A special delegation from the Seward Rotary Club and Seward area attended the recent York Rotary Club Centennial Celebration Gala at the York Holthus Center. Attending from Seward Rotary were Seward Rotary Past Presidents Russ Sommerfeld and Ken Schmieding, along with State Senator Mark Kolterman of Seward and Jessica Kolterman, also a Rotarian from Lincoln South Rotary.
Russ was introduced and spoke on the connection between the two clubs, as the York Rotary Club was the official sponsor of the Seward Rotary Club in 1925! He presented a ceremonial tree to the York Rotary Club with the pledge of a special ceremonial tree to be planted in one of the appropriate York City parks.
A special delegation from the Seward Rotary Club and Seward area attended the recent York Rotary Club Centennial Celebration Gala at the York Holthus Center. Attending from Seward Rotary were Seward Rotary Past Presidents Russ Sommerfeld and Ken Schmieding, along with State Senator Mark Kolterman of Seward and Jessica Kolterman, also a Rotarian from Lincoln South Rotary.
Russ was introduced and spoke on the connection between the two clubs, as the York Rotary Club was the official sponsor of the Seward Rotary Club in 1925! He presented a ceremonial tree to the York Rotary Club with the pledge of a special ceremonial tree to be planted in one of the appropriate York City parks.
Accepting the tree was the York Rotary President, Ben Dennis, the York County Attorney. Sommerfeld pointed out that the York Club could select the type of tree and location and a delegation from the Seward Club would come to York and plant it. The York Rotary leadership said they would select the hottest day in August for planting!
Sommerfeld pointed out details from the 1925 news story from the Seward Library's archives in the presentation.
April 1, 1925, Blue Valley Blade:
“Rotary Club Organized Here”
“A group of York Rotarians came to Seward last Wednesday to meet some Seward business men at a banquet at the Windsor Hotel [TB: where Jones Bank is now located] to organize a Rotary Club.”
“The York Rotarians brought their singers along and the music was a feature of the pleasant affair.”
“T.H. Wake was elected president of the Seward Rotary Club organized that evening. J.J. Thomas was elected Vice-president, and Judge Paul Bek, Secretary-treasurer. The board of directors consists of the following men: Ray Roberts, Dr. Lee, Burdette Boyes, J.J. Thomas, Will Ramsel and T.H. Wake. The Rotary is a service club and although two thousand of them flourish in the United States, they are little known in Seward where clubs and churches are thicker than blue berries in the New England states.”
State Senator, Mark Kolterman, of Seward, representing the 24th District of the Nebraska Legislature, also spoke on the long history of “Service Above Self” with regard to the York Rotary Club. Seward Rotarian and Seward County Commissioner, Ken Schmieding attended the centennial event this year and presented a tree on behalf of the Seward Rotary at the York Rotary’s 75th Anniversary twenty-five years ago, with Seward Rotarians Clark Kolterman and Shelia Beins.