The Weekly Newsletter of the Only Normal Rotary Club in the World Chartered June 17, 1949

The Normal Spoke

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

RI No. 3282 District No. 6490 October 31, 2012 Volume No. 63 Issue No. 17 Link to Rotary International http://www.rotary.org/ Normal Rotary web site: http://nrcspoke.com/ Link to District 6490 Website: www.Rotary6490.org (The District Newsletter can be found on the left side of the main page)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 Head Table: Rob Glover & Becky Goeckner Greeters: Bill Caisley & Hank Campbell Lottery: Rob Cranston & Marcia Dennis Invocation: TBA Program: Club Business & Birthday Auction Judge: Marcia Dennis

November Birthdays – Please remember to bring a gift for the Birthday Auction.

1 - Penny Cermak 7 - George Houska 9 - Vandana Naik 16 - Mark Sherman 24 - Paul Brauchle 28 - Gordon Bidner 29 - Rod Weigelmann

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 Head Table: Gene Gudeman & Ann Haugo Greeters: Jason Chambers & Alan Chapman Lottery: Connie Gentry & Jack Wilz Invocation: TBA Program: Mini-grant Recipient: Collaborative Solutions - Julia Madden Bozarth Judge: Bruce Bergethon

Sustaining Members: 23 Club RI Contributions: $24,825.50

Reporter: Art Drake

Photographer: John E. Bishop

Editor: Becky Goeckner

Because the October 31st meeting of the Normal Rotary Club was designated as “President’s Mixer,” President Art Drake convened the meeting a few minutes later than usual to allow the members additional time to mix. A part of this process involved voting for U.S. President in a straw poll. No fistfights were observed.

Becky Goeckner provided the reflection for the day, and Mark Sherman led the singing. We had no visiting Rotarians and no guests. Announcements:

The president recalled last multi-club social hour featuring Guy Fraker discussing his new book about President Lincoln. Art took some pictures at the event and may or may not have defaced the photos of some of our members before posting their pictures on Facebook. Check our Facebook page to see what really happened. Art also reminded Rotarians that November 12th is the date for the setup of the Christmas Village at the Children’s Discovery Museum. The work starts 8-8:30 a.m. or so and will take several hours. Please come for at least an hour or two. This is a worthwhile project that gives Rotarians a chance to get to know each other, and the finished product speaks well of our club.

On November 8th Normal Rotary will hold an ice cream social at the McLean County Nursing Home. Hank Campbell circulated a sign-up sheet for volunteers.

Jim Carter was on hand to remind us to sell, sell, sell poinsettias. This is our club’s major fund-raiser, and the proceeds allow us to do what we do. Jim has noticed that when he asks people to buy poinsettias, they sometimes say yes!

President Art forgot he was supposed to write the Spoke this week, so he got behind in taking notes when it came to fines. Judge Bruce Bergethon extracted a fair amount of money from our members: Pamela Sweetwood for work by her Heartland students; Alan Chapman in honor of his mother’s 90th birthday; Linda Healy in honor of (a.) her son getting a new job, and (b.) her upcoming vacation to Portugal; Vandana Naik, Bill Semlak and Dale Strassheim because their East Coast family members are safe in the aftermath of the storm there; Jim Carter in honor of an Indiana University football win; Drake Zimmerman for observing that the close election has come down to a few swing corporations; and Ray Ropp in honor of his glasses, which once were lost and now are found. Carson Varner had a very special, very wet happy dollar because he took his wallet with him on a recent snorkeling excursion.

The Judge & Rotarians with Happy Fines:

Judge Bruce Bergethon Pamela Sweetwood Alan Chapman Linda Healy

Vandana Naik Bill Semlak Dale Strassheim

Jim Carter Bill Semlak & Drake Zimmerman Carson Varner

Gordy Ropp John A. Bishop

October Students of the Month: Alexia Leggans, Tessa Eckley, Nora Fredstrom & Trevor Seibring

Normal Rotary students of the month took a few moments to tell about their impressions of our meetings. Alexia Leggans has enjoyed our speakers and our club’s enthusiasm for service. She’s glad she had the experience of meeting with us. Tessa Eckley also appreciated the opportunity to be with us. She didn’t know much about Rotary other than her family bought Christmas wreaths from another Rotary Club, which shall not be named. She has seen the good that Normal Rotary has done in the community. Nora Fredstrom said Normal Rotary’s emphasis on service is unlike any other club she has known. She especially loved hearing about Rotary Youth Exchange. This month when Nora has gone to school on Wednesdays, others have asked why she was all dressed up. She told them about Rotary and our mission of service. And Trevor Seibring thanked Normal Rotary for the experience, which, he said, inspired him to think about things he can do to help the community and ways he can get involved.

