Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Angel Saczko
The bell rang powerfully through the hall, marking the beginning of the final meeting led by President Zach Walters. It would be the last time he would guide us through the Pledge of Allegiance, the last time his voice echoed from the front of the Great Hall as we joined together in the Four-Way Test. But while this may be the last day that we call him President Zach Walters, it is far from the last day we stand beside him on this journey. Together, we will continue to create meaningful change, serve our community, and build goodwill—just as we always have. Because beyond titles and meetings, what truly lasts is the impact we make as fellow Rotarians.
Now Past President Zach Walters' last moments leading the Club #25 meeting
The final ringing of the bell means so much more to us than simply the beginning and end of Rotary meetings. It is a constant ring that echoes through history. Jerry Thoreson crafted a reflection that both brought us back and carried us forward—through challenges, through hardships, and through 115 years of the enduring power of Rotary. That same bell has been brought to life by President Zach Walters—now Past President. Another year has passed into history, yet his impact continues to unfold. And still, the bell remains: not only to open and close our meetings, but in every ring, in every moment, and in every cycle, reminding us of the continuity, purpose, and spirit we share.
Guests this week:
Judy Sage-wife of Allen Anway
Dave Holappa and wife Chris Hollapa
John Suzukida and wife Lori Suzukida
Nancy Landwehr-wife of Jim Landwehr
Allen Anway was quick to the Golden Can to let us know he saw President Elect Dan Maki at Grandma's Marathon over the weekend "claiming to be runners".
Bob Reichert was excited to get a call from London, UK for a sale of 25 of his late daughter Dorie’s book Yellow Butterfly - Book of Poetry
Jim Landwehr celebrates post-transplant – plus 2 years
Matt Baumgartner wanted to express his deep gratitude for the support he has around him within this club and in his life as his mom continues to battle health challenges after an initial stroke.
Jerry Thoreson recently spoke to 250 mental Health Professionals about his personal journey with bipolar disorder and is grateful to be able to share and connect with others about it.
Past President Dean Casperson also wanted to share his accomplishment of completing the Grandma's half marathon!
This was no ordinary meeting—it was a once-a-year tradition, the changing of the guard. President Zach Walters passed the gavel and proudly swore in the new President, Dan Maki.
President Dan Maki shared his vision for the year ahead, emphasizing his commitment to building on the strong momentum established under Past President Zach Walters’ leadership. He expressed excitement about expanding Rotary’s reach—sharing our mission, highlighting the meaningful work we do within the community, and strengthening the fellowship that brings us together.
President Dan Maki then had the honor of swearing in his leadership team: President-Elect Jay Ott, Past President Chana Stokke as Secretary, and Anthony Nordin as Director Chair of New Generations. With such a dedicated and passionate team stepping forward, the year ahead promises to be one of growth, service, and continued impact. What an exciting year lies ahead!
President Dan Maki swears-in President Elect Jay Ott
President Dan Maki swears-in Past President Chana Stocke as Secretary
Chair of the Day, Jim Landwehr, proudly highlighted his friendship with the day’s speaker, John Suzukida. John shared a deeply personal and powerful story—one he has told many times—about his parents’ experience as among the many individuals held in a World War II internment camp.
John Suzukida, a frequent visitor to the Duluth area, shared the story of his parents during one of the most challenging and tumultuous periods in history—World War II. He spoke not as a historian or an expert, but as someone deeply connected to his family’s legacy. Through his words, he conveyed a heartfelt commitment to ensuring that the past is not forgotten, offering others the opportunity to learn from it so that its lessons are never repeated.
John Suzukida shared that while his own story began in Skokie, Illinois, his parents’ story began long before that—and far from where they would ultimately build their lives.
December 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor. A date etched in history, marking far more than a single moment. It signaled the beginning of a movement that would alter thousands of innocent lives. By October 1942, so-called “relocation centers”—in reality, internment camps—were filling with individuals the government labeled as “illegal immigrants.” Citizenship offered little protection; among those incarcerated were both of John’s parents and grandparents.
John shared his father’s memories of their restaurant being vandalized, even as members of the community stood in solidarity and support. Ultimately, that support could not withstand government orders, and the family was forced to close their business and leave their livelihood behind. Their destination was Santa Anita—not as a refuge, but as an assembly center. Once a horse racing track, it became a place where families lived in former horse stalls, stripped of identity and reduced to numbers. His family became #18257.
His mother’s experience echoed similar pain. With only 48 hours’ notice, they were forced to abandon their home and belongings, left behind for strangers to sift through. Life within the camps meant constant surveillance and the presence of armed guards. Eventually, the family was relocated to Camp Granada in Colorado, though she was later granted the opportunity to attend ministry school.
John also spoke about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese American unit that, among other duties, was tasked with interrogating those detained. Many of these soldiers did not speak Japanese, and most of those being questioned were American citizens by birth. The contradictions of the time were stark and deeply felt.
