Marshfield Rotary Club

By Cheryl Wrinkle, Past President and Kara Hofman-Johnson, President

Marshfield Rotary Club is a service club. Although it is a local club in Marshfield, it is actually International and is very far reaching. That is why it is important to know that by joining the local club, you are becoming a member of a huge humanitarian effort.

Our local club is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year. A celebration is going to be held in August of 2008.

Every member is aware of Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self!” We also recite the “Four Way Test” every week. The test is

1. Is it the truth?
2. It is fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

This test should guide every Rotarian in how they do business on a daily basis.

As President this year my main goal was to educate the club on the Rotary Foundation. I tried to surround myself with members that were already educated on this topic and then educate the club. I could not have done this without Dr. Robert (Bob) Bareis and his committee and David Martin. Their knowledge about Rotary is astounding. Dr. Bob took responsibility for talking about the Foundation at every weekly meeting. Our first goal was to establish ourselves as a Star Club. This is where we give $100.00 per capita per member. We achieved this goal!

Then the most amazing thing happened! When members donate $1000.00 to the Rotary Foundation they receive the distinction of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow. Members may also designate their spouses as Paul Harris Fellows. Paul Harris is the founder of Rotary. This year alone we have eight new Paul Harris Fellows! Those people are Leslie Thomas, Janie Sartin, Kara Johnson, Harold Bouldin, Robert Hunt, Jurahee Crawford, Diane O’Neal, and Cheryl Wrinkle. They join the current Paul Harris fellows: Dr. Bob Bareis, Barbara Carroll, Larry Dills, Rick Jones, Dave Martin, Martha Myers, Danny O’Neal, Greg Prymak, Bill Schroder, Neva Schroder, Stan Whitehurst, and the daughters of the late Howard and Marian Fillmer. Deceased Paul Harris fellows include: Howard Fillmer, Marian Fillmer, Bill Brooks, Bill Spinabella and Warren Waters.

All of the money received through contributions to the Rotary Foundation is used throughout the world. In fact, the eradication of Polio is a focal point and goal of Rotary. In June 2007, Rotary International announced a commitment of $633 million toward this goal. Since the inception of the Polio Plus program in 1985, more than two billion children have received oral polio vaccine. To date, 210 countries, territories and areas around the world have been able to announce they are polio-free! That is a success story!

But what about local projects in Marshfield? Well, we have plenty of those too. Rotary Park on South Marshall Street has been a focus of our local club. Members volunteer to landscape and maintain the park, as well as the pavilion, drinking fountain and playground equipment. The club recently presented a check to the city of Marshfield for a walking trail that will wind throughout the park. This project began under the presidency of Lyndall Fraker and was a centennial project for the local club for Rotary International. The original intent was to make Rotary Park a memorial park. Horseshoe pits have also been added to the Park behind the city maintenance shed. This will allow the local horseshoe pitching league, to have the opportunity to pitch in their community. Tournaments are currently being played there.

The local club has also taken the initiative to involve local students in Kids Voting. This project brings the national elections to local school-aged children as they have been allowed the opportunity to participate in their own elections whenever their parents cast their votes. This not only motivates children to learn about the democratic process, but also encourages their parents to vote. Local Rotarians man the polls on Election Day. It is a rewarding experience for children and adults!

Education is very important to Marshfield Rotarians. Our local club has been contributors of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is a program that provides books to pre-schoolers to support literacy. We have also heavily supported the Backpack program in Marshfield Schools. This program provides food for students over the weekends. We took five students to Student Government in Jefferson City. The high school students learned about state government and visited the Capitol Buildings as well of the Supreme Court. Both students and Rotarians who attended benefited. We sponsor one college scholarship per year for a Marshfield Senior. We have many meetings that involve school personnel and students reporting on “happenings” in our local district.

	PolioPlus, the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history, is dedicated to eradicating polio. For more than 20 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal.
Learn more about PolioPlus Partners, which helps Rotary clubs and districts in polio-free countries make a direct contribution to their Rotarian colleagues’ efforts in the four polio-endemic countries and nearby regions.