May was another amazing month. It culminated on May 30 with a spectacularly well attended Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park in Busch Stadium in St. Louis. This event featured Rotary leaders from the local, district, and international levels including Larry Lunsford, who has been selected as the 2027-2028 Rotary International President (standing next to the mascot in the lead image). The president's comments and the articles in this Newsletter summarize some of our major programs and accomplishments during this month. Join us for our June 1 club meeting in Maldaners to hear about the experiences of Eva Pan, our high school inbound Rotary Exchange Student.
As we reflect on May, Rotary International’s Youth Service Month, our Club partook in opportunities to celebrate youth leadership while continuing our commitment to service, fellowship, and community investment throughout Springfield.
This month, we proudly recognized our Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students as they received their scholarship certificates. Through RYE, students gain the opportunity to study abroad, experience new cultures, and build lifelong friendships while serving as ambassadors of goodwill. We congratulate Juliana, Thien, Addie, and Lilly and thank our members and the Bellatti-Kincaid Rotary Exchange Fund for making these experiences possible.
We also celebrated the 25th Rotary Family Day at the Ballpark. Numerous Rotary leaders were recognized before the game (lead image, from left to right) including leaders from District 6460: Rod Buffington (Past District Governor and founder of Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park), Brian Barstead (Past District Governor), Bill Knake (Current District Governor), Musonda Kapatamoyo (District Governor Elect), as well as special guests Jill and Larry Lunsford. Jill and Larry of the Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO are Major Donors, Bequest Society Members, multiple Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation (TRF), and Sustaining Members. Larry has previously served as a District Governor, an RI Director, and as a Trustee and Vice Chair of TRF, and has received their Distinguished Service Award and Citation for Meritorious Service and the RI Service Above Self Award. He has been selected to serve as the 2027-2028 Rotary International President. He had the distinct honor of throwing the first pitch before the game (image below).
At a special Meet and Greet in the stadium before the game (image on left), our Youth Exchange students, Interactors, and chaperones (first and second images below) and other Rotarians (third image below), including our President Elect Ken Gilmore and his sister Brooke and brother-in-law Steve (both are Rotarians from Rogers, AK) had the opportunity to hear from and meet Larry Lunsford.
Despite our mixed allegiances between the Cardinals and Cubs, Rotarians from across District 6460 came together in fellowship (images below) to support the District’s literacy initiatives. This occasion is a wonderful reminder of Rotary’s ability to unite us in service.
We will transition into June being inspired by remarks from Eva Pan, our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student from Taiwan. At our June 1 club meeting, she will share her reflections and observations on her time in Springfield and the United States, hopefully including her high school prom in Springfield (image below). This presentation will be a meaningful reminder of Rotary’s power to build global understanding and connection.
May also reflected our Club’s ongoing investment in the Springfield community.
Through our Rotary Flag Service Program, volunteers once again placed flags and solar lights across Springfield ahead of Memorial Day (images to left and below), helping both celebrate patriotism and fund community grants that support local nonprofits. Members also continued supporting Ridgely Elementary School, our adopted school since 1991, by restocking the school’s MicroPantry for students and families facing food insecurity (2nd image below).
During the month, we were honored to recognize fellow Rotarian Tim Granzeau with Emeritus Status for nearly 40 years of dedicated service to our Club and community. Tim’s leadership and compassion exemplify Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” For more information, see the article by Randy Erford in this Newsletter.
May also provided meaningful opportunities for fellowship and community connection, from our social gathering at Gabatoni’s Italian Restaurant (first and second image below) to attending the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s season finale (third image below), celebrating Springfield’s vibrant arts community.
As June, Rotary International’s Rotary Fellowship Month, begins, we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationships and partnerships that make our Club and community so special. Our June 8 Club meeting will feature our annual grants night, when we will proudly recognize the nonprofit organizations receiving support through our Club’s yearly fundraising efforts. It is always inspiring to see the impact these organizations make throughout Springfield and how Rotary’s spirit of service continues to improve lives across our community.
