Meetings 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 6 pm Central US time
Our meeting will open at 5:30pm for social time! Join early to chat!
Zoom link -- Click here to join
Meeting ID: 895 0708 6880
Passcode: 355822
Meetings 3rd Thursdays*, 9:30 am Central US time
Our meeting will open at 9 am for social time! Join early to chat!
Zoom link -- Click here to join
Meeting ID: 890 6120 5205
Passcode: 710380
* Occasionally 4th Thursday to avoid 2 meetings in the same week.
Upcoming Meetings and Speakers
Tim Mulcrone, Polio Update -- September 8, 2026
Here the latest news about the final journey to end polio and Rotary’s role from our District chair Tim Mulcrone.
Colleen Malany, Watts of Love -- September 17, 2026 (9:30 am central)
Learn about this organization that provides solar lights to people living in poverty around the world.
Club Assembly, Committees -- September 22, 2026
In this interactive club assembly, committee chairs will present their plans for this Rotary year. Then our members will have the opportunity to participation in a committee breakout room.
Past Speakers
Summer Social and Habitat Build Report -- August 25, 2026
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers members shared reports of our recent social and how our habitat build went.
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers also receive a 2025-26 Club Excellence Award.
This is proof that “We are proud to be Rotarians.”
District Governor Leif Hagen --- August 11, 2026
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers members enjoyed a visit with our 2026-27 District Governor, Leif Hagen. He shared his goals as our District leader and expressed interest in how fast our club is growing. DG Leif has a very interesting background, and he brings to his District Governor position a lot of leadership experience and a wealth of knowledge. We look forward to working with him this next year.
A Trip Summit for our Global Travelers -- July 28, 2026
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers members shared the “Traveler” aspect of why our club exists.
Using three Zoom rooms, Members had the opportunity to learn: 1) how the planning committee evaluates and prepares for trips; 2) the impact of trips on our member travelers (especially the Service Projects); and 3) the process for planning and leading a trip.
President Jelan Welcomes MANY new members -- July 14 2926
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers is growing with the club welcoming ten new members – 4 full members and 6 associate members.
Valdi Stefanson highlighted the trip our club members took to Tanzania in April. President Jelan presented general club information and club status, including the recent club survey by the members. She also took the opportunity to introduce herself in the Meet the Member segment of the meeting.
President Jelan Welcomes MANY new members -- July 14 2926
The Rotary Club of Global Travelers is growing with the club welcoming ten new members – 4 full members and 6 associate members.
Valdi Stefanson highlighted the trip our club members took to Tanzania in April. President Jelan presented general club information and club status, including the recent club survey by the members. She also took the opportunity to introduce herself in the Meet the Member segment of the meeting.
Taipei RI Convention report, year-end wrap-up -- June 23, 2026
We heard about our members adventures at the RI Convention on Taipei. We also heard the good news of our new Global grant to help fund a bakery in Ethiopia and a wrap-up of our water treatment Global grant in Colombia.
Alaska cruise / social / service / Denali trip report -- June 9, 2026
Members shared the amazing adventures, food, fellowship, and fun in Alaska in May. About 50 Rotarians experienced some or all of this three-part adventure. Our meet-the-member was Galen Engel. And Melanie DeLuca presented a final report on our Colombia global grant for water filters.
Jennifer Montgomery, Magenta Girls Dignity Kits -- May 26, 2026
Jennifer Montgomery, a Rotary Peace Fellow shared her work in Uganda and other parts of Africa. She talked about the Magenta Girls Dignity Kits project. Our club is a partner on this grant.
Our meet-the-member was Karen Marx.
Sichiv SEK, Sustainable Cambodia: May 12, 2026
We learned about the long-term, highly successful Rotary program called Sustainable Cambodia. Members of our club will travel to Cambodia to participate in February 2027. Our meet-the-member was Lisa Engel.
Vitor Joventino: Rotary Youth Programs -- April 28, 2026
We heard an excellent and enthusiastic presentation about the key Rotary youth programs from Vitor Joventino from Brazil. We also learned about our new virtual service project. Our Meet the Member was Eric Marcus.
5th Anniversary Celebration -- April 14, 2026
Wow! We had an outstanding meeting to celebrate our club’s 5th anniversary. We watched an excellent video, heard from special guests, played trivia, and participated in short discussion rooms. If you missed it, you can watch it here. (Or watch it again just for the fun of it.)
