Rotary Club of Socorro
About Our Club
HISTORY
The Rotary Club of Socorro was organized on May 4, 1938, with sponsorship by the Belén and Mountainair clubs. The 23 original members represented a cross section of the community similar to that of the present membership.
The charter night was held on June 6, 1938. Participating in the occasion were Austin Lovett of the Belén club, Rotarian McWhirter of the Mountainair club, and Clinton P. Anderson, past president of Rotary International (1932-1933) and a long-time senator from New Mexico.
Rotary has grown remarkably around the world since our club was chartered. There were 4,335 clubs in 1938 in 87 countries; now there are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians in 334,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.
Socorro helped celebrate Rotary International’s Golden Anniversary (1905-1955) by reaching a membership high of 42. A special event that year was a “Rotary Ann” Box Supper at the American Legion Hall. The club bulletin, “The Rotary Rio Rambler,” was also initiated in 1955.
The Silver Anniversary of the Socorro Rotary Club was celebrated on April 29, 1963. Dr. Stewart Adler, a well-known Albuquerque physician and past District Governor, was the speaker. George Patchell, Socorro High School principal, was club president.
In 2002 we co-sponsored the new club in Elephant Butte. In the year 2007 we set a new high in membership with a total of 42 members on our rolls. In 2008 we sent two of our members to Guatemala to provide medical support and ambulances to a remote area of that country.
Socorro Rotarians can be especially proud of our club’s leadership in the International and Community Service areas. Thanks are due to our spouses and many Socorro citizens for their loyal support through the years on a variety of Rotary projects. Their actions illustrate one of the mottos of Rotary International, “Service Above Self.”
MEETINGS
Regular meetings are held each Wednesday at Bodega Burger & Lounge, starting promptly at 12 o’clock noon. Whenever a regular meeting date occurs on a holiday, the meeting for that week is cancelled. We do not meet at noon on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the Wednesday after Christmas nor the week of each of the four socials mentioned below. When a month has five Wednesdays, the fifth Wednesday is designated “Spouse Day” and the program should be of particular interest to spouses.
Our annual meeting, at which we elect new officers and directors for the up-coming Rotary year, is held during the second regular club meeting in December.
Two meetings a year are designated Ed Kase Day in memory of a former member. If we have 100% attendance (including make-ups) the last meeting of March and October, Ed’s family contributes 100 euros per meeting.
We are dedicated to having lively luncheon meetings that encourage fellowship and sharing of information about Rotary and the local community, and to providing service to worthy local and international projects. We expect all members to participate actively in leadership and volunteer roles and in the social activities sponsored by the club.
SOCIALS
We have at least four social events each year. The Wednesday nearest February 14th we have dinner with our spouses to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The last meeting in June is normally an evening party to officially install the new officers/directors who will be taking office on July 1st. Then in late August we hold our annual club picnic. Steaks are provided; members bring a covered dish. Our last meeting before Christmas is a party with our spouses.