As we begin the new year, I realize I am halfway through my year as district governor and the time has just flown by! I have a few more things to accomplish in 2025 and ask that club presidents and our current membership help with this. Of course, our Pocket Change for Polio Campaign is still on-going, and my hope is to finish on a strong note with this important effort; as a reminder, we will report these donations separately from your “regular/normal” club’s End Polio Now donations.
In addition, you probably have made a list of activities or goals you would like to accomplish over the next twelve months. How about your club? Have you thought about what you would like to continue doing as we move into the new year, or tweaks you would like to make? What about new things you would like to see your club do? Is your focus on growing your membership, increasing service, or simply ensuring your current members are happy with their Rotary experience? Most clubs/club presidents put together their goals when our Rotary calendar year began in July…how are they coming along? Please look at your goals in My Rotary and start tracking them now to ensure you do not need to make any adjustments. If you have not had time to put your goals in, there is still time, and I am happy to help you get your goals input into My Rotary.
Regardless of your goals or progress, our team at the district level is here to help. We have chairs for every subject to include the Rotary Action Plan, Membership, Foundation Giving, Endowment Giving and Polio Plus to assist clubs with these missions. And, as always, feel free to reach out to me about all of this – or even just to invite me to an event or service project; with my official club visits almost complete (only two more to go), I would love to come back to your club to do something fun and exciting!
Speaking of our district, a couple of things should be on your radar…
First, PETS is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday, 6-8 March 2025, in Salina; you should be receiving informational emails from DGE Chuck Udell about PETS. I do know that our PETS Committee has been working hard to make our PETS session informational and educational.
Second, our Gathering for Good (Foundation) event is scheduled for Saturday, 29 March 2025 in Lawrence; information on this event will be forthcoming and again, our G4G Committee has been working hard to make this a fun evening; please be sure to dust off your bobby socks, jeans, skinny ties, poodle skirts and dress hats for the evening as we are going “Back to the Fifties.”
Registration for these two important district events will be out soon; look for registration information to come from our great district administrator, Mandy.
I hope your holiday season was filled with many things that you love. I am excited to see what is ahead for our district in 2025. Let’s continue to make magic and work hard to make the year ahead one to remember!
We are looking for people to serve on an Auction Committee, to help us gather donations for the Silent Auction. Please contactMandyif you would like to know more!
As the New Year begins, I’m sorry to report that there continued to be new Wild Polio cases occurring in Pakistan & Afghanistan during December 2024.
As the year closed there were 89 cases in these two endemic countries compared to only 12 cases at this same time in 2023. While that is a significant difference the increase emulates the last year of India’s success in final eradication. The potential exists, in part because of the eradication campaign support of Rotary & it’s GPEI Partners, to make 2025 the year we finally defeat the Wild Polio Virus. Remember that after the last case of the WPV occurs the World Health Organization will monitor for up to 3 years before declaring the Polio Virus eradicated. During that time, Rotary’s continued support will be absolutely necessary!
The other remaining challenge of the eradication task will be to eliminate the incident of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (cVDPV) paralysis cases. During the last week of 2023 the total number of these cases reached 249 cases, less than half of the almost 530 cases that occurred in 2023. The promising success of the NovelOPV continues to be a key factor in reducing these cases.
Looking back from this Half-Way point in the Rotary Year, many of our District 5710 Clubs continued to work toward both setting and achieving their annual Polio Plus Funding Goals, including special events surrounding World Polio Day. A great second opportunity in the coming year for supporting Polio Plus will occur the last week of April as we celebrate World Immunization Week, remembering that it was in April of 1954 that Jonas Salk announced the success of the Polio vaccine. So, if your Club hasn’t set its goal or planned your annual Polio Plus funding event, start the new year by making that a priority now! An easy way to make those Goals a reality is to encourage as many members as possible to become members of the District’s Polio Plus Society.
And as a special reminder to the leadership teams of each of our clubs; be sure as your incoming President Elect and Board begin budgetary planning for the Rotary 2025-2026 that Polio Plus is included as a high priority. With every Rotarian’s help, “TOGETHER, WE END POLIO”!
Feel free to email, call or text your District 5710 Polio Plus Co-Chairs if you have any questions, need to schedule a status presentation for your club or want fundraising ideas.
