When: We meet Friday mornings from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
Where: Our next meeting is Friday (7/29) will be at the Mequon Public Market, 6300 W Mequon Rd, Mequon, WI 53092.
Our program this Friday will feature Steve Peterman along with Stan Smith from the noon clubto talk about the founding of the club and its history. Lynn Streeter will explain the value and functions of our committees.
The greeter will provide either the thought, a Rotary minute, share a family moment or a cultural tradition ... anything they would like to start off the day positive.
Upcoming "It's your Rotary moment" assignees:
Fr. Mike Shay (7/29)
Lynn Streeter (8/5)
Jennifer Sutherland (8/12)
Lee Szymborski (8/19)
Note: If you are unable to act as "It's your Rotary moment" assignee when scheduled please arrange for your replacement.
Combating human trafficking, a scourge which impacts an estimated 40 million people worldwide, is the goal of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery and several cause-based Rotary clubs.
By Frank Bures
Photo Caption: Students on their way to morning class at Pace Universal, a school for girls in Piyali Junction, outside Kolkata, India, that is funded in part by Rotary clubs and The Rotary Foundation. It was founded by Rotarian Deepa Biswas Willingham to educate girls and protect them from slavery, trafficking, and early childhood marriage in a community where these are common dangers for girls. Anindito Mukherjee / Rotary International
When Dave McCleary first heard about human trafficking, it seemed like something that happened far away, probably overseas. But not in the United States. And certainly not in his hometown.
Then one day he invited a speaker who knew otherwise to talk to his Rotary club in Roswell, Georgia. Her name was Melissa. She was originally from Roswell and had gone to the same high school McCleary’s girls had attended. Melissa dropped out at 16 and was offered a modeling job by a man who turned out to be a sex trafficker. For two years, she was trapped and trafficked in downtown Atlanta before police and a local organization helped her escape.
After the meeting, another Rotarian approached Melissa and gave her a big hug. McCleary asked him how he knew the young woman. He said she used to babysit his kids when she was 12, and he had wondered what had happened to her.
"For me, that was when it became real," says McCleary, who is now chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery. "Now it wasn't someone else's problem. And I remember thinking at the time: Rotary — we're in 200 countries, with 34,000 clubs and 1.2 million Rotarians, and we tackle the tough issues. Why not slavery?"
Of the many global issues, human trafficking (or modern slavery, as it is sometimes called) is one of the toughest to combat. It's estimated that more than 40 million people are trafficked across the world. "It's probably the largest human rights travesty existing today," says Karen Walkowski, founder of the Rotary Club of District 5950 Ending Human Trafficking. "Bigger than all the refugees, all the displaced people. It's one of the three largest illegal industries, bringing in about $150 billion in revenue every year."
By Abdulwahab B Akinlade, past president of the Rotaract Club of Ikorodu Golden, Lagos, Nigeria
Membership is the backbone of organizations like Rotary. My friend Musiliu Babatunde has a favorite song about Rotary, and it is called Wake Up Rotarians. It talks about the importance of membership to a club and how a club will become inactive and die if there are no members.
The song prompted me to think about ways we can attract members. Here are a few thoughts:
Fun Activities: Rotaract clubs should host activities that attract young people. Socializing and having fun is a good thing and complements service. Picnics, beach parties, and happy hours are just some of the activities you can plan.
Service Projects: At the same time, service is what draws many people to Rotaract and Rotary — the ability to join together with others to take action and achieve more than you could ever do on your own. We should continue to partner with other Rotaract and Rotary clubs in our communities to improve our neighborhoods. It’s like when you plant a tree and you help the ecosystem. A member who gets involved in service projects becomes an impact maker in their community.
Print, broadcast, and social media: There is no substitute for publicity. And social media makes it easier than ever. We can attract prospective members, but also people who want to support us and work with us. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and more should be used for timely updates on our programs and the projects we engage in. But don’t limit your updates to just one or two platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. Use the full spectrum and don’t forget print media such as newspapers and magazines, or broadcast media.
Attracting members isn’t the end of the story. We must also sustain our clubs and engage our members.
Public safety in Cali has improved since the mid-1990s, when drug cartels lorded over the city.
The Rotaract Club of Cali-Norte is promoting peace and conflict resolution through its Re-Créate initiative, “a social and psychoeducational intervention project” involving role-playing, discussions, arts and crafts, music, and athletics at a local school, says Diana Rivera, immediate past president of the club. Since 2017, hundreds of children have participated in the program, which covers social topics such as bullying, setting personal boundaries, and team building.
“We make two visits per semester on Saturdays,” Rivera says of the initiative. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined a popular soccer tournament fundraiser, individual donors, raffle proceeds, and other initiatives have filled the gap as the club works to enhance Re-Créate with digital offerings.
Pardeep Kaleka executive director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee was our guest speaker on July 15. Photos by Dean Johnson (top) and Bob Blazich (bottom).
Perspectives On Angel Investing for Profit and Community Impact
Topic
Bob will share his experiences as an innovator and as an investor in Wisconsin based business start ups that have the promise of generating a direct economic return. As importantly, these investments create new jobs and build our communities in a sustainable manner. He will describe the angel and venture capital environment in Wisconsin and explain different pathways to engage in it as well as highlighting the many risks and rewards."
Bio
Bob is Founder and President of Xponential Ventures, a business and technology consulting firm and private investment vehicle. He was previously Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Technology Officer at Sealed Air Corporation and Brady Corporation. Earlier he held research and technology executive leadership positions at GE Plastics and General Electric. Bob earned an MS and Phd in chemical engineering from University of Michigan and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Ohio State University. Bob lives in Mequon with his wife Kathy and two children and serves on several nonprofit boards and advisory councils. As a hands-on volunteer community leader, and former volunteer firefighter, he makes an impact through service to education, the environment, the arts and sciences. Bob is currently a candidate for Wisconsin's 24th Assembly District.
