Events

Have you experienced the wonder of planting a tree and watching it grow from seedling to maturity?

Come meet the guy who wants to give every child this joy…and, in the process, beautify our neighborhoods, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and help instill in the hearts of our little ones a sense of magic, wonder, and love for our planet. What started as a seed in Minneapolis in 2010 has grown into a continent-wide movement ~ one of the largest and fastest growing tree planting initiatives in North America involving youth. Since 2010, Neighborhood Forest has mobilized over 4,500 schools, libraries, and youth groups, engaged over 750,000 volunteers, and given over 450,000 children in all 50 states (plus Canada and Mexico!) the opportunity to plant their very own tree!

Join Vikas Narula, Co-Founder of Neighborhood Forest, for an inspiring session and learn how you can help grow the forest in Madison and beyond!

Join Rotary for the Annual Scholarship Awards Program and hear a presentation from Dr. Christine Whelan.

You already live "Service Above Self" every week. You show up, you give back, you lead in your communities and your businesses.

So why does purpose still feel like something other people have figured out? 

Dr. Christine Whelan, “Purpose Professor” at Emory University and fellow at the Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison, brings behavioral science research to a question Rotarians are uniquely positioned to answer: How do you use your gifts, in keeping with your values, to make a positive impact? In this interactive, funny and research-backed talk, Dr. Whelan walks you through a hands-on exercise that connects your vocational life, your service, and the things that actually get you out of bed in the morning. Brick by brick, purpose is something you build. And you've been building longer than you think.

Discover how a statewide fatherhood needs assessment sparked the development of impactful initiatives designed to support fathers and strengthen families. This presentation will highlight how fathers’ voices shaped the creation of the Fathers in Focus Conference, the Focus on Fathers Virtual Workshop Series, and the Fatherhood Peer-to-Peer Initiative—three connected efforts aimed at increasing father engagement, building community, and promoting family well-being. Attendees will learn how investing in fathers leads to stronger outcomes for children and communities, and how partners like Rotary International can help advance this important work.

Barry Burden is the professor of political science and director of the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison. His presentation will look ahead to the upcoming midterm elections across the country, highlighting the factors that political scientists have identified as important predictors of election outcomes as well as unique aspects of the 2026 election cycle.

Our meeting will be at the Masonic Center, at 301 Wisconsin Avenue.  You’ll enter the lower level ballroom from the Johnson Street side of the building. This will be Anthony Gray's last meeting as president, and we will welcome Mark Greene as our new president.  After the official changing of the guard, we’ll adjourn and have some time for informal conversations while enjoying some dessert and coffee.

The American Revolution founded the independent United States and impacted the subsequent generations who founded Wisconsin. The Revolution's aspirations informed the state constitution and inspired the Civil War generation and beyond. Chris Kolakowski, Director of the Wisconsin Veteran's Musuem, will explore Wisconsin's ties to the Revolution and present how it impacted the subsequent state.