In This E-News - see below - Underlined are Rotary Amigos Meetings/Events - all virtual except for Milwaukee River Cleanup Club Project
Tuesday, 2/9 2-3 p.m. - “How To Advance Pay Equity and Reduce the Pay Gap” with Sharawn Connors, VP, Diversity, Equality & Inclusion at Micron Technology - series presented by Change Catalyst
Thursday, 2/11 7-8:15 p.m. - “Employment Barriers Faced by Diverse Communities” presented by our own Maria Flores as part of “RACISM IN AMERICA Speaker Series”
Tuesday, 2/23 6-7:15 p.m. - Board Meeting - All Amigos Members
Thursdays, 2/25 - 4/1 - YWCA Conversations on Race Series - there is a $250 fee that will be the individual's responsibility
Saturday, 3/20 8:30 a.m. Partner Mtg Rotary Club Milano Aquileia, Italy
March TBA - Rotary District 6270 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Zoom Series - Jason Rae- LGBTQ 101
Saturday, 4/24 9 a.m. - Noon - Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup - This will be Amigos 4th year as river adopters. Our river section gets better and better each year with our 3-4 times each year cleaning. Group size limited to 10 and masks will be required, and social distancing protocols will be put in place.Friendship Exchange Zoom Club Meeting - Alyssa Schmirler
Have you ever desired to experience different cultures and build international friendships? Join us this evening as we explore Rotary's Friendship Exchange Program. Our past president, Edwin Nyakoe-Nyasani will be sharing his experience hosting Alyssa Schmirler a fellow Rotarian in Kenya while visiting his family in August of 2019
As a Rotarian, you have unique and incredible opportunities through the Rotary Friendship Exchange.
What is Rotary Friendship Exchange? Friendship Exchange is an international exchange program for Rotary members and friends that allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs. Participants may travel as individuals, couples, families, or groups, and maybe Rotary members or not.
There are benefits to participating in this program.
Benefits of an exchange
Broaden international understanding
Explore a profession or job in a different context
Build enduring friendships
Establish a foundation for peace and service
Gain opportunities for active project involvement and support
Learn about a region’s people, food, languages, customs, and history
Find partners for grants
Alyssa Schmirler is from Milwaukee, Wi. She has a double bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She recently obtained a Master’s degree in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Her career path has been focused on education, primarily teaching. As she continues her career, she is interested in focusing on development within the education sector, such as education for social equality.
“RACISM IN AMERICA Speaker Series”
Thursday, February 11, from 7:00-8:15 p.m. on the topic of “Employment Barriers Faced by Diverse Communities.” You can click on the following link to watch all the speaker sessions online, including mine: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89109430677
Registration is encouraged by emailing the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay c/o aeversfield@umcwfb.org or by calling 414-964-2424
YWCA Conversations on Race - Winter 2021 Schedule and Topics
Thursday afternoons from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
February 25 Socialization
March 4 History/Roots of Racism
March 11 Manifestations of Racism
March 18 On Whiteness
March 25 Racial Implicit Bias
April 1 Wrap up
Each two-hour session will allow time for content review (video clips, reflection questions) along with listening pairs, breakout rooms and full group discussions. All are welcome! Registration required. Sessions held over Zoom.
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 24, 2021
Last year presented many challenges for us all. While we were unable to host our large cleanup, we still found ways to care for our rivers while also caring for ourselves.The response from our community, our friends and Adopt-A-River adopters is clear: we’re ready. It’s time to tackle pollution and restore our rivers once again.
We’re taking steps to mindfully proceed, with safety at the center of our plan. This year’s event will look a little different, we’re limiting the total number of volunteers at each site, and staggering start times. We’ll also be requiring volunteers to:
Register and complete digital waivers in advance, there will be NO onsite registration or paper forms
Wear a mask during the cleanup
Maintain a safe 6ft distance from other volunteers not in your household
Use hand sanitizer, and limit contact with others
Future meetings are expanded on in the mini-calendar and events page at RotaryAmigos.org
(In the process of updating...check back Feb 18, 2021)
The film, "Growing Up Milwaukee" is now streaming on HBO MAX!
Tyshun Wardlaw's feature documentary debut follows three young Black people growing up in the heart of our city as they grapple with daily experiences of racism and segregation, while fighting to avoid becoming a statistic.
PLEASE NOTE - Until further notice we are not meeting in person. If you would like to participate in our Zoom meetings, check the info in the left column of this newsletter.
Rotarians - People OF Action
WORTH REPEATING!!
A special report prepared for Rotary International by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies estimated the value of Rotary member volunteer hours at $850 million a year.
Steven Taylor (Concordia University), a member of the Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club shared the following with us during their meeting on November 20.
