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Welcome to Our Rotary Club of Decorah!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Tuesdays at 12:00 PM

VFW

104 State St
Decorah, IA 52101
United States of America

In addition to Tuesday noon meetings, the Decorah Rotary After-Hours group meets at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company, 207 College Drive, every-other Thursday at 5:30 pm. See the drop-down menu items above for event dates and speakers.

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Decorah High School Robotics Team Demo

DHS Robotics Team members showing off their maneuvering and manipulation skills to enthralled Decorah Rotarians

The Decorah Rotary Club was honored and excited to host Decorah High School (DHS) robotics coach Brett Wilker and several students from the DHS Robotics Club and their innovative robots for a presentation and demonstration at the club's regular meeting on March 11th. The team members described the construction and operation of their robots and recapped their recent successes at the FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competiton hosted in Cedar Falls. During the meeting the team exercised the machines in the various technical challenges facing each team during the competition. Our club extends its sincere thanks to Brett and the team for the generous and impressive display of acumen and enthusiasm!

For more photos of the demo see the companion album using this link: 2025 DHS Robotics Team Demo.

Photo credit: Gary Mineart

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Decorah Rotary Co-Sponsors New AV System at All Vets Club

Photos of new audio-visual components at the All Vets Club, with Rotary Co-President Phil Iversen at the controls

The Decorah Rotary Club, the Decorah Lions Club, and the All Vets Club recently collaborated on the procurement and installation of a new audio-visual (AV) system in the main meeting room of the All Vets Club. The new system includes a ceiling-mounted projector, blue tooth compatible control unit, 10" ceiling speakers, a wall-mounted camera for video conferencing, and a wireless microphone system with two microphones and one headset.

In addition to benefitting the Rotary and Lions Clubs, the local VFW Post 1977 and American Legion will benefit the most from the new system. The new AV system will also help when the All Vets Club hosts Quilts of Valor programs, Oneota Film Festival entries, various community organization meetings and, with the hall available for the general public to rent, holiday and birthday parties, family reunions, holiday meals and more.

Our club extends its thanks to our fellow Rotarians who helped bring this project to fruition.

Photo credit: Gary Mineart

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Update #2 from Rotary Global Scholar Hallie Johnson

Here's another update from our Global Scholar Hallie Johnson in Scotland. As you may recall, she is the 2024-2025 Rotary Global Scholarship Grant recipient sponsored by our club. She moved to Edinburgh, Scotland last fall to study for her master's degree in Comparative Education and International Development at the University of Edinburgh:

It's the holiday season in Edinburgh, and I’m convinced this is the best place to be to celebrate the holidays! I have loved exploring the Christmas markets and settling in to cozy cafés with my readings and seeing this beautiful town all lit up for the season. It is just enough to distract from the fact that the sun sets at 3:30 pm this time of year.

These first few months at the University of Edinburgh have been exhausting and exciting, and have pushed and fulfilled me in ways I could not have expected. This semester, I took the foundational classes in comparative education and education and international development, as well as a research methods class that will support me in writing my dissertation this summer. The classes were hard work, but work that I found to be deeply interesting and energizing. Though I appreciate having a little break for the festive season, I am so looking forward to the new semester, getting back to class, and the opportunities for learning and growing that the new year will bring.

Beyond the coursework, the best part of diving into this master's program has been connecting with my wonderful, community-minded faculty and cohort. I feel lucky to have formed deep friendships through this program, and to get to constantly learn from their experiences in so many different international contexts. A favorite memory from the semester was an international potluck that our cohort held for Thanksgiving, where we got to try delicious foods (I brought a pan of cheesy corn to represent the great state of Iowa) and hear about food traditions from all over the world. Another favorite memory is a trip with friends in the cohort for a “writing retreat” at a cabin in the Trossachs, a stunning national park about two hours northwest of Edinburgh. The papers got done, as did a few games, misadventures, attempts to teach me to drive stick shift, and the most frigid cold plunge of my life in Loch Tay. My toes are going numb just thinking about it.

