Last Time We Met 10/26/2023
.jpg) Today our meeting was led by We sang and then recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Dirk Barrett, Terry Bizal, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler
Guests Attending
District Governor Patricia McClease, and Assistant District Governor Michael Spellman
Program
Debbi gave a shout out to John Osterman for bowling better than average and scoring a 624 for our Strike Out Polio event. Also thanks to Bob Maxwell for the pictures, and Neil Gagnon for collecting funds and sending to District for the match.
 Our program was the District Governor, Patricia McClease, and she was introduced by Mike Spellman noting that she is a lifelong educator and you will always learn something from her. Michael also encouraged every Rotarian to participate in the “greater Rotary” by attending conferences and events. Patricia encouraged everyone to attend the Conference of Clubs next year because it will be international. It will be at Mystic Lake and is 1 ½ days. The District is focusing on four initiatives of 1) Increase our Impact, 2) Expand our Reach, 3) Enhance Participant Engagement, and 4) Increase our Ability to Adapt. They have created a new template for recording goals to show what clubs are doing and how they are impacting communities. She promoted the district newsletter for ideas and engagement opportunities. There is also a three year initiative called Make Peace Visible and the first year is to Create Hope in The World. Hope means promise, and Rotary looks for ways to solve problems by investing in other organizations solving problems and thereby helping those organizations make promises and create a culture to cultivate peace. We have influence in our lives with various interactions we have with others through work, faith, school, visiting establishments - and always treating others with respect in these interactions – and we create environments where peace can happen. If we are conscious of peace, we create it. And the world needs peace. The District has a youth program “Youth Peace in Action”, and also is having peace talks to help expand ways of thinking and help make peace visible to all.
We played a game of Jeopardy to see how much we know about all things Rotary. There were four teams and Team 3 won (Dirk, Cal, and Neil) and they all received prizes for their win.
Patricia closed with a quote from Paul Harris: “The world is changing, and we need to change with it. So the Rotary story has to be retold over and over and over again.” She asked all of us, what is our story? What is our Elk River club adding to the Rotary story? She had everyone stand and thank everyone next to them for being in Rotary and adding to the story.
Rotating Reports
 Julie Fish brought in some Rotary magazines for those honorary members who might like to read them, so see Debbi if you’d like to get one. Debbi thanked the Rotarians who participated in the mock interviews at the Elk River high school this week. Katie announced a loyalty rewards program Rockwoods is starting to reward the customers who frequent the establishment and you get triple points during lunch. The Taste committee is meeting after the regular meeting next week, and where the decisions will be made regarding the proposed changes.
Fundraising Opportunities
 Delights and Dilemmas: Neil was delighted to be attending the Maple Grove Rotary event with Pete Reiner in Rush Creek.
Cal Portner was delighted to have traveled to Saskatchewan watching his nephew play hockey and they won both games in OT. He had a dilemma as the same nephew played in Maine last year where the recent shootings occurred. His final delight was going this Saturday to the Maxx Bar in East Bethel to hear his daughter sing in the band for their Halloween event.
Heather Kliewer had a dilemma with one more employee giving notice at CAER, so down to just her, but she has two new hires coming on board. She was delighted that her son got engaged in Italy over the weekend.
Terry Bizal was delighted for all the Rotary support at the high school events and they are very appreciative for the participation.
Katie Harstad was delighted for her middle child’s tenth birthday and the surprise party coming. She was also delighted for her work with Lance Lindberg to bring back the Old Thompson event the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Melanie Clemons was delighted that her son was going to be taking his driver’s license test soon and it will be nearby rather than having to travel a long distance to take it. She was also delighted for her son’s opportunity to participate in Spring Break training in Tampa, Florida next year.
Theresa Slominski was delighted for the Wild game the other night and having finished taking her piano apart.
Michael Spellman was delighted for all the peace talks he has given and thanked the club for the initial launch of the talks earlier this year.
Birthdays – Joe Stremcha was sung to with the Applebee’s version.
 Cal Portner was the winner for the card draw this week with a four of clubs.
Next week we will have story time with the reading of the books we will be distributing to the classrooms.
Last Time We Met 10/19/2023
There was no meeting today because we met for our Strike Out Polio bowling event at McPete’s in Big
 Lake. John Osterman started bowling right at 3:00pm after some practice bowls. Several attended to
cheer John on and socialize with fellow Rotarians.
Those attending were: Dirk Barrett, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Bonnie Koste, Tove Lichty, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Marvin Sorvala, Robert Maxwell, and Stewart Wilson. John’s sister Sandy also joined us, which was ! John ended up bowling a score of 624 (three games scored at 190, 236, and 198.) Way to go John! Neil Gagnon will be invoicing those who pledged. Thanks to all who attended. We enjoyed some appetizers, some beverages, some great bowling, some socializing, and raised some money for the foundation to fight polio!
