Many thanks to Matt Rossetter for his service in the past year as President of the Rotary Club of Arden Hills! Matt has kept his cool and led excellent meetings when the speakers have not shown up – on multiple occasions! I can only hope to
I am honored to be serving as president of this vibrant and cohesive club! We had another amazing year last year! Membership increased (thank you Elinor), we had increased service hours (thank you Jim), great tours (thank you Kay), supported the efforts of other 6 Rotary clubs in our district and around the world (thank you Ken for all the fundraising) initiated our own district grant for AED’s in parks here in Shoreview (thank you Elinor for your passion and persistence), hosted Nil, an exchange student from Spain (thank you Charlie, Jim, and others), strengthened our outreach to Mounds View High School (thank you Miriam), provided generous donations to the Rotary International Foundation (thank you Peggy for keeping us on task) and we are financially stronger than a year ago (thank you Charlie for working on the budget). All this was possible, in large part because of the long-time dedication of our Treasurer, Jerry, and Secretary, Paul – thanks to both of you for years of service!
So, what’s ahead for the coming year? The top priority is to keep the momentum going!
We completed the Rotary-recommended 3 year visioning last year and we will continue to move forward on the priorities and goals identified. I will spare you the details for now...
Thanks for your participation and engagement in this community we call Rotary, which begins in Arden Hills and Shoreview and extends around the world. Let’s make it another year of sharing with each other, with our community, and our world. Service above self – it’s more than just a motto...
Several Rotarians have spent time on a couple of Saturdays in June working on beautifying Floral Park in Arden Hills. This has been one of our on-going projects to the local community. Most of the work has been weeding and removing invasive species. Beyond the improvements in the gardens, it has been a great time to enjoy pleasant Saturday mornings, and, more importantly, spending some nice time with fellow Rotarians. We have scheduled ourselves to work on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 9:00 to 11:00. The time isn’t rigid and if you would like to help but can’t stay for two hours, that is fine. Love to have you there.
Update on our Global Grant: Ear & Hearing Care for Liberia
Background: During our September 9, 2025, club meeting, we packed 7 “kits” that arrived in January.
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One of 7 Equipment kits for Ear & Hearing Care
The team from the Non-Profit, Church Aid, Inc. has recently delivered these 7 kits to different hospitals around Liberia. Providing Ear & Hearing Care outside of the capitol city of Monrovia is a HUGE step forward for Liberia.
Moses Bimah and Dargai Porkpah are nurses at Curran Lutheran Hospital, which is in remote Lofa County, a 5 to 10 hour drive from Monrovia, depending on the road conditions and flooding. They were trained as Hearing Instrument Specialists at a 10 month program at the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia (a different African country).
Moses and Dargai (in front with the “kit”)
at Curran Lutheran Hospital in Lofa County, Liberia, West Africa
Hearing Test in Progress: Liberia, West Africa
with the audiometer from the “kit
Thanks to all for your support as we continue to make progress to bring
Frank Mabley and his wife Jean Kummerow were our speakers today and presented a fascinating look at the country of Uzbekistan, which they visited in April 2024. They traveled there at the invitation of a former exchange student that Frank hosted in 1998. Uzbekistan and its fellow "stans" located in Central Asia are unknown to most of us due to distance and their history of previously being part of the U.S.S.R. I think we were all taken by the dazzling art and architecture we saw in their presentation. Even the subways are works of art. Uzbekistan had a long hay day (120 BC to 1553 AD) as part of the "Silk Road". This country, which is 80% Muslim, has recently begun to attract international visitors and welcomes them warmly. Apparently Rotary has not yet gained a foothold there but, given the current environment may certainly get there. Thank you Frank and Jean!
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