Home Page | Rotary Club of New Brighton Mounds View

JOIN US FOR OUR MEETINGS EACH TUESDAY FROM NOON TO 1 PM

Our Club Motto: Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Tuesdays at 12:00 PM

The Exchange Food and Drink

500 5th Ave. NW
651-348-6289
New Brighton, MN 55112
United States of America

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Welcome to the New Brighton / Mounds View Rotary Website and thank you for your interest in Rotary.

The New Brighton / Mounds View Rotary Club is one of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in 180 countries around the world. Together these clubs form Rotary International, the largest global service organization in the world with 1.2 million members. Rotary International has been working for the last 110 years to improve the lives of people around the world by promoting peace, education, economic opportunities, fighting poverty, and helping to grow local economies.

The New Brighton / Mounds View Rotary Club supports the work of Rotary International through contributions to the Rotary Foundation and partnering with other local Rotary clubs to support service projects that benefit humanity around the world. Our club has been very active in the local community for the last 40 years, building relationships with community and business leaders, sponsoring local community service projects, and providing support for local community organizations.

One of the important tools Rotarians use in making decisions about what programs to support is the “Four-Way Test”.

Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The Four-Way Test not only guides our club activities but it often becomes integrated into each Rotarian’s lives, helping to separate truth from fiction in our increasingly complex world.

Rotary does not have a political agenda; diverse points of view are welcome and respected. Rotarians of all political persuasions are united by the desire to be of service to both our local and world community. Our moto is “Service Beyond Self”.

This year’s Rotary International theme is “ROTARY CONNECTS THE WORLD”. Rotary provides connections around the world to solve some of the critical problems facing humanity in the coming years.

Thanks again for your interest in Rotary. If you would like to learn more about our club, please contact our Membership Director listed below or simply attend one of our meetings as our guest.

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Rotary's Four-Way Test

Of the things we think, say and do:

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Meeting Recap - June 6, 2023

Calendar:

June 9 – Celebration of Life gathering for Mounds View Mayor, Al Hull*
June 20 – Regular noon meeting at The Exchange
July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day
July 18 – 11 a.m. Board meeting and 12 noon Club meeting at The Exchange; Passing of the Gavel from Jason Miller to John Johnson
August 1 – Club meeting; (Board meeting?)
August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed
August 13 – CPY golf ball drop
August 15 - Club meeting
April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at The Exchange

Notes:

At the Annual Meeting, these Officers and Directors were elected for 2023-24: President - John Johnson, President-Elect - YOUR NAME HERE, Secretary - Nyle Zikmund, Treasurer - John Ordway, Club Service - Jason Miller, Community Service - Edeth James, International Service - Geoff Hollimon, Membership - Cindy Carlson, Youth Service/Exchange - Paul Jacobsen, Foundation - Dana Rebelein, Communications/Website - Charlie Longbella. A proposed budget was adopted.
Dana is hoping one of you will join her to share the joy and privilege of representing The Rotary Foundation to the Club. No experience required. On the job training.
New initiative: Instead of one member being responsible for getting all speakers, the responsibility for that, for meeting set up and invocation will be shared by all members.
Special appeal: Donations from District 5960 to The Rotary Foundation are significantly below those at this time last year. This is important because the funds which are available for our matching grant activities are tied to donations in the 3^rd previous year. We are especially active with matching grant projects here and abroad, both initiated by us and by partners. If you are able and willing to contribute to The Foundation before the end of the fiscal year; i.e., before July 1, please get a check payable to The Rotary Foundation to John Ordway, 3555 Willow Lake Blvd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55110. If you prefer to pay online, sign in to your account on MyRotary.org and make your contribution to the Annual Share Fund. Then tell John Ordway of your donation for our records.
Susie Risher was welcomed as the newest member of the NBMV Rotary Club. She hit the ground running by volunteering to work with Cindy on Membership! Suzie and Cindy are shown below.

We received a very favorable report card for Ishaiou TssouFou, one of the scholarship students we support in Niger, Africa.
A call for service project suggestions elicited two: a family scavenger hunt in a park for Rotary-related objects, and small gatherings to make Boomerang Bags – reusable bags for shopping
Reminder - If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.
We still need a President-Elect Nominee for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option. If you are willing to serve alone or with a co-president, let John Johnson know.
Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.

*Al Hull, Mounds View Mayor, died recently. The Celebration of his life will be a potluck picnic at Silver View Park, on Friday, June 9, from 3:30 – 8. Burgers, brats, hot dogs, chips and beverages will be provided. Residents may bring salads, hot dishes and desserts to share. We contributed to the cost of food.

Meeting Recap - May 16, 2023

IMPORTANT: Contact President Elect John Johnson now and tell him how you are a Rotarian! There are lots of fun “jobs” available – or volunteer to assist someone in a task/event/office. The new Rotary year begins July 1.

Calendar:

June 6 – Annual meeting at The Exchange at noon, Board meeting at 11 a.m.
June 13 – Regular meeting at The Exchange
July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day
July 18 – Noon meeting at The Exchange; Passing of the Gavel from Jason to John J; 11 a.m. Board meeting

Notes:

If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.
We need a President-Elect Nominee for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option if you have someone with whom to share. Let Jason and John Johnson know that you are willing to step up.
Rotarians and guests did good work and had a good time at the Club Service Project at Bridging.
Rotarians also helped with the CPY/CtK garage sale.
Dave presented the Service Above Self Scholarship at Irondale and raved about the accomplishments of Irondale students who were recognized.
Nils has started Cities Cop Church to minister to people involved in police work. It meets at Bethel College two evenings a month. He is also creating a PTSD support group for the increasing numbers of responders suffering with it.
Cindy and Dave asked if there is interest in another outing to The Ordway in early October to see “Come From Away.” More information will be forthcoming.

Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.

Speaker:

Nicole Brinkman, Children’s Librarian at the Roseville branch of the Ramsey County Library, was the guest speaker. She shared stories and photos of the project which was the object of our Fund-a-Cause appeal.

Nicole described the library’s extensive programing for babies and children and identified needs for better and more versatile furniture and storage cabinets.

