Rotary increases membership; adds fun in making a difference

    Imperial Rotary Club’s active membership jumped 400% in the last three years, providing welcomed fresh ideas and enthusiasm from the younger generation, according to Lori Pankonin, longtime member.
    In addition to following Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, the club strives to include fun. Such was the case Sept. 21 when 22 teams, donned in costumes following a Caddy Shack theme, took part in the Nine and Dine golf tournament at Enders Lake Golf Course.
    “It’s super rewarding to be part of such a fun group and to benefit not only the community but projects around the world,” said President Eric Exum.
    The boost in membership began in 2018 when Melisa and Clay Owens decided that as new business owners they needed to give back to the community by getting involved with a service organization.
    They have family members as well as realtor colleagues who are Rotarians.
    They were impressed with the presentation by Lorena Beckius, an Ogallala Rotary Club member whose father is a Rotarian in her home country of Ecuador. By joining with other Rotary clubs and the collaboration between the two countries, a process for fresh drinking water was established, providing students the opportunity to attend school rather than walking miles each day to carry water for family use.
    It just so happened that Bill and Cheryl Bryan, active members in the Imperial club, were moving and attending their last meeting. Totally unexpected, Melisa walked away from her first meeting carrying the secretary books. She soon took on the roles of both secretary and president. The couple invited other couples, which led to ongoing recruitment.
    Since that time, the club has contributed more than $13,000 locally to support projects including the ball field improvement project, Imperial Volunteer Fire Department, EMS, scholarships, support of local businesses for COVID cruise night trivia prizes, Imperial Community Center to continue to provide hot meals during COVID, a Veterans Memorial Wall brick, a community bench, 4-H trophies, dictionaries for third graders, families with medical needs, weekly newspaper schedule of church services and collaborating with the Imperial Community Foundation Fund through a Nebraska Community Foundation matching grant for a COVID Bridge the Learning Gap project at the school.
    Besides monetary assistance, the club has devoted volunteer time by hosting a human trafficking program presented by a state patrolman for community awareness, restored and painted picnic tables at the fairgrounds, volunteered for the theater, local food drives, highway trash pickup, the Cattleman’s Ball silent auction and sponsoring the high school Interact Club.        The group has put fun into other fundraising efforts including the Valentine Chocolate Affair, the New Year’s Eve Mobsters and Lobsters event, a jackpot project with a $13,000 payout to 14 winners, fall mum sales and the Big Red Blowout district project for a bus trip to a Husker game.
    Besides giving to the global grant for the Rotary International water project in Ecuador, the club supported a coffee crop project in Africa.
    Club members continue to seek projects where they can make a difference.
Don Newman earns
40-year recognition
    Don Newman recently received word from District Governor Bob Mayber, acknowledging his 40-year Rotary membership. As the local club’s longest-term member, Newman said the current crew has made a real emphasis on supporting local projects which he feels has created an interest in younger people by seeing the benefit.
    When Newman joined, it was still an all-men’s organization. Women were first welcomed to the organization in 1989.
    Newman is a Paul Harris Fellow, recognized for supporting the Rotary International Foundation.
    Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney, started the all-male organization in 1905 so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Over time, the vision extended to humanitarian service and expanded internationally.