Cargill Cares Alumni
Event Calendar
Food Share Packing Event
Volunteers will build boxes (approximately 400) and pack farm grown produce into those boxes via an assembly line.
The Good Acre is one of our Cargill Foundation grantees. It operates on a hub-and-spoke model with food and helps connect independent farmers to consumers looking for healthy produce – regardless of income. More info on this organization is at: The Good Acre
For more info contact Janice Weisberg at janiceweisberg01@gmail.com
Attention all CCA Men & Women Golfers: we play golf with other Cargill Alumni on Thursday mornings at 10:00. To view the full season schedule, click on Golf 2025.
If you would like to be added to the golf schedule, please send Joe an email indicating your interest to fournier_joe@hotmail.com. You will receive weekly reminders of upcoming events and the annual schedule once it is available. Members who have golfed in the past with CCA remain on the golf list and do not need to re-register.
For questions, Joe can be reached by email or at 763-420-6720.
Picture Disclaimer: By participating in a Cargill Cares Alumni (CCA) event, you are agreeing to allow your photograph/video to be used for any CCA purpose. Photos/videos taken by or on behalf of CCA are the property of CCA. If you do not wish to have your image taken at a CCA event, you must make your wishes known to the CCA event coordinator.
Be a Hero for Hungry Kids! Turn hunger into hope with your own two hands by packing life-changing, nutritious meals for children in need across the globe.
Bring your family, and friends and make memories while making a difference! Hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags which are then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets and shipped to FMSC's incredible partners working hard to reach the neediest children around the world.
Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to our packing session to check-in. Your orientation and packing instructions will take place during our scheduled shift time.
Click here for additional information about FMSC.
Contact: Thom Schultz at thomschultz@hotmail.com
Sort, label and package donated commodities.
Contact: Julie Rothstein: juliefoss@msn.com
Project Description at: Second Harvest
To sign up for the CCA shift on July 30th from 9-11 AM, click here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you haven't signed up on the new “Volunteer Central at Second Harvest Heartland” system yet, you need to first click on the following link: https://volunteer.2harvest.org/user/login/?return=activation. You will then be prompted to create an account, create a password, and sign a waiver.
The Food Group - Project Description
Volunteers handle various tasks: repackage donated food into smaller boxes or packages to be distributed to TFG’s network of hunger relief organizations; sort and remove damaged, perishable and nonfood items that have been donated; package special food packs for specific programs such as Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Location: Site Map
Join other Cargill Alumni at the Joe Fournier Annual CCA Golf Tournament Cost per person is:
$80.00 - 18 holes, cart and dinner $60.00 - 9 holes, cart and dinner $38.00 - dinner only (Arrive on or before 5:00 p.m.)
We will again use a 12:00 p.m. shotgun start. Please plan on arriving at the course no later than 11:15 a.m.
Dinner will be served at 5:00 p.m.
You can designate your foursome or Wayne Koester can build one for you.
Please complete and return your registration form with your check(s) by July 31, 2025. Click to access the Golf Registration Form
Mail registration form and check to: Wayne Koester 5225 St Croix Ave. North Golden Valley, MN 55422 Suggest you email Wayne to let him know when you have mailed in your check and registration. This will give a heads up on any items delayed in the mail. www.wrkoester@msn.com
The Greater Twin Cities United Way Action Day is when CCA members will join the Minnesota Wild and many other volunteers at River Center in Saint Paul to fill backpacks with needed school supplies for students in the metro area.
Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the 10th year of this powerful community-wide volunteer initiative. Help CCA and GTCUW erase limits for Twin Cities students, so they all have an opportunity to thrive in school - socially, emotionally and academically. Without Action Day, each year, one in ten students (more than 100,000) in the greater Twin Cities region would not have access to essential and fundamental school supplies that support their day-to-day work in the classroom.
There is a 20-person limit so register on the CCA website soon! For questions, please contact Shirley Boyd at sraeboyd@gmail.com
This year’s Action Day event will provide a robust 90-minute to two-hour volunteer experience where you will work in a group of up to 20 to pack 400 backpacks. Your volunteer experience will include:
Tap Connections, the first Thursday of the month meetup at local breweries and taprooms to connect with Cargill alumni. Come and go as you need, we start at 4 pm. Remember alumni have worked for Cargill not just retired. Partners and spouses are very welcome.
