Stories
Below you will find a list of recent stories submitted by fellow Club Rotarians. Please click on the links to read more about the stories.
Membership Survey - 2010
As with any organization, somethings we do very well, somethings not so well! Then throw in the element of change and we have some lively conversation. Mike and Sue alternately reviewed the results of the survey that indicated that the membership is pleased with the Club in general.
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April 15, 2010 Happenings & Announcements
Assistant Governor Walter Wollnik and our Ten Grand Raffle impresario Jim Bertucci selected Mary Kay Chisholm the winner of this week's $5 raffle ticket drawing.
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Bob Krzysik Classification Talk
Born in Chicago, living in Schiller Park, Glenview, Northbrook and now Arlington, he went to Glenbrook North High School, spent some time at Kansas University, and returned home to help the family home remodeling business. He learned the importance of hard work and honesty there. Now a banker, he enjoys working with people and helping them.
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Installation of Will Beiersdorf
Please welcome our newest member Will Beiersdorf, founder, with his wife, of Salute, Inc., a not-for-profit organization based in Arlington Heights.
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Trinity, a Special Service Dog
Mary Piemonte talked about how Trinity, a service dog for her daughter Regina helps with Regina's special needs.
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Exchange Student Ivan Soberon
Today former 2004-2005 inbound exchange student Ivan Soberon gave a slide show and brought us up to date on what he has been doing since returning home.
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December 17, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Rotarian Birthdays, Dominic Gualtieri is Rotarian of the Month, Michael Cassady is inducted into the Club, 2010-2011 Officers are voted in.
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Time for Jeopardy!
Brought to us by Paula Moore and Janet Moravec from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library with fun and intersting questions on local topics including Rotary, Arlington History, TV Songs, and Library Facts.
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2009 Holiday Party
‘Twas some nights before Christmas and all through the Meridian, not a “Bah!” nor a “Humbug!” was heard. Instead, the Rotary Holiday Party rang with meaningful and enjoyable music and good cheer.
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The Arlington Heigths Rotary Club's Santa Fun Run, 2009
Bill Kmeicik, promoter of the Santa Run, was pleased with the success this year. “I was in awe seeing so many people turn out.” Last year was the club’s first “run”: In it, around 600 participated, and this year about 900 did.
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December 3, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Club Classifications finalized, District outing to Chicago Wolves game.
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The Peace Corps
Harper College Associate Professor and Co-chair of the Department of English, Richard Johnson, told us about the Peace Corps and his experiences as a Corps volunteer in West Africa.
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District 6440 Governor Bill Ferreira
The speaker at our November 19th lunch meeting was our District 6440 Governor Bill Ferreira.
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The Club's First Holiday Bike Donation Program
The Club's first Holiday Bike Donation program was held Saturday, November 14 and it was a huge success.
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Windy City Charitable Games
Dan Tumbarello, President of Windy City Charitable Games, talked to our Club about his new company that manages licensed gaming events for qualified charitable organizations and unlicensed “Casino Events” for any organization.
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Selling Young People On Success
Dr. Mark Kaushal spoke at our lunch meeting regarding Selling Young People On Success (“SYPOS”), which is an organization whose mission is to help young people to be successful in school and in life.
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October 29, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Welcome new Club member Bob Krzysik; Veterans Day benefit for The Drive to Revive Memorial Park; reminder to fill out your Classification Survey; the Club's First Holiday Bike Donation program and Halloween Trivia.
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The Rotary Club of Arlington Heights Supports the "Drive to Revive" Memorial Park Campaign
A $2,500 donation to support the "Drive to Revive" Memorial Park campaign was earned by the Arlington Heights Noon Rotary Club at their inaugural Santa Sleigh 5K Run.
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Videos from Rotary International
Tim Corrigan showed two videos from the Rotary International Website. One was about Rotary’s change to admitting women as members and the other was a biography of RI President John Kenny.
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Drive Performance
Today our speaker was Eric Maleski, one of the instructors at Drive Performance in Wheeling, Illinois. He told us about the training of Chicago Cubs, and other professional and amateur baseball players to hit baseballs.
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Article Correction - October 8th Meeting
With regards to the offer extended by Urban Harvest through January 1st, the Big Wheel incorrectly stated that a 10% discount is being offered to Club Members. For clarification, a 10% discount is NOT being offered. Urban Harvest will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from Club member purchases as stated in the article.
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Foundation Seminar on November 6th
Our Rotary District is hosting a District Foundation Seminar on November 6th, NOW is the time. This educational seminar is designed to offer information about how both Clubs and Rotarians can benefit from The Rotary Foundation.
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Rotary Club Classification Information
Sue Duchek and Jim Bertucci enlightened all of us regarding the history and purpose of the Rotary classification system, and their plans to review our club’s classification list.
