Related Page

1976-77

The year saw a break in a Rockford Rotary tradition dating back to 1921. Ladies' Night, an annual club extravaganza since the famed Washington's Birthday fete of '21, was scheduled for April 21, 1977, at the Wagon Wheel's Red Barn Theatre, but was canceled "due to lack of interest."

But Jack Deveau's year as president also brought the premier of a Rockford Rotary film, "A Fireside Chat With Seth B. Atwood," which provided a memorable glimpse of more than 60 years of Rotary history.

The cost of club lunches went to $3, "not including dessert." Despite that restriction, School Supt. Art Johnson, well known for his love of desserts, became a club member.

A 28-year-old Rockford policeman, nominated by Rockford Rotary, was awarded a Rotary International scholarship for a year of graduate study abroad. The officer, William Fitzpatrick, used the grant to obtain a master's degree in criminology in England. Fitzpatrick, of course, later became Rockford's police chief.

Special programs included a Christmas season performance by 19 Boylan High madrigal singers and a tour of the new Public Safety Building.

Service Above Self Awards went to Mrs. Vivian Johnson, Allan C. Mallquist, Mrs. Virginia Nyquist, and Robert Schaer. In 10 years of these awards, 58 community leaders had been honored by Rockford Rotary.

1977-78

As president, Rolf Thienemann launched two lasting Rotary traditions. He founded the President's Table and he was the first Rockford Rotary president to wear the medallion that serves as a badge of office. The medallion was obtained in England by Frank and Steve Ellis and Warren Bate. It is similar to those worn by top officials of English clubs. Rockford is the only club in this Rotary District to use such a medallion.

The year also brought several achievements to Rockford Rotary.

Kent Mallquist and Shep Blumenthal became the club's 19th and 20th Paul Harris Fellows. A Rockford College professor, Dr. Raymond L. Den Adel, was welcomed to club membership. Illinois Gov. James Thompson came to town to address a joint Rotary-Kiwanis meeting. Rockford Swedish Tenor Howie Lindstrom presented a different kind of Christmas musical program.

The year brought a letter from young Hue De Chen, a polio victim in Taiwan. The young lad wrote to thank Rockford Rotary. For four years the local club had paid for his lodging, his medical bills, his food and his clothing.

Service Above Self awards went to Gunnard R. Olson, Royal W. MacKenzie, Marlene Hand, Jean Gronzo, and George Jackson.

However, the year had its major disappointment. After 57 wonderful years, the club was forced to decide it no longer could successfully operate Camp Rotary. At a Club Assembly May 25, 1978, members heard an in-depth report from a blue ribbon committee headed by Howard Bell, then voted to authorize disposition of the camp.

1978-79

There was sadness mixed with the usual celebrations during this Rotary year.

First, on Sept. 19, 1978, Rockford Rotary's new president, Roland E. Palmer, died just as the club year was starting. Roland was only 64.

Kent A. Mallquist moved up as president. Eventually, Rusty Gates was elected vice president.

Later in the year, death also claimed two of the remaining three charter members of Rockford Rotary. Harry L. Green died at 94. Roger T. Welsh died at 86. Neither is named on the list of 63 members who attended the meeting to form Rockford Rotary in 1916, but both qualified as charter membership by joining shortly thereafter.

Finally, in November of 1978 Rockford Rotarians formally severed their ties to Camp Rotary by donating the camp and its land to the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District. Since the camp's founding in 1921 it had been Rockford Rotary's greatest success -- and most taxing project. At the end, circumstances made it impossible for Rotary to continue to hold the property and members voted "overwhelmingly" to make the donation.

The year also had its reasons to celebrate.

Mallquist recalls the changing of the guard: "In one of my vain moments I had a perm. A thyroid problem caused me to weight about 50 pounds less than I weigh now. I looked a bit like a curly haired Ichabod Crane." Bill Sowle, marking the new president's appearance and occupation, came to the changing of the guard dressed as a chicken with curly hair.

