2023-2024

Following the turn of a century of a rich history and amazing service by the Las Vegas Rotary Club, and a most successful Centennial Celebration, the 101st President, Toni Kern, on her ‘step stool’ and ‘sticking to a timetable’, began a great year with the theme of increasing participation and engagement with the support of a stellar Board of Directors and 102 of our 129 members, participating on one or more occasion, and over 36,700 volunteer hours.  The year also came with a number of ‘firsts’.

PDQ came on board as the new printer of a beautiful new design of The Wheel, thanks to Tina Bishop and Sidra Kain, providing more information and adding features like ‘Did You Know?’ that provided members with significant social, service and giving opportunities accomplished each month, more ad space for our members, more photos from meetings and Rotarians In Action events, and Flyers for upcoming events.  Additionally, the Roster was updated with some new features, including a PP Steve Casey flow chart providing the flow and integration between the Foundation and the Club and listing of all the So. Nevada Rotary Clubs, their meeting times and locations.  With the resignation of Tom Brooker, now an Honorary Member, we were fortunate to have new member and CPA, Rita Burton, take on the responsibility of Club Treasurer and creating documents of various financial matters for our Club and Foundation.  Within several months of her assuming the role, we had a revised set of financials providing, among other things, a ratio analysis documenting trends year over year; a Treasurer’s Monthly Financial Review Checklist; Financial Policies & Procedures Manual; Fundraising Internal Control Policies & Procedures; and Club Credit Card Policies.  The Foundation, under President Bill Stieren, returned focus on ensuring funds in the Foundation provided a better return than sitting in a basic account with low interest, clarifying the Foundation By-Laws on the issue of review of our financials and ensuring compliance with financial reporting set forth in the By-Laws. The Club Leave of Absence guidelines were updated and revised. In furtherance of the documentation of procedures, a Standard Operating Procedure Check List for the 4-Way Speech Contest and a Social Media Policy & Procedure were prepared.  The Club website was updated with Press Releases and Thank You notes.

There was a very robust calendar of activities, including the successful return of Wine To Water; we re-discovered Rotary Park with a park clean-up and re-dedication of the Paul Harris Friendship Tree and a tree dedicated to PDG Joe Buckley; we organized the 1^st Multi-Club clean-up/picnic at Rotary Park with 9 clubs participating with the help of Dir. Greg Maguire; we continued to present the Quarterly Wetzel Awards, we volunteered with Green Our Planet, Spread The Word Nevada, Opportunity Village, the Nevada Children’s Discovery Museum, the Smith Center, and Family2Family at Touch-A-Truck, to name a few.  Our community service/giving was extraordinary, including $40,000 in community grants, $6,000 in UNLV scholarships, $10,000 in Summer Santa Clothes to Project 150, $2,400 to the USO, $12,000 in grant funds to 6 at-risk elementary schools, raised over $29,000 in the Canned Food Drive, winning the coveted trophy over the Kiwanis Clubs, shopped for winter clothes for more than 350 children at Santa Clothes,  contributed $5,000 toward Super Build with additional funds contributed by member Chris Rodenfels, delivered more than 250 wheelchairs in collaboration with Nevada Wheelchair Foundation, supported finalists in the 4-Way Speech and Dan Stover Music contests at District Training Assembly, hosted two amazing Exchange Students for the first time since COVID, hosted 48 schools at the Valedictorian Luncheon, had the Kideract Club of Bracken ES run a meeting, embraced participation of the members of the Palo Verde HS Wildness Club and their teacher/sponsor at our Quarterly Highway Clean Ups, initiated the 1^st Annual Suit Drive for women at WestCare, our 1^st Corporate Member, among others, and we financially participated in 4 Global Grants.  On the social side of things, we had our infamous Cigar Socials and Putting Tournament, each raising money for the Foundation and Youth Exchange Program, respectively, as well as informative VIP Tours arranged by Rosalee Hedrick, also raising funds for the Foundation.  In total we had more than 49 service, social and giving events!

Overall, by engaging in those things consistent with our Mission Statement, we served over 6,000 children! Our efforts were recognized by receiving Gold Level Awards for Youth Service, Community Service and Vocational Service and Silver Level for Public Image and Club Service at District Conference, the first conference cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. We also achieved goals resulting in the Rotary International Citation Award. Our club’s achievements included inducting 17 new members, honoring 11new Paul Harris Fellows, and 18 members achieved their next level PH.

The year was brought to a fitting close with an amazing debunking, one for the records, with a funny and satirical take of Alice in Wonderland, with David Jones doing a remarkable impression of President Toni, too hysterical for words, and the requisite H2O, all in Spanish Trails County Club.  PP Jim Kohl was given the Rotarian of the Year Award, Executive Director Shawn Noorda was given a personal gift of appreciation for her dedication, support and guidance, and Rita Burton was given the Service Award, with recognition to all of the members for their support, time and dedication to ‘Service Above Self’.  The baton was passed to Kirk Alexander.