Regular Meeting, December 23, 2009

(Guest speakers Zak Tervo and Holly Crouch)

A small but lively group today!

We welcomed Holly Crouch and her daughter Hailey and friend Craig Koskela as guests as well as Zak Tervo. Both Holly and Zak were the Club’s Scholarship recipients and were present to tell the Club about their experiences.

Pastor Pete helped open the meeting by introducing himself as Pastor Grinch. Several Happy Dollars were collected in a Festive manner.

Zak Tervo is attending Diesel Mechanics school in Chicago. He is doing well. Grades are good and he is enthusiastically learning his trade. He has completed his 6th course and is currently enjoying an electronics course. Zak is scheduled to complete his schooling by July, however is looking at the possibility of accelerating the program and finishing in March. He has a job upon graduation. Zak is focused. He announced he expects to earn his Master Mechanics license within 4 yrs of completing school. This certification will require Zak to continue his certification exams and get work experience. It was great to see his excitement.

Holly Crouch is attending Finlandia University pursuing a degree in Graphic Design. Holly has completed her 1st semester and is pursuing a 4 yr Bachelors degree. Her curriculum is exposing her to a variety of people including students and faculty from the Lower Peninsula and other countries. Her favorite course so far has been a drawing class. Holly’s graduation plans are abstract since she has 7 more semesters to complete.

She has already been exposed to a variety of artistic media including fabrics,, computer design and ceramics.

Amy Roberts gave a brief report on the Foundation including plans to present two Paul Harris Fellowships on Jan 13 2010.

Dan Dalquist reminded the Club that the 60th birthday party is January 13, 2010. The celebration will be held at our regular meeting date, time, and location. It would be great to have ALL our members present at this special meeting. As part of the discussion regarding the 60th party, Joe Enrietti announced he joined the Club in 1973. He is our member with the most Seniority.



(Since heavy snow in the Harbor prevented our getting a photograph of this year's luminaries, here is a picture, taken last year, of the moving CLK Rotary tribute to the 73 men, women and children who lost their lives in the Italian Hall disaster on December 24, 1913.)


See you next week, same time, same place, the last meeting of 2009. We'd love to see you.

Meetings of Dec 9 and 16, 2009

(Kilpela missed Rotary Wednesday. Said he tried to plow on but didn't have all-wheel drive.)

December 9, 2009 Meeting:

President Jim Lowell called the meeting to order and introduced Sgt Frank Philips – CLK ROTC and Linda Grahek (Dave was out of town) . Sgt Philips was accompanied by two ROTC Cadets: Rochelle Miller – Junior at CLK High School and Katie Miller – Junior at Lake Linden Hubbell high school. Jim then read the names of two prospective members: Scott See and Keith Stenger.

The fall Highway pickup date will be determined at the monthly board meeting – most likely early October.The fall Highway pickup date will be determined at the monthly board meeting – most likely early October.

After our meal and Happy Dollars from 5 Rotarians, Sgt Philips took the floor. He explained the CLK ROTC program had nominated students for the annual RYLA training every years for the past 12 yrs. CLK Rotary sponsors this program at $250 per student per year.

RYLA students attend a weekend Leadership training program at Camp Manito-Wish in Wisconsin. Students experience a variety of leadership development skills including a variety of team-building games and a high ropes course!

The girls described their experience as “Amazing!”. Both have been asked to return next year as instructors at RYLA. Katie and Rochelle said they use the leadership skills in their daily activities with ROTC.

CLK Rotary should be proud of our continued sponsorship of such a worthy program.

December 16, 2009 Meeting:

We had a Full House at this meeting! Twenty Two Rotarians and guests enjoyed a good lunch and program. Guests included Dave & Linda Grahek (we ALL thought they had left last week!) and Pam Grill – Main Street Calumet Board member.

Tom and Sue Scanlan were welcomed back home.

Announcements included Andy Murtagh modeling his Canadian Air Force hockey jersey.

Pam Grill reported on the accomplishments and status of the Calumet Main Street organization. Main St is an organization that is administered in Michigan by MSHDA. Main Street states it has the formula for creating a viable and functioning downtown for a community. She gave several examples of downtowns that have been recovered and are providing economic growth – including Calumet.

Several key points include comparing our Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) to other national landmarks such as Harper’s Ferry, Lowell Massachusets and Valley Forge! We do have many things to be proud of in Calumet, Laurium, and Keweenaw.

The Main Street organization was started in 1980 and now numbers over 2000 communities. Calumet was selected as a Main Street community in 2003. The focus is on the historic district of Calumet with efforts to improve economic gains, renovate properties, sponsor events, and other activities. For example, from June 2005 through May 2008, Calumet Main St attracted 9 new businesses resulting in 45 new jobs.

