Don't show up at the Convention Center Monday; the July 13th meeting is called off to encourage attendance at the Family Picnic at the Rotary Reserve Thursday, July 16th.
Contact Todd Wordel ASAP to RSVP
2026 Rotary Family Picnic - Thursday July 16th @ Rotary Reserve
5:00 happy hour - 6 o'clock dinner.
Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and Brats will be expertly grilled by our crew
Bring your own table service and a dish to share.
Water and lemonade will be provided, but you are welcome to BYOB if you want something more "potent"
And of course, Marcella's famous Rotary Beans!
Todd Wordel is working behind the scenes this month to make this year's Family Picnic fun for everyone!
Price of the picnic as $10.00 adults and $5.00 Children 12 and under.
You can call text or email Todd with questions:
319-464-4754.
As of July 9, we have the following political candidates confirmed to speak to our clulb. We have reached out to and are waiting to hear back from several candidates!
September 14...Rob Sand, Democratic Candidate for Governor
September 28...Joe Mitchell, Republican Candidate for U.S. House District 2
We will update the club as we hear back from the rest of the candidates.
July 13...No Meeting (Family Picnic on July 16)
July 20...University of Dubuque Osteopathic Medicine program
July 27...District Governor Jeff Halverson
If you know someone that would be a good fit for our club, invite them to a meeting for a free lunch and encourage them to consider memebership!
The gavel has been officially passed from Past President Larry Stffens to our 2026-27 Waterloo Rotary Club President Jordan Bancroft. Jordan shared some of his vision for our club at our June 22nd meeting, and this year promises to have a string of successes as our leadership team works to raise the visibilty of our service.
At our last meeting on June 29th, we acknowledged our longest-serving member, Dr. Sam Bovenmeyer, who joined our club at the invitation of Fred Adams, our very first club president! Here's a list of our members who have continued to support and serve our club for at least 50 years:
| Member | Date Joined | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovenmyer, Samuel D. | Jan. 01, 1972 | 54 | ||||
| Seng, Frank | Oct. 16, 1973 | 52 | ||||
| Beecher, John | May 12, 1975 | 51 | ||||
| Leonhart, Gene | Dec. 17, 1974 | 51 | ||||
| Buck, David | Aug. 18, 1975 | 50 | ||||
| Gallagher III, E. J. | Feb. 01, 1976 | 50 |
Sam Bovenmeyer circa 1980s
We will honor these Rotarians with birthdays in July at our next regular meeting July 20th:
| Rick Morris, | July 2 |
| James Madison, | July 10 |
| Allison Beach, | July 11 |
| Lauren Finke, | July 17 |
| Michael Broshar, | July 26 |
| Bob Manning, | July 30 |
As we roll into another Rotary year starting July 1st - please verify you have ClubRunner marked as a "safe sender" in your email platform. With so much spam and all the AI-powered phishing attempts being automatically filtered by your email server, sometimes that filter will flag ClubRunner as a potential risk and block delivery. Your weekly Waterloo Rotary Reporter and infrequent (but urgent) emails from your Rotary leadership team will come from an email address ending with " @ClubRunner.email "
Often, it's as simple as right-clicking on a past email from ClubRunner, then choosing "Never Block" or "Add Safe Sender" from the list. Here are a few links to help you verify your server will continue to allow ClubRunner emails to be delivered:
Trent Hunter joined us June 15th with an overview of the tremendous volunteer effort to display 1,776 US flags over the 4th of July weekend. Please consider lending your time and skills to help with assembly, installation, and removal by clicking through the volunteer link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4DABAA22A7F85-64346794-field#/
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4DABAA22A7F85-64346794-field#/
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Sunday afternoon still has a few volunteer slots to be filled. please consider helping to wrap up this incredible display!
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In celebration of our nation’s 250th Anniversary Celebration, the Exchange Clubs of the Cedar Valley, the Americans for Independent Living Veteran Resource Center, Main Street Waterloo, and City of Waterloo, are hosting the Field of Honor®.
