What a highlight! Rotary Clubs #10 (D5960-St. Paul) and #9 (D5950-Minneapolis) welcome 2020-2021 RI President Holger Knaack as their guest speaker at their annual Joint Club Meeting on February 23. All District 5950 Rotarians and guests are invited to hear his personal message on Zoom or Facebook Live.
RI President Knaack's presentation will answer deeply personal observations and predictions about:
What will Rotary Opens Opportunities mean in a post-COVID world?
How might this change Rotary in the long term?
How has serving as RI President during this unprecedented time changed him personally?
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
12:00 noon login 12:15 p.m. Meeting Called to Order
Posted by Guy Johnson (Mpls. Uptown), incoming AG Coordinator
Thirteen Assistant Governors (AGs) eagerly anticipate guiding the 66 clubs that are organized into ten geographic Areas and one virtual Area. After training on January 23 with the District Governor line, they are preparing to hit the ground running for the new Rotary year that begins on July 1, 2021.
During training, the AGs agreed to:
Serve the clubs and support Rotary’s Vision Statement
Engage their clubs in a variety of ways including visiting them regularly
Convene quarterly meetings of their presidents and president-elects
Link club leaders with District resources (e.g., visioning, speakers).
An important function of the AGs is facilitating an exchange of ideas and best practices among the clubs in their Area, and to bring that information back to the District so it can be disseminated more broadly. The new AGs will attend pre-PETS, the District Leadership Summit, NCPETS and other District initiatives.
Guy Johnson (Minneapolis Uptown) will be District 5950 AG Coordinator, working with AGs: Fred Herron in Area 1, Michael Schwie (2), Kim Ross (3), Carl Lottman (4), Jacob Millner (5), Mark Ihrke (6), Judy Johnson and Raj Khankari (7), John Bodette (8), Michelle Goltz (Cokato-Dassel, Litchfield, Willmar in Area 9), Ric Nelson (10) and Dawn Heath-Fiedler (for non-geographical clubs). There is an opening for someone to partner with Michelle Goltz in Area 9 to cover the Gaylord, Glencoe and Hutchinson clubs. Interested in joining our team? Please contact Guy Johnson at guy@nutritionsolutions.net.
The AGs are excited to support each Area. Rotarians, please welcome them warmly to your club!
Rotary District 5950 held a three-session series about unconscious bias and racial equality in Minnesota. Thank you to all clubs and leaders who continue to learn about the history of racial inequity, work to better understand unconscious bias, and begin writing the next chapter for Rotary and Minnesota. Resources from these sessions are available on the district's Racial Equity Resources for Continued Learning web page.
The sessions were facilitated by James White, in association with the YMCA Equity Innovation Center in Minneapolis. White is executive vice president of organizational relations of the Triangle Area YMCA in North Carolina, a pastor and a motivational speaker. He also serves as a board member for the Triangle Dr. Martin Luther King Committee.
Posted by Marianna Khauv (Monticello), District Governor-Elect
COVID's ongoing strength throughout the world compelled the Rotary Board of Directors to transition this year’s International Convention to a virtual event.
I was eager to return to my birthplace, so I am disappointed that it will not be a traditional convention. However, it will be an exciting virtual event for all Rotarians. Last year’s convention attracted significant viewership during its weeklong program. Everything the planning committee learned in 2020 about staging a virtual convention will be channeled into the very best program that promises to open new opportunities for you to be entertained, enlightened and energized.
More details about the 2021 Virtual Convention will be shared soon. RI will automatically cancel and refund all existing registrations. Please do not try to individually contact RI for refunds.
Public Image (PI) is one of the key District 5950 committees. It works in tandem with Membership and The Rotary Foundation to make 5950 a leading district with a stellar reputation.
Jeff Hage (Monticello) is already planning for his term as PI Coordinator on July 1. He is recruiting PI committee members who will work with both District 5950 clubs and the leadership team to promote Rotary and its activities on the club, district, and international level. The committee assists clubs in reaching out to media and creating social media campaigns that promote the clubs both internally within Rotary District 5950 and external to community members. In addition, the PI team supports clubs' efforts to find speakers and effectively use public relations, public image, marketing, club websites and social media.
If you have skills or passion in any of these areas of impact and would contribute to the Public Image team, please reach out to Jeff Hage at paperboy@mac.com.
