WARSAW ROTARY Club 3393, District 6540
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Warsaw Rotary Club
HISTORY OF THE WARSAW ROTARY CLUB
A young lawyer, Paul P. Harris, and three business associates, organized the first Rotary Club on February 23, 1905 in Chicago. Fourteen years later an organizational meeting was held on April 18, 1919 to establish a club in Warsaw, Indiana. An official charter was issued to the club in June of that same year. The Warsaw Rotary Club has been instrumental in many projects in the community. In the 1920's the club helped to establish the local Chamber of Commerce and started "Rotary Toy Day" in 1927 to help children in need during the holidays through The Salvation Army. A speech contest was held in the early years for High School students to present ideas on how to improve Warsaw. Some of the topics covered by youth in those days were the need for more lighting downtown and a community gymnasium for the growing sport of basketball.
Rotary survived the Depression to continue addressing the needs in the community. In 1952 the club sponsored its first Exchange Student, Heinz Wenslow from Germany, and sponsored many others almost annually until the mid 1990's.
Along with Rotary Toy Day an annual "Brice's Day" in honor of Brigadier Bryce Phillipson of The Salvation Army was established by Bruce "Angels" Howe in December 1965. Nearly $1,000 was collected by the club that first year. Bryce was beloved by the members of the club for his service to Warsaw. He was "Promoted To Glory" in 1972. In 1990, then President Don Clemens and club members, renamed the event to Phillipson/Howe Day in honor of "Angels" many years of service. It is estimated that over $300,000 has been collected for The Salvation Army over the years. In June of 1999, Mr. Howe was presented the William Booth Award, the highest award a volunteer can receive from The Salvation Army. A record $35,040 was raised by the club during the 35th Annual Phillipson/Howe Day in 2000.
The club has delivered Mobile Meals in January for many years through the leadership of Bob Gast. Each year the Top 10 academic students at Warsaw High School are presented a $100 scholarship as they prepare to attend college. Other projects sponsored by the club through the years have been the Warsaw Biblical Gardens, Shrine Building, YMCA and Baker Boys Club.
In 1971 John Snell and Bill Chinworth became the first "Paul Harris Fellows" of the club sending $1,000 each to the Rotary International Foundation. Since those first two supporters of the Foundation over $100,000 as been sent to the foundation to meet humanitarian needs around the world. The late Don Rich led an aggressive campaign started in the 1980's to eradicate polio by the year 2005.
In 1994, the Warsaw Rotary Club celebrated its 75th Anniversary. Three members have had the distinction of serving as District Governors of Rotary International:
William Chinworth, 1948-1949
John Snell, 1969-1970
The club presents an annual "Pete" Thorn Excellence Award to recognize a person who has served the community in the spirit of the late and longtime Rotarian Pete Thorn.
Each week the club meeting features "Louie In The News" remembering another longtime member, the late Louis "Peanuts" Breading who read the news for many years.
The Warsaw Rotary Club also had two honorary members of note back in the 1920's - Billy Sunday & Homer Rodeheaver.
The makeup of Rotary has changed from business men who met in downtown Warsaw to now include business professionals, both men and women, who meet on a weekly basis on Fridays, Noon at the Ramada Inn to learn about their community, fellowship together and join together in service.
For over 80 years the Warsaw Rotary Club has served the community in many capacities and continues to live according to the principal of the motto of Rotary International - "Service Above Self"
L.N. "Pete" Thorn Award
L.N. "Pete" Thorn Award
A bust of Lee Norman "Pete" Thorn is housed in the Baker Youth Club in Warsaw.
The statue was sculpted by Fred W. Olds, commissioned by the Warsaw Rotary Club who unveiled the work on June 24, 1980.