As we move toward the close of the Rotary year, let us carry forward the same energy and optimism with which we began it and continue to make a meaningful difference together.
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 the invitation of the Sangamon County Board, numerous members of our club and from the District (images above and below) attended the May 12 opening for two special baseball exhibitions in the Springfield Art Association's Art Gallery in the Sangamon County Building in Springfield. The Sangamon County Historical Society created an exhibition highlighting "100 years of Women's Baseball and Softball in Sangamon County." The Springfield Art Association exhibition featured "Rod Buffington's Baseball Artwork and Baseball Memorabilia." The two exhibits were installed in the gallery to highlight that Springfield and Robin Roberts Stadium will be the site for the games of a new women's baseball league beginning in August. Betsy Dollar, Executive Director of the Springfield Art Association, and Rod Buffington both spoke about Rod's baseball artwork during the reception.
Brandy Zanger and Kay Powell participated in another bed building event for Sleep in Heavenly Peace on May 16, 2026. They both helped prepare wood for beds that are being assembled for children. We are thankful that they were able to volunteer for this bed-building event. Brandy reported that the goal for the group was to complete 25 beds during the day, but they were only able to complete 10 because of a storm.
At our Club meeting on May 18, we welcomed Sarah Dillingham of R&R Bindery Service, Inc. as our guest speaker!
Sarah shared the fascinating story of her family’s bookbinding business, which has been family-owned since 1978 and grown from a garage in Virden, Illinois into a state-of-the-art bindery and print facility in Girard. She highlighted the various types of book making services R & R offers. She also joked that she first went to “work” at the bindery when she was only two weeks old!
Before joining the family business, Sarah spent 21 years in education as a teacher and reading specialist, helping students develop a love for reading and the written word. With advanced degrees in Educational Leadership and Administration, she brought a unique perspective on the evolving role of books in today’s classrooms.
Sarah discussed how traditional books continue to serve as vital tools for classroom instruction, curriculum support, academic reference, and deep reading. While digital learning provides convenience and portability, physical books still play an important role in promoting focus, comprehension, and retention, leading many schools to adopt a balanced hybrid approach.
She also shared the impressive scale of the family business, noting that R&R Bindery produced and served approximately 4.5 million books last year alone. This volume of production is a testament to the continued importance of quality printed materials in education and beyond.
To top it off, Sarah generously brought beautifully crafted journals and bookmarks for members to take home for personal use. Our Club appreciated this thoughtful reminder of the enduring value and joy of the printed page.
Thank you Sarah for sharing your family’s incredible legacy and your insights into the future of books and education!
At our Club meeting on May 18, we honored our friend, Tim Granzeau, who has been a member of this Club for nearly 40 years. We bestowed upon him Emeritus Status in recognition of all he has done over the years to benefit this Club and the community at large.
He has served this Club as President during 1997-98 and also as King of Citrus for our annual Rotary Citrus Fundraiser (back before Bill Smith became the current de facto King of Citrus in Perpetuity).
Tim and his wife, Lib (images above and below), each served for many years as tutors for students at Ridgely School here in Springfield and more recently during the Pandemic they established on behalf of the Club an Emergency Clothing Fund for Ridgely Elementary to ensure that all Ridgely students would have warm clothing appropriate for our Central Illinois winter.
During his term as President, Tim made two significant nominations that resulted in Rotary District 6460 awards, including establishing the Jean Harris Award for significant contributions to the development and progress of women and the District’s Leader Bell Award to Robert Bellatti for outstanding leadership achievements in all four avenues of Rotary service.
It should also be noted that in advance of our Club’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2013, Tim authored a History of the Rotary Club of Springfield, recounting the Club’s many activities, including those of all Rotary Clubs in Springfield during that time period.
All members stood and applauded, and we invited Tim to make a few remarks in acceptance of this award (image below).
