Fort Rotary recognizes members 

The Rotary Club of Fort Atkinson recently recognized three members who exemplify the organization’s motto of “Service Above Self.”

Edwin Bos, Carl Strayer and Margaret Bare were honored during the club’s annual awards luncheon June 24 at Rock River Park’s Rotary Pavilion.

Rotarian Bill Camplin presented Edwin Bos with the Allan S. Haukom Service Above Self Award, which is presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of Rotary.

Camplin noted that Bos’ parents, Harry and Aleide Bos, emigrated from The Netherlands to Wisconsin in 1962, seven years after Harry first visited Fort Atkinson through a Farm Bureau exchange program. They raised their three children on a 60-acre farm they transformed by digging ponds and planting 20,000 trees. Harry, who founded what today is Bos Design Buildings, became a member of Rotary.

“That business continues in the next generation, which our recipient, as co–owner with his brother, have built into one of the largest post-frame building companies in the United States,” the presenter said, noting that post-frame buildings do not require interior support walls and are ideal for housing farm machinery, for example. 

Camplin noted that Bos served on the School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education, coached youth soccer, served on various civic committees and now, in Florida, is involved with his wife, Joanna, in the charitable Rosemary Beach Foundation.

“Within our club, he is a past-president and was district governor for 2019-20, when his well-organized plans for a convention of District 6250 clubs in Fort Atkinson was canceled by the pandemic of that same year,” he recalled. “He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow contributor and was awarded an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow in 2017.”

In 2012, Bos visited India as part of a Rotary Friendship Exchange, Camplin noted. He went to the Philippines in 2015 and again in 2017 and, along with other club members, helped provide funds to extend a water pipeline to small villages, providing potable water to schools,, daycares and citizens, many of whom live below the poverty line and previously had no access to clean water. 

“In these past two years, he has been instrumental in helping Ukrainian refugee children who, with their families, have been welcomed to Poland, by gathering the funds to present these youngsters with books to help them navigate and learn the Polish language and to continue their education,” Camplin said. “We had a visit from Polish Rotarians last year and our recipient was on the front lines in making these things happen.”

He noted that eight years ago, Bos was among 10 American Rotarians to travel to Nepal at the invitation of a small Rotary Club there.

At the time, Camplin said, Bos stated “and I quote, ‘The people living in the villages were the poorest of the poor, all with incomes of under $1 a day and many with no income at all. Those with no income lived off the land as best they could.’”

There, the presenter said, Bos met an enthusiastic 14-year-old girl whom he subsequently helped create a one-way exchange to bring her to Fort Atkinson.

“Most of you probably recognize Isha Paudel of Nepal and her ongoing studies here in Wisconsin,” Camplin said. “She entirely attributes this opportunity to this recipient, whom she met during a Rotary Friendship Exchange to Nepal in 2016.”

He shared the following remarks from Paudel: Since then, Bos “has supported me through every step of my life. He has played a huge role in shaping who I am today and where I am now. Whenever I have a big decision to make or a problem to face, the first thought that comes to my mind is ‘let me call him.’ His kindness isn’t reserved only to those he knows, but extends to all those he encounters. He always has stories about his next Friendship Exchange or a Rotary fund he’s helping raise money for. … He is kind, funny and he does really live the motto of ‘Service Above Self.’ Above all, he isn’t just another Rotarian to me; he’s like a father to me.”

Camplin also quoted Bos’ siblings, Harman Bos, of Fort Atkinson, and Hilda Hantzsch of Baraboo, who said their brother could be very persuasive.

“One example is from back in their 4-H days,” Camplin said. “His sister was in the sewing project and after she ran out of neighborhood kids to sew outfits for, she decided that her two brothers should be her next“runway models. (Bos) jumped at the opportunity and persuaded his younger brother to come aboard as ‘it would be a good way to get the attention of girls. This proved not to be the anticipated successful result. It did prove to get the attention of the girls, but not in the way intended.’”

Camplin also shared a story about Bos’ love of surprising family, including an unannounced return home for Christmas from Rotterdam, where he was studying for his master’s in business.

He told his family he would not be coming to Fort Atkinson for Christmas, which was logical due to school and travel costs, Camplin said.

“However, he first surprised his sister by showing up at her apartment in Madison, where she was attending UW. What he didn’t know was that his sister had a surprise for him: She had started dating one of his former housemates while he was gone. But he handled that in stride and, 38 years later, he still has a former roommate for a brother-in-law,” Camplin shared.

Meanwhile, the following day, Bos surprised Harman by being in the hallway when his younger brother walked out the door of his final exam, also at UW-Madison.

