The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Don Smithmier as program speaker at the Thursday, July 26. Smithmier is the founder and CEO of two companies: GoKart Labs and The Big Know. He will speak about "We're All Digital Start-ups Now."Stories
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Don Smithmier as program speaker at the Thursday, July 26. Smithmier is the founder and CEO of two companies: GoKart Labs and The Big Know. He will speak about "We're All Digital Start-ups Now." |
 President John Flynn, with special guest Pam Conlow, joined with other Rotarians, family and friends at the 4th of July Parade in Edina! Despite some rain, the volunteers carried the Rotary banner and handed out treats while accompanied by a posse of superheroes running alongside the presidential vehicle. Other Rotarians also participated in the parade, including Frank Cardarelle, who was one of the Grand Marshalls! Thanks to everyone who came out to volunteer, and those that cheered them along the parade route! Click on the link below for more photos... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded up to $21,000 in grants for four pending international service projects. The projects will take place in Guatemala, Palestine and South Africa. Our International Service Committee will partner with other local and international Rotary clubs, as well as other organizations, to fund the projects. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Bill McGuire as the program speaker at the Thursday, July 19, meeting. McGuire is former chairman and CEO of UnitedHealth Group, and owns the Minnesota United FC, Minnesota's professional soccer team.Rotarian Katy Campbell will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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For more information, contact 2018-2019 Membership Director Royce Pavelka.
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Bill McGuire as the program speaker at the Thursday, July 19, meeting. McGuire is former chairman and CEO of UnitedHealth Group, and owns the Minnesota United FC, Minnesota's professional soccer team. Rotarian Katy Campbell will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. |
.JPG) The first meeting of the new Rotary year, Thursday, July 12, will feature the ambassadors of the Minneapolis Aquatennial! Our own Bill McReavy, who serves as the Aquatennial Commodore, will be one of the speakers.For more information on the speakers, click on the link below... |
 There is no Rotary Happy Hour/Vocational Development Group this month because of the 4th of July holiday.The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be Wednesday, Aug. 1. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more information... |
){kind=logo} The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded another $5,400 in grants to four local organizations.Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded more than $45,000 to 10 local organizations. With funding still available, the Foundation gave grants in May to the Edina Police Department, Fraser, Hearts & Hammers and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Click on the link below for more information... |
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The first meeting of the new Rotary year, Thursday, July 12, will feature the ambassadors of the Minneapolis Aquatennial! Our own Bill McReavy, who serves as the Aquatennial Commodore, will be one of the speakers. |
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The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded another $5,400 in grants to four local organizations. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded more than $45,000 to 10 local organizations. With funding still available, the Foundation gave grants in May to the Edina Police Department, Fraser, Hearts & Hammers and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. |
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The program speaker at the meeting will be Bill McGuire, who will speak about Minnesota United Football Club, Minnesota's professional soccer team. For more information, contact 2018-2019 Membership Director Royce Pavelka.
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 One of the Rotary Club of Edina’s signature projects for 2017–2018 has been installed near the playground at Rosland Park in Edina.The Edina Rotary Foundation donated $10,000 to the City of Edina’s Parks & Recreation Department for musical instruments at the park, 4300 W. 66th St. Musical instruments are proven to be provide multi-generational, interactive play. They are durable, sculptural, perfectly tuned and designed for all abilities. Rosland Park is home to the City’s first ADA-accessible playground and officials believe the instruments will further enhance the park and community. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina is sponsoring the City of Edina’s new Southdale-area circulator bus called CloverRide. With the goal of making the Southdale area more accessible, CloverRide is offered weekly on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Riders pay a daily fare of $3 that allows them unlimited rides throughout that day. |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Dan Stolfa as a member in September 2017. He became a Rotarian in July 2003. Dan's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Susan Stiles as a member in September 2017. She became a Rotarian in March 2001. Susan's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina held the annual Transition Meeting, the last meeting of the Rotary year, on June 28. The presidency of the club transitioned from San Asato to John Flynn. John will be president from July 2018 through June 2019. Club board directors gave brief recaps of their committees' work over the past year. Outgoing Club and Edina Rotary Foundation board members were honored, including Past President Ann Platt, who goes off the Club Board after serving five years. Click on the link below for more on the meeting... |
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Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Dan Stolfa as a member in September 2017. He became a Rotarian in July 2003. Dan's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link below to get to know Dan... |
.jpg)  The Thursday, June 28, Rotary Club of Edina meeting will be the last meeting of the Rotary year. The presidency of the club will transition from San Asato to John Flynn. Flynn will serve as Club President from July 2018 through June 2019.We'll hear from both the outgoing and incoming presidents at the meeting, as well as being introduced to the new members of the Rotary Club of Edina Board of Directors and Edina Rotary Foundation Board of Directors. We'll also acknowledge the members who are moving off the boards. There is NO ROTARY MEETING July 5, due to the 4th of July holiday. |
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Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Susan Stiles as a member in September 2017. She became a Rotarian in March 2001. Susan's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link below to get to know Susan... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Doug Drake Classification: Surgery—Orthopedic Sponsor: Dick Teegen Forest Green Classification: Mortgage—Residential Sponsor: Royce Pavelka Bridget Hallstrom Classification: Professional Development Sponsor: Greg Yoch Afira Hassan Classification: Optometry Sponsor: Greg Yoch Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
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The Thursday, June 28, Rotary Club of Edina meeting will be the last meeting of the Rotary year. The presidency of the club will transition from San Asato to John Flynn. Flynn will serve as Club President from July 2018 through June 2019. We'll hear from both the outgoing and incoming presidents at the meeting, as well as being introduced to the new members of the Rotary Club of Edina Board of Directors and Edina Rotary Foundation Board of Directors. We'll also acknowledge the members who are moving off the boards. Join us for this special meeting at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Edina Country Club. All are welcome. Cost for the lunch and program is $20 for adults and $12 for children. Cash, check and credit card payments are accepted. There is NO ROTARY MEETING July 5, due to the 4th of July holiday. |
 Despite the rain, the annual Rotary Family Picnic inside the Edina Country Club last Tuesday, June 19, went well, with a great buffet including burgers, brats and a cash bar. Children enjoyed activities and playing in the large banquet room. Several spouses and family members enjoyed getting to know each other. Entertainment was outstanding! |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina Family Picnic is tonight, this Tuesday, June 19! The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and go until 7:30 at the Edina Country Club. Note the picnic is on Tuesday, but takes the place of the regular Rotary meeting that week.The Edina Country Club will be serving burgers, brats, chicken, corn on the cobb, watermelon, potato salad, green salad, and cookies and bars. There will also be a cash bar. Valet parking will be available. Note that the ECC does NOT have a cash machine, so come prepared for the cash bar and valet tipping, if needed. Make sure to bring your kids and grandkids! There will be face painting, balloon animals, T-shirt decorating and yard games! Registration for the event is closed. Contact Royce Pavelka if you have questions. There is no regular Rotary meeting this, Thursday, June 21. Click on the link for more info... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina Family Picnic is set for this Tuesday, June 19! The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and go until 7:30 at the Edina Country Club. Note the picnic is on Tuesday, but takes the place of the regular Rotary meeting that week. The Edina Country Club will be serving burgers, brats, chicken, corn on the cobb, watermelon, potato salad, green salad, and cookies and bars. There will also be a cash bar. Valet parking will be available. Note that the ECC does NOT have a cash machine, so come prepared for the cash bar and valet tipping, if needed. Make sure to bring your kids and grandkids! There will be face painting, balloon animals, T-shirt decorating and yard games! Registration for the event is closed. Contact Royce Pavelka if you have questions. There is no regular Rotary meeting on Thursday, June 21. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Eric Curry as program speaker at the Thursday, June 14, meeting. Curry just completed his 18th season as a Division I college basketball official. He will speak about "Called for Traveling: The Life of a College Basketball Official." Rotarian Jake Johnson will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be Wednesday, Aug. 1. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Note that there will be no Rotary Happy Hour in July, due to the 4th of July holiday. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Eric Curry as program speaker at the Thursday, June 14, meeting. Curry just completed his 18th season as a Division I college basketball official. He will speak about "Called for Traveling: The Life of a College Basketball Official." |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Arlene Vernon as program speaker at the Thursday, June 7, meeting. Vernon is a human resource strategist with over 30 years of experience as a consultant and trusted resource for a diverse group of small and medium-sized organizations. In her talk, she will explore how the #metoo movement impacts us as organizational leaders and what, if anything, we’re doing about it. Do you know whether this public discussion has affected your workplace culture? What are your employees saying privately and publicly to each other and to management? Are your employees feeling more empowered or are they now more paranoid? Nothing about this issue is simple; neither is taking a leadership stance to create a positive, open, harassment-free, discrimination-free, bullying-free culture focused on achieving our organizations’ objectives. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
.jpg) The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, June 6.Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the June 6 gathering will be Margaret Johnson of Edina Morningside Rotary Club. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Note that there will be no Rotary Happy Hour in July, due to the July 4 holiday. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Arlene Vernon as program speaker at the Thursday, June 7, meeting. Vernon is a human resource strategist with over 30 years of experience as a consultant and trusted resource for a diverse group of small and medium-sized organizations. In her talk, she will explore how the #metoo movement impacts us as organizational leaders and what, if anything, we’re doing about it. Do you know whether this public discussion has affected your workplace culture? What are your employees saying privately and publicly to each other and to management? Are your employees feeling more empowered or are they now more paranoid? Nothing about this issue is simple; neither is taking a leadership stance to create a positive, open, harassment-free, discrimination-free, bullying-free culture focused on achieving our organizations’ objectives. |
.jpeg) The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Lindsey Smith as program speaker at the Thursday, May 31, meeting. Smith, a nurse practitioner, is a volunteer with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and has recently taken on the roll of President of the Minnesota Chapter. Rotarian Dan Stolfa will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
){kind=logo} The Rotary Club of Edina recently awarded scholarships to two Edina High School graduates. Aarathi Garimella and Yifei Zhang were each given $1,250 scholarships at a special breakfast at the Church of St. Patrick Friday, May 25. The presentation was made by the club’s Youth Service Director, Kip Peterson.Click on the link below for more on the scholarship winners... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina recently awarded scholarships to two Edina High School graduates. Aarathi Garimella and Yifei Zhang were each given $1,250 scholarships at a special breakfast at the Church of St. Patrick Friday, May 25. The presentation was made by the club’s Youth Service Director, Kip Peterson. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Lindsey Smith as program speaker at the Thursday, May 31, meeting. Smith, a nurse practitioner, is a volunteer with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and has recently taken on the role of President of the Minnesota Chapter. Rotarian Dan Stolfa will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina presented Lexi Reed Holtum with its 2018 Chrysanne Manoles Women In Leadership Award at its May 24 meeting. The award is given out each year to a deserving female leader in the community. The award is named after Rotary Club of Edina's first female member, Chrysanne Manoles. |
 The 2018 Chrysanne Manoles Women In Leadership Award will be presented this Thursday, May 24, at the Rotary Club of Edina meeting at the Edina Country Club. This is the ninth Women in Leadership Award given, named after Chrysanne Manoles, the first female member of our club. She is still active in Rotary today. In Manoles’ honor and to celebrate the work of women in the community, the Rotary Club of Edina established an annual women’s leadership award in 2008.The speaker will be the 2017 Women in Leadership Award winner, Lauren Morse-Wendt. For more on the award and this week's speaker, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicant below for membership: Dr. S.K. Dash Classification: Health & Wellness Sponsor: Don Hutchison Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
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The 2018 Chrysanne Manoles Women In Leadership Award will be presented this Thursday, May 24, at the Rotary Club of Edina meeting at the Edina Country Club. This is the ninth Women in Leadership Award given, named after Chrysanne Manoles, the first female member of our club. She is still active in Rotary today. In Manoles’ honor and to celebrate the work of women in the community, the Rotary Club of Edina established an annual women’s leadership award in 2008. The speaker will be the 2017 Women in Leadership Award winner, Lauren Morse-Wendt. Rotarian Susan Stiles will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. For more information about the the Women in Leadership Award, contact club Past President Jennifer Bennerotte, 612-201-3467 or jbennerotte@EdinaRotary.org. |
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—Bob Halagan, 2017–2018 District 5950 Governor Join us Monday, May 21, at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis for the 2018 District 5950 Conference—a year-end celebration of all the incredible work our District 5950 Rotarians have done this Rotary year. The event is split into three "acts," and members can sign up for all three acts, or pick and choose what works best. All Rotarians are encouraged to attend the District Conference. The club will reimburse regular members for the cost of one session (or "Act") at the conference, up to $50. Sign up today on the District website. Then send an email to Club Administrator Jennifer Garske that you are signed up. You will be credited for the reimbursement amount on your next quarterly invoice (up to $50 per member, depending on the session(s) you registered for). Please let Jen Garske or President San Asato know if you have questions. Early bird pricing ends April 1, and you won't want to miss this Rotary-tacular event! |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Jake Johnson as a member in September 2017. Jake's sponsor to the club was Ann Platt.Click on the link below to get to know Jake... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Kelly Anderson as a member in August 2017. Kelly's sponsor to the club was John Buttolph.Click on the link below to get to know Kelly... |
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Bus transportation is available for a limited number of members. A 56-passenger bus will leave from the Edina Country Club Check promptly at 11:15 a.m. The bus will return to the ECC by 2 p.m. If you prefer to drive, parking will be available on campus at the Fourth Street ramp, located along Fifth Street Southeast. You enter the ramp on the 17th Avenue side. Registration is required to attend this meeting. We are limited to a maximum of 100 people at the meeting, and 56 to ride the bus. Please indicate on the registration page if you would like to ride the bus to the meeting and/or email Marty Kupper (marty@kupper.com) to sign up to ride the bus. Registration will close at noon Monday, May 14. Cost for the meeting is the same as a regular meeting—Senior Active and Honorary members will pay $20 at the door; regular members were already billed for this meeting on their Q4 invoice. Our club holds vocational meetings annually to highlight a vocation and/or business in our community. Contact Club Service Director Marty Kupper with questions or more information about Vocational Day. |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Jake Johnson as a member in September 2017. Jake's sponsor to the club was Ann Platt.Click on the link below to get to know Jake... |
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Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Kelly Anderson as a member in August 2017. Kelly's sponsor to the club was John Buttolph. Click on the link below to get to know Kelly... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mike Wolbrink as program speaker at the Thursday, May 10, meeting. Wolbrink is President of Azule Staffing, the largest Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOSB) staffing company in Minnesota. He will speak about "Azule, Veterans and the Job Market."Rotarian Dave Phillips will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mike Wolbrink as program speaker at the Thursday, May 10, meeting. Wolbrink is President of Azule Staffing, the largest Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOSB) staffing company in Minnesota. He will speak about "Azule, Veterans and the Job Market." Rotarian Dave Phillips will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. |
 The May 3 Rotary Club of Edina meeting was an Opioid Awareness Workshop for Rotarians and members of the public. Our club—along with Rotary District 5950 and the Rotary Clubs of Bloomington, Buffalo, Eden Prairie Noon, North Minneapolis and Rogers—sponsored the workshop. The event featured speakers from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Hennepin County Sheriff's Department, Steve Rummler Hope Network, TRIA and Verde Technologies discussing all aspects of the opioid crisis. To watch a video of the workshop, go here. To read more about the event, click below... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be this Wednesday, May 2. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the May 2 gathering will be Kelley Burnett. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Bill Neuendorf as the program speaker at the Thursday, April 26, meeting. Neuendorf is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Edina. He will talk about the development in the 50th and France area of Edina. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Bill Neuendorf as the program speaker at the Thursday, April 26, meeting. Neuendorf is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Edina. He will talk about the development in the 50th and France area of Edina. |
 The Area 3 Vocational Ethics Day will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Thursday, April 19, at the Edina Country Club. The speaker at this year's event is Nancy M. Dahl. She will speak about "My Decisions Matter." She is a speaker on leadership, leading change, innovation and professional development across the nation for a wide range of business and educational audiences. Dahl released a book in 2017, "Grounded: Leading Your Life with Intention."You do not need to register for this event. All Rotarians are encouraged to attend. Note the earlier meeting start time! Held every year for all clubs in Rotary Area 3, Vocational Ethics Day is organized by Dan Hallberg, along with a committee of Rotarians from area clubs. For more information, contact Dan Hallberg at 952-541-0352. For more on this year's speaker, click on the link below... |
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The Area 3 Vocational Ethics Day is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Thursday, April 19, at the Edina Country Club. The keynote speaker at this year's event is Nancy M. Dahl, who will speak about "My Decisions Matter." She is a speaker on leadership, leading change, innovation and professional development across the nation for a wide range of business and educational audiences. She released a book in 2017, "Grounded: Leading Your Life with Intention." All Rotarians are encouraged to attend. You do not need to register for this meeting. Held every year for all clubs in Rotary Area 3, Vocational Ethics Day is organized by Dan Hallberg, along with a committee of Rotarians from area clubs. For more information, contact Dan Hallberg at 952-541-0352. |
 The 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family will be the program speakers at the Thursday, April 12, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. The St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family is part of the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation's Winter Carnival. The family represents the festival and the city of St. Paul at other festivals and community functions across North America. It is also Prospective Member Day at the April 12 meeting! Plan to bring a colleague or friend to the meeting and introduce them to Rotary! All prospective members will receive lunch on the club at the meeting. Please make sure your guest(s) check in at the check-in table as they arrive. Share the Rotary love and bring an interested guest to the meeting! Contact Membership Director Greg Yoch for more info. |
