On this Thursday, in what has been the snowiest of Februarys, hearty Rotarians gathered once again in the Lyric Ballroom at the Holiday Inn for what would be a very ducky Club #25 lunch and program. President Steve Yorde warmly welcomed us as he rang the Rotary Bell calling us to order. We all rose and sang My Country Tis of Thee accompanied by Past President John Baumgarten. Past President Dan Bergeland provided a number of deep reflections that encompassed friends, faith, the beauty of a full moon, a clear sky and gleaming white fresh snow.

 

President Steve Yorde began the Fellowship Report with introductions. We had one visiting Rotarian, President-elect Robyn Lings from Superior Club 40, who later spoke to Club 25 about the 2019 Dragon Boat Festival theme “Paddle with a Purpose” and this year’s focus on the homeless. Robyn invited Rotarians to their kick-off which is scheduled for next Friday, March 1, 7:30pm in the Cedar Lounge of Superior. Potential Club 25 Member Julia Sonnen, guest of the Club, was joined by her Twin Ports Rotaract daughter Angelina Sonnen. Following these brief introductions, Rotarians self-reported fines and contributed to the Golden Can. Leader that he is, President Steve made the first contribution, followed by your humble Gimlet reporter Rob Hofmann, who acknowledged that today’s program on Mounties might result in additional sales of Mountie merchandise at the Tweed Museum of Art, a unit of the UMD School of Fine Arts.

 

Sheryl Homan once again has been recognized as Edina Realty’s Superstar; Allen Anway (Birke bib #35001), joined by oldest daughter Carol (Birke bib #7013), is scheduled to participate in his 42^nd American Birkebeiner Race this weekend; Natalie Zeleznikar paid a dollar for each member of a Hermantown Youth Hockey Team who helped shovel snow at Keystone Bluffs; Past President Dave McLean kicked the can for wearing the wrong Rotary member badge; Jeff Fifield celebrated the birth of his 4th grandchild; Bob Kase self-reported about his appearance on Fox21 News promoting UMD Theatre and for completing the Rotarian magazine’s crossword puzzle in one sitting; Darlene Anderson’s son-in-law was named Coach of the Year; Katherine LaFleur wanted all to know that the Science Channel used her Minnesota Whitewater Rafting services in their
program America’s Lost Vikings; and Jon Helstrom finished things off with a nod to the joys of grandfatherhood.

 

Podium announcements began with the introduction of a returning member of Club 25, Renee Matson, sponsored by Chana Stocke and Barb Perrella. Welcome back Renee!

 

Club 25’s 4^th quarter programs will be determined this Tuesday, February 26, 12noon in the Lyric Kitchen Restaurant. Please attend and bring your program ideas. Also on Tuesday, February 26, from 10am to 4pm, the Holiday Center is sponsoring a blood drive, all types of blood are desperately needed. President-elect Michelle Buria then took the podium to announce the focus of our next and newest fundraiser. This year, as we look to address the needs of the youth in our community, Club 25 is reaching out to approximately thirty community agencies that work directly with area youth to seek their expertise, ideas and opinions. This group of agencies will receive a Request For Proposal (RFP) seeking big impact program ideas that would benefit from Club 25 funding. From these initial RFPs, three agencies will be chosen to present in May, at which time one program will be selected to receive funding from a new and entertaining, family friendly, fundraiser! At that point, Jon Ohman, all ducked-out in his best fowling gear, waddled to the mic to quack about Club 25’s Rubber Duck Race scheduled for August 15 at Pier B! Not to ruffle too many feathers, but thousands of Donalds, Daisies, Daffys and Disco Ducks will race a water course to determine the pecking order of a list of winners and corresponding prizes that fit the bill!

 

 

 

Our Chair of the Day Dick Fischer introduced our program speaker Rachael Martin, former Club 25 member and Club Historian, who told the story of The Man Behind the Mountie Image. Long ago in Cloquet, the Northwest Paper Company, which later became Potlach and now known as SAPPI, began a marketing campaign that became a familiar part of our Twin Ports visual culture. From 1930 through the 1970s, strikingly brilliant illustrations of a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman appeared in calendars, books and advertisements in an effort to visibly demonstrate the high quality of their paper stock. These Mounties were no “Dudley Do-Rights,” but highly conceived images of strong jawed, forthright and honest protectors of nature and humanity. Sixteen artists created some 400 images in total. The first of these artists was Hal Foster, known for his comic Prince Valiant. The most prolific of the artists was Arnold Friberg (1913–2010), a successful historical illustrator and Hollywood designer. As for The Man Behind the Mountie Image, he was Ernie Schimenek (aka George Romaine) a former member of the Chicago Bears and sometimes actor/model. Mr. Schimenek was introduced to Arnold Friberg when he modeled for him in his NYC studio in the early 1930s. In the early 1980s, Rich Schimenek, great nephew and then a Potlach Forestry Division employee in Cloquet, wanted to learn the truth behind the stories of his great uncle Ernie. During an exhibition of Arnold Friberg’s Mounties at the Tweed Museum of Art in the early 1980s, Rich asked Mr. Friberg of the veracity of his great uncle’s claims. Indeed the stories were true. More than three hundred Mountie paintings are in the permanent collection of Tweed Museum of Art with a number on display in a rotating series in Tweed’s Anna Olive Tezla Library.