President Becky Brunsing welcomed all the members present Wednesday, April 3rd for our first meeting of the spring month. There were no guests present and Rotarian Jeff Doom led the members in singing a prayer of blessing for the food.

Song leader Gerrit Juffer led the group in attempting to sing “Hey Look Me Over.” It wasn’t a good moment for anyone trying to sing this tune.

Rotarian Patty Frei gave a Membership Minute for Ken Cotton who was not present. She spoke about what makes a rotary club experience matter the most. Recent Rotary research confirms that the single most important factor in member satisfaction is the club experience. There were five components found to be central to making the experience enjoyable. 1. Meeting enjoyment: When members have fun and feel that they are included and belong. 2 Confidence in club leadership: When members feel that they have input in the club, their club leaders are open to their ideas, and when they trust the leaders to make good decisions for the club. 3. Personal growth opportunities: When members feel that their club and Rotary offer ways for them to develop skills and to grow. 4. Connections: When members feel that they’ve formed valuable relationships through Rotary. 5. Meaningful service: When members feel that the service their club does makes a difference in the world and in their community.

Rotarian Frei also passed out certificates acknowledging years of service in the Wagner Rotary Club according to each calendar month. There were no milestones in March, but in February Pastor Bill Herrmann had accumulated five years as a Rotarian as well as Jordan Weber. April anniversaries went to Patty Frei for ten years and Rachel Woods for nine years.

Sergeant at Arms Jamie Soukup fined Gerrit Juffer $2 for the song that we mangled; $2 to Amanda Bechen for a run in with a skunk when she was out walking one evening; $2 to Jerry Henke for letting everyone know that Spring was here as he shaved off his beard; $3 to Jordan Weber for owning three brackets on the NCAA betting board at the hospital; $2 to Jamie Soukup for forgetting to take the food bags back last week. Happy Fines of $2 came from Jerry Weber for having cheesecake twice today; $6 from Becky Brunsing as she has a new grandson, Nash Joseph and he is the sixth generation to live on the Soukup Homestead; $5 came from Jeff Doom who had some floaters in his eye, and they were ok.

Secretary Treasurer Craig Krsnak got a chance to win the Queen of Hearts but only found the three of Diamonds and there are now twenty-one cards left in the deck. Krsnak reported that the attendance for the beginning of the last quarter is tied between the Juffer and the Frei teams at two absences each.

Krsnak also passed out the District 5610 annual raffle tickets. There are some big prizes this year. There are two GE Profile 2-in-1 Washer Dryer units with a retail value of $3,149 each up for the Grand Prize at Karls TV and Appliance and these are donated by the Gregory Rotary. The Hot Springs Black Hills Rotary is giving a Hot Air Balloon Ride with a value of $450 away and the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary had donated a $500 Gift Card, and the LeMars Rotary is giving a Flat screen TV away with a $450 value. These tickets must be turned in within the next two weeks. You can contact any Rotary Member for a chance to buy a ticket. They are $10 a ticket and could certainly make you a winner!

The program was to be given by Rotarian Linda Soukup but due to technical difficulties that no one was able to fix she was unable to present the details on the television network.

We adjourned in our usual fashion by reciting the 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 & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?