Jeff is transitioning to the PI role from his current position of Assistant Governor Coordinator for Rotary District 5950. He is a past member of the Princeton Rotary Club (D5960) where he served two terms as president and four years as an AG.
Tim Murphy reappointed as Zone 29 End Polio Now Coordinator
PDG Tim Murphy (Edina) is the current Zone 29 End Polio Now Coordinator. (Our Zone encompasses 16 districts.) His great work in this position has earned him a reappointment by Rotary International (RI) to that position for an additional three-year term. Tim received an email from Past Rotary International President John Germ notifying him of this great news.
Tom Gump appointed as Region 36 Assistant Rotary Coordinator
DG Tom Gump (Edina / Morningside) has just been appointed by RI to serve as one of eight Assistant Rotary Coordinators for Region 36/Zones 25B and 29. (This territory represents 23 districts and nearly 52,000 Rotarians.) Tom will be responsible for supporting membership in RI Districts 5580, 5950 and 5960 beginning July 1 with the 2021-22 Rotary year.
Carol MacDonald appointed Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator Carol MacDonald (Burnsville Breakfast) has been appointed by RI to serve as Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Region 36/Zones 25B and 29. She will be responsible for supporting the Foundation in RI Districts 5580, 5950 and 5960 beginning July 1 with the 2021-22 Rotary year. The new position requires that Carol resign as District Rotary Foundation Chair (DRFC) The district welcomes Sharon Bloodworth (Mpls #9) who has agreed to complete the third year of Carol's DRFC term.
Rotary International declared growing and diversifying our membership a top priority -- making sure clubs reflect the communities we serve. The Excelsior Morning Rotary Club is diligently working on issues related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). We know we are not alone in these efforts and would like to know how other District 5950 clubs are working on similar endeavors.
Thank you for contributing to this important issue. Please reach out to Laura Hotvet at laurahotvet@gmail.com with any questions or for more information.
In the spirit of Rotary and on behalf my family and myself, I send thanks and appreciation to all of you who have reached out to share your love, caring, concern, and sympathy following the passing of my husband, Duane. I have been blessed by your friendship for more than 20 years and I am grateful.
Although he was not a member of Rotary, Duane loved to participate in the all-things-Rotary and described himself as having “the heart of a Rotarian”. This was surely true when he supported me in local, district, and international service projects and many Rotary events and functions.
Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary annually awards its John Fischer Rotary Hope Award to a nonmember who is dedicated to a cause that makes a significant difference in the lives of many people and gives them hope for the future.
The club named Gabrielle Clowdus, CEO and co-founder of Settled, as its 2020 recipient. Settled is a Twin Cities nonprofit addressing chronic homelessness. Its community-first model emphasizes the importance of companionship and a support system, and builds “tiny homes” that for the homeless.
Settled seeks to bridge the gap between emergency shelter and costly conventional development by creating simple, efficient, permanent housing. Settled attempts to reconnect the homeless to self, family, and community through advocate-befrienders who help navigate the system and achieve personal goals.
Clowdus urges Rotarians to join Settled’s effort through service projects such as sponsoring, building and/or furnishing a home, planting garden beds, and bringing other skills and expertise to see this movement flourish. Learn more about Settled’s Sacred Settlement at settled.org/model or watch the recent KARE 11 feature.
Eagan Rotary's answer to their cancelled annual gala is a newly created Live to Give Walk at Eagan’s Central Park on Saturday, May 15. It will raise money for Eagan YMCA, 360 Communities, Open Door Pantry and the Eagan Rotary Foundation.
Walk organizer Andy Lucking says, “Rotarians are very excited for the Live to Give Walk. Our costume-themed, outdoor walk will be fun, welcoming, and exciting for community members of all ages.” He encourages families, friends, workmates, and neighbors of all ages to register for free at eaganrotary.givesmart.com, then build a team with friends and solicit donations.
The 1.1 mile walk path in Central Park is accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, and wagons. The club will offer Live to Give t-shirts at a donation level. They've arranged live music and costume judging by the Chief of Police. Sponsorship details are online at eaganrotary.org or by contacting Jodi Hassing at jodi.hassing@edwardjones.com or 651-402-7597.
North News featured the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis' maternal care program that provides virtual doulas for Black expectant mothers. The program has already helped 15 pregnant women recommended by Hennepin Healthcare. The club and community partners raised over $40,000 to support this and other programs for maternal care in the Black community.
