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We were 19 strong last week, also joined by Erika Lahti and Pepe Ramos. Kathy Austvold gave the invocation. President Dan then announced we are holding the Duck Derby on July 9th, with all proceeds going toward the Splash Pad. Then, on June 24, we will hold our first in-person meeting since the Governor announced the stay-in-place order, at Broadway Park, with bag lunches being provided, people encouraged to wear face masks (except while eating) and social distancing maintained. (The charge will be $10 a person.) Dan also told us that we will not be able to meet at the Y until September 1. Mary Pettit led off our brags and fines, noting that in past years the week would have seen the Fergus Falls School of Dance put on its spring production. She did want to recognize Ramona Jacobs who finished her 35th year of teaching dance in the community, with the last classes for this season finishing this week via Zoom. Keith Olson said his son Brandon was getting married in about a month so the two were heading to Montana for a bonding experience (they were on the road already and Keith arranged for and introduced our speaker). Wally Cole brought as his guest a Sesame Street character who provided us with a rendition of "Rubber Ducky." Steve Andrews reported he has returned from New York to Fergus Falls and now the question is whether or not his spouse will be able to make it back before the new school year begins. Pepe Ramos was then introduced, joining us from his home town in Mexico. Now graduated from high school and manned with his driver's license, he is now preparing to take some tests to get into a college to study international business. He is looking at a college about two hours from Cancun and another one in Monterrey. The tests will each be three to five hours long and the first one will be in mid-July, with the next one in the first week of August. Pepe did play one last year of football upon his return home and his team won the state championship. Now he is playing flag football. He doesn't drive much, except to deliver food and supplies to his grandparents. His mother was continuing to work through the shutdown at the hospital but applied for and is now in the midst of a month off. He said he had a good exchange experience and found out, in talking to other exchange students who have returned home, that this was not always the case. He estimated that the whole exchange cost about $8,000 to $10,000, including the required insurance, air flights, his trip with other exchange students to the east coast, and the $100 monthly stipend the club gave him. He said the out-of-pocket cost was "not that bad actually." His highlights included the Rotary Exchange get-together in Grand Rapids after school was over and his trip to Boston (a Patriot fan who regrets the departure of Brady and Gronk but remains loyal to the team). Pepe said a good thing about being back home was that he did not have to shovel, but he said he missed the snow. The entire family has been at home for two months -- his elder sister has finished college but is home and without a job because of the pandemic; his younger brother is studying to be a chef (he referenced telling him about lutefisk); and his father is working from home. When asked about his trip to Itasca State Park, he said his grandfather loved hearing about that. He admitted that when he initially found out he was going to the United States he was a little disappointed but after the stay realized it really didn't matter -- it all depends on your willingness to take advantage of whatever opportunity is afforded. A good way to end his talk. Thanks Pepe! For those of you who would like to stay in contact with him, here is his e-mail address: ramos.av.jose@outlook.com |