President John Webb presented Tim with a special plaque recognizing his Emeritus Status in appreciation for his contributions to our Club (image below).
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.
June 1, 2026 Rotary Club Meeting
Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Eva Pan: My Time in Springfield and the U.S. as a Rotary Exchange Student
Join us to hear Eva, our Rotary Exchange student from Taiwan, speak about her high school and other experiences in Springfield and the United States
June 8, 2026 Rotary Club Meeting
Maldaners Upstairs, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Rotary Grants Night
Bill Smith, Springfield Rotary Foundation Treasurer, will present grant checks to representatives from nonprofit organizations who were selected for grant funding by the Springfield Rotary Foundation Board. Funding for these grant projects was made possible through our club's fundraising activities including the annual citrus sale and our flag service project. Join us to meet the grant recipients and hear what the grants will support.
June 15, 2026 No Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Join us for an Off-site Club Event at the LRS Hangar
820 S Airport Drive, Springfield IL
5:00-7:00 p.m.
LRS Pilot Jeff Bowles will give us a guided tour of the Levi Automobile and Motorcycle Collection.
This collection inlcudes muscle cars; modern, high performance super cars; an extensive group of classic motorcyles; as well as aircraft.
June 22, 2026
No Rotary Club Meeting
June 29, 2026 Offsite Club Event
Picnic for Installation of New Officers, 5:00-6:45 p.m.
Stone Creek Club House, 2113 Brookstone Drive, Springfield, IL 62711
We will have a catered, indoor picnic and will install our officers for the 2026-2027 Rotary year.
We thank all the club members, family members, and friends who helped us deploy flags for our 2026 Flag Service Project. On Wednesday May 13 we initiated the 2026 Rotary Flag Project deployment. The process was completed by Friday May 22 in time for Memorial Day on May 25!
The task involved being part of two person teams that delivered the flags from our warehouse to our customers. We used routing software to create routes of approximately 25 homes. The flags were dropped into plastic conduits in the customers lawns that have been previously installed by other volunteers. They were topped with a bright red plastic cap. Our hearts burst with joy when, after several minutes crawling on the ground, we spotted that red cap and were able to deploy a flag. We also installed a solar powered light for each flag. Then we moved on to the next address.
One member of the team had to have a vehicle capable of carrying ten foot flags. A route took as much as 4-5 hours to complete.
The flags will remain out until after the September 11 holiday. They will need to be picked up and returned to the warehouse in the week starting Monday September 14. If you did not help with the deployment this year, then please consider helping with flag removal or with another task or helping next year.
We also need volunteers to install the conduits for new customers. This involves physical exertion. First select a spot on the customers property usually five feet from a sidewalk and five feet from a driveway, Then, using a sledge hammer you must drive a one inch diameter lead pipe 16 inches into the ground. After removing the pipe replace it with a 16 inch tube of PVC conduit. Then place a heavy metal washer around the conduit. (Sometimes it is necessary to use a metal detector to find the conduits.) Then place a bright red plastic cap on the conduit.
If you can return as a volunteer or want to be a new participant, please let me know. It can be a lot of fun and we raise $30,000 for our community grants program and other projects from the effort.
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: Spring and Summer 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.
Thanks to John Webb and Vicki Megginson for stocking the pantry in May, 2026
After that, it is open season for volunteering by yourself, with your family or by partnering with another Rotarian. Also, if you have friends or acquaintances who would like to volunteer, please share the sign-up link and we will give them lots of praise for making a difference.
You can sign up to stock the Ridgely Micropantry using the new Sign-Up Genius online system featured in the above article by Ken Gilmore.
Please sign up. There are numerous empty slots.
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 in December 2024 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.
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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 the empty micropantry before I stocked it in January 2026. This is why you need to sign up! The pantry is almost always empty when we show up to stock it. The need for nutritious food is great in the community surrounding our micropantry. .
Feel free to contact me.
