PRESENTATION
President’s Year in Review
Invocation: Matt Podhradsky
Gretchen Oppriecht shared her thoughts and slides of her term in office - July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Matching the unique year we’ve experienced, Gretchen presented while on the road near Fairbanks, Alaska. For the geographically-inclined, she showed her “I was here!” shot at Sacajawea State Park. Illustrating the large world of Rotary that sometimes shrinks to a personal level, she told us of travelling to the state capital of Juneau on a ferry. Not a shy person, Gretchen struck up a conversation with a Mr. Jones who happened to be the brother of Jennifer Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Jones will become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
Covering two months at a time, Gretchen reviewed the past year’s activities and memorable events. In 2021, these included: the River City Days Steak Fry and Wine Tent, New Teacher Breakfast, establishment of the Curling and Activity Center as our meeting place, Christmas in May held in September, and our holiday auction and centerpiece sale. 2022 highlights included our social events, a meeting that honored our Legacy, the passing of Ray Schalow and Karl Nylene, and our “all hands on deck” May activities and publicity. Our club’s support for Heroes and Helpers, His House, Miracle Field, and Feed My Starving Children were also noted.
Gretchen’s leadership and the organizing of our Rotary Leads the Way in May events generated dedicated work throughout our membership. The weekly meetings required significant preparations, technology and administrative support. Specific thanks were given to:
- Kristy Miklas
- Nate Bostrom
- Gary Hardel
- Erin Kerber
- Matt Podhradsky
- Sheryl Hough
- Neil Wingert
- Dan Keyport
- John Roepke
- Vic Benetti
- Gary Cooper
- Davis Archer
- Lucy Dardis
- Our Rotary Board
- All the club members – for living the Four-Way Test, sharing our truth, being fair to all concerned, building friendships, and making life better for each other.
Chaska Rotary Board Meeting
At the close of our meeting Matt Podhradsky gathered our Board of Directors in a rarely seen forum. To ensure appropriate brevity, he used a modern-day meeting management practice of not letting anyone sit down!
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