Rotary Came to Lapeer In 1924

Enoch “Tom” White’s vision of what the Rotary organization could do for the community resulted in the formation of a Lapeer Rotary Club on March 15, 1924.

The first meeting was held at the former First National Bank on March 10, 1924. The club was officially admitted to Rotary International as Club Number 1673 on March 15, 1924. Flint Rotary was the sponsoring club for this new member of the Rotary family. I.B. Gilbert of Flint and District Governor Paul King of Detroit helped in the organization. For 17 years this was the only service club in Lapeer.

There were 17 Charter Members. Dr. Harley A. Haynes, then medical superintendent of the Lapeer State Home, was elected first president. Dr. Haynes moved to Ann Arbor and on September 9, 1924, Enoch “Tom” White became president, serving until July 1926.

On November 18, 1924 Lapeer was host to the first inter-city meeting with Flint, Port Huron, Marine City, St. Clair and Mt. Clemens attending.

The main projects of the club for many years were helping crippled children and the welfare of boys. The club was divided into teams that went “north, south, east and west” in the community to find crippled individuals and bring them to a clinic on December 9, 1926. Harry S. Evans was in charge of this project. Specialists from University Hospital examined 58 children on that date at the Lapeer State Home. Later, the state took over the work with crippled children. This is in keeping with the objectives of Rotary to find projects, get them organized and then letting them carry on, leaving Rotary free to move to a new project.

1940's

At the end of World War II, with all the GI’s coming home, we gave a donation to the Legion Memorial Building Fund to help get their new Legion Building started.

Lapeer Rotary Club members were among the first to see that Lapeer needed a new hospital and were one of the main forces in seeing that it came about. Rotary donated $2,000 to furnish a room in the hospital. Lapeer hospital was one of the few at that time in the United States that let both MD’s and DO’s practice medicine together.

Shortly after the war, we sponsored an air show at the Lapeer Airport that made over $1700. This money was used to move the 4-H barns from Annrook Park to the Lapeer County Center Building property. During these years we sponsored young men to Boys State and helped send Boy Scouts to the Klondike Derby. Yearly contributions were made to the Scouting movement.

Many other donations included: Red Cross project for soldiers, blankets purchased for polio victims, helped a child with heart trouble, bought a wig for a handicapped child and helped buy football uniforms for Attica High School. Rotary also helped sponsor the Bloodmobile program. We also helped underprivileged children, through the Friend of the Court, to receive clothing and toys. For many years the club sponsored a Christmas party for retarded children. Harry Myers, a charter member of our club, started the Lapeer Vocational Fund which helped many people in Lapeer County train themselves for better jobs.

The Barrett Hotel in downtown Lapeer was the meeting place for Rotary for many years. A favorite song at each meeting was “Home on the Range.” After the Legion Memorial Building was built, meetings were held there until 1971 when we moved to the Center Building.

1950's

In 1953 we hosted the district assembly for incoming officers of District 633. It was about this time that we bought an eye testing machine for the Lapeer Schools and helped buy a new score board for the football field. This was also the year that our club sent representatives to the United Nations at Hillsdale. 

Over the years, our Club has contributed to the creation and improvement of a number of Lapeer’s parks. In the mid-1950s, Rotarians personally cleaned up the area that is now Audubon Park in addition to donating equipment to make the park a neighborhood playground. Our club was also responsible for funding the construction of two separate pavilions at Cramton Park. The club also contributed funds for the establishment and improvement of Rotary Park which is located on the east side of the downtown area. Looking ahead from now through 2001, our club has committed to funding significant improvements to the playground equipment at Audubon Park to enhance its safety.

In 1959 we sponsored a Mills Bros. Circus and made $900 for the crippled children fund. That year we helped a medical missionary in the Congo. Around this time, our major source of revenue was a Steer project. Tickets were sold for about six weeks prior to a drawing in which the winner received one of Lapeer County’s finest steers. This project helped raise thousands of dollars that directly benefited many people in our community.

Major fundraising sources in the 1980s included: working a concession stand in the Pontiac Silverdome and the Palace of Auburn Hills during Piston’s basketball games; and a hot dog booth at Lapeer Days. In recent years our major fund raising events have been the cruise raffle and our Pot ‘O Gold dinner and raffle.

We have always been interested in the youth of our community. In past years we have helped many 4-H students start projects and we have contributed to Little League Baseball Funds. It was also with the support of Rotary that the Teen Club, “Frayed End” got off the ground. Frank White, a past president, was the instigator of the “Seminar For Tomorrow’s Leaders.” This is a two day program held at the University of Ontario in which students learn and further develop leadership skills. This year marks the 38th year that this seminar has been held. Our club sponsors 6 high school students each year. We also sponsor one student from each of the two high schools to attend the “World Affairs Seminar” held at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Our club also participates in the International Youth Exchange for both inbound and outbound students. For several years we have given either $1,000 scholarships or computer systems to graduating seniors at each of the two high schools.

We have had the privilege of sponsoring seven new clubs including: Caro, Imlay City, North Branch, Otter Lake, Vassar, Mayville and Columbiaville. Unfortunately, the clubs in Otter Lake, North Branch and Mayville have shut down. Our club also helped financially in starting several clubs in Ontario including: Lions Head, Strathroy and Point Edward.

Outstanding District Governors from Lapeer have been Louis C. Cramton, 1942-1943; Herbert Baird, 1954-55; and Clarence L. Bolander, 1968-69. An interesting fact is that five of our community schools are named for Rotarians: E. T. White Junior High, H. B. Zemmer Junior High, E. E. Irwin Elementary, Cramton Elementary, and Schickler Elementary.  Additionally, all of the superintendents of the Lapeer school system since 1924 have been members of the club: E. E. Irwin, Clyde Schickler, Edward Lynch, John W. McCauley and Barry Schoenholz.

Along with all of the members of Rotary International, the Lapeer Club has contributed significantly to the worldwide Polio Plus effort. This has been a thirteen year Rotary Foundation project to eliminate polio in the world. Among the fundraisers that the club used to raise some of the millions that have been contributed worldwide was a Prison Lockdown. This was held at the Thumb Correctional Facility prior to its opening in 1987.

Earl Bennington started an idea for a public outdoor swimming pool in 1952. This became a club project. In 1971 we bought the land now known as Rowden Park for $15,000. This started the drive for a swimming pool with Rotary donating $7,000 to the pool fund. This became a community project that was taken over by members of the many service organizations in Lapeer. It was originally headed by Rotarian Jack Gardner. This project finally became the City of Lapeer Community Recreation Center. Our club provided the funding for the construction of the sand volleyball courts located there.

Other projects that our club has sponsored in recent years include: the downtown clock located in front of the old courthouse on the corner of Nepessing and Court Streets; the land contract payoff for the Lapeer Area Citizens Against Domestic Abuse safe-house; and contributions for the addition to the library. Since 1991, our club has participated in the Highway Cleanup Program. Several times a year, our members volunteer their time to help cleanup a section of I-69 in Lapeer.

This year our club has agreed to be the sponsor for the 9th annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 outdoor basketball tournament. This event will draw between 750 and 1,000 teams to Lapeer in July for a weekend of street basketball.

21st Century

Continuing with major fund raising events like the Gus Macker, Pot-o-Gold, Golf Outings, and others, the club was priveledged once again to be the home club of the District 6330 Governor - Robert Thomas (2002-03).

We celebrated Rotary's 100th Anniversary by having an International Conference in Chicago. There were over 50,000 Rotarians from 170 countries represented. We said goodbye to the first Century of Service as we look forward to a New Century of Success.