November, 2008 Volume 65, Number 5

Rotary Youth Programs

Make a Difference
 From the Editor
Our Youth, Our Future
I recently discovered something
about myself. It was a gray hair.
Now I know that for many of you,
that is probably not a big deal and
truthfully it is not for me either. But it
did make me recognize that I am
aging and while in the professional
world I might be considered rela-
tively young, I too need to think
Rotary on the world
about our future leaders.
Wide Web
This month, The Rotopeka is looking at the various youth pro-
grams of Rotary. President Kirk Johnson this month talks about
 Rotary International the Rotary Youth Exchange (p.5) and on page 10, we feature
Website— on article about World Interact Week. It’s important for all of us
www.rotary.org to look toward the future and help promote and encourage
young people to take on leadership roles in society.
 Rotary District 5710 And speaking of young people, the annual Holiday Party is a
Website— great opportunity to share the spirit of Rotary and the joyous
www.rotary5710.org and festive occasion with family and fellow Rotarians. Once
again, we have a great lineup of fun activities during the De-
cember 18th Meeting. Bring your family and plan to join us.
 Rotary Club Website—
Watching the excitement in young children when they see
www.downtowntopeka
rotary.org Santa Clause is one of those precious moments of life.
This month, we also remember two Rotarians who passed
away, Bob Adams and Frank Oppitz. A memorial to Frank fol-
 Rotary International
lows on page 3. A memorial to Bob Adams is scheduled at a
Foundation—
www.rotary.org/
later meeting and then will appear in the Rotopeka.
foundation Finally, December is always hectic and the past few years, we
have opted to publish a double issue in December and Janu-
ary to save on postage and printing cost. We’ll likely do that
again this year. So I would like to wish all of you a wonderful
and save Holliday Season.

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We Remember
Frank J. Oppitz, Jr., 84, Topeka, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 at
Brewster Place.
He was born February 26, 1924 in Topeka, the son of Frank J.
and Eugenia Hilderman Oppitz. Frank graduated from Topeka
High School and attended Washburn University. He owned his
own business, Central Recording Studio for all of his working
life, along with MuSed Background Music Service.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Orient
Lodge #51 AF&AM, Scottish Rite Bodies, York Rite Bodies and
Arab Shrine for over 60 years and where he served as Poten-
tate in 1970. He also was a member of Royal Order of Jesters,
Court #125. He belonged to and enjoyed the downtown Ro-
tary Club for many years. Frank loved his children.
He took pride in the stone house on Grove in the Potwin area
that he and his son Larry built together, using limestone trim from the old Roosevelt Junior High
School. Frank loved music and as a musician played the trumpet. During his younger years he
played in several traveling bands, made up of local musicians. He was a member of the Santa Fe
Band from the age of 14. From the age of 21, he was a member of the Arab Shrine Marching
Band and was its leader and organizer for many events and trips. He particularly enjoyed march
and dance band music.
He married Patricia Ann Chew of Hutchinson, KS on February 1, 1951 and celebrated 57 years of
marriage. She survives. Other survivors include two sons, Lawrence W. Oppitz and wife Garrie and
their son, Richard J. Oppitz of Topeka; Michael E. Oppitz and wife Laura of Gardner, KS; two
daughters Constance C. Oppitz of Leawood, KS and Jeanette Surratt and husband Phil of Bran-
son, MO. He is also survived by a niece and nephew both of San Jose, CA, Shannon Bracy and Dr.
Marc Bracy. His extended family includes a step-granddaughter, Sylvia Hogan and husband Terry
and four great granddaughters, all of Manhattan, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents of
Topeka and his sister, E Lorraine Bracy of San Jose, California. A celebration of life was held at the
First United Methodist Church with interment in Penwell-Gabel Cemetery. Memorial contributions
can be made to Heart of America Hospice, 3715 SW 29th St., 66614; Arab Shrine Temple Travel
Fund (transportation for children to receive care), 1305 S. Kansas Ave, 66611; or to Helping Hands
Humane Society, 2625 NW Rochester Road, 66617.

He was also a donor to the Topeka Rotary Foundation and the Downtown Rotary Club memorial
will be given to the Topeka Rotary Foundation.

