Posted by District Governor Irene Kelly (Eden Prairie AM)
September often feels like a new start … summer winds down, kids return to school, we celebrate Labor Day … and the routine shifts. A new school year reminds us that Rotary's theme this month is literacy.
While the literacy rate in Minnesota is 96%, there are needs. District 5950's Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary club is a leader in the literacy area. Their Read and Feed initiative set a goal of providing 10,000 books and 40,000 meals into the hands of to kids in need over three years. 2018 is Year #3, and club members have supplied 8,843 books and 40,970 meals. Well done, City of Lakes members!
In other parts of the world literacy falls below 50%. Estimates indicate South Sudan, 27% (lowest literacy rate in the world), Haiti (48.7%), and Uganda (73.2%). A goal this Rotary year is to spend down our district designated dollars (DDF), the amount of Rotary Foundation contributions we receive to award grants.
A project to improve literacy somewhere in the world would likely qualify for a global grant and justify allocating our DDF dollars. Might your club be interested in authoring a grant to improve literacy? Needs exist all over the world … including in Minnesota!
Thanks to 5950 Rotary clubs for cooking up amazing recipes to Be the Inspiration!
This year’s ORS will go beyond the synergy created by Rotarians working on membership, public image and humanitarian service (i.e., The Rotary Foundation). It will emphasize:
People of Action, RI’s public image campaign
Be the Inspiration, the 2018-19 Rotary theme
Why Rotary?
Are you a new Rotarian? Welcome! There will be a special session just for you. The "Why Rotary" will offer an exchange of ideas that will help you learn more about Rotary. Everyone…leave with creative ways to: achieve membership growth and retention; increase Rotary Foundation giving; and enhance your club’s public image. The cost of the event, including breakfast and lunch, is covered by your club’s District Training Fee. Members of our new EcoClub are eager to meet you.
District 5950 Rotarians and past leaders are mourning the passing of PDG Dr. Dan Barnett (Bloomington), governor during 2005-06. He had traveled from his Florida home to a family gathering in Minnesota, then fell and was hospitalized. His health declined over several weeks and he died on August 23 in Edina.
Dr. Barnett worked for Normandale Community College for 47 years, serving as vice president for 25 years. In retirement he became adjunct professor at St. Mary's, first teaching ethics and then leadership.
During many of these years he was a member of the Bloomington Rotary, serving as president in 1999-2000. He said that one of his great accomplishments as president was that he made “honest members” of the club’s female Rotarians. While updating the club bylaws during his year the board discovered they did not provide for women, only male members.
Several past governors shared their memories of Dan Barnett:
Dan instigated the study and Statement of Respectful Behavior in clubs during his term. It was an important document, and during my term as DG we restated it again and disseminated it. The last time I saw Dan we talked about that document. He was pleased to know that it had been resurrected. –Jim Nelson, 2014-15
I chaired the Nominating Committee that chose Dan for our DG. Then I was on the committee that wrote the statement of respectful behavior. Dan was a joy to work with. (He also loved to ballroom dance!) –Holly Callen, 2001-02
Dan connected IHF (International Hearing Foundation) to D5950. Rotarians responded by sending hospital equipment and ENT doctors to Senegal. It resulted in friendships that continue today. Dan told a great story about a pebble dropped into a pool of water produces ripples that grow far beyond the pebble. So it is with a Rotarian doing Service Above Self. –Dan Hallberg, 1990-91
Dan inspired my very first district-level involvement in Rotary. He asked if I would be his A-V tech to run the video projector and laptops during his president’s-elect training in 2005! –Diann Kirby, 2013-14
In my early Rotary career, Dan was the first DG I heard speak at my club. My memory is of a very approachable, sweet man who was focused and intentional. –Irene Kelly, 2018-19
Posted by Steve Solbrack (St. Louis Park), New Club Development Chair
The new Twin Cities Rotary EcoClub is a non-traditional, theme-based club devoted to environmental issues. The club will have fewer meetings and lower cost, with a focus on action, impact and fun through service projects and social events. The club participated in restoration work in Mill Ruins Park in August and tree planting at Crosby Farm Regional Park in May. We had a fun Summer Social in July, with a Fall Social planned for September.
The new club already has 12 charter members, needing a minimum of 20 members to officially charter. Over half of the members are under age 40; over half are female. Please brainstorm young adults -- and young thinkers of all ages -- who would benefit from an opportunity to build new relationships, make a difference for the environment, and develop leadership skills. Get more information on the club’s Facebook pageor download the club flyer. If you would like to receive occasional updates about the new club email Steve Solbrackand request to be added to the supporting-Rotarian email distribution list.
Posted by Bob Halagan (Buffalo), Past District Governor 2017-18
The District Governor who will serve District 5950 for RY 2021-2022 will be selected following an October 1 nomination deadline. You, or a Rotarian leader you nominate, can still apply and be interviewed during the week of October 8. To apply, ask your club president for these four documents: 1) required qualifications, 2) DG job description, 3) a questionnaire to be completed by the candidate and, 4) a nominating form that needs to be completed by the candidate's home club.
Being DG is an amazing experience that I wish every Rotarian could have. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in the role contact me (763-439-8975 or rhalagan@gmail.com) to discuss what is involved. My year was truly incredible and completely worth the effort.