The Reading Room hosts numerous and varied programs. In one program, caregivers and infants sit on the floor in a big circle. Every caregiver has a copy of the same book, and they read aloud together to the infants. Other examples include instrumental performers, Learning-Tree yoga, gardening, and interactive story time. Community partners (ex., police, fire department and DNR) provide special programs. Homework Help is one of the most frequently requested programs. In November, they visit kindergarten classrooms in Ramsey County and host a kindergarten party.

Meeting Recap - May 2, 2023

May 2, 2023 Meeting notes:

OFFICIAL 30-DAY NOTICE: The annual meeting for election of Officers and Board members will take place June 6, 2023, at noon at The Exchange. Every Rotarian should contact President-Elect John Johnson and let him know how you would like to do your part next year.

Calendar:

May 9 – 4-6 p.m. Club service project at Bridging, 1730 Terrace Drive, Roseville. RSVP to Cindy that you will participate. Bring a guest to help!
May 11 – presentation of Irondale Service Above Self Scholarship, 5:30 p.m. meet the recipient, 7p.m. awards ceremony
May 16 – Club meeting at The Exchange at noon
June 6 – Annual meeting at The Exchange at noon, Board meeting at 11 a.m.
July 4 – no meeting, Independence Day
July 18 – Noon meeting at The Exchange; 11 a.m. Board meeting

Announcements:

Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.
The Gold Plate Dinner was a tremendous success, both as a good time and in funds raised. ($32,000) As our only fundraiser, this supports all of our service projects locally and globally.

Notes:

Tenzin Dikhangsar and Elijah Hay, two Irondale students we sponsored to attend Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy), were special guests. They talked about meeting a variety of young people and developing friendships quickly. Both students mentioned gaining self confidence in public speaking through the experience. Tenzin and Elijah are shown below with Irondale Principal Vichai Saefong.
Vichai Saefong, Principal of Irondale High School, was welcomed into membership of this Club and Rotary International. We enjoy working with Irondale to provide opportunities for the students, including scholarships, RYLA and Camp Enterprise. Students sometimes join us in our service activities, including the Easter Egg Hunt and the feeding of participants in the Stockyard Days parade. Vichai is shown with Club Membership Director Cindy Carlson, below.
Ed James and Cindy Carlson were recognized for significant support of The Rotary Foundation and Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign. Ed and Cindy are pictured with Foundation Director Dana Rebelein, below.
Honorary Club Member, MaryAnn Bawden, was a special guest and treated us to homemade cookies.
Keep Jed Hamoud and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they encounter difficulties in Lebanon.

Meeting Recap - April 4, 2023

Calendar:

April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt: Because of the condition of the field, candy and prizes will be handed out from vehicle trunks in the parking lot of the adjacent church at Silver Lake Road and 5^th.Pick up the handouts from storage at 10:15 or be at the parking lot to help hand out. Let Dave know if you or someone you know will wear the bunny costume.
April 18 – Rotary Club meeting/CPY luncheon Christ the King Lutheran Church
April 20 – CSC luncheon – Contact John Johnson for details.
April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner at the Mounds View Community Center
April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial

Announcements:

SELL GOLD PLATE DINNER TICKETS! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Don’t deprive someone of this fun evening because you didn’t invite him or her!
Get restaurant gift certificates to be bundled with others for the live auction,
Keep track of your Rotarian volunteering hours for RI.
We filled approximately 3,000 plastic eggs with jelly beans on Palm Sunday.

Speaker:

Angela Lewis Dmello from Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYCS) talked about the prevalence of children’s mental health conditions and programs that NYFS has developed to address the concerns.

Our Gold Plate Dinner Fund-a-Cause will raise funds to equip and refurbish two rooms used for mental health treatment – an art room for youth and a play room for younger children.

Since 1976, NYFS has worked with 10 municipalities to provide a juvenile diversion option to incarceration. They offer mental health assessment and family and couples counseling. The program is so successful that there is a 6 month waiting period for youth age 10 and under.

Meeting Recap - March 21, 2023

Calendar:

March 28 – 6 p.m. gather in the basement of building across the street to the west of the post office to sort prizes for the egg hunt.
April 2 – (Sunday) 12:00 PM - Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans at the Mounds View City Hall (across street from the Community Center)
April 4 - Club meeting at noon, Board at 11, at Mounds View Community Center. (The Exchange is not available). Program: “Children’s Mental Health,” by the CEO of NYFS – recipient of Fund a Cause this year.
April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt. All hands on deck at 10:00AM. Due to snow, the hunt will take place in the church parking lot from trunks and tail gates.) Looking for bunny volunteers
April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial service.

Announcements:

SELL GOLD PLATE DINNER TICKETS! The more the merrier!
Get restaurant gift certificates to be bundled with others for the live auction,
Keep track of your Rotarian volunteering hours for RI.

Speaker:

Cindy Carlson stepped up with a timely, informative presentation when the scheduled speaker canceled. She identified and explained the categories used to evaluate bank safety, including:

Investment Price Stability – depreciation of the bank’s investment portfolio, loss due to interest rate shifts
Deposits Stability – higher percentage of stable insured deposits = lower risk of bank runs
Loan Quality
Liquidity – funds available for immediate (overnight) withdrawal by depositors
Profitability
Capital

She shared the numbers for American National Bank in each of the categories, (All good!), and those for the two banks that recently failed. Silicon Valley Bank had investment depreciation (bond losses) of 104% which wiped out regulatory capital. Only 11% of its deposits were FDIC insured. Signature Bank was a Crypto Bank with highly portable deposits, and only 4 % of its customers had FDIC coverage.

The reassuring good news: “It’s difficult to find other banks in the U.S. which have these extremely weak characteristics.”

