April, 2006 My Fellow Rotarians - Rotary's Global History Fellowship

District 6440 Histories 2005
During the first year, the club’s Thursday meeting place was changed to Walker Brothers Restaurant on
Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire. Ever since, club members have been able to look forward to Ray
Walker’s fine food, Steve Adkisson's splendid hospitality, and great service from Isabella and Jan
Schrager every Thursday at 7:00 a.m. Shirley Friedlander, who was the Director of the Lincolnshire
Chamber in the early 1990’s, remembers that the “flavor of the club, which was camaraderie, a shared
attitude of enjoying life together and having fun” was there from the beginning.
What’s distinctive about the Lincolnshire Morning Star Rotary Club is the level of giving for the size of
the club. Robert Gremley described it as “a handful of people who have sent tons of medical equipment
to Russia, and brought disadvantaged kids from Poland here for surgery through the Gift from the Heart
program. One year they bought a thermal imaging device worth $22,000 for the Vernon Fire Protection
District (now Lincolnshire Riverwoods Fire Protection District) to enable them to detect life in a
burning building. They’ve given in energy and dollars way out of proportion to the number of
members.”
Stan Roelker names the annual Herb Didier Memorial Golf Outing as “Lincolnshire Morning Star’s
biggest fundraiser, and for that reason an important event in our history.” Initiated in 1993, the golf
outing was named after charter member Herb Didier, who died during the club’s first year. From 12
golfers netting $200, it has grown to over 100 players netting close to $20,000 each year. From the
beginning, the golf outing has made a difference. In 1994, Augie Grundei spearheaded the first donation
to the newly constructed Vernon Area Library, eventually directing $4000 of golf outing proceeds to
purchase books.
The Herb Didier Memorial Golf Outing has a history of its own. For the first few years, Jim King
hosted a volunteers' dinner following the outing. One year, he arrived with dozens of guests only to
realize he had forgotten to tell his wife, and then learned it was their wedding anniversary. Jim’s wife,
Phyllis, laughed and went along with it.
Because of Lincolnshire Morning Star Rotary Club’s experience, it was asked to host the District golf
outing in 1995. A huge effort and great performance by local members resulted in a great success, with
all proceeds going to the District. When asked to estimate the number of volunteer hours needed to
create a successful golf outing, club members couldn't quantify the enormous amount of labor donated
by Rotarians and friends. The success of the Herb Didier Memorial Golf Outing made it possible to give
$6,000 to two agencies each year for the past four years. Recipients have included A Safe Place, The
Riverside Foundation, Shore Community Services, CASA, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Waukegan.
Another early fundraiser was a Theater Outing/Brunch, especially enjoyable because many couples
stayed overnight in Lincolnshire. In 1994, $1,600 was raised in a Theater Outing Fundraiser for the
Joint Committee on Humanitarian Medical Aid. Funds provided medical equipment and medical
supplies to a hospital in Russia (now Ukraine). In March 2004, the club set up a transportation fund with
Vernon Township to assist low-income families in their transportation needs with bus tokens, taxi
vouchers and gas vouchers for emergencies. A total of 7 families from Catholic Charities and Vernon
Township were on Lincolnshire Morning Star Rotary Club's holiday gift list in 2004.
Lincolnshire Morning Star Rotary Club also offers opportunities to give, through an annual blood drive,
or through a cell phone-recycling project to benefit victims of abuse.
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