Brandon VanWaeyenberghe

Executive Director

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra

 

Brandon VanWaeyenberghe will describe how the DSSO navigated the pandemic not only to survive, but to find ways to thrive and to benefit the audience, musicians, and community

 

By Darlene Anderson

 

With the ring of the Rotary bell, President Chana Stocke gained our attention and asked all to join her to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary Four-Way Test. Dave Fulda described in his Rotary Reflection how a small part, the rudder, sets the direction for the entire ship.  So our rudder – the tongue – affects the direction of our lives. With what we think – say - and do will we have either a shipwreck or gain a great prize?  Be careful: be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to action.

 

Dave Fulda and his Reflection on Speaking

 

Today we welcomed our guests Rachael Martin (Allen Anway), John Mickelson, Past President of Bali Lovina Rotary Club; and Rose Mislewicz (President-Elect Barb Perrella).

 

Those contributing to the Golden Can were Dave Fulda who completed a 13-mile mountain bike ride and encouraged others to take up his new hobby for: “misery loves company”. Barb Perrella announced the engagement of her son Tony. However, she did not name the lucky young lady. Allen Anway contributed $2 for Rachael Martin who brought a copy of the New York Times obituary of Past-President Ken Schoen.

 

Gary Melander announced that we have a new rose supplier. A huge Rotary thank you to Ryan Johnson and his wife Alex who have made this possible. However, the order had to be placed last Tuesday (2,000 dozen roses have been ordered) so now it is imperative that we all sell roses! Rotary Rose Day is Friday, October 15^th.  Please sign up for service and fellowship. Remember this is our 36^th Annual Rose sale.  In the past 35 years, $1.5 million has been raised in service to our community.

 

Last Friday evening was an enjoyable time of food and fellowship aboard the Duluth Scenic Railroad.  We had two private cars including the California Zephyr Vista Dome. The next fellowship event is the Duckpin Party on October 13 at Skyline Social and Games in Hermantown. Check your email from Mary Niemeyer for additional details.

 

The eulogy for Past President Ken Shoen who passed away on September 1, 2021, was given by Past President Bill Gravelle. Ken Shoen joined our club in 2000 and served as club president 2009-10. While many of the club members knew that he had been Commissioner of Corrections for Minnesota many did not realize the impact and influence he had on changes to the corrections system nationwide. In 1978 Ken moved to New York and redesigned that city's corrections system and then directed the Clark Foundation where he was able to direct millions of dollars in grants focused on prison and sentencing reform. Retiring in 2000, he and his wife Connie moved to Duluth and immediately became involved in our community. We will miss you and your good work.

 

Bill Gravelle giving the eulogy for Ken Schoen

 

Today's speaker needed little introduction as he has been a member of Club 25 for 39 years. Past-President Al Makynen did note that Allen Anway received his PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago and was Assistant Professor Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. After his stint at UWS he founded A2D2 Electronics with partner Don Dettmann. So it is no surprise that Allen would know about the “Greatest Scientific Prize---Ever”.

 

Phil Strom, our speaker Allen Anway with Al Makynen

 

In the 1700's it was difficult to be a navigator due to the limitations of the available instruments. So much depended on “dead reckoning” (deduced reckoning) trusting in the calculations made using the known tools and charts. Then in 1707 British Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell was leading 21 ships from Gibraltar to Portsmouth, England. Even though there were 20 navigators computing his course, they continued to question him about “Are we there yet?”  Tragically their calculations were wrong and four ships and 2,000 lives were lost, including Admiral Shovell. In response to the disaster the British Parliament in 1714 offered the largest scientific prize ever “for the discovery of the Longitude”.  A 20,000-pound sterling prize (more than $3 Million today) was offered for anyone who could come up with a method to compute longitude and be accurate within 30 nautical miles (one half of a degree).

 

The prize attracted all sorts of crackpots and their theories. But it was John Harrison in 1759 who after building three accurate time pieces developed and built a marine chronometer capable of being used to calculate longitude at sea. In 1761 the H4 model was tested on an 81-day journey from England to Jamaica and found to be accurate within five seconds. The academy did not award the prize saying it was due to luck.  A second successful test of the watch was completed on a 47-day voyage from Barbados to England and yet only a partial prize was awarded.  It took an order in 1772 from King George III to Parliament that Harrison be paid the full amount of the prize for his development of a chronometer that would accurately calculate a ship’s longitude position.  The greatest scientific prize ever!

 

John Harrison with his chronometer to calculate longitude at sea

 

 

 

 

The H-4 (Model #1) Marine Chronometer (1759)