The New Year is already off to a great start! The $1 Million Dollar Challenge for the Rotary Endowment Fund has actual receipts and pledges of more than $100,000. The formal asking campaign begins this month. We have a campaign training event January 10 in Topeka for the campaign volunteers and then you can expect to see these “askers” out and about through 2025. If you would like to be part of the campaign team as an “asker,” as a donor, or both, I would love to hear from you and welcome you to attend the training event. Eric Thompson of the Rotary International staff will be the primary trainer and will guide us all through the campaign process.
We are on our way to increase the Rotary International Endowment Fund to $2.025 Billion by the end of 2025 and District 5710 is already doing its part. We need a volunteer from every club to serve on this Million Dollar Challenge campaign. In addition to the training session January 10, the actual work includes one Zoom/telephone meeting a month, and then talking to your club members about any possible support they would consider for the endowment effort.
There are great income producing and/or income tax savings techniques for Rotary gifting. Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Gift Annuities, charitable distributions from an IRA, life insurance, and gifting of appreciated stocks or art or real estate all can work to your benefit, if you have a heart for the cause.
Rotary International professional Lizzy King (1-847-866-3017 or Elizabeth.King@rotary.org) is eager to visit with anyone about making a major gift or funding the Rotary endowment. Me too.
I want to speak to your club about endowment and major gifts and the $1 million challenge. Call me at 785-267-8782 (daytime work) or raeschliman@corefirstbank.com (same) to connect and get energized about the Rotary International Foundation.
Happy New Year from your District Foundation committee! As we start another calendar year, I wanted to share a few pieces of information that are currently in process with your District Foundation. Our 2022 Rotary Peace Fellow, Jennifer Montgomery, has submitted another Global Grant that will help 400 young men and women in Uganda by equipping them with the necessary skills, resources, and opportunities to create sustainable lives. We hope to see this grant approved very soon. We have two Global Grants that will help with water, sanitation, and hygiene in the Llano Grande and Caserio Cruz Chich areas of Guatemala which are in formation now with the Caserio Cruz Chich grant currently awaiting approval. We are also involved in a Global Grant that has been approved for Mumbai, India that will provide treatment and surgeries for 75 children suffering with congenital heart disease. Another approved Global Grant will help with anti-bullying education in Taiwan. All of these Global Grants are being supported with District Designated Funds (DDF) that are the result of your generous Foundation contributions. Your Global Grants committee is now looking at other opportunities in Rwanda, Uganda, Guatemala and right here in D5710 with other possibilities blooming. It is our goal to utilize our District Designated Funds in a way that benefits as many people as possible. I look forward to sharing more information on these potential grants in the future.
We are now in the process of planning another trip to Patanatic, Sololá, Guatemala in March from the 15th – 22st. I sent out the flyer and itinerary for this trip last month and have heard from a few of you that will be joining us. A big thank you goes out to Memory Buffington who is organizing our trip with our friends at the Center for Education and Health in Patanatic!
Please save the date for March 29, 2024! This is when we will hold our fifth annual Gathering For Good. Our committee has been meeting to discuss the details for this night’s event. As before, this will be a silent and live auction. The theme for the night this year will be “The 50’s”. We will have a DJ spinning the tunes and encourage all of our attendees to dress in their favorite 50’s outfits. The Gathering For Good will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Lawrence and our auctioneer extraordinaire, Charlie Moon, will be returning to lead us through the live auction. This event, as before, will be a very fun filled night with all the funds raised going to The Rotary Foundation Annual fund in the name of the person purchasing any item that is available. I hope you plan to attend this year. You will not want to miss it.
Halfway through this Rotary year, we have, as a district, given 38% of what we contributed last year to TRF Annual fund and 43% to Polio Plus. It would be great if we could match or exceed our numbers from last year. Your District Foundation committee is dedicated to helping our members with various ways of contributing to TRF and with various ideas for projects that can benefit from those funds.
As always, thank you very much for all of your support for TRF. We are truly impacting and enhancing lives with our efforts!
You can never start planning too early. If your club is considering applying for District Grant funds in 2025 for a club local project, please mark your calendars for the annual District Grants Training that is scheduled for Monday, April 21, 2025 at 6:00pm via Zoom. Specific details to follow In March 2025.
A basic requirement to be eligible to apply for a District Grant is that each club must have at least one club member who has attended a District Grants Training/Certification Seminar within the last three years prior to the application date, which will be August 31, 2025.
