August 23, 2012

Attendance: Reed, Tom, Jaime, Tammie, Phil M., Mike, Jeff
Guest: Jason Breuer
50/50 Jaime
District Officer will be present at September 20 meeting.

Tom updated the group on plans for a membership drive. The district membership chairman will be a guest at one of our meetings in late September or early October. Tom created some prospective membership forms and handed them out to those present, requesting that members complete the forms and offer up names for potential new members. Setting a goal of 15 new members - we currently have 13 members. If you are not willing to contact your nominee, Tom can help, but the preferred method is for each of us to contact our nominees after they are brought forward to the group. Tom will bring some talking points to the next meeting that we can use when asked what is Rotary. Jeff also had a good idea of using the four-way test card to help explain Rotary service. Tom is going to look into ordering the membership kit from Rotary. Many prospective members will ask how much it costs. Meals are $7.00 each week and the district dues are about $70 annually.

In other news:
Highway 11 project. Paving starts 8/24 to 8/27. They are hoping to have all blacktop down by Friday, 8/31.

Reed will coordinate the dictionary project - serving: Rainy, Indus, LOW 3rd grade classes.

Fishing tournament seemed to go well and will be back next year. Teaching staff will be back to work starting August 27. Tuesday, August 28 is open house for elementary from 4-6 and 7th grade and new high school student orientation from 7-9.

Tom talked about a project that he is involved in through the Blandid Foundation. They award grants to communities to expand high speed broadband internet. A grant writer from the Northwest Community Action group is assisting the group apply for the grant, which is due mid-October.

Update on Theater Fundraising Project for new digital projector:
The Grand Theater is already finding it hard to get film copies of new release movies as the transition to digital is underway. The Baudette Community Foundation Board got word that the project did get approved for a interest free loan (for five years) from Catholic Health Initiatives. The quote that was received for the new digital projector is at $68,000. They hope to install the new projector system in middle to late October so they can be ready for the big holiday releases. A virtual print fee system will be implemented by the movie industry to help defer the cost of the new projection system - the movie industry is saving money by not having to produce film and this system is how they are giving some of those savings back to the theaters. Movies will be delivered on a hard drive and theaters will have an added requirement to have a ticket printing system so the industry can review how many people were in attendance.

So far, the Baudette Community Foundation has raised $20,000 and they are in talks with the City of Baudette and Lake of the Woods County. The group has also done some research for grant opportunities.


Management at the theater resigned. Currently Boyd Johnson and Deb Vaagen are co-managing the theater and looking at stream lining its operations.

There will be a garage sale at the Breuer's residence to benefit the theater on 9/15. Donations are welcome.

Would rotary be interested in helping the Baudette Community Foundation Board with a fundraising event? Possibly a New Years event?