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President Shelley's Weekly Update

Hello Rotarians!

Please note we are NOT meeting as usual this week. Instead, I encourage you to register and attend the District 5710 Annual Conference Friday and Saturday - even if you can only make it Saturday for the dinner.
For info and to register, visit : https://www.rotary5710.org/page/district-conference or scan the QR code with your phone:

Signature Projects:

• We had a good turnout for our monthly shift at Common Table last week. Thanks to Mike Dodson, Rebecca Gould, Alison Wheatley, Jim Wright and Fr. Don Zimmerman for joining me. Our next shift will be November 10th.

• Community CARES Chest was not open last week, as we await a new shipment. We hope to be open again this week.

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The meeting started by reciting The Pledge of Allegiance, followed by The 4-Way Test.

We had our Fall Club Assembly in lieu of an outside speaker.
Our weekly birthdays were Tom Arthur, Russ Briggs, Jim Genandt and Ari Jumpponen.

Our guests were Tristan Griffin, who's transferring to MRC, and Rotaractors Skyler Lea and Caylie Van Meter from KSU.

October's theme is Community Economic Development, with our CUP Money going to Yuma Street Cultural Center.

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Our greeters were Blake Flanders and George Ham, with Bill Muir on Zoom. Blake joined Rotary last year and retired this year as President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents; he is now doing some consulting work. He and his wife Resa have 3 children. What he likes best about Rotary is learning more about the community than he thought. Few know Blake judged livestock in Kansas a long time, and it well prepared him for his career - as one party will be happy, and the others offer 'constructive criticism'!

George Ham came to K-State in 1980 as head of Agronomy, and later served (and retired) as head of K-State Research & Extension. He was MRC Secretary for 13 years and a member 42 years. He and his wife Alice have been married 62 years and have 3 grown sons, 5 grands, and 1 great-grandson. What he likes about Rotary is the club's dynamic nature, good leadership and how much gets accomplished.

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After some announcements, we segued into our Club Assembly. I discussed our 2026-27 Financial Standard Operating Procedures and Club Action Plan. The plan has an emphasis on Membership and Giving, including 100% participation in the Paul Harris Fellowship and PolioPlus contributions.

We will begin having our Paul Harris Fellowship members recognized and new awards presented each month, and I presented Secretary Mike Heylin with a Paul Harris Fellowship +3 pin, recognizing 4 years of $1,000 contributions - congratulations Mike.

We had some questions and comments about the goals; thanks for the feedback. We presented three (3) By-Laws Articles amendments regarding Finances, Electing Members and an Appendix. The Article 9 and the Appendix were approved by unanimous vote; the Article 10 issue regarding Honorary Members was tabled to another Assembly and further Board discussion.

Following the By-Laws we had updates from Vernon Turner (District Mental Health Task Force), and reports from Duane Dunn (Club Administration), Mike Heylin (Membership), Janet Lowell (Finances), Rebecca Gould (District Grants), Steven Graham (Global Grants and Youth Service), Jim Wright (Service), and Randy Peterson (Nominating).

Highlights included our new KSU Student of the Month, CUP Money and GMCF Funds, Rotary International Activity, District Global Grant Scholarships, and myriad Service Projects. Steven also introduced Rotaract President Skyler Lea, Secretary Caylie Van Meter and faculty advisor Dr. Ari Jumpponen. Then Skyler spoke about projects Rotaract is working on, and their involvement with MHS's Interact Club.

Wrapping up the Assembly, we acknowledged the tremendous contribution of Rotarian Stormy Kennedy, who's chosen over 570 books since 2010 for the Club to donate to local schools. The value of has been about $7,400.

In her honor, we will present the children's book 'Purple Paw Prints' to the school of Stormy's request next week..

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Thanks to Blake, George and Bill Muir for greeting, all the board members that contributed to the Assembly, and to YOU, our members, for the input and feedback you gave.

Again, we will not meet this week, but will be back on the 29th with Dean Debbie Mercer from the College of Education. Greeters then will be Tom Giller and Rebecca Gould.

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A reminder to please leave any ideas for speakers, service projects, etc. in the Suggestion Box in back. We do review them all at Board meetings.

Yours in Rotary.

Shelley
Shelley Carver, President
(cell) 785-317-7606
shelleycarver0576@gmail.com

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Opportunities to Participate:

• Rotary on Tap

Please join the Konza Club at a social next Tuesday, October 27th, 6-8 PM at Pour Decisions Tasting Room. The fee is $15. 16 members and guests have already RSVP'd.
• Essence of India National Immunization

RI will be immunizing in Agra, India starting this week from 10/22 to 11/3/2026. Our own Brian Niehoff and CAAHT member Usha Reddi will represent MRC. Details: https://worldpolioday.agratajmahalrotary.org/

• CAAHT (Community Action Again Human Trafficking) Club
Monthly meetings are at noon on first and third Tuesdays on Zoom. For info contact Sharon Sullivan or Patti Mellard: sharon.sullivan@washburn.edu / patti@keystaffing.com

Opportunities to Contribute:

• October Cup Money - Yuma Street Cultural Center.

Mail it to Manhattan Rotary Club, PO Box 331, Manhattan, KS 66505-0331, or the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, 555 Poyntz, Suite 269, Manhattan, KS 66502-0127, with the memo saying, ‘Rotary Club Cup Money.’

You may also contribute Cup Money via Venmo with QR Code:

• Rotary Foundation - To make contributions:
  1) Go on-line to www.rotary.org and click Donate and then Annual Fund. You sign in to pay.
  2) Send a check to the Rotary Foundation at:
     Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60693 -or- Manhattan Rotary Club, PO Box 331, Manhattan KS 66505-0331.
  3) Write a check to Rotary Foundation and give it to Liz or Janet at a meeting.

Opportunities to Show Rotary Pride:
• Complete your Profile in My Rotary

Fill in your biography in My Rotary to share your background, Rotary programs and professional expertise.
Go to https://my.rotary.org and click My Profile.

• Rotary Goods

You can find Rotary clothing, membership items and other gear at Russell Hampton online: http://bestclubsupplies.com