History | High-Lights | Officers, Directors & Committee Chairs | Past Presidents | Charter Members

High-Lights from the Past

• World War II Years - There were 3 secretaries in one year because of member losses to the military. Under President E. Ray King (1944) the club announced a bond and stamp sale (appears the bonds and stamps were sold at meetings) to raise funds for an evacuation hospital. Although the goal was $65,000 the club raised a total of $101,200.50. Members of the Concord Rotary established a cigarette for soldiers’ fund. They also endorsed a Salvation Army effort to erect a Christmas tree for service men and a Red Cross request for Christmas gifts for convalescing soldiers in the hospital at Camp Sutton. Members supplied donations and Rotary Anns supplied the gift packages.
  
• The first female member was Cathy Combs who was admitted on October 19, 1988. Margaret Moses was the second female who entered on March 8, 1989. Two women have served as presidents – Susan Smith and Dianne Honeycutt.
• Dave Austell had 60 years of perfect attendance and Alan Graves had 48 years. A number of members have had 15, 20, and 30 years of perfect attendance including C. E. Furr, Guy Beaver, Jack Airheart, and Steve Medlin.
• Attendance enticements during the years have included drawing a members name out of the hat for a free meal at the end of the meeting, offering rides to the meetings, and encouraging members to attend.
• President Clark Irvin presented the idea of printing a weekly club bulletin and suggested the name Rotary Cog. Purnie Purnell was editor for 40 years and Tom Dillard is continuing that tradition having served as editor for () years.
• Under President Joe Davis more farmers and families were invited to Rotary to promote closer ties between the rural and urban community.
• President Vernon Youngblood established a committee led by Les Myers for the sole purpose of livening up meetings, provide socialization, and have fun. Today the social committee continues this charge.
• On September 2, 1975 the Club drafted a resolution in favor of the city county school merger. At a special call meeting the next day, President Wall read from Article 9 Section 1 of the By Laws indicating a Rotary Club shall not express an opinion on any pending controversial public measure and the motion was rescinded.
• Secured first name badges for members in 1985 under the leadership of President Wallace Early.
• On October 20, 1995 President Joe Hunter’s board voted to hold a raffle each week to raise money for the Rotary Foundation ($1 per ticket or 6 for $5). This was in violation of the law in place at that time.