It's official! We are a Rotary International Peace Builders Club! At our July 8 club meeting, District Governor Dan O'Brien (holding cerificate) and Peace Builder Chair for the District and Past D.G. Bill Durall (far right) presented our Club with it's RI Peace Builder Certificate. President Megan Reynolds and Peace Builder Committee Chair Jim Applegate accepted on behalf of our club!
Please join us for our July 22 club meeting at Maldaners Upstairs to hear our inbound Foreign Exchange Student Nicholas Putra Sedijotomo (P.S.) speak about his experiences in the United States.
Our Club has been recognized by Rotary International as a Peace Builder Club! District Governor Dan O'Brien and Chair of the District Peace Builder Committee and also Past District Governor Bill Durall presented us with our official certificate at our July 8 Club meeting. Dan O'Brien congratulated the club and noted that we are the first club in the District to achieve this status. Jim Applegate, current chair of our Peace Builder Committee, was the speaker for this meeting and provided an overview of the history and projects undertaken by the committee. He gave credit for committee activities and achievement of the RI status to the committee members who were instrumental in launching the committee and development of the peace-building projects in our community (image below).
We have included Jim Applegate's previous Newsletter article on the Social Justice Sewing Academy project with the Outlet in Springfield.
We are all proud of our Peace Committee and our Club.
Exchange Student to Speak at our July 22 Club Meeting
Please join us on July 22 to learn about the experiences of Nicholas Putra Sedijotomo (P.S.), the inbound exchange student from Indonesia that we helped sponsor. His tenure as an exchange student is ending, and he will be leaving Illinois at the end of next week. He spent the academic year at Glenwood-Chatham High School and also had the opportunity to travel in the Midwest and the Western United States. He will talk about his experiences in the U.S. The image below shows P.S. at his July 17 Rotary-sponsored farewell party at Harvest Market in Springfield.
Holiday Party Slated for December 9
Our annual Holiday Party is scheduled for December 9 at the Christ the King Parrish Hall in Springfield. Mark your calendar now, and don't miss this wonderful chance to celebrate the holidays. I am already working on the musical entertainment for this event.
When we meet at Maldaner's, please submit your reservations for dinner! Click on the link embedded below and enter the date, your name, dine in/carry out and number of meals being consumed in the restaurant and/or carried out prior to each meeting. Preferably, everyone will fill out the form by noon on the Friday before the upcoming meeting. We have given Jesse at Maldaner's access to the view, so it will help him with planning. As always, we will direct him to have a few additional servings available for members who forget or last minute guests.
The same link will work for the entire Rotary year and will be shared within each Newsletter, so do not delete the Newsletter until you have submitted your dinner information. Please remember that the three most recent Newsletters can also be accessed from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) so you can also access the link for reservations from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org).
Marty Michelson and others Flag Service Committee members reported that the Golden Corral Buffet Restaurant in Springfield made special arrangements to display 30 flags. Club members installed these flags (image above and on left), and they were not removed following the fourth of July holiday. They make a beautiful display around the building and numerous diners have commented positively on the flags. This set of flags will be left in place through Veterans Day. Thanks to Barry Tobias for providing these images.
Other crews retrieved flags for our regular customers after the Fourth of July Holiday. Flags will be reinstalled the weekend before Labor Day (September 2) and will removed following the commemoration of Patriots Day (September 11). Thanks to Ken Gilmore and Megan Styles for these images.
Editors Note: Jim Applegate spoke about the Social Justice Sewing Academy at our July 8 Club Meeting.
The Rotary Peace Builders Committee secured grants from the Healing Racism in Illinois Program (https://fieldfoundation.org/healingillinois) and the Rotary Literacy Grant program to create a partnership with the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) (www.sjsacademy.org) and The Outlet (www.theoutletillinois.org) supporting an SJSA academy for the African American young men and boys (as well as some of their parents, grandparents, and young girls) served by The Outlet. The Outlet largely serves youth in families without present fathers.
For three nights about 25 participants (a) talked about what it means to be an African American male in Springfield and America (b) worked with SJSA staff and experienced quilters to translate the ideas and emotions sparked by those discussions into visual images imprinted onto quilt squares and (c) created artist statements expressing what their squares meant to them (images above and on left provided by The Outlet). Each of the young men were given a copy of the book “Stitching Stolen Lives” authored by one of our SJSA partners (image below provided by The Outlet) and a picture of themselves with their square.