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Harold "Curly" Nebel Celebrates His 85th Birthday with Family and Friends
On Sunday, September 27, Curly Nebel's family and friends gathered together to celebrate his 85th birthday.
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Last Hand - a Book by Tom Price
Arlington resident Tom Price told of his book, Last Hand, A Suburban Memoir of Cards and the Cold War Era. As he expressed it, it’s a tale of the life and death of an American Cold War family, describing it as a journey back to a bygone era before laptops, digital TV, and cell phones.
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October 8, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Mary Ellen Hogan presented the Club with a $200 donation check for her partnership with the Club in the wine tasting at Dave Schultz's home.; Bill Billimoria has submitted his resignation; Tim Corrigan is the Club's new Vice President; and Mark Tauber will take over the chairmanship of Club Administration, Memorial Library’s “Read & Feed” runs now through December 1
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StandUp - Men Moving from Standing By to Standing Up
Today we heard from Art Moore a volunteer for the recently launched initiative StandUp by the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention. StandUp is a group of men and women working together to end men's violence against women.
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Enough is Enough
Al Lencioni of ASA Sales Systems spoke at out lunch meeting about how adding feature after feature to existing products in order to differentiate each product often creates a device that is so complicated that it looses its functionality to the everyday consumer.
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Feed My Starving Children
Sam Moser presented the Club with information regarding the wonderful efforts of the Feed My Starving Children organization as they help address starvation in the world.
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Rotarians of the Month
Terry Ennes and David Schultz were honored as our July and August, respectively, Rotarians of the Month.
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ABC's of Rotary - September 25th
Don't miss out! The ABCs of Rotary session at RI World Headquarters in Evanston is fast approaching, and you will want to join in on Friday morning, September 25.
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Steak Fry 2009
On September 11, the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights held its annual Strak Fry event.
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Rotary Foundation for 2009-2010
Fellow Rotarian Ron Graeff recently attended a District level conference that had presentations on a number of Rotary related topics. Ron attended the Rotary Foundation presentations and reported to our Club on what he learned.
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Wine Tasting Party & Fund Raiser
Dave Schultz' job is normally to put out fires, but he and wife Kerstin fueled Rotary fun and commitment with their open house fund raiser.
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Service Trip to Guatemala
Rotarians Ron Crawford, Wendy Davis and Linda Borton shared their experiences from their January 2009 trip to Guatemala
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How to start earning money quickly as a freelancer or consultant
Consultant and free-lance writer Diana Schneidman explained ways to help the unemployed and underemployed escape from the frustration that often accompanies full-time job hunting.
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The Final Inch
An HBO Documentary Film that tells us of current efforts to eradicate polio world wide.
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Ambassadorial Scholar Adam Zarazinski
Today Adam Zarazinski gave the Club a report on his year studying abroad as our Club's Ambassadorial Scholar. Adam completed his year of academic study at the University of Nottingham in England last year.
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July 30, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
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Successful Public Relations
Vicki Gerson shared with the club the aspects that make a good public relations campaign.
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Rick Koebernick Classification Talk
Today, our own Rick Koebernick made his classification talk.
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Club Assembly
The Club had its first Club Assembly of the 2009-10 Rotary Year with a review of the Club's service committee plans for the coming year,
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July 9, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
President Bill Hoff returned from Rotary International’s annual convention and presented two club flags from Scotland, Kris Stabler encouraged everyone to sign up for the Club's service committees, Bill Kmiecik thanked the participants in this year's 4th of July parade and Fine Master Judge Jim stumped the Club with a tour of the art world.
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Steve Scholten Classification Talk
New member, Steve Scholten, Director of the Arlington Heights Park District, gave his Classification talk, and interesting presentation about himself, his family and his professional life.
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Getting the Most From Your Digital Camera
If you skipped over the "programming your VCR" phase of technology, but still want to understand your digital camera, follow the link below to learn some simple, practical tips for selecting and using a digital camera and how best to enjoy a finished, printed picture.
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July 2, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Past President Ron Crawford reported on our club’s representation at last night’s installation of District Governor Bill Ferreir and esteemed Fine Master Judge Jim Ryan held court over happy fines and an educational session.
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Fine Master's Corner: June 25th Meeting
Fine Master Terry Ennes reported that fines will go to the Finnerty Family, as did last week’s.
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June 25, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
President's Farewell, Attendance Awards, Thanks from CEDA, Fund-raising Opportunities and Scholarship Opportunities
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“Why Me?” by Dr. Steinberg
Dr. Steven Steinberg gave an informative and inspiring presentation entitled, “Why Me?” Dr. Steinberg is a dentist with Parkinson’s disease who shares a unique set of problem-solving tools which can transform our work and life from ordinary to extraordinary.