Our goal is to publicly recognize and honor those who have served our country, including veterans and their families, and their contributions to our democracy and provide an educational and reflective experience for the community. Each flag represents a story and may be dedicated in honor or memory of a veteran, active-duty service member, first responder, community leader or loved one.
From July 3 – 5, 2026, we will display 1,776 American flags, symbolizing the nation’s freedom, unity, and the sacrifices that made them possible. Flags will be displayed throughout the weekend at Veterans Memorial Park, Vietnam Veterans Park and 4th and 5th Street bridges in downtown Waterloo. This is an all-volunteer event and we invite the entire community to view this spectacular site anytime throughout the weekend.
Day 1, Friday, July 3, Procession of 500 U.S. flags across the 4th & 5th Street Bridges.
Day 2, Saturday, July 4th, “The Strength of a Nation”. Honoring our Veterans, First Responders, and Community Volunteers featuring local dignitaries and guest speakers.
Day 3, Sunday, July 5th, The Future of Our Nation. Public programs at 10 am each day with emphasis on youth.
Day 4, Monday, July 6th, Closing Ceremony at 1:45 pm.
Join us at the Convention Center for the last meeting with Larry Steffens serving as President of our club...next week he'll sweep up the highly-coveted title of "Past-President"
Our program will be Bethany Brooks, Development Director at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center which has been transformed this past year, including upgrades to accessibility.
From powerful performances and speakers to global service commitments, more than 38,000 people celebrate Rotary’s global spirit
The Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan, ended on a high note as singer Leona Lewis brought thousands of attendees to their feet with a stirring performance that included the resilience anthem “Fire Under My Feet” during the closing ceremony on 17 June.
Taipei’s warm hospitality was on full display as hundreds of Rotary volunteers formed a human corridor outside the venue, greeting departing attendees with cheers and celebratory gestures. Many people stopped to take selfies and exchange farewells before heading home.
The four-day event attracted more than 38,000 people from 140 countries and regions, making it one of Rotary’s largest conventions in recent years.
Read the full article here:
Our regular meeting room at the convention center will be occupied June 22nd with hundreds of visitors for the VGM Heartland Conference, so Kaye Englin will host our members Monday in her beautiful office at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, 3117 Greenhill Circle in Cedar Falls. We'll hear from incoming President Jordan Bancroft on our upcoming Rotary year. Please arrive before noon and be aware Greenhill is closed at Katoski, so use Progress if you are arriving from Waterloo on University.
Cathy Nicholas is looking for host families for our incoming Rotary Youth Exchange student who will be a female from Japan. She will be attending Waterloo West School and preferably the host family would live in the school district. Please email Cathy if you can serve as a host or know a family that can! This is an urgent request as she will arrive in August!
A memorial service has been set for this Saturday, June 20th 1:30-4:00 at Locke Funeral Tower Park.
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Longtime Rotarian and past president of our club Kathy Braun passed away peacefully on December 31st, after complications from a fall. Click the image below for her obituary.
Our club honored Kathy several years ago with a series on Women in Rotary.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Waterloo Community Foundation Kathleen and Robert Braun Charitable Fund or a non-profit of your choice.
We are back at the Waterloo Convention Center for this week's program: The Exchange Club of Waterloo's project Black Hawk County Field of Honor., presented by Trent Hunter..
Next week (June 22) we will be OFF SITE at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.
This week we met at the Salvation Army (89 Franklin St) for lunch, then assisted with various remodel assistance, including dusting off and moving tables and chairs, cleaning out a storage closet, and touch-up painting. Click the image to see photos!
Next week (June 15th) we will be back at the convention center, for a board meeting at 10:30 and our noon program will be Trent Hunter from the Black Hawk Exchange Club
On June 1st, Foundation Chairperson Deb Pullin-VanAuken presented Cathy Nicholas a Paul Harris Sapphire stone pin in honor of her second Paul Harris contribution of $1,000. Congratulations Cathy!
Rotary established the recognition in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships.
Imagine children transforming ocean trash into musical instruments and performing alongside professional musicians in a concert by the sea. This was the vision behind a bold initiative by the Rotary Club of Toba, Japan—a project designed to unite people for the sake of our shared future.
