The Rotary Club of Elkhorn said goodbye to its friend and final founding member, John Henderson, on Friday, January 30, 2026, surrounded by his family. Tributes and support have been flooding in from around the globe, as all those that John impacted have joined together to celebrate his amazing life.
55 years of service to the Elkhorn community... a member of the prestigious Arch Klumpf Society for the Rotary Foundation... and our friend... who was outdigging me in a window well for Habitat for Humanity just a few months ago, is gone. Words are still harder to find than tears right now, but the wonderful memories like these will last forever.
SAVE THE DATE: On Saturday, March 7, 2026, Jean and the kids would like us to gather to Celebrate the Lifeof this amazing man. More details coming soon. In the meantime, please keep all who loved him in your prayers.
WEEKLY MEETING RECAP: Rotary Cookie Bake Off
On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Directors Susan Earle and Eileen Walsh Grzenia shared their training and experiences as judges for the 10,000 Walworth County Fair exhibitors each year. They encouraged everyone to participate and thanked the 150,000 visitors who attend the fair festivities each year.
Susan and Eileen also had the difficult task of judging the first Rotary Bake-Off: A big thank-you to our six Rotarian entrants, and congratulations to Maria Halpin for claiming the top prize with her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! See below for the top recipes.
OTHER UPDATES:
Thank you to Tom Oehler and Advia Credit Union for their $5,000 sponsorship of our club!!!! We will use these funds to further our community support.
The club still needs a Secretary. Please let Katie know if you can get the mail, take minutes at board meetings, and attendance at weekly meetings.
Early Bird Tri-Con signups are now open! See below to sign up by February 13 for a special discount.
3rd Quarter Invoices are due by February 12, 2026.
Cub Scout Pack 225 Flower Sale info coming soon!
2026 Top 3 Cookie Recipes:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tblsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 c. old fashioned oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
flaky sea salt
A. Beat room temperature butter and brown sugar until creamy.
B. Add eggs and vanilla until combined.
C. Add cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and oats.
D. Once combined, add flour and mix just until blended. Add chocolate chips.
E. Chill for 60 minutes (or longer).
F. Roll into approx. 20 balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
G. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
H. Let cool on cookie sheet.
Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tblsp. vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips
A. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
B. Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
C. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let stand 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to cooling rack.
Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies
1 Box of white cake mix
2 eggs, whisked
1/3 c. butter, melted
Glaze: 1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tblsp. water
1 tblsp. vanilla
A. Combine cookie ingredients in bowl and mix. Dough will be thick.
B. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Early Bird Sign-Up Until Feb. 13
Registration is now open for the annual Rotary TriCon learning and fellowship conference April 17-18, 2026 at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.
This year's event promises to be EXTREMELY family friendly, with opportunities for Rotarians to bring their spouses, friends, children, and grandchildren along for a fun weekend.
Rotarian attendance is $295 (Early Bird rate now thru 2/13) for the conference and includes all meals, learning breakout sessions, guest speakers, and more. Hear from inspiring change makers, get ideas for the club, pick up some cool swag, and learn more about how your time in Rotary can change the world. Families can hop in and out for kid-friendly meal times and the fun Rotary evening at Tom Foolery's game arcade on Saturday night! $169 discounted room rates are available and include four passes to the water park too. It's a great deal!
The Rotary International Forum on the Future of International Organizations
We invite you to take part in the Rotary International Forum on the Future of International Organizations on March 13 and 14, 2026, at UNESCO House in Paris.
Hundreds of participants from some twenty different countries have already registered.
In a world in upheaval due to geopolitical, health, climate and social crises, international cooperation has never been so crucial… and so precarious.
Peace is not decreed: it is built through encounters, mutual understanding, and collective action.
This World Forum will bring together diplomats, institutional leaders, researchers, NGOs, young leaders, entrepreneurs and Rotarians from all over the world to reflect together on a central question: how can we reimagine multilateralism in the service of peace, health and education?
The discussions will focus on four themes: culture, peace and education with UNESCO; global health and crisis preparedness with WHO; youth and innovation with UNICEF; and the future of multilateralism and the challenge of legitimacy.
A day of debate, proposals and commitments, culminating in the presentation of a White Paper to the major international organizations.
