MAY 7, 2013 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Education Day

President Dan McKeown brought the meeting to order.  Jerry Faletti led the choir, Bob Jones played the piano, Shelly Rucks led the invocation and Scott House controlled the microphone introducing our many guests.  The collection of Happy $ was suspended for this meeting replaced by the simple happiness of the middle-schoolers.

GOD BLESS AMERICA was robustly sung with the addition of good youthful voices.

Shelly Rucks’ invocation borrowed the common sense and life lessons from the Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten” series about keeping life simple and learning with joy….Its hope the principles of kindergarten are simply enhanced by the knowledge of college and beyond: “wisdom….is learned in the sand pile of the school….clean up your own mess, learn to think, live to play, learn, think, draw, work….and stick together.”  Dan McKeown improved on these lessons….modifying them slightly to include selflessness, service and the 4-way test of truth, fairness, goodwill and benefits.  Later on in the meeting President Dan appealed to the middle schoolers to remember these principles and follow them and become eventual Rotarians.  That’s a long selling cycle….but the seed is planted.

Announcements:  Feed My Starving Children, co-chaired by Clyde Nelson, Doug Hartford and their team leaders led to the successful packing of 171,027 meals destined to Nicaragua, and will feed 469 children the equivalent of what they will need for a year.

 Rotary Youth Exchange needs host families for the 24 hour care and supervision of high school students from out west…. arriving June 28^th….President Dan requests that “supervision includes sleep” and these students will arrive on the Empire Builder, see Saint Paul for a meal or two, and then be returned to the train for its next leg to Chicago.  See Sherry if you wish to be a responsible host.

CLEVELAND CIRCLE – Scott Nelson and Larry Morgan – These Rotarians are looking for help on May 18 and June 15.  Flower beds need work and they need to mulch the 800 plants outside the Excel Center.  Work to be followed by sustenance and a good watering Governor’s Pub.

FELLOWSHIP DAY -  Jim Delamater – Fellowship at the White Bear Yacht Club followed by a Golf outing (32 positions available) or Tennis, Biking or cards will be followed by more fellowship at the 5:30 cash bar, dinner and awards starting at 7:30 p.m.

Scott House’s time with the microphone recognized all mothers, especially those who were present…introduced guests and made special mention of Tracey Lenarz and Rae Ann Schmalzbauer from the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, thanking them for the Education Day advertisement that was run in Tuesday’s paper. A copy of the newspaper accompanied each Education Day honoree home, we hope, to start, to grace or enhance their trophy shelf and Award archive. 

Mike Anderson of the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation took over the presentation of Rotation Forward Awards. Mike introduced the school counselors who then introduced their students.  One student from each school came forward to accept a plaque on behalf of their fellow recipients.  Mike emphasized the words that accompanied many of these student’s nomination papers: “Academic All-Stars,” “Leaders,” “Givers,” “Pride in Academics”…. Moreover, without exception, nominations mentioned the students as models; these are students “well-respected/looked up to by peers.”

Lynn Beck of Compas presented the Teacher of the Year Award to Kari Skildum of Washington Technology Magnet.  Kari’s success as Teacher of the Year was one nomination among many.  Ms Skildum’s 2,000 Volunteer hours at the Science Museum of Minnesota is a simple extension of the commitment she has made to the students in her school.  Her peers acknowledge she is first to arrive and last to leave every day.  She makes working lunches with individual students a part of her principled attitude to instruction and learning, creating the ZAP Program, “Zeros are Not Permitted….for students who fail to finish assignments. She has written the  District 7 Math  Curriculum for Grade 7…She is variously described as innovative, committed, as embodying the principle of Service Above Self and is known not just by “the quality of her instruction, but the depth to which she reaches to energize and engage students” and “the collaborative spirit she brings to planning lessons and providing interventions.”  Every Saturday for 11 years she has devoted 2 hours at the Curiosity Center at the Science Museum.

Kari admitted that she as a born teacher and prepared lesson plans as a child for her brothers.  She also admitted that she helped find her mission, when young students admitted NOT liking group projects.  The students admitted that the boys didn’t work much and just tried to talk to the girls they liked….and therein lies the challenge….teaching children in a time when EVERYTHING matters to children, except learning something. We are honored by her commitment to the children and our future.  We were introduced to Kari’s parents. Kari thanked them.

Superintendent of the Saint Paul Schools, Valeria Silva, was unable to attend because of illness so Jean O’Connell, chair of the Saint Paul School Board filled in for her.  Both Mike Anderson and Jean O’Connell mentioned the selfless dedication of the many persons in the profession as well as people at the district in Administration and Support.  Jean especially thanked the Guidance counselors who accompanied children to the event and helped them as young people to continue to find the right path through the middle schools miraculous years.

Jean closed the ceremony by saying that these students have had to manage the expectations of many and have shown they are up for the challenge by being stellar in the eyes of their peers and their teachers in the community.

President Dan congratulated the students, and as I walked out the door, one parent mentioned to me, your scribe, that his daughter was hoping for a return invitation in 2014.  His reply had been….”show thanks. Work hard.  And it is in your power to succeed…”   The Rotary commitment he acknowledged touches the parents as well as the children in this outreach….We’ll hopefully see both he and his daughter again.

Next Tuesday is ROTATION DAY – Get your reservation in.  DEADLINE:  12 noon on May 10.

Jonathan Strickland, Scribe