Rotary Club of Saint Joseph Bulletin #9 (Mar. 04, 2026)

The Rotary Club of Saint Joseph today at the beautiful Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art.

The sergeants didn't set the bell out, so President Ron banged the gavel on the podium. That was different :)

There was an excellent crowd of around 37 in attendance today. Prospective members Micah Carter and Joan Brewer were on hand (and will be eligible for induction after this bulletin). We were also joined by Interactors Austin Hill (and his mom) and David Bryant, as well as the Interact Advisor Beth Delaney.

The lunch spread this week was garden salad, green beans, rolls, boiled new potatoes, and chicken thighs. We ran short of some of the food, so are going to up our count by a few meals with the caterer to ensure we have enough. That's what you call a "first world problem" in Rotary.

The fun committee shared that the Club's Anniversary Party will be Thursday, June 18. To assist with organizing this momentous occasion, there will be a planning session at a location TBD on Thursday, March 11. Heather Weddle will have the location to share soon for this planning session.

Club President-elect shared an update about the District Grant project with Life Unlimited. We are finalizing a date to assemble the gazebo and install the garden and other features at Life Unlimited, probably in April. Possibly April 25, although there are some conflicts that day. Stay tuned for more information. There will likely be a couple of chances for anyone who would like to help out to do so.

Oakley Coleman updated the club on the Spaghetti Dinner, which is THIS FRIDAY.

We have increased both the lunch orders and the sponsorships over last year, so that is a great start.

Be sure to turn in any ticket sales money to Oakley. There is still time to bring money to the dinner or to Rotary next week.

Oakley reports that we have over 25 volunteers signed up to help with the dinner and should be in good shape. If you want to help but don't know where yet, if you show up, we'll find a place for you to get involved.

The dinner tickets are $15 for all you can eat spaghetti, breadsticks, salad, and delicious desserts. Kids are $7, 5 and under are free. Carry-out lunches are $8 each and include a meatball sub, chips, and cookie. Anyone can walk in to the dinner and purchase a ticket at the door.

Customers and businesses can purchase tickets for lunch, dinner, and sponsorships online at https://rotary-club-of-st-joseph-east.square.site/

Black Bowls donations for this quarter (1/1/26 through 3/31/26) go to the Care Portal. which connects churches with people in need to make a difference. Contributions to Black Bowls may be made at meetings with cash or check, or online at our club's Square site.

Meals on Wheels delivery assignments for 3/5 will be Ron Auxier with Amy Ryan and Ralph Schank with Tim Curry.

March 12 will be Erik McGuire with Don Gladhart and Heather Shearin (solo).

Please check your emails to see the latest Spring schedule that Heather Shearin has sent out. If you aren't yet plugged into the meals on wheels delivery schedule, Heather can get you involved.

Club's website is: www.stjosepheastsiderotary.org and we continue to work on a post-merger refresh.

The club's Facebook page has been updated and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/rotaryclubstjosephmo

Upcoming Key Rotary Dates:

Friday, March 6: 43^rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser at Ashland United Methodist Church- carry out lunches and dine-in or carry out dinners
Saturday, March 7: Sleep in Heavenly Peace lumber cutting work day at MWSU across from the Kit Bond center from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon.
March 11: Regular club meeting at the AKMA... speaker is Past Rotary International Director Elizabeth Usovicz, presenting on the Rotary Peace Fellows program and updates from Rotary International's Senior Leadership
March 18: Regular club meeting at the AKMA... speaker is Tonya Ball presenting about the Care Portal
March 25: Regular club meeting at the AKMA... Rotary Blend candle orders and money are due by 3/25
Tentative- may change- April 25: District grant work project to assemble gazebo and install the garden at Life Unlimited
Friday, 4/24 and Saturday, 4/25: District Conference at the Rotary Youth Camp (Shoes for Orphan Souls Roll Call on 4/25)
Wednesday, 5/6: Rotary scholarship luncheon for our 5 high school scholarship recipients at Noon at the AKMA
Wednesday, 5/13: Offsite club meeting at Life Unlimited to see the District Grant project
Thursday, June 18: Rotary Club of Saint Joseph Anniversary Party (details TBA)

Contribute Online to The Rotary Foundation

Every dollar makes a difference and funds district grants, global grants, and more.

Or if you prefer to send a check, we can assist with the details of this.

Today's meeting had a more than full schedule, so we didn't have any Sergeants time or Happy Bucks. Some members were so happy that they left many bucks in the Black Bowls.

Mary Beth Revels did share a Happy Bucks-adjacent announcement about the St. Joseph Reads program on Thursday, March 26 at the InspireU Children's Discovery Center. The cost to attend is $20. To sign up, please visit https://www.stjosephreads.org/literacy-summit-2026

Today's program featured our club's 4 Way Test Speech contest.

2 of the Interactors from St. Joseph Christian High School presented their speeches. The requirements for the speeches were that they are between 3 and 5 minutes in length and incorporate the 4 Way Test.

Our first contestant was Austin Hill, who is a junior. Austin's speech was about the issue of abortion.

Our second contestant was David Bryant, who is also a junior. David's speech was about the benefits of discipline and delayed gratification.

In a close vote, with 32 ballots being cast, the final result was 17-15 for David to go on to represent our club at the district level.

We appreciate the time and effort that both Austin and David put into this contest and wish David luck as he moves on to the next level of competition.

Shoes Cheerleader Amy Spaeth reports that we have 1043 pairs of shoes so far in the warehouse (not including the shoes that Tim Curry has in his barn).

Our goal is to exceed 2,000 pairs this year.

To boost our fundraising to make this possible, we have a special Rotary Blend Candle Fundraiser available for anyone who would like to participate.

Members have through 3/25 to turn in their candle orders to Erik. Depending on volume, all candles should be ready by early April. We will have some candles as well as order forms on hand on Friday at the Spaghetti Dinner for anyone who would like to purchase any.

To purchase candles or reed diffusers, members may use the order forms or visit our online store here at to order online.

Members who want to donate to the club to purchase shoes may also do so, or simply bring a few pairs of shoes each week as you are able.

Our Shoes for Orphan Souls drive lasts through the Shoes Caravan Stop that is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 between 3 and 5 p.m. in St. Joseph. Details about this to be shared soon.