As I wrap up this first semester of my program, I am so endlessly grateful for the ways Rotary has supported me in this journey. Connecting with the Rotary Club of Portobello and meeting the other Global Scholars has provided such an essential network of support as I navigate this new place and new challenges. Additionally, it has been so much fun to form new friendships with Edinburgh Rotarians and get to experience some of their events, like the annual International Night, where I tried haggis for the first time. (It wasn’t bad, actually!)

Wishing you happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

Hallie

To view more of Hallie's amazing photos visit the associated photo album at Hallie Johnson Update #2.

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Decorah Rotary 2024 Water to Thrive Well in Operation

The Decorah Rotary Club's Water to Thrive well in operation at its location in Sazike A Village, Kakumiro District, Uganda

Last year the Decorah Rotary Club decided to participate in a project through the Water to Thrive organization, brought to the club's attention by fellow Rotarian Paul Pasche. Water to Thrive and its partner organization Partners for Community Transformation (PaCT) are having a tremendous impact on countries in Africa where water resources are scarce. Our club members donated funds and our club provided the remainder out of its operational budget to reach the $5,000 needed to purchase a well. In addition, our club members participated with Decorah Middle School students on their symbolic walk from the school to the Upper Iowa River to collect water. The walk is part of the school's curriculum centered around the book A Long Walk to Water and is intended to create empathy for the women and children in villages who bear the responsibility of collecting water for the villages.

The club recently received a report highlighting the completed, operational well. The well is located in the village of Sazike A, Kakumiro District, in the country of Uganda (GPS coordinates Latitude: 0.8285, Longitude: 31.3907). The report lists 240 as the number of beneficiaries living within one kilometer of the well; however, typically 3-4 times that number of people use the resource on a regular basis. The well was part of 45 water projects serving over 12,000 beneficiaries, and was implemented by Water to Thrive's partner organization PaCT.

In addition to providing clean, safe water to hundreds of people, the well has reduced the amount of time women and children spend collecting water. Women have gained the time they need to take better care of their families and engage in income-generating activities. Children now have more time to go to school and will be absent less often as water-related diseases become a thing of the past. Also included in the club's sponsorship is hygiene and sanitation training for the community. Training is also provided to a local water committee (half women) responsible for (1) keeping the water project in good working order; and (2) establishing a maintenance fund for on-going sustainability.

The club extends its thanks to Rotarian Paul Pasche for introducing our club to this opportunity, the Decorah Rotarians who contributed to the project, and to the club leadership for approving the additional funds needed to reach the $5,000 goal. The effort is yet another great example of the importance of our club's fundraising activities, particularly the pork chop sales at the Winneshiek County Fair and at Nordic Fest. We look forward to continued participation and many more great projects in our club's future.

For more photos of the Water to Thrive well, see the companion photo album at 2024 Water to Thrive Well.

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Fall 2024 Rotary Roadside Cleanup Day

The Fall 2024 Decorah Rotary Roadside Cleanup Team getting ready to hit the highway (not pictured - Brian Fuhrmann...he's taking the photo!)

Twice per year Decorah Rotarians and guests come together to pick up trash along the club's designated section of Highway 9. Our crew for the Fall 2024 event met October 19th on a beautiful Saturday morning. Our team picked up litter from Kelly Real Estate to the roadside clean up sign located about a quarter-mile west of the intersection of Highways 9 and 52. Our club extends its thanks to everyone who donated their cheerful presence for this event!

For more photos of our team please visit the companion post on the Decorah Rotary Facebook Page.
Photo credit: Brian Fuhrmann

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Decorah Rotary's Montessori School Service Project

(L-R) Rotarians Bruce Ventura, Shannon Duncan, and Ward Budweg adding shingles to the Montessori playhouse

On September 26th the Decorah Rotary Club gathered at the Northeast Iowa Montessori School during the Thursday evening Rotary After-Hours meeting time. In addition to a tour of the facility for those at the meeting, a subset of our Rotarians participated in the re-shingling of a playhouse with shingles donated by the club. Ward Budweg and Bruce Ventura spearheaded the shingling project with valuable assistance provided by Jacky Budweg and Shannon Duncan.

