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Water/sanitation project in Ghana
The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a water and sanitation project in the Upper East Region of Ghana. 

As part of the project, communities in the area would be provided with 23 deep wells, three small-town water systems, 300 new microflush toilets with hand-washing sinks for homes and one toilet block for a school in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
 
Click on the link to learn more...
 
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Rotary District Governor this week's program
The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rotary District 5950 Governor Bob Halagan as the program speaker at the Thursday, Dec. 14, meeting. This is the last regular Rotary meeting of 2017. 
 
Rotarian Heather Edelson will give her classification talk at the meeting.
 
There are no other regular Rotary meetings in December. So no meetings Dec. 21 or 28. The annual Holiday Party is Wednesday, Dec. 20.
 
Click on the link below for more on the speaker...
 
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Holiday Giving donations accepted at party

Holiday greetings, Edina Rotarians!

Tomorrow is the last day to donate to the annual Rotary Club of Edina Holiday Giving Program! Our club is once again collecting holiday gifts for families in need in our community. Rotarian Jean Morrison is spearheading the program, and asks that members bring UNWRAPPED gifts and gift cards for children of any age (infant all the way through teens) as well as gifts for moms, dads, and families, to the Edina Country Club in December. This year, gift cards were also requested for teen gifts. The donations can be dropped off at the Holiday Party on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Cash or check donations are also welcome. Jean will take the funds donated and buy gift cards or other gifts to be donated as well.

This year, the organizations benefiting from the Edina Rotary Holiday Giving Program will be Cornerstone and 66 West.
 
If you have questions about the program, or need gift ideas for children or families, contact Jean Morrison at jean@jeanmorrisonhr.com. 
 
Thank you to those who have already donated!
 
Rotary Holiday Party is tomorrow, Dec. 20

Time to celebrate the season! The annual Rotary Holiday Party is almost here! 

WHAT: Rotary Club of Edina Holiday Party
WHEN: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20
WHERE: Edina Country Club
WHO: All Rotarians and significant others (no other guests, please)
COST: $20 for Senior Active and Honorary Rotarians, as well as guests. Please pay at the door. All regular Rotary members have already paid for the Holiday Party on their quarterly invoice
REGISTRATION: Is closed. Please contact Marty or Steve if you have questions.
INFO: Contact Marty Kupper or Steve Slyce with questions

There is NO regular Rotary Club of Edina meetings Thursday, Dec. 21 or 28. The Holiday Party counts as the regular meeting for the week, so if you are shooting for perfect attendance this Rotary year, you will need a make up if you do not attend.

 

Peterson Family holiday show is this Sunday

Season's greetings, Rotarians!

For those of you who purchased tickets to The Peterson Family: Twas the Jam Before Christmas at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, it is almost time to celebrate the season with our very own Paul Peterson and his family! The show is this Sunday, Dec. 17. 

Tickets will be at will call under the purchaser's name. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 6. The Dakota is at 1010 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis.

For more information about the event, contact Joe Christensen. 


 

Rotarians ringing the bell at Jerry's Foods

Once again this year, members of the Rotary Club of Edina will ring the Salvation Army bell at Jerry's Foods in Edina! Organized by Dan Hallberg, with the help of Wayne Harmon, teams of Rotarians will ring the bell for five days this December. Don't miss a chance to put some change in the bucket on these dates:

  • Monday, Dec. 18, 2 to 8 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2 to 8 p.m.​
  • Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2 to 8 p.m.​
  • Thursday, Dec. 21, 2 to 8 p.m.​
  • Friday, Dec. 22, 2 to 8 p.m.​

Thanks to Dan and Wayne for putting this all together and offering Rotarians another way to give to those in need this holiday season. We'll see you at the bucket!

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Volunteer for Cornerstone Make-a-Meal Jan. 9

WHAT: Make-a-Meal event at Cornerstone. At this Community Service Committee project, volunteers will prepare and serve a meal for 50 to 60 Cornerstone clients and their children.
WHEN: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9
WHERE: Cornerstone, 1000 E 80th St. Bloomington, MN 55420
WHO: Rotarians and friends and family who wish to volunteer
REGISTRATION: Please register yourself and any family or friends here that would like to help out so we know how many volunteers we have.
INFO: Nate Wenner, with the help of Bonnie Rolstad, is chairing this project. Contact them for more information. 

 

Chamber/Rotary Mixer set for Jan. 18

WHAT: Prospective member event sponsored by the Rotary Club of Edina, the Edina Morningside Rotary Club and the Edina Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber/Rotary Mixer will be a fun evening of connection and cross pollination. All Rotarians and Chamber members should bring a guest to the gathering. Guests will learn more about these great local organizations, and have a chance to network with membership. There will be complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.
WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18
WHERE: Edina Country Club
WHO: Rotarians, Chamber members and non-members are welcome to attend and see if Rotary or Chamber membership is for you. There are no hard sells or formal pitches--just a chance to meet great people in our community.
REGISTRATION: Go to the Chamber website and register yourself and any guests. 
INFO: Contact Erica Hollom at the Chamber at erica@edina.org or Greg Yoch at greg@muralsyourway.com​ for more details.
 

2017 Camp E scholarship winners 
Five area high school students won scholarships during Camp Enterprise last month. 

Camp Enterprise, organized by the Rotary Club of Edina and Edina Morningside Rotary Club, provides high school students with a unique opportunity to learn about leadership, business and the free enterprise system. 
 
