February 2024 cRAHnicle (Feb 01, 2024)

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Greetings Friends!

Please know how awesome you all are and I again share that you brighten my life each moment I get to share with you. There have been many people the past couple of weeks in my church and in the community that have mentioned Rotary After-Hours for different reasons, but all a true compliment. We are reaching many people in this community as we strive to Create HOPE in the world. It is my HOPE also that these people can lead to bringing in new bright shining smiles to our club.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to donate diapers to The Parenting Place. Doing so has assisted young families financially and made fresher the soft bottom of a baby. Please also think about joining a team to pitch a project for Shark Tank, or maybe bring one of your own. The evening of Shark Tank promises to be a fun gathering of like-minded people.

We are quickly approaching our membership month of March. This is a very exciting time in the life of Rotary After-Hours. Neil has been hard at work and thank you to all those that have volunteered to help him out on the committee. Membership month holds a large impact on the life of the RAH because it is about people. It is about connections. It is about having fun with all the wonderful people who are members of this incredible club, but it goes much further. Membership month creates a larger connection to the community.

It has been shown that over 90% of people join an organization due to personal invitation. A personal invitation is a one-on-one personal encounter. For that reason, please take a moment and invite someone that you know that have the gifts to better Rotary After-Hours. Truth be told, if you invite five people, it will be a success if one of them follows through. So please, please, take the opportunity to invite.

We had two great people speak on the Rotary Foundation in the past few months, Sierra Lyon our club's Foundation Chair and the District chair, Erin Luken. They shared the positive impact donations to the Rotary Foundation have on the world. Please make any gift possible to this cause if you are able. Just $10/month will go a long way! Donations to the Foundation lead to RAH's ability to receive grants and make an even greater impact than if we did it alone. You would also be touching people across the world.

One final note- RAH's Strategic Planning event is on February 20th. This is a great opportunity to have your voice heard about the future direction of the club. The evening is also a fun opportunity to learn much about who RAH is and what RAH does to CREATE HOPE in the WORLD.

Thank you for all you do! You are all a blessing to this community.

Light Up The Leader Within You

Do you wish to create change and inspire HOPE in the world and your local community while being surrounded by a group of like-minded people that you can call your friends? If your answer is yes, Rotary After Hours is your place to be.

RAH offers many opportunities to serve our local communities and help others around the world. We rely solely on the ideas, energy and time of our members to create change in the community. To maintain and increase the tremendous impact we make, After Hours needs new members to join us.

On behalf of our Membership Committee, we are relying heavily on you all to help bring potential new ones around. If you have friends, co-workers or family members that you think would be a good fit for RAH, I have the perfect event for you to bring them to!

During March, After Hours will hold our annual membership recruitment event to help increase club membership. There are a lot of great things on the calendar! One you and your guests won't want to miss is on Tuesday, March 26^th at one of La Crosse’s newer, beautiful venues, The Hatchery. The Hatchery is located in Riverside Park, and its historic brick walls will draw you in.

Not only will the location allure your guests but the guest speaker will surely persuade them to attend. RAH is honored to have Viterbo’s Tom Thibodeau speak at our event. Tom founded the Master of Servant Leadership program, the first of its kind in the nation, at Virterbo and avidly serves his community. His infectious energy and enthusiasm will get you off your seat and get you ready to create change. I look forward to seeing you and your guest at RAH’s membership recruitment event on 3/26.

~Neil, RAH Membership Chair

Location: The Hatchery, 410 E Veterans Memorial Drive, La Crosse WI 54601

Time: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 from 5:30-8pm

Don't miss this opportunity to be enlightened and empowered! Reserve your spot by 3/12 and let Tom Thibodeau light up the leader within you! 🔥

Sign Up at:

https://rotaryafterhours.org/event/servant-leadership-with-tom-thibodeau---rah/

It's all about the power of connection for Angela Simonson (who also goes by Angie).

A second-grade teacher in the Holmen School District, Angie creates connections with her students by being a lifelong learner. Hailing from Melrose, WI, she earned a master's degree in education but also continues to connect with her health as a certified mental wellness coach and a certification in yoga. Part of Angie's interests also include learning about holistic health, and when not at work or Rotary, you can find her walking her puppy, Mocha, enjoying a good book, listening to country & Christian music, or pining for a hot sunny beach during Wisconsin Winters. If you've got a sweet tooth, you can still find common ground with Angie as well. She tells us she used to be a cake decorator and a judge at parades!