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 Minutes from October Board of
Trustees
Secretary’s Report: Alvin moved to approve September
Rotary Club of Topeka
minutes, Blanche seconded, passed.
Officers
Treasurer’s Report: We reviewed the financial reports.
September 30 Membership: 205
PRESIDENT—Kirk Johnson
Resignations: Vince Weber, accepted. Frank Ybarra, Alvin
PRESIDENT-ELECT—Terry Wages will check with Ned Nusbaum regarding Frank’s resignation.
VICE-PRESIDENT—Gordon Lanny Brown, Mike and Henry will contact him regarding
Lansford senior status.
TREASURER—Gary Knoll Golf Fundraiser – Henry reported on the Golf Fundraiser, it
SECRETARY—John Wall will be May 7, 2009 at Western Hills. Our regular weekly
SERGEANT AT ARMS—Mike Locke
meeting will be held there that day also.

Board Members Memorial Contributions: will be discussed at the November

board meeting.
David Beck
Alvin Dvorak
Website Meeting Attendance Proposal: There appears to be
no guidance from International regarding this idea. They
Glenda DuBoise
will discuss it in 2011. We will discuss it again at the Novem-
Fred Gatlin ber board meeting.
Jennifer Haller Pledge Class – will meet October 9 to discuss a project.
Henry McClure
Disposal of Old Computer: John moved, Gordon seconded
Joy Moser to give Dick Knoll the authority to dispose of this obsolete
Blanche Parks equipment. Passed.
Susan Mauch Foundation Banquet: will be November 8, as reported by
Past President—Joan Wagnon Henry.

THE ROTOPEKA
Meeting adjourned, next meeting will be November 12,
Editor—Greg Hill 2008.
Published Monthly by the Downtown Rotary Club of
Topeka

Downtown Ramada Inn, Suite 110 Topeka, Kansas

66607 Respectfully submitted,
Subscription $2.00 per year
John Wall, Secretary
Periodicals Postage Paid at Topeka, Kansas USPS 471-
860

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Rotopeka 420

SE 6th, Suite 110 Topeka, KS 66607

Rotopeka deadline is two weeks prior to the first

Thursday of the month

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Message from the President
By Kirk Johnson, President

Rotary Youth Exchange

For over 75 years, students and host families have broad-
ened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange.
More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students partici-
pate in this program each year. The Youth Exchange Pro-
gram is part of Rotary’s emphasis on youth and the pro-
motion of world peace. While a student in a foreign
country, Youth Exchange participants also spend time as
ambassadors, teaching others about our country, culture
and ideas.
The program is administered at the regional level by Ro-
tary districts and at the local level by Rotary Clubs. In pro-
viding local administration, the program costs are kept
low for both students and their host families. Students are
responsible for their travel expenses as well as the cost of
incidentals.
This year District 5710’s Youth Exchange Program wel-
comed sixteen inbound students, and have eleven students from our district who are studying
abroad.
We are currently looking for applications for outbound students, as the application deadline
is December 1. Remember, this is one of the few programs where children and grandchil-
dren of Rotarians are eligible to participate. If you know of someone who might be inter-
ested, please get them in touch with David Beck, our board member responsible for Interna-
tional Programs.
About Rotary’s Youth Programs

Participants in the District 9810 (Australia) Rotary Youth Leadership Awards workshop in July form the letters RYLA to
show their appreciation for the program, which many participants called "life changing." Photo courtesy District
9810.

As a Rotary Youth Exchange student, you’ll spend up to a year living

with a few host families and attending school in a different country.
Whether you participate in Rotary’s long-term or short-term Youth Ex-
change programs, you’ll learn a new way of living, a great deal about
yourself, and maybe even a new language. You’ll also be an ambas-
sador, teaching people you meet about your country, culture, and
ideas. You can help bring the world closer – and make some good
friends in the process.
More than 8,000 young people each year have experiences like these
through Rotary Youth Exchange. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Are you ready for it?

