Our next meeting is a Noon Meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at St. John's, followed by a Morning Meeting, 7:30am, on Wednesday, September 16 at Wilmette HarborClub, and a Noon Meeting on Wednesday, September 23 at St. John's (this meeting will be preceded with a special in-person board meeting at 10:30am).
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Dick Farkas, is a Professor of political science at DePaul University. Dick has presented several times on topics ranging from political discourse to unsung heroes of history. On May 20, he told us a fascinating story of Morris (Moe) Berg who was a baseball player (a catcher), but also a spy during WWII. Although not a great baseball player and traded to many different teams, Moe was a remarkable man who spoke 15 languages and studied science. During WWII, Moe performed many missions including evaluating whether Nazi Germany was close to developing a nuclear bomb. Had he determined that Germany was indeed close, he was instructed to kill the scientist in charge and then kill himself. He determined that Germany’s development was overstated and not imminent.
More donations may still be coming in, but the total gross at this point is $7800. If anyone still wishes to contribute to the 2026 Hope Walk, this link can be used DONATIONS
Our board unanimously approved the Membership Application from Olimpia Savarino as our newest member. Sponsored by Debora Morris, Olimpia is Assistant Branch Manager, AVP at North Shore Community Bank, Wilmette, where she assists clients with their banking needs. Olimpia is a Chicago native and lives in the Edison Park area. We are very pleased to welcome Olimpia to our club!
We recognized three members as new multi-level Paul Harris Fellows. This means that their accumulated contributions through EREY to The Rotary Foundation reached a new $1000 level this year. Terry Porter presented new PHF pins to Tim Frenzer, Jim Pockross and Ray Zeiss.
Last chance to donate this Rotary Year to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). It would be great if every member is able to contribute $100 this Rotary year. If you can contribute $100, that equates to only 27 cents per day or $1.92 per week. But any contribution is welcomed. Ray Z. or Terry P. will be able to tell each member how far away they are from their next Paul Harris Fellow award (PHF). Rememberpart of your contribution comes back toourClub tohelpfund our service programs. Ray Zeiss has indicated that there are several members who are very close to becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, or adding to their PHF status, with credits from our past EREY contributions. Donations will be matched for those within $500 of reaching the next PHF.
Members : It's very easy! Click HERE for a direct link to donate.
Our most fun fundraising event, Trivia Night, was again a wonderful evening and a successful fundraiser! All members are invited to an in-person meeting to discuss what we did right and how to improve the event. We will meet on July 20 at 11am at 1616 Sheridan Rd, Wilmette. All feedback is welcome. Let Debora Morris know if you will be attending debora@pftl.net .
Our Installation/Transition Dinner was last Wednesday, June 17; forty-nine members and guests attended. Mariana Alfar, District Governor Nominee, installed Co-presidents Frank Hussey and Frank Candioto as our next top leaders for Rotary year 2026-2027. New Board members, Tom Ryan and Bob Taylor, and Co-presidents Elect, Sarah Homan and Kurt Zoller, were also sworn in. Attendees dined on a variety of Asian specialties and enjoyed socializing with other members and guests. Debora Morris was named Rotarian of the Year. New member Olimpia Savarino was inducted. The program included recognition of 2025-2026 Paul Harris Fellows and Major Donors, five new members, and a recap of the year from outgoing President, Brian Bradley.
On Saturday, 23 Rotarians from several different Rotary Clubs (one from our club) gathered at the Miami Woods forest preserve. We helped to pull out garlic mustard which is an invasive species that can proliferate to replace native plants. It turned out to be a warm sunny day and a fun event, despite bringing home a couple of ticks.
The board unanimously voted in Bob Pankauskas as our newest member, and President Brian Bradley officially inducted Bob at our May 13 meeting. Although semi-retired, Bob is a freelance consultant assisting companies to identify and gain insights into their consumer base. His background includes senior marketing positions with McDonalds, Allstate and other market research firms. He holds a BS from Univ of Illinois and an MBA from Northwestern – Kellogg School of Management. Bob is a Wilmette resident and enjoys watercolor painting and exercise.
Tee It Up for Teens on Friday, May 29, 2026 at the Village Links Golf Course, 485 Winchell Way, Glen Ellyn. This districtwide golf outing supports our Rotary District 6440 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program, helping provide leadership training and life-changing experiences for our youth.
