Tim Schorn, Chair of International Studies
Jan 15, 2025 12:00 PM
What in the world is happening in the Middle East?
Christopher Boles
Feb 05, 2025
The Development of men and women for a role as an Officer in the United States Army through ROTC
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Welcome to Vermillion Rotary Club's Website
Julia Stanek, Miss Hot Springs and current USD student, provides an overview of The Miss South Dakota Organization at the Dec 04, 2024 meeting of the Vermillion Rotary Club. Click on the image below to watch the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
The members of the Vermillion Rotary Club are saddened to note the passing of our beloved member, Joe Edelen. Joe took great pride in being a Rotarian and relished his many roles in the club. We benefited from his official roles in leadership, as well as his more unofficial role as a song leader. In this photo Joe helped to welcome new club members during an orientation ceremony. Joe truly epitomized the Rotary motto of, “Service Above Self.”
We were all fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time with Joe, and we wish to thank Mary and all of his family for sharing Joe with us.
Joe’s obituary can be found here (https://www.hansenfuneralhome.com/obituaries/joseph-edelen). As noted in the obituary, there will be a visitation on Monday, December 9 at the United Church of Christ in Vermillion from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with refreshments to follow. There will be time for memories of Joe at this service. The Memorial Mass will be held at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Vermillion on Tuesday, December 10 beginning at 10:00 a.m. with a Rosary followed by greeting of the family and remarks by friends and family. The Mass will begin at 11 a.m. with lunch to follow at the Main Street Inn in Vermillion.
For nearly 100 years, Troop 66 has been serving Vermillion while developing the leadership skills of our young people. Wayne Berninger, Troop 66 Scoutmaster, provides a description of the basic tenants of Scouting, Scouting history, recent rebranding/redesign of the organization, and some history of Troop 66. Click on the image below if you would like to view his presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
Our thanks to Susanne Skyrm for her presentation on light pollution, how light pollution impacts the lives of humans and animals, and the measures that can be taken to reduce the amount of light pollution so that we may enjoy the beautiful night sky. To view her presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel you can CLICK HERE or on the image below.
Our thanks to Evelyn Schlenker and the members of the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission for making the presentation to the recipients of the 2024 Preservation Awards at the October 2024 Vermillion Rotary Club Meeting. Please enjoy this video of the award presentations to learn more about these preservation projects and the accomplishments of Jim Wilson. Our congratulations to the recipients: Jim Wilson - Special Recognition Award for Life Long Historic Preservation Accomplishments Dawne Olson - Restoration of the Saginaw School Mary Quirk - Preservation of the Solomon Anderson Barn (30535 470th Ave, Garfield Township) Becky Aga & JoAnn Stockland, Church Representatives - Preservation of the Bergen Lutheran Church (Meckling, SD) Find out more about the Commission's activities here https://cchpc.org Click on the image below to view the award presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel.
Congratulations to Vermillion Rotarians Susan and Doug Tuve for their selection as the parade marshals for the 2024 Dakota Days parade. In the social media announcement of their selection, USD said,
"You’ve seen Susan and Douglas Tuve at football games, and you've seen them at the opera. You've seen them around Vermillion supporting too many good causes to count. And now this year, you can see them leading the D-Days Parade! Longtime USD champions Susan and Douglas Tuve have been selected to serve as the 2024 Dakota Days parade marshals. Learn more about these inspiring members of our Coyote community https://yote.us/4ezBgs9"
Our thanks to University of South Dakota Volleyball head coach Leanne Williamson for her insightful look behind the scenes of our 'Yote volleyball program. We appreciate the insight into how the scheduling is done for the season, they dynamics of adding so many younger players this year, and a couple of new changes we will see this season. Click on the image below to view the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel.
