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History of the Robinson Rotary Club

Typed by Rita Millis from a history originally done about 1955 - 14 August 2000

(Compiled by Carl Zwermann, Jr., April 1956)

Early in 1925 Rotarian Peter Kolb of Mt. Carmel talked to L. S. Heath, O. V. Redding, John S. Abbott, and Sam Faucett with the idea of founding the Robinson Rotary Club. These men were not enthused at first, but "Pete" Kolb, a former schoolmate of L. S. Heath, did not give up and on October 10, 1924, twenty-five men signed the Rotary membership cards and the wheels of progress were set in motion for the founding of the club. The charter members were: "Jack" Abbott, "Gus" Apgar, "Lute" Brigham, "Cliff" Brubaker, "Whit" Carlisle, "Bernie" Clawson, "Tom" Cheatham, "Gib" Gibson, "Ham" Hamilton, "L. S." Heath, "Bake" Hummel, "Ra" Jones, "Wood" Lewis, "Bill" McCarty, "Jack" Maxwell, "E. O." May, George Merrick, "Al" Midgett, Fred Mills, "Oce" Olwin, "Otto" Redding, "Smithy" Smith, "Vick" Whitmer, "Buddy" Winteringer, and Carl Zwermann, Sr.

On November 6, 1924, the Robinson Rotary Club was officially accepted into membership of Rotary International as club number 1839. The club held a few meetings that year. It elected its first board of directors--Carlisle, Gibson, Heath, Mills, Redding, Smith, and Zwermann. The board in turn elected L. S. Heath the first president and O. G. Olwin secretary.

On January 22, 1925, the charter was presented to the local group at a very impressive meeting attended by over 200 Rotarians from surrounding towns. "Charlie" Taylor of Harrisburg made the presentation to President L.S. Heath "Pete" Kolb of Mt. Carmel, Acting District Governor and the "daddy" of the local club, was present for the occasion.

Many new members were taken into the club the first year or two. Among them were: Fred Lathrop, "Rol" Evans, Harry Deming, T.B. Steele, "Chick" Everingham. Rev. Cummins, "Cris" Franke, Merit Shew, Frank Norris, A. J. Goff, "Doc" Allen, H. F. Crosby, Bayard Heath, "Charl" Olwin, Elmer Boyd, Ira Jordan, A. P. Hammond, "Billy" McCaman, "Sing" Singleton, Frank Wiseman, Lorin Brigham, Walter Johnson, Fred Endsley, Lynn Root, Fred Roslyn, H. D. Summers, and Rev. Shirey. That year the club took an active interest in the Boy Scouts and Scout Leader George I. Martin was elected an Honorary Member. Other Honorary Members elected in order were Congressman William W. Arnold and Clyde Lee Fife. Judge Arnold holds the distinction of being an Honorary Member up to the present date.

The first club bulletin appeared in 1925. The first two weekly issues appeared under the name, "What Should We Call It" the third "Gingersnaps" and then Baby Rotarian T. B. Steele suggested the name "SAS" from Service Above Self, a name it continues to have. E. O. May was the first editor and he continued to publish it for many years assisted in the summer months by "Ra" Jones, "Al" Midgett, A. J. Goff, and others. SAS has been published continuously except for several months in the thirties. Editors in addition to E. O. May have been "Al" Midgett, "Vic" Smith, Vernon Heath, Hanby Jones, Roe Wright, Ralph Stringer, "Al" Gerber, Ivan Miller (1949-54), Lawrence Gordon, "Wib" Powden (1954-55) and Carl Zwermann, Jr. (1955-56). E. O. May also published a SAS Yearbook that was very popular with the membership for many years.

The club has always held its weekly meetings with lunch and a program on Wednesday noons at the Woodworth Hotel except for special events held at the various churches in the county, the high school, Country Club, American Legion Home, and various picnic areas. Many of these special occasions were ladies' nights and others were as hosts to such groups as the High School Senior Classes, School Boards and faculty from the High School, High School News 'N' Everything Staff, High School football teams, High School and Grade School basketball teams, Grade School teachers, Members of the GAR, Rotarians' sons, Rotarians' daughters, college students, High School Rotarians for the month, Grade and High School scholars, Boy Scouts and various farmer groups. Intercity meetings were frequently held with the neighboring Rotary clubs at Oblong, Newton, Casey, Marshall, Mt. Carmel, and Lawrenceville. Joint meetings were often held with the Lions Clubs in Palestine and Robinson, and the Robinson Kiwanis Club. Athletic contests including soft ball, baseball, and bowling were held now and then with these same clubs of other organizations such as the high school senior boys--all for entertainment or to promote good fellowship.