1982 - N. Bruce "Angels" Howe
1983 - Howard Levin
1984 - Robert Liechenwalter
1985 - Wallace D. Johnson
1986 - Jesse E. Eshbach II
1987 - Robert "Bob" Richmond
1988 - C.E. "Gordy" Bumbaugh
1989 - Terry Klondaris
1990 - Cindy Ross Knepper
1991 - Award Not Presented
1992 - Sara Lee Levin
1993 - Steven P. Grossnickle, MD
1994 - Robert "Bob" Gast
1995 - Rex L. Reed
1996 - Connie Rufenbarger
1997 - Charles E. Bertsch
1998 - Dr. Russell L. Heyde
1999 - John R. Hall
2000 - Ken "Hawkeye" Locke
2001 - Lee A. Harman
2002 - Richard "Dick" McCleary
2003 - Marge W. Gast
2004 - Alan Alderfer
2005 - James C. Kessler
2007 - Stephanie Overbey
2008 - Max Courtney
Links Of Interest Pertaining To Pete Thorn
Indiana Basketball Hall Of Fame: Page Honoring Pete Thorn
Past Presidents - Warsaw Rotary
| Conrad Schade 1919-21 | William Garrard 1966-67 | |
| Dr. A.C. McDonald 1921-22 | Philip C. Spear 1967-68 | |
| E.A. Gast 1922-23 | C. Joe Cerny 1968-69 | |
| C.M. Woods 1923-24 | John F. Kelley 1969-70 | |
| Judge L.W. Royse 1924-25 | Terry Klondaris 1970-71 | |
| Chas H. Ker 1925-26 | Howard Levin 1971-72 | |
| W.F. Maish Sr. 1926-27 | Bob Chamness 1972-73 | |
| Lloyd Johnson 1927-28 | Merle Mock 1973-74 | |
| Jesse F. Mellencamp 1928-29 | John Kleeman 1974-75 | |
| J.S. Lessig 1929-30 | Charles Ker 1975-76 | |
| W.S. Rogers 1930-31 | John R. Hall 1976-77 | |
| Gerald Overmyer 1931-32 | Wallace Stouder 1977-78 | |
| Gael Munson 1932-33 | Dick Sasso 1978-79 | |
| W.F. Maish Jr. 1933-34 | Rex Reed 1979-80 | |
| Frank C. Sanders 1934-35 | Dick Messner 1980-81 | |
| Geo. M. Stephenson 1935-36 | Leo Pfister 1981-82 | |
| Lee N. Thorn 1936-37 | H.E. Purcell Jr. 1982-83 | |
| Harry Hall 1937-38 | Bill Dickerson 1983-84 | |
| James M. Leffel 1938-39 | Steve Rufenbarger 1984-85 | |
| Dr. A. W. Raabe 1939-40 | Robert E. Boley 1985-86 | |
| Eugene T. White 1940-41 | Jack C. Cluen 1986-87 | |
| Dallas Crooke 1941-42 | Robert W. Gast 1987-88 | |
| Wm. J. Chinworth 1943-44 | Harold Nichols 1988-89 | |
| Everett Rasor 1944-45 | Dennis Burch 1989-90 | |
| Thomas Walter 1945-46 | Don Clemens 1990-91 | |
| Lozier Helvey 1946-47 | Wes Stouder 1991-92 | |
| Porter Williamson 1947-48 | Max Courtney 1992-93 | |
| Robert Hall 1948-49 | David Baker 1993-94 | |
| Louis Breading 1949-50 | Harvey Miller 1994-95 | |
| Robert Moore 1950-51 | Ken "Hawkeye" Locke 1995-96 | |
| David Gast 1951-52 | Randy Stouder 1996-97 | |
| Ed Spence 1952-53 | Lee Heyde 1997-98 | |
| Cal O'Dell 1953-54 | Alan Alderfer 1998-99 | |
| Clarence Cox 1954-55 | Kevin Deardorff 1999-00 | |
| Jesse Eschbach 1955-56 | Dave Hamrick 2000-01 | |
| Cecil Armstrong 1956-57 | Norman Strayer 2001-2002 | |
| James F. Hartle 1957-58 | Andy Lewis 2002-2003 | |
| John F. Snell 1958-59 | David Jones 2003-2004 | |
| N. Bruce Howe Jr. 1959-60 | Ken "Hawkeye" Locke 2004-2005 | |
| Frank Harrison 1960-61 | Cynthia K Hampton 2005-2006 | |
| John W. Widaman 1961-62 Link | Lewis Jones 2006-2007 | |
| Seth V. Lewis 1962-63 | Jerry Henline - 2007-2008 | |
| James E. Thomas 1963-64 | Greg Cobb - 2008-2009 | |
| Joseph Mater 1964-65 | ||
| Donald B. Hogan 1965-66 |
Fear John, Marjorie Widaman Killed in Viet Plane Crash
Warsaw Rotary Salvation Army Day
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 "I love life, and I want to live. |
 Warsaw Rotary |
Salvation Army Day - 2004 Again another record was set by the Warsaw Rotary Club when N. Bruce Howe announced at total of $43,000 collected for The Salvation Army's annual Christmas campaign. Bruce and co-chairman thanked all of the members for their generous gifts to this cause. Colonel Anita Robb - Promoted To Glory - July 21, 2002 Colonel Anita Phillipson Robb was Promoted To Glory on July 21, 2002. She was the daughter of Brigadier Brice Phillipson and for many years attended the Warsaw Rotary Club along with other family members on Phillipson/Howe Day to celebrate the collection of funds in her father's honor for The Salvation Army. Anita was a 1930 graduate of Ohio State University and a leader in the development of Social Work and Social Services in The Salvation Army for many years. In 2001 she was presented with the Order Of The Founder, the highest award bestowed by The Salvation Army for service above and beyond the call of duty. She was also enrolled as an Honorary member of the Warsaw club in 2001. We honor this woman along with her father who exemplified the ideal of "Service Above Self" The Warsaw Rotary Club raised a record $42,362.28 during the 2001 Phillipson/Howe Day. Mr. Bruce Howe and John Hall, Co-Chairmen of the event were extremely surprised by the total. "This is beyond anything I would have imagined!", Bruce exclaimed when the total was passed to him to announce. "Many people will be helped this holiday due to the generous response of so many," Hall added. The Warsaw Rotary Club would like to thank all who made this fundraiser once again a great success! Visit These Sites As Well:The Salvation Army - Warsaw, Indiana: |