Though the experience of internment felt endless, it was not without moments that shaped the future. John’s father spent two and a half years in the camps, while his mother was there for four months before leaving for school. It was through these shared experiences that their family story truly began to take shape.
The impact of those years has never been forgotten. Yet, the image of John’s mother standing proudly beside her granddaughter—70 years later—as she graduated from medical school stands as a testament to resilience, courage, and perseverance. In the face of hardship, they endured, rebuilt, and moved forward.
As we reflect on stories like these, we are reminded not only of the injustices of the past, but of the responsibility we carry to learn from them and to keep moving forward with purpose and compassion. John provided a quote attributed by his father:
“It might be looked back upon as an experience in the United States of America that was a result of our own immaturity as a democracy.”
—Henry Suzukida
Answering the Bell
By Jerry Thoreson
If that opening bell startled, you this afternoon... you can blame me.
I asked Zach to give it one more - good, hearty ring as he opened his final meeting as President of Rotary Club of Duluth.
Our old, solid-brass Rotary Bell
Tolled one clear, loud, piercing ring.
To open the last meeting of the 2025-26 Club Year.
Reflecting on the Rotary Bell
is a perfect reflection
for the last meeting for President Zach Walters.
I’ve titled this post “Answering the Bell”
For 115 years, a bell
has called Club 25 to order.
Friday, April 6, 1917.
America entered World War I.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Thursday, October 24, 1929.
The stock market crashed.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Sunday, December 7, 1941.
Pearl Harbor.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Friday, November 22, 1963.
Kennedy assassinated.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Friday, August 9, 1974.
Nixon resigned.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Tuesday, January 28, 1986.
Challenger exploded.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
The Twin Towers fell.
The next Thursday, the Club 25 Rotary bell rang.
Generations of Rotarians have heard
that same unmistakable sound.
Immediately, conversations stop.
We stand. We honor our flag.
We recite the Four-Way Test.
We reflect.
The thousands faces
of Club 25’s Rotarians have changed.
The presidents have changed.
The projects have changed.
But the bell has remained.
For 115 years, this old bell has called
ordinary people into the
extraordinary work
of servant leadership.
Today, around 1 o'clock,
This old bell will toll again.
Not just ending another meeting.
It will close our 115th Rotary year.
For most of us
the ring of that old bell
simply starts and wraps
a Rotary meeting.
For Zach Walters
it's been the soundtrack of his life.
Boxing matches
still begin and end
with the piercing ring
of a big, bold, brassy bell.
Thirty years ago,
a fifteen-year-old kid
named Zach Walters
First answered that boxing bell.
The boxing bell challenged him.
The relentless bell tested him.
The bell rang,
and he got knocked down.
The demanding bell
taught him discipline and humility.
The unforgiving bell
taught him perseverance.
For three decades,
A bell has marked
the beginning and the end
of thousands of boxing rounds for Zach
First as a Golden Gloves champion.
Then as a professional boxer.
Then as a coach.
Then as the owner of Jungle Boxing.
Then, few years ago,
when Past President Phil Strom
received the devastating diagnosis
of Parkinson's disease,
Zach answered another bell.
He created a The Boxing Parkinson’s Program
to help people with Parkinson's
fight back with strength,
balance, confidence and hope.
Boxers have a simple expression.
Answer the bell.
When the bell rings...
You don't stay on the stool.
You stand up.
You walk to the center of the ring.
You accept whatever this round brings.
For the 2025-26 Club 25’s year,
Every week that he was able,
Zach rang the Rotary bell...
With zeal and enthusiasm.
He didn't just ring the bell.
He answered it.
Jumping into the Rotary ring
With a smile.
With enthusiasm.
And with the heart of a servant leader.
Not perfectly.
He forgot the 50/50
more often than most.
He butchered the names
of Club 25’s guests.
He laughed at himself.
He kept us laughing, too.
Week after week...
Meeting after meeting...
President Zach Walters answered the bell.
In about thirty minutes...
President Zach will ring this old bell
one, final time.
The sound of a heavy old bell
will once again fill this room.
Its echo will mark
the close of another meeting...
Another presidency...
And the 115th year of Rotary Club of Duluth.
This bell has never belonged to one president.
It belongs to every leader
who answered it before us...
And to every leader
who will answer it after us.
Zach...
We want to thank you
for answering the boxing bell
as a troubled kid.
Thank you for answering the bell
as a coach, mentor and owner
Thank you for answering the bell
for young people looking for confidence.
Thank you for answering the bell
for those courageously battling Parkinson's.
And on this, the last Thursday of June, 2026
We want to thank you
for answering the bell
for Rotary Club of Duluth.
At 1 pm the 2025-26 round of Rotary will end
With the ringing of this old bell
I challenge each of you today
To follow President Zach’s lead
To answer the bell of Rotary
of Service Above Self… NOW,
Club 25 Rotarians...
Please join me
One last time
In a loud, bell-ringing
round of applause
For one who has spent a lifetime
Answering the bell.
Our President and friend,
Zach Walters
.png)
