With spring bursting upon the Mid-Ohio valley, there is an associated spirit of renewal that envelopes us all as we once again tend to our gardens, spruce up around the house, engage in spring cleaning and in general prepare to be outdoor people again.
As Rotarians, spring also reminds us that while we have the freedom to go shopping, make frequent visits to the grocery store, head to the beach and otherwise enjoy our lives, such is not the case for so many around the world.
Too many people, especially those in developing countries, are not guaranteed their next meal. They are also subject to disease while not benefitting from the medical care that we enjoy.
So, it makes us especially proud that through a global effort over 20 years that has put Rotary International out front, polio has nearly been wiped off the face of the earth.
But lest you think that Rotary’s good deeds are restricted to third world nations, you should also know that we Rotarians are also doing things every day to enrich the lives of those who live, work and play in our community.
One such program in which Rotarians are very involved is one that most parents of young school aged children are keenly aware – Safetytown.
While this program was not developed first in Marietta, the Marietta program has proven to be a model for many other communities, both near and far.
When Rotarians Sam Cook (former CEO of Broughton Foods and Washington County Commissioner) and Dr. Eugene Plummer were living in Upper Arlington (just outside of Columbus) back in the mid-70s, they jointly became aware of a Safetytown program being used by the local school system. Dr. Plummer immediately saw the benefits that such a safety education program could bring to young children. A few years later, in 1978, the first Safetytown was introduced in Marietta.
Three teachers taught the program which is geared to 5-year old students and they used the national program as their guide. The morning sessions served about 100 students that first year. Soon, the program grew as more and more parents appreciated the importance of the program as well as appreciating the cost (zero to the parents).
Cheryl Cook, Principal of Harmar Elementary School, took the helm as teacher/instructional director in 1979. The program grew to require four teachers in the second year as the size of the classes doubled to 200 students in just one year!
“I visited a program in Zanesville in those early years to make sure we were doing things right,” noted Cheryl Cook. “The program started initially focusing on pedestrian and fire safety but quickly grew to include many new topics including water safety, personal safety, play safety, safety around the house and neighborhood, safety with animals and much more.”
“It seems that almost every year, we add new topics to the program to make sure it is relevant to the ever-changing world we live in. Safety concerns today can be very different from safety concerns in 1978,” continued Ms. Cook.
An important outgrowth of the program is that it has become an essential part of these young students’ lives as proven by the fact that many middle and high school students come back to volunteer. As the popularity of the program grew, other surrounding communities expressed an interest in duplicating what Marietta had done. As a result, Sam Cook and Cheryl met with organizers of other communities including Belpre, Warren, Beverly/Waterford, St. Mary’s and others to share the curriculum that has proven to be so successful in Marietta.
The Noon Rotary Club provides 100% of the funding for the project through Club donations, by soliciting generous donors and by establishing the Marietta Rotary Foundation. The Noon Club members volunteer throughout the year, but are especially busy during the nine days of Safetytown setting up and taking down the “town,” serving snacks, helping with presentations and answering the call to any need that is required.
Colleen Cook, the daughter of Safetytown founder Sam Cook says, “My father would be so proud that after 42 years and over 7,000 students, we continue to provide important safety lessons to five and six year olds. It is hard to quantify how many accidents we have prevented or how many lives we may have saved.”
Want to know how you can meet exceptional people doing exceptional things and “putting service above self”? Contact Marietta Noon Rotary and join us free of charge for an upcoming meeting.
As Rotarians, spring also reminds us that while we have the freedom to go shopping, make frequent visits to the grocery store, head to the beach and otherwise enjoy our lives, such is not the case for so many around the world.
Too many people, especially those in developing countries, are not guaranteed their next meal. They are also subject to disease while not benefitting from the medical care that we enjoy.
So, it makes us especially proud that through a global effort over 20 years that has put Rotary International out front, polio has nearly been wiped off the face of the earth.
But lest you think that Rotary’s good deeds are restricted to third world nations, you should also know that we Rotarians are also doing things every day to enrich the lives of those who live, work and play in our community.
One such program in which Rotarians are very involved is one that most parents of young school aged children are keenly aware – Safetytown.
While this program was not developed first in Marietta, the Marietta program has proven to be a model for many other communities, both near and far.