A year ago, Rotary clubs from District 5950 started working on an ambitious multi-club and multi-district collaboration entitled "Honduras Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project/Rotary Global Grant GG1860858." The project will help increase water access and reduce waterborne diseases by providing a water distribution system, safe sanitation facilities and hygiene/sanitation training to 20 communities, 20 schools and nine healthcare facilities of in Lempira and Ocotepeque.
The Rotary Club of Minneapolis City of Lakes leads the project, sending a team to Honduras to select project sites. This team also presented the project overview to numerous Rotary clubs and one Interact club. In response, 13 clubs and an Interact club contributed $75,000 to further the project. With a non-Rotary partner and matching funds, their contributions grew to $800,000! The Rotary Foundation (TRF) recently approved the $800,000 project.
Several years ago, RI introduced satellite clubs. Rogers Rotary was the first to experiment with this format. Now there are many variations on flexible scheduling across District 5950. Would one of these options encourage membership engagement and growth in your club?
Eagan Rotary’s new Satellite Group addresses young professionals’ busy schedules. It will meet for a social hour at various locations on the third Thursday of the month and, quarterly, attend the Wednesday noon Eagan Rotary meeting.
City of Lakes Rotary holds Rotary after Dark, offering additional meeting time opportunities with no separate committees or officers. St. Louis Park Noon meets the first three Mondays each month at their set location, then at a local restaurant the 4th Monday, and does not meet if there’s a 5th Monday. Brooklyn Park’s outside club service date replaces that week’s morning meeting. They also reserve the final week of the month for an evening restaurant gathering. South Metro Minneapolis Evening’s alternate schedule was featured last month in The Rotarian Magazine.
OR…On the fourth Thursday of any month, District 5950 "Brewtarians" (pictured) can be found gathering at a different brewery in the district. These Rotarians met in August at the East Lake Brewery in Midtown Global market. If you’d like to be on the email distribution list, contact Jim Hancock at Jim.Hancock@wellsfargo.com.
Each club’s goal:Attract new members by offering choice and flexibility. Your club’s “how” can vary to fit members’ adaptability and local growth opportunities.
Posted by Randi Markusen (Mpls. University), sponsor/advisor
Dani Prigozhina has just arrived in Spain, ready to begin graduate studies funded by a Global Grant Scholarship. I've known Dani since she was a high school student who was already concerned about world events, human rights and social justice, and about how she could make it better. While working toward a degree at the University of MN, Dani was an outstanding student showing strong leadership in student and community organizations. I am confident that she will represent District 5950 well and continue to exemplify Rotary's guiding principles.
Chanhassen and Shakopee Rotary clubs brainstormed a multi-club social event that would “do good” in the world. Their partnership with Canterbury Park evolved into Rotary at the Races. Canterbury donated guests’ admission and food ticket so money from ticket sales went straight to PolioPlus. Add in a raffle and auction of donated items, and the first-time event raised $7,000. Once matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Districts 5950 and 5960 will contribute $21,300 to PolioPlus from this one event! Canterbury Park is already eager to host and build on this outstanding Rotary event because it went so smoothly. They salute event coordinators Anne Voas (Chanhassen), Tammy Laurent (Shakopee) and Michele Dahl (Shakopee).
In June, Plymouth Rotary and Wayzata High School YES students planted 40 trees along with Wayzata HS YES students in a city area called the Rotary Tree Walk. A sign on each tree identifies it as a gift from Rotary. The planting was in conjunction with the City of Plymouth Parks & Rec. Department.
The Rotary Club of North Minneapolis (RCNM) hosted a meeting of District 5950 Rotarians and guests for a briefing on the YMCA’s Equity Innovation Center. The Center brings together diverse stakeholders to develop understanding of and solutions to challenges related to equity, diversity and inclusion. VJ Smith, a charter member of the RCNM, described how Rotary and the Y -- through its Equity Innovation Center -- can be change agents in advancing cultural competence, understanding unconscious bias, and bridging our differences. Scott Peterson (Burnsville) of the YMCA introduced the center and the Y’s Equity Leader Institute which provides leadership training in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rotary’s collaboration with the YMCA Equity Innovation Center will now move to the next level. For more information, check out theInnovation Center.
Club directories can be easily built and customized in ClubRunner. The directories can be generated in either Microsoft Word or PDF format, ready to print by any member. This is a great item to include in new member packets!
Simplify email communication ‑- whether within the club, to prospective members, club directors or to special groups and committees. Because email addresses are centralized, a member’s change is reflected in all distribution lists. You can create custom lists by member type or for club executives, directors, committees, etc. Remember to keep your email address in ClubRunner up to date.
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September often feels like a new start … summer winds down, kids return to school, we celebrate Labor Day … and the routine shifts. A new school year reminds us that Rotary's theme this month is literacy.
The Rotary Club of North Minneapolis (RCNM) hosted a meeting of District 5950 Rotarians and guests for a briefing on the YMCA’s Equity Innovation Center. The Center brings together diverse stakeholders to develop understanding of and solutions to challenges related to equity, diversity and inclusion. VJ Smith, a charter member of the RCNM, described how Rotary and the Y -- through its Equity Innovation Center -- can be change agents in advancing cultural competence, understanding unconscious bias, and bridging our differences. Scott Peterson (Burnsville) of the YMCA introduced the center and the Y’s Equity Leader Institute which provides leadership training in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rotary’s collaboration with the YMCA Equity Innovation Center will now move to the next level. For more information, check out the
