In telling us how he came to novel writing in retirement, Jack Henderson focused on the convoluted path his life took. He was born into a large family in Chicago and is still a big Cubs fan. He had all the usual teenager jobs of the time: paperboy, dishwasher, caddy, etc.. He noted that his third novel draws on those youthful experiences.
The family moved at start of high school to a much larger district, and Jack was voted “most reserved” as a senior (hard to believe now!). In high school he learned life lessons from his distance running, teaching him about the time it can take to reach goals. In college he became more motivated to study. After college worked in manufacturing jobs, and during that time he developed a new passion – folk music, which motivated him to drive to Austin Texas, attracted by the music scene. Click READ MORE for the rest of Jack's story.
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.
Grow to Share: Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Executive Director Tonya Schmitt from Grow to Share presented us with a thorough and energetic, as well as entertaining, review of 2025 for Grow to Share. The organization has made good use of the grant that we presented to them in early 2024, and Tonya expressed GtS's gratitude frequently during her talk. As the photos and numbers can relate the results very effectively, a pdf of Tonya's slides are attached. Click READ MORE to read about Tonya Schmitt.
Conservation Warden Joe McMahon described for us the role of conservation wardens and the structure of his organization. There are 1 or 2 wardens assigned to each county in Wisconsin. Wardens function quite independently, reporting to regional lieutenants, who in turn report to captains. Their roles include the important function of educating the community about conservation issues and what they do. The wardens protect game animals and fish populations by confirming licensing, enforcement of limits, and other regulations around hunting, fishing, and trapping. Click READ MORE to read more about the presentation and to read about Joe McMahon.
Natasha Schaefer, Kris Thompson, Melanie Tauring spoke to the club, telling us that the Forward Education Foundation supports the River Falls School District with grants to supplement District resources. FEF is an all-volunteer organization that raises funds to award cash grants. They focus on grants to enhance creative learning initiatives to engage, challenge, and inspire students.
FEF’s goal is to provide $20,000 annually in grants to educators and staff in RFSD. The foundation has about 12 board members with different levels of involvement and different skill sets and strengths that they bring. The FEF started in 2011, supported by St Croix Valley Foundation until FEF got its own 501c3.l The FEF awarded $26,500 in its first 2 years. Click READ MORE to read the rest of the summary and to read about the presenters.
