Events

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

**Please note the special meeting location for this day will be the Decorah Municipal Airport**

In late Spring of 2023, Rotarian pilots Peter Teahen from Cedar Rapids and John Ockenfels from Shueyville will climb into Teahan's 1978 PA-32RT-300 Piper Lance. They will depart Cedar Rapids and head east on an amazing, seven week, 20,000 mile around-the-world flight to raise awareness for Rotary International's polio eradication campaign. Our club is fortunate to host these action minded, courageous, and philanthropic Rotarians in order to learn more about the details and plans for this incredible journey.

As members of the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians, Teahen and Ockenfels hatched the idea of using the global flight as a fundraiser for Rotary's three-decade quest to finally eradicate polio. The two pilots set a goal to raise $1 million with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Rotary International’s “Polio Plus” program. All flight expenses will be paid by Teahen and Ockenfels. When the two-man crew takes off from Cedar Rapids, it will become the “Flight to End Polio.” At each of the 29 stops in 17 countries, the pilots will raise awareness by meeting with other Rotary members, humanitarian workers, and government officials to discuss the progress of polio eradication and the ongoing need for assistance for families still affected by the devastating disease.

Peter Teahen is president of Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an author, and a mental health professional. He serves on the faculty at the University of Iowa and is the founder of the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival. He has served in leadership roles on 67 major disasters throughout the world. He is recognized for his work on aviation disasters and is internationally known for his work in critical incident stress management and the psycho-social impact of disasters. He has served for 19 years as a national media spokesperson for the American Red Cross.

John Ockenfels maintains World War II aircraft, including his own North American Aviation T-6, a Boeing Stearman, and a Cessna 182 Skylane. Prior to his retirement, he served as the chief executive officer of City Carton Recycling, based in Iowa City, Iowa. He attended the University of Iowa and served in the United States Air Force from 1972 to 1976. For two of his four years in the Air Force, he was a crewmember onboard an AC-130 Hercules in Thailand.

To learn more about this epic journey, visit their website at https://www.flighttoendpolio.com/home.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Decorah Rotary is proud to once again partner with local groups in support of the Decorah Community Meal. Our assigned day is November 3rd.  The event takes place in the Fellowship Hall at Decorah Lutheran Church.  The sign up includes spots for volunteer workers as well spots to sign up for salads or desserts.  Food items can be dropped off as early as 4:15 in the church kitchen.  If you have a container that you need returned, please make sure it is marked with your name.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Two Luther College students, Linh Do '22 and Sloan Clemens '24, created the winning production for ASIANetwork's 2022 Student Video Challenge. The film, The Flashback of Covid-19: A Story from a Vietnamese Mother to Her COVID Baby, follows a Vietnamese mother telling her child the story of how he was born during pandemic times and her wishes for his future.  Do and Clemens worked alongside Vietnamese students Minh Nguyen, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology and Ha Tran, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. The challenge theme of ASIANetwork 2022: "Draw on the challenges and successes of your countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and prepare a video presentation to the World Health Organization (WHO) with a recommendation for future pandemic preparedness." Thomas C. Johnson, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, served as faculty advisor for the project.

Linh Do and Professor Johnson will offer our club their insights into the inspiration for, and production of, this award winning short film. It was subsequently published on YouTube in April 2022 and can be viewed using this link: https://youtu.be/KqIq6YBXfXA.

Professor Johnson teaches courses in Paideia, critical media studies, and media production. His research interests include pedagogy, sport media, television studies, gender studies, and documentary film.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Wondering about the space where the old Radio Shack was on Winnebago? Wondering what building restoration, smudge sticks, popcorn, a pop singer and a Moroccan cooking tangine have to do with each other?

We are, too! So come and find out. 

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Dr. Brad Chamberlain is Interim Provost and Vice President for Mission and Communication at Luther College and a member of the Chemistry Department. Dr. Maren Johnson is Associate Professor of Nordic Studies and Director of the Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic studies. They will both be speaking to our members on the Luther College Lutheran Heritage Anthology Project.

Luther College has received a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges and Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education called "Reframing the Institutional Saga" to explore Luther's historical and contemporary identity. The project focuses on the Norwegian and Lutheran identities of Luther College and how they can provide frameworks for the college to be a place of welcome and belonging for all.