Northeast Iowa Montessori School, now celebrating its 20th year, provides a student-centered learning environment that fosters independence, creativity, and critical thinking. The school offers individualized learning paths where students engage in hands-on, exploratory activities across core subjects.

For photos of the facility tour please visit Decorah Rotary Montessori Service Project.

Photo credit: Mike Huinker

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An Update From Rotary Global Scholar Hallie Johnson

A recently received communication from our Global Scholar Hallie Johnson from Scotland. As you may recall, she is the 2024-2025 Rotary Global Scholarship Grant recipient sponsored by our club. She recently moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to study for her master's degree in Comparative Education and International Development at the University of Edinburgh:

Greetings from Edinburgh!

I travelled to Scotland in August with my mom to do some touring around Glasgow, Inverness, and the Highlands for the first week, and then she spent a week with me in Edinburgh helping me settle into my new flat. I am so grateful to have had this time with her touring around and for all her help setting up my new flat. Since then, I have been here in Edinburgh getting to know the city and meeting the demands of a full-time master’s program!

I have loved these first weeks in Edinburgh and have been thoroughly enjoying my master’s coursework. Attached are photos [see the companion photo album using the link below] from my favorite experiences in Scotland so far, including visiting Loch Ness and the Highlands, seeing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and International Festival, attending the annual conference of the Scottish International Development Alliance with faculty and members of my master’s cohort, seeing my first football match, and exploring all the incredible museums, neighborhoods, and cafes in Edinburgh with new friends. I have also enjoyed connecting with my host Rotary Club in Portobello and am so grateful for the warm welcome they have extended to me!

This opportunity granted to me by the Rotary Global Scholarship has already challenged and changed me in invaluable ways, and I can’t wait to see where the rest of this year takes me. I will be sharing highlights from my time in Scotland on the Decorah Rotary Facebook page, so feel free to follow along on my adventure!

Slàinte! (Cheers!) - Hallie

To view Hallie's photos visit the associated photo album at Hallie Johnson Update #1.

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Rotary Sunflower Discovery Center Project Dedication

(L-R) Lorraine Borowski, Decorah Rotarian and Mayor, City of Decorah; Phil Iversen and Mike Huinker, Co-Presidents, Decorah Rotary Club; John Schroeher, Sunflower Board Member and Fundraising/Building Project Committee; Stephanie Fromm, Executive Director, Winneshiek County Development and Tourism and President, Sunflower Board of Directors; Holly Benda, Sunflower Executive Director

Representatives from the Decorah Rotary Club and the Sunflower Child Development and Discovery Center convened on Thursday, September 5 at 4 pm to celebrate the culmination of the 2024 Rotary project supporting the new Discovery Center facility. The Rotary Club’s additions to the Discovery Center include a large playhouse with balcony, a smaller “drive-through” playhouse, indoor safety perimeter fencing to delineate the toddler play area, and a K’nex^TM Building Station incorporating a six-foot-tall Ferris wheel inherited by Sunflower from the former Donlon’s toy store in Decorah.

To bring the project to fruition the Decorah Rotary Club secured a grant from Rotary District 5970 and contributed its own matching funds to achieve the $10,000 needed for the project. This contribution was featured at the Thursday event in the presentation of a ceremonial check from the club. Rotary Club members also contributed nearly 250 hours of labor and all of the detailed design and construction expertise required for the project. Spahn and Rose Lumber in Decorah assisted Rotary by providing discounted raw materials.

The Sunflower Discovery Center, slated to open in October, will be an interactive children’s museum. It aligns with Goal #5 in the City of Decorah’s Iowa Great Places Vision Plan by creating a “Quality Gathering Space” for children and families, especially important given there are currently no such indoor play spaces in Decorah or Winneshiek County. The Discovery Center will have at least six themed Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Music, and Math (STEAM) learning centers. It will prioritize active learning through movement, exploration, and play, with indoor-age-appropriate playgrounds and active learning and exploration areas.

