Greg Legan and Leon Thacker recruited the necessary members to operate the
Club's "hot-dog" stand at the Lafayette Home Hospital Fair. Proceeds from this activity help the hospital auxiliary provide necessary equipment to the hospital.
"Ringing the bell" for the Salvation Army was continued. My pleasure in announcing that our Club had raised almost $14,000 was diminished by Bill Hatfield's report that
the Kiwanians raised more than $19,000. This friendly competition pushes both groups to do their best for this worthy cause. The Rotarian Bell Ringers were organized by Kae Moore and Donna Cartwright.
The Annual Scholarship and Citizenship Program was chaired by Betty Nelson and Sarah Watlington. This program recognizes high school seniors who have
consistently exercised principals of good citizenship while achieving exceptional academic records. Ten students, two from each local high school, were honored. They and their parents were guests of the Club on April 21.
The annual Guest Night party, chaired by Bill Hatfield as Vice President featured Donya Lester as speaker. As always we enjoyed excellent music by Brian Breed's
Purdue Varsity Glee Club, who also joined us at dinner. The Glee Club party and golf outing organized by Trey Reisner rounded out our social year. We golfed on
Purdue's North Course, arranged by Jim Backoff and followed with fun and dinner at the Trails.
Having Purdue for a neighbor brings us many international visitors and especially
students. Reena Sargunar, from Coimbatore, India, Mayuresh Karanjkar from New Delhi, India, and Miguel Reichert from Porto Alegre, Brazil were our Rotary Scholars
and Emel Ercengiz from Turkey and Mia Niemi from Uskela, Finland, were our Rotary Youth Exchange students. In other international activities, it was our
pleasure to have the GSE Team from a district that encompasses parts of both Poland and Sweden visiting us in May.
Since fellowship is a cornerstone of Rotary, attendance is deemed of great
importance. During the year we unfortunately had to drop a few members for lack of attendance. To create interest in this aspect of Rotary Life, Griff reports
membership in the 100% club each month. The list is too long to list in its entirety, but as the year ends (i.e., as of May) the leaders are YB Hall, Harold, Taylor, Bob
Verplank, and Ev Wright, all with more than 300 months of perfect attendance. To emphasize attendance, the practice of distributing "Perfect Attendance" tabs to be
worn with the Rotary pin, was changed from annual to monthly. This will keep attendance before us more often.
On September 17 District Governor Frank Bove met with officers and committee
chairs and addressed the Club showing, as part of his presentation, an eight minute video tape prepared by RI President Rejandra Saboo. He urged the Club to improve
attendance and look toward extension. Past District Governor and RI Director Richard H. Kendall addressed the Club on November 19 on the subject "Rotary
International." Both of these dignitary's visits occasioned the visit of several other District Rotarians.
Under a recently instituted policy, the Club provided Craig Irvine and me trips to the
International Convention in Mexico City. This was an inspirational experience. The plenary sessions were held in a grand new meeting hall built to resemble one of the
pyramids which lie near the city. Mexico City, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired from the stand point of breathing. Persistent settling of the foundations of buildings gave a constant air of impending doom.
Many Lafayette Rotarians are recognized for their contributions to society every year. It is impossible to list all of these. I note that Eric Holm received the first "Hoosier Hero" award presented by Senator Dan Coats.
For me, the highlight of the year was gaining approval from the Board to study the need for an extension club, that is, a new Rotary Club in Tippecanoe county.
The Rotary Club of Lafayette, Indiana, USA was formed in 1915 as RI's 222nd club. It was founded with 14 members and had grown to almost 300 members by 1992.
Older members state that it was never the intent to grow to this size. They claimed that the intent was to sponsor a new club when the existing one reached a
membership of 100. Apparently, this did not occur. Several votes on the question of forming a new club during the years 1984 to 1990 failed to gain a majority. Several
concerns were voiced as reasons for maintaining the status quo. Most prominent concerns were that there would polarization between the clubs based on age, on
town/gown, on geography and, especially, that the Rotary Club of Lafayette would no longer be THE ROTARY CLUB OF LAFAYETTE.
In 1991, the idea of having a "breakfast division" of our club arose. Under this plan,
we would not form a new club, but those who wished an alternate opportunity would meet at a time and place approved by the Board and that attendance at such
meeting would fulfill RI's attendance requirements, This idea came to the attention of District Governor Frank Bove (Marion Club), who asked Kenneth Keene (District
Governor 1993-94, Lebanon Club), Chair of the District Club Extension Committee to advise us. After Consultation, he advised us that such a procedure would not be possible within the rules of RI.
In June, 1992, following continuing discussions about club extension, the Board of Directors voted to authorize the President, William R. Fuller, to appoint a committee
to study the question. In the past, no committee had fully investigated the ramifications of second club in Lafayette. There had merely been discussion and
votes at regular meetings of the club. The Board established several ground rules: If a new club were formed, it should meet at different time, preferably AM; it should
have the same dues; be involved in our Foundation, but without controlling interest; maintain a 50/50 ratio of town/gown; restrict transfers to the new club. Shrinkage of
our club and age and town/gown polarization were of great concern.
With this authority, Fuller appointed himself as chair of The Committee to Study
Club Extension. Others on the committee were W.N. Hatfield, D.L. Heman, E.A. Holm, J.C. Irvine, D.A. Landgrebe, H.L. Michael and T.F. Moran. This committee
reported favorably on the need and prospects for a new club in September, 1992, during the tenure as club President of J. Craig Irvine. Subsequent actions, leading
to the chartering of the Rotary Club of Lafayette, Daybreak, in June, 1993, are properly part of President Craig Irvine's history.
Many traditional Club activities were continued with enthusiasm. Each week that schools were in session, two high school seniors, selected by their counselors as outstanding, were brought to have lunch and visit
with Club members. Their spirited reports of high school activities made most of us wonder how we spent our teen years. Their plans for the future always showed real thought and planning. Jim Schrader
organized a willing set of Rotarians to carry out the duties of the Student Guests Committee, "Butch" Hancock organized the monthly Birthday Table at which honored members typically contribute $1.00 for
each year of their life to the Lafayette Rotary Foundation or to the Rotary International Foundation. This remains our principal fund-raiser. It is much more gentle than the often mean spirited "fine" technique
used by many clubs.