September 28, 2023

For Those Attending in Person

Buffet

(Zoom Meeting Opens at 11:45)

(Link Sent Thursday Morning)

At

Director of Trade and Business Development

 

Kate is the first point of contact for companies pursuing domestic and international trade opportunities. She is responsible for developing, attracting and retaining business for the Port Authority and its properties. Certified by the American Society of Transportation and Logistics, Ferguson is a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and a past president and current board member of the Duluth-Superior Maritime Club..

 

 

By Al Makynen

 

The room was filled with Rotarians and more than a dozen guests when President Gary Melander directed us to stand to sing the Star Spangled Banner with Past President John Baumgarten at the piano trying to keep us in tune.  The Rotary Reflection was a brief affair focused on the last question of the Four Way Test.  Vinod Gupta was asked from the podium to step up on stage without even a Rotary minute of notice.  He proceeded to ponder how and when we can be sure:  Is it fair to all concerned?”  President Gary Melander had to acknowledge his abrupt request may not have been fair.

 

Vinod Gupta delivering the Rotary Reflection

 

Two folks had the courage to self-report items for the Golden Can.  Allen Anway was proud of his daughter Carol E. Anway, an industrial physicist known for her work on lightning protection for airplanes, who now has a Wikipedia page.  Traci Marciniak will participate in the Celebrity Dance Challenge for the Duluth Ballet.  We were all encouraged to attend and cheer her on!

 

Jerry Pelofske from the Rotary Club of Duluth Foundation presented to Dale Johnson a Westmoreland Crest in recognition of his aggregate giving of $1,000.  In his remarks, Dale Johnson recounted how time had just flown by.  He has been a Rotary Club #25 member for 49 years and recently celebrated his 90^th birthday.

 

Dale Johnson receiving his Westmoreland Crest from Jerry Pelofske

 

Past President Barb Perrella gave a quick update on the 38^th Annual Rotary Rose Sale.  Friday, October 13^th is the primary distribution date which is also a premier Rotary fellowship opportunity.  Either sign up now for one of the four distribution sites – or be ready to take a call and join the fun! 

 

A visiting Rotarian from Brentwood California and Membership Director of District 5160 exchanged club flags.  Marcia Brown is the daughter of Cy Brown a long-time past member of our Club.

 

Marcia Brown exchanging club flags with President Gary Melander

 

For the fourth year running, we presented to the Mental Health Initiative for the Boys and Girls Club a $25,000 check.  The program was initiated in 2019 and, with our continued support, provides onsite mental health services.  This has become an annual major project for the club, and to date, we have contributed $100,000.

 

Barb Perrella presenting a $25,000 check to the Boys and Girls Club Mental Health Initiative

 

Chair of the Day Traci Marciniak introduced our special national guest speaker, Zak Williams, son of actor Robin Williams and an Ambassador for the Miller Dwan Foundation.  There was a clear passion for the world-class mental health research and programming being conducted in Duluth, Minnesota.  There is an urgent need to address the financial cost.  Treatment of a mental health crisis is ten times more costly than prevention.  Moving away from the use of law enforcement (911) to the mental health hotline (988) is a good first step.  More progress would be made if the stigma surrounding mental health was reduced so that people would seek help when needed rather than wait until a crisis drove them to seek care.  Daily mental health hygiene, implemented early, has lasting lifelong effects.  Proper nutrition, fitness, and a daily focus on mindfulness are tools to combat the onset of a mental health issue.  In recent studies, meditation to reduce stress is 60% effective compared to medication which is 20% effective. There is urgency to make a change as the financial cost to the Minnesota economy is estimated at $10 billion annually.  The community health program being implemented at Miller Dwan is called Problem Management Plus (PM+).  The focus is on intervention techniques developed by the World Health Organization to serve those with anxiety and stress by training community members who are not mental health professionals to support people with moderate mental health symptoms.

 

Speaker Zak Williams with Chair of the Day Traci Marciniak