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Rotary Club of Waterloo

Monday, June 22, 2015

Centennial CelebrationJUNE 25, 2015

5:30 p.m. social hour

6:30 p.m. dinner

7:15 p.m. featured speaker, Thomas Winninger

A view of Rotary

Reserve, site for club

events, as well as public

and private gatherings.

100 years

THE COURIER www.wcfcourier.com MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015 ROTARY

CJ HINES

[email protected]

The Rotary Club of Waterloo has a lot to celebrate.

One hundred years ago, on July 1, 1915, the club received its charter from Rotary Interna-tional.

Of course, there will be a Cen-tennial Celebration, with a dinner at the Elks Club and program fea-turing former Waterloo resident

T h o m a s W i n -n i n g e r . O t h e r s p e c i a l guests will be director of Rotary

International, Mary Beth Growney Selene, as well as sev-eral current and previous district leaders.

But the club will also do what it is known for: “Service Above Self” with a 100th anniversary service project, benefiting Hart-man Reserve Nature Center, a 340-acre wooded area in Cedar Falls.

“We will be working with Hartman Reserve on its project to remodel the lodge. We have postponed this for a year until fundraising is completed,” said Dave Buck, former Rotary presi-dent. “Hopefully, next spring we will be moving plants out of the way and working on building the deck. Our goal is more ‘sweat equity’ rather than fundraising.”

No one is still alive to attest to it, but it was perhaps Waterloo’s population growth in 1915 that propelled 10 men from diverse backgrounds to form the club.

In 1885, Waterloo’s popula-tion was almost 8,500 people; 20 years later in 1915, it quadrupled to almost 34,000. This growth brought manufacturing —The Waterloo Gasoline Engine Com-pany (prior to being sold to Deere & Co.) for one, well as rail trans-

portation and wholesale opera-tions.

Those charter members were: Fred Northey, the club’s first president, Northey Manufactur-ing Co.; Almon Gates, Waterloo Business College; John W. Rath, Rath Packing Co.; W.J. Pedi-cord, Union Manufacturing Co.; Charles Simmons, Stewart Sim-mons Press; George Huntley, Cutler Hardware; Ralph Hoxie, Waterloo Fruit and Commercial; Dr. Fred Powers; George Lichty, Smith, Hillman and Lichty; and Clinton Holden, East Waterloo Hotel.

Buck provided background of some of the men:

“John Rath, along with his cousin, Edward, established the Rath Packing Co. George Lichty, whose first job was deliver-ing mail by horseback in the Allegheny Mountains, entered the wholesale grocery business in Waterloo and was president of the National Wholesale Grocers Association in 1912.” said Buck. “At the time of Fred Adams’ death, he had been a member for 72 years. Fred Northey was

involved in the purchase of the Rotary Reserve.”

Before 1915 ended, more than 50 men became members of the Rotary Club.

According to the Historical Review of the Waterloo Rotary Club: “What has been accom-plished has not been because of the action of any one man or a small group of men. The spirit of Rotary, which has been the development of acquaintance and an opportunity for service, has played an important role in the process and development of Waterloo-Cedar Falls and Black Hawk County.”

Now 100 years later, Rotary is the second largest club in the district and fourth oldest in Iowa, and has been instrumen-tal in starting clubs in Ackley, Cedar Falls, Waterloo Crossroads, Grundy Center, Independence, Manchester, Oelwein, Sumner and Waverly. Eight members have served as district governors: Fred Northey, Bruce Gates, D.D. Bernbrock, Joe Sage, Paul Barger, Ed Wilson, Dave Buck and Steve Thorpe.

