World Service Grants

The World Service Committee is accepting project requests for the 2011-2012 Rotary year. The goal is to help the Club serve on an international level and to promote peace and goodwill. Below are the criteria the committee will use in reviewing the funding requests they receive.

• Is it a project of RI and /or RI Foundation?
• Potential for matching funds from RI, District, Others?
• Sustainable over several funding periods?
• Potential for participation by club members?
• Any fit with other community groups?
• Does the project have potential for a longer time horizon for multi-year sponsorship?
• Is it possible to partner with Rotary Clubs in the Country where our project is?

Please submit project requests to Kathy Dreyer by Tuesday, September 6.

Community Service Grant Requests

The Rotary Club of Appleton is pleased to make available grants from Rotary Shines, our major spring fundraiser, and from the Community Service Fund. Grants from the Community Service Fund will total $2939 this year. Rotary Shines funds are estimated at $10,000 but will vary depending on the success of our 2012 fundraiser. You are encouraged to apply for either source of funding, or both. Both grants support local community needs, and may provide members of the Rotary Club of Appleton with volunteer opportunities. The following guidelines will help you determine if you qualify for funding from these sources:

• Grants will be given to organizations designated as 501c(3).
• The project must serve/benefit residents of the Appleton area.
• Capital Projects (“bricks and mortar”) will not be funded.
• Annual campaigns will not be funded.
• Funds may serve as seed money for projects.
• Funds will be committed for only one year at a time, but may be awarded up to three consecutive years.
• Please do not request funds for ongoing operational expenses.

Requests for both grants must be received by October 14, 2011. Rotary’s Community Service Committee will determine recommendations for recipients of both grants at one meeting. Applications can be found on our website under forms and documents.

Downtown Appleton Rotary Rovers

The NAMI Walk will be held on Saturday, October 8 beginning at Memorial Park in Appleton. If you are interested in being part of "Downtown Appleton Rotary Rovers", go to the team website to sign up - http://www.nami.org/walkTemplate.cfm?section=NAMIWALKS&template=/customsource/namiwalks/teampage.cfm&teamID=28187

Bubolz Nature Preserve

Randy Tuma, Executive Director, discussed how the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve is a 775 acre independent, nonprofit wildlife preserve and nature education facility located at 4815 N. Lynndale Drive in Appleton. The Preserve has 4 full and 1 part-time staff and 11 Board of Directors. Their mission is to provide educational and recreational opportunities to encourage persons of all ages to develop and practice a sound environmental ethic, which reflects an understanding and appreciation of nature. The Preserve does not receive any support or tax dollars from the state, federal, city or county nor do they receive funds from United Way. They also are not supported by a family endowment fund. Their funds come from gifts, grants, and donations as well as in-house revenue from memberships, program fees, facility/equipment rentals and their apparel store. In 2010, the Preserve had over 6,700 school children attend programs, 10,000 people of all ages participated in programs and over 60,000 visited. During the time when Gordon Bubolz was a state senator, he wanted to set aside green spaces for future generations to enjoy. A group called Natural Areas Preservation, Inc. began to purchase land such as High Cliff State Park, Ledgeview, Fallen Timbers and the Preserve. Originally the Preserve was called Natural Areas Preservation, Inc. but was later changed by the Board to the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve. At one time, there was a logging camp onsite and after it was logged off it was used for farming until they found out it was too wet. The Preserve consists of cedar swamp, 8 ponds, meadows, prairies and forest with a wide variety of wildlife. In total, there are 8.5 miles of trails open to the public year round. In the winter, cross-country ski trails are maintained and snowshoe trails are open for snowshoeing and hiking. In 1981, their Earth Shelter was built with wind technology, solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling system and a wood burning stove. Over the past few years they have had some problems with water infiltration and the building is deteriorating. They are working on a capital campaign to update their building. The Preserve partners with the Appleton Area School District to run a school program in the Pioneer Log Schoolhouse. The overnight cabin sleeps 12 and is very popular in the skiing and snowshoeing season. Last year, the Sugar Shack was built and serves the largest program – Sap to Syrup and Maple Syrup Saturday (March) and is rented for meetings and other groups. The area around the Amphitheatre was built by Eagle Scouts. Each year 10-12 Eagle Projects are completed at the Preserve. They have about 300 volunteers that help at the Preserve on an annual basis. One of their biggest problems is invasive species such as buckthorn, reed canary grass and phragmites that come from other countries and are taking the place of our native plants. Invasive species are clipped and treated with a herbicide so they don’t retur. Another problem is the white tailed deer who eat over a metric ton of native species per year. To lower the deer population, the Preserve holds youth and disabled hunts. Other family events include the Whitetail Classic that will be held on Saturday, August 27 and Romp in the Swamp on Saturday, October 22. For more information, volunteer opportunities or memberships, go to www.bubolzpreserve.org.

