We were greeted by Greg Gable, Mark Jessen and Sita Dash. Front desk was kept by Renee Harberts and Becci Michalski. Katy Campbell was this week’s official photographer for us. She was busy taking photos of members and guests.
 President Josh Sprague started the meeting with a video clip whereby Apollo 11 carried Edina Rotary’s Flag to the Moon. Charles F. Sprague (son of Josh) explained to us Rotary International’s core values which includes Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity and Leadership. President Sprague introduced some of our club’s goals this year and also leaders with their (cute) juvenile photos. He then gave surprise Thank-You bouquets of flowers to Jennifer Bennerotte and Ann Platt for their support and leadership for our club this past year. John Solberg moved us with a very inspiring invocation which was followed by Pledge of Allegiance and Rotary’s Four-Way Test. Bjorn Freudenthal, our only Finnish member, introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. Jen Glass, former President of Edina Morningside Club, introduced two inbound and two outbound short-term exchange students. Ciro Russo from Italy showed us some photos of his hometown in Italy. The photos included some historical places such as Positano, Pompeii, Capri, Mount Vesuvius, etc. His father is the police chief and his mother is a city council member in his hometown. He thanked us for this great exchange opportunity. The program was introduced to us by Skip Thomas, one of the best-looking real estate agents in Minnesota. He has been involved in many committees in our club. He is a former hockey legend and he is currently a multiple Paul Harris fellow.  Our Speaker Matt Majka is in his second season as President and Alternate Governor for Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (MSE) and 22nd year with the organization. He previously held the positions of COO, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships within the company. He and his wife, Kym, have two sons, Sam and Nick. The family resides in Medina. Majka joined the Minnesota Wild in October of 1997 from Rollerblade, Inc., where he started work in 1984. Beginning as a Sales Rep for the fledgling company, he held positions of increasing responsibility through his 13-year tenure.The Detroit, Mich., native has lived in the Twin Cities for more than 50 years and is a 1984 speech communications graduate of the University of Minnesota. Majka currently serves on the St. Paul Downtown Alliance, the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, among others. He and his wife, Kym, have two sons, Sam and Nick. The family resides in Medina. MSE is a regional sports and entertainment leader that has grown into several different business operations including the Minnesota Wild, its minor league affiliate, the Iowa Wild, 317 on Rice Park and the facility management of Xcel Energy Center and Saint Paul River Centre. While working for the Wild, Majka has been instrumental in fostering the unique relationship between the hockey club and its fan base. The team’s continued dedication to the fans of the “State of Hockey” is reflected in ESPN The Magazine’s Ultimate Standings as the Wild was named the “Best Stadium Experience” in the National Hockey League from 2007-10. Minnesota ranked first in the NHL and sixth overall for “Stadium Experience” in the field of all 122 major league sports franchises in 2012. Majka shared some of Wild’s Principles including Pride and Fire, Selflessness, Unity, and Creativity. Wild’s purpose is to Create a Greater State of Hockey. It does so by putting the emphasis on service. Wild’s brand is a result of art and science. A brand is a the most valuable piece of real estate in the world, a corner of the consumer’s mind, according to Colin Bates, author of “How to Build Your Total Brand.” Great brand’s ingredients include Truth, Integrity, Sense of Place and Service to Larger Purpose. Majka believes that Wild’s brand has all these ingredients. He also believes that Wild’s brand has the following fundamental: Consistency, Continuity, Clarity and Differentiation. |
Gary Pedersen thanked our speaker. President Sprague closed the meeting with his final thought: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been… by Wayne Gretsky.
Next week’s speaker is Gavin Kaysen of Bellecourt. Don’t miss it. If you like food, you don’t want to miss this meeting! Next week is also Prospective Member Day! Please bring our future leaders and good community members who fit Rotary’s motto of Service above Self.
Life is good in Edina Rotary where members are all above average, happy and generous!
