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Speakers
Feb 11, 2025 7:30 AM
Minnesota Demographic Trends- Part 2
Feb 18, 2025 7:30 AM
New Happenings at the Shoreview Library
Feb 25, 2025 7:30 AM
City of Shoreview Update
Mar 11, 2025 7:30 AM
Human Trafficking Update
Mar 25, 2025 7:30 AM
Sierra Leone, Malaria Prevention
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Upcoming Events
Club Meeting
Feb. 11, 2025 7:15 a.m.
 
Bridging- Dresser Build
Feb. 13, 2025
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
 
Board Meeting
Zoom
Feb. 17, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
 
Club Noon Meeting
Feb. 18, 2025 11:45 a.m.
 
Club Meeting
Feb. 25, 2025 7:15 a.m.
 
Club Meeting
Feb. 25, 2025 7:15 a.m.
 
Club Meeting
Mar. 11, 2025 7:15 a.m.
 
Board Meeting
Zoom
Mar. 17, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
 
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Executives & Directors
President
 
President Elect
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Community Service Director
 
Youth Services Director
 
Youth Exchange Officer (YEO)
 
CICO/Website
 
Club Service Director
 
Bulletin Editor
 
International Service Director
 
Rotary Foundation Officer
 
Past President
 
Program Chair
 
Stories
President's Corner
Recently, I had the good fortune to visit St. Maarten in the Caribbean.  As I was heading to my hotel from the airport, I saw something that looked familiar, but I couldn’t immediately place how I knew it.  Then,  we went around a bend and I saw another message that clicked .  Wow!  I was impressed!  The 4-Way Test is front and center for everyone coming into St. Maarten!  It turns out there are FIVE Rotary Clubs on St. Maarten, one Interact Club, and one Rotaract Club! 
Not only did I see the 4-Way Test on the roundabout, but there is another set on the hill on the way to Philipsburg, the capital!  Very impressive, indeed!  It reminded me that I could search up one of their meetings, which I did!  I attended the St. Maarten Sunrise Meeting and enjoyed breakfast with their group and learned about their programs and projects.  It was so fun to meet others with the same ideals and goals!  Although I have to say, I did not know the St. Maarten song.  I did know the 4-Way Test!
 
We have a wonderful lot of projects coming up.  We are so lucky that our club has so many opportunities to benefit so many folks in need.
1.Connie Dejarlais at Mounds View High School has asked us to help her fill up the emergency closet that she keeps for kids who are homeless or unable to purchase hygiene items.Please bring any/all of the following items to the club meeting on January 14:
Male and female deodorant Skin lotion
Hair gel
Chapstick or Vaseline
Gloves
Hat
Mittens
 
2. On January 28, Jessica Bartholomew from ACT United will be presenting a program on Social Media Safety to middle school students at Quincy House.She will repeat the program for high school students on January 30.Stephanie Cosgrove will fill us in on how we can help at the meeting on Tuesday, Jan 14.
3. On February 1, we are looking for 2 shifts of volunteers (3-4/shift) to host a breakfast and a lunch at Highview Middle School (New Brighton) for the volunteers who are working with the group Play for Patrick Foundation.This group screens youth for heart defects/disease, providing EKG, echo cardiograms, and other screenings for kids at no charge.You will hear more about this program on January 28 as Mike Schoonover, the Founder, will be our speaker.There is a sign up sheet for this event.
4. On February 2, we will function as judges for the Youth in Government competition.It is great to be able to work closely with more of the high school groups.
5. On February 13, from 4:00-6:00 PM, we will head over to Bridging and build dressers, with the help of the Mounds View High School Volunteer Club.It should be a hoot to work with these kids—I believe we will see some energy—and perhaps some high jinx!!!!
 
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Monthly Celebrations of Club Members
 
 
 

Member Birthdays

Sara Johnston - January 10
Anoop Mathur - January 15
 
Spouse Birthdays
 
Betty (Paul) Bartyzal - January 5
 
Anniversaries
 
Anoop and Preeti Mathur  - (47 years) - January 24
 
Club Anniversaries (November)
 
Bill Klumpp - 45 years (2 clubs)
Paul McCreight - 9 years
Matt Rossetter - 3 years
 
 
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Club Service
We had another successful fundraiser this November to raise money for the Rotary Foundation. Matt Rossetter had the highest score and won $10.00 and his name enshrined on the Rotary bowling pin. After our game we enjoyed food and drinks in Flaherty's restaurant. Pictured here are fellow bowlers Jerry Peterson, Mike Spellman, Matt's wife Casey and Matt. Rotarians-you have a full year to sharpen your skills for the next "tournament." 
 
 
 
 
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Community Service

2024 Winter Coat Drive for Solid Ground

 

The final results from our Club’s support of the Winter  Coat Drive for the families at Solid Ground are now in.  And, once again, thanks to the generosity of our members the families, and especially the children, will be much warmer this winter.  Here is a summary of your contributions, and it is noteworthy:

 

Five of you directly contributed a total of $325 to Solid Ground for the purchase of winter wear, especially for buying hard to find sizes.  Of those contributions, two of you donated $100 or more.

 

Twelve of you contributed a total of 119 coats and a wide assortment of hats, gloves, jackets and sweaters. This total included 39 new children, women and men coats costing an estimated $700. The breakdown of the coats you contributed to the families at Solid Ground looks like this:

  • 27 new girls and boys coats
  • 12 new women and men coats
  • 78 gently used women and men coats
  • 2 gently used girls and boys coats

Although hard to estimate, the value of all those gently used coats and assorted other winter wear amounted  to about $1,300.

