ArchivesDoing a good turn for others
Doing a good turn for othersThe Dalhart Rotary Club is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year with a lofty goal – achieving 100 acts of service for 100 years of service - and you could be part of it, says local president Coury Tucker. “Rotary is a great way to be involved, to serve others,” Tucker said. “It’s also a good way to network and plug yourself into what’s going on in the community.” Rotary today is a global network of 1.4 million people, but it started with the vision of one man, a Chicago attorney named Paul Harris. He and three friends wanted to rekindle in the city the spirit of friendliness they had known in their hometowns. Word of the club soon spread and others were invited to join. They named their new club “Rotary” to describe the practice of meeting in rotation at the members’ various places of business. Over time, the organization’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities, states and nations. Rotary is non-religious and non-political. It is the largest and second-oldest service club in the world. Only 16 years after its founding, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Its members now span the globe, working to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems, including eradicating polio. The Dalhart Rotary Club was established in February 1925. Because new clubs must be sponsored by an existing one, the Amarillo Rotary Club sponsored the start-up. Dalhart has one of the oldest clubs in the Texas Panhandle after Amarillo and Lubbock. Originally, Rotary clubs were male-only, which changed in the mid-1970s. They also only allowed one member per “classification” (profession), so one attorney, one physician, etc. There was a usually list of professionals waiting for their classification to open so they could be allowed in. That is no longer the case, and membership is open. The Dalhart club currently has 41 members. One of their major fundraisers and acts of service is displaying flags around town six times a year on patriotic holidays, covering Dalhart with 300 flags. In other acts of service since the campaign started, club members helped design and plant the downtown flower containers, as well as continually assist in maintaining them. In mid-July, members sprayed weeds in downtown areas to help keep it looking its best. Also last month, Rotary members assisted with the Louise Rahll “Stories of Dalhart and Travels Abroad” production at La Rita Theatre and with the Dalhart Elks Lodge Backyard BBQ Party. They helped with Central Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School, and one member mowed his neighbor’s yard. Other members took part in the XIT Prayer Walk, while many turned out to serve at the XIT Watermelon Feed and to work the gates at the XIT Rodeo. A member volunteered with the XIT Antique Tractor Show and Pull and an entire team put together the Rotary float for the XIT Parade, and another donated blood during the most recent Blood Drive. It was a Rotary member who spearheaded It’s About the Kids, the annual donation drive that supplies hundreds of area students with backpacks and school supplies each year. And last week, the Rotary club donated $400 to Open Arms Therapy, which serves the youth and disabled in our community through safe equine assisted activities. If you’re counting, that’s 15 acts of service so far! “The more active you are, the more you get out of it,” Tucker said. “I’m really enjoying the current program of 100 Acts of Service. It’s been both fun and rewarding.” The local club meets each at 12:05 p.m. each Thursday at Brick Street Community Center for lunch and a program. Anyone interested is welcome to attend a meeting; lunch is $10. Prospective members must apply and be sponsored into the club, and there are reasonable quarterly dues. • Criteria for membership include: Hold (or be retired from) a professional, proprietary, executive, managerial, or community position • Have demonstrated a commitment to service through personal involvement • Be able to meet the club’s weekly attendance or community project participation requirements • Live or work within the vicinity of the club or surrounding area For more information, please see the Dalhart Rotary Facebook page. For the full story SUBSCRIBE to the online edition of The Dalhart Texan, call (806) 244-4511 to setup a subscription to our physical paper or pick a copy up at one of our many convenient news rack locations. You can also stop by and purchase a paper or subscription in person at our news office located at 410 Denrock Ave. |