Reminders for upcoming events:
October 26 is our Club Assembly when our District Governor will be here. The board will be meeting
prior to that at 11:00.
Service Opportunities (be sure to let Debbi know if you sign up to help out so she can track the service
hours):
Mock Interviews for Juniors – Elk River October 25, 2023, Rogers November 10, 2023,
Zimmerman March 14, 2024
Job Shadow for Juniors – Rogers December 1, 2023, Elk River December 14, 2023,
Zimmerman February 29, 2024
Rogers High School Reality Fair November 8, 2023 contact amy.lord@isd728.org
STRIKE OUT POLIO
WITH JOHN O.....
Last Time We Met - October 12, 2023
Attending: Leah Atkinson, Terry Bizal, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Ashley Schultz, Marv Sorvala, honoraries Dave Anderson, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell and John Osterman.
No guests or visiting Rotarians.
Program
Today our program was led by Melanie Clemons. She introduced us to Missy Wilson-Gaulke with the Elk River Fire Foundation. The two met at a Biz  to Biz and made fast friends! They came to share information with us about the Foundation and the upcoming Community Thanksgiving Dinner event they are planning. Missy is the owner of Royal Supply. The Thanksgiving Dinner was a thing in Elk River from 2006 to 2019 and because of covid, it went away. They decided to team up and bring the Community Thanksgiving Dinner back! The Fire Foundation and Kiser Construction, where Melanie works, teamed up for the event again this year! It will take place on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and will be held at Central Lutheran Church. They have elementary students from surrounding schools, creating the most awesome placemats and cards for all! This even is advertised through press releases, flyers, yard signs and word of mouth in the Elk River/Otsego area. Delivery is also available to people in the Elk River area. This even is also sponsored by the Elk River Eagles Club. In 2022, they served 300 meals, including deliveries. They have volunteers of all ages and actually had to turn away a few volunteers last year! They went on to tell us about a new event in the works – Guns (police dept.) and Hoses (fire dept.) Fundraiser. Also coming up is the Fill a Fire Truck with gifts for Christmas. They donate the gifts locally and the left overs in 2022 were taken to Children’s Hospital. Great program! Many thought Melissa would make a great rotarian, and an application form was given to her!
Announcements
-John Osterman sent around his sheet of pledges for the Bowling event that will take place next week, Thursday, October 19th starting at 3 pm at McPete’s in Big Lake. This will replace our noon meeting! Please be sure to attend and heckle the bowler who is raising funds for Polio Plus. Neil Gagnon, treasurer, will invoice for the pledges. Debbi noted that during October, if $100 is given to Polio Plus, a match will be made at 100%. If $365 is donated, district will match you to $1000 for a Paul Harri Fellow award.
-October 26th, please be sure to attend our noon meeting as we welcome our District Governor, Patricia McCleese.
-The literacy program is changing and has now morphed into a book project. Mark Kuyava will read the book we have chosen to give out, during a meeting, soon! The books will be distributed to elementary students. This book project was brought to us by Rotarian Marv Sorvala.
-Donations Committee – applications for local grants to non-profits are happening! Joe Stremcha and Melanie Clemons are leading the task and are emailing to non-profits. Application deadline is in November. Know someone? Let them know of this opportunity! The application is on our website!
-Card Game – no winner! The pot grows . . .
Delights and Dilemmas
-Julie Fish was happy to be smelling asphalt on Dodge venue. This is a sign of the road progressing! She had an I.O.U.
-Cal Portner was happy to not be a bowler next week as he will be on his way to Saskatchewan to watch his nephew play hockey there. He was sad that the MN Twins lost but tonight the MN Wild start and tomorrow Gopher hockey begins! He also gave us an update on the officers shot in Princeton. One officer was from Elk River. Four were shot but all look to be ok. The suspect was also shot and was in a hospital in Minneapolis. The suspect started the house on fire!
-Melanie Clemons was delighted that her son played a baseball tourney in Missouri. The team did well and they were able to see the Kansas City Chiefs stadium! She was also delighted to tell us that her daughter was accepted into the National Honor Society!
-Marv Sorvala had a delight to let us know that on October 21st, he and Diane are heading to Florida for six months!
-Glen Ertal was proud of his young granddaughter for playing soccer on the varsity team and for being undefeated and the second highest scorer!
-Bob Maxwell shared that his granddaughter has been accepted and received a scholarship to Hamilne!
-Terry Bizal was happy that his daughter will be playing professional hockey in Montreal, Canada! He was also happy for a fishing trip to Lake of the Woods and finally was happy for ERHS, who had a successful homecoming and a successful Tackle Cancer event!
-Leah Atkinson was delighted to tell us that she is stocked up on Jonny Pops and that she as accepted an assignment in Washington State for three months, starting November 1st.
-Debbi Rydberg was delighted to share that her daughter, who teaches in India, was hit in the eye with a softball, but with stitches, she is on the mend! She was also delighted with her two new kitties who keep her amused!
