Please remember that we are trying our new schedule with some social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed the Newsletter, on our website home page (www.spirotary.org), and on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages for the dates and locations of the meetings. I am in the process of scheduling speakers now and will provide more details as soon as they are available.
December 4, 2023, Off-Site Rotary Club Meeting at Lincoln Land's Kreher Agricultural Center, 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Eric Dolbeare: The Zambian Corn Project Update
We invited other Springfield Club's to join us for the presentation on this international project. The deadline for signing up via airtable was November 27. The catered dinner is $19 per person. The Kreher Agriculture Center (image below) is located at Lincoln Land Community College at 2550 Foundation Drive, Springfield, IL 62703. There are parking lots on both sides of the Agricultural Center.
We hope that you will join us to learn more about this exciting Rotary project.
It could be said that Rotary is in Eric Dolbeare’s genetics. His father was a perfect attendee for 20+ years and his mother, at 91, is still an active Rotarian in the Louisiana, MO club. His older brother is also a member of the Louisiana club and his younger brother was active in the Bowling Green, MO club for many years. Eric joined the Rotary Club of Pike Co. (formerly the Pittsfield Rotary Club) in 1994 and invited his wife Roberta to join in early 1995.
Eric and his family hosted students from Brazil for a short-term summer exchange program in 1998 and then he and Roberta participated in a District Friendship Exchange to Brazil that winter. He has served as president of his club and had the pleasure of being District Governor during Rotary’s Centennial Year, 2004-2005.
Eric earned an undergraduate degree in farm operations from Iowa State University and an MBA from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He started farming in 1977, and also worked in the seed and ag chemical industries until 2003. At that time he started farming full time. Eric has also done two tours of duty overseas for the USDA as an ag advisor to farmers, first for 18 months in Iraq (starting in September, 2008) and one year in Afghanistan (beginning in late 2012).
His experience in working with farmers in challenging environments may be why District leadership invited him in 2016 to head up its first Vocational Training Team. Team members began laying the groundwork to help subsistence farmers in Zambia, Africa improve their maize production methods. It took awhile to get the project off the ground, but Eric and two agronomists from West-Central Illinois made their first trip to Chongwe, Zambia in late 2018. Five years later, the project is ongoing and still growing.
Eric shared with us that fortunately Roberta is now able to devote more time to their farming operation, plus their son-in-law has joined the family farm full time as well.
Tonight, Eric will give us an overview of the project accomplishments and where the project is headed from here.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Rotary Holiday Party, 5:30 p.m. (Please note that we are not meeting at Maldaners on December 11!)
We will gather at the Christ the King Church Hall. The Williamsville Jazz Band had to cancel their engagement with us because of conflicts with Madrigal rehearsal. We will are looking for a musical group to perform. Please let Travis Magoulias and Rod Buffington know if you have any suggestions.
Travis created a registration page in Airtable for the Holiday Party as well. Please click on the link and register as soon as possible so we can start communicating with Randy, regarding the number of attendees. This event will run about $40 per person. Click on the link, enter the date (11/12/23), enter your name, enter the number of attendees and the number of vegetation meals desired and you are all set. Here is the link:
If you have any questions, please let Travis know.
December 18, 2023 No Rotary Club Meeting
December 25, 2023 No Rotary Club Meeting
January 1, 2024 No Rotary Club Meeting. Happy New Year!
January 8, 2024 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30 p.m.
James Lewis, General Manager of All in One Laundry Center & Services: Clean Slate Advocates Services
He will speak about their program that helps individuals in the area who are financially burdened or going through hard times get their laundry done for free or minimal cost.
January 15, 2024 Martin Luther King Breakfast, Springfield, IL, details will be provided later.
We encourage our members to reserve tables and attend this annual event sponsored by the Springfield Chapter of Frontiers International.
January 15, 2024 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30 p.m.
Bob Stuart: Update on the Nepali Water Project
January 22, 2024 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30 p.m.
Derek Harms, Executive Director of Springfield Park District: Springfield Park District Recreational Opportunities & Rotary Park Update