This Week's Rotary Scuttlebutt 08.02.23 (Aug 02, 2023)

Morning Meeting:

Erik Cooper, Assistant Project Manager - Major Projects

MN Department of Transportation

Join us this Wednesday morning at 7:30am in the Great Hall at the Kitchi Gammi Club (831 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802) as we hear from Erik Cooper, Assistant Project Manager - Major Projects with the MN Department of Transportation.

Erik Cooper is a Professional Engineer, from Duluth and a UMD alumni. He has been with MnDOT for 3 years as an Assistant Project Manager on the Major projects team. Prior to MnDOT, Erik worked for 5 years with a local consultant on municipal projects. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and golfing.

Erik will present an overview and construction progress update on the Twin Ports Interchange project. He will also discuss design challenges and provide recent construction photos of the project's progress.

Learn more about the project here: MN DoT Twin Ports Interchange

Join us via Zoom! ID: 864 1777 1488 PW: 279016

2023 Hermans Scholarship Golf Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone who came out to the successful 2023 annual golf fundraiser presented by Harbortown's Charitable Foundation to benefit the Robert Hermans Scholarship Fund and the Donald Holm Founders Fund.

We had a lovely, fun day raising funds for kids in our community.

Save the date for next year's event! Monday July 8, 2024

2023 Rotary Peach Sale

Creating Hope: A Look at the Year Ahead

Even as we face new and serious challenges, Rotary takes care of its members and those we serve, works to build lasting peace, and embeds belonging and inclusion in everything we do. That is why I am asking everyone in Rotary to Create Hope in the World.

Pushing polio eradication to the finish line

This is a critical year for polio eradication efforts as Rotary and our Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners are aggressively working to interrupt transmission of the poliovirus in the remaining endemic countries and other areas.

Prioritizing mental health

This year, we’re prioritizing projects that aim to support mental health. This effort is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like to see someone close to me suffer in silence. I have also witnessed the power of personal connections, the value of discussing emotional and mental well-being, and the lifesaving impact of preventive care and treatment.

Research shows that performing acts of kindness is one of the most effective steps any of us can take to protect our well-being and make us more resilient to all the challenges we encounter in life. And by building peace within, we become more capable of bringing peace to the world.

Fostering peace

Building peace is the essence of Rotary. Many of our service projects foster the conditions for Positive Peace. We work tirelessly to overcome barriers and create new connections among people. This year, we’ll introduce virtual international exchanges for members to build those vital connections even further.

Creating a welcoming club experience

The spirit of connection and purpose should inspire every Rotary member. When club leaders focus on offering an excellent club experience, we retain more members and attract more prospective members. We must make our clubs as welcoming and engaging as we can.

Let us build peace within and spread it freely. Let us create belonging and imagine the future of Rotary afresh. Let us work together joyously as we Create Hope in the World.

Rotary Magazine - July 2023

Gordon McInally began his Rotary journey at age 26, invited to join his local club by a farmer friend in their small village in Scotland. The journey would take him around the world to serve in places like Rwanda and South Africa and to a realization that Rotary is "a great vehicle for being able to care for and help others." In this issue of Rotary magazine, join us as we get to know Rotary's new president and his mission to Create Hope in the World.

Click here to read the July 2023 issue. The link will take you to your digital copy, which you can read using any common web browser.

In this special issue, we'll introduce you to all of Rotary's 2023-24 leadership, including the Board of Directors, the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, and the district governors. Learn about their professional backgrounds and hear some of their incredible Rotary stories.

In the Our Clubs section, we've got tips on how your club or district can apply for global grants to support international activities in Rotary's areas of focus. Looking for other ways to get involved? Find out how Rotarians and Rotaractors can apply to serve on committees in the 2024-25 Rotary year.

Parking at the Kitchi Gammi Club

The Kitchi Gammi Club would like all our Harbortown Rotary members who attend Wednesday morning meetings to know that the top row of parking spots in the Kitchi Gammi parking lot (marked in red on the map) is now leased to St. Luke's. Those spaces are for St. Luke’s employees only and are not available for us to park in during morning meetings. St. Luke’s will be towing those spots if the cars parked there do not have the appropriate parking sticker.

Upcoming Program Duties

If you have an upcoming program duty (please check the upcoming duty roster), please be sure to secure a speaker and provide notice to Chloe Strand (Chloe.Strand@hdcmn.org) as soon as that speaker is confirmed. If you are unable to confirm a speaker, please contact Rick Oase (rickoase@yahoo.com) or Stephanie Judd (sljudd@gmail.com) for help, consider other program ideas like a Ted Talk, presenting yourself on a relevant topic or your business, or creating some excitement for a community organization you are passionate about. It is your program, so think about what is interesting and engaging to you and share it with others!

If for some reason you are unable to switch duties with another member or you have simply exhausted all efforts to find a speaker, please notify Rick or Stephanie no later than 3 business days before the meeting (the Friday before the meeting your program is scheduled).

Harbortown Rotary has a Windows 11 laptop at the Kitchi Gammi Club for weekly Harbortown meetings. Presenters may bring a USB drive with the PowerPoint presentation (or whatever is wanted to be shown on the projector while speaking). Please share this information with your program's presenter.

Thank you for your help and thank you to all who are working hard to find engaging content for our upcoming sessions!

Upcoming Program Duties:

10.18 - Junior Rotarian Welcome Breakfast

10.25 - Evening Gathering for All Twin Ports Rotary Clubs (No Morning Meeting) - Program: Rotary Foundation

11.01 - Foundation Day

11.08 - Service Project

11.15 - Chip Jacobs

11.22 - Chris Dahlberg

11.29 - Jerry Kortesmaki

12.06 - Mary Jo Kroska

12.13 - Service Project

12.20 - Bob Lindquist

12.27 - Karl Everett

Harbortown News

For news, announcements, event promotion, social media, media releases, and more, please contact Charity Johnson (csjohnson@starbasemn.org / 218.788.7288) and Chloe Strand (chloestrand90@gmail.com / 218.340.2531).

For Scuttlebutt: If you are hosting the program speaker, please copy Chloe on the speaker's name, organization, and email. If you are the chair of a Harbortown Committee, please update Chloe on relevant information regarding grants and awards, meetings or news. Chloe and Charity will use this information to create more dynamic and engaging content to share with potential club members and on social media!

It is our goal to continue to share the good work that Harbortown Rotary is doing in our community, so your help and support is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Harbortown Rotary 2023