NOV 19, 2013 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Club 10 Assembly

President Jim Kosmo brought the meeting to order early at 12:23 p.m. citing a full agenda for our club assembly.    Jim Field led Rotarians and guests in song accompanied by Bill Given on the piano.  Steve Young provided our invocation today as we heard in their own words, from leaders who have helped shape and define our country for more than a century and a half.  From Abraham Lincoln, to George Washington and John F. Kennedy, whose inaugural speech and often quoted statement – “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” is still relevant today as we honor the 50th anniversary of his assassination on November 22nd.  

Today’s Greeters were Bob Jones and Jason DeKeuster. Jay Pfaender introduced next week’s featured speaker, Don Ball, co-founder of CoCo, a co-working and collaborative place where independent workers, small businesses and corporate work groups can gather to share ideas, team up on projects and get some work done!  President Jim announced that we will have a Red Cross Blood Drive in conjunction with our December 10th lunch meeting.   Bo Aylin updated the club on this year’s Salvation Army Holiday Bell Ringing campaign the week of December 9th.  We need 2 bell ringers per shift, shifts will run on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week and Sherry Howe is taking reservations. 

Mindee Kastelic introduced our newest member, Susan Spiers, a former Minneapolis Rotarian who had stepped away from club participation and is back with even more passion for our mission to serve.  Susan is an e-business strategies consultant who came to the Twin Cities in the ‘80s from Philadelphia.  Welcome Susan!

Shelly Rucks, with the assistance of President Jim reading names, conducted the Red Striper “graduation,” congratulating the newbie’s with the gift of a new name badge, sans red stripe and a Club 10 coffee mug.  Happy Dollars for the day were collected by Sarah Kolar.

President Jim introduced today’s program, “What is Rotary?”  In his words – “I have been in Rotary since 1982 and at times I struggle for a good answer to that question, not because I don’t know what we do, but because we do so much it’s difficult to provide a concise, meaningful response.”   Several members were called upon to remind us of the many wonderful things with which our club is involved.

First to the podium to give an overview of Rotary beyond our club was Past RI Director Joe Kovarik.  Next up were Jason DeKeuster and Linda Mulhern who focused on our educational and community service activities – Dictionaries to third grade students, Teacher of the Year, Rotation Forward recognition of junior/middle school students, Camp RYLA, Cleveland Circle, Bell Ringing, Saint Paul Walking Tour, the seating bench at Overlook Park and the newly established Values Day. 

Doug Hartford, president of our Saint Paul Rotary Foundation, was up next.  He presented the 2012-2013 annual report (a copy is on our website under “Download.”)  He also talked about our Centennial projects – $20,000 Centennial scholarships (three have been given out so far) and our partnership with Feed My Starving Children.

Last, but certainly not least, was our World Community Service super star, Valdi Stefanson.  Valdi outlined our many international programs and projects – Group Study Exchange, Friendship Exchange, youth exchange and our projects in Guyana, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

Visiting Rotarians and guests were introduced.  Mindee Kastelic introduced Tony Short of Allegra Printing and Ed Coleman introduced Lindsay Weir of the Minnesota Wild. President Jim thanked all who helped to put the slide show together and expressed his belief that Rotary is where you makes friends for life, attend leadership seminars weekly and through the monetary gifts we make, together we have the resources to serve!  Meeting was adjourned at 1:30.

Beth Naughton, Scribe