Page 8 - 1976 State of the Plymouth Rotary Club

Plymouth Rotary Club

History and Highlights

Loans are still made to worthy and needy students and the Foundation has pupils
enrolled in most of the state's major colleges and universities . . . thanks to its ability t o
make loans. At the moment more than $20,000 is outstanding in student loans.
There was a time when the club arranged meetings with the rural members of the
community to foster good will and friendship with our neighbors who earned their living by
working the soil and who contributed so much to our health and enjoyment. However, th is
program was dropped in March, 1964 due to the changing times.
It was during the regime of Father Frank Le f evre as club president in 1935-36 that he
came up with the idea of making a member of the senior class at the high school a junior
Rotarian. That custom has continued through the years with two major changes, the
number of senior students was increased to two in 1963 and to four per month in 1970.
At the end of each month, the seniors tell Rotarians of their impressions of the club, its
activities and membership. This junior membership idea has been adopted by a large number
of clubs throughout the nation and has been an additional way of building interest in
Rotary Club memberships in the future and has given publicity to the real objects of ou r
international organization .
It was in 1947, when Plymou th High felt the need of a lighted football field, that the
club made this the leading project of the year. Members entered into a fund raising
campaign with the result th e light system was dedicated on October 31, 1947 at a cost of
more than $20,000. The result was a tremendous increase in attendance which took care of
any additiona l costs.
Then in 1964 it became apparent the footba ll field lighting system was far behind those
of other schools in the area and the Plymouth Rotary Club made a major contribution in
modernizing the plant into one of the best in the area.
"The Broadcaster," the weekly club publication, was started in 1925 and has continued
w ithout interruption It has been revised in style and form several times but basica lly it is
the "Broadcaster" and keeps members informed of all present and future activities with
plent of puns.
The Plymouth club received outstanding international recognition for its assistance given
to the City of Ply mouth, England during the blitz. Between Ju ne 30, 1940, and April 30,
1944, our sister city in England had 60 alert sirens, with 59 bombings, 448 residents kil led
and total casua lties were 1172.
The Plymouth club sent food, cl othing, money and above all friend ly letters of hope and
encouragement during those trying times. The Rotary Club of Plymouth, England, has
graciously received guests from this club and on many occasions has expressed its
appreciation for the generosity of Plymouth, Mich. and its Rotarians.
Then during the centennial celebration of the City of Plymouth in 1967, the Plymout h
Rotary Club joined w ith city officials in enterta ining a grou p from Plymouth, England that
included the Lord Mayor Frank Chapman, Town Clerk S. Lloyd Jones, Alderman H.M .
Patterson and A lderman R.G. King.
Three years later in 1970, Rotarians W.W. Edgar, Ralph Lorenz and Harold Guenther
were instrumental in forming a group of Plymouth residents who visited Plymouth, England
where they were royally greeted by thei r English counterparts.
In addition to welcomes from the Plymouth , England official fami ly, the Rotary Cl ub
there had a welcome mat out for a meeting geared to pav honor to the American visitors.
Plymouth is the eighth oldest club in District 640. Older qroups are: Adrian , Dearborn,
Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Way ne and Windsor, Ont ario.