The Century Club
We were pleased and honored to have District Governor Mary Keely and husband Bob join us for the inauguration of the Century Club on March 29, 2011.
The Century Club is the idea of Don Rice, who is responsible for doing all that was necessary to organize it and determine the members that qualified for this very special group.
To qualify for membership a Rotarian's combined age and number of years in Rotary must total 100 or more, and 18 of our members met that standard.
Two of those members recently passed away as the Century Club was being organized, Ed Elliott and Dick Wood, and Al Modena acknowledged their participation and read resolutions detailing their lives both as Rotarians and members of our community.
DG Mary congratulated our club for this special way of acknowledging the service of those Rotarians being inducted into the Century Club, and cited "the power of one" in associating its formation to the idea that Paul Harris had when he created the first Rotary Club back in 1905, an idea that changed the world. "My wish is that through the power of one and this new Century Club, that you will also change the world with this recognition," she said.
John Beckett conducted the induction, DG Mary congratulated each inductee and presented them with a certificate, assisted by Membership Chair Mike Snider.
John offered some insight into the term "century," and told us that among the charter members of the Century Club the least number of years of membership is 14 and the most was 63; the total number of years of Rotary service of all charter members is 718; and the average number of years of Rotary membership is 40.
He also noted some members who passed away several years ago who would have qualified: Bev Blalock, Primo Delgado, Bill Harvey, Jim Laws, Jeff Norconk, Ray Ratliff, Marvin Rogers, Alvin Platnick, Robert Richardson.
Members inducted into the Century Club and their Century Number, pictured left to right above, are:
Norris Kantor - 128
Scott Shott - 129
Denos Demopoulos - 120
Al Modena - 111
Jay Rodgen - 154
Tyler Easley - 150
Glen Buchannan - 110
Bea Paine - 103
Don Rice - 106
Genie Hancock - 102
Puck Kiser - 126
Jim Paine - 101
Charles Peters - 101
Not pictured:
Paul Cole - 123
Jim Godwin - 146
Jack McGhee - 127
Recently deceased:
Ed Elliott - 126
Dick Wood - 149
Congratulations to these fine Rotarians for their service to their community and their dedication to Bluefield Rotary.