Eastland Rotary Celebrates 94 Years of Service

Posted by Trent Swearengin 
on Apr 08, 2015
 
The Eastland Rotary Club is one of the oldest clubs in the state with the charter dating back to 1921.  While we may not be large in number, we hold true to the 4-Way Test while doing our absolute best to make a difference in our local community.
 
 
Our club has been active in membership recruitment and retention this year.  Shortly after a membership growth & recruitment charge from DG Larry Petrash in August, we held a Rotary Day that added 5 new members.  The club has grown this year from 19 to 25 members.  We also have 6 active Paul Harris Fellows.
 
We had great temperatures and a large attendance this year at RipFest, an annual celebration at Eastland’s downtown square.  Our club partners with Bryan’s Auto Parts’ Car Show competition.  We provide a burger lunch for the participants as well as RipFest attendees.  Our fundraisers help provide scholarships for local students going to college.
 
In May, we will host our annual Rotary Radio Days.  KATX 97.7 FM radio donates about two hours of air time annually to our club.  We sell advertisements in advance to businesses to promote their products & services.  Individuals will often provide support to recognize local Seniors.  Club members spend time on air reading ads and discussing local & international Rotary activities.  We build good camaraderie by cooking a hot dog lunch for members and folks just passing by the radio station.
 
Our most popular service project is Senior Olympics held in November.  We invite residents from the local retirement centers in the county to First Baptist Eastland to compete in putt putt, bowling, walker races, spelling bee, wheelchair races and other fun events.  We provide a hamburger lunch complete with homemade desserts.  The EHS cheerleaders cheer on the participants and assist in our medal ceremonies.  This is a real highlight event for all!
 
Other service projects include our participation in the Dictionary project for 3rd grade students at Siebert Elementary.  We have fun discussing facts from the dictionaries while showing students how to further utilize this tool.  You ought to see them try to pronounce the longest word in the dictionary!  We additionally ring the bell for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign at the Eastland Walmart every December.  We never know if it will be freezing temperatures or hot & windy in December.  Local residents are very supportive of this project.
 
Our club will proudly support Taylor Smart, an Eastland High School student, to attend RYLA this summer.  Taylor attends Rotary meetings regularly and will represent us well.
 
To find out more details on what is happening in Eastland, please check us out on Facebook.  We meet on Thursdays at Noon now at La Hacienda Restaurant.  Come see what makes the Eastland Rotary Club a hidden gem!