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Vice President Elect, Jordan Weber rang the bell for our July 12th meeting. President Brunsing was away on business. Rotarian/ Pastor Bill Heermann gave thanks for the beautiful day and asked all members to keep the Francis Doom family in their prayers. After the prayer he thanked all members for the sympathy card he received after the death of his mother.

There were three guests present and introduced by their father, Jamie Soukup. Clarah, Windsor, and Willow Soukup attended the meeting and enjoyed lunch with the Rotarians.

Bryan Slaba announced that we would sing Stodola Pumpa in memory of former Rotarian Francis Doom. This musical creation was loved by Francis, and he enjoyed singing it with gusto.

Rotarian Ken Cotton spoke about our Rotary Mottoes explaining the origins of the two slogans being formally approved into the combined “Service Above Self” which best explains the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.

Sergeant at Arms Jamie Soukup levied the following fines: $2 to Rachel Woods who won a dollar on her scratch ticket last week; $2 to Linda Soukup for not paying attention to her daughter and president last week; $3 to Jeff Doom for giving three programs last week; $2 to Amanda Bechen for picking on our new Sergeant at Arms; $2 to Jordan Weber for doing softball, mowing at the church and a number of other things all in one day; $2 to each of the two tables on the east side of the room for having a full table and leaving three people on their own at another table; $2 to Jerry Weber for having cows in his corn but it wasn’t Pioneer corn; $2 to Bryan Slaba for having a melody and words on his phone that did not match our songbooks. Happy Fines came from several Rotarians in memory of Francis Doom; Bill Frei who remembers Francis sponsoring Bill for Rotary membership; Rachel Woods for having the best Grandpa and role model in her grandpa; Jeff also seconded that thought; Jerry Weber also remembered Francis and Jerry Henke has fond memories of attending Piedmontese conventions in Denver.

Rotarian Bill Frei held the lucky ticket number and only pulled the King of Diamonds from the deck of cards.

Secretary/Treasurer Craig Krsnak reported that the two new attendance teams of Frei and Juffer each had one absence apiece. Our Queen of Hearts drawing total is up to $166.00.

President Elect Weber reminded everyone to attend the Memorial at Wagner Lake in our Rotary Shelter on Saturday July 15th for Roger Wiltz. Roger was a Rotarian for many years and served as a District Governor.

Rotarian Bill Frei made several announcements of upcoming events. There will be a Foreign Exchange Trip to the Taj Mahal on October 4-16; another trip will be to the School of St. Jude in 2024 for a safari and spending time at the school.

The “Australian Mob Group” Exchange will be in Wagner on September 14th and will need rooms for eight people.

Our District Conference will be in Yankton S.D. on September 28, 29th, and 30th.

All Rotarians are urged to try to view the movie about Child ___ ________ __

Trafficking when it comes to the Wagner Theatre. It will also be in the Armour Theatre.

Scott McAdaragh introduced his program which was Jeff Doom who gave a report on a book he has recently read “Adrift” America in one hundred Charts. It was written by Ken Galloway, who looks to the past, from 1945 to the present day to explain just how Americans arrived at this point in time. Galloway uses one hundred charts to demonstrate how crises such as Jim Crow, World War II, and the Stock Market Crash of 2008 as well as an entrenched white patriarchy, and the socio-economic effects of the pandemic created today’s perfect storm. Adrift attempts to show us Galloway’s unique take on where we are headed and who we will become, touching on topics as wide-ranging as online dating to minimum wage to the American Dream.

Just as in 1945 and 1980, America is once again a nation at a crossroads. This time, what will it take for our nation to keep up in a new world? We are only just beginning to reckon with our post-pandemic future. As political extremism intensifies, the great resignation chain issues crush bottom lines, we’re faced with daunting questions— is our democracy under threat? How will Big Tech change our lives. What does job security look like for me? Change that will disrupt the workings of our economy and drastically change our nation: the middle class.

The meeting adjourned with the recitation of our Four-Way Test: Of the things we think, say, or do: Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned: Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER Friendships? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all Concerned?