April (at least in our part of the Northern Hemisphere) is the time for renewal, opportunity and a fresh start. Gradually we’ll have warmer weather (we really will), more sunlight and a start of spring flowers. In our Rotary Club, our snow-bird members are returning, our service activities are picking up and we’ll expect to see better attendance at our meetings featuring continuing excellent speakers.
The Rotarian magazine, April Edition, has a tree friendly theme to celebrate Earth Day (Arbor Day) on April 22 and also to recognize RI President Ian Riseley’s challenge for Rotarians to plant 1.2 million trees around the world. Articles describe what Rotary Clubs around the world are doing for the ecology through planting trees and articles mix in history of how Rotary has being doing this for many decades. I particularly enjoyed learning about specific species of trees planted by Rotary Clubs throughout the world for selected reasons to preserve biodiversity. There are fun stories from the Apple trees planted in Germany, to Brazilwood trees in obviously Brazil, to African Cherry in Tanzania and Uganda and even cover Jack Pine in upper Great Lakes. There are tree planting efforts going on locally that we can individually participate in.
While April is renewal and a fresh start for many things, our Rotary Club will be transitioning to new officers and board members in the coming months. Our Club Assembly and board meetings review a status report of what we’ve done and receiving suggestions for what more can be done in 2018-19 year. Please let us know what more we can do.
We are gearing up for our fundraiser, "The Taste of the Hops", which will held be on Friday, August 17 at Snail Lake Park. The first step is getting sponsors. If you have a potential sponsor, give the name to Ken Hola or me and we will take it from there. It's easy, but if we don't have anyone to ask, we won't have any sponsors. In addition, if you know of any potential brewers, let me know.
This lists shows people responsible to be the "Greeter" for the day, and also to begin the morning. If you are unable to be the Greeter on the assigned day please trade with someone and let me know about the change.
Youth Exchange Update - North Star Youth Exchange wins national award
The North Star Youth Exchange is the organization that administers student exchange programs in our Rotary District. It is comprised of hundreds of volunteers. In March 2018, the North Star Youth Exchange program was awarded this year’s outstanding district in all of North America at the North American Youth Exchange Network Conference. An event which includes 400 youth exchange officers from all over the world.
One of features the North Star program was sited for is the explosive growth of the short term summer exchange program. Our club is sponsoring a participant in the short term exchange program this summer.
The Club welcomed guest John Cordinger and frequent visitor Irene Meinen. The guest speaker was Adam Lee, who is the store manager at the Kowalski's in Shoreview. Adam indicated that he had worked for Kowalski's for 14 years. He indicated that during his career he had worked in several positions at stores in Woodbury, St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Excelsior and now Shoreview. He noted that Kowalski's has been around for about 35 years and that the first store was on Grand Avenue. He indicated that the new Shoreview store was doing well and it has been open about a year and a half. Kowalski's views itself as a civic business and as an active participant in the community. The Shoreview site is unique in that it not only has the retail store, but they also use the other half of the former Rainbow Foods site as their bakery and catering site. Adam then responded to numerous questions from club members.
The Club welcomed guest Don Martin who spoke about the upcoming mobile pack for Feed My Starving Children non-profit that would be held at Incarnation Lutheran Church. Colleen Lavin also discussed the Ronald McDonald house dinner that Rotary would be preparing on April 5th.
The guest speaker was Ellen Schroeder, a Brooklyn Center Rotary Club member, who works on an innovative international project in Haiti. The project involves helping the women of Haiti learn sewing skills to make reusable menstrual products for young women. In the past, many young women would drop out of school due to the lack of menstrual product. The sewing program has expanded to include baby blankets and carry bags. She travels to Haiti two or three times per year and has now built a home, that includes a sewing center, in Haiti that is used to support this effort. The women who make these products are able to sell the products to make money. Ellen showed a number of pictures of her new home and sewing center in Haiti.
The Club welcomed guest Don Martin who spoke about the upcoming mobile pack for Feed My Starving Children non-profit that would be held at Incarnation Lutheran Church. Colleen Lavin also discussed the Ronald McDonald house dinner that Rotary would be preparing on April 5th.
The guest speaker was Ellen Schroeder, a Brooklyn Center Rotary Club member, who works on an innovative international project in Haiti. The project involves helping the women of Haiti learn sewing skills to make reusable menstrual products for young women. In the past, many young women would drop out of school due to the lack of menstrual product. The sewing program has expanded to include baby blankets and carry bags. She travels to Haiti two or three times per year and has now built a home, that includes a sewing center, in Haiti that is used to support this effort. The women who make these products are able to sell the products to make money. Ellen showed a number of pictures of her new home and sewing center in Haiti.