Thanks, Tom Durkin, for this news, which I’m sure all members will want to hear more about as the days pass.     Ed

Happy Birthday: Steve Wilmot (11/3) and Sue Boxrud (11/5)

Next Week: Japan and Its Writing System (Flynn)

Last Meeting:

Pat Johns   (see photos below)    is committed to bringing clean water to the people of Livingstonia, a high plateau in Malawi, Zambia. A photojournalist, trainer and self-described adventurist, his international travel sensitized him to the desperate need for clean water in many corners of the world. A nongovernmental group called Water for People steered him to Livingstonia, and his Rotary connections in Dallas, Texas have provided him a vehicle with which to make change.

Access to water and improved sanitation are the big issues he sees.  It’s a part of the world where women and children as young as 5 spend a good share of their day gathering water. When water is scarce, mud holes frequented by livestock become their default source.

The water system for Livingstonia was built 100 years ago to support a population of 2,000 people. Now, 15,000 live in the area. Mudslides have damaged the open, concrete half-pipe trench that runs down the side of the mountain. It has been replaced with PCV pipe.

Johns, Dean Johnson’s stepson, said his goal with his Africa Water Safari program is to build awareness, create sustainable plans and put them into action. He believes in the Livingstonia project because of the local government’s fiscal accountability. Financial contributions are used for their intended purpose.

If you want to learn more about Johns’ project, visit his website at www.pat-johns.com.

Condolences: The club acknowledged the death of Pat Lampe, wife of Bob Lampe, a longtime Rotarian. Pat died Tuesday, Oct. 27, at home.

Guests: Only card-carrying Rotarians last week. No guests.

Scholarship Enhancement: Jan Stevens. This student of the Civil War would have accepted Confederate dollars.

Announcements:

Bob Conley said he will be in transit for the next little while he makes his way to warmer climes, but he plans to be back with us in the spring.

Vicky Dilley thanked everyone who helped with the student exchange interviews. Lots of people made that happen.

The social event at The Grand Oct. 23 was pronounced “fabulous.” The company was good, the music was hot and some 250 people attended the event. Nice going Steve Ryan, Kurt Larson and Rob Bierman.

We had the battle of “signup” clipboards. Mike Lane was recruiting volunteers for the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, and Mark Cashman was recruiting for the Rotary basketball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 12. You will probably have an opportunity to sign up today, as well.

Lynne Pederson announced that there is a music benefit Saturday, Nov. 7, for the Senior Center. It will feature Will Healy, Craig Wasner and Mike Hildebrandt. See Lynne for tickets.

Outbound student blogs. Keep in touch.

http://web.me.com/rachael.stets/czechstets/Welcome.html

http://hangingwithfinlanders.blogspot.com/

http://estenson.blogspot.com/

http://thewanderblog.wordpress.com/

Coming Up

Nov. 19 – Matthew Rich, Classification

Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

Happy Birthday: Kurt Ruefenacht (10/30)

Next Week: Rural Enterprise Center (Reggie)

Last Meeting:

TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) has made a huge difference in the lives of Northfield’s Latino students.

The grant-funded program’s goal is to increase high school graduation and post-secondary participation rates among Latino students and first generation college students. Since its inception in 2004, the graduation rate for Latino students has climbed from 36 to 90 percent, and 70 TORCH students have received high school diplomas.

Beth Berry, the TORCH coordinator at the high school; Susan Sanderson, the coordinator at the middle school;  Marnie Thompson, assistant principal at NHS; and Zach Pruitt, coordinator of the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, shared this success story with us last week.

TORCH does several things to accomplish its goals. It pushes students out of basic classes into more advanced college preparatory classes. It helps students visit college campuses more often. It encourages enrichment camps, especially during the summer and on college campuses, and it invites parent participation, employing home visits when necessary. TORCH also arranges course work in high school that will provide free credits toward a college degree. All of the TORCH students involved in summer programs have gone on to college.

There are 103 middle school and 101 high school students currently involved with the program. Program challenges include attracting more Caucasian students, poverty and cultural issues, finding mentors and tutors for the students and the high cost of post-secondary education.

Guests: When you really think about it, aren’t we all guests, just passing through on borrowed time and on borrowed real estate? The real question is who is the host. That’s what we should be asking ourselves, especially when the scribe missed last week’s meeting and is making this up as he goes.

Scholarship Enhancement: Matt Hillman

Announcements:

Rick Estenson reminded us that the President’s Council, is still looking for a couple of  “big ideas.” Proposals are invited for two major Rotary initiatives, one local and one international.  We are encouraged to be creative and think big. The local project could be in the $30,000 to $300,000 range; the international project,  $50,000 to $500,000. The deadline is October 31, but the committee won’t be meeting until November 15 and any late submissions would be accepted.

