The Club voted to contribute $100 to the Greg Scheer memorial fund.  Greg was killed in a farm accident last week.

Congratulations to Mick Mines who has become our newest Foundation Sustaining Member.  In order to become a sustaining member a person must contribute a minimum of $100 to the Rotary Foundation. 

Please welcome Bob Hill who has been inducted as the newest member of the Blair Rotary Club.  Bob is the President of the Rivers Wild Golf Club just north of Blair.  Bob has been a  part of the Blair community for about a year.  He lives just south of Papillion and commutes to Blair.  A special thank you to Blake Dillon and Mary Jean Rahlfs who were instrumental in getting Bob to join the club.

Rotary Question of the Week

How many countries are represented by Rotary International?
 (If you don't know see page 14 of the January issue of The Rotarian.)

Dave's guest for the week was Jim Realph who gave a program on the Gateway Development Corporation.  The Gateway Development Corporation is a nonprofit economic and community development organization.  The mission of the Gateway Development Corporation is: "A public/private partnership that strives to improve the economic conditions in Washington county."  There are currently 21 members of the corporation, the minimum investment for membership is $500. 

Gateway Development has five goals:
        To identify industrial site locations
        To be a driving force for economic development
        To enhance the image of Gateway in the community and region
        To assist in the recruitment of new and expansion of existing Blair business
        To identify new businesses or opportunities which are the best "fits" for the area

Perhaps the major issue facing the corporation at this point is its intended move to a location in the Omaha Chamber of Commerce building.  The move to Omaha will put Gateway where the "action" is.  Quite simply, there is more action and inquiry in the Omaha area than there is in Blair.  As part of the move Gateway will be hiring a full time employee.  Currently Gateway is operated out of the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce.  It is anticipated that the move will cost approximately $60,000 per year which is about $10,000 more than what the corporation is currently spending for office space and personnel. 

If you would like additional information on the Gateway Development Corporation please call 533-4455 or go to the following website:  www.washcone.com

Rotary Fact of the Week

With the establishment of the Rotary Centers for International Studies, The Rotary Foundation is taking a bold and critical step in its commitment to world peace, goodwill, and understanding.

Efforts to achieve national and international peace continue to be thwarted by war, famine, poverty, and disease around the world. As Rotary's major educational priority going into the new millennium, the Rotary Centers for International Studies will provide opportunities for scholars to focus on dealing effectively with the obstacles that currently impede international cooperation and peace.

Through partnerships with outstanding universities throughout the world, the Rotary Centers for International Studies will advance knowledge on issues of peace and conflict resolution among the next generation of community and world leaders.

By educating these promising future leaders, Rotary will actively engage its mission for world understanding and peace.

Thought of the Week

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Helen Keller

                     Wyman Nelson - 19th