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    CLUB NEWS   March 11, 2026
Upcoming Rotary Meetings 
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.
 
TIP: Be sure to click on "Click here" at the top of the page to view the entire issue online  OR "View entire message" at the bottom of the page to see the whole issue.
Feedback Requested
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!
New Member Approved -Lee Brodne
Our board unanimously approved the Membership Application from Lee Brodne, sponsored by Mariana Alfar.  Lee is a recently retired RN and worked for BrightStar Care in Northbrook. She also worked as a Corporate Banker for the BMO Food Group for 10+ years. Lee currently serves as an election judge and site technician for state and national elections.  Lee will be formally welcomed at the next meeting she attends.
Member George Pearce Honored
Member George Pearce is being honored with the George E. Noyes Community Spirit Award!  At the New Trier Township Annual Town Meeting, awards will be given to George and to other local residents who were nominated by their peers for a number of community awards. The meeting is April 14, 7:30pm-9:00pm Wilmette Public Library Auditorium.
New Member Application - Lee Brodne
We have received a new Member Application from Lee Brodne, sponsored by Mariana Alfar.  Lee is a recently retired RN and worked for BrightStar Care in Northbrook. She also worked as a Corporate Banker for the BMO Food Group for 10+ years. Lee received her BS from Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Ohio State.  Her nursing degree was completed at Oakton College. Lee currently serves as an election judge and site technician for state and national elections.  Lee lives in Wilmette with her husband, Bill; they have two daughters.
Earth Day- April 18
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.
                        
March is Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 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. 
                      
Rotary International Event- March 17
Multi-Club Assembly -  March 17, 7:30am-8:30am.  Featuring RI President-Elect Olayinka Babalola and Rotary International: A State of the Union. Location:  One Rotary Center – Third Floor, Conference Room 3AB, 1560 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL
Medical Advance Directive
Free Way to Create the Personalized Medical Advance Directive That Every Adult Should Have -- 
At last Wednesday's meeting, members requested a brief summary here of a great resource now available to all. It was demonstrated to us last year by our member John Kilner. It's a completely private online tool--available free of charge (not even any ads to endure!) at MedicalDecisions.info. It enables people to create a legal document called an "advance directive."  In it, people identify who they want to make medical decisions for them when they lose the mental ability to make them, plus it flags for those decision-makers the key values and priorities that should guide their decision-making. John Kilner (jkilner@tiu.edu) has indicated he would be happy to help any individual or group use this tool to create advance directives.
 Think About EREY 
 
 
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). Remember part of your contribution comes back to our Club to help fund 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. 
Volunteer Opportunities
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

Local Events of Interest

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!
Wilmette Rotary Club

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
Phone:
(847) 722-2115
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
District Site Icon
District Site
Venue Map
Venue Map
Our
Co-Presidents
           
    Frank Candioto & Frank Hussey
Speakers
Aug 26, 2026 12:00 PM
Mariana's Governorship 2027-2028
Mariana's Governorship 2027-2028

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).

Sep 09, 2026 12:00 PM
Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce
Sep 16, 2026 7:30 AM
Gracenote Collective
Sep 23, 2026 12:00 PM
Official Visit from District Governor
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Upcoming Events
Community Service/Environmental Committee
Aug. 24, 2026
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Zoom
Noon Meeting
Aug. 26, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wilmette
St. John's Church
Lunch-Packing
Sep. 01, 2026
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
St Joseph Church
Board Meeting
Sep. 08, 2026
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Noon Club Meeting
Sep. 09, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wilmette
St. John's Church
Morning Meeting
Sep. 16, 2026
7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Sheridan Shore Yacht Club
Special Board Meeting with DG
Sep. 23, 2026
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Wilmette
St. John's Church
Noon Meeting
Sep. 23, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wilmette
St. John's Church
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Jolie Garcia
August 3
 
Karl Behrend
August 3
 
John Plante
August 5
 
Michael Harper
August 6
 
John Kilner
August 12
 
Heidi Voorhees
August 15
 
John Flanagin
August 15
 
Sarah Oliver
August 19
 
Sarah Homan
August 27
 
Jackie McGuire
August 28
 
Richard Brill
August 29
 
Jim Bowman
August 31
 
Join Date
Jack Close
August 1, 1994
32 years
 
Terry Porter
August 1, 1987
39 years
 
Duncan Wardrop
August 8, 2023
3 years
 
Gene Rinaldi
August 15, 2024
2 years
 
Brian Bradley
August 18, 2010
16 years
 
Nick Dallas
August 18, 2010
16 years
 
Puran Stevens
August 19, 2008
18 years
 
Rotary Links
Rotary International
RI President Home
Rotary Global Rewards
Joining Rotary
Rotary History
Rotary Foundation
For New Members
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CLUB OFFICERS
President:   Brian Bradley
PAST  CO-PRESIDENTS: Heidi Voorhees/Debora Morris
CO-PRESIDENTS ELECT: Frank Hussey/Frank Candioto
SECRETARY: John Kilner
TREASURERS: Kent Meyers 
FOUNDATION TREASURER: John Flanagin
 
DIRECTORS:
Jack Close-George Pearce -Terry Porter-Irene Paterno
Nick Dallas-Frank Cheswick-Ben Ivory-John Kay- Karl Behrend
 
PRESIDENT, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL: Francesco Arezzo 
GOVERNOR, DISTRICT 6440: Marlene Frisbie
ASSISTANT GOVERNOR: Jen Shulz
Meeting Responsibilities
Morning Meeting -- August 19
 
Morning Food
Kay, John
 
Thought of the Day
Taylor, A. Robert
 
Fun and Frolic
Voorhees, Heidi
 
Noon Meeting - August 26
 
Food
Voorhees, Heidi
 
Thought of the Day
Voorhees, Heidi
 
Fun & Frolic
Bowman, Jim