The Rotary Club of Excelsior met on Tuesday, March 2nd with 17 members attending to hear the noted Political Analysist and TV commentator David Shchultz to discuss Generational Politics. Prior to the Club Meeting the Board of Directors met to conduct club business and map out the rest of the Rotary Year. Highlights include:
President Kate has filled-out the Program Speakers to the end of her term in June: 3.16.21: Jeff Erickson, Minnetonka HS Principal (and Linda Gustafson's son-in-law) will come to talk about the new high school initiative - Momentum!
- 4.6.21: IN PERSON MEETING at MCEC! - Padee Yang will speak, and we will have our last assembly of 2020/21!
- 4.20.21: The Nature Conservancy - coming to talk about nature's role in climate change
- 5.4.21: Excelsior/Lake Minnetonka Historical Society
- 5.18.21: Make-a-Difference Scholarship Winners + Families
- 6.1.21: Hennepin History Museum
- 6.15.21: Kate's last Day - "The Highs and Lows of 2020/21"
- The April 6th meeting will be live at the Minnetonka Community Education Center on Vine Hill in the Deephaven Room at noon. Members are to wear masks and social distance and no lunch will be served with the meeting. President Kate will do a member survey to determine when the Club should starting meeting live or some type of hybrid format.
- The Board accepted Jill Holter’s resignation due to changing employment.
- The Board voted not to attempt to pull together a golf fundraiser in conjunction with the Fun Golf Outing scheduled to take place on June 9th due to time limitations. More details will follow.
- Three grant requests were discussed and the Board decided to support a district grant to fund the purchase of a van for ICA with the Morning Club, Minnetonka and Hopkins Clubs and concept support for the renovation of the MCE Playground. The third grant request for a Water Project was held over for more information.
- Lewis Graber reported that 100% of the members paid their dues in the 3rd quarter.
- The Board voted to make Molly Swenson an Honorary Member.
President Kate called the Excelsior Rotary Club Meeting to order with Darrel Leipold acting as Opening Marshal and invited members to join him in singing Amazing Grace, the Pledge and the 4 Way Test. Kate reported on the Board Meeting actions (listed above). Karen Frazier reported that she needed Joe Freohling’s phone number to contact him as he is now living and recuperating after surgery at his son Ron’s home and Jean Gray and Linda Gustafson said they had his number. Steve Frazier reported that our Global Scholar Padee Yang has been approved for her scholarship of $30,000 to the University of London and is completing the final on-line documents for approval by Rotary International.
Our Program Speaker was David Schultz who is a Professor of Political Science at Hamlin University, Author and noted TV Political Analysist. He spoke on 2020 and the Beginning of the End of the Baby Boomer Era of American Politics. It was a fascinating and enthusiastic presentation based on a book that he has written on the subject. His presentation was so informative that President Kate has sent it out to all our members along with an outline of the presentation. (Editorial Note: Pasted below is a chart entitled ‘Which Generation Are You?” that was not part of his presentation but will help explain some of his references and definitely something to have on hand as you watch his video. There again are the links to the video and content outline. Our purpose here will be to hit the high points of the take-a-ways from the presentation.)
Which Generation Are You?
Generation Name | Births Start | Births End | Youngest Age Today* | Oldest Age Today* |
The Lost Generation /The Generation of 1914 | 1890 | 1915 | 106 | 131 |
The Interbellum Generation | 1901 | 1913 | 108 | 120 |
The Greatest Generation | 1910 | 1924 | 97 | 111 |
The Silent Generation | 1925 | 1945 | 76 | 96 |
Baby Boomer Generation | 1946 | 1964 | 57 | 75 |
Generation X (Baby Bust) | 1965 | 1979 | 42 | 56 |
Xennials | 1975 | 1985 | 36 | 46 |
Millennials, Generation Y, Gen Next | 1980 | 1994 | 27 | 41 |
iGen / Gen Z | 1995 | 2012 | 9 | 26 |
Gen Alpha | 2013 | 2025 | 1 | 8 |
(*age if still alive today)
Here are the major points that Professor David Schultz covered in his presentation:
- Each generation wants to change the world being different from the previous generation’s values and attitudes.
- Every 20 to 25 years each generation makes changes in American Politics.
- Five generations are affecting American Politics: Silent, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z.
- Political attitudes and values are primarily developed during adolescence/young adult ages of 12 to 22.
- Two Stages of Political Development: Stage I - Adolescence and Stage II – late 30’s to 40’s when they can act on those values.
- Each of the five generations has distinct political values, influenced by their different demographics, technologies, and world events that influenced them during their formative years. 1. Silents and younger baby boomers who are conservative but vote and engage heavily versus Millennials and Gen Z who are very liberal but do not engage as much. 2. Silents are the core of the Republican Party 3. Millennials and Gen Z significantly lean towards the Democratic Party but they do not particularly share or like what it or the Republican Party stands for. 4. Evidence suggests that Millennials and Gen Z at their present age are not engaging politically as much or in the same percentages as Baby Boomers.
- Gen Z is the largest block, most racially diverse, highest percentage immigrant, and least Christian and most secular of any generation in history. Their demographics represent a major historical break with US history and will help pave the way for the US to become within 20 years a majority non-white nation and potentially change our political landscape.
- There is great polarization in our country, between generations and within both the Democratic and Republican Parties as generational change begins to transform American Politics.
- With Social Media we may be seeing the beginning of the end of TV as a dominate force in American Politics.
- The Q&A was fantastic!
- Video:https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/OezIoTOUNhLSyYyEqGisS0lC1zs9ptBONumrtYCpgpq73YX6cdkNpGR1iSKdxcVx.3w11PUtopNoEPHjM Passcode: GQ.fW6WH