1989-1990
President Kenneth E. Miller (Ken)Kenneth E. Miller (Ken) assumed the presidency of the Rotary Club of Las Vegas for the 1989-90 Rotary Year. Under his leadership the club celebrated its sixty-seventh birthday and moved into the last decade of the twentieth century stronger and more prestigious than ever in the world of Rotary clubs.
The over two hundred Las Vegas Rotarians met or surpassed every goal, not the least of which was the submission of over $29K to The Rotary Foundation. Over $27,000 was dispensed for a number of community service projects. In addition, scholarships aggregating more than $11,000 were given to students attending UNLV, and CCSN (Community College of Southern Nevada). The community service program took on an international flavor with the award of an ambulance to the Ensenada, Mexico Rotary Club to provide ambulance service for a section of the lovely Baja California North/South highway.
Sixteen organizations and individuals shared the community service donations, not including the university scholarship recipients. When the value of the time of the typical Las Vegas Rotarian is considered, an amount in value much greater than the cash contributions of the club was donated in specific hands-on projects. Members contributed uncounted hours of their time in projects as diverse as installing playground equipment and shrubs at Joe Shoong Park and at the Wayne Bunker Park, to taking handicapped persons to a UNLV football game, and being involved with a Rotary sponsored naturalization service.
With the hope of keeping alive knowledge of the successes and failures of the club’s yesteryears for new administrations, the past presidents were organized into a subsidiary group during Ken’s year. The By-Laws were changed to include a member of the past president’s group on the Board of Directors. There was time left over for play during Ken’s busy year. Golf tournaments, group trips to other clubs and athletic events, a standout Christmas party, Son’s and Daughter’s Days, Secretaries Day and Valentine’s Day programs all added to the fun of being a Las Vegas Rotarian.