Our theme this month is
Rotary Fellowship
Our meeting this week was replaced with our 50th Anniversary celebration dinner. We had a wonderful evening of camaraderie, remembrance, and celebration of our community impact during the first 50 years.
President Brian Hayes shared these comments:
On June 13, 1972, the Rotary Club of Centerville was officially chartered with $785 in the bank and 27 members who met on Thursdays at the restaurant across from Magsig Middle School. Shortly after the organizational meeting, the club meetings were moved to Antonio’s Restaurant (now Sweeney’s), and in 1995, meetings were moved here to Yankee Trace, where we continue to meet every Thursday at noon. One of the first service projects for the club was to provide food to needy families at Thanksgiving.
Over the last 50 years, our club has demonstrated a commitment to making the world a better place, through participation in local and international service projects, hosting of international students and business groups, providing educational scholarships to rising high school students, and donating considerable amounts to the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus.
Through all of our work, we have developed connections with local charities and governments, built lifelong friendships, and established the Centerville Rotary Club as an essential part of the success of the Centerville-Washington Township community.
Some of our Club’s history includes:
- Assisted with the needs of close to 100 organizations or projects (see list on inside of the program, although we’re sure we’ve missed some of the early projects.)
- Hosted 23 Exchange Students from 18 different countries, starting with our first exchange student Humberto in 1972 from Mexico, to our latest student Yok in 2020 from Thailand.
- Hosted Group Study Exchange business groups from Russia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, The Netherlands, Finland/Estonia, and Kenya, who came to the US to learn more about our business practices.
- Conducted International Service Trips to Peru, Honduras, and Brazil where Rotarians and Centerville High School students traveled during their spring break to complete needed projects.
- Traveled to Nigeria for a Rotary National Immunization Day to assist with administering polio vaccines to children in underserved areas.
- Since 1975, provided over $240,000 in educational scholarships to graduating seniors from Centerville and Alter High Schools
- Utilizing the talent and strength of our members, constructed the Gazebo at Benham’s Grove in 1996, Rotary Memorial Evergreen Forest at Grant Park in 2000, and Rotary Shelter at Oak Grove Park in 2007.
- Distributed over 21,200 dictionaries and thesauri to 3rd/5th graders to date.
- Provide 4,128 winter coats to children through the Operation Warm program, brought to our Club by Rotarian Ron Hollenbeck, a program that was started at his former club.
- Partnered with Rotary clubs in Districts 6670 and 6690 to bring a reliable source of clean drinking water to thousands of people in Haiti and Africa.
The Centerville Rotary Club has been a leader in District 6670 for many years.
- Five District Governors have come from our club, demonstrating the strength of leadership at the Centerville Club:
- Harvey Smith 1986-87
- Russ Brinkman 1992-93
- Sivaji Subramaniam 2005-06
- John Beals 2007-08
- Hans Berkel 2009-10
- Each year, several of our members serve as Assistant Governors, visiting 3-5 other clubs several times throughout the year as a liaison to the District Governor. If you are currently or have served as an Assistant Governor, please stand to be recognized.
- Our own Don Stewart serves as the District 6670 Treasurer. Thank you, Don!
- We help build the confidence of future leaders by sponsoring high school students in the annual 4-Way Speech Contest, and send 3-5 students annually to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards weekend retreat.
- Encouraged CHS Interact Club to participate in service projects with our members, while also financially supporting their efforts.
- Our club has been recognized by District 6670 many times as the leading club in fundraising per capita and also received the Presidential Citation, noting excellence in completing the District Governor’s goals for the year.
The Club has been successful in supporting the many needs of our local community and abroad thanks to the generosity of our members and the success of our major fundraising events, which not only raise money, but bring the community together for fun, good food, and camaraderie:
- Spaghetti Dinner was held at Antonio’s Restaurant through 2000 where we prepared 800 pounds of spaghetti and 250 gallons of spaghetti sauce each year!
- Pancake Breakfast has been held every year since 2001 (except 2020 & 2021 due to COVID), where we have served over 18,000 pancake meals and raised $335,081 in 19 years.
- Golf Outing is our newest fundraiser and we just finished our second outing, raising $23,112 in the first 2 years.
- Our Club has 67% Paul Harris Fellows, with 10 individuals being members of the Paul Harris Society, showing our support for the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus programs.
The Centerville Rotary Club will continue to make significant contributions to the well being of individuals in our local community and around the world. We look forward to seeing our 50th Anniversary project at Grant Park become a reality, and I thank each of you for your part in the success of our club.
50th Planning Committee - missing Dick Hoback, Kim Senft-Paras and Rebecca
Quiñones.
Paul Schultz from the Miamisburg Club was an advisor to our first President, Don Overly in the early years.
2022-23 Centerville Rotary Board, soon to take office!
Our first President, Don Overly shared stories.
President Brian Hayes
6670 District Governor, Carol Hughes
DG Hughes presented our club with a resolution from RI President, Shekar Mehta!
Charter member, Lee Hieronymus shared resolutions from Governor Mike DeWine and Senator Niraj Antani.
Past Presidents of the Centerville Rotary Club.
Past District Governors Sivaji Subramaniam and Harvey Smith with our current 6670 District Governor, Carol Hughes.
Our Club's actual 50th anniversary is MONDAY, JUNE 13. Please help us celebrate by posting a Rotary memory on Facebook/Instagram and include hashtag #centervillerotary50th
To view the 50th anniversary videos, visit the Centerville Rotary Club YouTube:
Celebrating 50 Years
Exchange Student Reflections
Charter Members Share Fellowship