Birch's on the Lake in Long Lake. Older Cargill Alumni will remember this as Billy's Lighthouse. Good food and beer on a beautiful lake setting. https://birchsonthelake.com/
Contact Brad Cross at brad2023.cross@gmail.com or Phil Deeney at phildeeney@comcast.net with questions.
To sign up for the CCA shift on Aug 12th from 9-11 AM, click here.
Learn how to manage your health care costs in retirement. Medicare: what is covered and what is not. How much does it cost? Understand Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Private Insurance.
Click on link & then select the appropriate Seminar in the list to:
Register
Please note: You can participate in the webinar from any computer, tablet or smartphone with internet access.
The webinar is available at 2 times on June 12: 11:30 - 12:30 pm CDT and 3:00 - 4:00 pm CDT.
Open Arms Minneapolis (MPLS) Kitchen Event
Cargill and Cargill Cares Alumni are sponsoring monthly Minneapolis (MPLS) Open Arms Kitchen Events.
The events will be the 2nd Thursday of each month from June through October.
Open Arms is nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals at no cost to critically ill Minnesotans and their loved ones. For more information on Open Arms click here.
Volunteers will prepare, portion, and package food medically tailored meals. No culinary skills are necessary are needed! All Cargill employees and alumni are welcome!
For more information or to cancel a registration, contact Janice Weisberg at janiceweisberg01@gmail.com
IMPORTANT NOTE: VOLUNTEERS WILL ALSO NEED TO REGISTER THEMSELVES AND ANY GUESTS ON THE OPEN ARMS VOLUNTEER SYSTEM. INSTRUCTIONS ON "HOW TO DO" THAT WILL BE SENT TO YOU ONCE YOUR CCA REGISTERATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
To sign up for the CCA shift on Aug 19th from 9-11 AM, click here.
Our book discussion for Wednesday, August 20 will be Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Synopsis: “Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers
1. What kind of person do you think Marcellus would be if he were human? What qualities do Marcellus and Tova both share that make this remarkable friendship a success?
2. Each of these characters — animal and human — need each other in a specific way, even if they don’t realize this at first. What qualities bind these characters to each other? Are they connected by loss, grief or something else?
3. On page 9, Tova empathizes with the sharks in the big aquarium tank, musing that she “understands what it means to never be able to stop moving, lest you find yourself unable to breathe.” Why do you think she feels so compelled to keep busy? What would happen if she simply stopped?
4. In contrast to how Tova keeps busy, Cameron emerges as a character who deals with grief by remaining stagnant, refusing to even try to reach his potential, much to the frustration of those who care about him. Why do you think he sabotages himself? Have you ever had someone like this in your life?
5. Marcellus is extremely smart — smarter than any human he encounters. Have you had encounters with animals — octopuses or otherwise — who demonstrated surprising levels of intelligence, emotional or otherwise? Have you felt “seen” by an animal or felt a relationship with an animal deepen upon earning their trust?
6. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES takes place in a Pacific Northwest coastal town in the recent past. The watery Puget Sound setting plays a major role in the plot, but how else does the setting inform the novel? How do you think the novel would be different if it were set somewhere like Arizona or Minnesota?
7. Marcellus remarks on page 59 that “fingerprints are like keys, with their specific shape. I remember all keys, too.” From the house key Tova loses to the ring of keys Marcellus finds at the bottom of the sea, the novel is filled with various types of keys. What do you think eys symbolize in this novel?
8. Tova reflects on her experience caring for her husband through his illness and eventual passing, and with no surviving family to do the same for her, she worries about being a burden on her friends as she ages. How do you view the role of community and family in caring for older people? How did Tova’s views on this change throughout the book, and why do you think they did?
9. In the middle of the novel, on page 177, Cameron says to Tova, “conscience does make cowards of us all.” What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree with this?
10. Tova’s Swedish Dala Horses are some of her most treasured possessions. Why do you think that is? Are there heirlooms in your family that carry a similar significance?
11. This novel explores different characters who are faced with major choices: they can open themselves up to something new and take an unexpected, daring opportunity, or they can continue on as they have been. Have you ever faced a moment in your life where a critical choice could change everything? Did you take the leap or not?
12. Marcellus’ life in captivity is much different than the life of an octopus in the wild — and eventually, Terry reveals that Marcellus was rescued from the sea after a life-threatening injury. Aquariums play an important role in education and conservation, but some people view keeping animals, especially intelligent ones, in captivity with skepticism. What do you think?