-Missy/guest was happy to tell us about the success of the Thumbs Up 5K where she assisted with many things to make the event a success!
Celebrating the Life of Rotarian Jim Babcock
October 9, 2023
Last Time We Met 10/05/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg. We sang and then recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Dirk Barrett, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Molly Hanson, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Bill Yueill, Glen Ertel, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson
Guests Attending
No guests today
Program
 Our program was a discussion of the Taste of Elk River event, led by Katie Harstad, which took the entire hour meeting time. Katie started by sharing she has been a part of all seventeen Taste events, but only one as a Rotarian, and now she is in charge of it for the upcoming year - and events are her passion! She showed a video that Bob  Maxwell put together of the 2023 Taste, shared the financial numbers with the Net Profit at $39,200, and the list of vendors participating. There were four topics she wanted to cover in our discussion: Ticketing, Location, Date, and Food and Beverage options.
Ticketing will be electronic this year using the Zeffy platform. The platform is donation based and so is free to the rotary club. Paper tickets are also available for those less tech savvy, and a location could be established for physically purchasing tickets. There is also an option for still tracking ticket sales by teams. More information is available at zeffy.com.
Location was next with two options available of the Fairgrounds and the Furniture and Things Event Center (utilizing the dry arena floor.) The Fairgrounds are outside, utilizes some tents, has outhouses for bathrooms, and costs $7,600 for everything. The FTEC is indoors on a concrete floor, has 20 stalls each on two floors for bathrooms, and costs $900 for the arena area with additional rent for VIP and silent auction areas. A clarification was made that the Fairgrounds have their lease through 2024 and is up for renewal in 2025, and is not being cancelled (as some prior information had speculated.)
Dates were discussed with alternatives to May since this is so busy for restaurants and may be part of the reason for low food vendor participation. Other dates in the summer must consider the Thursday summer concert series but the City said they would work with us on this so we don’t have competing events. Weekdays other than Thursday have more challenges.
Food and Beverage options were discussed with the possibility of adding Food Trucks, possibly increasing the stipend, maybe having a lower ticket cost and not including food in the ticket cost with guests buying food onsite or having “snacks” available, and having tokens available to “purchase” food. Katie noted that maybe the food industry is finally turning around and it will get easier to find help and increase vendor participation.
It was noted that any major changes should be discussed with First Bank and POUR as significant sponsors of the event. Any branding changes or communication needs must be considered as well. An opinion poll was taken for location, dates, and F&B options. Only the location date results were counted at the meeting and they were 8 Fairgrounds and 13 FTEC. The board will be making final decisions. The next Taste Committee meeting is Thursday, November 2 after the regular meeting.
Kudos to Katie and Debbi for leading this challenging discussion and presenting the information!
Rotating Reports
None
Fundraising Opportunities
Delights and Dilemmas: none
No birthdays
There was not a winner for the card draw this week.
District Events
Debbi and Ashely will be attending the Rotary One Summit October 5, 5:30-8pm, in Stillwater.
If you haven’t pledged for our Strike Out Polio bowling event, please contact Neil Gagnon ngagnon@thebankofelkriver.com He will invoice everyone who pledges after the event. The event is at McPete’s in Big Lake, October 19. John starts rolling at 3:00pm and  there will be a social to follow so come when you can. This replaces our regular noon meeting. Incentives for pledging:
- All Pledges matched at District!
- SPARE Give at least $100 to Polio Plus (this event works) before October 31 and the donation will be matched 1:1 with Recognition Points!
- STRIKE: Give at least $365 to Polio Plus during this campaign and the District will utilize Recognition Points to award a Paul Harris Fellowship! PLUS
- POLIO PLUS SOCIETY: Pledge to give at least $100 every year and you will be recognized as a Polio Plus Society Member and receive a PPS pin!
October 26 is our Club Assembly when our District Governor will be here. The board will be meeting prior to that at 11:00.
Service Opportunities (be sure to let Debbi know if you sign up to help out so she can track the service hours):
- Mock Interviews for Juniors – Elk River October 25, 2023, Rogers November 10, 2023, Zimmerman March 14, 2024
 - Job Shadow for Juniors – Rogers December 1, 2023, Elk River December 14, 2023, Zimmerman February 29, 2024
 - Rogers High School Reality Fair November 8, 2023 contact amy.lord@isd728.org
District Governor Preparation
Dear Debbi,
I am looking forward to visiting your club in October.
When I come to your club, you have options for the program. Which one do you prefer? Allow 25 minutes. Or if you have another topic, let me know.
1) Make Peace Visible initiative. This is good if you want the club members to understand the three-year initiative better. I start with an interactive activity and then move to the peace plan for the next three years. This helps the club move forward. Members leave more knowledgeable and reflective about peace.