For additional information or questions, please contact Greg Shondell, District 5710 Grants Subcommittee Chair, greg@HeathwoodOil.com.
December was a bustling month for our Youth Exchange Program, filled with engaging activities and opportunities for our students. Here’s a brief overview of what we accomplished:
District Interviews - On December 14th, we conducted interviews with 6 (six) potential outbound students. This important step allows us to gain insight into their aspirations and prepare them for their upcoming adventures abroad.
Ice Skating Outing - We also organized a fun outing for our Inbound students to the Crown Center for ice skating. The event was a hit, and the students enjoyed a memorable overnight stay at the Heckman’s, highlighted by a lively White Elephant Gift Exchange that fostered camaraderie and fun.
Seeking Host Families - Looking ahead, we are actively searching for host families for the 2025-2026 school year. If you’re interested in opening your home and sharing your culture with an international student, please reach out to us. Your support can make a significant difference in their exchange experience.
Thank you for being part of our vibrant community! We look forward to more exciting events in the coming months.
For any questions, please reach out to Anne Faucett, District Outbound Coordinator, at annefaucett33@gmail.com or Stephen Wheatley, District 5710 Youth Exchange Officer, at rotary5710ye@gmail.com. Additional information is available at SCRYE.org.
Looking for an opportunity to participate in an International project? Jennifer Montgomery, Rotary Peace Fellow, Rotary Peace Activator, and Magenta Girls Initiative Founder, has proposed a much-needed global grant project to address menstrual hygiene in Uganda and Kenya. District 5710 has committed $10,000 of DDF to the project. We are looking for Rotary Clubs to support this grant by contributing $250 - $1000. Following is a summary of the project.
Women and girls in Uganda and Kenya, as well as many other parts of the world, live in a culture where menstruation and reproductive health are not discussed. This is because menstruation and anything related to it is considered a taboo. Both women and girls often do not understand the reproductive cycle of their bodies or know how to manage their menstruation. Girls commonly miss or drop out of school because they do not understand what is happening to them or are unaware of how to hygienically manage their natural cycle. The issue is perpetuated by menstrual hygiene products being expensive and hard to obtain. Girls are negatively affected in many ways, including a compromised education from missing school, infection or disease due to lack of hygiene, and pressure to engage in transactional sex to obtain menstrual hygiene products. Due to the lack of menstrual hygiene products, girls miss an average of 45 days per year due to her menstrual cycle.
The proposed project seeks to address the perpetual challenge of menstrual hygiene and management through the making and distribution of reusable sanitary pads to underprivileged girls and women in Mengo Kisenyi in Kampala and Kisii in Kenya. MGI in collaboration with GCC-K, will professionally train and employ the vocational girls in the making of such dignity kits. Phase 1 of the project is projected over 1 year with the estimated cost of $50,000. The project considers schools as organized outlets for distribution of the dignity kits to the girls and target communities for women. The total number of girls and women to benefit from the proposed project is 400 over a 1-year period (200 per country). 800 community members and students from the target schools will be reached with information on menstrual health management. The proposed budget of $50,000. will be used to purchase materials, pay for skilled tutors and distribution expenses through school and community outreaches.
If you are interested in joining in support of this international project, or want more information, please contact Patti Mellard, patti@keystaffing.com, 785-640-9999, or Jennifer Montgomery, jennifer25montgomery@gmail.com, 785-588-0144.
We are looking forward to completing our work on the PETS/PELS 2025 curriculum design in January. Our Rotary friends in District 5680 are collaborating with us as we continue linking the PETS/PELS learning sessions to Rotary’s Action Plan priorities.
President-Elects, please check your email. Registration information and the link to secure lodging have been forwarded to you!
RLI
Remember to let us know if your club is interested in hosting (providing a conference room/site) for an RLI (Rotary Learning Institute) in the New Year! We intend to keep a hybrid design: Friday a Zoom mtg from 5:30-8:30 PM, and the in-person session on Saturday from approximately 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
KLC 2025
As we mentioned last month, Districts 5710 and 5680 will share the 50 Center scholarships for 2025. Attached below you will find the descriptions of the KLC program sequence of courses and the virtual and in person options and dates. To register for a class, follow the instructions using the link and passcode on the attached pages below.
