A Brief History of Conway Morning Rotary
J. D. Gingerich was a Rotarian before there was a Conway Morning Rotary. But a noon timeframe didn't work well for him. Civic-minded folks, like J. D., who wanted to share the richness of a life in Rotary in Conway, but who worked in Little Rock or otherwise had trouble making lunch meetings, were out of luck. With the help of Scott Moore and the Conway Rotary Club (the noon guys), J. D., Claudia Davis and others set about to recruit for a Morning Rotary Club. Having at least 25 members was a requirement for chartering a new club. Five of those original members are still on the roster today. They are: Claudia Davis, Mark Kay Dunaway, J. D. Gingerich, Alice Hines, and Sharon Lessenberry.
On May 2, 1990, the Conway Morning Rotary Club initiated its first class and our association was born. Later in 1990, Lillian Petrucelli joined the club. She has had perfect attendance since her induction in November 1990. (Within five years Woodie Masingill had joined the morning crew.)
Claudia explained that the chartering ceremony took place during the Conway (noon) Rotary Club's Annual Banquet. It was a formal affair with folks dressed to the "nines," entertainment, and a loooong list of speakers. The ceremony lasted several hours. From that event sprouted the seeds of our Unbanquet. Charter members decided a shorter and less formal annual gathering would set the morning crowd apart and be more in keeping with the "new" Rotarian spirit in Conway Morning.
The first meetings were held at the Ramada Inn. Sharon recalled meetings moving to "A Place to Eat," formerly on Front Street. In those days, breakfasts were made to order--at the table--using real ingredients. Sharon also noted that Morning Rotarians have held positions of responsibility in District 6170 including District Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain and many committee chairs.
Later in the 90's we added Granger Davis, Steve Floyd, and Ed Franklin. Patty Coppock joined in 2000. Eighteen of our current members have joined since 2003, including the Club's first married couple. The Gladwins married after meeting at the club. A quarter of the club has joined Morning Rotary in the last three years.
Conway Morning Rotary Club has had a rich, if brief, heritage. The motto "Service Above Self" is just as poignant a creed today as it was when the club was being formed. In 2005, Rotary celebrated its 100th birthday and Conway Morning marked its 15th. In both cases it's easy to believe that the best is yet to come.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Conway Morning Rotary Club is to follow the precept of "Service Above Self" by identifying unmet and ongoing needs, developing and implementing strategies to address those needs, and encouraging individuals to sustain the effort for the purpose of strengthening our local and global community.
Core Beliefs
--We Adhere to the Four-Way Test
--We Value and Celebrate Diversity
--We Embrace Fellowship and Fun
--We Encourage and Support Youth
--We Protect the Environment
--We Maintain a Global Focus through Rotary International
Conway Morning Rotary Presidents
1990-1991 J. D. Gingerich
1991-1992 Claudia Davis
1992-1993 Essie Cleveland
1993-1994 Carolyn Ishee
1994-1995 Lyle Rupert
1995-1996 Pamela Osment
1996-1997 Doug Stroud
1997-1998 Don Harlan
1998-1999 Lillian Petrucelli
1999-2000 Keith Jones
2000-2001 Jack Frost
2001-2002 Ed Franklin
2002-2003 David Keith
2003-2004 Paulette McConnell
2004-2005 Rebecca Spooner
2005-2006 Steve Floyd
2006-2007 Granger Davis
2007-2008 Heidi Crane
2008-2009 Don Walizer
2009-2010 Liz Parker
2010-2011 Bill DeVore
2011-2012 Joyce Miller
