Join us on Friday, June 13, as we recognize and thank the outgoing club leadership, recognize this year's Tim Creedon and Dave Wastchak award winners, welcome our incoming leadership, and induct our 2025/2026 President, Kathy Mitchell. The meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites - Biltmore. Our planning committee has a fun lunch planned, so we invite you to sit back and enjoy the lunch as we celebrate the end of a great year and the beginning of what we hope to be another great Rotary year that builds upon years past!

The meeting registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Register by clicking the "Register NOW" button or clicking here. Please register by 5pm on Monday, June 9. If you miss the deadline and plan to attend, please email rotary@rotary100.org (please note, there is a $5 late fee). Any cancelations after this time are non-refundable. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Celebrating Youth Exchange & the John O’Connor Endowment

Join us for a meaningful and inspiring Phoenix Rotary 100 Club meeting as we shine a spotlight on one of Rotary’s most impactful initiatives — the Rotary Youth Exchange program. We are honored to welcome Donna Goetzenberger, Rotary District Chair for Youth Exchange, who will lead an engaging presentation on how this global program is changing lives — right here in Arizona and around the world.

Donna will provide insights into how our District and Clubs are actively participating in this life-changing opportunity for high school students, fostering cultural understanding, leadership development, and global citizenship. As a special highlight, we’ll hear firsthand from a recent Youth Exchange student, who will share their personal journey, challenges, and unforgettable experiences abroad.

This event also marks a significant milestone for our Club: the evolution of the John O’Connor Endowment & Rotary Youth Exchange Partnership. Thanks to the heartfelt generosity of friends and supporters of our late Past President John O’Connor, the endowment will now provide sustainable funding for our Club’s Youth Exchange program — ensuring John’s legacy of service and commitment to youth lives on.

We are also privileged to welcome Scott O’Connor, John’s son, who will share reflections on his father’s enduring passion for Rotary and the transformative power of student exchange.

Don’t miss this powerful gathering as we celebrate youth, global connections, and a remarkable Rotarian who continues to make a difference.

The meeting registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Register by clicking the "Register NOW" button or clicking here. Please register by 5pm on Monday, June 23rd. If you miss the deadline and plan to attend, please email rotary@rotary100.org (please note, there is a $5 late fee). Any cancelations after this time are non-refundable. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Join us on Friday, June 13, as we recognize and thank the outgoing club leadership, recognize this year's Tim Creedon and Dave Wastchak award winners, welcome our incoming leadership, and induct our 2025/2026 President, Kathy Mitchell. The meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites - Biltmore. Our planning committee has a fun lunch planned, so we invite you to sit back and enjoy the lunch as we celebrate the end of a great year and the beginning of what we hope to be another great Rotary year that builds upon years past!

The meeting registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Register by clicking the "Register NOW" button or clicking here. Please register by 5pm on Monday, June 9. If you miss the deadline and plan to attend, please email rotary@rotary100.org (please note, there is a $5 late fee). Any cancelations after this time are non-refundable. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Celebrating Youth Exchange & the John O’Connor Endowment

Join us for a meaningful and inspiring Phoenix Rotary 100 Club meeting as we shine a spotlight on one of Rotary’s most impactful initiatives — the Rotary Youth Exchange program. We are honored to welcome Donna Goetzenberger, Rotary District Chair for Youth Exchange, who will lead an engaging presentation on how this global program is changing lives — right here in Arizona and around the world.

Donna will provide insights into how our District and Clubs are actively participating in this life-changing opportunity for high school students, fostering cultural understanding, leadership development, and global citizenship. As a special highlight, we’ll hear firsthand from a recent Youth Exchange student, who will share their personal journey, challenges, and unforgettable experiences abroad.

This event also marks a significant milestone for our Club: the evolution of the John O’Connor Endowment & Rotary Youth Exchange Partnership. Thanks to the heartfelt generosity of friends and supporters of our late Past President John O’Connor, the endowment will now provide sustainable funding for our Club’s Youth Exchange program — ensuring John’s legacy of service and commitment to youth lives on.

We are also privileged to welcome Scott O’Connor, John’s son, who will share reflections on his father’s enduring passion for Rotary and the transformative power of student exchange.

Don’t miss this powerful gathering as we celebrate youth, global connections, and a remarkable Rotarian who continues to make a difference.

The meeting registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Register by clicking the "Register NOW" button or clicking here. Please register by 5pm on Monday, June 23rd. If you miss the deadline and plan to attend, please email rotary@rotary100.org (please note, there is a $5 late fee). Any cancelations after this time are non-refundable. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

President Dan Capote kicked off our 23rd meeting of the 111th year with a warm welcome, noting we’re in the home stretch of his presidential term with just a few meetings left! Past president and district governor Craig Wilson led us in our daily inspiration and the Pledge of Allegiance. Secretary Elisabeth reminded the club that our next meeting won't be until June 13 at the Embassy Suites, and nominations are open through May 19 for the Dave Wastchak Spirit of Rotary Award and the Tim Creedon Quiet Confidence Award. She also floated the idea of a Rotary district tailgate party for an Arizona Cardinals game, contingent on gathering at least 250 Rotarians district-wide; so, if tailgating sounds like your kind of service, sign up! ($110 per person.)

The positive energy continued as we welcomed Paul Pomerantz, a recently retired new member, who was officially pinned and coined! We also had a banner exchange with visiting Rotarian Jason Ebe, now with the Rotary Club of Honolulu—the “OG club of Hawaii.” Jason had the crowd laughing as he shared his tropical transition, including the valuable lesson that “Appropriate business attire in Hawaii does NOT include Tommy Bahama, only Reyn Spooner shirts!”
A heartfelt moment followed with Lisa Henning’s recognition as a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation, presented by Craig. Lisa spoke passionately about the Foundation’s global impact through its core focus areas: peace, education, water and sanitation, and community building.
Brooks Hilliard gave an update on the program committee, inviting any interested members to connect with him or co-chair Evalyne Cambron. Then it was time for fun and fines: Lionel (Chip!) McCray ran the 50/50 raffle, with winner Ron Broida generously donating his winnings back to the club. Clay Janson, our acting Sergeant at Arms, issued a flurry of birthday fines, where member Nicole Stohler confessed her “love for Trader Joe’s chocolate,” and Jake Adams (only HALF jokingly) admitted he “would rather be fishing.” We finished off with some Happy Hamilton announcements from club members.
Our featured speaker, Dr. Sriharsha Vajjala, MD, of the Arizona Insomnia and Sleep Institute, gave a compelling presentation on the science of sleep. He covered sleep cycles, the pitfalls of poor sleep hygiene, and the critical importance of a consistent sleep schedule. To the disappointment of some members, napping was strongly discouraged(!), as it can interfere with healthy circadian rhythms. Pre-sleep rituals like reading or warm showers were recommended, and while melatonin might help short-term, it “loses efficacy quickly and should be used cautiously.” Dr. Vajjala emphasized that your bed should only be used for sleep, not other activities, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is more effective than medication for chronic insomnia. The audience was engaged with several thoughtful (and a few entertaining) questions before President Dan officially closed the meeting. See you all in a few weeks on June 13 at the Embassy Suites!