Outbound student blogs. Keep in touch.

http://web.me.com/rachael.stets/czechstets/Welcome.html

http://hangingwithfinlanders.blogspot.com/

http://estenson.blogspot.com/

http://thewanderblog.wordpress.com/

Coming Up

Nov. 12 – Something special from Mike Flynn

Welcome New Member

Matt Hillman, Northfield Public Schools

Happy Birthday: Rob Martin (10/23), Doug Crane and Brett Reese (10/25)

Next Week: Global Clean & Safe Water, Rotary Action in Africa – Pat Johns (Dean Johnson)

Last Meeting:

Jody Fritz considers herself lucky to be able to call Northfield home. “It was a good spot to land,” she said of the decision she and her husband made in 1986. Her husband, Delos, worked in Cannon Falls, and Northfield was one step towards her hometown of Ceylon in southwestern Minnesota, which still had a strong hold on her.

Bernie Renander hired her to work as a teller at what was then Norwest Bank, now Wells Fargo, and Mark Moors proved to be a great mentor. Nineteen years later, she now works at First National Bank as vice president of consumer banking.

Jody has fond memories of Ceylon. She graduated from high school in a class of 13, so she was involved in many activities. Her father worked in a factory and played in a country-western band on weekends. He ultimately purchased the family butcher shop and continues to ply that trade. That chapter of familial history has made her a self-described “steak snob.”

She was married at 20 and now is treasuring her youngest son’s final year of high school. Her older son is enrolled at Boise State in Idaho. Family is pretty much her life, Jody said, and she is bracing herself for the next chapter — the empty nest.

Guests: Dave Shumway (Ophaug), and Bill Talen (Talen)

Scholarship Enhancement: Ernie Milbrandt

Announcements:

Members are invited to tomorrow’s social at the Grand, 6 to 7:30 p.m. and then stay for the ticketed blues concert, featuring blues legend Bernard Allison. See Steve Ryan, Rob Bierman or Kurt Larson if you need tickets

Laurie Williams, chair of the President’s Council, is still wondering “what’s the big idea?” She is inviting proposals for two major Rotary initiatives, one local and one international.  Be creative and think big. The local project could be in the $30,000 to $300,000 range; the international project,  $50,000 to $500,000. The deadline is November 1.

Virginia Kaczmarek invited members to run in the YMCA Fall Classic Saturday, Oct. 24.  All proceeds support Y Teen programming. For details, go to www.northfieldymca.org.

Some blogs to check out written by our current Outbound students:

http://hattieryan.tumblr.com/

http://samantharomaweaver.blogspot.com/

http://web.me.com/rachael.stets/czechstets/Welcome.html

http://hangingwithfinlanders.blogspot.com/

http://estenson.blogspot.com/

http://thewandererblog.wordpress.com/

Here is a blog from last years’ outbound student, Breanna Tetrault who went to Poland

Coming Up

Friday, Oct. 23 – Rotary Club Social, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Grand, Blues concert to follow

Nov. 5 - Rural Enterprise Center (Haslett-Marroquin)

Welcome New Member

Matt Hillman, Northfield Public Schools

Happy Birthday: Ed Lufkin (10/15)

Next Week:  TORCH – Tackling Obstacles & Raising College Hopes, Zach Pruitt (Crow)

Last Meeting:

A donation of only $150 when supplemented with matching Rotary District and International funds will provide a new well providing safe drinking water for 50 families in India.  Members of the District 5960 Group Study Exchange witnessed several of these new wells and other valuable Rotary programs in progress during their recent visit to the Andhra Pradesh state in southeast India.

Group leader Jim Hunt from the White Bear Lake Rotary Club and GSE participant Angela Eifert, an independent financial advisor, reported on the five person group’s month long tour during which they each stayed with nine different host families.  Other members of the group were Becky Harstad, a Registered Nurse, Greg Lauer, a software developer, and Noemi Trevino, an educator.  Jim and Angela described the friendly people, the wonderful vegetarian food, the importance of the Hindi religion, and the extremes of wealth and poverty both in urban and in rural areas.

They all became convinced that providing safe drinking water is one huge need that Rotary should continue to support to reduce the millions who die each year from waterborne diseases.

Guests:  Marty Marzoff (Brown-Wescott), Jane Rossing (Rossing), Nick and Sebastian (St. Olaf students guests of Stull), our exchange student Luisa Teixeira de Paula (Taylor), and former club members Charlie and Chris Skinner.

