Rotary Club of Plymouth past president Peter Bartling recently invited presidents of west metro clubs to a brainstorming meeting. The leaders agreed that all organizations are all finding it harder to recruit members, conduct fundraisers and secure volunteers. After sharing methods and resources that have helped their clubs, the presidents addressed a key question: Would a "mutually interactive group" benefit all Rotary clubs in the area?
In a first step of collaboration, these leaders from the Rotary Clubs of St. Louis Park, Maple Grove, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Orono, Golden Valley and Plymouthraised $600 for The Rotary Foundation to honor Foundation Month.
District Governor Marianna Khauv accepted the check from Plymouth past presidents James Williams (left) and Peter Bartling.
You each received an email link to a club-specific survey. District leadership invites every club member to complete the survey, ensuring we get an accurate picture of each club. The deadline to complete your survey is Wednesday, November 17.
Each club will receive a report summarizing its members' responses. The District Governor Line encourages clubs to use this information to shape their strategic plan and internal goals.
Thank you for responding to the survey and helping your club! -- DGE Lloyd
The District Governor (DG) Nominating Committee selected Sharon Bloodworth (Minneapolis/#9) to join our current DG succession and serve in 2024-25. Sharon will follow DG Marianna Khauv (Monticello), DG-Elect Lloyd Campbell (Glenwood) and DG-Nominee Jewelie Grape (City of Lakes) in leading our district into the future.
Sharon is the CEO of White Oaks Wealth Advisors. She was honored as a 2013 “Top Women in Business” and a 2010 “40 under 40” recipient by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She is a past president of Rotary Club 9, chaired two district conferences, and currently chairs the District Rotary Foundation Committee. In 2019, Sharon received the Marty Baskerville Philanthropy Award to recognize her Rotary lifetime achievements, and the Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award for leadership in her CEO peer-to-peer organization. Read more about Sharon here.
Congratulations, Sharon! Thank you for stepping forward in Rotary leadership.
The Rotary Clubs of Minnetonka, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka Excelsiorand Excelsior joined forces to raise funds for an ICA Food Shelf delivery van because transportation is a major barrier for ICA clients facing health issues, isolation and unemployment. With the addition of a grant from Rotary District 5950, the Rotarians contributed $27,000 which ICA used to purchase a 2019 Ford Transit T250 van. The interior of the vehicle will be re-modeled to enhance delivery and the exterior will sport both Rotary and ICA logos. Dan Narr, Executive Director of the ICA Food Shelf said, “If you want something done, ask Rotary.”
Volunteers from the Rotary E-Club of Global Travelersmet in Flandreau, South Dakota, on October 8, 2021, to help sort, prepare and pack over 1,000 pounds of sports equipment. The volunteers also packed 7,500 meals as part of a collaboration with Helping Kids Round First. The service project is in support of a District 5950 grant to help children and families in Nicaragua.
Rotary volunteers from the Brooklyn Park, South Minneapolis and Global Travelersclubs prepared and packed Days for Girls Kits for the Toror Clinic and School in western Kenya. The service project is funded by a District 5950 grant administered by the Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park.
The Rotary Club of Golden Valley generated great PR through coverage of their service project benefiting PRISM’s food shelf. Watch the video here.
Area 7 clubs (Buffalo, Maple Grove, Monticello and Rogers) collected approximately 800 pair of gently worn shoes for Shoe Away Hunger. Shoe sales ($5/pair) provide up to seven days of essential groceries for an individual in need.
One of my mentors once told me that “The Knowledge” is in the room. The PDG Roundtable is an opportunity for the room to speak.
-- DG-Elect Lloyd Campbell
Past District Governors (PDGs) represent a wealth of Rotary, leadership and life experience. The current DG Line invited PDGs to a roundtable breakfast to tap into that knowledge. They met at Los Andes, a restaurant which was part of the Lake Street Project. As expected, the conversation about Rotary membership, public image, and TRF (The Rotary Foundation) was lively, respectful and insightful.
(lower pictures, l-r) Holly Callen (2001-02), DG Marianna Khauv (2021-22), Irene Kelly (2018-19), Jim Nelson (2014-15), DG-Elect Lloyd Campbell (2022-23), Tom Gump (2020-21), Diann Kirby (2013-14)
Posted by Jeff Hage (Monticello), Public Image Chair
On the eve of World Polio Day, 5950 Rotarians headed out into their communities for the second annual Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt. This interactive, virtual event pitted Rotarian against Rotarian in a quest to completed 12 tasks geared toward raising awareness of Rotary's efforts to ending polio.
While teams out in their communities on the hour-long mission, a panel of Zoom hosts provided commentary and polio videos. District Governor Marianna Khauv referred to the event as One Day. One Hour. One Focus. End Polio Chair Tim Mulcrone (Chanhassen) noted that there are presently just two cases of polio in two countries in the world. “Who doesn’t want to get on that bandwagon?” Mulcrone asked.
The final challenge was to have a conversation with a polio survivor. Tim Mulcrone reminisced about his mother losing her brother to polio. She’s now 83 and excited about what Rotary does in the fight against polio, he said.
Nolan Rundquist, young son of Alexa and Nate Rundquist (Minnetonka) shared that his grandpa is a polio survivor because he had the polio vaccine as a child. Mom Alexa said the activity gave her and her husband an opportunity to talk to their child about vaccines.
Rotarians from around District 5950 had a great time raising awareness of Rotary’s fight against polio. “It was a great morning to celebrate Rotary,” said Pam Dane (Monticello).
finding it harder to recruit members, conduct fundraisers and secure volunteers. After sharing methods and resources that have helped their clubs, the presidents addressed a key question: Would a "mutually interactive group" benefit all Rotary clubs in the area? 
The District Governor (DG) Nominating Committee selected Sharon Bloodworth (Minneapolis/#9) to join our current DG succession and serve in 2024-25. Sharon will follow DG Marianna Khauv (Monticello), DG-Elect Lloyd Campbell (Glenwood) and DG-Nominee Jewelie Grape (City of Lakes) in leading our district into the future. 
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