Meeting Minutes
Torch Club of the Fox Valley
15 January 2026
Torchmark
Notes taken by: Kris Stahl, Secretary
ATTENDEES: Sue Bennett via Zoom, Nancy Van Rooy Bodway, David Debbink, Marcia Debbink, Paul Freiberg, Walt Hedges, Barb Kelly, Bill Kelly, Dale Lewellyn, John Palmquist, Jan Mirenda Smith, Kris Stahl, Peter Thiel, Scott Valitchka, Bert Wiegand, and guest Sofia Wilson via Zoom
A buffet dinner was served by Touchmark.
BUSINESS MEETING: Bert called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
The Club welcomed new member, Elaine Lewellyn.
Jan Mirenda Smith introduced her guest, Shipra Seefeldt.
Peter Thiel introduced his guests – son, Doug, and granddaughter, Abigail.
MINUTES: There were no corrections or additions to the 12/18/25 minutes. A motion
was made by Bill to accept the minutes, which was seconded by Paul. All were in favor and the minutes were approved as published.
TREASURER'S REPORT: Barb reported a beginning balance of $2,996.09 as of
12/12/25. There were receipts of $215.00 for dues and no disbursements, leaving a
balance of $3,211.09 as of 1/09/26. It was moved by Dale and seconded by David to
accept the Treasurer's report. All were in favor and the report was approved.
VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Walt reported that 2026 volunteer speakers are now
scheduled for January, February, March, April, and May, but speakers are still needed for the fall months of October, November, and December.
OLD BUSINESS:
Paul reminded members about the upcoming IATC Convention. It will be held June 11-13 in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Paul reported on the services of the Winchester/larsen Lions Club. The Lions have a
large building filled with a great variety of medical supplies and equipment which are available for free to the public. The Lions also build and loan wheelchair ramps to the public for a nominal fee. He also reported on the Appleton Lions Club's new medical loan closet for people in the Appleton area.
NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.
It was moved by Paul and seconded by Bill to adjourn the business meeting. All were in favor and the business meeting was adjourned at 6:33 p.m
Presentation: Scott and John collaborated to present their talk on "The Origin of Lake Superior & The Keweenaw Peninsula Copper" and the geological processes that led to the formation of economic minerals in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and when and how iron and copper were first discovered. They also shared copies of informative charts to help the audience understand the time periods which go back to as far as l.l – 1.2 billion years ago. Thank you, Scott and John, for sharing your knowledge and research of this fascinating topic!