Rotary Club of Beavercreek

Club History

The Beavercreek Rotary Club was chartered on May 12, 1973, as the local chapter of Rotary International (RI), the world's largest service club, a 100-year-old organization devoted to global friendship, goodwill and community betterment. RI has over 1.2 million members worldwide, attending weekly meetings at almost 32,000 clubs in 166 countries. Its trademark is a gear wheel, a symbol made into a lapel pin worn by all Rotarians.

The Beavercreek Rotary Club currently has 85 members, including community leaders from retail business, government, education, engineering, construction, finance, real estate, law, charitable groups and the medical arts - men and women, young and old, active and retired. They generally meet every Friday noon at Walnut Grove Country Club for lunch and a program of guest speakers, and regular attendance is expected. Those who miss the Friday meetings are asked to "make up" by attending meetings at other Rotary clubs.

The motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self," which this club honors by contributing time and money to various community causes. The club elects officers and board members every year, and each board member is responsible for one aspect of the club's life - club service (administration), community service (to Beavercreek and environs), international service (such as student and group study exchanges with other countries) and vocational service (career opportunities).

Through its own Foundation, the club supports several programs, most notably the Polio Plus campaign of RI aimed at eliminating polio worldwide. Although some inaccessible areas are still to be reached, 97% of the world's population has now been inoculated against the ravages of that disease. Club members have contributed over $121,000 to Polio Plus since the campaign began in 1985.

The Rotary name is familiar to many residents because of Rotary Park, a sports and recreational facility initiated by a gift of land from a former Beavercreek Rotarian, Marion Pennick. The club also participates in the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival, Fourth of July activities, Lofino's Christmas Basket distribution and a quarterly clean up of two miles along Route 35 east of Orchard Lane.

The Beavercreek Rotary Club helps fund a dozen area youth programs each year and provides substantial financial support directly or through its Foundation to such organizations as the Beavercreek YMCA, the Greene County Historical Society, the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, the Beavercreek School's Multi­Handicapped program, the Beavercreek Bikeway Committee, the Ronald McDonald House, Deaf Link, the Epilepsy Foundation, the Beavercreek Strive program to encourage better scholarship at the high school level, the Family Violence Prevention Center and an annual distribution of dictionaries to every Third Grader in the Beavercreek School system.

Each Rotary Club may submit a major project that it supports for additional RI funding. The Beavercreek Rotary Club's chosen project is the Good Shepherd Clinic, a basic health provider to the people of rural Belize in Central America. Several medical specialists from the club have spent extended periods at the clinic as volunteers, and funds have been contributed to upgrade its furnishings and level of care over the years, including help from RI

Membership dues cover the club's cost of meals and operational expenses, but a few special fund-raising events, such as the annual Beavercreek Rotary Memorial golf tournament, supply most of the income to support its various community services.

--John Webster

In Memoriam

                        * Indicates Past Presidents

These member passed away while active members of our club.

Date last updated: June 2, 2009