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Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
Stories
This Week at Rotary
Lori Bechtold
Development Leader
' We Are Omaha Home for Boys"
 
Lori Bechtold, (pronounced Beck told) Development Leader, joined the Omaha Home for boys in September 2015. Ms. Bechtold has a Bachelor's of General Studies and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philantrophy. She has over 20 years of experience in fund raising and nonprofit management.
 
Chair: Dwayne Brown
Invocator: Dick Lerner
Cashier: Tim Neal
Sgt At Arms: Gretchen Radler
Greeters: Michelle Kaufmann and Rana Scarlett-Johnson
Last Week at Rotary 11/3/17
Last week, our President Nuzhat Mahmood presided the meeting. Luke McNeese gave the Invocation, Karin Lombard and Mark Ellsworth served as Greeters while Anne Fuhrman was Cashier. Gretchen Radler served as Sgt. At Arms. Past President Rich Secor introduced our speaker Matt Gregorgy from the Nebraska Wildlife Federation. Matt spoke about the state of wildlife in a warmer world. 
 
Nuzhat introduced our newest West Rotarian Bob Kully. Nuzhat also presented Blue Badge to Jim Meier. Holly Gillespie gave her vocational talk.
 
Bob Kully was introduced by his sponsor Nuzhat Mahmood
 
Newest Member Bob Kully received a warm welcome from Karin
 
After meeting the rigorous Red badge requirements, Jim Meier received his Blue Badge from Nuzhat
 
Holly Gillespie gave her vocational talk and she went over two minutes. Martie Cordaro, without prompting from the head table, knew the drill and fined Rotarians at Holly's table including himself.
 
Here's your FRIDAY CREW:
Anne Fuhrman balanced our accounting sheet
 
Gretchen Radler showing off the badges were mostly gone because we had a very good attendance
 
Mark Ellsworth and Karin Lombard served as greeters
 
Pictured here is a long line at check-in because Rotarians were busy handing in their $100 checks for The Rotary Foundation, like what Bob Lovgren and Laura Iliff did.
 
 
Matt McKeever Secretary Report 11/03/17
Larry Johansen from Downtown Rotary and Tom Carroll from Northwest Rotary joined us as guest Rotarians.   Vaughn Wiebusch introduced his guest, LeDonna Griffin.  Jill Slupe introduced Mary Anne Vicaro and Lori Benton as guests.  Russ Iwan introduced Doug Asche as a guest.  Susan Thomas introduced the Club to her guest, John Newman.  Matt, with Nuzhat’s help, fined Karin Lombard.  Matt fined himself for a Bitcoin article submitted by Carol Gendler.  The Club membership was then introduced to McCarnac the Magnificent, who answered three questions about the Club while the questions were in sealed envelopes. One prediction, that Dick Sturgeon would win the chance to draw for Bucks for Bingel, surprisingly came true despite the fact that Dick Sturgeon was not present.  The Great McCarnac presented a pair of ancient Irish curses as well.  
Here's  McCarnac the Magnificent
 
West Rotarians mesmerized by Matt McKeever
Next Week at Rotary
Past Dist. Governor Brian Moon
November 17, 2017
"The Rotary Foundation, YOUR Legacy"
 
Brian joined first joined Rotary in 1993 as a member of the Council Bluffs Morning club and was a member until the club disbanded in 2000.  He rejoined Rotary as a charter member of Council Bluffs Centennial in 2005.  As a member of Centennial he has served as a Board Member, Chair of the annual Pasta Luncheon fundraiser, Foundation Chair, Membership Chair and in 2010-11 as Club President.  He is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Sustaining Member of the Rotary Foundation and a member of the Paul Harris Society.  Within District 5650 was the recipient of the outstanding club president award in 2011, and served as Area 6 Asst. District Governor from 2011-13.  He served as District Governor during the 2014-15 Rotary year, and currently is serving as the District Foundation Committee Chair.  He is a graduate of Rotary Leadership Institute, and has attended multiple Rotary Zone 28-29 trainings.
 
Brian grew up in Chariton, a small town in south-central Iowa.  He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in business, and was employed by Hy-Vee, Inc. for 31 years.  He retired in 2008. During his career, he served as a store director in the Council Bluffs/Omaha market for 21 years and was a member of the Hy-Vee, Inc. Board of Directors in 2000.
 
Within the community he has served as a board member and officer of several organizations, including the Volunteer Bureau of Council Bluffs, the Loess Hill Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, the Omaha Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Children’s Square USA and the Children’s Square Foundation.  Brian was a member of the Leadership Iowa class of 1997-98 and was named the Council Bluffs non-profit volunteer of the year in 1995.
 