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3/20/2004 |
Warsaw Rotary Celebrates 100 Years Of Service
Warsaw Rotary Club Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Rotary International
BY TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer
Rotary Club members gasped when Alan Alderfer dropped a valuable glass bowl during the organization's 100th Anniversary of Rotary International, held in the First United Methodist Church of Warsaw, Wednesday.
The bowl was a donation to be auctioned in May to raise funds for the Rotary Scholarship Program and RI Foundation.
A shaken Alderfer eventually composed himself, turned to the crowd and said "Got ya!"
Alderfer was reenacting a prank perpetuated on Rotary members attending the 1920 first anniversary meeting of the club when Frank Gilworth dropped a similar bowl.
What most members in 2005 and 1920 did not know was both bowls had been rejected by Warsaw Cut Glass because of flaws.
"We try to keep things fun," said current Rotary president Ken Locke about the local club and the bowl shattering incident. "That's what makes this club different."
Rotary is the country's first service club, established in Chicago April 23, 1905, by Paul Harris. The local club first met in Warsaw April 17, 1919, in the Hotel Hays. It was chartered as Club 3393, District 6540, June 1, 1919.
The meeting in 1920 also included a "guest" speaker, supposedly from South America, who couldn't recall his English, and who eventually "fainted."
This incident was followed by arrangements made with the two local papers, the Warsaw Daily Union and the Warsaw Daily Times. Both newspapers prepared advance copies of the program prior to the meeting.
Union newsboys distributed their special editions crying, "Warsaw Daily Union, extra edition, read all about the breaking of the great glass bowl at the Rotary Dinner."
Then newsboys from the Daily Times entered the meeting with their extra editions, pressing their newspapers into the Rotary members' hands. A mock fight ensued between the two publishing camps.
The contemporary club has an 86-year history of service to the community.
"In January we take all the Mobile Meals routes," Lock said, "and cover one route throughout the year. Last year we placed a plaque at Lake City Bank, marking their 100th anniversary. We distribute scholarships to local students in May. And we have a big fund raising push for the Salvation Army in December."
The Warsaw Rotary has supported 103 projects, organizations and speakers during its 86 years, always emphasizing the motto of "Service Above Self."
"Our members are encouraged to join boards in the community and help with youth-oriented organizations," Locke said.
Since the 1970s, local members have donated more than $136,000 to the Rotary International Foundation which funds projects around the world.
One way the club raises money is by fining its members. Carried out by the sergeants-at-arms (currently John Hall and N. Bruce Howe), the system has no rhyme or reason.
Typically members are fined if their name appears in a newspaper or mentioned on the radio. The sergeants will fine a member for arriving late or leaving early or for missing meetings. Fines are imposed for anniversaries and birthdays, especially the "zero" birthdays, when a dollar is assessed for each year of life.
"It's a tradition from way back," Locke said. "The seargents find things out about people or are told something. It develops a comradery within the club. You figure you'll get fined about half the time."
New people are considered for membership after an invitation by a Rotary member. The Warsaw club meets every Friday at noon in the Ramada Plaza Hotel. Current officers include Cindy Hampton, president-elect; David Jones, immediate past president; and Katy Hampton, secretary.