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The 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family will be the program speakers at the Thursday, April 12, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. The St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family is part of the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation's Winter Carnival. The family represents the festival and the city of St. Paul at other festivals and community functions across North America. It is also Prospective Member Day at the April 12 meeting! Plan to bring a colleague or friend to the meeting and introduce them to Rotary! All prospective members will receive lunch on the club at the meeting. Share the Rotary love and bring an interested guest to the meeting! |
.jpg) The Rotary Foundation Director David Clynes handed out Paul Harris Fellow and Paul Harris Society pins to members at the March 29 meeting. Members were honored for their donations to The Rotary Foundation. Members who were presented PHF pins were:
Members honored as PHS members were:
Thank you to all those recognized for their generosity to The Rotary Foundation. |
 The Thursday, April 5, Rotary Club of Edina meeting is a joint meeting with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. Our club will host EMRC members at our usual meeting place and time, 12:15 p.m. at the Edina Country Club.The program speaker for the April 5 meeting is Eric Perkins. Perkins is the Sports Director at KARE-11. He will speak about "At Play." Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
 The Rotary Foundation Director David Clynes handed out Paul Harris Fellow and Paul Harris Society pins to members at the March 29 meeting. Members were honored for their donations to The Rotary Foundation.Members who were presented PHF pins were:
Members honored as PHS members were:
Thank you to all those recognized for their generosity to The Rotary Foundation. |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group is today, Wednesday, April 4. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the April 4 gathering will be Mark Stageberg. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more information on the event... |
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The Thursday, April 5, Rotary Club of Edina meeting is a joint meeting with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. Our club will host EMRC members at our usual meeting place and time, 12:15 p.m. at the Edina Country Club. The program speaker for the April 5 meeting is Eric Perkins. Perkins is the Sports Director at KARE-11. He will speak about "At Play." |
 Dr. Andrew M. Baker will be the program speaker at the Thursday, March 29, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Baker is Chief Medical Examiner for Hennepin County. He will speak about "The Current and Future State of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office." For more information on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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Dr. Andrew M. Baker will be the program speaker at the Thursday, March 29, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Baker is Chief Medical Examiner for Hennepin County. He will speak about "The Current and Future State of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office." |
 The Rotary Foundation Director David Clynes handed out Paul Harris Fellow pins to members at the March 15 meeting. Members were honored for their donations to The Rotary Foundation. Helping David with the presentation was new member Toshie Metzger. Members who were presented pins were:
Thank you to all those recognized for their generosity to The Rotary Foundation. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Joe Cavanaugh as program speaker at the Thursday, March 22, meeting. Cavanaugh is a nationally known speaker with 30 years of experience working with young people and educators. He is the founder of Youth Frontiers, Inc., a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools to build positive school communities where students thrive socially, emotionally and academically. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Joe Cavanaugh as program speaker at the Thursday, March 22, meeting. Cavanaugh is a nationally known speaker with 30 years of experience working with young people and educators. He is the founder of Youth Frontiers, Inc., a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools to build positive school communities where students thrive socially, emotionally and academically. |
 Josh Sprague and his wife, Kelly Sprague, were honored as Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation at the March 1 Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Past president Scott MacDonald presented them with the award, acknowledgement of their generous donations as Paul Harris Fellows to The Rotary Foundation. Josh Sprague is Secretary for the Rotary Club of Edina, and will be President in 2019-2020. Congratulations, Josh and Kelly! |
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Edina Rotary members were encouraged to register themselves and any guests. Registration for the workshop closed April 27. If you would like to attend but did not register, please contact Josh Sprague or Jennifer Garske. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. Cost for the event is the same as a regular Rotary Club of Edina meeting: Senior Active and Honorary members pay $20 at the door, as do any guests. Regular members have already paid for the meal on their quarterly invoice. The sponsoring clubs for the event are Bloomington, Buffalo, Eden Prairie Noon, Edina, North Minneapolis and Rogers. Rotary members from clubs other than Rotary Club of Edina will sign up through their home club. They will not pay at the door, their club will be invoiced for their lunch. Other guests should have registered online on our website, and will pay at the door. All registrations are final April 27. The workshop takes the place of the regular Rotary Club of Edina meeting that day. Questions? Contact organizer Josh Sprague at josh@joshsprague.com or 612-501-0252. |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Fred Sylvester as a member in August 2017. Fred's sponsor to the club was Tim Murphy.Click on the link below to get to know Fred... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Mark Stageberg as a member in April 2017. Mark's sponsor to the club was Keith Benson.Click on the link below to get to know Mark... |
  The program speakers for the Thursday, March 15, Rotary Club of Edina meeting are Nancy Byers Killilea and Lesley A. Chester. Killilea is the founder of the non-profit Pass Your Parka, which collects donated winter gear to help those in need. Chester is Chief Advancement Officer at House of Charity.There will be a donation box at the meeting for members and guests to bring their winter gear to be donated to Pass Your Parkas. Please contact Mary Hustad for more information. For more on the speakers, click on the link below... |
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The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded another $2,800 in grants to two local organizations. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded more than $24,000 to eight local organizations. With funding still available, the Foundation gave the Muscular Dystrophy Association $800 for custom water bottles to be distributed at its summer camp for children. Better Futures of Minnesota was given $2,000 for various tools to employ men who desire to turn their lives around. Grants will be presented at upcoming meetings of the Rotary Club of Edina, which typically meets 12:15 p.m. Thursdays at the Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. Money for grants awarded by the Edina Rotary Foundation is raised at an annual fall fundraiser and gala and donations made throughout the year. |
 The City of Edina’s Parks & Recreation Department has ordered the musical instruments to be placed at Rosland Park as one of the Rotary Club of Edina’s signature projects for 2017-2018.The Edina Rotary Foundation donated $10,000 to the Parks & Recreation Department for musical instruments at the park, 4300 W. 66th St. |
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The program speakers for the Thursday, March 15, Rotary Club of Edina meeting are Nancy Byers Killilea and Lesley A. Chester. Killilea is the founder of the non-profit Pass Your Park, which collects donated winter gear to help those in need. Chester is Chief Advancement Officer at House of Charity. There will be a donation box at the meeting for members and guests to bring their winter gear to be donated to Pass Your Parkas. Please contact Mary Hustad for more information. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. AnnMarie Thomas as program speaker at the Thursday, March 8, meeting. Thomas is an associate professor in the School of Engineering and Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas. She is also the director of the Playful Learning Lab. She will speak about "Playing to Learn." For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be today, Wednesday, March. 7. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the March 7 gathering will be Kelley Burnett. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. AnnMarie Thomas as program speaker at the Thursday, March 8, meeting. Thomas is an associate professor in the School of Engineering and Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas. She is also the director of the Playful Learning Lab. She will speak about "Playing to Learn." |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mike Johnson as the program speaker at the Thursday, March 1, meeting. Johnson will speak about "Drones—What Can They Really Do?" He is the senior vice president of operations for SkySnopes. Johnson is the son of Rotarian Doug Johnson.Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Scott Blake Classification: Business Law Sponsor: Greg Yoch Katy Campbell Classification: Journalism Sponsor: Sandy Schley Kevin Koepke Classification: Debt Recovery Sponsor: Ann Platt Toshie Metzger Classification: Banking Services Sponsor: Scott MacDonald Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mike Johnson as the program speaker at the Thursday, March 1, meeting. Johnson will speak about "Drones—What Can They Really Do?" He is the senior vice president of operations for SkySnopes. Johnson is the son of Rotarian Doug Johnson. |
 Authors Chris Omodt and Patrick Matter will be program speakers at the Thursday, Feb. 22, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Omodt is a retired captain with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and also spent 11 years with the Edina Police Department. Matter is the founder and former president of the Minnesota Chapter of Hells Angels. They are authors of the book, "Breaking the Code." Click on the link below for more about the speakers... |
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Authors Chris Omodt and Patrick Matter will be program speakers at the Thursday, Feb. 22, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Omodt is a retired captain with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and also spent 11 years with the Edina Police Department. Matter is the founder and former president of the Minnesota Chapter of Hells Angels. They are authors of the book, "Breaking the Code." |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Phil Hansen as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 15, meeting. Hansen is the Regional CEO for the American Red Cross Minnesota Region. He will speak about "Down the Street. Across the Country. Around the World. The American Red Cross."Rotarian Heather Edelson will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Phil Hansen as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 15, meeting. Hansen is the Regional CEO for the American Red Cross Minnesota Region. He will speak about "Down the Street. Across the Country. Around the World. The American Red Cross." Rotarian Heather Edelson will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Steve Elkins as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 8, meeting. Elkins is a member of the Metropolitan Council. He lives in Bloomington, and represents District 5 on the Met Council, which includes the Hennepin County cities of Bloomington, Edina, Hopkins, and Richfield, and the unorganized territory of Fort Snelling.Rotarian Bonnie Rolstad will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more info... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 7. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the Feb. 7 gathering will be Ken Andersen. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. For more on the event, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Steve Elkins as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 8, meeting. Elkins is a member of the Metropolitan Council. He lives in Bloomington, and represents District 5 on the Met Council, which includes the Hennepin County cities of Bloomington, Edina, Hopkins, and Richfield, and the unorganized territory of Fort Snelling. Rotarian Bonnie Rolstad will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dale Kurschner as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 1, meeting. Kurschner is editor in chief for Twin Cities Business. He will speak about "The State We're In: Minnesota's Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities."Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dale Kurschner as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 1, meeting. Kurschner is editor in chief for Twin Cities Business. He will speak about "The State We're In: Minnesota's Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities." |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded nearly $24,000 in grants to eight local organizations.Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter, Edina Give and Go, Fishing for Life, Hearts & Hands, Inner City Christian Ministries, Oasis for Youth, Open Arms of Minnesota and Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) received grants from the Edina Rotary Foundation. Grants ranged from $1,300 to $6,000. |
 The Rotary Foundation Director David Clynes, with the help of Public Image Director Dan Hennen and President San Asato, recognized several Rotary Club of Edina members who have made donations to The Rotary Foundation and achieved Paul Harris Fellow status. The following Rotarians were honored:
Congratulations to all these Rotarians and their commitment to service, at home and around the world, through The Rotary Foundation. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Tom Anderson as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 25, meeting. Anderson is the retired general counsel for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. He retired from MAC in October 2017 after 40 years of service.New member Jennifer Hendrickson will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Tom Anderson as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 25, meeting. Anderson is the retired general counsel for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. He retired from MAC in October 2017 after 40 years of service. New member Jennifer Hendrickson will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Jack Uldrich as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 18, meeting. Uldrich is a global futurist and author. He will speak about, "Future-Proofing Minnesota." The Jan. 18 meeting is Prospective Member Day! All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague to the meeting so they can learn more about our club and Rotary. Lunch for all prospective members is on the club Jan. 18! New member Stefan Smith will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Rotarian Jennifer Shinners will give her Classification Talk as well. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Jack Uldrich as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 18, meeting. Uldrich is a global futurist and author. He will speak about, "Future-Proofing Minnesota." The Jan. 18 meeting is Prospective Member Day! All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague to the meeting so they can learn more about our club and Rotary. Lunch for all prospective members is on the club Jan. 18! New member Stefan Smith will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Rotarian Jennifer Shinners will give her Classification Talk as well. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Judy Tullius as the program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 11, meeting. Tullius is the general manager at Southdale Center in Edina. Kelley Burnett will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Judy Tullius as the program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 11, meeting. Tullius is the general manager at Southdale Center in Edina. Kelley Burnett will give her Classification Talk at the meeting. |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be today, Wednesday, Jan. 3. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. This week's Happy Hour will not have a featured speaker, but will be a social hour. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
.JPG) The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome own own Thom Winninger as the program speaker at this week's meeting, Thursday, Jan. 4. This is the first meeting of 2018. Winninger, a longtime Edina Rotarian, will speak about "Your True DNA—Finding Your Call in Your Work." Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a water and sanitation project in the Upper East Region of Ghana. As part of the project, communities in the area would be provided with 23 deep wells, three small-town water systems, 300 new microflush toilets with hand-washing sinks for homes and one toilet block for a school in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Click on the link to learn more... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome own own Thom Winninger as the program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 4 meeting. This is the first meeting of 2018. Winninger, a longtime Edina Rotarian, will speak about "Your True DNA—Finding Your Call in Your Work." There are no Rotary meetings on Thursday, Dec. 21 or Dec. 28. The next regular meeting is Jan. 4. |
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Don't miss a chance to put some change in the bucket on these dates:
Thanks to Dan and Wayne for putting this all together and offering Rotarians another way to give to those in need this holiday season. We'll see you at the bucket! Click on the link for the Rotary ringing schedule...
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If you would like to donate gifts or gift cards to the annual Rotary Holiday Giving Program, please bring the to the Holiday Party. Rick Carlson will be collecting donations for Cornerstone and 66 West at the event. This is your last chance to donate to the program this year! There is NO regular Rotary Club of Edina meetings Thursday, Dec. 21 or 28. The next regular meeting is Thursday, Jan. 4.
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The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a water and sanitation project in the Upper East Region of Ghana. As part of the project, communities in the area would be provided with 23 deep wells, three small-town water systems, 300 new microflush toilets with hand-washing sinks for homes and one toilet block for a school in the Upper East Region of Ghana. |
.jpg){kind=small} Five area high school students won scholarships during Camp Enterprise last month. Camp Enterprise, organized by the Rotary Club of Edina and Edina Morningside Rotary Club, provides high school students with a unique opportunity to learn about leadership, business and the free enterprise system. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rotary District 5950 Governor Bob Halagan as the program speaker at the Thursday, Dec. 14, meeting. This is the last regular Rotary meeting of 2017. Rotarian Heather Edelson will give her classification talk at the meeting. There are no other regular Rotary meetings in December. So no meetings Dec. 21 or 28. The annual Holiday Party is Wednesday, Dec. 20. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rotary District 5950 Governor Bob Halagan as the program speaker at the Thursday, Dec. 14, meeting. This is the last regular Rotary meeting of 2017. Rotarian Heather Edelson will give her classification talk at the meeting. There are no other regular Rotary meetings in December. So no meetings Dec. 21 or 28. The annual Holiday Party is Wednesday, Dec. 20. |
 We had some special guests at the Dec. 7 Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Moses Mwaura and his uncle and aunt, David and Subira Waithaka, visited us from Kenya to give us an update on how Moses is doing, all these years after he first visited Minnesota to have his eyes fixed and work his way into the hearts of so many Minnesotans. Rotarians Tim Murphy and Sandy Schley told us all about Moses and our club's connection to him in a program titled, "A World, a Way, the Story of Moses." There were some local media in attendance at the meeting to also check in on Moses. To read the story from the Star Tribune, click here. To watch the video of KARE 11's story on Moses, click here. To read the story from the Edina Sun-Current, click here. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will have a special program for the Thursday, Dec. 7, meeting. Rotarians Tim Murphy and Sandy Schley will present “A World, A Way; The Story of Moses.” They will tell the story of how a 3 year-old Kenyan boy's life is changed forever after meeting Past District Governor Schley in the Mathare Valley slum of Nairobi Kenya in 2007. Tim and Sandy will share what led up his trip to the United States for eye surgery and extensive dental work in 2010. Since then, the continued generosity of Rotarians in the Twin Cities is providing his education and a life outside the slums back in Kenya. Special Guests will be Moses Mwaura, his uncle David Waithaka and partner Subira. Rotarian Susan Stiles will give her classification talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more info... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group is tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 7. Note that the gathering will be held on Thursday instead of the usual Wednesday. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The speaker for the Thursday, Dec. 7, gathering will be Fred Sylvester, a longtime Rotarian but newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will have a special program for the Thursday, Dec. 7, meeting. Rotarians Tim Murphy and Sandy Schley will present “A World, A Way; The Story of Moses.” They will tell the story of how a 3 year-old Kenyan boy's life is changed forever after meeting Past District Governor Schley in the Mathare Valley slum of Nairobi Kenya in 2007. Tim and Sandy will share what led up his trip to the United States for eye surgery and extensive dental work in 2010. Since then, the continued generosity of Rotarians in the Twin Cities is providing his education and a life outside the slums back in Kenya. Special Guests will be Moses Mwaura, his uncle David Waithaka and partner Subira. Rotarian Susan Stiles will give her classification talk at the meeting. |
 The annual Thanksgiving Baskets celebration was held on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 22, when Rotarians, friends and family from both the Rotary Club of Edina and Edina Morningside Rotary Club gathered at Edina Country Club. Noticeably absent was Henrietta the Turkey… There were 165 Rotarians and guests at the event—113 from our club, 47 from EMRC and 5 Interact students. This was a record-setting crowd, according to Thanksgiving Baskets organizer Michael Stanzak. The clubs assembled and delivered 80 baskets to those in need in the community. For more on the event, click on this link to view a City of Edina video. |
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Edina Morningside Rotary Club will host our club for the annual fall joint meeting this Tuesday, Nov. 28. EMRC meets from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Edina Country Club. A breakfast buffet will be served. The program at the joint meeting will be a panel discussion on the Opioid Epidemic. Participating will be Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek; Lexi Reed Holtum, executive director of the Steve Rummler Hope Network; and Rob Reynolds, Director of Advocacy for Verde Technologies, which helps organizations implement Deterra into their operations. Reynolds was also Eden Prairie Police Chief for nine years.