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 Club Assembly, Youth Services Director Travis Magoulias (image above) spoke about the need for more help with the Rotary Exchange Student Program. Our Club has traditionally agreed to sponsor Inbound and Outbound Foreign Exchange students. These are high school-age students who live with a host family and attend high school in the community where they reside. Most of you know that we are currently sponsoring Eve, an inbound exchange student from Taiwan. Over the past few years we have had an increasing difficult time finding host families for these students. For example, we were unable to find host families for Eve for the 2025-2026 academic year. Fortunately Rotarians Barb and Lee Malany agreed to host her for both semesters. We also need Rotarians who are willing to counsel and spend time with these students. We thank the club members who have spent time with Eve, agreed to give her rides when needed, spoken with her when she comes to our club meetings, and gone to some of her performances in the Springfield Youth Symphony, but we need more help.
If we are going to continue sponsoring inbound exchange students, then we need members who are willing to serve as host families or help recruit host families, and to spend time with these students. Please contact Travis if you are interested in helping with exchange students, think you might want to serve as our Youth Exchange Counselor, want to get more involved in Youth Services, or have thoughts on the future of these programs.
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.
We offer special thanks to John Webb and Vicki Megginson for stocking the food pantry at Ridgely School during May 2026. The image below shows the food pantry after Vicki stocked it in May 24, 2026. Please sign up to help stock the pantry, it is vitally important in the community surrounding the school.
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As noted above we thank all the club members, family members, and friends who helped deploy flags. The images below show Bonnie and her daughter Megan and Ross and his grand daughter Audra during the May, 2026 flag deployment for our Flag Service Project. Proceeds from this project support our community grants and other programs.
At a special Meet and Greet in the stadium before the game (image on left), our Youth Exchange students, Interactors, and chaperones (first and second images below) and other Rotarians (third image below), including our President Elect Ken Gilmore and his sister Brooke and brother-in-law Steve (both are Rotarians from Rogers, AK) had the opportunity to hear from and meet Larry Lunsford.
Through our Rotary Flag Service Program, volunteers once again placed flags and solar lights across Springfield ahead of Memorial Day (images to left and below), helping both celebrate patriotism and fund community grants that support local nonprofits. Members also continued supporting Ridgely Elementary School, our adopted school since 1991, by restocking the school’s MicroPantry for students and families facing food insecurity (2nd image below).
During the month, we were honored to recognize fellow Rotarian Tim Granzeau with Emeritus Status for nearly 40 years of dedicated service to our Club and community. Tim’s leadership and compassion exemplify Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” For more information, see the article by Randy Erford in this Newsletter.
At the invitation of the Sangamon County Board, numerous members of our club and from the District (images above and below) attended the May 12 opening for two special baseball exhibitions in the Springfield Art Association's Art Gallery in the Sangamon County Building in Springfield. The Sangamon County Historical Society created an exhibition highlighting "100 years of Women's Baseball and Softball in Sangamon County." The Springfield Art Association exhibition featured "Rod Buffington's Baseball Artwork and Baseball Memorabilia." The two exhibits were installed in the gallery to highlight that Springfield and Robin Roberts Stadium will be the site for the games of a new women's baseball league beginning in August. Betsy Dollar, Executive Director of the Springfield Art Association, and Rod Buffington both spoke about Rod's baseball artwork during the reception. 
At our Club meeting on May 18, we welcomed Sarah Dillingham of R&R Bindery Service, Inc. as our guest speaker!
At our Club meeting on May 18, we honored our friend, Tim Granzeau, who has been a member of this Club for nearly 40 years. We bestowed upon him Emeritus Status in recognition of all he has done over the years to benefit this Club and the community at large.
We thank all the club members, family members, and friends who helped us deploy flags for our 2026 Flag Service Project. On Wednesday May 13 we initiated the 2026 Rotary Flag Project deployment. The process was completed by Friday May 22 in time for Memorial Day on May 25! 
