The Rotary of Macomb meets Tuesdays at noon at the First Presbyterian Church.
March 24, 2026 President Seth Minter convened the 38th meeting of the Rotary Club by sounding the Rotary Bell at the First Presbyterian Church in Macomb. The invocation was offered by Seth Minter, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which was led by Steve Hopper.
Wayne Laramie provided an overview of attendance: 24 members were present in person and 2 via Zoom representing 50% of the club’s membership. With the addition of 1 guest, total attendance reached 27. Our guest was Mark Rhea the speaker for the day.
Nine Rotarians contributed “Happy Money” in honor of recent significant events. The 50/50 drawing was held; Emily Gillett, had the opportunity to win $28 if she drew the 9 of Hearts but instead drew the 9 of Clubs, resulting in no winner for this round.
President Seth invited March’s Junior Rotarian, Z.
Conley, to address the club regarding his high school activities and post-graduation plans from MHS. Z., currently a senior, expressed his anticipation for graduation. He participated in basketball this year and described his experience as positive. Following graduation, Z. intends to enter the workforce and pursue a trade, most likely carpentry. He has already gained experience in this field by working alongside his grandfather and hopes to continue collaborating with him in the future.
Seth had announcements to bring to the members.
The Cubs-Cardinals game tickets for 5/30/26 are reaching the cutoff date for a 10% discount. He asked for members to raise their hands if they could purchase tickets to donate to Mosaic for their residents to attend the game, or for any other people that a member would be giving tickets to. Several members indicated they would buy some and they will be billed to their Rotary account. Seth thanked those members.
One last announcement was that we will be inducting a new member, Blake Severs, next week.
Ryan Van Dolah proceeded to introduce our speaker, Mark Rhea, owner of AG Resource Management. Mark was raised on his family’s farm in West Central Illinois and is a graduate of Central High School in Camp Point, IL, as well as John Wood Community College and Western Illinois University. In addition to his professional responsibilities, he volunteers as a chaperone for student mission trips across the United States.
Mark has been married for 38 years and is the father of three children and grandfather to five grandchildren.
Mark began by elaborating on farm management, highlighting his company’s management of a 20,000-acre client portfolio. He noted that the majority of clients are multi-generational landowners with farms inherited over time. His organization assists these clients in assessing their risk tolerance and identifying goals for agricultural improvement, including considerations for acquiring additional farmland.
Mark stated that marketing remains the most challenging aspect of farming, due to the volatility of markets and futures, which creates considerable pressure when making decisions. Additionally, he addressed how global events influence commodity markets and discussed the potential effects of renewable energy projects on farmland values.
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: Rotary President Seth Minter, Speaker Mark Rhea of Ag Resource Management and Rotarian Ryan Van Dolah.
Z. Conley - March Junior Rotarian
