08.g Sister City Meeting Minutes 12.28.22Scandia/Mellerud Sister City Meeting Minutes
December 28, 2022
7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Members present: Patti Ray, Christine Maefsky, Darlene Holtgreve, Lynnette Welsch, Cindy Higgins, Sue
Rodsjo, Paul Rodsjo, Dave Bakke and Julie Morse. Guest: Sally Barott.
I. Patti Ray brought the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
II. Approval of agenda and minutes from 11/30/2022 meeting.
III. Christmas gifts from Mellerud
a. Scandia received a gift box containing a number of locally produced items from Mellerud.
b. Julie Morse sent a photo of the gifts - with accompanying text - to the County Messenger.
IV. Patti Ray, Darlene Holtgreve to receive Scandia’s Good Neighbor Award.
a. Darlene was recognized by the committee for her outstanding work promoting the city.
V. Patti Ray introduced Sally Barott.
a. Sally gave a history of neighboring Sister City programs and the Swedish Circle Tour website
and brochure.
b. North Branch, Almelund, and Taylors Falls have yet to establish Sister Cities.
c. Julie Morse volunteered to support Sally’s Swedish Circle Tour publications as a Scandia Sister
City Committee representative.
VI. Dave Bakke, Facebook page
a. Dave reported that Mellerud had opened a “Scandia and Mellerud – Sister Cities” Facebook
page.
VII. Mellerud’s Lion’s Club
a. Patti reported that the Mellerud Lion’s Club had purchased a generator being used in Ukraine,
with money received from Scandia.
VIII. 2023 Goals
a. Create videos of local events and people of Scandia to be posted on the joint Facebook page.
b. Host a delegation from Mellerud during Taco Daze in September or Midsomer Dag in June.
c. Identify more households to host Mellerud citizens in Scandia.
d. Promote this committee’s work via local publications.
e. Lynnette Welsch reported that Unexpected Company Chorale is planning a performance tour
of Swedish Sister City towns in 2024 or 2025. They are looking at fundraising.
f. Host a tour of resident gardens as a fundraiser.
g. Develop a Sister City Garden.
h. The first-year Sister City Anniversary Event will be held at the Scandia Community Center on
Thursday, April 20 and 11:00 am. The program will be similar to this year’s successful signing
ceremony event. Patti will request funding from the city and Lion’s Club.
IX. The next Sister City meeting will be on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the
Scandia Community Center. It will be a joint meeting with Mellerud on the TEAMS platform.
X. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Morse