Rotary of Wheeling Marks 100 Years

FROM: Wheeling News-Register: WHEELING (May 3, 2015) – The Wheeling Rotary is now 100 years old, and members will be blowing out birthday candles throughout the month of May during a series of scheduled events.

The Wheeling Rotary formed May 1, 1915 – about 10 years after the Rotary International organization was established, according to the Rev. Darrell Cummings, who serves as the current president of the Wheeling Rotary. The local group is believed to be the oldest Rotary organization in West Virginia, and the largest at 136 members.

While many service organizations are experiencing difficulty maintaining membership, that is not the case with the Wheeling Rotary, Cummings said.

“We can’t complain,” he said. “We have some great members, and this past year we led the state in our number of new members. This is due to the membership, its leadership and the involvement of the organization in the community. We have a great history, though there have definitely been some lean years and some challenges.

“There sure has been a struggle, and now there has been a revival. People are finding out they do better when they work together, rather than as a Lone Ranger on their own.”

Wheeling Rotary members participate in such programs as reading to students in local schools, and raising money for the Seeing Hand Association of Wheeling. This year, members plan to embark on a program to beautify the city and “flower bomb” areas of Wheeling.

“These activities attract people,” Cummings said.

The celebration starts noon on Tuesday, when members will honor their oldest serving member, Dr. Alan Fawcett, who hasn’t missed a weekly Rotary meeting in 67 years. Cummings said even when Fawcett was hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic, his wife assisted him in leaving the hospital briefly so he could attend a Rotary meeting close by and maintain his perfect attendance.