 

In summary, the grand total of all your contributions - including direct money donations, new coats, and a host of gently used winter garments - amounted to nearly $2,325.

 

As a result of our partnership with Incarnation in the winter coat drive both of us were able to multiple our efforts to improve the lives of families struggling to escape poverty.  It demonstrates once again that the sum is truly greater than the parts.

 

 

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Inbound Exchange Student
Hi, my name is Leonard Scheiber, I am 17 years old and from Austria. This year I got the opportunity to spend a year in the wonderful state of Minnesota. Because I was always interested in Geography I knew where I will stay when I heard I will go to Minnesota. But at that point I didn't know anything about it. When I got here on August 15th my first two host families picked me up from the Airport.

My first family is very interested in showing my the State. We went to different State Parks and also to the State Fair. My family is very friendly and really helped me to fit in the community. I taught my host dad a Austrian Card game and we now play that every day for five weeks.

I joined the schools Cross Country Team and all of those boys are very nice and helpful. I really like the group because it feels everyone wants the other one to succeed and to get better.

I am really looking forward to experience the winter. Back home we don't get a lot of snow and it rarely get below 0 Degrees Fahrenheit.
 
 

Inbound students at the State Fair

On the way to a Crow-County meet

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International Service
Our club has 2 grant applications in-process:
  1. Dave Newman is working on a District Grant “LIFT – processing center update and rent” for supporting a community in Nicaragua that is paired with a Global Grant that Stillwater Sunrise is working on for the same community. There has been a significant development related to the government of Nicaragua requiring Rotary International to work with the Department of Interior.  Rotary International will not agree to those terms.  In addition, Rotary International has decided in order to comply with sanctions applied by the U.S. Government to Nicaragua it is not possible for The Rotary Foundation funds to be sent to Nicaragua.  Our district and our club are in the midst of figuring out what these means to the overall LIFT project, projects that are supporting other efforts in Nicaragua and to the folks in Nicaragua that are relying on commitments we have made.
  2. Don Martin is working on a Global Grant “Ear & Hearing Care (EHC) for Liberia” which will provide instruments for 7 hospitals in Liberia for hearing testing. The fundraising portion of the Global Grant was met in October!  That is a milestone! We can thank 20 clubs that pitched in from $100 to $5,000 in support of this grant.  The next step is authorizations by the presidents of the Host club in Liberia, and the International club (us), as well as DDF authorization from the districts.  Once that is accomplished, (finally) The Rotary Foundation will review the proposal that was approved by our district back in August.
We continue to evaluate requests for funding.  At our meeting in October, we considered:
  • A water project in Kenya  from Forest Lake
  • Additional funding for an ESL project from Columbia Heights – Fridley
  • The Guatemala Literacy project from Rice Lake (Wisconsin) for $500
The first 2 projects were already fully funded by the time we offered support, so we have withdrawn our offer of support.
August 27 - Club Meeting
Me at a carnival with a group of exchange students I have become particularly close to since our language camp in Salzburg at the end of August. (From left to right: Pato - Mexico, Sabrina - Italy, Myself, Sebastian - Chile, Thaïs - France, and Johanna - Wisconsin)
September 10 - Club Meeting
Local author and good friend of Jim DeMay, Steve Yoch, was our speaker today.  Steve visited our club some years ago following the release of his historical fiction book "Becoming George Washington", which I read and enjoyed.  His subject today was his new book, "Becoming Benedict Arnold" , which tells the story of how this highly accomplished military leader came to be known as an infamous turncoat, which is what most of us know about him.  He draws parallels between the two, saying they both had distant parents and not much in the way of education.  Both had mentors that helped them develop, but Washington chose more wisely, and also had a wonderful spouse in his wife Martha.  Martha convinced Washington to return his commission after the war, which was unheard of, whereas Arnold's wife encouraged his ongoing feelings of inferiority and resentment. In short, Washington's emotional intelligence produced a brilliant leader whereas Arnold's lack of social intelligence led to his downfall.
September 24 -  Club Meeting
Our scheduled speaker did not show up for the meeting, but Jim DeMay provided an impromptu yet very informative update on happenings in the Mounds View School District.  As a school board member for the past five years, Jim is passionate and well-versed on the subject of our schools.  He covered topics such as the strong focus that has evolved in support of career track preparation in our two high schools for students not intending to go for the traditional 4 year college degree.  This focus has attracted a lot of attention outside the district and many students wishing to transfer in.  Our district has limited capacity for this type of "open enrollment", but declining enrollment has allowed for some of it.  Declining enrollment is due to the aging population in our district and the reluctance of "empty nest" homeowners to leave the area. The district opted for a strict ban on cell phone use in the classroom last year, which has made learning easier and classrooms more manageable for teachers.  This was before the state legislature passed a law this past session requiring all districts to create policies covering this difficult topic.  He noted that the high schools have rebounded pretty well from closures during the Covid pandemic but that our elementary school kids have had more trouble in terms of test scores and classroom behavior.  He also highlighted that Mounds View HS is consistently ranked in the top 5 or so schools in the state, due in part to our excellent teachers, 80% of whom have advanced teaching degrees.