13. In the last few pages of the novel, Tova and Cameron realize how they are truly connected. What do you imagine they are doing a year from the novel’s end?
To sign up for the CCA shift on Aug 27th from 9-11 AM, click here.
Attention all CCA Men & Women Golfers: we play golf with other Cargill Alumni on Thursday mornings at 10:00. To view the full season schedule, click on Golf 2025
Tap Connections, the first Thursday of the month meetup at local breweries and taprooms to connect with Cargill alumni. Come and go as you need, we start at 4 pm. Remember alumni have worked for Cargill, not just retired. Partners and spouses are very welcome.
Heading to one of the early breweries that is still going strong, Steel Toe Brewing. https://www.steeltoebrewing.com/
This is an in-depth social security session. Learn about claiming strategies and how to maximize your benefits. Includes information about spousal, survivor, and divorce benefits.
Our book discussion for Wednesday, September 17 will be House of Kahmanns by P.G. Kahmann
Synopsis:
Kahmann details a traumatic childhood experience that nearly tore her family apart in this memoir.
“You’ll learn to love winter, I promise,” the author’s mother assured her during their move from Kansas City, Missouri, to a farm in western Minnesota. Devout Roman Catholics, the Kahmann family included 12 children, led by oldest brother, Karl (13 years old at the time of the move) and the author, Patsy (who was 12). The family’s relocation initially appeared to fulfill the idyllic expectations of the author’s parents, as the book’s opening chapter recounts snow-filled afternoons in January 1964 in which the Kahmann siblings played “Davy Crockett” and built elaborate snow forts that resembled the Alamo. It was during that same winter when the author and Karl were called to their school principal’s office, where they were told that their parents had been involved in a catastrophic car wreck and were both hospitalized in critical condition. “It all happened so fast,” she writes, “this shattering of our lives.” Upon arriving home that evening, their kindly, elderly neighbors volunteered to keep watch over the siblings, but a local parish priest rejected their offer because they were not Catholic. Demanding that the children be cared for by Catholic foster parents, Father Gordon Buckley took charge of the children, and they were separated that very night: “One. By. One. Children were ushered out the door,” Kahmann recalls, as each child was placed in a separate car. Much of the rest of the book jumps timelines from before and after “the accident” (the name the family has since given to the singular event that shaped the rest of their lives). The book’s “before” chapters recount loving reminiscences of a tight-knit family who prayed together daily. Stories in these chapters center on mother-daughter memories forged at a sewing machine, and the “witty phrases” and life lessons dispensed by the 1950s-era midwestern parents (“bored people are boring people”). These short, sweet vignettes are juxtaposed with the “after” chapters, which center on the “trauma of torn-apart kids” at the mercy of the foster care system and Father Buckley’s relentless campaign to isolate the children from each other.
The book’s final section discusses what Kahmann calls their family’s “Easter miracle”: After 75 days, and the administration of last rites, the author’s parents were released from the hospital. It was a miracle in more ways than one, as it was later “credibly confirmed” that Father Buckley was a pedophile who targeted vulnerable and isolated children. While at times harrowing, this is ultimately a story of the power of family and a love letter to Kahmann’s parents. In fewer than 170 pages, the concise memoir carefully balances sentimentality with the harsh realities of foster care, abusive priests, and traumatic experiences. The narrative’s asynchronous approach may be disorienting at times, but it ultimately works to create a poignant story of love, loss, and childhood pain. Most of the chapters are no more than five pages long, which makes for an accessible read. The text is accompanied by an assortment of photographs, letters, and family trees to help readers keep track of the many Kahmann children.
A well-written, powerful account of trauma and parental love.
There are no discussion questions available on the internet. The author will be in attendance. Please bring questions if you want.
Exclusive Fraud and Internet Security Session with John McCullough, CPP, CFE
Join us for an engaging and insightful session where we’ll uncover the latest fraud trends, from low-tech scams to sophisticated cyber schemes. John will dive into real-world cases involving investment scams, romance scams, mail theft, and digital payment fraud, including Zelle-type scams. More importantly, he will equip you with practical mitigation techniques to protect yourself and your organization.
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This will be an in-person session with the goal of having virtual participants if we are able to get the right environment to ensure a good remote experience.
Iron Exchange - this brewery, restaurant and full bar has been attracting people to Maple Plain for a number of years. https://ironexchange.us/
Grab a friend and join us at Bridging! This organization “provides donated furniture and household goods to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. Bridging gives hope and a leap towards housing stability." Take a quick look “inside the warehouse” and meet some clients before your project: check out the brand-new Bridging 101 video (3 minutes).
