Bryan Birkholz

Warden

 

 

The Warden will provide an overview of the inner workings of the Federal Prison Camp and an update on how the institution is adjusting to the impacts from COVID-19 including its volunteer programs. 

 

By Al Makynen

 

With approximately 30 Rotarians present and another 16 on Zoom, President Dean Casperson rang the bell and then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four-Way Test.  The Rotary Reflection by Past President Dan Bergeland reminded us of our Club’s long relationship with Merida, Mexico and how we as Rotarians are connected.

 

Dave Clark of the Duluth Transit Authority was the guest of Barb Perrella.  And as has happened in past weeks our guest is a perspective member awaiting Board Action.  A short Fellowship Report included Past President Al Makynen announcing the birth of his fifth grandchild, Johanna Elizabeth born on September 30.

 

Jerry Pelofske announced our Club will be doing the Salvation Army Bell Ringing in the skywalk from 11:30 to 1:00 on Friday December 9, and 16.  We are the ONLY service club this year fundraising in the skywalk for the Salvation Army.  We will need to fill every kettle!

Sign up now for December 9 and 16.

 

President Dean Casperson announced that ALL ROTARY CLUBS in Duluth will be gathering at noon on Wednesday, October 21 at the Holiday Center for a World Polio Day Rally to celebrate progress and to keep vigilant in our efforts to eliminate polio from the face of the earth!

World Polio Day – Duluth Rally Noon, Wednesday October 21

 

Barb Perrella, Chair of the Rose Committee, gave us our final marching orders for Rotary Rose Day of Friday, October 16.  There will be fellowship for everyone.  If you still have Rose Ticket money to turn in please get it to the Office.  Jennifer Smith is tracking sales and money.  For those of you unable to sell your assigned 40 dozen, you can still make a donation to make up the difference.  For each $10 donation - checks made payable to the Rotary Club of Duluth Foundation - you will get credit for one dozen roses sold.

 

Jerry Pelofske introduced our speaker Sarah Adams, who was this Club’s outbound Rotary Exchange Student to Merida, Mexico in 2006 – 2007.  Sarah was in her Rotary Exchange jacket, covered in pins and mementos from when she was 15 years old and traveling 3,000 miles to a world where she knew just three words of the language.  As she stated, listening to a Harry Potter movie in Spanish while on the plane did not quite work out.   After living with three host families she learned the value of relationships and of being bi-lingual.  Now back after almost 15 years, by some measure, a lifetime, she applied her knowledge of the Spanish language to create a new company to provide Spanish Language immersion study.  She founded Espanolx to provide language learning for K-12 and adults.  All lessons are electronic using Zoom (designed before COVID) and everything is in Spanish.  With technology she connects instructors with students from around the world.  Do not underestimate the value of learning Spanish, for soon the United States will have the largest number of Spanish speaking people of any country in the world.  Her goal is to apply the life lessons of being a Rotary Exchange Student with the goal of getting as many people speaking Spanish as possible.

 

Masked (Rotary) Bandits – President Dean Casperson and Speaker Sarah Adams

 

By Jerry Ostroski

Our Rotary Club has its own Foundation.  And if you have not already guessed, it has a very clever name: The Rotary Club of Duluth Foundation.  Our main goal is to provide funding for high impact projects in the Duluth area. The Foundation has three funds: the Westmoreland Endowment Fund, where donations are held in perpetuity with only the earnings available for community grants and projects; the Westmoreland Scholarship Fund which fund scholarships to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) summer camp; and the Westmoreland Community Fund which provides annual fundraising for local needs such as the Food Drive.  The Foundation is a 501c(3) organization so donations can be tax deductible.  In future articles we will discuss Foundation governance, its relationship to your Club, and the ways in which you can help grow your Foundation.