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According to Club procedures the President announced at the first Club session in December a proposed slate for Officers/Board Members for the next Rotary Year beginning July 1, 2020. At the December 9th session nominations will be accepted from the floor, of any, and then at a future meeting a final vote will be taken.

Proposed Officers/Board Members for 7/1/20 to 6/31/22

President – Cameron Nelson

Immediate Past President – Elizabeth Stanek

President Elect – ______________________

President Nominee – Dave Beekman

Treasurer – John Nielsen/Kraig Barber

Secretary – Steve Hoesel/Elizabeth Stanek

Board of Directors to Term Expiring on 6/31 2020

David Beekman

Janet Secor

Board of Directors to Term Expiring on 6/31/2021

Cameron Nelson

Elizabeth Stanek

Board of Directors to Term Expiring on 6/31/2022

Eric Knox

Dee Murmann

Picture of Rotarian in "The Messenger"

Posted by David Fierke on Dec 03, 2019

Rotarian Fierke appeared on the cover of the Tuesday "Messenger" with an article outlining steps by the City Council to remove people still living in a severely burned apartment complex that had been condemned.

Kosovo and Camp Toka

Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Dec 02, 2019

Jolene Hays, FDH Coordinator of the Kosovo Youth Exchange Program brought with her four students who attended Camp Toka to discuss their experiences and notes on temporarily living in a foreign country. Participation at Camp Toko for the four students was financially under writen by Rotary. The students were: Cayci Bidleman, Caden Elliott, Emma Alstott, and Isabel Gruver. Consistent comments about Camp Toka can be summed up as follows:

Personal Growth;
Leadership Development Skills;
Become awareness of working with others;
Understanding alternate points of view and consensus building;
Living in a country where you do not know the language (in this case Albanian, but many speak some English);
Working from partners from other countries with different views (multiple countries represented at Camp Toka).

Students are selected for Camp Toka through the following method (Next year Kosovo kids will come to Iowa and in the following year Iowa kids will go to Kosovo):

Completing an application;
Completing a video of your goals, desires, etc. of approximately one minute;
Agreeing to work on fund raising;
Participating in a 4H Council training titled "We Connect" so the culture shock is not substantial in the first critical days of becoming acquainted. The training will require at least monthly meetings through the first year. The sessions are tailored to help students fine their own identity and how to mix with new cultures.

In the words of Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to bigotry, narrow mindedness, and Prejudice."

Rotary Hosts Local Seniors

Posted by Cheryl O'Hern on Dec 02, 2019

On Monday Rotary hosted Seniors from our local High Schools. From Fort Dodge Senior High appeared: Nathanial Madden, Geoffrey Astor, and Alicia Reed. From Saint Edmond High School appeared: Isabel Woodhouse, Olivia Kolacia, Jack Stackhouse, and Josie Huss. Each student introduced themselves, provided a brief overview of the success during High School, identified their parents, and briefly gave their future plans after high school if known. Rotary provided each with a Certification of Attendance/Appreciation, a Four-Way Test key chain, and a brochure on Rotary in Fort Dodge.

Picture of Rotarian in "The Messenger"

Posted by Casey Johnson on Nov 28, 2019

Rotarian Casey Johnson appeared in the Thursday "Messenger" as his family, ICCC, and many local organizations and individuals are coming together to provide the now annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the community. Congratulations for a wonderful event.

The Court System of Iowa by Kersten, Thatcher, and Tofilon

Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Nov 25, 2019

Monday's program was a very interesting discussion of the Court System of Iowa as provided by Court Judges Steve Kersten, Bill Thatcher, and Joe Tofilon, all club members. Thatcher started the session with a brief overview of the "History of the Court:"

When he started his legal career in Iowa we did not have an organized state system of lower courts (Magistrate, Associate District, and District). Rather we had a system where many communities and counties had their own court systems, some elected, and some appointed. Discussion remembered when Fort Dodge had a Police Court Justice on the third floor of City Hall and often a jury would be secured from people in the City Hall doing business, or in some cases from soliciting members from the Knights of Columbus Bar across the street;
Now, the following system is in place in order of progression: Magistrate, Associate Court Justice; District Court, Iowa Court of Appeals, and finally the Iowa Supreme Court;

Steve Kersten provided a brief overview of the Magistrate system:

Known as morning court this branch deals with those issued citations in the previous 24 hours, those incarcerated overnight for a variety of issues, etc. One has to "be on your toes" as so many issues and situations come each day. The advent of video conferencing to the jail has eliminated the old tradition of parading violators before the Judge in a "chain gang;"
Of the 741,028 Court Filings in Iowa so far this year, approximately 75% are served at the Magistrate level;
The Magistrates sign-off on search warrants, provide emergency referrals to temporary holding and detox services for drug and alcohol cases;
Webster County currently has 55 residents in our Jail, and so far this year there have been 1,708 bookings. Webster County is near the middle average of Iowa Counties statistics of cases per capita;
Security of the Court House if an issue as only five counties have entrance security and checks for inappropriate belongings. Webster County has total free access to all County and Court functions;
To secure a Court Appointed Attorney one's family income must be less than $1,000 per month. Court Appointed attorneys are granted a stipend of $60 per hour, but not expense money, barely a break-even scenario;

Joe Tofilon first presented a tribute to former Supreme Court Justice Mark Cady (also a past member of the Club) who was a champion of keeping the system of appointing Supreme Court Justices as we now have;

2/3 of the 50 states elect their judges, each with some variance as to how. That process creates conflicts as judges are asked to rule on cases involving their campaign donors. Iowa uses a Merit System using an equal number panel of Attorneys and members appointed by the Governor. This panel presents a list of finalists to the Governor, who chooses the new Justice;
Cady was a tireless worker to assure the Court System was funded and independent;:

Joe provided the following overview of the system:

Trust in the Court System appears to be eroding for a variety of issues;
Civics is not being taught in local schools and young adults are ignorant of law issues and procedures;
There are two sections of the system, Civil and Criminal. Both issues start in the Magistrate Courts, progress to District Courts, then to the Court of Appeals, and finally to the supreme Court. In addition the Juvenile courts now add a significant work load dealing with foster care, removal of parental rights, etc.