Our thanks to Tim Schreiner for his presentation providing an historical walking tour of the University of South Dakota. For those of us employed by USD, it was fascinating to learn so much about the buildings that are part of the campus and those buildings that are no longer on the campus. Click on the image below to view the presentation on our Club's YouTube channel. If you wish to learn more about these new publications, and find the online tour materials, you can go to the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission at https://cchpc.org/resources/
The two publications are:
• "USD Campus and Historic Buildings Walking Tour" by Tim Schreiner
• "A Campus Walk with Rabbit" Written by Evelyn Schlenker, Illustrations by Rebecca Gehm
The two publications are:
• "USD Campus and Historic Buildings Walking Tour" by Tim Schreiner
• "A Campus Walk with Rabbit" Written by Evelyn Schlenker, Illustrations by Rebecca Gehm
At the conclusion of her State of the University address today, President Sheila Gestring acknowledged five individuals for their commitment and service to the University of South Dakota by presenting them the Legacy Award. Our congratulations to all of the award recipients, but a special congratulations to Vermillion Rotarian's Patrick Morrison and Dan Van Peursem.
Our thanks to Betty Smith and Lana Svien for their September 11 presentation where they explain the concept of "cohousing." This innovative housing approach helps to reduce the loneliness felt by many seniors by creating a sense of community and developing connections. Cohousing also offers a housing option that has less impact on the environment. Please watch this presentation to learn why it is important to consider cohousing, what cohousing design entails, and the benefits of cohousing. To view their presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel, simply click no the image below.
Jim Peterson, President & CEO of the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company, provides a quick summary of recent VCDC accomplishments and outlines the the new "Grow Vermillion" campaign. The goals of the campaign include measurable activities in the areas of expanding housing, expanding the workforce and enhance the quality of life in Vermillion. Please visit https://livevermillion.com/ for more information on the VCDC. Click on the image below to view the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel.
Our thanks to Bruce Nearhood, 2024-25 Governor for Rotary District 5610, for his presentation to the Vermillion Rotary Club. We appreciate your advice on directions the clubs in our District might take to prepare for the future. Your discussion of the four priorities for clubs will help to guide their transformation. Click on the image below to watch the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel.
Sean Hegyi, a planner with the South Eastern Council of Governments (SECOG), joined the Vermillion Rotary Club on August 21, 2024 to discuss a draft of a Joint Jurisdiction Zoning Area comprehensive plan update (JJZA plan). The plan developed by representatives of Clay County (SD) and Vermillion once approved will serve as a document to guide development in the growth area around Vermillion for the next couple of decades. Click on the image below to see the video of the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel.
Thank you, Missy O'Connor, for your informative presentation on our county fair. The statistics on the Fair shows its popularity as well as the recent growth of the Fair. To see her presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel click HERE or on the image below.
Katie Heine, Member Manager at the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company, joined the Vermillion Rotary on August 7, 2024. We appreciate the quick update on VCDC activities, membership and growth before moving on to the primary topic of the day - Clay County 4H. We appreciate your explanation of the the 4H pledge, the purpose of 4H and the current statistics about the Clay County 4H. The discussion of your memories was a wonderful way to outline all of the activities associated with 4H. If you would like to watch your wonderful, informative presentation on the club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
Thank you for your wonderful presentation about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the July, 31, 2024 meeting of the Vermillion Rotary Club. We appreciate your examples of the wonderful OLLI programs that are being offered in the upcoming semester. If you would like to find out more visit www.usd.edu/OLLI. To view the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
Our thanks to Jay Parry, Vice President for USD–Sioux Falls, for his wonderful presentation about the performance of the USD-Sioux Falls campus, as well as the discussion of the relationship to the USD Vermillion campus. We also appreciate the information on population and enrollment trends for SD and bordering states from which we draw the most students. This presentation provides great information on the growth of programs on the Sioux Falls Campus and the student populations being served by that campus. Click on the image below to watch this wonderful presentation, or you can click HERE to watch it on the Club's YouTube channel.
