Category: Members

We’re a teenager!  2016 marks thirteen years that Lawrence Central Rotary has been in existence. Twenty members and fourteen guests gathered from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, at Marceli’s to celebrate.

Thanks and kudos to Shon Qualseth for making the arrangements.  Marceli’s was a perfect venue and a great host.  The choice of a buffet of appetizers instead of a sit-down meal made the whole evening feel more relaxed and certainly encouraged mingling and table-hopping.  Obviously, the food selection was a hit, as most of the platters were empty at the end of the evening.

As President Kate Campbell said in her comments that night, our club at thirteen-years-old has many attributes of a stereotypical teenager.  We are growing quickly—eight new members since this time last year.  Sometimes we’re a bit gangly and awkward because of our growth spurts—as evidenced by the fact that our meeting space at the Eldridge is a bit tight these days.

Like a teen, we’re increasingly strong and mature and confident of our identity in the Lawrence community.  Our budget is solid.  Board members are active and talented.  We never have trouble getting stimulating programs for our meetings or finding volunteers for our various community projects.  We look outward to donate to international initiatives as well as supporting local ones. Our signature event in the Community Bike Rides will take place for the sixth time this season.  Certainly we love our Rotary friends and like to hang out together.  And we are full of exuberance, optimism and enthusiasm for what’s ahead.

It’s great to be a teenager!  Here’s to many more years ahead.

Two new members were inducted into Lawrence Central Rotary last Wednesday.  Dan Schenkein and Megan Richardson.  Later in the meeting Dan, Megan and Jason Walker, another recent addition to the club, shared a little about their backgrounds, past community service and something special they enjoy.

Dan has been associated with Rotary for 50 years.  His father was a long time Rotarian and community service was a part of his life from childhood.  As a student, he participated in a Rotary Exchange Study program.  Dan has been a member of Rotary in several states and transferred to our club from the Dodge City Rotary Club.  He recently retired from a long career in Chamber of Commerce management and has opened a consulting firm here in Lawrence.  Dan is the youngest of four children and told us about an adventure with his oldest brother where they scaled the George Washington monument at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.  This became the first of many items Dan has crossed off his bucket list. Dan has a collection of antique pencils dating from 1820 to 1900.

Megan has been involved in a number of community activities including Habitat for Humanity and support for educational initiatives in Lawrence.  She was active in the push to keep and improve neighborhood schools in Lawrence, in volunteering at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School and is working on the CI3T program at usd497.  CI3T is a school-wide program to foster a positive learning environment for all students aimed at supporting academic, behavioral, and social success. Megan met and married her husband in England were two of her four children were born.  A family favorite activity is a drive through the scenic Peak District in Central England with its exciting views, challenging bends, steep climbs and heartbeat-raising descents.

Jason is a Trust Officer & Relationship Manager at The Trust Company here in Lawrence.  His volunteer efforts have been focused on coaching youth sports leagues where he has had the opportunity to help prepare young people for the future.  Spring ski trips to Colorado are family favorites.  Jason is a passionate NASCAR fan.  He has frequently driven all night with friends to attend NASCAR events like Bristol under the lights in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeast Tennessee.  He cautioned we might not recognize him in his official NASCAR apparel.

We are pleased to welcome Dan, Megan, and Jason to Lawrence Central Rotary

A new year and a new member for Lawrence Central Rotary.  At the club’s first meeting of 2016 we were pleased to induct Jason Walker into our club.  Jason is a Trust Officer & Relationship Manager at The Trust Company here in Lawrence.

New to Rotary, Jason is not new to community service, he also volunteer coaches several youth sports leagues and spends time at his kids school as a W.A.T.C.H. Dog Dad volunteer.

Margaret Weisbrod Morris is an artist, arts administrator and advocate active in the arts education and non-profit community. As the Chief Program Officer at the Lawrence Arts Center, Morris leads an extensive community arts education program that delivers over 500 classes a year to over 9,000 students in all arts media to students age 3 to 103. Since her arrival at the Lawrence Arts Center, she has pioneered the development and implementation of a model STEAM education curriculum, underwritten by the energy industry and recognized by the Hearst Foundation. She serves as the lead contributor and editor for major agency publications and grants, and serves as the public liaison for the Arts Center on matters of education and cultural policy. Before moving to Kansas, she started her career working as a prop artist for children’s television, eventually creating studio art and art therapy programs for non-profit organizations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and provided training on the use of art with people affected by violent crime. Ms. Morris is an active presenter and author, presenting in national forums such as the Arts Education Partnership’s National Forum, the National Association for State Arts Agencies National Assembly, National Art Education Association’s National Conference and the Americans for the Arts – Arts Education blog salon. She has served as a panelist for the US Department of Education, National Endowment for the Arts, Mid America Arts Alliance and the Oklahoma Arts Council. Margaret Weisbrod Morris holds a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and studied with Edith Kramer, the founder of the field of art therapy, to get her M.A. degree from New York University.

She works with six people on her team at the Arts Center, along with three full time artists in residence as well as a variety of visiting artists and faculty. Morris pulls all this together while also giving talks such as the one she gave as a new member of Lawrence Central Rotary.

“Research shows that children who regularly study the arts are likely to show much higher academic achievement and be concerned, voting citizens of their communities,” she said.

“A Gallup poll showed that 91 percent of Americans think the arts are essential to building imagination and 73 percent believe the arts are as important as academics.”

In Kansas, one school credit in an art form is required for graduation. The most common art form found in public schools is music. Morris and the Arts Center staff work to compliment what students learn during the school day in out-of-school arts education. They present classes in art, theater, sculpture, digital media, photography, printing, film, to name a few. “In a regular class room, teachers don’t always have the time spend hours trying to figure out solutions,” Morris said “so we fill the gap by constructing a place where there is the time, setting  and support for people to test ideas, make mistakes, persevere, and realize a goal. These are the fundamental skills of innovation and invention. Since more and more of our economy will be driven by innovative thinking in the future, we do our part to help foster this.”