The Rotary Club of Excelsior held its first Board and Club Meeting with speaker Russ Michaletz via Zoom on Tuesday, January 2021. It was an outstanding meeting to start out the New Year. First we’ll cover some important notes from the Board Meeting.
1. Darel Leipold informed the Board that Excelsior is discussing installing smart parking meters on 2 nd and 3 rd Streets
and possibly the business areas two parking lots. Several suggested that we oppose this as it will have a
deleterious effect on the business community.
and possibly the business areas two parking lots. Several suggested that we oppose this as it will have a
deleterious effect on the business community.
2. Meetings will continue via Zoom until April (at least) and until all attending members can get vaccinated. We
could also start by having meeting outside once we get nice spring weather.
could also start by having meeting outside once we get nice spring weather.
3. President Kate needs our help to get speakers at least until July. So get your ideas to her or Jenny. Jenny Janson
has left the club but is willing to facilitate speakers for the rest of Kate’s term.
has left the club but is willing to facilitate speakers for the rest of Kate’s term.
4. The Board voted to be the Sponsoring Club for Patee Yang for a Global Peace Scholar with District funding.
Steve Frazier will coordinate the details and application and Louis Graber will facilitate the financial
requirements necessary. There is no cost to the Club’s sponsorship.
Steve Frazier will coordinate the details and application and Louis Graber will facilitate the financial
requirements necessary. There is no cost to the Club’s sponsorship.
5. Louis Graber reported that we are doing well financially and has updated our non-profit status with the
Minnesota Secretary of State will do the IRS filing in January.
Minnesota Secretary of State will do the IRS filing in January.
6. Karen Frazier reported that Paul Huber has Covid and will send a card from the club and also make personal
contact to see how he is doing and report back to the Club. She also reported that the $2,000 for coats and
winter wear and the Teen gifts for Resource West have been delivered over the past three months and the
remaining $42 will buy face masks for them.
contact to see how he is doing and report back to the Club. She also reported that the $2,000 for coats and
winter wear and the Teen gifts for Resource West have been delivered over the past three months and the
remaining $42 will buy face masks for them.
7. Steve Frazier and Scott Zerby reported that the website excelsiorrotary.org has been updated and also the
printable meeting calendar has been updated through June.
printable meeting calendar has been updated through June.
President Kate called our Rotary Club meeting to order and Gary Thompson was the Opening Marshal and led the
Pledge of Allegiance and the Four Way Test. He then eloquently commented that he hoped in 2021 that we a
Americans show the World who we really are and that Rotarians are a model for people doing good even though we are
of differing politics, nationalities, genders and religions but doing incredible things in spite of our differences! President
Kate coved the update from the Board Meeting and covered the birthdays, anniversaries and club anniversaries and
upcoming Speakers: Jan. 19 – Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum, Feb. 2 – Jean Gray’s Bio, Feb.16 – Excelsior Mayor Todd
Carlson, and March 16 – David Schultz – Political Analyst.
of differing politics, nationalities, genders and religions but doing incredible things in spite of our differences! President
Kate coved the update from the Board Meeting and covered the birthdays, anniversaries and club anniversaries and
upcoming Speakers: Jan. 19 – Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum, Feb. 2 – Jean Gray’s Bio, Feb.16 – Excelsior Mayor Todd
Carlson, and March 16 – David Schultz – Political Analyst.
Our speaker was former District Governor Russ Michaletz speaking on the
Rotary Foundation and specifically on the Every Member Every Year Giving
Campaign. His presentation was the best we have ever heard and the most
complete description of the Rotary Grants Programs. Russ joined Rotary in
1986 and is a 34 year member of the Minneapolis City of Lakes Club and also a
member of that clubs singing group called the Rotary Rooters. He noted that
small clubs within a club really helps in member retention and keeping
members involved in Rotary. Russ also acts as the Fundraising Chair for
District 5950 and said that had just funded two Global Peace Scholars for
$60,000 and the District received $200,000 from an anonymous donor for
Global Grants – 10 global grants for $20,000 each.
