Upcoming Meetings

Our club meets in the Dahm Heritage Room at Pickard Commons on the Ripon College campus at noon on Tuesdays, unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, Aug. 16, Club Meeting
Susan Reiterman speaking on nutrition for handicapped persons.

Tuesday, Aug. 23,
Bill Wooley will talk to us about Ripon in the Civil War.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, Club Meeting
President-elect Richard Zimman will continue our discussions on club strategic planning.

Tuesday, Sept. 6, Club Meeting
Ken Fale, the new CEO at Ripon Medical Center.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, Club Meeting
Ken Saville from Easter Seals Camp Wawbeek.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, Aug. 13
Doug Lyke 5K Twilight Run,
8:00 pm

Saturday, Sept. 10
Brat Fry, 9 am-3 pm, Pick n Save

Tuesday, Sept. 20
Noon Kiwanis Installation Banquet

Saturday, Oct. 1
Brat Fry, 9 am-3 pm, Pick n Save

Club Leadership

President
Paul Nulton

President-Elect
Richard Zimman

Vice-President
Mellisa Wipijewski

Secretary
Kristy Sadlon

Treasurer
Tim Lubinsky

Past President
Tonya Alling

Board of Directors
Term Expires 2011
Barb Evensen
Linda Putzer
Steve Sorenson

Term Expires 2012
Emily Dinegan
Tom Keuler
Ian Stepleton

Term Expires 2013
Jenny Machkovich
Rich Scamehorn
Danelle Phillips

Committee Chairs

Fundraising
Richard Zimman

Youth Services
Sue Meyer

Sponsored Programs
Rick Bunge
Jack Christ
Kristy Sadlon
Tim Scottberg

Community Services
Herm Leitz

Young Child Priority One
Ian Stepleton

Club Meetings
Mellisa Wipijewski

Membership Growth
and Education
Tonya Alling

This Week’s Meeting

Attendance: Nine members (Herm Leitz, Emily Dinegan, Amy Goettsch, Tonya Alling, Paul Nulton, Pat Himebaugh, Tom Keuler, Mary Avery, Mellisa Wipijewski); Two guests: Ray and Audrey Loth.

Announcements 

HELP NEEDED at Doug Lyke Twilight Run TODAY
Registration will occur between 6:30 and 7:30 tonight with the run starting at 8 p.m. MANY volunteers are needed to make this a safe event for the runners, including road guards, registration and timing help and a water station attendant. If you can help with road guarding, please check in with Paul at 7 p.m. at the Village Green for an assignment. If you can help with registration or timing, please check in with Tonya no later than 6:30 under the tent.

Kiwanis Memory Garden at Murray Park
Tom Keuler reports that our Kiwanis flower garden is stunning right now. Thank you to all the nooners who helped plant, weed and water it, including Marge Burling, Bill Neill, Norm Loomer and Tom Keuler (and if I missed someone I apologize)!

Aktion Club and Builders Club Advisors Needed
With Tonya heading into her year as Lt. Governor and Kristy accepting full-time employment, we could use another Aktion Club advisor. Helga and Amy have been sharing the responsibility, but both often encounter scheduling conflicts, so we need a back-up advisor. We're also looking for a club advisor to help Tim Scottberg with the Ripon Middle School Builders Club, which has yet to launch but has been chartered – if you have enthusiasm and a passion for working with middle school students or Aktion Club members, contact Paul Nulton.

Gas Grill Needed no later than August 30
If you have a gas grill you would be willing to donate for our brat fries, please contact Paul or Richard by August 30. If we do not receive a donated grill, we will purchase one for no more than $200 during the clearance season.

New Holstein Kiwanis Club Annual Spanferkel, August 29
What's better than roasted pig and Kiwanis camaraderie? Contact Rich Scamehorn if you would like to participate in this interclub.

Ripon Medical Center Foundation Raffle
Herm Leitz won the $4,000 Foundation for Ripon Medical Center vacation to anywhere, with just a $75 buy in. That's quite a follow up to being last week's Queen of Spades raffle loser! Congratulations.

Ripon Early Bird Kiwanis Golf Outing, September 7
The Birds are looking for a foursome from our club and John Roesch has indicated that he can play that day. If you would like to golf in their fundraiser, please contact John Roesch to make arrangements.

August Board Meeting Highlights 

Toy Lending Library
The board voted to approve the concept of creating a toy lending library during the 2011-12 Kiwanis year, pending Ripon Public Library board approval. If approved, Richard will apply for a Webster Foundation grant before the November deadline.

Gas Grill
The board voted to purchase a gas grill, up to $200 in value, if one has not been donated by August 30.

Recording Secretary Needed
Club Secretary Kristy Sadlon recently accepted a full-time position in Oshkosh and is unable to attend meetings. She is willing to do the "behind the scenes" work of reporting to Kiwanis International, but needs the assistance of a recording secretary. The board suggested that the Noon News reporter on duty could record attendance and guests at club meetings and report it in the Noon News, so what's urgently needed is someone to record the minutes at board meetings, which occur the second Thursday of each month at noon. Jenny Machkovich is considering the opportunity . . . if you would like to help, please email Paul Nulton.

