PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS … Sitting left- Sandy Bowers, Amy Miller, Renee Isaac, Erin Perkins, Georgetta Kuhman, Hal Kenety, Cindy Reed, Daniel Tinch. Standing left- David Brown, Scott Bard, Damian Dorsten, Jenny Horn, Scott Benedict, David Perkins, Marie Campbell, Glen Newcomer, Kent Purk, Mike, Kurivial, Tom Reed, Rick Kuhman, Mike Johnson.
The Bryan Rotary Club observed its 85th anniversary and honored 21 individuals with Paul Harris Fellow Awards.
The club was sponsored by the Montpelier Rotary on March 20, 1941, and the charter ceremony took place at a banquet at the Bryan Masonic Temple on April 17, 1941.
With 44 members, the officers were Hugh Tolman, president; F.I. Bell, vice president; Lorin Hogue, secretary; and Earl Andres, treasurer.
The Bryan Rotary meeting date has always been Friday noon at various locations including the Hotel Elder, the Moose Lodge, Orchard Hills Country Club, and presently at Wesley United Methodist Fellowship Hall.
Rotary International was founded in Chicago by Paul Harris in 1905 in the spirit of friendship and understanding of the importance of service to the public.
The motto for Rotary is “Service Above Self.” A major project of Rotary International is focused on the worldwide eradication of polio.
The Bryan Rotary Club has been instrumental in many community projects. In 1944, Rotary started the first United Fund Drive. In 1945, a Youth Canteen meeting center was created for after-school activities. In 1948, Rotary presented an electric football scoreboard to the high school and started the patrol boys’ program.
In the early ‘50s, Rotary sponsored the very popular Hobby Show that drew hundreds of people. Under the leadership of Rotarian Grant Brown, the club organized the first Bryan Senior Citizens Club that continues today at the Bryan Senior Center.
Throughout the years, many community projects in which Rotary has taken an active role have placed particular emphasis on helping youth. Some of these projects include Bryan Parks and Recreation, Playgrounds, Little League, Bryan Public Library, Junior Achievement, Moore Park Swimming Pool, Roseland Park, lighting baseball fields, band uniforms and choir robes, Boy Scouts, American Field Service, and youth trips to Hillsdale and Cincinnati for International United Nations Conferences. In 1978, Rotary was a big supporter of the beautification program of the Courthouse with new lighting.
Rotary continued to serve and support the community with Bryan High School football press box, the Arts and Education Auditorium electronic sign and air conditioning, and the Williams County Humane Society facility.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International in 2005, the members of Bryan Rotary constructed the Rotary Pavilion at Garver Park.
For many years, the major fund raiser was the Bryan Rotary Auction started in 1979 at the Moose Lodge. It grew and was held at the Bryan City Schools bus garage and later moved to the MacDonald-Ruff Ice Arena.
Currently the Rotary fundraiser is “Casino Night and Auction,” May 2, 5 p.m., at the Bryan Eagles. There will be casino games, dinner, live and silent auctions with the primary beneficiary the Williams County Public Library Makerspace.
The Bryan Rotary Club is part of Rotary District 6600, which consists of 58 clubs and 2,800 members.
Three Bryan Rotarians have served as District Governors: the late Herbert Ames, David Perkins, and Diana Savage. The first two women members, Karen Gallagher and Christine Dietsch, were welcomed into the club in 1991.
Today the club has 71 members and meets at Wesley United Methodist Fellowship Hall every Friday noon for lunch, fellowship, and program.
The Paul Harris Fellow Award, named in honor of the founder of Rotary, is given to individuals who have served and contributed to the humanitarian and educational foundations of Rotary International.
Twenty-one individuals were honored for their exceptional service to Rotary. They were Sandy Bowers, Amy Miller, Renee Isaac, Erin Perkins, Georgetta Kuhman, Hal Kenety, Cindy Reed, Daniel Tinch, David Brown, Scott Bard, Damian Dorsten, Jenny Horn, Scott Benedict, David Perkins, Marie Campbell, Glen Newcomer, Kent Purk, Mike Kurivial, Tom Reed, Rick Kuhman and Mike Johnson.