It was wonderful to hear from RYE student Beta Camergo as she completed her year in the US. In one week she returns to Brazil with wonderful memories and plans to host her American friends from Vermillion. Click on this link to see a couple of photos from her introductory presentation to the Vermillion Rotary Club on Nov. 1, 2023 and more photos from her July 24, 2024 good-bye talk. Thank you for joining us Beta! Click on the image below to view a slideshow of some photos of her presentations or choose it from the "Photo Albums" link at the top.
The program for the Club's July 17 meeting was presented by Doug Kronaizl. His presentation on direct democracy practices in SD over the last 126 years discussed the periods of time where direct measures increased an decreased. He also outlined bills/proposed legislation that would have impacted the way that are conducted. Some of the proposed legislation would have made the process easier, while other bills would make the process more difficult. You can view this informative presentation on the Club's YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE or on the image below.
Melissa Berninger, 2024-25 President of the Vermillion Rotary Club gave the weekly program on July 10. She reviewed Rotary's Areas of Focus, discussed some current projects of the club, and encouraged everyone to suggest new ways that our club could serve the community and world. She also outlined her primary goal for the year, increasing membership by 10%. We look forward to your leadership! To view her presentation on the Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
Welcome to a new Rotary year - 2024-25 and President Stephanie Urchick's theme, "The Magic of Rotary"!
Prior to the duck race, current club president Kevin O'Kelley turns over the club leadership to Melissa Berninger, who will serve as president for 2024-25. The ceremonial passing of the gavel and Rotary bell signals the passing of leadership from Kevin to Melissa. After taking over the club leadership, Melissa Berninger presents Kevin O'Kelley with a plaque recognizing his wonderful leadership as well as his Paul Harris Fellow certificate.
Tonight (June 28) the Vermillion Rotary Club held the 2024 Vermillion Rotary Great Duck Race. The race featured 900 ducks each sponsored for $5, that go down the slide and through the lazy river at the Prentis Park Aquatics Center. The $4,500 raised will be used for a variety of community projects in the upcoming year. Our thanks to all the duck sponsors, the staff of the Prentis Aquatics Center, and the City of Vermillion Parks and Recreation Department for their support. Check out photos from the event in Photo Album page or CLICKING HERE or on the image below.
Our thanks to Jon Schemmel for his candid and informative presentation on some major changes in college athletics and how USD Coyote Athletics compares to our peer programs. We appreciate the explanation of the changes in the department structures as well as the discussion of USD compares to the other universities in terms of spending, sponsorship and media rights, ticket sales, etc. The detailed and candid discussion of the financial realities is appreciated. You can view this wonderful presentation on the Rotary Club's YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE or on the image below.
Thank you Jim Peterson, CEO of the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Corporation, for your presentation on the planning grant and implementation grant that are helping to alleviate the lack of daycare in Vermillion. We were pleased to hear that the work of so many community members and groups is leading to a number of community-based solutions for this important issue. Please click on the image below to see the presentation on the Rotary Club's YouTube channel.
Grace Freeman and Geoffrey Gray-Lobe of the Friends of the Missouri National Recreational River accept a donation from the Vermillion Rotary Club to support the Friends’ 7th Annual River Honoring Event at Clay County Park on Sunday, June 9. The check was presented by club president Kevin O' Kelley at the June 5 meeting. Find out more about the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/470366368697727/ or https://fomnrr.org/event/river-honoring-event/
Thank you Vermillion Police Department Chief, Crystal Brady, and Sherriff Andy Howe for your wonderfully detailed description of the new Clay Area Law Enforcement Center. We appreciate your description of the different elements of the Center. Click on the image below to watch the presentation.
Our thanks to Samantha O'Kelley and Deb Christensen for their interesting and informative presentation about the "Adopt-a-Drain" project, a signature project for Greening Vermillion (https://www.greeningvermillion.org/painted-drains).We appreciated seeing the examples of the drain paintings and learning more about the mile-long, "Wase Wakpa" Trail. To view the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
Thank you, Ella Dockendorf, president-elect, and Maggie Pallesen, Meals on Wheels Coordinator, for your wonderful presentation about the new USD/Vermillion Rotaract Club. In less than a year the club has grown to over 40 members who are either USD students or young professionals in the community. You have already taken an active role in service projects and demonstrated your commitment to helping improve your community. We appreciate your background information on Rotary and Rotoract. The Vermillion Rotary looks forward to working on projects. To view their presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel, click on the image below.
