Helping celebrate the 12th year of Putnam Rotary are (l to r) Past District Governor Keith Blankenship, Dr, Bill Ellis, and Bob Carpenter.

Putnam Rotary marks twelve years of service, fellowship

April 24, 2007

Twelve years ago there was a problem when the new group of business leaders in Putnam County applied for a charter from Rotary International.

There were fifty-four people listed on the application, said Bob Carpenter. "There was only room for thirty-six names on the charter plaque."

When all the red tape had been cut through and brushed aside, the charter was formally presented at a dinner meeting on Tuesday, May 16, 1995.

Today Putnam Rotarians celebrated twelve years of service and fellowship during their luncheon meeting at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and listened as Bob Carpenter recounted their history.

"This was one of the roughest clubs I ever tried to get started," he told the group.

He had met Bill Ellis at a funeral home visitation on the previous December 30th and began talking "Rotary."

"Six people showed up for our first meeting at Dwight's Restaurant in Hurricane," he said. "David Williams and Bob O'Dell said they didn't need another club to sell popcorn and candy."

Carpenter explained that "Rotary works from the ground up. You make of it what you want, and run it the way you want.

"Don't even get into projects your first year," he advised them. "Let your meetings be your project. Give community leaders a platform."

There were twelve people at the next meeting.

On the twelve-year mark today, in addition to Bob Carpenter, Putnam Rotarians heard from charter member Bill Ellis, Sam Sentelle, charter member Don Broyles, Jackie Chaney, Chet Marshall, and Bob Keely.

Author, lecturer Chet Marshall delivered a "Rotrary version" of The Dash poem (Linda Ellis, 1996). "What matters with our club," said Marshall, is not the beginning or the end. What matters is what we do from day to day -- to embrace 'service above self,' to consider what remains to be done, 'to add value to others.'"

Past District Governor Keith Blankenship from the Matewan Rotary said he had been recruited into Rotary by Bill Ellis.

"Rotary always looks for the most handsome men and the most beautiful women," Ellis quipped. "But leadership is more important than fellowship."

Prior to his induction into Rotary as a charter member, Ellis had been active in another civic club for some thirty-seven years.