Robbin Cole, Mental Health Rotary Action Group -- March 24, 2026
We learned about the work of the Mental Health Rotary Action Group in Kansas. We also got an overview of two different Japan trips planned for 2027.
Follow-up from Robbin:
To see a list of Mental Health First Aid Courses, you can go to:www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
- Click on “for Individuals”
- Click on “Find Mental Health First Aide Courses or Instructors”
- Click on “Start date, course type, find location and Distance from me.”
STEM grant update & Himalaya trip: March 10, 2026
We heard an overview of the Himalayan Kingdoms trip planned for September 2027. Sandhya Gupta provided an update on the STEM Education for Women grant in India. Our club is a partner on this grant. We also heard results from our Volunteer Somewhere New virtual challenge.
Florida Social, Service, and Cruise -- February 24, 2026
We heard about the wonderful service and fellowship many of our members enjoyed in Florida. Robyn Ragsdale and Colin Beach planned lots of activities in the Tampa area and hosted Rotary trivia and Super Bowl viewing. Mark and Corrine Lewis shared stories of the Caribbean cruise that some members enjoyed after the social.
Our Meet the Member was Kimberly Krohn. Our featured trip was the Amazon in March 2027.
Annette Hollingsworth: Ms n Mission Community -- February 10, 2026
Annette Hollingsworth presented “Ms. n Mission Community Volunteering; one woman’s solution to boredom” about the many volunteer opportunities she and her fellow members found in their community.
We also kicked off our 5th Anniversary celebration and heard about the upcoming trip to Cambodia.
Eric Erazo: Keeping Kids Off the Streets -- January 27, 2026
Eric Erazo shared the Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club he founded for the Olathe Public Schools in Kansas. This program is designed for relationship building and developing leadership skills through mentorship.
Patti Melarde: Integration to Change -- January 13, 2025
Patti Melanie shared the Rotary Community Action Against Human Trafficking program for women leaving incarceration. This program helps women who have been exploited and who are in need of assistance when they are released from jail..
Aur Beck shared photos of Malaysia and other information on the Malaysia Aur Island Tour scheduled for October 6 – 22, 2026.
Hawaii Social & Service report -- December 23, 2025
We shared some holiday fun, including winter hats and scarves, and heard about the social activities, service project, and cruise in Hawaii that took place early in December.
Lenet Compton: Ecuador Trip Report -- December 9, 2025
President Lenet Compton led a trip to Ecuador in October. She provided an overview of the trip, plus the “pre-trip” to Peru. Dr. Carol Nelson of the Rotary Club of White Bear Lake, MN gave us an update on the fight to combat malaria worldwide and Rotary’s role.
Sylvia Johnson: The Rotary Foundation -- November 25, 2025
As part of Rotary Foundation month, member Sylvia Johnson reviewed the Foundation, its valuable work through the years, and the importance of our contributions.
Ken Hiller, who normally organizes our Meet the Member segment, shared his own story at this meeting.
Mildred's Escape -- Susan Nickerson and her mom Mildred -- November 11, 2025
This special meeting included the harrowing World War II survivor story of Mildred Schindler Janzen (mother of member Susan Nickerson). Holocaust educators have said this is the only survivor that was known to encounter three forces in World War II: the German Nazis, the Russian Red Army, and Polish soldiers. You can view the entire meeting here or you can watch just the 20-minute documentary with Mildred’s story here.
Our Meet the Members was Warren Banks.
Galapagos Reforestation Project, Maria Paula Erazo -- October 28, 2025
While 23 Global Travelers and their family and friends visited Ecuador and the Galapagos, we heard about reforestation and responsible tourism from Maria Paula Erazo.
Member Susan Nickerson reminded us of the importance of supporting Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio.
Our Meet the Member was Catherine Stine.
Global Travelers Committee Goals & Plans - October 14, 2025
The Global Travelers Committee Goals and Plans was the meeting subject. Committee leaders shared their goals and plans for this Rotary year, and Ed Basl, a Rotarian from Reno, talked about how to maximum travel credit card points.
Friendship Exchanges by Lynette Stassen -- September 23, 2025
Presentation on Friendship Exchanges by Lynette Stassen. Lynette is from South Africa and talked a about the benefits of joining a Rotary Friendship Exchange.