“In the past 100 years, the big-gest impact has been that Rotary brings together a diverse group of community leaders who have

worked together to provide ser-vice to the community in a vari-ety of ways, whether it’s schol-arships, charitable projects or community betterment projects; first to this community and then

‘Service Above Self ’Waterloo Rotary Club launches 100th anniversary service project

Join the Centennial Celebration

The Waterloo Rotary Club will celebrate its 100th anniversary June 25

with a centennial dinner at the Elks Club, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with so-

cial hour, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Former Waterloo resident Thomas Winninger will speak

at 7:15 p.m. on his book, “Landing Up! Where Do We Go

From Here? Sustaining the Legacy of Growth.” Winninger

founded Winninger Resources Companies Inc., a Minneap-

olis-based group, providing products, services and technolo-

gies that drive market leadership.

He is author of “Price Wars,” “Full Price, “Sell Easy,” and

his latest book, “Bullseye: Thinking Smart!”

Other special guests include Mary Beth Growney Selene from Madison,

Wis., director of Rotary International, and several current and previous

district leaders.

See ROTARY, page 4

Thomas

Winninger

“Although Rotary’s motto

is ‘Service Above Self,’ it

could also be ‘Building

Community through

Action.’ Most people

know of our fi ght to end

polio, or developing

Chinandega, Nicaragua,

after the devastation of

Hurricane Mitch.”

Beth McCrindle, Rotarian and former West High teacher

722 Water Street, Waterloo, IA • 319.232.3701www.schmitthouse.com

Congratulationson 100 Years in the Cedar Valley!

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015 www.wcfcourier.com THE COURIER PAGE 3ROTARY

There are nearly 150 active members in the Rotary Club of Waterloo, and about 80 members meet at noon Mondays for lunch and a program.

The regular agenda includes a patriotic song, pledge of alle-giance, invocation, welcoming guests and visiting Rotarians, announcements of news and upcoming events, and a featured speaker on a different topic of local relevance.

The Rotary Club also sponsors a variety of philanthropic proj-ects, including the Shoebox Proj-ect, worldwide polio inoculations and Operation Warm. In previous years, the club has hosted events such as the 2009 concert by famed violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Anyone interested in member-ship may contact club secretary Kelli McCarthy at 234-1440 or visit www.waterloorotary.org.

Rotary Club of Waterloo membership

COURTESY PHOTO By WALDEN PHOTO

Members of the Rotary Club of Waterloo.

BECAUSE OF GREAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ROTARY CLUB OF WATERLOO.

The Waterloo Convention & Visitors Bureau would like to congratulate

and thank you for 100 years of service to our community.

For more reasons to dig Waterloo, visit TravelWaterloo.com.

#IDIGWATERLOO

(800) 728-8431


Waterloo Rotary

Club Oficers for 2015-2016

Chris Hurley,

president

Lauren Finke,

president-elect

Harrison Cass,

immediate past

president

Bill Roberts,

sergeant-at-arms

Julie Hayes, treasurer

Directors elected for

second year (elected

last year):

Gail Callahan, Wade

Itzen, Phil Nash and

Laura Stammler.

Directors elected to

serve two years:

Dave Buck, Marcella

Ericson, Randy

Johnson, Jennifer

Lightbody, Katelyn

Pedersen.

The Waterloo Rotary

Club meets at noon

each Monday at the

Five Sullivan

Brothers Convention

Center. For member-

ship information,

contact contact Kelli

McCarthy at (319)

234-1440 or email wa-

terloorotary@water-

loorotary.com. Anyone

interested may also

download a

membership

application at www.

waterloorotary.org

to the international community. It’s been a method of bringing together leaders, and over the years to better this community and the world beyond,” said Har-rison Cass, current president.

Notable milestones have included purchasing land to construct the Rotary Reserve in 1923; the project to eradicate polio throughout the world, the Shoebox project in Nicaragua to benefit needy children, admit-ting women in 1990 and the international youth exchange.

“Although Rotary’s motto is ‘Service Above Self,’ it could also be ‘Building Community through Action.’ Most people know of our fight to end polio, or developing Chinandega, Nicaragua, after the devastation of Hurricane Mitch,” said Beth McCrindle, Rotarian and former West High teacher.

