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Zack Stach greeted us and Tim Hunt offered the invocation, after which we recited The Four Way Test. Brian Tjaden gave us a report on the results of the Lucky Duck Derby, with 700 ducks having been sold, netting $5,400 for the club (down $515 from last year). Buzz Lundeen is to be congratulated for selling 200 of those tickets -- amazing! The club as a whole did a better job of participating in the ticket sales, with 28 of us involved compared to 18 last year. Zack Stach reported on the rest station we staffed at Inspiration Peak with other Habitat for Humanity volunteers on Friday, July 15th, for their bike ride; thanks to Wally Cole, Ken Harty, Dave Johnson, Dean Monke, Bob Russell and Zack for helping out. Jamie Larson reported peaches are expected to arrive around August 15th; discussion then ensued on how to handle delivery issues that we haven't quite mastered after 26 years. To this writer, it seemed like there were too many cooks in the kitchen and we need to just let the leaders tell us how it is going to be handled and then follow their instructions. President Ken told us about the Rotary Ends Human Trafficking ("REHT") Music Festival being sponsored by the Central Lakes Rotary Club in Pequot Lakes scheduled for August 12 - 14. The event is to be held at the Lakes Music & Events Park in Pine River, with camping available; to learn more, visit the website for the festival at www.rehtmusicfestival.com. We were also told that Ryon Welle is planning on placing an order for Rotary shirts, so start thinking about what you would like. There was a Rotary Minute based on the July Rotarian with only one of three questions answered correctly. Anthony Nordan led off the bragging, or in this case, fining, by paying in advance for expecting to be absent a lot due to work demands over the next six weeks. John MacFarlane donated a two-dollar bill he found behind the Viking that day, while Jamie Larson contributed a scooter buck. Keith Olson told us that he had pared his 875 pictures of their Icelandic trip down to 115 for tomorrow's program, but (surprisingly?) no one else contributed to thank him for his editing efforts. Camon Landry, the intern working at our Salvation Army this summer, was our program and he filled us in on the way one becomes an officer in the organization. By way of background, Camon was raised a Hoosier, living in various locations in Indiana, but if he had to call one home it would be Brown County. He said his family lived a "lower class lifestyle," living paycheck to paycheck with roughly three trips a month to the local food pantry. Camon was a good student in high school, a four-sport athlete, and graduated in 2014. He joined the Navy in June of 2015, but an illness resulted in his medical discharge. He then went to college and received a Bachelor of Science degree in homeland security. In terms of his "faith walk," Camon grew up in and out of church, first experiencing the Salvation Army in 2017 (other than being aware of its food pantries), serving as camp counselor for it in the summers of 2017 through 2020. He also went on four different mission trips. He became a "dedicated member" in March of 2020 and entered training in August of 2021. There was also a one-year internship at a Salvation Army in Indianapolis, where he learned about its ministry, Christmas fundraising and its social activities. He then moved to Chicago (a "cultural shock") where he began his college officer training, comparable to going to seminary. The campus is in northern Chicago, two blocks from Wrigley Field, a great neighborhood, but travelling in the city literally gave him nightmares. In terms of his life at the College for Officer Training ("CFOT), Camon said his class includes 11 cadets or students and they are named the Reflections of Holiness. He described the classes as rigorous, in part due to his not having a strong religious background. In the two-year program they study theology, business management and social services, with a strong emphasis placed on spiritual development. There is also field training, such as the two-month summer internship that brought Camon to Fergus Falls. He will also have a Christmas assignment and a one-week spring campaign. Cadets are paid only for their summer assignment and the winter assignment during their second year. While here in Fergus, Camon has preached two services and been involved with Day Camp, also staffing the two game nights that have been a huge success; 40 turned out for the one at Otter Cove and 35 attended the second one at the Salvation Army. A third game night is planned for August. Camon will graduate in June of 2023 and be ordained a minister. His out-of-pocket cost for both years of study is $2,400, and that includes two meals a day Monday through Friday; because of his own dietary restrictions a grocery allowance is also provided him. The Salvation Army in the United States is organized into four territories, with headquarters in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco and Chicago. The Midwest territory includes 11 states. It is almost impossible to take training in a territory in which you did not grow up. Once an officer, you have to spent at least five years in your territory before you can seek a transfer to another one. All Salvation Army locations have a parsonage; as to thrift stores, less than 10% of those located outside of metropolitan areas have one. To begin training to become a Salvation Army officer you have to be under age 53. While a college degree is not required, it is encouraged. This was really an interesting look into becoming a Salvation Army officer and we thank Camon for his program and his work here in Fergus Falls. |
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