L I F E A N D L E I S U R E I N T H E B A R R I N G T O N A R E A March/April 2008

Celebrating Open LandBarrington Area Conservation Trust

Q U I N T E S S E N T I A L

Village ViewsScott Gifford

RotaryServing Barrington and Beyond

Quintessential PeopleMargo Grosspietsch

Wonderful One-of-a-Kind Whimsy

Annual Home and Garden Issue

Reprinted with Permission – Quintesstential Barrington® Magazine –Copyright ©2007

S E R V I N G B A R R I N G T O N A N D B E Y O N D

The Rotary Clubs

The Rotary emblem, a royal blue and gold gear

wheel, can be seen all over Barrington,

from the Baker’s Lake Overlook

to the Field of Dreams concession stand.

The individuals who make up Barrington’s two

Rotary clubs work to make our community,

nation, and world a better place

by putting “service above self,” which is the

motto of Rotary International.

It aptly describes the motivation behind

the work of local Rotarians, who improve the

quality of life for everyone in Barrington.

Roy Wilmering Scout Cabin

Barrington Community Kite Fly

Baker’s Lake Overlook

Hurricane Katrina Relief

The Four-Way Test

O F B A R R I N G T O N

B Y C H R I S T I N E S T R E E D

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The toll of the bell signals the start of every Rotary

meeting. the fun and fellowship pause while members rise to-

gether to sing “god bless america” or “My Country ’tis of thee,”

followed by a recitation of the Pledge of allegiance with hands

over hearts. after a prayer, the fellowship resumes and members enjoy a meal

together. When the meal is over, the members listen to speakers and plan the

next community service project.

barrington is fortunate to have two Rotary clubs. in 1960

the Rotary Club of barrington held its first meeting

and has quietly served barrington over its 48-year

history. Currently, they meet every tuesday for

lunch. the growth of the “noon Rotary”

allowed a second “breakfast Rotary” group

to start in 1988, which now meets every

thursday morning. both groups have

about 50 members and both are part of

Rotary international, the world’s first

service organization.

Rotary Club was founded in 1905 by

Paul P. harris, a Chicago attorney who

wanted a place where professional men

and tradesmen could meet together for

fellowship and service. the Rotary name

came from the club’s practice of rotating the

meeting place among members’ offices. Women

began to be accepted in 1989 and now total almost

100,000 of Rotary’s 1.2 million members. accord-

ing to Rotary international, there are currently

over 32,000 Rotary clubs located in over 200 coun-

tries and geographical areas. Membership is open

to all men and women who believe in the impor-

tance of helping others.

Serving the Barrington areaburke groom, president of barrington’s noon Rotary, and Mike

Martinez, president of the breakfast Rotary, both oversee a board of diverse

members who bring a passion for service. each Rotary member presents

projects to the board and asks for the support of the club. the projects that

each Rotary club supports are as varied as their members but are guided by

the principles of Rotary international. they strive to strengthen fellowship

among their members, serve others through their vocations, improve life in

their community, and reach out to the world to promote understanding and

peace.

the Rotary Clubs of barrington extend their reach to the world by sup-

porting Rotary international in their efforts. the noon and breakfast Rotary

clubs also support projects for their district, which is a partnership of 70

clubs in northern illinois. the district programs include coordinating stu-

dent exchange programs and Rotary Youth leadership awards, which recog-

nize youth for their service and help youth develop leadership skills.

helping children locally, nationally, and internationally is a priority for

Rotarians. locally, Rotary members have undertaken many projects that

have helped children. forty years ago, harold lipofsky, a senior member of

the noon Rotary, initiated the drive to fund the barrington scout Cabin.

located on Russell avenue in the village, the cabin continues to serve the

needs of boy scouts and girls scouts, and lipofsky continues to raise money

to keep it in good repair. lipofsky has an endowment fund in his

name that is used to support local causes.

the Rotary Clubs of barrington both have pro-

grams to help children in need at Christmas. the

breakfast Rotary started the “i wish i could

have...” program to buy warm winter coats

and clothing for children who might not

have gifts under the tree. the noon

Rotary seeks out wish lists from par-

ents who need assistance from the

barrington or Cuba township food

pantries.

the success of the Rotary fund-

raisers determines the amount of

money that can be spent on each child.

in December 2007, members of the

noon Rotary, including Carol beese and

Jane Washburn, went shopping with wish

lists in hand and bought gifts for 65 needy

children in the barrington area. beese says, “We

raced around Wal-Mart and checked out with

carts piled high. We shopped for everything from

shampoo to warm winter coats and, of course,

a few toys. i felt plenty of Christmas spirit after

our shopping spree.” Washburn adds, “What sur-

prised me were the items the kids had on their

wish lists. they wished for basic things like toiletries and underwear.”

