Keith Payne reminded us to participate in first of four nights of Bingo at Patron Restaurant in downtown Chaska, 6 – 8 PM. Keith and Michelle Kraus sold the game sheets, Sheryl Hough greeted folks at the door and Neil Wingert helped keep track of the money. Our club received half the proceeds from each of the games, and the winners smiled when the other half was put in their hands. Please add one or more of our remaining March nights in your schedule – March 14, 21 and 28.
Matt Podhradsky would like all of us to join him, other members of our club, and the Chaska Lions to plant trees again. This year’s project will add greenery to Lions Park on April 20 starting at 8 AM.
Keith announced that next year’s co-presidents of our club will be Erin Kerber and Jean Heyduck. May the Force be with them!
FINEMASTER: Dan Keyport
provided photos from his recent trip to Africa while amazing us with the “official” names for groups of animals. Most of us probably were able to remember that if we were faced with several large, toothy felines in the brush of Tanzania, we would respectfully address them as a “pride of lions.” However, we responded to the finemaster with blank faces and incorrect answers when asked about elephants, rhinos, leopards, zebras, baboons, and giraffes. Understandably, our hurt pride resulted in No Happy Dollars today.
PRESENTATION: Phil Solseng and Dr. Steve Benson - The Energy Future
Cindy Anderson introduced Rotary member Phil Soleng and former Chaska member Dr. Steve Benson. Phil is a vice-president in Barr Engineering Link. Steve is the CEO of Microbeam Technologies Link in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Steve and Phil gave us peek into the depths of geology, natural resources, and technology issues of the 21st century. To enliven the presentation and stimulate our vision of the future, we also were awakened to the interactions of energy, global competition, environmental protection, investments, and gaps in our education of engineers, scientists and researchers.
Besides being the name of a musical group in the 1970’s, Rare Earth Elements (REE) are key ingredients in the manufacture of equipment that can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Minnesota has the geology to contain many of these substances. However, we depend on North Dakota to supply the energy to collect and separate them into usable commodities. The country of China has the energy, the resources, and the political will to dominate this segment of the high-tech market.
Phil and Steve packed encyclopedic facts within their slides and kept up a pace that was daunting. Most of us were humbled by our glimpse of the technologic world that hides behind the utility of our smart phones and the clarity of the 75” television screens at COSTCO. Hopefully we’ll be more aware of the many competing issues as we try to maintain a safer and cleaner world in the future.
Phil’s slide (below) earned the “most use of colors in a technical slide” award!
The STRIVE group of students and mentors met on March 7 at Chaska High School. The speaker was Les Green – a friend of Gary Cooper and perennial speaker to the seniors. His 81 years of life experiences and advice were shared with honesty and empathy for all the competing forces faced by teenagers. His formula for life: Circumstance + Response = Success or Failure. This and other thoughts were shared with the students in a summary handout.
Upcoming Invocation
Note from John Roebke: Invocations can be a faith traditional prayer, or a meditation, or inspirational verse or quote. Brief 20 – 30 seconds. Light-hearted is okay. Option: focus on our Mission of Service Above Self. Need an idea – Google Rotary Invocations. Not a personal talent? Don't wait, tell me NOW, 612-790-7067, john.roebke@live.com. I will be glad to name another. If I forgot that you told me not a talent, please forgive me. Remind me. If not a good DATE, trade with a mate.
ame sheets, Sheryl Hough greeted folks at the door and Neil Wingert helped keep track of the money. Our club received half the proceeds from each of the games, and the winners smiled when the other half was put in their hands. Please add one or more of our remaining March nights in your schedule – March 14, 21 and 28.
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