For nearly 30 years, the Vermillion Rotary Club has partnered with the Vermillion Medical Clinic to provide a new bicycle helmet for all Vermillion students in the second grade. To read the Vermillion Plain Talk story about the program you can CLICK HERE or on the image below. As he has in the past, Dr. Matt Krell brought X-rays and a watermelon to help students understand the dangers of riding without a helmet. The students heard from many others who talked about using bikes safely in so many ways.
Our thanks to the First Dakota National Bank team for their wonderful presentation on fraud and identity theft prevention delivered at the the March 20, 2024 meeting of the Vermillion Rotary Club. Watch this video to hear about the extent of fraud and identify theft in the US, common types of fraud, the uses of stolen identities, common identity theft techniques, and what you can do to avoid becoming the victim of fraud and identify theft. To watch the video simply click on the image below to be redirected to the presentation on YouTube.
Please encourage Vermillion High School seniors to apply for one of two, $1,000 college scholarships for 2024-25. The application materials can be downloaded in the "Download Files" section to the right, clicking on the image below or by CLICKING HERE.
Jeanelle Lust of the South Dakota Open Primaries Initiative joined the Vermillion Rotary Club on March 13, 2024, to outline the reasons they seek to bring to the SD voters a Constitutional amendment changing the primaries in SD to open primaries. She notes that the current party primaries tend to encourage a lack of cooperation among our elected officials. Additionally, SD primaries are paid for by all of us, but the current system doesn't allow over 145,000 South Dakotans to fully participate in the party primary process. To find out more about the initiative, you can visit their website: www.sdopenprimaries.org. You can click on the image below to view the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
Thank you to the teachers and staff at Austin Elementary School and St. Agnes Catholic School for your amazing support on this project. The Vermillion Rotary Club provides a free, age-appropriate book for all the Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten students in Vermillion, SD. It is our hope that this small act will help lead to a life filled with reading. Click on the image below to view a 2-minute video featuring amazing photos taken by Lisa Swanson of the children during the book distribution. As a bonus you'll also hear a reading of a Dr. Suess book!
Our thanks to the Vermillion Public School administrators who joined the Vermillion Rotary Club on March 6 to provide a wonderful update on what is happening in our schools. In addition to providing updates on District news, building principals took the opportunity to highlight student accomplishments and some of the challenges they face. Click on the link below to view this presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
Our thanks to Rebecca Bailey, Executive Artistic Director of the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival for her preview of the 2024 Festival. Thank you for the wonderful review of past festivals, including efforts to offer activities that offer something for everyone. We are excited to see what the festival will offer to Vermillion residents and all those who will join us for the production June 6-9 as well as the other activities. Find out more about the festival at: www.sdshakespearefestival.org. To view her presentation on the Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
As a special treat on Valentine's Day, 2024, Dr. Harry Freeman presents on the science of love. He discusses some of the factors that go into how humans form bonds from infancy into adulthood. He also explains how the different types of relationships through our life vary from one another or what they share in common with other mammals. Take some time to watch this interesting discussion. Simply click on the image below to watch the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
Dr. Rand Wergin of the USD's Beacom School of Business presents an analysis of ten years of retail sales in South Dakota and uncovers some surprising changes that have occurred in recent years. How does Vermillion compare to other communities? What's going on in Aberdeen? Should city leaders in Sioux Falls be worried? If you would like to read the report that Dr. Wergin discusses in his presentation, the link is: https://red.library.usd.edu/emm-fp/2/. To view his presentation on the Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the link below.