Meeting Recap - March 7, 2023

Calendar:

March 21 – Club meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center
April 2 – (Sunday) Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans
April 4- Club meeting at noon, at the Mounds View Community Center, 11 a.m. Board meeting; (The Exchange is unavailable.)
April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt signature event
April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial

Announcements:

Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, was inducted as the primary member under the City’s corporate membership. Welcome! Devin and Membership Director Cindy Carlson are shown below

John Johnson (PHF+1) and Dana Rebelein(PHF+8) were awarded Paul Harris Plus pins for contributions to The Rotary Foundation over and above those for their initial PH Fellowships. See photos below.

Paul Jacobsen, John Johnson, Ed James, Jason Miller, Jeff Benson, Geoff Hollimon, Cindy Carlson, John Ordway, and Dana Rebelein were recognized as members of the Polio Plus Society and received special pins recognizing Polio Plus contributions made during a special D-5960 appeal last Fall.

The Club has acquired some beautiful signs displaying the 4-way test. Let Jason know if you have a place to display one. Some will be displayed at our Rotary community events. They are just $5 and come with a metal support for easy display.

After April 4, all regular Club meetings will be at noon at The Exchange on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the months

Invitations to our only fundraiser and major community social event, the Gold Plate Dinner, are now available (you can find them in a recent email from Cindy Carlson). Each ticket includes one raffle ticket and meals for two. Only 75 will be sold. Price is still $170 per ticket.

Members – keep track of your Rotarian volunteer hours for RI.

Today's Speaker:

Jamie Kagol, KARE 11 weekend meteorologist, was another great program, brought in by John Johnson. Jamie was raised in St. Anthony Village and interned in Mankato before traveling around the country to work in diverse regions reporting on extreme weather events, including mountain snowstorms, tropical storms, desert heat and monsoons. He found his way back to Minnesota in December.

Jamie makes his own forecasts, studying mathematical models and the available “data overload,” including satellite data. Jamie works alone on weekends and with one of the other forecasters on weekday afternoons. Jamie and John are sh

Meeting Recap - February 21, 2023

Calendar:

March 7 – noon meeting AT THE EXCHANGE. 11 a.m. Board meeting;
March 21 – 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center

April = NBMV Rotary Month!!

April 2 – (Sunday) Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans
April 4- Club meeting at noon, MOUNDS VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER; board meets at 11AM
April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt signature event
April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial

Announcements:

Beginning on April 4th, all regular Club meetings will be at noon at The Exchange on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
Invitations to our only fundraiser and major community social event, the Gold Plate Dinner, are now available. Each includes one raffle ticket and meals for two. Only 75 will be sold. Price is still $170 per ticket.
Members – keep track of your Rotarian volunteer hours for RI.

Speaker:

Luke Little, former tree specialist at ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization), explained the benefits provided by the “Tree Keeper” tree mapping software we facilitated

obtaining for them last year. Every tree is now located on an internet site map with specifics about its characteristics, seeds, grafting, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. The trees are studied, and information and seeds are shared across the world for timber, fiber, food, medicine, and environmental benefits such as erosion control.

Hurricane Ian uprooted many of the trees last Fall. 90 trees were lost. 150 were “stood up.” The original holes had to be dug out. Tree trunks were painted with yellow latex paint to protect them from sunburn, canopies were pruned to reduce demands on the damaged root systems, and the trees were propped up with stakes and cable.

ECHO is headquartered in Florida with regional centers strategically placed around the world to develop and share sustainable hunger solutions. They develop and share innovative, low-tech options to maximize degraded sites, tripling yield with homemade fertilizers and pesticides. Other low-tech examples include drip tape micro dosing to maximize water, and instructions for making your own pumps.

Meeting Recap - February 7, 2023

NBMV Rotary Club Meeting February 7, 2023

Meeting notes:

• Change of meeting time/place: Beginning in April, we will meet the first and third Tuesday of every month at noon at The Exchange.

• April 2: Gather to fill plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

• April 8: NBMV Signature event Easter Egg Hunt.

• May 9: Service Project: NBMV Rotary volunteering at Bridging from 4 – 6 p.m.

• We gave $250 to the Roseville Club’s Rotary Reading Room at the County library in Roseville.

• The Fund-A-Cause special collection at the Gold Plate Dinner will benefit the Northeast Youth and Family Services playroom and art therapy room for addressing mental health issues of children and youth.

• District 5960 is offering bonus recognition points for February donations to The Rotary Foundation. The points count toward Paul Harris Fellowship(s) $100 = 2 to 1 point match, $365 = Point match to Paul Harris Fellowship, $1,000 = recognition on the District website and share a PHF with 2 people.

• Jack Gibbons of the Stillwater Sunrise Club visited and added NBMV as one of the 50 Clubs he will have on his passport, celebrating his 50 years in Rotary. [Congratulations, Jack!]

Lee Scheumann, Pastor, Real Estate Appraiser, Rotarian and Humanitarian, spoke about the Cherkasy Medical Aid Project in Ukraine. He has spent considerable time in that country and region over the years. Working through a global network including, among others, Matters 360, Life Rice, the Minnesota Coalition for Eastern Europe, his own non-profit, Hand in Hand Logistics, and churches in Ukraine, he delivers surplus medical supplies to Ukraine. He described the displacement of millions of people and infrastructure devastation caused by the war. 927 hospitals and medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Bibles for Missions thrift store sends surplus clothing.

The Board will consider a donation from the Club to this initiative at its next meeting. If you want to make a personal contribution to this Ukrainian humanitarian relief, make your check payable to HAND IN HAND and send it to John Ordway who will send all checks together to Lee. Jason, Lee and John are shown below.

Meeting Recap - January 17, 2023

Meeting notes:

IMPORTANT: January 31 All Hands On Deck Noon Meeting at The Exchange to plan Gold Plate Dinner
Calculate and report your hours of community service as a Rotarian since July 1, 2022
The St Paul Club is seeking adult counselors and a Camp Director for RYLA
Next regular meeting: February 7, noon, at The Exchange. Board meets at 11.

