The meeting was called to order by Josh Sprague at 12:36 PM, with Johnny Sprague reading the Object of Rotary. .JPG)
We will certainly miss the Sprague kids as they return to school! Josh introduced the Edina Rotary Foundation Board using high school graduation photos next to current photos. No one has changed much at all! Today is Rotarian Ann Platt’s birthday! There was cake in the back and the birthday song was sung with gusto. Happy Birthday Ann!
We will certainly miss the Sprague kids as they return to school! Josh introduced the Edina Rotary Foundation Board using high school graduation photos next to current photos. No one has changed much at all! Today is Rotarian Ann Platt’s birthday! There was cake in the back and the birthday song was sung with gusto. Happy Birthday Ann!Josh announced August Rotary anniversaries. We have 10 Rotarians celebrating an anniversary in August, with a total of 135 Rotary years, led by the illustrious Dan Hallberg with 48 years of Rotary service.
We had a number of guests visiting our club today:
Maggie McCracken and Brenda Vang of Edina Give and GO was a guest of Afira Hassan/ Jennifer Hendrickson
Chris Rasmussen of Take Flight Media, guest of Robb Breding
Jill Meents of Bell Bank, guest of Brad Hepp
Michael Thornton of US Bank Business Banking, guest of Katy Campbell
Michelle O’Kelley of Advent Talent Group, celebrating her 14th year there and guest of Mary Younggren
Sandra Kreblan was a guest of Ann Platt
Margaret Johnson, President Elect of Edina Morningside brought Mark Irving, a retired jockey from Canterbury Park. Please join your fellow Rotarians of district 5950 and 5960 for a joint event on Friday, August 9 @ 5:30PM. The cost is only $10 and includes dinner (OK, it’s a hot dog and chips) and VIP tours of the paddocks and other areas of the club.
Stefan Smith announced that Camp E planning committee meeting is Tuesday, August 6 at Edina City Hall at 5PM. Please join us if you have time to serve on this committee. We will have over 100 volunteer opportunities to run camp. The dates of Camp E are Nov 7-9 at YMCA Camp Ihduhapi. Please mark your calendars.
Katy Campbell and Gary Pedersen announced that registration is now open for the Edina Rotary Gala on Saturday, October 5 at the Doubletree in Bloomington. Early bird registration goes through August 29, with tickets at $125 and a discounted price of $100 for Rotarians who are younger than 40! This will be the best entertainment the club has ever seen!! See you there.
Heather Edelson, Edina Rotarian and State Representative for district 49A in the House of Representatives introduced our speaker RT Rybak. RT is former mayor of Minneapolis, a published author, family man and currently serving as CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. The foundation currently has over $800 million in assets with over 1300 funds and gives away over $70 million in grants annually. RT grew up at 49th and Sheridan, the son of a single mother, and caddied at Edina Country Club. RT gave a shout out to Josh Sprague as the awesome dad we all know him to be. 10 years ago, Josh used to load up all four of his small children and take them to the Y where he would work out and they would enjoy new friends in the day care center while Kelly enjoyed a well-deserved respite from the challenges of raising 4 small children. I have seen this man in action wrangling all 4 kids with patience and humor.
RT commented that the greatest lesson he learned as mayor of Minneapolis is that you cannot accomplish anything alone, and Minneapolis is truly a model of servant leadership, led by civic organizations like Rotary. The Minneapolis Foundation actively works on connecting community needs with long term solutions, not the “spray and pray” method of granting funds. They have recently hired Chandra Smith Baker as Director of Community Impact and they have launched intense conversations around race and community impact.
RT also spoke about the talent crisis and opportunity, discussing “net” workers in the marketplace and the significant decline over the past several years. He believes there is a solution and the Minneapolis Foundation is partnering with organizations to help in the effort. RT spoke of the impacts the Minneapolis Foundation is having on the communities and how the model is a national leader. He has been tapped to travel to other cities/states to talk about the model and how it can be replicated in other communities for the greater good.
RT finished with a robust Q&A. Gary Pedersen thanked our speaker and Josh adjourned the meeting promptly at 1:30PM.
President Josh Sprague and RT Rybak, former ECC caddie, Mayor of Minneapolis and CEO of Minneapolis Foundation.
RT Rybak, Dr. Harold Hanson, Frank Cardarelle, Gordy Lewis, Lloyd Pearson
Where were you in 1973? Dan Hallberg, Rotary Club of Edina 26th President served 1980-81, Past District Governor was joining Edina Rotary.
Katy Campbell, Jennifer Hendrickson, Shelly Loberg wish you well and they'll see you next week.