We had a joyous December full of fellowship and goodwill. On December 1, our speaker, new member Miranda Smith, pivoted to a WEBEX presentation because of a snow storm and treacherous highways. She gave an excellent overview of Emerald Gardens, the nonprofit she founded. On December 9, the Springfield Rotary Clubs gathered for a holiday party and dinner and were joined by our District Governor Bill Knake (lead image). On December 15, State Capitol Architect Andrea Aggertt updated our club about the exciting renovations at the Illinois Capitol Builiding in Springfield. At our next meeting on January 5, our speaker, Chris Richmond, will provide an update on the Pillsbury Project. Read about all these activities and more in this Newsletter.
As we close out 2025, December provided a meaningful and joyful finish that was filled with service, learning, generosity, and fellowship.
Members served our community at Schnucks in Montvale Plaza by ringing bells at red kettles to raise money in support of the Salvation Army (image above) and by participating in the week-long Springfield Rotary Blood Drive at ImpactLife (image to left). We also came together for Giving Tuesday to support the Rotary Foundation, supported youth in need through the Rutledge Youth Foundation Angel Tree (see story in this Newsletter), and ensured books filled the Little Library at St. John’s Breadline thanks to member Allison Montney’s Christmas Eve visit (image below).
We concluded our annual citrus sale fundraiser (first image below and story in this Newsletter) and were grateful to support the Central Illinois Foodbank with 162 forty-pound cartons of oranges donated through this project (second image below).
We are excited to be recipients of a $1,000 Rotary District Literacy grant. This grant will help us provide board books for children ages 0–3 in targeted communities identified by Word Up.
December also brought inspiring programs. Andrea Aggertt, the Architect of the State Capitol, returned to update us on the remarkable progress at the Illinois State Capitol, highlighting renovations that balance historic preservation with modern accessibility and infrastructure (first image below). We were also inspired by member Miranda Smith, who shared the mission of Emerald Gardens, her Taylorville-based nonprofit creating spaces that promote food security, literacy, healing, and community connection—along with many volunteer opportunities (second image below).
We also learned from member Barry Tobias about services on the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce website and various Chamber events that can help further integrate our Club and our services within our community.
Fellowship was front and center at the 2025 All-Club Holiday Party (first image below), where great conversation, festive food, music from Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestra members (second and third images below), and the presence of District 6460 Governor Bill Knake (lead image) made for a memorable evening.
We also proudly selected Sonthana Thongsithavong (image on left) as our 2025 Paul Harris Community Award recipient for a lifetime of service rooted in Rotary values. This recognition will be presented at our annual Foundation Night in February 2026.
As we conclude December with our holiday break, we did so grateful for all we accomplished together in 2025. Looking ahead, January’s Rotary International theme is Vocational Service, and we are well positioned to begin 2026 with purpose and momentum.
Thank you for your commitment, service, and generosity—it has been both fun and an honor to serve as your President.
info@spirotary.org changed the Webex meeting information for Rotary Year 2025-2026.
When it's time, join the Webex meeting here.
Club meetings scheduled for Maldaners Upstairs generally occur on Mondays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
5:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada) | and last for 1 hr. 30 mins. These meetings are accessible online by using the link provide below. We will be scheduling some noon meetings at Maldaners and some off-site, evening social hours during 2026. Check the website Home Page (spirotary.org) , Facebook, and Upcoming Programs and Events in the Monthly Newsletter for locations and times of club meetings.
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 staff at Maldaner's access to the view, so it will help them 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).
At our first meeting in December, we were inspired by Miranda Smith, President and Co-Founder of Emerald Gardens, - and one of the newest members of our Club - who joined us via WebEx from Taylorville because of the snowy weather.
Miranda shared how her passion for helping others comes to life through her innovative Taylorville-based nonprofit. Situated on 18 acres of reclaimed farmland near Lake Taylorville, Emerald Gardens is building themed spaces that foster belonging, education, healing, and food security.
From The Meeting Place for outdoor community and social connection, to Gardens of Generosity offering community plots in support of efforts addressing food insecurity, to Story Book Land (complete with Billy Goat Bridge and Troll!) promoting youth literacy, to the upcoming Memory Gardens Orchard honoring loved ones—every part of Emerald Gardens is rooted in purpose.
Their progress is powered by grants, donations, and incredible volunteers, which encompass high school shop classes, National Honor Society students, seniors, and many others who’ve helped install raised beds and build garden structures.
