Kids Free Fishing Day

Free Fishing for Kids

In 2006, the Rotary Camps & Services Water Committee convened a number of organizations to put on our first Kids Free Fishing Day. It is part of the Department of Natural Resources initiative to promote fishing as an activity for young anglers, in the hopes that it will turn into a lifelong love of fishing. No fishing license is required for this event.

This is a free event for kids to fish under the supervision of and with the help of caring community volunteers. It is a collaborative event, offered to our community by several partner organizations.
Usually around 500 children participate with their siblings, parents, and grandparents. We stock over 750 rainbow trout in NMC’s Great Lakes Campus Harbor.

More than 60 volunteers assist with equipment set-up, fish cleaning, and kids’ safety. The event also features fish painting by the Great Lakes Children’s Museum and free pizza. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City regularly perform an air rescue by helicopter demonstration (as scheduling allows).

Sponsoring Organization (with links)

The following organizations sponsor Kids Free Fishing Day. The sponsoring organizations plan, staff, and execute the event. Supporting organizations and individuals provide additional essential support, without which this event would not be possible.

The Three Traverse City Rotary Clubs

Rotary Club of Traverse City
Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Sunrise
Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight

Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Great Lakes Children’s Museum
Grand Traverse Area Sportsfishing Association
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City
Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at NMC

Upcoming Speakers
News
Calendar

Rotary Camps & Services Lists Property for Sale

A 40-acre and an 80-acre parcel comprise the 120-acre property

Vacant Land for Sale

Rotary Camps & Services (RC&S or Rotary for short) owns more than 1,700 acres in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. It serves as a landowner and property manager for Camp Greilick (formerly Boy Scouts), Camp Sakakawea (Girl Scouts), East Creek Reserve, Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes, and the new Discovery Pier (former TCLP coal dock properties).

In 2000, RC&S acquired 120 acres to the south and east of Canterbury Woods. The property extends across Garfield Avenue in East Bay Township. We acquired our Canterbury Woods property as part of a land exchange with the State. We traded some property with a creek and wetlands that the State wanted for the Canterbury property, which is high and dry. While we appreciate that members of the public have enjoyed walking, biking, or otherwise appreciating our vacant property we never intended it to be a nature preserve or a park. It was always held as an asset — an investment property.

New Challenges

In 2017, RC&S faces new challenges. The Boy Scouts have relinquished Camp Greilick, and the Discovery Center & Pier will require significant capital improvements to achieve our goal of a preeminent waterfront destination. Liquidating this asset will help us meet these challenges.

Rotary has deed restrictions and conservation easements at all our properties, except the Canterbury property. We never restricted the Canterbury property when the State of Michigan did the land swap, because we have always treated it as an investment. We are looking to cash out now to support some of our other projects in the community.

Open to Alternatives

That does not mean that we are only interested in selling to a land developer. We gave the neighboring property owners notice of our intent to list the property for sale in an effort to be good neighbors and to be transparent in the process. (See: Letter to neighboring property owners.) We also wanted to give neighboring property owners the opportunity to pull together to purchase the property, if that is feasible.

Rotary is open to any win-win outcome. Some people have approached the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to find an alternative solution. We are certainly open to working with them and any neighbors who want to contribute to a winning solution.

You can make inquiries to our realtor, Doug Meteyer of Keller Williams (231) 947-8200 or John Noonan, RC&S Program Director at (231) 941-4010, ext 210.
Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps & Services Announce Retooling and New Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 12, 2017
CONTACT:
Marsha Smith, Executive Director
Rotary Charities of Traverse City
(231) 941-4010
msmith@rotarycharities.org

Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps & Services Announce Retooling and New Staff

Traverse City, Mich. – Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps & Services announced decisions by their boards to retool staffing to address the changing landscape for their organizations. Rotary Charities will add Leah Bagdon-McCallum as their newly created Director of Community Capacity and Evan Gray as the newly created Director of Organizational Capacity. Rotary Camps & Services will add John Noonan as the Program Director and Nick Killian as the Greilick Director.