As for joining RAH, Angie said she's looking forward to working with people who share a vision of service and thoughtful consideration. “I have always found that volunteering brings me joy and fuels my soul,” Angie added. “I know that the power of connection and teamwork make a difference.”

Please give Angie a warm RAH welcome at the next meeting or event!

S’mores and RAH: Creating Hope in the World

Marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and a crackling fire! These ingredients will equip you to create an ooey-gooey, delicious S’mores to eat. RAH volunteered to staff the S’mores pit at Rotary Lights this season. Each of the two nights our members encountered hundreds of joyous people savoring the classic treat. It is satisfying when ingredients are combined to create happiness!

Ingredients are important in our club, too. Time, talent, treasure, and the fire in your belly! These elements equip us to create a vibrant presence for the Rotary Club we all know and love. RAH! Since RAH chartered in 2011 the club has enjoyed an awesome variety of members gaining valuable connections with one another and creating happiness.

In happiness, there is HOPE. As RAH members continue to put forth valuable ingredients, our work creates happiness in our cherished La Crosse community and beyond. Whether it’s providing S’mores, or pushing forward with projects, big and small, we are bringing it! The 2024-25 Rotary International theme describes what we are doing: Creating Hope in the World.

Join Us! RAH's Strategic Planning Session on Tuesday 2/20

Experience the Magic of Rotary - Join the Rotary After Hours Board of Directors 2024-2025

It's that time of the year and we are seeking nominations for Rotary After Hours' next Board of Directors! Below you will find the open positions for the 2024-2025 RAH Board of Directors.

The 2024-2025 RAH Board of Directors will assume roles beginning July 1, 2024, and meets for an hour each month (currently the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 5:30 - 6:30 pm).

Check out why you should nominate or think of joining the 2024-2025 RAH Board:

RAH Top 10 Reasons to Join the 2024-25 RAH Board - YouTube

Link to Nominate: RAH 2024-2025 Board of Directors

Nominations will be accepted till end of day on Wednesday, Feb 21st. You will have a chance to fill out a form at the upcoming club meeting on Tuesday, Feb 13^th!

2024-2025 Returning Board Members:
President: Stefanie Kline

President Elect: Neil Wieser
Past President: Phil Waselik

Secretary: Alicia Smithburg

Treasurer: Lori Francis

3-year Director: Lisa Kobs

2023-2024 Open Board Positions:

President-Elect Nominee (4-year term)
Treasurer-Elect (2-year term total; 1 year as Treasurer-Elect, followed by 1 year as Treasurer)
Sergeant-at-Arms (1-year term)
Director (1-year term)
Secretary-Elect (2-year term total; 1-year as Secretary-Elect, followed by 1 year as Secretary)

Under each open Board position, enter the name of the person you wish to nominate for that position or consider nominating yourself! If the person accepts their nomination, they will move forward in the process.

PLEASE ONLY NOMINATE ONE or TWO INDIVIDUALS PER POSITION.

Important Dates:
January 23: Kickoff
February 21: Nominations due
February 21-April 23: Candidate and position conversations via the Election Committee
May 14th: 2024-2025 Club Board presented to the club membership for vote
July 1: New Rotary year kicks off and the new board is welcomed!

Questions? Email club secretary at lacrosse@rotaryafterhours.org or Stefanie Kline (President Elect 2024-2025) at stefaniekline@yahoo.com

The Coulee Region is rich with great Rotary Clubs

Each is unique and special in its own way. We often collaborate and work together to make a greater impact in our community. Consider joining them for a club meeting to meet and network with other area Rotary members.

Meeting times and locations are as follows for these Rotary clubs:

Caledonia- 1^st and 2^nd Fridays at Elsie’s Bar and Restaurant from 7:30-8:30am
Holmen Area - Every Wednesday at Holmen Community Center from 7-8:00am
La Crescent - 1^st and 3^rd Friday at Corky’s in La Crescent from 7-8:00am
La Crosse - Every Thursday at The Cargill Room (Waterfront) from 12-1:0 pm
La Crosse East - Every Monday at the La Crosse Club (part of Radisson) from 12-1:00pm
Valley View - 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Wednesdays at The Onalaska YMCA from 7:30-8:30am
Onalaska-Hilltopper - 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday @ Mary Cody’s 12-1:00pm
Sparta - Every Tuesday @ The Zone in Sparta from 7-8:00pm