We are looking for 5-15 volunteers! See details below - For more information contact Gene Vant Hof at gvanthof@comcast.net or call 612-877-0533.
WHAT WILL I BE DOING?
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
CAN I BRING IN DONATIONS ON THE DAY OF THE PROJECT? YES! Bring a bag, box or a carload! View the complete list of items we accept. We need basic home essentials for 100 households each week!
You'll learn strategies to: Maximize and optimize your 401(k) contributions. Enhance your financial security. Improve investment and savings results. Capitalize upon out-of-plan opportunities. By using the approaches discussed in the webinar, you could supercharge your savings and potentially have that money be tax-free* when you withdraw it.
Sidekick Theater Minnesota Heritage Center 11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington, MN
Fireflies
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
We will be venturing back to the Sidekick Theater located in the Minnesota Heritage Center in Bloomington for our October Theater event on Wednesday, October 15. The play is FIREFLIES. Dinner seating is at 11:30. We will move to the theater for the 1 pm performance.
Please register by Friday, September 26. The cost for dinner and the show is $51 per person. Since we need to make only one payment, please make your check payable to Ceal Regnier, and she will pay for all the tickets on Monday, September 29 when she calls in the count. Your checks will be cashed on Tuesday, September 30. Please mail checks to Ceal at:
Ceal Regnier 336 Roosevelt St. S Cambridge, MN 55008
Dinner menu: Creamy Chicken Breast, served with Roasted Red Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Coleslaw, Dinner Rolls, Assorted Dessert - Chef’s Choice, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Hot Tea. (Special dietary meals available by request ahead of time.)
The show is a romantic comedy: Retired schoolteacher Eleanor Bannister lives a quiet life alone in tiny Groverdell, Texas, set in her routines and secure in her position as the town’s most respected woman — until a hole in her roof draws the attention of Abel Brown, a smooth-talking drifter intent on renovating Eleanor’s house, and possibly her life. Can the unexpected sparks of late-life romance be trusted, or is there truth in the gossip that Abel isn’t all that he seems to be? Either way, the whole town is talking.
Feel free to invite as many guests as you wish. Seating for both the dinner and the theater is unassigned, so you can assemble with your friends when you arrive and sit together at dining tables and theater seats as you wish.
Our book discussion for Wednesday, October 22 will be The Radium girls The Dark Story of America's Shining Women (Harrowing Historical Nonfiction Bestseller About a Courageous Fight for Justice) by Kate Moore
A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestseller!For fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in factories across the U.S. in the early 20th century, and their brave and groundbreaking battle to strengthen workers' rights, even as the fatal poison claimed their own lives... In the dark years of the First World War, radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. And, until they begin to come forward. As the women start to speak out on the corruption, the factories that once offered golden opportunities ignore all claims of the gruesome side effects. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come. A timely story of corporate greed and the brave figures that stood up to fight for their lives, these women and their voices will shine for years to come. Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...
1. The Radium Girls is filled with both triumph and tragedy. Which part of the story affected you the most, and why?
2. Is there a person in The Radium Girls that resonates more strongly with you than others? If so, what part of their story or character stands out?
3. Even after radium was proved poisonous and the girls’ illness verified as work-related, the radium companies stood fast by their convictions. Why do you believe they were so resilient? Can you imagine modern companies behaving with similar ruthlessness?
4. How do you believe the radium companies—and the press—would have reacted differently to the scandal had the workers been male? Considering the time period, how did the women’s gender help and hinder their case?
5. How do you think today’s world would be different had The Radium Girls not fought back against the radium companies?
6. It takes more than 1,500 years for the effects of radium to wear off. This means that the bodies of the women and parts of the towns in which they worked remain poisonous to this day. Considering the harrowing implications, why do you feel this story hasn’t been widely explored?
7. The Radium Girls is told mostly through the eyes of the radium-dial workers, their families, and friends; however, previous research never focused on their personal journeys. How did it change your appreciation of or engagement with the story to know the smaller, personal details of the girls’ lives?
8. Is there another historical event where you’ve noticed women being pushed to the sidelines?
9. Although radium can be seen as an evil entity in the book, it’s also been used for the greater good. Explore how radium has changed the world in a positive way. Do you feel it was worth the sacrifice?
