DEC 9, 2014 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Dan Juhl, Juhl Energy

After being warmly greeted by Jon Cieslak and Patty Voje, President John Guthmann called our December 9th meeting to order at 12:14 with a ballroom half full of Rotarians who appeared to avoid the front tables.

Santa, disguised as Past President Doug Hartford tickled the keys and Past District Governor Joe Kovarik asked the group to sound like the Tabernacle Choir. (We let him down on the task; but I appreciate those of you who carried the likes of me!)  Steve Young used Shakespeare’s words to help answer if it is better to give a gift or to give of one’s self in his inspirational minutes.

Corey Edmunds introduced guests and visitors as the microphone tested hearing and hearing aids alike.  Perhaps the loud feedback was actually a call to action seeing that chairs continued to fill as the meeting proceeded.

In his President’s remarks, Judge Guthmann reminded us to MARK OUR CALENDARS:

• Thursday, January 8, dinner at the St Paul Grille with the RI President
• Friday, January 9, FIRST ROTARY MEETING OF 2015, joint meeting with Minneapolis Club 9, including the RI President

REGISTER WITH SHERRY OR ON THE WEBSITE!

Also, February 24 we have 100 tickets for the MN Wild game! When we sell all 100 tickets, we will have made $2000 for the Foundation, AND those purchasing tickets will have great seats at less than face value!

Tom Farnham continued his role from the Holiday Party and auctioned off a bottle of aged Port, and a case of wine which were “re-donated” by the District Governor.

Scott Howard reminded us of Bell Ringing this week and that there is still an opportunity for us to stand and look good as we do a good deed for the community; he assured us that we didn’t need to believe we looked good.

As President-elect on our recent ballot, Chuck Whitaker is running hard for the office:he will provide breakfast sandwiches for anyone at his presentation Thursday morning, and is buying appetizers at Kincaid’s for lunch on Friday as a thank you for bell ringing.

Jim Miller shared a connection between guitars and wind energy in Minnesota.  In his fact filled introduction of Dan Juhl, Chair of Juhl Energy, he shared that Dan had been the lead guitarist in the rock band Renegade, and the band’s lead singer is now is wife.  While at first glance there might not be a further connection to wind energy, in fact, the father of the other guitar player was a wind energy industrialist from Denmark who first got Mr. Juhl interested in the subject.

In 1986 our speaker built his first wind farm in southwestern Minnesota, and in 2008 he took his company public to raise capital.Since then he has developed 9 wind projects and investment of $240M.Today his company has a total investment over $425M in wind/solar projects in 23 communities.

While it has taken almost 40 years to grow the technology, these two energy partners have proven to be reliable, efficient and cost effective technologies which are likely being pushed because of environmental and economic concerns.Wind and solar are clean and sustainable; they need no fuel, have no emissions, no waste and consume to water.Working together they are maximized during peak usage times – hot and sunny or cold and windy days!The challenge which is being met is that of storage.This is largely being driven by the car industry and the electric car interest.

From rock band to energy, Mr. Juhl proved to be an informed speaker and illustrated why he believes this will be a growing form of energy in our future.

With the recitation of the four way test, we bid each other farewell until when we will hear from the person who determines what get’s place “above the fold.”

Respectfully submitted – with another reminder to grab your calendars and look to January;BE SURE to get registered! The new year will be shortly and we want a great showing of St Paul for our Rotary International President!

Shelly Rucks
Scribe