The Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis held its induction of officers for the 2010-2011 Rotary year at the Lakeway Resort & Spa on Sunday, June 27.

Incoming officers are: Patrick Easter, Vice President/Club Administration Chair; Johanna Gravesmill, Program Chair; Dala Campbell, Assistant Secretary; Mike Jansen, Past President; Nancy Keetch, Secretary; Wally El-Hitamy, President-Elect; Melinda Osburn, President 2010-2011; Patrick Arrindell, Treasurer; Sam Chapman, Member-at-Large; Don Rude, Membership Chair; Phil Walthall, Service Project Chair; Jay Dolfuss, Rotary Foundation Chair. In front: Ruth Allison, newly-inducted Rotary District 5870 Governor, swears in the new club officers.
Following a dinner at the Resort, outgoing President, Mike Jansen, presented both serious and fun awards to various club members:
n The “Can Do” award was presented to Ben Thompson for his diligence in setting up and taking down the meeting room . . . and in honor of an outstanding golfer! [Ben had made a hole-in-one the previous week!]
n Ginny Jellison and Donna Wesling were recognized as the “Car Raffle Queens” for all their hard work in keeping the annual car raffle fundraiser organized.
n The “Edward R. Murrow” award was presented to Jay Plotkin for his diligence in giving the club the recognition it deserves.
n Sam Chapman was awarded the “Father of the Year” presentation for his mentoring of the (Rotary) Interact Club members at LTHS and his lifelong values built on the Rotary Four-Way Test. [1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Is it beneficial to all concerned?]
n The “Lance Armstrong” award was presented to Clayton Amacker for giving up his garage – and peace of mind – while running the club Bicycle Project for many years (collecting and repairing used bicycles and distributing them to needy children in the Lake Travis area and through the club’s sister club in Mexico.)
n Max Blankenzee was recognized with the “Matchmaker” award for his patience and perseverance in working on matching grants with Rotary Clubs in Mexico.
n Patrick Easter was given the “Program Guy” award for bringing great programs for the club luncheon meetings throughout the year.
n Gina Sanchez was honored as “Rookie of the Year” for her outstanding work establishing a Rotary Interact Club at Hudson Bend Middle School.
n Past President Buzz Buzzard was recognized with the “Rotarian Everywhere” award for his many roles with Rotary and for visiting the most Rotary Clubs around the world.
n Barker Keith received the “Salesman of the Decade” award, as he has led the club in car raffle ticket sales every year.
n The “Unsung Hero” award was presented to Doug Lindgren for his tax assistance with the Club 501(c)3 Foundation and for his many civic accomplishments.
n Guy Oberg was recognized with the “You Miss Him When He’s Not Here” award for his energetic — and vocal — input during club meetings and for taking on the car raffle sponsor solicitations again this year.
n Nancy Keetch was awarded the “Super Rotarian” recognition for her tireless work and invaluable projects that make the club one of the best.
And the “Rotarian of the Year” award was presented to Patrick Arrindell, Club Treasurer for the second year, for his awesome vision and implementation of streamlining the club billing system.
The Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis is one of 33,XXX clubs around the world, with over 1.2 million Rotarians, dedicated to their motto of “Service Above Self.” Rotary International takes on far-reaching projects such as eliminating polio in the world, ending hunger and furthering world peace. The local Rotary Club’s projects include awarding scholarships to LTHS students ($30,000 was awarded this past May; over $300,000 has been awarded since the club’s inception in 1992), setting up Rotary Interact service clubs in LTHS, middle schools and elementary schools to teach ethics and integrity, handing out English/Spanish dictionaries to all LTISD sixth-graders, repairing and distributing bicycles to needy local and Mexican children, working with Rotary clubs in Matamoras, Mexico, and Belize to provide clean water to their citizens. These are just some of the projects, both hands-on and financial, that are undertaken by the Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis.
The main fundraiser of the club is held every fall: the Mercedes Car Raffle (with a luxury trip to Germany to pick it up) is the means by which the Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis funds its many charitable projects. Tickets will be on sale beginning Labor Day and may be purchased from any Rotary club member.
The Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis meets every Thursday at from noon to 1:00 pm at the Lakeway Resort & Spa. For more information visit their website at www.laketravisrotary.org or contact the new Club President, Melinda Osburn, at 913-3174 or melo@austin.rr.com.