RI Learning Center, Mary Rose Trigulo -- September 9, 2025
Mary Rose Trigulo took us on a tour of the powerful online Rotary Learning Center. Our Meet-the-Member was Acey Hannam. We heard about updates to the plan for the Alaska social and service event and about a new trip to Malaysia.
A couple helpful learning center links from our speaker Mary Rose Tigulo:
- Open a My Rotary account if you don’t already have one: https://my-cms.rotary.org/en/
document/how-create-my-rotary- account (Important: You need to use their Rotary member email to get the access to the courses for Members) - Instructions for setting up the RotaryLearn app on Android and iPhone https://my.rotary.org/en/
document/how-to-use-learning- center-on-mobile
Shelter Box, Renee Brouse -- August 26, 2025
Our speaker was Renee Brouse, who described the wonderful work done by Rotary’s strategic partner, Shelter Box. Our Meet-the-Member was Helmut Schildnecht. We learned about the details behind the Four Way Test and got an update on our new Club Interest Groups.
5950 District Governor Mark Shockey -- August 12, 2025
Our special guest for this meeting was our new 5950 District Governor Mark Shockey. He shared some travel experiences, his Rotary passion, and his vision for the year. We also heard about new programs for our club — Club Interest Groups and Traveler Connections — and a Rotary minute about the good our club does in the world.
Our club's goals for this Rotary year, Lenet Compton -- July 22, 2025
Our new club president, Lenet Compton, reviewed our club’s goals and strategies for this Rotary year. Our Meet-the-Member was Lou Prusa. We heard about two grants where we are a collaborating club:
- A water project in Uganda led by the White Bear Lake, MN club. Associate member Patty Hall presented this grant.
- A school project in Tanzania led by the Edina Morningside club. Norm Siekman presented this grant.
Meet our new President, review two grants -- July 8, 2025
Our new club president Lenet Compton shared her Rotary story and passion (End Polio Now). Melanie DeLuca reviewed the proposed international grant for prosthetic limbs in Bangladesh. Jelan Heidelberg reviewed the Ethiopia Community Bakery global grant proposal. She also provided an overview of how grant funding works.
Our meet the member was Trish Cook.
RI Convention "Live" -- June 24, 2025
President Melanie DeLuca reported on our first several days at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary. Approximately 40 Global Travelers attended the event. Our Meet the Member was Debbie Kornhauser.
View a short video of the sights and sounds of the RI Convention here.
View Melanie’s slides here to take a closer look at all the photos.
Rick Olson, Eastern Europe Trips -- June 10, 2025
Rick Olson shared the experience of the two different groups of Global Travelers who visited Eastern Europe. Our Meet the Member was Laura Uherka. Jelan Heidelberg requested assistance from members in identifying potential partner clubs for our Ethiopia global grant (in progress).
Nijad Atassi, Kingdom of Bahrain -- May 27, 2025
New member Nijad Atassi spoke to us at 2 am from his home in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We learned about his country and about the history of Rotary in the region. We had a few technical difficulties, but Nijad was able to rejoin us and finish his interrupted presentation. View the recording here.
Engaging the Next Generation of Rotarians, Silvia Johnson -- May 13, 2025
Member Silvia Johnson previewed her presentation for the RI Convention, Engaging the Next Generation of Rotarians. Meet the Member was Dan Robrish. President-Elect Lenet Compton reviewed the leadership team for our next Rotary year.
Amazon Trip Report -- April 22, 2025
We viewed the delightful video of our Amazon trip created by member Ken Hiller. The Meet-the-Member was Deborah Francis. Barb H introduced our Earth Day Challenge. View the video here.
India STEM Education Grant Report -- April 8, 2025
Sandhiya Gupta joined us from the middle of the night (her time in India), along with member Gunjan Sharma, to present the results of the international grant our club led. We partnered with several other clubs to educate and empower women STEM teachers in central India.
Our Meet-the-Member was Kelly McKeever. We also heard a presentation on using some of the useful features of the Ignite smartphone app.
Heart to Heart Non-Profit -- March 25, 2025
This meeting featured a presentation by Heart to Heart, a non-profit that strives to provide equitable access to healthcare around the world, particularly during times of crisis. Many of our members will do a service project with them in Kansas City on April 4.
Our Meet the Member was Emily Leitzinger, who introduced herself with a creative poem.
Colombia Water Grant Update: March 11, 2025
Melanie DeLuca presented an update on our Global Grant in Colombia. Judy Huff presented the results of our February Socks & Skivvies Challenge. The Meet the Member was Jack Comstock. Watch the video here.
