The club is planning a golf tournament on June 27th at the Rivers Wild Golf Course.  Please reserve that date and plan to help with the tournament.  All members will be asked to create and or promote a four-some.

Centennial Project - the deadline for submitting the club's Centennial Project is drawing near.  A possibility is working with other groups on the restoration and upkeep of the Brewster Cemetery.  Additional information regarding this project will be forthcoming.

Notes from the April 29th  Meeting -  Program Chair - Chris Boswell

The guest speaker for the day was Dr. Nancy Belck, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Dr. Belck is no stranger to Rotary, having been a member since women were first granted membership.  Her father was a Rotarian and he had 50 years of perfect attendance.  Dr. Belck talked about the budget issues facing the State of Nebraska and how they will impact the university.   The entire university system must identify an additional $41 million in budget cuts, over and above the cuts already made.  

This is a significant amount for the university system as one considers that the entire budget for the University of Nebraska at Kearny is $33 million and that for the University of Nebraska Medical Center is $27 million.  The magnitude of cuts will dramatically effect the university system and the system of the future will look different.  As one examines the budget, the bulk of cuts will have to come from personnel and services, which represents 77% of the budget.  The reduction in personnel and services will directly affect the ability of the university system to reach out to certain populations including under-prepared students and lower income students.

In order to address the impact of budget cuts the administration is considering dramatic increases in tuition and fees.  Currently these sources only provide 15% of the budgeted income, which is below the median for peer groups.  While increases in tuition can help the budget situation, there is an apprehension to raise too high and put higher education out of the reach of lower income students.  

The residents of Nebraska must decide what type of university they want.  While the administration understands the need to be part of budget reductions, they want to be sure it is done equitably.  Additional information regarding the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the strategic plan to address the future of the institution can be found at www.unomaha.edu.

Rotary Question of the Week

What is the 4-Way Test?

Rotary Fact of the Week (from  the RI Website)

From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The 4-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The 4-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. It asks the following four questions:

"Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

Thought of the Week

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." - Ralph Nader

May  Birthdays
Ed Jipp - 12th
Jim Peterson - 16th
Ken Rhoades - 22nd
Blake Dillon - 27th
Dan Veskrna - 28th