Our September 8 meeting was called to order by Todd Kruse who led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance and offered a reflection on Labor Day for the Invocation.
 
Announcements 
 
President Dana then led the meeting with the following annoucements - 
 
1. District Governor nominations are due on October 2nd so Dana encouraged club members to submit their own names for consideration.
2. The Goodwill Friendship Exchange with India is scheduled for January 9-10, 2016
3. Dana is also exploring options for new club member name badges
 
Programs 
 
The September and October line up of guest speakers was reviewed and is posted on the club's website -  September 15 our speaker will be Steve Kracht of Bell Pole Company.
 
Announcements from the Floor
 
1. Gerry is hosting a club Technology Committee meeting at 11 am on September 15 at DD's Cafe
2. Glenna promoted Benedictine's open house set for September 12
3. Mark (Lampman) noted he had a blister and the club feigned sympathy for his ailment!
4. Mark (Beisswenger) reported that he will soon have "bone on bone" thumb surgery soon.  Ouch!
5. Nils reported that his son is recovering but slowly from his recent surgery
 
Fines
 
Jim (Kadechka) was happy about the round of frisbee golf he played in New Brighton and Margaret echoed Jim's comment noting that frisbee golf is really fun.   Did someone say "Rotary frisbee golf tournament............."?    
 
Bev contributed a happy dollar now that her recent medical issues/tests were completed
 
Mary (Stewart) gladly paid a dollar to celebrate being back at club meetings and to celebrate the new school year
 
Dana parted with a dollar to celebrate her grandson's football performance
 
Amy thanked the club for the wedding gift donation in Amy's name to Peacekeepers
 
Geoff promoted the October 2 Community Partners for Youth (CPY) annual party
 
Val offered a dollar to note how much fun she had working at the MN State Fair despite the hot weather!
 
Birthdays
 
 
 
The club sang Happy Birthday to Linda LaFond since she was "39 again" this month. 
 
 
 
 
Guest Speaker
 
Todd (Kruse) introduced Julia Donnelly,  Political Director, for the 49'ers labor union which represents nearly 33,000 members in the construction industry.    
 
 
 
Julia noted that 40% of their members were unemployed during the Great Recession which helped cause higher divorce rates, addiction, and related problems. 
 
This union works with nearly 800 contractor companies and has three operating divisions - 
 
1. Pension fund
2. Self-insured health fund
3. Training fund - which includes their training center near Hinckley which sits on nearly 400 acres and has a $17 million annual operating budget.   The training center shapes their apprentice programs and works with the "MSHA" (OSHA style regulations specific to the mining industry) regulations to develop their certification courses
 
Julia noted they work with the MN Chamber and local chambers of commerce to lobby for policies that will generate job creation.  In terms of job creation the proposed Polymet mine is almost  a bigger job opportunity than the Metro Dome with nearly "2 million work hours" and noted the regulatory/environmental permit process is delaying the project.   
 
President Dana asked about transportation funding and Julia explained the potential funding sources such as a "gas tax" -  which would indeed help repair roads and bridges but it would also add cost to using construction equipment.  
 
Julia closed her presentation noting that the average age of their members is 47 and the average retirement age is 62 so they need to recruit youth into the industry.  Overall most jobs in their industry last 7 to 8 months each year due to the nature of the industry (such as weather).  
 
President Dana presented Julia with a Rotary Club coffee mug as a token of our appreciation then closed the meeting by having club members recite the Four Way Test.