As an FYI...businesses were closed, meetings were only outside, there were penalties (including jail) for not wearing a mask....and yes, there was an anti-mask contingency!
"On October 24, 1918, the city's elected legislative body, the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, realizing that drastic action needed to be taken with over 4,000 cases recorded, unanimously passed the Influenza Mask Ordinance. The wearing of face masks in public became mandatory on US soil for the first time."
ROTARY HISTORY
this is my first world wide pandemic, but it is not Rotary’s. The Spanish flu, had great impact-and most likely to each of our families even if we do not know what it was. in my case my great grandfather died from it leaving my 8 year old grandma with out a father
Rotary’s response to the 1918 flu pandemic
An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected (we currently have over 57 million infected with Covid. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick.
This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year.
In the United States, the illness was first identified in military personnel in the spring of 1918. The second, deadliest wave peaked between September and November of that year — the final stages of World War I.
Hospitals in some areas were so overloaded with flu patients that schools, private homes, and other buildings were converted into makeshift hospitals. In Chicago, where Rotary World Headquarters was then located, the number of new cases reached 1,200 a day at one point.
Several district governors reported at the June 1919 convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, that war work and then the flu greatly interfered with club activities and their club visits — but not with the spirit of Rotary service.
Illness and upheaval “prevailed all over the world,” Charles H. Brown, then governor for District 10 (Ohio), told the convention. “But throughout Ohio you will find the Rotary clubs, in every city where a Rotary club exists, in the foremost ranks of civic and social work, doing their full share toward serving our government and humanity.”
John Napier Dyer, then governor for District 11 (Indiana), also saw Rotarians stepping forward to help during a time of need. Although traditional Rotary activities practically ceased in his district for several months, he said “many Rotarians gave themselves to the combating of the disease as directors of hospitals, visitors to the sick, or by liberal assistance to the stricken ones.”
Just like during the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs were inspired to adapt and act. They adjusted how they met, following local guidelines of the time, and took action to help give local governments and health providers necessary services and support. Much of this activity occurred in the United States, since Rotary’s international presence at the time was limited. Our response to the coronavirus is global.
In 1918, Rotarians in Sacramento and Berkeley, California, USA, held their meetings outdoors to comply with a local restriction on enclosed meetings. In 2020, clubs have adapted by holding their meetings online to stay connected.
In 1918, the Rotary Club of Kankakee, Illinois, USA, helped raise funds to buy a car for a Red Cross social worker to use in her trips around the country during the 1918 pandemic. In 2020, Rotary Clubs in District 3700 (Korea) donated $155,000 to the Red Cross. Then and now, our capacity to make a difference is larger when we work with others to create change.
In 1918, more than two dozen Rotarians in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, worked with members of the Boy Scouts organization to quickly and effectively distribute flyers with guidance on how to prevent the spread of influenza. In 2020, the Rotary E-Club of Fenice del Tronto, based out of Italy, invited the public to its online meeting with a virologist who spoke about the coronavirus, how it spreads, and how to keep safe. In Nigeria, Rotary members in Akwa Ibom state conducted a campaign to raise awareness about the threat of coronavirus.
In 1918, Rotarians in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, secured beds for emergency hospitals, volunteered as ambulance drivers, and assisted with a health survey of the city. The Rotary Club of Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, took similar steps, making a canvass of local flu cases and helping create a hospital. In 2020, Rotarians in Makati, Philippines, funded the construction of several emergency quarantine facilities, including a recovery center for COVID-19 patients from the Pasig City Children’s Hospital who no longer need intensive care. These recovery facilities help make space in hospitals for people who require more monitoring.
In 1919, The Rotarian magazine reported that a “Rotary flu squad” in Great Falls, Montana, USA, “fought the ravages of the epidemic, not by hiring people to do the work for them, but by actually doing with their own hands whatever work needed to be done.” In 2020, the same community service spirit is being shown by the Rotary Club of Metro Bethesda, Maryland, USA, whose members contact neighbors who are isolating alone at home to ask how they are and if they need anything.
The photo behind is me is the The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic.
Rotary is a service club that is here to serve, as I, at some point, will reflect back on COVID, I want my actions to be that of service, and to surround myself with those like us, my Rotary family.
Photo by Edwin J. McCullagh, 1931-32 club president. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Berkeley.
Articles in January / February issue of Milwaukee Ethnic News. These newsletters often list over 20 ethnic events and involve these groups:
The January/February 2021 issue features history and needs of Latinos in the Greater Milwaukee area and an article on Ethnic Activities for Coronavirus "Shut-ins", lots of resources to learn more about WI ethnic groups, a list of ethnic Wiscsonsin books and much more.
Rotary Curious??
What Does it Take in Time?
One in-person meeting per month
What's Expected of Me?
