Rotary Club marks 90th year in Laconia

LACONIA — The Laconia Rotary Club marked its 90th anniversary Thursday night at the Beane Conference Center with a celebration of its many years of service to the community.

Cub president Pat Anderson said that the club was formed at a meeting at the Laconia Tavern on March 20, 1925, and was the first Rotary club in the Lakes Region, formed just 20 years after the first Rotary Club was formed in Chicago in 1905.

She noted that the club had been honored to host Rotary founder Paul Harris in 1944 and had played a role in helping Wolfeboro form its own Rotary Club just two years after the Laconia club was founded.

She said that she had learned a lot of the club's history by reading through the archives of the club, including its original charter documents, which were on display at the gathering.

Among the founding members were well-known local businessmen such as Oscar Lougee, George Prescott, E. Harrison Merrill, George P. Munsey, Charles St. Clair and Arthur Clough.

One of the founders was a United States Congressman from Laconia, Fletcher Hale, who served from 1925 until his death in 1931 during his fourth term and was chairman of the Laconia Board of Education for seven years from 1918-25.

That pattern of community service and public service has been one of the hallmarks of the Laconia Rotary Club according to Laconia Mayor Ed Engler, featured speaker of the evening, who has been a member of the local club for 15 years.

Speaking on behalf of all residents of the city, he said Laconia is grateful for Rotary Park next to the Belknap Mill, Rotary Hall at the Public Library and the club's generous support for youth sports and college scholarships.

''We are grateful for the people, that individuals and the families over the decades have stepped up again and again,'' said Engler, who pointed out five men who are still active in the club who served as president 25 or more years ago, led by Charlie Stafford, who was the leader in 1978. Others mentioned included Abe Dadian (1979), Tom Volpe (1981), Dennis Ackerman (1986) and Rep. Don Flanders (1988).

He said that there was a core of hard workers within the club who had not sought leadership positions but whose work was invaluable, including Spencer Brody, George Tyler, Dave Clark and Larry Guild.

Dadian, who served as master of ceremonies and displayed his skills as a stand-up comic throughout, said that when he joined the club in 1970 he was the youngest member and that now, at the age of 80, is the fifth oldest. He said that the oldest member of the club at present is Dr. Dave Cleasby, who is 90, followed by Don Beane, who is 87 and joked about Beane's uncanny success at winning the club's weekly 50-50 raffle drawings.

Joanne Cormier, head of the Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation, said that Rotary has been supporter of the organization for 60 years and contributed over $332,000 for scholarships.

Library Director Randy Brough said that when he first took the job in 2001 he was advised by Bob Selig, a club member and a library trustee, that he should join the Rotary Club.

''The library was in bad shape and after the city agreed to fund a renovation and expansion there was a $1 million fund drive,'' said Brough, who pointed out that the Laconia Kiwanis Club was among the first to donate, chipping in with $50,000, which prompted the Rotary Club to donate $75,000.

He said that over the years Rotary Hall at the library has hosted between 1,000 and 2,000 meetings and is a great addition to the library.

Long-time Rotary Club member Warren Clement read a letter from the Laconia Little League, thanking Rotary for its 64 years of sponsorship. He said that after the club built a bandstand for what would become Rotary Park in 1996 that Belknap Mill Director and club member Mary Boswell said that it couldn't just be located in the middle of the parking lot.

Clement said that led to creation of Rotary Park, which came as the result of $210,000 in donations of cash, material and labor.

''It's been a wonderful addition to the downtown,'' said Clement.

A comical interlude featuring a ''Casey at the Bat'' skit was followed by a slide presentation of photos of clubs members as children, bringing the evening to a close.