Our Club was chartered on November 2, 1977 through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Saint John and several local businessmen. Two of the charter members of our Club are here today - Harley Geldart and Gerry Randall.
What has Rotary done in Sussex since 1977? In its early years, the Club formed and operated a Boys and Girls Club. The Rotary Club of Sussex has strongly supported Camp Rotary at Grand Lake by building a landing dock, a wharf and a new cabin at the Camp. Each year, we continue to send local children with physical and mental challenges to Camp Rotary for a camp experience that they would not otherwise have the chance to enjoy.
In 1983, the Club helped to form the Rotary Club of Hampton and we have three Rotarians from that Club here today.
Since 1984, the Club has purchased more than $50,000 of musical instruments for the elementary school band program, and in the past two years we have invested more than $12,000 of additional funds in this very important program.
In the 11 years since 1993, our Club has spent over $60,000 to provide winter outerwear for local area elementary school children through our "Coats for Kids" project.
In the community, Rotary was a major funding partner in the building of this community centre - now known as Jubilee Hall. We also purchased the shelves for the new Sussex Public Library, which was built in 1997. Local area walking enthusiasts can cross the bridges we built along the walking trail in Sussex Corner, and connecting O'Connell Park to Magnolia Avenue. At present, both Crosswinds and Portage Cassidy Lake are driving vans made possible by Rotary.
Not all Rotary projects involve huge donations. Over the years we have provided local students with scholarships, assistance to attend leadership and youth conferences, and we have hosted exchange students from a number of countries. We have also hosted young professionals from around the world as part of Rotary's Group Study Exchange program.
We have extended ourselves beyond our community by sponsoring international humanitarian projects. In 2002 we partnered with a Rotary Club in South Africa to help drill a well to supply water to a rural elementary school in South Africa. We saw the impact of this project up close when Kevin & Ann Kilfoil, Gloria Wynter and I visited that school in South Africa. We had the opportunity to witness how our Rotary Club had truly changed lives for the better. To see first hand the children who now had access to clean water at school was something I know I will always remember.
The Rotary Club of Sussex has benefited from the leadership of many fine individuals who have served as Club President. I would ask that the following Rotary Club of Sussex Club presidents stand as I read their names:
Club President:
1981-82 Gerry Randall
1983-84 Harley Geldart
1985-86 Jim Wynter - Jim's wife Gloria is here today
1989-90 Bob Kimball
1991-92 Murray McGibbon
1995-96 George Akerley
1999-0 Kevin Kilfoil
2000-01 Greg West
2003-04 Frank Skaling
2004-05 Kathy Cole
And I would certainly be remiss if I didn't at this time recognize Bob Black who served as our Club Treasurer for many years, and our Club Secretary for something like 17 years - Tom Snowden.
While I know that none of us will be here to eat birthday cake on February 23, 2105, I am confident that Rotarians somewhere in Sussex will be celebrating the beginning of the 3rd Century of Rotary Service around the world. I would like to now introduce our Club President Kathy Cole for some closing remarks.
Keri Walker,
PHF & Past President
2001 - 2003
1977 The Rotary Club of Sussex received its charter on November 2, 1977 under President Hazen Hogg.
1978 The Club started the Boys and Girls Club of Sussex.
1981 The Club purchased a sound system and roller blades for the Boys and Girls Club of Sussex.
1982 Sussex Rotarians built a landing dock at Camp Rotary on Grand Lake.
1983 The Club sponsored the charter of the Rotary Club of Hampton.
1984 The Club purchased instruments for the elementary school band program. Over $50,000 of instruments were purchased.
1985 The Club built a wharf at Camp Rotary. The Club also hosted its first high school Youth Exchange Student - Laura from Mexico.
1991 The Club hosted high school Youth Exchange Student Jose from Mexico.
1992 "Camp Sussex", a new cabin at Camp Rotary, was built at a cost of $27,000.
1993 The Club started "Coats for Kids" - a biannual project which supplies new winter outerwear for local elementary school students.
1994 The Club donated $30,000 to finish the community building at Princess Louise Park.
1997 The Club built the Trout Creek Walking Bridge at a cost of $10,000, and donated $45,000 for the purchase of shelves for the new Sussex Public Library.
1998 The Club purchased blue boxes for recycling in Sussex.
1999 The Club purchased a van for use at the Portage Center at Cassidy Lake. A grant of $15,000 US was received from the Rotary Foundation, which was used to purchase winter outerwear for local elementary school students. Rodrigos from Mexico was our high school Youth Exchange student.
2000 The Club invested $15,000 in the proposed Sussex Wellness Center project.
2002 The Club purchased a van for Crosswinds. The Club also built a footbridge on the Sussex Corner walking trail system at a cost of $4,300, and purchased chess sets for use at Sussex High School. The Club worked with another Rotary Club in South Africa to drill a well and supply water to a rural elementary school in South Africa. This project was visited by two Sussex Rotarians in September 2002.
2003 The Club invested $9,300 to continue the band program at local elementary schools.
2004 The Club planted a Rotary emblem flower garden at O'Connell Park.
2005 The Club was Incorporated under the guidance of Rotarian Andrew Palmer, and applied for Charitable status.
Ralph Carr, Mayor of the Town of Sussex, proclaimed February 23, 2005, as Rotary International Day in the Town of Sussex, and encouraged all citizens to join him in recognizing Rotary International for 100 years of service to improving the human condition in local communities around the world. (Click to see Proclamation.)
Did you Know facts
DID YOU KNOW...
The Rotary Club of Sussex received $21,000 in 1999 from the Rotary Foundation to provide winter clothing for needy children in our area. Between 1997 and 2004 our Coats for Kids program has provided over $52,000 to help local children.
The Rotary Club of Sussex donated $45,000 to purchase the bookshelves for the new Sussex Public Library.
The footbridges connecting Magnolia Avenue and OConnell Park, and on the Sussex Corner walking trail were built by the Rotary Club of Sussex.
Each year the local Rotary Club sends children with mental and physical challenges to Camp Rotary for a summer program.
The Rotary Club of Sussex has purchased vans for use by the Portage Center at Cassidy Lake and by Crosswinds.
Each year the Rotary Club of Sussex spends over $2,000 to help local high school students further their education.
DID YOU KNOW...
The local Rotary Club has hosted exchange participants from India, Brazil, South Africa, Tasmania, Mexico and many other countries.
Local Rotarians built the dock and one of the cabins at Camp Rotary on Grand Lake. These facilities are used each year by hundreds of people from all around the Maritimes.
The Rotary Club of Sussex purchased a defibrillator for the Sussex Health Centre and contributed towards the purchase of a mammography unit.
Local Rotarians helped to develop the Peace Park at the corner of Main Street and Queen Street.
Instruments for the elementary school band program were purchased by the Rotary Club of Sussex.
The local Rotary Club made a substantial financial contribution towards the Community Centre building in Princess Louise Park.
DID YOU KNOW...
There are 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide in over 31,000 clubs in 166 countries.
Rotary was the first service club in the world, founded in 1905.
Since 1985 Rotary has contributed over $378 million U.S. to Polio Plus and has vaccinated over two billion children. Polio Plus is on target to announce the eradication of polio from the world in 2005.
Easter Seals was first started by a single Rotary Club in Toledo, Ohio.
Each year Rotary clubs sponsor more than 7,000 high school students on exchange programs all over the world.
The first Rotary Club outside the USA was formed in Winnipeg in 1910.
Since the Rotary Foundation was started in 1947, more than $1.382 billion U.S. has been spent on humanitarian, educational and cultural