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2014 SESSION

14104748D
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 36
Offered February 14, 2014
Commending the Stuart Rotary Club.
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Patron-- Stanley
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WHEREAS, the Stuart Rotary Club was created through sponsorships by existing Rotary Clubs in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, and presented its charter, Rotary International Charter Number 4885, on December 19, 1938, in Patrick County; and

WHEREAS, the Stuart Rotary Club remained active during the Great Depression of the 1930s and accelerated its formal activities in the late 1940s and early 1950s during the recovery following World War II; and

WHEREAS, charter members of the Stuart Rotary Club included prominent citizens, trailblazers, and community leaders of Patrick County, such as Robert L. Clark, who represented Patrick County in the Virginia House of Delegates; and

WHEREAS, today’s Rotarians are a diverse group of business and professional leaders and active adults from Patrick County, who work together and are actively involved in the community to facilitate the well-being of county citizens; and

WHEREAS, after World War II, returning veterans were instrumental in renewing and establishing community events and activities in the county, such as the “Fast and Furious” softball games between the Stuart Rotary Club and the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department to support the polio drive; the Patrick County Fair, the club’s most successful project; and Boy Scout Troop Number 65, which was initially sponsored by Stuart Methodist Church and Stuart Baptist Church until the Stuart Rotary Club assumed sponsorship in 1941 and is today the county’s oldest troop continuously operating under the same sponsor; and

WHEREAS, members of the Stuart Rotary Club led in the development of other community projects, including the R. J. Reynolds Patrick County Memorial Hospital, Patrick County Library and Historical Museum, Blue Ridge Mountain Car Show, Patrick County Music Association, Patrick County Education Foundation, Dan River Canoe Races, Patrick County Antiques Festival, Connie Mack baseball, Christmas parades, horse shows, fiddler’s conventions, travelogues, GED graduation ceremonies, and fundraising campaigns for other deserving projects; and

WHEREAS, despite economic downturns, the Stuart Rotary Club has continued to serve the citizens of Patrick County by providing medical care, food, and basic necessities through the Caring Hearts Free Clinic and Patrick County Food Bank, working with the Patrick County Ministerial Association to provide backpacks to needy students at Blue Ridge Elementary School, refurbishing a hospice room at the local hospital, and continuing to support the Boy Scout troop and the GED adult education graduation program; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, members of the Stuart Rotary Club partnered with teachers at Patrick High School to prepare students for job interviews and established a Student Loan and Scholarship Foundation as a nonprofit organization to help Patrick County students pursue higher education; and

WHEREAS, the Stuart Rotary Club sponsored a chartered Rotary Club in Floyd County in June 2007 and has continued its dedicated work and noteworthy efforts to enhance the quality of life in the community and internationally through civic and global organizations to address hunger, women’s rights, inadequate medical care and clean water, and disaster relief; and

WHEREAS, for 75 years, the Stuart Rotary Club has lived up to its motto, “Service above Self,” through its dedication to community service, hard work, and generosity; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Stuart Rotary Club hereby be commended on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James Allen, treasurer of the Stuart Rotary Club, as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and appreciation for the club’s service to the citizens of Patrick County and the Commonwealth.