Thank you for the opportunity to lead the Youth and Vocational Service Committee for AHS Rotary Club in this year 2020, which has posed a challenge to our activities due to the Corvid pandemic. However, Rotarians shine most when they are challenged. I can say that about our committee members who put their heads together and have defined an innovative plan to adapt and yet serve the new generation.
The following is a brief on what we plan to do:
- Rotary’s STRIVE (Students Taking Renewed Interest In the Value of Education) program and Mounds View school district’s STRIPES (Students Together Respecting the Importance of Education in School) are designed to motivate students who are academically challenged to significantly improve their GPA, their attendance and their participation in school during the year. As an incentive, we award $2500 scholarship to the most improved student. During the year, Rotarians mentor students as required.
I thank Rotarian Al Ramos for his leadership in working with the Mounds View school, the Irondale School and the Rotary Club of New Brighton (who have a different program at the Irondale School) to develop a format for our program.Instead of STRIVE, we will use the School’s existing STRIPES infrastructure to motivate the students and achieve the goals of Strive.We expect to complete a plan by end of October. - Camp Enterprise, which is designed to educate and inculcate the essence of business entrepreneurship, business ethics to the selected students from our broader community, has been a phenomenally successful program sponsored by Rotary Club of Edina.Our club sends one student to this week-long program. However, this year it has been cancelled.
I must thank Rotarian Miriam Zachary who reached out to Theresa Anderson, a teacher at Mounds View, who teaches business classes to offer our services. Of course, Theresa was excited to accept our offer to share our practical business experience to students via Zoom.Rotarian John Suzukida, who has been an advisor to many start-up businesses stepped up to offer his services.The details of what we can offer is yet to be defined but not before December or before Theresa and students adjust to the new Covid normal.
In the meantime, I would like other Rotarians who have business or start-up expertise to step up and let Miriam and I know, how you can help in this endeavor to coach the students.
In the meantime, I would like other Rotarians who have business or start-up expertise to step up and let Miriam and I know, how you can help in this endeavor to coach the students.
- Rotarian Past President Bill Kiehnbaum had championed the Youth Exchange scholarship for many years.Due to uncertainty of Covid, there will be no International youth Exchange, but Bill will be ready for a domestic short-term youth exchange in later part of 2021.
- I am keen to form a Rotaract or Interact club which will be supported by our club.This can be with participation from 18 years to 30 years old from our schools or colleges or from the community. This is work in progress. Rotarian John Suzukida and Rotarian Bob Freed have offered to help me navigate the waters to reach the youth within the Cities. This is in nascent stages and I hope to have a plan by end of the Rotary year.
- Honoring those who excel in their vocation either within our club or in our community, is one of the missions and a tradition of the Rotary International. I am working with Rotarian Past President Bill Klumpp to form a sub-committee and define a criterion for selecting and honoring individuals and organizations.
- Rotarian Mark Stange has been our “Happy Dollar” go to person.He and I are discussing how best to inculcate the tenets of the 4-Way test within our club.
In our daily life, we say or do things that are truthful, fair, and things that builds friendship and goodwill and is beneficial to all concerned.We all can learn how we do that by sharing those wonderful experiences in our meeting with our “4-way test moment”.
Don’t you think? Provide your feedback on this to Mark and me. - Improving literacy is one of the six basic missions of RI. I had attended a District lecture on how an individual Rotarian had made a huge difference by distributing books to young children so they have books in their homes and can read when they want it. Rochester Club built Little Libraries and worked with local libraries to distribute books.Both are wonderful ideas.
I invite other Rotarians within our club to work with me in defining a program in these lines for our community.