Miranda invited our club to visit, and there are plenty of hands-on volunteer opportunities for anyone who wants to support this growing mission.
We are impressed both by Miranda’s long term vision and what she has currently accomplished to help those in need across a variety of sectors.
Holiday magic was in full swing as Springfield Rotarians came together for an unforgettable evening of fellowship and cheer. Great conversation, delicious food and drink, the warm presence of District 6460 Governor Bill Knake (image to left), and stunning music from two members of the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestra (Sebastian on piano and our inbound exchange student Eva on violin) filled Christ the King Parish Hall with joy during the 2025 All-Club Holiday Party. Rod Buffington provided special thanks to Sebastian and Eva for their wonderful performances (image below) and relayed his hope that all the Springfield Clubs will continue to come together for the Holiday Party and Dinner.
We offer special thanks to everyone who helped make this event successful. The planning committee included Rod Buffington (Committee Chair) and committee members Sheila Mack and Brandy Zanger (image on left). They organized the dinner, and arranged the excellent catering by Randy Williams and the entertainment. Sheila also designed the program, and Brandy also served as our bartender. Our Club Treasurer Jim Theis (first image below) collected reservations and payments for the dinner, and Our Club Secretary Marty Michelson handled the check-in at the event (second image below). Our Club President John Webb invited the other Springfield Clubs and assisted with introductions, comments, and overall hosting.
We also thank the members of our club who paid for dinners for members of our Interact and Rotaract Clubs so they could attend the event for free. We all agreed that it was wonderful to have these young people at the event (images below).
As the following images show, we all had a great time interacting with other club members and their significant others, eating a fine meal, and listening to beautiful music.
At our December 15 Club meeting, Illinois Capitol Architect Andrea Aggertt gave a fascinating look at the past, present, and future of the Illinois State Capitol!
When Andrea last spoke to our Club in March 2023, renovations at the Capitol were just getting underway. This past Monday, she returned with an exciting update—and the progress is impressive. Through photos and insights, Andrea walked us through the refurbishment and modernization of the Senate Chamber and West Wing floors, along with continued development of the new underground conference center.
These transformative upgrades, part of the Rebuild Illinois initiative, include enhanced accessibility, modern HVAC and security systems, improved office space, a new underground parking garage, and a welcoming public entrance—thoughtfully designed to preserve the Capitol’s historic character while preparing it for the future.
We appreciate Andrea’s oversight of this inspiring example of how we honor history while building for the long term future. I was happy to present her with our Rotary mug!
Marty Michelson extended thanks to our club for our long-term participation in the Rotary Youth Foundations Angel Tree project. John Webb provided the Rotary Youth Foundation's Social Media thank you to our club and other entities for supporting their angel tree program this holiday season (image below). As noted by President John Webb "it was our pleasure again supporting this meaningful program that brings holiday good tidings and cheer to the angels it benefits."
In December we wrapped up our 2025 Citrus Campaign. In December, warehouse manager Bill Smith worked long hours in the Citrus warehouse overseeing the delivery of the fruit, the volunteers making the half and half boxes of grapefruit and oranges, delivery of fruit to Rotarians and some customers, and customer pick-up of fruit on December 5 and 6. He provided regular updates on the issues and processes of the campaign. Even though we faced cost increases in fruit and had to raise the price (see previous Newsletters for details), Rotarians and our loyal customers continued to buy fruit and take advantage of the purchase of oranges for donation to the Central Illinois Foodbank.
As noted in the President's comments we donated 162 40-lb boxes of oranges purchased by Rotarians and our customers to the Central Illinois Foodbank. They distribute this fruit to foodbanks in central and southern Illinois. This year, PR Chair Bonnie Styles oversaw the transfer of fruit from Humphreys Market to the Central Illinois Foodbank (images on left and below) and worked with the Foodbank on a press and media releases. They shared a Facebook post on December 8 thanking the Rotary Club of Springfield, Springfield Sunrise, and Springfield South on their generous donations of the oranges. Styles shared the post on our club's Facebook Page. The donation of fresh fruit fulfills one of the Foodbanks goals to provide more fresh produce.
At Bill Smith's encouragement, members of our club purchased enough 40 lb. boxes of oranges to provide every student at Ridgely Elementary School with an orange. Ridgely Principal Jennifer Butcher sent a thank you note to our Club for providing the fresh oranges for the students and sent the pictures included below. The smiles warm our hearts.
