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President Jamie Soukup called the Wagner Rotary Club to order on Wednesday, September 17th at high noon with only a few members absent from the weekly meeting. Members recited the Rotary Prayer followed by a long silence as everyone realized that our Song leader and the Assistant Song leader were both absent.

Membership Minute Chairperson Rotarian Patty Frei was called upon for the weekly minute of Rotary information. The areas of focus, also known as Rotary’s causes, are categories of service activities that The Rotary Foundation supports to promote long-lasting and sustainable change through humanitarian projects in communities around the world.

Rotary areas of focus are Peacebuilding and conf lict prevention; Diseases prevention and treatment; Water, sanitation, and hygiene; Maternal and child health; Basic education and literacy; Community economic development; and Environment. In our District 5610 September newsletter, the theme for September is basic education and literacy. District Governor Bruce Hearhood is challenging every Rotary Club in our District to take action to help a child read! Whether it’s donating books, volunteering to read in classrooms, or supporting literacy programs, your efforts can change a child’s future. Let’s live out Rotary’s commitment to literacy together!

The History of our Aluminum Can Bin Project was mentioned and was explained as not all our members, especially the recent new ones knew what our “Can Bin” was all about. The late Roger Wiltz who was a Rotarian and former District Rotarian Governor of the Wagner Rotary Club had for many years been a member of the Lions Club in Wagner. The club disbanded and one of their pet projects had been collecting aluminum cans for recycling purposes. Wiltz had asked the Wagner Rotary to take on the continuation of the Can Bin as a means of revenue for our Rotary scholarships and other projects that the club sponsors during the year. The “Can Bin” as it is affectionately called is located on the west side of the end of the Rotary building close to the alleyway. The public is asked to put their cans in a sack (please don’t throw them in loose as they tend to fly out during a windy period) and place them in the bin. When the bin is almost full Rotarians go out and pack the cans securely and pull the bin with a trailer to the Recycling center in Mitchell South Dakota. This has proved to be a worthwhile project for our club.

Jordan Weber took a chance at finding the Queen of Hearts but drew the Nine of Spades which brings the Hearts drawing up to a total of $633.00!

Rotarian Patty Frei was subbing for Secretary/Treasurer Craig Krsnak and announced that there was only one absence on the Jordan Weber Team and four absences on the Jerry Weber Team which brings them to a total of 13 to 15! Frei also announced the winners of the Monday Night Football this past week and they were Neil Von Eschen sold by Jerry Henke and Bryan Slaba sold by himself.

President Soukup advised the club members that there would be no noon meeting next week at our club house. Our regular meeting will be observed next Tuesday evening (September 23rd) at The Lighthouse Church on the West side of Wagner due to a special program that has been scheduled for the Wagner Community School. Rotarians are asked to be at The Lighthouse by 5:00 to set up tables and chairs. Booms are catering in a meal at 5:45 to 6:45. At this time Jordan Weber called upon Scott Alderink to take the podium and announce the details of the coming week. Rotarian Amanda Bechen has been instrumental in acquiring lodging for the members of the Foundation for Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Many thanks to Amanda for her tireless efforts in helping this take place.

The Todd Becker Foundation out of Kearney, Nebraska will be in Wagner that evening and after the reception and meal they will be setting things up at the WCS gymnasium for the special presentation the following evening on Wednesday, September 24th. On Thursday morning September 25th the team will be having a farewell breakfast buffet before leaving Wagner and on to their next destination. They perform in at least one community every week.

This Foundation was created in the spring of 2005 following the tragic death of 18-year-old Todd Becker, in an alcohol-related car accident. Keith was the older brother of Todd Becker, and he gives the true and life changing story of his younger brother’s untimely death and the events thereafter that changed his own life. Since 2005, the Todd Becker Foundation’s assembly and outreach program has reached close to 100,000 students in over five hundred high schools across the nation. The Wagner Community has reached out to high schools at Lake Andes, Armour, Springfield, Avon, and all are welcome to come for this story and personal testimonies. For more information, please visit www.toddbecker.org Rotarian Bill Frei was standing in for the Sergeant and the Assistant Sergeant at Arms and levied the following fines: • $2 to Jordan Weber for making house calls on the silage chopper.

• $5 to Jerry Weber for telling Amanda Bechen not to sit at his table.

• $2 to Margaret Doom for eating only a salad.

• $2 to Alison Woods for picking all the veggies out of her salad.

• $2 to Tim Thaler for not doing the “needling procedure” described in last week’s program by the PT Department.

• $2 to Jerry Henke for having the State Trooper come in the last two years for programs but having a mountain Lion reported in the town of Pickstown that morning.

• $2 to Jeff Doom for coming in late to the meeting and another $2 for whistling “Dixie” and having no shoes on.

HAPPY FINES:

• From Bryan Slaba of $18 for his last day of work at WCMH coming up this December 31st.

• $4 from Jerry Weber for having a son turning 40 years old.