2) Value of being a Rotarian. This one is good if you want the members to focus on the value of being a Rotarian. I share my Rotary moment, then have the members share with a partner. I ask for a few to share with the large group. Then, tie it with the visioning and the direction the district is heading. Members leave feeling more connected.
3) How Much Do You Know - - - a jeopardy game. This is good if you want a fun way to remind members of Rotary basic facts. It is also a review and reminder of the district's direction. There is more interaction and less talk. The game is a friendly competition with prizes. Members leave smiling—a few leave with prizes. The link to the game will be shared in advance to ensure it works on your system. So let me know asap. I can add items about your club if you would like.
Either before or after the regular meeting, could we meet? 30-45 minutes? The purpose is a quick review of club goals and to learn how the year is going. Board members are welcome.
Thank you. Hope to hear from you soon.
In Joyful Service,
Patricia
Patricia McCleese
District Governor 2023-2024
Last Time We Met 9/28/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg. We sang and then recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to;Create Hope in the World. We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to
inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrows leadership and dedicate
ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pau and ask
ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be
beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with
integrity and genuine care.
Neil Gagnon toasted the recently deceased Jim Babcock as a long time Rotarian who truly embodied the spirit and mission of Rotary.
Attending
Leah Atkinson, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Molly Hanson, Katie Harstad, Bonnie Koste,
Mark Kuyava, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Marv Sorvala, Joe Stremcha,
David Vinje, Nicole Wojcik, David Anderson, Robert Maxwell, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson
Guests Attending
Dusty Bredlow, Bank of Elk River; Alan Sakry; Giovani Garcia-Ramirez, HR Coordinator, and Mary Jane
Williams, CMO, Johnny Pops
Program
Our program presenters today were introduced by Neil Gagnon – Mary Jane Williams and Giovani
Garcia-Ramirez from Johnny Pops. One of Johnny  Pop’s pillars is to “spread kindness” and feel they fit in
well with the mission of Rotary. Johnny Pop’s was created in a St. Olaf dorm room in 2012 after a
cousin’s death. The popsicles were created in his memory as he always desired to own a popsicle stand.
They quickly became very popular for their “smoothie on a stick” style popsicles. There is a kindness
statement on every stick, or tube, to help make the world a better place. Johnny Pop’s mission is “A
Better Pop for a Better World” with wholesome ingredients in every popsicle and a wholesome outlook
from the company. With their recent move to Elk River in the large manufacturing plant previously
owned by American Beverage Corp they feel they are at a new beginning and are excited for their
future. They brought samples for the group of Watermelon and Chocolate Dipped Strawberry!
Rotating Reports
Debbi thanked Heather Kliewer for running the meeting last week while she was at the Chamber
Conference in Alexandria.
Updates from the Board meeting previous to the regular meeting: Pete Reiner had to step down as
Service Chair and Mark Kuyava will be filling that role now. Committees are being formed and Debbi asks
that you thoughtfully consider participating if approached to serve on a committee. The large cabinet is being retired to a smaller media cabinet for greater ease in storage and moving around the restaurant.
Meet at McPete’s 3pm, October 19, for the Bowling Fundraiser for the foundation. Signups have started
and remember your pledges will be matched! There will be no meeting on this day – just the fundraising
and social in the afternoon/evening.
October 26 our District Governor, Patricia McCleese, will be here and so we will have Club Assembly that
day.
Next week our meeting will be a Taste of Elk River brainstorming and discussion regarding location,
date, and tickets information. Katie hopes to include some vendors in the discussion and has invited
POUR to the meeting. The board will make final decisions but wanted to be sure and hear from the
group on this topic.
Fundraising Opportunities
Delights and Dilemmas:
Katie Harstad had two dilemmas as Marie would no longer be able to be our server, however, Hannah
will be her replacement for us; and her son turned 3 and is growing up too fast!
Pete Reiner was delighted for a baby on an airplane that travelled extremely well!
Melanie Clemons was delighted for the Johnny Pops’ program today and for Homecoming Week and the
tremendous TP job done on her home.
Nicole Wocjik was delighted to have served on jury duty with a criminal case and she had fun doing it.
She was also delighted for Haley being accepted to Augsburg College with a scholarship, her thirty year
high school reunion, running in the Twin Cities ten mile race this weekend, and thirteen days until her
honeymoon trip!
Neil Gagnon was delighted for a successful trip visiting his father-in-law who presented him with a Paul
Harris fellowship by moving some of his points. Congratulations!
Stewart Wilson was delighted for goose hunting in Saskatchewan, and duck hunting next week in North
Dakota, and his fifty year high school reunion.
Bonnie Koste was delighted and grateful for the Rotarians reaching out to her with the dilemma of her
brother’s passing.
.jpg) We celebrated Dave Vinje’s birthday with a high five, and Bonnie Koste’s with the traditional song.
There was not a winner for the card draw this week.
District Events
Rotary One Summit October 5, 5:30-8pm, Stillwater (Debbi still looking for companion attendees for her
and Ashley Schultz.)