When Rotarians Sam Cook (former CEO of Broughton Foods and Washington County Commissioner) and Dr. Eugene Plummer were living in Upper Arlington (just outside of Columbus) back in the mid-70s, they jointly became aware of a Safetytown program being used by the local school system. Dr. Plummer immediately saw the benefits that such a safety education program could bring to young children. A few years later, in 1978, the first Safetytown was introduced in Marietta.
Three teachers taught the program which is geared to 5-year old students and they used the national program as their guide. The morning sessions served about 100 students that first year. Soon, the program grew as more and more parents appreciated the importance of the program as well as appreciating the cost (zero to the parents).
Cheryl Cook, Principal of Harmar Elementary School, took the helm as teacher/instructional director in 1979. The program grew to require four teachers in the second year as the size of the classes doubled to 200 students in just one year!
“I visited a program in Zanesville in those early years to make sure we were doing things right,” noted Cheryl Cook. “The program started initially focusing on pedestrian and fire safety but quickly grew to include many new topics including water safety, personal safety, play safety, safety around the house and neighborhood, safety with animals and much more.”
“It seems that almost every year, we add new topics to the program to make sure it is relevant to the ever-changing world we live in. Safety concerns today can be very different from safety concerns in 1978,” continued Ms. Cook.
An important outgrowth of the program is that it has become an essential part of these young students’ lives as proven by the fact that many middle and high school students come back to volunteer. As the popularity of the program grew, other surrounding communities expressed an interest in duplicating what Marietta had done. As a result, Sam Cook and Cheryl met with organizers of other communities including Belpre, Warren, Beverly/Waterford, St. Mary’s and others to share the curriculum that has proven to be so successful in Marietta.
The Noon Rotary Club provides 100% of the funding for the project through Club donations, by soliciting generous donors and by establishing the Marietta Rotary Foundation. The Noon Club members volunteer throughout the year, but are especially busy during the nine days of Safetytown setting up and taking down the “town,” serving snacks, helping with presentations and answering the call to any need that is required.
Colleen Cook, the daughter of Safetytown founder Sam Cook says, “My father would be so proud that after 42 years and over 7,000 students, we continue to provide important safety lessons to five and six year olds. It is hard to quantify how many accidents we have prevented or how many lives we may have saved.”
Want to know how you can meet exceptional people doing exceptional things and “putting service above self”? Contact Marietta Noon Rotary and join us free of charge for an upcoming meeting.
We'd like to to tell you about Rotary, both locally where we make an impact right here in Marietta and globally where we work to improve the lives of people in places we may never visit.
Rotary Club of Marietta does so much for our community. It’s an exciting opportunity for people to realize both service and personal growth.
Almost everyone has heard of Rotary, but unless you are a Rotarian or know someone who is, you may wonder, “What is Rotary anyway?” Rotary is a non-political and non-sectarian international organization of 1.2 million professional and business leaders who gather to advance good will and peace through service around the world.
Ethics are important in Rotary and symbolized by the Four Way Test we recite at every meeting:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
High standards are critical to Rotarians in their personal, professional and community lives.
Service is key. Our motto is “Service Above Self”, and we mean it.
Fellowship is a big benefit to Rotary membership. One makes new friends, learns about success and challenges in our mid-Ohio valley, and works with people of all ages and experience both in and outside of regular meetings. There are no political, gender, color or religious barriers. We meet on common ground for the better good.
Clubs are the basic unit of the International Rotary organization. In the mid-Ohio valley, we have four clubs, and Rotary Club of Marietta is the largest and second oldest. Our ninety members meet every Thursday at noon for lunch and a program at the Lafayette Hotel.
What does Rotary Club of Marietta do for our community? I bet you know about some of these activities: Safetytown for unique safety education of area 5-year-olds, book giveaways and promoting children’s literacy, blue historical markers near Marietta oldest sites, the largest area secondary education (college and trades) scholarship program for area high school seniors, and co-sponsorship of the new teen Interact club at Marietta High School. We also sponsor youth and young business professional international exchanges. These are just some of the highlights of our club’s year.
What about Rotary International? Rotary Club of Marietta is proud to be part of a big global network that provides humanitarian service and advances peace and goodwill. Our largest program today is PolioPlus, an initiative that has nearly eradicated the scourge of paralyzing polio around the world. We have worked for 30 years and given more than a billion dollars and countless volunteer hours to get so very close to our goal.