Membership Dues Increase
The board voted to increase dues from $125 to $130 per year, in part to make up for a $4 per year increase in WI-UM District dues, which will be on the agenda at next week's District Convention.

Delegate to WI-UM Convention
The board voted to approve Tonya Alling as the Ripon Noon Kiwanis delegate at the WI-UM Convention. Tonya will be installed as Division 12 Lieutenant Governor at the convention.

Important Change! Dues Notices to be Mailed this Week —
Members will be Purged if Dues Not Received by September 30
In 2010, Kiwanis International changed the method of billing clubs for members. Clubs are now billed $86 for every member on the official Kiwanis roster on October 1. If you do not pay your dues, it costs our club $86 of the $130 membership fee (and if the $4 WI-UM dues increase passes, it will be $90 for each). Tim Lubinsky and Paul Nulton worked together to mail member dues notices this week, with a deadline for payment of September 15, giving us two weeks to follow up with members who did not remit their payment. If you have not paid your dues by September 30, or told a club officer that you intend to renew but need an extension, you will be purged from the membership database and will have to rejoin after October 1. This year we still have three or four members who never paid their dues, which adds up at $86 each.

Board Meeting Minutes Posted on Web Site
Minutes from the monthly board meetings are posted on the club web site at www.riponnoonkiwanis.org/minutes/minutes.html. You need a login and password to access the minutes and well as the membership database. Please email Tonya Alling if you need those passcodes.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

August Noon Kiwanis Anniversaries
Ed Schrader, 24 years
Melanie Oppor, 18 years
Rick Bunge, 5 years
Ian Stepleton, 5 years

August Birthdays
Steve Sorenson, August 1
Richard Zimman, August 6

July Perfect Attendance
Tim Lubinsky, Paul Nulton, Kristy Sadlon, Rich Scamehorn, Mellisa Wipijewski, Richard Zimman

Happy Bucks

Herm Leitz was happy because he bought the grand champion lamb at the Green Lake County Fair over the weekend.

Mary Avery gave a happy buck because of Herm's support of the 4-H program. She also was happy for Ashley Ott, who is an equestrian representing Green Lake County at State Fair Park in the Champion's Challenge, riding Mary's horse, Will.

Tonya Alling was happy to have raised $2,500 in two days, benefitting the Ripon/Green Lake Tractor Cruise which funds food pantries and school student emergency funds in Ripon, Green Lake, Markesan and Berlin. That's a great start towards raising the goal of $16,000 this year.

Amy Goettsch was happy because she organized a door-to-door food drive with the youth group at Ripon Community Church, as part of one of her college leadership courses. Youth will collect canned goods on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

Swiss Franks?

Roving Noon News reporter Norm Loomer reports that "Sue and I were walking through Mürren, Switzerland today and discovered that Noon Kiwanis Brat Fries, Inc. had expanded to this country. I think the sign says, "Today: Bratwurst in a Bun. 6 Swiss francs." (Helga will send out a correction if my translation is wrong.) Six Swiss francs is $8.25, using today's exchange rate. Perhaps we're undervaluing our brats? See you all Tuesday. – Norm"

Queen of Spades 50/50 Raffle

Mellisa Wipijewski missed the Queen of Spades when she drew her sister, the Queen of Hearts (and if history repeats itself, after losing this week, next week she'll win a $4,000 raffle like Herm). Next week's pot starts at $155.50 with 33 cards left in the deck.

Today’s Program:
The Conductive Learning Center in Grand Rapids

Ray Loth and his daughter Audrey told us about the Conductive Learning Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which strives to help children with motor disabilities. Audrey has a chromosomal anomaly which has resulted in motor delays. The Loths have been to the center three times for one month each, where Audrey went through rigorous daily programs to help facilitate motor development.

Conductive education is an holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to education, training and development for individuals with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other motor challenges.

The critical element of conductive education is the integration of motor-skill development with cognitive and emotional-skill development with a group setting. Most children with motor challenges do not learn exactly the same way as their peers. Conductive education helps these students build their cognitive skills and helps them with alternate strategies to learn. This total approach to learning and training targets children under the age of six, when the potential for impact is greatest and when they can be prepared for the traditional classroom. The program is available for pre-school through the early-teenage years.

Each program lasts one month at a cost of approximately $2,400 plus lodging and meals. The Loths stayed at the Ronald McDonald house in Grand Rapids, which asks for a voluntary donation. They have stayed for a month each three different times and are planning another session at the end of the year. Sixteen rooms are available in the Ronald McDonald house.

In addition to the center in Michigan, there are conductive learning centers in Toronto and Florida.

Thank you, Ray and Audrey, for giving us an insightful report on this worthwhile program!