CLK Rotary made a three-year commitment of money to help Main Street get on it’s feet in the early years. As then, Main Street needs help with it’s funding. Support can be provided by becoming a Main Street member, by volunteering for various committees or events, or by making a contribution directly to Main Street.

See you next week.

Regular Meeting, December 2, 2009

(Good to see Kevin back on his feet. Here's a picture opf him taken a few months ago when he was on his feet and feeling feisty. Welcome back, Kevin.)


The meeting was (relatively) well attended with guests David and Linda Grahek, Bob Sharkey and a blast from our past, Ed Yarbrough in addition to 20 members. Everyone was pleased to see Kevin Store upright and functional again. Kevin thanked members for their thoughts and prayers during his convalescence.

Business Meeting

Most of the business meeting was pretty routine.
• December birthdays - Tom L., Steve D.
• Attendance for November (53%)
• Upcoming Programs
o Dec. 9 – Jeff Slivkoff
o Dec. 16 – Pam Grill – Main Street
o Dec. 23 – Zach Tervo
o Dec. 30 – Rotary Foundation

Then we discussed the plans for the 60th birthday party on Jan. 13. The Board of Directors recommends that our celebration take place at lunch on January 13th with a minimum of expense with emphasis on community exposure. This general plan was accepted by the Club with the following motions:

Motion: The Board of Directors is authorized to spend as they see fit for the 60th celebration. Due to the short time-frame involved, a quorum is not required to approve expenditures. Andy M./Sandy H. Approved.

Motion: We will invite past Club officers to lunch on January 13th at our expense. Sue. D/Jim Lowrie. Approved.

The next Board meeting will be on December 15th at Range Bank in Calumet.

Regular Meeting, November 25, 2009

(Rebecca Crane, Executive Director of DIAL HELP listens intently to one of the many questions asked of her during her presentation.)

A” Deer Season” meeting! We had 15 members, including guests Dave & Linda Grahek, attend lunch. President Jim introduced guest Rebecca Crane – Executive Director of DIAL HELP. Rebecca will deliver the program.

Names of potential members were read: Jeff Slivkoff (3^rd reading) and Jim Corliss (2^nd reading).

Announcements included: 1. CLK Rotarians have raised over $500 for The Keweenaw County Sheriff Secret Santa! That, coupled with the $500 from the club itself makes for a $1,000 donation to brighten the Christmas for a whole lot of kids. What a Great Club we have! 2. A Board meeting will be Tuesday Dec 1 at 4pm at the Range Bank office in Calumet.

Captain Don Kilpela announced he and Betty were celebrating their 57^th yr of Marriage. Congratulations to both Betty and Don!

Our Program today is about DIAL HELP. Rebecca Crane, has been the Exec Director since June 2009. DIAL HELP began 30 yrs ago as a help line for drug abuse. It has evolved to a crisis line serving all of the UP. The next closest crisis line is Traverse City. There are a few others in the Lower Peninsula. DIAL HELP’s mission is to provide crisis help ( drug abuse, alcohol abuse, victim services and prevention programs in addition to other services) 24 hrs per day 7 days per week.

The organization is funded by grants from both the Federal and state governments as well as money from both the Copper Country and Dickinson County United Way chapters. Annual budget is $350,000 with 90% funded by grants and federal/state agencies. The remaining 10% comes from donations.

DIAL HELP needs volunteers to help deliver its various programs. If any Rotarians are interested, they should contact Rebecca Crane at DIAL HELP.

See you all next Wednesday, December 2.

Remember, through December 1 you can still vote for the Ontonogan PlayDay. Just check out http://playday.kaboom.org/



(Rebecca graciously accepts to revered CLK Rotary Mug)

Regular Meetinbg, November 16, 2009

First, my apologies to President Jim. Somehow, during our travels, I missed the email with the report that is going to follow. Though it is late, I hope it will serve as a reminder of tomorrow's meeting and will bring you up to date with what transpired last week.

At left is Laura Shudra of Authentic Truths, our speaker.



15 Rotarians, including David and Linda Grahek attended lunch today. Laura Shudra, of Authentic Truths, was our guest and presenter. Prior to lunch Lowell welcomed guests and delivered a message from Kevin Store, thanking members for thinking of him during his time in the hospital with H1N1 and pneumonia.

After lunch, Lowell made a few announcements, including reading the names of prospective new members Jeff Slivkoff (De la Terre) and Jim Corless (Keweenaw National Historical Park). Amy Roberts drew names to see who would be the Paul Harris Fellows from the 5x5 teams and solicited names for other Paul Harris Fellowships to be presented at the 60th birthday party on January 16th. The meeting was then turned over to Laura Shudra.

Shudra is an experienced teacher and councilor who is forming a company to council anyone in need of support or direction. She emphasizes effective decision making, team leadership and choosing mentors. One aim is to help teens identify their callings and to avoid problems resulting from bad relationships.

