Seven months of the 2020-21 Rotary year is behind us. We have accomplished many positive things in spite of, or at times because of, COVID-19. You will see that the next 5 months will provide you with many opportunities for service. The Community Service Team is as busy as ever with a new project just starting and several in the works. One of these is the adoption of McCullough Park in Shoreview. One of many activities at the park is the establishment of a pollinator garden, aligning with Rotary’s new focus on the environment. The Human Trafficking Team is busily finalizing plans for our virtual Human Trafficking Community Forum on April 15. This spring, the Youth Service Team has us building, installing and stocking 5 Little Free Libraries in Shoreview. Become an engaged member and participate in these upcoming projects.
The Nut and Chocolate Sale has a push on for Valentine’s Day. When you are looking for gift ideas for your loved ones, consider supporting your club fundraiser. See Ken Hola for details.
In the Rotary calendar, February is ‘Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month’. This sounds like a concept that Rotary needs to share with the rest of humanity.
I am pleased to say that our winter speaking schedule is full, and spring is nearly so. We have a solid line-up of interesting and informative speakers committed through April 20th, and three more through May 11 currently pending. In other words, only six dates remain open in the current club year, all of them in May and June.
This spring every meeting will feature someone new and relevant, beginning on January 5th with Be Settled, the “tiny home” project that aims to solve the sticky issue of homelessness. On the 12th, an update from Amborella House, the recently opened shelter for victims of human trafficking. On January 19 we hear about local efforts to prepare youth for productive futures through apprentice and manufacturing ready programs. And on January 26th an intriguing look at the life of a Navy Seal.
That’s not all. Ramsey County Attorney, John Choi, will speak to us about human trafficking from a law-enforcement perspective. We have Paul Gardner from the Minnesota Clean Water Council, Jill Funck from H.B. Fuller, Katrina Lund from woman-owned non-profit recycler, Eureka Recycling, well-known writer and performer, Greta Grosch, and many others, all contributing to AH-S Rotary Club life.
There are half a dozen slots left to fill in the current club year and another whole twelve months to come in 2021-22. So, if you know of someone interesting and informative, by all means consult the AHSRC Speaker Signup sheet or call me at 651-246-7056. Or just pick a few dates and commit to finding our speakers for those dates. Together, we can make every meeting a great meeting.
There is a reason Rotary celebrates peace. International understanding has been a high priority for Rotary since its very beginning . Peace projects, however, seem a difficult and too broad an issue to tackle. Rotary clubs have members from different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities. Some members may want to take stands against social injustice in their local community and abroad and others may consider these issues political or controversial and don’t want to take action. I think our club having chosen sex trafficking education as a focus area shows we are committed to community awareness of a serious issue. To be a viable presence in the community we must always look for ways to bring such issues to our area.
Be sure to spread the word about our trafficking workshop on April 15, 2021
February 2021 Update on the Amaravati Sewing School Project
As previously reported, the Pandemic has disrupted everything in India except for the deeply rooted poverty that is so pervasive in the ghettos in the cities and in much of the rural areas. In spite of the ongoing Pandemic, there is also a great political upheaval that has created a greater divide in India than arguably exists here in the United States with rural subsistence farmers demanding the repeal of new laws rescinding established laws regulating the sale or barter of agricultural produce. Amaravati has not been spared from the turmoil associated with either.
In a recent conversations with Gummadi Franklin, Pushpa’s founder and chair, and his wife, Shirley, who live in Arden Hills, they have been very positive about the school and the role they hope it will continue to have in Amaravati.
The school has been permitted to reopen, but only partially and only for five students. The school had come together very well prior to the onset of the Pandemic, but the Pandemic has affected everything. The elders in the community want the school to remain and Pushpa has been very frugal with the funds our District 5960 grant has provided, so there will be sufficient funds to reestablish the school as further steps in the reopening of the school can be taken.
As previously reported, a first graduating class received their certificates of completion prior to the Pandemic. A picture of the graduating class seated with their arms raised as they wait for their certificates is shown below.
Two of the graduating students are picture in another picture below, one, who was chosen to speak to the gathering at the graduation ceremony and another who is receiving her certificate from Chairman Franklin. Also with the students and Chairman Franklin is the Teacher (Suzanne) and a teaching assistant.
Pushpa's mission is to help marginalized community members of rural Guntur District villages transition from migrant, subsistent lifestyles, dependent on seasonal labor and temporary shelter, to sustainable livelihoods in healthy communities. Its mission has not changed. The organization’s main goal is to work together with underprivileged (tribal) members of rural Guntur District villages to find ways to enable socio-economic change in small ways, one person, one family, one student, at a time, through projects in which the recipients themselves participate. (See http://pushpaproject.org/vision_mission.htm )
One of the elders in Amaravati is pictured below after he was given the honor of cutting the green ribbon in a ceremony for the opening of the school in May of 2019.
A lot of hard work went into establishing the school and there are many people to thank for their hard work and significant contributions. Pushpa is working hard to fully reopen the Sewing School out of respect for the hard work that went before and out of respect for the funds received from the District 5960 Grant. The Sewing School has graduated its first class and the Organization looks forward to fully reopening the school when it is possible. We are now awaiting further word as to further progress regarding the reopening and that of the current students.
