Stratasys manufactures 3D printing equipment and materials that create physical objects directly from digital data. Its systems range from affordable desktop 3D printers to large, advanced 3D production systems, making 3D printing more accessible than ever.
 

President Jim Kosmo opened the meeting doing something interesting.  Your Scribe, however, was so taken with the beautiful October day that he was busy making a tee time.  As such, we all miss the opportunity for opening wit.

 

Seriously, President Jim then invited Joe Kovarik to the podium to lead the club in God Bless America.  Bob Jones took played the ivories with a sweetness not heard since the last time he drilled on a diseased molar to prepare it for a gold crown.  (Your Scribe is still investigating claims Bob once played “Chopsticks” using TWO drills while conducting simultaneous cavity fillings on a set of identical twins.)

 

Next, but only after what one Rotarian** offered to the Scribe was “a prolonged introduction,” Blake Davis delivered the invocation.  This week was a “Two-fer Tuesday,” as Blake read Robert Frost’s The Road Not Takenand Amid All the Noise in our Lives.   While clearly not as seasonal as Stephen Lynch’s What Halloween Means to Me,*** it is likely more spiritual and plain good stuff!  

 

Paul DeGeest introduced the half a dozen (or more) guests, including several prospective members.  The number of guests would suggest someone leaked advance word that some tasty shredded pork was on the day’s menu.  

 

President Jim thanked Carla Hauge and Debby Katzmark for their service as door greeters.  Jim further acknowledged your “humble” Scribe (Joe Beckman), a testament to decay of his regime at a pace not seen since the Roman Empire.  You get the quality you pay for, folks!   

 

President Jim next talked a bit about the upcoming hayride.  Weather permitting, this is a great event to bring spouses/significant others (but not both), kids, grandkids, etc.   Adventurous types can literally “leap off the hay cart” and pick a few apples – no word on whether you must look sign a waiver before you leap.   The evening may even end with some fresh baked crushed apple pie!  

 

President Jim also mentioned the Minnesota Wild’s St. Paul Rotary night on Friday, November 15 at 7:00 pomp against the Panthers.  Tickets are discounted by $30 to $65, and the Wild will donate $20 of each ticket to the St. Paul Rotary Foundation.  In addition, a ticket through Rotary for this game also gains admission to an afternoon “open skate” between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.  

 

Jeremy Wells talked about an upcoming Rotaract/Club 10 Networking Event.  This will occur from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on October 29 at Summit Brewery.  As Homer Simpson might say, “Mmmmm, Beer.”  

 

Blake Davis had apparently not used up the words he budgeted for the invocation, or he picked up a few from a Rotary sponsored dictionary after his invocation.  As such, he gave a report on the annual Dictionary Project.  Seriously, we are “on pace.”  Phase one of the project – labeling –started Thursday at John Chandler’s house in Mendota Heights.  Please stay tuned and be available for additional assistance.  

 

Ed Coleman reminded all that next week is Rotation Day.  Watch your email box for information regarding the location you selected.  

 

Carla Hauge reported on the Rose Sale on behalf of her and Debby Katzmark.  Apparently, Debby does the work and Carla the public speaking.  Your scribe wondered if maybe Debby would start by miming picking flowers****, and put Carla to “real work” next year . . .   

 

In any event, Carla reported Jason DeKooster did yeoman’s work in the background, and Scott Van was his usually gracious self in hosting.  Finally, Carla called out Nancy Anderson for taking over and championing a Minneapolis location.  Carla reported that we are on pace to exceed last year’s $10,000 donation to the Rotary Foundation!  

 

ImageNew Member Introduction – Dennis Boom introduced Chad Roberts, a Lake City, MN native.  A newlywed (Jen) and University of Minnesota-Duluth graduate, Chad is currently the President of the Ramsey County Historical Society.   He formerly belonged to Rotary in Hastings, when he was the Executive Director of the Dakota County Historical Society.  Pictured at left is Chad Roberts, Nancy McKillips (who helped recruit Chad) and Dennis Boom. 

 

This month’s Mark Weber “Service Above Self” recognition went to Nancy McKillips, one of the first women to serve as a Imagepresident of a Rotary club.  She continues to be active on legacy gifting and otherwise active in many ways in the Club.  

 

Shelly Rucks emceed “Happy Dollars.”  Included were reminders of next week’s rotation day, acknowledgement of the five Rotarians who helped host exchange Rotarians from British Columbia, assistance with the Rose Sale.  In addition, April 25, 26 and 27, 2014 will be the fifth year of Feed My Starving Children!   

 

Past President Dan McKeown introduced Jim Bartel, Vice President and General Manager for RedEye, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc., business.  Jim talked about RedEye’s 3D Printing technology.  A public company with dual headquarters in Eden Prairie and Rehovut, Israel, it employs over 1,100 people and has added over 100 jobs in Eden Prairie in the last year alone.    

 

Pete Seeger is reported to have said that the difference between education and experience is “Education is when you read the fine print.  Experience is what you get when you don’t.”  Seeger probably was not contemplating RedEye’s “fine printing” when he offered that quote.  

 

RedEye does 3D printed parts with increasingly diverse uses.  They make replacement parts for Jay Leno. They do prototyping for Polaris, medical device firms, and aerospace, saving thousands on the manufacture of molds.  If your Scribe’s notes were not rendered illegible by a salad dressing spill, Mr. Bartel even acknowledged that the fellow in Texas (who according to Texas Monthly, is a licensed firearms manufacturer) even used one of RedEye’s printers make a working gun!   

 

The industry has generally grown at 20% or more on a year over year basis. Bartel sees this moving more and more into manufacturing as opposed to simply prototyping. He pointed out a recent Pioneer Press story on a 3D printed car!  

 

ImagePresident Jim thanked Mr. Bartel.  Jim made a donation in his name to the Read with Me program of the Saint Paul Public Library.   

 

See you next week!  

 

Joe Beckman, Scribe

 

 

** This Rotarian shall remain nameless, unless someone egregiously bribes your Scribe to divulge his identity.  

*** As your Scribe’s wife says, “You and the boys are sick for thinking that song is funny,” so your Scribe is well advised to tell you to find it yourself.  It’s not hard, really.  That’s what Google (or Yahoo!) is for, and there are plenty of videos of it on YouTube.  

 

**** Was it just your Scribe, or is there something unsettling about watching a video of a mime who is TALKING while she tells you “how to mime picking flowers.”  Shouldn’t she just show you?  (Or at least have done the video with only subtitles?)