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

District 6440 Histories 2005
1994-95 - Fundraising included Ham Dinner $13,000 and the Reverse Raffle $4,500. Annual projects
included the Pioneer Center Picnic, Valley Hi Nursing Home Chicken Cookout and FISH collection,
which raised $2,100 for FISH. Three $2,500 academic scholarships and three $500 vocational
scholarships were given to McHenry and Johnsburg students. Donations included $7,000 for McHenry
Library Children’s Story Room, $3,000 for the McHenry Area Youth Commission, $3,000 for Home of
the Sparrow expansion, $500 to high schools for post prom activities, and $1,500 to Little League for
improvement to the fields at VFW. Additional donations included $1,000 for Oklahoma City Bombing
disaster victims and $200 to Odyssey of the Mind Competition for McHenry students. $500 to relief
fund for victims of the Kobe, Japan, earthquake.
1995-96 – John Verchota was club president. Our exchange student, Sebastian Cavallo from Chile,
arrived in time for his first meeting at the Valley Hi chicken cookout in August. Mimi Altman, the
District Governor, visited the club on September 14. Jude Hermann, Don Gerstad, and Bill Dumalski
(Mr. 4-Way Test) all retired and were unanimously voted in as honorary members. The Reverse Raffle
was held October 4 and raised $4,200 for the Scholarship Fund. Don Howard was the top salesman for
the Ham Dinner, bringing in $1,384. Overall, our main fundraiser netted $10,300. Membership
increased by a net of three members during the year. Donations of $6,500 were made to the Youth
Commission, Family Services, Home of the Sparrow, Pioneer Center, FISH, the soccer fields, Youth
Baseball, and toward new entrance signs into the city. Also, the membership voted to increase our three
academic scholarships to $3,000 each from the current $2,500. International project funds of $2,000
were contributed to the Oaks International Center for Children in Oklahoma and the Harvest
International Project in Haiti. Al Blake completed 40 years of perfect attendance with the club.
1996-97 – Terry Hargrove was club president. On August 29, we held a cookout for residents of Valley
Hi. On September 25, we held a reverse raffle, which netted $4,200. On October 26, we held a ham
dinner, which netted $8,281. On April 16, we held a fireside meeting for new members. This year, the
club formed an Interact club.
Club financial distributions: $500 to McHenry Youth Commission, Family Service, Home of the
Sparrow, FISH, Pioneer Center, and the International Project for the Indian Center in Oklahoma. $1,000
checks to the McHenry School District for a soccer field, and to the McHenry Jr. League for field
improvements at the VFW. Also, $2,000 set aside for future entrance signs to McHenry. Besides the
$500 given to FISH in November, a donation of $1,110 in the spring and a collection of over $1,700 for
a total of over $3,310 to FISH. Donated $750 to build bus shelters in Katmando, Nepal. In June, $200
to the McHenry Fire Protection District for a Camp Duncan burn camp. Finally, $600 to Pioneer Center
for a refrigerator. Club social events: 7/18 – Picnic in the Park with 90 plus in attendance. 10/2 – Joint
meeting with Richmond RC for DG Karen Kline’s visit. 5/14 – Anniversary party. 12/14 – Christmas
party. 4/26 – Staff appreciation day. RYE student, Benoit Dessailly, Belgium. Outbound, Will Busse,
Germany. New members = 5, resignations = 3.
1997-98 – R. Watson was club president. Goals for the year – Increase club membership’s awareness of
Rotary through education/programs. Increased member’s participation in Rotary events outside our
club. Identify and participate in a new major project for the club. Minimum of six new Paul Harris
Fellowships.
Club activities: 7/10/97 – Club assembly; meeting with Assistant District Governor Bob Williams.
7/17/97 – Picnic in the Park; Fiesta Days. 7/27/97 – ABC’s of Rotary; visit to RI headquarters in
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