A coastal community with a mission
Toba City, located in Mie Prefecture, is a coastal town known for its fishing industry and tourism. For its residents, the sea is more than scenery—it’s a way of life and a cultural cornerstone. The Toba Aquarium, the only facility in Japan that houses both sea otters and dugongs, is a source of local pride and a vital educational space that teaches all generations about the importance of marine conservation.
Two years ago, to mark the club’s 60th anniversary, we launched an ocean education program titled “70% Water Planet,” inviting children to explore the future of our oceans. This year, we expanded that legacy with a new challenge centered on the theme “Sea and Music.” Our goal: to inspire environmental awareness and artistic joy through one unforgettable experience.
Don't forget to vote in the Primary Election coming up on June 2. Our club heard from BHC Auditor Karen Showalter earlier this month, and we hosted almost all the supervisor candidates May 18th - so our members should be well-informed and anxious to flex their right to vote. Click the link above for candidate list, sample ballots, ID requirements, polling locations, etc.
Election Calendar & Deadlines
| Date | Event / Deadline |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2026 | Last day for in-person voting (closes at 4:30 PM) |
| June 2, 2026 | Ballot return deadline (must be received by 8:00 PM) |
| June 2, 2026 | Election Day — Polls open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM |
Monday, June 1st we will celebrate birthdays, provide a business update, and discuss revised bylaws for our Rotary Club. Members, watch your email for an advance draft of those bylaws, please review and bring questions to the meeting.
Join us for the first meeting of the month when we typically celebrate members' birthdays - these fine Rotarians will celebrate in June:
| Dusty Wilson | June 6 |
| Jacob Bates | June 16 |
| David Buck | June 19 |
| Jacylne Heller | June 19 |
| Chris Kemp | June 22 |
Here is the scoop on our special meeting to volunteer at The Salvation Army Monday, June 8 12-1:30. Lunch will be provided by Salvation Army. We will eat first and then go to our projects. They are in the middle of a remodel and projects include:
1. There is a group of table and chairs that need to wiped down and moved.
2. They have a storage room that needs to be cleaned out.
3. There is some touch up painting to do if anyone is interested.
4. They could use some help with sending thank you notes to donors... the script is provided.
We will need to know how many plan to attend. You can sign up Monday June 1st at Rotary or
email Larry Steffens or Mason Fromm.
Have a safe Memorial Day, Rotarians - as you remember those who have served, honor them through continuing to serve your community. Our next meeting will be June 1st at the Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza.
Click the image above to see photos
Monday, May 18th we hosted a candidate forum for Black Hawk County supervisor candidates, moderated by Kevin McCrindle. Special thanks to Steve Schmitt for arranging candidates in the contested primary to attend.
Candidates opening comment/introduction. (Up to 90 seconds).
First question: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing Black Hawk County and your proposal to deal with that challenge (Up to 60 seconds)
Second question: The State Legislature has been encouraging government entities at all levels to look for ways to be more efficient with the taxpayer’s money. What suggestions would you have for Black Hawk County to work with other Counties or Cities/Schools to accomplish this? (Up to 60 seconds)
Our club really appreciates the willingness of these candidates to step up and run for elected office, and having this forum will allow our club to meet and hear directly from each candidate.
Here is a link to more info on the upcoming Primary Election coming up on June 2.
Our program this week will be our County Supervisor Forum >>>> Kevin McCrindle will be moderating...there will be 7 candidates at the forum. We will start our club meeting at noon SHARP ---please arrive by 11:45 to help accommodate all the candidates.
Monday there will be a board meeting at 10:30, agenda items include finishing up the Club By-Laws.
There will be NO MEETING on May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.
June 1st we will have a business meeting update.
Larry Steffens
Waterloo Rotary Club President
Peace Through Service
Service Above Self
We meet In Person
Mondays at 12:00 p.m.
Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center
4th & Commercial
Waterloo, IA 50701
United States of America
Waterloo, IA 50701
United States of America