Alexia Leggans Tessa Eckley Nora Fredstrom Trevor Seibring

Dick Wagner took the podium to honor a new Paul Harris Society member. The Paul Harris Society movement began in 1998 in California and started in our district in 2006. It recognizes support of the Rotary Foundation at a level of $1,000 or more per year. District 6490 has 40 Paul Harris Society members, and Normal Rotary members account for about 25 percent of them. Dick welcomed Alan Chapman to that number.

Paul Harris Society Members present at today’s meeting: Surinder Sethi, Rob Cranston,

Drake Zimmeman, Jim Carter & John Morris

Alan said he sees donations to the Rotary Foundation as a means to leverage a relatively small gift into something huge in the world. District Governor Gordon Bidner’s goal of increasing the Paul Harris Society Members inspired Alan to commit to that level of support. Alan noted that Rotary Foundation ranks No. 4 on a Top 10 list of best charities. 87 cents of every dollar goes to the program work of the foundation.

As part of our continuing effort to get to know our fellow Rotarians, Ron Pacha agreed to talk about himself for a few minutes. Ron admitted to being from Iowa. His father died young, leaving his mother in charge of the family. She passed away this year at age 93. Ron and his high school sweetheart, Janice, have been married for 51 years. They have three children – all ISU graduates. The Pachas also have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Ron retired after many years as a bank official, with his last employment at Busey Bank. He served for several years as a Normal Township trustee. In Rotary, he is a past president and former Assistant District Governor. His hobbies include a passion for music; he has collected about 700 old piano rolls, which he describes as “history in music.” In closing, Ron reminded Rotarians that it’s vital to our democracy to get out and vote. …speaking of which, your Spoke writer didn’t hang on to the final tally, but if memory serves, the results of our straw poll was: Romney, 26; Obama, 23. Thought for the Day: “Life is like a jack-o-lantern. You have to dig through a lot of gunk to carve a smile on the face.” - Art Drake

A rare sight – President Art Drake actually got to eat his lunch while it

was still hot!

Drake Zimmerman was the lucky Lottery winner, but Sergeant-at-arms Bill Semlak passed around the mike and the kukla.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS: November 7 - Club Business & Birthday Auction November 8 – Ice Cream Social at the McLean County Nursing

Home – starting@ 5:30 p.m. November 12 – North Pole Village put up at the Children’s

Discovery Museum 8:00 a.m.- ? November 14 - Mini-grant Recipient: Collaborative Solutions.

Julia Madden Bozarth

November 21 – A Visit from Pilgrim Sam Fuller November 28 – German Re-Unification: Economic

World Power – Iris Varner November 30 – Poinsettias arrive at Chateau – Unload

& Deliver large orders December 1 – Poinsettia Pick-up at The Chateau December 5 – No Noon Meeting – 5:30 p.m. Holiday

Party at Biaggi’s

The Normal Spoke is a publication of the Normal Rotary Club of Illinois - P.O. Box 333, Normal, IL 61761 Editorial Staff: Paul Brauchle, Jim Carter, and Becky Goeckner Meetings are held Wednesdays at noon in the Circus Room or Old Main Room at the Bone Student Center, ISU.

Officers 2012-2013: President - Art Drake (spouse: Jan) 42 Inglewood, Bloomington, IL 61704 E-mail: ardra345@hotmail.com Home phone: 1-309-242-5125

President Elect – Dale Strassheim(spouse: Carol) 24843 Nighthawk Road, Hudson, IL 61748 E-mail: dstrassheim@thebabyfold.org Business phone: 1-309-451-7201 Home phone: 1-309-726-2468

Vice President – Mark Comadena (spouse: Pamela) 208 S. Bone Drive , Normal, IL 61761 Phone: 1- 309-452-2961 E-mail: mecomad@ilstu.edu

Secretary—Ralph Dude (spouse: Karleen) 911 Randall Drive, Normal, IL 61701 E-mail: rhdude@yahoo.com Home phone: 1-309-452-3838

Treasurer - Rod Weigelmann (spouse: Brenda) 2605 Blarney Stone Lane, Bloomington, IL 61704 E-mail: r.weigelmann@comcast.net Business phone:1-309- 828-8611 Home phone: 664-0818

Sergeant At Arms- Bill Semlak (spouse Joan) 3 Cheshire Mackinaw, Illinois 61755 E-mail: wdsemlak@ilstu.edu Phone: 1-309-359-8172

Past President - Linda Healy (spouse: Pat) 1230 E. Grove, Bloomington, IL 61701 E-mail: lihealy@ilstu.edu Business phone: 1-309-438-5083 Home phone: 1-309-827-8517

