Marshfield Rotary: 100 Years of Service Above Self

Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) For a century, members of Marshfield Rotary have committed themselves to a principle of “service above self.”

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Marshfield Rotary Club was first organized on May 26, 1919 and became part of Rotary International a few months later on August 1.

Since then, Rotarians have been involved in many projects at home, notably the Rotary Winter Wonderland Christmas lights display benefiting area food pantries, and Meals on Wheels, as well as diverse missions abroad, from well drilling projects in Haiti to helping eradicate polio.

“Marshfield Noon Rotary participates in local, national, and global efforts for charitable causes and has been a long-standing supporter and organizer of projects supporting the greater good,” said Scott Larson, President. “Since 1989, Marshfield Rotary has contributed in excess of $260,000 to various foreign and local charitable projects within the Rotary International window of service.”

Rotary is the world’s largest service organization at 1.2 million members with forty currently active in the Marshfield Rotary. A list of the club’s presidents from the past century reveals recognizable names such as J.P Adler, an early theater owner who brought movies to Marshfield, and Melvin Laird, a senator, whose son Melvin would have a distinguished political career in the Vietnam era.

Al Nystrom has been part of Marshfield Noon Rotary for 20 years. “As a member of the Noon Club, I value the opportunity to serve with so many outstanding people,” he said. “I have many personal relationships that would not have existed without Rotary, and I am inspired by many of our fellow Rotarians.”

Nystrom is heavily involved in organizing Rotary Winter Wonderland each year, which will debut its 14th season the day after Thanksgiving on November 29. He values the teamwork between Noon and Sunrise Rotary club.

“I especially love how the project brings the entire community together — 70-plus diverse organizations working side by side toward a common goal of feeding the hungry,” he said.

Rotary recognized its 100th anniversary at Business After 5 in May in conjunction with the American Legion Post 54 and other business celebrating their centennial. It will recognize its accomplishments in the past century at its Service Above Self Banquet in October.

“Celebrating our centennial is an opportunity to look back with respect for all those who came before us to make Marshfield great,” Nystrom said. “More importantly, it inspires us to live up to the legacy of community service that our club stands for. I am confident that Marshfield Rotary will build on that legacy for the next 100 years or more.”

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