Tom Tikkanen donated a happy dollar in anticipation of bagging an 8-point buck. We look forward to hearing about this at a future meeting.

Regular Meeting, November 11, 2009

(President Jim congratulates new member Scott See.)

Nineteen Rotarians met today and enjoyed a good lunch. Guests were Dave/Linda Grahek and Chuck “the Red Rose” Wicker from Hancock Rotary club

Announcements included: >Welcome Back to Capt Don Kilpela - back from his Italian trip! >Kevin Store is in Portage Health ICU with the H1N1 flu and pneumonia. We all wish Kevin a quick return to health! > No program today so we will resume/complete last week’s business meeting. (Did the agenda come to the meeting this week?)

Capt Kilpela gave several Happy Dollars as he reported that Tom Scanlon is recovering from his surgery.

New Member: President Jim inducted Scott See (sponsored by Sue Dana) as our newest Rotarian. Welcome Scott! Jim also read Jeff Slivkoff’s name for the first time – a potential member. Jeff is the General Manger of the De La Terre restaurant in Lake Linden.

Birthdays: Joel keranen, Amy Roberts (plus today is her youngest child’s birthdate!), Phil Smythe and Babette Jokela.

CLK Rotarians w/perfect attendance in October were: Patsi, Dan, Sue Dana, Joe Enrietti, Joel, Tom L, Jim Lowell, Rich S, Andy, Phil and Peter Vorheis. Club attendance was 57%. Congratulations to our Perfect Attendance members!

Club Business updates:

1: New trading banners are still in the works – need data from Kevin Store.

2: CHOICES program will be presented at Lake Linden Hubbell Schools – 9^th grade classes on 11/30 and 12/1. Calumet Schools will be 12/7 & 12/8. Could use more Rotarians for the Calumet Schools dates.

3: A letter request from Zack Tervo – one of our scholarship recipients was read. Zack is doing well in school and plans on completing his program in June 2010. He is planning on returning to the area and opening a repair facility in the area. Very good feedback from Zack. Our Scholarship $$ are making a difference. Motion by Tim Baroni, Second by Amy Roberts to immediately pay the second installment of the scholarship. Motion passed.

4: No Board meeting in November due to conflicting activities & events. The Board will meet once all members return from deer camp and the hospital!

5: Phil has an updated member roster that Jim Lowell will email to all Rotarians.

6: The CLK Rotary Sheriff’s fund is now at $500 (member donations ) and still rising! A big thanks to those Rotarians who have donated to this worthy cause.

(Jim explaining the purposes and ideals of Rotary to new member Scott See.)

Meetings of 10/28 and 11/4

Hello all. A blog report from Italy. (Sue Dana, eat your heart out.)

CLK Rotary Meeting Oct 28 2009 A Call to Action!

Special Thank You to Lisa Ronan – Irish Times owner – for her stellar work decorating the bar/restaurant for Halloween! We arrived to find spider webs, spiders , mummies and moss all over the place!

Guests included Linda Grahek (without Dave), Scott See, chuck Wicker –Hancock Rotary and Keweenaw County Sheriff Ron Lahti.

Attendance = 20.

Sheriff Lahti presented our program. He explained how the “Secret Santa” program conducted by the Keweenaw county sheriff’s dept worked. The program started 12 yrs ago when it became apparent there were children in Keweenaw County that were not getting Christmas Gifts. Names, along with ages & gender & sizes, were provided by various sources including community members and the Social Services dept.
Last year, the program operated with an $8000 budget and produced Christmas gifts for 79 children! Sheriff Lahti and staff members from the Keweenaw County courthouse spent over 12 hours shopping for the gifts.

Sheriff Lahti said he does negotiate discounts from the merchants to help stretch the $$. CLK rotary helped by providing $500 of Club funds matched with a District grant of $500. We also had 6 Rotarians help with the sorting of the gifts – a necessary task prior to distribution.

A plethora of questions resulted with Sheriff Lahti responding to each. He is very confident no needy children have been missed. He stressed the program is not about the parents or their lifestyle , but is focused upon providing children with Christmas gifts. He said it is common for a family to work their way out of whatever their problem is. Once that happens the children are removed from the list and replaced with others.

The Sheriff department is the focal point, however the entire Keweenaw community participates by conducting fund raisers, submitting names, providing gifts via donation or donating money.

President Jim Lowell states CLK Rotary has budgeted $500 towards this program with additional donations from Rotarians adding another $100!! If each Rotarian donated $20 to the cause, we could get closer to matching last year’s total donation of $1000! Checks should be payable to CLK Rotary .

We also need to continue supporting the project with Rotarians able to help sort the gifts. If you can give of your time, please contact Jim Lowell.

CLK Rotary Business Meeting Nov 4, 2009

Monthly Business meeting with 17 members and guests attending. Guests included Dave 7 Linda Grahek, Bob Sharkey – Ass’t district Gov, and Jeff Slivkoff – guest of Andy Murtagh (gone missing!)