“But ‘global community’ includes the homefront as well. I used to have a poster in my classroom that said ‘Working together Works!’ That’s Rotary. We work with the Boys and Girls Club, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, with sports programs for youth and with community

festivals like My Waterloo Days Where there’s a need, you will find Rotarians in action,” she said.

“That is what builds a true sense of community; we’re all in this together.”

According to Rotary Inter-national, Rotary’s objective is to encourage and foster service and the develop acquaintance as an opportunity to service; high ethical standards in business and professions; application of service in each Rotarians’ per-sonal, business and community life; and advancement of inter-national understanding, good-will and peace through a world fellowship of business and pro-fession people.

“The impact has come from member’s ideas and concerns as to what we could accomplish in our community and around the world by joining hands and

minds to make a difference in the lives of those who need a hand-

up,” said former president Steve Thorpe.

ROTARY From page 2

“In the past 100 years, the biggest impact has been that Rotary brings together

a diverse group of community leaders who have worked together to provide

service to the community in a variety of ways, whether it’s scholarships,

charitable projects or community betterment projects; first to this community

and then to the international community.”

Harrison Cass, current president

100®

NewAldaya Lifescapes •www.NewAldaya.org

7511 University Ave, Cedar Falls, IA • 319-268-0401

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ns!

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Waterloo SchoolsEducating OurCommunitySince 1858


CJ HINES

[email protected]

There is a saying, if you want something done, ask a busy person.

J’ Kalein Madison knows how to get things done. While a stu-dent at West High School, he participated in the Northeast Iowa Food Bank’s annual stu-dent food drive, belonged to the Choral Reading Group and West High Choir and was a conduct-ing fellow under the tutelage of Jason Weinberger, the wcfsym-phony’s artistic director and chief executive officer.

He also participated in the-ater, orchestra and Spanish Club and served on the Student Council, both as president and treasurer.

Now a freshman at the Uni-versity of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Madison also coor-dinated the mini-dance mara-thon for three years, raising more money than all other high schools in the area.

“ We h e l d a m i n i - d a n ce marathon in conjunction with UNI’s dance marathon, starting my sophomore year. Every year we had it, I was the student adviser and head of planning the entire event. After three years or running the event, West High raised over $10,000 to be donated to the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospi-tal,” said Madison, among the honorees at last year’s Rotary Club’s Service Above Self Awards.

For years, the Rotary Club felt high school students deserved recognition for such projects, honoring them with Student of the Month Awards. However, they discontinued the award program because of transpor-tation issues.

“For the students’ safety, we had two students with two adults. The vast majority of club members are employed so it was difficult, almost impos-sible, to get the two adults to accompany the students. It was a major problem. We knew there had to be a way to recognize our

students,” said Beth McCrindle, Rotary Club member.

“We tried to think of other recognition programs that met with success. Bruce Strom

from Maple Lanes did the Turn-around Awards with students, talking about how their lives had changed. It was a good pro-gram, and people loved that the

students spoke about someone who made a difference in their lives.”

McCrindle approached fel-low board members about

having one annual banquet to recognize students. In 2012, the club initiated the Service Above Self Awards. Eligible students are seniors from West, East, Columbus, Expo and Water-loo Christian in Waterloo and Valley Lutheran in Cedar Falls. Each school can select up to five students.

“It’s our way to say ‘thank you’ and hear what students are doing. We give each student a one-minute time limit to talk. We’ve had some great stories. Students have done some won-derful, selfless actions.

“When we give the kids a chance to verbalize why they’re doing what they’ve done, it gives the audience a chance to think, ‘This is a huge deal.’ While some of the activities or projects may seem small, they can lead to bigger things and do make an impact,” McCrindle said.

Award qualifications include maturity with interaction with family, peers and community; selflessness; taking initiative; humility; assumption of per-sonal responsibility and servant leadership.

