Chuck Nuckles

August 2, 2011

Chuck Nuckles wants people to "share the passion we have for Rotary."

The new membership chair encouraged members of the Putnam club today to be involved. "Everybody join together," he said. "Do something! That's where it starts."

Club president Bob Keely chimed in, "There are 34,000 Rotary clubs in the world and each club is different."One club has an initiation fee of $50,000," he added. "But, that's not ours."

Nuckles is making a formal survey of membership to look at ways to harness the special interests and abilities represented in the club.

The heart of the Putnam club has been in its community service projects. "That's where we work together to make a better place to live," said Nuckles.

A recent initiate into Rotary, he himself took part in several club activities before making a formal pledge of "Service Above Self."

The first major project of the Putnam club was renovation of an old church camp off North Poplar Fork road.

Operated by the Tri-County YMCA, that facility is now in operation as Camp High Tor. Putnam Rotary later led a drive to build a bath house for the camp swimming pool.

The club also played a major role in construction of a Habitat for Humanity home on Rocky Step road. Rotarian Elaine Rader will be serving on Habitat's advisory committee, and Rotarian Glen Gibbs has signed up a dozen volunteers for Habitat's next project in Putnam.

Attending the weekly luncheon meeting today were (left to right) Rotarian Denise Springer, her guest Leslee Shaffer (Broadmore community relations director), Ryan Wheeler (Terradon Corporation marketing director), and his host Rotarian Joe Haynes.

Among the international projects undertaken by Putnam Rotary are those providing aid to an orphanage/school in Uganda. In addition to personal gifts for books and supplies by club members, the club has giving funds for food and shelter, and clean water for the Divine Secondary School near Entebbe.

Weekly Rotary luncheons provide a place for fellowship, information and networking. But the real opportunities, Nuckles told the group, are in the many opportunities to roll up the sleeves and work together to improve the quality of life.

"Get involved," Nuckles said. "Are you just a club member -- or are you a Rotarian?"