News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Rotary President Mark Reifschneider.
Mark Reifschneider took the helm as president at the Rotary Club of Sisters on July 1.
Reifschneider, who works in the financial services arena with Wachovia in Bend, has been a member of the service club since he moved here five years ago, but he has been a Rotarian for a decade, starting with the club in Springfield.
He notes that, while Sisters is a much smaller club than Springfield - with 36 members - it is extraordinarily active.
The club sponsors swimming lessons for all third-graders. Reifschneider says he plans to get members involved in volunteering with those lessons as well as supporting them financially. The club also sponsors the annual Halloween parade through downtown Sisters and stages the Magical Voices of Christmas production each holiday season.
"On our World Community Service side of the club we are working with the Ten Friends Project, a grassroots non-profit based here in Sisters and run by Rand Runco and Mark Lamont," Reifschneider noted. "They are helping the kids in Nepal by sponsoring their education funds, providing clean water, mattresses for the orphanages, stretchers for injured trekkers and funds to train individuals to become teachers in rural villages."
The club is applying for grants at the district and international level to provide scholarships for the students and help them become teachers.
"Last year we provided $2,000 to sponsor 10 children for one year in school and will likely continue this year," he said.
Projects that serve children are close to Reifschneider's heart.
"Having kids in all three schools, that's where my passion is," he said.
Reifschneider's children are Chelsea, 14, Crystal, 12, and Sabrina, nine. Reifschneider's wife, Sheila, is an active volunteer in the schools.
Reifschneider said that Rotary quickly instills in its members a profound sense of service to others.
"I think especially when you're young you join Rotary because you think it's going to help your business," he said. "And that's completely the wrong reason."
With service as the goal, Reifschneider plans to lead the club "to get a little more connected to the community." He plans to ramp up the activity level.
"I've put it out there for our members to be thinking of new programs and what we can do," he said.
One of the things he's planning to that end is some sort of community event in the Village Green that will utilize the barbecue shelter built by the club for public use.
For more information about Sisters Rotary Club visit http://www.clubrunner.ca/sisters.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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