Celebrating a Centennial Milestone

The Rotary Club of Plattsburgh to Celebrate 100 Years with Dinner, March 14

 

PLATTSBURGH, NY __ In March 1926, twenty outstanding members of the Plattsburgh community met to formally establish the first local club under the banner of Rotary International. Little did the club’s charter members anticipate that this small but energetic service organization would become well-known for its wide variety of local, national and international charitable works and projects.

This year, the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh, more commonly known as Noon Rotary, continues its 100th year of fundraising efforts benefitting many North Country citizens and other people in hundreds of countries around the world. To recognize its “Service Above Self” to the community, Rotarians and the public will gather Saturday, March 14, at the West Side Ballroom to celebrate the club’s centennial milestone.
 

The Noon Rotary club has a current membership of 125 active Rotarians and meets each Wednesday at Noontime at the MHAB Life Skills Campus on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. It is the largest club in the New York state section of Rotary District 7040, which serves over 1,700 members across Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and part of Upstate New York.

 

Betsy Vicencio, current club president, said the club has shown up - consistently and with heart - over the past 100 years. “ I believe Plattsburgh Noon Rotary is seen as the club that gets things done. We are visible, reliable, and quietly impactful.”

“Whether we are delivering scholarships, service projects, or community partnerships, people know that when Rotary is involved, we are thoughtful, organized, and for the greater good—not the spotlight.  We have been a force in many community-based projects over the years. The size and engagement of our club gives us a terrific opportunity to make a difference.”


Rotary Clubs Remain Active Among Changing Times

During the first quarter century of its existence, the Noon Rotary club responded to many community needs through local programs including the Community Chest (predecessor of the United Way), Children’s Clinic (predecessor of BHSN), City Public Library, March of Dimes, City Youth Commission, and even the improvement of city lighting. By the end of the 1940s, as the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh continued to benefit many other organizations in the local community, the initial membership of 20 had quadrupled to 92.

The membership of the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh continued to increase to 125 and around 1965, the weekly Wednesday meetings were shifted from The Witherall Hotel to the then newly-opened Howard Johnson's facility on Route 3 (where Best Western and 99 Restaurant are currently located).


Christopher “Kit” Booth joined the local Rotary club in 1968 and for the past 58 years has remained an active member. Kit attributes his reasons for joining Rotary to his father - a long-time member - and the club’s charitable service to the community.

Booth said that the Rotary club has changed with the times.  “Rotary was then an all-male group of community leaders who believed in ‘Service above Self’. Initially, we all wore coats and ties, which was then the usual business uniform.”

In the midst of all of the club’s activities, things were also changing for all Rotarians.  Smoking was no longer permitted at club meetings by the late 1980s. Then, in 1987, a particularly significant year in Rotary history was also noted in the Plattsburgh club. Internationally, women were invited to become members of Rotary (although it wasn't official until 1989).  

Elle Berger was the first of four women invited to join the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh that year. She continues her membership, now heading into her 39th year, in the once formerly exclusive men’s club.  Rosemary Souza-Botten, was installed eight years later, in 1995, as the club’s first female president. Today, more than half of the 125 active members are women with many currently holding leadership positions, including president, vice president, and second vice president.


Noon Club Fundraising

Since its inception, The Noon Rotary Club has raised  hundreds of thousands of dollars during its past 100 years for community initiatives through very successful fundraising events, e.g., Harlem Globetrotters, annual golf tournaments, and Rotary Radio Day.  The club continues to raise monies through events, including the Rotary International Fishing Classic on Lake Champlain (now in its 40th year), Battle of Plattsburgh festival bed races, raffles and other funding efforts.  

These events have provided funding to support many exciting programs, such as student trips to Washington, D.C. and Albany (the state’s capitol); nursing scholarships; Beartown Ski Area T-bar; canoes for Boy Scouts; YMCA summer camp development including construction of the Rotary Lodge; and Easter and Christmas baskets.

One special project the club undertook in 1976, as the country was preparing to celebrate its 200th birthday, was the funding and creation of a diorama depicting the battles of Plattsburgh and Valcour. Rod Giltz, a long-time Rotarian, former club president, and past district governor, proposed the idea.  In high school, Giltz had served as a parking lot attendant at the former Land of Make Believe theme park in Upper Jay, which was owned by Arto Monaco - theme park owner, talented creator, craftsman and former Disney designer.

Kit Booth was club president at the time and went with Giltz to propose the project to Monaco. Booth said, “He was delighted to be asked. He created the superb diorama complete with lights and sound, which the club presented to the Clinton County Historical Society, where it still resides.”

The Rotary club has also donated monies for many local community projects, including the restoration of the Strand Center Theatre, commemoration of the Battle of Plattsburgh activities, construction of the Rotary Centennial Park in Plattsburgh, upcoming relocation of the Plattsburgh YMCA to the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, and the repair/replacement of ADA-compliant ramps for low-income community members. Annually, the club also provides small grant funding for initiatives undertaken by many  local organizations, including school districts, Literacy Volunteers, CEF Library System, Plattsburgh Cares, MHAB, United Way, and the Plattsburgh Farmers and Crafters Market.

The Noon Rotary club also funded several international projects, including an initiative focused on sustainable practices, water management, and the rehabilitation of agricultural land on terraced farms in Ecuador, and the installation of latrines to improve hygiene and reduce disease for thousands of residents in Nicaragua.


Observations by Members

Robert (Bob) Parks, has been a Rotarian in five clubs since joining Rotary in 1981.  He said the Plattsburgh club has changed considerably.
“Over the past 25 years that I’ve been a member of this club, I’ve seen more women join our club and take on leadership positions.  Our gender breakdown is now 53% women and 47% men,” said Parks.

“Our club has become a much younger club.  When I joined in 2000, a large percentage of our membership was over 55.  Now, there is a balanced distribution in all of the age categories with a larger number under 50 and growing.  Younger members are joining because they want to be involved in community service and taking on leadership positions.”

Bonnie Black, past club president and district governor and a 37-year Rotarian, said the club has existed for the past 100 years due to its members. “The club’s membership is diverse and from varying sectors of the business and non-profit community. It's the true fellowship, great programs, and quality of the members who truly believe that positive change is possible. Some members, including myself, come to Rotary each week to learn new things, what's planned for our region, and get involved in community service.”

Steven Frederick, a 24-year Rotarian and past club president, said he sees the club continuing to make a difference in the community by bringing people together. “It’s a fantastic networking opportunity and one where members get to volunteer for a community project alongside someone they may never cross paths with in their day job.”

Ken Knelly, a past club president, said the Rotary club serves as an important pillar and catalyst for the area. “I think it's more about the collective than a single project or program. Community gains happen through the club and because of it.”

Charles “Chuck” Paepke has taken on several roles, including president, during his 45-year membership of the club. “ I think our club, and Rotary in general, has lasted 100 years because of the spirit of our community. We have historically been a caring community to the well-being of our citizens exemplifying our motto ‘Service Above Self.’”