Click on the link below for more on the scholarships...
 
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Letter bag
My poinsettia plant is just beautiful—thank you so very much! Your thoughts and prayers have been much appreciated, along with the support and love of Steve's second family. Every day gets a little better, so hopefully I will be able to see you all soon. 
 
Thank you again for everything!
 
Love,
Nancy Slyce
In review
 
We had some special guests at the Dec. 7 Rotary Club of Edina meeting. Moses Mwaura and his uncle and aunt, David and Subira Waithaka, visited us from Kenya to give us an update on how Moses is doing, all these years after he first visited Minnesota to have his eyes fixed and work his way into the hearts of so many Minnesotans. Rotarians Tim Murphy and Sandy Schley told us all about Moses and our club's connection to him in a program titled, "A World, a Way, the Story of Moses." Also at the meeting, new members Susan Stiles and Dan Stolfa were officially inducted into the club. 
 
There were some local media in attendance at the meeting to also check in on Moses. To read the story from the Star Tribune, click here.
 
Click on the link below for more on the meeting...
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Jan. 4, 2018 Meeting Responsibilities
Front Desk
Boockmeier, Matt
 
Front Desk Administration
Born, Barbara
 
Greeter 1
Gubrud, Bob
 
Greeter 2
Solheim, Bob
 
Greeter 3 (new member)
Hendrickson, Jennifer
 
Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance/Four-Way Test
Lancaster, George
 
Introduce Guests
Thompson Miller, Andrea
 
The Barker writer
Ryman, Jim
 
Photographer
Pavelka, Royce
 
Introduce the Speaker
Thommen, Wade
 
Thank the Speaker
Hustad, Mary
 
Upcoming Events
Ring for Rotary! Salvation Army bell ringing
Jerry's Foods
Dec 18, 2017 – Dec 22, 2017
 
Rotary Club of Edina Holiday Party
Edina Country Club
Dec 20, 2017
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
 
Rotary Happy Hour/VDG
The Mezz, Byerly's
Jan 03, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Cornerstone Make-A-Meal
Cornerstone
Jan 09, 2018
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Edina Chamber/Rotary Prospective Member Event
Edina Country Club
Jan 18, 2018
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
 
District 5950 Mid-Term Assembly
Crown College
Jan 27, 2018
7:30 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of Edina Bowling Night!
Park Tavern
Feb 03, 2018
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Rotary Happy Hour/VDG
The Mezz, Byerly's
Feb 07, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Leadership Training—session 1
Think Mutual Bank
Feb 13, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Rotary Happy Hour/VDG
The Mezz, Byerly's
Mar 07, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Leadership Training—session 2
Think Mutual Bank
Mar 13, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
RI Convention final early registration deadline
Mar 31, 2018
 
Rotary Happy Hour/VDG
The Mezz, Byerly's
Apr 04, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
Executives & Directors
President
 
President Elect
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Past President
 
Club Service (Administration) Director
 
Community Service—Local Funding Co-Director
 
Community Service—Local Funding Co-Director
 
Community Service—Programs Director
 
International Service Director
 
Membership—Recruitment Director
 
Social Director
 
Public Image Director
 
The Rotary Foundation Director
 
Youth Service Director
 
Club Administrator
 
Rotary Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Don Hutchison
December 1
 
Joe Christensen
December 9
 
Patti Ellingson-Solheim
December 9
 
Rich Kleber
December 13
 
Wade Thommen
December 25
 
John MacLennan
December 30
 
Anniversaries
Buzz Bainbridge
Sandy
December 16
 
Jim Roberts
Sherre Roberts
December 29
 
Join Date
Bill Milota
December 1, 1990
27 years
 
Burt Cohen
December 1, 1980
37 years
 
Harry Spell
December 1, 1966
51 years
 
Gordon Lewis
December 3, 1981
36 years
 
John Allen
December 3, 1992
25 years
 
John Flynn
December 7, 1989
28 years
 
John MacLennan
December 7, 1989
28 years
 
Lisa Walker
December 10, 2015
2 years
 
Raj Kumar
December 10, 2015
2 years
 
Brad Pearson
December 11, 1997
20 years
 
Charles Agan
December 12, 1996
21 years
 
John Buttolph
December 12, 2013
4 years
 
Michael Norman
December 15, 1988
29 years
 
Wade Thommen
December 15, 2005
12 years
 
Jack Braun
December 18, 1957
60 years
 
Les Wanninger
December 22, 1988
29 years
 
Arthur Rouner
December 23, 1964
53 years
 
Bob Stehlik
December 23, 1982
35 years
 
Keith Benson
December 23, 2011
6 years
 
Kris Maser
December 23, 2011
6 years
 
Tim Murphy
December 28, 1995
22 years
 
Axel Steuer
December 31, 2003
14 years
 
2017 Diamond Jubilee 
Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala
 
Presenting Sponsor

There is no Rotary Club of Edina meetings Thursday, Dec. 21 or 28. Our next regular meeting is Jan. 4.

Club Administrator Jennifer Garske will be on vacation Dec. 22–Jan. 1. There will be no The Barker the week of Dec. 25. Happy Holidays!

The Rotary Club of Edina's Administrator, Jennifer Garske, works part time Monday through Friday, and attends the Rotary meetings on Thursdays from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to answer questions. Contact her at jgarske@EdinaRotary.org or leave a message on the Rotary cell phone at 612-875-3109.