The first meeting of the Seward Rotary Club year featured a Fourth of July theme-honoring the Rotary Club’s Fourth of July Essay Winners and Royalty for the annual Fourth of July Celebration, along with Rotarian Roger Glawatz, the winner of this year’s Seward County Community Service Award. The club met for their weekly meeting at the Civic Center and featured a Nebraska Roast Beef luncheon.
The first meeting of the Seward Rotary Club year featured a Fourth of July theme-honoring the Rotary Club’s Fourth of July Essay Winners and Royalty for the annual Fourth of July Celebration, along with Rotarian Roger Glawatz, the winner of this year’s Seward County Community Service Award. The club met for their weekly meeting at the Civic Center and featured a Nebraska Roast Beef luncheon.
The new Seward Rotary President Brady Johnson conducted the meeting, which also featured a Zoom meeting for members unable to attend.
Clark Kolterman was Rotarian of the Month and served as the program chair. He reviewed the programs for the month of July. He also introduced and honored Ken Schmieding with the J. Don Miller Rotary Club Perfect Attendance Award for 2020, marking a total of 45 years of perfect attendance. President Brady Johnson presented Schmieding with the engraved plaque indicating the honor.
Kolterman introduced Rotarian Matt Dominy-Youth Rotarian Chair, who introduced the 2020 Fourth of July Royalty. Each student wrote an essay on “Why I like to live in Seward” and was introduced and read their essay to the Rotary Club membership.
First Runner-Up for Mr. Firecracker was Third Grader Darien Sugden who is the son of Dennis and Lacey Sugden. He attends Seward Elementary and his teacher was Suzanne Paseka. Mr. Firecracker was introduced as well, who is Michael Frisbie, a recent Second Grader at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Seward. He is the son Mary and Dan Frisbie and his teacher this year was Mrs. Marilyn Bohaty.
Miss Independence for 2020 is Carly Kolterman who was a Fourth Grader at St. Vincent de Paul and her parents are Dr. Lynn and Nathan Kolterman. Her teacher was Mrs. Jody Meister. First Runner-up for Miss Independence 202 is Jordyn Samuels, the daughter of Kari and Mark Samuels. She was recently a Fourth Grader at St. John Lutheran School in Seward.
After reading their essays, Dr. Matt Dominy presented each student with a pack of Fireworks, a crown and a special Seward Fourth of July Trophy. Their essays and photos are on the Seward Fourth of July website and in an article in the annual Seward Fourth of July Special Edition of the Seward County Independent. They will be honored on July 4, 2021 and attend the Governor’s reception and then ride in the annual Fourth of July parade in 2021!
The essays were judged by a panel of Seward Rotarians, with Phil Bangert serving as the project Chairman.
Also recognized was longtime public servant to the Community of Seward and Seward County-Roger Glawatz and his wife Sharon. He was selected the recipient of the annual Seward County Community Service Award and thanked for his three+ decades of service to Seward and Seward County, along with his volunteerism with his church-St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, Concordia University and the Seward Rotary Club, the Seward Chamber of Commerce and the Seward County Visitors Committee. He will be honored at the 2021 Governor’s Reception and ride in the Grand Parade on July 4, 2021! He was presented with an engraved plaque and has his name engraved in the major SCCS award plaque that hangs in the Civic Center.