In the Rotary calendar, November is The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Month. Through our dues structure, every member contributes $50 per year to TRF. This qualifies us to be a EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) club. Many members of our club do more than this, making TRF their charity of choice. These members may give an additional donation above the $50. Some also mention TRF in their wills and become Benefactors (less than $10K), Bequest Society members ($10K and more), or even members of the Legacy Society (minimum of $1M). If you have not done so already, please make TRF one of your charities of choice, giving what you can.
Obviously, we are experiencing turbulent and divisive times. As Rotarians, we are in a position to bridge the gap between opposing views. In addition to the Four-Way Test and Rotarian Fellowship, the club constitution provides boundaries as to what our club and its members can and cannot do. Following is an excerpt from our club constitution for your consideration.
Article 14: Community, National, and International Affairs
Section 1 – Proper Subjects. Any public question involving the welfare of the community, the nation, and the world is a proper subject of fair and informed discussion at a club meeting. However, this club shall not express an opinion on any pending controversial public measure.
Section 2 – No Endorsements. This club shall not endorse or recommend any candidate for public office and shall not discuss at any club meeting the merits or demerits of any such candidate.
Section 3 – Non-Political.
a.) Resolutions and Opinions. The club shall neither adopt nor circulate resolutions or opinions and shall not take action dealing with world affairs or international policies of a political nature.
b.) Appeals. This club shall not direct appeals to clubs, peoples, or governments, or circulate letters, speeches, or proposed plans for the solution of specific international problems of a political nature.
I saw a sign the other day that I liked. It said “Make America Friendly Again”. As Rotarians, I hope that you can do your part to make this a reality.
The Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has been successful in providing grants for food, housing and mental health/well-being needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. An unexpected benefit has been enrichment of the 15 participating organizations through this cooperation. We are creating methods to work together for a common goal to help our communities at levels we certainly could not have done alone. I hope that benefit will last beyond the pandemic.
As of the end of October, we raised $130,442, not including projected $20,000 being raised through raffle of the ’73 Mustang convertible. Donations have come from about $53,000 from the organizations; $42,000 from individual donations; $20,000 from the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund and $15,000 from the virtual Walk/Run event. Those donations and the volunteer project to sew 200 isolation gowns for Ramsey County Care Center resulted from involvement from hundreds of people throughout our 8 suburban Ramsey County communities.
At this point, 16 grants totaling $97,500 have been awarded for food, housing and mental health programs serving residents of Mounds View and Roseville School Districts. During October, the new grant awards were: $10,000 to Community Partners for Youth to assist with supervised distance learning and youth development for 100-120 children from low-income, diverse backgrounds in New Brighton;$5,000 to Aeon for rental relief for residents of 3 apartment properties with 317 affordable homes in Roseville and Little Canada; $5,000 to Every Meal (formerly Sheridan Story) for food for children and families in Roseville Area School District and $10,000 to Northeast Youth and Family Services to help re-open the NETS day treatment program for youth needing intensive mental health services. Prior grants awarded to organizations we have supported were to: Quincy House, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, YMCA and Solid Ground.
The Mustang Raffle,in partnership with CLIMB Theater, has added a lot of energy and fun to the Coalition. Huge thanks to the generous, anonymous donor who made this fundraising possible. It will conclude with the drawing at The Mermaid on “Give to the Max Day”, November 19, and will be live-streamed on the Facebook page of CLIMB Theater.
During October, the Coalition is partnering with Visit Roseville on aBike/Drive of Roseville-in-Bloom, 20 rose statutes painted by local professional artists. The public has been able to get the map for biking or driving, register for prizes and optionally donate to the Coalition through our website. We got a few donations. The drawing for 5 prizes will be on November 2.
The Coalition has become a way for all our member organizations to promote their fundraisers, gaining involvement of members of other clubs and optionally sharing proceeds with our COVID-19 Response Fund. Here are two current fundraisers:
·St Paul North Ramsey 500 Lions Club Flower Power holiday fundraiser gives you the chance to buy flowers on-line and donate to charity. 50% of all proceeds will go to the Coalition and remaining 50% to other worthwhile charities the Lions Club supports annually. To order go to: http://northramseylions.fpfundraising.com/
·Falcon Heights/Lauderdale Lions Christmas Tree Sale, November 27-December 14, Falcon Heights Community Park. High quality trees and wreaths. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Coalition for COVID relief needs.
Finally, the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation has approved extension of the Suburban Ramsey COVID-19 Response Fund through 2021. We will continue to raise funds and award grants as long as the COVID-10 emergency lasts.