Ethiopia & Kenya Trip Review: February 25, 2025
Member Jelan Heidelberg reviewed the group’s recent trip to Ethiopia and Kenya and described four grant opportunities for members to consider.
Future Trips Review -- February 11, 2025
Mike DeLuca and our various trip organizers provided an overview of the many upcoming trips that our club is planning. David Detwiler was our Meet-the-Member.
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Jan Remme -- January 28, 2025
Jan Remme described her experience in Uganda seeing the gorillas. She was also the featured “meet the member.”
Meg Lowe: Bolivia Well Project -- January 14, 2025
Meg Lowe from the Excelsior Morning Club presented the Bolivia Well Project. Our club is a partner on this grant.
Segundo Velasquez talked about Mano a Mano and the upcoming Rotary trip to Bolivia.
Meet the Member was Jocelyn Bonner.
Danube Cruise fundraising trip highlights -- December 10, 2024
Oops! We forgot to hit record during this meeting, but our club president Melanie DeLuca recorded a summary of the meeting. In addition to hearing about the Danube cruise and meeting member Ingrid Bolding, we spent a few minutes in breakout sessions getting to know our fellow members.
View Melanie’s recording here.
Lisa Bellamy, The Rotary Foundation -- November 26, 2024
Our member Lisa Bellamy is also a member of the audit committee for The Rotary Foundation. She updated us on our well-respected, highly effective foundation and the importance of all Rotarians as supporters. We met new member Tim Connelly.
Olympics, a Rotarian perspective, Brenda McGuire -- November 12, 2024
Member Brenda McGuire described her experiences attending multiple Olympics around the world. Lenet Compton presented the new Ecuador trip planned for fall 2025. We met member Jack Comstock.
Permaculture Work in Cuba and Kenya, Phyllis Webster -- October 22, 2024
Member Phyllis Webster discussed her passion for permaculture. We met member Sylvia Johnson, got a polio update, and earned about two upcoming in-person socials. View the recording here.
DACdb Overview and Training --October 8, 2024
Elizabeth Kirby from DACdb provided an overview and demonstration of our club’s new softtware. Barb Hanson presented our fall service initiative “Let’s Talk Trash.” Maryjane Westra was our featured “meet the member.”
Note: Unfortunately, we had to edit out most of the DACdb demonstration because it contained identifying information (phone number, address, etc.) about members. YouTube doesn’t allow that, for good reason.
Jan Ellis, Resettling a Venezuelan Family in Washington -- September 24, 2024
Member Jan Ellis shared the amazing story of “adopting” a Venezuelan family at the border and helping them settle in Washington state. View the video here.
Elana Levens-Craig, Guatemala Literacy Project -- September 10, 2024
Member Elana Levens-Craig was joined by members Amy Nicholson and David Abramsky to talk about their experiences participating in the literacy global grant in Guatemala. View the video here.
Gunjan Sharma & Sandhya Gupta,Empowering STEM Teachers in India Grant -- August 27, 2024
Gunjan Sharma and Sandhya Gupta presented the grant that our club is sponsoring to educate and motivate STEM teachers in the remote Chhattisgarh region of India. We also met new member Dan Keyport. View the meeting video here.
District Governor Sharon Bloodworth -- August 13, 2024
Our new 5950 District Governor Sharon Bloodworth brimmed with enthusiasm as she presented her vision for this fiscal year. She complimented our club on our st3llar growth, fueled by our unique approach. Watch the recording here.
Adam Hayes and Elana Levens-Craig, India Check Dam Project -- July 23, 2024
Members Adam Hayes (Alaska) and Elana Levens-Craig (California) presented their experiences participating in the global grant project to build check dams in India. They both plan to participate again in November.
RI Convention Singapore report, Vision for next year, upcoming trips review -- July 9, 2024
An information-filled meeting focused on future events:
- A report on the RI Convention in Singapore in May with an eye on the Calgary convention in June 2025.
- Presentation of new trip to Eastern Europe with 2 departures in 2025
- General report on future trips (6 of them!)
- New Club President Melanie DeLuca’s discussion of our club vision for this year.
View the video of the meeting here.
Don Stiles, Bloomington Rotary, Uganda Birth With Dignity project -- June 11, 2024
Don Stiles, Sue Steen, and Lynn Zdechlick from Bloomington Rotary presented the Uganda Birth with Dignity Project. Global Travelers is a collaborating club on this grant. You can watch the video of this meeting here.
