start at $395, and program advertising starts at $75.
If you are unable to attend, but would like to help, please send your check to the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, Inc, at P.O. Box 13063, Fairlawn, Ohio 44334. The Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3).
Wadsworth Rotary is proud to celebrate 100 years of service with a special evening featuring keynote speaker Lt. Governor Jim Tressel!
This is more than a celebration — it’s an opportunity to support the future. 100% of proceeds from this event will directly benefit local community projects.
Tickets and sponsorships are available now. Visit www.wadsworthrotary.org to reserve your seat and support a century of service.
Make history with us- Be part of the next 100 years of impact.
Each year on 24 October, Rotary and Rotaract clubs around the world join with our partners, health organizations, and public health advocates to mark World Polio Day. You have a critical role in this by hosting events and activities to increase awareness about polio and raise funds toward eradicating it. To build on the success of last year, we need your help!
Why should my club do something for World Polio Day?
It’s no secret that global health programs like the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are facing unprecedented funding challenges amid changing government priorities, rising rates of vaccine hesitancy, and the spread of misinformation. So why should Rotary members continue to care about polio eradication and World Polio Day? The simple answer:
Rotary made a promise to the children of the world that no child should suffer the consequences of this vaccine-preventable disease.
Through our collective voices and actions across the world on 24 October, we can maintain our momentum toward fulfilling that promise.
What to expect for this year's World Polio Day
Like last year, new and updated World Polio Day resources will be added to the Brand Center throughout September and October. You also have access to a wide range of polio resources in the Brand Center that you can download today!
Some of the new and updated resources will include:
Updated templates for letters to the editor, news releases, and media releases
A new template for a World Polio Day proclamation
New animations and videos optimized for social media
If you haven’t started planning your World Polio Day event or action, now is the time! The Rotary Brand Center has a guide to help clubs plan successful events. Need help deciding what kind of event to have? Here are some ideas to explore with your club:
Host a club presentation: Invite doctors or health experts to the meeting closest to 24 October and ask them to discuss the importance of polio eradication.
Organize a light show in your city: Raise awareness by projecting the End Polio Now logo on buildings, theaters, or other landmarks in your area.
Set up a booth in a market, shopping mall, or public square and have members there wearing End Polio Now shirts or holding banners. You can also organize a walk or bike ride with other clubs, districts, or local organizations.
Establish a fundraiser for PolioPlus: Hold a dinner or a concert. UseRaise for Rotary, or start a fundraiser on Facebook. You can also make adonationdirectly to PolioPlus.
Collaborate on a social media campaign: Work with Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs in your area on a campaign to share engaging content on social media about the vital role that Rotary plays in the fight against polio.
Last year, just 11% of Rotary and Rotaract clubs worldwide registered their participation in a World Polio Day event or activity. Help Rotary build an even stronger presence this year by planning and registering your club’s event or action before 24 October.
New: The registration form now allows leaders to register district- and zone-level events!