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Jennifer Hendrickson Classification: Non-Profit Fundraising Sponsor: Rick Carlson Stefan Smith Classification: Financial Advisory Sponsor: Thom Winninger Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
 The annual Thanksgiving Baskets Assembly is tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the Edina Country Club. Our club will partner with Edina Morningside Rotary Club again this year to assemble and deliver baskets to those in need. We will gather at 11:45 a.m. for lunch, and then will begin assembling the Thanksgiving baskets for area families in need after that. Volunteers are needed for the basket assembly, as well as deliveries after the event. Bring friends and family to join in lunch, assembly of baskets and delivery. Registration has closed for the event. Cost for lunch is $20 for Senior Active, Honorary and adult guests. Children cost $12. Contact Michael Stanzak or Mary Hustad with info about who you would like to be paired up with for deliveries or for more information about the event, or if you did not register and would like to attend. Baskets are delivered to families in Edina, and north and south Minneapolis. There is NO Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 23, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. |
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The annual Thanksgiving Baskets Assembly will be this Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the Edina Country Club. Our club will partner with Edina Morningside Rotary Club again this year to assemble and deliver baskets to those in need. We will gather at 11:45 a.m. for lunch, and then will begin assembling the Thanksgiving baskets for area families in need after that. Volunteers are needed for the basket assembly, as well as deliveries after the event. Bring friends and family to join in lunch, assembly of baskets and delivery. Registration has closed for the event. Cost for lunch is $20 for Senior Active, Honorary and adult guests. Children cost $12. Contact Michael Stanzak or Mary Hustad with info about who you would like to be paired up with for deliveries or for more information about the event, or if you did not register and would like to attend. Baskets are delivered to families in Edina, and north and south Minneapolis. There is NO Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 23, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Ravi Norman as the program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 16, meeting. Norman is the CEO of THOR Companies. He will speak about "Build/Transform/Sustain."Rotarian Mark Stageberg will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Ravi Norman as the program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 16, meeting. Norman is the CEO of THOR Companies. He will speak about "Build/Transform/Sustain." Rotarian Mark Stageberg will give his Classification Talk at the meeting. |
.jpg) Nov. 11, 1918—The "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918 marked the cessation of hostilities in World War I—the war to end all wars. A year later in 1919, the first anniversary of Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace as Remembrance Day or Poppy Day, a day to remember the members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty in all wars. At the end of the Korean War, the United States began referring to this day as Veterans Day. On this day, members and guests of the southwest metro Rotary clubs (Bloomington Noon, Eden Prairie AM, Eden Prairie Noon, Edina Morningside, Edina, Richfield and South Metro Minneapolis Evening) gathered for the Area 3 Rotary Veterans Day Luncheon as military anthems were played in the background by the Rotary Brass Quintet, led by Mary Bindle of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. To watch video of the Veterans Luncheon, go here. |
.jpg) Camp Enterprise, a business camp for high school students, kicked off Nov. 2 and concluded Nov. 4. This was the 38th annual Camp Enterprise. According to initial feedback from students, it was very successful. Sponsored by the Rotary Clubs in Districts 5950 and 5960, which covers the entire Twin Cities area, Camp Enterprise is an extensive three-day camp offering students the opportunity to participate in leadership activities focusing on the free enterprise system. |
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The annual Area 3 Rotary Veterans Luncheon is set for tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 9, at Bearpath Golf and Country Club, 18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie, MN 55347. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. with live music, with the luncheon beginning at 11:15 and concluding at 1:15 p.m. The registration deadline for the event has passed. If you did not sign up, contact President-Elect John Flynn. The featured speaker at the event is Major Gen. Robert Shadley of the U.S. Army. Former Edina Rotarian retired Gen. Denny Schulstad, U.S. Air Force, will emcee the event. Each Rotarian could invite up to two veterans as guests of our club, and Senior Active and Honorary Rotarians who are veterans may attend free of charge. Cost for guests that are not veterans will be $25. Senior Active or Honorary members who are not veterans will be charged the usual $20. There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Edina Country Club. All members are encouraged to attend the Veterans Luncheon. Click on the link below for more information... |
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The annual Area 3 Rotary Veterans Luncheon is set for Thursday, Nov. 9, at Bearpath Golf and Country Club, 18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie, MN 55347. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. with live music, with the luncheon beginning at 11:15 and concluding at 1:15 p.m. The registration deadline for the event has passed. If you did not sign up, contact President-Elect John Flynn. The featured speaker at the event is Major Gen. Robert Shadley of the U.S. Army. Former Edina Rotarian retired Gen. Denny Schulstad, U.S. Air Force, will emcee the event. Each Rotarian could invite up to two veterans as guests of our club, and Senior Active and Honorary Rotarians who are veterans may attend free of charge. Cost for guests that are not veterans will be $25. Senior Active or Honorary members who are not veterans will be charged the usual $20. There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Edina Country Club. All members are encouraged to attend the Veterans Luncheon. |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded a grant to The Salvation Army to be used for hurricane recovery efforts.The Foundation in late October awarded a grant of $3,250 to the Salvation Army. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate, The Salvation Army responded with one of the largest disaster relief operations in its history. The grant was initiated by the Rotary Club of Edina’s Community Service–Local Funding Committee. Click on the link below for more on the grant... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dan Pollock as program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 2, meeting. Pollock is the Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. He will speak about "What Creates Better Health? A Story in Three Chapters." Scott Hawkins will give his classification talk at the meeting. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
  More than 20 Edina Rotarians volunteered at Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen Saturday, Oct. 28. According to Joe Arends, Community Service—Local Projects Director, the volunteers packed 138 boxes which contained 29,808 meals! This would feed 82 kids for one year. The total cost would be $6,558 at 22 cents a meal. Thanks to all the Rotarians, family and friends who came through to help us with the annual event!  |
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The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded a grant to The Salvation Army to be used for hurricane recovery efforts. The Foundation in late October awarded a grant of $3,250 to the Salvation Army. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate, The Salvation Army responded with one of the largest disaster relief operations in its history. The grant was initiated by the Rotary Club of Edina’s Community Service–Local Funding Committee. The committee is currently accepting grants for other projects in Edina and the communities that border it. Applications are due Oct. 31. Grant applications are available online at www.EdinaRotary.org or by contacting Directors Brandon Azbill, brandon@davidazbillgroup.com, or Paul Peterson, paul@paulpeterson.com. Completed applications should be emailed to Azbill or Peterson or sent to Edina Rotary Foundation, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dan Pollock as program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 2, meeting. Pollock is the Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. He will speak about "What Creates Better Health? A Story in Three Chapters." Scott Hawkins will give his classification talk at the meeting. |
 The Edina City Council has declared Oct. 24 “World Polio Day,” encouraging residents to join Rotary International in the fight for a polio-free world.In 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus and spearheaded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which today includes the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to immunize the children of the world against polio. There will be a live stream hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on World Polio Day, Tuesday, Oct. 24. Click on the link below to read more about the event. |
.jpg){kind=logo} Rotary International encourages regular “assemblies” to train, exchange ideas and celebrate accomplishments. Clubs are encouraged to have at least two per year to inform and excite Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Edina will hold one at its meeting Thursday, Oct. 26.Led by Past President Jennifer Bennerotte, the fall Club Assembly will focus on committees, Rotary International’s new requirement for reporting service hours, the club’s grant-making process and 2017–2018 signature projects, and more. Bring your smartphone or tablet to this special meeting for an online game we will play during the meeting. Learn more about the club and its projects and processes, share ideas and win a prize! |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Katie Clark Sieben as program speaker this Thursday, Oct. 19. Clark Sieben is an economic development consultant with the City of Edina. She will speak about "The Grandview Green Project." This week is also Prospective Member Day! All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is intersted in learning more about our club and Rotary. All prospective members get lunch on the club at this week's meeting! Contact Membership Director Greg Yoch with questions. Returning member Dick Teegen and new member Rich Kleber will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Katie Clark Sieben as program speaker this Thursday, Oct. 19. Clark Sieben is an economic development consultant with the City of Edina. She will speak about "The Grandview Green Project." This week is also Prospective Member Day! All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is intersted in learning more about our club and Rotary. All prospective members get lunch on the club at this week's meeting! Contact Membership Director Greg Yoch with questions. Returning member Dick Teegen and new member Rich Kleber will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina celebrated the club's 60th Anniversary at their meeting Oct. 5. The Diamond Jubilee was marked with a special meeting featuring a video honoring all the past presidents of the club, special recognition of the longest serving members and the membership pillars, a program on the history of the club by Edina Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Adam and congratulatory remarks from Irene Kelly, the District 5950 Governor-Elect. For a recap of the celebration, click on the link. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Tina Rexing as program speaker at the Thursday, Oct. 12, meeting. Rexing is founder of the T-Rex Cooking Company. She'll speak about entrepreneurship in a talk titled "#Size Matters: Telling Your Story, Selling Your Story." Wooj Byun, a past president of our club, will give a Six-Carat Talk at the meeting, in honor of our Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary year. For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
.jpg) At its 60th anniversary celebration Oct. 5, the Rotary Club of Edina recognized its longest-serving members, Don Erickson and Frank Cardarelle.The Rotary Club of Edina was formed in August of 1957, and its Charter Night held Oct. 7 of that year. Erickson and Cardarelle were both part of that milestone, with Erickson joining on Aug. 26, 1957, and Cardarelle joining on Aug. 27, 1957. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Tina Rexing as program speaker at the Thursday, Oct. 12, meeting. Rexing is founder of the T-Rex Cookie Company. She'll speak about entrepreneurship in a talk titled "#Size Matters: Telling Your Story, Selling Your Story." Wooj Byun, a past president of our club, will give a Six-Carat Talk at the meeting, in honor of our Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary year. |
.jpg) Tomorrow we will celebrate the Rotary Club of Edina's 60th anniversary! At the meeting celebrating 60 years of Service Above Self (1957–2017) Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Edina Country Club, our Charter Members and Past Presidents will be recognized and Edina Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Adam will give a presentation on the Club's history. We asked all members and guests to register if they planned to attend the celebration. Registration has now closed. Please contact Marty Kupper or Jennifer Garske with questions. For more information, contact Jennifer Bennerotte. Click on the link below for more on the celebration... |
 WHAT: Pints for PeopleWHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 5 WHERE: Edina Country Club WHO: All Rotarians and any guests are welcome INFO: Edina Morningside and South Metro Minneapolis Evenings Rotary clubs are holding their fifth annual Oktoberfest Fundraiser! This charity beer tasting event raises funds for the EMRC and SMME Rotary foundations and will go toward worthwhile projects around the globe and in our backyard. COST: $40 in advance online/$45 at the door. Fee includes local craft beer sampling, appetizers and a souvenir Rotary tasting glass. REGISTER: Go to the EMRC website |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be Wednesday, Nov. 1. There is no happy hour tonight. Most months Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The speaker for the Wednesday, Nov. 1, gathering will be John Paster from Edina Morningside Rotary Club. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. There is no Rotary Happy Hour in October. Please click on the link below for more on the event... |
.png) The Rotary Clubs of Edina and Edina Morningside are hosting three Youth Exchange students this school year. All are attending Edina High School. Susmita Gautam, Seo-jun "Sam" Lee and Francisco "Paco" Tebar-Gomez are the students visiting Edina this school year.The local Rotary clubs also helped place four Edina teens in other countries as part of the Youth Exchange program. For more on the students and the Rotary Youth Exchange program, click on the link below. |
 From Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala "Diamond Jubilee" Co-Chairs Don Hutchison and Lisa Walker: As we await final results regarding the numbers from our Sept. 23 Fundraiser & Gala, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation to all of the volunteers from our club who made last Saturday evening at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel a wonderful, enjoyable and inspiring experience! Click on the link for more from the co-chairs...  |
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Join us in celebrating the Rotary Club of Edina's 60th anniversary! We will celebrate 60 years of Service Above Self (1957–2017) Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Edina Country Club. Our Charter Members and Past Presidents will be recognized and Edina Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Adam will give a presentation on the Club's history. We are asking all members and guests to register so we can plan for the event. Please go here to register. This Friday, Sept. 29, is the last day to register to attend. For more information, contact Jennifer Bennerotte. For more on the celebration, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Rich Kleber Classification: Financial Advisory Sponsor: David Clynes Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
.jpg) The Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala is just around the corner (Saturday night, Sept. 23, at The Sheraton Bloomington Hotel), and for those of you attending we have a great Live and Silent Auction line up for you!Go here for all the Live Auction items up for bid! Go here for the full list of Silent Auction items! Make your bidding plan and we'll see you Saturday evening for the premiere event of the Rotary year! |
.jpg) Celebrating the 60th anniversary of service to the community, the Edina Rotary Foundation will host its annual fundraiser and gala this Saturday, Sept. 23. This year's fundraising event, dubbed “Diamond Jubilee,” will be held 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, 5601 W. 78th St. The event will feature silent and live auctions, raffle, dinner and entertainment by “Deuces Wild!” dueling pianos.All proceeds from the event will be used for local and international service projects of the Rotary Club of Edina. The ticket purchasing deadline has passed. If you have questions on your tickets or registration, contact Jennifer Bennerotte or Jennifer Garske. |
  Tim Mulcrone and our own Tom McNellis will be the program speakers at the this week's Rotary Club of Edina meeting, Thursday, Sept. 28. They will speak about The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus program. Mulcrone is the Rotary District 5950 Polio Chair, a post he has held for six years. He is a member of the Chanhassen Rotary Club. McNellis is a longtime Rotary Club of Edina member and a Major Donor to TRF.New members Jake Johnson and Dave Phillips will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Click on the link for more about the speakers... |
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There will be no Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, due to the Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala Saturday, Sept. 23. The next regular meeting will be Sept. 28. |
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Tim Mulcrone and our own Tom McNellis will be the program speakers at the Thursday, Sept. 28, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. They will speak about The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus program. Mulcrone is the Rotary District 5950 Polio Chair, a post he has held for six years. He is a member of the Chanhassen Rotary Club. McNellis is a longtime Rotary Club of Edina member and a Major Donor to TRF. New members Jake Johnson and Dave Phillips will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
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There will be no Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, due to the Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala Saturday, Sept. 23. The next regular meeting will be Sept. 28. |
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Celebrating the 60th anniversary of service to the community, the Edina Rotary Foundation will host its annual fundraiser and gala Saturday, Sept. 23. This year's fundraising event, dubbed “Diamond Jubilee,” will be held 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, 5601 W. 78th St. The event will feature silent and live auctions, raffle, dinner and entertainment by “Deuces Wild!” dueling pianos. All proceeds from the event will be used for local and international service projects of the Rotary Club of Edina. The ticket purchasing deadline has passed. If you have questions on your tickets or registration, contact Jennifer Bennerotte or Jennifer Garske. |
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All Edina Rotarians are invited to Rotary After Hours this Friday, Sept. 15! Family members, other Rotarians, prospective Rotarians and friends are welcome! Rotary After Hours is a happy hour held the third Friday of the month from 4 to 6 p.m. This casual gathering is open to any Edina Rotarian—brand-new to long-time members! The club will have tables reserved at Pinstripes in Edina, but all food and drinks will be the responsibility of members and guests who attend. Dan Hennen will be hosting this event. Contact Royce Pavelka for more information. Let's get social, club members! |
 John Schultz, Superintendent of Edina Public Schools, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, Sept. 14, meeting of the Rotary Club of Edina. He will speak about "My Warm Welcome to Edina." There will be no regular Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, due to the Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala "Diamond Jubilee" Saturday, Sept. 23. For more on the speaker, click on the link below. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Dick Teegen Classification: Sales Sponsor: Tim Murphy Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org. |
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John Schultz, Superintendent of Edina Public Schools, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, Sept. 14, meeting of the Rotary Club of Edina. He will speak about "My Warm Welcome to Edina." There will be no regular Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, Sept. 21, due to the Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala "Diamond Jubilee" Saturday, Sept. 23. Make sure you register and purchase your tickets by Thursday, Sept. 14! |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Theresa Bea Halverson as a member in March 2017. Theresa's sponsor to the club was Sutton McGraw. Click on the link to read more about Theresa... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Ian Colville as a member in May 2016. Ian's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link for more about Ian... |
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Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Theresa Bea Halverson as a member in March 2017. Theresa's sponsor to the club was Sutton McGraw. Click on the link below to get to know Theresa... |
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Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Ian Colville as a member in May 2016. Ian's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link below to get to know Ian... |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 6. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The speaker for the Wednesday, Sept. 6, gathering will be Skip Thomas. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a project of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis to build female pit latrines and washing facilities at a school in South Sudan and distribute sanitary pad kits and teach a feminine hygiene course to female students there.The Rotary Club of Edina will contribute $2,000 toward the construction and education project, which is estimated to cost $15,000. The project is scheduled to begin in October and be complete by June 1, 2018. For more on the project, click on the link below... |
 Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Frank Vascellaro as program speaker at the Thursday, Sept. 7, meeting. Vascellaro is a television news anchor at WCCO in the Twin Cities. He will speak about "Q & A in Interesting Times." Longtime member Frank Cardarelle will give a Six-Carat Diamond Talk at the meeting. For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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Join us in celebrating the Rotary Club of Edina's 60th anniversary! We will celebrate 60 years of Service Above Self (1957–2017) this Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Edina Country Club. Our longest-serving members and Past Presidents will be recognized and Edina Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Adam will give a presentation on the Club's history. We asked all members and guests to register if they planned to attend the celebration. Registration has now closed. Please contact Marty Kupper or Jennifer Garske with questions. For more information, contact Jennifer Bennerotte. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a project of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis to build female pit latrines and washing facilities at a school in South Sudan and distribute sanitary pad kits and teach a feminine hygiene course to female students there. The Rotary Club of Edina will contribute $2,000 toward the construction and education project, which is estimated to cost $15,000. The project is scheduled to begin in October and be complete by June 1, 2018. |
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Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Frank Vascellaro as program speaker at the Thursday, Sept. 7, meeting. Vascellaro is a television news anchor at WCCO in the Twin Cities. He will speak about "Q & A in Interesting Times." Longtime member Frank Cardarelle will give a Six-Carat Diamond Talk at the meeting. |
 Barry Rassin of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018–2019. He will be declared the president-elect on Sept. 1, 2017 if no challenging candidates have been suggested.As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach. “Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.” |
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The Rotary Club of Edina is collecting sewing and knitting supplies to create a sewing center in Uganda near one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Donations can be dropped off at the Edina Chamber of Commerce, 3300 Edinborough Way, or at the club’s weekly 12:15 p.m. Thursday meeting at the Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. The project is being spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Maple Grove. Rotarians are collecting sewing machines, fabric, thread, needles, scissors, buttons, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and other sewing, knitting and crocheting supplies. Click on the link below for more information... |