These squares will be transformed into a beautiful full-sized quilt by SJSA. The Peace Builders Committee will organize community events where the quilt will be displayed, and the young men will be engaged to talk about their work with leaders and citizens across Springfield. The goal of these events is to spark community conversations about what Springfield needs to do to address the issues raised by these young men and their quilt and build greater peace in our community.
The Springfield Outlet/Rotary quilt also be on display at national quilting expositions and museums along with the estimated 45 other community quilts created to date by SJSA to give voice to those who are often not heard by their communities and country.
The insights and high level of engagement of participants was amazing to hear and see. One retired veteran teacher/quilter called it “one of the most meaningful things I have ever done.” Everyone involved from SJSA organizers to Outlet staff, to Rotary and quilter volunteers came away in awe of the young men’s work as well as energized and motivated to make sure their message was heard far and wide to spark change.
We celebrated Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park on July 13. Thanks to all who bought and sold tickets. Springfield and District leadership were well represented by the founder of the this event and Past District Governor Rod Buffington (Rotary Club of Springfield), Past District Governor Brian Barstead (Springfield Sunrise), District Governor Dan O'Brien (Rotary Club of Carlinville), and past District Governor Tony Williams (Springfield Sunrise) and his granddaughter (image above, listed from left to right). Dan O/Brien and Tony Williams both threw out first pitches. Following Rod's sage advice, Tony intentionally let his pitch bounce so the souvenir ball would have dirt on it, thus increasing its value.
Springfield ticket sales were strong, and the passenger bus arranged by Rod Buffington was nearly full, and many participants drove on their own. The first inning held our attention, with the Cards scoring 9 of their 11 points, essentially winning the game. They ultimately smeared the cubs 11-3. It was a hot afternoon and by the fourth inning, even the diehards (images to left and below) decided to retreat to shaded seats.
Numerous club members participated and continued to enjoy the game from the stands (image on right and images below). Special thanks are due to Bill Sturm (image on right) who purchased baseball tickets for youth from The Outlet. One of the supervisors from The Outlet told us that their group came early and gave participants a chance to see the St. Louis Arch and some of the architecture of the city. They wisely sat in shaded seats and enjoyed the trip to St. Louis and the game.
At our July 8 Club meeting, Bill Kempiners reported that a host family has been found for one inbound exchange student from Japan who will arrive in the coming year. He also reported that we have two potential outbound exchange students for the year after next. Future report will come from Travis Magulias who is now our Director of Youth Services.
Please remember that we are including 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.
July 22, 2024 Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Nicholas Putra Sedijotomo (P.S.): My Experiences in the United States as a Rotary Inbound Exchange Student
The Rotary Exchange Student that we have sponsored over the last academic year will speak about his experiences in the Springfield area, Illinois, and other areas of the United States that he has visited.
Little Libraries are free book exchanges that aim to expand book access within our communities. The prevailing concept of “take a book, share a book” reigns.
Our Club supports this literacy initiative and has helped build up the Little Library system in our community. We continue to help Little Libraries at six locations remain stocked with books. The locations are as follows:
1. St. John’s Breadline, 430 North 5th Street;
2. Springfield Firehouse No. 5/“The First Black Firehouse,” 1310 East Adams Street (shown in the image above);
3. Ridgely Elementary School, 2040 North 8th Street;
4. Enos Elementary School, 524 West Elliott Avenue;
5. iMagicNation site, 16th and Spruce, NorthEast corner; and,
6. The Outlet, 3306 South 6th Street.
On Tuesday June 4, Allie Montney and I visited these Little Libraries and added additional books to their existing stock (image on left and below). If you are interested in helping stock books, please contact Allie Montney at onedirtymartini@gmail.com.
Here's your chance to be a pantry superhero! Join John Webb and I in stocking the Ridgely Elementary School micro pantry for two weeks. Your commitment will ensure that families and children have access to essential items when they need them most. Whether it's a can of soup, a box of cereal, or toiletries, your contribution will brighten someone's day. Reach out to Allie Montney at onedirtymartini@gmail.com or call 217-494-6901 to become a beacon of hope for those in need. Every item you place on those shelves is a small gesture that collectively makes a huge impact!
