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.”