High School Scholarships Awarded: Belatedly, here is an announcement and a photo of this year's River Falls Rotary High School scholarships. The winners are Johanna Barbey and Allie Larsen. George is the one on the left!
Meeting Schedule Note: Here's the summer meeting schedule. Be sure to check the Tidings to make sure you have the correct time!
July -- 7/7 at 7 AM, 7/21 at Noon; August -- 8/4 at 7 AM, 8/18 at Noon.
Before showing us the recently completed 55th anniversary video, Jason Jech told the club that the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center was founded 1970, and he emphasized that in the age of smart phones and screens it’s more important now than ever. By getting youth outdoors, the ELC is able to teach skills, teamwork, communication, and build self-confidence and leadership. The events begin as individuals and become teams. In 1970, the ELC developed programs to attract youth as the organization began. The Red Wing School district is their fiscal agent, but it is not a school program because there was concern that the ELC would have been subject to cuts if it had been rolled in under the school district budget. Click READ MORE for the rest of the story about a very impressive and inspiring organization.
About the Presentation: Hudson Rotarian Chris Kost started his talk with a review of the Hudson Y’s history. It was started in1991; the building opened 1995, and it was expanded in 2003. The Y currently has 1937 membership units, 1200 contract members (Silver Sneakers, for example), 84 fitness classes, 1223 new members in 2025. The regional Y organization in Minneapolis, which provides overall governance to all Y’s in the region, is one of the largest Y organizations in the US In world. The geographic span of the Hudson Y includes Woodbury, Hudson, River Falls, Prescott, New Richmond, a wide geographic span.
In terms of youth focus, the Hudson Y had 1900+ kids and teens participating in programs in 2025. Recently the Hudson Y absorbed the debt of Youth Action Hudson program. One specific action Chris cited was that City came to Y and Rotary in 90’s about a skate park. The Skate Park is still operating 27 years later. The facility was renovated in 2024. Click READ MORE for the rest of the summary and to read about Chris Kost, and for a look at Chris's slides, click DOWNLOAD FILES at the bottom of this newsletter.
UWRF's University Business Collaboration Center: An Invitation to Collaborate -- Blane Huppert explained that the UBCC is a new concept at UWRF. Its purpose is to provide a single point of contact for businesses and the community to get access to the University's resources. Blane provided many examples of both short- and longer-term collaborations with various companies that are able to partner with faculty and students to provide assistance to the companies and opportunities for the students. Blane shared some of his slides, which you can see by clicking "download files" below.
About the Speaker: Blane Huppert is a Wildcat and Falcon alum who spent 25 years working at 3M before returning home to UWRF. He's worked in journalism, politics, and marketing, so you know you can trust what he says. When asked for personal details, Blane responded: Blane and his wife Sandy live in Woodbury with their three grown sons, two of whom are looking for work. (Be sure to let him know if you need a mechanical engineer or archeologist - the supply chain professional is doing fine.) Blane and his aging hound dog have hiked every inch of Kinnickinnic, Willow River, Interstate and Straight Lake State Parks, signing the logs on several hundred geocaches hidden there.
Meeting Responsibilities
March Meeting Schedule
3/3 -- State of the City at Tattersall
3/10 - Noon Meeting
3/17 - 7 AM Meeting
3/19 - 5:01 at Mariachi Loco
3/24 - Noon Meeting
3/31 - 5th Tuesday Noon
Join us
Service Above Self
Tuesdays at 7:00 AM
202 S. 2nd St.
River Falls, WI 54022 United States of America
