President Jerry Faletti convened the meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel St. Paul. Chuck Field and Doug Hartford lead members in an especially jazzy version of God Bless America. The President thanked today's meeting volunteers:
Greeters - Deb Katzmark, Flowers on the Park & Linda Mulhern, Collins Electric
Scribe -Trixie Golberg, Lifetrack
Thursday's Fellowship presented will be Club 10 member Lindsay Weier of the Minnesota Wild organization will introduce the National Director of Volunteers for Objective Zero, Jacob Cottew. Objective Zero was founded on the belief that every Veteran suicide can be prevented through the simple act of listening. Mr. Cotten has served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and one tour in Kuwait. The goal of the organization is to connect veterans and resources to end veteran suicide. Thursday meetings begins at 7:30 a.m. At the Boy Scouts Office. Thank you to Chuck Standfuss for leading the Thursday meetings.
July Birthdays were recognized with a song and cupcakes made by member/baker David Dominick, YMCA.
Member announcements and promos for the week:
CHUCK ROAST and Toast August 16 at White Bear Yacht Club - From Carla Hauge, volunteers are welcome to join in planning our traditional president's roast for our immediate past president. All members are encouraged to attend and joining this slightly quirky always fun tradition of appreciation and friendly ribbing. Please register on line or at the check in table.
LYNX Game and Happy Hour - From Ed Coleman, 7 Corners Printing, August 22 against Phoenix with happy hour at 5 at Wild Tymes .
NEXT MEETING - from Jay Pfaender, Drake Bank, We will welcome Gordon Goodwin, Government Alliance on Race and Equity. This is part of a continuing series form the working group on equity and race that member Jim Hunt and others have been facilitating over the past year.
HAPPY DOLLARS, Jacob LaCroix, United Hospital Foundations - It was a good day for happy dollars with a variety of good news items, event announcements and commemorations and stories of the power of Rotarian connects at home and abroad.
Jay Pfaender's, Drake Bank, introduced Jason Bradshaw and Jason DeKeuster to share 2017 & 2018 Winter Carnival Updates. St. Paul Rotary and the St.Paul Winter Carnival have a long history together including many Rotary members serving in the Royal Family. Jason Bradshaw, 2017 King Boreas, shared great behind the scenes look back on the preparation, activities and planning that support the annual event and the year long ambassadorship of the Royal Family. Beyond the 10 days at the end of January that most people associate with Winter Carnival, the Royal Family makes an additional 250 or more appearances thought the rest of the year to parades, coronations, schools, nursing homes, and may other venues throughout the Twin Cities metro and across the country as ambassadors for the city.
The 2018 Winter Carnival will be especially exciting with 17 days of activities and the tallest ever Ice Palace to be constructed on the State Capital grounds.
This year with the national spot light on the Twin Cities, St. Paul has a unique opportunity to showcase our city and in keeping with the origins of Winter Carnival tradition, to celebrate all that is fun about Winter in Minnesota. Among the many unique aspects of the planning required for next January is the transporting of 70 trucks full of Detroit Lakes ice to construct the towering ice palace. The purpose of the Carnival remains much the same as it was in the late 1800 - to bring the city together, to celebrate all that is unique to St.Paul and show case our community as a great place to live, work and play.
President Faletti thanked Jason, Jason and Jay with a "Hail St.Paul" and appreciation for their personal role in past and future Carnival successes. The meeting concluded with the Four Way Test.
Trixie Golberg
Scribe