Welcome to Rock Falls Rotary !

Welcome to our Club!

Rock Falls

Service Above Self

We meet Mondays at 6:00 PM
Harvest Time Church
1802 Dixon Ave.
Rock Falls, IL  61071
United States of America
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Home Page Stories
Former Rotary Exchange Student Shares His Rotary Flag with Rock Falls Rotary

Andrew Bartles (right) , an exchange student of 2004 who spent a year in the Netherlands, and later in 2010 a year as an Ambassadorial Scholar in Lebanon, returned to Rock Falls to exchange his Rotary Club banner of Manama, Bahrain of District 2452 with Present-Elect Tom Myers of Rock Falls Rotary. Andrew has been working in the oil industry in the area of Saudi Arabia, but living in Bahrain.

 

Meteorologist at WQAD Presents Program at Rock Falls Rotary

Andrew Stutzke of Sterling who is presently the weekend meteorologist at WQAD presented a program on his career pathway and of course on the weather patterns we are experiencing in the Midwest with an explanation of why. The calculations into predicting the weather are much more complicated than listeners to weather forecasts think. Thank you Andrew Stutzke WQAD for providing such an interesting and informational program to our members and guests.

 

Rotary January & February Students of the Month
Rock Falls Rotary Students of the Month selected by Rock Falls High School staff for January, Bailee Fortney (right), daughter of Patrick and Dee Fortney and for February Brittney Shipman (left), daughter of Stacy and Laurie Shipman are shown with the Rock Falls Rotary Youth Committee Chair, Bob Sondgeroth. Rotary Students of the Month are selected based on the Four Way Test of what Rotarians think, say, and do:
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build good will and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Rock Falls Rotary Donates to Rock River Hospice and Home

Rock Falls Rotarians of the Community Service Committee, Gail Wright (left) and Darla Ewing (right) present to Karen Voss (center) of Rock River Hospice and Home a check for $150 to the recent Festival of Trees fundraiser.

Rock Falls Rotary Inducts New Member
 
Dave Chavira (right), president of Rock Falls Rotary officially inducted Eric Epps (center), IT Director at Sauk Valley Community College into the Rock Falls Rotary Club. His sponsor, Bob Sondgeroth (left), is pinning the lapel pin of the Rotary wheel to welcome him into the Rock Falls Rotary Club.  Rotary is an international service organization in over 200 countries around the world.
 
 
 
Rock Falls Rotary Presents Photo Op at Rock Falls Hometown Holidays
Two students from East Coloma-Nelson  were in costume for a photo op at US Bank in Rock Falls during the Hometown Holiday celebration:  Elizabeth Lombardo as Thing I and Elyse Stevens  as Thing 2.  Back row are the  Rotarians who were on site to hand out stickers and literacy  tips: to more than 160 participants: (left to right) Pam Erby, President Dave Chavira,Cheryl Faber, Gail Wright, Darla Ewing, and Betty Clementz.
 
RF Rotary October Student of the Month
Rock Falls Youth Committee Chair Bob Sondgeroth welcomed October Student of the Month from Rock Falls High School Maddie Sands, daughter of Jason and Nicole Sands. Maddie was selected by Rock Falls High School staff for living according to the Four Way Test of what Rotarians think, say, and do:
1.  Is it the truth?
2.  Is it fair to all concerned?
3.  Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4.  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
 
Rock Falls Rotary Distributes Over 150 Dictionaries to Rock Falls Third Grade Students
 
 Rock Falls Rotarian Cheryl Faber is sharing with  third grade students of Mrs. Anderson of Merrill School  how to use a dictionary and sharing the wealth of information  beyond vocabulary found in this version of an age-appropriate dictionary. Dictionaries were distributed to students of East Coloma-Nelson, Merrill, Montmorency, Thome, and St. Andrew schools
as a part of the American Education Week literacy effort by Rock Falls Rotary.  
Rock Falls Rotary 2019 Greenery Sales Happening Now
Rock Falls Rotary Greenery sales of Sherwood Forest wreaths, garlands, pine cones, and swags delivered from YOU directly to the recipient’s home in continental United States, all for one price which includes cost of item, taxes, and shipping charges is happening now. Freshly shipped from state of Washington, your gift will arrive at the doorstep of your recipient the week after Thanksgiving for a full holiday season to enjoy. Contact Rotarian Pat Novak at novakfam@essex1.com or call and leave a message at 815-441-0528 to place an order and to prepay cost to Rock Falls Rotary prior to November 11.
All monies from this fundraiser will support Rotary Youth activities.
 
