Blair Rotary Newsletter
"Make Dreams Real"
November 24, 2008

 

 

Club members are asked to sign up to ring bells for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 13th.  A sign up sheet is available at our regularly scheduled meetings.

 

The following club members have accepted a nomination to serve as officers for the 2009-2010 Rotary Year (election to be held at our annual meeting on December 9th): President - Don Boswell; Vice-President/President Elect - Karen Zelensky; Treasurer - Abranda Andersen; Secretary - Ardelle Wachter; Sergeant of Arms - George Hall; Board Members - Terry Dutton and Jim Nelson. Sonny Wachter will serve on the Board as Immediate Past President.  Club Members will have the opportunity to nominate other club members for these positions at the annual meeting.

 

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

The Club has received an application from membership from Mark Schulze, Washington County Historical Museum Director.  Prior to his appointment as museum director he served for 35 years as the Nebraska Association of Student Councils Executive Director.  If any club members as reason to believe Mark would not be a suitable Rotarian please contact a club officer immediately.

Notes from November 18th Meeting

Kirk Hutton led a discussion on markets and the current economy. Kirk reported that the S & P was down 45% from it's high in October 2007 and the Dow is down 40% since its high in May 2007.  Although there is no way to know if we have "bottomed out" there is a feeling that the dramatic downward spiral has slowed and we should be settling down. Hedge funds continue to unwind their positions in the market which is also contributing to the volatility in the market, but these should subside in the near future.  There may be a end of the year rally and we will most likely see "sideways trading" for the next year. 

Jim Nelson shared a few thoughts on the auto industry and the recent request for financial support from the government.  There is a question as to whether the support should be given or if the "Big 3" should be allowed to fail and enter into bankruptcy.  Reports suggest that the impact on the economy will be greater if the support is not given when considering the loss of jobs in ancillary products and services.

Terry Dutton indicated that the local banks are actually seeing an increase in liquidity because they have tended to be more conservative in their lending practices and are not experiencing the number of "bad loans" on their books.  In addition a number of customers are moving their resources to their local banks in a "flight to safety". 

Rotary Question of the Week

What are the four key responsibilities of  a Rotary Club?

 

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

The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, where the most meaningful work is carried out. All effective Rotary clubs are responsible for four key elements: sustaining or increasing their membership base, participating in service projects that benefit their own community and those in other countries, supporting The Rotary Foundation of RI financially and through program participation, and developing leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond the club level.

 

Thought of the Week

"On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government for four years, no matter what it does." Will Rogers

November Birthdays
LuAnne Patak - 1st
Don Boswell - 14th
Shawn Petersen - 24th
 

 

SERVICE Above Self!