Rotary Club of West Bend - Noon

Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Some of these early projects included, securing a larger and more suitable building for the city Post Office and the sponsoring of a number of International Institutes of Understanding, during which speakers focused on

the world outside West Bend. West Bend Rotary has a long history of supporting youth. Supporting the Badger Boys and Girls State program, supporting Career Days at the high school; World Affairs Seminars; Business World, a program of student-business interaction; weekly student guests from the high schools and the university center; and active involvement in student exchange programs through the RI and Group Study Exchange. West Bend Rotary also sponsored Boy Scout Troop 21, Sea Scout Ship 141 and currently is sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop at the Threshold. In 1984, the club set up the Rotary Waterways Foundation to secure selected land parcels suitable for addition to the West Bend and Washington County park systems. To date, the Waterways Foundation has been instrumental in securing additions to Ridge Run Park and other park lands. The club underwrote the first Riverwalk Project from Regner Park to Washington Street. It now reaches beyond Highway G and recently expanded to Barton. These efforts were made using both private and government resources. In 1972, the club began honoring fellow members with honorary Paul Harris Fellowships, named in honor of Rotary’s founder. The Fellowships are awarded to members in recognition of their contributions to the club and community. The funds are donated to the Rotary Foundation by the club itself. To date, 72 individuals have been so honored as Honorary Paul Harris Fellows. Seafood Fest began in 1991 and is held in Regner Park. The proceeds from this 3 day festival primarily fund the Waterways Foundation. Throughout the years, our club and its members have striven to exemplify Service above Self through individual, group and financial support for a wide variety of local and international projects. Through our membership in the ever growing fellowship of Rotary International, the opportunities for service also continue to grow. Today service organizations and clubs are reinventing themselves for the next generation of community leaders. The Rotary Club of West Bend has made changes to our meeting times and locations in an effort to accommodate more members. Meetings will alternate between noon and 5PM. Noon meetings are held at the Top of the Ridge Restaurant while evening meetings will be mobile. This allows for maximum attendance for all as well as it gives Rotarians and opportunity to explore different venues and businesses in the community.