Doulas are trained to lend continuous physical, emotional and information support to mothers before, during and shortly after childbirth. For more information, contact program coordinator Clara Sharp or North Minneapolis Rotarian Jim Tincher.
The Edina Rotary Global Scholar Program is a three-year program in which students develop global competency skills that enhance college, career, and civic readiness. It is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Edina and Edina / Morningside along with the Edina Education Fund.
The first seven participating students completed their self-paced Capstone projects. The Capstone is the final requirement and is a chance for them to showcase their global competency skills. During the Capstone, students research a global issue of their choice. Whenever possible, they work with and are mentored by Rotarians who have experience in their research field.
Students created podcasts and videos to present their research projects, promoted various UN Sustainable Development Goals, and highlighted their global issue and country of choice. As one project example, Francesca Elia worked with Cargill and researched bioengineering techniques to help with world hunger. She tied this into the concept of Golden Rice in the Philippines and created a four-episode podcast series.
This program has formed a valuable connection between the high school and the local Rotary. It has bridged gaps and formed more relationships between students, Rotarians and the community both locally and globally. This program is always looking for Rotarians who are willing to work with the global scholar students.
Posted by Richard Crabb (S. Metro Mpls. Evenings), GMS Coordinator
Attending a Grant Management Seminar (GMS) is the first step in having your club certified to receive matching Rotary Foundation funds for local and international projects. Each club must have at least one member trained at a GMS; multiple members can be trained. The fee for the GMS sessions is included in the club training fee. The goal is to have all D5950 clubs certified for the upcoming Rotary year.
Four-hour Complete sessions are for first-time attendees. They include refreshments and a meal. Refresher sessions are for members who trained for the 2018-19 year. They last two hours and include refreshments.
Register online, following the path: www.rotary5950.org ►District Calendar tab ►Choose GMS date ►Complete info ►Submit. Each session is limited to twenty participants. Register early to secure your date! (Note: Registration is the first 30 minutes of the time listed.) Questions? Contact Richard Crabb at rdcrabb@gmail.com.
How do you make global healthcare personal in your club? How do you present it both virtually and in-person?
This suggestedvideofeatures Rotary leaders offering their perspectives on Rotary's contributions to polio eradication and global healthcare. It also illustrates how any Rotary club can conduct an effective virtual/in-person (hybrid) meeting. The Global Impact Group and the Rotary Club of Lamarinda Sunrise, USA produced the video.
Padee Yang is a Global Scholarship recipient. Yang plans to use the $30,000 grant to pursue a master’s degree in degree in violence, conflict, and development in London, either at The School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Yang graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and minor in anthropology and neuroscience. She has worked for the United States Peace Corps as a Gender and Development Committee Member and Community Health Specialist in Malawi. During her service, she engaged with influential chiefs, community leaders, and community members to improve the overall health of the community through education, home visits, and health interventions.
“I plan to continue working alongside refugees and other underserved populations, specifically in the field of research and advocacy to bridge the gap between practice and policy,” said Yang. “Furthermore, I plan to ensure the humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers through the asylum process and assimilation to their new homes and lives.” She will pursue a career in global health and public policy with a focus on gender equity, humanitarian aid, and research
Yang is sponsored by the Excelsior Rotary Club and hopes the St. Marylebone Rotary Club in London will be her Host Rotary Club while she completes her studies.
RI President Knaack's presentation will answer deeply personal observations and predictions about:
Rotary District 5950 held a three-session series about unconscious bias and racial equality in Minnesota. Thank you to all clubs and leaders who continue to learn about the history of racial inequity, work to better understand unconscious bias, and begin writing the next chapter for Rotary and Minnesota. Resources from these sessions are available on the district's 
I was eager to return to my birthplace, so I am disappointed that it will not be a traditional convention. However, it will be an exciting virtual event for all Rotarians. Last year’s convention attracted significant viewership during its weeklong program. Everything the planning committee learned in 2020 about staging a virtual convention will be channeled into the very best program that promises to open new opportunities for you to be entertained, enlightened and energized.
Public Image (PI) is one of the key District 5950 committees. It works in tandem with Membership and The Rotary Foundation to make 5950 a leading district with a stellar reputation.
Tim Murphy reappointed as Zone 29 End Polio Now Coordinator
North News featured the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis' maternal care program that provides virtual doulas for Black expectant mothers. The program has already helped 15 pregnant women recommended by Hennepin Healthcare. The club and community partners raised over $40,000 to support this and other programs for maternal care in the Black community.
