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The Gimlet
Volume 107 #18
 
This Week at Rotary
 
We Meet at Noon on Thursday
November 4, 2021
HOLIDAY CENTER BALLROOM
(Also Via Zoom)
Plated Meal Served
(Zoom Meeting Opens at 11:45)
Lee Stuart, Assistant Professor and Director
Masters in Nonprofit Leadership – The College of St. Scholastica
 
The Best of a Northland Tradition
In the early days of COVID-19 there was great fear of a disproportionate impact on the homeless community at the CHUM Shelter.  Without fanfare, the public, private, and healthcare sectors rallied behind CHUM.  What happened then is a testimony to the best of a Northland tradition to care for the most vulnerable among us.
 
 
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Rob Hofmann
 
With just three days before Halloween, Rotarians and guests found themselves HEARING TALES OF SPIRITS within the Spooky confines of the Holiday Inn & Suites Ballroom. Following a mysterious meal (did we really consume Egg Fu-Yung and Egg Roll?)  Or was it something else - maybe Jeno Paulucci was paying us a visit???
  
I’m not afraid of ghosts….
The late-great Jeno Paulucci
 
President Chana Stocke rang the bell to bring us to order and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the recitation of Rotary’s Four-Way Test. Dave Fulda in his Rotary Reflection spoke about his wife’s reaction to the beauty of this year’s Rotary Roses. Connecting us to our program, Dave Fulda admiringly spoke about the courage our speaker and her husband exhibited in taking a wild idea and turning it into a great success with a motto of A rigid stand on being flexible while keeping the main thing – the main thing!
 
 
Who’s face-bombing Dave Fulda?
The Pledge of Allegiance
 
We welcomed some old Rotary friends, some new faces, and future Rotarians. From the Skyline Rotary Club, Bob Sherman shared a moment of reflection about the good work Club #25 had done in Russia by helping Russian youth learn the English language. Once again, your humble Gimlet reporter Rob Hofmann was host to Jessica Lind Petersen, Development Director for the Depot Foundation.  Past President Bill Gravelle attended to future Club #25 member Vinod Gupta of Ameriprise, and Karol Sowers hosted future member Kevin Hagen of North Shore Bank. And once again Steve LaFlamme brought Patty McGaffey of Oneida.
 
Chair of the Day Jack Seiler, speaker Emily Vikre, President Chana Stocke
 
Roxanna Esguerra of the Special Events Committee announced a tour and sampling at Bent Paddle Brewing Co. on Wednesday, November 10th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Please RSVP to Mary Niemeyer. Are you considering getting involved with international programs? Paul Helstrom, chair of the International Service Committee, invites all to attend a Zoom meeting of the Committee on November 9th at 6:00 PM.  A Rotary Rose update by veteran Rose Committee member Gary Melander announced that 1,688 dozen roses were sold by Rotarians. A special shout-out went to Patra Sevastiades and her successful efforts to sell 29 coupons generating $7,970. An additional $6,750 was raised through contributions. Bulk sales were made to Valentini’s, The Rose Man, and Engwall’s, with the remaining roses distributed to happy residents of Saint Anne’s, Bayshore, and Beehive.  Jerry Pelofske made a call for Rotarians to sign up for our annual Salvation Army Bell Ringing at all five SuperOne locations from Noon to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 10th and 17th.
 
Self-Reports were few but memorable! President-Elect Barb Perrella kicked the Golden Can in celebration of her 29th wedding anniversary. David Holappa paid a triple work-zone fine for his real estate transactions involving our speaker’s Canal Park location, the new Costco, and the sale of The Hills to Stella Maris Academy.
 
Chair of the Day Jack Seiler introduced our speaker Emily Vikre who shared her and husband Joel’s entrepreneurial journey. Ms. Vikre is a Duluth native who lived for a time in Boston, MA writing and teaching about nutrition. While attending a spirits tasting event with Emily’s parents at Duluth’s Kitchi Gammi Club the discussion turned to the making of spirits – and the importance of the water. With water from Lake Superior combined with locally sourced Minnesota grains, it seemed obvious to two people who knew nothing about the distillery business, that Duluth was the perfect location to create a distillery. Utilizing space in Jeno Paulucci’s Canal Park building, Emily and Joel built Vikre Distillery from scratch. It was hard work involving selling the idea to investors, loan officers, spirit distributors and countless others to believe in their vision of a distillery that would use locally sourced organic ingredients. What was initially a small band of merry distillers has evolved into a business that employs 37 people in nine states!  Some of the products Vikre Distillery now produces include:  Gin, Aquavits, Vodka and Whiskey.  The Special Events Committee has scheduled a tour of the Vikre Distillery with a special stop in the Cocktail Room for January 19, 2022.  We will find out then what’s happening in the SPIRIT WORLD at Vikre Distillery.
 
This Week's Meeting
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Holiday Center Great Lakes Ballroom
207 W. Superior St.
Duluth, MN
United States of America
VenueMap
Venue Map
Speakers
Nov 04, 2021
The Best of a Northland Tradition
Nov 11, 2021
148th Fighter Wing
Nov 18, 2021
Live Theatre is Back!
Nov 24, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Dec 09, 2021
Writing a Novel, a Personal Journey
Dec 15, 2021
Ho Ho Ho - Holiday Happy Hour at the Boat Club Restaurant!
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Nov 05, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Nov 12, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
Rotary Board of Directors
Zoom
Nov 16, 2021 3:30 PM
 
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Nov 19, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
Life House Thanksgiving
Nov 23, 2021
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
 
69th Annual Joint rotary & Kiwanis Meeting
Nov 24, 2021
 
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Nov 26, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
Boys & Girls Club Tree Decorating
Nov 29, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
 
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Dec 03, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
Second Harvest Food Bank Volunteering 9-11 am
Second Harvest Food Bank
Dec 10, 2021
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
 
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Matt Hunter
November 2
 
Steve LaFlamme
November 3
 
Steve Burgess
November 4
 
Scott Frankovich
November 12
 
Steve Yorde
November 15
 
Pat Pfahl
November 18
 
Tom Homan
November 20
 
Barb Perrella
November 25
 
Dan Markham
November 25
 
Gary Bubalo
November 27
 
Join Date
Greg Hansen
November 11, 1999
22 years
 
Scott Frankovich
November 14, 2017
4 years
 
Barb Perrella
November 16, 2000
21 years
 
Justin Terch
November 28, 2017
4 years
 
Tricia Bunten
November 29, 2001
20 years
 
Official Publication of
Rotary Club of Duluth
207 W. Superior St.
Suite 201
Phone:218-722-0451
Duluth Minnesota 55802
 
Editor:
Al Makynen
218-343-2515
 
Writers:
Darlene Anderson
Rob Hofmann
Al Makynen
Traci Marciniak
Phil Strom
Steve Yorde
 
Photographer:
Jerry Thoreson
 
 
Rotary Office Hours:
By Appointment Only
Until Further Notice
Website: duluthrotary.org