Jim Lowry announced the kickoff of the Copper Country United Way campaign and distributed literature for members to read. Several Happy dollars were paid as well.

President Jim began the business meeting by announcing his notes and agenda were still at home on his computer! He apologized ( with several comments from members about the need to pay up!) and continued a capella; making the following observations:

Club attendance for Oct was 57% - We can do better!!! We need to see our members at the meetings! Members with perfect attendance and members with birthdays were not announced – they will be at the next meeting.

The Financial Report was not available however the updated Budget was presented for members review.

President Jim reviewed the CHOICES program. CLK Rotary is providing trained Rotarians to present the CHOICES program to the CLK and LL/Hubbell Schools. Our Rotary volunteers are Keith Stengel, Tom TIkkanen, Jim Lowell and Kevin Store. We could sure use another 3-4 Rotarians to help present the program. Contact Jim Lowell for more info.

Upcoming programs: Nov 11 = Emily Fiala – Habitat for Humanity. Nov 18 – could not recall who the program was.

Our CLK Rotary Board has pre-approved a number of individuals for membership. We (all of us) need to contact those folks and invite them to lunch! We need to increase our membership.

An active discussion focused upon our practice of fines. Several opinions were expressed – some supporting eliminating fines and others supporting fines - either spontaneous or well-defined. The matter was referred back to the Board.

Our continued support of the Keweenaw County Sheriff Dept Secret Santa program has grown! In addition to the budgeted amount of $500, members have contributed at least another $200 with more contributions coming in – even while the discussion was going on!

We ended with the monthly 50/50 raffle - - Tom Liljegren was the lucky Rotarian!

Regular Meeting, October 21, 2009

(The CLK Photo Archive contained a photo of the late Mr. Perona [left] playing his accordion at our first community spaghetti dinner, Mr. Perona, who was also a wonderful spoon and bone player, died recently and will be missed by the community.)


Today’s guests were Linda Grahek (without Dave as he is downstate for 2 weeks) and visiting Rotarian John Weting from Marquette, accompanied by his wife, Marny. John is our District Rotary Foundation chair.

Several announcements were made including Amy Roberts announcing a Wine Tasting Party sponsored by the Keweenaw Business & Professional Women. President Jim Lowell announced his nephew owns the Lockheed Electra 12 airplane used in the new movie Amelia.

Multiple Happy Dollars were collected.

John Weting presented a program focusing on our Rotary foundation. John provided handouts about the Foundation as well as statistics on Rotary and our District 6220 Foundation giving. He asked our club “Why did you join Rotary?”. Answers included the fellowship and dedication to the community, participation in the Rotary Youth Exchange, the fight against polio and many others items. One comment was “…to have fun!!”.

Most local service clubs support their communities. Rotary is the leader of International involvement. Contributions to the RIF (Rotary International Foundation) are held for 3 yrs and then 50% is sent to the district Foundation Funds and 50% is routed to the international Foundation. The foundation is operated off the earnings of the RIF. We have many methods of giving to the RIF – our Club has two 5X5 groups where members are contributing $200 per yr for 5 yrs and each yra a new Paul Harris Fellow will be recognized.

John gave the following information about the world population and the USA: 1/6 of the world population lives on $1 USD per day or less. Americans are perceived to be benevolent people who freely give to many charities and organizations. However: the USA spend $32 billion/yr on coffee, $35 billion/yr on beer. $60 billion/yr on soft drinks and $103 billion on fast food.

Americans have money that can be used to support those who are in need and Rotary is the key service club to facilitate those contributions using the Rotary International Foundation.

Regular Meeting, November 14, 2009

The October 14th meeting was kicked off by the induction of a new member – Keith Stenger (Picture attached.). Keith works for VSI/Goodwill as a Work Force Development specialist. After being introduced to the Club and presented with a badge, pin and membership certificate Keith gave a brief bio to introduce himself to the Club members.

This was followed by a presentation by Bob Sharkey. Bob talked about membership and how to grow and retain members. His points were as follows:

Membership is everyone’s job.

The Club might develop a list of member prospects. Houghton club did this and came up with over 100 possible new members.

Invite prospects to attend a meeting, get a sense of whether they are interested in becoming Rotarians.

Ask them to join. Bob pointed out that he had volunteered for Rotary functions for years before he was asked to join. Membership if by invitation – don’t hesitate to ask if you want a person to join.

Quality is important. Prospective members should be leaders in the business community and decision makers in their jobs.

Procedures for proposing a member are well defined and on the Rotary web site.
Have and “Elevator Speech” ready. An elevator speech is one where you tell someone what Rotary is about in a minute or so – the time an elevator takes to get to its destination.

Thanks Bob for this interesting and timely presentation. We all realize that there are as many reasons for joining as there are members of our club so let's get our heds together and bring in our life's blood: membership.