Student projects earn club’s prestigious service awards

COURIER FILE PHOTO

J’Kalein Madison

Kevin McCrindle (member, President 2000-01)John W. Harris

Henry Edsill (member)Eric Miller, of counsel (past member)

LAWOFFICES OF

C. KEVIN MCCRINDLE

Serving the

Cedar Valley

and supporting

Rotary

since 1975

319-234-0535

www.McCrindlelaw.com

The Grout Museum District would like to

THANKthe Waterloo Downtown Rotary

for supporting and sponsoring the

Welcome Home Parade,

honoring Vietnam Era Veterans on

July 17 at 6 PM, downtown Waterloo.

www.GroutMuseumDistrict.org

Parade & 365 & Counting: Iowans in the Vietnam War Exhibit details available on our website.


CJ HINES

[email protected]

This piece of property has been part of the Rotary Club since 1915, when the club was founded. Area Cadillac dealer and Rotarian C.A. Morris owned land where the Cedar and Shell Rock rivers converged. He frequently invited Rotarians to picnics and outdoor meetings.

Morris decided to find land for the club to own and use as a meet-ing place. In 1922, the Rotary Club purchased 33 acres on the Cedar River. In 1927, members built a lodge, cookhouse and bingo, mostly with donated materials and labor.

Since then the club has hosted regular meetings and district-wide events, as well as numerous family picnics and fish and steak fries. In 1989, club members nego-tiated a lease with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board and Family YMCA for improvements and public access to the Reserve. The Reserve’s use increased sig-nificantly after that, hosting wed-ding receptions, anniversary par-ties and business retreats, as well as other community events.

To celebrate the club’s 75th anniversary in 1990, it initiated a campaign to raise $75,000 to con-struct a new, all-season facility at the Reserve. Construction began in 1991. John Beecher, Rotary pres-ident at the time, presided over the dedication ceremony in 1992. By 1994, the All-Seasons Activity Center was completed.

“That was a busy project. Larry Wie was president when it started.

The Conservsation Board did all the labor, and the Rotary Club furnished the materials. The bingo stand and cookhouse have been torn down. Before then the cook-stoves had old plumbing pipes, and we had a number of grease fires. It needed updating,” recalled Beecher.

The renovated facility included a 3,600-square foot multipur-pose room with a seating capac-ity of 300, including an expanded kitchen with banquet style and round tables, changing rooms, fireplace and 15-feet high win-

Scenic Rotary Reserve is popular for club events, wedding receptions

See RESERVE, page 7

“The bingo stand and cookhouse have been torn down. Before then the

cookstoves had old plumbing pipes, and we had a number of grease fires. It

needed updating.” John Beecher, former Rotary president

Outdoor grills are just one feature at Rotary Reserve.

Photos by COURTNEY COLLINS / Courier Staff Photographer

The deck and gazebo are often used for wedding photography and receptions.

DOWNTOWNWATERLOOROTARY CLUB FOR

OF SERVICE TO OUR

COMMUNITY!

100 YEARS

915 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls, IA 50613(319) 277-2003

100YEARSTOTHE

ROTARY CLUB

OFWATERLOO!HAPPY

DR. LAURAEDWARDS-KURTZ

220 W. Ridgeway, Suite 201, Waterloo, IA

(319) 232-9023

Accepting new patients!


Photos by COURTNEY COLLINS/Courier Staff Photographer

Views of Rotary Reserve.

dows, providing a view of the Cedar River. A two-level deck, gazebo and pavilion were com-pleted in 1999.

The pavilion includes barbecue grills, serving/prep counter and sink. Rental includes use of the surrounding grounds and 100-car parking lot.

The Conservation Board main-tains the property, and annual club events still take place here.

“The most important would be our family picnic, our steak fry and pork chop dinner, all prepared by Rotary members, many who have been cooking for years,” Beecher said.

The Rotary Reserve is located on the west side of the Cedar River, northwest of Cedar Falls. The entrance is opposite the corner of Mark and North Union roads.To view the facility, call (319) 433-7275.

RESERVE From page 6

“The most important

would be our family

picnic, our steak fry and

pork chop dinner, all

prepared by Rotary

members, many who

have been cooking for

years.”

