Monthly Membership Annual Dinner
Location: Norway Ridge Restaurant
Time: 5:30 PM - Greet and Meet
6:00 PM - Dinner and Program Survey

SPEAKER AT 7:00 PM: Senator Mary Olson on Health Care in Minnesota

Senator Mary Olson, DFL, District 04, a Bemidji native, is married and the mother of four adult children. Senator Olson graduated from Bemidji High School and in 1980 she graduated from UND with an English and Journalism degree, and in 1983 received her J. D. at UND School of Law.

Serving in the Air Force from 1985 - 1989 she was awarded a commendation medal for having one of the Air Forces best trial records. Returning to Minnesota in 1989 she worked as Assistant County Attorney in Brainerd and later in her own firm until 2001. Her area of law was helping injured north central Minnesotans receive fair treatment and medical care. She also represented victims of discrimination and sexual abuse.

Senator Olson presently lives in Bemidji and practices law on a part-time basis, making time for community service and the Senate. She has served on numerous committees at the capitol and sponsored bills related to health and human services, transportation, education, judicial, environmental issues and others. For more information about Senator Olson and her work at the capitol, type Senator Mary Olson, MN in your search engine.

The annual membership dinner at Norway Ridge will be your choice of walleye or chicken.

The price, $23.00, includes tax and gratuity. RSVP by May26th, with names of those attending, and choice of entree to Sandra Reuther, vindra@tds.net or 218-562-4748

LOCATION: We will meet at the library, as usual and car pool to Syvantis
Fairview Office Park, 13760 Bluestem Court, Suite 150, Baxter, MN 56425

TIME: 11:30 AM Meet at Library to Car Pool, Tour at Noon

HOST: Dan Froemming

As you probably know there was an extensive article, ( Sustainable Business Development) in the Lake Country Journal, March - April, concerning the Fairview Conservancy. Please encourage those that have the Journal to read it before the tour.

Syvantis is a family owned computer and software service company, started in 2000. In 2006, looking to expand, the company found the perfect location, several wooded acres, in Baxter. Consulting with several contractors, they soon realized that traditional building methods would destroy the natural setting. This did not seem to fit the companies goals, so the search for "a better way" began.

Fairview Office Park, home to several businesses, is the result of searching for "a better way". The goal of Fairview Office Park is to provide the safest and healthiest setting for our occupants and visitors and to share what we have learned with the community so that developments such as ours become the rule rather than the exception."

(Information taken, in part, from the Lake Country Journal.)

LOCATION: Brainerd Public Library

TIME: 11:30 am Short Business Meeting and Bag Lunch

Speaker at 12:00 Noon

PROGRAM TOPIC: Local Youth Visit Pine Ridge Reservation; A Life-Changing Experience

SPEAKER: Dan Hegstad

In the summer of 2006, young people from First Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) took a mission trip to some of the poorest districts in Chicago. They had worked hard all year to finance that trip and it turned out to be a really good experience.

As a result, they decided to apply to the UCC Ashley Foundation for support for another mission trip, but this time in a totally different setting, the Pine Ridge reservation of the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota. And this time they would include representatives from other churches in the region and no more than ten youth and two counselors would be involved.

The goal statement sent with the proposal to the Ashley Foundation stated: "The goal of this experience is to listen to the people of Pine Ridge, and pay attention to how God’s love has been revealed to them, and how they have shared love with others. It will be a practice of listening, of bearing witness, and of standing with others whose experience is different from ours." The Foundation accepted the proposal and provided the support.

Arrangements were made through the RE-MEMBER outreach program founded by UCC ministers, Keith and Ginny Titus. Half of the staff, and all of the guest speakers are Oglala Dakota tribal members.

In the end, representatives from four churches in Brainerd, Staples, Wadena, and New York Mills traveled to Pine Ridge, nine youth and two adults, one of whom was Dan Hegstad, station manager of KAWB, Lakeland Public TV and our presenter for our March meeting, as well as Pastor Deborah Celley.

Back here, the church waited, wondering what the reaction of the young people would be. When they returned after a week, the congregation was gratified to hear that "it had been a life-changing experience." We are sure that you will want to hear what happened during that time and why it had such a profound effect.

Program Topic: “The World is Run by Those Who Show Up”
Speaker: Marcia Ferris, Lutheran Social Services Program Manager

Have you ever wondered if all of those volunteer positions make a difference in people’s lives? Marcia Ferris, our speaker, has a wealth of experiences to relate; showing the power one person can have to impact the world around them. Marcia feels privileged to have worked “in an environment where she can enable good to happen; also in her personal life, with her family, church, politics, and rampant volunteerism.”

Marcia has been employed by Lutheran Social Services for over sixteen years as program manager for the Foster Grandparents and Senior Companion Programs in Central MN. . Marcia led a pilot project in 2007, reinventing the way LSS delivers Older Adults services, and she continues to develop it state-wide.

Marcia has worked for non-profits for the last 20 years, and volunteered all of her life.Her motto is: ”The World is Run by Those Who Show Up.” “It doesn’t matter what you do, just that you do something – preferably something life giving that involves following your passions.”

January 23, 2008
6:00 p.m.

The panelists are Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Russell Anderson, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Lorie Gildea and District Court Judge John Leitner.

The discussion will be moderated by Chris Robinson, local attorney and Chair of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan and educator Lisa Lang.

A public reception will follow the event.

PROGRAM TOPIC: Second Discussion and Consensus on the LWVUS Work on Immigration Policy
LEADER: Kathi Lemmerman