Thank you for signing up for a micro pantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve. Below are the details including the location of the pantry, and suggestions on items to collect and distribute. If you are unable to complete your shift, please reach out and we'll work on a better period of time to meet your needs. If you have suggestions for future volunteers, please let me know and we'll adapt the program along the way.
Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Main entrance to the school (look for the yellow and purple pantry by the front doors).
The image below shows the location of the pantry at the entrance to the school.
These suggestions came from people who use food pantries to help feed their families.
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter, which is difficult to get from regular food banks. 2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of. 3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles. 4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.* 5. Oil is a luxury and needed for Rice a-Roni, which they also get a lot of. 6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Holiday gift. 7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores. 10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some. 11. They rarely get fresh meat. 12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch. 13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread. 15. Butter or margarine is nice too. 16. Eggs are a real commodity. 17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake. 18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.
Time Commitment: Two consecutive weeks (1-2 restocking visits per week), The image below shows a fully stocked pantry.
The image below shows me stocking an empty micropantry on June 4. We will hopefully be developing a new schedule to cover summer. Let me know if you are interested in taking a shift.
Micro Pantry Coordinator: Allie Montney with assistance from John Webb
Phone 217-494-6901 (for the quickest response, please text)
Things I've noticed that may be helpful: Stocking the pantry on a weekend or after 4:00PM during the weekdays means less people and easier to get a parking spot. Ask friends and family to donate unused household items for the pantry that you can collect. If purchasing bags of fresh fruit or veggies, stock them individually so that more in need can take what they need. It's going to be freezing outside soon, so consider if the items will no longer be good if frozen. ALDI grocery stores have prices that cannot be beat.
At our January 8 Board and Club meetings, President Travis reported that our 2023-2024 Club's Community Service Director, Madeline Boner had resigned as Community Service Director and from our Club because her job is requiring more work than she had anticipated. We wish her the best in her career and hope that she will be able to come back to us in the future when the duties of life and work are perhaps a little less demanding. We thank all the volunteers who gave and are giving generously of their time on service projects this fall and over the holiday season. Work on our ongoing service projects continues, and we thank all who have stepped up to help coordinate these activities. Megan Reynolds has been coordinating some volunteer activities in the interim.
April 26 United Way Spring Day of Action
Special thanks to the club members who volunteered at the Mini O'Beirne Crisis Nursery as a part of the United Way Day of Action. See article by John Webb for images of volunteers at this event..
Stocking our Little Libraries
Allison Montney (onedirtymartini@gmail.com) and John Webb (jwebb.dr@gmail.com) have joined forces to take on the important task of coordinating the stocking of our Little Libraries. We previously built a series of Little Libraries with a support from a District Club Grant and secured a large number of books that were donated by a group in St. Louis. The books are stored in the Computer Banc warehouse. They have requested that club members bring in books to supplement the donated books stored in the Computer Banc warehouse. More information will be provided in a future Newsletter
The image of the Little Library at Ridgely School (to the left) clearly shows that this little library needed to be regularly stocked. Thanks to Allison and John for coordinating this project and ensuring that it is well stocked. Let them know if you would like to help.
We also need to help keep our newest Little Library at the old Firehouse well stocked with books (image below)! We thank Kathryn Harris for her work and promotion for this Little Library, which is right across the street from her home! If you would like to help stock this little library and any of the others we have installed in Springfield, please contact Allison and John.
Stocking of the Ridgely School Micropantry
We previously installed a Micropantry at Ridgely Elementary School (our adopted school) with support from a District Grant. At our October 23 meeting, Allison Montney volunteered to coordinate the stocking of this micropantry with food, cleaning, and toiletry items. She will be re-establishing the system for volunteers to sign up to stock the pantry for a two week period, and John Webb has also volunteered to help with this project. If you would like to volunteer to stock this important and regularly used pantry, please let Allison know (onedirtymartini@gmail.com) as soon as possible. More information is provided in Allie's article in this Newsletter.
