Meeting Recap - June 23, 2015

Todd Kruse opened the meeting and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Gerry Tietz introduced our guests, Marv Sorvala from Roseville, and Ezra Krohn, our outbound exchange student to Italy in 2013.

 

Cindy updated us on our district Matching Grant Project in Madaoua, Niger.  Progress is being made on latrines and handwashing stations.

 

Ezra Krohn updated us on his recent travel back to Italy, where he reconnected with his exchange host families.  Ezra will be attending the University of Manitoba in the fall to study international business.  Ezra is shown below.

 

Cindy Carlson chose the blue birthday hat since the red one would have clashed with her pink blazer.  Happy Birthday Cindy!  See photo below.

 

Jeff Benson introduced our speaker, Past District Governor Clare Lillis.  PDG Clare was here to speak to us a couple of months ago about our District's Nicaragua initiative.  Time was limited for his previous presentation so he agreed to come back to complete his talk.  Before addressing Nicaragua, Clare spoke a little about his experience at the Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Clare said it was the smallest convention he has attended, but the speakers, entertainment and the food were all excellent.  Under President Gary C.K. Huang's leadership, Rotary has expanded its presence to 206 countries and has experienced a net increase of 47,000 members.  Overall contributions to the Rotary Foundation were also up dramatically this year, in large part due to 47 new Arch Klumph Society members, each of whom contributed $250,000 or more to the Foundation.  Wow!!!

Clare also learned that significant progress is being made on polio eradication.  There have been no new type 3 polio cases in 2 1/2 years and even Afganistan and Pakistan are making significant progress due, in great measure, to the efforts of women in those countries.  Clare said that total polio eradication is possible in 6 years.

District 5960 Nicaragua Initiative is also making great progress.    The project has empowered the local community in the planning and execution of the project.  The community identified 1.roads and water, 2. literacy and health, 3. leadership and 4. capacity and engagement as its key needs.  Clare and many others from the district have worked tirelessly to ensure that the project stays on track and the keystone of the project, a new road and reliable water supply, is in the final planning stage.  Rotary will likely use a Global Matching Grant to raise approximately $300.000 to complete the project.  Dana and Clare are pictured below.