2025 District 5710 Leadership Transformation Grants
District 5710 and 5680 have each been awarded 25 grants to participate in the programs of the Kansas Leadership Center. The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a non-profit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities.
The KLC offers three programs that build on each other:
•When Everyone Leadsis the introductory one-day program that focuses on personal leadership competencies. It focuses on leadership as an activity – recognizing that every individual has the capacity to lead. It helps participants stretch and grow their leadership while addressing their toughest challenges.
•Your Leadership Edgeis the seminal, two-day deep dive into individual leadership for those who have completed When Everyone Leads. It focuses on helping leaders understand how to move out of their comfort zone and engage in meaningful leadership. It centers on the KLC’s leadership framework based on Five Guiding Principles and Four Profound Competencies.
•Lead For Changeis reserved for teams who have already completed the other two KLC courses. It is an immersive, three-day training that must be experienced in a team.
Who Should Attend?
Each club should consider sending up and coming leaders from their club and community. The virtual sessions are an ideal option. Leaders who have done the first program should consider the second program.
How To Register To Sign Up for When Everyone Leads or Your Leadership Edge, we ask that you do two things:
1.Visit the KLC website at: www.kansasleadershipcenter.org. Create a personal account and register using the passcode Rotary2025 to waive the tuition fee.
2.Notify District Learning Facilitators, of your interest in order that we might track Rotarians who are taking advantage of this grant. * If you have a team to enroll in Lead For Change, please contact us before doing so.
District 5710 funds a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship every two years. We started the process last fall to identify and interview scholarship candidates, one of whom will be selected to study abroad, starting after July 1, 2025. Candidates should be interviewed by local clubs by the 24th of January 2025, at the latest. Their scholarship application should be sent to me soon after.
The District interviews will be held in Lawrence, KS, on Saturday February 8th. At this point, I am aware of four scholarship candidates. If you have not informed me you have a candidate, please do so immediately.
To learn more about our District 5710 scholarship selection process, please go to our District home page Home Page | Rotary District 5710 (rotary5710.org), then click on the Foundation tab, and under that, click on the Global Grant Scholarships tab. You will see lots of information about what Global Grant Scholarships are, how to apply, the process for our clubs and district, the process for students, etc.
Let’s identify and select some excellent candidates to interview for our 2025-2027 Global Grant Scholarship. If you do identify a potential candidate, please make sure none of their parents or grandparents have been Rotarians in the past three years. Also, tell them not to fill out the scholarship application online but to fill it out on their own computer in Word.
Our current District 5710 Global Grant Scholar, Mattie Vandel, has been working on a unique Global Studies master’s program through Humboldt University in Berlin. Mattie is now back from Berlin and is finishing her dissertation.
Thanks to our Scholarship committee, to District 5710 leadership for funding and restarting the Global Grant Scholarship program, and for those clubs who help find good candidates to apply. It is exciting to have an excellent scholar studying abroad and representing District 5710.
Often victims and survivors of human trafficking lack the clothing, caps and gloves they need to keep warm on these cold winter days. The Rotary Clubs of Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee Mission, CAAHT, Topeka South, and Manhattan combined efforts on a District Grant project to make 160 Rotary Cares Winter kits for victims of human trafficking. The total grant was $10,000. Each kit contained a hoodie, sweatpants, stocking cap, scarf, gloves, socks, blanket, hand warmers, mylar blanket, deodorant, chap stick, and protein bars. Rotarians met during November and December and assembled kits at sites in Topeka, Shawnee Mission, and Manhattan. The Rotary Cares kits were then distributed to nonprofit agencies.
RC of CAAHT and Topeka South packed 56 kits and distributed them to the YWCA Day Center and the Intersection to care (ITC) Program in Topeka.
Members of the Manhattan and Usha Reddi, with the CAAHT Club, packed 46 Rotary Winter Care Kits at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, hosted by Former District Governor Vern Henricks and staff. Some kits were delivered to the Manhattan Emergency Shelter by past-president Mitzi Richards. Past Presidents Rebecca Gould and Steven Graham delivered the rest of the kits to Be Able and The Crisis Center. The picture with the two smiling women was taken at The Crisis Center. All the organizations were very appreciative and thanked Rotarians in NE Kansas for their support and commitment.
The KC Metro assembly team from RC of Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee Mission packed 58 winter kits and distributed them to Rended Heart and ReHope.
