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This Week's Program: Jebeh Edmunds, Rethinking the Possibilities of Inclusion in the Workplace

Organizations are looking to make meaningful connections with people of color. Through this cultural competency presentation, you will learn new strategies to self-reflect and learn new ways of starting those positive connections with our people of color in our community.

A mother of two boys, ages 13 and 10,  Jebeh is a fifth-grade teacher in the Duluth Public Schools school district. She's been a classroom teacher for ten years. She is the founder and CEO of Jebeh Cultural Consulting LLC. Previously, Mrs. Edmunds was the Director of the African American Cultural Center with the Duluth School District for eight-years. Mrs. Edmunds has given numerous local and regional presentations related to diversity, African-American heritage, and cultural competency. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a post-bachelor's teaching certificate from the College of St. Scholastica. She graduated with a Master's of Science in Teaching from The College of St. Scholastica in May 2015. Jebeh came to the United States in
1982 on a minor J-2 visa status with her parents, who were escaping the conflict in Liberia by enrolling in graduate programs in the U.S. Her journey to citizenship took 30 years. Her journey in educating others is a lifelong passion.

 

Please use this new link that will work for all recurring meetings in 2021: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84714189189?pwd=WHJGUk55REZCbzZBdVRkcUN4SFlMQT09

 
Meeting ID: 847 1418 9189
Passcode: 119791
 
"We need to utilize people with the expertise to accomplish those goals of authentic conversations with our colleagues, peers, and community members in a positive and life-changing way."
 
Stories
Gary New Duluth Veteran's Memorial Clean Up Dates
As you may recall, Harbortown Rotary partnered with Gary New Duluth Rec Center to take on the annual spring clean up of the Veteran's Memorial Park.
 
Save the dates for our May clean-ups!
 
May 12th  - Second Wednesday 7:30 am to 9:30am in place of our morning meeting
May 26th  - Wednesday before Memorial Day  4:30 pm to 7pm
 
Rec center area tasks will include: general clean-up of site, drainage ditch from soccer field to Commonwealth (spring runoff brings a lot of branches/trash downstream - rubber boots a good idea), weed whacking/trimming, there may be a dead tree to cut down.
 
Veteran's Memorial tasks will include: General clean up, weeding, trimming bushes/plantings, freshen up mulch, plant flowers in three planters.
 
Please email Jinell Abernathy if you are able to attend. 
 
 
Photo Credit: Jinell Abernathy
Hands-on at Camp Miller: June 5th
Mark your calendars Saturday June 5, 2021 for the Harbortown Rotary annual Camp Miller clean up and work day. More information will follow shortly but save the date!
 
  
Photo Credit: Heather Salfer & Various Rotarians
Cash Raffle Tickets are on Sale!
It's time to Spring into action and do some selling! The Harbortown Rotary 2021 Cash Raffle has officially begun!! With the increased number of tickets and prizes this year, we are asking members to sell a minimum of 4 tickets each. However, to sell all of our tickets we need to average selling 7.5 tickets per member, so get creative and have some fun selling these tickets!
 
 
Your envelope with tickets will be available for in person pickup at all our in-person Wednesday club meetings at the Holiday Inn. Otherwise you can swing by and visit Goldy behind the US Bank on Michigan Street or at the Kolquist, Seitz & Goldman offices located on the 9th floor of the US Bank Building at 130 West Superior Street.
 
For ticket pick up contact Greg in advance 218-340-1688 or 218-336-1523, and don’t be shy to ask for more than 4 tickets!
 
A recent email was sent with some awesome templates to assist you with your sales efforts; including:
Feel free to use the templates, or let your creative juices flow and make the sales pitch your own! Our goal is to have every ticket sold and turned in with all cash by June 15th, 2021. Please coordinate with your team captain, Tony Hansen or Greg Goldman if you need more tickets. Captains will be asked to check in occasionally to help encourage their team’s sales efforts, assist in collecting ticket stubs and redistributing tickets if members need more.
 
Thank you all for your help, and I am excited to see the club come together to make this the biggest and best cash raffle fundraiser yet!
Annual Life House Shopping
During the last week of March, Dan Holm, Pat Finney and Jinell Abernathy did their annual shopping trip to complete four move-in kits for clients of Life House who will be moving into a new apartment.
 
The kits were furnished with cleaning supplies, cooking utensils, pots, pans, cups, plates and silverware. Thank you Life House for supporting our area youth and our Rotarians for their annual shopping trip for these very needed care packages!
 
Photo Credit: Jinell Abernathy
American Heritage Book Group: Fall Schedule
The American Heritage Book Group is picking up where we left off a year ago with a discussion of Stephen B. Oate's' epic work: The Approaching Fury: Voices of the Storm (1820--1861).  
 
