Next Meeting April 1, 2026- President Usem called the next weekly meeting in person and Zoom at The Marsh, 15000 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN.
New Pictures - Send to michaelcglover@comcast.net. [Ed.]
****** See Education, Social and Service Activities Below *****
From the Members and Archives
IMPORTANT UPDATE to Upcoming Events Below
Important - Check with meeting leaders to confirm date, time and location information for all events below.
Happy Bucks and Polio Pitcher Donations
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 at 7:30
Guests
2 members of the Hopkins Rotary Club; Ben Maxwell with Lenny, and Libby Cecchi. Speakers are Michael Strobener, Chris Newhouse, and Vicki Bachman with Revolved.
Invocation
Invocation by Floriane N. - The words of today’s invocation are to seek guidance, be respectful in our collaboration, and be mindful of goodwill and peace. We commit to making a positive difference in our world.
Pledge
Everyone.
4-Way Test
Everyone.
International Theme
Unite for Good.
Paul Harris Awards
None this week.
Announcements
Nancy D. - has 2;1 for the Board committing $250 to start a Club Community Garden Project. The club will literally do the groundwork, and the proceeds will go to ICA. Myrna Gill, our Zoom speaker last week is willing to lead a trip to Cuba soon, with an effort to bring needed supplies with us.
Bob H. - adds a 2nd result of the last Board meeting; a member of the Excelsior morning club (now, the only Excelsior club) asked us to join them on their involvement with STRIVE (Students Taking Interest in the Value of Education). Excelsior will retain leadership and our club can add advisory help, and certainly mentoring with the students over the school year, starting in 2026-2067.
Bill S. - a meeting tonight to start planning for our Bear Cave Night Out for Rotary on Tuesday, May 5
Annika - The Club Ladies Get Together will be Wednesday, May 13 at Station Pizza. 5:30.
Unknown - Highway 7 clean-up is coming up soon on a Saturday AM. Date TBA. Need about 10-12 volunteers, or more.
A Special Talk on Star Throwers; Ron introduced us to its history; in the 1960’s, Lauren Isely told a story of a man by the sea watching a boy throwing beached starfish back into the water. The man asked, “why are you doing that, there are thousands of starfish?
What difference will it make? The boy replied, “It will make a difference to this one”. The tar Throwers program was born.
Our club is re-starting a Star Throwers program, which we did in our early club days. Cathy will chair it and several members will assist her. In fact, EVERY member is asked to look for those school, church, and community people who are busy, but unrecognized, as Star Throwers.
Today we recognized our first recipient, Jerald Stiele. Starting 9 years ago in 2018, he organized our club for the 1st Polar Plunge. It has grown, and so has Jerald’s responses and sponsors. In these years, we have raised over $100,000. We had our best year in 2025 with $25,000 with a lot of club support. Thanks, Jerald, for your hard work. Congrats as our 1st (Modern) Star Thrower.
New Member Induction
None this week.
Rotary Minute
None this week.
Raffle
Lenny’s guest, Ben, held the ticket today. Alas, he’ll need to return for some prize money.
Foundation Award Checks or Thank Yous
None this week.
Happy Bucks
Lenny N. - for his guest Ben and the Twins opener is next Friday; several Rotarians will be going.
Mac H. - Back from his great Florida trip; which started with a delay, but was extended at the other end.
Ryan R. - also, for a Florida trip.
Jerald S. - a big thank you for the Polar Plunge sponsors, and an airport sighting with Andy.
Shauna K. - for a vacation, and receiving an award from her St. Thomas Law School.
Frank B. - for the 3 speakers here today from Revolved. They are cohorts of his friend, Savanna Wilson.
Ben - to be here as a guest, and just received his CPA certification.
Pete G. he’ll be in charge of his 16-month-old grandchild this weekend.
Program
Speakers; Michael, Chris and Vicki from Revolved. They started this effort just a year ago, but they’ve been together for a long time. Vicki has access to outdated medical supplies, and the idea of getting them to where they are needed arose. They are involved in 2 locations; Ukraine and Zimbabwe.
Ukraine; Chris and Michael were willing to take these supplies to the front lines in Ukraine. They actually were in underground emergency units, greatly in harm’s way. Some 90 or more injured were cared for per day/night. Drones were looking for these units. There were enough supplies to transport to other locations all along the front. This was the start of Revolved, to be present where needed, despite the high risk.
Zimbabwe; through other contacts, these three became aware of dire needs in Zimbabwe, Africa. These are some of the most distraught kids. Certainly, medical supplies were needed, but many more problems exist with these forgotten people, especially children. The kids were falling through the cracks, with only begging on the streets to survive. Also, mental health, illiteracy, and need for medications. A Pharmacy delivery program was established.
They established Wild Hope, as a site for immediate help, and getting the kids to be able to sustain themselves Wild Hope tries to go more deep than wide, create an environment of joy. They have 3 goals; to INCUBATE, or set the foundation, to ACCELERATE, or bring in other sources of help, and to AMPLIFY by creating strong systems with local help.
Their big vision is a permanent facility, to keep kids safe, and learn life-time skills. They want to make it state hospital, and extend their reach to where needs still exist.
Thank you to all 3 of you for the commitments you’ve made and the risks you’re taking to bring help to these troubled areas. It is truly a sacrifice of Service, as we say in Rotary, above Self.
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!
