This Week at Rotary
We Meet at Noon on Thursday
May 13, 2021
IN PERSON
HOLIDAY CENTER BALLROOM
(Also Via Zoom)
Plated Meal Served
(Zoom Meeting Opens at 11:45)
(Link Sent Thursday Morning)
Shaun Floerke
President, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
A Generous Community
Never Waste a Crisis
Our speaker will share his life journey as a community member, judge and now as the new President and CEO of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Rob Hofmann
While more Rotarians enjoyed fellowship with a plated meal, a bit more than a dozen Rotarians on ZOOM enjoyed fellowship of the virtual kind! Robin Pestalozzi was able to visit while her infant took a nap. Past President Tricia Bunten recounted her drywall ordeal, covered in chalky drywall powder head to toe in 90 degree heat, while helping her son renovate a new home in Iowa. At 12:10 PM with a ring of the Rotary Bell, President Dean Casperson extended a warm welcome to all and asked all Rotarians to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary Four-Way Test.
Three out of Four Rotarians enjoying Fellowship
Today’s
Rotary Refection was offered by President-Elect
Chana Stocke who spoke of
Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus with an emphasis on mothers and children:
Rotary is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever. Seven areas of focus are:
Promoting peace. ... Fighting disease. ... Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. ... Saving mothers and children. ... Supporting education. ... Growing local economies.
President-Elect Chana Stocke
Fellowship Report had one self-report from Jeff Bradt who celebrated his first grandchild – CONGRATULATIONS!! We were introduced to prospective new member Mike Waldron who was the guest of Past Assistant Governor Phil Strom - welcome Mike! And happy birthday May Rotarians! Rotarians who celebrate their birthdays this month were serenaded.
Spring cleaning time! Rotarians are invited to help keep our part of the North Shore Drive clean by joining fellow Rotarians on May 27th at 2:30 PM at the
Clearwater Grille for highway clean up. Afterward, Rotarians will enjoy fellowship at the home of Past President
Michelle Buria.
Phil Strom called Allen Anway to the podium to award yet another of his Paul Harris Fellowships with this award honoring Allen’s oldest granddaughter Eleanor Weston. Thank you Allen for your continued incredible generosity in support of Rotary!
Phil Strom awards Allen Anway another Paul Harris Fellowship
Chair of the Day
Jenny Peterson began her introduction of our program by quoting the late Nobel Prize Winner Nelson Mandela:
The true character of society is revealed in how it treats its children. Lutheran Social Services (LSS)
Bethany Crisis Shelter reaches and serves some of our most vulnerable children. From infants to teens, their doors are always open. Our Club can take great pride in its continued grant support. LSS’s Kathryn Tiede and Club 25’s own
Christine Empanger, LSS development director, shared a bit of the 105 years of service LSS has provided for Duluth families, children and youth. A
First Chapter was completed when in 2017 LSS opened
The Center for Changing Lives with a mission to end youth homelessness in our community. 880 youth are served every year and lives are not only changed but saved through early intervention and prevention. To illustrate the impact LSS has on lives, we watched a powerful video that shared the touching story of
Domenica and listened to LSS staff and administrators whose compassion and dedication to their work astounded and humbled us. A
Second Chapter is about to be written with plans for a new LSS Bethany Center which is planned for Duluth’s West End to fill a void in neighborhood service. The project is estimated to cost $3.0 M with approximately $2.5 M already raised! Ground breaking is planned for later this spring.
Bethany Center – A new home