During the year, Rotarians met with Lions and Cosmopolitan clubs members to host A. Dean Smith, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The club received a Christmas letter from Hue De Chen, a teen-aged polio victim Rockford Rotarians had been supporting in Taiwan. The youngster wrote: "All of us here at the polio have been very happy. Now I want to again wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for your love to me this year."

Jenny Spelman, nominated by the Rockford club, spent a year in Brazil under the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

Kathleen Gorman became only the fourth Rockford club nominee to win a prestigious Rotary Foundation scholarship for advanced study abroad. The Boylan grad, elected to study in Peru.

Rockford Rotary hosted the Rotary International president, Clem Renouf of Australia, at a gala dinner-dance at the Clock Tower Inn

Wilman White, Editor of the Rotarian Magazine, made a rare club appearance to thank Rockford Rotary for being No. 1 in the world in donations of gift subscriptions.

Service Above Self awards were presented to Karen Levis, Georganne Eggers, William J. Richards, and Gilmore J. Landstrom.

1979-80

Seth B. Atwood (24 Aug. 1886 - 14 Feb. 1980)

Rockford Rotary lost its last surviving charter member and a man who had given the club more than 60 years of leadership. Among so many other things, it was Atwood who provided both the dream and the action that gave the club Camp Rotary and its more than half a century of service to Rockford youngsters.

Seth's death was the only sad note in an otherwise successful Rotary year under President Rusty Gates.

Of course, annual dues jumped $10, to $100, and meal costs went up to $4, but the programs were active and varied. The Forest Preserve District reported to the club that activities at Camp Rotary had been limited thus far to maintenance and security measures.

One club meeting included a tour of Greater Rockford Airport, hosted by Director Bill Grady; another featured a tour of Rockford College. The 75th birthday of Rotary International was celebrated with a Ladies' Night dinner and a speech by Clarence Kelley, former FBI chief.

There also were tours of Swedish-American Hospital and of New American Theatre. There was a second Ladies' Night dinner-theater fete at the Clock Tower Inn Cabaret. There even was a special June 19 meeting at the Rockford Museum Center on Guilford Road. A large striped tent provided security against any weather problems.

Hue De Chen, the polio victim the club had been supporting in Taiwan, reached the age of 19 and left school to become a shoemaker.

Service Above Self awards went to Elizabeth Asprooth, Marguerite Wagner, John D. Spence, Lloyd Ward, Karl Bliese, and Dr. Kenneth Wayne Kuehn.

Club membership now included 33 Paul Harris fellows.

1980-81

Ross Robbins was president during this quietly successful Rockford Rotary year.

The club adopted another Taiwan polio victim, 9-year-old Lyou Jin Ming, paying all his living and treatment costs.

The club added five more Paul Harris fellows. A Sunday brunch at the University Club replaced the usual Ladies' Night program.

Service Above Self awards went to Frances F. Miller, Roland Olson, Judge Harris Agnew, and Howard E. Bell.

1981-82

Dr. Hugh A. Johnson, so often a welcome speaker at Rockford Rotary, served the club as president in 1981-82, despite suffering a severe stroke just before the club year started. Some Rotarians question if he would be able to serve as president and medical advice was sought. The word came back, "If you deny him this honor it will kill him."

Of course, Hugh Johnson carried on as president.

With help, and a great deal of personal determination, he was able to lead meetings and to confer weekly with other club officers. Secretary Warren Bate was among those who assumed many extra duties during the year.

The year's early speakers including Mayor John McNamara; Father William Wentink, the police chaplain; Detective Charles Jackson of Crime Stoppers; and Dr. Harold McElvany, reporting on a recent trip to Ireland.

From Taiwan came word that Rockford Rotary-adoptee Lyou Jin Ming, a polio victim, now was walking with the help of braces.

West High madrigal singers presented the Christmas program.

Shortly after the holidays, Associate Judge Paul A. Logli became a Rockford Rotary member. A couple weeks later he found his way to the podium and addressed the club. Later in the year, Terry D. Anderson became a new member. He wasn't called on to speak.

Ladies' Day, at the University Club, featured dinner and a presentation by New American Theater performers.

Service Above Self awards went to Shirley M. Eighmy, Veronica (Bunky) Gale, John Holmstrom Jr., and Dr. Vernon C. Voltz.

