Leadership isn’t always about being the person in charge. It’s about having the courage to step forward, the humility to listen, and the willingness to help others succeed.
Hearing from our RYLA students at this week's meeting was a wonderful reminder of the impact Rotary can have beyond the projects we complete and the dollars we give. By sending these young people to RYLA, we gave them an opportunity to discover their own strengths, build confidence, learn how to work with others, and begin to see themselves as leaders.
What is especially exciting is hearing how they plan to take those lessons back into their schools, activities, friendships, and communities. That’s where the real impact begins.
As Rotarians, we have an incredible opportunity not only to lead, but to create leaders. When we invest in young people, we may never fully know how far that investment will reach—but today’s RYLA students gave us a pretty great glimpse.
Food for thought:A leader’s greatest legacy may not be what they accomplish themselves, but the leaders they inspire along the way.
Weekly Meeting Recap - September 8, 2026
Good News: $277 collected for our scholarship fund - Thank you, Bill Leeson, for leading Good News and all Rotarians for contributing!
Attendance: 34 Rotarians, 18 Guests
Ski Town Morning Club Rotarians in attendance: Soniya Fidler, Matt Rochon, Jared Turpen, Kelly Landers
Greeters: Steve Dugan and Jeff Wingate
Lunch Provided By: Blue Sage Pizza
Announcements:
Free Summer Concert Series Volunteering – A big shout-out to Andrew Czysz and Chuck Cerasoli for gathering Rotarians to help collect money at the gates of the free summer concert this past Sunday to help keep the series FREE. Thank you to the following Rotarians for giving their time: Teresa Weinman, Bill Steeleman, Karen Wray, Michelle Ganci, Angie Gamble, Tara Weaver, Andrew Czysz, Kate Wennogle, and Chuck Cerasoli.
Opportunities for Service: ProDo Drive for LiftUp this Saturday, September 12th, in conjunction with the Interact Club– see more information below.
Rotary Park Cleaners: Debbie Aragon and Shawn McPhee.
Rotary September Social: Join Rotarians for OctoberWest this Saturday, September 12th. See details below.
Flower Barrel Pick Up: It's time to prep for winter and pull our Rotary Flower Barrels and store them for the winter. In lieu of Rotary next week, we'll be picking up flower barrels and will end the evening with a meal together (and likely some libations) at the Rodeo Grounds. We need all the hands we can get – and there is a job for everyone! If you will be coming, please sign up so we know how many trucks, trailers, and people we will have. Guests and family are welcome! FLOWER BARREL PICKUP
Program: We had a wonderful presentation from our RYLA and Young RYLA students who went to camp this past summer. We got to learn about their favorite parts, what they learned about leadership and how they will apply what they learned. It was wonderful having so many of the students there and their parents.
Next Meeting: No REGULAR meeting next week. We'll be picking up Rotary Flower Barrels beginning at 4pm (or whenever you can get there). This is a great “meeting” to attend to as its packed with some great fellowship and is very rewarding.
September Rotary Social:
Join us for the Rotary September Social!
Let’s Celebrate at OktoberWest! 🥨🍺
Fellow Rotarians,
For our September Rotary Social, we are heading up to the mountain to celebrate fall with the Steamboat Springs Chamber at Steamboat OktoberWest®!
Join us for an afternoon of craft brews, great food, lawn games, and fellowship while taking in the autumn views at Steamboat Resort.
Event & Meetup Details
Event: Steamboat OktoberWest® – Beer Garden & Festival
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Location: Steamboat Resort / Mountain Village
Main Festival Hours: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (VIP entry begins at 1:00 PM with the Beef Cook-Off)
Rotary Gathering Spot: We will establish a designated Rotary meeting area in the Beer Garden so everyone can easily connect.
Rotary Member Discount: 15% Off
Thanks to our Chamber partnership, Rotarians and guests receive 15% off all ticket types by using our exclusive promo code at checkout:
General Beer Garden Ticket ($55 regular): Entry from 2–6 PM, complimentary 4-oz tastings, and a 5-oz commemorative tasting glass.
