The Holiday Inn Great Lakes Ballroom was abuzz with visiting Rotarians when President Tricia Bunten stepped to the podium to welcome everyone. All joined her in singing “The Star Spangled Banner” accompanied by Past-Prez John Baumgarten. Leading us in a New Year's Prayer, Bob Kase prayed, “We mark ends and we make beginnings and in all we praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days...help us to use all of the gifts and bounty you have given to us to serve you through our actions of service toward others.”
Fellowship Reporter Dave Holappa welcomed our guests and then reminded us to place our name badges in the boxes after each meeting. That way, we won’t be fined at the next meeting as was Tom Young who admitted that his badge was on his dresser at home. An item that Dave has been holding for over a month is that a Grand Rapids senior hockey star will forgo his senior year in order to play for the USHL's Chicago Steel coached by Bill Abalan's son, Mark. As Bill came forward to pay his fine, he told us that Mark had just been let go from the team. Then Past Prez Dave McLean commented that both of his children had been well-coached by Mark and he gladly added to the Golden Can. Speaking of hockey, the Peewee AA game on Tuesday was East 9 vs Cloquet 1. Coach was Dave McLean and a player was Brett Kinney's son. The Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation donated $10,000 to the Duluth Library Foundation; accepting the check was Patra Savastiades, wife of Dean Casperson.
Celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary this week, Past Prez Phil Strom placed a check for $1 for each blessed year with wife, Babs, into the Golden Can. Tom McCabe added his dollars as he announced the birth of his 19th great-grandchild. Congratulations!
Left to Right: Kiana Davis (East), Mary Aimone (Hermantown), Emma Schiltz (Denfeld), Tasha Korman (Harbor City), and Josiah Ojard (Lakeview Christian)
Not pictured: Isabelle Stauber (Marshall) and Garret Westendorf (Proctor)
Today we bid goodbye to our November Junior Rotarians and welcomed the first group of 2018 Junior Rotarians. Please take time during the meetings to visit with these awesome young people.
A Paul Harris Fellowship award was presented by Jim Landwehr to Kiana Davis, granddaughter of Bill Gravelle. Congratulations, Kiana, and thank you, Bill and Barbara.
Bill Gravelle, Kiana Davis, Amy Davis and Barbara Gravelle
The first new Rotarian for 2018 is Dan Maki who grew up in Duluth, graduated from Duluth East and UMD. His family has been active in Rotary Club 25 as his great-grandfather was John Hoff, Sr.; grandfather was John Hoff, Jr and his father is Sandy Hoff. Dan was a Junior Rotarian and attended Camp RYLA so he has seen first hand the impact Rotary has had on our community. He will join the Club Service and Local Service committees. His sponsors are Past Presidents Phil Strom and Sandy Hoff. Welcome, Dan, and glad you are back in Duluth and able to continue the family tradition of service.
Club 25’s newest member, Dan Maki
As is the custom of Club 25, at the beginning of the year we remember and honor those who have passed during the previous year. Today we stood and sang “Auld Lang Syne” as we remembered Joe Leek (32 years of service), Warren Lundeen (51 years), Al Markham (19 years), Curt Ahrens (33 years) and Gordon Butler (40 years). Their service to our Club and the community totaled 175 years. May we honor them by continuing to serve our community they so loved.
The New Year brings many resolutions: some that we keep and many made that are not kept. Happiness may be one of the things that we strive for and wonder how to define or achieve. That was the topic for today as Dean Casperson introduced our speaker Vinod Gupta who has himself sought to find what happiness is and how to experience it himself. After reading over 100 books on the topic and not finding a clear answer, he was able to draw a few conclusions. These he shared with us. Gratitude: be thankful for what you have. Calm mind: reduce the clutter in your mind and reduce negative thoughts. Continued Improvement: strive diligently for what you want. Give/Help Others: practice generosity. In the end, we are each responsible for our own happiness as it is a choice and may it be the story for each of us.
You can save money by joining Rotary Global Rewards. It offers discounts on products and services from local and global merchants, along with opportunities to give back to Rotary. For example, if you use Amazon, 6% of everything you purchase is given back to Rotary International. Highly respected brands offering discounts to you include FedEx, Office Depot/ Office Max, Priceline, Hertz and Marriott. Check it out! Over 33,000 members have signed in to use Rotary Global Rewards. For more information on this program, you can:
The Club 25 Grants Committee is accepting applications to provide funding to qualifying organizations in the Spring, 2017. For more information on the criteria for receiving funding from Club 25, review the Grant Guidelines. To apply for funding, the organization should complete the Grant Application Form. All applications are due to Bri, bri@duluthrotary.org, by February 15th. If the organization received a grant from Club 25 last year, a Final Report must be completed prior to being considered for further funding.
With the annual Fish & Wild Game Dinner just around the corner, Tuesday, February 6th, we need donations of fish and wild game. If you are willing to provide a donation for this meal, please deliver items to GB Schneider’s. For more information please contact Karol Sowers, KSowers@banknorthshore.com.
Please send photos of your hunting or fishing adventures to Scott Frankovich at scott_frankovich@yahoo.com. A presentation of these photos will be running during the Fish & Wild Game Dinner.
My favorite past times are watching hockey, playing golf and motorcycle riding.
My wife, Rochon, is with Allete. Our favorite hobby together would be walking our Labrador “Kevin” on the Hartley trails. The activities we do together include running our son from one event to the next, going to the cabin and cooking.
My son, Griffin, plays hockey, golf and enjoys riding dirt bikes.
An interesting fact about my family is that my Great Grandfather was a Wisconsin State Senator.
I like the mission of Rotary on an international level as well as our local club level. The members I have gotten to know are quality people with the very best of intentions. The outreach our club makes to local organizations in need makes me proud to be a Rotarian.
I was involved in the building of our Club’s Amazon medical clinic in Peru. I had never traveled outside North America, so the entire experience was incredible. I still receive a newsletter from the clinic which outlines all the help they have provided to local people each year. The facility and overall experience were truly amazing.
Bri Braaten and President– Elect Steve Yorde are attending the Large Club Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas Saturday, January 13th– Wednesday, January 17th. The Rotary Office will be closed Friday, January 12th, Monday, January 15th and Wednesday, January 17th. McKenzie MacFarlane will be in the office Tuesday, January 16th.
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