Welcome to Rotary!
The Rotary Club of Greenfield, Ohio meets at 11:30 a.m. each Thursday at the Catch 22 Sports Pub located at 250 Jefferson St., Greenfield, Ohio. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Zoom option is also available to members and guests.
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 Outgoing Rotary president Ron Coffey (left) congratulates 2021-22 President Wes Surritt at the Greenfield Rotary Club meeting on July 1.
Wes Surritt welcomed as
new club president on July 1 As a new Rotary year began on July 1, Wes Surritt began his duties as club president of the Greenfield club. Ron Coffey, who served as president during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 years, congratulated Surritt at the club's meeting and wished him well. Both men have led the club in the past, with Coffey serving as president in 1987-88 and Surritt handling the presidential duties about six years ago. The Rotary Club of Greenfield was chartered in May of 1922, and during Wes Surritt's term as president the club plans to celebrate its centennial. The new president of Rotary International is Shekhar Mehta, and the theme of his presidency is Serve to Change Lives. Carol Hughes of the Springboro Rotary Club is the new district governor of District 6670. Beth Huber of the Wilmington Rotary Club is continuing to serve as assistant district governor. Other club officials are listed in the column at left. The Greenfield Rotary Club meets at 11:30 a.m. each Thursday (except holidays) at the Catch 22 Sports Pub, 250 Jefferson St. in Greenfield. 2021 Ernie Blankenship Memorial radio-telethon total surpasses $92K as donations continue The Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs joined forces for the 49th Annual Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio-Telethon as a combined virtual event only, and Highland Countians generously pledged more than $88,000 for the Highland County Society for Children and Adults. By July 1 the total raised had risen to more than $92,000 as donations continued to come in. The event took place on June 23 from 7-9 p.m. and was broadcast live from the Hillsboro Orpheum on the Spectrum Community Access TV Channel, WSRW Radio 1590 AM and WVNU Radio 97.5FM. In addition, the event was live-streamed on the Society’s website, hicoso.org. Hosts for the evening were Rick Williams and Ron Coffey, and they took turns interviewing donors, giving updates and showcasing items that were sold at silent auction near the close of the radio-telethon. The Southern Hills Community Bank served as host for the event this year, helping to plan the activities, coordinating publicity, contacting donors for the auction items and seeing to it that plenty of food and refreshments were on hand for the evening. Rotarian Rocky Coss, whose wife Gayle is executive director of the Highland County Society for Children and Adults, also was instrumental in the planning of the event, conducting several Zoom meetings with committee members and Rotary club representatives. The Hillsboro Orpheum was buzzing with activity and conversation as it was open to the public this year after being a virtual affair in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. For those who missed seing the telethon “live,” it was posted to youtube and can still be seen at the society’s website, www.hicoso.org Popular auction items this year included framed, autographed photos of Ohio State icons Archie Griffin, Jerry Lucas and Jack Nicklaus, a three-day stay in Gatlinburg, TN, an Ohio State football autographed by Head Coach Ryan Day, tickets to see the Beach Boys, Chicago and Jason Aldean, a one-year membership in the Highland County Family YMCA branch, two family passes for up to six persons at the Wildlife Safari Park in Port Clinton, Ohio, an autographed action photograph of Johnny Bench, a baseball autographed by Tony Perez and some autographed Cincinnati Bengals items. Even though the radio-telethon is over, contributions are welcome at any time. Checks payable to HCSCA may be mailed to: HCCSA, P.O. Box 258, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Donations also may be dropped off at any financial institution in Highland County.  Ron Coffey presents a check to Alyson Murphy, winner of the local Rotary Four Way Test speech contest, as Steve Hunter, Andrew Surritt and Quincey Gray look on.