District Governor Burke Visits Rock Falls Rotary
Dave Chavira (left), President of Rock Falls Rotary, welcomed Rotary District 6420 Governor Bobbi Burke (right) of Rochelle Rotary Club to her annual visit of Rock Falls Rotary Club Monday evening at Harvest Time Bible Church. She had presented the Rotary year theme banner to President Chavira of Rotary Connects the World.
 
Pat Novak Receives Paul Harris Fellow
 
Dave Chavira (right), President of Rock Falls Rotary, presents the Paul Harris Fellow Award to Pat Novak for her contribution to the Rotary Foundation of $1,000. Each Award includes a certificate and a pin. Monies received are used in the six areas of projects worldwide or in  support of  local district and club  projects through grants.
Cool Manufacturing & Technology Summer Cam
 
Three Rotary Clubs  - Morrison Rotary, Rock Falls Rotary, and Sterling Noon Rotary - joined with partner Whiteside County Economic Development to provide an opportunity for students aged 12 – 16 to experience manufacturing in the area.  All three Rotary Clubs applied for a matching grant from Rotary District 6420 to fund this summer program.  Each club contributed $1,000 and received a matching grant from Rotary District 6420 for another $1000 for a total donation/club of $2,000.  Its purpose was to expose area students to the world of manufacturing, to learn of careers and training in the area by visiting off-site facilities, and actually experience manufacturing as a possible career in the area.  Hands-on projects of manufacturing products would teach the students skills and allow them to experience manufacturing from design to production.  Whiteside Area Career Center would provide the program to meet these goals.  Their professional manufacturing instructors, Steve Bierdeman and Bill Hare, would deliver the program which had been discussed and approved by the three Rotary Clubs before the grant was even applied for.  The value of keeping students in manufacturing jobs in the area was one of the main purposes for this summer camp experience.
 
The Cool Manufacturing & Technology Summer Camp is a great example of the community identifying the skills gap as a national problem, and acting locally to meet the challenge.  The Cool Manufacturing Summer Camp, The Whiteside Area Career Center, the CEO program, the Multicraft Extended Internship Program, the Innovation Center at Morrison Tech, and other programs are examples of the community doing something about a problem and not waiting for someone else to do it. These are positive long-term steps we are taking locally and it does contribute to the overall vitality of the region.
 
Publicity was distributed as a flier to the 17 member school districts which are partner members in the WACC.  Local news media was also used to create awareness.  Woodlawn Arts Academy also distributed fliers to students aged 12 – 16.  The class would meet Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – noon June 17 through June 27.   The maximum number of participants for the summer camp was set at 20 and 14 students were enrolled.
 
Four projects were to be the experience of hands-on production:  a birdhouse, a wooden valet tray for jewelry, and a baseball bat shaped stand for name cards as projects using wood as the medium, and an I-phone holder using pipe which would teach skills in working with metal.  All would allow students to design their project and then make it truly their own creation.  Each project would allow students to use a variety of manufacturing machines.  The best part of the experience would be that each had handmade projects to keep as their own or to give as a gift.
 
Bill Hare shared that students found the experiences to be eye-opening.  One of them made the statement, “I can’t wait to come back again next year.”  Josh Johnson, Director of WACC, said that there is definitely interest in continuing this summer program with the possibility of perhaps adding the building trades and auto mechanics areas in a third week of a summer camp.
 
Three Rotary Clubs Presidents (left to right)– Sterling Noon’s President John Gvozdjak, Rock Falls’ President Dave Chavira, Morrison’s President Mick Welding - and Gary Camarano of Whiteside County Economic Development organization present a check for $8000 to Josh Johnson, Director of WACC and Jerry Binder, Administrator at WACC.  Each organization supported the Manufacturing and Technology Summer Camp program in June for students aged 12 – 16 which was delivered through WACC.
 
Bill Hare, Instructor at WACC, displays several of the projects which students completed in the Manufacturing and Technology Summer Camp at WACC in June:  two wooden projects – a baseball shaped name card holder and a jewelry valet tray - and  a metal project using pipe to create an I-phone holder.
 