The event features a 2:00 p.m. shotgun start, with golf, dinner, auction, and fellowship opportunities. Golfers, dinner guests, sponsors, and auction donors are all welcome to participate in this impactful fundraiser. REGISTER
Big Book Drive starts October 1 to November 13 at all Wilmette public and private elementary schools and Loyola Academy, Regina DominicanHS, and New Trier HS.Start saving books for our Big Book Drive. We will partner again with Bernie's Book Bank to collect books for under-resourced schools in Chicago, kindergarten through high school. Contact Maurice Sullivan for more information mauricewsullivan@aol.com
Monthly Lunch-packing on October 6, 6pm - The monthly service project of preparing lunch bags for Connections for the Homeless is at St. Joseph's Church, Lake and Ridge, Wilmette at 6pm. Enter through the east lower entrance. A Rotary Club meeting follows immediately after the sandwiches are made. This is now a collaborative project with members joining us from the Winnetka-Northfield and Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Clubs. Sign -up LUNCHES October is Evanston Lighthouse month; November is Wilmette's month.
Wilmette Rotary Beach Sweep - Saturday, September 19, 9am-11:30am, at Gillson Park.We will partner with Go Green Wilmette as we did last year.We (Rotary and Go Green Wilmette) will base ourselves at the Wilmette Beach Building structure and welcome both Springman School students and the public. One of the unique features is completing the Alliance for the Great Lakes collection form and our sorting process to show what was collected. We will need a few volunteers. Contact Ben Ivory for more information and to volunteer. benjamindivory@gmail.com
Go Green Wilmette’s Volunteer Habitat Work Days – Volunteer with Go Green Wilmette in the Gillson Park Bird Habitat and Mallinckrodt Park. These two parks have areas planted with native plant species, which require hands on maintenance to keep them healthy and thriving. Go Green Wilmette leads work days once per month in each park from 9-11 am. **Gillson Bird Habitat work days happen on the first Sunday of the month, except on holiday weekends: Dates are: September 13 and October 4. Meet in the bird habitat along Michigan Ave. just south of Lake Ave.
**Mallinckrodt work days happen on the third Thursday of the month. Dates are: September 17 and October 15.
Go Green Wilmette/Wilmette Park District - Beach Clean Ups - Join Go Green Wilmette for a beach clean-up! April through October at Gillson Beach, Gate 3 (Gillson Beach House during the off-season dates), 9am-11am.Bring reusable gloves (not single-use plastic) and a bucket or container. Click Information
Wilmette’s Sounds of Summer - Enjoy outdoor concerts downtown on the Village Green and in park settings around the community this summer, with weekly concerts June through September. For the full lineup, visit wilmette.gov/SummerMusic.
Wilmette Recycling Event - Saturday, September 19, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., Centennial Park SW Lot (2300 Old Glenview Road) The Village is partnering with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, the Wilmette Park District, and the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) to host a one-day recycling event including document destruction and prescription drug take-back. Paper documents must be in paper shopping bags or cardboard boxes and are limited to six file size boxes or bags per vehicle; please remove binder and metal clips. Visit the Village’s website for additional information on the drug take back guidelines. . For more information, contact Public Works at 847-853-7500 or pubworks@wilmette.com.
Wilmette Community Garage Sale – Saturday, September 26. Time: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. Location to be announced. Free to shoppers; resident sellers must register and pay fee of $36; non-resident sellers $45. Good opportunity to clean out your closets and garage of unwanted items. Sellers must be 18 years of age and need to set up by 8am. Unsold items may be donated on site after the event. Click for Details.
TEDxWilmette 2026:- On Saturday, September 26, at the Wilmette Recreation Center Auditorium, six amazing speakers will take the TEDxWilmette 2026 stage to share their ideas related to this year's theme: Especially Now. This year's inspiring talks, will delve into human connection, career advancement, food security, and more. You won't want to miss this amazing live event. Purchase your tickets today! To learn more about these impressive women, visit the Speakers page on our website.
Our Place – 5K Run/Walk, Sunday, October 4 at Community Playfield in Wilmette.This fundraiser supports of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a casual walker, or just looking for a great way to spend a Sunday morning with family and friends, everyone is welcome. Registration
Club Information
Welcome!
Our Motto: Service Above Self
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
St. John's Lutheran Church
1235 Wilmette Ave
Wilmette, IL 60091 United States of America
We meet monthly on the 1st Tuesday at 6pm at St Joseph Church, 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Noon at St. John's Church, Wilmette, and 3rd Wednesday at 7:30am at the Wilmette Harbor Club in Gillson Park. Mailing address: PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
Sara Jane Abbot became the new Executive Director in March 2026. She will tell us about the plans and activities of the WK Chamber of Commerce under her leadership.
St. John's Church