MAR 4, 2014 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Joe Schmit – The Three Ps
On this balmy (9°) day, President Jim Kosmo was no place to be found. Rumor had it he was waiting out the Kiev Krisis in an “undisclosed location.” Former President Doug Bruce stepped bravely into the breach, opening the meeting with his best Al Haig impression, assuring all Rotarians in attendance that “I’m in control here.”
It turns out the Captain may or may not be golfing in a warmer place. Whether he would approve of Pretender-to-the-Throne Doug “experimenting” with a 12:17 start time for the meeting is a different question.
Jerry Faletti opened the meeting leading us in a patriotic song. It took some back and forth, but he ultimately sung the very same song Doug Hartford played to accompany him.
Ken Peterson delivered the invocation. He offered many reasons to “be glad,” so we were . . . although he pushed it a bit by giving us reasons to be glad for winter. Carolyn Brusseau introduced the week’s guests.
Usurper Doug thanked Bo Aylin and Deb Vos for their service as door greeters. President Doug also correctly identified your scribe (Joe Beckman). Steve Gerber provided an update on Camp RYLA.
Mindee Kastelic introduced Elyse Dornhecker of Arthur Gallagher as the Club’s new member. Elyse the person you will be in five years is largely determined by the books you read and the persons with whom you surround yourself. Her goal is to be one of the Twin Cities’ “Forty under Forty” before she turns 30. Joining Club 10 is certainly a strong step toward that goal!
Kathleen Riley handled “Happy Dollars.” Your Scribe was busy rehearsing his contribution (that one of his boys’ teams would advance in state basketball playoffs, one not . . . they play each other), so he was neglectful in writing down the highlights.
Jerry Faletti apparently yearned to get back in the spotlight. He introduced the Club’s newest Paul Harris Fellows Bill Collins and Tom Farnham. Great job, gentlemen! (No, he does not care how much you donated, your Scribe will not loan you $5 for parking today.)
Jay Pfaender introduced our speaker, Joe Schmit. In a high energy, high impact presentation loaded with humor (including a few apocryphal stories that were new to your Scribe), Joe gave Club members insight into how we make our biggest impressions when we are not trying to impress. Joe shared how the “Three Ps” approach: Purpose, Persistence, and Passion, is more than just a clever alliterative phrase – it was part of the reason he beat cancer!
Sprinkling in anecdotes about athletes as diverse as Joe Mauer (purposeful), Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. (persistent) and Scott LeDoux (passionate), Joe gave examples of how these characteristics can contribute to success and happiness. He mesmerized the crowd for 30 minutes, leaving Club members inspired as Autocrat Doug rang the closing bell “9 minutes late.”
Showing obvious rust, but his nature as a Benevolent Despot, Doug thanked Mr. Schmit, made a donation in his name to the Read with Me program of the Saint Paul Public Library. We are still investigating whether he pocketed the Four Way Test coin 
Jim supposedly entrusted to him to give to Joe in order to benefit his kingdom’s treasury.
Joe Beckman
Scribe