Presiding Officer: Randy Bretz

Secretary: Christina Usher
Finemaster: Mark Feit

Red Badge Host: Mike Wortman

Sgt. At Arms: Maury Halstead

Cashier: Mike Renken
Greeter: Leslie Huerta
Program: Rotary 14 International Projects & Rotary Youth Exchange

 

Rotary 14 has a great history of involvement in projects around the world. Our program on February 26 will share details about how we’re helping in the Dominican Republic, Namibia, and Kenya. In addition, we’ll have the opportunity to hear from two Rotary Exchange students who are spending this school year in Nebraska. Rotary 14 is unique among service clubs through our involvement in international projects.

Thanks to President Randy Bretz, our club has been in the news for our $20,000 donation to the South of Downtown Art Hub. Thank you to all generous Rotarians, their family, and friends for making it possible to support community initiatives such as the Art Hub. The Lincoln Journal Star news article can be found here.

Starting February 2019, perfect attendance award will be presented on or around the Rotarian's Rotary anniversary date. Perfect Rotary attendance is the highest form of member engagement wherein a Rotarian’s meeting attendance including makeups, committee participation, and service project support are taken into consideration. Recently, President Randy Bretz recognized the following Rotarians for their perfect attendance: Darold Karmazin, 39 years; Frosty Critchfield, 22 years, Allen Beermann & Randy Hawthorne, 13 years; Jennifer Brinkman, 8 years; and Christina Usher, 3 years. Congratulations Rotarians!

 

L to R: Christina Usher, Frosty Critchfield, Darold Karmazin, Allen Beermann, & Jennifer Brinkman

Recently, we welcome back Scott Williamson who was off Rotary for a few months. Scott has been a member of Club 14 for 12 years and was proposed for membership by Carl Sjulin.  He served as Club Director in 2014-16. Scott was recently hired as the Director of Donor Engagement for CenterPointe, after serving on the board for 8 years, including Board Chair.  Prior to this, he had been in banking for 17 years, and the title insurance industry for 19 years.   He is a native of Beatrice, but Lincoln has been his home since graduating from UNL in 1985.  Scott and wife Michalla have a blended family with four wonderful children. Ben is legal counsel for InvestNebraska, Nate is in Business Development for Spreetail, Rachel is currently teaching English in Japan, and Leah is a sophomore at Lincoln High in the International Baccalaureate program. Please be sure to welcome back Scott when you see him.

Scott Williamson

Last week at Rotary, President Randy Bretz presided the meeting, while Christina Usher conducted club business. Mark Feit was Finemaster. Keith Larsen, Frosty Critchfield, & Don Kucera served as Cashiers. Greeters were Andrew Munger, Todd Crawford, and Doyle Hulme. To sign up as Cashier, click/tap here. To serve as Greeter, click/tap here. 

 

The Rotary #14 Foundation was our program last week. Foundation President Jim Griesen, Dave Livingston, and Steve Peregrine shared with club members the many community projects that the Foundation have supported over the years with financial support totaling nearly $1.5 million. 

 

Patsy Koch Johns of the High School Services committee presented Annie Timmerman of Pius X Catholic High School. Annie succinctly conveyed the true meaning of Service Above self when she said, "the joy of giving is a greater gift than the service rendered" and that doing volunteer service is not a chore to do but a realization that one has been blessed. 

President Bretz congratulating Annie Timmerman of Piux X Catholic High School

Here is Director Mark Feit on fire in assessing fines to Rotarians in the news

 

Greeters Andrew Munger of The Garrett Group, Doyle Hulme, & Todd Crawford of Sen. Deb Fischer's District Office

 

Cashiers Keith Larsen of Lincoln 55+ Seniors Paper, Frosty Critchfield of Critchfield Enterprises, & Don Kucera

Here's our second edition of traveling Rotarians: Pat Crews in Australia, Aaron Babcock in Cuba, and Alan Hersch in Florida.

 

Greetings from sunny Australia! Arranging a tour to Australia and New Zealand for the month of February proved to be perfect timing to escape the historic snows in Lincoln. Hence our big smiles cruising the Sydney Harbour ~~Pat Crews

 

Aaron Babcock stands in front of an illustration of Ernest Hemingway outside La Bodeguita del Medio, a popular restaurant-bar in Havana, Cuba. The establishment lays claim as the birthplace of the Mojito cocktail since its opening in 1942. Babcock and his wife, Jen, cruised to Havana this past January. 

 

While we are freezing in Nebraska, Alan and Donna Hersch enjoyed the weather at Everglades National Park in Florida

 

Note: Send your photos taken outside of Lincoln for the Traveling Rotarians article to yolanda@rotary14.org.