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Thank you all so much for the beautiful flowers, they are making my recovery much brighter. I also want to thank everyone for their cards and thoughts of kindness. Love, Debbie Kupper For more letters, click on the link below... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Edina Rotary Foundation is accepting applications from non-profit organizations in Edina and its contiguous communities for grants to be used for capital purchases. Applications are due Oct. 31. Grant applications are available online at www.EdinaRotary.org or by contacting Directors Brandon Azbill, brandon@davidazbillgroup.com, or Paul Peterson, paul@paulpeterson.com. Completed applications should be emailed to Azbill or Peterson or sent to Edina Rotary Foundation, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. Click on the link below for more information... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina is collecting sewing and knitting supplies to create a sewing center in Uganda near one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Donations can be dropped off at the Edina Chamber of Commerce, 3300 Edinborough Way, or at the club’s weekly 12:15 p.m. Thursday meeting at the Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. The project is being spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Maple Grove. Rotarians are collecting sewing machines, fabric, thread, needles, scissors, buttons, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and other sewing, knitting and crocheting supplies. |
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The Edina Rotary Foundation is accepting applications from non-profit organizations in Edina and its contiguous communities for grants to be used for capital purchases. Applications are due Oct. 31. Grant applications are available online at www.EdinaRotary.org or by contacting Directors Brandon Azbill, brandon@davidazbillgroup.com, or Paul Peterson, paul@paulpeterson.com. Completed applications should be emailed to Azbill or Peterson or sent to Edina Rotary Foundation, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Chris O'Brien as program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 31, meeting. O'Brien is the Chief Commercial Officer for C.H. Robinson. He will speak about "Getting it There: The Supply Chain and Transportation Industry and the Minneapolis Company That Has Been Empowering It For 112 Years."Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Chris O'Brien as program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 31, meeting. O'Brien is the Chief Commercial Officer for C.H. Robinson. He will speak about "Getting it There: The Supply Chain and Transportation Industry and the Minneapolis Company That Has Been Empowering It For 112 Years." |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Jake Johnson Classification: Banking Sponsor: Ann Platt Dave Phillips Classification: Law Sponsor: Sandy Schley Susan Stiles Classification: Financial Services Sponsor: Josh Sprague Dan Stolfa Classification: Financial Services Sponsor: Josh Sprague Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Laura Kelly as program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 24, meeting. Kelly is CEO and Managing Partner of Keyot, a regional consulting firm focused on creating relationships between workforce and client organizations where every consultant can be an “A” player. She will speak about "Integrating Millennials into Corporate America."New member Bonnie Rolstad will be officially inducted into the club on Thursday. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Laura Kelly as program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 24, meeting. Kelly is CEO and Managing Partner of Keyot, a regional consulting firm focused on creating relationships between workforce and client organizations where every consultant can be an “A” player. She will speak about "Integrating Millennials into Corporate America." New member Bonnie Rolstad will be officially inducted into the club on Thursday. |
.jpg) Satoru “San” Asato was recently inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Edina.Rotary International begins its fiscal year July 1. At a year-end meeting June 29, the Rotary Club of Edina’s officers and committee leaders were introduced. Officers include Asato; President-Elect John Flynn, Treasurer Josh Sprague, Secretary Sam Thompson and Past-President Ann Platt. Rotary Club of Edina and Edina Rotary Foundation were also introduced. |
.JPG) Recent Edina High School graduate Nate Zachman was recently presented a $1,000 scholarship from the Rotary Clubs of Edina and Edina Morningside. The clubsannually present a scholarship to a student who had participated and excelled in the Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Edina (STRIVE) program at the high school. |
.png) The Youth Exchange Committee are excited to welcome three Youth Exchange students to Edina this month! Sam from South Korea has already arrived, and Susmita from Nepal and Paco from Spain will be here soon. We are still looking for a fall host family , so if you are interested and able, please contact Heather Hansen at 612-366-0051. |
 The Aug. 17 meeting was a very special meeting with Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, as our speaker. Many guests from Area 3 Rotary clubs were in attendance, with more than 230 people present to hear Mr. Kashkari, including District Governor Elect Irene Kelly, District Governor Nominee Russ Michaletz, Edina Mayor Jim Hovland and State Rep. Laurie Pryor from District 48A. Click on the link below to read more about the meeting... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Rotary Club of Edina met Wednesday, Aug. 16, for the second meeting of the new Rotary year. Read on for a recap of the meeting. Membership of the Rotary Club of Edina continues to grow. The Board of Directors at its Aug. 16 meeting approved postings for four prospective members. Jake Johnson, sponsored by Ann Platt, would have a classification of “Banking.” Dave Phillips, sponsored by Sandy Schley, would have a classification of “Law.” Susan Stiles and Dan Stolfa, sponsored by Josh Sprague, would share a membership and the classification of “Financial Services.” Click on the link below to read more about the meeting... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Luke Shimp as program speaker at this week's meeting, Thursday, Aug. 10. Shimp is president and owner of Red Cow, which operates four Red Cow "21st Century Taverns" in the Twin Cities, and Red Rabbit restaurant in the North Loop of Minneapolis. The program topic will be "A Conversation about Growth with Luke Shimp." For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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Photographer Polly Norman will take portraits of Rotarians before the club's meeting this week, Aug. 10. Photos will be used in the Club Directory and in President San Asato's weekly meeting presentation. Please arrive between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., prepared to have your photo taken. If you would prefer to submit a photo, please send it to Past President Jennifer Bennerotte as soon as possible. Photos should be in color, high-resolution and taken in the past three years. Professional portraits are preferred. For more information, contact Bennerotte, jbennerotte@EdinaRotary.org. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Luke Shimp as program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 10, meeting. Shimp is president and owner of Red Cow, which operates four Red Cow "21st Century Taverns" in the Twin Cities, and Red Rabbit restaurant in the North Loop of Minneapolis. The program topic will be "A Conversation about Growth with Luke Shimp." |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mark Coyle as the program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 3, meeting. Coyle is the Director of Athletics at the University of Minnesota. He will give a "Gopher Sports Update." Our "Six-Carat Diamond Talks" will continue this week with Bill Clynes speaking at the meeting. For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Mark Coyle as the program speaker at the Thursday, Aug. 3, meeting. Coyle is the Director of Athletics at the University of Minnesota. He will give a "Gopher Sports Update." Our "Six-Carat Diamond Talks" will continue this week with Bill Clynes speaking at the meeting. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Kelly Anderson Classification: HR Outsourcing Sponsor: John Buttolph Bonnie Rolstad Classification: Online Nursing Education Sponsor: Greg Yoch Fred Sylvester Classification: Commercial Banking Sponsor: Tim Murphy Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
 Clyde Doepner, the curator for the Minnesota Twins, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, July 27, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Doepner will speak about "How Do I Know a Twins Jersey Is Real?" Doepner has been with the Twins since 2009.For more on the meeting, click on the link below... |
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Photographer Polly Norman will take portraits of Rotarians before the club's Aug. 10 meeting. Photos will be used in the Club Directory and in President San Asato's weekly meeting presentation. Please arrive between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., prepared to have your photo taken. If you would prefer to submit a photo, please send it to Past President Jennifer Bennerotte as soon as possible. Photos should be in color, high-resolution and taken in the past three years. Professional portraits are preferred. For more information, contact Bennerotte, jbennerotte@EdinaRotary.org. |
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Clyde Doepner, the curator for the Minnesota Twins, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, July 27, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Doepner will speak about "How Do I Know a Twins Jersey Is Real?" Doepner has been with the Twins since 2009. |
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Members of other Rotary clubs are asked to register with their club presidents. If you would like to attend as a guest or have other questions on registration, contact Marty Kupper. Thank you! |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina will receive an update on the International Service project in Guatemala at the Thursday, June 20, meeting. Rotarian Gary Pedersen spearheaded our club's water sanitation project in Guatemala, which has achieved a Rotary International Global Grant and involved donations from many area Rotary clubs. Gary and the International Service Committee has been working on the project for three years..jpg) Also speaking at the meeting are representatives of .jpg) OneVillage Partners—founder Jeff Hall and executive Director Jill LaLonde. They will speak about "Rotary Partnership with OneVillage Partners in Sierra Leone," and give members info about another upcoming International Service project with our club.For more on the meeting, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will receive an update on the International Service project in Guatemala at the Thursday, June 20, meeting. Rotarian Gary Pedersen spearheaded our club's water sanitation project in Guatemala, which has achieved a Rotary International Global Grant and involved donations from many area Rotary clubs. Gary and the International Service Committee has been working on the project for three years.Also speaking at the meeting are representatives of OneVillage Partners—founder Jeff Hall and executive Director Jill LaLonde. They will speak about "Rotary Partnership with OneVillage Partners in Sierra Leone," and give members info about another International Service project. |
 President San Asato and his wife, Sheila Asato, rode in Dave Hatzung's convertible in the Fourth of July parade in Edina. Joining San and Sheila were Rotarians carrying the "Rotarians are Every Day Super Heroes" banner and handing out pencils and candy, while accompanied by costumed super heroes! Thanks to Dan Hennen, Josh Sprague and family and Greg Yoch for handling parade duties, along with San and Dave! Other Rotarians also took part in the parade, such as Tim Murphy and Grandview Tire & Auto and Ann and Jim Platt and Pets Are Inn, and many others.    |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Nancy Cummings as program speaker at the first meeting of the new Rotary year, Thursday, July 13. Cummings is an assistant professor of orthopedics at Mayo Clinic and is the head orthopedic team physician for the Minnesota Lynx. She will speak about "Youth Sports Injuries—Single vs. Multi-Sport Athletes."For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Nancy Cummings as program speaker at the first meeting of the new Rotary year, Thursday, July 13. Cummings is an assistant professor of orthopedics at Mayo Clinic and is the head orthopedic team physician for the Minnesota Lynx. She will speak about "Youth Sports Injuries—Single vs. Multi-Sport Athletes." This will be the first meeting of new President San Asato's Rotary year, July 2017 through June 2018. |
.jpg) There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting this Thursday, July 6, due to the Fourth of July holiday. There will also be no newsletter this week. The Barker will be sent out next week with a recap of the June 29 transition meeting and news from the new Rotary year.There is also no July Vocational Development Group/Rotary Happy Hour. The next gathering will be Aug. 2 with Skip Thomas as speaker. So no Rotary Happy Hour July 5. The next meeting will be Thursday, July 13. |
 .jpg) The final meeting of the Rotary year will be this Thursday, June 29. This is the transition meeting, where the presidency of the Rotary Club of Edina will transfer from Ann Platt to San Asato. Outgoing club and foundation board members will be honored for their service, and incoming board members will be welcomed. Don't miss the chance to congratulate Ann on a successful Rotary year, and wish San luck in the year ahead.There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, July 6, due to the Fourth of July holiday. The first meeting of the new Rotary year will be July 13. Click on the link below for more on the meeting... |
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The final meeting of the Rotary year will be this Thursday, June 29. This is the transition meeting, where the presidency of the Rotary Club of Edina will transfer from Ann Platt to San Asato. Outgoing club and foundation board members will be honored for their service, and incoming board members will be welcomed. Don't miss the chance to congratulate Ann on a successful Rotary year, and wish San luck in the year ahead. There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting Thursday, July 6, due to the Fourth of July holiday. The first meeting of the new Rotary year will be July 13. |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Brandon Azbill as a member in July 2016. Brandon's sponsor to the club was Wooj Byun.Click on the link below to get to know Brandon... |
 Last week Tim and Cindy Murphy, San Asato, David Clynes, Jim Platt and I attended the 112th Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. It was quite an experience and once again Rotary highlighted the great works that we as an organization accomplish in "Doing Good in the World."A true highlight was having Bill Gates as a keynote speaker. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given over $500 million for the eradication of polio. Mr. Gates said the real difficulty has been finding the kids and now with Google maps it is much easier to find these remote villages and then to establish trust. Over 430,000,000 kids are given the polio drops each year, but we still have work to be done to eliminate the disabling and sometimes deadly disease in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. You can listen to a snippet of Gate’s address here. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Richard Pitino as program speaker at the Thursday, June 22, meeting. Pitino is the head coach of the University of Minnesota men's basketball team. He was the 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year.Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Richard Pitino as program speaker at the Thursday, June 22, meeting. Pitino is the head coach of the University of Minnesota men's basketball team. He was the 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year. |
.jpg) Bring your kids and grandkids for the Rotary Club of Edina's annual family picnic in the pavilion at Three Rivers Park District's Bryant Lake Park! The picnic will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 15.There will be NO REGULAR MEETING on June 15 because of the picnic that evening. Sit back and relax while talking with other Rotarians and their families or take part in yard games and other mixers. Children's activities will also be scheduled for this special event. The picnic will be catered by Famous Dave's. A cash bar will be available. There is no additional charge for regular members. Cost is $20 for senior active and honorary members and adult guests. There will be a charge of $12 per child over 5. There is no charge for children under 5. At the time of registration, please be sure to indicate if any of your guests are children. Please register by Friday, June 9, for the picnic so we can plan for the event. At that time, all reservations will be firm and no-shows will be billed. The picnic will be held rain or shine. Contact Past President Jennifer Bennerotte for more information. |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina presented Lauren Morse-Wendt with its 2017 Chrysanne Manoles Women In Leadership Award at its May 25 meeting. Morse-Wendt was selected for the 2017 honor for playing a key role in transforming Edina’s role in providing housing for homeless young adults.Chrysanne Manoles joined the Rotary Club of Edina in 1988. She was the club's first female member, and joined our club a year before Rotary International allowed female members. In Manoles’ honor and to celebrate the work of women in the community, the Rotary Club of Edina established an annual women’s leadership award in 2008. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Jerry Rubino as program speaker at the Thursday, June 8, meeting. Rubino is a musician, conductor and educator in the Twin Cities and beyond who has worked with the MacPhail Center for Music and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale, and many more universities, schools and musical groups. He works every year with Doc Severinsen (shown on the left with Rubino) for the Jingle Bell Doc performance with the Minnesota Orchestra. He is the artistic director of Jerry Rubino Plus and serves as the minister of music at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church in Golden Valley.Kelley Burnett will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Click on the link for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Jerry Rubino as program speaker at the Thursday, June 8, meeting. Rubino is a musician, conductor and educator in the Twin Cities and beyond who has worked with the MacPhail Center for Music and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale, and many more universities, schools and musical groups. He works every year with Doc Severinsen (shown on the left with Rubino) for the Jingle Bell Doc performance with the Minnesota Orchestra. He is the artistic director of Jerry Rubino Plus and serves as the minister of music at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church in Golden Valley. Kelley Burnett will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
 Rotarians and guests held a Make-A-Meal event at Cornerstone Tuesday, May 30. At this Community Service Committee project, volunteers prepared and served a meal for Cornerstone clients and their children. Cornerstone, located in Bloomington, was the recipient of an Edina Rotary Foundation local grant this Rotary year. Community Service—Local Projects Director Kip Peterson and Nate Wenner chaired the project. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rep. Dario Anselmo as program speaker at the Thursday, June 1, meeting. Anselmo represents District 49A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, which includes Edina.New members Don Andersen and Mike Andersen will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina recently awarded scholarships to two Edina High School graduates. Sofia Garduno and Abdigani Abdulkadir were each given $1,250 scholarships at a special breakfast at the Church of St. Patrick Friday, May 19. The presentation was made by the club’s Youth Service Director, Sam Thompson. |
.jpg){kind=logo} The Rotary Club of Edina will present the eighth-annual “Chrysanne Manoles Women In Leadership Award" at this week's meeting, on Thursday, May 25. Chrysanne Manoles was the first female member of our club, and is still active in Rotary today. In Manoles’ honor and to celebrate the work of women in the community, the Rotary Club of Edina established an annual women’s leadership award in 2008.New member Jennifer Shinners will be officially inducted into the Rotary Club of Edina at the meeting. And Rotarian Theresa Bea Halverson will give her classification talk at the meeting. For more on the award, click on the link below... |
 WHAT: Make-A-Meal eventWHEN: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30 WHERE: Cornerstone, 1000 E. 80th St., Bloomington WHO: Rotarians and guests needed as volunteers to prep and serve the meal to Cornerstone clients and their children REGISTRATION: Online here Click on the link below for more information... |
 This smiling group of Edina Rotarians, family and friends, packed 23 boxes of meals for families in the Dominican Republic on Saturday, May 6. That is 828 meals going to those in the world who need help the most. Just another example of Rotary Serving Humanity, said President Ann Platt, one of the volunteers. A representative of Feed My Starving Children will attend an upcoming meeting to share the work they do with our club. Thanks to Mike Sitek, who organized the volunteer effort for our club! |
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I would like to express my appreciation to the Rotary Club of Edina and its members for the many cards, memorials and expressions of sympathy in the recent passing of my mother. The club memorial gift was donated to the Salvation Army in her honor. Your kindness during this difficult time means a great deal to me. Jim Ryman Click on the link for more letters... |
.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Edina Mayor Jim Hovland as program speaker at the Thursday, May 11, meeting. Mayor Hovland is also a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club.New member Heather Edelson will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. And Rotarian Jen Tregarthen will give her classification talk. For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Edina Mayor Jim Hovland as program speaker at the Thursday, May 11, meeting. Mayor Hovland is also a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. New member Heather Edelson will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. And Rotarian Jen Tregarthen will give her classification talk. |
 President-Elect San Asato ran the meeting May 4, where the program speaker was Dr. David Odde from the University of Minnesota's Biochemical Engineering Department. Rotary Youth Exchange student Claudio Araya Huerta gave his country talk, telling us about Chile. Our final two Edina High School student visitors told us a bit about themselves and their plans for the fall. And a Edina Rotary Foundation grant was given to Oasis for Youth. Click on the link for more on the meeting... |
.jpg) Edina Rotarians are encouraged to attend the community meeting for the Edina Comprehensive Plan kick-off at 7 p.m. next Monday, May 8, at Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive, Edina. Go here for more information. |
 Rotary Club of Edina members are invited to attend the Edina Comprehensive Plan Kick-off Meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive, Edina. The kick-off meeting will celebrate the launch of the project and is free and open to everyone. Edina Rotarians are encouraged to attend to share their vision of Edina for the future. |
 The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be Wednesday, May 3. The speaker at the meeting will be Dr. Hannelore Brucker, who has a special "surprise" presentation. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link below for more on the event... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will hold a Vocational Day meeting this Thursday, May 18, at Grandview Tire & Auto–Cahill, 5415 70th St. W., Edina. Check in at the meeting will begin at 11:45 a.m., and the meeting will end promptly at 1:30 p.m. Lunch and beverages will be provided. Our club holds vocational meetings annually to highlight a vocation and/or business in our community. Grandview Tire & Auto is owned by Rotarian Tim Murphy. We ask that members register for the meeting for planning purposes. Please click here to register. Registration is open through noon today, Tuesday, May 16. Lunches are limited, so if you do not register, you may not be able to have lunch at the meeting. |
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Thank you for your notes, calls, prayers and flowers during my recent hospitalization for a heart attack and stent surgery. I have to admit that I would much rather belong to the best Club in the Universe vs. being a member of the stent club! Thanks again for your kindness and support. It is all much appreciated! Doug Johnson I would like to thank the Edina Rotary Club and my fellow Rotarians for the cards, memorials and many kinds words following my mother's passing. The support and compassion shown to me was truly appreciated. The memorials are being donated to The Rotary Foundation in honor of my mother. Bob Stehlik Click on the link below for more letters... |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. David Odde as the program speaker at the Thursday, May 4, meeting. Odde works on cancer research in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. David Odde as the program speaker at the Thursday, May 4, meeting. Odde works on cancer research in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota. |
 Rotary Club of Edina member Sandra Schley was awarded the Service Above Self Award at the Rotary District 5950 Conference Friday, April 28! Here she is accepting the award from District 5950 Governor Mark Hegstrom at the conference. This award from Rotary International is only given to 150 Rotarians worldwide each year.Congratulations Sandy! |