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Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's
leadership training program for
young people. RYLA participants
can be ages 14-30, but most
clubs and districts choose to fo-
cus on a narrower age range, such as 14-18 or 19-
30.
RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and per-
sonal growth, and aims to
Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for
youth
Provide an effective training experience for se-
lected youth and potential leaders
Encourage leadership of youth by youth
Recognize publicly young people who are render-
ing service to their communities
Interact is Rotary International’s
service club for young people
ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are
sponsored by individual Rotary
clubs, which provide support and
guidance, but they are self-
governing and self-supporting.
Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be sin-
gle gender or mixed, large or small. They can
draw from the student body of a single school or
from two or more schools in the same community.
Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two
community service projects, one of which furthers
international understanding and goodwill.
Through these efforts, Interactors develop a net-
work of friendships with local and overseas clubs
and learn the importance of
 Developing leadership skills and personal in-
tegrity
 Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for oth-
ers
 Understanding the value of individual responsi-
bility and hard work
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for
young men and women ages
18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are ei-
ther community or university
based, and they’re sponsored
by a local Rotary club. This
makes them true "partners in
service" and key members of
the family of Rotary.
As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-
growing service programs, with more than 7,000
clubs in about 163 countries and geographical
areas, Rotaract has become a worldwide phe-
nomenon.
How does it work?
All Rotaract efforts begin at the local, grassroots
level, with members addressing their communities’
physical and social needs while promoting inter-
national understanding and peace through a
framework of friendship and service.
What are some other opportunities available to
Rotaractors? Rotaractors may also
 Assist in organizing Interact clubs or mentor In-
teractors
 Participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
 Become Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial
Scholars or Group Study Exchange team mem-
bers
 Seek membership in their local Rotary club
 Advancing international understanding and
goodwill
As one of the most significant and fastest-
growing programs of Rotary service, with more
than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geo-
graphical areas, Interact has become a world-
wide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young peo-
ple are involved in Interact.
 Kathleen Hein
What does Rotary Do? Kathleen Hein is a native Topekan. She graduated from
Washburn Rural High School and attended the University
The next time you are asked what of Kansas, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi.
our club does, remember all the
She was introduced to Rotary at an early age. Her
wonderful projects we have
grandfather, Dr. Harry Lacy, was a Member of the Iola,
helped make a reality. Here are
KS Rotary Club for over 60 yrs. He served as its President
several of those projects:
in 1944.
Kathleen has been is sales for most of her professional
Christmas in April career, and is an Executive Recruiter with Premier Execu-
tive Recruiting. She gets great satisfaction from assisting
Help with TARC Winter Wonderland
candidates advance their careers and helping to solve
Dictionaries in School critical needs for her clients.
Dental Screenings She has been married to Larry Hein for 29 years. They
Scholarships for Washburn Students have three children; Matt, Reed and Lacy. Kathleen is a
high school and college sports enthusiast who enjoys
Florence Crittenden Services
football, golf, and basketball. She is a member of Soci-
RYLA ety of Human Resource Managers, Topeka West Booster
Club, and enjoys delivering Meals- On -Wheels. She was
Vocational Day for Junior High
reportedly also a cheerleader for the University of Kan-
Sponsor Ambassadorial Scholars sas .
Christmas Bureau Welcome Kathleen!
Sponsor East Avondale Activities
Polio Reconstructive Surgery—
India
Cataract Surgery—Pakistan
Ambulance Project—Bangladesh
Medical Team—Panama
Shelter Box
Books for Peace Corp Volunteers
And Much, Much More

Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

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Welcome New Members
Steve Newell
Steve Newell, is a lifetime Topeka resident, graduated from Seaman High School in 1987 and joined
Central National Bank in 1992 as a drive0-through teller and proof operator. Steve has held sev-
eral positions with the bank until he was named Market President in 2006.
Steve's most important title is "dad". Steve is married to Heather Newell, co-owner of Trinity Marketing
Group and proud parents of sixteen month old, Alexander Newell.

Steve also has a soft spot in his heart for dogs, so in 2006 he joined the Board of the Helping Hands
Humane Society to help them with their capital campaign. Steve is also a member of the Associate
Member Council for the Topeka Home Builders, past Vice-President of Alpha Delta Alumni Associa-
tion, and long standing Chamber of Commerce Member: Steve is excited to add Rotary to his list of
Civic Organizations. Welcome Steve!

