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Rotary Club of Wayne

Serving the community for 100 years-and counting

By Courtney Conover
One chance encounter has the
power to change everything.
The Wayne Rotary experienced
this principle firsthand. In fact, the
story of this club’s establishment is
so serendipitous that one might find
it unbelievable if it weren’t true…
It all started in the fall of 1919
when a select group of Wayne busi-
nessmen were invited to a meeting
held over dinner at the city’s original
Roosevelt School. What evolved from
that meeting would come to be
known as the Wayne Noon Lunch
Club, a civic group of approximately
25 men who—from the very begin-
ning—had the intentions of improv-
ing Wayne. The first of their many
efforts would be the construction of
a swimming pool located in the vicin-
ity of where Wayne Memorial High
School sits today.
And here’s something else the
men did right off the bat: They set
their sights on one day becoming a
Rotary Club. And they did everything Rotary Club of Wayne celebrate 100 years of community service. Photo by James Gietzen
by the book to ensure that it would ing of the sort as far as Alberts was And if one needed further proof tion Initiative, Rotary has reduced
eventually happen, including adher- concerned: He was scheduled to at- of Rotary’s rightful place on the polio cases by 99.9 percent since its
ing to Rotary International rules tend the next Rotary International world’s stage, there’s this: Rotary is first project to vaccinate children in
while conducting their meetings. Fi- convention in Edinburgh, Scotland, the only non-governmental organiza- the Philippines in 1979.
nally, the men applied for Rotary and would offer a resolution to tion with a seat in the United Na- This year, Wayne Rotary cele-
membership. change that pesky population rule. tions. In fact, Rotary and the United brates 100 years of service.
And this is precisely where the And so, Alberts attended the Nations have a shared history of And, in keeping with Rotary Inter-
chance encounter comes into play. 1921 convention, presented his res- working toward peace and address- national, Wayne Rotary has taken ac-
The next year—in 1920—a man olution, and in January 1922, the ing humanitarian issues around the tion to bring about change right here
by the name of Allen Alberts spoke Wayne Rotary Club became the first world, and every year the United Na- at home.
at a chautauqua here in Wayne. (If club in a town with a population of tions hosts Rotary Day at the United For starters, the strides Wayne
you’re not familiar with the word less than five thousand. Nations during which the organiza- Rotary has made to improve literacy
chautauqua, no need to google it; it’s The rest is history. tion’s vision for peace is celebrated in this area are unparalleled. This is
an annual educational meeting.) Ad- Really remarkable history. and highlighted. due in part to the synergy between
ditionally, Alberts was invited to Today, Rotary International is a Rotary International has seven Wayne Rotary and the Wayne Public
break bread with members of the humanitarian service organization of primary areas of focus: to promote Library, particularly in the mid-
Wayne Noon Lunch Club. business and professional leaders peace, provide clean water, sanita- 1990s, when Lois VanStipdonk
Alberts was quite impressed by who provide community service, pro- tion, and hygiene, save mothers and served as a bridge between the two.
the club, and this is particularly rel- mote integrity, and advance goodwill, children, support education, grow She was both a member of Wayne
evant because he was no ordinary peace, and understanding in the local economies, protect the environ- Rotary and the director of the library
guy—it’s worth noting that Alberts world. Membership into this organi- ment, and fight disease–most no- at the time.
was a former president of Rotary In- zation, which is non-political and tably, polio. Rotary has been working That relationship continues
ternational. non-religious, is by invitation and for many years to end polio disease today.
And Alberts felt that the Wayne based on various social factors. in the world. Polio, or poliomyelitis, “We have a speaker at every one
Noon Lunch Club should indeed be- According to the Rotary Interna- is a paralyzing and potentially deadly of our meetings, and a book that re-
come a Rotary Club. tional website, this organization con- infectious disease that most com- lates to the talk given by the speaker
But there was just one problem: nects 1.4 million members monly affects children under the age is selected by the Wayne Public Li-
Towns like Wayne with a population worldwide, clocks approximately 47 of five. The virus spreads from per- brary,” explains John VanStipdonk,
of less than five thousand weren’t el- million volunteer hours each year, son to person, typically through con- husband of Lois, who is also a Wayne
igible. and funded $333 million worth of taminated water, and can then attack Rotarian. “That book is then signed
What appeared to have been a sustainable projects—just in 2021 the nervous system. As a founding
major roadblock, however, was noth- alone. partner of the Global Polio Eradica- See Rotary, page 4
The Wayne Dispatch · August 2022 · 3