Bring a few prospective members to our November 7 New Members Night to learn more about the vast benefits of being a Rotarian and help them imagine Rotary (see Upcoming Programs and Events below). Our October 31 presentation by Ryan McCrady, CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, updated us on the Scheels Sports Park and other initiatives (see President's Comments below).
Ryan McCrady (image on left), President and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, was the featured speaker at our Club meeting on Monday, October 31. He gave an eloquent and detailed presentation regarding economic development underway in Springfield and Sangamon County. He emphasized that an integral part of any comprehensive approach toward economic development is promotion of “quality of life” in the Springfield area. Any enterprise that considers locating in our city or county is highly concerned with the kind of community this is and the attitudes of people who reside here.
He also noted the importance of regional planning in moving economic development opportunities forward. He works closely with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, with Moving Pillsbury Forward, and with other regional development officers in Central Illinois. Ryan also provided an update on the scope of the Scheels’ Sports Park, which will include an enclosed all-season sporting arena, and is slated for ground-breaking within the next year.
Prospective New Members Night on November 7
Take note that on Monday, November 7, we will host an informal evening to highlight our Rotary activities with prospective new members and help them imagine Rotary. Hors d’oeuvres will be served that evening in lieu of our usual buffet dinner. Be sure to invite friends and colleagues who you think would enjoy being Rotarians.
November 14 Social Night
In two weeks, on November 14, we will have another Social Night, so be prepared to participate in an engaging evening with your fellow Rotarians. The program will feature a special celebrity guest from Philadelphia who will enlighten us on the City of Brotherly Love (see Upcoming Programs and Events for more information on this program).
Our special November 7 club meeting will be hybrid with the opportunity to participate in person at Maldaners Upstairs and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks or participate online and provide your own snacks. Pleasemake a reservation if you are planning to join us in person! Please also note that we will not be serving our traditional buffet dinner on November 7.
Please make reservations for participating in person so we can estimate our food needs for the hors d'oeuvres and so Maldaners knows you are coming. The deadline for reserving hors d'oeuvres for the November 7 meeting is Monday, November 7 at noon. The cost is $15 per person. Please list your guests and include the number of guests you are bringing in your reservation. Make your reservation by clicking:
The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) notified our club they have selected James Biggers as the recipient of our annual Francis Wenzel scholarship. Our club supports annual scholarships to UIS and Lincoln Land Community College. This year's scholarships are for $1500 each. Our club funds these scholarships primarily through club contributions to brag-a-bucks and the 50-50 drawings. Our club’s support for the UIS scholarship was acknowledged at the November 2 UIS Scholarship Luncheon at the Student Union. Vicki Megginson represented us at that event, but James was unable to attend because he is doing his semester-long student observations in Florida.
James is working towards his bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education, with a minor in secondary education and a concentration in the math content area. After he graduates from UIS in 2023, he plans to teach math at the high school level, but will be qualified to teach grades from 5-12. He has already used his coursework at UIS to substitute teach in local schools, including Lanphier High School. He plans to use his degree to teach in an area stricken by poverty and suffering from a shortage of educational resources.
In his thank you letter, he noted that “As a motivated student and educator, I plan to put your scholarship to exemplary use. I am so incredibly appreciative of your donation. It is valued more than words can express.”
Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) has selected Jake Johnson (image above) as the recipient for our Club’s annual John Giavaras Scholarship. Our Club’s Springfield Rotary Foundation will be recognized for supporting this $1500 scholarship at the 2022 Scholarship Donor Appreciation Reception on November 15 at the Student Union at Lincoln Land Community College. Bonnie Styles will represent our club at that event and hopes to meet Jake.
We thought you would enjoy seeing the thank you letter Jake sent when LLCC notified him that he was receiving the 2022-2023 Rotary scholarship:
Thank you for choosing me for this scholarship. This will be greatly appreciated because it makes me one step closer to getting ready for my first year at LLCC!
I am a graduate of Nokomis High School and am pursuing Engineering (Civil, possibly). I would describe myself as being hardworking, determined and self-disciplined. My favorite subjects in school are definitely math and science. This scholarship will help so much this semester especially as my plan is to get through college with as little debt as possible and your contribution will help with that. I plan on working as hard as I can to ensure that I am the best person for this scholarship.
After LLCC, I plan to transfer to SIU-Edwardsville to continue my engineering coursework there.
Mark your calendar now and plan to bring some prospective members. Please join us for this special evening of friendship, hors d'oeuvres, and drinks to learn about Rotary. Bring along a friend or two. Visitors are welcome to join us to meet people of action in our club and explore the vast opportunities of membership in Rotary. Service is our mantra and our meetings are informative and fun. Lets help prospective members imagine Rotary and become Rotarians!
November 14 -- Social Night
A special celebrity guest from Philadelphia will present an original program on the Life, Language, and Culture in the City of Brotherly Love. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about Philadelphia from a true Philly fanatic or should we say a "Philly Phanatic" (image below).
November 21 -- Dr. Kent Redfield: Illinois Politics, Campaign Finance, and Other Issues
Dr. Kent Redfield is a professor emeritus of Political Science at UIS and is affiliated with the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) and the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS.
He has a BA in political science from the University of Utah and an MA and PhD in political science from the University of Washington. He has been engaged in research on the financing of political campaigns in Illinois and political ethics since 1991.