Jamie Dultmeier
Jamie graduated from the University of Kansas with
a Bachelor’s in Social Work.
She worked as a travel agent while attending col-
lege. Found her love of travel! (Europe, Antigua,
Curacao, Jamaica, Mexico, Key West and Ve-
gas). After graduation ―real world,‖ she started
out at Clare Bridge, a Memory Care Community for
seniors in Topeka and Emporia. She was responsi-
ble for the overall sales and marketing for both re-
gions. Next opportunity was the Apartment Direc-
tor for the Independent and Assisted Living at
McCrite Plaza Retirement Community. Pat McCrite
created a Sales and Marketing position at
McCrite’s. (They had never had this position be-
fore.) Since January 2008 she has been develop-
ing and creating the Sales and Marketing position and also creating a sales culture within McCrite’s.
True nitch -- the senior population and sales!
Jamie is on the Board and VP of special events of the Sales and Marketing Executives of Topeka, she
is the 2008 Media Chair for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, and Member of Topeka Area
Continuity of Care (TACC).
Some of Jamie’s interests are reading (almost any type of book) usually the ones my grandma gives
to her, travel (Viva Las Vegas), and spending time with family and friends.

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 Celebrate World Interact Week
By Ryan Hyland

Rotary International News

During World Interact Week, 3-9 Novem-

ber, Interactors and Rotarians worldwide
commemorate the charter of the first Inter-
act club in 1962. By completing four desig-
nated projects, Interact clubs and their Ro-
tary club sponsors can receive special rec-
ognition from Rotary International.
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club
program for young people ages 14 to 18.
The program gives teens an opportunity to
participate in meaningful service projects
while developing leadership skills.
"Rotary's commitment to youth will not be
complete if we do not also nurture healthy
social values such as civic consciousness,
caring for others, and concern for the envi-
ronment at an early age, which is possible
through support for the formation of more Interactors from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, build bio-sand water
filters for a village in Cambodia. Photo courtesy of District 5440
Interact clubs," says Mark K.Y. Wong, chair
of RI's Interact Committee. "This way, we
will have a ready pool of future Rotaractors, and Rotarians too."
Here are just a few projects highlighting Interactors' commitment to service:
Six Interactors from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, spent their spring break in Cambodia building
bio-sand water filters for two underdeveloped villages. Interactors also taught English and cre-
ated art projects with schoolchildren.
Members from the first Interact club of Croatia organized a letter campaign encouraging other
Rotary clubs to incorporate Interact. In one of their first community projects, the Interactors
raised money and collected toys for a charity that supports 85 disabled children.
All 55 members of the Interact Club of T.V. Nagar, India, helped to create a hygienic environ-
ment by cleaning the Pillayar Temple. Interactors spent a day cleaning the roof and floor, as
well as painting and whitewashing the walls.

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Annual Holiday Party
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Join us for the annual Rotary holiday party. This year, the event will begin at 10:30
a.m. with a photographer available to take photos for $15 a sitting.

This year, we will offer a new gourmet

menu for the adults which will begin
at 11:30 along with the standard fare
for the children. A plated/served
lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m.. The
cost is $11 for adult guests, $5 for chil-
dren and free for children 3 and un-
der.

 Santa hats, cookies and candy

will be provided for the children

 Combo background music by the

Heart Strings
Rotarian William Beteta as a willing participant in last year’s Holiday
 Featuring: "Bags of Reindeer Party activities.
Food" for each child and stories
for the children presented by Kitty Fapp of the Topeka Library

 Songs with Topeka's popular Kyler Carpenter of the Library on his guitar

 Holiday group singing with Hurst at the piano

Sign-up sheets will be on the tables on and after November 20. We hope that all of
you can attend so that this party will continue to be a success.

Bring your families if possible, but otherwise please come anyway as for your usual
Thursday luncheon.

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 David Beck (center), his wife Lynette were presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Topeka Rotary Club. Club
President Kirk Johnson presented the award at the October 23, 2008 Topeka Rotary Club meeting.

Meeting Makeups
Topeka West—Wednesday, 7
AM Marriott Courtyard, 2033
SW Wannamaker
Topeka South—Friday, 7 AM—
Kansas Room, Washburn Uni-
versity Memorial Union
Topeka North—Wednesday,
noon—Topeka North YMCA
Board Room. 1936 NW Tyler.

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