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Feb. 24, 2005 - Centennial Celebration |
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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Rotarians celebrate 100 years
By Amanda Harris
JONESBORO -- Rotarians all over the world celebrated the civic organization's centennial anniversary Wednesday, and Northeast Arkansas was no exception.
Celebrations were held in Jonesboro and Paragould to commemorate 100 years of service.
Both Jonesboro Mayor Doug Forman and Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill signed proclamations declaring Wednesday Rotary International Day. Gov. Mike Huckabee signed a similar document making the same proclamation statewide, and the U.S. Senate made it official across the country.
In Jonesboro, the three Rotary clubs -- the Rotary Club of Jonesboro, the Rotary Club of Jonesboro-University and the Rotary Club of Jonesboro-Metro -- observed the anniversary with a joint meeting of the three clubs at noon on Tuesday.
A representative from each club presented their individual club's history and introduced past district governors and past presidents of the various clubs.
On Wednesday -- the actual date of the centennial anniversary -- Jonesboro's clubs held a drop-in reception at the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The three clubs also joined efforts to sponsor construction of Rotary Centennial Park at Craighead Forest Park. The park -- a project undertaken to commemorate the civic organization's milestone -- will consist of playground equipment and other facilities accessible to children with special needs.
Eugene Wing, president of the Rotary Club of Jonesboro, said with grants and contributions the Rotary Clubs have raised about $500,000 for the project combined with an addition $250,000 in in-kind donations from various service providers, including a local contractor and a local architect.
Founded in 1919, the Rotary Club of Jonesboro is the oldest of the three Jonesboro organizations. The Rotary Club of Jonesboro-University was formed in 1981, and the Rotary Club of Jonesboro-Metro was established in 2002. The three clubs have a combined membership of approximately 250.
In Paragould Rotarians celebrated the centennial with a lunch meeting and a program recognizing the centennial project and past dignitaries affiliated with the civic group.
The Paragould organization has undertaken a centennial project that is slated to be complete in the coming weeks. In cooperation with the Greene County Courthouse Preservation Society, the Paragould Rotary Club is funding the construction of a gazebo on the southwest corner of the historic courthouse lawn.
The project is "in honor of and to the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, peace, past accomplishments and the future commitment of furthering education, promoting good health and providing recreational opportunities for the youth of Paragould and Greene County," said Paragould Rotary President Owen Lusk.
The Paragould Club was established in 1921 and has made numerous contributions to the community during the past 84 years. The club has a membership of 78.
Rotary International got its start 100 years ago when lawyer Paul P. Harris took it upon himself to start a club with three of his friends. Though each of the four men worked in different vocations, they shared one common thread -- they were all from small towns.
According to the history, the men had grown weary of the fast pace of life in Chicago, and longed for the warmth, hospitality and camaraderie they enjoyed early in life.
"In an attempt to recreate an atmosphere of caring, Harris formed a club that built a sense of family and community that became the bedrock of Rotary," the international organization's history reads.
Today the club is "an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world," said Paragould Rotary Club president Owen Lusk.
The organization boasts more than 1 million service-minded men and women belonging to nearly 30,000 Rotary clubs in practically every nation in the world.
amandah@jonesborosun.com |
Copyright © 2005, Jonesboro Sun |
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