Business Meeting, October 7, 2009

(What's wrong with this picture? Check out the one below for a hint.)

Attendance: 19 including Guests David & Linda Grahek. Scott See also attended as a prospective member.

President Jim called our monthly business meeting to order. Several Happy $ were collected and fines assessed for not wearing the Rotary pin. CLK Rotarians need to wear a Rotary lapel pin or tie tack when attending a Rotary event.

Birthday greetings to Jim Lowell and Rich Schaefer!

Highlights of the meeting:

· Treasurer Joel Keranen announced the checking balance of $7547 and savings balance of $4646.98. He also distributed a financial statement. Motion to accept the Treasurer’s report was made and passed.

· Upcoming programs: Oct 14 is open; Oct 21 is John Wetting on rotary foundation, Oct 28 is Rebecca Crane from Dial Help.

· August attendance = 59%. Sept attendance = 55%

· Remember to make up meetings! One alternative is to make up on line www.rotaryeclubone. Or attend the Hancock Club (Mondays) or the Houghton Club (Thursdays).

· CLK Rotary Club 60^th Birthday Committee report – making plans and need help from our longest serving members on identifying CLK rotary alumni

· The effort to design a new club banner was resurrected. President Jim to follow-up.

· Eve Szilargy resigned due to demands of her business – opening soon in Houghton.

· A brief discussion occurred regarding recruiting new members.

· The CHOICES program was discussed. CLK Rotary has committed to hosting the program in the CLK and Lake Linden/Hubbell and Alternative Schools. More Rotarians are needed to help fulfill our commitment.

· Rich Schaefer won the raffle!

When this settle down, we hope to see Eva back in the fold. Meantime, her resignation was accepted with regret.

Meeting adjourned at 1pm.

(If you haven't figured out the answer, check out the uneven distribution of women.)

Regular Meeting, September 30, 2009

(This week's pictures from our archive are meant to remind everyone that the highway cleanup is scheduled this month. Experience has proved the adage that "many hands make light work.")

Attendance: 26 total including 2 guests, Dave & Linda Grahek, and our program speaker, Ned Huwatschek.

Our Club enthusiastically gave Happy Dollars – Joel Keranen gave $2 in honor of Joel and his wife both completing a ½ marathon on Sept 26. Joel reported Mindy beat him by a 2 tenths of a second. Also, a number of Rotarians were fined $1 each for not wearing their Rotary lapel pins! Lesson learned = Wear Your Rotary Pin!

Ned Huwatschek, our speaker, presented a program on the history of the Smith Fisheries. He began by asking how many Rotarians had visited Smith Fisheries to which approximately 2/3 indicated they had. Ned explained that the owner was Mr. Lamorand whose first location was at Keystone Bay. He relocated to the current location after determining the logistics getting supplies and fish to market. After moving to Smith Fisheries, Mr Lamorand burned the Keystone buildings.

Ned’s family bought the Fisheries in the early 1940s and operated it until 1968. At its peak, the Fisheries had 17 buildings and operated 2 fishing boats. With no road until much later, access to the Fisheries was by water – year round.

Ned’s family also owned fisheries in Grand Marais, Oscoda and Port Washington WI. The family business shipped whitefish and lake trout to restaurants they owned in Wisconsin and in California. Imagine ordering fresh Lake Superior Lake Trout in a California restaurant.

The Huwatshek family sold Smith Fisheries in 1988 to a MTU grad: Hal Baldauf. He still maintains the road and several buildings.

President Jim Lowell thanked Ned for his presentation and presented him a Rotary mug.
Meeting adjourned at 1pm.

Regular Meeting, September 23, 2009

A couple of years ago, I was slated to be president and Dan Dalquist was to be my vice president. At one of our luncheons, I explained this arrangement to my wife, who was a guest, and she said, "Well, there you go: Dumb and Dumber," Thanks Betty.

Well, folks, Dumb and Dumber have teamed up again: we are jointly producing the CLK Rotary Blog. Dan will write the words and I will take the pictures and put it on line. Than at some point, Dan will take over the whole operation. To mark the occasion, there is a new format for the Blog. We hope you enjoy it.

(Below is a picture of our speaker guests: Sgt Philips of the CLK ROTC Cadets, Rochelle Miller, Junior at CLK High School and Katie Miller, Junior at Lake Linden Hubbell high school.)

President Jim Lowell called the meeting to order and introduced Sgt Frank Philips – CLK ROTC and Linda Grahek (Dave was out of town) . Sgt Philips was accompanied by two ROTC Cadets: Rochelle Miller – Junior at CLK High School and Katie Miller – Junior at Lake Linden Hubbell high school. Jim then read the names of two prospective members: Scott See and Keith Stenger.

The fall Highway pickup date will be determined at the monthly board meeting – most likely early October.