Scholarship Enhancement:  John Fossum

Announcements: 

Please remember to check off your name at the registration table each week when you pick up your name badge – this new method we believe will provide more accurate attendance numbers for our weekly meetings.

A Group Study Exchange trip from the District to Nigeria is planned for next spring. Please encourage young non-Rotarian professionals to look into this wonderful opportunity.

Turkey Run Volunteers are needed – please contact anyone on the Committee chaired by Mike Lane if you can help out.

Please save Saturday, December 12 to help with the annual Rotary Basketball Tournament at the Carleton Recreation Center.

Coming Up:

Oct. 23 – 6:00 pm – Rotary Social at the Grand Event Center followed by the Bernard Allison concert.

 Oct. 29 – Global Clean & Safe Water, Rotary action in Africa – Pat Johns (Johnson)

 Nov. 5 – Rural Enterprise Center – Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin

Welcome Our Newest Member: Matt Hillman, Northfield Public Schools

Happy Birthday: Rotarians around the globe.

Next Week: Jody Fritz Classification (Shumway)

Last Meeting:

Jim Thompson said agri-genomics  is providing farmers with a new generation of tools to help accelerate the search for better plants and more productive animals.

“There is a huge potential in crops and animals that hasn’t been tapped yet,” he said, “because we don’t understand the underlying genetics.”

But that will be different with the new technology and genomic research. For instance, Jim said bead chip technology is dramatically changing the dynamics of cattle breeding, offering an inexpensive and faster alternative to progeny testing. Jim calls it “a lab on a chip.” For less than $200, it reveals the genetic merit in a cow and helps identify those worthy of investment.

Jim declared farming a business and said there is a lot of money driving people to find better animals and better crops.

Improved farming practices have done wonders to increase production and grow more food. Genomics is the next wave of innovation that will take agriculture to new heights, he predicted.

Distribution of the food we grow remains an impediment to eliminating hunger. He said we have an obligation to use genetic engineering to create sustainable food production in regions where food now cannot be grown.   

Guests:  Roberto and Luisa (Taylor)

Scholarship Enhancement:  David Wolf

Announcements:

Laurie Williams, chair of the President’s Council, is still wondering “what’s the big idea?” She is inviting proposals for two major Rotary initiatives, one local and one international.  Be creative and think big. The local project could be in the $30,000 to $300,000 range; the international project,  $50,000 to $500,000. The deadline is November 1.

Two club socials are planned for the coming months, one for Friday, Oct. 23, with Blues legend Bernard Allison performing after the social (6 to 7:30 p.m.), and another on Saturday, Jan. 2. Mark your calendars.

Three Carleton College film students nvited Rotarians to be extras in a short film they are shooting at St. Olaf College on Sunday, Oct. 18. If you want to be in pictures, contact Megan Hafner at hafnerm@carleton.edu for more information.

Vicky Dilley is looking for help interviewing prospective outbound exchange students on Monday, Oct. 26. If you can help, talk to her.

Scott Richardson reported that Sofie Jokela is settling into her exchange experience near Milan, Italy and learning the language. Be sure to read Rachel Stets’s blog. She is very grateful for the opportunity Rotary has afforded her.

Outbound student blogs. Keep in touch.

http://web.me.com/rachael.stets/czechstets/Welcome.html

http://hangingwithfinlanders.blogspot.com/

http://estenson.blogspot.com/

http://thewanderblog.wordpress.com/

Coming Up:

Oct. 22 - TORCH – Tackling Obstacles & Raising College Hopes, Zach Pruitt  (Crow).

Welcome New Member - Matt Hillman, Northfield Public Schools

You don't have to look like a turkey to run in the Turkey Trot.

The 2009 Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run/Walk will be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009.

The event begins at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the Northfield Golf Club. Same day registration opens at 8 a.m. Each of the first 250 registrants will receive a commemorative long sleeve t-shirt. The cost is $12 prior to November 20 and $15 after that date. All proceeds benefit Rotary International’s polio eradication project.

A downloadable registration from may be found here: Rotary Turkey Trot 2009 Registration.

Happy Birthday: Rob Bierman (9/29) and Roberto Bretos (9/30).

Next Week:  Jim Hunt, Returning GSE team from India (Dilley)

Last Meeting:

District Governor Newell Krogmann reminded us that the future of Rotary is in our hands.

That’s the theme of this year’s Rotary International President, John Kenny of Scotland, and Newell whole-heartedly endorses it. Each of us has a personal responsibility to make our clubs and our programs successful, he said. He also believes there is power in numbers. He encouraged us to view other clubs as partners and to find ways to work collaboratively.

