In exactly 59 days, the Faribault Rotary Club will celebrate its 100-year anniversary on May 1, 2020. This week’s historical highlight is from 2006.
Our club’s 85th president in 2005-06 was Gary Peterson.
Gary’s memories from the year he was president started on a sad note with the unexpected and sudden death of incoming President Keith Shaffer in March 2005. He was one of the most respected and productive members of our club. He was missed greatly by everyone. As President-elect to follow Keith, I then became president a year earlier than anticipated.
Through the Rotary year we celebrated the Strive and Honors banquets recognizing the achievements of local students, the annual picnic at the Rotary Youth Camp, the 67th annual Christmas concert at St. Luke’s Church with the Faribault Senior High Choir, and all of the club’s ongoing activities.
The Club started the Rotary Readers program with the assistance of the first, second and third grade teachers at Jefferson Elementary School. Rotarians volunteered on a weekly basis to meet and read with students selected by the teachers in a one on one setting. Teachers reported positive results in student confidence and reading skills. Participating Rotarians contributed many hours of their time in this volunteer activity.
In addition, Rotarian Pastor Mark Noreen organized, and Capstone Press in Mankato provided, a gift of over 1,000 new library books organized and distributed by our Faribault Rotary members to the Faribault public elementary school libraries.