Pearls of Wisdom
“A setback is a setup for a comeback.” – Willey Jolley, author
Last Time We Met 9/21/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Elect Heather Kliewer. It was an interesting meeting as Rockwood’s had a plumbing emergency so there was no water, which meant no bathrooms and no food. AND there was no bell as it was being repaired. We sang and then recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Leah Atkinson, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Molly Hanson, Heather Kliewer, Ashley Schultz, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Robert Maxwell
Guests Attending
Karen Wingard, City of Elk River Special Events Coordinator
Program
 Our program presenter today was introduced by Molly Hanson – Karen Wingard presenting the Farmers Market. Karen stated that the Farmers Market is a collaboration of business and community, and the vendors often comment how they love this Elk River community’s Farmer’s Market. Vendors as well as Nonprofits can be at the Farmer’s Market. They involve business sponsorships to provide extra value with special “extras”  at the market (like coupons for kids and seniors.) Exciting news was shared that there will be an Indoor Farmer’s Market starting in November, the first Thursday of the month November through May at the YMCA from 3-6pm!
Rotating Reports
Ashley Schultz was officially inducted and received her name badge, pin, membership certificate, and new member packet by Membership Chair Julie Fish. Welcome Ashley! Julie also distributed certificates of membership to Leah and Joe, as well as membership packets.
Fundraising Opportunities
No birthdays this week.
Delights and Dilemmas:
Neil Gagnon was delighted that his 15 year anniversary was successfully celebrated last night! He was also delighted that Johnny Pops will be here for the program next week, and his family will be travelling to Des Moines IA to visit his father-in-law that they haven’t seen in nine years.
Julie Fish was delighted that her family made sauerkraut together (although stinky), and she had a dilemma with the passing of her uncle.
Molly Hanson had a dilemma with the Vikings record, and was delighted for the upcoming Fall Showcase at the YMCA starting today and an Open House “Funday” on Sunday.
Bob Maxwell was delighted to celebrate his 47th wedding anniversary and 50 years of being together.
Ashely Schultz was delighted for her mom’s upcoming retirement in mid-March of 2024, and that she will be an aunt for the first time!
Heather Kliewer had dilemmas that her son was now out in IA working, and her Operations Manager, Tim Berger, will be retiring. She was delighted for the upcoming CAER Pub Crawl September 30 and distributed information.
District Events
McPete’s 3pm, October 19, for the Bowling Fundraiser for the foundation. Signups coming!
Taste of Elk River meeting September 28, Rockwood’s Boardroom 6pm
 Rotary One Summit October 5, 5:30-8pm, Stillwater (Debbi still looking for companion attendees)
There was not a winner for the card draw this week.
Pearls of Wisdom
 For the International Day of Peace: “Be Kind, Choose Joy, Work for Peace” and Heather shared the artwork of the quote from her friend Linda Thiltgen
Last Time We Met 9/14/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg. We sang and recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Leah Atkinson, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Bill Yueill, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler
Guests Attending
Myrna Krueger and Carol Mertesdorf, Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Program
Our program presenter today was introduced by Julie Fish - Myrna Krueger, Friend of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, and Myrna introduced Carol Mertesdorf, the incoming President for the organization. The Friends of Sherburne Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1993 as a 501(c) and is almost 600 members today. Myrna talked  about the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, which is one of 568 in the nation. It is not a county or DNR affiliation, just bears the name of “Sherburne” due to the location. It is staffed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. Their mission is “To work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of American people.” The national refuge focus is on the plants and animals and conservation; in contrast to the national parks where the mission is focused on tourism, and then conservation, and then the plants and animals. The Sherburne National Refuge was established in 1965 and is approximately 30,700 acres and 48 square miles, with three hiking trails totaling ten miles, and a seven mile wildlife drive. The Oak Savanna Learning Center opened in 2016.
Carol Mertesdorf talked about Nature Education and the educational partnerships with Zimmerman and Princeton elementary schools where they have fall, winter, and spring student visits. The students participate in exploratory field trips and work with plots of land where they have pollinator plants.
The Refuge is having their annual fall Wildlife Festival September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is a free event with several booths, live animal demonstrations, and even food trucks (food is not free and must be purchased.) Also, all the trails are available and even some additional driving trails are open for the Festival.
They are in the midst of capital campaign “Go Wild” to raise funds for an outdoor amphitheater and are currently at 86% of their goal. They started in November of 2022 and hope to raise the additional $50k by the end of the year so construction can start next year.
Rotating Reports
New Member
 Leah Atkinson was officially inducted and received her name badge and pin. Welcome Leah!
Bowling for Dollars
John Osterman talked about the upcoming Bowling Fundraiser for the foundation October 19 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at McPete’s in Big Lake where he will be bowling. The Rotary Foundation will match our funding in October so this is a great opportunity to raise some funds. Signups will be coming soon for pledges, and you can pledge a dollar amount per point or a lump sum amount. John’s example was $.25 per pin for a 600 point game would be $150, or $.10 per pin would be $60 (John is a good bowler!) Debbi’s goal is $2,500 to $10,000. It will also be our club social for the month so Rotary will purchase some appetizers.
