I can't believe we are already 3/4 of the way through the Rotary year...District 5950 clubs have been working hard and it shows! Only 3 months left to reach the goals your club set for the year - please reach out to us if the District team can be of assistance in any way!
We hope you were able to join the "Mastering LinkedIn" sessions in early February - just a reminder that you can watch the recordings and download the powerpoint presentations here through March 30. Also a reminder to clubs that in order to apply for a District grant during the upcoming Rotary year, at least one Rotarian in your club must attend grant management training. You can register to attend an online grant management seminar here.
Thanks for all you continue to do to create hope in the world!
In February, I traveled to Colombia with the Rotary EClub of Global Travelers (I am associate member of this club) to check on the progress of a $95,000 global grant project (a collaboration including 15 sponsoring Rotary clubs, 3 districts and Rotary International). Twenty-eight Rotarians/family members from AK, CA, FL, IA, IL, KS, MN, PA, VA, and Canada travelled to and learned about the culture and history of Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena.
The group met up in Bogota, the capitol and largest city in Colombia. We toured a market and sampled local fruits, vegetables, and other products, took a walking tour of the old colonial part of the city (including a stop at the Gold Museum), and rode a cable car to the top of Monserrate Mountain. The Rotary District 4281 governor-elect, her husband, and several other Bogota Rotarians met with us and we all shared information about our clubs and districts.in and Cartagena, Colombia, in addition to seeing the progress of the project.
In October, seven members of our St Louis Park Sunrise Rotary Club* traveled down to Costa Rica to participate in building two brick ovens with money raised through a Rotary Small International grant. The oven projects support the mission of local St Louis Park non-profit, Bricks to Bread International. St Louis Park Sunrise Rotary was awarded $18,000 to fund both projects with the help of Rotary Club Limon in Costa Rica and seven other Twin Cities based clubs.
Over the course of twelve days, we completed one oven in the small town of Guacimo and built the base of a second in the tiny village of Parismina. We worked hard and ate well as the local women cooked and baked for us each day. Their hospitality is both an of expression of gratitude and a way to share the cost of their project through "sweat equity." In our down time, we met members of the local Limon Rotary Club and we traveled through some beautiful countryside to visit Jenny Sanchez and her previously completed bakery. We baked together, witnessed first-hand her joy and success, and learned more about how Bricks to Bread transforms the lives of families and communities.
EVANSTON, Ill. (Feb. 5, 2024) — Rotary International today announced Minneapolis-St. Paul as the winner of the provisional bid to hold its annual international convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center, May 26-30, 2029.
More than 15,000 Rotary members and participants from around the world will gather in the Twin Cities to connect, learn from each other and various experts, and share ideas for bringing positive, lasting change to communities across the globe. The event is expected to inject an estimated $30.4 million in both direct and indirect business sales, and will utilize hotels in Minneapolis, Bloomington, and St. Paul, as well as most of the Minneapolis Convention Center.
“I am excited to welcome Rotary members from across the globe to the Twin Cities and the State of Minnesota for their international convention in 2029,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “Rotary members do incredibly important work to improve lives and strengthen communities here and throughout the world.”
Read the full press release by Rotary International by clicking read more.
It was an honor to prepare the next generation of club Presidents at the North Central President Elect training in-person and virtual events. Best idea ever to have North Central President Elect training on Rotary's 119th Birthday! Much fun and learning was had by all. The theme for 2024-2025 is “The Magic of Rotary”. Our new presidents are tasked with going out into their clubs and spreading as much Rotary magic as possible to raise membership, create more service opportunities and make their club cultures as happy and inviting as possible. We cannot wait to watch their success.
The NAYEN (North American Youth Exchange Network) Conference is a fantastic opportunity to share RYE (Rotary Youth Exchange) with fellow Rotarians from around the world. NAYEN has a 3 days of conference programming for both first time attendees and those new to RYE, as well as veteran RYE volunteers. The conference offered speakers, sessions, and exhibits all geared towards enhancing your District's Rotary Youth Exchange program. DG Jewelie Grape and DGE Sharon Bloodworth attended the conference in Vancouver, Canada in early March. Read more to see their photos and read their recap.
