General News                                                                                                                   

Reminder: attendance should be at least 60%, if you can't make a meeting you can do a make-up on the web at the following address:  http://www.rotaryeclub7890.org/makeup.htm

District Governor Jim Mastera addressed the club and presented his goals and vision for the district in the upcoming year.  He challenged the club to live this year's motto "Lead the Way" by taking charge and doing the thing that we need to do.  In the words of RI President Boyd we need to "change the world with one positive act at a time; we need to lead in the Rotary way with tolerance, unselfishness, integrity and with a smile."  Governor Mastera identified the following areas in which we can lead and make changes in our local communities and the world:

Zambian Health Project: sponsored by the the Lincoln East Rotary Club a project to bring health care to those in need in Zambia; funds raised by district clubs are matched by the Lincoln East Club, the District and RI to make a significant impact.

Literacy: distribute dictionaries to local students; all the Lincoln Rotary clubs have joined forces to purchase and distribute nearly 3,000 dictionaries to 3rd graders in Lincoln schools.

TeamMates: continue to support the TeamMates mentoring program which provides help and support to local youth.

Foundation: the Blair Rotary Club has a great history of support to the Foundation; all members are encouraged to continue that support and reach the goal of $100 per member per year.  We should consider having a "foundation moment" on a monthly basis.

Membership: the Blair Rotary Club has done well in membership but membership in the District as a whole has declined over the past five years.  If you know someone who would make a good Rotarian ask that person to attend a meeting and ask that person to join Rotary.  

Image of Rotary: we need to let the local community know who we are as a Rotary Club - the local community needs to be aware of what we do locally and internationally. If we consider the things we do we need to ask the question: "who would take over if Rotary was not here." 

Governor Mastera challenged all club members to "lead the way" - if we work together we can make a difference in our local communities and the world.  Rotary International, District 5650 and the Blair Rotary Club can't do it alone - every Rotarian must join together, take charge and collectively lead the way.

Rotary Question of the Week

As the leader of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, how much has Rotary International contributed to polio eradication activities?

Rotary Fact of the Week (from  the RI or District Website)

Before eradication efforts began in 1988, polio paralyzed more than 1,000 children a day, which totaled about 350,000 children annually. The incidence of polio has since declined by more than 99 percent. Vaccinations easily can stave off polio. Vaccinations have prevented an estimated 500,000 children per year from contracting polio. A child can be protected against polio for as little as 60 cents (US) worth of vaccine. Only four countries are still polio endemic — an all-time low: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Rotary International is the spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and is the largest private sector donor. It has contributed more than $600 million to the polio eradication activities in 122 countries. In addition, tens of thousands of Rotarians have partnered with their national ministries of health, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with health providers at the grassroots level in thousands of communities.

 Thought of the Week

"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." Denis Waitley

September Birthdays
Bob Hill - 20th