Blair Rotary Newsletter
"SERVICE Above Self"
August 1, 2005

General News

Club members are asked to hold the date of August 12th for the Blair Rotary Golf Tournament.  All members should work to put together at least one team to play in the tournament.  Sara Chatt will print color flyers for the tournament.

If you want tickets to the Teammates event, please contact Jim Nelson.

Bob Schmoll submitted Mark Duey’s scholarship.

Sara Chatt will be providing updates on the Foundation membership so we can track our goals.

Club members are reminded they can do make-ups on the web:  http://www.rotaryeclub7890.org/makeup.htm

Notes from the July 26th Meeting- Program Chair -  Jim Nelson

Joe Lager, Chief of Police, and Aaron Barrow, Police Officer provided facts on the high lights of the police department and  the importance of the K-9 program.  The Crime Stoppers program is in the process of being completed.  They will solicit funds for rewards for crime tips in the near future.  They have been involved in a crime prevention program with Dana College with 3 gentlemen in an internship to recruit future officers.  They are finalizing their policies and procedures for the accreditation process.  Over 400 standards are involved and they are 75% complete.  Blair has a new motor cycle that is to be used for traffic enforcement.  We have 2 new hires Duane Collins and John Popish.  New officers must complete 15 weeks academy training and 13 weeks of field training.  Travis trains K-9 dogs to track drugs such as narcotics and other street drugs.  Dogs are either passive meaning when they find the drugs they lay down or sit by them or they are aggressive where they stand or bite.  Dogs attend 11 weeks of training.  Our current dog is a German Belgium breed.  The dog goes home with his trainer and lives with an officer at their personal residence.  Officers train the dogs with stuffed animals. The dogs are trained to sit down when they find a toy with the scent. Currently only 20% of the Meth is recovered in the United States.  The border needs to be sealed better to prevent the drug traffic.  The smell is an overpowering odor such as cat urine or anhydrous ammonia or the ends of matches being scraped off.  It may resemble pseudoephedrine capsules in an abundant amount.  It is apparent the police department has a variety of programs that they are kicking off or pursuing to improve the community.

Rotary Question of the Week

What does RYLA stand for and what is it about?

Rotary Fact of the Week (from  the RI Website)

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards—District 5650 is sponsoring a 3 day camp in Ashland, NE.  This camp will be paid for by Awards from local Rotary Clubs just like ours.  Sophomores for the 2005-2006 school year will be invited to apply for the opportunity to attend.  Once selected, Awardees need to raise $50 to use in an international humanitarian effort.  Selected sophomores will be taught how to create projects in their own communities and given the skills and the connections to make great things happen.

Thought of the Week

Happiness is not in our circumstances, but in ourselves. 

It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. 

Happiness is something we are.

John B. Sheerin
(Author)

July Birthdays
None

SERVICE Above Self!