An Introduction

to the

Rotary Club of Elk Rapids

The Rotary Club of Elk Rapids MichiganA Brief Historical Summary

by James G. Sak

The Elk Rapids Rotary Club was chartered on June 9, 1950. There were 29 charter members. The club is part of District 6290 which includes all of northwest Michigan and several cities in Ontario, Canada. As such the club is part of an “international” district! In the 58 years since receiving its’ charter, club membership has fl uctuated between 10 and 59 members. Currently membership stands at 50. Following the change in Rotary International By-Laws, women have been part of the club membership since 1992. Three women have served as club president.

Currently the Elk Rapids Rotary Club meets every Tuesday evening at the Historic Elk Rapids Township Hall from 6:00PM to 7:30PM. During the summer months the club meets in the pavilion at the mouth of the Elk River harbor. Several times each year members are encouraged to bring their spouse or friend to meetings that feature a special speaker or event. The club has an excellent history of outstanding speakers from both near and far.

Old Elk Rapids Township Hall

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Club meetings tend to be informal. After dinner members sing a few old time songs and then have a chance to tell a few jokes or take good humored shots at their fellow members. The club prides itself on supporting constructive projects for the local community and beyond and having a lot of fun along the way.

New Pavillion at the Harbor

Sargeant-at-Arms Mel Matchett levying fi nesat a summer meeting

The club has two major fund raisers each year---a chicken barbeque and a musical variety show. The barbeque is held during the annual Elk Rapids Harbor Days celebration in early August. In recent years approximately 1,200 chicken dinners are served to young and old. The musical variety show is held in May of each year. The fi rst show was performed in 1955 and every year since. Performers are club members as well as citizens

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Barbecueing chicken at Harbor Days

Rotarian Bernie Johnson as Santa Claus auctioning gifts at our annual Christmas Auction

from the broad Elk Rapids community. Money is raised from selling ads in the show program book and from ticket sales. Approximately $40,000 are raised each year through the variety show. In addition to these two major fund raisers the club supports several smaller events such as a blind Christmas gift auction at our annual club Christmas party and occasional joint projects with the Elk Rapids Lions Club.

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Past President Jim Nothoff in-specting weather-stripping at a

Home Weatheriazation site

Rotarian Ron Yocum screwing down plastic sheeting over poorly insulated

windows at a Home Weatherization site

As with all Rotary clubs money is raised so local and international projects can be supported. Requests for money and or hands–on help are reviewed by the clubs’ “good works” committee. Projects supported by the good works committee and that are over $500 are presented to the general membership for discussion and a vote. Over the 58 year history of the club numerous small to medium size projects have been supported. Several projects have had a signifi cant and lasting impact on the Elk Rapids community. For example, the club was the initial sponsor of the annual Harbor Days (mentioned earlier) celebration. Harbor Days has grown from a one afternoon picnic to a 4 day community celebration where thousands of visitors join local citizens in parades, picnics, carnivals and evening fi reworks. Harbor Days was originally organized to raise money to build a harbor at the mouth of the Elk River in Elk Rapids. Today that harbor is one of the fi nest on Lake Michigan.

In recent years the club has contributed ~$45,000/year to local and

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Rotary Park

international good works projects. In addition club members donate hundreds of man-hours of hands help on local projects such as days of caring (helping the elderly or ill with yard work) and home weatherization (helping those in need with improving insulation in their homes prior to winter weather).

Another major project has been the construction, maintenance and improvement of Rotary Park. This project, started in the early 1960’s, involved developing swampland along the Elk River into a usable strip of land. Over time the club built (with money and volunteer labor) a visitor center and Chamber of Commerce building, a picnic pavilion with a walk-out deck over Elk Lake, a paved drive and parking area. In 1971 the Village of Elk Rapids, in appreciation for the contributions made by Rotary to the village, offi cially named the area “Rotary Park”. As a result a large 10 foot diameter Rotary wheel is mounted on a concrete base with the inscription, Rotary Park----Elk Rapids. Today the club still maintains much of the property and makes improvements when appropriate.

Probably the largest recipient of fi nancial help from the club in recent years has been the local school system. The club has funded playground equipment, audio visual systems in the high school auditorium, teaching aids such as computers and infrastructure for athletic programs. In

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Rotarians in the stands at the new Elk Rapids football stadium

addition, quite some years ago, the club started a college scholarship program. The program has grown to a community wide effort with many groups contributing funds and participating in the selection of worth candidates.

The Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) program has been a major priority of the club since 1972. In most years the club has sponsored one inbound student but on occasion 2 or 3 have been sponsored. A similar pattern has existed for outbound students. Through 2008 the club has received 42 inbound and sent 48 outbound students.

Supporting Rotary International has been a focus of the club from its beginning. Several club members have participated in polio National Immunization Days. Like most Rotary clubs, the Elk Rapids Club has been generous with fi nancial aid for the effort. In recent years the club has built a school in a remote village of Malawi, built water wells and supplied satellite internet access for that school, provided books for a school library in South Africa and supported clean water projects in India and other countries

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Offi cers for 2008-2009

PresidentNick Hein

Program ChairmanDean Branson

SecretaryBill Holdsworth

TreasurerDennis Fitzpatrick

Good Works ChairmanJerry DeGrazia

Past PresidentJim Nothoff

Community ServiceJeff Lane

Vocational ServiceTerry Miller

International ServiceTom Klingler

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Other Offi cers

Membership Chair Amanda Brink

Club Service Co-Chairs Richard McCaghy Jim Hockin

Club Historian James G. Sak

Music Director Joe Yuchasz

Sargeants at Arms Bernie Johnson Mel Matchett

Assistant Treasurer and Foundation Chair Paul Fitzpatrick

Variety Show Chair Jim McKimmy

Harbour Days Chair Blaine Ackerman

World Community Service Joanne Kreag

Youth Exchange Director Shannon Williams

Club Roster

Blaine Ackerman Keith F. Hubbell * Earl F. RaffertyMark Blackmore Bernie Johnson * Kent S. Reynolds * Dean Branson Leonard L. Klein Howard RichterAmanda Brink Thomas C. Klingler Paul J. Ryan Gerald DeGrazia Wesley Knecht James G. Sak * William R. Donberg * Joanne Kreag Louis H. SanfordDale Dorgan Jeff Lane Ed SchindlerCharles R. Ellinwood Melvin R. Matchett * Jack SissonAngelic Esser John Mc Avoy Norman R. Veliquette *Dennis Fitzpatrick Richard McCaghy Donald WatkinsPaul Fitzpatrick James A. McKimmy Michael WeitschatMerris M. Fox (H) James M. Merenda * Shannon WilliamsNickolas D. Hein Stuart C. Merillat * Mary Judith WonacottJames D. Hockin Terry Miller Terry Miller Terry Miller Ronald H. YocumWilliam M. Holdsworth Carol Mitchell * Richard W. Young (H)Jon Hoover Edson W. Murray Joseph W. Yuchasz *Ralph H. Houghton Jr. Jim Nothoff *

* Indicates Past President

Visit our website at www.elkrapidsrotary.org

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