Rotary Club of Marshall Noon - Club’s “Student Rotarian” Guest Program

The Rotary Marshall Noon Club, which is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year, has a unique program that involves the Marshall Public School students in its weekly meetings.  For over 30 years the club has invited select Marshall senior class students to its weekly meetings as student guests, commonly referred to as student Rotarians.  The program has proven to be beneficial to all concerned.

Each year, 24 senior students – 12 females and 12 males - are nominated by the school faculty to be student Rotarians based on their academic achievement, school and community involvement, leadership and character.  Each student Rotarian is asked to attend a Marshall Noon Club Meeting for two consecutive weeks.  The first week, the student is introduced at the meeting by alternating club members.  The students each prepare a simple bio-sheet containing their name, parent’s name, address, and activities as well as their plans after graduation.  After the introduction, the student presents a 3-5-minute speech on a topic related to Rotary International.  The topic is up to the student to research and is a creative way for our club to experience a Rotary “Foundation minute”.  On the second week, the student presents a 5-7 minute speech highlighting their involvement in an activity that has made a difference in their life while a student at Marshall Public Schools.  The topics range from academics to fine arts activities to athletic achievements.

Our club members value the personal connection to the High School students.  We get a chance to know these great ambassadors of the next generation.  The students also value the experience to be exposed to the good works of Rotary in their community and worldwide.

Scott Monson, Superintendent of Schools in Marshall and Rotary Marshall Noon Club member said, “One of the many things I find rewarding about the student Rotarian program is the learning that these students experience when they are researching a Rotary focus- such as promoting peace or eradicating polio for their week one speech.  The research and preparation for their speeches helps them to learn more about challenges in the world and how Rotarians across the globe are stepping up to help others overcome these challenges.  In my opinion, the knowledge that our student Rotarians gain is another important step in their leadership and development.”

In the Spring the students all come back together for one meeting in which they are responsible to plan, organize, and conduct.  This student-led meeting challenges each student to take a role in running the normal aspects of a Rotary meeting, from leading the Pledge of Allegiance to all the multiple aspects of the program.   The club is often rewarded with the talents of the students.

After the student-led meeting, the club assembles a committee to award four, $500 scholarships to the top participating student Rotarians.  Each student submits their speech and fills out a scholarship application.  The club committee members individually score the applications.  The scores are tallied from each committee member to reveal the four highest scores.  The scholarship money is awarded to their school upon enrollment of the deserving students.

The Marshall Public School District plays a vital role in the success of the student Rotarian program.  It requires a significant investment in time of the superintendent and his administration and faculty.  The student selection process is intentionally the sole responsibility of the school district.  Removing the club from this process insures objective nominees.  The school district sends an invitation letter to the parents encouraging them to attend the specific meetings attended by their son or daughter.   The Marshall school district even pays for the meals of the parents who attend their student’s “week 2” meeting.

The school district also sends a letter to the student’s parents from our club’s membership committee.  The letter describes Rotary and lists many of our club’s local projects with the intent of attracting new members.

The student Rotarian program in Marshall is all about connection to our community. 

“Life is so busy nowadays, and there can sometimes be sort of a disconnect between the community and students.  The student Rotarian program is one way that students are able to connect with civic and community members and leaders and for our Rotary members to connect with students.  I see it being mutually beneficial, as students see leaders in our community and Rotarians see future leaders who potentially may be leaders in our community at some point.” Scott Monson Superintendent of Marshall Public Schools.

Matt Pedersen

Rotary Marshall Noon Club President

 

Pictured:  Dean and Lenei

Pictured:  Keziah and Grant

The official name of this exchange is Australia-USA Wiradjuri/Oceti Sakowin Rotary Group Study Exchange. Phase 1 of this grant project will support the Rotary District 9700 delegation of young indigenous Australian professionals to Rotary District 5610 to experience a different indigenous culture and to share experiences and connections to demonstrate the way Rotary works towards building understanding, peace and vocational excellence. This is planned to occur April 2020, ending at the District Conference in Hot Springs.  

Phase 2 of this grant project will be to send counterpart Native Tribal Americans to Australia in March 2021, to mirror the experience of the Phase 1 Aboriginal Australians. The Wiradjuri are a major Aboriginal indigenous tribe of southwest Australia. The 2016 census counted 786,685 Aboriginal people from more than 250 language groups or 3.3% of Australia’s population (about double the percentage of American Indians to total US population). This map shows the area the team will experience in New South Wales. 