Rotary clubs choose projects that reflect the interests and talents of their

members, and our Rotary clubs serve the barrington area through several

ongoing projects. the breakfast Rotary has a special interest in helping chil-

dren, youth, and adults through educational programs. they support aca-

demic and vocational scholarships for high school seniors, a job shadowing

program, “Children at Risk” programs through District 220, and adult lit-

eracy programs.

“We take pride in the adult literacy program we fund at sunny hill

school,” says steve hollis, past breakfast Rotary president. the program is

a joint effort between District 220 and the breakfast Rotary and has been

growing for the past 11 years. nora Carranza, a District 220 family liaison,

teaches english as a second language at sunny hill school in Carpentersville.

the breakfast Rotary has donated money to the program since 2002 to help

with the purchase of textbooks and workbooks. they also donate money to

fund the purchase of books for the bilingual library at sunny hill school.

P h o t o : S u S a n M c c o n n e l l

Mike Martinez (left), president of Barrington’s

Breakfast Rotary, and Burke Groom,

president of Barrington’s Noon Rotary.

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104 Quintessential Barrington • QBarr ington.com

The Breakfast Rotary’s “Help a Neighbor” program, in which Rotarians

serve others through their vocation, has been serving Barrington and neigh-

boring communities for three years. One Rotarian has served others through

his vocation as an auto technician. In one case, a man who was having dif-

ficulty making ends meet drove his Ford Windstar with 250,000 miles on

it into the Rotarian’s garage. “He just wanted brake work done, but he had

bald tires and needed steering linkage parts – and his windshield wipers were

held on with bread-bag ties,” says the Rotarian, who wishes to remain anony-

mous. Another Rotarian paid for parts, and the owner of the car paid what

he was able for labor – about $30. “It felt good to help,” the Rotarian says with

a smile. Recently, another Rotarian joined in the “Help a Neighbor” program

and hopes to use his skills as a carpenter to help people who are not finan-

cially or physically able to take care of desperately needed home repairs.

Narayan Murarka, a member of the Breakfast Rotary, takes service liter-

ally by helping serve lunch to seniors every Thursday at Greencastle of Bar-

rington. He sums up Rotary in this way: “Rotary is a family of volunteers

participating in active, meaningful community service projects while having

fun, building fellowship, and making lifelong friends with people from all

walks of life.”

Serving our countrySometimes the neighbor who needs help doesn’t live nearby but can be

helped through a network of friends and neighbors. The Rotary showed the

power of networking after the Mississippi coast was hit by Hurricane Katrina

in 2005. Jane Washburn, a Noon Rotary member, had experience in send-

ing aid after a hurricane. Washburn’s father was volunteering in Honduras

in October 1998 after Hurricane Mitch hit Central America. It was one of

the most deadly Atlantic hurricanes in history, and he called Washburn to

tell her of the devastation from the storm. Hearing the deep sadness in her

father’s voice, Washburn knew she had to help.

She coordinated an effort that succeeded in collecting 100,000 tons of

food, clothing, and supplies, a portion of which Rotary members helped col-

lect and send in a large container by train and ship to Honduras. She wasn’t

a Rotary member at the time, but the experience moved her. “I saw how the

Rotary was able to get things done, and I decided I wanted to be part of that

group,” she says.

In 2005, Washburn received another call from a family member in the

wake of Hurricane Katrina. Her sister, who lives in Mobile, Alabama, told

her of the critical needs of the people in her area and along the Mississippi

coast. Washburn presented the information to her fellow Rotarians, and they

gave money to send immediately to Washburn’s sister to purchase food and

supplies. “A caravan set out from two Mobile churches to deliver supplies

purchased with the money,” Washburn says. “They found people days after

the hurricane who were so grateful for food and water it was if they were be-

ing liberated from the Nazis after World War II.”

