FARMINGTON — “An anniversary is a landmark, but is not a destination,” said Farmington Rotary member Paul Mills last Thursday as the club came together to celebrate its 90th anniversary at Mt. Blue Campus.
After scrumptious potluck dinner with all kinds of breads, pastas, cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods, the gathering retired to the Bjorn Auditorium for a brief glance at the history of Rotary. All the past presidents present were asked to introduce themselves. They included Tom Sawyer, 2013-14; Mike Moffitt, 1984; Doug Ibarguen, 1998-99; Bill Marceau, 2000-01; Al Feather, 2008-09; Pauline Rodrigue, 2011-12; Paul Mills, 2006-07; Adrian Harris, 2004-05; and Bill Hanaford, 1975-76.
Sally Dyer is the current president. Rotary member Glenn Kapiloff, who is president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, presented Dyer with an appreciation award from the chamber thanking her for her work.
A video slideshow put together by Lisa Laflin showed all of the different Rotary activities and people involved with the club. The Early Act, Next Act, Impact, Interact, and Rotaract clubs got together on stage for a photo and to talk about all of the different things they do to help the community.
Rotarian Paul Mills presented an overview of the club’s history. “It’s so inspiring to have so many younger people integrated into this organization tonight,” he said.
The Farmington Rotary started in 1925 with 19 charter members. Its first president, Myron Hamer, the Principal of Farmington High School, was only 26 when he was named to the post.
“One of the great continuities between that era and today is the leadership role of educators in the organization,” said Mills.
On July 1, 2015, Farmington Rotarian Al Feather will become the district governor. The Rotary district conference takes place May 20-22 at Sugarloaf, and will be family-friendly, said Feather.
Recently, a “Happy” video was made to promote the conference. It showed Rotarians, members of the Rotary’s “Act” clubs, and community members dancing to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
“As you can see, the future is very bright,” said Dyer.
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