The Rotary of Macomb meets Tuesdays at noon at the First Presbyterian Church.
November 4, 2025 The 17th meeting of the Rotary year was formally initiated by President Seth Minter, who called the session to order by ringing the Rotary bell. The invocation was delivered by Todd Rodeffer, followed by Bob Baumann who led members in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Attendance was reported by Dennis Danowski: 29 members attended in person, 1 participated via Zoom, representing 56% of the club’s membership. Four guests were also present—Dusty Berg from Spoon River College (guest speaker), November’s Junior Rotarians Lauren Schmalshof and Tobias Royer, and Rotary Exchange Student Thea Granheim from Norway—bringing total attendance to 34.
Twelve Rotarians contributed “Happy Money” in recognition of recent significant events. The 50/50 drawing took place next, with Abbey Thorman holding the winning ticket; however, she drew the 6 of Clubs instead of the 6 of Hearts required to claim the $14 prize.
President Minter announced that eight Rotarians are celebrating membership anniversaries, ranging from 3 to 52 years. Additionally, five Rotarians are celebrating birthdays in November.
He informed members that next week 11/11/25, Jimmy Koller from Brown Shoe-Fit, will present on a youth-focused project his company has implemented in other communities, which he hopes to introduce in Macomb. Cheryl McGowan will subsequently speak about the Macomb Loaves and Fishes organization. In other announcements, Seth wanted to reminder members that the meeting on December 2, 2025, will be held at the Western Illinois Museum and will include a program and tour. There will be no meeting on December 23, 2025. Lastly, The Rotary Annual Scholastic Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2026; further information will be provided.
Todd Lester introduced guest speaker Dusty Berg, Executive Director of the Spoon River College Foundation. Dusty began by discussing upcoming initiatives at Spoon River College (SRC). Mr. Berg highlighted “Giving Spoon Day” on December 2, 2025, coinciding with Giving Tuesday— a day that historically accounts for approximately 15% of their annual giving. This year, SRC aims to increase participation, setting a goal of 300 individual gifts of any amount. The focus is on the number of contributions rather than a specific dollar target.
Dusty outlined five primary areas in which donations benefit students, including two scholarships, two grants, and student pantries located in Canton and Macomb. He distributed a comprehensive brochure providing details on these initiatives. While there are numerous additional ways in which Spoon River College (SRC) supports its students, he emphasized that all funds raised are retained within SRC for student benefit.
He emphasized that every student who applies and meets the qualifications receives a scholarship ranging from $200 to $1,500. One grant, the Hardship Grant, that started in 2020, has supported students facing emergencies and has benefited at least 154 individuals. SRC remains committed to eliminating obstacles and fostering academic achievement.
The new Macomb campus has allowed for expanded educational opportunities, including doubling nursing school capacity and increasing the welding program by 50%. High school students can now enroll, earn dual credit, and achieve welding certification with just two courses. Additional offerings now and the in the future include Fiber Optic, HVAC, and Advanced Robotics programs.
Members were encouraged to visit the donation link on December 2, 2025, in support of Giving Spoon Day. The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, after which club members expressed their appreciation to Dusty for his presentation.
The meeting concluded with the recitation of the “Four Way Test” and the sounding of the Rotary bell, encouraging all members to make Rotary Part Of Their Life – and to “Unite For Good”.
Interested in speaking at Rotary or becoming a member, contact Tom Stites at [email protected].