The Lawrence Rotary Club provided at least 31 volunteers on Saturday, December 7, for Salvation Army bell ringing at five locations in Lawrence. Salvation Army Lieutenant Landon McClintock, also a Rotarian, reported that $1,839 was collected in the Red Kettles during our day’s bell ringing. Volunteers enjoyed a bright relatively warm December day as they encouraged shoppers at two doors at the Walmart on South Iowa Street, two doors at the HyVee Grocery on Clinton Parkway, and at the Walmart on West 6th Street. More than 30 hours of service was provided to our community as each volunteer served an hour ringing the bells and thanking shoppers for their donations to the Red Kettles. Rotarians Tom Mulinazzi and Keith Wood coordinated this service project with sign-ups in November and recruitment of site captains to ensure that all the time slots were filled.
Lawrence Central Rotary Club is carrying on a tradition in Downtown Lawrence by hosting the annual Downtown Lighting & Santa Rescue event, the day after Thanksgiving. It’s a magical time to come together and kick-off the season. Santa, while shopping at a local merchant, gets stuck on the roof and due to the brave support of The Lawrence Fire and Medical and Police, great efforts are made to save him. Lawrence Central Rotary works closely with the city, local shops and emergency services to make this a special event for all visitors to Downtown. Three years ago, we took on the event and added our favorite part, Letters to Santa – We collect letters and hear about how kids have been GOOD this year. They post their letters in our special Santa mailbox and our elves make sure Santa receives them in time. Our club volunteers gather afterward to write each child a personal postcard from Santa. Here’s why we do it!
The Leawood Rotary Club has been busy this holiday season. It started with volunteering at Project Cure sorting medical supplies going to 3rd world countries. It was followed by working at the Johnson County Christmas Bureau where over 12,000 families shopped for Christmas presents, food and clothing. Finally we assisted the Salvation Army by bell ringing. This is the time of year when many organizations need help and Rotarians were there to provide assistance.
At a recent lunch meeting in December, members of our club prepared over 40 flower bouquets and handwrote over 100 holiday cards for residents of local area nursing homes; they were delivered by club President Tiffany Andrews and DG Tamara to kick off the holiday season. #peopleofactioninaction
New Rotarian, Teana Hundley, was happy to participate in holiday trivia and carol singing at our last meeting of the 2024 year (right). #itsallaboutfun
Bell ringing in support of the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign was on going during the month of December for our club. Many thanks to PE Caroline Webster for leading this effort. For more great photos of our volunteer bell ringers, take a look at our Facebook page @ Rotary Club of Leavenworth, Kansas.
Upcoming for our club:
New Year Reception (Wednesday, 8 January 2025)
Meals on Wheels Deliveries (x2 days a week each month)
Irish Stew Dinner (Monday, 10 March 2025, 5:30-7:30pm)
The Manhattan Rotary Club welcomed new members: Yendi Gonzalez, Director of the Spanish Language Division, at Sink, Gordon & Associates, LLP accounting firm and CEO of Cross-Cultural Consulting assisting Spanish-speaking business people; Lauren Ferguson, Associate Vice President of Development Operations for the K-State Foundation; and Maddie Whitehead, Director of Foodservice and Community Outreach for U-Stop Convenience Shops.
Members of the Club and Usha Reddi, with the CAAHT Club, packed 46 Rotary Winter Care Kits at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, hosted by former District Governor Vern Henricks and staff. Kits were distributed to Be Able, the Manhattan Crisis Center and the Manhattan Emergency Shelter.
Our signature project, the Community Cares Chest, distributed water, pineapple, Gatorade, spicy Cheetos, flavored potato chips, Bombas socks, vitamins and books to almost 50
nonprofits.
Deb Kluttz, Executive Director Homestead Ministries received the “big check” from cup monies.
Rotary on Tap, the Club’s quarterly social event, was celebrated at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. Rotarian Kent Michael Smith, Director, hosted club members.
We remembered former long-time member Art Loub, who died on November 23, with a moment of silence.
A Rotary treasure and the longest serving District 5710 Rotarian, C. Clyde Jones turned 102 on December 21. He remarked at the Dec 19 meeting, “Rotary changed my life”. C. Clyde epitomizes “service above self” with his commitment of time, talent and treasure to Rotary, his service as president of the Club (1975-1976) and District Governor (1988-1989), his service to K-State and the Manhattan community and so much more. In 1985, he was named Rotarian of the Year.