On Monday, February 19, three districts of more than 130 Rotarians, Rotaract, Interact Club members and North Star Youth Exchange students convened in St. Paul at the Capitol from all corners of the state for the 2024 Rotary Awareness Day. Rotary has a bill (HF120/SF394) – chief authored by Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-Edina) and Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan), and spoke in favor of, legislative approval of a specialty Rotary license plate. Proceeds from sales of that plate would fund service projects in three districts, including our own D5950. The group met and heard from legislators, toured the capitol and the state’s Supreme Court chambers. A memorable experience of attending a live Senate session included the full chamber standing for a minute of silence after an honoring of the 2 officers and firefighter-paramedic who were killed in Burnsville in February during a domestic violence tragedy.
Tim Zastoupil has been a member of the Maple Grove Club for over 31 years.
Tim shared he has been in many roles over his 31 years which included: Club president, Community Service chair, International Service chair, Club Service chair, Membership chair, finding weekly speakers, (don’t remember title) Fund Raising chair, RI Foundation Fundraising chair, Secretary of the MG Rotary Foundation.
When asked to share about his Rotary journey and highlights, Tim said "This is a very difficult question because it is has been a 31-year journey with many many highlights. When I joined Rotary, we were a fairly new club with no funds to work with. It wasn’t fun saying no to so many people looking for help. A couple of highlights that stand out is being involved in helping start our annual fundraiser (silent auction) that raised $5,000 the first year which is now averaging over $90,000 per year. Also, during my presidency that we started the MG Rotary Foundation which now has assets of over $250,000."
Tim shared he joined Rotary for "Two reasons. I had recently moved to Maple Grove from Fargo, ND and I was very busy with my new job but I wanted to meet people in my community. In Fargo I had a good experience as a member of the Jaycees and later Kiwanis and I was looking to get involved in Maple Grove. Also I was asked to join Rotary by Doug Galka."
Tim Continues to be a member because "To be around positive, community and family minded individuals that want to help others. Also, for the friendships …my club members are like family to me."
Tim was asked to give advice to new Rotarians, and he replied "“It is okay to say no” You can’t do everything that members will ask you to help with. Pick the projects that mean the most to you or fit with your busy life. You need to get involved…. not just go to meeting. Also check out all the different avenues of service to see which one or ones might interest you but more importantly it gives you an idea of how a Rotary Club operates."
Next, he was asked, what advice do you have for a Rotarian who is rethinking their membership? to which he replied "Why did you join in the first place…was it to help with your business career, meet people in your community, to help others, to be part of something bigger? Find one member you can talk to or that Rotarian in your club that you wonder “why/how they are so engaged in Rotary” and talk to them about why Rotary."
The final advice Tim shared was "The best definition I heard is from our current District Governor: “ It takes several years of being in Rotary before you become a Rotarian.”
District 5950 loved hearing Tim's story and would love to hear your Rotary story. You can submit your Rotary story via the website or email to Alexa@rotary5950.org
Recordings will be active through March 30th
District 5950 hosted 2 “Mastering LinkedIn” virtual training programs on February 1 and 8. JoAnne Funch, owner of LinkedIn for Business, shared many practical tips and suggestions for creating and maintaining your personal LinkedIn profile, how to create a LinkedIn content strategy, ideas for when and what to post, and how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and referrals. The
The recordings and presentation decks can be found HERE.
Maple Grove had three Rotarians jump including their President Elect nominee, the Maple Grove Chief of Police.
Prior Lake Rotary Club (D5960) had 13 jumpers raising over $8,000!
Minnetonka Rotary Club and Edina Rotaract had a total of 17 jumpers raising over $15,000!
On March 9, 2024, Rotary District 5950’s community service Food Packing event was held at Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park. Twenty-four Rotarians representing several area clubs assisted volunteers and packed over 2,540 pounds of black beans. That’s 105 boxes of beans, with 24 bags in each box.
Volunteers scrubbed up and donned hair nets, beard nets, and gloves and each phase of the packing process was taught to all who attended. Opening pallets, weighing, measuring, sealing, counting, and boxing were all steps in the process to provide black beans to other food service organizations. It was exciting to ring the brass bell to signal an entire pallet boxed up and ready for distribution!
Second Harvest volunteers expressed amazement at how much was able to be accomplished during the shift. This facility is part of the “hunger-relief network” in Minnesota and serves 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They partner with six fellow food banks across the region, and deliver to over 1,100 food shelves and hunger relief programs.
Graphics for upcoming District Events Available for Download for use on websites, social media, meetings, and bulletins. Download Here
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