The work to help the people of the Mississippi coast continued for six

weeks. Washburn networked by phone all over the country for 16 to 18

Left: In December, the people of Ka Wanyande, Kenya, dedicated

their new well. It was purchased with funds raised by Barrington

resident Otieno Ochieng (pictured at the minister’s left) and the

Village Church of Barrington. Above: Rotarians hope to raise

$80,000 to fund four additional wells for the Usonga people in

western Kenya.

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QBarr ington.com • Quintessential Barrington 105

hours a day, relaying information from her sister and volunteer doctors to

people who could get supplies. An outpost for medical care was set up at the

Gulf Coast Worship Center in Long Beach, Mississippi, with the help of the

Rotary of Fair Hope, Alabama. Washburn networked with her local Rotar-

ians as well as members of the Mobile Rotary and several area churches to

supply a mobile home to be used for volunteer doctors’ living quarters.

She spread word of the needs of the people there through every contact

she had. The publicity helped the Rotary and Mobile-area churches collect

enough food supplies to fill 5,000 cars three times per week. The cry for

help was heard as far away as Germany. The German army and the EADS

Defense and Security of North America donated a surgical tent to provide

better working facilities for volunteer doctors.

Ultimately, Washburn’s networking efforts put together the sup-

plies and personnel to staff a medical outpost that served the needs

of more than 9,300 patients from October to December 2005. Wash-

burn says, “Getting the word out is all that’s needed to get help. You

never know who is willing to give aid, and the people who can help

just need to know where to go to give assistance.” She adds, “Being a

Rotary member lets me work with people in Barrington who care about oth-

ers. Being part of Rotary allows me to work with people all over the country

and the world, where I am accepted as a fellow Rotarian.”

Serving the worldInternationally, the Barrington’s Noon Rotary is currently working with the

Village Church of Barrington and other local Rotary clubs to raise funds for

the purchase and installation of wells to supply clean drinking water in the

Usonga location of western Kenya.

Otieno Ochieng, a local Kenyan and member of the Village Church of

Barrington, brought the request to his church to raise money for wells in his

home village of Ka Wanyande. He lost his brother two years ago to typhoid

fever, an illness spread through bacteria-infested water. The people of the

village live mainly in mud-walled huts located next to a historically reliable

source of clean water from a nearby river. But in an effort to modernize,

they began building concrete-walled buildings. The sand needed to make the

concrete was taken from the river, and the water become polluted once the

filtering effects of the sand were gone. Without their usual source of water,

the people of Ka Wanyande were forced to walk miles to find another source

of clean water.

The Village Church has already funded one well, which is currently in

operation. The Rotary has a goal of raising $80,000 toward building four

additional wells. The passion behind this project comes from Ochieng, who

traveled to Kenya for the dedication of the first well in December.

Larry Barnett, who has been assisting in the fundraising effort, reports,

“The first well was dedicated in December. A group from Barrington includ-

ing Ochieng and members of the Village Church returned the first weekend

in January after a difficult trip home due to the unrest of the Kenya elections.

The new well is being used from dawn until dusk.”

Multiplying the effectsThe Rotary is able to multiply the money it raises through the structure of

the organization. For example, Barnett has presented the opportunity to

assist the people of the Usonga location to his fellow Rotarians around

the Chicago area in Rotary District 6440, which includes 70 Rotary clubs.

The funds raised by the local Rotary are matched by the district clubs, then

matched again by the Rotary International Foundation.

The Rotary Clubs of Barrington also give aid globally by supporting

Rotary International in its goal to eradicate polio worldwide. Major gains

have been made since 1985, when Rotary International took on this objec-

tive. Work continues on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which has

Rotary: A Mission of ServiceThe Rotary’s mission is to promote the ideal of service as a worthy enterprise through four guiding principles:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

2. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportu-nity to serve society;

3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

4. The advancement of international understanding, good-will, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

From left: Ron Dockery, Harold Lipofsky (in front), Dr. Susan Kern, Burke

Groom, and Jim Arie. Dr. Susan Kern and Jim Arie were inducted as Noon

Rotary members in January 2008.