Fundraising Opportunities
Happy Birthday was sung to Neil Gagnon, and Katie Harstad opted not to be sung to.
Delights and Dilemmas:
Katie Harstad was delighted to be closing on a house, all by herself, right here in Elk River. Congratulations Katie!
Neil Gagnon was delighted the kids were back in school and his 15 year wedding anniversary is September 20.
Julie Fish shared Nicole Wojcik’s delight of being selected for jury duty and her dilemma was she was chosen for a criminal case.
Bill Yueill was delighted for having returned with seven family members from a trip to Scotland.
Theresa Slominski was delighted for her painting project to be almost completed and for her vertigo to be gone.
Leah Atkinson was delighted to have purchased and assembled her new battery operated lawnmower.
Cal Portner was delighted for his son to be engaged.
Debbi Rydberg was delighted for her husband turning out to be a great cat dad.
District Events coming up are a Zoom meeting Peace Talk by Michael Spellman, and the One Summit Meeting. Debbi is attending the October 5 Stillwater meeting 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and looking for anyone to attend with her.
There was not a winner for the card draw this week.
Pearls of Wisdom
Debbi found a “4 Way Beer Test” and shared it with the group:
Is it cold?
Is there enough for all concerned?
Will it build good times and much better friendships?
Can it get any better than this?
Last Time We Met 9/07/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg. We sang and recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Dirk Barrett, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Debbi Rydberg, Ashley Schultz, Theresa Slominski, Marv Sorvala, Nicole Wojcik, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson
Guests Attending
Lane Crose, Great River Young Life Area Director; Sandy Campbell, Anoka Rotary
Sandy Campbell was present to sell raffle tickets for their major annual fundraiser, “Vacation of a Lifetime”. The winner will win a $3,000 travel voucher or $2,000 cash.
Program
 Our program presenter today was introduced by Debbi Rydberg - Lane Crose from Great River Young Life, the Area Director. Great River Young Life was established in 1973 and he has been with the organization five years, Area Director for 3 years. Their Mission is “Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.” Their Vision is “To be a healthy, strong, well-equipped organization that ministers to the broad spectrum of kids living throughout our area, which includes Elk River, Big Lake, Otsego, Rogers, Zimmerman, Ramsey, and St. Michael.” Their method is to make themselves available to the world of kids and build Christ-centered relationships with them, through being in the schools, attending activities and sporting events, various gatherings, and a camp opportunity. They have a high school group for kids in grades 9-12 (Great River Young Life), and a special needs group (Great River Young Life Capernaum) for kids ages 14-21. There is also a program called Young Life Campaigners to develop the next generation of disciples, for those ages 18-30. Moving forward, there is a new program for Young Adult Leadership, and they hope to reach out to the middle school kids as well since that is a crucial time for kids to decide to follow Jesus or not. Lane showed a video and answered questions from the group.
Rotating Reports
Debbi showed some pictures from the River Cleanup that resulted in 20 volunteer hours collecting 50 pounds of garbage.
She also showed a picture of the group meeting at Fire Station #3 last week.
Debbi thanked John Osterman and Pete Reiner, for always setting up for the Rotary meetings and asked for additional volunteers to help with this in the future. Please talk to John Osterman or Pete Reiner for further details on what is required.
Membership update from Julie Fish was a big HELP ask. She asked for names of individuals in the community that we think would be good Rotarians. People provided names and she took down the names for future contacting. If you think of additional names please reach out to her at julie@elkriverprinting.com.
In news from the district, Debbi pointed out the One Summit, District 5960 program. There are three dates: Saturday, 9/23 in Faribault 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Thursday, 9/28 in Roseville 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM, and Thursday, 10/8 in Stillwater 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. She is able to attend the 10/8 event in Stillwater and is willing to drive/carpool with others interested in attending. It is free to register so contact Debbi if you are interested and she will coordinate the registrations. She reminded the group that it is one of her goals to have every member attend at least one district event.
Fundraising Opportunities
Delights and Dilemmas:
Julie Fish had a delight of her 18th annual girls’ weekend starting tomorrow, and her dilemma was her only remaining uncle is in the hospital on his way to heaven. She asked for prayers for a speedy end as he has suffered enough.
Heather Kliewer shared that she was delighted at Elk River Printing earlier this week where Jody wished her “a profitable day” and when she got to work she received an email from Second Harvest that CAER received a $25,000 grant! She was also delighted that her son Jackson is back from Idaho for good. She had a dilemma that she found out Jim Akers passed away unexpectedly.
Tove Lichty was delighted for her Napa girls’ trip next week!