November 2020 Update on the Amaravati Sewing School Project
As reported earlier, the schooling offered by Pushpa’s Sewing School in Amaravati, India has been shut down by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Although, much more populous than the United States, India is second to the United States to the number of deaths attributed to the Pandemic. After ten of the first seventeen students at the Pushpa Sewing School finished the curriculum last February, the sewing school had had to close in view of Government mandates. Another cohort group of students had just joined the remaining students from the prior group and many of them were making steady progress toward completing the curriculum this summer, until a shelter in place order was issued throughout India in response to the Pandemic. It 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. Amaravati has not been spared.
In a recent conversation with Gummadi Franklin, Pushpa’s founder and chair, Chairman Franklin was very positive about the school and the role he hopes it will continue to have in Amaravati, assuming the shelter in place order is eventually lifted. The school had come together very well and the landlord has generously minimized rental payments in view of what is hoped by all will be the temporary closure of the school. How well the school will be able to reorganized after the closure remains to be seen, but the elders in the community and the landlord want the school to remain. It has been welcomed in Amaravati.
A picture of the graduating class seated with their arms raised as they wait for their certificates is shown below. What happened here in the U.S. also happened in India. The Covid-19 Pandemic disrupted the entire country and has caused Pushpa to suspend its classes.
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. The Sewing School has now graduated its first class and it is especially gratifying to see that the labor and hard work is now being rewarded and that young people’s lives in Amaravati are being touched by those efforts. We are now awaiting further word as to further progress of the current students once the shelter in place directives in India are lifted. Pushpa will be there to restart the teaching when that happens.
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.
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.
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.
Our speaker today was Mary Stewart from Community Partners with Youth (CPY). She was joined by Geoff Hollmon from the New Brighton Rotary Club. CPY recently received a grant from the Community Covid-19 Relief Fund which our club helped form last spring. This organization was established 23 years ago. There was a rising crime rate in New Brighton in 1997 and it was determined that much of the increase was a result of youth activity in after-school hours. Christ The King Church in New Brighton had just finished a major addition to its facility, including a gym. CPY formed and was able to take advantage of this open gym during the week, providing a place for disadvantaged youth to gather after school, get something to eat and stay occupied in positive ways. The city's crime rate dropped by 50% in the first year. In addition to a place for sports, CPY focuses on teaching life skills such as cooking, communication and problem solving. The kids also give back to the community by participating in service projects. But Covid-19 brought a halt to all these activities. CPY had to re-think their approach. They used the recent grant money to make activity kits and deliver them to kids' homes. They served 350 kids a week for 11 weeks this summer. Now that school is back in session they have shifted again. They have launched a distance learning center at Christ The King Church, providing a place for kids who need help with school work. This organization is clearly in touch with the community and has been impressive in its ability to meet the changing needs.
We were joined today by Rotary District 5960 Governor Ed Marek. He began his remarks by noting that Rotary International demonstrated leadership very early on in the pandemic by quickly canceling all travel. Clubs around the world switched to virtual formats. Now RI is leaving it up to individual clubs to determine whether or not to transition to in-person meetings. He then congratulated our club on our many accomplishments in the last Rotary year, particularly noting our work in the community, and with youth. He also noted our strong support of the Rotary Foundation and reminded us of the Foundation's impressive 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the past 12 years. He went on to address this year's global theme which is "Rotary Opens Opportunities" and noted that it is time for Rotary to be bold. We should be looking for ways to bring people together in these challenging times. He concluded his remarks by speaking to the "Braver Angels" program which is based on the book "With Malice Toward None" by Bill Dougherty. This MN-based program helps people bridge the red/blue political and cultural divide that is so entrenched in our society right now.
Our speaker today was Beverly Wadsworth, Director of Advancement/Development at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). Prior to her time at MCTC, she spent 10 years in the development area at the University of Minnesota. She has enjoyed the change because of the very different experience it has provided. She takes special pride in the college's focus on holistic student support and diversity and inclusion - its students have 80 different native languages and many are first generation immigrants. Students range in age from 16 to 70+, with the average age being 27. She began this role last February - one month before Covid-19 hit. MCTC has created a strong digital learning program which has allowed them to continue to thrive. Classes which must be hands on/ in person have successfully transitioned to smaller, socially distanced formats. Students earn either Associate of Arts degrees or program certificates. They have workforce development partnerships with Twin Cities businesses as well as with the State of MN. She posed the question as to whether there might be a way for MCTC to partner with our club in the future. This led to a discussion about the possibility of forming a Rotaract Club there, which is a goal for our Youth Services Director, Anoop Mathur and his committee. Beverly noted that Covid-19 has had a big impact on student clubs, which have declined in number from 50 to less than 10 since March, but agreed there was definitely potential in this area, especially post-pandemic.
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