To represent your vocation and help us know about you and that vocation.
Be a person of high ethical standards.
Give some of your time to Service in the Greater Milwaukee community and / or internationally.
Share Rotary and the opportunity to make a difference in the world with your Rotary Family in ways you could not individually.
Have Fun and WANT to see your Rotary club members because you miss them when you don't.
Did you know that Rotary does not require weekly attendance even though we generally meet weekly?
Did you know that our project and volunteer service counts as attendance?
Did you know that you can do a Rotary make-up by attending another club meeting OR by going on-line and read several "programs" and then apply for a make-up? Use these links to get started.
Don't know what they are? Awesome way to connect Internationally and locally with other Rotarians who share your interests or hobbies.
Rotary Fellowships are independent, social groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world.
How do I join a fellowship?
Fellowships are open to Rotarians, family members, and program participants and alumni. You can contact a fellowship directly by using the information listed in the Rotary Fellowships directory. Or search our discussion groups to find Rotary and Rotaract members with similar interests.
Ask your district Rotary Fellowships chair for assistance. Reach out to district Rotary Fellowships chairs in other countries to build membership by emailing us.
Be sure you meet the criteria for a fellowship and apply for official recognition.
Explore our fellowships:
Interested in a particular subject? Visit the group's website or email it to learn more.
Did you know that our District now has a new Fellowship? Rotary Means Business - this was taken from the District 6270 home page -
"District 6270 has now officially become the first Rotary district in Wisconsin to be chartered under the Rotary Means Business Fellowship. Rotary Means Business encourages Rotarians to support the success of their fellow Rotarians by doing business with them, and by referring others to them. I am of the firm belief that the most honorable people to transact business with are people who abide by the 4 Way Test. So, to launch the Rotary Means Business Fellowship, we are planning an event that will be announced soon where Rotarians who are involved in business or interested in business can come to socialize and learn more about how to join the fellowship. We are also working on an Electronic Business Directory (in PDF format) for all Rotarians involved in various businesses to be able to have their businesses listed so that other Rotarians can reach out to them to transact business or refer business to them."
Rotarian and Cycling Fellowship member Angie Rester recently rode in the Penninsula Century Fall Challenge where she ran into the Rotarians from the Rotary Club Door County North who hosted one of the rest stops and fueling stations in the ride that starts and ends in Sister Bay. Cycling Fellowship members are also able to purchase the Rotary and End Polio jerseys made just for the Fellowship. Angie is available for presentations to clubs regarding Fellowships. She serves as the District Fellowship Chair. Click here to email her your request or questions.
Are you interested in serving on the District Committee for Fellowships? Meetings will be telephonically so you can join the committee from any place in the District.
Rotary International Convention 2021 in Taipei, Taiwan - June 12 - 16 (pending world conditions)
Unforgettable moments are made at the convention, a place where the Rotary spirit fills the air with a level of energy and enthusiasm you can’t find anywhere else. This is the event where we unite and take action to create true and lasting change in the world.
Angie has attended multiple conventions starting in Nice, France in 1995; Indianapolis, Indiana; Singapore, Singapore; San Antonio, Texas; Chicago, IL; Salt Lake City, Utah; Montreal, Canada; and Hanover, Germany.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Make new friends or connect with old ones while you explore the House of Friendship with your fellow Rotarians. With so much to see and endless things to do, the Rotary Convention is sure to be an experience you won’t want to miss.
Rotary Curious??
Did you know that Rotary does not require weekly attendance even though we generally meet weekly?
Did you know that our project and volunteer service counts as attendance?
Did you know that you can do a Rotary make-up by attending another club meeting OR by going on-line and read several "programs" and then apply for a make-up? Use these links to get started.
Have you ever desired to experience different cultures and build international friendships? Join us this evening as we explore Rotary's Friendship Exchange Program. Our past president, Edwin Nyakoe-Nyasani will be sharing his experience hosting Alyssa Schmirler a fellow Rotarian in Kenya while visiting his family in August of 2019
Last year presented many challenges for us all. While we were unable to host our large cleanup, we still found ways to care for our rivers while also caring for ourselves.The response from our community, our friends and Adopt-A-River adopters is clear: we’re ready. It’s time to tackle pollution and restore our rivers once again.
This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year.
Rotarian and Cycling Fellowship member Angie Rester recently rode in the Penninsula Century Fall Challenge where she ran into the Rotarians from the Rotary Club Door County North who hosted one of the rest stops and fueling stations in the ride that starts and ends in Sister Bay. Cycling Fellowship members are also able to purchase the Rotary and End Polio jerseys made just for the Fellowship. Angie is available for presentations to clubs regarding Fellowships. She serves as the District Fellowship Chair. Click here to email her your request or questions. 
