The Rotary of Macomb meets Tuesdays at noon at the First Presbyterian Church.
October 20, 2026 President Nick Knowles called the Rotary Club’s 16th meeting to order by ringing the Rotary Bell at First Presbyterian Church in Macomb. Nick delivered the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dennis Iversen reported that 30 members attended either in person or via Zoom, representing 56% of the club’s membership.
With 5 guests present, total attendance was 35. Guests included Chad Boudreau WIU Head Basketball Coach, Lauren Kane visiting Rotarian from the Centennial Macomb Morning Club, Junior Rotarians Reagan and Augustus and Nora, the club’s Rotary Exchange student from Budapest, Hungary.
During the Happy Money portion of the meeting, 9 Rotarians shared highlights from the preceding week.
In the 50/50 drawing, Jerry Brookhart held the winning ticket; however, he drew the 4 of Diamonds rather than the 9 of Hearts required to claim the prize. Twenty- three cards remained in the drawing.
President Nick provided club announcements: For the second week a new member Bio was present on the tables for Justin Bougher. Justin is an attorney in Macomb and wishes to become a Rotary member. Nick announced that our meeting on November 3, 2026, will be held at the Old Dairy due to having voting being done in the room at the church on that day. He said that members should arrive early to order meals which each member will be pay for at the restaurant. He also wanted to add that the Rotary Board voted today to donate $250 to Linda’s Fund and to the 1st Christian Church Food Cupboard Pantry.
Nick called on Reagan, one of the Junior Rotarians, to come forward and tell us of what was happening at MHS and her activities and plans for her future. Reagan is the daughter of Nick and Liz Knowles and is a senior at MHS. She is also the granddaughter of Rotarian Steve Knowles. She is a cheerleader and plays softball. She is the president of the Student Council, and a member of the National Honor Society, and Spanish Club. Activities at MHS are geared to the end of the season for several sports, and the school will have trick or treating in the hallways on October 30th. Here future plans after graduation are to go into dentistry and she has been accepted to attend The University of Missouri. She will is looking at other schools also. One happening that her father Nick wanted to mention was that she was the 2026 MHS Homecoming Queen.
Lauren Kane from the Centennial Rotary Morning Club spoke about their 2nd Annual Diaper Drive that is being held at Hy-Vee October 25, 2026, from 8AM-2PM. There are a total of 3 drop-off stations and they are listed on the flyers around town. Both cash and product donations will be accepted. Last year the club donated 6-9 pallets of items and they want to increase that amount this year. Products can be diapers, pullups, wipes, adult products, and feminine items.
Ryan Van Dolah reported the Cash Raffle final ticket sales figures. We sold 353 tickets and after the scholarships and prizes are all paid out the club should net around $4,500. He said that we did a great job as a club and thanked all for their efforts.
Todd Lester then introduced Chad Boudreau, head coach of the WIU men’s basketball team. He was appointed the 25th head coach in WIU program history on April 13, 2023.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Hannibal-La-Grange College in 1995 and his master’s degree from Southwest Baptist University in 1999. His coaching career included a position at the University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee under Rob Jeter, followed by service as head coach at Highland Community College in Freeport, Illinois. Chad later joined Jeter’s staff at WIU as an assistant coach.
When Jeter departed for Southern Utah University, Boudreau chose to remain in Macomb.
His wife, Stacy, serves as head coach of the women’s volleyball team at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. The couple lives on a farm near Fandon, Illinois, and have five children. Boudreau noted his longstanding ties to the region, where his grandfathers’ owned farms. His family also lived in Quincy, Illinois, and he attended WIU games in Macomb while growing up. Chad expressed his belief that Macomb provides exceptional support for WIU, contrasting the community with many college towns in which the institution serves as the town’s primary source of support. He conveyed his appreciation for Macomb’s continued commitment to the university. Looking ahead, he expressed confidence that the team would have a successful season, with the goals of winning the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. He noted that such an achievement would be highly beneficial to both WIU and the Macomb community.
Chad outlined his vision for the upcoming season and discussed the challenges facing collegiate athletics.
He emphasized his strategic shift toward recruiting larger, more physical players and implementing a slower, interior-focused style of play to compete with the league’s higher-spending programs.
He also addressed the effects of declining enrollment and regional competition on recruitment, noting that successful athletic programs can provide a valuable platform for promoting WIU’s strengths. Coach Chad highlighted upcoming matchups against Valparaiso, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota and noted that several games will be televised nationally.
The meeting concluded with the recitation of the “Four-Way Test” and the sounding of the Rotary Bell.
Members were encouraged to make Rotary part of their lives and to “Unite for Good.”
Reagan Knowles, Jr. Rotarian spoke to the group on Tuesday about her activities at Macomb High School and her future plans.
