Rotary Club NEWSLETTER
October 7, 2026
104 Years of Service Above Self
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Sharon Schappacher officiated this week’s meeting.
If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter.
Patriotic Song: Howard Richards led us in God Bless America
4-Way Test: Rich Bruder
Invocation: Dave Thomas
TRUST no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act-act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Calendar Winners Read Off By: Becky Philipp-Kranig
Calendar Winners October 7, 2026
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Prize | Cal# | Calendar Winner | City | Sold By |
$50 | 2888 | Richard Kozlowski | Petoskey | P. Sunrise |
$50 | 2654 | Kate Scollin | Petoskey | P. Sunrise |
$50 | 1094 | Brice Bush | Cheboygan | Cheboygan |
Visiting Rotarians: None
Guests: Paul Bianchi, Speaker
Life Events:
Birthdays: None
Anniversaries:
Samantha Fee – 2 Years
Singing/Song: Howard Richards led us in Smile
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rotary Club of Petoskey Centennial Grant — Now Accepting Applications. The Rotary Club of Petoskey has launched its Centennial Grant Program, making up to $277,000 available for a bricks-and-mortar community project in Emmet County. Eligible organizations — including nonprofits, municipalities, educational institutions, and public agencies — are invited to apply. Projects must be shovel-ready and capable of completion within 12–24 months of award. This is a capital investment grant; events, programs, and operational funding are not eligible. Applications are open now through November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET via the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation's SmartSimple grant portal. An optional Zoom information session will be held September 24 at 1 p.m. ET. Visit petoskeyrotary.org to learn more and apply.
Get ready! The Rotary Great Grocery Giveaway Raffle officially kicks off August 26.
Tickets are $25 each, and every Rotarian is asked to sell at least 10 tickets.
1st Prize: $100 a week for a year — $5,200
2nd Prize: $50 a week for a year — $2,600
3rd Prize: $25 a week for a year — $1,300
Tickets and everything you need to start selling will be available at our regular meeting on August 26. Get ready to sell!
Members are encouraged to keep selling raffle tickets. Anyone who sells tickets will be entered into a drawing for a special prize as an extra incentive!
Grocery Raffle update: Rotarians now have a fabulous opportunity to sell our grocery raffle tickets outside of D&W grocery store! A signup sheet is forthcoming. Remember, if we sell all 3,000 raffle tickets, we will raise $75,000 for Club activities. Congratulations to our Seller of the Week, Steve Brown, who has sold 68 raffle tickets so far!
Oct. 14 Club Mixer with District Governor: Save the date! On October 14 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM, all Rotarians from Petoskey, Inland Lakes, and Cheboygan clubs are invited to join our District Governor for a mixer. It will be at Bob's Place Restaurant in Alanson.
Good news! We’ve been approved to set up a Rotary booth at the Downtown Petoskey Holiday Open House on Friday, December 4, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. It is FREE. We’ll have a tent in Pennsylvania Park near the chamber and stage where we can sell grocery raffle tickets and can hand out cookies, cocoa, or another holiday treat. This is just a heads-up for now. I’ll announce it to the full club and put together a volunteer sign-up as we get closer. We’ll need people to staff the booth and some bakers willing to donate cookies. The timing should be great since it’s just a few weeks before the ticket sales deadline and drawing, so hopefully we can move a lot of those last tickets! Just wanted to get it on everyone’s radar and calendars.
October 28 Meeting: Don't forget to wear your Halloween costume to our October 28th Rotary lunch!
Member–Hosted Community Events
Member Induction: None
Member Spotlight: None
PROGRAM: Paul Bianchi — Cross Village Veterans Memorial Park
Our program focused on the Cross Village Veterans Memorial Park and its new master plan, presented by the owner of Black Barn Farm in Cross Village.
The new memorial park is being designed in the shape of the Blue Heart Medal, honoring the veterans of Company K, an all-Native American company that served during the Civil War. The completed memorial will tell the stories and preserve the names of the men who served, creating a lasting place to educate, honor their legacy, and remember their service.
A Look at Cross Village History
The presentation also explored the history of Cross Village and the ways the community has been shaped by its Native American heritage and significant historical events.
Following Michigan's statehood in 1837, Native Americans purchased land in the area as a way to protect it from settlers and preserve their community. After the landowner's death, the property was returned to Native members as another effort to prevent Native displacement.
The community was also deeply impacted by the 1918 fire, which changed the landscape and history of Cross Village. One historic building discussed was the former schoolhouse, built in 1870. The building has since been moved into downtown Cross Village and now serves as the community's town hall.
Company K & the Civil War
The presentation provided insight into the experiences of Company K, which was made up of 137 Native American soldiers.
One particularly interesting part of the presentation focused on the sharpshooter test, which identified soldiers with exceptional skill at hitting small targets. Those with these abilities often became snipers, protecting front-line troops and artillery.
Company K faced a significant learning curve during the war, including communication challenges because many of the Native soldiers did not speak English. They developed ways to communicate using drums and bugles.
During their first major battle, the Battle of the Wilderness, soldiers used the surrounding landscape to their advantage. Wearing traditional blue uniforms, they rolled in the mud to camouflage themselves—a tactic that would later become an effective battlefield practice.
Company K also participated in the Battle of the Crater in 1864, where sharpshooter Antoine Scott was recognized for his service. Scott was later honored posthumously with the Blue Heart Medal, which became an important inspiration for the design of the new Cross Village memorial.
The Memorial's Future
The first piece of the new memorial has already been installed: a 30-foot flagpole. The remainder of the memorial park is anticipated to be constructed during the summer of 2027.
The project will ultimately provide Cross Village with a place to share this important history while honoring the veterans of Company K and preserving their stories for future generations.
Next Week’s Program: Shane Horn, Village of Petoskey