John Beecher, who was Rotary president when a

successful campaign raised funds

to build the new facility, dedicated in

1994.

Partners in CommunityLeadership

Forev

er.

o

Forgo

d.

FOUNDATION

COMMUNITY

of Northeast IowaEstablished in Waterloo/Cedar Falls in 1956

Congratulations Rotary

Club of Waterloo on 100

years of service. We are

honored to be your partner

in creating a stronger Cedar

Valley, and in helping you

carry out and manage your

philanthropic initiatives for

our community.

319.287.9106 www.cfneia.org

invisionarch.com

StartingourSecondCenturies

Rotary Club designedby INVISION in 1991.

Proud RotaryMember forover 50 Years I

NVISI

N

1O1

1914–2015


CJ HINES

[email protected]

Operation Warm started in 1998 as a service project of the Rotary Club of Longwood in Kennett Square, Pa., when one member bought and distributed 58 coats for children in a nearby school. The organization incor-porated in 2002 to provide new coats to impoverished children.

Since then, the foundation has distributed coats to children in 49 states and the District of Columbia and has provided nearly 1.7 million coats. The foundation works with com-munity-based organizations, including more than 160 Rotary Clubs.

Rotarian Steve Thorpe and his wife, Liz, first learned about Operation Warm when attending a 2010 Minnesota Rotary meet-ing. They brought the idea back to the Waterloo club.

“When a new idea is presented for a project for the club, the board of directors discusses whether to be involved, then it goes to the club for a vote,” Steve said.

In its first year, the club raised enough money to purchase 300 coats. In 2012, it provided 700 coats; in 2013, 1,000 coats and last year 850 coats. The Rotary Club also received support from The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, the McElroy Trust and the Rotary Founda-tion.

“The student receiving the coats are picked by the family support worker or school admin-istrator as a child of need. There are 24 colors and designs for both boys and girls. It doesn’t make the recipients stand out as ‘one of those kids’ who got a new winter coat,” said Steve. “Our members have been supportive financially and in helping us measure and fits students for the coats.”

Anyone interested in partici-pating in Operation Warm may call Steve or Liz Thorpe at (319)

Operation Warm among numerous local Rotary Club service projects

Steve Thorpe helps a Waterloo grade school student try on a warm winter coat, one of hundreds the club distributes every fall.

COURIER FILE PHOTO

Courier earns Rotary awardCourier publisher David Braton, and editor Nancy Newhoff, at front, were honored in March with the Waterloo Downtown Rotary Club’s Service Above Self award for their work on the Cedar Valley Business Monthly’s 20 under 40 and Eight over 80 awards. Rotary’s highest honor recognizes up to Rotarians each year who demon-strate their commitment to helping others through their time and talents. With them are Mason Fromm, center, and Bryan Burton, both members of Rotary.

See WARM, page 9

ROTARY CLUBOF WATERLOO!

ROTARIAN WOMEN

IN PUBLIC SERVICE

HOLLY JOHNSONHawkeye Community College Foundation Director

LINDA LAYLINBlack Hawk County Supervisor

CATHERINE NICHOLASBlack Hawk County Engineer

MICHELLE WEIDNERCity of Waterloo Chief Financial Oficer

ANNIVERSARYHAPPY 100TH

Wheaton

Franciscan

Healthcare

ProudSupporterof the

Waterloo Rotary


Waterloo Rotary Club annually recognizes senior honor students of the Waterloo high schools and their principals.

Through this recognition, the Waterloo Rotary Club congratu-lates its outstanding students and schools for their accom-

plishments, commitment to excellence, and dedication to developing leaders of the future.

Senior honor students receive Rotary academic awards

COURTESY PHOTOS

Rotary Club’s 2015 All City Academic Awards Luncheon

235-3352 or (319)984-9139.Other service projects include

volleyball and football lun-cheons honoring senior players from West, East and Columbus schools in Waterloo, Don Bosco in Gilbertville and Cedar Falls’ Valley Lutheran.