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Rotary Club of Edina member Sandra Schley was awarded the Service Above Self Award at the Rotary District 5950 Conference Friday, April 28! Here she is accepting the award from District 5950 Governor Mark Hegstrom at the conference. This award from Rotary International is only given to 150 Rotarians worldwide each year. Congratulations Sandy! Click on link below for more on the award... |
 It was a beautiful spring day for April, and I happen to check into the meeting just as Joel Jennings was arriving and checking in. What a delight to have Joel back in our presence and enjoy his warm and positive energy. Welcome back Joel! We look forward to seeing you again very soon. The program speaker at the meeting was Lee Anderson, General Mills Director of Issue Management and State Government Relations, and Frank Cardarelle's nephew! Youth Exchange student Justine Onana gave her country talk, telling us all about Belgium. And the final results of the The Rotary Foundation Bowl were announced! Click on the link below for more about the meeting... |
.jpg) The Edina Rotary Foundation recently awarded nearly $25,000 in grants to 15 local organizations. The organizations have been visiting our weekly meetings to pick up the grant checks and share stories about their organizations and the people who will benefit from the funds. Money for grants awarded by the Edina Rotary Foundation is raised at an annual fall fundraiser and gala and donations made throughout the year. |
 This baseball season the Edina Noon Rotary Club is the proud sponsor of the Edina Baseball Association's Fifth-Grade Green Baseball Team 11A, coached by Jason Hughes! The 11A Team has its next game at 6 p.m. Monday, May 8, at the Courtney 4 Field (next to Braemar Arena on the east side of Highway 169 off of Valley View Road) vs. Waconia.Find some other Rotarians, family and friends and come cheer on our team! Another 11A Rotary Team game is:
For more information, contact Public Image Director Mark Jessen. |
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At this time of sadness, our family thanks you for thinking of us. The flowers were beautiful. Denny enjoyed Rotary Club. Donna M. Bock and family For more letters, click on the link below... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership: Don Anderson Classification: Financial Advisory Sponsor: Dave Hatzung Mike Anderson Classification: Financial Advisory Sponsor: Dave Hatzung Kelley Burnett Classification: Insurance Sponsor: Sam Cote Heather Edelson Classification: Community Advocacy Sponsor: Josh Sprague Jennifer Shinners Classification: Men's Clothing Sponsor: John Buttolph Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
 The southbound Highway 100 ramp to West 50th Street/Vernon Avenue will be closed this week, Monday through Friday, April 24 through 28. Crews are painting the new noise wall and adding lighting.Make note if you are heading south on Highway 100 and plan to take that exit to come to the Edina Country Club for the weekly meeting. |
 It is time for the Spring Fireside Chats and we are looking for six volunteers to host events at their homes in the month of May. The desired weeks for the chats are May 15 and May 22. If you would like to host a Fireside Chat, or are a new member and want to know more about these events, please contact Brad Hepp at heppbrad@gmail.com. Thank you! |
 This week is Prospective Member Day at the Rotary Club of Edina! Members are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague who is interested in Rotary to the meeting. The program speaker for this week's meeting, Thursday, April 27, is Lee Anderson. Anderson is external relations director for General Mills. He will speak about "General Mills: 150 Years of Serving the World By Making Food People Love." For more information on Prospective Member Day, contact Membership Director—Recruitment Greg Yoch. Click on the link below for more on this week's speaker... |
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This week is Prospective Member Day at the Rotary Club of Edina! Members are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague who is interested in Rotary to the meeting. The program speaker for this week's meeting, Thursday, April 27, is Lee Anderson. Anderson is external relations director for General Mills. He will speak about "General Mills: 150 Years of Serving the World By Making Food People Love." For more information on Prospective Member Day, contact Membership Director—Recruitment Greg Yoch. |
 Thursday, April 20, was the annual Area 3 Rotary Vocational Day meeting featuring keynote speaker Michael Bellotti. He spoke to Rotary clubs from Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Richfield and South Metro Minneapolis Evenings, as well as students from area high schools. The theme of his talk was "How Art Saved My Life." As a surprise at the end of the meeting, the Vocational Day Committee presented artwork they had commissioned Michael Bellotti to do of longtime Rotarian Arthur Rouner! Click on the link for more about the meeting... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Jen Tregarthen as a member in October 2016. But Jen had been a member of a Rotary club in Oklahoma before moving to Minnesota. Jen's sponsor to the club was Greg Yoch.Click on the link below to get to know Jen... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website and in our newsletter. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Sarah Aydinalp as an Honorary Member in August 2016. Sarah was invited to be an Honorary Member after she was on outbound Youth Exchange student through our club. Sarah's sponsor was Jennifer Bennerotte.Click on the link below to get to know Sarah... |
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Thank you so much for the bouquet of flowers. They are beautiful and brightened our day! Can't wait to see all of you when I return. Libby Schmit Click on the link below for more in the letter bag... |
 The Thursday, April 13, Rotary Club of Edina meeting featured program speaker Mike Max, sports reporter and anchor at WCCO and host of "Sports to the Max" on WCCO Radio. Andrea Thompson Miller gave her classification talk to the club and shared her varied interests and news of her upcoming nuptials! An Edina Rotary Foundation grant was given to YMCA Camp Induhapi. And Brandon Azbill reminded members that they are encouraged to help assemble furniture at 66 West on April 20! The community Room at 66 West is our 2016–2017 Signature Project. For more on the meeting, click on the link below... |
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WHEN: 12:15 p.m. Thursday, April 27 WHERE: regular Rotary meeting, Edina Country Club. The program speaker for the meeting is Lee Anderson, legal counsel at General Mills. WHO: All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club to the meeting. Lunch is on the club for all prospective members! REGISTRATION: No need to register in advance, but make sure your guest(s) sign in at the front desk when they arrive. Contact Membership Director Greg Yoch for more information. |
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WHAT: Retirement party for Edina Schools Superintendent Ric Dressen WHEN: 4 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 WHERE: Braemar Golf Club, 6364 John Harris Drive, Edina WHO: All Rotarians are invited to attend this event celebrating the career of Superintendent Dressen, also a Edina Morningside Rotary Club member More details to come soon! |
.png) Time has gone fast this year, as we are already three-quarters of the way through the school year! Our inbound students, Justine and Claudio, are busy with studies and activities. In the next few weeks they will each be presenting their Country Talks during a meeting—Justine April 27 and Claudio May 4! Please reach out to Justine and Claudio if you wish to invite them to an event or dinner with your family—Heather, Hansen, Mike Kallas or Terry Stevens can help you get in contact with the students. We need host families for our three inbound students next year as well. Contact Heather if you or someone you know is interested!Click on the link below for more on Youth Exchange... |
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On behalf of our entire staff and the families we serve, thank you to the Edina Rotary Foundation for your recent $1,000 grant award to help fund Cornerstone's Large Group Room chair replacement project. We certainly appreciate your loyal support—and your willingness to consider projects that are undeniably necessary, yet difficult to fund. Click on the link below to read the rest of the letter... |
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WHEN: 12:15 p.m. Thursday, April 27 WHERE: regular Rotary meeting, Edina Country Club. The program speaker for the meeting is Lee Anderson, legal counsel at General Mills. WHO: All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club to the meeting. Lunch is on the club for all prospective members! REGISTRATION: No need to register in advance, but make sure your guest(s) sign in at the front desk when they arrive. Contact Membership Director Greg Yoch for more information.
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 Our club's The Rotary Foundation Director Sue Spalding, with the help of David Clynes, honored more Rotarians as Paul Harris Fellows at the April 6 meeting. The following Rotarians were honored for their donations to The Rotary Foundation:
Thank you to all Rotary Club of Edina members who have generously donations to The Rotary Foundation! Contact Sue Spalding for more information about how to donate this Rotary year, TRF's 100th anniversary! |
.jpg) Mike Max will be the program speaker at the Thursday, April 13, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Max is a sports anchor and reporter on WCCO Channel 4 and hosts Sports to the Max on WCCO Radio. Click on the link below for more on the speaker... |
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Mike Max will be the program speaker at the Thursday, April 13, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Max is a sports anchor and reporter on WCCO Channel 4 and hosts Sports to the Max on WCCO Radio. |
 At the Thursday, April 6, Rotary Club of Edina meeting, the program speaker was Mark Stutrud, founder and president of Summit Brewing Co. He shared his story of being a brewing sod-buster, and also shared brews with the lucky attendees. New member Mark Stageberg was officially inducted into the club. Click on the link below for more about the meeting... |
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WHAT: Rotary District 5950 Conference, "Serving Humanity, Together in Harmony" WHEN: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 28 WHERE: Westin Edina Galleria WHO: All Rotarians are encouraged to attend, the club will reimburse members for one of the sessions they attend (up to $60) Click on the link to learn more about the event...
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 The annual Area 3 Rotary Vocational Ethics Day meeting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Thursday, April 20, at the Edina Country Club. All Edina Rotarians are encouraged to attend, and many Rotarians from area clubs, as well as local high schools, will also be in attendance. This year's keynote speaker is Michael Bellotti. He will speak about "How Art Saved My Life."For more information, contact Dan Hallberg at 952-541-0352. Click on the link below for more info on the meeting... |
 Longtime Rotary Club of Edina member Dennis Bock passed away March 28, 2017. His funeral was Monday, April 3, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Edina. Denny was president of our club in 1984–1985.Click on the link below for more information... |
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Thank you for your grant award of $2,700. This grant will help fund the purchase of one musical instrument. This instrument will be developmentally appropriate for all the children at Fraser School. This musical instrument will be integrated into our conductive playground environment to further inclusive play, physical play and teaching. Click on the link below to continue reading the letter... |
 Monday evening, April 3, the City of Edina held the 38th annual Volunteer Awards Reception. This is an opportunity for organizations to recognize outstanding volunteers each year. The Edina Rotary Club recognized Gary Pedersen as Rotarian of the Year for his work on the International Service project in Escuintla, Guatemala.Also at the reception, Camp Enterprise was recognized with the Mayor’s Service To Youth Commendation. And the Mayor’s Outstanding Senior Commendation was awarded to Rotarian Frank Cardarelle, for serving as liaison for the Rotary Club of Edina and the Edina Historical Society for 48 years. For more on the awards, click on the link below... |
 Mark Stutrud, president and founder of Summit Brewing Co., will be the program speaker at this week's, Thursday, April 6, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Stutrud will speak about "Experiences Being a Brewing Sod-Buster." There will be samples of some of Summit's brews at the meeting.Stutrud has been a member of the St. Paul Rotary Club #10 since 2000. Click on the link below for more information on the speaker... |
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Mark Stutrud, president and founder of Summit Brewing Co., will be the program speaker at the Thursday, April 6, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Stutrud will speak about "Experiences Being a Brewing Sod-Buster." There will be samples of some of Summit's brews at the meeting. Stutrud has been a member of the St. Paul Rotary Club #10 since 2000. |
 The March 30 Rotary Club of Edina meeting featured program speaker Dr. Mark Kroll. Two Edina Rotary Foundation grants were given out by the Community Service Local Funding Committee at the meeting, and new member Theresa Bea Halverson was officially inducted into the club. The Rotary Foundation Bowl is officially over. Which team squeaked out a victory with slightly more donations to TRF?Click on the link below for more on the meeting... |
.jpg){kind=logo} The next Rotary Vocational Development Group tonight, Wednesday, April 5. The speaker at the meeting will be our own André Brewer. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event. Click on the link for more on the event... |
 All Edina Rotarians are invited to attend the Edina Give and Go Fundraiser next Friday, April 7. Executive Director Abigail Lugo extended an invitation to all Rotarians to stop by "A Great Gathering for a Great Cause," from 6 to 8 p.m. at Braemar Golf Course Clubhouse. For more info or to RSVP go here. Edina Give and Go is the recipient of donations in honor of each week's program speakers this Rotary year, as well as recently receiving a Edina Rotary Foundation grant from the Community Service Local Funding Committee. For more on the fundraiser, click on the link below... |
 Our The Rotary Foundation Bowl Commissioners (Sandy Schley and Tim Murphy) and their team captains are busy contacting all members to ask that everyone donate to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). It doesn’t matter if it is $26.50 (which was the first donation in 1916 to start TRF) or whatever amount you are comfortable with. Several of you have become Paul Harris Society members, which means you are committing $1,000 a year. Congratulations and thank you!Learn more about giving to TRF by clicking on the link below... |
 Dr. Mark Kroll will be the program speaker at the Thursday, March 30, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Kroll is the retired chief technology officer and senior vice president at St. Jude Medical, and holds more than 340 U.S. patents for medical devices.For more on the speaker, click on the link below... |
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Dr. Mark Kroll will be the program speaker at the Thursday, March 30, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Kroll is the retired chief technology officer and senior vice president at St. Jude Medical, and holds more than 340 U.S. patents for medical devices. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina met on a grey, windy and gloomy Thursday, March 23, but our spirits were brightened with the fellowship of Rotarians. The program speaker was Judy Keen, editor at the Star Tribune, and she spoke about “Covering Politics in a New Era.” New members Nash Faulk and Scott Hawkins were officially inducted into the club. And two Edina Rotary Foundation local grants were given out by the Community Service—Local Funding Committee.For more on the meeting, click on the link below... |
 Rotary Club of Edina's TRF Director Sue Spalding recognized members for their donations to The Rotary Foundation at the March 16 meeting. The Paul Harris Fellows included: (Pictured)
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 Over 100 Rotarians gathered for our weekly meeting in the midst of March Madness and the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Our feature presentation was about The Avenue on France by Bob Erickson, senior development manager for the developer Wildamere, and Dean Devolis, chief architect. For more on the meeting, click on the link below... |
  Rotarians and guests gathered at Cooks of Crocus Hill in Edina last Saturday, March 18, to do some Italian cooking and enjoy the delicious meal they prepared as teams. A great time was had by all, according to even organizer Rick Carlson, a member of the Membership Retention Committee. Thanks to Rick for planning the event, with Committee Chair Ken Andersen. Cheers! |
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicant below for membership: Mark Stageberg Classification: Trial Attorney Sponsor: Keith Benson Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. |
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Thank you so much for the generous grant you've provided to Give and Go. Even in Edina, some families need a little extra help to reach full academic excellence. The Chromebook computers this grant allows us to purchase will be a game changer for our students. Your support is helping unlock opportunities, one student at a time—thank you! With gratitude, Abigail Lugo Executive Director Edina Give and Go |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Star Tribune editor Judy Keen as program speaker at the Thursday, March 23, meeting. Keen will speak about "Covering Politics in a New Era." Keen was previously on staff with USA Today, and covered three presidents, five presidential campaigns and numerous breaking news stories.New members Nash Faulk and Scott Hawkins will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. Click on the link for more about the speaker... |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Star Tribune editor Judy Keen as program speaker at the Thursday, March 23, meeting. Keen will speak about "Covering Politics in a New Era." Keen was previously on staff with USA Today, and covered three presidents, five presidential campaigns and numerous breaking news stories. New members Nash Faulk and Scott Hawkins will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting. |
 The program speaker for the Thursday, March 16, Rotary Club of Edina meeting will be Bob Erickson. He will talk about the new development at France Avenue and 66th Street in Edina. Rotarian Dan Hare will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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 Rotary Club of Edina members attended the annual joint meeting with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club Tuesday morning, March 7. EMRC hosted our club at the meeting at the Edina Country Club, and welcomed members with balloons, welcome signs and flowers on the tables. The program speaker at the meeting was Dr. Michael Osterholm, former head epidemiologist for the Minnesota Department of Health.
Click on the link for more on the joint meeting...
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.jpg){kind=logo} Due to the joint meeting with Edina Morningside Rotary Club held Tuesday, March 7, there will be no regular Rotary Club of Edina meeting this Thursday, March 9. The next meeting will be Thursday, March 16. The program speaker March 16 will be Bob Erickson, who will talk about the new development at France Avenue and 66th Street in Edina. |
 Last Wednesday, March 1, Joe Arends, Hannelore Brucker, Rick Carlson and I had an opportunity to take a hard hat tour of 66 West, our signature project for this Rotary year. The 66 West project will feature 39 units of affordable housing for young people who have experienced homelessness between the ages of 18 to 23.
Click on the link for more on the tour...
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 The annual spring Rotary Club of Edina volunteer effort at Feed My Starving Children is set for Saturday, May 6. Rotarians, family and friends are welcome to register to pack meals for children in need around the world. We will meet at the Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen from 9 to 11 a.m. Go to the Edina Rotary website to sign up online. Email Mike Sitek or call 952-836-6326 with questions.
Click on the link for more on the event...
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 The annual join meeting with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club is at 7:30 a..m. today, Tuesday, March 7, at the Edina Country Club. The program speaker will be Dr. Michael Osterholm, who will speak on "Public Health and Infectious Disease." There will be no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, March 9.
Click on the link for more on the speaker...
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 Rotarians were all smiles at the March 2 Rotary Club of Edina meeting, which featured program speaker Craig Warren, COO of Greater Twin Cities United Way. The meeting notes from the March 2 meeting will appear in next week's The Barker.
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  Several Rotarians brought significant others, children, grandchildren and friends to participate in the Rotary golf event at Golf Zone in Chaska last Friday, March 3. Organized by Membership—Retention Committee member Dan Hennen, participants could hit golf balls on the driving range from a shared stall, compete in the Mini Masters Golf Tournament, and partake in a catered dinner from Buca di Bepo and a dessert reception. Fun was had by all! Thanks to Dan for his hard work on this great family event.
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The annual join meeting with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club will be at 7:30 a..m. Tuesday, March 7, at the Edina Country Club. The program speaker will be Dr. Michael Osterholm, who will speak on "Public Health and Infectious Disease." There will be no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, March 9.
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 What difference will you make?That’s the question program speaker Craig Warren asked Rotarians and their nine visitors at the March 2 meeting of the Rotary Club of Edina.
Click on the link for more on the March 2 Rotary meeting...
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 The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tomorrow, Wednesday, March 1. The speaker at the meeting will be Rotary Club of Edina President Ann Platt. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, EMRC members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's on France in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from Ann, plus time for introductions, networking and questions.
Click on the link for more information...
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 Rotarian Rick Carlson sent in a photo of Rotarians packing backpacks of food for kids to take home for the weekend at VEAP Feb. 23. Several area Rotary clubs participate in the Community Service project each school year, and Kenny Smith (center) coordinates the VEAP volunteers for our club this year. Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped out with the VEAP food project this Rotary year!
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 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina in The Barker. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Jim Platt as a member in August 2016. Jim's sponsor to the club was Ann Platt.Click on the link to get to know more about Jim...
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 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Craig Warren as program speaker at the Thursday, March 2, meeting. Warren is the chief operating officer for Twin Cities United Way. He will speak about "We Are Humankind. Twin Cities United Way and Our Community."Rotarian André Brewer will give his classification talk at the meeting.
Click on the link for more on the speaker...
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Craig Warren as program speaker at the Thursday, March 2, meeting. Warren is the chief operating officer for Twin Cities United Way. He will speak about "We Are Humankind. Twin Cities United Way and Our Community." Rotarian André Brewer will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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 Edina Rotarians arrived for our regular meeting Feb. 23 to find the dining room decorated with helium balloons, and a plate of fancy cupcakes on each table. Turns out it was Rotary International’s 112th birthday. So, Happy Birthday to RI, and to us, and thanks President Ann Platt for adding color to our meeting!
Click on the link for more on the meeting...
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WHEN: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 3 WHERE: Golf Zone, 825 Flying Cloud Drive, Chaska WHO: Rotarians and their families Click on the link to read more about the event... |
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WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 WHERE: Edina Country Club WHO: All Rotarians are encouraged to attend. This does NOT take the place of the regular Rotary meeting Thursday, Feb. 23. Click on the link to read more about the event... |
.jpg){kind=small} Rotary’s Council on Legislation met last year, resulting in a new standard club constitution, Rotary clubs’ guiding document. The new constitution covers excused absences for senior members. As a result, our club’s bylaws must be amended to conform. At its January meeting, the Club’s Board of Directors recommended a change to Article 13 for “Member Types:”Click on the link to read more about the proposed change...
