What is Rotation Day?

When Paul Harris founded Rotary in 1905, meetings were held at the members’ place of business – rotating from member  company to member company – hence the name “Rotary.”  For our club, Rotation Day is an event which brings us back to our “roots” and gives us the opportunity to gain new insights into the vocational challenges and business issues which are unique to our fellow Rotarians.

Thanks to Annette Kuyper, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and yours truly for greeting. Annette, who is hosting one of the Rotation Day lunches next week, encouraged members to sign up.

Doug Bruce, UBS Financial, encouraged members to participate in our final Feed My Starving Children packing event at Summit Brewing Company this April 23-24. Please be there to help pack our ONE MILLIONTH meal!!  Scott Van and Mindee Kastellic have volunteered to be shift leaders – see them to sign up or go online.

Past President John Andrews presented Elmer Andersen awards (for gifts totaling $1,000 to the St. Paul Rotary Foundation) to Donovan Schwichtenberg and David Laird.

Peter Pearson collected happy dollars from Doug Hartford (first glass of wine on the deck last night!), Linda Mulhern (in honor of her daughter on her exchange, working hard and getting credit!), Lynne Beck (in honor of Park Square Theatre’s upcoming gala “Springtime in Paris” on April 4), Chuck Standfuss (in honor of having guests from Protocol 46 each week this month). Doug Bruce (just back from a great trip to La Jolla). Doug talked about our wonderful club and was at the mic too long – he wound up with a $75 fine from their “wheel of misfortune,” and Jim Delamater (in honor of great skiing at Breckenridge.

Program: Dr. Rassoul Dastmozd, President, St. Paul College, introduced by Donovan Schwichtenberg

The concern in the marketplace has shifted from the need for jobs to the need for qualified workers.

The college reflects the tapestry of humanity that makes up the Twin Cities – so much more than 40 years ago when Rassoul first came to Saint Paul, when “diversity” was mostly Swedes, Norwegians and Germans!

Trades in Minnesota’s Education and Workforce Outlook:

1. Population Growth Declining. More citizens leave than move here, creating more competition for workers and fewer students for St. Paul College and the MNSCU system overall.
2.  Fewer Minnesotans live outside the metro, and the urban growth is mostly coming from new immigrants and people of color.
3. The Graying Population. The next ten years will see hundreds of thousands of Boomer exiting the workforce as they retire.
4. Lack of viable talent to fill available positions.
5. Eliminating racial disparities is crucial to our success.
6. Diversity in greater Minnesota is growing. These workers are stuck in neutral, with little wage expansion in the last two decades.

MNSCU serves 400,000 students, including 62,000 students of color (more students of color than any other post-secondary institutional system in the state).

St. Paul College is more than tech school – graduates transfer to more than 350 schools, including Ivy League Schools. The  college is ranked #1 in the nation for student engagement.

Enrollment is just under 10,000 students, about 3,000 full-time. Our graduates are in your life from morning to night all day long in all the trades and professions (except mortuary science, which is taught at the U of M). 86% of our students find jobs immediately after graduation. Enrollment has grown 82% since 2002 – the fastest growing higher ed institution in the state.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael-jon Pease

Please join us as we “Celebrate Our Gifts to the World” at the Districts 5950 and 5960 Conference on May 12 and 13 at Mystic Lake Conference Center. For the best rates, sign up by April 15 at: http://www.rotary5960.org/dc2016/REGISTRATION.cfm

On Thursday golfers from both districts can play golf (Click Here for Golf Registration/Information)to End Polio and everyone can attend the Welcome Reception to enjoy time with old and new friends.   Friday keynoters are Ross Bernstein and Chris Heeter (with her dog TuuWeh). With special guest speaker for North Star Youth Exchange, Barbara Nieviadonski. Entertainment will include Twin Cities Jazz Cats and Stevie Ray.

There are over 30 breakout sessions that fit within 8 categories: Rotary, Health and Wellness, Technology, Fun to Learn, Business, Personal Interest, Life and Variety, and Service. Sample topics include:  Developing Rotary FUNdraisers, Social Media, Organizing with Confidence, Not Being Another Fish in the Dark ‘Net, Guatemalan Cooking, How Good Leader Work Less, Computer Tips, Tips for a Powerful First Impression, and lots more which will be listed on the conference website.

If you’d like discounted rates to stay at Mystic Lake Hotel, book by April 12 by calling 800-548-8536 (reference 5950-5960 District conference) or booking online http://usmlc.webhotel.microsdc.us/ and using the conference block code: 1604rotary  If you stay for the weekend, you can enjoy some great hotel entertainment on Sat. night, a Friday Night Dance Party, Bingo and casino games every day, plus the pool, fitness center and more.

How would you like to play golf to end polio? Well, that would take a lot of golf! But you can do your part by signing up and playing in the Rotary 5950/5960 Joint District Conference Golf Tournament to End Polio!

This fun event will be held Thursday, May 12, 2016 at The Meadows Golf Course, at Mystic Lake (this is where the District Conference is being held). We have arranged for this shotgun event to start at 11:00 am. We will wrap up the awards and fellowship afterwards in time to join everyone at the District Conference Welcome Reception. Your golf registration fee includes a ticket to the Welcome Reception. (No, you don't get a discount or money back if you don't go to the Welcome Reception.) You may ask - do I need to be a good golfer to participate and still have fun? Good news: you do not have to be a great golfer! For the "Fun Golfer," you can compete in the Scramble Format - that means you take the best shot, and everyone picks up and shoots from there, this process is repeated after each shot.

The "Serious Golfer" may prefer to have the challenge of playing The Meadows with his/her own ball (Own Ball Format). Each foursome plays one or the other: Scramble Fun Golfer or Own Ball Serious Golfer. We will have awards for each category winner. Of course, the big winner is Polio Plus - proceeds from this tournament will go to Polio Plus! We need 100 golfers, the golf registration fee is $150. Do you have a business you would like to promote? Please sign up for one of the sponsorship packages and email me your company logo. We will promote your business on the website and inside the District Conference Program. Click the link below and sign up today! Thanks!

https://app.eventcaddy.com/events/rotary-districts-5950-5960-golf-tournament-for-polio-plus