These last months of 2024 remind us of the many things of which to be thankful. As Konza Rotarians, we are grateful for our members as they serve and give to make our club great.
The Manhattan Konza Rotary Club members began October cleaning a section of the Linear Trail.
Our club joined with the Manhattan Rotary Club for food and drinks at Aggieville Brewing Company for Clubs in a Pub. Socializing with Rotarians is always a joy!
Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard is a Rotarian and worked for Rotary International for over a decade. He had his first Art Show in Manhattan and sold his first painting to Manhattan Konza Rotary Club member, Kendra Kuhlman and her husband, Les.
Some members of the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club and the Manhattan High School Interact Club served community residents through Common Table at First Presbyterian Church. Good food and fellowship were given out in abundance.
Manhattan Konza Rotary Club members; Mark Rose, Joan Pierce, Michelle Sink, and Ben Kohl attended the Rotary District conference in Leavenworth.
Manhattan Konza Rotary Club enjoyed listening to our October guest speakers.
Jareem Dowling, Associate Coach for K-State Men’s Basketball, shared about the upcoming basketball season and how the team is bonding under Coach Tang’s leadership. Coach Dowling also shared his personal journey that brought him to Manhattan.
Konza Rotary Club member, Memory Buffington, told us about her trip to Guatemala with other Kansas Rotary Clubs. The Rotary Service Project provided clean water filters and health supplies for a new health clinic.
Rotary District 5710 Governor, Tamara Jo Sevcik, gave updates about District 5710. Tamara praised our club for the service provided locally and abroad as well as the donations we give to end Polio.
Dr. Susan Metzger, Director of Kansas Water Institute, talked about K-State water research and sustainability. As water is a precious resource and Kansas is experiencing a drought, innovative
approaches to water usage and conservation are paramount in Kansas.
President Ben Kohl and past president Andy Hutchinson showed off the Konza Rotary Club awards we earned from the District 5710 Conference.
The Homestead Clean-Up took place in early November. Rob Wild, Ben Kohl, Andy Hutchinson, Heather Fink, Michael Fritschen, Paul Oehm, and Rebecca Gould donated their time to remove leaves and move furniture.
Manhattan High School Debate Tournament was held in November. Kirk Crabtree coordinated while Debra Rodenbaugh-Schaub and Paul Schaub helped as judges. We recognized Jeremy Harmon as a new member. (right)
Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters World Kindness Day was November 13. Our club president Ben Kohl took time to read books to Kindergarteners and 1st graders at Bluemont Elementary School.
Thanksgiving Meal Distribution at Flint Hills Breadbasket Warehouse happened on November 22 and 23.
Common Table at First Presbyterian Church took place on November 26. (right)
For November and December, our guest speakers were entertaining and informative. Seana Balman talked about Shepherd’s Crossing. Guy Allen, KSU IGP Senior Agricultural Economist, spoke on Grain Marketing and Risk Management.
Josh Gering, Assistant Director of Riley County EMS, talked about Riley County’s Emergency Management System
Vickie James, Coordinator for the Food and Farm Council of Riley County and the City of Manhattan, talked about food insecurity, food waste, and nutrition education.
Debbie Nuss talked about Common Table. Manhattan Junior League member, Megan Ronnebaum, and Konza Rotary Club member, Megan Plattner-June, spoke about the Adopt a Family program.
Kenny Titus, newly elected District 18 Kansas Senator, provided a preview of the Kansas 2025 Legislative Session.
A great time was had by all at the Christmas party and ugly Christmas sweater contest.
Our first meeting will be Friday, January 10. Ned Seaton, editor-in-chief, for The Mercury (Manhattan newspaper) will provide a 2024 year in review. Jason Smith, President and CEO of Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, will provide business updates in Manhattan on Friday, January 17. Krystin Guggisberg, Senior Director of Programs for Special Olympics Kansas, will tell us all about Special Olympics in Kansas and a non-profit organization called Laundry Love, on Friday, January 24. On Friday, January 31, Captain Mark French, will tell us about the Riley County Police Department jail system.
Overbrook Rotary had a busy fall from top to bottom. Overbrook Rotary competed in the Overbrook Community Foundation Chili Cookoff. The Club also did maintenance and sealed the town mural we are so proud of. And finally, Overbrook Rotary joined the Overbrook Cemetery Association with a cemetery cleanup and trimming.