Today’s Speaker:

Dana Johnson from Cargill, a Minnesota company, shared:

Cargill is the largest privately owned company in the U.S. with $134 billion revenue last fiscal year. If it were publicly traded, it would rank #16 just behind Walgreens. It has 155,000 employees in 65 countries.
There are 4 divisions – (1) Grain (analytics re. origination & trading), (2) Protein (poultry & salt), (3) Food Ingredients and Bio-industrial (ex., cane & corn syrups and non-artificial high intensity sweetener Stevia; sustainable aviation fuel, elimination of chemically derived products such as plastic, and promoting low-till farming to reduce carbon emissions), and (4) Trading Risk Management (ocean transportation).
Cargill gives 1% of its earnings to the community, for example, to support general food security and water and to oppose child labor.
To support its employees and the need for food, Cargill continues its operations in Russia, sending 100% of profits therefrom to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.

Meeting Recap - December 6, 2022

Meeting notes:

A memorial service for Paul Jacobsen’s father, Richard, will be this Saturday, December 10, at North Heights Lutheran Church, 2701 North Rice Street, Roseville. 10 a.m. visitation, 11 a.m. service. Obituary at https://www.muellerbies.com
The Club will donate $400 toward the $600 cost per video to The Reel Project (professionally made videos of children in foster care seeking forever families). If you wish to add to the donation, make your tax-deductible check payable to the Rotary Healthy Youth Foundation and mail it to John Ordway to be included with the Club check.
Our annual holiday party with the Irondale Chorus will be Tuesday, December 20 at noon at the Mounds View Community Center.
Members – keep track of your Rotary volunteer hours for RI.
Save the Date - The Gold Plate Dinner will be April 21, 2023, at the Mounds View Community Center, $170 per ticket for two, 75 tickets will be sold.
John Risdall is in hospice care.
Paul Fournier is recovering from hip surgery.
If you have a passion for fighting human trafficking, please volunteer to be the one who keeps us tuned to the D-5960 effort. (You’d be a Champion!)
NBMV Rotary Club members donated $3,465 to Polio Plus in November!!! Awesome!
Congratulations to John Johnson who is now a Paul Harris Fellow! And to Ed James, who is now Paul Harris plus 3! FYI: Our Club has 3 Major Donors - members who have given more than $10,000 to The Rotary Foundation over time.

Speaker:

Dan McNeil, Peacemaker Minnesota, acknowledged 15 years of NBMV Rotary support for the anti-bullying/anti-harassment program which focuses on teaching children to treat each other with kindness and respect, developing positive relationships.

In the most recent survey (2018 pre-COVID), 19% of Minnesota children reported being bulliesd and 8-11% said they didn't feel safe in school. Last year, Peacemaker served 45 schools in 29 communities. They provide curriculum, speakers, staff training, videos and age-appropriate books.

Meeting Recap - November 15, 2022

Meeting highlights:
 Dave Hoel shared pictures of the new Disc Golf Course by Fridley High School. Designed by
Explorer Scout candidate, Noah, Rotary contributed funds and volunteer labor. (Thanks, Dave!)
 Our annual holiday party with the Irondale Chorus will be Tuesday, December 20 at noon at the
Mounds View Community Center. Please RSVP for yourself and guests, as a head count is
needed to order catered food.

 Board meeting at 11, December 6, at The Exchange.
 Next meeting- noon, December 6, at The Exchange. The program is Peacemakers.
 Members – keep track of your Rotary volunteer hours for RI.

Today's Speaker:
Mary Schneider introduced us to The Reel Project, which provides professionally produced videos of
children in foster homes awaiting adoption. The videos are shared at health events and with faith
communities, and are used by County and adoption agency workers to facilitate matching foster
children with potential parents. There are 1,000 foster children waiting for forever families in
Minnesota. The Reel Project promotes children ages 7 and up, but preserves privacy. They have videoed
311 kids in 263 reels at $600/reel. 149 kids have been matched with adopting parents so far.

Meeting Recap - November 1, 2022

Calendar:

THROUGH NOV. 15 – D-5960 will match Paul Harris Points for contributions of at least $100 to Polio Plus 1-1 with a bonus (double match) for $365 contributions; NBMV Rotary will also match those contributions with recognition points toward PH Fellowships
THROUGH NOV. 30, NBMV Rotary will match contributions 1-1. Questions? Ask Dana.
NOV. 10 – service/social NYFS
NOV. 12 - D-5960 Clubs FOUNDATION CELEBRATION at Delta by Marriott, Hwy35 & Industrial Blvd.; 5:30 social, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 program ; (register online; Club will reimburse member’s meal.)
NOV. 29 – HAPPY HOUR (p.m.; tba)
DEC. 2 – CPY Gala – New Brighton Community Ctr., 6-10 p.m.
DEC. 6 – BOARD MEETING 11 a.m., CLUB MEETING NOON @ The Exchange
DEC. 20 – NOON MEETING, IRONDALE CHORUS, LOCATION TBD
- NOTE: this is a variance from normal 3^rd Tuesday time

Meeting highlights:

John Johnson walked us through downloading and using the Club Runner app.
Our $8,500 Senitizo global grant project to build a 5-bedroom plus kitchen and bath and security for medical personnel in the Central African Republic has been fully funded with participation by 9 Clubs and a Foundation match. We have an additional $300+ to apply to overrun or furnishings.
P Miller and VP Johnson shared Club goals for their presidencies, including:
- 4 new members each year – INCENTIVE: Sponsor a new member and get a free ticket to the Gold Plate Dinner!
- end each year with a net gain of 3 members
- have a social event each quarter
- do service projects & keep track of member hours for all service done in Rotary name. (This is reported to the District.)

Meeting Recap October 18, 2022

CALENDAR:

NOV. 1- BOARD MEETING 11 a.m. The Exchange; (no general meeting), evening social at The Ordway

NOV. 12 - FOUNDATION CELEBRATION – 5:30 social, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 program ; (register online; Club will reimburse member’s meal.)

