Interested in Italian history, language and culture? 

The Italian Culture Worldwide Rotarian Fellowship (ICWRF) [Whew! that's a mouthful!] is managed by an International Board that runs six continental areas, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. So it is definitely worldwide. The association's membership is open to all, Italians and non-Italians. It aims to create an International Service Network among all people interested in Italian culture, Italian cultural associations, in Italy and in the world, and all institutions and individuals who are interested in or activate dedicate themselves to the study, promotion and analysis of Italian culture and its diffusion in the world.

This Fellowship is a serious one – following Rotary's guidelines for promoting peace and understanding worldwide – it promotes studying the mechanisms for spreading Italian culture abroad and its adaptation to local society and values. In general, the organization supports “the advancement of understanding, goodwill and international peace, through an international network of friendship and collaboration between professionals and businessmen united in the ideals of service , respecting their individual nations and their own values, and in the interest of Italian culture and values of life.” That's taken straight from their website. 

Visit icwrf.org for more information about how to join.

A longtime Rotary leader in our club, Past President Royce Engstrom will be the speaker at our March 25 meeting, joined by Past President Rick Oncken and Director of International Service Tim Berry. All three Rotarians returned recently from a trip to Guatemala to carry out our international volunteer work for Rotary. They will share their experiences.

The Rotary Club of Missoula has been a member for more than a decade of a coalition of Western Montana Rotary Clubs whose purpose is to bring clean water and healthier conditions to underserved areas. Guatemala has been a focal point for the coalition. 

 

Royce joined our Rotary Club in December 2009. He served on the club’s board of directors and as president in 2021-22. Royce has coordinated our club's leadership role in Rotary's international service work in Guatemala for some time and recently returned from a visit there along with Rick and Tim. 

Royce retired from a long career with the University of Montana, where he served as professor of chemistry, provost and president. Prior to that, he worked in various roles at the University of South Dakota. 

Royce grew up in Nebraska and spent several years in Wisconsin. He is married to Mary Engstrom. The couple has two adult children and now six grandkids, which keep them rich in frequent-flyer miles. Royce plays music, a benefit to our Rotary club, and builds wooden boats when not attending Rotary meetings. 

 

Rick has been a member of Rotary for 47 years. He first joined a Rotary club in 1978 in Nebraska. As his publishing career moved him from state to state, he always found a local Rotary club, joining a second Rotary club in Texas, and later moving back to Nebraska where he joined a Rotary club yet again. Rick relocated to Montana in 1988 and joined the Rotary Club of Missoula. When he was looking for a new job, a fellow Rotarian suggested he apply for a sales position at Lambros Real Estate. He met with the late Dan Lambros who hired him on the spot to sell rural property. Rick joined our Rotary club’s board a few years ago and, once he had retired from selling real estate, he volunteered to take on the leadership role as president of the club during the 2023-24 Rotary year. He has remained an active leader and volunteer, especially in international service.

Tim is the newest member of the three, having joined Rotary club nearly two years ago. Late last year, he joined the Rotary board as director of International Service, replacing Marilyn Morris, who relocated to Florida. Tim is a psychologist and owner of the Center for Positive Change, LLC. He and his wife Jane live in Missoula. 

Tim holds masters and doctoral degrees in both psychology and religious studies. He has consistently maintained a clinical practice (psychotherapy) in psychology. His special focus for over 28 years has been in coaching individuals towards positive change. In addition, he was a licensed Fishing Guide for 18 years. When appropriate, he continues to utilize the water in his Transition-Coaching work.

These speakers are hosted by Royce Engstrom.

 

Buy tickets now for In Tune Missoula 2026

Thursday, April 23

7 pm - 9 pm

Zootown Arts Community Center

235 N. 1st Street, Missoula, MT 59802

 

Support music in our schools and enjoy the music of 

Beau Akimbo & Missoula Mixtape

 

In Tune tickets now available online. Use QR code below or 

visit https://RotaryClubofMissoula.org/events/in-tune-missoula-2026/

 

EPIC DAY OF SERVICE Project Chair Phyllis Green announced that our club members have selected a project for Rotary's EPIC DAY OF SERVICE. Rotarians will upgrade the signage area for Fort Missoula on Saturday, May 16, 2026, Rotary's EPIC DAY OF SERVICE. Phyllis said she is working with the City of Missoula to assure our project meets city standards for low maintenance plants. Making our community more beautiful is indeed EPIC!

The Rotary Clubs of Missoula Sunrise and Missoula Centennial will work together on the same day to clean up the areas along Mullan Road, a highly trafficked and growing area of town.

All clubs will meet together afterward for pizza and fellowship. Be sure to sign up to volunteer. 

Save the date!  Thanks for your support!

 

Past Rotary President Mark Steelquist has been busy talking around town about Rotary. He and others in the community are recruiting new Rotary members to join an “after-hours Rotary club” to meet twice monthly on Tuesday evenings in downtown Missoula. The new club is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Missoula. It represents the fifth Rotary club in Missoula, including the flagship Rotary Club of Missoula, Rotary Club of Missoula Sunrise, Rotary Club of Missoula Centennial, and Missoula Rotaract Club. 

Some people can’t attend a morning or a lunch club, Mark explained. There are many whose jobs restrict them from attending a meeting during traditional hours. More workers are home-based with online work meetings happening to coincide with time zones around the world. When workers in today’s work world leave a computer to have lunch, a stack of emails piles up that takes forever to catch up. Worldwide teams rely on them, so they must be present.

The work life has changed for a lot of people, he says. The evening meeting time fits many who are interested in joining Rotary but can’t be bound by daytime meeting hours.  

Rotary clubs of all types have been chartered throughout the world in recent years, including E-clubs that meet entirely online and single focus clubs that raise funds for one type of charitable need. 

Missoula’s new downtown club seeks members whose schedule accommodates a nighttime gathering. 

“We won’t poach members (from other Rotary clubs), or we will if they need a night meeting,” says Mark, who indicated that 17 prospective members are already interested in joining. Rotary International requires 15 members to start a new club. 

The after-hours Rotary club has already planned a fundraiser, says Mark, a pinball tournament presented jointly with Watson’s Children’s Center.

“We’ll be fast and go quickly,” he says. “Fast decision making means we may make mistakes. Today’s business environment accepts that mistakes will be made, so we will learn as a group. Emergent quality occurs when everyone learns together. If it doesn’t work, it will fail spectacularly and we’ll share why it didn’t.” 

Mark invited all Missoula Rotary members to visit a meeting of the new club once it is chartered, which should be soon. The club has been meeting at the Missoula Symphony offices temporarily while looking for a more permanent meeting location.