It is usually customary for Rotarians to assist in local projects as individuals and not as a club; but on various occasions the club has sponsored or helped sponsor various projects. Among these were: the Scotch Highlanders Band in 1925 and 1927; the Boy Scouts in 1926, 7, and 8; the Hobby Fair in 1926 and 27; Christmas parties for the children in conjunction with the Lincoln Theater; Halloween parties annually in conjunction with Rotarian Lynn Root; the Institute of Understanding in 1940; the Elk's Crippled Children Fund for many years; the Youth Recreation Center; the Marine Band in 1947; the Safety Lane in 1948; scotch-lite tape for children's bicycles; and the Little League Ball teams in 1954, 55, and 56. Almost since its existence the club has sponsored the annual Robinson high school football awards dinner at which time noted athletic directors, coaches, or players from Illinois and Indiana colleges and universities highlight the programs. The largest such banquet with over 550 attending was held in the new gymnasium at the high school in 1945 with Governor Dwight Green of Illinois as the guest speaker.

The club celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special dinner at the Woodworth Hotel on November 7, 1934, with President O. V. Redding presiding with all former Rotarians as guests. Visitors present were B. E. Heath, "Gus" Apgar, T. B. Steele, Fred Lathrop, Lorin Brigham, "Buddy" Winteringer, Fred Endsley, "Rol" Evans, "Doc" Allen, and W. L. Johnson. Fred Mills read articles from back issues of the Argus on the founding of the club.

The 25th Anniversary was celebrated with a banquet at the First Methodist Church with the Rotaryanns and former presidents as guests at 6:30 p.m. November 8, 1949, with President Hanby Jones presiding. Charter Members present were: Heath, Hamilton, Hummel, Lewis, Mills, and McCarty. Past Presidents L. S. Heath, Mills, Goff, Singleton, Hamilton, Hewitt, Boyd, Kopta, Hammer, V. L. Heath, R. M. Wright, McKamy, Olds,, and Guyer were also present. L. S. Heath told of the early organization of the club. Fred Mills reviewed the activities of the club and its members. A. J. Goff presented the club with a Rotary bell on behalf of the past presidents. Past District Governor L. Clarke Grandfield gave the principal address. A four-tier birthday cake decorated with a Rotary emblem and twenty-five candles topped off the evening's festivities.

In 1951 the Robinson club with Paul Norris its president played host to the 40 clubs in district #215 for their annual conference. Dan Proctor was the Principal speaker at the banquet at the high school gymnasium culminating the business sessions. An informal dance and get together at the Crawford County Country Club ended the two days of activities.

Rotary International's Golden Anniversary was celebrated by the Robinson club with a dinner at the American Legion Home March 3, 1955, with President Jack Brown presiding and the Rotaryanns as guests. The program consisted of an elaborate pageant directed by Rotaryann Maxine Zwermann depicting the early years of Rotary both International and local. This history was presented in a series of scenes of pantomine accompanied by narrators Hanby Jones and "Bob" Bonham. Over thirty persons participated in the various scenes.

Charter member Henry "Bake" Hummel was appointed song leader of the local club in 1925, a position that he has ably held since that time. He has also been called upon to lead the singing at assemblies and conferences held throughout the district. He has been ably assisted at the piano by Rotarian Fred Roslyn, daughter of Agnes Hummel Skidmore, Rotarian "Al" Gerber, Rotaryann Helen Grandfield, and Rotarian "Hap" Fleming.

In the first 31 years of its existence the club has grown from a membership of 25 to 66 with over 185 (Chart 2) prominent persons having been members at one time or another. Its members have been invaluable to the growth and prosperity of the community.

Chart 1

 

This page last updated on March 18, 2022.

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