Last week we inducted Past President and Past District Governor Walt Horner into the Suburban Rotary Hall of Fame. Many of his family members, Suburban Past Presidents, and Past District Governors were in attendance.
Note from Walt: "I want to show my appreciation to Rich Rowland, the Board , and all those involved in honoring me with Suburban's HALL OF FAME award. I am truly Humbled and blown away by the presentation. THANK YOU !!"
Last week Rich Rowland introduced us to new member Ryan Sewell. Ryan is an attorney and fifth generation Omahan. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, when the Cornhuskers won three National Championships, and then earned his law degree at Creighton University School of Law, when the Creighton Bluejays made three consecutive NCAA Basketball Tournament appearances. As a result, he proudly counts himself as one of the “confused” people known as “Jayskers.”
He met his wife, Jennifer, at the Creighton University School of Law and they have two children, Val and Elsa, who attend St. Cecilia Cathedral Elementary and Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart.
In 2016, Ryan made the professional decision to form a partnership with the Inserra Kelley Sewell law firm. Before that, he was a partner at the Fraser Stryker law firm.
He is a past member of the Council Bluffs morning Rotary and has served two terms on the School Board of St. Cecilia Cathedral Elementary School. He was also selected to Leadership Omaha, Class 36 “Best Class Ever,” and the Nebraska State Bar Association Leadership Academy. From the months of September to February, you can often find Ryan hiking the prairies and Sandhills of Nebraska with his 13-year old son and bird dogs-- English Pointer, Hope, and French Brittany, Eve--in pursuit of prairie grouse, pheasant and quail.
Thank you to all of our bell-ringers on Saturday and our Crestridge Santa Shoppe volunteers today and tomorrow. You are making a difference in our community! If your goal is to do more service in 2020, sign up for January's Winter Night Watch (link below). A special thank you to Alan Stanek who supervised our bell ringers all day on Saturday! (see our photos on Facebook).
Volunteers are need to serve meals and distribute coats on the Salvation Army Winter Night watch the weeks of January 13th and January 20th. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
Last week , Kathryn Schubert recognized several members for their new level of donations to the Intl. Rotary Foundation. Nick Jasa as a Paul Harris +4 for his donations of $5000. Alice Schumaker as a Paul Harris +1 for her donations of $2000. Scott Keep as a Paul Harris +6 for his donations of $7000. Thank you and congratulations!
Our goal is for 100% of our members to make a donation to the Rotary Foundation this year. The easiest way is to go to the rotary website at myrotary.org and create an account to give online. A $100 donation makes you a 19-20 Sustaining Member. Cumulative donations of $1000 make you a Paul Harris Fellow.
The Rotary Foundation money we give comes back to us in the form of District and Global grants allowing to us to support local projects like the homeless foot clinic, meal packaging for local food pantries as well as international projects such as the girls' school in Afghanistan and the hospital in Togo.
You can also bring a check made out to the Rotary Foundation to the meeting on Thursday and Jennifer will send it in for you. All first-time donors making a $100 donation will have it matched by the club.
Thank you to all those who have donated so far this Rotary year!
Last week Nick Jasa announced the Slate of Officers from the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations made be made in writing with at least 10 signatures before 12/31. The Slate will be voted on at the January 9th club assembly.
President Designee: Dave Laferla (to serve 21-22) To serve with President Mary Bernier (20-21): Treasurer: Mark Roberts Sgt. At Arms: Andy Goranson Secretary: Marlon Lofgren Board-2020-2023 Don Leu, Barb Rebrovich, Alice Schumaker, Steve Thornburg Trustees 2020-2023 John Binderup, Nick Eastland, Julie Livingston
Thanks to Roxy Orr for hosting a fabulous Holiday After Hours last week! Mark your calendar for our next event on Wednesday, January 29th at the Scottish Rite from 5-7pm. Hosted by John Maxell.
December 30, 2019 is the updated deadline for children and grandchildren of Rotarians to be submitted for the April 17-19, 2020 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp. Applications can follow, the need right now is headcount to determine how many more “at-large” sophomore and junior high school students can be accepted to bring us to the 50-student limit. (Rotarian family receive priority.) Please submit your child or grandchild student's name(s) that will attend RYLA to Lori Benton, RYLA Chair, at lorijobenton@gmail.com. Information on at-large student recruitment will be shared in due time.
ATTENDANCE at Suburban Rotary needs to be at 50% of the meetings. Make-ups also count.
ONLINE MAKE-UPS Have you checked this out? If you sometimes find it hard to attend a make-up meeting locally or while out of town, check out the option and opportunity of making up a Rotary meeting 24/7 via the internet. You will find this information at http://www.rotaryeclubone.org for more information. Check your attendance status anytime on our website.
They meet the first, third, and fifth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 pm.
We are now known as the Omaha Rotary Night Club! Our meeting time has also changed, we now meet the first, third, and fifth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 pm at DJ's Dugout at 176th & Q.
Starting April 2, 2019, we will be changing all future meetings to Vincenzo's, 15701 Pacific St.
WEDNESDAYS Council Bluffs Centennial Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. HyVee in the Mall of the Bluffs
Downtown -Wednesday Noon, Field Club
Western Douglas County 7 a.m., Elkhorn Common Ground Community Center, 1701 Veterans Drive (l block north of Elkhorn H. S.)
Council Bluffs Thursday Noon, Council Bluffs Senior Center