The Native American leaders in Omniceye Rotary, Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS), Oglala Lakota College, and a number of other organizations will be consulted to provide personal connections to recruit applicants. A short form application is available from the contacts listed below. After collecting applications, interviews will be held to answer questions about the exchange and familiarize the Group Study Exchange (GSE) team with the exchange details.

How did this exchange come about? Following the 2014 International Rotary conference in Australia, a group of US Rotarians from District 5610, were hosted by Australian Rotarians from District 9700. They visited New South Wales, including Parkes, Australia, viewing aboriginal/settler primary school program and the Parkes Rotary Peace Precinct carvings by aboriginal artists. Parkes is also a Rotary Peace Community. In 2015 a delegation from District 9700 visited South Dakota and were reverse hosted by District 5610 Rotarians. The group began their visit in Rapid City and the Black Hills, hosted by Rotary clubs throughout the District, and culminated in the District 5610 conference in Pierre, SD. After the conclusion of both exchanges, a plan was formalized to create a Group Study Exchange between the two entities, comprised of non-Rotarian members. At the District 5610 conference held September 28-29, 2018 a number of the District 5610 leadership including Lorenz, Winter, Linda Peterson PDG and Zone 29 Public Image Coordinator and Pat Sutliff, PDG and Chair of the Rushmore Rotary international committee, met together with Katus to brainstorm follow-up steps. Peterson and Katus volunteered to draft a District 5610 grant request for funding of the first phase of this project to begin in 2019. Grants were approved for $2500 for Phase 1 and $10,850 for Phase 2. Cash and in-kind contributions to match this grant are welcomed. 

The GSE team will attend Rotary meetings as opportunities present during location in all areas. Rotarians and Clubs in District 5610 are invited to participate in home-hosting, touring and hosting  team members at club meetings. When the route is drafted, clubs along the tour will be contacted to help participate. 

Nation-building and vocational development for both indigenous peoples of Australia and Native Americans in South Dakota will be beneficial to all the communities impacted. Clubs and leaders in Rotary from around District 5610 have desired a better relationship with our native population and this GSE exchange is the next step in fostering a closer relationship and cooperation between clubs and the reservations’ population. Other Rotary clubs from around the US have projects already in several locations on the reservations. There is considerable international interest in this exchange program.

Project Contacts:

Linda Peterson, Rapid City Rushmore Rotary, PDG 2014-15, RPIC Zone 27/29 2018-20

Home 605-341-5006, Cell 605-390-0800 Email: Linda4Rotary@me.com

Tom Katus, Rapid City Rushmore Rotary, Omniceye Committee

Home 605-718-0545, Cell 605-391-7588 Email: tmkatus@gmail.com

Click Here for Australia-USA Wiradjuri/Oceti Sakowin Rotary Group Study Exchange Team Member Application

 

 

Rotary International has designated September, 2019, as Basic Education and Literacy Month.  775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Rotary International has a range of programs to improve global education and literacy rates (https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/supporting-education).  What is your club doing to promote education and literacy initiatives in your community? During September, please post to the District's Facebook page examples of what your club is doing to promote basic education and literacy. 

Rotary clubs around the world are working on literacy. Two examples of those activities in District 5610 are tied to “Read Across America Day” on March 2 of each year. The Sioux Falls South Rotary Club has selected the Cleveland Elementary School and has been actively working to promote literacy initiatives. In addition to celebrating Read Across America Day by having Rotarians read their favorite books in classrooms, they have also donated money to allow all the students to purchase one or more books. CLICK HERE to see a local news report on their program.

The Vermillion Rotary Club has long supported the local schools through scholarships, giving bike helmets to all second graders and donating to school initiatives, such as the Community Service Day, the Robotics Team, the German Exchange student program, and many more. Several years ago, the club decided to help promote the love of reading. School officials were consulted and it was agreed that the focus should be on the Kindergarten students, since first grade students were the focus of another program for Read Across America Day. The club purchased age appropriate books for all Kindergarten students in the community, with extra copies for teachers to use in the classroom. CLICK HERE or on the image below to see a video that was made using some of the photos from the book distribution on Read Across America Day in 2018.