The leaders of PUSHPA, both here in Arden Hills and in Andhra Pradesh, India are especially grateful for the support for the new sewing school from the Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary Club and Rotary District 5960 and have expressed their gratitude privately and acknowledged the Club’s sponsorship of the school by erecting the sign shown in the picture below.
We and Pushpa are thankful for the matching grant received from Rotary District 5960 and to the following Rotary Clubs for their generous support of our project: Belle Plain; Brooklyn Center; Forrest Lake; Fridley Columbia Heights; New Brighton Mounds View; Prior Lake; Roseville; St. Croix Falls; St. Paul No. 10; Siren Webster; West St. Paul Mendota Heights; and White Bear Lake.
You may have read Kathy Hughitt’s message on Vocational service encouraging us all to focus on projects to develop ethical consciousness and vocational skills of Rotarians but also the talents within their communities. Keeping this mind, the Vocational Service and Youth Services team has proposed the following two new projects to begin this month.
Recognize Individuals who have done exemplary service or work in their vacations and professions
The objective is to recognize individuals or groups within our community and neighborhood to promote the Rotary values of high ethics in business and professions, honor exemplary service, recognize dignity of employment and worthiness of all useful occupations. We expect to make this a quarterly award.
A subcommittee consisting of 3 to 5 members will be formed to first layout the process for receiving nominations and selecting the person(s) to be recognized. Please volunteer to be on the committee.
Bill Klumpp prepared these set of guidelines as a criterion for recognition. The subcommittee can use this or modify as required.
Demonstrated excellence in the skills necessary to perform in the vocation and given long and meritorious service.
Provided leadership to those in the vocation and adhered to the ethical standards of the vocation.
Achieved a reputation from peers as an outstanding member of the vocation; and
Served as a mentor to new or less experienced members of the vocation; and
Fulfilled the ideals of Rotary by demonstrating Service Above Self.
Please let Anoop Mathur know of your interest in serving on this subcommittee.
A literacy project to promote literacy in our community and neighborhood with specific focus on provide ready access to children’s books and books by authors from other countries.
In discussions with our Shoreview Library librarian Carol Johnson on best way to promote literacy, we cam e up on the idea of building, installing, and maintaining, “The Little Free Libraries”. You have seen these little libraries at several locations around town. Little Free Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges. Clubs in our District have had good success doing this.
Our goal is to build at least five little libraries in 2021 and install them in summer after the ground thaws. We will work with the library and the City to determine the best locations for this.
So, please step up and volunteer to build these libraries in your garage. The Youth and Vocational service committee will prepare the build plans (which are available from the Little Library organization), bill of materials. Rotarians can volunteer to build, and / or paint and later install. You can participate in many ways. Please sign up and let Anoop Mathur know, that you are willing to help with this project. We can do this a group when things settle with COVID-19 or do it independently. For now, please volunteer.
This will be on the weekly meeting agenda till we get the required the number of volunteers.
Today we welcomed Guy Bowling as our speaker. Guy leads "The Father Project" which began in 1999 and now is part of the Goodwill/Easter Seals organization. Guy has a B.A. from Metro State University and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree at the U of M and has received a Bush Fellowship to support his educational and career goals. The Father Project was created to address the crisis of father absence in our country. More than 1 in 4 children live without a father in the home. This organization helps fathers achieve stability and build skills to positively impact their families. Last year 131 fathers took a 12 week class to build their fathering skills. This is down from 370 in 2016, when their federal funding became reduced. Currently the organization is also working to improve relationships between police and the black community in a program facilitated by the U of M. They have cultivated a number of partnerships with state and local organizations in pursuit of their goals. Guy wrapped up his comments with this thought: "Save Mom, save the child. Save Dad, save the family. Save the family, save the community." It was noted that club member Anoop has been a volunteer with this organization, doing 1:1 mentoring for young men studying to get their GED degree.
Today's speaker was Morgan Kinross-Wright, VP of Community Relations and Foundation for Land O' Lakes Cooperative, headquartered here in Arden Hills. Land O' Lakes will celebrate its 100 year anniversary in 2021. It began as MN Cooperative Creameries in 1921 and then expanded later into feed, seed, and other related agricultural businesses. Today it includes 1711 dairy producers, 744 agricultural producers and 989 retail owners. It has 290 facilities across the United States and is the third largest cooperative in the U.S. It recorded $14 billion in revenue in 2019. Very appropriately, its mission statement reads: "We are Feeding Human Progress". During the Q & A session, it was pointed out that honorary and past active member club member Vern Moore was an executive at Land O' Lakes and led our club in a global service project known as the "Russian Farm Project" which pursued more progressive farming techniques in Russia. This led to a larger discussion about how our club might again partner with Land O' Lakes to pursue common goals.
Today's meeting was a "Club Assembly" with no outside speaker. These quarterly meetings are set aside to devote time to reviewing club priorities and activities with the full membership. President Glenn led a discussion covering current plans in our areas of service as well as ideas for future undertakings. Rick Olson from the Prior Lake Rotary Club was also in attendance. He reviewed his club's global grant in support of the Nakavale Refugee Camp in Uganda. They are visiting clubs seeking donations to help them reach the funding level needed to finalize receipt of their grant. This has been taken under review by our club's leadership.
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