In questions from the public:

Meth and Domestic Abuse are rapidly growing issues that consume a considerable amount of court time.
Domestic issues such as custody, divorce, etc. are becoming more contentious;
An increasing amount of women are entering the Legal Profession and now appear as Judges.

Picture of Rotarian in "The Messenger"

Posted by Shaun O'Neill on Nov 24, 2019

ICCC School of Dental Hygenics and Webster County Public Health partnered in hosting the I-Smile Silver Program Free Dental Day at ICCC. One of the dentists performing valuable services was Rotarian Shaun O'Neill.

Announcement of Christmas Social

Posted by Elizabeth Stanek on Dec 01, 2019

A Club Christmas Social will be held on December 5th at the Ringland-Smeltzer House. Please note the need to RSVP to HTTP://BIT.LY/NOONSOCIAL, or call President Elizabeth Stanek.

Picture of Rotarian in "The Messenger"

Posted by Randy Kuhlman on Nov 22, 2019

Rotarian Kuhlman appeared in the "Messenger's Fort Dodge Business Connection" section as he provided the monthly update for the Community Foundation/United Way.

Easy Way to Contribute to the Rotary Foundation

Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Oct 20, 2019

Your Rotary Club provides an easy way for you to contribute to the Rotary Foundation, the major financial arm of Rotary that does Polio Plus and Foundation Grants. The program permits you to ask the Treasurer to add an amount each quarter to your quarterly dues statement as a contribution to the R.I. Foundation. The Treasurer then collects these amounts and writes a joint check to the Foundation for all funds contributed by members. If you are interested please complete the following form and provide to Treasurer John Nielsen.

Monthly Program Chairs

Posted by David Fierke on Oct 01, 2019

The following are tentatively identified as the key person each month that will schedule club meetings for that month. Please contact the appropriate person to ask for a program to be scheduled.

July - Cameron Nelson

August - Cheryl O'Hern

September - Rhonda Fitchett

October - Cameron Nelson

November - Amy Bruno

December - David Fierke

January -

February - Kraig Barber

March - Elizabeth Stanek ???

April - Michael Devine

May - Teresa Naughton

June - David Fierke

Invocation Leader for December 9th is Kraig Barber

Posted by Teresa Naughton on Dec 01, 2019

The following have volunteered to provide the weekly invocation as our meetings start. If you are unable to make your assigned schedule please contact a substitute that will then check-in with the President prior to the meeting.

December 9 - Kraig Barber

December 16 - Jesse Ulrich

December 23 -

December 30 -

Minutes and Financial Reports

Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Nov 18, 2019

Minutes and/or Financial Reports for the 2019-2020 Rotary Year have been posted to the members only section of the Website and are available for viewing by accessing the Members Only Section.

The latest addition will be posted by Tuesday late:

Minutes for the November 18th Board of Directors meeting
Financial Statements for Month Ending October 31, 2019.

Club's Application for Funds for Various Projects

Posted by Stephen Hoesel on Oct 20, 2019

Rotary is a service organization comprised of community leaders of various professions dedicated to humanitarian causes locally and throughout the world. The club budgets funds annually for a variety of local causes that may be made available for requests made throughout the year for which the Board of Directors may want to support. To make application for funds, complete the application online by clicking HERE.

Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club Grant Guidelines

Mission: Rotary is a service organization comprised of community leaders of various professions dedicated to humanitarian causes locally and throughout the world. Simply put, Rotary is an organization that is out to do "good" in the world.

Vision: It is incumbent upon the Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club and its Board of Directors to be good stewards of available resources. The club budgets dollars annually. The budget may fund identified programs. The club also has a small “Special Fund” available for requests made throughout the year for unbudgeted causes, which the club and Board may want to support.

Eligibility for the Special Fund: Grants must have the support of one or more members of the Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club. Funds are granted in support of humanitarian causes. Causes may relate to youth, poverty prevention/intervention, community betterment, health care, human services, and more. There are many, many good causes. There are also limited dollars. Grant awards will not exceed the dollars available in the special fund. Preference may be given to one-time projects or to programs that are deemed to have sustainability. For example, grants may be given to a building projects to provide some seed money to start an educational program that the schools will fund in the long term. Collaboration with other funding sources is encouraged.

Process: A Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Grant Application must be completed for consideration utilizing the on-line application form.

Once received, the Club President will present the Grant Application to the Board at the next regular Board meeting. The President will also communicate the balance of the Special Fund.
The Board will consider the Grant Application and vote on the request, deciding one of three outcomes:
- The request will be fully funded
- The request will be partially funded
- The request will not be funded.
The Club President will communicate the decision with the grant requestor.
If dollars are to be awarded, the Grant Application, with approval note, will be given to the Club Treasurer to pay and the treasurer will cut a check.

Welcome to Fort Dodge Noon Rotary

Service Above Self

Elizabeth Stanek, President