As of press time, Judge Joe Bruscato has not been confirmed as our speaker on March 27th.  If there is a change in the program, you will be notified by email.

 

     Judge Joe Bruscato was elected as a 17th Judicial Circuit judge in 2018.  He graduated from Marquette University in 1984 and received his Law Degree in 1987 from Marquette School of Law.  He was an Assistant District Attorney in Brown County, WI from 1987-1988, Assistant City Attorney in Green Bay, WI from 1988-89.  He moved to Rockford in 1989 and was an Assistant Attorney General for the Rockford Regional Office of the Illinois Attorney from 1989 to 1994.  He was in private practice from 1994 to 2000 and then served as a City Attorney for Rockford from 2000 to 2008.  He was elected State's Attorney for Winnebago County from 2008 to 2018.

     Judge Bruscato will talk about the directions our court system is headed.  This will an interesting and informative program and one to bring a guest or prospective member to join us in person at Memorial Hall or via zoom.  Bob Canfield will introduce our speaker and act as Rotary Host.

 

     Linda Johnson will again host our annual program about the Rockford Rotary Academy.

     Our club’s Signature Project, Rotary Academy, began in the fall of 2002 and with the exception of one year off during COVID, it has continued to offer leadership activities to 8th graders in Rockford Public Middle Schools. It has grown from 3 middle schools to all 9 middle schools with over 200 students participating every year now.

     Our current Partners are the YMCA, RPS 205, RVC and RU. Every middle school has at least one Rotarian who serves as that school’s Rotary Liaison. The Academy Program in each school is led by an Advisor who is a counselor or other designated school staff member.

     The students are selected by teachers and Advisors. They are students who appear to have leadership skills but aren’t demonstrating them in the school setting. They could have a disability. They could be in a special program such as CAPA or Gifted or bi-lingual for example. They are hopefully maintaining good attendance and passing grades. They aren’t involved in multiple extra-curricular activities. They don’t present with behavior problems.

     Throughout the school year they participate in activities that focus on leadership qualities, self-confidence and character building. The activities include trips to the YMCA Camp Winnebago, RVC, and RU. They are exposed to manners and etiquette by Liz Bockman. They perform at least one community service project, and they celebrate their accomplishments at a Final Celebration which will be at Embassy Suites on May 6th.

     Rotary Academy Day on April 3 will feature a variety of the components that make up the yearlong Academy Program. This will include several Academy Students speaking about what their participation in the Academy has meant to them.

     Come and hear about and take pride in what our club is doing to help students become leaders in their school, neighborhood, community and perhaps the world. 

 

     Congratulations to Linda Niemiec for becoming a member of the Travelers Century Club which means she has traveled to 100 different countries.  The Travelers' Century Club, or TCC, is a club for people who have visited 100 or more of the world's countries and territories.     The organization was founded in California in 1954 and now has more than 1,400 members throughout the world. The club has twenty-one regional chapters in the United States, and one each in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It holds regular meetings and provides other tools for social networking.

     TCC currently lists 330 different countries and territories that fall under their guidelines.  The club has no requirements as to how long the traveler must have stayed in a country to qualify. Anyone who has visited 100 or more of the places on the list is eligible to join.  For more information on the TCC, go to https://travelerscenturyclub.org.

     Again, congratulations from a fellow traveler who is stuck at 52 countries.

     This past week the students at the Rockford Rotary Academy program took a field trip to Rockford University to learn about what the school has to offer and what to look forward to. 

     The picture is of the Lincoln Middle School students under the original Jane Adams Hall arch.

 

Rotary Happy Hour

 

     Our next Rotary Happy Hour will be held at The Goat at 1428 Main Street.  It will be on March 27th from 5:30 PM until everyone is gone.  The entertainment committee wants to support different businesses which is why we are going to try The Goat which opened a year ago.  It is a couple of doors north of The Norwegian and there is parking in the rear.

 

     A gentle reminder that you please pay for your lunch, $200 for March, April, May, and June. You can pay by credit card or send a check to our treasurer, Monica Glenny. If you bring your own lunch, you can opt out by not paying the $200.00. If you have any questions, or if you only want the lunches for a specific month, please tell Bob Canfield, 815-968-7200 or canfilaw@sbcglobal.net .

 

 

       

 

 

Consult with local experts early in the planning process to build a strong project plan and global grant application. Your application needs to clearly describe how your project, scholarship, or vocational training team:

 

     • Responds to real community needs

     • Aligns with one of Rotary’s areas of focus

     • Actively involves Rotary members and community members

     • Meets the eligibility requirements in the grant terms and conditions

     • Includes measurable goals

     • Will be sustainable and successful long after the global grant funds have been spent

 

If you need help, contact your district international service chair. The district resource network is made up of members with expertise in project planning, the areas of focus, and Rotary Foundation grants.