President Bruce Hedblom called the meeting to order, noting that our speakers today are Club 9 members. Bruce reported that for the first three years of Club 9’s history, all speakers were members. In 1913, the first outside speaker was Gratia Countryman, who served as Director of the Minneapolis Public Library from 1904 to 1936. Dave Paxson led the singing of My Country ‘Tis of Thee with Peter Marston on piano. We then recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and Jim Martin delivered the invocation.
Amy Aadalen celebrated her first anniversary, with Bruce calling her up to remove her red ribbon and receive her Four-Way Test plaque. Matt Lucas delivered a memorial for Nick Dovolis. Bert Greener, chair of the Program Committee, asked members to respond to the weekly request for comments with honest and frank assessments and to make suggestions for future speakers. He also encouraged members to participate in the Program Committee which meets Monday at noon at the Rotary office. Bruce thanked Mary Ann and Jim Heine for hosting the pumpkin carving and cookie baking party. He also reminded us that the Holiday Party is December 6, 2008, and that the committee is seeking donations for the silent auction to help raise funds. Bruce recognized all new Club 9 Fellows and Club 9 Fellows who had attained a new level of recognition for their contributions to the Minneapolis Rotary Foundation.
Maureen Tubbs noted the highlights from the Fellowship report and introduced visiting Rotarians. She then recognized the special guests of Pete Rhodes, leaders of the Twin Cities Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. Maureen introduced Chapter President Steffan Johnson, who in turn introduced officers and directors, including Roger McKnight, Rolanda DelaMartinez and Marsha Henry. Steffan Johnson stated that the NMMBAA seeks to help its members through five channels of engagement: Education, Lifestyle, Leadership, Career and Entrepreneurship. Other guests then introduced themselves in the traditional manner.
Bruce introduced the speakers for the day, Tom Huberty and Gary Marquardt. One of the goals of our recently adopted strategic plan is the establishment of a leadership academy to help develop the leadership skills of our members, particularly new and younger members. Tom was picked as the leader of this initiative and quickly recruited Gary to work on the project. Tom gave a brief background of the Minneapolis Rotary Leadership Academy. One of the major themes is that the one thing that makes a difference over time is leadership—true leadership. The leadership academy will consist of six monthly sessions. Each session will feature a proven leader and attempt to draw from that person lessons for those attending. The first academy will run from January to June, 2009, with Robert Stevens, founder of the Geek Squad as the first person “Inside the Leader’s Circle.”
Tom then put Gary “Inside the Leader’s Circle” to give a condensed version of a leadership academy session. He asked Gary what it was like to go from the owner of his own local company to part of a much larger international company. Gary explained that the business, which is providing document management services for the construction industry, is highly dependent on relationships. When American Reprographics Company purchases a local company, it typically leave the existing management in place and seeks to use the additional capital, technology, and buying power of ARC to help the existing management “be the best they can be.” Gary indicated that as regional CEO for ARC, much of his work involves assessing and building the leadership of existing and future local operations.
Gary gave a brief history of his career and noted that before he started ARC, he had been a salesman with no prior leadership positions in business. He did however learn valuable leadership lessons from two adults while growing up. One was the high school football coach with whom Gary would watch game films by arriving at the high school early on Saturday mornings. Another was the director of the local YMCA where Gary for financial reasons had to sneak in to play basketball with his friends. One day the director pulled Gary off the court, took Gary to his office, and after confirming Gary was not a member, gave him a free membership card. The director told him that someday Gary would have to give something back to someone else. Gary has no doubt “repaid” this debt many times over to both the YMCA and his community.
Gary classifies any group of employees as either superstars (leaders), backbone or resisters. In replying to what he looks for in a leader, Gary says that leadership must be a topic of discussion in putting together any project. Instead of just asking for a volunteer, Gary wants a person who from the beginning will identify the problems that will have to be overcome, begin looking for ways to deal with them, ask “what if,” (Even if the answer is “It won’t work.”) and, then, is willing to take ownership for the project.
Turning to how the leadership academy will operate, Tom told us that the first priority for admission to the academy will be new members, next will be more recent members and then (by lottery) Paul Harris Fellows. He also asked the club to help identify potential speakers to put "Inside the Leaders Circle."
After a few questions, Bruce adjourned the meeting and everyone left to get ready for Trick or Treating.