 
RF Rotary Students of the Month of August and September 

Rock Falls Rotary  welcomed  and honored the recently named August Rotary Student of the Month, Lauren Moeller (left), daughter of Christa and Matt Moeller, and Maddie Arickx (right), daughter of Dawn and Dan Arickx,  as September Rotary Student of the Month. Both students were selected by staff at Rock Falls High School as best exemplifying the Rotary Four Way Test of the things one says, thinks, and does:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3.  Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Is it beneficial to all concerned?
 
Fourth Annual End Polio Now Walk
The Fourth Annual End Polio Now Walk, sponsored by the Rock Falls, Sterling Noon Rotary Club, Twin Cities Sunrise Rotary Club, Rotary of Walnut Illinois and Dixon, Illinois Rotary Club will be held on Saturday, October 12 at Centennial Park in Rock Falls. Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. There is no fee to participate. Donations will be accepted and with a $20 donation you can get an End Polio Now Tshirt, while supplies last. The walk will step off around 9 a.m. and will proceed along the Hennepin Canal bike path to the walking bridge which will cross the Rock River. Upon crossing the river and reaching Sterling, the water station will be set up at the gazebo, which will also be the turn around point (route is approx. 2.5 miles)
The public is invited to attend, with all donations collected and given to the End Polio Foundation at Rotary International. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation then triples that amount donated. We encourage and invite all to attend to help us eradicate Polio.
For more information, contact any participating Rotarian or send us message here on Facebook.
 
RF Rotary welcomes Foreign Exchange Student
Rotary Exchange Student from Germany, Emilia Galka (left), is officially welcomed to Rock Falls Rotary when she received her membership pin from Rock Falls Rotary President Dave Chavira. Emilia is attending Sterling High School and is being hosted by the Chad Spreeman family. Rotary Exchange students stay for approximately one year and are usually hosted by 2 - 3 families during that time. Any families wanting to host are asked to contact Bob Sondgeroth at 625-1495 for more information.
 

Spreeman to Indonesia
 
Kimzey Spreeman, daughter of Chad and Brandi Spreemen of Sterling, was selected as an Outbound Rotary Exchange Student to spend a year in Bandung, Indonesia.  She just received news that she is to leave soon, as all the paperwork has finally been completed.  Shown with Kimzey is the Rock Falls Rotary Youth Exchange Chair, Bob Sondgeroth, who has assisted in the preparation of Kimzey for this experience of a lifetime! Kimzey is being sponsored in this year-long exchange by the Rock Falls Rotary Club.
 
Prairie Restoration passion of Rotarian
 Keith Zoeller, a member of Rock Falls Rotary since 1990, presented a program on the restoration of a prairie to members of the Rock Falls Rotary Club.  He has developed several such acreages, including the one being shown in photos of 16 acres located upon entry into Gregden Shores.  He brought in samples of the wildflowers and grasses of that location and explained the need for multiple years to restore a prairie, which includes eventually burning off the property to regenerate its growth.
 
Two Rock Falls Rotarians Receive Paul Harris + 1 Sapphire Pins
Posted on Aug 20, 2019
 
Dave Chavira (center) President of Rock Falls Rotary, presented to Bob Sondgeroth (left) and Cheryl Faber (right) the pin representing Paul Harris Award of a total of $2000 donated to the Rotary Foundation. Each received a pin with a sapphire representing the Paul Harris + 1 status of contribution. Monies contributed to Rotary Foundation support the eradication of polio and fund district projects.
Rock Falls Rotary Welcomes Toni McCombie of 71st Legislative District
Posted on Aug 20, 2019
  
 
Members and guests at the Rock Falls Rotary meeting welcomed Toni McCombie of the 71st Legislative District  covering parts of Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, and Henry Counties to their meeting at Rotary Park on Minkle Street in Rock Falls. Toni shared the legislation passed in the last legislative session and fielded questions and concerns from the members.
Rotary Park Roofing Project
Posted on Aug 20, 2019
Rock Falls Rotary President Dave Chavira (far right) presents to the Director of Coloma Park District Tom Rynott a check for $2000 for the roof project at the restroom facility at Rotary Park on Minkle Street in Rock Falls, while Mike Sterba, retiring Director of Coloma Park District and Sarah Willey, Rock Falls Rotary Treasurer look on.
 
  
Gail Wright Receives Paul Harris  Fellow Award from Rotary Foundation
Gail Wright, member of Rock Falls Rotary, received the Paul Harris Fellow Award for her accumulative contribution  of $1000 to the Rotary Foundation from Rock Falls Rotary President Dave Chavira.  Rotarians are asked to make a contribution annually to the Rotary Foundation fund to support  End Polio Now or Annual Fund to support district activities.  
 