Officers from the Vermillion Police Department, the Clay County Sherriff's Office and the University of South Dakota Police Department provide an insight into the current version of DARE being used in schools and discuss how it being presented in Vermillion. Click on the image below to watch their presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel.
On January 24, Patrick Morrison discussed national and local trends in international graduate student enrollment as well as the programs they are most likely to study, the economic impact of international students, and the recruitment efforts at USD. Thank you for your presentation to the Vermillion Rotary Club. To view the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
The Vermillion Rotary Club is very happy to offer support for the project to create an inclusive playground at the new elementary school in Vermillion. Vermillion Rotarians Chuck Lubbers and Melissa Witte Berninger present a check to Dan Mourlam, Board President, and Mary Giffin, Executive Director of the Vermillion Public Schools Foundation.
Dr. Tim Schorn provides a detailed discussion of five conflicts currently raging around the globe. His insights helped the audience to understand the background for the conflicts, what is currently happening and likely prospects for the future. Click on the image below to view this informative presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel.
Jim Peterson, President and CEO of the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Corporation, gave an overview of what economic development looks like in Vermillion to the members of the Vermillion Rotary Club. Learn more at the VCDC website - https://livevermillion.com/. To learn more about projects undertaken by the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company, housing initiatives, business recruitment, etc., just click on the image below to see the presentation on the Club's YouTube channel.
Vermillion Rotary President Kevin O'Kelley presents a club grant to Crystal Gemar, Case Manager for Southeast CASA. It was wonderful of Crystal to also spend a few minutes reminding our members of the important work being done by Southeast CASA and the unfortunate level of need in our county. You can find out more about their program by visiting their website (www.southeastcasa.org/).
Chris Kassin, SD House of Representatives, and Sydney Davis a SD State Senator both represent District 17. They offered their insights about what we can expect from the SD Legislative session at the January 3 meeting of the Vermillion Rotary Club. The Rotary club welcomed members of the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company to the presentation for their first “Learn Over Lunch” for 2024. To view the video of their insights, you can simply click on the image below or view it on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel by Clicking Here.
Vermillion Rotary Club President Kevin O'Kelley presents a check to Maxine Johnson from the Board of the W. H. Over Museum to support the Friends of the W. H. Over Museum's activities. To find out more about the Over Museum, South Dakota's oldest natural and cultural history museum, visit their website at whovermuseum.org.
Our thanks to the Vermillion High School choir for making the Vermillion Rotary Holiday lunch another wonderful event. Please enjoy the choir's rendition of Sparklejollytwinklejingley. If you go to the end, you'll see the presentation of money to the choir to help them reduce the costs of travel to choir competitions. Click on the image below to watch the choir's presentation as well as the check presentation at the end. If you would prefer to watch the video on YouTube, simply CLICK HERE.
In conjunction with Kelsey Collier-Wise's presentation/update on the United Way of Vermillion, the club had the opportunity to do the ceremonial presentation of $500 for Feeding Vermillion's Holiday food program. The Vermillion Club received a $250 "Food for the Holidays" grant from the District which was then matched by our club. In the photo, club president Kevin O' Kelley presents the check to Emmanuel Ankinwande, Feeding Vermillion Operations Director, and Kelsey Collier-Wise, Executive Director of the United Way of Vermillion.
Thank you to the members of the Vermillion City Council who joined the Vermillion Rotary for our November 29 meeting. Katherine Price, representing the Central Ward, Mayor Jon Cole, Julia Hellwege, Northeast Ward, and Lindsey Jennewein, Central Ward provided an interesting recap of the Council's recent activities, offered insights into upcoming issues and answered questions from Rotarians. To hear about all of the topics please click on the image below to watch the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Youtube channel.
Thank you Evelyn Schlenker, Secretary of the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission, for the presentation of the 2023 preservation awards at the November 15 meeting of the Vermillion Rotary Club. Our thanks also to Commission Chair Tim Schreiner, Vice-Chair Jim Wilson, Treasurer Patrick Morrison, and Board member Jim Stone for joining us. Click on the image below to watch the presentation and see some of the amazing historic preservation work being done in Clay County, SD.