On December 2, we held our annual Christmas shopping event with the kids from KidsTLC at Walmart. They show up with their gift lists for family and friends and we team up with their staff to help the kids find the gift items in the store. Walmart provides the wrapping paper, tape and bows to wrap the gifts and we work together to wrap and bag the gifts up for sharing with their loved ones! We finish the night off with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate.
On December 4, we held our annual holiday party at the Fox & Hound in Overland Park. The celebration included an ugly sweater contest, a holiday game, billiards, ping pong, darts and skee-ball.
On December 18, we hosted our last club meeting at St. Andrew’s Golf Club as we prepare to merge with the Overland Park Rotary Club starting in January. We were delighted to be joined by many of our former club members who we gave special recognition to during the meeting. It was great to see these familiar faces once again on a Wednesday morning! Longtime KC news anchor, reporter and columnist Dave Helling was our featured speaker. He provided us with his take on KC/Johnson County politics during a unique time in our history.
The Rotary Club of Overland Park and Overland Park South Rotary Club are set to merge officially on Jan. 1, 2025. After combining, these separate clubs will become the Rotary Club of Overland Park. The clubs’ presidents, Chad Tenpenny of Rotary Club of Overland Park, and Ryan Wilkerson of Overland Park South Rotary Club, spearheaded the decision to merge. The new club will have over 100 active members and foundational assets worth $1.5 million.
The clubs partner with the Johnson County Christmas Bureau to supply volunteers for its annual Festival of Trees charity auction, as well as “Rotary Reads and Cares,” which provides local schools and organizations with books and personal care items.
Additionally, the merging club will host its annual fundraiser, the Crawfish Festival, on May 17, 2025, with all proceeds to go toward supporting the Growing Futures Early Education Center.
Club meetings take place on Wednesdays at the Doubletree Hotel at 10100 College Blvd., either during breakfast, lunch or happy hour.
The first meeting for the merged club is on Jan. 8, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more details, see oprotary.org.
Wild Poliovirus Weekly Update
Looking for an opportunity to participate in an International project? Jennifer Montgomery, Rotary Peace Fellow, Rotary Peace Activator, and Magenta Girls Initiative Founder, has proposed a much-needed global grant project to address menstrual hygiene in Uganda and Kenya. District 5710 has committed $10,000 of DDF to the project. We are looking for Rotary Clubs to support this grant by contributing $250 - $1000. Following is a summary of the project.
The Leawood Rotary Club has been busy this holiday season. It started with volunteering at Project Cure sorting medical supplies going to 3rd world countries. It was followed by working at the Johnson County Christmas Bureau where over 12,000 families shopped for Christmas presents, food and clothing. Finally we assisted the Salvation Army by bell ringing. This is the time of year when many organizations need help and Rotarians were there to provide assistance.
New Rotarian, Teana Hundley, was happy to participate in holiday trivia and carol singing at our last meeting of the 2024 year (right). #itsallaboutfun
Rotary on Tap, the Club’s quarterly social event, was celebrated at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. Rotarian Kent Michael Smith, Director, hosted club members.
A Rotary treasure and the longest serving District 5710 Rotarian, C. Clyde Jones turned 102 on December 21. He remarked at the Dec 19 meeting, “Rotary changed my life”. C. Clyde epitomizes “service above self” with his commitment of time, talent and treasure to Rotary, his service as president of the Club (1975-1976) and District Governor (1988-1989), his service to K-State and the Manhattan community and so much more. In 1985, he was named Rotarian of the Year.
Manhattan High School Debate Tournament was held in November. Kirk Crabtree coordinated while Debra Rodenbaugh-Schaub and Paul Schaub helped as judges. 
Kenny Titus, newly elected District 18 Kansas Senator, provided a preview of the Kansas 2025 Legislative Session.
The Rotary Club of Overland Park and Overland Park South Rotary Club are set to merge officially on Jan. 1, 2025. After combining, these separate clubs will become the Rotary Club of Overland Park. The clubs’ presidents, Chad Tenpenny of Rotary Club of Overland Park, and Ryan Wilkerson of Overland Park South Rotary Club, spearheaded the decision to merge. The new club will have over 100 active members and foundational assets worth $1.5 million..png)