Rotary Youth Exchange Informational Meeting - September 20

The Rotary Club of Appleton will be presenting an informational meeting on the Rotary Youth Exchange on Tuesday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Appleton Public Library in meeting room D. The full year and the short term (summer) exchange programs will be discussed.

Interested high school students who are in the top 50% of their class and who will be between the ages of 15 and 18.5 on their departure (if selected) in the summer of 2012 should attend this meeting with at least one parent. Rotary is primarily looking for a sophomore or junior student. Some exceptions can be made for seniors. It does not matter whether your parents are members of a Rotary Club - the program is open to children of Rotarian's and non-Rotarian's alike. Exchange student candidates must be outgoing, self-confident, friendly, adaptable, and adventurous, willing to learn a foreign language, with above average grades in school. The application form will require you to tell about yourself your family, and provide references from school teachers and/or administrators.

The mission of the Rotary Youth Exchange is to foster world peace, international understanding and good will by extending international communication at the personal level through the exchange of students of high school age. It is our hope that these young people will be able to observe, first hand, the problems and accomplishments of other countries by living with and meeting people of cultures, creeds and colors other than their own. For further details follow this link.-
http://www.rye6220.org/dbimages/Am_I_eligible_to_be_a_Rotary_Exchange_Student_8-09.pdf

Questions can be referred to Steve Taylor at 731-4351 or Robb Waugus at 450-9201.

Hannah Warren Dinner Presentation

There will be a dinner on Monday, August 22 at the Legends in DePere beginning at 5:30 p.m. to raise money for Hannah Warren, past Ambassadorial Rotary Scholarship winner, who will talk about her journey and how she helped women in Varanasi, India by creating Jhoole, a company that uses the vast talents of Indian weavers to benefit people living in poverty and give Indian women the opportunity to learn to feed themselves. In this rural area, the wife’s income automatically becomes her husband’s spending money. All too often the women complained that their husbands spent all their hard earned money on gambling and liquor. They came up with a solution. Rather than getting all the money directly, they can choose to purchase things such as children’s school fees from a communal fund Jhoole weavers make recycled denim skorts, dresses, crushed cotton scarves, custom embroidered dresses and table runners. You can buy them at Just Goods, 201 Seventh Street in Rockford. For tickets to the dinner, please contact Thom Cody at tcody@pathmakers-inc.com.

Leading with Laughter

Humorist Malcolm Kushner discussed how humor was a powerful communication tool and everyone can use it even if they cannot tell a joke. Humor is also a powerful leadership tool. It can command attention, create rapport and make ideas more memorable. It can also relieve tension, defuse conflict and motivate people – if it’s used appropriately. Can you be professional and funny? Of course. The secret lies in understanding the difference between being funny and communicating a sense of humor. Communicate the fact that you have a sense of humor. You don’t need to tell a joke to show you have a sense of humor. Distinguish yourself from your subject matter. We like people who take work seriously without taking themselves too seriously. Poking a little fun at yourself is a leadership trait that reflects confidence and security. The greatest fear of using humor is not being funny and bombing. You don’t have to tell a joke to bomb. Kushner described some simple rules and techniques that will make it worth your while to use humor. Make it relevant by analogizing your humor to a point, use quotes from famous people, make up funny meanings (definitions) of words and use the rule of three (list two items to set up the joke and use the third as the punch line). Avoid sarcasm unless you are attacked first, then it is a totally legitimate defense. Use web generators such as the Einstein Dynamic Photo Generator or the Personalized Money Generator. You can find material at http://museumofhumor.com. Communicate the fact that you have a sense of humor because over time the content stays but the relationship remains. People don’t remember what the other person said but they do remember how they felt about them.