We Meet at Noon on Thursday

November 18, 2021

Plated Meal Served

(Zoom Meeting Opens at 11:45)

 

Wes Drummond

Executive Director – Duluth Playhouse

 

 

The long awaited return of the Duluth Playhouse season has arrived.  A collection of plays and musicals of the complexities and joys of being human awaits us.  Although the stage may have been dark for many months our staff has been hard at work to create the playhouse magic of the NorShor.

 

By Rob Hofmann

 

Service above Self, Rotary’s well-worn and often cited motto, originated when Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, asked Rotarian Frank Collins to address the participants of the second annual Rotary Convention. That year was 1911, the year Club #25 was established. Well, just seven years later in Europe, the First World War ended in an armistice at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month after millions sacrificed self in service to others. How fitting it is that we Rotarians of Club #25 gather on this Veteran’s Day to honor those vets who embody the Rotary motto!  President Chana Stocke rang the Rotary Bell to begin our meeting.  After a rousing rendition of our national anthem and the Rotary Four-Way Test, we listen to Past Assistant Governor Phil Strom deliver this day’s Reflection.  He spoke eloquently about the character of the men and women, from all walks of life, who served - and continue to serve this great country. Individuals - yes - yet who share several fundamental qualities. They possess courage, pride of country, determination, dedication to duty, integrity, and selflessness serving a cause larger than one’s self. As the poet James Grengs tells us in his beautiful poem Freedom Is Never Free: True freedom is never free.

 

Rotarians warming up to sing The Star Spangled Banner        

 

Welcome back, Past President John Baumgarten

 

Fellowship this day was dedicated to recognizing our Club #25 Veterans, followed by the introduction of two new Junior Rotarians from Procter High School and East High School.

US Air Force Vets

US Army Vets 

US Navy Vets

 

 

Command Chief Master Sergeant Jozef Miketin

 

Chair of the Day Past Assistant Governor Phil Strom introduced our speaker Command Chief Master Sergeant (CCMS) Jozef Miketin of Duluth’s own 148^th Fighter Wing. CCMS Miketin is an Esko native and has served his country for more than twenty years, first in the US Army facing combat in Iraq, then joining the US Air Force. CCMS Miketin is currently employed by the Duluth Police Department, Patrol Division where he also serves as a team leader on the Tactical Response Team. CCMS Miketin was impressed with the Junior Rotarians for their sense of service to the community. We then learned a comprehensive history of the 148^th which began in 1948 with 53 airmen and no base. Initially operating out of the Duluth Armory, $2 million was allocated to build a base at its current location when in 1953 the public was invited to tour its operations and hanger. More than 20,000 took up that invitation. Fast forward to today and we find 1,060 airmen and 420 full-time employed civilians who work at the base, their presence represents a $96.1 million dollar impact in the local economy making the 148^th Fighter Wing the 9^th largest employer in the area! 

 

The 148th Fighter Wing is in the practice of rapid response. CCMS Miketin shared that the wing was placed on alert before the January 6^th uprising at the Capitol. Within a matter of hours, 100 airmen led by CCMS Miketin were sent to Washington DC as part of a security detachment to protect the Capital Building. In April 2021, “Operation Safety Net” required the activation of 850 airmen to ensure safety during and following the high-profile trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Yet, not all their service was related to security issues, airmen from the 148^th Fighter Wing served throughout Minnesota helping in COVID-19 testing centers.  Of course, none of this work by these dedicated service people is possible without the support of families and businesses. CCMS Miketin cited the great support from Minnesota Power/ALLETE during their work in “Operation Safety Net”. Because the call of duty sometimes leaves these service people with no time to pack more than they can carry,  Minnesota Power/ALLETE’s “Yellow Ribbon Committee” sought and secured donations of water, energy drinks, snacks, and everyday items to make their service more tolerable. In his closing remarks, CCMS Miketin pointed out that many nations commemorate this day. Some call it Armistice Day, while others call it Remembrance Day, but the theme is to never – ever forget that: Freedom Is Never Free

 

 

Our Junior Rotarians