Rotary Club of Pecatonica Inducts 2016-17 President

Rick Smith, from Lake Summerset, was inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Pecatonica at the first club meeting in July, by Past President, Shari Hamilton, Director of the Library of Pecatonica.

The Rotary Club of Pecatonica, chartered on April 21, 1954, also includes the areas of Winnebago, Durand, Dakota, Davis, and Lake Summerset. It is one of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs, comprising some 1,235,000 business and professional men and women, in more than 200 countries around the world. The first of several service organizations, Rotary focuses its activities according to five “avenues of service.” Each club can decide what kinds of service activities it wishes to provide to its own community and area and to other communities around the world. Listed below are some of the activities of the Rotary Club of Pecatonica.

Club Service: Membership growth and retention; planning and implementing programs in the areas of community, international and youth services.

Vocational Service: Contribute expertise and experience to one’s community and to the needs of society, and adhere to the Rotarian Code of Conduct.

Community Service: Eagle Scout Project – $350 for a Library sign; Pinewood Derby for Boy Scouts; Cigarette Urns (downtown ($400); Benches for downtown (with the Lions Club); Ice cream Social in the Park (with the Women’s Club; Go-Fly-a-Kite for youth.

International Service: Educational-Community Building constructed in Lesotho, South Africa, (Pecatonica Rotary led a financial contribution drive among area Rotary Clubs to raise $10,000 for building materials to construct the building in an impoverished village, as well as educational materials; Micro-business project for impoverished women in Northeast India to design, weave, and sell women’s clothing internationally, a project coordinated by the area’s Rotary District and Rotary International (known locally as the “Hannah Warren Project,” because the project was spearheaded by Hannah Warren from Loves Park; Kids Alive—to support an orphan in Myanmar (Burma); Shelter Box program—a survival box (costing $1,000 each) for disaster areas, including a tent and supplies to support a family of four for two weeks—Pec Rotary supplied one box to Egypt during a flood, and one box to Japan because of the earthquake/tsunami; a water project in Peru ($400); construction of a sawmill in Peru ($150); support for Rotary Foundation Scholarships; support for the Global Eradication of Polio, which began in 1984 and which is close to its final success—eradication of polio probably will cost $1.5 billion, even after the last polio case is eradicated, to ensure that polio is finally ridden from the world. Millions of children will need to be vaccinated for some time to ensure that the dread disease is truly eradicated

Youth Service: College Scholarships for graduating high school seniors (usually three $500 scholarships per year); district leadership camp scholarship ($300); Literacy Reading Recovery program for elementary school children; other Literacy programs; Youth Exchange, an international program long supported by the Pecatonica club.

Earlier projects of the Rotary Club of Pecatonica include: street signs; Christmas decorations (downtown); support for Sumner Park; first scoreboard for the high school; support for lights in the ball field; donated $1,500 for ambulance equipment; Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party; Farmers’ night; wheel chairs; Memorial Day Parade (which continues annually); and other projects needing volunteers.

The Rotary Club of Pecatonica meets every Wednesday at noon at the Stonewall Café.

Persons interested in Rotary may wish to call one of the following for additional information: President Rick Smith (815-222-3785) or Secretary George Anderson (815-239-1613).

(COURTESY PHOTO) Past President of the Rotary Club of Pecatonica Shari Hamilton (R) inducted Rick Smith (L) as President of the Club at the club’s first meeting in July.