Weekly Bulletin: June 4, 2018 (Jun 03, 2018)

This Week: June 4, 2018 Lunch Program

State of Coon Rapids Rotary: Five Decades & Counting

Where have we been and where are we going?

12:15 PM

Bunker Hills Event Center

This past Saturday marked an occasion without much fanfare for Coon Rapids Rotary. What were you doing before the rains came? Probably the usual weekend chores, as did this writer. In preparing for Monday's meeting, I realized that it was 53 years ago (June 2, 1965) that a handful of community leaders formally chartered our club (officially the Rotary Club of Coon Rapids).

It was a Wednesday according a Google search; club records dating back to that era have since disappeared. What were they hoping to accomplish? What important issues of the day did they want to work on? The world was a different place both locally and abroad, although it could be argued that some of the world's problems still confront us. Could they have imagined what they started that day would still be around 53 years later? Would they be proud of the club that has evolved into what it is today? I hope so on all counts.

The current Rotary year is winding down and a new program year begins in less than a month. It is a good time to reflect on what we've done in the last year and what we want to do in the year ahead and beyond. The new Rotary theme for 2018-2019 is Be The Inspiration, developed by incoming Rotary International president, Barry Rassin. Rassin notes that "Rotary still is and will always be the organization Paul Harris envisioned: a place where people from every corner of the earth can come together to become something greater than themselves." Why did you join Rotary and what keeps you coming back? If you've drifted away and find yourself less connected, what would it take to bring you back? Are you curious to re-engage in Rotary, but don't know how? Are you interested in carrying out the good work Rotary does here and around the world? Perhaps you just need a little motivational nudge. Rotary needs your talents, energy and ideas most of all. Serving others is among the best elixirs around.

I've never thought of myself as one who could inspire others. I always thought of the charismatic leaders or people with big personalities as those with inspirational gifts. But then I remembered all of the powerful stories, the service projects, and the experiences we've shared through Rotary. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It's a reminder that each of us has the capacity to inspire and be inspired. It's also a call that our work as Rotarians is not finished; in fact it will likely continue well beyond our time on this planet. We are stewards of this club and one of our goals should be to position it to be around for the next 50+ years. I hope you can join us for lunch on Monday to look back on where we've been and where we might go - to inspire each other if you will.

Weekly Announcements: June 4, 2018

On Wednesday, May 30th the Coon Rapids Community Scholarship Association (CRCSA) held its annual scholarship award ceremony at Coon Rapids High School. This year marked the 53rd time the event was held, which was established in 1966. That year, a total of 24 students received $4,010 in scholarship aid. In 2018, CRCSA gave out 165 scholarships worth over $210,000. Since the program began, a total of 5,759 students have been helped ($3.993 million in assistance).

Wednesday's event was a bittersweet occasion due to the death of Bruce Frank in January 2018. Mr. Frank was a long-time CRCSA supporter (including Executive Director) and the emcee for many of the annual ceremonies. The Coon Rapids Rotary Foundation (CRRF) gave a $2,000 scholarship this year. The scholarship was awarded to senior Hannah Grosse, who plans to attend Macalaster College in St. Paul as a pre-med student. Congratulations to Hannah and best wishes on the next chapter!

It was nice to see other Coon Rapids Rotarians in attendance: Erik Hegg (Border State Bank); Tim Anderson (Family Gift); Steve Wells (Northstar Lions Club); Dr. Robert Breitbach (Family Dental Practice); Grant Fernelius (CR Rotary and CRRF); Dr. Annette Ziegler (CRHS Principal) and Howard Helgen, who serves on the CRCSA board and was a co-host presenter. A great evening to be sure.

Coon Rapids Apparel Store Now Open

Earlier this week, we unveiled the Coon Rapids Rotary apparel on-line store through a special arrangement with Rebyl Sports. There is an assortment of clothing items that can be purchased. All of the apparel features the new CR Rotary logo.

Here is the link: https://rebylonline.com/coon_rapids_rotary/shop/home

The on-line store will be open through June 14th. You do need to create an account and use a credit or debit card to complete the purchase. The items will be delivered later this month. Thanks to Nick Bednarczyk for his efforts in setting up the store.