Flag Service
Please consider volunteering for the Flag Service project in 2024. We thank the volunteers who helped with charging the solar lights for the Memorial day installation and those who have already volunteered to take on responsibilities for this project.
Flag Installation for the 2024 Memorial Day Holiday
Flags were installed for the Memorial Day Holiday (May 27, 2024) starting on May 20 and were completed by May 24.
Flag Removal, Storage, and Final Deployment
Flags will be removed following the July 4 Holiday (starting on July 8) and will be stored in the warehouse until our final deployment in late August before Labor Day (September 2) and will remain in place until after Patriots Day (September 11). Then the flags will be removed and stored in the warehouse for the winter.
Please contact John Loftus (jlloftus@aol.com) if you would like to help with any aspect of our Flag Service project. It's rewarding and raises lots of money for our community grants program!
Citrus Campaign
As noted by our Warehouse Czar Bill Smith, the 2023 campaign was successful and raised monies for our community grants program. We thank all the Rotarians who ordered and sold citrus, and all those who worked on the planning of the campaign and in the warehouse.
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? The Rotarians in this image are helping pack essential items for the Illinois Police Department to give to homeless individuals in our community. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our online Membership Applicationin a new window. You can also click on this link to download an electronic copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) in the Download Files section. You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at hmitchell11@comcast.net. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please remember to report your service hours and related contributions. Travis Magoulias has added the 2023-2024 Rotary Year to the form. You will be able to enter your hours now and correctly assign them to the correct Rotary Calendar year. Just follow this link:
Please email images of service activities to Bonnie Styles at bonstyles@yahoo.com. It's easy to take pictures if you have a smartphone, but even an old style camera works just fine. Send me an email (bonstyles@yahoo.com) to let me know when you will be volunteering for a service project, and I will come out and take some images.
Be sure to turn in your hours for any volunteering that you do on behalf of Rotary.
The image shows Barry Tobias installing the conduit for a flag in May for a new customer for the 2024 Rotary Flag Service Project.
The images on the left and below show John Webb volunteering at the Animal Protective League's Donuts and Dogs Fundraiser. Service has its rewards, sometimes including a donut.
Marty Michelson and others Flag Service Committee members reported that the Golden Corral Buffet Restaurant in Springfield made special arrangements to display 30 flags. Club members installed these flags (image above and on left), and they were not removed following the fourth of July holiday. They make a beautiful display around the building and numerous diners have commented positively on the flags. This set of flags will be left in place through Veterans Day. Thanks to Barry Tobias for providing these images.
For three nights about 25 participants (a) talked about what it means to be an African American male in Springfield and America (b) worked with SJSA staff and experienced quilters to translate the ideas and emotions sparked by those discussions into visual images imprinted onto quilt squares and (c) created artist statements expressing what their squares meant to them (images above and on left provided by The Outlet). Each of the young men were given a copy of the book “Stitching Stolen Lives” authored by one of our SJSA partners (image below provided by The Outlet) and a picture of themselves with their square.
Springfield ticket sales were strong, and the passenger bus arranged by Rod Buffington was nearly full, and many participants drove on their own. The first inning held our attention, with the Cards scoring 9 of their 11 points, essentially winning the game. They ultimately smeared the cubs 11-3. It was a hot afternoon and by the fourth inning, even the diehards (images to left and below) decided to retreat to shaded seats.
Numerous club members participated and continued to enjoy the game from the stands (image on right and images below). Special thanks are due to Bill Sturm (image on right) who purchased baseball tickets for youth from The Outlet. One of the supervisors from The Outlet told us that their group came early and gave participants a chance to see the St. Louis Arch and some of the architecture of the city. They wisely sat in shaded seats and enjoyed the trip to St. Louis and the game.
Nicholas Putra Sedijotomo (P.S.): My Experiences in the United States as a Rotary Inbound Exchange Student 
On Tuesday June 4, Allie Montney and I visited these Little Libraries and added additional books to their existing stock (image on left and below). If you are interested in helping stock books, please contact Allie Montney at 
The images on the left and below show John Webb volunteering at the Animal Protective League's Donuts and Dogs Fundraiser. Service has its rewards, sometimes including a donut.
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