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Installation Dinner
The Arlington Heights Rotary Club gathered together on a beautiful June evening for its annual Installation Dinner gala event.
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Jason Kuhl Tells Us About The Many Facets of AHML's Reference Desk
Jason Kuhl, showed us that the AHML reference desk can give residents the “scoop” on most anything these days.
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June 11, 2009 Happenings & Announcements
Members were told of the many things happening in our Club.
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Stopping School Violence
Derek Randel speaks out on stopping school violence.
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The 10 Commandments of Baseball
Mr. Thorne spoke about the 10 Commandments of Baseball and showed how to apply them to more general life situations.
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Program Informs Club Members About Hospice Services
John Small and Siobhan White of Hospice of Northeastern Illinois briefed the club on the wonderful services their organization provides to Arlington Heights and other neighboring communities.
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Another Successful "10 K Rotary Raffle"
Our “Cinco de Mayo” fundraiser was fun and profitable.
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Club Happenings at May 14th Meeting
Announcements & "Fun-N-Frolic" From May 14th Club Meeting
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May Rotarian of the Month
Jim Bertucci was recognized as the Rotarian of the Month for his efforts on the 10 K Raffle.
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Club Announcements
President Ron Crawford and others informed the club of important events and happenings.
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Fine Master's Corner
“Fun and Frolic” was admirably provoked by substitute Fine Master Terry Ennis.
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Bob Morman: Rotarian of the Month for October
The club recognizes Bob Morman as the Rotarian of the Month for October.
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District Governor Pam Kerr Addresses Our Club
At the club’s November 13th meeting, Pam Kerr, District 6440 Governor, spoke to us about her first challenge as District Governor.
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Ronald Graeff Gives Classification Talk
On November 6, 2008, Ron Graeff delivered his classification speech at our club’s lunch meeting.
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AH Historical Society: A Jewel of The Community
At the club's October 23rd meeting, Kristina Kristie, Museum Administrator, and Melody Smith, Society Coordinator, gave a presentation about the Arlington Heights Historical Society.
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Fine Money Goes To "End Polio Now"
Fines from the October 23rd and 30th meetings will be dontated to District 6440's "End Polio Now" Project.
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Go To District 6440 Website For Information & List of Upcoming Events
In the left hand column of our website homepage, you will find a link to the District 6440 Website. By clicking on this link, you can find important information about upcoming District events and news, as listed below.
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Recycle Your Old Electronic Devices
Drop off your old, small electronic devices to the October 30 and November 6 meetings and get a tax deduction for 2008.
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Wendy Davis Recieves September "Rotarian Of The Month" Award
For her many activities on behalf of the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights, Wendy Davis was recognized as the "Rotarian of the Month" for September 2008.
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Happenings At October 16th Club Meeting
Bob Paddock gives a great summary of the meeting's happenings on October 16th, including announcements, birthdays and more. Birthdays are always special, but extra congratulations go to some select Rotarians at this club meeting (and special thanks in spirit to their Rotarian sponsors). Birthday Meister Bill Mahoney presided over the celebration of some of our longest tenured as well as newest members.
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Matt Fink's Classification Talk
On October 9th, Matt Fink delivered his classification speech at our lunch gathering.
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Curly Nebel Celebrates 84th Birthday
At our October 2, 2008 Meeting Curly Nebel paid a happy fine for having celebrated his 84th birthday.
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Introduction To Diet, Emotions and Mental Health
Tom Jordan, RD, LDN, with First Health Associates talked to us about his investigations into diet, emotions and depression.
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Gala Dinner Held For Silent Auction Winners
The club's gala dinner for those winning silent auction bidders was finally held on September 28, 2008.
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"Living United"
Marcia McMahon, the Chief Professional Officer for the Northwest Suburban United Way (NSUA), told the club that the goal of the NSUW is to address the greatest human needs in each community and assist each person in achieving independence.
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Making An Award-Winning Float
Mike Driskell, the Information Systems Manager at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, gave a picture presentation of the construction of the last three floats made for the Library for the Arlington Heights Frontier Days parade.
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Harper College: A Great Business Resource For Our Area
Harper College’s Maggie Franks told us at the club’s August 28th meeting about Harper College’s resources available to business.
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Classification Talk
Although Wendy Davis is a new Rotarian, she is not new to Rotary. Her husband Scott was a Rotarian, and she participated with him on many Rotary activities.
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St. Mary’s Services—Adoption and Counseling
The speaker at our lunch on August 14, 2008 was Cindy Anselmo from St. Mary’s Services in Arlington Heights. St. Mary’s is a faith-based, non-profit organization that serves women experiencing unplanned pregnancies who are considering adoption and families looking to adopt children.