The Rotary Club of Springfield has been an active supporter of The Rotary Foundation for many years. Among our club’s traditions are the Giving Circles. Groups of five members form a Circle, and each member donates $200 to The Rotary Foundation. Each $1000 donation allows one Circle participant to name a Paul Harris Fellow. The Circles rotate who makes the designation. The new Paul Harris Fellows are recognized at our annual Foundation Night held in February.
Who do Circle members recognize? The Paul Harris Fellows might be a spouse, sibling, child, close friend, co-worker, another Rotarian, or a member of our community who the Rotarian respects. It allows each of the Circle members to recognize and thank someone in a very special way. Each person recognized is presented with a Paul Harris Fellow pin, medallion (image to left), and certificate.
Over the past twenty years our Rotary Foundation Circles have raised over $125,000 for The Rotary Foundation. And we have been able to say thank you to over 100 wonderful new Paul Harris Fellows. This year our new Fellows will be recognized at our special Foundation Night meeting on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Now you can sign up to volunteer to fill the Ridgely Micropantry by using the Signup Genius App. Just download the app and sign up for a one week or two week timeframe that works best for you or you and a friend. What a great way to make a difference. Thank you!
Ridgely Micro-Pantry: Winter and Spring Dates Added to SignUp Genius
Please consider signing up for a two-week commitment to stock the pantry or partner with a friend. The link provided takes you to the sign-up sheet located online using the SignUp Genius program. The Signup Genius link is listed below to sign up and allows you to reserve those dates and to also shows which timeframes are unfilled. The app will also send you a reminder closer to your volunteer date.
New! One Week Shifts
There are several shifts that will only be one week in length instead of two making an appearance on this list during high traffic times around the holidays for the weeks of December 22, December 29 and March 30. We are testing this concept. Rotarians might have trouble committing to a two-week period around the holidays due to their own schedule but perhaps they could commit to a one-week timeframe. Also, typically the demand is higher around the holidays so keeping the pantry stocked during that timeframe for one week is a big enough task-and greatly appreciated!
School Address:
Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Micro Pantry Location
The Rotary Micro pantry is located on the east side of the building by the main entrance. It is a purple and yellow cabinet.
Sign-up Genius: Volunteer Link (download the app):
The Rotary Club of Springfield has agreed to host a Foreign Exchange Student for the school year 2025-2026. We are looking for one more host family to serve one semester of the school year, preferably with Springfield or Southeast High School boundaries.
We now know that the student will be a female from Taiwan. Preferably the host family will have a high-school aged student, but that is not a requirement. Single family hosts are allowed pending approval by both the student and the student's parents. Because the student is a female, I cannot serve as her Youth Exchange Counselor so we are also looking for a female Rotarian to serve in that capacity. Let me know if you are interested.
Please think of family and friends you think may be interested in hosting a Foreign Exchange student, preferable three if you can think of that many. You or they may contact me for additional information. My email is bkemp1100@hotmail.com, or phone 217-494-7467.
Finding host families has become difficult, so I would appreciate any assistance you can provide. I am attaching a list of host family requirements. Please note that COVID inoculations are no longer required.
I sincerely appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Please remember that we are including some noon meetings at Maldaners and social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed in 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.
January 5, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Chris Richmond: Update on the Pillsbury Project.
January 12, 2026. Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Program to be announced
January 19, 2026 No Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners. Club members who have purchased a ticket are participating in the Martinl Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast
This annual event is sponsored by Springfield Frontiers International and this year's theme is "Have you stopped dreaming?" The Breakfast will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL). The featured speaker is Erika Herold, Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. Our Club has reserved at table for the ticketed club members.
January 26, 2026, Rotary Club of Springfield Meeting at Maldaners, LUNCH
Program to be announced
February 2, 2025 No Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
February 9, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Taichi Fukumura and Trevor Othmann: The Illnois Symphony Orchestra
February 16, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, LUNCH
Speaker to be announced
February 23, 2026, Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Foundation Night: Paul Harris Fellow Presentation, including the Paul Harris Community Fellow
You can sign up using the new Sign-Up Genius online system featured in the above article by Ken Gilmore. We are now signing up one to two individuals for each slot.
I appreciate your help!
Thank you for signing up for a micropantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve.
Members who have supported this program realize the price of food and other products stocked in the pantry have become more expensive. Under a new program, a member may be reimbursed up to $100 when a purchase is made for the food pantry. Funding for this reimbursement was made possible by donations in the amount $1,739, which were received at the Rotary Open House last December that I hosted at my home
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.
