Last week’s meeting of the Belle Plaine Rotary Club was a special event, as current members
took a few moments to reflect on the club’s 90-year history and to honor three longtime members.
Dr. Howard Thomasson, Frank Silkebaken and Don Magdefrau were each cited for more than 50 years of continuous membership in the club. All three are also past presidents of the club. They were honored with a cake and presented with embroidered windbreakers.
Thomasson presented the program for the day, as he reviewed some of the rich history of the local club.
The Belle Plaine Rotary was chartered in 1919, just 14 years after the club was founded nationally by Paul Harris, a University of Iowa law student. Belle Plaine was only the 577th club chartered. There are now more than 30,000 worldwide.
The Belle Plaine club had 19 original members. Its first president was a local banker, George Ahrens. He was followed in 1923 by James Parks. The third president, O.C. Burrows, started a proud line of members of his family to serve prominently in the Rotary club. John Burrows, the club’s 18th president, later went on to serve as district governor. He had 43 years of perfect attendance in the club. R.O. “Bob” Burrows served two terms as president from 1952-56. Finally, Dick Burrows was the club’s 40th president.
William Herring was the club secretary for a record 11 years. He collapsed and died at a Rotary meeting on Oct. 5, 1937.
In more recent years, club presidents have included Dr. Richard Paul, Dr. Fadi Yacoub, Don Magdefrau, Rick Petersen, Dr. Saleem Shamsee, Marie Stratford and the current president, Lon Weber.
The local Rotary club has had a long history of service to the community. For years, the club sponsored foreign exchange students that came to this country, as well as a few local students who went to other countries as foreign exchange students.
The Wayne Conrad Scholarship was established in 1984.
The 1986-87 year was another important milestone for the local club. The main project for the year was PolioPlus, a plan to eradicate polio worldwide. It was also the firt year that women were admitted to the local club. Marie Stratford, Judy Carter and Florence Lyman were the first local female members. All three would later go on to serve terms as the club president.
During the 1980s, the chief fundraiser for the club was an annual spaghetti or fish dinner, with the proceeds going to the retired senior volunteer program, Red Cross swim program, local library, etc.
The club sponsored a circus in 1991, one of the top fundraisers in years.
Other service projects over the years have included the annual Chautauqua, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boys State, a corn yield contest, teacher receptions, hosting high school seniors at meetings, Christmas toy program, taking seniors to the state legislature for more than 30 years and a self help tractor program.
“Although the Belle Plaine Rotary club is part of a very large international service organization, our primary focus has always been local,” Weber said. “BP Rotarians have one primary fundraiser every spring and has recently started a second one every other fall. This is our spaghetti supper held every April and now every other November. We use most of the money raised to fund two scholarships for graduating BPHS seniors. Other local activities supported by Rotarians include the Living History Weekend, Celebration Iowa Singers, Highway 21 roadside cleaning, Belle Plaine Community Development, as well as many more.
“Becoming a Rotarian is quite easy,” he said. “You simply have to have a desire to do good things for others. In other words ‘Put Service Above Self’. Rotarians ask themselves four questions; 1) Is it the truth? 2) Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill & better friendships? 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned? This is referred to as the Rotary four-way test, and is followed by Rotarians worldwide in their business, professional, and personal lives.
“Belle Plaine Rotarians meet every Monday noon at the Lincoln Café for lunch and fellowship. To learn more about Rotary, come join us or ask any local Rotarian, we will be happy to share the Rotary story.”
