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Rotary Club of Emporia 100th Anniversary
Our Rotary Club celebrated our 100th anniversary in high style with a celebration in Emporia State University's Memorial Ballroom. Teresa Maley lead the planning for this event. She did very well. 60-year Rotary Club member Jack Atherton was recognized. District Governor Chris Ford recognized our Rotary Club's anniversary, and Rotary International President John Germ capped off the evening with a tribute to our club's 100 years in existence.
 
Gary Ace Introducing a Mystery Speaker at This Week's Program
Rotarian Gary Ace will be introducing his mystery speaker at this week's Rotary Club meeting.
Teresa Maley Interviewed on KVOE
Teresa Maley was interviewed on KVOE about our Rotary Club's 100th anniversary. Click on the [KVOE hyperlink] to hear the recording of her interview.
Rotary Club 100th Anniversary Featured in Emporia Gazette

The following is an article in the Emporia Gazette:

The Rotary Club of Emporia celebrated its 100-year centennial Wednesday evening in the Colonial Ballroom at Emporia State University.

Club 1613 - District 5710 members welcomed Rotary International President John Germ and his wife, Judy, to the celebration as they celebrated, “Service Above Self.”

Former Emporia President Teresa Maley said the celebration was two years in the making.

“I am so full of emotions,” she said. “I’ve been working on this event for the past two years. Being a part of 100 years of Rotary is amazing. I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of it. I’m so happy we had such a wonderful turnout and that everything went so well. I have learned so much about our Emporia club and its amazing history. I know I can truly say I am proud to be a Rotarian.”

The Emporia Rotary Club was sponsored by the Topeka Rotary Club on June 1, 1917.

Maley said it was an honor to have the international president in attendance for the festivities.

“I had never met John Germ before this afternoon,” she said. “I am so impressed with him. He’s an amazing man and person who has seen so much and has done so much.”

Germ, who currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a board chair and chief executive officer of Campbell Associates, Inc. He joined Rotary in 1976 and has served Rotary in numerous positions. He and Judy are benefactors and members of the Arch Klumph Society of Rotary Foundation.

He gave a speech detailing his year as president, traveling to 42 different countries, meeting new people and seeing firsthand the work Rotary organizations do throughout the world to eradicate polio.

Germ said he’s been a part of two 100-year anniversaries, first in 2004 - 05 when he was vice president and now as president.

“As we celebrate 100 years of Rotary, it tells me that we are a growing organization,” he said. “People around the world are seeing the needs within their communities; they are willing to see how they can solve those needs and go to work to solve them. We’ve had fantastic [anniversaries], and we’re feeling good all around the world. It really does my heart good to see something that started with $26.50, that now has an endowment of over one billion U.S. dollars. We are distributing over $150 million a year in grants around the world, so it’s a wonderful feeling.”

Germ said the need is still there for new generation Rotary members.

“I think we need to get our existing Rotarians to ask the younger generation to become Rotarians,” he said. “The only way to become a Rotarian is if someone asks you. I think the younger generation does want to become involved in their communities. They want people’s lives to be better.”

Germ said Rotary members have seen the need to be more flexible in how they structure their meetings.

“For example, today we chartered a club — they are getting their charter — that’s called the Ambassador’s Club,” he said. “It’s made up of people mainly under 40; they are a 20-member club and meet twice a month. There are no mandatory meetings each week. Rotary has now changed it bylaws. As long as members meet twice a month — you can do one a month meeting in person and one a month meeting on the internet.

“Time is much more precious today. Technology is greater so we don’t have as much free time. Married couples both work now and they never used to do that. We need to become more flexible and adaptable and give them the opportunity. We need to make it a more family-friendly organization.”

During the celebration, District Governor Chris Ford honored John G. “Jack” Atherton, who served as president from 1964 - 1965, as a 60-year member.

“Jack has been a trusted member of the club who always has valuable and interesting information for the club and about the club,” Ford said. “I would like to honor Jack for being a loyal and valuable member of Rotary.”

Stuart Symmonds, president for 2017-18, introduced past presidents during the ceremony.

“The Emporia club has a rich history of ;Service Above Self,' and in 100 years, we had many wonderful leaders,” he said.

Four other clubs in district 5710 celebrated 100-year anniversaries this year in addition to Emporia, including Lawrence, Manhattan and Junction City.

Community service is one of the major interests of the club. The Emporia club has performed projects benefitting Boy and Girl Scouts, Camp Wood, handicapped children, Hammond Park, third-graders in Emporia and ESU and Flint Hills Technical College students, to name a few.

From 1996 - 2016, $358,563.45 has been donated by Emporia members, which is equivalent to $17,928.17 per year and $$239.04 per member.

At the end of the celebration, Maley presented Germ with a $1,000 donation check to further the organization’s cause to end polio.

