Just think! Only 358 more days until next St. Patrick’s Day. It’s one celebration where they leave all the pepper shakers on the table, unlike one we had in the recent past.
Promptly at 12:37 p.m., our esteemed president,
JennBenn, gaveled the meeting to order.
Shelly Loberg followed with a very thoughtful invocation, and then the Pledge and Four-Way Test, before
John Solberg introduced our guests and visiting Rotarians. We only had one visiting Rotarian, Bill Lindberg, from the Eagan club, but he happened to have played for Coach Ikola, so he had a connection to the program (and is an Edina resident). We also had six guests—Dave Terwilliger, Bruce Meyer, Ian Colville, Melissa Diamond, Casey Heyer, Susie Miller, in addition to Tina Sletten, our Rotary exchange student from Norway. It was nice to have them all with us.
Joe Arends then introduced Nancy Alexander from Hearts & Hands of Minnesota, a non-profit from St. Louis Park that supports low-income families that have children with life-threatening conditions. She was the first of 10 groups that will receive checks from the Edina Rotary Foundation (remember last fall’s fundraiser?) in the next few weeks.
Past President Jeff Ohe then led the rubber-stamp confirmation of
Greg Yoch to be the next Membership-Recruitment Director for the Rotary year beginning in July.
Paul Peterson was supposed to fill that slot but evidently he’s going on tour with Peter Frampton so he had to withdraw.
Another
Past President Jon Barnett then presented
San and Sheila
Asato with thanks and hardware for becoming our latest Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. We have over 30 of those in our club!
Skip Thomas began a cascade of introductions by calling on Bruce Carlson, a fellow hockey player at EHS, and board member of the Edina Historical Society who was instrumental in organizing the exhibit on the history of hockey in Edina that is currently at their museum at Arneson Acres. Bruce, in turn, introduced Jim Hoey, a former hockey player from The Range, retired teacher in the Shakopee and Farmington school systems and author, who has written a new book, “Ike: Minnesota Hockey Legend,” about longtime Edina hockey coach, Willard Ikola.
Coach Ikola then took the podium and told a lot of interesting and amusing anecdotes about his experience coaching hockey in Edina. It seems that after growing upon the Range, playing hockey at the “U” for John Mariucci, being on the ’56 Olympic hockey team in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (also with Mariucci), he found that being in the U.S. Air Force wasn’t what he wanted to do—he wanted to coach hockey. In October 1958 he got a call from Edina about an open coaching/teaching position and an invitation for an interview. Somehow he got off active duty and made it to the interview in a week, and took a long-term substitute position, but at least it was coaching. Unlike today, there was no indoor rink. For the next seven years he was “fighting the elements.” Whether it was thin or no ice, snow, slush, wind or early morning practice times, it was a struggle until Braemar opened in 1965.
All in all, it was a very entertaining and informative talk. I’d encourage you to watch the video either on Comcast cable or on our
YouTube channel.
The Rotary Club of Edina Morningside is holding a plant sale to raise money for its Foundation.
The Edina Country Club will serve members their choice of Hot Beef Sandwich or Smoked Salmon and Wild Rice Salad at the Rotary Club of Edina's March 24 meeting.