Thank you, Roberta Sanches de Souza Camergo, for your wonderful presentation to the Vermillion Rotary Club. This Rotary Youth Exchange presentation introduced our members to her home nation of Brazil. We were so happy to hear that you have enjoyed the first couple of months of your Rotary Youth Exchange to Vermillion, SD, USA, and we are so happy that we could sponsor your RYE. To watch her presentation, please click on the image below.
RyLeigh Christopherson and Lindsey Grabowska, 2023-24 captains of the USD Mock Trial team, gave the Vermillion Rotary Club a primer about what mock trial is, some of the recent trial topics, the structure of a trial, how the events are scored, and the tournaments in which they compete. Their description provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this collegiate competition. To view the presentation on the club's Youtube channel, simply click on the image below.
Our thanks to Carson Walker for joining the Vermillion Rotary Club on October 18 to talk about South Dakota News Watch and challenges facing journalism in the US. Click on the link below to view his presentation on the club's Youtube channel. You can find out more about SD News Watch by visiting their website: www.SouthDakotaNewsWatch.org or their Facebook page.
World Polio Day is on October 24, and Rotary International President Gordon McInally has a message for all Rotarians. Working with partners, Rotary has reduced wild polio cases to just a few this year, but even one is too many. Now is the time to help finally end the threat of Polio from the Earth.
Thank you, Leslie Morrow of the Alzheimer's Association South Dakota, for this informative presentation of the various types of dementia, warning signs, new treatments and the services provided by your organization. If you would like to view the presentation on the club's Youtube channel, simply click on the image below.
Thank you, Dr. Damon Alvey, for joining the Vermillion Rotary and providing this information filled update on the construction of Vermillion's new elementary school scheduled to open in August of 2024. To view his presentation simply click on the image below to be redirected to the club's Youtube channel.
Charlotte Nelson, Chief Growth Officer for Goodwill of the Great Plains, was the speaker at the September 27, Vermillion Rotary meeting. Nelson provided an overview of the new store that is scheduled to open in Vermillion during the first quarter of 2024. She also provided background information on Goodwill of the Great Plains and the services that they provide to the community in which they operate. You can learn more about the Goodwill of the Great Plains by visiting their website - www.goodwillgreatplains.org. If you are interested in viewing her presentation, you can do on the club's Youtube channel by CLICKING HERE or by clicking on the image below to play the video on this page.
Our thanks to the Vermillion Plain Talk for this wonderful article by Sarah Wetzel. We appreciate the thorough coverage of such an important topic - making the playground at the new elementary school accessible for all children. You can read the article on the Plain Talk site by clicking on the image below.
Dwight Vaught, Director of the National Music Museum (NMM), joined the Vermillion Rotary Meeting Sept. 20, 2023, for a wonderful presentation about the National Music Museum. The recently re-opened and expanded museum is a gem in Vermillion and one of the top three collections of musical instruments in the world. We also appreciate Dr. Darryl Martin, Conservator and Coordinator of Graduate Studies at the NMM, for coming to give us a glimpse of the Grafton Saxophone, one of the 14,000+ instruments in their collection. Click on the image below to view the presentation on the Club's Youtube channel.
It was wonderful spending time with the Australian GSE team on Friday, Sept. 15. They toured the Howe Exhibit in USD's Day Gallery, heard from students and faculty about the Native American programs at USD and the importance of Native art, and had a chance to chat with Vermillion Rotarians and USD faculty, staff and students. We look forward to spending more time with them during the Rotary District 5610 Conference.
Thank you, Coach Nielson, for joining the Vermillion Rotary Club on September 13 and providing a wonderful preview of the 2023 season. It was great to hear more about our highly competitive conference as well as some of the major changes going on in collegiate football. Click on the image below to watch the presentation on the Club's Youtube channel.