Dr. Johnson was able to complete his year as Rotary president and remained a staunch Rotarian. He died at 73 in 1992.

1982-83

With Hugh Hammerslag as president, Rockford Rotary marked two major successes. Thirteen club members became Paul Harris fellows during the year and the club pledged $25,000 to buy the trolley car that now tours between the Park District Icehouse and the Auburn Street Bridge.

Dan Voll, nominated by Rockford Rotary, won a Rotary Foundation scholarship to study at the University of Sydney in Australia during the 1983-84 school year.

Rep. Lynn Martin was the year's first speaker, reporting on progress, or lack of it, in Congress. Among other speakers were Terry Anderson, Sue Mroz of channel 23, and Allan C. Carlson of The Rockford Institute.

During the year, special meetings were held at Rockford College and at the new Barber-Colman headquarters building.

New club members included a young fellow named Wray Howard.

Club attendance records were reviewed and showed that Ernie Swarts had perfect attendance since 1938, Warren Bate since 1949, Moon Mullins since 1955, David A. Carlson since 1956, Ed Abegg since 1957, and Duke Levis since 1960.

Service Above Self awards went to Arthur T. Johnson, Cynthia Patterson, Lawrence C. Thompson, Sally Lo Ware, and R. Ray Wood.

1983-84

Founding of a new Rotary Club under sponsorship of Rockford Rotary highlighted the 1983-84 year.

Planning for the new club was launched Oct. 10, 1983, when 10 Rotarians led by Kent Mallquist met with nine other businessmen in the Skyroom at Greater Rockford Airport.

Little more than four months later, Rockford South/New Milford was presented its charter by Rotary International President William Skelton in a Feb. 28, 1984, celebration at the Clock Tower Inn. (Unfortunately, the club was disbanded in 1994.)

The 1983-84 year, with Charles W. Patterson as president and George Brening as program chairman, also featured an unusually wide variety of programs and speakers.

Among speakers were Mayor John McNamara; John Holub of the Chamber of Commerce; the District Governor, Dr. Mahmood Butt of Rockford College; student Sheila Weir just back from a year in Italy; Seth G. Atwood, Atwood Vacuum Machine Co. board chairman; Illinois Gov. James Thompson; Rev. Don Lyon; Doug Logan, MetroCentre general manager; Laura Wyatt, then of the University of Illinois Extension Service; former White Sox baseball star Minnie Minoso; and local actor Rod McDonald.

There was one most unusual program. The June 7 program was presented by Rockford's famed boy singers, the Kantorei Choir.

The Rockford Club lost 10 members during the year, but added 16. Among new members that year were Allan Carlson, Elmer Rudy, Robert Flodin, Harry Ritter, Dr. Daniel Swift, and Tom Johnson.

Dr. Joseph Cleveland, John Conrad, and Edward Eisner were honored at the May 10 meeting. At that point, all had at least 50 years of service to Rotary.

At that same meeting, Service Above Self awards were presented to Conrad, Judy Barnard, Johanna Lund, Dr. Victor Crawford, Robert Holland, and Dr. Edward Sharp.

A plaque was approved for the Rotary water tower at the Museum Center, identifying it as the tower first erected in 1923-24 at Camp Rotary.

The 1983-84 year was the 20th that Ed Abegg and Warren Bate had served Rockford Rotary as treasurer and secretary.

1984-85

"The personal advantage of Rotary is getting to know some folks that you'd not otherwise meet," Bill O'Donnell explains. That's why, as president, "I worked the door like a preacher and knew everyone by name and something about them. I encouraged members to try sitting at a different table each week, but that didn't work."

Table switching was about the only thing that didn't work during the 1984-85 Rockford Rotary year.

Eight members were lost during the year, but 20 were added.

An aggressive fund drive was launched seeking $100,000 in pledges to build and furnish the entrance and reception area for New American Theatre's new home. The money was pledged before year's end.

Another $20,000 was contributed by the club's Charitable Foundation for local, national and international projects. Included were meaningful donations to the YMCA, Rockford Pantry, Bright Side, Crime Stoppers, Boy Scouts, the Salvation Army Band, and Junior Achievement.

