Braver Angels is a National Grassroots organization working to depolarize America. The division in our political system is not working for the country or any of us. Braver Angels’ approach has been likened to the “Four-Way Test in Action.” The skills training available through Braver Angels can help us create goodwill and better friendships across the political divide, which will be beneficial to all concerned. Learn how you and your club can MAKE PEACE VISIBLE so we can UNITE FOR GOOD through the workshops and training Braver Angels can provide to your community. Bruce and Ed have served as Braver Angels Ambassadors since 2019 and have presented to over 70 Rotary clubs across 7 Districts and 4 states.
Ed Marek: A Chicago native, Ed Marek came to Minnesota to earn an MBA from the University of Minnesota. The majority of Ed's professional career was in nonprofit fundraising and management, most notably with the American Red Cross and the Minnesota Environmental Fund. During his time with the Red Cross, he served on numerous national disaster assignments, traveling throughout Minnesota, as well as Louisiana and Missouri.
Ed has been a member of four Rotary clubs: Shakopee, Eden Prairie, St. Paul Sunrise, and now Northfield. Ed served as 5960 District Governor in 2020-21. He serves in Braver Angels as an Ambassador.
Ed is married to his best friend, Sue, and they have a son, Steve, and six years ago lost their daughter, Amanda, to breast cancer. In his spare time, he enjoys cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, kayaking, camping, hiking and reading.
Bruce Morlan: Bruce Morlan is a native of Minnesota – having been born and raised in the southern farm country near Rochester. He left Minnesota to become a career Air Force Officer, serving as a launch officer, then moving on to become a military mathematician. First as a staff officer, then as an instructor, his career focused around being an analyst and a translator. In his second career, Bruce conducted clinical trials as a statistician, and did data mining for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Bruce joined Rotary late in life, in 2015. He has been an ambassador without portfolio for Braver Angels since it first formed, and attended the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Braver Angels Convention (in 2019, 2023, and 2024) as a Red. He is part of the Red Caucus in BA.
Bruce has 2 grandchildren who give him the motivation to continue to work to make the world a better place, with both climate change and our political divisiveness as two immediate concerns. He and his best friend and wife have been working together for some time to help make this a better world. To relax, Bruce reads, writes, sails, and bikes. He also is vocal in several coffee groups that bridge the political divide.
Coming Up: Earth Day Meeting — "Know Your Water" April 22
Join us for a timely program featuring Tara Greiman (Wisconsin Farmers Union) and Patty Schrank, Water Resource Specialist with St. Croix County.
Free Nitrate Screening Available:Bring a clean glass jar with 8 oz of water from your tap, collected within 24 hours of the meeting. Private well owners are especially encouraged to participate. If you have a reverse osmosis (RO) system, consider bringing two samples — one from the RO tap and one from an unfiltered faucet. Results available after the meeting.
You can also pick up a complete water testing kit from UWSP at the meeting. This presentation will be recorded by River Channel.
Rotary Material Collection
Feel like doing a little spring cleaning? We'd love your help gathering all Rotary materials or volunteer gear that may be in your office, home, or even your car. If we can get everything organized in one place, our Club will have a clear picture of what we have for supplies. Over the years, a few items have wandered—Rotary vests, brochures, even kazoos! It’s time to round them up.
We’re setting up a dedicated storage area at the Y (thank you to Chris Kost!), and it would be great to have everything collected before May. If you think you might have any Hudson Daybreak Rotary materials or gear tucked away, please contact Tricia or bring them into the meetings this April.
Unite (all of our materials) for Good!
Skills for Disagreeing Better
HDR will be co-hosting a Braver Angels workshop focused on "Skills for Disagreeing" on Tuesday evening, April 14. The Braver Angels organization is an initiative supported by Rotary District 5960. We will be hearing PDG Ed Marek speak about the initiative at our April 1st meeting. We are encouraging all Rotarians to attend if you can and to bring a guest or two.
Cost: Free
Date: April 14
Time: 6 - 8:30 pm
Location: YMCA DayCroix - RCU Discovery Center
345 Riverview Drive
Hudson, WI 54016
Learn and practice skills for effective listening and sharing with people who hold different views.
Support Hudson's Tree Canopy — Order Your Trees by April 15th!
Hudson Daybreak Rotary's annual bare root tree sale is a wonderful opportunity to add beauty to your yard while helping restore and diversify Hudson's tree canopy. Held annually in conjunction with Arbor Day, this year's sale includes six quality species:
Autumn Blaze Maple
St. Croix Elm
Front Yard Linden
River Birch Clump
Royal Raindrop Crabapple
Ivory Silk Japanese Lilac
Trees are priced at just $40–$55 each. Orders must be placed by April 15th, and trees can be picked up May 1–3 at Willow River Company, 850 Kelly Road, Hudson.
You can also purchase trees as a donation to the City of Hudson or the Hudson School District — just complete a separate order form, and Rotary will handle delivery directly. It's a meaningful way to invest in our community's green future. Place your order Online Here!
Ready to connect with other Rotarians in our District beyond HDR and be inspired?
Join all on April 17–18, 2026 for the Make Peace Visible Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton in St. Paul East for two powerful and inspiring speaker experiences designed to transform the way we lead and connect:
Friday, April 17: Lunch with keynote speaker- Alex Krafft, Narrative 4 Story Exchange Session
Saturday, April 18: Lunch with keynote speaker- Joe Cavanaugh, Founder & CEO of Youth Frontiers
Click Here for the full schedule of conference events Click Herefor registration information
Everyone looks forward to seeing you there.
2026 Taste of the Valley - Thursday, May 21st
Rotarians - We need you! To evolve our TOV Festival to the amazing community event we know it can be, we need EVERYONE to help in planning and execution! Your involvement will greatly increase HDR's exposure in the St. Croix Valley, and it's a great time! If you have not already volunteered to reach out to sponsors or vendors, please contact one of our group chairs:
Sponsors: Ruth Petermann
Food Vendors: Pamela Klingfus
Beverage Vendors: Jen Mathys
Logistics: Chris Kost
Questions/suggestions: Val Romansky
Volunteer Opportunity - Food Packing
Hunger in western Wisconsin is increasing at a pace that the current food system can no longer meet. More than 20,750 residents across St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Burnett counties experience food insecurity, including nearly 5,700 children.
Today, local food programs receive approximately 80% of their food directly from the St. Croix Valley Food Bank, making the SCVFB a cornerstone of hunger relief across the region.
Please join other Rotarians for these upcoming food packing opportunities at the St. Croix Valley Food Bank. And please invite your friends and family as we work to end hunger in western Wisconsin.
Tuesday, March 31 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: 1231 Industrial Street
We have an opportunity in the upcoming months to deliver meals to New Richmond Grace Place. Rotarians will pick up the meal at Camp St. Croix Cafeteria at 4:30 pm and deliver to Grace Place by 5:00.
Reminder that all of our meetings are recorded! You can request a link to a specific recording by contacting John Salmi. The recordings are available for 25 days, after which they are automatically deleted.
Rotary International Magazine
Did you miss the most recent edition of the Rotary International magazine? Read the topic articles HERE.
Minneapolis, MN, is set to host the 2028 Rotary International Convention. Mark your calendars for May 27 - 31, 2028.
Connect with Valeria!
All Club members are encouraged to invite our youth exchange student to a social outing with you and your family. Consider concerts, tours, sporting events, festivals, etc., or a dinner at your home. Text or call Valeria or contact Club Counselor Anne Wasmund to coordinate.
Valeria Diaz Sayas: 715-990-6081
Anne Wasmund: 651-324-4425
