| The Rotary Club of Catawba Valley was officially begun on March 17, 1982 with a dinner meeting at the White Pine Restaurant in Conover. The sponsoring club was the Newton-Conover Club and the driving force behind the new club was Dr. John Sinnett. The RCCV was a dinner club, meeting on Thursday nights at 6:30 PM and began with 22 members.
Charter members were:
David Autry
Larry Bowman
Joe Chandler
Brad Church
Fran Davis
Kent Drum
Buzz Eaves
Harry Hight | * Brant Hoots
Ken Hovis
Gerald Kiser
Sydney Lathrop
Skip Laye
Harold Lynch
Richard Power | Bud Richards
Bobby Robinson
Kip Robinson
Don Rudisill
Hamp Shuford
* Everette Simmons
Robert Whitson | Bold designation signifies charter members still active in the club
* Honorary Members
The RCCV met for dinner at various locations from the White Pine Restaurant and the Catawba Country Club, before becoming a Thursday morning club in 1987. The first breakfast location was the Park Plaza Hotel in Conover, before moving to Trinity UCC Church in Conover, the Conover Town Hall, Rock Barn Country Club and finally to our present location at the Catawba Country Club beginning in September of 2007. Present membership is 54 as of July 2007.
The club has produced 47 Paul Harris Fellows, numerous Paul Harris Sustaining Members, and 16 Benefactors.
Members have served beyond the club in District Offices with Gary Corne, Hamp Shuford and Bill Shillito serving as District Governors of District 7670 and Renee Beringer and Joyce Spencer serving as Lieutenant Governor and Assistant Governor.
Annually the RCCV presents three scholarships (The Don Rudisill Scholarship, The Glenn Barger Scholarship, and the Everette Simmons Scholarship. Also an annual Vocational Service Award is presented to a local citizen who has shown exemplary ethical standards in employment.
Well over 50 organizations have received financial grants from the club over the past several years amounting to more than $100,000 principally raised from the proceeds of our annual auction, held in early February of each year.
The RCCV sponsors the Interact Club at Bunker Hill and Maiden High School, sends high school students on exchange programs with our sister club in Altenburg, Germany, hosts GSE Teams from all over the world, contributes to disaster funds around the world, and is growing as a club in both numbers and service.
You are invited to attend our club meetings as a guest of a member or as a Rotarian at the Catawba Country Club each Thursday morning at 7 AM. You might check the Event Calendar for more specific plans and programs.
The Rotary Club of Catawba Valley celebrated its 26th Anniversary on March 17, 2008. |