Over the past two months, I have traveled across the region visiting Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs to witness firsthand the energy, service, and community impact happening in every corner of our district.
Each visit showcased dedicated Rotarians making a difference.
These travels reinforced one message: our clubs are energetic, engaged, and deeply committed to doing good—making this a perfect time to read the full story and celebrate the momentum across our district.
I hope you choose to read on and discover the uniqueness of each club and what I was fortunate to experience at every visit.
September was packed with activities. First was my visit to the Rotary Club of Oregon led by President Bill Rockwell. A small but very dynamic club heavily involved in their community and helping the world. A couple of their signature events are the Lerner Park Project, where they have been a lead in conservation for over 30 years and the Taste of Oregon, which is a premier public fundraiser event for them.
Next was down to Janesville to the Noon Club, to visit with super friendly Co-President Janet Fugat. They have a great location right in the Rotary Botanical Gardens, which was started back around 1992 shortly after I lived there for a couple of years. I had the opportunity to meet their new Youth Exchange Student from Japan and also walk around the gardens and listen to how it started and developed over the years.
Holmen and Onalaska were next on my journey. An early morning start to the vibrant Holmen Area Rotary Club greeted by the always enthusiastic President Todd Ondell. It was great hearing about all the great things they are actively involved with. They were discussing plans for their Holiday in the Parks, Pickleball for Polio and much more. At noon was the Onalaska-Hilltopper Club with President Jessica Himmer, who is always so welcoming. Her club is a small but fun one with lots of excitement and great conversations. They have great projects like the “Great River Sound”, a free live concert event every Tuesday night that runs all summer long!
Mid-September kept me in the Eau Claire area for an extremely warm visit with my home Club. President Nancy Kerr was so kind with her words and I shared my experience as District Governor for the first few months. Post Covid19, The Rotary Club of Eau Claire has successfully consolidated the former Morning, Noon, and Chippewa Valley After Hours clubs. While smaller, its legacy remains strong with many community and global projects- Food Packing, Community Table, Rotary Bridge Lights, Cervical Cancer in Ghana, Africa and much more!
The following week placed me at the Menomonie Sunrise Club for a very early start. Welcomed by President Daine Fredrick. Another small club with a generous attitude. Over the past 30 years, they have donated over $540,000 to many worthy causes and community projects.
Wrapping up September was a whirlwind trip to the La Crosse area for Oktoberfest - what a great and fun week! Opening night was a visit to the After-Hours Club joining President Neil Weiser. A club with a great mix of young and old all working for common causes. This was great to see and experience! The next day took me to the Valley View Club to meet President Bruce Nuttall and his club. This is probably one of the most enthusiastic clubs that I have visited. It is not huge but has the energy of one three times its size. From Moon Toons to their connection with a Rotary Club in Ukraine to the many things in the works, a highly engaged, community-focused club in many ways.
That evening, I was invited by the Restel’s (thank you Todd & Eva Marie!) to attend the big Oktoberfest Festmaster Ball. I have always wanted to attend but never had the chance and I was not disappointed. What a great night with a thousand people enjoying the spirit (in more ways than one) of Oktoberfest! There had to be a couple hundred Rotarians there as well. A very fun night!
My last day in La Crosse was topped off with a visit to the big Rotary Club of La Crosse, who had their meeting at the Oktoberfest Grounds downtown on a beautiful fall day. President Regina Siegel warmly greeted and introduced me to her club. The Festmaster Royal Family paid a visit also, which was great. I left La Crosse that afternoon, knowing just how much a great and positive impact Rotary can have on a community. La Crosse is a great example!
October was a less hectic month but lots of fun visits. First was a visit to the quiet community of Medford, where President Aaron Schneider welcomed me to the Rotary Club of Medford. They are also active in their communities Oktoberfest and have a Rotary Garden they maintain. Another great example of a small club well connected in its community!
The night before World Polio Day, took me on one last trip for the year to La Crosse for their big Pickleball for Polio Event. A great event in its second year and again raising around $30K in matching funds to end Polio. Great job!
To end the month of October, I visited the University of Wisconsin Rotaract Club led by President Camber Walvoort. This was a nice evening meeting on the UW Campus to meet and talk to college students and future Rotarians. Camber runs a great meeting and thanks to her for all her work and support!
Finally, I want to be sure that three key dates are circled on your calendar:
TriCon (District Conference), our combined three district conference, will be held on April 17-19, 2026, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. As always, ALL Rotarians are invited, but this year there is a special emphasis on familiescoming along for the extended weekend, hence our choice of location.
Other highlights for your families to consider:
Home to Wisconsin's largest indoor waterpark at 125,000 SF.
Tom Foolery's Adventure Park: A massive indoor theme park spanning over 100,000 SF.
Dining: There are numerous on-site dining options, from casual eats to fine dining.
A 15-screen movie theater (Desert Star Cinema).
On-site retail shops.
Upcoming Rotary International Conventions:
2026 Taipei, Taiwan June 13–17
2027 Dubai, UAE May 22–26 (Recently Announced)
2028 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA May 27–31 (Tentatively Selected)
2029 TBD
2030 Chicago, Illinois, USA May 25–29 (125th Anniversary)
Unite for Good,
Michael Kloss
District Governor 2025-26
Rotary Club of Eau Claire WI