Marv Sorvala was delighted for successful completion of a 2200 mile trip from Arizona to Florida with a Penske truck full of furniture!
Sandy Campbell was delighted that Casey Mahon moved to Champlain and will be joining the Anoka Rotary club! She is also delighted for her upcoming trip to France with her husband to enjoy the beaches of Normandy!
Stewart Wilson was delighted to be back from a Viking cruise to Barcelona, Spain and Italy. His dilemma is that he will be attending a funeral for Tom Lund, a former colleague at the Bank of Elk River.
Nicole Wojcik was delighted for a new male friend in her mom’s life, her daughter’s last first day of school as a senior this year, and 34 days left until her honeymoon in Mexico!
Debbi was delighted for her 92 year old mother’s cataract surgery, her husband is getting a new car today, and she and her husband are now proud owners of two adorable kittens Chip and Dale!
Theresa Slominski was delighted for the beautiful hot weather on Labor Day weekend.
John Osterman shared that he and Bob Maxwell attended Bonnie Koste’s brother’s funeral (many others attended the visitation as well.)
Happy Birthday was sung to Mark Kuyava for $15 (half good and then half bad)!
There was not a winner for the card draw this week.
Pearls of Wisdom
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
-Professor Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter
Debbi added, if you cannot turn on your own light, don’t be afraid to find someone else to do it for you!
Last Time We Met 8/31/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg at Fire Station #3. We did not have a power point presentation nor the pledge printed, so we sang, but did not recite the pledge. She thanked everyone for being flexible with the pledge and quoted Julie Fish “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape!”
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Leah Atkinson, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Tove Lichty, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Marv Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, David Anderson, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler
Guests Attending
Joe Libor, Assistant Fire Chief of Operations/Deputy Emergency Manager; Alan Sakry
Program
Our program today was introduced by Melanie  Clemons. Melanie spoke of when she moved into her new home, there was smoke coming out of an outlet and she called the fire department and was so grateful for the quick response and courteous service! Joe Libor Jr has been with the fire department 10 years and his father was a fire fighter too (it was Joe’s dad who responded to Melanie’s fire as the Fire Chief.) Joe gave an overview of the fire department operations. There are only four full-time positions in the fire department and everyone else is paid on-call. There are three fire stations in Elk River and where the fire fighter lives determines which fire station they report to for fire response. Joe talked about the other work that they do for training, community risk reduction, and emergency management of large incidents such as a tornado or massive flooding. They also provide aid to Otsego, Rogers, and Big Lake Township. He then gave a tour of Fire Station #3, which opened in 2022 and was built to fill response time gaps before the 169 project would be completed. The fire station is state of the art and has many amenities that are designed around health and wellness to support the fire fighters in mind, body, and spirit. (Of special note, during the tour a squirrel was spotted on the exterior of the building practicing his fire-fighting climbing skills.)
Rotating Reports
To best utilize everyone’s time, a brief meeting was held prior to the program. Debbi thanked everyone for coming to the Chamber event last week. They served about 125 people great fajitas. She also gave a huge shout out to John Osterman and Pete Reiner for the offsite meeting setup today, and Neil Gagnon for providing the lunches.
We welcomed Leah Atkinson as a new member and she gave a little bit of information about herself. She was born and raised in Port Angelus, Washington. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner and does contracting work, mostly in Indian Health Services for the Federal Government as a civil servant, and has worked with the Navajo, and Sioux tribes. She is in Elk River now because her son is in the area.
The river clean-up was a success, about 8-10 people collected approximately 50 pounds of garbage in two hours, and then met at Bonnie’s for a social. The interesting find this year was a half bag of weed in a tree.
Julie gave details of Bonnie’s brother, Tommy, passing away and a visitation will be at Mary of the Visitation in Big Lake from 4-7pm and she will be going around 5-5:30 if anyone wants to join her.
Debbi surveyed the group for those attending the State Fair and what their favorite things were.
No Delights and Dilemmas this week.
No card draw this week.
Last Time We Met 8/17/2023
Today our meeting was led by President Debbi Rydberg. We sang and then recited the new pledge:
We pledge ourselves to be Hope in the World. We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to
inspire leaders with passion and to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be
beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.
Attending
Terry Bizal, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Nicole Wojcik, Bill Yueill, David Anderson, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler
Guests Attending
Andy Almos, ISD 728 Executive Director; Theresa’s brother and sisters Wayne, Jen, and Chrissy
Program
 Our program today was introduced by Terry Bizal. Andy Almos is the ISD 728 Executive Director of Business Services and has been in the position for two years. He is the “money man” for the district, wearing many hats and does a lot of the work behind the scenes. Born and raised in Hinckley, he now lives in Zimmerman with two children ages 14 and 8, and likes to hunt in his free time. He likes to hunt so much that he went on a three week South African Safari two years ago! He talked about funding and the number of kids through the doors is the biggest contributor to their funding. He talked about the construction and that it will all be done before school starts! This year they are completing the promises set forth in the 2019 referendum with the completion of the last of seven projects. The district set a standard in the referendum that every kid has the same school experience regardless of the school they are physically attending. Other responsibilities Andy oversees are custodial services, transportation services, health and safety, and information technology. This year is a record for dollar amounts invested in the schools, partially because it is tied to a 4% inflation rate.
