The Rotary of Macomb meets Tuesdays at noon at the First Presbyterian Church.
March 10, 2026 President Seth Minter convened the 37th meeting of the Rotary Club by sounding the Rotary Bell at the First Presbyterian Church in Macomb. The invocation was offered by Larry Adams, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which was led by Abbey Thorman.
Abbey Thorman provided an overview of attendance: 21 members were present in person and three joined via Zoom, representing 47% of the club’s membership. With the inclusion of 6 guests, total attendance reached 30. Guests included Shannon Duncan (the speaker for the day), Tom Casey (who was to be inducted today, prospective member Blake Severs, March Junior Rotarians Addison Lawson and Z. Conley, and Rotary Exchange Student Thea Granheim of Norway.
Nine Rotarians contributed “Happy Money” in honor of recent significant events. Subsequently, the 50/50 drawing was held; Mark Pfleiger, had the opportunity to win $13 if he drew the 9 of Hearts but instead drew the 2 of Clubs, resulting in no winner for this round.
President Minter invited Tom Casey and his sponsor, Nick Knowles, to the front to commence the induction ceremony. With Nick by his side, Tom was formally inducted into both Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Macomb.
Seth expressed confidence in Tom’s potential as a valuable member and tasked him with upholding two key principles during his membership: “Service Above Self ” and adherence to “The Four-Way Test.”
Seth made several important announcements.
The first was the “8 in 8” challenge initiated by our Rotary Zone, which encourages clubs to recruit eight new members within eight weeks from March 1, 2026, through April 30, 2026. Our club has already secured two new members and is progressing towards the goal. He also informed members that next week’s meeting will be held upstairs in the Presbyterian Church due to the Primary Polling occupying the lower level. Additionally, tickets for the Cubs-Cardinals game on Saturday May 30, 2026, are available through the District 6460 website.
President Seth proceeded to introduce Shannon Duncan from the Epilepsy Advocacy Network (EAN). Shannon has been a Macomb resident for 28 years. She currently serves as the service coordinator for eleven Illinois counties for EAN. She explained that there are three EAN Foundations in Illinois, all supported by state funding. Shannon outlined EAN’s mission, which is to empower individuals with epilepsy, those undergoing diagnosis, and caretakers by improving their quality of life. The organization offers education, direct client services, and training programs. Client services include support groups and seizure first aid training.
Shannon highlighted two significant statistics: one in twenty-six people have epilepsy, and one in ten will experience a seizure during their lifetime. She invited Rotary Club members to contribute by signing up for training, referring clients, volunteering, or donating to EAN. Each of these actions would greatly assist in promoting care and effective management for those affected by epilepsy.
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].
Pictured, from the left: President Seth Minter and speaker Shannon Duncan.