He has made hundreds of presentations on Illinois politics, money and politics, the legislative process, and lobbying. He provides political analysis and commentary for Illinois and national newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and on-line publications on a regular basis.
Dr. Redfield has authored a number of books, and articles on campaign finance, Illinois politics and political corruption. He is currently working with two co-authors on a revision of Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide, published in 2010.
November 28 -- Anne Moseley: The Sangamon Experience and Lincoln Studies
Anne Moseley leads the University of Illinois Springfield’s new Sangamon Experience historic exhibition and its Center for Lincoln Studies.
She previously worked as director and curator of the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. She has also worked as a project administrator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and at the Illinois Regional Archives Depository.
Sangamon Experience is a new exhibition telling the history of the Sangamon Region of central Illinois. It opened in January, 2020 in the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS.
The Center for Lincoln Studies will provide new opportunities for learning about Lincoln and the impact of his contributions. Moseley plans to engage historians in studying the legacy of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Studies Center.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a master’s degree in public history from the University of Illinois Springfield
December 13 -- Rotary Holiday Party
Mark Your Calendar for the Holiday Party. The holiday party has been scheduled at Christ the King on Tuesday, December 13. The time and entertainment will be announced later. Dinner will again be catered by Chef Randy.
Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) have officially made their way back outside the building for the community to use once again! Thanks to Vicki Megginson for the image above of the well-stocked micro pantry after she added nutritious food during her August shift. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With school back in session, families need these things now more than ever! We thank the Rotarians who signed up for a slot in August and September- August A- Bill Sturm, August B- Vicki Megginson, September A- Christine Banks, September B- Harry Mitchell. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able- https://www.growspringfield.org/gardendirectory. You can see from the image on left, also provided by Vicki Megginson, the Little Library needs more books.
Rotary Service Volunteer Corp
We would like to start an email list that will get sent to members of the community who may not have the time or monetary capability to become Rotarians but would like to help those who need it most, and we need your help collecting names and organizations who may be interested in receiving those emails! We will utilize Sign Up Genius to fill slots, and we encourage all ages to join this unique volunteer opportunity. I am working on getting a flyer together, but in the mean time, please send over any leads you have to Megan at mnorman@familiadental.com.
Ringing the Bells for Salvation Army
We will be ringing the bells for Salvation Army on Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3 at Schnuck's at Montvale Plaza. We need two volunteers for each shift. We are scheduling one hour shifts on December 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on December 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A sign up sheet was passed around at our October 24 meeting. Let me know if you would like to sign up. The image on the right is from last year!
One Stop Shopping Event
There will be opportunities to donate wrapping paper for the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and Crisis Nursery holiday event. This One Stop Shopping event will be held Friday, December 16 all day at White Oaks Mall. If you want to volunteer you can sign up for a 2 hour and 15 minute shift. Some volunteers will wrap presents, and some will serve as personal shoppers.
We are repeating a list of suggestions of foods and other items to stock in the Ridgely Food Pantry. 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.
* At our November 29 club meeting, Ross Hodel reported that he followed this advice and stocked numerous can openers in the Ridgely Pantry. He noted that they were quickly snapped up.
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 Membership Application in a new window. You can also download a 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 illinoisdelta@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
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 Flag Service Project hours, Central IL Foodbank hours, chicken fundraiser hours (image below), and any other volunteer hours that you have not reported. We thank Alec Tobias for frequently joining his dad Barry on our service projects.
Ryan McCrady (image on left), President and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, was the featured speaker at our Club meeting on Monday, October 31. He gave an eloquent and detailed presentation regarding economic development underway in Springfield and Sangamon County. He emphasized that an integral part of any comprehensive approach toward economic development is promotion of “quality of life” in the Springfield area. Any enterprise that considers locating in our city or county is highly concerned with the kind of community this is and the attitudes of people who reside here. 
In two weeks, on November 14, we will have another Social Night, so be prepared to participate in an engaging evening with your fellow Rotarians. The program will feature a special celebrity guest from Philadelphia who will enlighten us on the City of Brotherly Love (see Upcoming Programs and Events for more information on this program).
Mark your calendar now and plan to bring some prospective members. Please join us for this special evening of friendship, hors d'oeuvres, and drinks to learn about Rotary. Bring along a friend or two. Visitors are welcome to join us to meet people of action in our club and explore the vast opportunities of membership in Rotary. Service is our mantra and our meetings are informative and fun. Lets help prospective members imagine Rotary and become Rotarians!
Dr. Kent Redfield is a professor emeritus of Political Science at UIS and is affiliated with the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) and the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS. 
Anne Moseley leads the University of Illinois Springfield’s new 
Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) have officially made their way back outside the building for the community to use once again! Thanks to Vicki Megginson for the image above of the well-stocked micro pantry after she added nutritious food during her August shift. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With school back in session, families need these things now more than ever! We thank the Rotarians who signed up for a slot in August and September- August A- Bill Sturm, August B- Vicki Megginson, September A- Christine Banks, September B- Harry Mitchell. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able- 
We will be ringing the bells for Salvation Army on Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3 at Schnuck's at Montvale Plaza. We need two volunteers for each shift. We are scheduling one hour shifts on December 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on December 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A sign up sheet was passed around at our October 24 meeting. Let me know if you would like to sign up. The image on the right is from last year!
.png)