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The Rotary Club of Edina now has a “B2B Resource Table” for members to share information about their businesses or other organizations at weekly meetings.
Members may place business cards, promotional items, handouts or other materials on the table each week for others to take. Such materials are not allowed on luncheon tables, unless it is related to the featured speaker’s presentation or a club activity. Members who bring items for the B2B Resource Table are responsible for taking them at the end of the meeting; any items left will be thrown away or recycled by the Edina Country Club.
The table may be discontinued if it is found to be of little interest to members. For more information, contact Past President Jennifer Bennerotte, jbennerotte@EdinaRotary.org. |
 The Interact Club of Edina held their second Skate to End Polio Feb. 10, to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation and their PolioPlus program. Those in attendance, including Edina Rotarians and their families, skated under the stars, and the event raised more than $1,500 for PolioPlus. Thanks to all who attended and donated money to the Interact Club for their biggest event of the year.
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicants below for membership:
Theresa Bea
Classification: Family Law
Sponsor: Sutton McGraw
Nash Faulk
Classification: Health & Wellness
Sponsor: Greg Yoch
Scott Hawkins
Classification: Health & Wellness
Sponsor: Greg Yoch
Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
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 Maureen Hooley Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 23, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Rotarian Jack Atnip will give his classification talk at the meeting.
Click on the link to read more about the speaker...
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Maureen Hooley Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, will be the program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 23, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Rotarian Jack Atnip will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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 The Rotary Club of Edina met on an unseasonably warm Thursday, Feb. 16. The program speaker was Marna Anderson, development and communications director for Nonviolent Peaceforce, who spoke about "Unarmed Protection of Civilians in Conflict." Rotarian Jody Kern was honored as our club's newest Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation, with special meaning in this 100th year of TRF. And Libby Schmit gave a 2016–2017 Community Service local grant to Hearts and Hands on behalf of the Edina Rotary Foundation.
Click on the link to read more about the meeting...
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 Members of the Rotary Club of Edina were honored at last week's meeting, Feb. 9, for their donations to The Rotary Foundation. The following Paul Harris Fellows (PHF) were given pins and celebrated by David Clynes, a member of the TRF Committee, and the TRF Director for our club in 2017–2019. Rotarian Jim Roberts also helped with the presentation. Named new PFH distinctions were:
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Thank you for the beautiful flower arrangement for Kathy [Doty]. Your caring hearts and thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated.
The Doty/McClosky family
[Larry Doty, former Edina Rotarian] |
 Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Marna Anderson as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 16, meeting. Anderson is director of development and communications for Nonviolent Peaceforce. She will speak about "Unarmed Protection of Civilians in Violent Conflict." Click on the link for more info on the speaker...
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Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Marna Anderson as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 16, meeting. Anderson is director of development and communications for Nonviolent Peaceforce. She will speak about "Unarmed Protection of Civilians in Violent Conflict." |
 The Rotary Club of Edina gathered Thursday, Feb. 9, to hear program speaker Dr. Michael McAlpine from the University of Minnesota. An associate professor of mechanical engineering, his talk focused on 3D printing and functional materials. Before we heard from Dr. McAlpine, Rotarian Brandon Azbill gave his classification talk, Keith Benson handed out a local grant to the city of Edina Communications Department, and much more! Click on the link for more on the meeting...
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 Rotarians were busy last week, Feb. 6–10, reading to third-graders at Creek Valley Elementary School in Edina. This is the second year that Rotarians have taken the Andy & Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure books to students in Edina schools. It is the story of a young entrepreneur who starts an apple dumpling business. With the guidance of a mysterious voice, conveying the Four-Way Test, he turns his venture into a wonderful success and makes friends along the way. |
 Rotarians are busy this week reading to third-graders at Creek Valley Elementary School. This is the second year that Rotarians have taken the Andy & Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure books to students in Edina schools. It is the story of a young entrepreneur who starts an apple dumpling business. With the guidance of a mysterious voice, conveying the Four-Way Test, he turns his venture into a wonderful success and makes friends along the way.The story was written and illustrated by Andrew J. Shoup, a children’s book author and illustrator. The book is jointly published by the Rotary Club of Fairborn, Ohio, and TokoBooks.  Thank you to Rotarians Mike Kallas, Jody Kern, Ann Platt, Josh Sprague, Michael Stanzak, Axel and Loreli Steuer and Sam Thompson, who were readers and helpers for the readings at the school.
A huge thank you to Renee Harberts for organizing the readers and coordinating with the school, and to Mary Swendsen, whose excellent apple dumplings were shared with the students.
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WHEN: 6 to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, March 18 WHERE: Cooks of Crocus Hill, 3925 W. 50th St., Edina WHO: Rotarians and guests, up to 24 participants For more information, click on the link...
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 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Michael McAlpine from the University of Minnesota as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 9 meeting. Dr. McAlpine is an associate professor of mechanical engineering with a focus on 3D printing. He will speak about 3D Printing Functional Materials and Devices. Brandon Azbill will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Michael McAlpine from the University of Minnesota as program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 9 meeting. Dr. McAlpine is an associate professor of mechanical engineering with a focus on 3D printing. He will speak about 3D Printing Functional Materials and Devices. Brandon Azbill will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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 Assisting with our meeting today were the following:
Ann Platt opened the meeting with 2 announcements:
Click on the link to read more about the meeting...
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 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Deb Anderson as the program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 2, meeting. Anderson is founder and owner of By the Yard, an outdoor furniture company located in Jordan, Minnesota.
Anderson started By the Yard in 1995. Anderson will share the highs and lows of growing the business, as well as transitioning into retirement. Anderson is the sister of Edina Rotarian Mike Kallas.
Renee Harberts will give her classification talk at the meeting.
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Deb Anderson as the program speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 2, meeting. Anderson is founder and owner of By the Yard, an outdoor furniture company located in Jordan, Minnesota. Renee Harberts will give her classification talk at the meeting.
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 Last week we were warmly greeted by Michael Opitz and Ed Padilla. They are professionals. The front desk was handled by Marty Kupper, Libby Schmit and Axel Steuer. They had a busy day checking in the huuuuuuge number of guests on Prospective Member Day.Things were a bit stressful for President Ann Platt as she could not contact our speaker. Phone calls, text messages, emails and smoke signals were sent but at 12:32 p.m., still no luck tracking down our speaker, Dr. Penny Wheeler. She even pulled me in for tech support—talk about desperation! Two minutes later the doctor was in the house and all was well. Ring the bell—meeting begins. Click on the link to continue reading...
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.jpg) The Edina High School Interact Club is planning a "Skate to End Polio" from 7 to 9 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 10, at Braemar Arena's Backyard Rink. Enjoy open skating with friends and family! All ages are welcome! Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids, and can be bought at upcoming Rotary meetings, the day of the event, or by contacting Josh Sprague.All proceeds go towards Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign, which began in 1985 and has raised more than $1.3 billion towards the elimination of polio around the world.
The skate-a-thon is sponsored by the Interact Club of Edina High School, Rotary Club of Edina, Edina Morningside Rotary Club and Braemar Arena. For more information, contact Josh Sprague.
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.jpeg) Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Hannelore Brucker as a member in July 2016. Hannelore's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link to get to know Hannelore... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina in The Barker. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Hannelore Brucker as a member in July 2016. Hannelore's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Read on to get to know more about Hannelore...Name: Hannelore A. Brucker
Classification: Medicine–Allergy (retired). Operated a private allergy office for 32 years, for 20 years with my husband, Dr. Heinrich K. Brucker, and after his passing, for 12 years as solo practitioner. Now I am involved in research for a National Allergy Meeting presentation. I will try to stay in research-oriented activities and will look for further practical work in the allergy field.
What was your first job? Helping my father in his medical office when I was a teenager.
Who was your first role model and why? Albert Schweitzer, theologian, physician and renowned organ player. My dream was to join his mission in Lambarene, then Belgish Kongo, in Africa. My contact came through a home town group, called “Friends of Albert Schweitzer.” Why did you want to join Rotary? I am looking forward to the fellowship and hope to contribute doing good for my fellow human beings.
What do you like best about being part of the Rotary Club of Edina? Every time I attended I was impressed with the friendliness of the members towards me as a newcomer. What one piece of advice do you offer other business leaders? What I learned as a physician in problem solving was listening, listening and again listening. Thanks for joining the Rotary Club of Edina, Hannelore!
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 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Penny Wheeler as program speaker at the meeting Thursday, Jan. 26. Wheeler has been the president and CEO of Allina Health since 2015. This week is also Prospective Member Day at Edina Rotary! All members are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club. Rotary Club of Edina will provide lunch for all prospective members Jan. 26! |
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Dr. Penny Wheeler as program speaker at the meeting Thursday, Jan. 26. Wheeler has been the president and CEO of Allina Health since 2015. This week is also Prospective Member Day at Edina Rotary! All members are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club. Rotary Club of Edina will provide lunch for all prospective members Jan. 26! |
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Today I am writing The Barker for Bob Hildreth, only because he bribed me with dinner at a downtown establishment!
 Also, I am going to resurrect The Barker writing style of our former Rotarian and Mayor of Edina, the Honorable Jim Van Valkenburg, and write it the day before the meeting. The cast of characters helping President Ann Platt today are: Sandy Schley, Scott Neal, Jeff Ohe, Kim Stoner, Bill McReavy, Steve Slyce, Dale Walker and yours truly. You can be assured they all did their jobs satisfactorily. You know the drill, if Ann is happy we all are happy. Don’t forget to sign up for the bowling event at the Park Tavern Saturday, Jan. 28th. I am sure someone got up and made an announcement about it. I would be there but I will be in Puerto Rico. If you want to come join me, call Marty Kupper at Martin Kupper Travel Services, and he will set you up. Also, I know that some of you are thinking of me around 2:45 Puerto Rico time on Feb. 2 when my phone will start ringing (Jon Barnett, Alarms R Us, and Jeff Ohe, Show Me the Money) during the meeting. Also, if you haven’t made your pledge to The Rotary Foundation, get on with it. After all, “It’s for the Kids."  Steve Buettner introduced two students from Edina High School, Caroline Harmening and Ben Lohrding, who shared their many accomplishments while at EHS and their plans for the future.
Our speaker today was Will Steger. If you don’t know who Will is and what he has accomplished so far, you have lived a sheltered life! Everyone knows who Will Steger is, right?  A formidable voice calling for understanding and the preservation of the Arctic, and the Earth, Will Steger is best known for his legendary polar explorations. He has traveled tens of thousands of miles by kayak and dogsled over 50 years, leading teams on some of the most significant polar expeditions in history. Steger led the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole without re-supply in 1986, the 1,600-mile south-north traverse of Greenland (the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history) in 1988, and led the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (the historic seven-month, 3,741-mile International Trans-Antarctica Expedition) in 1989–1990. His achievements and awards would take all day to write and read, but if you were to sum everything up, you know that he is a leader in raising awareness of the urgency of climate change and the opportunity for solutions. Will spoke on his experiences as an explorer and his work with the Steger Wilderness Center (in Ely, Minnesota) and Climate Generation. For additional information, please go to www.willsteger.com. Meeting adjourned.
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  Rotarians and guests gathered Saturday, Jan. 14, for the first Edina Rotary Ice Bowling Championship at the home of Tom and Catherine Gump. Tom is president of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club, and hosted the event, along with help from other members of the Ice Bowling Committee.
 Rotarians and other attendees at at the Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala last Oct. 1, 2016, had a chance to bid on a spot at the Ice Bowling Championship during the Silent Auction. Lucky winners participated in an evening of food and drinks at the Gumps' home in Edina, with the Ice Bowling Championship taking place on the intricate ice bowling venue located on the grounds. The winning team received a trophy, but accolades are given to all whose participation supported the Edina Rotary Foundation. Congratulations, ice bowlers!
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 The Rotary Club of Edina is excited to welcome Will Steger as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 19, meeting. Steger is a polar explorer and educator and founder of the Steger Wilderness Center and Climate Generation (formerly Will Steger Foundation). He will talk about his work with the Steger Wilderness Center. |
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The Rotary Club of Edina is excited to welcome Will Steger as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 19, meeting. Steger is a polar explorer and educator and founder of the Steger Wilderness Center and Climate Generation (formerly Will Steger Foundation). He will talk about his work with the Steger Wilderness Center. |
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Today our welcoming greeters were Kim Stoner, Dan Mott and David Kunz. Helping at the front desk was Bob Solheim.
Brad Beard introduced our guests:
Kaylin Eidsness shared a wonderful invocation with a quote from former President FDR, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
John Buttolph made an announcement regarding our upcoming bowling event Jan. 28 at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park.
Jim Roberts gave a terrific Classification Talk. As a pilot for Delta Airlines, he has been in aviation over 31 years. Born in Edina, and a graduate of Edina West High School, Jim has a wife and 3 children. Jim shared some of his favorites: Fort Myers Airport, and Fleetwood Mac, the greatest musical group.  Sue Spalding kicked off the Rotary International Bowl and introduced the two team captains and members of the Blue and Gold teams. The team members will be contacting club members in the coming months to talk about donations to The Rotary Foundation.Greg Yoch came forward to announce that Jan. 26 is Prospective Member Day, so bring a guest/future member. Greg Yoch then introduced our speaker, a terrific business professional, Scott Litman, who is the managing partner for EQUALS 3. Scott provided an introduction to “Lucy,” which is a very unique electronic program that provides new ways for technology to support business development. The values and benefits as to how digital formats can transform all business and websites was astounding. IBM is very involved in the “Lucy” program. As a system that is seven times faster and 75 percent lower in costs, the future looks great for “Lucy."  Dr. Steve Veker provided a “thank you” to our speaker for his very informative presentation. President Ann Platt provided her closing remarks and “thanks to all” for our Rotarian friendships and creativity. |
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The annual Edina Rotary Bowling Event was Jan. 28. More than 40 Rotarians and guests (including Youth Exchange student Justine Onama) gathered at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park to dine, compare custom bowling shirts and be divided up into teams for the cutthroat competition. Door prizes were given out (many great door prizes!) and gutter balls and strikes were thrown. After the pins had settled, the winners and losers were awarded their trophies. |
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The annual Edina Rotary Bowling Event was Jan. 28. More than 40 Rotarians and guests (including Youth Exchange student Justine Onama) gathered at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park to dine, compare custom bowling shirts and be divided up into teams for the cutthroat competition. Door prizes were given out (many great door prizes!) and gutter balls and strikes were thrown. After the pins had settled, the winners and losers were awarded their trophies.
Sonja Tengdin was awarded the "Best Bowler" trophy for achieving the highest individual score of the night. Jim Platt cheerfully accepted the award for the lowest individual score of the evening. The team with the lowest scores of the night, or the "Biggest Losers," were Arlene Chung (who accompanied Rotarian Jack Atnip to the event), Club Administrator Jennifer Garske and Dave Tengdin. The team with the second highest scores of the night were David Aase, Kelly Sprague, Michael Stanzak and Sonja Tengdin.
And the winning team of the night, with the highest scores, were John Flynn, Paul Mooty, Jeff Ohe and Nancy Slyce. Congratulations to all the winners! Event chair Mark Jessen received a round of applause for the successful event, as well as his co-chairs, John Buttolph and Sutton McGraw. Thanks for all your hard work!
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 Rotary Club of Edina will welcome entrepreneur Scott Litman as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 12, meeting. Litman, co-founder of Magnet 360 and the Minnesota Cup, will talk about his latest venture—Equals 3, the use of artificial intelligence with IBM's super computer, Watson.Jim Roberts will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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Rotary Club of Edina will welcome entrepreneur Scott Litman as program speaker at the Thursday, Jan. 12, meeting. Litman, co-founder of Magnet 360 and the Minnesota Cup, will talk about his latest venture—Equals 3, the use of artificial intelligence with IBM's super computer, Watson. Jim Roberts will give his classification talk at the meeting.
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President Ann Platt opened the this first meeting in 2017 on a beautiful and cold winter day.
We were greeted by Paul Mooty, Bob Perkins and new member Kim Stoner. Mitch Robinson helped out at the front desk.
Jody Kern introduced the many guests that joined us:
The heartfelt invocation was delivered by the Rev. Tom Cook.
Salvation Army Bell ringers were thanked for raising a total of $7,068. The Rotary ringing project was once again chaired by Dan Hallberg with assistance from Wayne Harmon.
New member Kim Stoner was officially inducted into the club by Past President Brad Hepp. Jody Kern is Kim's sponsor.
Sutton McGraw promoted the upcoming Rotary Club of Edina Bowling Night, set for Saturday, Jan. 28, at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park.
Community Service—Local Funding Director Keith Benson introduced Lauren Daumueller of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative at the meeting. Lauren gave an update on the 66 West project (Edina Rotary Foundation's Signature Project for the 2016–2017 Rotary year), including info on hard-hat tours of the building for those interested. Keith mentioned that part of Rotary District 5950's grant approval to contribute to 66 West was that our club put in sweat equity on the project. Those opportunities will be coming soon too!
Royce Pavelka gave a very rich introduction for the speaker of the day, Eileen Rice.
Rice gave a presentation on the Innocence Project, "Causes of Wrongful Convictions." She is a former FBI agent and is now an investigator with WayPoint Inc. She sits on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, a non-profit organization which seeks to free the wrongfully convicted. Rice welcomes questions on the Innocence Project of Minnesota. To contact her write to erice@waypointinc.com.
Andrea Thompson Miller thanked the speaker for her presentation.
President Ann Platt closed the meeting.
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 Edina Rotarians, family and friends rang the bell at the Salvation Army red kettle at Jerry's Foods in Edina from Dec. 19 through 23. Dan Hallberg once again chaired the project for our club with the help of Wayne Harmon, and has shared the final results the bell ringers raised. Our kettles gathered a total of $7,068 during the five days, including $2,631 on "Ring for Joel Day" Dec 21. |
Edina Rotarians, family and friends rang the bell at the Salvation Army red kettle at Jerry's Foods in Edina from Dec. 19 through 23. Dan Hallberg once again chaired the project for our club with the help of Wayne Harmon, and has shared the final results the bell ringers raised. Our kettles gathered a total of $7,068 during the five days, including $2 ,631 on "Ring for Joel Day" Wednesday, Dec 21. Our club honored longtime Rotarian Joel Jennings by ringing in his name, and all the donations received in the red kettle that day were matched.Dan and Wayne wanted to thank everyone who covered the 14 two-hour shifts all that week. The volunteers included:
This is our 10th year of Edina Rotary serving the Salvation Army in our community. Dan and Wayne look forward to keep ringing for the Salvation Army in the future!
Thanks to Dan and Wayne for their efforts coordinating the volunteers, and providing support each day at the red kettle. Also thanks to everyone who stopped by to toss in some change and support your fellow Rotarians and the Salvation Army!