After our meal and Happy Dollars, from 5 Rotarians, Sgt Philips took the floor. He explained the CLK ROTC program had nominated students for the annual RYLA training every years for the past 12 yrs. CLK Rotary sponsors this program at $250 per student per year.

RYLA students attend a weekend Leadership training program at Camp Manitowish in Wisconsin. Students experience a variety of leadership development skills including a variety of teambuilding games and a high ropes course!

The girls described their experience as “Amazing!”. Both have been asked to return next year as instructors at RYLA. Katie and Rochelle said they use the leadership skills in their daily activities with ROTC.

CLK Rotary should be proud of our continued sponsorship of such a worthy program.

(President Jim presents the highly valued CLK Rotary mugs to the young ROTC ladies.)

Regular Meeting, September 16, 2009

(CCISD Superintendent Dennis Harbour accepts the coveted CLK Rotary mug as a gift for his interesting and compelling presentation.)


Attending the meeting were 13 members and 3 guests. Guests were Dave & Linda Grahek from Breckenridge Rotary and Dennis Harbour, Superintendent of the Copper Country Intermediate School District.

1. President Jim announced that due to the press of his business, Ole van Goor has tendered his resignation to the club. It was accepted with deep regrets and the hope that in the future as time permits, Ole will re-join the club.

2. Jim noted that three members have signed up for the training session to become mentors to students in the Calumet and Lake Linden high schools; they at Tom Scanlan, Tom Tikkanen, and Kevin Store. Thank you, gentlemen. There is still time for others to sign on to this important mentoring task. If interested, call Jim Lowell ASAP.

3. In terms of the all-important membership committee, Jim decided that there would be no specific committee assigned; rather, he said, we are all responsible of the growth and survival of this club and any ideas for increasing and retaining members are welcome.

4. Finally, he announced that "category" programs are welcome. If any member wants to talk about his Rotary category, please see Jim.

After lunch, our speaker, Dennis Harbour, was introduced. Though much was discussed about the need for state action on a budget, his primary message was explaining the difficulty school districts have in setting their budgets. For example, the school district budgets must be set by the beginning of their fiscal year, July 1. Unfortunately, the state budget must be set by the state's fiscal year beginning October 1. It doesn't take rocket science to realize that school districts are budgeting blindfolded, with only guesswork for what the state will contribute to their undertaking.

Compounding this problem, Harbour said, was the absolute fact that no further cuts in program can be expected, cuts as little as 5% were to Harbour unachievable.

The solution should expenses exceed revenues? The districts will operate at their basic minimum until the money runs out and then simply close the school. As Draconian as this sounds, it is a real possibility according the Harbour.

The entire program was interesting and thought-provoking. We need an angel of some sorts (an improved economy or auto business) to appear on the horizon. Good Luck!!

Business Meeting, September 2, 2009

(Having taken no pictures, I decided to put up some old ones from the film archive. Here's the CLK Hockey Team of 2009)


This was one of the rare meetings at which no guests were present. There were 16 members in attendance and a good deal of business was discussed:

1. President Jim reminded everyone to update their personal data for the club archive. This is important and is used by the district when calculating benefits, etc.

2. Treasurer Joel announced that there was a total of $9,341.18 in our checking/savings accounts.

(Two pictures from one of our annual fund-raising dinners held at the Miscowaubik Club.)


3. July attendance was 51% and August 59%. We can do better!

4. In January, 2010, the CLK Rotary Club will be 60 years old. President Jim is looking for ideas to mark the celebration of this event. Patricia was elected chairman and she will need committee members to assist her to plan the action. Come with ideas.

5. Tammies Chairman Dan announced that the club made a net profit very close to $2,000 and he reminded everyone that just a slightly better effort next year will produce an enormous increase since all the expenses will remain the same. The results of the ticket sales were: Keweenaw, 50; Calumet/Laurium, 48; Southside, 36, and the winners were Da Valley, 54. Kilpela was awarded 12 golf balls for his efforts in sales. He expects that will get him through 9 holes easily.
6. Jim asked if there is anyone interested in being a mentor and speaking to a couple of 9th grade classes at Calumet and Lake Linden. If interested, you will receive some training and a power point demonstration to use. See President Jim.

(The ribbon cutting at the new Rotary Clock.)


7. In addition, if the club is interested in the "visionary" project, the Houghton club's Elden Johnson is the point man on the project. This is a program whereby a facilitator will conduct a meeting to seek and develop visionary goals for our club.

Finally, we were reminded that the board of directors meets the third Tuesday of each month.

Annual District Governor's Meeting, August 26, 2009

(District Governor Mary Schwaiger addressing the CLK Rotary.)

Attending this meeting were 17 members and 7 guests: guests were Bob Sharkey our Assistant District Governor and Anil Jambakar both of the Houghton club; Dave and Linda Grahek and their granddaughter; Keith, and District Governor Mary Schwaiger.

