1996-1997

After co-chairing the 1996 District conference (not a requirement to be president), Cliff Beadle assumed office as the 73rd President of the Las Vegas Rotary for the 1996-97 year.

The Tailgate Party at UNLV’s first home game was joined with the Southwest Club.  Operation Santa Clothes was kicked off based upon Bob McBrien’s idea to help kids in need.  Bob organized a Christmas shopping spree for nearly forty Las Vegas area children at J.C. Penney’s and talked JCP into discounting their prices so that our dollars would go for more clothes for the kids.  Forty Rotarians, spouses and Interact students took these kids shopping and then brought them to our weekly luncheon.

The auction and a raffle were combined with our annual Christmas party, which was held at the Las Vegas Country Club.  Musical students from the Las Vegas Academy entertained us.  The raffle and auction netted approximately $15,000.  Tom Krob and Jess Holmes oversaw this.  Don Aikin again oversaw an area wide Rotary Super Bowl Party.  No one remembers who played in the football game, but everyone knows that more than $10K was raised for The Rotary Foundation.

At the meeting on the Thursday before President’s Day, the Past Presidents of the Las Vegas Rotary Club were honored.  Twenty Past Presidents were in attendance and provided the rest of the club with memories of their year.

Eleven Las Vegas area high school students were awarded scholarships to either UNLV or CCSN.  Jim Clark and his committee evaluated nearly forty requests for financial assistance.

The 25 Club challenged the main club to a putting contest at the Angel Park putting course.  It was no contest as the main club team, led by Capt. Scotty Wetzel with assistance from Rob Moore, Joe McNamee and Tom Krob, defeated the 25 Club team of Steve Linder, Bob Potter, Philippe Jaramillo, and Stephen Brock.

The Southwest Club was again challenged for the annual softball game at Cashman Field.  The Southwest Club responded to their stinging defeat from the prior year by bringing better “ringers” and squeaked out a narrow victory, 24 to 20.

The Board of Directors adopted a continuing resolution to establish the “Service Above Self” Award to honor Las Vegas Rotarians who exemplify the concept of Service Above Self through their years of service to the Las Vegas Rotary and District Service.  The annual demotion party was held for the fifth consecutive year and President Cliff was debunked in a dunking tank.