The image below shows a fully stocked pantry.
The image below shows me stocking an empty micropantry on June 4.
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.
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. You will be able to enter your hours 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 images below show Bonnie Styles stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from December 8-21. Bonnie's purchases of food were supplement by several donations of food coordinated by the Springfield Micropantry Group, which she belongs to. Her husband Tom, daughter Megan and son Todd when he was in town for the holidays, all assisted her with stocking. Each time Bonnie stocked the pantry there was nothing left except for a few cans of green beans and some cans and bags of beans. These experiences demonstrate the serious need for the micropantry in the area surrounding Ridgely School. We also thank Vicki Megginson and Allie Montney for stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from November 24-December 7, and Brandy Zanger for also stocking food from a food drive at her workplace, as well as John Loftus who stocked the pantry from December 22 through 31. If you haven't signed up for a shift, you can sign up using the link in the article by Community Services Director Ken Gilmore in this Newsletter.
Members served our community at Schnucks in Montvale Plaza by ringing bells at red kettles to raise money in support of the Salvation Army (image above) and by participating in the week-long Springfield Rotary Blood Drive at ImpactLife (image to left). We also came together for Giving Tuesday to support the Rotary Foundation, supported youth in need through the Rutledge Youth Foundation Angel Tree (see story in this Newsletter), and ensured books filled the Little Library at St. John’s Breadline thanks to member Allison Montney’s Christmas Eve visit (image below).
We also proudly selected Sonthana Thongsithavong (image on left) as our 2025 Paul Harris Community Award recipient for a lifetime of service rooted in Rotary values. This recognition will be presented at our annual Foundation Night in February 2026. 
At our first meeting in December, we were inspired by Miranda Smith, President and Co-Founder of 
We offer special thanks to everyone who helped make this event successful. The planning committee included Rod Buffington (Committee Chair) and committee members Sheila Mack and Brandy Zanger (image on left). They organized the dinner, and arranged the excellent catering by Randy Williams and the entertainment. Sheila also designed the program, and Brandy also served as our bartender. Our Club Treasurer Jim Theis (first image below) collected reservations and payments for the dinner, and Our Club Secretary Marty Michelson handled the check-in at the event (second image below). Our Club President John Webb invited the other Springfield Clubs and assisted with introductions, comments, and overall hosting. 
As noted in the President's comments we donated 162 40-lb boxes of oranges purchased by Rotarians and our customers to the Central Illinois Foodbank. They distribute this fruit to foodbanks in central and southern Illinois. This year, PR Chair Bonnie Styles oversaw the transfer of fruit from Humphreys Market to the Central Illinois Foodbank (images on left and below) and worked with the Foodbank on a press and media releases. They shared a Facebook post on December 8 thanking the Rotary Club of Springfield, Springfield Sunrise, and Springfield South on their generous donations of the oranges. Styles shared the post on our club's Facebook Page. The donation of fresh fruit fulfills one of the Foodbanks goals to provide more fresh produce.
At Bill Smith's encouragement, members of our club purchased enough 40 lb. boxes of oranges to provide every student at Ridgely Elementary School with an orange. Ridgely Principal Jennifer Butcher sent a thank you note to our Club for providing the fresh oranges for the students and sent the pictures included below. The smiles warm our hearts.
Who do Circle members recognize? The Paul Harris Fellows might be a spouse, sibling, child, close friend, co-worker, another Rotarian, or a member of our community who the Rotarian respects. It allows each of the Circle members to recognize and thank someone in a very special way. Each person recognized is presented with a Paul Harris Fellow pin, medallion (image to left), and certificate. 
The images below show Bonnie Styles stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from December 8-21. Bonnie's purchases of food were supplement by several donations of food coordinated by the Springfield Micropantry Group, which she belongs to. Her husband Tom, daughter Megan and son Todd when he was in town for the holidays, all assisted her with stocking. Each time Bonnie stocked the pantry there was nothing left except for a few cans of green beans and some cans and bags of beans. These experiences demonstrate the serious need for the micropantry in the area surrounding Ridgely School. We also thank Vicki Megginson and Allie Montney for stocking the Ridgely School Micropantry from November 24-December 7, and Brandy Zanger for also stocking food from a food drive at her workplace, as well as John Loftus who stocked the pantry from December 22 through 31. If you haven't signed up for a shift, you can sign up using the link in the article by Community Services Director Ken Gilmore in this Newsletter. 