The Rockford Rotary program of honoring outstanding high school students was launched, with each school being cited at an individual meeting. (Now, all students are honored at one large meeting.)

The traditionally long, straight head table was replaced by a free-standing platform and lectern, with a round President's Table at the side.

Monthly birthday tables were tried, complete with cake and decorations. The roving microphone was purchased and a floor manager assigned. "It worked just as well then as it does now," O'Donnell says.

There was a special recognition day for senior members, those over 80. It proved to be a popular event.

Special meetings toured Rockford College and the Museum Center.

Bill Sowle, who had led club singing since 1960, and Dick Litterst, who had provided the accompaniment since 1972, were honored.

Speakers included School Supt. Mel Grell, Rep. Lynn Martin, Park Director Webbs Norman, and NAT's Jim Sullivan.

Service Above Self awards went to Frank St.Angel, Walter Thorell, Earl H. Lutzow, Lou Franchini, Peter Jeffrey, and the club secretary, Arthur Warren Bate.

It also was a big year for two club members. Kent Mallquist was elected to be the District Governor in 1986-87 and Howard Bell was named a Governor's Aide.

The Madison (Wis.) club voted by a 2-1 margin to propose a change in Rotary International bylaws to allow women members.

1985-86

"I was lured to the Rotary presidency with the promise of attending the International Convention in an exotic, far-away place," George Brening recalls. "Later I found that place would be Kansas City, which attracted the smallest convention in years.

"Thus started my Rotary year."

The 1985-86 year added plenty of excitement later.

This was the year Rotary International launched its most ambitious and challenging effort. The goal: To eradicate polio from the face of the earth. To do this, Rotary International set out to raise $120 million from club members. As a special inducement to Rotarians, donations to the immunization campaign also could be counted as contributions toward Paul Harris Fellowships.

The $1220 million would be used to immunize 800 million children, many of them in third world countries, against polio and five other often deadly diseases. These include tetanus, tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough. The campaign thus was given a title: Polio Plus.

Rotary hoped to complete the immunization program by the year 2000 and to be able to report complete victory over polio by 2005, Rotary International's 100th anniversary year. The program continues today and already has produced some amazing successes.

Meanwhile, back in Rockford, the 1985-86 year started with a crisis. For 22 years the club had met in the Faust Hotel/Tebala Towers, despite food service that declined annually. But in the summer of 1985 food service was dropped completely and Rotary was homeless.

It took some doing, but when the new year opened on Sept. 5 Rockford Rotary fit right into its new home in the MetroCentre.

"A varied and interesting array of programs was provided during the year by Program Chairman Karl Link," Brening says. "As usual, the Cog editor had apoplexy for not receiving program information in time to put in the Cog."

Those programs started with Kurt Carlson telling of his experiences as a hostage on a hijacked TWA flight. They concluded with a unique joint installation on June 26 of Kent Mallquist as District 642 Governor and Dr. Robert A. Henry as Rockford Rotary president.

In between, there was a Christmas program featuring the Guilford High Norse Tones, a meeting to tour the MetroCentre with Doug Logan, and a Ladies Night dinner and theater gala. Among the speakers was Police Chief William Fitzpatrick, who first spoke to the club in 1977 as a student just back from England, where he had studied under a Rotary scholarship.

"One of the highlights of the year," Brening recalls, "was presentation of a check to Jim Sullivan for New American Theatre. The club pledge drive for $100,000 to fund the theater's Rotary Club Lobby started the previous year and was virtually completed in 1985."

Another $19,000 was donated from the Rockford Rotary Charitable Foundation to 15 special organizations and programs.

A second major accomplishment of the year was installation of 25 new Rockford Rotary members, most of them still active in the club. Among the new members was Bruce Atwood, a third-generation member of Rockford Rotary and scheduled to become a third-generation president of the club in the 1997-98 Rotary year.

Service Above Self awards were presented to Ellen Emery, Hugh Hammerslag, Colleen Holmbeck, Dawn Smith, William Sowle, and Margaret Wyatt.