VIP Experience ($75 regular): Early access at 1:00 PM, entry and tasting/judging for the Beef Cook-Off, and a 17-oz ceramic stein.
4-Person Games Package ($250 regular): Includes VIP access for all four players plus entry into the official OktoberWest team challenges and stein-holding competition! (Let’s see if Rotary can take home the trophy!)
Note: General entry to the Beer Garden area is free for non-drinkers and designated drivers.
RSVP & Sign-Up
Please reply directly to this email to let us know:
If you plan to attend (so we have an accurate headcount for the group).
If you'd like to join a Rotary 4-Person Games Team!
Grab your tickets using code PROST15, throw on your favorite Western Oktoberfest gear, and let’s enjoy a great afternoon together.
Prost!
Andrew Czysz
Upcoming Opportunities for Service:
LIFTUP PRODUCE DRIVE
When: Saturday, September 12th
Where: City Market
Additional Details:
We only need one more volunteer for the 11am-1pm shift.
I love when I see our Rotarians getting recognized for the good they do. I recently saw this post from Partners for Youth about our very own Joe Tecce.
If you're interested in becoming a mentor, ask Joe! Or reach out to Partners for Youth.
Joe - you rock!
From Partners For Youth:
Meet Our Match Of The Month:
"Being matched with my mentee has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching him grow into a capable, thoughtful, and impressive young man. Our time together has included plenty of fun, conversation, and new experiences, but the real value has been the relationship we’ve built. Partners gave us the opportunity to create a lasting connection, and I’m grateful to have been part of my mentees journey. "- Mentor
“There is no limit to what you can achieve; except for the time you have and the willpower you have to do. God put my mentor and I in the same place at the right time.” - Mentee
Become a Mentor today!
Rotary Grant Round Happening Now:
Help spread the word!
The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs has a long history of supporting local non-profit organizations. Since 2004, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs alone has distributed 271 grants to 87 non-profits, totaling $432,328!
The charitable needs of our community are great, and annually the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs distributes community grantsup to $2,000 each to deserving local organizations.
The Community Grant program focuses on activities that primarily serve youth and seniors in the community but is not limited to these activities. Applications for programs benefiting the overall community are also welcome.
Applications Open From:
September 1 - October 1
For more about our Grant program or to access the grant application, visit our website:
If you're interested in joining the Grant Committee, please reach out to Grant Chair Tara Weaver.
Rotary Meet-Up:
Matches for September for the Rotary Meet-up were sent out on August 24th by Kim Hix. If you're participating, don't forget to raechout to your match and plan a get-together. If you're not signed up for the Meet-Up, but would like to sign up, please reach out to Kim to be added for October.
Lost & Found:
Someone left there Rotary zip up hoodie at the meeting on Friday. If it's yours, I got it for you.
Rotary 5440 District:
IS YOUR CLUB EXCELLENT?
You may or may not know that each year your club has the opportunity to earn The Club Excellence Award. The criteria is set each year with benchmarks that will help your club be more successful. This year the criteria are quite simple and crucially important:
Have your President Elect attend PETS (President Elect Training)
Have your Area Governor attend PETS
Have one or more members attend The District Summit in Casper, WY June 5th.
That’s it! And, as an added bonus, for each club that achieves The Club Excellence Award, I’ve committed to donating $50 to The Rotary Foundation that ultimately brings back funds to our clubs as District Grants!
Now, you may ask “how do these things make my club better?”
The fact is engaging with an experiencing Rotary beyond your club is almost always the spark that makes great things happen! Where inspiration for an amazing and impactful project comes from, the idea for a super effective fundraiser, or where simply meeting an inspiring fellow Rotarian brings around a renewed commitment to making the world a better place.
No matter what your role in your Rotary club, make sure your club achieves excellence by going to the District Summit and talking to your President Elect and Area Governor about making sure they have PETS on their schedule.
Here’s to an amazing year of Creating Lasting Impact!!
Yours in Rotary,
Albon Shaw District Governor 2026-2027 Rotary District 5440