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Health Care Is Literally “Going To The Dogs”
A Fine Master might ask, “How can three program presenters have eight legs?” The answer was this week’s program from the Canine Therapy Corps, with Janet Eaton, Callie Cozzolino and therapy dog, “Scotch.”
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Helping Our Village's Homeless On Life's Journey
Journeys from PADS to HOPE is an Arlington Heights and Palatine based organization that coordinates, through PADs, overnight housing and meals for the homeless at 18 area churches and provides, through the HOPE Center, additional help after a person’s first overnight stay at a PADS site.
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Helping People Feel Good, Do Better & Find Solutions
The speaker at our July 24, 2008 lunch meeting was Mary Drabik, Director of Vocational Services for the Kenneth Young Center. The Kenneth Young Center is the community mental health center for Schaumburg and Elk Grove Townships, and its mission is to “help people feel good, do better and find solutions.”
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Drive To Revive Memorial Park
Mark Walker and Greg Padovani, members of The Drive to Revive Memorial Park, gave us an update on Phase I of Arlington Heights’ park renovation project scheduled to be finished by November 11, 2008.
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The Art of Living Well By Breathing Better
Pam Brockman of The Art of Living Foundation presented a program telling of this internationally-recognized organization that addresses conflict resolution through helping individuals better deal with their emotions.
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RI President Lee Stresses Diversity
Our new Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee stressed that a diverse Rotary is a strong Rotary during a visit to the Rotary Club of Chicago on 1 July.
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American Cancer Society—Relay For Life
Hersey High School grad and 2005 RYLA participant, Michael Jacobson, encouraged us to support the June 27 American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.
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The Business of “Poop”
Frank Avila, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (WRD) talked to our Club about how the WRD treats waste water and how it manages the treatment of Lake Michigan water.
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Ahoy Mates! All Aboard For The Raffle Cruise
Capt. Ron’s Rotary Crew proved both themselves, and our Rotary Club, good mariners even on the dry land. They delivered a cargo of enjoyment and treasure…both for attendees who won the prizes, and for Rotary charities.
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Ed Yohnka—ACLU
Edward Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public
Policy for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) spoke about what types of adult relationships should receive recognition and benefits from the US government.
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Bob Nash—Classification Speech
Bob Nash, classification Insurance, delivered his classification speech to the Club.
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Arlene Mulder—The State of Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights mayor and Paul Harris Fellow Arlene Mulder gave the Club an update of the village on its eve of the new fiscal year which begins on May 1.
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Raffle Update: “A NIGHT IN THE ISLANDS”
There are only a couple of weeks left until May 15th, when the club hold its biggest fundraising event of the year--our $10,000 Raffle. This year’s event promises to be one of the best ever.
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Cory Upmeyer—Classification Speech
Cory Upmeyer, classification Public Administration, gave his classification talk at the April 17th meeting.
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ShelterBox—An International Rescue Kit
Donna Gulley told us of the ShelterBox program that provides disaster victims with basic shelter and household needs.
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Relationships—Personal Styles and Love Languages
Mark Tauber spoke about relationship building, which can help us better understand the perspectives of our co-workers, family members, and friends.
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Survey Results Guide Planning For 2008-09
During our Club Assembly, Jim Miller presented the results of the
member survey that was taken during the February 28th and March 13th
lunch meetings and President-Elect Ron Crawford presented the
results of the March 19th planning meeting.
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Lights, Camera—METROPOLIS
Matt O’Brien, the new Executive Director and Producer at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, told us about the exciting programs and growth at our own downtown Arlington theatre destination.
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ESL Literacy at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library
At the Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML), Katalin Zsupan teaches English as a second language (ESL) for free.
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Police Officer of the Year—Peter Hamrick
At the Club’s lunch meeting on March 6, 2008, the Arlington Heights Police Department presented the 2007 L.W. Calderwood Officer of the Year award to Officer Peter Hamrick.
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Kathy Davy Speaks About A Potential Joint Literacy Project
Kathy Davy spoke to the club regarding her passion for literacy and her desire to create a partnership between our club and St. James School.
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Valentine’s Day & “Curly’s Girls”
This year our Valentine’s Day celebration had two special celebrations - recognition of Curly and a performance by the Hersey High School song and dance troop “Ladies First".
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Bruce Crowther, CEO Northwest Community
Bruce had come to share some information with us about the hospital and its marketplace.
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Linda Borton's Classification Speech
New member Linda Borton gave her classification speech to the Club.
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Congressman Mark Kirk Addresses the Club
Fresh from a recent "town hall" meeting, U.S. Representative Mark S. Kirk(R) told us about his activities on the two sub-committees on which he serves.
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Club Adopts 2007-08 Budget
Our Club adopted the 2007-08 budget at the September 27th meeting.
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