On Wednesday, October 29, 2014, the West St Paul-Mendota Heights Rotary Club hosted 60 Henry Sibley High School Students at an all day leadership seminar focused on ethics. This program, conducted in part by the University of St. Thomas and local Rotary volunteers, is designed to teach targeted formal and informal student leaders about ethical behavior and raise their consciousness regarding choices they make regarding their own behavior.
The course also gives an opportunity for local business leaders to join the students at lunch for a round-table discussion about being ethical in the business world. Topics ranged from:
How to chart an ethical course in business as it relates to customers, vendors and employees
Sharing ways that set expectations of ethical behavior amongst employees
Discussing with the students how they set ethical boundaries for themselves
The students were very engaged in the discussion.
We would like to thank the sponsors for this year's event:
Special thanks to our own Colleen Watson and Tim Spitzack for assisting with teaching the course, Tony Ripley from the Eagan Rotary Club for his great mentorship, Superintendent Nancy Allen-Mastro, and of course all of the behind-the-scenes Rotarians who worked hard to make a very successful event!
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, we had a Board meeting and here's what we did:
We decided to schedule our Board meetings after our regular Rotary meetings on the last Wed. of the month for Jan. - March
Results of Moonstruck were $12,000 net
Accepted the resignation of Arnie Baker, Jr. due to health issues
Approved donation request to the Northern Star Council (Boy Scouts) for $1,000 - brought by Don McCall
Approved donation request to the Y for $2,000 - brought by Katie Lowe
Approved contributing to the ALMAS Budget in the amount of $2,500, with the contingency that ALMAS assist with selling roses in the Spring and the ALMAS students start attending our meetings on a more regular basis - brought by Rob Hanson of the ALMAS Club
Approved a mentorship program for our new members. (If you're a newer member, don't get creeped out if one of us starts stalking you.)
Heard an update on our project in Haiti from Bridget and Bob. Still working toward a global grant through RI, but the back-up plan is a district grant through our District 5960.
Reminded everyone that the District Governor is coming to our Club meeting on Nov. 19 and all Board members are expected to stay for a short meeting with her following the regular meeting.
You may recall that our Club donated to VOSH (Voluntary Optometric Services to Humanity) to assist with the costs of their mission trips. Last month, a 23-person team departed to Nepal to perform eye exams on the children of an orphanage. They will also hold a 5-day eye clinic to care for as many as 400-500 people per day for eye exams, glasses and eye drops. Follow along on their journey in their photo blog: http://voshnepal.blogspot.com.
