The Rotary Club of Omaha is on HOLIDAY BREAK and will not meet again until January 20th. Check this website and watch your emails for updates and announcements.
My very best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I am filled with gratitude and hope as we approach Christmas. Gratitude for the 100-member-plus-strong Rotary Club of Omaha (Downtown) which, despite the pandemic, has continued to meet, serve and honor our mission with some extraordinary individual efforts to bring our digital experience to life (thank you Lloyd Meyer, Fr. Lloyd Gnirk, Sean Olson, Adam Leong and Leigh Sittenauer!) – our program quality has been unmatched in the District. As well, we continued to bring Rotarians to the streets of Omaha for personal encounters with others and service above self (thank you Lindy Hoyer and team!). And I am hopeful regarding our efforts to make your Rotary better and greater. Our executive team and board have been guiding our planning. And now, as we are poised to enter 2021 and potentially place this terrible pandemic behind us during the coming year, your Rotary is poised for growth with an energized Membership Team led by Phil Taylor and a new South Omaha Initiative led by honorary chair Hal Daub and yours truly. We have identified sponsors who will provide 50% funding for ten (10) new members from South Omaha for the 2021-2022 membership year. We are seeking additional sponsors. Please contact me at 402-206-8081 (mobile) if you would like to sponsor one or more new members.
While we are on holiday from regular meetings until January 20, 2021, Rotary service continues in the community, weekly with the Salvation Army NightWatch (starts tonight!) and Christmas Tree Recycling (brrr), and with our January 8th board meeting and January 13th invitation to support the Outland Trophy event which is sponsored in part by the Club (see more information below).
Thank you for your membership in Downtown Rotary!
I look forward to seeing you – online at first and God-willing in person very soon – in 2021!
This month is Rev. Gnirk’s 37th year of membership with the Rotary Club of Omaha. Secretary=92-93 President=99-00 District Gov=05-06
From John Mock: Santa holding his seven-month-old Great Grandson for a photo op. A special bonding moment for both of us.
From Chris Tointon: Starting January 1, 2021, the YMCA of Greater Omaha will be partnering with Creighton University to assure access to high quality child care is available to all people in downtown Omaha. The Y will be managing the James R. Russel Child Care Center on the campus of Creighton University as part of it’s expansive Early Learning Center network which has child care centers on the campus of Immanuel, Bergan, and Lakeside hospitals and at the Y in Council Bluffs. The YMCA Early Learning Center at Creighton University is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and has a diverse group of teachers supporting Creighton students, employees, and the community.
From Brad Burklund: Meet miss Lyla Lou Burklund, Born 12/10/20 6lbs 7oz 19 1/2 inches
From Robert Laughlin:
My daughter, Melissa Lusk, gave birth to a 8 lb, 6 oz baby boy last Tuesday, 12/8/2020 (that is why I missed Rotary last Wednesday). Both the baby, Levi Joseph, Melissa, (as well as her husband, Patrick), are doing fine. They live in Lincoln. Melissa and Levi were released from the hospital by Thursday night so we were able to visit them at home that night! This is grandchild #1 for me and Janet - so much fun!
Fron Tim Cavanaugh:
I am retiring January 22, 2021 from the Douglas County Treasurer's Office after 14 years. Also -I was hired 40 years ago today by Omaha Police Department.
A Zoom record 62 Rotarians and guests heard Ted Carter's update on his first year as president of the University of Nebraska system, a year that made him feel fully welcomed by the state while administering a business with 70,000 faculty staff and students housed in 900 buildings.
He early set a goal of growing from good to great, characterizing growth in terms of affordability, accessibility and "not just numbers but citizenship." He also emphasized work-force development, citing a large effort required to meet the state's needs. Stressing inclusion, the former U.S. Naval Academy leader, vowed "to make sure all are welcome and all voices are heard."
In the transition to conditions dominated by Covid-19, "We did all we promised," kept open with a majority of classes in person, but employing a hybrid online model. "We adjusted classroom time," finishing fall classes by Thanksgiving, and having a longer interim before the spring semester.
Though enrollment was down in most of the nation's universities, "Ours rose for the first time in three years," and that included "a significant increase in under-represented minorities." A goal of attaining a faculty as diverse as the student body is hindered by the fact that the student body turns over much faster than tenured faculty.
President Carter said, "I'll look you in the eye and say we're looking for a diversity candidate" in a national search for the next chancellor at UNO.
Rotary president John Sullivan asked him about this generation of students and Carter agreed that they are more service-oriented, comparing them to the World War II "greatest generation."
Asked about increased Covid testing of students, Carter suggested, "We've gotten smarter" with experience in doing the key job to keep students and faculty safe.
He cited "great research being done," noting recent grants of $92 million and $35 million, and explained the university's role in making a pitch to bring the new Space Command to Offutt. It helps that UNO is still rated the third most military-friendly school in the U.S.
The Outland Trophy Luncheon will be handled by Mid-America Expo / Joe Mancuso this year. Rotarians are invited to attend but Rotary will not be handling registrations etc. This means no FastPass.
If you plan to attend, please email jmancuso@showofficeonline.com to let him know. Cost is $12 per person. Be prepared with cash or check to pay at the door.
OCP legend Camille Metoyer Moten makes her highly-anticipated return to the stage for an intimate holiday affair. Christmas in My Heart is all the wonder and magic of the season in concert. Cozy up in our Howard Drew Theatre and let Camille’s soaring voice warm your heart with beloved holiday classics, contemporary Christmas melodies and everything in between!
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