JULY 28, 2015 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Peter Pearson and John Marshall

Club 10 Business Report

President Carla Hauge brought the meeting to order at 12:18 p.m. on a steamy, summer day in downtown Saint Paul. Jerry Faletti led the assembled Rotarians in singing Yankee Doodle Dandy accompanied by Bob Jones on the piano. Joe Kovarik provided today's invocation (remembering police and the equality of all Rotarians). Kay Baker facilitated the introduction of visiting Rotarians and guests. Today's Greeters were Nancy McKillips and Rick Gobell.

President Carla announced the upcoming Club 10 Blood Drive on August 11th (call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule your donation). NO Thursday Fellowship Breakfast since no one volunteered to speak! Please offer to speak. President Carla reiterated her themes for Rotary for this year: "Join leaders! Exchange ideas! Take action! This is Rotary!" June and July Birthdays were recognized (she apologized for the delay to the June birthday cohort).

Emma Mulhern, Rotarian daughter, was invited to the podium to speak about her participation in the "World War II Fallen Soldier Project." Ms. Mulhern introduced her teacher David Howard. She became involved in the project in order to learn more about World War II. As part of the project, she created a memorial website for "her" soldier. She looked through a list for soldiers. She then contacted a relative of the soldier and did research through the Minnesota History Center, contacted additional relatives and interviewed them. She applied to the Institute and was accepted in December 2014. She was invited to lectures about the war in Washington, D.C. including meetings with WW II vets.

Sponsored by the Institute, she visited Normandy and the beaches, cemeteries, battle sites and other historical sites. She visited "her" soldiers grave. All of this led her to understand that the cost of freedom is beyond anything we could imagine. She is thankful for those who gave their lives for freedom so that we do not have to do so.

Al Zdrazil introduced "On to Winnipeg 2015" which will be held in September 2015. Announcements were placed on the tables and will be on the website. Larry Morgan promoted next week's meeting topic: the history of the construction of the Saint Paul Cathedral, presented by Larry. Kay Baker gathered Happy Dollars.

President Carla introduced today's speakers, John Marshall from Xcel Energy, and Peter Pearson, Executive Director of Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, to speak on behalf of "Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library." About twenty-five years ago, library funding models began to change necessitating the development of supportive groups like the "Friends." The Mission of "Friends" is: "Stronger libraries for stronger communities." The organization has 3000 members/supporters. The Board has 50 members. There are 19 full-time and part-time staff members of the organization. "Friends" has eleven standing committees. The original endowment from which the "Friends" evolved was given in 1945 for the purpose of Library staff development.

Due to this emphasis, Masters' degreed librarians on the Saint Paul Library staff represent a total of 50% (avg. nationally is 22%). In 1982, the Saint Paul Public Library celebrated its 100th anniversary. The first capital campaign that year raised $2.2 million resulting in the purchase of the first automated system for the Library. In 1988 the Minnesota Book Awards were created. In 1994, "Friends" becomes a freestanding non-profit corporation. In 2007, the "Library Strategies Consulting Group" launched and has become a revenue-generating arm of the organization with a dedicated staff offering consulting services in thirty states and three foreign countries. The Group generated $1 million in consulting revenue in 2014. It has also published a book on library fund-raising.

The three main objectives of "Friends" are:
•    Fundraising (Planned Giving)
•    Political Advocacy
•    Providing community programs throughout the City

Among the community programs promoted by "Friends" are:
•    Park Square Theater actors involved in Library events
•    Events intended for younger audiences
•    Minnesota Book Awards
•    Opus & Olives (Author events; biggest book event in the U.S.; next one is Sunday, October 11th)

President Carla thanked Mr. Marshall and Mr. Pearson for their remarks and noted that a donation in their names would be made to the Saint Paul Public Library's "Read With Me" program (as Mr. Pearson explained: the program pairs a below competence reader in grades 3 through 8 with an adult for an entire school year for two-way reading). She then led those assembled in a recitation of the Four-Way Test ("Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?  Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?").  She then rang the bell to close the meeting at 1:07 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted,

Chuck Standfuss