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Rotary Club of Avon, Indiana

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Avon, IN
Rotary Club of Avon, Indiana

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The Four Way Test
•Is it the truth?
•Is it fair to all concerned?
•Does it build goodwill and better friendships?
•Is it beneficial to all concerned?

10/28/2026

MUSIC TO OUR EARS! Rotarian and school superintendent Dr. Scott Wyndham thought it was time to meet the high school leaders who guide the award-winning musical programs we all read about. So, AHS Choir Director Leah Trigg, Band Director Matt Abbey and Orchestra Director Joel Powell came to Rotary to explain their programs, and each brought a star student to share their personal experiences. All three directors started as assistants working under mentors now retired: Jay Webb, Matt Harlott, Dean Westman and Rick Gamble. Once it was time for those very successful directors to retire, Trigg, Abbey and Powell were ready to step up. Leah has around 260 students in the choir program including two choirs that require no audition, two show choirs, concert choirs and chamber singers. She is certainly proud of their winning tradition. However, she stressed that her main goal is to instill a joy and love for music in every participant. With around 30 performances a year, the singers get to experience all kinds of music, dance moves, teamwork skills and grow in talent and confidence. Matt leads the band program with 450 students and triple national championships to defend. The band starts working in the summer and continues competition up to Thanksgiving. Then the winter groups, world winds and world drumline, kick off their competition which goes until April. Joel stepped into Orchestra Director to work with "one of the top three high school orchestras in the US." With 400 musicians in the program, he has his hands full. However, he feels confident that his mentor Dean Westman trained him well. With four state championships earned, the orchestra program, started in 2007, is thriving and growing. The students from each program demonstrated their own enthusiasm and dedication to the program that has given them a family, performance opportunities, personal growth and doors open for whatever dreams they have.
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst Steve Blacketer Jayda Miller Sommers

10/28/2026

BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR CHANGE! A crew of Rotarians showed up recently to help put order to the Mary Lee Maier Community Pantry so that families can still be served during its space expansion. There is never a lack of volunteers when the MLM staff calls. This life-changing program that supports Avon Community School Corp families who are food-insecure has had Rotary support since its beginning. As the need grows in numbers, the space is expanding and being designed to be more efficient. Rotarians are on board to make sure that happens!
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst Jayda Miller Sommers DeAnne Clifton

10/18/2026

Rotary District 6560 MID-YEAR CONFERENCE: Yes, Avon Rotary was represented and picked up some reminders on the breadth & depth of Rotary's impact! Melissa Calahan & Pam Lyons attended, and Pam served on a Breakout panel for Youth Engagement. This year's DG Stephanie Moran planned a day that fed everyone with increased commitment to service, to collaboration among Rotarians as well as other community organizations, to stop talking and start listening, to work as partners and co-managers with an equalization of power and more. There were many opportunities to share directly with members of other clubs in the district about member recruitment, foundation giving, service projects, and youth engagement. And it has to be said that the buffet lunch was actually quite delicious with everyone walking away satisfied! Thanks to DG Moran, to District Admin Leigh Perry and to all who contributed!
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis DeAnne Clifton Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst Steve Blacketer Jayda Miller Sommers Mary Lou Brayshaw Lofton

10/13/2026

SHARING HISTORY. Today's Rotary meeting began with charter member Ken Sebree telling his "Why Rotary?" story. He started with a review of the Avon area which back in 1989 had not yet been declared a town. So, the majority of residents headed east on US 36 Monday through Friday to work in Indianapolis. Therefore, a group of professionals decided to create a community connection through a new Rotary Club that would meet over breakfast every week. Ken was invited by group organizer Bill Taylor to join, and he admitted feeling quite honored. He gave testimony that Rotary had provided connection and service then and still does for him. That is why he has "stuck with it all these years!"

