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OKC Rotary News
December 2, 2025 | Volume 114 | No. 23
In-Person and Livestreamed from Christian Life Center - St. Luke's Methodist Church | 11:55am
Link to the Livestream 11:55am
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| Kelly Dyer Fry retired early 2021 after a 26-year career with The Oklahoman. While at The Oklahoman, Fry served in several capacities. She started as features editor in 1994 and became managing editor and later general manager of The Oklahoman’s digital efforts. She led the team that launched NewsOK which started as a converged website for The Oklahoman and KWTV News 9. Fry was promoted to vice president of multimedia, vice president of news, editor and ultimately editor and publisher. READ MORE
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| Chair of the Day: Ellyn Hefner
Invocator/Pledge Leader: Byron Jackson
Introduction of Guests: Kathleen Stevenson
Introduction of New Rotarians: Kitt Letcher
Introduction of Teacher of the Month: Mark Neumeister
Teacher Greeter: Elizabeth Inbody
New Rotarian Welcome Table: Jane Jenkins
Scanners/Greeters: John Robberson, John Settle
Registration: Valerie Aubert, Kathryn Wilson Wheeler
Microphone Q&A: Richard Smith, Ellen Fleming
Menu: BBQ Pork Short Ribs, Roasted Herb Chicken, Sweet Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Dinner Roll, Coleslaw, House Salad
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Club 29 Breakfast December 4, 2025
Quail Creek Country Club | 7:00am | Wingspan Room
Co-Chairs: David Hull, Aaron Collins, John D. Williams
Speaker: Deborah McTaggart, program manager for the MAPS 3 Healthy Living Center
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Why I Keep Upping my Anteby Ted Steuli
Every December, I sit down with my checkbook—yes, I still use checks, and no, I'm not taking questions about it—and write out my annual donation to the Rotary Club 29 Foundation. And every year, without fail, I add a little more than I did the year before.
My accountant thinks I'm having a slow-motion financial breakdown. My spouse has stopped asking if I'm sure about this. But here's the thing: I've never been more certain about where my money is going, or why I keep increasing the amount.
Let me be clear from the start—I'm not writing this to win any humanitarian awards or to make anyone feel guilty. I'm writing it because someone recently asked me, "Why do you keep giving them more?" And my answer surprised even me.
Here's what I told them: Because last year's gift isn't enough for this year's world.
Think about it. Inflation doesn't just affect the price of eggs and gas. It affects the cost of building a healing nature trail for families facing their worst nightmares. It drives up the expense of funding scholarship programs for local students. It increases what it takes to support reading programs in Oklahoma City Public Schools through the club's Literacy Project, and all the other work the OnePledge campaign does that makes an actual, measurable difference right here in our community.
If I gave the same amount every year, I'd actually be giving less. The numbers might look identical on paper, but the impact would shrink. And that seemed like the opposite of what I wanted to accomplish.
So I started increasing my donation annually. Not by some astronomical amount that requires me to eat ramen for three months—just enough to keep pace with the rising cost of doing good, plus a little extra because, frankly, I can. READ MORE
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| In the News
If you have good news - honors, awards, new achievements - to share with the club, please let us know!
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| Teacher of the Month
Mark Neumeister will introduce Emma Miller, Putnam City Schools, as the December 2025 Teacher of the Month.
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| New Rotarians
Kitt Letcher will introduce new rotarians Shannon Gilbert, Alan Norton, and Lisa Schade.
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Make your donation to the OnePledge!
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Point your camera phone to this QR code to donate via credit card
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December Rotary Magazine for Rotarian Subscribers
What is the happiest country? Congratulations if you said Finland. The Nordic nation famous for saunas and a great social support system has topped the World Happiness Report rankings for the past eight years. But why? And what can Rotarians in countries at the top and bottom of the rankings teach us about humanity's universal, eternal, and sometimes delusory quest for contentment? In this special issue of Rotary magazine, we explore all things happiness.
Read the December Issue
In another of this month's features, we examine nearly a century of science on what makes us happy. Bottom line: One action outweighs all others, and Rotary members have a head start. The laughs continue with a redux of the magazine's old Stripped Gears jokes page.
In the Our World section, read about the art of clowning and how the joy and healing aren't just for the audience. And finally, in this month's "Where are they now?" column, meet a Rotarian whose journey of self-empowerment from homelessness to helping others has a made-for-TV happy ending.
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| =>Accounting Email Change - Statements were emailed Oct. 1
On July 1, 2024 the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City updated our accounting software to QuickBooks Online. With this change, the email address that sends your statements has been updated to:
quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
Please add the above email address to your safe senders list and check your spam/junk folders for communications from our Rotary office. Membership dues statements were emailed and we appreciate your assistance to ensure timely payment.
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| Memorials
The Rotary Club 29 Foundation accepts gifts honoring loved ones.
A contribution can be made here
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Save the date and join President-Elect Lance McDaniel in Taipei, Taiwan for the 2025-2026 Rotary International Convention June 13 – 17, 2026! Early-registration discounts are available now through December 15, 2025 when pricing increases so don’t wait to get your place reserved.
If you are interested in attending, please contact the office to learn more about hotel reservations avilable through Club 29.
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| Rotary Club 29 Online Directory - App is in the App/Play store
Rotary Club 29 has an online membership directory which contains current content information for all club members. The link to access the Club 29 directory can be found at the top of the home page of okcrotary.club or by clicking here.
OKC Rotary has provided this tool as a convenience to help members stay in touch with one another. The online directory, just like the printed roster, should only be used for Rotary purposes. If you need help in accessing the directory, please email the office.
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FUTURE PROGRAMS
December 9, 2025 - Jeff Thompson - MTM Recognition - "Celebrating Champions"
December 16, 2025 - Holiday Program - Oklahoma Opry
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attendance & MEMBERSHIP
Attendance
Nov. 25, 2025 - Makeups, Online, In-person: 175
Total Attendance: 30%
Membership: Nov. 25, 2025: 581
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Upcoming Events
December 5, 2025 - Salvation Army Bell Ringing
December 9, 2025 - Rotary Afterhours - Perle Mesta
January 6, 2026 - Rotary Winter Party
January 31, 2026 - Pickleball Tournament
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