NOV. 29 – HAPPY HOUR (p.m.; tba)

DEC. 6 – BOARD MEETING 11 a.m., CLUB MEETING NOON

DEC. 20 – NOON MEETING, IRONDALE CHORUS, LOCATION TBD NOTE: this is a variance from normal 3rd Tuesday time

Peggy Strom of the Arden Hills/Shoreview Club and our District Foundation Coach, talked about The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and Positive Peace - not just the absence of war or violence, but the fulfillment of all needs in society. TRF drives Positive Peace through funding Rotarian initiatives in the 7 Areas of Focus: Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Saving Mothers and Children, Education and Basic Literacy, Economic Development, and Protecting the Environment. TRF is an excellent place to put charitable donations because it is (a) efficient and effective (highest rating from Charity Navigator), (b) you have a say in how the dollars are used, and (c) through TRF, you have a broad and significant impact.

Fun facts:

The Rotary Club of Kansas City made the first contribution -$26.50 ($540 in today’s dollars) in 1917. Since then, more than $5 billion has been contributed.
The first distribution from TRF was to the Society for Crippled Children (Easter Seals).
There are three “legs”: Polio Plus for eradicating Polio, the Annual Fund Share, and the Endowment Fund
Polio Plus contributions in October will be matched by D-5960; 1-1 for $100 or more; Paul Harris Fellowship for $365)
Polio Plus - the “Plus” was added to the Polio eradication fund because vaccines for other pandemic diseases such as Ebola and Covid are included.
Annual Fund contributions are invested for 3 years with interest used for RI expenses. All donations are then awarded as grants – ½ through Rotary Districts and ½ for Global grants, Peace Centers and major projects.
Endowment Fund contributions are held in perpetuity and only interest is used.
We are an EREY Club – Every member [contributes] every year.
We have members in 4 recognition levels – Paul Harris Fellowship ($1,000 donated over time), Paul Harris Society ($1,000 each year), Major Donors ($10,000 or more total), and Bequest Society (gift included in Last Will and Testament).
Bill Gates just made another donation to the Polio Plus Fund – this time $1.2 billion.

Meeting Recap - October 4, 2022

President Jason reminded us we are in our new schedule: 1^st Tuesday of each month at noon at The Exchange with a Board meeting at 11; and 3^rd Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center. Service projects may be arranged for 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays, and for a social event on the 5^th Tuesday of the month (which would be once per quarter).

The Speaker, New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick, oversees both fire and police services for the City, a unique organizational model instituted in August of 2000. The combined services are proactive, focused on prevention and positive community relations. Approximately 1/3 of the officers and volunteer firefighters attended Irondale or Mounds View High School, and 1/3 live in the City.

The Appropriate Response Initiative allows 911 receivers to dispatch help depending upon whether the situation calls for law enforcement, firefighters, an ambulance, a social worker, or mental health personnel. All 40 New Brighton police and firefighters are EMS certified.

When NB residents were surveyed about what they considered critical issues for the next 2 years, the most frequent response was crime and public safety. The City’s police and firefighters were given the highest ratings. In addition, for an unprecedented third time, the City has been awarded the Leadership in Community Policing Award by The International Association of Chiefs of Police. Tony is joined by Geoff Hollimon and President Jason Miller in the photo below.

Geoff Hollimon reported that the ECHO farm in Fort Myers, Florida, sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ian. He played a video which was emailed to the membership. If you were missed the email, click here to view it.

Edeth James reported on the dedication of Rotary Four Way Test sign that he (and we) commissioned at his Alma Mater, Ibadan Polytecnic, in Nigeria (see photos below).

Next meeting: Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center

Meeting Recap - September 27, 2022

Past President Charlie led the meeting attended by 7 Rotarians.

The anticipated arrival of Hurricane Ian prevented the speaker from Zooming in from ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) in North Fort Myers, Florida. ECHO was closed Tuesday and Wednesday to batten down the hatches and send personnel to safety. Geoff spoke briefly about the 4 or 5 major projects we have done for ECHO, including the most recent District Grant that provides software allowing them to monitor every tree on the farm. The speaker will be rescheduled.

Results of the survey on number, time and place of future meetings were shared. Most respondents favored the option of one noon meeting and one morning meeting each month plus service projects on some non-meeting Tuesdays. The first meeting in October will be at The Exchange, preceded by a Board meeting. The other meeting that month will be on the third Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center. The second Tuesday of October may have a service opportunity, ex., packing take-home food at CPY. Stay tuned on that. The possibility of a 4^th Tuesday evening fellowship cocktail hour with spouses, friends and potential future members was discussed.

Next meeting: Tuesday, October 5, noon at The Exchange. Board meeting at 11.

Meeting Recap - September 20, 2022

Several club members were present last week to honor John Risdall and Paul Fournier as they were made Honorary NBMV Rotarians. See photos below.

Today’s meeting was at Bikes4Kids in Ham Lake. The nonprofit charitable organization is located on a beautiful farm and uses volunteers to accept used bikes, sort them into groups to be (a) cleaned and repaired, (b) sent to Africa, (c) set aside for parts, or (d) recycled. Blaine/Ham Lake Rotarian, Julie Gotham is the only paid employee.

Bikes4Kids receives approximately 6,000 bikes per year, dropped off at the site by individuals or by partners such as Walters Recycling, which had delivered 93 bikes today. Bike shops, including Trailhead, also bring in trailers full of good quality trade-ins they receive. A couple of trailers are left with businesses and people deposit bikes there, too. With as many as 20 volunteers on site some days and others working from home, Bikes4Kids repairs approximately 100 bikes per month for individuals, sends 1,500 – 2,000 each year to Africa, and keeps the rest for parts or to be recycled.

Each bike is made to look and work like new for a specific individual after an on-line request from a vetting organization such as social service agencies, counties, schools or food shelves. The bikes are intended for children and for adults who cannot afford to buy them but need them for transportation. Each bike comes with a helmet, bike locker and safety information. They have a few three-wheeled adult cycles.

Bikes are sorted by gender and size and recorded in a comprehensive inventory which even includes color so they can be easily located in response to very specific requests. They are triaged through a number of structures from receipt till completion. There were hundreds and hundreds of bikes there. You had to be there to understand. It is amazing!

Julie’s parting words of wisdom: “Don’t buy disposable bikes. They are … disposable.” Julie and President Jason Miller are shown below.