Directors: Director of Club Administration – Andy Copenhaver – (spouse : Marcia) 203 OrleansDrive Normal, Illinois 61761

Director of the Rotary Foundation & International Projects – Ann Haugo (spouse: Steve Pelphrey) 104 Kite Court LeRoy, Illinois 61752 E-mail : ahaugo@ilstu.edu Business phone : 1-309-438-3955 Home phone : 1-309-962-9225 Director of Community Concerns - Hank Campbell (spouse : Mary) 2319 Mabel Road, Normal, IL 61761 E-mail : hlcampb@ilstu.edu Home phone : 1-309-530-5134 Director of Publicity - Meghan Listek (spouse : Adam) 22 Hodgehaven Circle, Bloomington, IL 61704 E-mail : mlistek@normalpl.org Business phone : 1-309- 452-1757 Home phone : 319-6347

Assistant Governor: Susan Hoover Home phone: 1-309-888-4810 E-mail: cjsghoover@yahoo.com District Governor: Gordon Bidner (spouse: Sandra) 5150 E. 2050 N. Road Carlock, Illinois 61725 E-mail vmsa@frontiernet.net Home Phone: 1-309-963-4240 Cell: 1-309-531-1230

R. I. President 2012-2013—Sakuji Tanaka

E-mail : copez12@frontier.com Business phone : 1-309-662-2663 Home phone : 1-309-661-9492

Members: Copenhaver, Andy Jontry, Gene PHF* HH Schneider, Marci

Adanri, Bayo PHF* HH Cranston, Robert PHF* HH PHS GWRY DHH

Jontry, Mark Schultz, Mel PHF HH

Alexander, Kathy PHF* HH Dennis, Marcia PHF* HH DNRY Koos, Chris HM Semlak, Bill PHF*

Anderson, Todd Drake, Art PHF Kukla, Cynthia PHF Sethi, Surinder PHF* HH DHH DRY

Bergethon, Bruce PHF* HH Dude, Ralph PHF* HH DRY Landon, Lyn PHF Sherman, Mark PHF* HH

Bidner, Gordon PHF* PHS MD BS GWRY HH

Dunlap, Mark Lindsay, Jeff Smith, Kevin PHF

Bishop, John A. PHF* Galloway, Aaron Listek, Meghan Spelios, Andy PHF*

Bishop, John E. Gentry, Connie PHF HH Matsler, Frank PHF* Springer, Ron, PHF*

Blackburn, Joe Gildersleeve, Ben CM HH PHF* MD PHS DHH

McClellan, Stephanie B. Strassheim, Dale PHF*

Blumenshine, John Glover, Rob PHF Mesdag, Elleke PHF* Sweetwood, Pamela PHF

Bowman, Al HM Goben, Allen HM Morris, John PHF* HH BS PHS

Tanton, Ed PHF*

Brauchle, Paul PHF* Goeckner, Becky PHF* HH Naik, Vandana PHF* Timmerman, Ron PHF* HH

Brokaw, Nancy PHF* Gudeman, Gene PHF* HH Pacha, Ron PHF* HH Varner, Carson PHF*

Brown-Nielsen, Dayna Haugo, Ann PHF Radhakrishnan, Radha PHF*

Varner, Iris PHF*

Burrill, John PHF* Healy, Linda PHF* Raper, Lyle PHF* HH Wagner, Dick PHF* PHS MD BS HH DHH

Caisley, Bill PHF* HH High, Jeremy Reitan, Carol PHF* Ward, Robert PHF*

Campbell, Hank PHF Hoelscher, Mark Riehle, Matt Weigelmann, Rod PHF

Carter, Jim PHF* HH PHS GWRY

Houchin, Michelle Ropp, Gordon PHF* HH Weller, Roger

Chambers, Jason Houska, George PHF* HH Ropp, Ray PHF* HH Wilson, Gary PHF

Chapman, Alan PHF* Howell, Gene PHF* Runyon, Art PHF* HH Wilz, Jack PHF* HH DHH

Comadena, Mark Hunt, Robert PHF* Rutledge, Don PHF* HH Zimmerman, Drake PHF* HH MD BS PHS DHH

PHF – Paul Harris Fellow HH – Hall of Honor PHF* - Paul Harris Fellow/Stone PHS – Paul Harris Society

DHH - District Hall of Honor HM – Honorary Member MD – Major Donors

CM – Charter Member DNRY- District New Rotarian of the Year

BS – Bequest Society Member DRY-District Rotarian of the Year GWRY – George Wolf Rotarian of the Year