We are a group of diverse political perspectives but we share a passion for good historical literature about our national heritage.
 
The group will meet Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at the Boat Club starting with drinks and conversation at 5:00 p.m. followed by dinner and discussion about the book from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 
 
To register for this event, please send an e-mail to Jane Carr by Friday, November 5, 2021: jane.carr648@gmail.com.
 
For more information contact: Rev. Brad Jenson, CFP®, member, The Duluth Harbortown Rotary Club
Phone: 625-2430 (work—Lake Superior Financial Services, Inc.) or email: brad.jenson@raymondjames.com.
April Issue of Rotary Magazine Now Available
With it it being almost Earth Day (April 22), it's a great time to dive into one of Rotary's newest areas of focus - the environment. Read details that highlight the $18M worth of environmental projects taken on by Rotary clubs around the globe, habitat restoration, water conservation and energy efficiency. This issue highlights a Minnesota Rotary club in the Twin Cities that is tackling the problem of climate change! Read the history of the Paul Harris legacy.
 
"As Rotary members, we can become stewards of environmental sustainability and adopt the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in our daily lives at home and in our clubs," Says Holger Knaack, President of Rotary International. "Then we can incorporate them into our Rotary projects."
Registration is Live for the Virtual 5580 Rotary District
Register for the 2021 Rotary District 5580 Conference today!
 
Go to: www.bemidji2021.com and register for free!
 
April 26 – May 1, join the district members for presentations every weekday at noon and 2:00 pm as well as:
  • Special happy hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm
  • Evening fun Monday and Friday at 5:00 pm
  • Service projects on Saturday
See the full agenda at www.bemidji2021.com
 
 
New Embroidery Options! Harbortown Logo Wear Available Now!
Show your Rotary pride loud and proud with new official Harbortown logo wear!
 
Thanks to Heather Salfer, who collaborated with John Cron to create the official Harbortown Rotary Apparel website.
 
Click on the link below, select your favorite apparel brand, use the newly branded Harbortown logo and place your order!  Prices vary depending on the brand you select.
 
NEW! Light colored embroidery options are now available for dark apparel. See photograph below for example of thread color.
 
 
 
Upcoming Program Duties
During these challenging times during COVID, it has become an even greater challenge securing weekly program presenters. But this time also affords the opportunity of the ease of a Zoom presentation versus which can be a bonus for a busy presenter.
 
If you have an upcoming program duty (or if you are unsure, please check the upcoming duty roster) please be sure to secure a speaker and provide notice to Don O'Connor (Don@duluthbx.com) as soon as that speaker is confirmed. If you are unable to confirm a speaker who can present virtually, you could look at options for a Ted Talk, consider presenting yourself on a relevant topic or your business, or create some excitement for a community youth organization you are passionate about. It is your program, so think about what is interesting and engaging to you and share it with others!
 
Even during our virtual meetings, we want to present engaging content and make the meetings meaningful for those that are attending the weekly sessions. We've hosted several prospective members and we want to keep them coming back with great content.
 
If for some reason you are unable to switch duties with another member or you have simply exhausted all efforts to find a speaker, please notify Don no later than 3 business days before the meeting (the Friday before the meeting your program is scheduled) whenever possible.
 
Thank you for your help with this and thank you to all who are working hard to find engaging content for our upcoming sessions!
 
Upcoming Program Duties:
 
June 16: Fred Rouse
June 23: President's Dinner: Ridgeview Country Club
June 30: TBD
July 7: Stephanie Irwin
July 14: Dave Kohlhaas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Harbortown News
For news, announcements, event promotion social media, media releases and more, please contact Charity Johnson (csjohnson@starbasemn.org or 218-788-7288). 
 
IMPORTANT UPDATE: 1.5.2021
 
Chloe Strand joined the Marketing/PR committee last fall and is taking on many duties related to Facebook posts, Member Spotlights and more. When communicating PR details, please copy both Charity (csjohnson@starbasemn.org) and Chloe (Chloe.Strand@hdchrc.org) on relevant information.
 
For Scuttlebutt: If you are hosting the program speaker, please copy Charity on the speaker's name, organization and email. If you are the chair of a Harbortown Committee, please update Charity and Chloe on relevant information regarding grants and awards, meetings or news.   Charity will use this information to create more dynamic and engaging content to share with potential club members and on social media.
 
It is our goal to continue to share the good work that Harbortown Rotary is doing in our community, so your help and support is greatly appreciated!
 
Thank you!
Harbortown Rotary 2021
Russell Hampton
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