Hello fellow Rotarians,
 
Did you see the news last week? Nigeria, the last country in Africa to report cases of the wild poliovirus, has not reported a case in three years. The whole continent of Africa could be declared polio-free as soon as mid-2020. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, of which Rotary International is a partner, formed in 1988. That year, there were more than 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. So far in 2019, there have only been 66 cases worldwide, and only two countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) remain polio-endemic. What a huge accomplishment! I hope you're as proud as I am to be a part of Rotary and all of the work that Rotary International does.
 
Reminder - there is no meeting this Sunday, but we are having a social at my house on Monday evening. If you haven't already done so, please let me know if you're able to attend (either via the facebook event or shoot me an email). See the link below to fill out the short questionnaire for Rotary Bingo, too. Family and guests are welcome!
 
See below for the Ironman Wisconsin volunteer sign-up link. The race is on Sunday, September 8th, but there are volunteer shifts available for Thursday, September 5th - Sunday, September 8th. We need 15 volunteers to earn our $500 grant. Personally, I'm hosting a pro at my house for the week, and I'll be volunteering at the registration desk on Thursday morning. My athlete arrives on Saturday, so you can meet him at the social!
 
We have a great line-up of Rotary-centric speakers through the end of 2019. My goal is to give everyone food-for-thought regarding our club identity and what our signature local and international projects could entail, then we can re-group in January and find our focus. I hope to see you at our Sunday meetings!
 
See you on Monday,
 
Erin Luken
2019-2020 President
  
Upcoming Events
 
Sunday, September 2nd – President's Social
1826 Chadbourne Ave, Madison, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Join us for a low-key mix and mingle social (in lieu of our usual meeting) tonight.  Fill out the following survey to join in Rotary Bingo (https://forms.gle/7WDP8RwtRbceFFk88). Guests are welcome to join us and play Rotary Bingo too!
 
Saturday, September 7th - Volunteer Event: Lussier Food Pantry
Lussier Community Education Center, 55 S. Gammon Rd, Madison, 11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Volunteer with us at the Lussier Community Education Center food pantry!  Four volunteers are needed to work from 11:45am until 1:00pm.  Sign up for shifts here or email us at madisonrotaryah@gmail.com. 
 
Saturday, September 7th - Club Fundraiser: Bucky Beads
Next to the Madison South Rotary Club Brat Stand, 1437 Monroe St., Madison, 11:30 am - 3:15 pm
Come over before the UW Badgers vs. Central Michigan football game and help raise money for our Youth Exchange Program. All proceeds from our bead necklace sales go towards funding our exchange students. Shifts are 11:30 am - 1:30 pm and 1:15 pm - 3:15 pm.  Sign up for shifts here or email us at madisonrotaryah@gmail.com. 
 
Sunday, September 8th  – Ironman Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin, all day
Sign up for a volunteer shift to help us earn a $500 grant.  There are many roles to fill, especially on the bike and run course.  For example, hang out in the shade on the run course along the Lakeshore Path, get rare on-field access in Camp Randall Stadium directing runners, or help apply fresh sunscreen on the athletes.  Plus, beer and raffle prizes at the volunteer dinner on September 9th.  Sign up here http://www.ironman.com/hr-hr/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/wisconsin/volunteer.aspx#axzz5u3na0JkT and be sure to write in "Rotary" when asked what group you are with.  
 
Sunday, September 15th  – Club Meeting: Edwin Bos, District Governor
The Post at Park Hotel, 22 S Carroll St, Madison, 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Our guest speaker this evening will be Edwin Bos, the District Governor of 6250 for 2019-2020. This is a great time to bring guests! Edwin Bos has been a proud member of the Fort Atkinson Rotary club since 2003. He has served on the Board of Directors, as Youth Exchange Officer, as the chair of several club construction projects, as Club President in 2012-13, and as Assistant Governor from 2014-2017. Edwin is a graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BSc Civil Engineering) and the Rotterdam School of Management (MBA). After graduation, he spent 10 years working for a large Dutch  construction company primarily in Amsterdam, Istanbul, and the Caribbean.