10. Besides radium, what other world-altering discoveries can you think of that led to both advancement and tragedy?
11. How were you inspired by the strength of the “shining girls,” and how can you carry that onward to incite change in your own life?
Understand the full value and savings opportunity of the Cargill 401(k), ESOP, Employee Retirement Account (ERA), and pension plan for salaried employees.
Our book discussion for Wednesday, November 19 will be James by Percival Everett
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER
In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, TIME, and more.
"Genius"—The Atlantic "A masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature, while also being a major achievement on its own."—Chicago Tribune "A provocative, enlightening literary work of art."—The Boston Globe "Everett’s most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful."—The New York Times
When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.
Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “literary icon” (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.
1. “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them.”
Discuss the way James and the other slaves change their speech (code-switching) when around white people versus in private. Why was code-switching necessary? In what ways does the author portray code-switching as an act of irony?
2. Discuss the importance of Jim renaming himself James. How is his name change symbolic of many of the themes of this novel? Does your name hold any deeper significance to you?
3. “Good ain’t got nuttin’ to do wif da law. Law says I’m a slave.”
Despite his relationship with James, Huck grapples with the fact that, by law, he is ‘stealing’ James by not returning him to Miss Watson. Discuss the relationship between law and morality. Should individuals hold themselves accountable to laws that violate a moral code?
4. Discuss the dynamic between James and Huck. How did their relationship evolve throughout their travels, especially as James reveals their connection?
5. Throughout the novel, James meets several other slaves and runaways (Young George, Easter, Norman, Luke, Sammy, Brock, and several others). How did the author use these interactions to demonstrate the various experiences and mindsets of slaves? Did any of these characters or interactions surprise you?
6. How is religion portrayed in James? Do you believe this perspective is justified?
7. Talk about ‘the pencil’. What does the pencil represent to James? Have you ever assigned a deeper meaning to a physical object?
8. In what ways did James’ character change throughout the novel? Were there any key moments that you felt most contributed to his evolution?
9. What do you think about Norman’s decision to maintain his identity as a black man and runaway slave, even though he was white-passing? Why do you think the author chose to include this narrative?
10. Have you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and if so, how did that impact your reading of James?
Understand the importance of having a Will, Health Care Directive, Power of Attorney, and other important documents. Also learn about minimizing taxes for your heirs and probate.
Do you find it hard to prioritize financial goals and make the most of your money? This webinar provides common strategies to help you save more and tips for doing it within your current financial situation. Budgeting for current expenses, saving for emergencies, reducing debt, and building long-term wealth will be some of the strategies discussed.
Our book discussion for Wednesday, January 21 will be A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award–winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day.
From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….
Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.
Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change,Lillianclings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.
Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…
A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.
1. Sissy’s dad says of her beautiful but violent mother: “Your mama is great at fighting for us, fighting for our community. Sometimes people take their anger and use it in a good way.” How does Sissy’s mama channel her rage in a positive way? Does it compensate for the damage her anger does otherwise?
2. What role does Ethel the doll play in Sissy’s life? In the final climactic scene of Sissy’s narrative, she hears Ethel say “I took care of it. Somebody had to.” How did you interpret that? Do we gain any additional insight at the end of the book, when we hear Ethel explain her own version of events?
3. As you learned more about Jack’s and Lillian’s childhoods, did that change your understanding of who they became as adults? Did you feel differently about them when you saw them as children versus how you saw them as parents?
4. Blanche asks their father, Jack, why he speaks English with her and Lillian, even though he hates it. He tells her: “Cora and I got into the practice once you started school, because you didn’t understand us so well anymore. We know firsthand how that works, how you’re punished for speaking our language. The constant policing of our ways and our words interrupts the ability to think fluently. Our thoughts get chopped up. We don’t want that to happen to you.” Was this the right decision? How might things have been different for his children if they had been raised speaking only Dakhóta?
5. Jack tells his daughters: “Maybe English is safer to me because it doesn’t mean anything, because its words are empty to me. No heart. Sometimes when you lose a lot, you have to put your heart away to keep it ticking.” Does this ring true to you? Do you know people who have experienced similar losses—of language, of culture, of community?
6. Had you heard about America’s Indian boarding schools before you read this book? What new information or perspective did you gain while reading stories of children who were forced to attend them?
