#900, Club Bulletin, May 15, 2023

#900, Club Bulletin, May 15, 2023
 
Recap from the May 15, 2023 Meeting.
 
Meeting Run by: President Naomi DeWinter
 
Invocation: Rich Dwyer
 
Happy News/Announcements:  All Happy News funds go towards our scholarship awards.
Naomi DeWinter- Thank you, Lindsey, for volunteering at the school's mobile food pantry last Tuesday. Sarah Lande- Sarah will take her dog to Canada from 6/12-9/12 to her and Roger's home for one last visit before listing the house. Marc Hines- Marc is an avid disc golf player. Last week he got his 10th career ace. Bob Jenson- Temp Associates has awarded over $944,000 in scholarships in the previous 17 years. He is excited to award more scholarships to students at MHS and L&M this year.
 
Club News:  
 
  • Follow the Rotary Club of Muscatine's Facebook page, @MuscatineRotaryClub.
  • Save the Date: the next Mobile Food Pantry distribution is Tuesday, June 13.
  • Almost Friday Fest- Rotary will have a food tent at Almost Friday Events on July 27, August 24, and September 28.
 
Presentation-
Ryan Castle – Dir. of Operations – MCSD, Future Principal of MHS
 
Ryan married Allison (Beckey) Castle in 2000. They have two children. Their son Landon will graduate from MHS this year, and Brynn is finishing her freshman year. Ryan started with the district in 2003, teaching Chemistry and Physics and coaching football. Ryan has worked as a lead teacher at the East Campus, an alternative school, as the Principal of Colorado Elementary School, and as the Assistant Principal of Muscatine High School before moving to his current position as Director of Operations.
 
Since 2018, Ryan has overseen over $30 million in capital expenditures, including the following projects, Muskie Early Learning Center renovation, McKinley Expansion, Muscatine High School STEM wing, Muscatine High School orchestra/band renovations, High School student center, stadium renovation, HVAC projects (MHS, SCJH, Grant), and the recent centralized kitchen project. Other projects planned for the school district include controlled entrances at Grant, Madison, and Susan Clark Junior High, baseball and softball fields, and wrestling facilities.
 
Next year Ryan will take over as Muscatine High School Principal following the retirement of current principal Terry Hogenson. Ryan looks forward to returning to the school and working with students, staff, parents, and community members to overcome challenges at the High School. Ryan's priorities for the coming year include
  • Development of the alternative high school program
  • Fortification of MHS staff meetings- SST, CTT, Attendance, Department
  • Implementation of a new literacy curriculum for the English department
  • ESSA plan
  • Continued focus on improving safety and security.
  • Increase student attendance
    • 24.3% Chronic Absenteeism as of 3/27/23 – compared to 43.4% last year.
 
 
 
Upcoming Meetings- May 22- Heart and Soul Project, May 29- Memorial Day/ No Meeting, June 5- Iowa Republic Caucuses- History & How they work
 
Missed Monday's presentation? Use the link below to watch the presentation.
 
 
Welcome to Week 3 of RI’s Month of Youth Service.
 
The news this week is culled from the latest message to Rotarians by the RI Trustee Chair 2022-23, Ian H.S. Riseley, published in the current edition of ROTARY (May 2023). His message is a reminder of what it takes to make lives better in communities around the world.
 
"Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can."
While we don't know its exact origin, this widely quoted saying summarizes what Rotary and The Rotary Foundation are all about: We do quite a lot of good, serving people around the world in myriad ways, and we are in it for the long haul.
 
How many other charities do so much good in so many ways for so many as The Rotary Foundation?
 
Not only do we, the volunteers, fund most of our projects, but we often contribute significant volunteer hours in organizing and executing them. The "regional offices" of our charity — also known as Rotary and Rotaract clubs — are our reliable go-to partners in the more than 200 countries and geographical areas in which we operate. And when we lack expertise in an area, we partner with outside organizations whose trust we have earned, such as the World Health Organization, to deliver results on the ground that truly change lives...We in Rotary are excellent stewards of our grants, with most of the funds going toward humanitarian support itself and relatively little going to grant administration costs. This is why Charity Navigator has consistently given its highest rating to The Rotary Foundation, year after year...Unlike some charitable organizations, we don't take the "parachute approach" to humanitarian work. Before we lift a shovel to start any Foundation project, we conduct community needs assessments and work closely with members of the community. The Foundation also acts quickly when needed, such as through our disaster response grants, as we did with the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.”
 
In Rotary,
Olabisi Gwamna, Club Secretary
Mount Pleasant Rotary,
Editor, Foundation Minute