Rotary International also: runs eight international centers for the study of peace and conflict resolution; sponsors youth international exchange programs; funds local clean water, housing, food, education and health projects in developing countries everywhere. We have been proud to see personally our gold Rotary wheel logo in such diverse locations as a village well in India, an eye clinic in Nepal, a bicycle transport company in Cambodia, a school for AIDS orphans in South Africa.
Rotary is an incredible opportunity for personal growth, fellowship and service. If you would like information on how to join us, call 740/350-2323. We would love to tell you more.
Almost everyone has heard of Rotary, but unless you are a Rotarian or know someone who is, you may wonder, “What is Rotary anyway?” Rotary is a non-political and non-sectarian international organization of 1.2 million professional and business leaders who gather to advance good will and peace through service around the world.
Ethics are important in Rotary and symbolized by the Four Way Test we recite at every meeting:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
High standards are critical to Rotarians in their personal, professional and community lives.
Service is key. Our motto is “Service Above Self”, and we mean it.
Fellowship is a big benefit to Rotary membership. One makes new friends, learns about success and challenges in our mid-Ohio valley, and works with people of all ages and experience both in and outside of regular meetings. There are no political, gender, color or religious barriers. We meet on common ground for the better good.
Clubs are the basic unit of the International Rotary organization. In the mid-Ohio valley, we have four clubs, and Rotary Club of Marietta is the largest and second oldest. Our ninety members meet every Thursday at noon for lunch and a program at the Lafayette Hotel.
What does Rotary Club of Marietta do for our community? I bet you know about some of these activities: Safetytown for unique safety education of area 5-year-olds, book giveaways and promoting children’s literacy, blue historical markers near Marietta oldest sites, the largest area secondary education (college and trades) scholarship program for area high school seniors, and co-sponsorship of the new teen Interact club at Marietta High School. We also sponsor youth and young business professional international exchanges. These are just some of the highlights of our club’s year.
What about Rotary International? Rotary Club of Marietta is proud to be part of a big global network that provides humanitarian service and advances peace and goodwill. Our largest program today is PolioPlus, an initiative that has nearly eradicated the scourge of paralyzing polio around the world. We have worked for 30 years and given more than a billion dollars and countless volunteer hours to get so very close to our goal.
Rotary International also: runs eight international centers for the study of peace and conflict resolution; sponsors youth international exchange programs; funds local clean water, housing, food, education and health projects in developing countries everywhere. We have been proud to see personally our gold Rotary wheel logo in such diverse locations as a village well in India, an eye clinic in Nepal, a bicycle transport company in Cambodia, a school for AIDS orphans in South Africa.
Rotary is an incredible opportunity for personal growth, fellowship and service. If you would like information on how to join us, call 740/350-2323. We would love to tell you more.
In honor of Veteran’s Day, we would like to thank our fellow Rotarians, who served in the United States military, for their years of dedication and service. These brave men wore their colors proud, no matter where or when they served, or what their duty was. Each of them was part of a whole and were essential.
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Back Row: (Left to Right) Dennis Cook, Flite Friemann, Larry Hall, Ken Morrison, Doug Robinson, Jim Addison, Sheriff Larry Mincks Sr.
Front Row: (Left to Right) Mark Kerenyi, Bob Kirkbride, Russ Reid, Jim Starner, Peter Prigge
Not pictured: Bob Bann, Don Davis, Marty Hansell, Jim Mills, Mike Rutherford, Carlos Smith and Bill White
Randy Davies, District Governor of Rotary District 6690, visits the Rotary Club of Marietta. Pictured below is Randy, along with his wife Kristi, Club President Tom Perry and President-Elect Heather Allender.
Local Advertising firm, OffWhite, along with Marietta College students took on the challenge of giving the long standing Safetytown program a new look for the upcoming year. The Rotary Club of Marietta would like to thank everyone for their hard work!
Eric Erb, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Marietta Community Foundation, announces a matching grant opportunity for the Rotary Community Bus Stop Project.
Rotary Club of Marietta is committed to its motto of "Service above Self" and its service to the community. The Rotary Club of Marietta will be renovating the community bus top on second street this year. The bus stop is used by many people in our community and is truly an asset to downtown.
The Marietta Community Foundation has stepped up and agreed to match, dollar for dollar, funds raised for this project up to $10,000! We will keep you posted on the details!