After a spirited Happy Dollars spree and lunch, Mary was reintroduced to speak to the club.

From the Green Bay club, Mary indicated early on that she identified with the Green Bay Packers (and for that your author forgives her) and that she is a dedicated Rotarian through and through.

Her presentation was what every Rotarian needs from time to time: a reminder not only of what we have been accomplishing but of what our goals could and should be if we continue to work hard at what we do best, i.e. helping other less fortunate. After all the theme of Rotary at present is, "The Future of Rotary International is in Your Hands."

Mary reminded everyone that there are 33,000+ Rotary clubs organized into 551 Districts and 34 Zones and that the tremendous accomplishments of RI could only be possible with this exceedingly effective organization. She pointed out that each of the 551 district governors has established district goals for the year and the totality of that effort is indeed overwhelming. For example, District 6220 goals for the year are:

1. A Presidential Citation fo each club.
2. EREY, a donation of $100 from Every Rotarian Every Year.
3. A Polio Plus fund-raiser during the year.
4. 80% member retention for the year.
5. Visioning. This is a "vision" meeting conducted by trained facilitators to help each club create its future in Rotary. In this regard, anyone wishing to be a facilitator, contact the Houghton club through Jim Lowell.
6. Have fun. In short, all work and no play....etc.

Mary reminded us of the 2010 District Conference of which she will be hostess on May 14-16 in Green Bay.

Finally, she pointed out that the little things we do will help to spruce up our image, things such as re-labeling our Rotary Magazine with our message after we've read them and bringing them to the various doctor's offices, etc, through the area.

It was an inspiring presentation done by an inspired presenter.



(Jim presented Mary with a small reminder of her visit to the Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw area.)

Regular Meeting, August

(Our speaker, Chuck Nelson, listens patiently and thoughtfully to a comment from a member.)

There were 18 members and 4 guests in attendance: Guests included Linda and Dave Grahek and their granddaughter and Sharon Fisher of the Aspirus Keweenaw Fitness and Occupational Therapy Center.

President Jim opened the meeting with a very preliminary report on the Tamburitzans fund-raising program and, though the accounting was not complete, pronounced it a success. By next week we should have a full report. Chairman Dan thanked all members their efforts not only in selling tickets and distributing advertising but for housing the entire troupe.

After a round of happy dollars (with one exceptionally large one in honor of Tom Scanlan's new grandchild) the floor was turned over to Member Chuck Nelson, CEO of Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital. Without fanfare, Chuck conducted a modified "Town Meeting" such as has become popular around the various congressional districts about the national health care proposals pending before Congress. Needless to say, the discussion though short was spirited. From your blogger's point of view, there will be many modifications proposed and discussed before a final product, if any, is voted upon. One can say with absolute assurance that before it is over it will stir up emotions.




(Tom Scanlan adding a salient point to the discussion.)

Business Meeting, August 5, 2009

(Immediate Past President, Kevin Store, proudly receives the Presidential Citation for the 2008-09 for meeting and exceeding the stringent criteria of the award.)


Having been away last week, I am experiencing difficulty getting back into the groove on this blog. But here goes: The meeting was attended by 18 members and 4 guests. I regret to say that I missed the introductions of the guests. I do recall that Dave and Linda Grahek and their granddaughter were present so that accounts for three of them. The fourth will have to remain anonymous.

Before President Jim got into the business agenda, several items were discussed. First, Dan said he had two things: the Tamburitzans and the upcoming Bike race of the same day. Come on now folks, the date is getting too close for comfort and a Herculean effort is needed to sell all 650 seats for the Tamburitzans. You all saw the budget. We need the cash to fulfill budget expectations so don't let the community down. As for housing them, contact Dan if you will provide housing. He tells us that the kids will sleep anywhere including the floor if necessary. For the bike race, he needs traffic control people at dangerous intersections at 10 a.m. and again at about 11 a.m. See Dan for details.

Next we sang heartily for the birthday boys, Dan, George, Chuck, and guest Dave Grahek. Getting all four names into the song proved to be difficult.

On the budget: It was resolved and passed that the EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) budget be reduced to $1,000 with the stipulation that we will put the other $1,000 back in the budget should the funds materialize. We'll look to the 5X5 contributions to help enormously.

There is a new schedule for meetings of the Board of Directors: the third Tuesday of the month at the Range Bank Main Office of Calumet Avenue.

Finally, a new category of "Provisional Membership" was announced. Definition: Members is good standing (i.e. dues current) may be granted provisional membership for a good and valid reason with no limitation on the duration. "Good and valid" will be determined by the Board of Directors upon receipt of an application. Provisional members continue to be members of the CLK Rotary Ckub and are responsible for International and District dues. The provisional member is not responsible for meal assessments but when he/she attends a meeting the normal meal costs must be paid. Moreover, provisional members are encouraged and challenged to participate in all CLK Rotary events and fund-raising efforts. Check with any board member for additional information.
Let me remind everyone that if you want copies of the Board of Directors minutes or the budget, please contact Jim and he will gladly provide a copy via email. His address is jrlowell@winterhaven.org.