He wanted us to understand that there were a lot of bills passed and it is record funding of $22 million, but it
is also record expenses of $13 million in new mandates. The rest of the funding will likely go to contract
negotiations. There were lots of policy changes and probably the biggest one is free school meals consisting
of a breakfast and a lunch for every child. They are always planning and predicting for the future for capacity and facilities and needed funding for the next ten years - and the district has a really good team for predicting that has been incredibly accurate in the past. He took a few questions from the group and then Debbi thanked him for the presentation.
Rotating Reports
Debbi gave an update from the board meeting prior to this meeting. The budget was passed and it is the
earliest the budget has ever been approved! We need a new Service Chair, please talk to Pete Reiner for any interest.
The River Cleanup is scheduled for August 23 at 5:00pm starting at the dam and we will clean up around there. After that, those that can float will get in canoes to clean up along the river, and everyone else will go to Bailey Point to clean up there. Pete has two canoes already so please let him know if you are able to bring any additional canoes. We will have a gathering at Bonnie’s afterwards. A sign-up sheet will be passed around for those able to help. Bags and gloves will be provided.
We are going to Fire Station #3 in two weeks, August 31, for our program and Melanie has a sign-up sheet for ordering subs for lunch there.
Next week we are invited to attend the Chamber picnic at 101 Market, even if you are not a member because Rotary is a member. If you are a member already and able to RSVP on the website, please do so, and if you are not then contact Debbi directly for your RSVP.
***Reminder that we will not be meeting at Rockwoods for the next two weeks.***
 Membership Update by Julie Fish is that we have two new members that were voted in at the board meeting,
Ashley Schultz and Leah Atkinson. We have one official resignation from Angela Nies, with regrets.
Foundation Minute by Tove Lichty stating that on  November 9 she will be having a fall foundation event. The details will be coming later, she just wanted
everyone to get it on their calendars. We will be skipping the regular meeting and just having the evening event. She then talked about the global impacts in communities around the world with foundation dollars, and gave some numbers from our district. Last year our district raised $416,000 for the Rotary Foundation and the money was used for 12 local grants, 3 global grants, scholarships, and $44,000 for Polio Plus. Those district grants are funded by what we give and what Rotarians around the world give. What our district gives to the foundation comes back to our district after it has been there for three years. Tove hopes to find a project and grant to help with next year. If you are interested in helping to plan the November foundation event, let Tove know.
Theresa was then invited up to make a  presentation of a Rotary pin that Mary Eberley was supposed to receive. Mary felt she had enough pins and wanted to give it to a fellow Rotarian instead. Mary wanted it to go to Bob Maxwell for all the many hours  he gives to Rotary with all the media work he does for our club.
Theresa gave it to Bob and he was very thankful and moved for the recognition!
Fundraising Opportunities
Delights and Dilemmas (formerly Happy Bucks)!
Terry Bizal started and was $3 delighted for Andy attending, school starting back up soon, and sports starting with first soccer game next Thursday and football on August 31.
Bob Maxwell was $10 delighted for the pin received.
Heather Kliewer was $1 delighted for Bob’s pin, and $1 delighted for Andy’s trip to South Africa.
Nicole Wojcik was $10 delighted with her mom’s hip surgery going well but she did develop a DVP so that
was a dilemma, her stepson is back on a leave to celebrate his birthday, and her daughter is a senior this year with all those “senior things” to do and decisions to make.
Melanie Clemons was $1 delighted for Katie and her Alaskan trip next week, and $1 delighted for Terry and
ISD 728 taking her kids back to school. She had a shout out to ISD 728 for the amazing teachers and staff!
Mark Kuyava was $1 delighted for the rain, his family going to a Twins game, and for an upcoming visit to the
fair.
Katie Harstad was $1 delighted for her trip to Alaska with her oldest daughter for her cousin’s wedding, and
$1 for buying a house this week in Elk River and closing in September on ½ acre (with a dog to come!)
Guest Jen Thornwall was $20 delighted for Rotary and all the good that they do, for Terry and Andy and all they do for children’s education, and for siblings getting together.
No one won the card draw this week.
Birthdays
Birthdays will be handled differently moving forward as some people don’t like to have happy birthday sung
to them. Rotary will be asking for a $10 donation and you can decide to not have it sung or how you want it
done. Terry Bizal had a birthday August 11 and had it sung the regular way. Theresa Slominski has a birthday August 18 and she had it sung like The Emperor’s New Groove.
Pearls of Wisdom
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable but
they’re never a weakness.” –Brene Brown
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