“The school gets a traveling trophy with the players name on it and the Metro MVP gets a plaque. All MVPs gets a certifi-cate,” said Kelli McCarthy, exec-utive administrator. Top students in academics from each high school are also recognized annu-ally with an honor luncheon.

The Rotary Club also sponsors three $1,000 scholarships to the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and Allen College of Nursing in Waterloo. Also, the Salvation Army receives funds each year from the club’s annual Christmas fundraiser.

“At our holiday luncheon, we have people from the Salvation Army stand at the door with the kettle as our members and guests arrive. We also take collections for about two weeks after the holiday luncheon. Every year it is a differ-ent amount, but has been between $10,000 and $12,000 for the past

several years,” said McCarthy.Another major fundraiser is

Hops & Grapes, with proceeds split between two local non-profit organizations. Proceeds have benefited the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, ASPIRE Thera-peutic Riding Program, the Boys & Girls Club of the Cedar Valley and the Boy Scouts of America Winnebago Council.

There will be no Hops & Grapes event this year because of the centennial celebration.

WARM From page 8

“The student receiving

the coats are picked by

the family support

worker or school

administrator as a child

of need. There are 24

colors and designs for

both boys and girls. It

doesn’t make the

recipients stand out as

‘one of those kids’ who

got a new winter coat.”

Steve Thorpe, Rotarian

Rotary Club of Waterloo was chartered July 1, 1915 by Rotary International.

319-296-HAWK • www.hawkeyecollege.eduWWW.SINNOTTAGENCY.COM

319-233-6103

CONGRATULATIONS

ROTARY CLUB OF WATERLOOON YOUR

100TH

ANNIVERSARY!


CJ HINES

[email protected]

Steve and Liz Thorpe still remember the moment at the 2001 Rotary International Con-vention when they first learned about the Children of the Dump.

“It was the faces of children looking for a morsel of garbage that could sustain them for one more day. Father Dessey insisted if we could educate these chil-dren, we could change their lives. The philosophy that education can break the cycle of poverty has sustained Rotary’s efforts after 14 years,” said Steve Thorpe, who was club president-elect at the time.

Marco Dessey, an Italian mis-sionary, and Frank Huezo, a native Nicaraguan living in Houston, explained how Hurricane Mitch left 2,000 people homeless in Chinandega, Nicaragua, in 1998. People scavenged for food in the town dump. Dessey and other partners opened a school next to the dump, promising children a hot meal.

That was enough for the Thorpes to organize the Shoebox Project. They enlisted churches, schools, businesses and 20 Iowa Rotaries to fill shoeboxes with toys, clothing, toiletries and other items. The project now also includes bicycles, dehydrated food, sewing machines and lay-ette supplies.

Help from Rotary Clubs in the United States and Ontario, Can-ada, have not only sustained the project but helped it grow. Mis-sion Headquarters at Chinandega include a school, “next to new” store and vocational classrooms in wood and metal-working, sewing, computer training and candy making.

A women’s shelter for preg-nant and new mothers opened in 2003. The club began providing layettes, which include cloth dia-pers, towels, shampoo and other baby items.

Now the site also houses a school for blind children, fine arts academy, 20-bed hospital with two operating rooms and dialysis unit and an auditorium and museum.

Impoverished children inspire Rotary involvement in Shoebox Project

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Rotary Club’s Shoebox Project provides layettes to pregnant women in Nicaragua.

Shoeboxes are filled with toiletries, clothing, toys and other items.

“God has had His hand

on our shoulder

throughout this

project. This work has

changed thousands of

lives as well as our

own.”

Steve Thorpe, former club president-elect

Since 2002, more than 500 ton of shoeboxes, bikes and other supplies have shipped from Waterloo to Chinandega.

“God has had His hand on our

shoulder throughout this proj-ect,” Steve Thorpe said. “This work has changed thousands of lives as well as our own.”