Our club extends its sincere thanks to the following organizations and individuals: Rotary District 5970 for supporting the club's district grant proposal; construction lead Rotarians Kent Klocke and Bruce Ventura without whom the success of the project would not have been possible; Rotary Sunflower Project committee members Larry Grimstad, Mike Huinker, Gary Mineart, Paul Mullen, Kathleen Ritner, Kelsey Vanney, and Bruce Ventura; Kelsey Vanney and her associate Rolf Peterson for the design inspiration behind the large playhouse; Rotarians Tina Hall, Phil Iversen, John Moeller, Diana Morrow, Jim Morrow, Paul Mullen, Uwe Rudolf, and Mark Swanson for their materials transportation and painting energy and expertise; and Sunflower Child Development and Discovery Center Board of Directors and staff members Stephanie Fromm, John Schroeher, Holly Benda, Daiton Johnson, and Amy Winter for their spirit of cooperation, guidance, creativity, and willingness to share their valuable time with our team.

Photos of the entire "soup-to-nuts" construction process and dedication may be found in the companion album Rotary Sunflower Discovery Center Project.

Photo credit: Gary Mineart

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Decorah Native Hallie Johnson Awarded $50,000 Rotary Global Scholarship

(L-R) Rotary District 5970 Governor Shannon Duncan, Hallie Johnson, brother Erik Johnson, and parents Bonnie and Chris Johnson

The Decorah Rotary Club, Rotary District 5970, and Rotary International are excited to recognize Hallie Johnson as the recipient of a $50,000 Rotary 2024-2025 Global Scholarship. Beginning in the fall of this year, Hallie will pursue her MSc degree in Comparative Education and International Development at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is a Decorah native and a 2023 graduate of Luther College. She just returned to Decorah after spending her senior year at a classical voice conservatory in Kristiansand, Norway. At Luther, she majored in English and Nordic studies with a minor in International Studies. Hallie plans to apply her advanced degree and international experience in a career focused on Education Policy. In her free time, she loves oil and watercolor painting, cooking, singing, and reading crime novels.

The Rotary Global Grant Scholarship Program is competitive and supports exceptional students dedicated to pursuing a career in an area of great humanitarian need and who demonstrate a personal, long-term commitment to measurable, sustainable change. A Rotary global grant scholarship funds graduate-level coursework or research at a university outside of North America. The scholarship helps defray the costs of travel, tuition and fees, room and board, and educational supplies for one to four years of study. Rotary’s global scholars intend to pursue a career that aligns with one of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Humanitarian Focus. Global grant scholars' graduate-level educational goals support this career interest. Candidates are selected based on (1) excellent leadership skills and potential; (2) a proven record of success in their academic field or vocation; (3) a commitment to community service; (4) well-defined and realistic goals; (5) concrete ideas for advancing within their chosen field; and (6) sincerity about maintaining a lifelong relationship with Rotary after the scholarship period.

A key feature of global grant scholarships is the partnership between the district or club in the study location and the district or club in the scholar’s home country. For Hallie's tenure in Scotland, the Decorah Rotary Club is serving as her home club. The partner Rotary club hosting Hallie during her studies is the Portobello Rotary Club in Musselburgh, Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh has been influencing history since it opened the gates to its first students in 1583. Following the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th Century, the University found itself a world leader in rigorous, reasoned academia and critical thinking. As a result of the determination and courage of many Edinburgh intellectuals, established facts and superstitions about the world were boldly and consistently challenged. David Hume, philosopher, economist and essayist became widely known for his groundbreaking philosophical skepticism and empiricism. Joseph Black was recognized as the chemist behind the discovery of latent heat and carbon dioxide. James Hutton, a Scottish farmer and naturalist, became known as the ‘Father of Modern Geology’ during his association with the University. It was also at Edinburgh that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the character Sherlock Holmes, and James Young Simpson pioneered anaesthetics through his discovery of the properties of chloroform. More recently, theoretical physicist and Professor Emeritus Peter Higgs was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his 1964 prediction of the Higgs Boson. Through the achievements of its staff and students, the University has continued to present cutting-edge research, inspirational teaching and innovative thinking as its central ethos, attracting some of the greatest minds from around the globe.

See and enjoy Hallie's interview with Chris Lindell, District 5970 Chair of the Global Peace and Scholarship Committee HERE.

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