Please send your Happy Buck and Polio Pitcher donations to Mac H. as follows:
Mac Hardin
Minnetonka Rotary Club
12926 Rutledge Circle
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Rotary International Foundation
Please send your end of year donations to Chris Rosenlund as follows:
Chris Rosenlund
8672 Meadowvale Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Meeting Minutes
Meeting called to order by President Ron.
Guests
Our speakers today, Paul Peterson and Hunter Pettit with The Shriners Club.
Invocation
Invocation by Ben Monnens; Its summertime, and the kids are home and busy. He reminds them that it’s important to listen to their dad, pay attention and follow through. It’s the reason we have two ears and one mouth. Good advice for all of us.
Pledge
Everyone.
4-Way Test
Everyone.
International Theme
Unite for Good.
Paul Harris Awards
None this week.
Announcements
Nancy D. - She’s asking us to sign up for an opportunity to tour the Cullen Nature Center, before it’s open to the public. The most popular day will be announced.
Terry J. - our Rotary garden is on its way, things are growing. There’s not much to do right now, but stay tuned for needs to come.
Beth Y. - mark down Tuesday, July 14, for a late afternoon club meeting on Visioning and planning our future direction. It’ll be at the ICA office building on St. David’s Road.
Annika S. - Summerfest is coming up quickly, and we are about half-filled for volunteer slots. Look at Club Runner for the openings; 2-hour slots between 4:00 and 10:00.
Ron U. - our Passing the Gavel transition into the new Rotary year is on Wednesday June 24 at Maynards restaurant. Arrive around 4:00 to save a few tables. Cheer on Ryan as he takes over as President for 2026-27.
Bob H. no club meeting on Wednesday May 1, but as usual, Hoagies at 7:30 AM for those interested. Please reply (text 952-484-5065) to Bob if you’re planning to come.
Chris R. - Rotary International donations need to be in today, or soon. We’ll fall a little short of our $30,000 goal unless a few last minute $$ come in. Nevertheless, Chris reminds us of our club’s historic and consistent giving as a leader in the District.
Also, Beth Young is a brand-new Paul Harris fellow. A new Certificate for her wall!
New Member Induction
None this week.
Rotary Minute
None this week.
Raffle
Raffle today; Char has the ticket AND the Joker today. Winner, winner!
Foundation Award Checks or Thank Yous
None today.
Happy Bucks
Bill S. - $2 for his son Brett in town from Atlanta; some hanging out time with the family.
Pete G. - a fish story about 12-hour drive, a 45-minute ride in an iffy boat, a beautiful lodge and amenities, and a young woman Reese who blew them out of the water with 2 huge fish caught right off the dock.
Char M. - her grandson’s birthday and an invite for a Disney cruise in 2027.
Ann W. she’ll be at Whistler in British Columbia for vacation. Have fun, we’ll miss you
Terry J. - for a camping trip upcoming in Michigan.
Cathy P. - for just returning from a trip to Europe with her kids.
Program
Bob H. introduced Hunter as the local DQ owner, and having been involved with The Shriners at a relatively young age. There are about 250,00 Shriners in 200 chapters in the US. Every Shriner is also a Freemason, and there are 6 million of them world-wide. The Shriners are ‘the fun group’ and are very often seen in parades, with their ‘sets of wheels’. They are in the St. Paul Osman Temple, one of 3 in Minnesota.
The Shriners are famous for their hospitals and over 100 years of caring for kids’ illnesses. There are 22 in the US and 7 more Internationally. More are coming. Children used to stay in Hospitals for hundreds of days, but modern medicine has gone to predominately out-patient care. Money is never a need for these kids and their families. Beyond the medical costs, they supply transportation, family housing, lost work, and meals.
They rely on volunteers for much of those non-medical needs. Their Woodbury clinic is primarily for burns, spinal, orthopedic, prosthetics, and cleft palate problems. They find that the doctors and staffs get very close to these kids, and their families. Besides medically improving the children’s lives, they reduce the family stresses and let them concentrate on hope.
Paul Peterson is way up the ladder with Shriner leadership. He is the assistant Raban, and will lead his Osman temple in 2027. He asked if our club wants to help, a good place is with a club donation, and even being a volunteer with transportation.
Thanks to each of you for a primer on The Shriners work, and the millions of children and families whose lives you have affected.
Adjournment
Submitted by Bob H.
Member Submissions
From Mark Marlin:
Dear Friend,
Every day, children, teens, young adults, and their caregivers are learning how to carry the weight of grief while finding their way forward.
At The Grief Club of Minnesota, we witness their courage as they share their stories, support one another, and rediscover hope. As we reach more grieving kids and families, our community continues to come together in meaningful ways to surround them with care and support.
Because of the generosity of those who believe in our mission, all services are provided by skilled licensed counselors at no cost to the families we serve, helping remove barriers to high quality mental health care.
In this edition of The Club Connection, we’re sharing what’s coming up, including our summer grief camp, school staff trainings, upcoming golf event, community gatherings, and ways to get involved.
Whether you are a grieving family, community partner, supporter, or sponsor, we invite you to be part of the healing.
All Star Day Grief Camp
This popular camp for grieving youth blends counselor-led support with engaging, camp-style fun. The morning centers on reflection and connection, while the afternoon features “All-Star” outdoor activities and inspiring athlete stories. Campers build coping skills and form meaningful peer connections in a supportive environment.
Hit the course for a great cause! Gather colleagues, friends, or neighbors for a round of golf, lunch, fun games, and prizes while supporting grieving kids and families across Minnesota. Your participation helps create connection, and hope for families navigating the death of a loved one.
Sponsorships and Foursomes are available and selling fast!
The pizza truck is coming to our parking lot! Join us for a relaxed evening of fresh, wood fired pizza, games, connection, and community. Grief Club families are invited to bring loved ones, community members are welcome to join us, and learn more about how we support grieving kids and families.
In response to growing requests from school communities, The Grief Club of Minnesota will offer two trainings designed to help school staff strengthen their ability to support grieving students. Led by founders Cara Mearns-Thompson and Sarah Kroenke, who bring more than 50 years of combined experience, the sessions will share practical strategies for responding to student grief and fostering supportive school environments.
Mark your calendar for an inspiring evening celebrating hope, connection, and the power of community, all in support of vital grief resources for children and families. We will be accepting sponsorships along with live and silent auction donations to help make this meaningful event possible.
All are invited to an evening of reflection, love, and light as we gather to remember family and friends who have gone before us and honor those who have supported us along our grief journey.
The evening will feature a dedication program, outdoor tree lighting, music, mingling, warm beverages, sweet treats, and cookie decorating.
We are grateful to be a trusted resource for providers and partners throughout the state who support families navigating grief.
There are many ways to receive support and to offer it to others. Whether you attend an event, become a sponsor, share our mission, or make a gift, you help ensure that no one has to navigate grief alone.
Thank you for being part of a community that shows up with compassion when it matters most!
With hope, Sarah Kroenke Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Grief Counselor The Grief Club of Minnesota
From Alexa R. -
From Frank B. -
Frank, I wanted to follow up and say THANK YOU for the opportunity to present this morning. Shannon and I had a great time and we really appreciated the engaging questions afterwards. We can tell you have a thoughtful and passionate group which is what is needed to drive community impact! You inspired us to check out our own communities' local Rotary chapters.
I wanted to follow up with a few resources from our presentation today since members were requesting more information and we didn't have our business cards on hand. If you are open to it, do you mind sharing the following resources with your members so that they can reach out with their follow ups? A few members that we spoke to afterwards are so well connected in relevant statewide organizations, we would love to connect and get further information!
