This week at Rotary
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Lunch Buffet
Judy’s Delicious Cookies
Doors Open 11:30AM
12:00 PM START
At
Kitchi Gammi Club
This week’s program
Walk to End Alzheimer's
The Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Organized by the Alzheimer's Association, the event features highly recognizable purple branding and distinct logo variations used across its digital platforms, corporate materials, and event apparel.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
September 12, 2026, from 10:00 am - 4:00pm
The annual Lake Superior Harvest Festival will kick-off at Bayfront Festival Park!
Rotarians are needed to help!
Contact Geiger Yount to volunteer.
geigman@aol.com
Twin Ports Rotary Interclub Council Opportunities
All Rotarians and Guests are invited to see "A Chorus Line," Thursday, Sept. 10. Please RSVP Elizabeth Simonson at esimonso@umn.edu with number planning to attend.
Twin Ports Rotary Pickleball Players: Starting in September
We’ll organize it as a men’s & women’s mixed doubles league. We’ll play twice/month on a flexible schedule. We won’t be keeping track of wins and losses. We’re just playing for pure fun. To sign up or for more information contact Brad Jenson (past president of Harbortown) at 218-349-7566 or bradley.jenson1956@gmailcom.
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Renee Burns
August 20 meeting was called to order by President Dan Maki who asked for the assembled group to start with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four-Way Test, a copy of which is now on the tables so guests can also participate.
President Dan Maki opening the meeting
The Reflection by Vinod Gupta, was thoughts of how we each might want to be remembered for the things we do in life; was I a good person, a good member of the community, a contributor for the better? A very thought-provoking Reflection on the entirety of our lives and the impact we leave when we depart.
Vinod Gupta
President Dan Maki welcomed our many guests: Marilyn Fifield, Judy Sage, Brazilian Exchange Student Maria Diesel, Mark Kohlepp, Megan Maki, Jenny Costley and TK Kwiatkowski.
With no self-reports, we quickly moved to announcements.
Past President Gary Melander with the Rose Sale update.
Past President Gary Melander reported that the Rotary Rose Sale LIVES! Harbortown Rotary has taken over the annual Rose Sale and Gary has been kindly helping them with the logistics to ensure the 41st sale is successful. If you have customers you sell to every year, get some tickets from Gary and continue to sell roses. Rose pick up will be October 16 and 17, 2026. This is a big event in the community, in the 40 years that our club sold roses, more than $1.35 million dollars were raised for grants!
Darlene Anderson had an exciting announcement and introduction to make. We have a new Exchange Student! Maria Diesel from Brazil will be spending the school year in Duluth. Her first family stay with be with Darlene and her husband, followed by Jenny Costley and TK Kwiatkowski. She’s getting acclimated, trying out for volleyball at East and touring Duluth. Welcome Maria!!
Exchange Student Maria Diesel and her host, Darlene Anderson.
President Dan Maki announced this weekend is the Superior Rotary Dragonboat Festival. They still have volunteer spots open if you’re a fan of this exciting event. As well, there are spots open for volunteers at the Lake Superior Harvest Festival.
New Members!
Past President Sandy Hoff was called upon to make the introduction of our newest member of Club 25, Matt Piede. Matt is the Chief Development Officer of the Essentia Foundation and moved to Duluth three years ago along with his wife and two daughters. Please be sure to welcome Matt and make him feel at home with the club!
Past President Sandy Hoff introducing our newest Club 25 member, Matt Piede.
President Dan Maki made an introduction of an Honorary Member of Club 25, someone who brings the “sweetness” to each of our meetings. New Honorary Member Judy Rogers had no idea this was coming, and she is certainly deserving of this designation. Each week Judy attends three area Rotary meetings, just like her husband, Past District Governor Earl Rogers did, and a tradition she carried on after his death. Judy bakes a variety of cookies that she brings to each meeting, that are welcomed and enjoyed by the members. In his introduction Dan stated that Judy embodies the spirit of Rotary, and no one is more deserving of the recognition of Honorary Member of Club 25. Judy thanked Dan and the club and noted that she has been involved in Rotary since 1973!
Club 25 Honorary Member Judy Rogers
Allison Hanig-Landrus introduced our Speaker of the Day, club member Natalie Junk, who didn’t sing for us this week, but did share fascinating information about one of her many interests, raising Monarch butterflies.