“I want to thank Emporia Rotarians,” Germ said. “I encourage Emporia Rotarians to continue our mission. The Rotarians of June 1, 1917 had a vision, and that vision still continues today.”

Trudy Hutchinson - Hetlinger Developmental Services
Trudy Hutchinson of Hetlinger Developmental Services provided our Rotary Club a rundown of the services that they provide to people who have developmental disabilities. They provide direct services to 70 people in our four-county area including an enrichment program and employment services helping people find work within their abilities in the community. Their funding comes from Medicaid. There are reportedly 85 additional individuals with developmental disabilities in our four-county area who are waiting for funding for Hetlinger to serve them. Some of these individuals have been waiting for eight to ten years. Hetlinger created a 501(c)3 foundation in 2002 to accept donations that are used to defray operating expenses.
 
Hetlinger also operates a workshop employing those with developmental disabilities that provides subcontract work to local companies, such as Thermal Ceramics, Hopkins Manufacturing, Simmons Pet Food, and Hill's Pet Food. We thank Trudy and her staff for serving our local citizens in this worthy endeavor. For additional information, Hetlinger's website is www.hetlinger.org.
 
 
Tom and Pat Mais - Guatemala Mission Trip
Tom and Pat Mais presented highlights of their medical mission trip to Guatemala. The group spent several days ministering to the medical needs of the indigenous Mayan t two medical clinics serving people living in the Jan Juan and Pablo areas around Lake Atitlan. The people here live in poverty and depend heavily on medical mission trips such as this for their medical care. The two clinics where they worked cares for the medical needs of 9,500 people per year. Our Rotary Club in the past donated funds for two transducers to enable two medical clinics to use two ultra sound machines. Among the people who accompanied Tom and Pat on this trip were other Rotarians from our Rotary Club, Ken Wright and Greg Bachman.
New Flowers at the Clock Tower
Marshall Miller and Duane Henrikson planted new flowers at the clock tower on the corner of 12th & Merchant Streets. This a great Rotary project because it presents a great image for visitors to Emporia, and makes a very pleasant environment where we work and live. Our Rotary Club also maintains the plantings in front of the Kress Center on Commercial Street.
New Emporia Rotary Membership Incentive
Last fall, District Governor Chris Ford challenged all Rotary clubs to increase membership by 20%, or 14 new members for our club. The first step in getting new members is to ask a person who may be interested in joining to come to a meeting. To encourage this very thing, we are offering some incentives. 
 
When a Rotarian brings a potential member for the first time, the Rotarian will receive $5 in Chamber Bucks. When that new member is inducted, the sponsoring Rotarian will receive $20 in Chamber Bucks.
 
The incentive runs January through June, 2017.
Speakers
Jun 06, 2017
Come find out the surprise
Jun 13, 2017
Handlebars for Hope
Jun 20, 2017
Kansas Commissioner of Education
Jun 27, 2017
Induction of new officers and Welcome to the club
Jul 11, 2017
Catch and Release Fishing Contest
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Rotary Club Annual Board Planning Meeting
Emporia Country Club East Room (SE corner)
May 24, 2017
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of Emporia 100-Year Celebration
Emporia State University Colonial Ballroom
May 31, 2017 6:00 PM
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Shane Shivley
June 13
 
John Patton
June 17
 
Jim Williams
June 19
 
Robin Newell
June 19
 
Jim Lowther
June 20
 
Dean Hollenbeck
June 26
 
Spouse Birthdays
Kim Simons
June 7
 
Sandra Helbert
June 9
 
John Mast
June 15
 
Gwen Longbine
June 20
 
Anniversaries
Michelle Malone
Dustin Malone
June 3
 
Duane Henrikson
Jerilynn Henrikson
June 5
 
Andy Koenigs
Val Koenigs
June 6
 
Don Hill
Robbie Hill
June 7
 
Ken Weaver
Kathy Weaver
June 8
 
Bill Barnes
Abigail Barnes
June 12
 
Kent Schnakenberg
Natalie Schnakenberg
June 21
 
Phillip Davis
Tiffany Davis
June 21
 
Jim Williams
Helen Williams
June 27
 
Steve Sauder
Bobbi Sauder
June 30
 
Join Date
Greg Seibel
June 1, 1985
32 years
 
Karen Belford
June 5, 2012
5 years
 
Paul Dean
June 9, 2015
2 years
 
Shirley Antes
June 10, 2014
3 years
 
Lisa Kirmer
June 17, 2014
3 years
 
Kent Schnakenberg
June 21, 2016
1 year
 
Peggy Mast
June 21, 2016
1 year
 
Dan Robertson
June 30, 2000
17 years
 
Download FIles
Rotary Club Membership Proposal
2014 Club Membership Drive Teams
Program Dates 2014-2015
2015 India Polio Immunization Trip
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
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