Terry McVay
Terry McVay, president 1988-89, spoke next. His sponsor was Ken Noble. It was Bob Cline who persuaded him to be president. His first year highlight was the Chicken BBQ, and he remarked it was a lot of work to get that all set up! They typically made $1500-$2000 a year, at that time.
Terry also did Junior Achievement. Tom Carter was the economics teacher at the high school at the time, so Terry got his class. Terry said, “I think Tom really enjoyed it, because once the class got started, he was gone!”
Terry learned a lot over the years. But his wife kept asking him, “Why Rotary—it’s all old people?” But Terry fit right in.
Terry’s year was the year Rotary started accepting women as members. Ken Donnelly said it used to be known as ‘the Old Man’s Club and Your Dads.”
Roger Benge
Roger Benge was the president 1988-89, and his sponsor was Lewis Morrison. This was the first year selling turkey tenderloins at the Fair stand. LeRoy Crook had the recipe for the marinade. The Knoxville Rotary somehow got hold the recipe, and still serves it at their racetrack today!
Roger spoke of Emily Cline, who the club sponsored for county Fair queen. She won and went on to become State Fair queen. So, the members said to themselves, ‘well, it worked once, why not try again?’ A member knew a gal who worked in the high school principal’s office. The Rotary men went to her and asked, ‘who should be Fair queen?’ She replied that Bonnie Riggan should. Bonnie went on to win the county Fair queen, and finished high at state.
So, then they tried a third time. The committee decided to sponsor a local waitress. And she too became Muscatine County Fair queen!
By the time Roger became president, he had been in the club for ten years. There’d been grumbles among the members about long time Rotary member and local businessman Vic Schweer, the club’s treasurer. Vic was what Roger called a ‘protector’ of the treasury. Board members would ask if there was any money to do such and such a project. The board had never received any financial statements. So, Roger went to the bank and talked to fellow Rotarian Bob Cline, who gave him a figure.
At the next meeting, Roger brought the info to the meeting. Schweer said he still did not have a statement.
So again, Roger went to speak with Bob Cline at the bank. Roger got a copy of the statement and delivered it to the membership. And he told the group at the next meeting if there were any further problems, they could ‘now go argue with Bob Cline.’
So, in Roger’s time, financial statements were established. The board simply needed more control. Members felt good about it, and things took off after that.
Roger mentioned that Vic also served as secretary for a year, and he wrote his notes on a paper napkin.
Ken Donnelly
Ken Donnelly was president 2004-05 and 2006-06. 2005 was the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. Joe Sexton, then the elementary school principal, approached Ken about joining Rotary. Ken’s dad was a member of the Lions and the Elks. Ken felt a little strange, he joked, joining a group that wasn’t an animal! Nevertheless, Rotary sounded pretty good to him, and he joined.
Ken compiled a 16-page supplement for the Index about the 100th anniversary. Since that time, Ken has written biographies on all past presidents starting from 1924 on and has collected photos of all past presidents.
One of the highlights of Ken’s Rotary experience was laying a wreath on the grave of Rotary founder Paul Harris, in Blue Island, Ill. He did so with Audrey Allen. The wreath was made at Jan’s Flower Yard in West Liberty. It’s likely the West Liberty club is the only one in the world who has done this.
During Ken’s time as president, books and dictionaries were donated to the schools, and the Fair parade in 2005 had three floats (a 1924 Ford, a hay rack with Rotary wheels, and a convertible for the Queen of Rotary). Also, the first Latino night was held and sponsored by Rotary. Ken recalls Rotary giving daffodils from Jan’s Flower Yard to people in the community with cancer in their family. Rotary did a month delivering Meals on Wheels. And on Valentines Day, they held a party for their spouses.
The National Honor Society had a fancy dinner in the basement of the United Methodist Church, Ken shared. Lions and Rotary went together to put it on.
Mary Pat Brooke a/k/a Mrs. Quilt made quilts for back-to-back GALAS.
Rotary gave scholarships to high school seniors in Ken’s years amounting to $2200. The recipients were Jessica Kelly, Michael Owen, Chuy Lira, and Allison Kordick.
During Ken’s time as president, Rebaz Shamsadeen, a young Kurdish boy living in northern Iraq, came into the picture, and he brought out the very best in the Rotarians! Rebaz had been examined by Medic Sgt. Corey Johnston of West Liberty when it was discovered he had a hole in his heart, a genetic defect.
This could be corrected by surgery routinely performed at UIHC in Iowa City. So, seeking help for the boy, Corey turned to the West Liberty Rotary Club. The club in turn shared the news with the Iowa City club. Iowa City’s past District Governor Herb Wilson promoted the need for help with great passion! Through Rotary’s efforts, a doctor (who coincidentally was a Rotarian) would perform the surgery pro bono, and housing would be available in the area for Rebaz and his father.
However, funds were still needed for transportation costs to the US and for their hospital stay. That’s when Rotary stepped forward and a number of area clubs, West Liberty and Iowa City included, contributed $14,000+.
On Dec. 30, 2005, Rebaz and his father arrived at O’Hare Airport, and Corey’s mother, Cindy Yerington, was there to meet them. They stayed at the Yeringtons in West Liberty while here. The surgery was successful, and the boy is alive today because of Rotary.
During Rebaz’s time here in the community, Ken Donnelly took him and his dad to a mosque one weekend. Afterwards, they went to McDonalds for lunch. The young boy could only eat half his sandwich and asked his father to wrap it up for him to take home. Rebaz came from a place where food was not as accessible as here in the US, and he would never throw food away.
The West Liberty club had helped charter the Wellman Rotary club in 1939. During Ken’s time as president, the club members wanted to meet up and touch base with one another, so West Liberty chartered a local school bus and headed to Murphy’s Bar and Grill in Riverside. There both clubs enjoyed fellowship and champagne toasts.
Ken spoke fondly of Jim Carey, another past president who was unable to attend the dinner, who received an extra special award that Ken will always remember. Jim and Tom Brooke were both given a ‘Hero of the Fair’ award.
Jim Carey’s father and grandfather were also Rotary members. The Careys hold the distinction of being the only three generation family in the club’s history.