USD Head Volleyball Coach, Leanne Williamson, joined the Vermillion Rotary Club on September 8 and gave an excellent preview of this year's team and what we might all see in the upcoming months. Thank you for your wonderful talk and we look forward to watching the 'Yotes this season. To watch the presentation on the club's Youtube channel, simply click on the image below.
Daniel Mourlam, president of the Board of Directors for the Vermillion Public Schools Foundation, joined the Vermillion Rotary Club on August 20, 2023 to provide an overview of the operations of the VPSF and to present the newest initiative for the organization - raising funds to provide the additional funds for accessible playground equipment at the new elementary school that will open in August of 2024. To view the presentation click on the image below or CLICK HERE to visit the club Youtube channel.
Wonderful program today as we officially welcomed many new members who have joined us this year. In addition to information about Rotary, they received their badges, a membership certificate, a packet of new member information and their 4-way test plaques. Congratulations to:
Front Row: Anna Nelson, Crystal Brady and Matt Callahan.
Back Row: Ray Ring, Quinn Cannon, MD., Emmanuel Akinwande and Bryant Jackson.
New members unable to attend today: Ionela Georgescu, Veronica Schmidt and Elizabeth Smith.
Hundreds of rubber ducks raced at Vermillion's Prentice Plunge to raise funds for Vermillion projects supported by the Vermillion Rotary Club. Our thanks to all of the duck sponsors for their support of these worthwhile programs and to the staff of Prentis Plunge and Vermillion Parks and Recreation Department who supported this project. The video tries to capture some of the action. You can watch the video below or on the Club's Youtube channel at: https://youtu.be/U3rLOU66Q38
Thank you, Dr. Mike Card, for your presentation to discuss one initiated measure and several new laws that took effect on July 1. To hear Dr. Card's presentation, click on the image below to be directed to the presentation on the Club's Youtube channel.
Rich Burns was kind enough to start his club presentations with a trip to Vermillion on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Governor Burns outlined several perspectives on the purpose of the Rotary Districts. He also discussed his goals for the upcoming year as well as the status of the District. Gov. Burns also highlighted many of the events and speakers in the upcoming District Conference in Yankton. To view his informative presentation you can click on the image below or CLICK HERE to view it on the club's Youtube page.
Thank you, Dr. David Burrow for your fascinating look at Vermillion in the leading up to, during and immediately after prohibition. Some of the materials were pulled from an Honors Seminar taught by Dr. Burrow. To access the the podcasts created by the class, you can go to: https://red.library.usd.edu/honors_projects/1/ . If you would like to see Dr. Burrow's presentation on the club's Youtube channel, go to: https://youtube.com/live/9NgXaRhILC0 or simply click on the image below.
Alan Wittmuss of the South Dakota Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources offered tremendous insights into the programs of the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, especially those related the monitoring of water sources in the state. To watch his presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Youtube channel, simply click on the image below.
Thank you to the cast members of "Newsies" who performed for the Vermillion Rotary Club today. The video below provides a short clip from one number in this award-winning musical. To see the full production join the Vermillion Community Theatre for a performance on July 7-10. Tickets are on sale now at several locations in Vermillion, but can also be purchased on the website: http://vermillioncommunitytheatre.org/ The Vermillion Rotary is a proud supporter of the VCT. To watch this promotional video on the Club's YouTube channel CLICK HERE or on the image below.
As one of his last official acts as the 2022-23 Vermillion Rotary Club President, Rich Holland presents the membership badge to Anna Nelson, Vermillion Rotary's newest member. Thank you for joining us Anna, and we look forward to seeing you at future Rotary events.
Dr. Quinn Cannon of Sanford Health Vermillion provided an interesting presentation on obstetrics care in rural areas. The presentation included a quick personal history, a look at the history of rural OB care, as well as recent trends.
Thank you, Dr. Kurt Hackemer, Provost at USD, for your wonderful presentation in honor of Memorial Day, 2023. In this presentation, Dr. Hackemer discusses the war experiences of two Vermillion men. Dr. Hackemer also has a fascinating discussion of the impact of the Civil War on development in the Dakota Territory. To watch his presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club's YouTube channel, simply click on the image below.