For more about the grant and its purposes please visit https://www.luther.edu/news.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Helping Service's Annual Holiday Lights event at the campground.  Rotarians are assigned to work the event on 11/25/2022.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Dr. Robert Clay currently serves as the Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer and Assistant to the President for Community Engagement at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  A native son of Chicago, Dr. Clay is a highly motivated and innovative scholar practitioner with nearly 20 years of higher education experience in diverse curricular and co-curricular leadership roles at private and public institutions (predominately white and minority serving); faith based and liberal arts; residential and commuter campuses in urban, suburban and rural environments.  Dr. Clay is a member of NASPA, NADOHE, ACPA, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and various community groups and boards.

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

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Please join fellow Rotarians for our annual Christmas lunch at Rubaiyat on December 6, 2022.    Guests are welcome to join the festivities, as are our After Hour members and their guests.  Noon members will be billed $20 per guest. After Hours members will be billed $20 for their meal and $20 for each guest.  Fees will be added to your next dues statement.   Kim and Andy Bonnet have graciously offered to host our lunch again this year.  A final head count is needed by noon on November 30.  Please register yourself and any guests so that we can provide Kim with an accurate headcount.  

Decorah Rotary will be hosting our next New/Prospective Member Orientation on Dec 8 at 5:30PM at the Toppling Goliath event room.  This event is open to new members as well as prospective members and current members.  It is a great opportunity to learn more about Rotary, the Foundation and other Rotary programs.  Pizza and the first beverage will be provided to all attendees. Please join us!

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Todd Ihde, Superintendent of the Decorah Water Department, will meet with our members to discuss operations and developments intended to ensure the satisfaction of Decorah's current and future water needs.

The City of Decorah Water Department is responsible for maintenance and operations of six city wells and their servicing water main pipes. Their primary goal is to assure the citizens of Decorah they are drinking high quality water and that the city supply is always adequate for consumption, as well as for fire protection. The city presently pumps an average of approximately one million gallons of water per day. Specific responsibilities include the following: repair and maintenance of water mains; repair and maintenance of city sewer lines; maintain records of repairs of all water mains, sewer lines, and work done by contractors; maintain records at wells, booster stations, and lift stations daily; update and repair water meters; record meter readings and check for unusually high usage rates; daily testing of water quality; maintain stand-by pumps at the ready for flood control; flush, maintain and replace fire hydrants; and assiste in the development of supporting Geographic Information Systems.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

This past summer, Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward appointed Mary Duvall as the new Vice President for Development. In this capacity, Ms Duvall provides strategic direction for all aspects of the college’s fundraising and external engagement efforts and serves as a key member of the President’s cabinet. She will offer her knowledge and insights to our club on strategic development plans and goals related to these fundraising and engagement activities.

Ms Duvall comes to Luther from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Washington, where she had worked since 2015. Shel began employment at the university as Executive Director of Advancement, was promoted to Associate Vice President of Advancement in 2018, and most recently she served as Associate Vice President of University Relations. During her tenure at PLU, she managed teams that grew the institution’s annual giving, built a newly integrated alumni engagement and career development team and led the division’s annual strategic planning process. She also served on a variety of cross-campus committees, including PLU’s Diversity Committee which operationalized the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan. Prior to her work at PLU, from 2007 to 2015, she served in multiple capacities at Lutheran World Relief to expand their donor base, secure funding and, therefore, serve more people. The organization’s goal is to work with Lutherans and partners around the world to end poverty, injustice and human suffering.

Ms Duvall holds a BA Degree in Religion from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She earned her Master’s of Nonprofit Management Degree from Hamline University in Saint Paul and a Certificate of Advanced Leadership Studies from St. Catherine’s University. She was also a recent Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA) Fellow, a program that provides a year-long leadership development experience organized around vocation and calling, sustainable leader development, and visionary organizational leadership.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Alan Lerstrom and Paul Scott will lead "A Time of Reflection for the Decorah Rotary Club."  There will be brief reports on membership, the Thursday night meetings, and finances followed by a discussion of the things that are going well, and areas where we might grow or change.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Join us for Decorah Rotary Club's annual chili supper.  The event will be held at the Decorah High School cafeteria on Thursday, January 12, 2023.  Menu includes chili, hot dogs, cinnamon rolls, carrots, milk and coffee.  Vegetarian option is available.

Tickets are $6 each and can be purchased in advance from Rotarians or at the door.

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Water To Thrive is a faith-based non-profit that brings clean, safe water to rural African communities in need. Our speaker Ed Scharlau will be joining us to describe the program and its activities.

