COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STILLWATER, MINNESOTA ROTARY CLUB; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 196
(Extensions of Remarks - December 09, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STILLWATER, MINNESOTA ROTARY
CLUB
_____
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Monday, December 9, 2019
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the centennial
anniversary of the Stillwater, Minnesota Rotary Club. Since its
founding in 1919, Stillwater Rotary Club has actively advanced the
mission of Rotary International by providing service to others,
promoting integrity, and fostering world understanding, goodwill, and
peace through fellowship of business, professional, and community
leaders.
Stillwater Rotary Club was begun just 14 years after Rotary
International was founded by Chicago attorney Paul Harris in 1905.
Community leaders in Stillwater shared a desire to serve their
community in fellowship with one another, and so joined together to
begin the Stillwater Rotary Club. At the time, most Rotary Clubs were
located in larger cities, but following World War I, as smaller
communities like Stillwater returned to normal, they sought to refocus
to improve their communities. Stillwater's club charter was sponsored
by the St. Paul and Minneapolis clubs, and was formally presented to
the Stillwater club on September 26, 1919. Today the club has over 60
members from diverse personal and professional backgrounds and are a
part of the larger community of 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide.
Throughout their 100 years, the Stillwater Rotary Club has become a
prominent community organization as it has chartered new clubs in the
area, supported numerous local and international charities, and
completed many community service projects. From its earliest years, the
club made great contributions to the community, demonstrating the
Rotary motto of ``Service Above Self''. The Stillwater Club sponsored
the creation of a bathhouse at Lily Lake Beach, a barge terminal in
Stillwater, a tourist camp on the Saint Croix River, and a Scout cabin
on Big Marine Lake. In 1927 their seven-year project of lighting Main
Street in Stillwater came to fruition; a major accomplishment for the
club. They also sponsored the founding of the Washington County
Historical Society in 1934, a non-profit educational institution that
remains active today with the mission to collect, preserve, and
disseminate the vibrant history of Washington County and the greater
State of Minnesota.
Today, Kathleen Elbert leads the Stillwater Rotary Club and the
organization continues to be a leader in service. Their annual Taste of
the Valley event raises funds for non-profit organizations like the
American Cancer Society and the Boy Scouts of America, as well as local
groups including Stillwater Area High School and the St. Croix Valley
Learning Center. The club also takes on international service endeavors
through their sponsorship of a hospital in Tanzania, construction of
roads in Guatemala, and support of Rotary International's efforts to
eradicate polio worldwide among other initiatives.
Rotarians worldwide utilize an ethical guide called the Four-Way Test
which asks the following questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all
concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be
beneficial to all concerned? These questions are especially prescient
today. Stillwater Rotarians have served their community for a century
in agreement with these principles, setting an example for all of us to
remember to be truthful, to be fair, to build goodwill and grow in our
friendships, and to live our lives in service for others. Madam
Speaker, please join me in recognizing the members of the Stillwater
Rotary Club on its 100 years of serving the community.
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