7. At the Indian boarding school, Cornelius tells his friends that at the back of a closet “a cold rush of air brushed our faces and the light clicked on again. Then off. We heard crying from the darkest corner way in the back.” He found scratched on the closet walls the words “HELP HOME HELP HOME HELP HOME.” How did you interpret that experience? What do the children make of it?
8. Why does Lillian feel obligated to give Mae the doll to her dying friend Ada? How did you interpret Mae’s return into Lillian’s life even after she was buried with Ada? Is Mae now a ghost? A figment of Lillian’s imagination? A manifestation of her trauma?
9. Winona, Cora’s doll, tells her, “Everything I see is colored by my eyes. When they were sewn of dyed black porcupine quills, the world was dark, and now that they are indigo glass beads the vision is clear but always twilight. We don’t see the truth. But our heart feels it if we listen.” How does this square with what Cora’s mother tells her: “I just want you to know that what strangers make of you means nothing. Your heart knows the truth”? What ultimately becomes of Winona’s heart?
10. In the final section of the novel we meet Jesse, in the present day. Why is she compelled to reunite the dolls that we have seen throughout the story, carried by her forebears? How did you, the reader, feel as you witnessed each of the dolls reap pear in Jesse’s apartment?
11. Who are the three women who appear to Jesse at the end of this story? Why are they there? Why have they arrived now rather than earlier? How will that experience inform Jesse’s life as she moves forward?
12. Author Mona Susan Power based this novel on aspects of her own family’s experiences with Indian boarding schools. She wrote: “The creation of this novel was both emotionally intense and liberating, and also educational. I was able to see how generational trauma works, how pain and dysfunction echo in a never-ending cycle of various kinds of abuse until someone finally heals.” What form does the healing take in this novel? How do we know that it’s happened? Have you seen examples of this kind of healing from trauma in your own life?
Our book discussion for Wednesday, February 18 will be The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both?
Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star.
But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: She was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis...if anyone would listen to her.
A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.
1. The Only Woman in the Room opens in Austria at a pivotal time in the years leading up to World War II. How familiar were you with the events of this era, particularly the European political developments and the relationship of Austria with Italy, Germany, and its neighbors? Did you learn anything new about this period in history? Imagine you were Hedy at this time. What would you do in the face of the oncoming war?
2. The marriage between Hedy and the much-older munitions manufacturer Fritz Mandl is oftentimes disturbing. Did you find yourself becoming frustrated and angry by Fritz’s treatment of Hedy and her decision to stay in the marriage for so long? Would you have felt as bound to the promise to her father—that she will use Fritz as a shield and stay with him unless she has no choice—as she did? How did this sense of duty motivate her decisions and actions at this stage? What did you think about her mother’s views on the marital vow?
3. What are some of the differences between the life of Hedy the movie star and public figure and Hedy the scientist and private person? How does the theme of wearing masks appear throughout the novel? Do you feel this divide between women’s exterior and interior lives exists today?
4. The title of the novel is subject to many interpretations. What meanings can you glean from the title, and how did your understanding of the meaning The Only Woman in the Room change from the beginning of the novel to the end?
5. The legacy of Hedy Lamarr and the impact of her contributions are vast in scope. What was your understanding about Hedy before reading this novel, and how did your perceptions change, if at all? Will the story underpinning The Only Woman in the Room cause you to look at Hedy and other historical women through a different lens?
Chanhassen Dinner Theater
Guys and Dolls
Registration will open for Guys and Dolls at The Chanhassen Dinner Theater in Chanhassen in January 2026. The address is:
501 West 78th Street, Chanhassen, MN 55317
Seating begins at 11 AM. The show begins at 1 PM.
Call or text Ceal Regnier at 612-309-5164 or email at ceal2987@gmail.com with questions.
Cost is XXXX per ticket. Please make your checks payable to Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Please register and get your check to Ceal by Friday, April 3. 2026
Please register via CCA Website and then mail your checks to Ceal at
336 Roosevelt St. S, Cambridge, MN 55008
If you have trouble registering via Wild Apricot, email, text or call Ceal and she will take care of it for you.
Feel free to bring guests who are NOT Cargill Alumni members; just indicate the number of guests on your registrations. Also, please make note of any other attendees you wish to be seated with.
Checks will NOT be sent to Chanhassen Dinner Theater until Monday, April 6 so they will not be cashed until then.
If you have special dietary needs, or require special seating, please let Ceal know, and we will work out accommodations. One table for 6 has been reserved on level 6 which requires no steps.
