Welcome to Our Club


The Rotary Club of Wilmette has merged with the Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club, the combined clubs are now all officially the Rotary Club of Wilmette. The original Wilmette Rotary Club was chartered in 1924 and was known as the Noon Club.  In 1990, the Wilmette Harbor Club was chartered, and was known as the Morning Club.  In 2019, a satellite club was established as part of the Noon group.  Today there are over 80 active members who gather to do good for others while enjoying good fellowship, with the choice of meeting either morning, noon or evening.
 

Our Club members enthusiastically live the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” both locally and internationally. Recent projects include water well installation at schools in Angola, food packing and providing necessities to the homeless in Chicago, supplying ultrasound equipment and related training to people in Uganda, providing disaster relief supplies to hurricane, typhoon, and other natural disaster survivors, providing winter coats and shoes to low-oncome children, food packing for people in Guatemala and Central America, and supporting local food pantries, literacy efforts and diversity.

NOTICE: We are currently meeting in-person on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Noon, the 4th Wednesday at 7:30am and the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6pm. Our meeting place for the 7:30 am meeting is the Sheridan Shores Yacht Club.  The Noon group meets at St. John's Church.  The evening meeting is at St. Joseph Church, Wilmette.

We’d love to have you join one of our meetings!

Club Information
Welcome!


Our Motto: Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
Varies
Wilmette Locations
Wilmette, IL 60091
United States of America
Phone:
(847) 722-2115
Our Rotary Club meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday at Noon at St. John's Church, the 4th Wednesday at 7:30am at the Wilmette Harbor Club, and on the 1st Tuesday at 6pm at St. Joseph Church. Mailing address: PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
CLUB NEWS
Our Beach Sweep on September 21 was a great event. Wilmette Rotary members have been participating in the annual Beach Sweep at Gillson Beach for more than 25 years!  For many of those years, students from Springman Junior High School in Glenview have joined us and this year we also partnered with Go Green.  Many thanks to Chris Simcox and Ben Ivory for organizing this wonderful event.
 
Trivia Night on September 18 was a very fun and successful event!  Congratulations to Club Member Tom Ryan's winning team!  Thank you to all of our sponsors -- Gold Sponsors:  Canning and Canning, LLC, Optima and North Shore Community Bank and our Silver Sponsors Glasgow, Cahan, Haussermann, Hagan and Associates, the Krupp Family Foundation and Scott Simpson Design.  Gelato was graciously donated by Frio Gelato a new business in Wilmette.
 
Proceeds support our local, international, and End Polio Now projects. Recent grant recipients include: Building Peaceful Bridges, Wilmette Theater, New Trier Food Pantry, Go  Green Wilmette, Family Promise, Meals on Wheels, Our Place, Wilmette Warming House, Refugee One, Haven Youth, Family Service Center, Alliance for the Great Lakes.
 
There were many people who assisted in making this a success -- special thanks goes out to Jim Bowman, Jim Pockross and Jack Close for all of their diligent organizing!

 
  
On September 11, our mid day lunch group was so impressed by the presentation of Julie Kapustka from Lemons of Love (https://lemonsoflove.org/)!  This is an amazing organization that has delivered more than 32,000 care packages to those impacted by cancer.  They also offer free programs in partnership with the Wellness House -- these include yoga classes and support groups for different kinds of cancer.  They source quality products and also work with knitters and quilters to provide hats and blankets for those going through cancer treatments.  They drop ship across the country and even internationally to individuals and deliver to local hospitals.  Our Club supports this organization and we look forward to additional partnerships with this inspiring organization!
 
Based on discussion at the Club Forum on August 7 regarding ways to unify our club more fully, we have changed the meeting schedule. Our new meeting schedule will take effect in September and continue through December.  Both The Spoke and our website wilmetterotary.org , now have the new meeting dates, as well as event dates listed.  We will have 4 opportunities to meet each month:
 
First Tuesday each Month:  Lunch packing at St. Joseph's Church at 6 p.m.
 
First Wednesday each Month:  Happy Hour at 6 p.m. at Wilmette Harbor Club in Gillson Park
 
Second Wednesday each Month:  Noon meeting at St. John's Church
 
Fourth Wednesday each Month:  Breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. at Wilmette Harbor Club in Gillson Park
 
Members have a choice of which meetings to attend, but it is hoped that members will go to a a variety of meeting locations.
 
A different schedule may be arranged for 2025. Any questions, contact Heidi Voorhees or Debora Morris.
Ben Wozney, Executive Director and his daughter, Shale, Jr. Board President, spoke to us about The Driven Foundation, which is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals and families with Special Needs and Disabilities. Their mission is to provide accessible vehicles to families with disabled children that grant independence, inclusion, and mobility in their communities. Our members went outside to view and step inside the accessible van that Ben had driven to the venue. Website: http://drivenfund.org/
               
Both Rotary meetings on Wednesday, July 24 featured an extremely interesting and thought provoking presentation by Todd Maxman, a Social Studies teacher at New Trier.  Todd has done a deep dive into the history of why there are so few black families living in north suburban communities. His presentation included newspaper articles, federal mortgage maps and other historical data (from our communities' historical societies) from the early 1900's that chronicled efforts to force  African American families to move from the northern suburbs and discourage black families from moving into these communities.
 
He presented a number of interesting points including a story about New Trier's famed indoor pool, Built in the 1920's, black students were not allowed to swim in it until the 1950's.  Todd indicated that New Trier officials and school board have made inclusion and equity a stronger focus over the ensuing years, and are continuing in this realm.  
Connections for the Homeless held a Block Party on July 20.  It featured music, food, lots of of information about local non-profits and businesses, face-painting and pony rides.  Four Rotarians from our club volunteered to help out.  Kurt Zoller kept the long line for ice cream orderly; Frank Candioto, Frank Cheswick and Debora Morris helped with  the pony ride attraction.  One of the horses was named "Frank", so our two Franks took a photo with him.  It was a good turn-out and well-organized.
 
                  
                 
 
Richard Koenig of Housing Opportunity Development Corp spoke to the morning group about the daunting task of building affordable housing on the North Shore. He showed photos of some recently built, affordable and very attractive, apartment buildings in Wilmette, Glenview, Highland park and other locations. It can take 4-6 years for a building to finally be constructed from concept to reality.  Many zoning regulations must be met and every step of the process is overseen by the local governments. There is always a long waiting list for tenants once a building is available to rent.
 
Ben Rodman, co-owner of Chicago Union, pro frisbee team, spoke to our midday group about the history of pro frisbee, how it is played, and how the Chicago Union team was formed. He showed video clips of this amazingly fast and exciting new sport. He also talked about the charity arm, Chicago Union Cares which works with youngsters to get them involved in the sport and participate with the players.

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SERVICE ABOVE SELF

How We Serve and Support:
 
Speakers
Ben and Shale Wozney
Oct 09, 2024 12:00 PM
The Driven Foundation
The Driven Foundation

Ben Wozney, Executive Director and his daughter, Shale Wozney, Jr. Board President, will tell us about The Driven Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals and families with Special Needs and Disabilities. Their mission is to provide accessible vehicles to families with disabled children that grant independence, inclusion, and mobility in their communities." 

Location: St. John's Church, 1235 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette

District Governor, Thor Davidson
Dec 11, 2024 12:00 PM
DG Visit with Club Members
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