Russ then got down to explaining how the Rotary Foundation works and why
the Every Member Every Year (EMEY) donation is so important. Russ
explained that there is some confusion at times for new members between the local club foundation and the Rotary
International Foundations. Local club foundations gives grants for club projects and to local charities and grants with
other club projects and the Rotary Foundation Grants go to Global Grants by RI and to Districts for Small Global and
Local Grants. In our district 50-60% participate in EMEV giving and the Excelsior Rotary Club has 78% participation which
is great. Also there is the Paul Harris Society with members that pledge $1,000/year and there are 338 in the District
and we have 2 from our club and possibly 3 if the paper work is completed. And finally there are the Major Donors who
give $10,000 or more and our District is always in the top 10 in the nation. However, donations in the past two years
have been running slow and members need to be reminded that their yearly contribution enables the RI and our District
to give grants for Global and Local Projects and Programs.
is great. Also there is the Paul Harris Society with members that pledge $1,000/year and there are 338 in the District
and we have 2 from our club and possibly 3 if the paper work is completed. And finally there are the Major Donors who
give $10,000 or more and our District is always in the top 10 in the nation. However, donations in the past two years
have been running slow and members need to be reminded that their yearly contribution enables the RI and our District
to give grants for Global and Local Projects and Programs.
There is no simple way to explain the Rotary Grant Programs but here is a very brief explanation. Over a three year cycle
of giving to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) 95% goes to Grants. Of that 50% goes to the World Fund and 50% goes to the
District Grants that are divided again for 50% to Small Global Grants and 50% to Local District Grants. Our District also
funds the Peace Scholars, Polio Plus and Covid and Disaster Relief. The great thing about grants is the matching from the
District and RI that multiplies the effect of each grant and even more for multi-club grants. Russ urged our Club to
become involved in a Small Global Grant or District Grant as our last one was two years ago with Don Draayer’s Reach
Out and Read Grant and that the District holds training programs in March and Louis Graber volunteered to attend this
year and we can send up to three members for free. So let’s get going!
Russ’ final push was to let us know that donations have been down the past two years largely due to Covid but also
Rotarians procrastinate and need to be reminded. Our District has 455 new Paul Harris Fellows, 26 new Major Donors of
over $10K, 3 Bequest Society Members and 338 Paul Harris Society Members pledging $1,000/year and our Club has 2
and possibly 3. The donation period runs during the Rotary Year from July 1 st to June 30 th and so far in 20-21 our Club
members have contributed $980 (from 4 members) so we have 30 to go. In 2019-20 year we gave $5,425 and in 2018-
19 we gave $5,875. Again Russ noted that our club has a 78% participation rate and urges every member to give at least
$25 but recommends a dollar a day -$365/year donation but to give what we can. The District also encourages each
club to donate $1,500 to Polio Plus and our club has given $2,400 through our golf event. Members can go on-line to RI
and make their donation or through our club and the Past President is usually in-charge of the drive from our Club.
Since our past two Presidents are no longer members President Kate will appoint someone to fill-in this year. Let’s
get 100% from our Club this year and do so by the end of March! (See separate attachment of the TRF form for this
year)
We ended our meeting with Happy Bucks (Proceeds going to our Education/Scholarship Fund) and we had 14 members
make donations (to be added to their next quarterly dues) for a total of $125.21! It was a great meeting!
with Tim Litfin doing the presiding. Tim led the trivia competition that included Christmas music, TV and Movies and names of actors and performers all around the Christmas theme. There were 27 questions in all but some of the questions had multiple parts and points. It was great fun with hilarious competition. The hands-down winner was Jill Holter in 1st place then Linda Gustafson, Gary Thompson, Marianne Laurent, Molly Swenson, and then Steve and Karen Frazier. Tim did a great job and we all thanked him for all the work it took to put all the questions and music together. Following the Christmas Trivia we had Happy Bucks and members were in a generous mood as we raised $57 for our Education scholarship Fund. The meeting ended with everyone wishing each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Our next meeting will be on January 5, 2021 with the Board of Directors Meeting at 11:00 followed by our Club Meeting featuring former District 5950 Governor Russ Michaletz presenting on The Rotary Foundation and a District Update. Also you will want to register (received in your e-mail) for the Zoom Mid-Year Assembly on January 16th for a great program. Then on January 19th our Club Meeting will feature Mayor Brad Wiersum giving an update on the City of Minnetonka.
Karen Frazier announced our donation to Resource West on November 12th: 
Our Guest Speaker was Annie Lumbar Bendson who is our Minnetonka School District’s Health Service Coordinator and was introduced by Tim Litfin who praised her leadership, insight, expertise and tenacity during this pandemic. Annie began by saying that she never dreamed that in her 2nd year of working for our district she would be thrust into this type of situation. Usually the role of public school nurses is invisible and that they serve to protect the health and safety of the students and staff in our schools. She noted that if there is any silver lining to this pandemic it is that the role of our school nurses has been brought to the forefront by their dedication and caring for the students and staff they serve. 
ressed that Way to Grow is the best non-profit out there that emphasizes early child learning and health with parenting support and services. 
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