Next meeting: Tuesday, September 27, noon at The Exchange.

Meeting Recap - September 12, 2022

OFFSITE MEETING NEXT WEEK – The August 20 meeting is a Rotary Field Trip to Bikes4Kids at 16501 Buchanan St. NE, Ham Lake, MN, at noon. Bring a bag lunch to eat after the tour. The BOARD MEETING is at the Mounds View Community Center 10:30 a.m.

President Jason opened the meeting. Mike Neeley introduced 5960 District Governor, Dayle Quigley. Former military and with 3 independent adult children, Dayle is a member of the St. Paul Rotary Club and an ER physician practicing in Little Falls. She became a Rotarian after visiting her daughter‘s Rotary Exchange host family in Latvia. She said she wanted to be part of an organization where there were people who loved her daughter as much as she does. Her other daughter later was an exchange student to Denmark. She also has a son.

Dayle participated in a Rotary International Friendship Exchange to India. She highlighted her experience on a National Immunization Day. India vaccinates 145 million people in 3 days twice a year. While there, she was struck by the huge projects that Rotary undertook. For example, to improve health, Rotary built a hospital. To address conditions in a slum, Rotarians established a preschool for the children and programs to train women for sewing and henna, and men as taxi drivers. Seeing the success of such big efforts, she challenged us to imagine what our perfect community and world would look like, and then imagine how we can get there working together. She said to not become paralyzed because we can’t reach it in our lifetimes. Dream and dream big. Become dreamers who are doers.

The Edina Rotary Club determined that 24,538 lives were impacted by the Club this year. DG Dayle reminded us that we don’t just join the NBMV Club, we join all the Clubs, impacting millions.

Former ADG Sandy Campbell, Anoka Rotarian, was also present to share information about “Merchant Minutes” and Clubs’ experiences in implementing it. Every week, one member brings a community business person to give a three-minute presentation – one minute about him/herself and two minutes about the business. She also invited us to take advantage of an Anoka Club special event on Effective Leadership, Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Greenhaven Golf and Event Center. Nationally recognized teacher/motivator, Michael Angelo Caruso, is the presenter. If 5 people sign up together using the paper sign-up form provided, they pay for only 4. Tickets are $75 each.

Jeff Lindquist, Dennis Connolly and DG Dayle Quigley filled out the meeting with mini-classification talks. Jeff reminds us that firefighters do more than fight fires. He enjoys getting out in the community, riding his motorcycle,(recently completing a 5-day trip to the North Shore and International Falls), skiing, bowling, camping, and spending time at his parents’ cabin by Breezy Point. His wife of 25 years, formerly a nurse, is a Ramsey County 911 Dispatch Operator. They have 3 sons.

Dennis was at Medtronic for 30 years, the last 13 as a consultant. His role was to obtain FDA approval for major products. He served 15 years as a volunteer firefighter in the Lake Johanna Fire Department. He’s been married 46 years and has 3 daughters. His longest motorcycle trip was to Fairbanks, Alaska. His best trip was with Debbie and John and Ruth Marg-Patton to Greece. John recruited him to Rotary and he quickly became president.

Meeting Recap - August 30, 2022

John Johnson, President Elect, opened the noon meeting at The Exchange and Cindy provided the invocation.

The agenda was a candid discussion of the time(s) and location(s) of future Club meetings. Takeaways include:

unanimity that the goal is to attract and retain members
some members cannot attend morning and some not every week at noon
all said they want “whatever is best for the Club” and will attend if they are able
will younger people attend morning meetings, or are noon meetings just an excuse for not joining; is there a way to survey potential members to find out
If morning, most prefer the Mounds View Community Center over the Sunset Grill, citing cost, location and menu
If noon, John O is in conversation with The Exchange about reducing the costs, perhaps with a limited menu – 4 or 5 choices. Concern expressed about whether they are enthusiastic about having us
consider reducing the number of meetings each month; if so, morning, noon, or both; example, one morning meeting and one at noon with the Board Meeting
suggestion all meetings should be in the same place:
- if at MVCC, noon meetings with box lunches
- better to use Zoom at one location
- avoids confusion about where to go
John J and Ed will develop and send out Survey Monkey to get input from all members

Meeting Recap - August 23, 2022

Jason opened the 7:30 a.m. meeting at the Mounds View Community Center and Nils led the invocation. John Johnson arranged for coffee, juice and pastries.

Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, brought us up to date on what’s happening in New Brighton, including:

Beginning September 1, 2022, the speed limit on all city streets will be reduced from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. This is a first step towards safer streets for all modes of transportation and is consistent with actions in neighboring cities except for Mounds View.
Phase 1 of a parks comprehensive plan for 6 parks includes reconstruction at Sunny Square Park with the addition of exercise equipment, a splash pad at Lion’s Park, and connections to the Rice Creek Regional Trail.
Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 is a comprehensive plan for three areas intersecting with Silver Lake Road: Highway 694, 14^th Street, and Rice Creek Road. The City is conversing with residents about concepts for mixed use in the event redevelopment is proposed for any of those properties. Palmer Apartments is under construction on the former US Bank location. Some road changes are being made to control traffic flow in the area.
New Brighton is developing licensing requirements and regulations for single family home rentals to enable code enforcement and accountability for landlords and renters. The regulations will promote public safety, quality and affordability. There are 550-600 rental homes in the City.
Public safety incidents are requiring 17% more officer time in 2022 as in 2021. Motor vehicle theft is up 75% and assaults 33%. New Brighton is short 4 officers.
The City is financially sound.

Devin is shown with President Jason Miller, below.

Let John O. know if you have a preference for seating at the Ordway production of “Six”. Balcony seats will be $55 and mezzanine seats will be $120.

Next week’s meeting will be at The Exchange at noon. The topic of discussion is times and locations of future meetings. If you are unable to attend, please communicate your thoughts by email to the Board or to me (Dana) to be passed on to the Board and the Club. District Governor, Dayle Quigley, will join us. The Board meeting will begin at 11 a.m. immediately before the regular meeting.

