Dave Duskin, Assistant District Governor and Club Historian spoke about the history of our club as our September 28 meeting.. 

Dave was prompted to do the presentation following the program by Larry O' Donnell on the Everett Club's history and in light of the fact that in 3 years we will be celebrating our golden anniversary.

Our club has been around for 47 years!  Everett was the first club in Snohomish County.  They have been a club for 100 years.  They sponsored a club in Marysville that was chartered in 1929.  In 1934, during the depression,  is was disbanded.  In 1970 the Marysville-North County Rotary Club was sponsored by Everett in hopes of re-establishing a club in the north part of the county.

                             Our Original Charter

To attract members from multiple communities, the organizational meetings which started on April 6, 1970, was held at the Turkey House Restaurant off the 1-5 exit at Island Crossing. There were 14 members from Marysville, 4 from Arlington, 1 from Stanwood, and 1 from Darrington. who were members when the charter was granted on June 20, 1970. 

Don Richards is the only surviving charter member.  Two other charter members of our club who attended the 40 anniversary celebration, John Mitchell and Bob Bibb, are now deceased.

John Mitchell (deceased) on Left and Don Richards on the Right

Gordon Shea was the first president.  He was a State Trooper from Lake Stevens who had been previously in Rotary.

                                    Lt. Gordon Shea is on the left, center unknown, Chet Williams charter member from Darrington on far right 

Although the club first started meeting at the Turkey House (now where Denny's is located), it moved soon thereafter across the street to what was then known as Bob and Ann's Woodcarver Cafe.  Charter member, Bob Williams, owned the restaurant, but at the time of the move Joe Weller was managing the restaurant to see if he was interested in buying the business.  He soon thereafter did buy the business and renamed it Weller's Chalet Restaurant.  The club met there until it closed in 2005.

      Early Ad Showing Joe Weller and Weller's Chalet

Robert “Bob” Bibb was a charter member.  He was a local attorney that was appointed to the Snohomish County Superior Court.

The first club bulletin noted the first speaker was Jeanette Pour.  Membership goal was to have 60 members.  Needed 35 new members to meet that goal.  The first board meeting approved that presidents of high schools would be honorary members of the club that would come to the meetings every week.  Don’t think that lasted long.  The first club project was for senior citizens of North County to serve both Arlington and Marysville.   This project eventually served what is now the Stillaguamish Senior Center. Rotarians helped put on the roof of the new facility in Smokey Point. 

We provided money and manpower to the Board of the Senior Center.  Dave Duskin has served on the Senior Center Board for 43 years.

The club raised money through fundraisers – Oktoberfest, horseracing betting, Christmas Lunch and Life Time Achievement Breakfasts were held to support the Center.

December 15, 1978 the club approved changing the name to North Snohomish County.

In 1984 our club sponsored the Rotary Club of Marysville.  The North Snohomish County club split and some Marysville members moved to the Marysville Club.  When we started the Marysville club they were presented with the bell the original club was presented with it first started. 

The Great Stilly Duck Dash Era began 27 years ago.  The first year there were troubles with the boom.  The ducks tried to escape!  The reason for starting the Duck Dash was to raise money to build a new Boys and Girls Club.  Members went to Canada to learn how to put on a Duck Dash.

Admitted women to the club in 1990.  Many members have held district leadership positions.

In 1992 we sponsored the Stanwood-Camano club.  Stanwood’s fundraiser is an Oktoberfest.  After Stanwood was formed we changed our name to the Rotary Club of Arlington (April 26, 2001). 

First Meeting--April 6, 1970;

Charter Issued (Rotary Club of Marysville-North County)--June 20, 1970;

First Board Meeting--July 13, 1970;

First Newsletter--July 16, 1970;

Club’s First Rotary Foundation Contribution—Paine Shangle--July 23, 2070 (Goal $250 for Year);

Move from Turkey House to Bob 'n Ann's Woodcarver Café—Lunch $2.00 (Weller's)--August 13, 1970;

Charter Night--September 11, 1970;

First Representation at a District Conference—District 504—Anchorage, Alaska June 5-8, 1971

Fundraising Event—Watermelon Stand Frontier Days—August 4-5, 1972

First Contributions for District International Projects—November 1972

Senior Center Roof Project – June 9, 1973

First Golf Tournament with Barbecue at Joe Weller’s—August 9, 1973

Joint Service Club Crab Feed to Raise funds for Sr. Center—March 2, 1974

First Rotary Exchange Student—August 1974..

Senior Center Trust Fund Created by the Club –May 11, 1977—Start of Sr. Center Endowment

Name Change to Rotary Club of North Snohomish County--December 15, 1978;

Founded Marysville Rotary--1984;

First Duck Dash--July 4, 1989;

First Lady Inducted--January 26, 1990;

Founded Stanwood Club--1992;

First Lady President--1998-99 (Marcia Smothers);

First Million $$ Duck--July 4, 1999;

Vote to Change Name to Rotary Club of Arlington--June 22, 2000;

Name Change Official--April 26, 2001;

Weller's Family Restaurant Closes... June 20, 2005;

June 23 meeting at Stillaguamish Sr. Center; Meeting locations until present include Hadley Hall (Boys & Girls Club), GlenEagle, Eagle Crest Restaurant, and starting March 2010 back to GlenEagle under new management. We moved to our current location, Arlington Free Methodist Church, July 1, 2014.

Visioning 2010

Incorporated the Arlington Rotary Foundation with 501 (C)(3) status –July 23, 2014 (to help respond to SR 530 slide near OSO—43 deaths and lots of destruction).