Natalie Junk talking about her Secret Garden
Natalie and her fiancé Mark moved to Duluth just over a year ago and purchased a home with an amazingly overgrown garden, that just happened to be perfect environment for raising monarch butterflies. While she is an avid gardener, she was not informed about how to care for a monarch nursery, but our intrepid and curious Natalie was not to be discouraged, she quickly found resources and people who knew about the care and feeding of monarchs and is now well on her way to expertise!
Among the many things learned, milkweed matters. This is the only plant caterpillars can eat, and the only plant monarchs lay eggs on. In other words, crucial to their nurturing.
There are three types of milkweed in Duluth; Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed and Butterfly Weed. With this life source there are four stages of the Monarch life cycle –
Egg
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Adult Monarch, and it takes four generations of a Monarch before they make their natural migration to Mexico. This generation is called the Super Generation.
Natalie and Mark don’t just leave the care to nature, they actively nurture their little eggs into full grown Monarchs, which is a much better way to ensure the success of these beautiful creatures.
In their first year of raising Monarchs, they had one develop, but sadly it did not survive. 2026 is another story, however, they have had 18 eggs and 18 caterpillars with 17 released so far. The last, Sir Reginold is a work in progress and joined us for the meeting in fact.
Monarch butterflies are important in our ecosystem, and you can help the process, whether by raising them, or simply being kind to the environment. Plant milkweed, avoid pesticides, provide nectar flowers, create a safe habitat in which Monarchs can thrive.
Last thoughts from the meeting:
- If you know of someone with experiences or interests that might make a good program, ask them! It’s hard work finding interesting programs week after week, do your part and provide ideas and suggestions.
- Membership is important. We are fortunate to welcome Matt Piede as a new member and Judy Rogers as an Honorary Member. Ask friends, colleagues and associates if they are interested in joining you for a meeting to learn more about our club, they may find Rotary is a good fit for them!
Saying Goodbye-
We reluctantly accepted the resignation of two club members in August. Corey Collier left the club due to time constraints with family and work. He has thoroughly enjoyed his Rotary time and the friendships he’s made and hopes for an eventual return someday. As well, Robin Pestalozzi resigned in August due to an exciting new work opportunity that will take her family to Salt Lake City in September.
_____
Club 25 – 100 Years Ago This Week
By Jerry Thoreson
The Gimlet
Vol. 10, No. 43 • August 25, 1926
ROLL CALL: 84 Rotarians, 4 Guests for a total of 88 who attended the meeting aboard the Montauk (see last week’s Gimlet) which was described as RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!
By Jerry Thoreson
The Gimlet
Vol. 10, No. 43 • August 25, 1926
ROLL CALL: 84 Rotarians, 4 Guests for a total of 88 who attended the meeting aboard the Montauk (see last week’s Gimlet) which was described as RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!
History Of Women In Rotary and Club 25 – From “Rotary Annes” To Presidents
One hundred years ago this week, Club 25 was preparing for “Ladies’ Night” at Pike Lake, where Rotarians were encouraged to bring their “Rotary Annes,” families and friends.
At the time, women could not be members of Rotary.
But Duluth women had already challenged that idea.
In 1911, the same year Club 25 was chartered, a group of Duluth business and professional women organized the Duluth Woman’s Rotary Club.
Led by attorney Irene C. Buell, Duluth’s first woman lawyer, the club met twice monthly at the Spalding Hotel. When Rotary International held its convention in Duluth in 1912, Buell appealed to the convention for recognition of women’s Rotary clubs.
The convention said no. Rotary International never recognized the Duluth women’s club, which continued independently until about 1917.
It would take another 70 years for women to become Rotarians in the United States.
In 1977, the Rotary Club of Duarte, California, admitted three women and subsequently lost its Rotary charter. The fight eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
On May 4, 1987, the Court ruled unanimously that Rotary clubs in California could be required to admit women. Two years later, Rotary International changed its constitution to allow women to join Rotary clubs worldwide.
Just four months after the 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Bonita T. Nelson became the first woman to join Rotary Club of Duluth on September 1, 1987. Bonita remains an active member.
Janet B. Davis joined in 1988.
Both later served as Club President, Janet as the first female president in 1998-99 and Bonita in 2008-09. Since then, seven more women have served as President of Club 25.
