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Our pianist, Keith Melberg, was present for the first meeting of the month, so we started the meeting singing our and Canada's national anthems, followed by Keith O. providing the invocation and Wally C. leading us in song. Our greeter was Ryan Welle. Keith Olson called on our student guests from Hillcresst to introduce themselves. In their order as pictured below, left to right, Leo Nordick has lived in Texas, Missouri, and Duluth, wherever his father was stationed with the military. He was home schooled until he became a student at Hillcrest four years ago. His dad is Gary Nordick and works at Lake Region Healthcare and is expecting to be deployed to Kuwait this year. Leo has played baseball for ten years, football for six years, and had also particpated in track. His plans are to attend the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire next year and enroll in its pre-chiropractic program. Gabe Sedenburg was born in Breckenridge but raised in Fergus Falls and is the third oldest of 11 children. He was home schooled until third grand and since then has attended either OLV or Hillcrest. Soccer was his main sport until tenth-grade but he has played football the last two years, as well as participated in basketball and track. He will attend Northwestern in St. Paul next year to major in theology and play football. Mika Skaret has spent most of his life in Barnesville after being born in Connecticut and he is on the Hillcrest Student Council. Next year he plans to go back to Connecticut to further his studies.  Buzz Lundeen was presented with a coveted award for selling the most roses of all club members in 2023, followed by a Rotary Minute quiz based on the January issue of the Rotary magazine -- one of three were answered correctly. Then we went into brags and fines and Steve A. led off by noting the celebration of life held for his father on December 22nd, which would have been his father's 103rd birthday; Steve also reported that spouse Menghui returned from China on December 30th and is back teaching in New York City. Steve L. donated one dollar for each of the 52 years he and his wife were able to celebrate their daughter's life, thankful for each year she was with them. Lisa M. paid for missing last week's meeting and to let us know she enjoyed the middle school choir concert and that her mother is doing well after double knee replacement surgery. Mary P. rose to tell us there will be a tribute to the Mills Brothers at The Center for the Arts on January 20th, with one of the performers being her son. And Brian reminded all of us to promote the February 24th performance by our program of the day, James Wedgwood, at The Center for the Arts, starting at 1:00 p.m. Comedian and ventriloquist James Wedgwood was introduced by Brian T. and we learned that James now lives in Clitherall, having moved up to the lake from St. Paul. He started honing his ventriloquism skills at age nine and his repertoire consists of nine characters, six of which will be taking the stage at his February 24th performance. Ventriloquism is done by fewer and fewer people, and he estimated there are about 50 persons in the U.S. who are still doing it. James entertained us with stories from his Uncle Ernie and a conversation with his pet parrot Bill (?). James involved Rotarians Lisa M., Matt S. and Wally C., as well as student guest Mica, in an engaging display of his talents. Please encourage friends and family to buy tickets for the February 24th performance! |
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