Our January Newsletter did not go out because your Editor (Glenn) managed to fall and break his right femur right at the hip. This newsletter will be long(ish) to carry all our news from Dec. and Jan. but I hope you find it informative.
The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has registered 1000 children in Surprise, El Mirage and surrounding areas. However, Ron Klaphake has confirmed they have capped enrollment here until additional funding is found. Congratulate Ron Klaphake and his team (Jesus Hernandez, Debbie Thompson, Nancy Collins and John Yaeger) in bringing early childhood literacy to this part of the Valley with this extremely popular program.
February is a landmark month for our organization. On February 23rd, we
celebrate Rotary’s 121st Anniversary. It’s humbling to think that a simple
meeting in Chicago in 1905 has evolved into a global network of 1.4 million
neighbors and friends. We aren't just members 39 of a local club; we are part of
a legacy that has weathered over a century of global change by staying true
to one core value: Service Above Self.
This Month’s Focus: Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention
February is officially Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month. In a
world that often feels fractured, Rotary remains a bridge. Peace isn't just the
absence of war; it’s the presence of clean water, literacy, and healthcare.
When we support a local food bank or fund a global grant for maternal
health, we are laying the literal foundations for a more peaceful society.
When we empower a student through a scholarship, or books for pre-school
children, or provide resources to a local shelter, we are weaving a stronger,
more resilient social fabric. Peace is a process, and it starts with the work we
do right here in our community.
The world is not changed by opinions, but by examples. Let’s
continue to be that example for our community.
Looking at the Horizon
We are now entering the second half of our Rotary year. This is the
homestretch where our planning turns into tangible results. As we
transition from the winter months, let’s reignite the spark that brought us to
Rotary in the first place. Whether you’ve been a member for thirty years or
thirty days, your hands and your heart are the engine of this club.
I encourage you to:
Invite a Friend: Anniversary month is the perfect time to bring a
guest to a meeting and show them what Rotary is all about. Our Club
had a table at the January 29 th SCW PORA Vendors’ EXPO and we
found nine (9) potential new members who were interested and we
invited each one to future meetings.
Support the Foundation: Help us reach our goals for The Rotary
Foundation, ensuring we can continue to fund life-changing grants
worldwide. The 2026 Super Bowl Football pool will supply at least $500
of new money to Polio Plus.
Engage Locally: Join us for the following events:
o FEBRUARY 10, 2026 JIM RUMPELTES - SPEAKER -
CARTOONS & ART WORK
o FEBRUARY 24, 2026 SOUNDS of AUTISM PACKING
PROJECT– 3:30 to 5:00 PM/ 5:00 TO 6:30 PM MEETING
SPEAKER – HARVEY HESS – ROTARIAN – (AI): ARTIFICAL
INTELLIGENCE UPDATE
o MARCH 10, 2026 RELOCATED MEETING @ ROYAL
OAKS for DINNER SOCIAL EVENT W/ SUN CITY ROTARY
CLUB – 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
o MARCH 24, 2026 WOMEN4WOMEN PACKING
PROJECT– JO GRANT 4:30-5:30 PM/ SPEAKER –DEBBIE
LESKO - COUNTY COMMISSIONER
o APRIL 14, 2026 SOUNDS of AUTISM – 3:30 to 5:00/
SPEAKER - NATE REILLY - AZ RATTLERS FOOTBALL
TEAM PLANNING MEETING for the TOS & ARTS
FESTIVAL – BRIAN LAURIE
o APRIL 25, 2026 TOS & ARTS FESTIVAL/ 2:00 to 9:00
PM/ SURPRISE BASEBALL STADIUM
A Note of Gratitude
I want to personally thank each of you for the energy you’ve brought to
our meetings this year. Your diverse perspectives and shared commitment
are what make this club more than just a service organization—it makes us
a family.
Let’s make our 121st year our most impactful one yet.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Jim Schlenvogt
President
Some Notes from Jim from January
As we welcome 2026, I find myself reflecting on the incredible momentum
we built during the first half of our Rotary year. Together, we have already
packed over 25,657 MEALS of HOPE packages and successfully launched
our DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY literacy initiative. We
had a very successful “FORE the KIDs” 17th Annual Rotary Golf
Tournament. In addition, our Rotary Club has had a very good impact with
honoring our Veterans, providing assistance to Women4Women, Sounds of
Autism, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Eve’s Place – North Pole, the Valley
View Community Food Bank and many other community organizations.
Looking Ahead to 2026
I challenge each of you to think about how your specific
professional expertise can serve our community in a new way.We are working together for a better future! Our
goals for the next six months, but are not limited, to include:
[Goal 1]: Continue our fundraising for the DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROJECT. The profits from this event will help support the DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY Project. and help continue funding books for 1,000 children in our community and distribute 12,000 books to these children.
[Goal 2]: Continue recruiting restaurants, artists, and sponsors for the Saturday, April 25, 2026 TASTE of SURPRISE & ARTS FESTIVAL at the Surprise Baseball Stadium.
[Goal 3]: Increasing our hands-on fundraising and volunteer hours for the above events; plus, for the Feed My Starving Children event, Women4Women packing events, Sounds of Autism events, and other great Service Projects.
