At Tuesday's Fifth Tuesday Noon meeting, we packed birthday bags for Backpack Program children whose families receive supplemental basic food through Our Neighbors' Place.   In addition, we put Rotary stickers about 285 snack bags.  The snack bags are going to be given to the Meyer Middle School students who donate the most diapers, and also who donate the most 5 and 6 sizes. These fifth Tuesday projects remind us about Service Above Self while giving an opportunity for some social time that we don't have when meetings include speakers.  As always, we cranked it out PD quickly; many hands do make light work.

--Holiday Backpack Program Presentation:  Scott Morrissette has been collecting our club members' contributions, and he will present them to Shelly Smith at this week's meeting.  Please make sure you have yours to Scott in time.

 

-Sharing Families is Underway:  Tony Pedriana has been  coordinating the signup list for gifts and gift cards to families in need as identified by the Sharing Families group.  He reports that the list is fully subscribed, including the grocery and gas cards.  As a reminder, the deadline for gifts to Sharing Families is December 6.  Click READ MORE for more details.

 

--Jim DiPeso is our latest Paul Harris Fellow and Randy Cudd reached the next level PHF!:  George presented Jim with his PHF certificate and pin at the October 28th meeting, and on 11/11 Randy received his PHF+3.  Congratulations and thanks, Jim and Randy!

 

--November Calendar:  Click READ MORE  to see the November calendar.  

 

--Diaper Drive is Wrapping Up!  It's all over except for some school collections and awards to competition winners.

Short-term exchange student Emme Torgerson spoke to the club about her time in Spain.  She spent her month in Spain in Alicante; our club has a flag from the Rotary Club of Alicante on one of our banners.  Emme gave us her impressions of Spanish food, including the emphasis on meat and a widespread love of Coke.  Spanish meal times were an adjustment for her, since dinner is eaten very late by US standards.  Emme showed photosof churches as well as photos from a festival to Mary that she attended with her exchange sister.  Because of Alicante's location on the Mediterranen, swimming in the sea was a frequent activity.

 

When Emme's Spanish exchange sister was here, they took in a Twins game as well as a Loons game, and many other activities.  Emme's family showed her many aspects of American life.

Eve Olson spoke to the club about  her experience as an exchange student in Finland as well as her time hosting her exchange 'sister' Nella from Kauhava Finland.  The first part of the short term exchange was here, with Nella visiting from June 10 through July 9th, which meant that Nella experienced July 4th here.  They went kayaking twice, saw the MN orchestra at the Hudson bandshell and of course the Mall of America.  The family made flying from Chicago to Helsinki an event, taking the time to tour in Chicago, where they'd never been as tourists.

 

In Finland, Nella's family spent time in Helsinki, which they'd not had previous reason to do.  Then it was off to Kauhana where Eve spent a month experiencing the near 24-hour daylight of a Finnish summer and other aspects of life there.  The family also took Eve to a spectacular national park in eastern Finland.  Eve talked about meeting Nella's extended family, with only one member who didn't speak English.  Because Finnish is such an unusual -- and difficult -- language, Eve picked up only a little Finnish during her time there.  She noted that English tends to be the language used when Finns travel to other Scandinavian countries.

 

One fun part of Eve's presentation was her listing of "culture shocks" experienced in both directions.  It was clear from what Eve said that both Nella and Eve learned a lot from their exchange.