Next, club secretary and unofficial historian Melissa Calahan, in honor of World Polio Day coming on Oct. 24, offered a timeline of Rotary International's campaign to End Polio. She went clear back to a copy of National Geographic published November, 1926 where a detailed ad was placed by Metropolitan Life Insurance urging that all children receive a diphtheria inoculation to eradicate the deadly disease. From there, the March of Dimes campaign was initiated to stop infantile paralysis. This was followed by Jonas Salk & then Albert Sabin developing polio vaccinations. The World Health Organization joined the fight in 1974 with Rotary following in 1979. From that point on Rotary's involvement has expanded in its reach joined by UNICEF, the CDC and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). In 2000 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began offering matching financing which has continued to increase over the years. There was certainly a setback during 2011 with the search for Osama bin Laden via the use of fake hepatitis vaccinations. Then there was another setback during the COVID breakout. It is, however, notable that the Israeli/Pakistani conflict in Gaza was paused in 2024 so that children could be immunized. The world recognizes the need for 100% eradication. With two nations remaining endemic, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the battle is not over. However, hope lies strong with the 20 million annual volunteers, $17 billion investment, 200 countries working together, and 3 billion children vaccinated. Let's celebrate on October 24 by donating to the End Polio campaign! www.endpolio.org
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst
DeAnne Clifton Steve Blacketer Jayda Miller Sommers

10/08/2026

MOVING MOUNTAINS! That is exactly what mother of two Lori Ashley Taylor committed to when she learned that her daughter was autistic. A teacher in the Avon schools since 1995, Ashley and her husband were living in Hamilton County until they got the autism diagnosis when their daughter Hannah was 18 months. Lori admitted to being completely blindsided, but then she began to shift her mindset to action. She described the extensive research she did, the experts they consulted, the many methods they employed. However, she admitted one of the most strategic actions they took was moving their family to the Avon school district where she knew there was an impressive special needs program that was already making a difference for many children. Hannah was not an only child for long. Her brother Connor soon followed. A full-time teacher and now mother of two, Lori did not let those responsibilities take her off the mark of finding ways to help Hannah progress and finally emerge as her own determined, accomplished human being. She admits that for a long time her own willfulness insisted that she would find a way to "cure" Hannah. Ultimately, she learned that there is no cure. On the other hand, there does not have to be defeat. Early on when Lori was searching for any books that would help her, she found none. So, once Hannah was well on her way to becoming a successful student ultimately landing at Purdue University, Lori found support in colleagues and in a Lilly Teacher Creativity Grant to publish a book for other parents. Part memoir and part practical guide, Dragonfly: A Daughter's Emergence from Autism, this book tells a hopeful, dynamic story of one family's journey. It is still available on Amazon and even in Kindle form!
Rotary District 6560 Lori Ashley Taylor Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt DeAnne Clifton Sandi Hurst Steve Blacketer

09/30/2026

FRIENDSHIP ENHANCES SERVICE! Rotarians are known for implementing their motto of "Service above Self." However, newly installed President Nathan D Francis believes that even more service results when members build personal, social relationships. So, he reserved a shelter house at Gibbs Park and invited members, their families and friends to enjoy a picnic! Around 30 people showed up for some social engagement, scrumptious dining and game time after. However, the event began with Nathan's sharing the most expansive example of Rotarian Service above Self ever: THE END POLIO CAMPAIGN. He shared the facts, described the worldwide effort and urged everyone to honor WORLD POLIO DAY on October 24 in whatever way they could. www.endpolio.org
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst DeAnne Clifton

