President Chris's Weekly Update

Posted on Jul 14, 2025
Hello Rotarians!
 
Welcome to the new Rotary year! I look forward to being your president and having fun service projects & weekly programs along the way. I just returned from the RI conference in Calgary, which included 72 countries and 48 US states. We are a good Club and represent Manhattan well.
 
 
Community CARES Chest

Community Cares Chest is our Signature Project along with GMCF. It's a great project to start Rotary, too.
It is open when there are goods for our non-profits. The groups and volunteers are notified weekly of the status.
CCC is currently diverting aid to the Texas flood victims, and will reopen after that effort wraps up.
You do need to register at the Konza United Way website to volunteer and get notices.
 
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Our greeters last week were Tom Fryer and Nelson Galle. Dr. Roger Reitz accompanied us singing 'My Country Tis of Thee'.
Our guests were Julie Govert Walter and Barbara DeSanto.
 
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Nelson Galle started off telling us he grew up near Moundridge and spent an entire career in the Ag Business. He taught 6 years before beginning a 23 year career with Hesston Corporation, with whom he and his family lived in Brussels, Belgium managing European operations. Nelson came back to the US and he and his wife Marilyn ran a turkey farm for 10 years, then retired to Manhattan. They've been married 68 years and have 3 sons, 7 grandchildren and 11 greats! He's served on the KSU Alumni Board and Kansas Board of Regents and joined Rotary 25 years ago by Dick Thiessen. He wanted us to know he turns 90 in 2 weeks!
 
     
 
Tom Fryer then told us about himself. He's been a Rotarian 43 years and originally from Wyoming. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and served 21 years, including 100+ missions in Vietnam, and was an instructor at the Academy too. He holds 2 Masters' degrees. He and his wife Angie were married 54 years before her passing. They have a son, a daughter, and 5 grandchildren. Two fun facts about Tom is that he has 3 generations of Falcons in the family, and he got to shake hands with President John F. Kennedy at his graduation. 
 
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I then introduced our new member Anne Culbertson, who is the love of my life and with whom I share 4 accomplished children. Anne is originally from Florida then earned a biochemistry degree at Purdue. We met at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry.
 
 
Anne decided to join Rotary after our youngest daughter went to college and she retired from teaching. She wishes more of the world followed our 4-Way Test. 
 
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July's theme is Maternal and Child Health, and our CUP Money goes to the Manhattan Crisis Center. The Crisis Center provides free, confidential, and trauma-informed services to individuals and families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. They help people find safety, rebuild their lives and move toward a future free of abuse, exploitation and violence.
 
President-Elect Shelley Carver presented our June CUP Money BIG CHECK to the North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and Disability Services. ED Julie Govert Walter and Board member Barbara DeSanto were present to accept.
 
     
 
Julie thanked us for the donation, saying it will help the 2025 Kansas Sunflower Fair, showcasing resources for Kansans in the agency service area; it will be held on Tuesday 9/16 at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
 
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Daryn Soldan then introduced our speaker, Dr. Blake Flanders, President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, and a recent addition to our Manhattan Rotary Club in June.
 
 
Blake gave an overview of the Board of Regents including their appointment, the institutions they oversee and the number of buildings under their management. He focused most of his attention on statistics that demonstrate the value of higher education to Kansas and the strong headwinds the Regents, and Kansans, face to meet the challenges of the coming years. The biggest challenges in upper education are lower HS graduation rates, and lower upper education readiness. 
 
 
 
 
 
Despite the challenges ahead, Blake talked about the Regents' Strategic Plan to build a future based on Serving Families, Supporting Businesses and Advancing Prosperity. The Club can forward and ahead, a some had questions to close. His presentation will be sent to all.
 
In Blake's honor, we will donate the children's book "The Penguin of Ilha Grande" to the Lee Elementary School.
 
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Thanks to Tom and Nelson for greeting, Dr. Reitz on piano, congratulation to Julie and Barbara from The Agency, and a special thanks to Blake Flanders for highlighting a key part of our State's higher education priority.

Our next meeting will be this week at the Manhattan Country Club July 17 from 12-1 PM, with Eric Reid filling us in on local education at Manhattan-Ogden USD 383.
 
Greeters for the next meeting will be Dan Eilert and Jim Genandt.

Lunch RSVP:  Click https://manhattancc.surveysparrow.com/s/Rotary-Club/tt-deafc2 by Wednesday 7/16/2025. Lunch begins at 11:30AM and costs $12. Please register so the Country Club accommodates us all.
 
Attend via Zoom: If you can't attend in person, please join us remotely.
          https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87387499653?pwd=eVdYZ29zdDhnQ0MrZWVXMklPNC9IQT09
          Meeting ID: 873 8749 9653  /  Passcode: 280408
 
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Thank you for a good year start and great attendance last week. Let's keep it up!

Yours in Rotary,

Chris

Chris Culbertson, President
(cell) 785-410-7701
culbert@ksu.edu



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Opportunities to Participate:
 
District 5710 Podcasts
 
KSU Rotaract & Manhattan High School Interact Clubs
The KSU Rotaract Club and MHS Interact activities will resume in the Fall.
Interact on Instagram: @interact.club.of.mhs
 
Konza Rotary Club Meeting
The Konza Rotary Club meets at 7AM on Friday July 18 at Meadowlark Hills. Di Hinricks is President for 2025-26.

CAAHT (Community Action Again Human Trafficking) Club Meetings
Meetings are conducted monthly at noon on the 1st/3rd Tuesdays by Zoom.
For more info ask Sharon Sullivan or Patti Mellard: sharon.sullivan@washburn.edu / patti@keystaffing.com
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    Opportunities to Contribute:
     
    July Cup Money - Manhattan Crisis 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, with the memo saying, ‘Rotary Club Cup Money.’
         You may also contribute Cup Money via Venmo, using the QR Code:
     
     
    Rotary Foundation - To make contributions to the Rotary Foundation:
         1) Go on-line to www.rotary.org and click Donate and then Annual Fund. You will then sign in and 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.
         3) Write a check to Rotary Foundation and give it to Liz Nelson or Janet Lowell at a meeting.
     
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    Opportunities to Show Rotary Pride:

    Purchase Rotary Products
         You can purchase official Rotary caps or hats, shirts, socks, etc. at Russell Hampton: http://www.bestclubsupplies.com
     
    Document your Profile in My Rotary
         You can document your biography in My Rotary. Share your contact and background information, information on Rotary programs and your professional expertise.
         Go to https://my.rotary.org and click My Profile.