“When we join together, we do great things,” he said.

Rotary bestows many blessings, Newell said. Inbound and outbound students get the experience of a lifetime. Non-rotarians benefit from Rotary exchange teams and literacy programs, international water and food programs, not to mention Polio Plus, which has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

He praised Northfield for the vitality of its club and its commitment to youth exchange and international project. He also acknowledged Charlie Cogan and Richard Maus for the work they have done championing Polio Plus.

Bob Will Presidential Moment: Bob served as president for 2001-2002. Jim Herreid invited him to join.  We learned that Bob’s parents were deeply involved in volunteer work in his hometown of North Lake, Iowa, and that modeling steered him toward a club that is committed to service.  

Special Presentation: Jack Gibbons, a member of the Lakeville Rotary Club and the district’s Paul Harris chair, thanked the club for its support of the Paul Harris Foundation and presented a special award to Greg Carlson, in absentia, for his support.

Guests:  Steve Maus (Maus), Carol Rutz (Will), and Jack Gibbons (Fritz).

Scholarship Enhancement:  Sam Gett

Announcements:

Laurie Williams, chair of the President’s Council, is still wondering “what’s the big idea?” She is inviting proposals for two major Rotary initiatives for the coming year, one local and one international.  Be creative and think big. The local project could be in the $30,000 to $300,000 range; the international project,  $50,000 to $500,000. The deadline is November 1.

Two club socials are planned for the coming months, one for Friday, Oct. 23, with Blues legend Bernard Allison performing after the social (6 to 7:30 p.m.), and another on Saturday, Jan. 2. Mark your calendars.

Outbound student blogs. Keep in touch.

http://web.me.com/rachael.stets/czechstets/Welcome.html

http://hangingwithfinlanders.blogspot.com/

http://estenson.blogspot.com/

http://thewanderblog.wordpress.com/

Coming Up:

Oct. 15 - Jody Fritz Classification (Shumway).

Oct. 22 –TORCH – Tackling Obstacles & Raising College Hopes, Zach Pruitt  (Crow).

Oct 23 – Rotary Social at the Grand, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Blues Legend Bernard Allison to follow.

Ahoj! I am writing to you from Český Krumlov , Czech Republic with greetings of gratitude. Thus far my experience has been perfectly eclectic, which happens to be my word of the trip. I am not writing to you to summarize my trip so far, or to list off the countless things I’ve done, people I’ve seen, or even places I have been. That is what my blog is for so if you are interested, it is http://web.me.com/rachael.stets <http://web.me.com/rachael.stets>  it is the best way for me to keep in touch with everyone. But needless to say, it has already exceeded my expectations in every way.

To continue my previous thought, I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has contributed their time and efforts to making the Youth Exchange Program a success. Prior to my departure, Rotary just seemed like the big brother hanging around to sort of give me a little push off the diving board and into the world. I was not prepared for the endless support I have received here and from back home. It truly does encompass the exchange student with the feeling of an international community, and a commitment to the youth of the world. I have been truly amazed at the care and effort my Rotary Club (both here and back home) have taken to make my experience the best it could possibly be. Everyone has gone above and beyond my basic comfort needs to surround me with love and support as I continue to explore the possibilities of Europe and feed my passion for…the world.

Yes, that was very simply put, but you must understand the sheer passion that has overtaken me ever since I have arrived here. I suddenly find myself diving into the study of not one new language, but three. Finding myself constantly flipping on CNN, asking questions about the developing politics of the Czech Republic , and sharing my experiences with people from all over the world. I believe it is experiences like these, the ones that provoke the mind and infuse a passion into the hearts of youth is what makes establishments like Rotary International all the more worthwhile.

Furthermore, this experience (and how young the trip still is! today is only my one month marker is already strengthening my desire to pursue the field of International Relations in my collegiate career. I believe that my time spent here will serve as the foundation for many more years of study and passionate curiosity for the world around me.

So I am writing to say “děkuj” and I hope all of you will continue to follow my blog…it has been extremely helpful for me to collect my thoughts and process my experiences every once in a while, and I love sharing them with you! I feel as though I am personally connected to every single one of you in some way now; we are linked by a common desire to connect the world, to fuse cultures, and to create everlasting relationships all over the globe.

Thank you again. In fact, I thank you on behalf of all of the other Outbound Students from Northfield…we have all been able to stay in touch with one another and it is truly amazing to see how unique each experience is to each person. We are all grateful for the incredible opportunities you have already provided us with this year, and the knowledge and passion that will enable us to affect change on the world in the years to come. We could not be more blessed.

Rachael Stets

NHS ‘09 Graduate

Czech Republic