09/30/2026

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS... With 9427 students to transport, 93 different vehicles to service, 500 daily runs covering 5700 miles, and extra-curricular runs after school and on weekends, the Avon Transportation Dept. has a heavy load! The Director of Transportation Kevin Gray helped Rotarians better understand the complexity of responsibilities he and his staff of 153 regular employees have. The ultimate goal of "creating environments where students feel safe and ready to learn" drives their commitment to provide "positive, safe and efficient transportation service to all students for school related activities." The general population understands that buses take students to school. What most of us do not consider are the extra routes for special needs students, for students on reduced schedules, for any and all extra-curricular activities, and for students involved in education outside the district like IN School for the Deaf, DAMAR, Area 31, etc. To increase safety for the driver and the students, every bus is equipped with 6 cameras that record all activity within the bus and outside. Kevin also gave a comprehensive report on the cost of new buses, the licensing required for drivers, the variety in styles of vehicles served, the fuel challenges and the intense demand on the seven-member mechanic crew. He gave high praise to the staff who trouble-shoot, who adjust routes, who find subs, who train drivers, and who do the maintenance. With a deep background in education, Kevin has worked in school administration at Avon since 1997. He and his wife Tracy raised their sons in Avon schools as well. Kevin's commitment to continue a tradition of excellence is obvious, and it is clear that he is doing that in a community of constant expansion and growth.
Rotary District 6560 Nathan D Francis Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst DeAnne Clifton Steve Blacketer Jayda Miller Sommers

09/29/2026

Were you there?

09/26/2026

MORE NEW MEMBERS! Avon Rotarians are enjoying the benefits of club President Nathan Francis’s “Inviting Guests Competition.” So far, since his swearing in in July, we have welcomed five new members. The latest two being inducted in the picture by Nathan are Leeland Zeller and Rachel Paul. Let’s get to know them a little better!
Leeland, married to his piano teaching wife Lisa for 31 years, is father to two sons & two daughters ranging in age from 20 to 28. For 24 years Leeland has worked for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and presently works in the Division I Governance and Member Services Dept. Working to help schools and conferences understand and apply NCAA rules and any changes made is no easy task with all the current challenges. However, Leeland truly enjoys assisting young people in earning their college degree while playing the sports they love. When he has spare time, Leeland is watching sports, attending a sporting event or chilling with family playing some games. A long-time dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Leeland is a great fit in both administrative and service roles. Though he was raised on a farm in Idaho, it was not potatoes that they grew. In fact, he admits to some farm mischief during a childhood game of “kick the can” which landed him in a waist-deep pile of cow manure! Rotarians are pleased that Leeland has joined their ranks to expand his community service and work shoulder to shoulder with our crew.

Now, let’s meet Rachel. She and her family were brought to Avon in 2008 due to her husband’s job as Emergency Medical Helicopter Pilot for PHI Air Medical. They have three daughters who have been educated K – 12 in Avon schools. Two daughters are married and living out west. However, the youngest is a student at IU Bloomington. Except for 10 years of staying at home with her children, Rachel has worked in accounting, a skill she began to enjoy back in high school. In 2017, once her daughters were in school full time, Rachel started her own business, Reliable Number Management, where she focuses on bookkeeping, payroll and tax preparation. While enjoying being her own boss, the challenge is often when the client becomes the boss pushing boundaries & making demands. However, in the end she appreciates the relationships that develop. In her free time, Rachel loves activities that give her time to pause: music, the arts, reading, doing puzzles, playing piano and gardening. Though her favorite community service is sharing her skills in financial literacy, Rachel loves the prospect of working with Rotarians as like-minded individuals who volunteer to support and improve the community. We all welcome Rachel to our club and have already connected with her in service where she proved to be true to her word.
Nathan D Francis Rotary District 6560 Anne Engelhardt Sandi Hurst Jayda Miller Sommers DeAnne Clifton Steve Blacketer

09/24/2026

YOUTH SUPPORT! Service Co-chair Amy O'Hearn delivered snacks donated by Rotarians to Avon Youth Assistance Program. Everyone who has worked with teens knows a truth: Feed them and they will come!

Address

6570 East US 36
Avon, IN
46123

Opening Hours

Monday	6pm - 8pm
Wednesday	9am - 8am

Telephone

+13174600739

Website

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