See you next week. Tamburitzans: Sell, sell, sell, house spells success!



(Members engaged in lively discussion after the meeting)

Regular Meeting, July 22, 2009

(Pictures of Dan while delivering his program on the Tour de France)



The meeting was not well attended with just 12 members and two guests (Linda and Dave) present. That was too bad because Dan gave a stellar performance on the Tour de France. I for one learned a great deal about this major European and world-wide event.

President Jim alerted everyone to the excellent article in this month's Rotary Magazine about the history of the 4-Way Test. It is well worth reading and reminding ourselves of the purpose and practice of Rotary.

Action on ticket sales is flagging and Dan reminds everyone to get out now and make an effort before it is too late. We need the money to fill the till to do the good to help the local and international communities.

Finally, we received a note from Bob Sharkey encouraging members to submit articles for the District 6220 Newsletter:


Good Morning, District 6220 Leaders, Although the July newsletter has not yet been sent, I would like to solicit your submissions for the August Newsletter. Governor Schwaiger and I are attempting to send the district newsletters out earlier in the month. To do this, I ask that you submit your articles to me before the 1st of the month. Ideally, the newsletters will be sent by the end of the first week of the month.

Please send your August article submissions to me at rob_manzke@hotmail.com (copy Mary Schwaiger and Mary Weed-Wheeler) by Friday, July 31. Articles can be written by you or submitted by your club. AGs, feel free to encourage your area clubs to submit articles and pictures!

Regular Meeting, Jily 15, 2009

(Three members were elected to the Board of Trustees of the CLK Rotary Club. They are (r to l) Jeff Primeau and Tom Liljigren, Trustees, and Richard Schaefer, Secretary to the Board. Since Richard had already departed, Tom Scanlan graciously agreed to represent him in the picture and, if I might add, was a credible likeness.)









Attendance was 19 members and 3 guests. Guests were Dave and Linda Grahek and Bob Sharkey. Happy Dollars weer in abundance. Thank you.

Inasmuch as Jim Lowell sent members a thorough summary of the informal business meeting, we won't comment here.

Have a great week and we'll see you on Wednesday.

Regular Meeting, July 8, 2009

(Left: A picture of the Calumet Art Center on Fifth Street.)


The meeting was attended by16 members and four guests. Guests were perennials Dave and Linda Grahek, Katie Curtis, a volunteer coordinator of the Copperman triathelon, and Ed Gray, owner of the Ed Gray Studio Gallery in Calumet who spoke to us about the newly-formed Calumet Art Center.

After lunch and a round of Happy Dollars, Dan Dalquist reiterated his appeal to sell those Tamburitzan tickets. He explained that each member was being given a slip of paper listed the two or three businesses he could call on to sell sponsorships.




From our procedures document, here are the various options open to sponsors:

(1) Businesses purchasing tickets will be listed in the program insert as show
Sponsors. If a sponsor purchases more than ten tickets, he gets them for $13 each or if he buys 30 or more, he gets them for $11.

(2) Sponsors may opt to donate tickets to CLK Rotary for distribution to needy
organizations (e.g., Little Brothers, elder care facilites).

(3) CLK Rotary members will be assigned businesses to contact to encourage
purchase of Sponsor tickets.

(4) Sponsor ticket orders MUST indicate that the sale is to a sponsoring business by checking the Sponsor box on the order form.

(5) Sponsor ticket order forms MUST show the business name as it should be listed on the program insert.

This, Dan assures us, is the quickest way for us to sell all 650 seats. "So go to it," Dan exhorts.

The four sales teams are: Keweenaw Krew, Cal-Laurium Bunch, South Side, and Da Valley Gang. Presently the Keweenaw Krew leads. Good luck!

Following Dan was Ed Gray, representing the newly formed Calumet Art Center. The CAC is a non-profit organization located in the recently purchased Community Church on Fifth Street in Calumet. It will focus on hands-on involvement by artists, mentors, musicians and lecturers, young and old, to develop the arts, culture and history of the Keweenaw.

The CAC asks you to join by becoming a Founding Member. Your time and money are urgently needed to make this a monumental success for Calumet. With a rich and varied tradition of the arts, the CAC can only make the story greater, the draw for people stronger. Donations can be made to the Calumet Art Center, P.O.Box 7, Calumet, MI 49913 or to volunteer, call 906-281-3494.

(Katie Curtis talks with Dan abiut the upcoming Copperman Triathelon on August 1)















(Ed Gray addressing the members and Peter responding followed by Ed receiving the cherished CLK Rotary mug.)