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106 Quintessential Barrington • QBarr ington.com

Who benefits from money given by the Rotary Clubs of Barrington?

Burke Groom, president of the Noon Rotary, says, “Any non-

profit organization can apply to Barrington Rotary Charities for a

donation. We review requests two times a year (December and

June). Each request is handled independently, and we review the

benefit the organization provides, the benefit to the Barrington

area community, and other variables. We want to make sure

the organization fits the Rotary guidelines, and then we weigh

all the requests together depending on the funds we have to

donate. Generally we limit an organization to $2,000 or $2,500 in

each six-month giving period.” Groom adds, “It certainly helps to

come and give us a presentation of what the organization does

instead of just sending in a request for money.”

This past Christmas, the Noon Rotary gave donations to:

Barrington Area Community Foundation, Barrington Area Council

on Aging, Barrington Career Center, Barrington Giving Day,

Barrington Historical Society, Barrington Youth & Family Ser-

vices, Buehler YMCA, National-Louis University, and Wellness

Place. Past award recipients have included Diveheart, Wheel-

chair Foundation, Operation Smile, Love of God Foundation,

Hospice of Northeastern Illinois, the Jeffrey Pride Foundation

for Pediatric Cancer, and many others. The club also sponsors

many events each year in the Barrington community. In 2007,

the Breakfast Rotary gave donations to the Barrington and Cuba

Township food pantries and area hospitals. The group sponsored

Barrington’s Relay for Life, Barrington Memorial Park, the Tree

house in Citizen’s Park, Barrington Community Kite Fly, and the

Barrington Fourth of July celebration.

ResourcesFor more information on how to become a member of Rotary

and to get more information on current projects, visit the

following web sites:

The Breakfast Rotary of Barringtonwww.barringtonbreakfastrotary.org

The Noon Rotary of Barringtonwww.barringtonrotaryclub.org

Rotary Internationalwww.rotary.org

the goal of ridding the world of the muscle-paralyzing disease in a partner-

ship with the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control,

and UNICEF. The Rotary program called PolioPlus concentrates on preven-

tion, since a cure is not presently available for polio. According to the Rotary

International web site (www.rotary.org), for just 60 cents’ worth of vaccine,

a child in Asia, Africa, or the Middle East can be immunized and protected

against polio for a lifetime.

The Rotary hopes to meet its goal of raising $100 million over the next

two years to receive matching grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foun-

dation. According to information from the Global Polio Eradication Initia-

tive (www.polioeradication.org), polio continues unabated in four countries

in the world: Afghanistan, Nigeria, India, and Pakistan. But the number of

worldwide cases of polio declines yearly due to vaccination efforts. Along

with providing funds for vaccinations, Rotary International encourages its

local clubs to contribute wheelchairs to children who have been robbed of

their ability to walk because they were stricken with polio.

In order to fund their many local projects, the Noon Rotary holds two

major fundraisers each year. Their dinner/dance will be held this year on

May 3 at the Biltmore Country Club. It includes a live auction, silent auction,

and reverse raffle. Also, every December the club sell poinsettias and wreaths

to local businesses and individuals. The funds the Noon Rotarians raised in

2007 allowed them to grant money to local community service agencies to-

taling $10,000. In addition, the Noon Rotary gives $8,000 in scholarships to

four graduating Barrington High School students each year. They also spon-

sor a foreign exchange student attending BHS. The Breakfast Rotary raises

money every October through the Trick or Treat Trot, which includes a 5K

run and fitness walk, a 2K family fun walk, and 100-yard dashes for kids.

As each Rotary meeting concludes, the members say together the “Four-Way

Test” to keep the guiding principles of Rotary in their thoughts as they leave

the weekly meeting:

“Of the things we think, say, or do,

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build good will and better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

You might know a Rotarian by the gear pin worn on the lapel, but more likely

you’ll know a Rotarian by the way his or her eyes light up when in service

to others.

Christine Streed is a contributing

writer to Quintessential

Barrington magazine.

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Reprinted with Permission – Quintesstential Barrington® Magazine –Copyright ©2007