Norwich Rotary Club President Ann Smith and Brenda White, Executive Director of Aunt Mary’s House, at a Rotary meeting on February 20. The Norwich Rotary Club has secured two district grants to help Aunt Mary’s House, a non-profit organization serving Chenango County residents who are pregnant and parenting mothers 18 years or older. The Rotary Club is celebrating 100 years of community service this year and organizing a future event to be held at 5:30 p.m. on June 14, in the Canasawacta Country Club located at 261 County Road 44. Tickets will be $30 a person. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — The Rotary Club will celebrate 100 years of community service this year and is organizing an upcoming event to include food, music, and good company.

The scheduled event will be at 5:30 p.m. on June 14, in the Canasawacta Country Club located at 261 County Road 44. Tickets will be $30 a person.

Rotary Club member Catrina Ruling said anyone is welcome to join the Rotary Club and they always look forward to adding new members.

She said the Rotary Club meets from 12 to 1 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Moi’s Center City Bistro located at 28 South Broad Street and typically they have a speaker join from other organizations to explain what they do in the community.

“Anyone is welcome to visit a meeting to see what it’s all about,” she said.

“Rotary International is now one of the largest service organizations in the world,” said Ruling.

“The mission of Rotary is to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the fellowship of business, professional and community leaders,” she said.

Ruling explained the Rotary Club is involved in many community projects and provides support to local groups such as the Youth Exchange Program (YEP) which helps find host families in the area for foreign exchange students, and Rotary Youth Leaders Awakening (RYLA) which is a leadership and communication skills learning program for high school juniors.

She said the Rotary Club participates in the annual blood screening, started the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program in the area, donated $5000.00 to Shelterbox USA, offer annual $500 Scholarships, supports Saturdays in the Park with Chobani and serves Breakfast at Chenango County Blues festival.

Ruling added they are also involved with Aunt Mary’s House, a non-profit organization serving Chenango County residents who are pregnant and parenting mothers 18 years or older. She said they secured two district grants to help them get started.

“Some of the past projects completed or supported by the Rotary Club were: the purchase of letters identifying the Chenango County Courthouse, the purchase and construction of the flagpole in front of the court house, funding for the multipurpose skating rink at Weiler Park, and we participated in the dental hygiene program at Norwich City School District,” said Ruling.

She said they have a newsletter named “Pep Talk” using the reference to Pepto-Bismol that was invented in Norwich in 1901, and noted the very first newsletter was called “The Screech.”

Rotary Club President Ann Smith said she couldn’t complete her role in the Rotary Club without the help of her secretary Joann Smith.

“We organize meetings, co-ordinate events, volunteer, attend conferences, and more,” she said.

Smith said her favorite times with the Rotary Club have been meeting people and sharing club activities during Saturday in the Park with Chobani events.

“I love to be there, it’s a great way to meet the people of Norwich and explain to them what we do in the Rotary Club,” she said. “And we offer breakfast sandwiches.”

Smith has been president of the Rotary for two years and in July, she will hand the torch to Rotary member Catrina Ruling.

The Norwich Rotary Club was chartered on February 18, 1924 and the first president was Burdette F. “Dash” Hubbard

who presided over the Charter presentations dinner held at the Canasawacta Country Club on June 26, 1924.

For more information email norwichrotary4860@gmail.com or call Ann Smith at 607-336-5003.