Alyson Murphy wins local Four-Way Test
speech contest at McClain High School Alyson Murphy, a junior at McClain High School, won the Rotary Four Way Test speech contest April 20 at MHS and received a $200 check from Greenfield Rotary Club President Ron Coffey. Also pictured are Rotarians Steve Hunter, Andrew Surritt and Quincey Gray, who is also Greenfield superintendent of schools. Alyson is scheduled to present her winning speech to the local Rotary club and plans to participate in the Rotary District 6670 speech contest. Community leaders with Rotary connections have passed away in 2021
Several local Rotarians and former Rotarians have passed away in 2021, saddening those who knew them and prompting warm thoughts of their contributions to the greater Greenfield community. Club President Ron Coffey encouraged Rotarians to keep the families of these fine people in their thoughts and prayers: Paul S. Wisecup: The Greenfield Rotary club recently received sad news that longtime Rotarian Paul S. Wisecup passed away on June 13, 2021 in Colorado. Paul was a proud and active Rotarian for approximately 55 years in both Greenfield, Ohio and Colorado. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and received a Diamond Pin for contributions to Rotary over and above the normal standard for Paul Harris Fellows. Paul grew up in Greenfield and was a graduate of Edward Lee McClain High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and later owned and co-owned businesses in Colorado. He and his wife Mary returned to Ohio upon his retirement and he was a very active member of the Greenfield Rotary Club from about 2010-2015. Greenfield Rotarians fondly remember his enthusiasm, leadership and sense of humor at Rotary dinners, auctions, festivals and projects such as distributing dictionaries to elementary students in the Greenfield Exempted Village School District. “Paul’s magnetic personality and love for Rotary were always apparent, and his enthusiasm was quite contagious,” remembered Rotarian Ron Coffey. “Many of our members have fond memories of working alongside Paul at various Rotary events. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary and the Wisecup family.” Paul and Mary returned to Colorado after he experienced some health setbacks. He was made an honorary member in recognition of his many contributions to the Greenfield club. A memorial service took place at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 29 at the Murray-Fettro Funeral Home in Greenfield, beginning with a veteran’s appreciation service. Burial of cremains followed at the South Salem Cemetery where military rites were provided by the Concerned Veterans of Greenfield. Paul’s obituary can be found at the Murray-Fettro Funeral Home website, http://murrayfettro.com David D. Moon, who passed away on March 24, was a former Greenfield Rotarian and Jaycee, and a community leader. In the 1970s or '80s, as the local Jaycee chapter was about to fold, David saw to it that the ownership of the former armory property was transferred to the Greenfield Rotary Club. He also helped run Greenfield Printing & Publishing for about 30 years, providing many jobs for the people of Greenfield and area. His funeral took place on March 30. Dr. Ronald E. Vaughan, former superintendent of schools, passed away on March 29. Under his leadership, people like coach Rick Van Matre, band director Mark Robertson and musician/director Dale Knauer were brought to the Greenfield Schools. As a result, the community enjoyed many athletic victories and musical performances by the McClain Marching Band, the McClain Show Choir as well as excellent stage and musical productions. A memorial service took place June 12 at the Murray-Fettro Funeral Home in Greenfield. Charlotte Phillips, longtime Rotary member and pianist, passed away Feb. 11. She shared her musical gifts by serving as organist at the First United Methodist Church for more than four decades, and Charlotte participated in countless school, church and community musical productions. Generations of McClain High School students learned to sing with Charlotte as their accompanist. Her late husband, Ralph W. Phillips, also was a Rotarian and community leader, and the former armory property was renamed the Ralph W. Phillips Community Recreation & Civic Center in his honor. "Rotarians are difference makers, and we salute these individuals for all they have done for our community as Rotarians and as individuals," Coffey said. "As the Greenfield Rotary Club approaches its 100th birthday in 2022, we hope to raise up a new generation of Rotarians to do more good works and be known as difference makers." 
Superintendents Tim Dettwiller of Fairfield Local Schools and Quincey Gray of Greenfield Exempted Village Schools met with Greenfield Rotarians on Nov. 19, 2020 to discuss the Highland County Business Advisory Council.
Superintendents Dettwiller, Gray tell Rotarians about Hi-Co Business Advisory Council
Local Superintendents Tim Dettwiller (Fairlfield Local Schools) and Quincey Gray (Greenfield Exempted Village Schools) presented an interesting program to Greenfield Rotarians on Nov. 19 about their mutual efforts to help local students make connections that can help them choose fulfilling careers in line with their interests and abilities. Dettwiller and Gray are active members in the Southern Ohio Education Service Center (ESC), which helps test students to determine their skills and partners with area employers to allow students to job shadow or intern with those businesses and learn first-hand how companies operate. The educators explained that school systems are moving away from the old DE/OWE model where students worked part-time for a single employer to a model that allows more exploration of the work environment. A key component of the ESC program is involvement of local employers willing to take on a student for a time in the hope of a long-term payoff. Students are assessed as to their interests, future plans, and abilities in an effort to create hope for a fulfilling career in business or industry where opportunities exist, resulting in “win-win” relationships for employers and employees. Students involved in the program can be paid for their internship time as long as they meet certain requirements. Employers benefit because the state’s Jobs Ohio program will pay the interns for their time, and those internships could bear fruit in the form of long-term commitments which would help both the interns and the companies bringing them on as employees. The program extends beyond Highland County, with the following school districts currently participating: Adams County Ohio Valley LSD, Bright Local, Fairfield Local, Greenfield EVSD, Lynchburg-Clay LSD as well as the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center. Superintendents Dettwiller and Gray encourage local business representatives to contact them if they would like to know more about the Highland County Business Advisory Council. |
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