Egypt Trip Report and GT Year in review -- June 25, 2024
The meeting began with a video created by Paula Schwartz highlighting our club’s first 3 years. President Al Kowalcyck and committee chairs summarized our club’s activities during the past year. Nancy Davis, leader of the Egypt liver cancer grant reported on the recent trip to Egypt.
Maryjane Westra, Volunteering in Zimbabwe: April 9, 2024
Maryjane described some of the volunteer work she has done in rural Zimbabwe and the opportunity for a potential service trip in early 2025. View the recording here.
Tim Mulcrone, Polio Update -- May 28, 2024
Tim Mulcrone is District 5950 Polio Chair. View his presentation here.
Aur Beck, Million Solar Panel Initiative -- May 14, 2024
We voted to collaborate on a grant in Uganda, learned about a new trip to the Amazon, and heard a presentation by member Aur Beck on the Rotary Millions Solar Panel initiative. View the recording here.
Colombia Travelers in Conversation, March 26, 2024
Melanie DeLuca, leader of the Global Grant for the Colombia water project and organizer of the Colombia trip, presented an overview of this adventure. Watch the recording here.
Bill Stumbaugh: Ecuador-Tabuchila Potable Water System, March 12, 2024
Bill discussed the many water projects various Rotary clubs have done in Ecuador.
Unfortunately, the meeting was not recorded.
District Governor Jewelie Grape, February 27, 2024
District Governor JewelieGrape provided a wealth of information about the goals and priorities of Rotary International and of our District 5950, as well as many opportunities for education.
Dr. Kristina Burrack: Malaria, February 13, 2024
Dr. Kristina Burrack from the Hennepin HealthCare Research Institute in Minnesota discussed the latest work on Malaria Immunology, plus a bonus discussion of women in science. Note: if you’d like to support Dr. Burrack’s work on encouraging women in science, you’ll find a QR code about 19 minutes into the recording.
Click the image to view the video.
Passcode = 9@f..DuS
Barb H: Literacy Challenge and Melanie D: Club Resolutions, January 9, 2024
Click the image to watch the video replay of the meeting.
Rebecca Rothney: Pack for a Purpose, December 23, 2023
Rebecca Rothney, founder of the Pack for a Purpose non-profit, described their work and options for taking much-needed supplies when we travel. View the recording here.
Marie Press, Traveling & Volunteering in Nepal: November 28, 2023
Marie Press, a Canadian Rotarian, described a recent service and grant trip to Nepal. View the recording here.
Amy Nicholson: Kenya November 14, 2023
Angelina Amerigo: One Bottle, One Bag, One Straw at a Time, October 24, 2023
Angelina Amerigo: One Bottle, One Bag, One Straw At A Time. Watch the video.
Tiffany Turner, Soles4Soles: October 10, 2023
Jon Greene/Greg Carlson, Toastmasters Alliance: September 26 2023
Bhanu & Elana Levens-Craig: September 12, 2023
Larry Schmidt & David Ambramsky: Venezuela Layettes August 22, 2023
Larry Schmidt presented the Venezuela Newborn Layette Project. View the recording here.
Guatemala Empowering Girls Project August 8, 2023
Meg Lowe of the Lake Minnetonka Excelsior Rotary Club will present her work with Guatemala Empowering Girls Project.
District 5950 Mega Zoom July 25, 2023
All the E-Clubs in District 5950 joined a Mega Zoom meeting. We were joined by District Governor Jewelie Grape and our own Mike DeLuca. Our “meet the member” featured Dana Moog.
This meeting was not recorded.
Meggie Dumas: Rotary Peace/Conflict July 11, 2023
Meggie Dumas discusses her experience as a Rotary Peace Fellow. Watch the recording here.
Year End Installation at Summer Social (hybrid meeting): June 24, 2023
We celebrated our 2nd anniversary as a Club, thanked outgoing Club President Mike DeLuca, and welcomed new Club President Al Kowalchyk.
Hope and Hate Holocaust Remberance: June 13, 2023
Rotarian Irene Perbal
Kenya Sanitation & Hygiene: May 23, 2023
Updates on Kenya projects
Kenya Sanitation & Hygiene Report- Nancy Laible
Update on Small International Grant in Kenya- Nancy Laible
Days for Girls service project – Phyllis Webster
Library Space and Book Drive- Steve Laible