by Dan Emrie

Springfield Southeast Rotarians joined other Springfield Rotary clubs on Dec. 6 to prepare the  Christmas Parade float!

On Saturday morning, Jason Hynson brought his entire family to join fellow Southeast members Tom Willadsen and Dan Emrie in constructing the Springfield Rotary Clubs' Christmas parade float. Members representing all Springfield Rotary chapters collaborated to transform cardboard boxes into festive gift packages, refresh the paint on the Rotary Wheel, and assemble the display.

Look for the finished creation in the Springfield Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 13,  and show your support by attending! We need your cheering section there!

by Past President Michael Wehrenberg

Our club is proud to support the momentum behind the Route 66 Birthplace Plaza, a once-in-a-century project that will welcome visitors from around the world. Community opportunities to engage with the artists and the vision behind this landmark are happening now, and you will not want to miss them. With the Route 66 Centennial approaching in 2026, Springfield has an exciting chance to shine on a global stage.

This project will shape the experience of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of visitors to the place you call home. That is exactly what makes the Route 66 Birthplace Plaza so meaningful.

Our team met with Christine K. Schilling in late November to explore designing and installing a Route 66 map using her distinctive mosaic technique. Her work is remarkable, and we are excited to see how her artistry will help define the character of the plaza.

On Dec. 3, we walked the site with Juan Garaizabal as planning continues for his Ghost of the Colonial Hotel sculpture. Reaching this point has taken hundreds of hours of work, along with the right partners and the right timing. The City of Springfield and Missouri State University have been essential in moving this vision forward. It is especially fitting that the plaza will rise on the very footprint of the original Colonial Hotel.

We are also preparing a way for anyone to have their name carved into the brick pavers of the plaza so that the community can leave its mark on this significant project. Details are coming soon, and it will be an opportunity many will not want to miss.

As we look ahead, I believe every business and organization in Springfield should begin planning for the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff on April 30, 2026. John Sellars recently shared with me that in April 1926 the entire business community joined together to create special offers and place newspaper ads welcoming more than 3,000 Rotarians to what was then the largest gathering of Rotarians ever held. Springfield pulled out all the stops for those visitors.

There is no reason our 2026 community cannot rise to the same level of hospitality. This will be a rare moment for Springfield to be seen on a global stage. Think of Route 66 themed products/service or even using your electronic and static reader boards to say welcome. It doesn't have to be a million dollar idea, but when our collective community bands together, all of the small things will result in something extremely significant.

Many other communities would love to have this opportunity. It is up to us to make the most of it.

This year's Springfield Southeast Rotary Club "John Simpson Shrimp Feed and Fireside Chat" was July 10.  Many thanks go out to Rex Johnson and Gary Leonard's cook crews; Cindy Howell's toast and salad crew; and all the Southeast "newbies" who set up, served and cleaned up.  A special thank-you also goes to Patrick and Kim Harrington for once again graciously offering their home for our decades-old tradition.

[Photos and text by Dan Emrie]  [Click on a photo to enlarge it.]

April 30, 2025 - The five Springfield Rotary clubs: (Springfield Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast; Sunrise Rotary Club; Springfield Metro Rotary Club, and Springfield North Rotary Club), plus the Springfield Rotaract Club, met at the DoubleTree by Hilton for their annual luncheon highlighted by guest speaker, Jack Stack. (Photos by Dan Emrie) [Click on a photo to enlarge it.]

Several Springfield Southeast Rotarians spent time on Tuesday, March 25, on a Hands-on Service Project. They painted a Victory Mission building and had a good time while they were at it.

Victory Mission serves people trying to leave behind poverty. The painting project will impact clients seeking clothing and church services, as well as others from the Commercial Street District. This is Victory Mission’s main building for operations, women's ministry, and outreach events at 1715 Boonville Ave.

The group painted over a green room to match the white walls another group helped paint last year. Rotarians who painted are Joe Piatchek , Greg Horton, Richard Baker, Jim Robinette, and Jason Hynson, Victory Mission’s director, along with Richard's wife, Sara, and their son, Micah.

(Photos by Jason Hynson)  [Click on a photo to enlarge it.]