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.jpg) Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Andrea Thompson Miller as a member in June 2016. Andrea's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Click on the link to get to know Andrea... |
 Rotarians and guests gathered at the Edina Country Club Thursday, Dec. 15, for the annual Rotary Club of Edina Holiday Party. More than 120 people enjoyed food, drink and warm conversation by the fire as they celebrated the holidays. Many holiday-themed ties and sweaters were worn, as well as one amazing suit that was the very definition of holiday spirit! Christmas cheer was evident and a good time was had by all.Thanks to party chairs Marty Kupper and Steve Slyce for once again organizing such a wonderful evening.
Merry Christmas Rotarians! We'll see you in 2017!
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 It is almost 2017 and I thought I would review some of the highlights of the first six months of this Rotary year. I think you'll agree that we've been busy! If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me!July—December 2016
Community Service Projects
Social Events
Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala
Local Grants and Youth Service Programs
Meeting/Program Speaker Highlights
A donation is made each week in the speaker’s name to Edina Give and Go, a non-profit that ensures that all Edina students are able to participate in activities that they may not be able to afford.
I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to working with you next year to ensure that we continue to “Do Good in the World!” |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina in The Barker. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Andrea Thompson Miller as a member in June 2016. Andrea's sponsor to the club was Josh Sprague. Read on to get to know more about Andrea...Name: Andrea Thompson Miller
Classification: Employer Consulting; PEO Business Consultant for Doherty/Oasis in Edina. I also am a custom jeweler making diamond and colored stone jewelry in my free time.
What was your first job? My first paid job was babysitting for all the neighborhood kids but my first W-2 came from Byerlys in Burnsville. I was a grocery checker on weekends and after school sports.
Who was your first role model and why? My first role model aside from my parents/grandparents has to be my High School Dance Coach Mauri. She taught me how to channel my drive and determination into competition dancing and helped me win trophies and top awards all across the country. My 8-year-old daughter is attending Mauri's School of Dance at the very same studio and I couldn't be more thrilled! Why did you want to join Rotary? My journey with Rotary began a few years ago when my business partner joined and brought me as a guest a few times. I since have done my due diligence and found that the camaraderie, volunteer efforts, faith and patriotic base along with eradicating Polio really spoke to me and I had to be a part of this Edina Club.
What do you like best about being part of the Rotary Club of Edina? Having countless opportunities to give back and get involved in what's going on in my backyard and the world. What one piece of advice do you offer other business leaders? Integrity, kindness and being proactive about internal business practices and external products and services will determine your future success. Develop a network of likeminded business owners and friends. What a wonderful addition to the club you are, Andrea!
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I would like to take the opportunity to thank Rotary once again for providing me with the opportunity to learn, build teamwork skills, and challenge myself [at Camp Enterprise]. I would especially like to thank you for awarding me with the scholarship.
Thank you so much!
Madi Drent
Lakeville
2016 Camp Enterprise participant
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Your generous support provides hope for children around the world. Thank you for your faithful partnership. It is an honor to feed God's children side by side with you.
You are a blessing!
Lisa Pederson
Site Manager
Feed My Starving Children, Chanhassen
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.jpg){kind=logo} The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 4. The speaker at the meeting will be Dick Crockett of the Edina Community Foundation. He is a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event.
Contact Renee Harberts for more information.
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.jpg) Several members of the Rotary Club of Edina were honored at the Dec. 8 meeting as multiple Paul Harris Fellows, having donated multiple gifts of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. TRF Director for our club, Sue Spalding, handed out the PHF pins to members, with the help of David Clynes. It was also announced at the meeting that David will be the 2016–2017 TRF director for our club.The following members were honored:
Congratulations to these members! There will be several PHF recognition ceremonies at meetings during the Rotary year.
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 Incoming Rotary District 5950 Governor Bob Halagan is encouraging all Rotarians to take the District 5950 Membership Survey! If you have not done so, please fill out your survey. Survey results and analysis will be shared with the membership as soon as it becomes available. The deadline for completing the survey is now Dec. 29, so click on this link and share your opinions on Rotary and District 5950.You can also find the survey link on the District 5950 home page. The survey will only take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Thank you! |
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The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 1. The speaker at the meeting will be Sutton McGraw.
Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's, 7171 France Ave. S., Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event.
Contact Renee Harberts for more information.
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 Rotary Youth Exchange students Claudio and Justine had a bird's eye view of Edina and the surrounding area in November when they got a ride with Rotarian, and Delta Airlines pilot, Jim Roberts. They are shown here with the plane they flew in with Jim, taking off from Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie.
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.png){kind=small} Former FBI agent Eileen Rice will be the program speaker at the first Rotary Club of Edina meeting of the New Year, this Thursday, Jan. 5. Rice, now an investigator with WayPoint Inc., will speak about "Causes of Wrongful Convictions," and her work with the Innocence Project. She sits on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, a non-profit organization which seeks to free the wrongfully convicted.New member Kim Stoner will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
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 Former FBI agent Eileen Rice will be the program speaker at the first Rotary Club of Edina meeting of the New Year on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. Rice, now an investigator with WayPoint Inc., will speak about "Causes of Wrongful Convictions," and her work with the Innocence Project. She sits on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, a non-profit organization which seeks to free the wrongfully convicted.New member Kim Stoner will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting Dec. 29 due to the New Year's holiday.
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 Rotary Club of Edina members will be ringing the bell at the Salvation Army red kettle at Jerry's Foods in Edina this week. Volunteers were there Monday and Tuesday, and will continue ringing Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 21–23. Stop by and support the volunteers as they brave the cold and last-minute holiday food shoppers! Rotary ringers will be at Jerry's Foods from 2 to 8 p.m. today, Wednesday, Dec. 21, for "Ring for Joel Day," in honor of longtime Rotary Club of Edina member Joel Jennings. Joel rang the bell at the red kettle with Rotary many times over the years. We'll honor Joel by ringing in his name, and all the donations received in the red kettle that day from 2 to 8 p.m. will be matched. Thursday, Dec. 22, Rotary ringers will be at Jerry's from 2 to 8 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 23, Rotary volunteers will ring from 2 to 6 p.m.
Thanks to all the Rotarians, Interact members and others who volunteered to take part in this Rotary tradition. Special appreciation goes to Dan Hallberg and Wayne Harmon for once again coordinating this year's volunteers, and providing support each day at the red kettle. Stop by and toss in some change and support your fellow Rotarians and friends as they ring for a great cause!
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Registration for the Holiday Party has now closed. If you would still like to attend, please contact contact Marty Kupper or Steve Slyce. We hope to see you Thursday evening! |
.JPG) Rotary Club of Edina members will be ringing the bell at the Salvation Army red kettle at Jerry's Foods in Edina Monday through Friday, Dec. 19–23. Stop by and support the volunteers as they brave the cold and last-minute holiday food shoppers! Rotary ringers will be at Jerry's Foods from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 19 through Dec. 22, and from 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 23. Wednesday, Dec. 21, is "Ring for Joel Day," in honor of longtime Rotary Club of Edina member Joel Jennings. Joel rang the bell at the red kettle with Rotary many times over the years. We'll honor Joel by ringing in his name, and all the donations received in the red kettle that day from 2 to 8 p.m. will be matched.
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Following President Ann Platt calling the meeting to order, Wooj Byun gave us some very thoughtful words related to “What is giving?" The Pledge of Allegiance was followed by the recitation of the Rotary Four-Way Test.
Jim Roberts helped at the front desk. You were greeted by Alan Mogck and Terry Moore.
Kris Maser introduced 10 visitors and one visiting Rotarian (from the Uptown Rotary Club).   President Ann, in the spirit of the holidays, then recognized the seven members of the Edina Country Club wait staff, along with both Club accountant Patti Ellingson-Solheim and Club administrator Jennifer Garske. Patti and Jen were given very festive floral arrangements!
Steve Slyce followed with the reminder of the Rotary Holiday Party being held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the ECC. You can count on good food and conversation at this event! (Registration has now closed, but contact Steve or Marty Kupper if you would still like to attend.) Our Past President, Jennifer Bennerotte, next reviewed the Nominating Committee’s various board nominations for the 2017–2018 Rotary year: Club Board
Edina Rotary Foundation Board
 Sam Thompson next introduced Claire Swift, an outbound Youth Exchange student last school year, 2015–2016. Claire outlined her 2015–2016 experience living in a small town close to Milan, Italy. Claire showed off her host families, many new friends and reviewed her travels all over Italy, along with the fun time she had during "Carnival."
Finally, our Club's The Rotary Foundation Director Sue Spalding spoke to the fundraising success of the club currently reaching almost 50 percent of the goal for donations to The Rotary Foundation in the 2016–2017 Rotary year. Also, Sue spoke of the latest Paul Harris Fellows. Eleven members were recognized, many being multiple Paul Harris Fellows (PHF). They were:
 Interestingly, Sue shared that our club has 80 Paul Harris Fellows.
After Jennifer Bennerotte’s speaker introduction, our two speakers, Andrew Lutaya and Kate Meredith each did an admirable job of educating us on the upcoming Highway 169 Improvement Project. Mr. Lutaya is the West Area Engineer with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Ms. Meredith is with the 494 Corridor Commission. We learned that the project extends from Highway 62 in Edina to Highway 55 in Plymouth. The anticipated duration is nine months—Jan. 10 through October 2017. Andrew itemized the four Highway 169 improvements that will be addressed during this nine-month project:
 Our other speaker, Kate Meredith represented the Commuter Services Outreach Program of the 494 Corridor Commission. This commission deals with commuter parking, coordinating van and car pools, ride matching, bike rack availability, etc. Kate reviewed the many local companies that have been very cooperative in working with this Improvement Program, including Best Buy, Mall of America, Normandale Lake Office Park, Normandale Community College, Starkey Labs, Cargill, and more.
For additional information on this project, the speakers recommended that we go to: http://www.mndot.gov/metro/projects/hwy169hopkins The speakers were thanked by Axel Steuer and the meeting was adjourned by President Ann at 1:30 p.m. .jpg) |
.png) The upcoming construction project on Highway 169 will be the program topic at the Thursday, Dec. 8, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Melissa Madison, Executive Director of the I-494 Corridor Commission and Commuter Services, and Andrew Lutaya, a senior project manager with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, will speak about the scope and timeline of the project that begins in January 2017. Their program is titled "State of the Commute." New member Kim Stoner will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
The Dec. 8 meeting is the last regular Rotary meeting of the year. The Rotary Holiday Party will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Edina Country Club. Due to the holidays, there are no Rotary meetings Dec. 22 and 29. The next regular meeting will be at the usual time and place Jan. 5, 2017.
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.png) The amazing work that The Rotary Foundation does throughout the world was honored recently. The Rotary Foundation was named the World's Outstanding Foundation for 2016 by the Association of Fundraiser Professionals. Rotary Club of Edina members support TRF with their yearly donations, and our club develops and contributes to TRF projects around the world. For more information on The Rotary Foundation, go here, or contact our club's TRF Director, Sue Spalding.
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 The upcoming construction project on Highway 169 will be the program topic at the Thursday, Dec. 8, Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Melissa Madison, Executive Director of the I-494 Corridor Commission and Commuter Services, and Andrew Lutaya, a senior project manager with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, will speak about the scope and timeline of the project that begins in January 2017. Their program is titled "State of the Commute." New member Kim Stoner will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
The Dec. 8 meeting is the last regular Rotary meeting of the year. The Rotary Holiday Party will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Edina Country Club. Due to the holidays, there are no Rotary meetings Dec. 22 and 29. The next regular meeting will be at the usual time and place Jan. 5, 2017.
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We were greeted today by our newest inducted member and the only Boomer Sooner in the club, Jen Tregarthen, the Unstoppable Dave Hatzung and, I guess, Billy McReavy. Just around the corner the fun begins with Mr. & Ms. Claus, or better known as Tom Pirsch and Jean Morrison, collecting gifts for the Rotary Holiday Giving Program, which will be given to Cornerstone's Holiday Shop and VEAP's Holiday Toy Drive. Donations can also be brought to the Dec. 8 meeting and to the Rotary Holiday Party Dec. 15. Cash and check donations are accepted.
 Diligently working the front desk with Jen Garske was Tom Ries. Madame President Ann Platt began the meeting with a sincere thank you to Michael Stanzak and Mary Hustad for all their work on another successful Thanksgiving Basket meeting. Great job Mary and Michael.
A very thoughtful invocation was brought to us by John Buttolph, with an excellent quote from Ben Franklin. Chuck Agan introduced the following guests and visiting Rotarians:
Dan Hallberg announced the dates and location of this year's Salvation Army’s Bell Ringing for our club, and that one day of the bell ringing will be in honor of Joel Jennings. All donations collected that day during our club's time ringing the bell will be matched! Members will be ringing at Jerry's Foods on Vernon Avenue in Edina from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 19 through 22, and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 23. Wednesday, Dec. 21, is Ring for Joel Day.
 Membership Committee Member and Past President Steve Slyce inducted our newest member, Jen Tregarthen, at the meeting. Jen is sponsored by Greg Yoch. Jen is new to our club but not to Rotary as she was a member of the Norman Sooner Rotary Club in Oklahoma. Welcome Jen.
 Mike Kallas introduced one of our 2015–2016 outbound Youth Exchange students, Walter Sullivan, who gave an informative review of his experience in Sweden. Steve Buettner brought our Edina High School students guests, Eric Etukyo and Emily Neville, (former neighbor and talented kid).
 Our program was brought to us by Tom Bach, Edina West Class of '79, who has had a distinguished career with Northwest Airlines and United HealthCare. Tom introduced Scott F. Wolter who is a forensic geologist and petrographer. Wolter graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Minnesota–Duluth in 1982. Professionally, he has worked as a petrographer since 1985.
Wolter is the host of History channel's hit show "America Unearthed," which follows him on his quest to uncover the truth behind controversial historic artifacts. He also co-hosted History’s "Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar" about late 17th century pirate shipwrecks, Freemasons and the Knights Templar.  Scott did an excellent job of tailoring his program to fit our timeline. Scott has an ongoing quest to uncover the mysteries of the controversial Kensington Rune Stone he examined in 2001. We discovered only about half of the members and guests present knew about the Kensington Rune Stone. As Scott explained, the Kensington Rune Stone is a medieval document carved in rock. Scott proposed it is a land claim, carved in Minnesota in 1362. It is said to have been written by a party of Templar Knights. The rune stone was found in Kensington, Minnesota, by Olof Ohman in 1890 in the roots of an Aspen tree. As said, the runes were caked with mud so Olof used a nail to scratch them out and attempt to read them. Those scratch marks would haunt the rune stone as detractors claimed that they were the marks of recent carving. In fact the scratches are down in the runes and the remainder of the carved surfaces show obvious weathering compared to the scratches. The runes were quite old, certainly older than the 20 years Olof had been in the area. Scott conducted a study to compare the weathering of the rune stone to other similar stones exposed to similar climate for a known period in order to deduce an age. Tombstones of slate in Maine that were approximately 200 years old were selected. Samples were taken with permission and studied. The carvings on the tombstones did not have complete mica deterioration and the rune stone did. This made it possible to conclude that the rune stone was carved more than 200 years ago. This of course, rules out any any hoax and any conclusion other than the rune stone is an artifact of pre-Columbian European contact. More information can be found at http://scottwolteranswers.blogspot.com/2016/02/kensington-rune-stone-deception.htmlIn 1990, Scott founded American Petrographic Services and continues to serve as president. He has been the principal petrographer in more than 7,000 material forensic investigations throughout the world, including the evaluation of fire-damaged concrete from the Pentagon following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Scott quest to find Jeff Ohe's heart has come up empty, but he did find a big ego.
Leann Stessman thanked Scott, and Madame President Platt concluded another successful meeting.
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.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina joined with Edina Morningside Rotary Club and the Interact Club of Edina High School Nov. 23 to assemble and deliver 77 Thanksgiving Baskets to families in need in our community. Almost 170 Rotarians, friends and family gathered to help with the event!Click on the link to see more photos from this wonderful joint project between our club and EMRC...
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.jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Scott F. Wolter as the program speaker at the Thursday, Dec. 1, meeting. Wolter is a forensic geologist and petrographer and will speak about "The Kensington Rune Stone Mystery Solved."Wolter, best known as the host of History channel's hit show "America Unearthed," which follows him on his quest to uncover the truth behind controversial historic artifacts and sites found throughout North America, and beyond. He also co-hosted History’s "Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar" about late 17th century pirate shipwrecks, Freemasons and the Knights Templar.
Wolter is also the author of several books including "Akhenaten to the Founding Fathers: The Mysteries of the Hooked X" and "The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America." Together these books cover the story of his continuing research and resulting discoveries made over the last 15 years, beginning with his ongoing quest to uncover the mysteries of the controversial Kensington Rune Stone he examined in 2001. The Kensington stone is a medieval document carved in rock which Scott proposed is a land claim, carved in Minnesota in 1362, by a party of Templar Knights. Wolter graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Minnesota–Duluth in 1982. Professionally, he has worked as a petrographer since 1985. In 1990, he founded American Petrographic Services and continues to serve as President. He has been the principal petrographer in more than 7,000 material forensic investigations throughout the world, including the evaluation of fire-damaged concrete from the Pentagon following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
New member Jen Tregarthen will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
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 It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror and the winter holidays are fast approaching. As Edina Rotarians, we have many blessings that we can count. Last Wednesday, Nov. 23, Michael Stanzak, with assistance from Mary Hustad, made arrangements for 77 Thanksgiving Baskets to be delivered to families in need in our community. More than 100 Rotary Club of Edina members with family and friends, along with 55 Edina Morningside Rotary Club members and guests, as well as eight members of the Edina High School Interact Club, assembled and delivered the baskets. This was a record number of helpers—almost 170! Our Community Service—Local Funding Committee is busy vetting grant requests. These monies are available due to the success of this year’s Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala, which netted $105,000. This would not have occurred without the leadership of gala Co-Chairs Sam Thompson and Leann Stessman. They put together an amazing evening with both exciting silent and live auction items and lively entertainment so that we could meet our revenue goal while having fun. Kudos to both Sam and Leann. Congratulations also to Marty Kupper and Mike Opitz, who organized another successful raffle as part of the 2016 Fundraiser & Gala. They have coordinated the distribution and collection of the raffle tickets for the past 10 years, and it is estimated that the club has netted over $160,000! Marty and Mike are the Raffle Kings!
There are many activities coming up in December and hopefully each of you will donate a gift for those less fortunate through our Rotary Holiday Giving Program (bring donations to the Dec. 1 and 8 meetings), sign up for Salivation Army bell ringing (contact Dan Hallberg) and attend the Rotary Holiday Party on Dec. 15 (register now!). |
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Edina Rotarians are invited to participate in an Edina Chamber of Commerce survey that is collecting stakeholder and community input to direct the economic development strategy for the city of Edina. This strategy is expected to guide activities in the community over the next ten years. This survey is not a city project, but is from the Chamber.