The organization has build hundreds of wells where they were badly needed, with their projects costing less than $10 for each person who uses the well.  Hundreds of thousands of people in rural Africa has clead, safe water for the first time in their lives.

To learn more about the program please visit their website at watertothrive.org.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Jackie Cooper serves as Community Relations Manager for Mosaic in the Decorah and Waukon communities. She will be joining the Decorah Rotary After Hours group to provide an update on Mosaic and its ongoing operations, services, and plans.

Mosaic recognizes that people with intellectual disabilities desire and deserve greater independence and closer ties to the community. By developing and expanding community connections, they create new social, volunteer and employment opportunities. Mosaic supports people with intellectual disabilities to bring awareness to issues that affect their lives. They actively advocate for disability rights, encourage self-advocacy and promote public policy that positively impacts the people they serve.

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DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Francisca Munoz is from Santiago, Chile and is spending the year in Decorah as our Rotary International Exchange Student. Fran will share some of her experiences here thus far as well as her life in Santiago.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

The Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program plans and coordinates the Decorah Walking School Bus (WSB) and Biking School Bus (BSB) activities. The WSB and BSB offer a safe, fun and active way for students to get to school with adult supervision. SRTS is an international movement to encourage active school travel and safe community routes. Northeast Iowa is home to the state's first rural, regional SRTS program, managed by UERPC.

UERPC SRTS Coordinator April Bril will join our noon meeting to provide more information and opportunities for supporting SRTS locally.

For more information on SRTS please visit the UERPC website at https://uerpc.org/safe-routes-to-school/.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Holly Reily works for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque as a school-based therapist in three local Catholic schools. She will be sharing what her position entails, current challenges facing students in school systems and how her efforts and work are making a significant impact on student's lives.

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DRC Sponsor: John Moeller

Steve Hopkins, Nonpoint Source Coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Watershed Improvement Section, will visit our club to provide insights into historical practices, local initiatives, and recent developments in northeast Iowa watershed management.

From a guest posting by Steve in the online blog Iowa Learning Farms, "Healthy watersheds are those that act like a sponge to soak in rainfall, enabling the watershed to minimize flooding and reduce runoff that carries pollutants to our lakes, rivers, and streams. Every time a single action takes place that adds more runoff in a watershed, such as adding more paved areas or converting land from soil-covering, deep-rooted perennials to tilled row crops, it reduces the watershed’s ability to act like a sponge and soak in rainfall. When this happens, a watershed “catches” less and “sheds” more. When multiple “single actions” take place in a watershed, it results in flooding and water quality problems. Our primary course of action after that point is to invest lots of time, money, and energy to fixing the flooding and water quality problems that we did not prevent in the first place. Many of us are already very well aware of the many practices that are available to soak in, trap, or store rainfall before it runs off our watersheds in Iowa. Many are also working to develop detailed watershed improvement plans to help fix flooding and water quality problems across the state."

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Arendt

In August of 2022, retired Decorah Police Deputy and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructor Tim Felton completed an eight-day trip to the war-torn country of Ukraine, assisting in the conduct of humanitarian and community relations training for local police and military departments. This was the second such trip for him, having previously traveled there in 2019. He will be sharing his captivating and fascinating experiences with our club.

The 2022 Ukraine training team was comprised of Felton; Greg Young, Chaplain for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Head Chaplain and Critical Incident Stress Debriefer for the Germantown Police Department in Germantown, Wisconsin; Ukrainian translator Alex Gerasimov from Atlanta, Georgia; and John Sheahan, an educator for DARE America and an ordained Lutheran pastor in Roland, Iowa. Gerasimov fled Ukraine in 2014 and has been back to the country on humanitarian missions three times since the war started. The team traveled around the country and trained with police recruits, officers, civilians, and soldiers on Critical Stress and Moral Injury Debriefing. Moral Injury Debriefing is geared towards combat veterans who have emotional burdens and guilt, and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing focuses on individuals like first responders who saw people get hurt or killed.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

Decorah Public Library Director Kristin Torresdal will join us to provide a status report on the Library and provide information on recent developments and ongoing initiatives supporting this valuable local resource.

Kristin Torresdal assumed duties as the Director in July 2017. Prior to that time she had served as the Library’s administrative coordinator, a role that has allowed her to develop expertise in many different aspects of library work. She has over 25 years of experience in libraries, and has Level V library director certification through the State Library of Iowa. She has been the catalyst and has overseen many exciting developments at our library.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.