Greater Corvallis Rotary celebrated its 40th birthday as a club on Oct. 28 and Rotarians young and senior were on hand. Jim Eickelberg, one of the Club’s early leaders and past president, shared stories from the past.
Chartered Oct. 29, 1976, with 26 men as charter members, Eickelberg helped to put the year in context: Jimmy Carter had defeated Gerald Ford in the presidential campaign; Corvallis had 37,000 in population; Good Samaritan Hospital had just moved to its new building on hospital hill; and OSU Coach Craig Fertig led the Beavers to a football win in the Pacific-8 Conference.
Eickelberg recalled John Swenson, the Club’s first president, and Larry Lahm, a president who taught the club “goals” and “discipline.” He also mentioned Mike Sheets as the first Polio Plus chair and Al Hutchinson, who turned out to be a “great president” despite his “brash humor.” He fondly remembered Joanne Kersey, the club’s first female president, who taught that “women are leaders.”
Eickelberg, himself, took credit for the club’s “no singing commandment” that is true still today.
In addition to Mr. Eickelberg, Jason Lara represented the rookie new member who presented his vocational and three new members were inducted — Tish Tipping, sponsored by Jim Swinyard; Alan Searle sponsored by Inge King; and Logan Taylor sponsored by Julene Tudor.
