Our next August meetings will be a Morning meeting at 7:30am on Wednesday August 19 at the Wilmette Harbor Club and a Lunch meeting at noon on Wednesday, August 26 at St. John's Church.
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Last month, President Brian, suggested that members think about taking some positive actions to help make this a better world. Random acts of kindness were encouraged and some members have reported what they did during the month of February to further this concept. Brian would like to hear from more members at the meetings this month. It's never too late to do a random act of kindness!
At our April 8 noon meeting, Richard Brill (and his wife Marlene) were recognized as a Major Donor to Rotary. This honor is bestowed on an individual or couple whose cumulative donations to The Rotary Foundation reach $10,000 or more. Donna Gulley, Major Donor Chair for District 6440, along with DG Marlene Frisby, DG Elect Rick Reigner, District Rotary Foundation Chair, Lyle Staab and Bryant Wallace, DG Nominee Designate came to the meeting to recognize and congratulate our newest Major Donor. Rich is our second Major Donor this Rotary year, Bob Taylor was recognized in November.
Commander Marc Pullman, Auxillary Flotilla 3906 of the United States Coast Guard presented the mission and duties of the volunteers of the Flotilla. The Auxiliary is composed of civilian volunteers. They are a key component of the Coast Guard and assist the active duty in promoting recreational boating safety. The Auxiliary’s missions include search and rescue at sea, teaching recreational boating safety classes and conducting complimentary safety checks on recreational boats. The Auxiliary prides itself on being “Semper Paratus” — always ready! Their duties have also included assisting at the Air and Water Show in Chicago and search and rescue missions on the Great Lakes and other waterways in the Chicago area.
The March 25 Noon Program was well attended to hear Chris Lindgren, Executive Director of the Wilmette Park District talk with us about his first year. Chris brings a strong background in construction and facilities to the position and also has extensive experience in environmental issues. He previously worked for the award winning Oak Park Park District. He said the Park District has a robust master planning process and will begin discussions in the next year about the use of the former Beth Hillel property that the Park District purchased. He wants the discussions surrounding this property to be the most extensive community outreach in the Park District's history. The Park District also recently won an award for their partnership with Go Green.
The intersection of Mental Health issues and Public Safety is well documented in our communities. It is estimated that 7-31% of calls to first responders involve mental health issues. Please join us on Monday, April 6 at noon for the next in our Monthly Mental Health Speaker Series. Our speaker is Kim Kidders from the Ecker Center. With the Elgin Police Department, Kim leads the Ecker Center 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response, Crisis Stabilization Program and the Collaborative Crisis Services Unit. Zoom Link
The District annual Spring Learning & Development event is April 18. A special learning opportunity designed to support the leadership teams of every Rotary club as we prepare for the coming year. The theme for this year’s event, Leading Change for Lasting Impact, reflects Rotary International’s message to Create Lasting Impact and District Governor Elect Rick’s challenge to each of us to: Change Yourself First – Take a Risk – Do This Together.
This morning of learning will focus on strengthening our clubs through intentional leadership, strong committees, and practical strategies that help our impact continue beyond a single Rotary year. Participants will be able to choose two breakout sessions to attend. Session selections are outlined in the registration link below. Location: Harper College. 8:15am-12:15pm. No cost to attend. Register HERE
Earth Day Event – April 18, 2024, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Location Keay Nature Learning Center (Hibbard and Skokie Blvd.) Our club in coordination with Wilmette Park District will have a tent there. We will offer a small container with a native seed planted for kids and others to take home and grow. Park District activities will include: Build your own trail mix station, resources table, craft table, nature/activity table that gets attendees through the park. Contact Ben Ivory to volunteer to be at the Rotary tent. benjamindivory@gmail.com. Rotary International has designated April as Environmental Month.
The Rotary International theme for March is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Month. This monthly focus highlights the urgent need for safe water access and sanitation worldwide, encouraging clubs to launch projects that provide clean water, toilets, and hygiene education to communities. For many years our club has supported the building of wells in Angola to provide water to schools.
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.
Monthly Lunch-packing on September 1, 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 September is Winnetka-Northfield's month. October is Evanston Lighthouse month.
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: August 20, 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 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
Connections for the Homeless - Here is an overview of opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to get involved with Connections this summer: Summer Needs wish list. Assemble hot weather kits
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.
New Trier Township - Secretary of State Mobile DMV event. Thursday, August 27, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, Wilmette Public Library. Services will include Driver’s License and State ID cards, including Standard and REAL ID, as well as vehicle registration and license plate stickers. Representatives from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and Illinois Tollway will also be on-site. Treasurer and Tollway services are available on a walk-in basis. Appointments are required for DMV services. To make an appointment, email outreach@newtriertownship.com. Be sure to review acceptable document requirements before your appointment at ILSOS.gov.
Wilmette Block Party – The annual Wilmette Block Party will be held on Saturday, August 29 in downtown Wilmette from noon - 10 p.m. The event, co-hosted by the Wilmette Park District, the Village of Wilmette and the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce, features local food, live music and numerous family friendly activities. We will have a tent in the Kids Zone with a roulette wheel and prizes for the kids. This is a good opportunity to tell their parents about Rotary. Sign-up to help with our booth HERE
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.
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
Sarah Oliver and Mariana Alfar will tell us about the plans for when Marian takes over as District 6440 Governor. Our club will be very involved with helping Mariana in this new role. Mariana will be the fourth District Governor from Wilmette (three others from the former Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club).
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