Selfless Service: The Legacy of the Rotary Club

by Syble Solomon

The Rotary Club’s core values ​​are service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. Since the Rotary Club of Hamilton was founded in 1938, members have lived these values ​​by focusing on uniting people for the common good and empowering young people to carry on their mission. Over time, projects have adapted and expanded to meet the changing needs of the community, providing new opportunities for young people to become responsible leaders and global citizens.

In the past, Hamilton Rotary has partnered with other organizations, businesses and government entities to enhance their ability to create positive change. In the early years, when the country was still recovering from the Great Depression, early projects focused on infrastructure and solving social problems. One of the club’s first major projects was the construction of Blodgett Rotary Park for day use on the river. This fostered a sense of community pride and togetherness. Over the years, Rotary members continue to maintain the park with cleanups, mowing grass, installing fire pits and renewing picnic tables.

They have also worked with the Hamilton School District, Bitterroot Health, and other nonprofits. Notable projects include starting the Hamilton Community Food Bank and helping to build the bandshell and Canyon Hideaway playground in Driscoll Park. They currently support the Backpack Project, which provides meals to students on weekends, and are working with Elks Lodge 1651 to provide dictionaries to every third-grader in the county.

Hamilton Rotarians have always focused on youth to encourage leadership, education and community service. Dozens of Corvallis High School students have participated in the Interact program through service projects. Each year, these students can be seen cleaning up along Highway 93 in Victor, collecting household paper products and feminine hygiene products for SAFE at supermarkets, conducting food drives and ringing doorbells at stores during the holidays to raise money for others. When Interact members want to initiate other service projects, Rotarians encourage and support them.

One way to promote leadership training is to allow six 10th grade students from a local high school to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Camp in Livingston. The camp brings students from across the state together and teaches leadership skills, allows them to connect with their peers, and provides them with the opportunity to learn from community leaders. They learn how to work together to solve local and global challenges and how to take a leadership role in promoting service projects in their school and community.

Awarding scholarships to high school graduates is a long-standing tradition of the Hamilton Rotary Club. Currently, six $1,500 scholarships are offered to attend vocational schools, certification programs or college. In keeping with the Rotary Club’s tradition of addressing the challenges and needs in the health field, several of these scholarships are specifically designed for graduates interested in a wide range of health-related fields, from counseling, phlebotomy and paramedics to nursing and physicians. Additionally, two $500 scholarships are offered in memory of Robert Leonardi. In keeping with his mission, service to others is an important criterion for scholarship eligibility.

Rotary International’s main focuses are promoting peace, fighting disease, and providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene worldwide. High school students can take advantage of international programs coordinated and run by Rotary clubs around the world. Dr. Mark Jergens, a long-time local Rotarian, praises these programs for youth, saying, “These opportunities teach high school students that the world is different out there. They become better citizens and leaders, and appreciate their own country in a different way.”

Students are encouraged and supported to be exchange students themselves and to host students from other countries. Rotary is so committed to international experiences that they also help coordinate with clubs in other countries to provide experiences and learning opportunities for individual students with specific interests.

A recent highlight of the international project was a group of students from Corvallis traveling to Guatemala to host Rotary members and work on a project to provide clean drinking water, washing water and sanitation. This year, the students raised $1,600 to support another water project in Guatemala.

Adults involved in these international programs work with youth and also have their own programs. In fact, the Rotary district governor recently addressed members and said, “After having the opportunity to visit Guatemala this year and seeing the impact of many of our international projects related to clean water and sanitation, I urge you to consider getting involved in an international project. We are currently forming small club alliances to complete smaller, low-cost international projects quickly and efficiently.”

The Rotary Club of Hamilton has always embodied its motto: “Service Above Self.” Through its diverse projects, community partnerships, and global initiatives, it has made a lasting impact on the lives of countless people. As the club continues to grow and evolve, it remains committed to collaborating on local and international projects for the common good and promoting peace and understanding through youth leadership, service, and learning opportunities.

For more information about membership and to meet others involved in local and international service and youth leadership, call (406) 363-2400. Rotary meets Mondays at noon at BJ’s Restaurant and features informative speakers from the Bitterroot Valley.