[Goal 4]: Continue welcoming new members who share our passion for Service Above Self. In addition, welcome the new Ottawa University Community Rotaract Club to the Surprise area.
[Goal 5]: HAVE FUN! Participate with other Rotary Club’s in Joint Social events, socialize with other Rotarians prior to the meeting and during Service Projects, participate in the June “CHANGING of the GUARD EVENT”.
I returned from 3 days at PELS in LA with optimism and appreciation for Rotarians in our Districts. There were over 800 attendees including the PE's, and the discussions were helpful and informative. As I prepare to lead our club in 2026-2027, I am reminded how much I need all of us to join together in service if we are to continue to grow and thrive in our community.
Please consider chairing or serving on a committee or helping with preparations before meetings and volunteering at any of our many service projects.
We would benefit from a dedicated A/V person to manage Zoom and speaker presentations.
I look forward to continuing to build on the successes and programs we established this year and to identify opportunities for extending our reach even further and increasing our impact in the community.
Phil Souza
President Elect
Superbowl Squares
This year we're starting a new tradition, Superbowl Squares. We have sold out all of the squares. 1/2 will go to Polio Plus and 1/2 will go to the award pool. Each quarter will (last number of the teams score) win $100 and the final will win the quarter and team game. For Example: if the score at the end of the first quarter is Seahawks 7and Patriots 7 then Ron K wins the first $100.
Here is the image of the Championship Squares board:
Good Luck Rotarians
December Happenings
Our pace of play continued at its high rate going into the Xmas holiday and new year.
On December 6, we held the 17th annual Fore the Kids Golf Tournament at Briarwood Country Club. This event was well received, and a great time was held by all. We raised approximately $16,000 net and the consensus was that Briarwood did a great job.
Here are a few pictures from the event:
The Silent Auction and Live Auctions were a great hit as well as our winners.
The next day December 7, was Rotary Day at the Arizona Cardinals Game. Several members went to the game and even got to wave the flag for the entrance of the Cardinals into the Stadium.
The following day, Dec. 8, we participated in a Sounds of Autism Pokemon packing event at the Colonnade
.
The Month finished with our annual business meeting on December 9 with a program for Councilman Judd and our multi- Club Holiday party on Dec. 16. at Briarwood with Peoria North and the Sun city Clubs.
What a month!
January was no less busy. We had our biennial Club Assembly Jan. 13, where President Jim discussed our progress towards our Goals and looked to get more member participation.
On January 27, we packed for the Women4Women effort before the Club meeting and then our own Adria Poindexter discussed the efforts of the Rotary Vocational Scholarship Fund of Arizona.
Now onto and into February!
Upcoming Events
Remember
Meals Available from the Bistro at the Colonnade before our meetings at 4:30 (Premeeting order).
The March 10 meeting is a joint meeting with the Sun City Club
FESTA ITALiANA
AT ROYAL OAKS
Presented by the Rotary Club of Sun City.
Dinner: $35 each (Children 5 and under Free)
Date: March 10, 2026 from 4:30 to 7:00 Cash Bar and Raffles open at 4:30. Dinner served promptly at 5:30.
Join us at:
Royal Oaks Retirement Community
10015 W Royal Oak Road
Sun City, Arizona
*Event is in the auditorium
**Parking available on Royal Oak Road
Menu
Hors d’oeuvres
Spaghetti with
Marinara Sauce
Meatballs
Bread
Salad
Beverages
Assorted Desserts
The March 24 Meeting will be at the Colonnade at 5:30 (social time at 5:00).
Our speaker will be Debbie Lesko our Maricopa County Supervisor and immediate past congressional representative.
The Zoom meeting link is:
Phillip Souza is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
The Club has the following Volunteer Opportunities coming up:
March 14 our Road cleanup starting at 10:00 AM North Parkview Place contact Jesus Hernandez for specific details.
March 21 our monthly Service Project at the Valley View Community Foodbank from 9:30 to 11:00. Food Bank is 10771 W. Peoria Ave, Sun City AZ
March 24 at 4:30 PM is our quarterly Women4Women packing event before the regular meeting at the Colonnade.
Taste of Surprise and Arts Festival
The Taste of Surprise & Arts Festival Has been scheduled!
It will be April 25, 2026 at Surprise Stadium. We are looking for Sponsors, Restaurants, Volunteers, and general support. New news, the Surprise Car Club will be setting up a group of vintage cars outside the stadium.
Ron is pulling together a list of proposed sponsors and Rotarians who can go after those folks to help us in our DPIL funding efforts. The Web site of the Taste of Surprise is:
https://tasteof surprise.com
Please sign up to volunteer, buy tickets and refer your friends to the web site.
Contact Brian Laurie for more information.
For Those that haven't seen it there is a wonderful press release at the following link:
Ed and Sally Williamson are leaving us to move closer to family in Florida. We want to wish them fair winds and following seas and thank them for all their years of Rotary Service. Their work with the Sun city West Club and with our Suprise and Sun City West Club is appreciated and we look forward to hearing about their new adventure.