Also at the luncheon, Rotarian Kris Curran presented Carl Strayer, who happens to be her husband, with the Five Avenues of Service Award.

Named for Rotary’s commitment to ‘Service Above Self,’ it is channeled through club, vocational, community, international and new generations service.

“This mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through our fellowship of business, professional and community leaders,” Curran said. “Occasionally, there are Rotarians who demonstrate outstanding efforts in all Five Avenues of Service.. This year we had such an individual.

Curran said that Strayer actively participates in the social events of the club and faithfully attends its weekly meetings. In addition, he helps facilitate the club’s online presence for Rotarians who need to join virtually, and he recently he began serving on the executive board.

As for community service, Curran said, Strayer has volunteered with Feed Your Soul many times, helped string holiday lights at the Rotary depot on the Glacial River Trail, helped refurbish the Rotary Pavilion and volunteers at club fundraisers such as the wine and beer tasting and Rotary Youth Exchange weekend.

As for new generations service, she said, Strayer “has helped out the Interact club at their pancake breakfast fundraiser and helped with transporting students home from RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). He has influenced many students through his leadership with the Fort Atkinson Youth Soccer Association (FAYSA). He coached many different youth soccer teams, served as president for FAYSA and continued to support those same students (which included his own kids) by organizing the concession stand at high school soccer games.

“The students he coached during his time at FAYSA are now graduated from high school and are probably only now beginning to appreciate the impact this Rotarian had on their understanding of leadership as well as sportspersonship,” she added.

Turning to vocational service, Curran noted that as a technical services specialist at Promega in Madison, Strayer supports researchers in their quest to answer scientific questions, as well as supporting genetic identify testing in police departments and clinical testing. He worked with scientists to develop and modify RNA testing for COVID 19 during the pandemic.

“He will tell you that his favorite thing to do in his job is help customers,” Curran said. “Being a senior member of his team, he helps train new hires and supervisors specific employees. Since I know this Rotarian pretty well, I can tell you that he is very patient and supportive with the people he mentors.”

The fifth category is New Generations Service, which is work to engage youth and young adults in leadership roles. Curran said her husband first became involved with foreign-exchange students through a support system at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, designed to build bridges across cultures. That connected him to Dick Schultz, an active Fort Atkinson AFS supporter and host parent.

“Carl and I hosted three international exchange students over the years: a young man from Germany, a young lady from Thailand and, most recently, a young lady from Spain,” Curran said. “This fall, we will be hosting Maxime, our Rotary foreign-exchange student from France.”

She continued: “These activities fostered an international bug for our son, Casey, who researched programs and picked the Rotary Exchange program. He went to Brazil in 2019, but needed to come home earlier in April 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. After that experience, we both decided to join the Fort Atkinson Rotary Club.”

She concluded, “I can tell you that one of Carl’s strong beliefs is that he should give back to his community. Service is very important to him.”

Also during the awards luncheon, Margaret Bare was named the club’s Honorary Paul Harris Fellow.

“Each year, the Fort Atkinson Club recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to our club,” said presenter Jim Nelson. “This year, we are honoring an individual who has contributed in many ways (by) serving as our president, treasurer and as chair of various fundraising committee; is an ongoing contributor to the Rotary Foundation; participates in several service events, as well as continues to serve on our board.”

Outside of Rotary, Bare is active in her church as a Mass lector and funeral food coordinator and is a small business owner; member of the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce, Fort Community Credit Union Board of Directors; board member and past-president of the National Association of Tax Preparers; past board member of the Evergreen Cemetery Association and Humane Society of Jefferson County; and sponsor and supporter of Paddy’s Paws, BASE, Koshkonong Mounds Country Club’s Youth Golf Academy, Fort Atkinson Charity Concerts, Jefferson County Fair and many other fundraisers for local individuals and charities, Nelson said.

Bare and her husband have six daughters and three granddaughters.

“Not mentioned above is all the time and energy Margaret has made to her daughters’’activities as they grew up,” he said. “Margaret maybe crosses the boundaries into the category of ‘Super Rotarian.’ She is certainly worthy of our praise and gratitude for all that she has done for our club and our community.”

Also during the luncheon, Shelly Cloute was recognized for five years of service and Kim Foelker, for 10 years.

New members welcomed during the past year included Christopher Veldkamp, Andrew Adelmeyer, Kirsten Crossgrove, Erin Nichols and Leigh Ann Scheurrell.

Jim Nelson and Lisa Tuttle Woods are serving as co-presidents of the club for 2024-25. They presented outgoing President Jill Kessenich with a gavel plaque.