President-elect, Kevin O'Kelley, had the honor of presenting his member badge to Vermillion Rotary Club's newest member, Emmanuel Akinwande. Thank you for joining the club, and we look forward to seeing you at future club events.
The Vermillion Rotary Club gives special thanks to all who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces. Thank You!
Congratulations to all of the 2023 graduates of Vermillion High School! We want to offer additional congratulations to the three graduating VHS seniors to receive one of our scholarships for next year. We wish you all the best in your academic pursuits!
To help celebrate National Library Week, the Vermillion Rotary Club invited the Edith B. Siegrist Library Director, Daniel Burniston, to join us for the April 26 meeting. You can learn more about all of the wonderful activities happening at the library by watching the video of his presentation on the Vermillion Rotary YouTube channel. Simply click on the image below to be taken to the presentation.
On Friday, April 21, Vermillion Rotarians and staff from the Vermillion Medical Clinic joined to present new bike helmets to all second-grade students in Vermillion and to provide interesting programs about cycling, types of bicycles and riding safely.
Savannah Wise, the director of the Vermillion Boys & Girls Club, joined the Vermillion Rotary on April 19, 2023 to give us an update on the club's activities. She discussed the club's programs, the values they work into their programs, as well as their tutoring program and work with the Clay County Teen Court, their summer program and opportunities to volunteer. To watch the video of her presentation, simply click on the image below.
Since 2017, the Vermillion Rotary Club has helped Kindergarten students in Vermillion SD celebrate Read Across America Day by providing a free book for each student. We hope that this small gesture will help to ignite a love of reading. We wish to thank all of the Kindergarten teachers, the principals and the librarians at Austin Elementary School and St. Agnes for making this event possible. Click on the link below to see photos from the 2023 book giveaway, and if you turn on the sound, you'll hear a reading of a classic children's book.
Vermillion Rotary President, Rich Holland presents her membership pin to our newest member, Betty Smith. Welcome to the Vermillion Rotary Club! We also wish to thank Betty, and her fellow commissioners, Travis Mockler and Geoffrey Gray-Lobe for their informative presentation about the status of Clay County, SD.
The Vermillion Rotary Club is pleased to offer three, $1,000 scholarships for 2023 Vermillion High School graduates. Please help us to spread the word about these scholarships for Vermillion High School 2023 graduates! The application can be downloaded in the download section in the lower-right corner of this website or directly with this link: https://tinyurl.com/Rotary-2023-App
Our thanks to Dan Van Peursem for his wonderful presentation that we should call Beekeeping 101. It was wonderful learning more about this fascinating hobby. Click on the image below to view the presentation on the Vermillion Rotary Club YouTube channel.
Our thanks to Vermillion Police Chief Crystal Brady for her presentation to the Vermillion Rotary Club on February 15. We enjoyed the peek behind the curtains to see the operations of the Vermillion Police Department. If you would like to learn more about our local police department, Chief Brady invites you to take a look at their website.
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Jimmy Carter's vision for peace
This story appeared in the February 2018 issue of Rotary magazine. It’s a crisp, sunny day in late October, and school groups are touring the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in
Espresso in a war zone
Adventure or misadventure, roving correspondent Scott Simon finds enlightenment in a life of travels
The liberation of Julie Mulligan
After being kidnapped abroad, Rotarian Julie Mulligan set out to live a more authentic life of Service Above Self
Unforgettable evenings in Calgary
Signature events at the 2025 Rotary convention include dinner at Rotarians’ homes, a country music jamboree, and boot-stompin’ celebrations of the Western culture in Calgary.
Art for advocacys sake
Student artists spread the word about cervical cancer with works they’ve created through the Rotary member-led program United to End Cervical Cancer in Egypt.
Rotary Serving Humanity
Vermillion, SD 57069
United States of America