Another influential project,

which began by Rotary Interna-tional in 1985, was the fight to eradicate polio, still prevalent in

See PROJECT, page 11

www. s t r ux tu r e . c om

ARCHITECTURE MASTER PLANNING INTERIOR DESIGN

www. s t r ux tu r e . c om

Proud to Support

Waterloo Rotary

Congratulations on

100 great years!


To receive a shoebox, students must attend school 80 percent of the time and score at least 75 percent on final exams.

CJ HINES

[email protected]

“The movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone and then you get a great mosaic at the end.”

— Alice Paul 1977

Paul was speaking of the Equal Rights Amendment, but she eas-ily could have been referring to Rotary International, when it first admitted female members.

Prior to 1989, club membership in both the U.S. and Canada was 100 percent male. By the 1960s, pressure was mounting to admit women, said Dave Buck, former Waterloo Rotary Club president.

In 1977, the Rotary Club of Duarte, Calif., admitted three women. Rotary International responded by suspending the club. The case went before Cali-fornia’s Supreme Court in 1983, with the court ruling in favor of Rotary International. But the fight wasn’t over. In 1986, the Califor-nia Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision. When the California Supreme Court refused to hear the case, it went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court upheld the California appeals court ruling, Buck said.

“Membership in Rotary clubs was not a ‘continuous, personal and social’ relationship taking place primarily in private, and the admission of women would not interfere with the organiza-tion’s purposes. It also found the organization’s exclusion of women was not protected by the First Amendment. Shortly thereafter clubs began admitting women,”he explained.

Kathleen Wernimont, Betty Steege and Jean Klingaman were among the first women to join. Klingaman invited Kathy Braun to join in 1992, and by 1999, Braun had becomethe club’s first female president. Michelle Weidner fol-lowed in 2003, and Lauren Finke assumes the office in July.

“I was president during our 85th anniversary and also named assis-tant district governor, a position I held until this January,” said Braun.

She has served on the club’s board of directors and golf fun-draising committee, chaired the

Rotary Foundation and volleyball awards committee and has served on other community boards.

Weidner, who joined Rotary in 1990, also served as club trea-surer for 10 years. In addition to computerizing club billing and bookkeeping, Weidner said, “We also expanded the number of Shoeboxes our club took in and brought the Character Counts program to the Waterloo schools.”

She also hired Kelli McCarthy as executive administrator.

Now more than 40 percent of the club’s members are women, McCarthy said. They have served at every level in the club and district.

Current president Harrison Cass reiterated women’s impact.

“Rotary specifically subscribes to leaders in a variety of profes-sions, and what has changed is our viewpoint. Admitting women has made a big difference because more women have gotten involved, which has broadened the scope of everything we do.”

Women make strides in Rotary leadership roles

125 countries. In Waterloo, attor-ney Chuck Swisher, Rotarian and partner in Swisher & Cohrt law firm, agreed to lead the campaign to raise money. Swisher, a polio survivor, died before fundraising began. Another partner at the firm, Doug Oberman, also a polio survivor, took over.

“Our goal was to raise $24,000 to help with inoculations,” Thorpe said. “At the end of May, Doug announced we had raised $48,000. What a feat!”

Oberman who uses the equiva-lent of an iron lung every day to stay alive, speaks throughout the country and around the world about the importance of eradi-cating polio.

Polio now exists in only three countries.

“In the past seven years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda-

tion teamed up with Rotary to match everything we raise each year. In 30 years, Rotary Inter-national has raised $2 billion to eradicate polio. We are so close,” Thorpe added.

PROJECT From page 10

Doug Oberman is a polio survivor who leads the campaign to raise funds for polio inoculations.

“The philosophy that education can break the cycle of poverty has sustained Rotary’s efforts after 14 years.”

Steve Thorpe, former club president-elect

“Admitting women has made a big difference because more women have gotten involved, which has broadened the scope of everything we do.”

Harrison Cass, current president

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