York Rotary Club History

The York Rotary Club #453 of District 5650 was chartered on February 6, 1919.

Melvin O. McLaughlin is credited with being the organizing spirit of the York Club. At his request, a few Yorkites met with members of the downtown Lincoln Rotary Club at the McCloud Hotel in York. The 21 charter members included: Joe Alden, newspaper publisher; Walter C. Baer, furniture; W. G. Boyer, druggist; James B. Ettel, grocer; A. W. Graham, superintendent of schools; W. A. Harrison, trees and shrubs; W. L. Kirkpatrick, lawyer; W. V. McCartney, flour milling; C. A. McCloud, banker; M. O. McLaughlin, York College president; Dennis Meehan, shoes; J. M. Meradith, dentist; A. A. Metz; funeral director; O. M. Moore, surgeon; W. J. McConnell, restaurant; W. M. Overstreet, automobiles; J. A. Parks, trees and shrubs; Raymond Woodrum, secretary, Chamber of Commerce; W. H. Read, dry goods, and George W. Shreck, real estate. Dr. O. M. Moore was elected the York Rotary Club’s first president. J.A. Parks, a nationally known music composer, was appointed song leader. They met for luncheons on Thursdays at the McCloud Hotel.

During the term of Paul Geis in 1961, the Rotary Club bought the Knights of Pythias camp southeast of York. Rotary members could enjoy the camp while charitable clubs and church groups were allowed to use the camp at no charge. The camp has since been sold.

In 1972, during Erwin Klein’s presidency, the club began the “Travel and Adventure Film” series. Six films were shown each year and money earned from them was used for Rotary Scholarships. While we no longer sponsor the film series, each year the club presents scholarships to four York High School students.

In 1985, during the term of Harold Rosenau, the club sold cornhusker football tickets and the proceeds were donated to the York Public Library.

During the term of Jack Kidder in 1987, the York Rotary Club gave a donation of $13,264 to PolioPlus in the effort to eradicate polio worldwide.

Women were allowed to join Rotary in 1987, and on June 24, 1987 the York Rotary club inducted eight women, including Alice Brouilette, Sue Brown, Jean Underwood, Helen Jameson, Freddy Oglesby, Sally Ruben, Jean Thiele and D Weber.

Throughout the history of the York Club, we have been active in international Youth Exchange programs and have donated monetary as well as equipment contributions to areas with natural disasters and other needs. Clothing and other items were collected and taken to North Dakota after a flood in 1997, money was sent to another country after an earthquake. Clothing and other items were delivered to a Rotary Club in Mexico by Roger Burgess in 1999. In 2001, school supplies were mailed to a needs area in Bolivia. In 2003, money was donated to a village in South America to help rebuild a community soccer field that was damage by an earthquake.

We have welcomed Group Study Exchange Groups from south America and Austrailia. We have hosted students from all over the world and have sent students to study in Sweden, German, South Africa, Hungary and other countries.

The York Club remains an active part of the community of York by serving up spaghetti at our annual Spaghetti Feed, helping with the Postal Food pickup for the local Food Pantry; picking up trash along highway 81 for the Adopt-A-Highway program, and providing scholarships and recognition for area high school students. The York Club exemplifies the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.

YORK ROTARY CLUB PAST PRESIDENTS

1919 O.M. MOORE 1964 LOREN HOGAN

1920 J.G. ALDEN 1965 DICK CALLAHAN

1921 A.A. METZ 1966 LEONARD VAVRINA

1922 ELMER EMHOFF 1967 HARRY GRANT

1923 E.H. SMITH 1968 GORDON FILLMAN

1924 W.H. READ 1969 LAVERNE PATERSON

1925 C.E. ASHCRAFT 1970 HARLAN HEIER

1926 CHARLES HILDEBRAND 1971 T. GAYLE NAPIER

1927 GEORGE HOLDEMAN 1972 ERWIN KLEIN

1928 CONRAD JACOBSON 1973 CHARLES KERMOADE

1929 PETER MEEHAN 1974 C.G. KELLY HOLTHUS

1930 DEXTER KING 1975 KENNETH WRIGHT

1931 J.R. MCCLOUD 1976 STAN HARTMAN

1932 E.A. LEVITT 1977 RICH ZULKOSKI

1933 E.H. BEMIS 1978 JOHN MORAN

1934 ROBERT E. HARRY 1979 HOWARD HARRIS

1935 WILLIAM STEWART 1980 NORVIN PEARCE

1936 W.L. KIRKPATRICK 1981 DICK ROBSON

1937 V.J. MORGAN 1982 PAUL TOMS

1938 G.H.GILLAN 1983 FELIX VONDRACEK

1939 BEN GREENBERG 1984 DON GILLAN

1940 E.W. WILTSE 1985 HAROLD ROSENAU

1941 J.H. WRIGHT 1986 DEAN RICHARDSON

1942 E.L. MAISTER 1987 JACK KIDDER

1943 CHARLES BISSETT 1988 BRAD BARROWS

1944 F.C. MIDDLEBROOK 1989 ROGER BURGESS

1945 T.R. MCNICKLE 1990 GARY MCDANIEL

1946 CHARLES BRADWELL 1991 SALLY RUBEN

1947 ROSCOE HITCHCOCK 1992 JOHN MUNN

1948 JOHN DOUGHERTY 1993 HAROLD KOENEKE

1949 HAROLD BOEHNER 1994 JOE MCCLUSKEY

1950 WILLIS STOVER 1995 MARK BROUILLETTE

1951 LEWIS FOWLS 1996 DUANE BIRT

1952 JOHN HILDER 1997 D WEBER

1953 PETE FRANDSEN 1998 SCOTT KOCH

1954 JAY SHAFFER 1999 DAN COLLIN

1955 J.N. SMITH 2000 STEVE DAY

1956 CHARLES H. BAER 2001 JULIE SCHELKOPF

1957 RICHARD FREEMAN 2002 CRAIG VINCENT

1958 RUSSELL SMITH 2003 TERRY KENEALY

1959 STERLING NELSON 2004 JOHN DALE

1960 TED PERLMAN 2005 KARLA OTT

1961 PAUL GEIS 2006 JACK VAVRA

1962 WILLIAM EDELEN

1963 MILO DIER