Meeting Recap - August 16, 2022

The 3rd trial morning meeting was a fellowship event led by Jason at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. Nyle arranged for a generous spread of pastries, fruits, coffee and juices and the time was spent one-on-one or three-on-three getting to know more about each other.

The business of the day included kudos to John Johnson for the well organized, very successful Stockyard Days Parade feed. 750 hot dogs were served and excess food went to the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. Geoff Hollimon was given credit for suggesting better traffic control implemented by the City.

800 golf balls were dropped towards the hole at the CPY fundraiser with only one winner this year.

John O. brought more information about the Club outing to The Ordway to see the musical “Six” on the first Tuesday of November. They are reserving a lounge area for us. Tickets cost $55 (balcony), $75, $118 (mezzanine) or $148 (best). Let John know ASAP if you will be there as this is a popular Broadway musical and expected to sell out.

Partners with Youth is celebrating 25 years of serving children and youth. They plan an outdoor celebration in the parking lot of Christ the King Lutheran Church (where they are headquartered) on September 24^th. Contact Mary Stewart to volunteer to help at the event. And plan to participate to support CPY!

Next week’s meeting will also be at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, will be the speaker. The final meeting of August (30^th) will be back at The Exchange at noon preceded by a Board meeting at 11. The topic of discussion will be scheduling future meetings –morning? noon? midnight? combination? location?

Last week's speaker, Joyce Kloncz, forwarded this NBMV Rotary group photo from a meeting held many years ago at the New Brighton History Center.

Meeting Recap - August 9, 2022

Jason started the meeting at Sunset Grill at 7:30 a.m., the second of our experimental morning meetings. Nils led the invocation. NOTE: The next experiment in morning meetings will be August 16 at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. when Nyle opens the doors.

Joyce Klonz and Mary Burg were guests and spoke on the New Brighton Area Historical Society, its history, accomplishments and activities. Joyce is curator of the New Brighton History Center and, together with Julie Beisswenger, Gene Skiba and Leone Erickson, founded NBAHS in 1979. Joyce taught 5^th grade at the old New Brighton Elementary School, and was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Mary is an NBAHS Board member and former New Brighton City Council member. They were animated and excited about preserving and sharing local history!

The History Center is housed in the former railroad depot that served Bulwar Junction. Built in 1887 for $1,545, it is the oldest building in New Brighton and houses over a thousand items of railroad memorabilia, including china, silver, tools, pictures, books and uniforms worn by the red caps among other things. The Depot was moved from its original site to City property in 1982 and to its present location at the entrance to Long Lake Park in 1990. The museum is open from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays June through September. Special tours are always available by reservation. There is no charge.

NBAHS started Stock Yard Days and continued to manage it until 1993 when they turned it over to service organizations, including Rotary, and the City. They have published three volumes of New Brighton area History. All are available for sale at the Depot. They are trying to obtain designation as a federal historic site. We gave them a donation in support of their work. President Jason Miller is shown below with Joyce and Mary.

John J. passed a sign-up sheet for volunteering at the SYD parade feed Saturday.

We had a brief discussion regarding the possible choice of The Sunset Grill as a Club morning meeting place.

Another reminder: Next week’s meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center.

Meeting Recap - August 2, 2022

President Jason Miller opened the meeting at Sunset Grill at 7:30 a.m., the first of our experimental morning meetings. Jason led the invocation.

Our guest speakers were Kathryn Smith, President of Mounds View Festival in the Park and Parade Chair, and Jen Tinerella, New Brighton Stock Yard Days Parade Chair and New Brighton Ambassador Coordinator.

Jen reported that the Lions’ Club took over Stock Yard Days in March after the SYD Board disbanded. The event will be August 12 - 14, with the parade beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 13^th. The parade has 69 units as of today and will follow the same route as last year, starting in Long Lake Park and ending in Hansen Park. We will serve hot dogs, chips and beverages to parade participants in the same location as last year. Other SYD activities will include kids’ games, food trucks, street dances and the antique car run. The Club gave Jen $1,500 to help defray SYD expenses. Cindy Carlson presented the check to Jen, below.

Kathryn said the Mounds View Festival in the Park will occur the following weekend with, among other things, a parade, a car show and the addition of a petting zoo this year. Food trucks may be available at more locations in Mounds View throughout the summer. The Club gave Kathryn $500 toward Festival expenses. Cindy Carlson presented the check to Kathryn, below.

Announcements:

We will be inventorying and organizing items we have in storage for the hot dog feed and the egg hunt.
John Ordway is taking names of members who will go to see the musical “Six” at the Ordway, Tuesday, November 1. This will replace our regular meeting that day.
Arrangements are being made to present John Risdall and Paul Fournier with Honorary Memberships in the Club, recognizing their significant contributions during the many years they were active members.
John Johnson cooked and served 225 hot dogs at the CSC Fundraiser walk Sunday. The 63 extra dogs were given to Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. Thrivent paid for the food. He will have a sign-up sheet for specific tasks at our SYD parade feed at our next meeting. District Governor Dayle Quigley will be with us.
Geoff is faithfully hunting down everyone who wants to support CPY by buying chances on the fabulous golf ball drop.
Cindy shared a note of appreciation from Kara Vander Kamp, Remember Niger, for the Rotarian of the Year gift that Cindy designated to them. It was used to fund a teacher training exercise which was well received and greatly needed. Niger ranks last in the world on level of teacher training.
Next week’s meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at The Sunset Grill in Spring Lake Park.

Meeting Recap - July 26, 2022

President Jason Miller opened the meeting and Nils Friberg led the invocation.

Our guest today was /assistant District Governor Julie Gotham. She introduced the District Governors Rotary Passport Program to encourage making up meeting at other Rotary Clubs.

NEXT WEEK MEETING TIME AND PLACE CHANGE – To potentially better accommodate members, we will be trying some morning meetings in August to help decide if we should make a permanent change: 7:30 a.m. August 2 & 9 at Sunset Grill, 8466 Hwy 65 NE, Spring Lake Park (just north of Old Highway 10) and 7:30 a.m. August 16 & 23 at the Mounds View Community Center.