“This staffing model will allow us to respond to emerging opportunities that align with our vision for more substantial, transformational change through our grantmaking,” said Rotary Charities Board Chair, Elaine Wood. “Prior to replacing two staff positions, Rotary Charities retooled its model to be more in line with the systems change we are hoping to catalyze. Leah and Evan bring unique skill sets that will help us build capacity in organizations, networks and communities. We are delighted to welcome them to our organization.”

Rotary Camps & Services Chair, Sharron Zimmerman, agreed. “With the addition of the waterfront to our Discovery property and the opportunities to manage our legacy property at Greilick, our organization will be uniquely positioned to leverage these community assets to have more impact in our region. John and Nick round out the Board and volunteer team to make great things happen for our community.” Rotary Camps & Service purchased the Discovery Pier property in May 2016. In December 2016, the Boy Scouts vacated a long term lease at Camp Greilick.

ABOUT OUR NEW STAFF

Leah Bagdon-McCallum, formerly with Senator Gary Peters office, has a background in community building and fund development. Leah grew up in the area and has strong ties here. Her position will focus on our work in communities.

Evan Gray moved to our region several years ago from Idaho, where he was an administrator for a year-round co-ed boarding school. His background is in consulting, experiential education, organizational development and servant leadership. Evan’s position will focus on organizational and network capacity through grants and NorthSky, Rotary Charities’ capacity building program.

John Noonan has served as a project manager for the Discovery Center and Pier over the past year. He will assume a full-time position and oversee all the Rotary Camps properties.

Nick Killian, formerly a Camping Director for the Boy Scouts of America, will assume the newly created position of Director for the former Camp Greilick, now Greilick Outdoor Recreation & Education Center.

ABOUT ROTARY CHARITIES

Since its inception in the mid-70s, Rotary Charities has distributed more than $56 million in the form of 1,250 grants to organizations and non-profits in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Kalkaska and Antrim counties. The public foundation was formed following the 1976 discovery of oil and natural gas reserves on property owned by the Traverse City Rotary Club/Rotary Camps & Services. Its purpose over the years has been to distribute interest income generated from the oil and gas royalties to organizations throughout the five-county region of northwest Michigan. More information is available at www.traversecityrotary.org/charities/.

ABOUT ROTARY CAMPS & SERVICES

Created in 1955, Rotary Camps & Services is a separate 501(c)(1) nonprofit, which owns 1,800 acres in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. Their mission is to steward strategic land and water resources, and be collaborative innovators who respond to community opportunities.

#######
National Network Leader Coming to TC

Rotary Charities, NorthSky Nonprofit Network, and Networks Northwest are pleased to announce that a national expert will be be helping us learn how to nurture healthy networks that contribute to stronger, more resilient communities. June Holley, author of Network Weaver Handbook, will be kicking off this ongoing work in Traverse City on Monday, May 18th from 9am to 1pm at the Hagerty Conference Center at Northwestern Michigan College. This interactive session is open to anyone wishing to learn more about networks.

June is the author of Network Weaver Handbook and her work has been featured in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and InBusiness. She has worked with the United Nations, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Plexus Institute for Complexity, the Monitor Institute, and many others to understand how to create healthier networks through a better understanding of self-organization, collaboration, innovation and learning.

Additional support provided by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets can be purchased below.

Sell Tickets Online through Eventbrite
Rotary Show Coming Soon

Nori grape silver beet broccoli kombu beet greens fava bean potato quandong celery. Bunya nuts black-eyed pea prairie turnip leek lentil turnip greens parsnip. Sea lettuce lettuce water chestnut eggplant winter purslane fennel azuki bean earthnut pea sierra leone bologi leek soko chicory celtuce parsley jÃcama salsify.

Celery quandong swiss chard chicory earthnut pea potato. Salsify taro catsear garlic gram celery bitterleaf wattle seed collard greens nori. Grape wattle seed kombu beetroot horseradish carrot squash brussels sprout chard.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jÃcama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd.
News Posting

The World Health Organization (WHO) unveils a new comprehensive, long-term strategy that addresses what is needed to eradicate polio by 2018.