Future iQ Partners is collecting this information for area organizations and you may answer the survey anonymously. The survey link can be found here. The survey will only take five minutes to complete. Deadline to participate is tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 30. |
 The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Scott F. Wolter as the program speaker at the Thursday, Dec. 1, meeting. Wolter is a forensic geologist and petrographer and will speak about "The Kensington Rune Stone Mystery Solved." He is founder and president of American Petrographic Services, headquartered in St. Paul. He is also an author and host of History channel's television show, "American Unearthed."New member Jen Tregarthen will be officially inducted into the club at the meeting.
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 A total of 169 people were greeted by our Chairman of this event of many years, the Honorable and Ever Enthusiastic Michael Stanzak. We also had three District 5950 Governors in attendance, and a crew from Korea filming this event—more about that later.Helping out at the front desk for the Thanksgiving Baskets Assembly meeting were Wayne Harmon and Mary Hustad.
 Michael Stanzak thanked Mary Hustad, who organized and planned the distribution of the Thanksgiving Baskets. He then thanked some of the people that prior to lunch, picked up some of the food that we packed into our Thanksgiving baskets. Our partners in the Thanksgiving Baskets project, the Edina Morningside Rotary Club, contributed to the event in many ways. Michael thanked Jane Ehresmann, who brought the bread and oranges for the baskets and organized her club's participation. Ted Field, who donated hats and mittens to the baskets through his Warm Hands, Warm Heads, Warm Hearts project. Tom and Erick Ries, Tom Bach, Sam Cote, André Brewer and others put together the boxes for the food distribution. Tom Pirsch and Ted Yoch picked up the pumpkin pies for the baskets. He also thanked Zdenek Kratky of EMRC, who helped with all the canned goods donated by Del Monte, thanks to Rick Brannen.
 Wooj Byun, in his most humbled manner, then told about the film crew that has been following him around and were here today. Because he is one of the most successful Rotary Scholars to ever come out of Korea, he is being honored for that and Korea sent this crew here to film him for a few days. Way to go Wooj!
 Michael introduced the eight Interact students from Edina High School who were here to help. The Interact Club members told us about some of the current and upcoming projects, including the Skate to End Polio coming up on Feb. 10.  Mark Hegstrom, 2016–2017 Rotary District 5950 Governor, talked for a few minutes about community service and about his Thanksgiving Basket delivery last year and how emotionally rewarding that was to him and his wife, Colleen. Michael Stanzak then shared the following story, a classic familiar to those who have attended Thanksgiving Baskets in past years: A Father, a Daughter and a Dog A true story by Catherine Moore "Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?" Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle. "I saw the car, Dad . Please don't yell at me when I'm driving..." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt. Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts...dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him? Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess. The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man. Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.. My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it. The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.." I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had proved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog. I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons—too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly. I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly. As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?" "Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog." I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it!" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house. Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!" Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw. Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal. It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet. Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night. Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind. The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. "I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said. For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article... Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter...his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father...and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all. Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time. But do share this with someone. Lost time can never be found. God answers our prayers in His time...not ours. Michael closed with how "not what we say about our blessings in important, but how we use them is the true meaning of Thanksgiving."  Mary Hustad then announced the 25 groups of Rotarians and friends and relatives who then each packed three of the Thanksgiving boxes they were to deliver. And the two Edina Rotary clubs, as our Past President Bob Stehlik used to say as he closed each of his meetings—"Sow[ed] the Seeds Of Love"—delivering more than 75 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need in our community.   |
 Around 25 Rotary Club of Edina members and guests enjoyed a musical evening out in St. Paul last Saturday, Nov. 19. Organized by Wade Thommen, as part of the Membership Retention Committee, the group enjoyed a social hour followed by dinner at Bonfire Wood Fire Cooking, and then walked to St. Paul's United Church of Christ on Summit Avenue for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's "Dvorak's Serenade for Winds" concert.  In the New Year, Director Ken Andersen and the Membership Retention Committee have many fun events planned for members, kicking off with the annual Rotary Bowling Night Jan. 28! Stay tuned for more info on upcoming social events for Rotarians and guests!
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.JPG) Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina on our website. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Tom Cook as a member in April 2016. Tom's sponsor to the club was David Clynes. Click on the link to get to know Tom... |
 Periodically we feature a newer member of the Rotary Club of Edina in The Barker. The Rotary Club of Edina welcomed Tom Cook as a member in April 2016. Tom's sponsor to the club was David Clynes. Read on to get to know more about Tom...Name: Tom Cook
Classification: Ministry
What was your first job? I was a grocery clerk and cashier with Winn-Dixie grocers in central Florida.
Who was your first role model and why? My father was certainly my earliest role model. His positive approach to life, good natured relationships, and care for us as a family were (and remain) inspiring. Why did you want to join Rotary? My father introduced me to Rotary many years ago, and his long experience with the club was very meaningful for him. That planted a seed in me for the same experience. And Rotary Club is a chance to know many of the great people of my new home city and its people in ways that allow us to support the community and each other.
What do you like best about being part of the Rotary Club of Edina? Definitely a fun, well-organized and welcoming group of people. The weekly camaraderie is energizing, and I’m learning a lot about Edina and the area. What one piece of advice do you offer other business leaders? Successful enterprise begins and thrives where relationships are firm, honest and helpful. Take the time to know the people with whom you work and serve, and be sincere in all you do with them. We are lucky to have you as a member of the Rotary Club of Edina, Tom!
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Thanks again for remembering me with an invitation to the Veterans Day Luncheon. [A] really nice tribute each year or all the vets. Good program, speakers, food and fellowship.
Dan
Edina
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The Rotary Club of Edina’s Board of Directors recently approved the applicant below for membership:
Kim Stoner
Classification: IT Consulting
Sponsor: Jody Kerns
Written objections to the application must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, to Rotary Club of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
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Payment for guests, as well as Senior Active and Honorary Members, can be made at the door by cash, check or credit card (there is a fee for credit card payments). Cost is $20. Make sure you check in at the registration table when you arrive that evening. Valet parking will be offered at the ECC. Note that only cash will be accepted to purchase beverages at the bar. The ECC does not have a cash machine on site. Registration for the Holiday Party has now closed. If you would still like to attend, please contact contact Marty Kupper or Steve Slyce.
.jpg) The party is your last chance to donate to the Holiday Giving Program! Please bring UNWRAPPED gifts for children of any age (infant all the way through teens) as well as gifts for moms, dads, and families, to the Edina Country Club during the Holiday Party on Thursday. Benefitting from this year's program are Cornerstone's Holiday Shop and VEAP's Holiday Toy Drive. Contact Jean Morrison if you have questions or need ideas for gifts to donate. Thank you!
We hope to see you Thursday evening!
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.jpg) Rotary Club of Edina members are encouraged to bring unwrapped gifts, gift cards or cash or check donations to the Dec. 8 meeting! Rotarian Jean Morrison is once again spearheading the effort to spread holiday cheer in our community by donating gifts to families in need this holiday season. This year the Rotary Holiday Giving Program will donate gifts to Cornerstone's Holiday Shop and VEAP's Holiday Toy Drive. Donations can also be brought to the Rotary Holiday Party Dec. 15. Contact Jean for ideas for gifts or more information about the program.
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 This Wednesday, Nov. 23, the Rotary Club of Edina will join with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club and friends and family to assemble Thanksgiving Baskets to deliver to families in need in our community this holiday season. We will gather for lunch at 11:45 a.m. at the Edina Country Club, with a short program by Michael Stanzak about the event. Then everyone will work with their team to assemble the baskets with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. The teams will then deliver the baskets to families in the community. Registration for the meeting has closed. Please contact Michael Stanzak if you have questions.
There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 24.
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Our Nov. 16 meeting was called to order by President Ann Platt. It was announced that the annual Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala held Oct. 1 raised nearly $105,000, which brought a round of applause and whoops and hollers. Well done! Ann thanked Gala Co-Chairs Sam Thompson and Leann Stessman.
Greeters for the meeting were John MacLennan, Kris Maser and André Brewer. Bob Stehlik and Erick Ries helped at the front desk. Valerie Burke gave a lovely invocation with a theme of “gratitude.” She also lead the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary Four-Way Test. David Aase introduced the guests that were present:
.jpg) It was an entertaining lunch, complete with “ingredients” for a perfect Thanksgiving meal. Member Bob Solheim encouraged all to sign up for assembling and delivering Thanksgiving meals to local families in need. Bob announced that over 1,000 families have received Thanksgiving baskets over the years. Join together for lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 11:45 a.m., then assemble the baskets and deliver them.
 Two Edina High School students were guests for this meeting. Member Steve Buettner introduced the students, Christina Orth and Ty Dowda, who each shared a short bio with us. Both students are very involved both in and out of school and have hearts for service. Both will graduate next June and will attend college in the fall of 2017. Clearly, Christina and Ty have bright futures ahead of them. Congratulations to both Edina High School students.  A new member was inducted officially into the club by one of our past presidents, Brad Hepp. André Brewer is sponsored into the Edina Rotary by Sam Cote. André is involved with Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert and his classification will be Youth Development/Camps. Welcome André. Our club’s The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Chair, Sue Spalding, introduced the speakers for this meeting. Sue is a former TV news affiliate in the Ames and Des Moines, Iowa, area and is the current CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota. Sue shared that The Rotary Foundation is celebrating 100 years this year and is a “vast source for doing good in the world.” The goal for TRF is “every Rotarian, every year” so that with sustained funding, many more projects around the world can be completed and lives can be changed and dramatically improved. The goal for the TRF campaign this year is 100 percent participation to raise $100,000 for the 100th year. Letters are in the mail to members to promote the campaign.  Sue introduced Past Rotary District Governors Tim Murphy and Jim Nelson. These men shared the importance of supporting TRF each Rotary year. A short clip of a video by Joel Jennings was played. Joel explained that “people who give are happier people.” In the spirit of the motto of the TRF, “Doing Good in the World,” Tim and Jim encouraged all to give generously to the fund. Some examples of the types of projects that are funded by the TRF and matching funds by the District Designated Funds are: water purification and sanitation; disease prevention and treatment; peace and conflict prevention and resolution; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development. This is all in addition to the Polio Plus effort. A suggested minimum donation by each Rotarian is $365 per year or “a dollar a day.” The Rotary Club of Edina has traditionally given the biggest portion of the District’s annual funds to TRF. Way to go Edina Rotary! Tim and Jim thanked all who already give to the TRF and encouraged those who have not given in the past to do so. The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to “enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty.”
.jpg) Will Steinke thanked Tim and Jim for their informative presentation. President Ann Platt closed the meeting.
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The event will feature a short social period, with a "formal" program beginning at 6 p.m. Each person will have a brief opportunity to introduce themselves and make new connections. A featured presenter will have 15 minutes to share information that is relevant to his or her profession followed by a short Q&A period. The speaker at the Dec. 12 gathering is Dick Crockett of the Edina Community Foundation. Dick is a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. Other upcoming speakers are:
Rotary Happy Hour is a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC. Contact Renee Harberts for more information. Come and check out this Rotary event!
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 The Rotary Club of Edina is collecting holiday gifts for families in need in our community. Rotarian Jean Morrison is spearheading the Holiday Giving Program, and asks that members bring UNWRAPPED gifts for children of any age (infant all the way through teens) as well as gifts for moms, dads, and families, to the Edina Country Club in December. The gifts can still be dropped off at the Dec. 8 meeting, or at the Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 15. Gift cards, cash or check donations are also welcome at the Dec. 8 meeting. Jean will take the funds donated and buy gift cards or other gifts to be donated as well. This year, the organizations benefiting from the Edina Rotary Holiday Giving Program will be:• Cornerstone—every year for the holidays, Cornerstone hosts the Holiday Shop for the families they serve. The Holiday Shop gives children from abusive homes the opportunity to shop for gifts for their parents and siblings. Cornerstone is a nonprofit agency that serves adults and children who have been impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence and/or human trafficking. Cornerstone believes that together, we can ease the stress of the season and make the holidays brighter for families who are rebuilding their lives.
• VEAP—the annual Holiday Toy Drive collects gifts for children for the holidays. The holidays can be a challenging time for low-income families. Often, parents must choose between purchasing holiday gifts or maintaining the basic necessities of every day life. The goal of VEAP's Toy Drive is to provide one toy (a $10–$20 value), one book and two winter-wear items per child and one game per household for low-income families in Bloomington, Richfield, Edina and south Minneapolis. VEAP is a non-profit, social service agency that assists low-income families in these communities.
If you have questions about the program, or need gift ideas for children or families, contact Jean Morrison at jean@jeanmorrisonhr.com. Thank you for sharing your holiday spirit with those in need!
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.JPG) .jpg) The Rotary Club of Edina meeting this Thursday, Nov. 17, will focus on The Rotary Foundation. With the 2016–2017 TRF campaign kicking off, the program at the meeting will be introduced by our club's TRF Chair Sue Spalding. Past District 5950 Governors Tim Murphy and Jim Nelson will speak about TRF, sharing with members the importance of supporting TRF each Rotary year. See below for info about next week's Thanksgiving Baskets Assembly, Wednesday, Nov. 23.
There is no Rotary meeting Thursday, Nov. 24.
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 .JPG) The Rotary Club of Edina meeting this Thursday, Nov 17, will focus on The Rotary Foundation. With the 2016–2017 TRF campaign kicking off, the program at the meeting will be introduced by our club's TRF Chair Sue Spalding. Past District 5950 Governors Tim Murphy and Jim Nelson will speak about TRF, sharing with members the importance of supporting TRF each Rotary year. New member André Brewer will officially be inducted into the club at the meeting.
Next week's Rotary meeting is Thanksgiving Baskets Assembly, with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club, Wednesday, Nov. 23. Please sign up yourself and any guests here by Nov. 17 to join in for this special event. We will assemble baskets with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal, and then teams will deliver the baskets to those in need in our community. This annual project is a great way for you and your family to give back before the holiday. Contact Michael Stanzak for more information.
There is no Rotary meeting Thursday, Nov. 24.
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The eight southwest metro Rotary clubs hosted our annual Rotary salute to veterans on Friday, Nov. 11, at Bearpath Golf and Country Club in Eden Prairie. Greeters for our club were Shelly Loberg, Scott MacDonald and Brad Hepp. Helping sign in guests and members at the front desk were San Asato and Marty Kupper.
District 5950 Governor Mark Hegstrom welcomed the more than 250 Rotarians and guests and introduced Edina Rotarian Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad (Ret) as the emcee for the program promptly at 11:30 a.m.
After the Presentation of the Colors by the Chanhassen American Legion Post No. 80 Color Guard, our emcee led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rotary Brass Quintet, led by Edina Morningside Rotarian Mary Brindle, accompanied us in our National Anthem. Chaplain Lt. Col. Jerome Fehn then gave the invocation.  Following lunch, our emcee introduced Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who gave a salute to our veterans. She noted that while we have just finished one of the most difficult elections of our time, we must focus on things that bring us together, not what divides us. Patriotism is a good example—it is the love of country that brings us together. Emcee Schulstad asked all of the veterans present to stand as their service song was played. The highlight occurred when he asked the four WWII vets to stand and be recognized. That quartet included our own Edina Rotarian Harold Hanson. They were greeted by a standing ovation from everyone in the room.  He then introduced our keynote speaker, Brigadier General Sandra Best. She is the first female general in the history of the Minnesota Air National Guard, and comes from a family of service veterans. Her grandfather served in WWI in1918.
General Best emphasized several key points:
Our emcee thanked the speaker and ended the program at 1:05 p.m. after the Colors were retired.
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This Wednesday, Nov. 23, the Rotary Club of Edina will join with the Edina Morningside Rot |
Rotary Club of Edina will host another Prospective Member Day at this week's meeting, Thursday, July 19. All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club to the meeting. Lunch is on the club for all prospective members July 19! Please make sure your guests sign in at the guest table before the meeting.
“You'll laugh, you'll cry, you may see Tim Murphy fly!”.png)
The Rotary Club of Edina will hold a Vocational Day meeting this Thursday, May 17, at the University of Minnesota Athletes Village. Box lunches and bottled water will be provided. There will be a tour of the complex after lunch and a presentation. 
The Rotary Club of Edina, along with support of Rotary District 5950 and several area Rotary Clubs, will host a Opioid Awareness Workshop this Thursday, May 3, at the Edina Country Club. .jpg)
Once again this year, members of the Rotary Club of Edina will ring the Salvation Army bell at Jerry's Foods in Edina! Organized by Dan Hallberg, with the help of Wayne Harmon, teams of Rotarians will ring the bell for five days this week. 
The Rotary Club of Edina annual Holiday Party will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Edina Country Club. All Rotarians and significant others (no other guests, please) were invited. Registration has ended for the event, so please contact Steve Slyce or Marty Kupper with questions. 
The Rotary Club of Edina will host Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, as program speaker at next week's meeting, Thursday, Aug. 17, meeting. Our club has invited all Area 3 and 5 Rotary clubs to attend this meeting. For planning purposes, Edina Rotarians are asked to please register .jpg){kind=logo}
WHAT: Rotary Club of Edina Prospective Member Day
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WHAT: Rotary Club of Edina Prospective Member Day
WHAT: Just Golf It & Mini-Masters Golf Tournament, plus dinner and dessert reception
WHAT: Chamber/Rotary Edina State of Community event
The Rotary Club of Edina is now on LinkedIn! Click on this 
WHAT: Italian Cooking Class
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This Thursday, Dec. 15, is the annual Rotary Holiday Party from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Edina Country Club. Join your fellow Rotarians for a chance to celebrate the holidays with a variety of hearty appetizers and a cash bar. There will be lots of room to sit and relax in the living room to catch up with old and new friends in Rotary. You can bring gifts to donate to the Holiday Giving Program as well.
This Thursday, Dec. 15, is the annual Rotary Holiday Party from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Edina Country Club. Join your fellow Rotarians for a chance to celebrate the holidays with a variety of hearty appetizers and a cash bar. There will be lots of room to sit and relax in the living room to catch up with old and new friends in Rotary..jpg){kind=logo}
Join us for the Edina Rotary Happy Hour/Vocational Development Group. The December Rotary Happy Hour will be held at a different date and time than usual. The next gathering will be Monday, Dec. 12, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz, located upstairs in Lunds & Byerly's at 7171 France Ave. S. in Edina. Access The Mezz from the entrance closest to France Avenue (SW corner of the store). Wine and craft beer is available at your own cost. A limited menu may be available, but you can also purchase food in the grocery deli and bring it upstairs..jpg)