The August 30 meeting will be at noon at The Exchange, Board meeting at 11.

Board actions today included approval of $600 for the St. Paul/Maplewood/Oakdale District Grant for “Sylvia’s Children,” secondary school scholarships for orphaned children in Uganda, Africa. Half of this amount is from Club treasury and the remainder is a pass-through donation from Paul Jacobsen. An additional grant of $500 was approved for the White Bear Lake Club’s District Grant project, “Touching Tiny Lives,” which will provide a vehicle to provide follow-up medical/nutrition support for babies & children in Losetho, Africa.

John Ordway is facilitating a Club social outing to see the Broadway musical “Six” on the evening of Tuesday, November 1, which will take the place of our regular meeting that day. He has reserved 30 tickets for Rotarians, spouses, former Rotarians and other friends. Tickets begin at $55.

John Johnson reminded us that the Community Support Center Walk For Your Neighbor fundraiser is this Sunday, Aug. 31, at Silver View Park, East of Silver Lake Road on County Road I from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. He represents Rotary on the Board, and is heading up a hot dog feed.

The Stockyard Days parade and Rotary hot dog feed will be Saturday, August 13, at the same location as last year. We should be there by 10 or 10:30 for setup.

The Rotary Foundation (TRF) earns a perfect score of 100 from Charity Navigator,(CN) which scores thousands of charities for financial health and accountability and transparency. The criteria are to execute missions in a fiscally responsible way while adhering to good governance and other practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities. Less than 1% of the thousands of charities rated by CN achieve perfect scores.

Jake Pletscher of Pletschers’ Greenhouse was today’s speaker. The business was started in 1920 by John E. Pletscher, Jake’s great-grandfather, to raise and sell garden and vegetable plants. When John’s three sons returned from WW II, they expanded the greenhouse and added a retail florist shop. The greenhouse covers more than an acre. Everything is grown onsite. One example of the benefit of this is that poinsettias are not “Guaranteed Sale,” where the retailer only pays the provider for plants sold, and has less invested in caring for the plants than a “locally sourced” provider/retailer like Pletschers.

Jake’s is the fourth generation to own and run the shop. He studied business administration and economics. Some of the business changes he mentioned are the use of more automation; for example, filling pots with potting soil and automatic irrigation for consistency and saving time. Challenges are getting customers in and keeping them around, supply disruption, and the significantly increased cost of supplies. Plastic products have gone up 25–30%. He gifted us with some of the 65 varieties of succulents that they raise. Jake was enthusiastically thanked for the long-stemmed roses that Pletschers hands out at the Stockyard Days parade every year! Jake and President Jason Miller are shown below.

Meeting Recap - July 19, 2022

President-Elect John Johnson opened the meeting and our own Club Chaplain, Nils, led invocation.

John Ordway is willing to arrange for a group outing to see “Six” at the Ordway in October. Let him know that you are interested!

Geoff has tickets available for the CPY golf ball drop fundraiser in August – an easy way to support a great organization and you could be a big winner!

The speaker was Kevin Miller of Edina Realty, the largest real estate company in Minnesota/Wisconsin based on sales, transactions, and number of Agents (2,300+, 60 offices, in the region). It is independently owned and operated, started in 1955 by an Edina mother who wanted to buy her daughter a piano. It was sold to Mid-America Electric in 1999, and then to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Edina Realty services include residential, commercial, investment, vacation, rental, new construction, and land transactions, and property management.

Edina Realty is a community-oriented business. The Edina Realty Foundation is funded by Agent donations and fundraisers, and gives an average of $20,000/year to community housing-related charities, such as Alexandra House, Veterans’ homes and Habitat for Humanity.

Edina Realty has a three-option guaranteed price plan: Immediate, which gives you the agreed-upon purchase price less 10% and closing costs; Quick Buy Back which allows you to buy a house before yours sells; and Lease Back.

Regarding the housing market outlook, Kevin reported more than 1,800 price reductions in the last one-week period and suggested we may have a push-down, but not a crash. There were 74,000 sales in the metro area last year. Appreciation was 8 to 10 per cent last year and he believes it will be is close to 5% this year. Kevin and John Johnson are shown below.

Meeting Recap - July 12, 2022

NBMV ROTARY CLUB Meeting July 12, 2022

This was a celebratory meeting, changing of the guard and honoring the Rotarian of the Year. Jason Miller presented outgoing president, Charlie Longbella, with a Past President’s pin, thanking him on behalf of the Club for his excellent leadership. Charlie gave Jason the incoming President’s pin and gavel, and warmly welcomed him as he took the helm.

Jason and Dana Rebelein introduced Cindy Carlson as the recipient of the 2022 NBMV Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year Award, chronicling many of the contributions Cindy makes and has made to the strength of the Club and the Club’s contributions locally and globally. Cindy said, “Service is my love language.” Her focus is on youth and international service, observing that, collectively, we can have a huge impact. Her proudest achievement as a Rotarian was championing the $32,000 matching grant for latrines, electricity and computers for a school in Niger. Spouse, Kevin, and daughter, Natalie, were present to make the event even more special.

Funded by a gift from Mike Neeley, the Award included $500 for the charity of Cindy’s choice. No surprise there – she chose Remember Niger Coalition (RNC) with whom the original and subsequent initiatives have been accomplished in Niger. Cindy presented the check to Karen, Sponsorship Coordinator for RNC. The funds will be used for scholarships to enable 2 teachers to participate in the Teacher Training Program.

Kara VanderKamp, RNC Director, Zoomed in from Niger with an update on the growth of the program. Remember Niger now works in 7 of the 8 regions of Niger, up from 2 when we started supporting them. They work in 18 schools serving 4,000 students, providing latrines, hand-washing stations, security walls, additional classrooms, computer labs, clean water, solar power, and teacher training.

We support 2 students, Cindy and Kevin support one and Cindy’s mother supports another. The opportunity to do so is open to all. Get information from Cindy.

The meeting was especially festive with dinner served buffet style followed by gourmet cupcakes. Attendance was very good.