Jeff opened the meeting with the pledge of allegiance and an invocation.
 
President Dana invited Jeff back to the podium to introduce and induct our newest member, Winifred "Winie" Bradford.  Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Winie has lived in th U.S. since 1991.  She is an entrepreneur and independent representative for 5LINX, providing products and services for home and business.  Winie has been an active volunteer in the Minneapolis area, and seems destined to be an active Rotarian as well.  Please take a moment to introduce yourself to Winie and you'll see what a great addition she will be to our club.  Jeff and Winie are shown below.
 
John Risdall provided a special steak dinner for Val Johnson, in honor of her election to Mayor of New Brighton.  Congratulations Val, and bon appetit!
 
Todd Kruse forwarded the District Governor's email newsletter to the club this past week.  If you missed it, go back and find it to catch up on all the good stuff going on in District 5960.
 
Amy Wakem garnered 7 volunteers to help with holiday food organization at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf on Monday, November 23rd, from 9:30-11:00.  More help would be appreciated, so if you can help, please email Amy at Amy@AmyWakem.com.
 
Please note upcoming programs in the left column.
 
Also note that our Gold Plate Dinner has been scheduled for April 1st.  Mark your calendars now.
 
Dave Hoel displayed the "General Custer Award" that was given to him by then president Jim Kadechka after our first Easter Egg Hunt in 1990.  We were expecting 30-50 people but the weather was perfect and we were overwhelmed by 600 or so anxious parents and kids.  Dave stood his ground, bravely trying to maintain order using nothing but a bullhorn.  It was a miracle that no lives were lost and no injuries were reported, but the emotional scars remain.
 
Gerry T. updated us on Char's progress after her recent fall.  Recovery has been slow due to complications and Char, now at Benecictine Care Center at Innsbruck, is considering a move to Moorhead to be closer to her daughter.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Char and Gerry in this difficult time.
 
Todd Kruse has set up LinkedIn and Twitter accounts for the club and will be giving a tutorial at an upcoming club meeting.
 
Glenna celebrated her birthday but the birthday hat was nowhere to be found.  An investigation is underway to locate the missing hats and bring the responsible party to justice.  Glenna is pictured (sans hat) below.
 
Our Presenter today was Tami Moberg.  Tami has been a part of the Mounds View community for over 30 years.  A degree in Social Work from Bethel University started her on a path to many service activities including the Young Life Committee for 15 years, the Bethel Alumni Board, Church and School Volunteering.  Tami, and her husband David, have been foster parents for many children through the Ramsey County Crisis Nursery.  For the past 5 years, Tami has worked at Irondale High School and one of her roles was to support the STRIPES program.  STRIPES stands for Students Together Respecting the Importance and Purpose of Education in Schools and it surrounds students with a "safety net" that meets their needs by partnering with various community businesses, parents and universities.  STRIPES teaches young men to be resilient, persistent and focused on education.  While working with these young men, Tami saw the need for a place for them to meet after school hours.  Her dream was  to find a home that could be open for students to get support from caring adults.   In March, 2015, a home was found and the Quincy Treehouse was born.  Quincy Treehouse is a partnership with Treehouse, which has been providing support to students for over 30 years.  Quincy TreeHouse was established to provide hope, guidance and unconditional love to at-risk teens dealing with issues like depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, truancy, self-injury and homelessness.  Teens experience grace and are reminded that they are loveable, capable and worthwhile.  All teens are welcome, regardless of background.  Check out the Quincy TreeHouse website here.  Dana and Tami are shown below.