Rock Falls Rotary Inducts President of 2019 - 2020
:Past President Mike Albert (right), presents the gavel to Dave Chavira (left)  as Dave begins his Rotary year from July 2019 - June 2020 as President of Rock Falls Rotary.  Dave presented to Mike a Thank You gift of a clock for his year of service as President.
 
Rock Falls Rotary Presents Scholarship
 
Keith Zoeller, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, presents to Mackenzie Olson, daughter of Brian and Jude Olson, a scholarship to attend Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin in the fall from the Rock Falls Rotary.  
Rock Falls Rotary presents Scholarship
Rock Falls Rotary Scholarship Chair, Keith Zoeller (right), presents to Alex Akerman (left), 2019 graduate of Rock Falls High School, a scholarship to Sauk Valley Community College where he intends to start his pathway to becoming a physical therapist.
 
RYLA Program Presented to Rock Falls Rotary
Posted on Jun 26, 2019
Linda Patterson (left), a Rotarian from Dixon Rotary, shared the youth program of RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) which is a weekend long leadership training for high school youth of Rotary District 6420 which stretches from Quad Cities to Wisconsin border as far  east as McHenry County. Two of the students who attended the weekend RYLA  for Rock Falls Rotary  were Kimzey Spreeman and Savannah Pinske (next two students in the photo) who shared their reaction to the weekend. Cheryl Faber, Rock Falls Rotarian (right) presents Rock Falls Rotary pins to each of the students.
 

Rock Falls Rotary Celebrates Rotary Students of the Month
   
 
Rock Falls Rotary celebrated the students of Rock Falls High School who had been selected by RFHS staff each month as Rotary Student of the Month based on the 4 Way Test of things that Rotarians think, say and do: 1.  is it the truth?  2.  Is it fair to all concerned?  3.  Will it build goodwill and better friendships?  4.  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  From left to right are Javier De La Torre, Matt Laws, Debra Ratliff, Morgan Mandrell, Emily Buikema, Payton Johnson, Tiana Green, and Bob Sondgeroth, Chair of Youth Committee.  Absent when photo taken are Gracie Young, Xheneta Bqiri, Abigail Jones, and Jenna Valdivia.
 Rock Falls Rotary Earns Public Image District Award
Karen Voss (left) and Pam Erby (center) accept the Rotary District Public Image Award for clubs of membership of less than 40 members recently presented at District 6420 Conference held in Galena.  Presenting the award to the Public Image Co-Chairs is Mike Albert, President of Rock Falls Rotary.
Rock Falls Rotary Accepts Literacy District 6420 Awards
Dave Chavira (left), Chair of Rock Falls Rotary Literacy Committee,  has just accepted one of the two awards being extended to Rock Falls Rotary from the Chair of the District Literacy Committee, Andy Axup of the Quad Cities (right), for their efforts to promote literacy in their community.  The Club Achievement Award is for four areas of literacy:  1.  A program to share literacy with its members:  Rock Falls heard from Diane Verhulst about the books of L.I.F.E.  being distributed to children through age 5 in Whiteside County  2.  Financial support of a literacy program in the area, which was L.I.F.E of Whiteside County  3.  A hands-on program in which Rotary members provide literacy skills or work with individuals in need of improvement : Rotarians read weekly in East Coloma -Nelson School to children in grades K through fourth  grade   4.  An awareness community event:  Hometown Holiday Photo Booth at US Bank promotes children's story book  characters and distributes information about community literacy.  The second award from Andy Axup is for the longevity of a literacy program of a Rotary Club called the Sustained Excellence Literacy Award.  Rock Falls Rotary earned this award for 19 years of reading to students at East Coloma Elementary School which started with one class and now is extended to all students in every class of Kindergarten through fourth grade weekly. 
 

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Club Executives & Directors
President
David Chavira
President Elect
Gail Wright
Immediate Past President
Michael Albert
Treasurer
Sarah Willey
Secretary
Patricia Novak
Rotary Foundation
Michael Albert
Membership Chair
Thomas Myers
Public Image Chair
Pamela Erby
Community Service Chair
Debra Gonzalez
Bulletin Editor
Patricia Novak
Website Coordinator
Karen Voss
Vocational Service Chair
Keith Zoeller
Literacy Chair
Betty Clementz
Youth Exchange Officer
Robert Sondgeroth
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