Brian is married to Stephani and they celebrated their 33rd anniversary this past February. They have two adult children; Dean, who resides in Council Bluffs, and Brianne, who lives in Kansas City, MO with her husband Max and daughter Rosie.  Steph and Brian both enjoy cooking, gardening, fine wines and traveling in retirement.
West Rotarian Carol Gendler

Carol Gendler, born in New Haven, Connecticut,  has created a legacy of community activism stronger than that of most Nebraska-born citizens. She joined Rotary Club of Omaha – West in 1998 and has worked with the various committees.  She currently serves on the Omaha West Rotary Foundation.  For almost a decade now, Carol has donated $5000 to the Paul Harris Fund as a match of $100 each with our individual members donations. 

Years ago, Carol completed a Masters degree in History at UNO and has used that knowledge to create a history of the local Jewish Community, in her work with the Douglas County Historical Society over the last 50 plus years, in the 14 years she served as Director of the Douglas County Law Library, and as a major donor to the Omaha World Herald digital library.  Her OWH gift enables current historians the luxury of digital records instead of spending hours turning the crank of a microfilm reader. In 2006, Carol completed a historical account of our own Rotary club spanning 50 years. 

Besides the Omaha West Rotary Foundation board, Carol also serves on the Humanities Nebraska, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Heartland Family Service, Joslyn Art Museum, and the Legal Aid of Nebraska boards.  Many local civic organizations such as Lauritzen Gardens, NET Foundation and the Omaha Community Foundation benefit from Carol’s financial gifts.

Rotarians are fortunate to have her talent, passion and generosity toward our local and international projects.
Career Day Skinner Magnet School
The Career Day at Skinner Magnet Center sponsored by Omaha West Rotary was a very successful event. The Club thanks the Community Service Committee chaired by Brett Wawers for spearheading the event.
 
 
Committee Announcements - West Rotarians in Action
Committee engagement at West Rotary is where you get the best value of being a Rotarian. Enhance your Rotary experience by getting involved in committee work.
Brett Wawers, Community Service Chair
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Where: Family Fare Supermarket, 1221 S 203rd St, Omaha, NE 68130
When: December 2, 2017, Saturday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Shift: Just a hour, two to three Rotarians per shift
 
Omaha West Rotarians take pride in helping to raise money to help the less fortunate in our community. The Community Service Committee is looking for 12 to 18 Rotarians to enjoy bell ringing for an hour shift. Bell ringing counts for service hours if anyone in your family needs service hours. The online sign up for this event is now open. Please visit our club website and click on "For Club Members" and go to the calendar to sign up.
November Birthdays

     

November Birthdays
Trudy Bredthauer 01   Dean Jenkins 04   Matt McKeever 09   Rana Scarlett-Johnson 11   Stanley Lierz 13  
Mark Ellsworth 21   Carl Philo Nov 25

 

 
 
 
 
 
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West Rotary Representatives to the District Business Meeting
The club is looking for four representatives to the District Business online meeting on December 2, 2017, at 7:00 PM. The business meeting is designed to ensure transparency concerning our district finances. If you are interested, please contact Nuzhat.
Ashland Rotary is inviting West Rotarians to a Poker Tournament 
Ashland Rotary is inviting West Rotarians to a Charity Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament
When: Friday, November 17th
6:15 PM Registration
6:30 Start
Where: Ashland Gold Club
16119 Hwy 6 (lower level) 2 miles southwest of Ashland
**Concessions and Drinks Available**
 
Free-Will Entry: $40 Donation $20 Rebuy
Funding Scholarships & Other Projects
 
Cash Prizes Based on # of Entries
Guaranteed $100 First Place Winner
 
NEED A MAKE UP?

MONDAY
BELLEVUE 12:00 PM (DJ's Dugout, 10308 S. 23rd St.)
NORTH 12:00 PM (Omaha Eppley Airport Conference Room)  

MILLARD 12:00 PM (German American Society, 3717 South 120th Street) - NO MEETING on Oct 9  
 

TUESDAY
MORNING 7:00 AM (Happy Hollow Country Club, 1701 S. 105th St.)    

NORTHWEST 12:00 PM ( Effective August 15th Northwest Rotary will meet Tuesday's at noon at Jerico's, 11732 W Dodge Rd, Omaha, NE 68154.)

SOUTHWEST NIGHT 5:15 PM (DJ's Dugout at 17666 Welch Plaza, northeast corner of 180th & Q streets) 

WEDNESDAY
COUNCIL BLUFFS CENTENNIAL 1st Wed 7:00 AM; 3rd Wed floating event; no meeting other weeks (Hy-Vee in Mall of the Bluffs, I-80 Exit 5)
DOWNTOWN 12:00 PM (Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave.)

THURSDAY
COUNCIL BLUFFS NOON 12:00 PM (The Center, 714 S. Main St.)  

SUBURBAN  12:00 PM (Anthony's, 7220 F St.)   

WESTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY 7:00 AM (Elkhorn Common Ground Community Center, 1701 Veteran's Drive)

 
FRIDAY
WEST 12:00 PM (Champions Run, 13800 Eagle Run Drive)  
 
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