History of Concord Rotary

HISTORY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF CONCORD

(From the Recollections of Tom Huckins Prior to His Death in 2003)

In 1931, a group of Concordians were interested in forming a Rotary Club. The Newton Club, represented by Frederick Teele, met with Wardie Wardwell, W. Stuart Allen, Payson True, Burleigh Pratt, Eliot Howard, Leslie Anderson, and Thomas Sanborn.

An organizational meeting was called on March 9, 1931, and more charter members were signed up: Jack Bent, Ervin Bumford, Robert Carter, L. Cram, Joseph Dee, Tom Duberger, T. Hollis, C. Hutchinson, E. Nichols, Tom Prendergast, A. Wilson, Floyd Verrill and A. Zigler.

The Charter was dated April 1, 1931; and Charter Night was held May 7, 1931 at the Concord Armory.

The Colonial Inn (before the new addition) was the meeting place for 15 years, when Tom Sanborn was owner and member. In 1947, with the membership growing, the Inn became too crowded and the Club moved to Howard Johnson’s with its own private room. There we stayed until it was sold in _________. Then we moved back to the Inn after several tries with catering at the Elks Club.

From Payson True’s notes, he reported on the trials of the first President, Stuart Allen. It is worth mentioning that Stuart would not have been a bad Chaplain, and he did officiate in that capacity on various occasions. However, he suffered severe loss of prestige when completing an elaborate invocation when he substituted for the sacred “Amen, “ – “Yours Truly.”

Les Anderson was appointed first Chaplain. Knowing Les, it was never explained how this happened. It was assumed that it was alphabetical.

In 1932 – voted not to change the dues structure, but to stay at $3.00 semiannually.

Burleigh Pratt was the first Song Leader. Peanut said he tried every song in the book, but the ones he chose Payson couldn’t play, and those he would play, Burleigh wouldn’t sing.

In the early days at the Directors’ Meetings, when supposedly the policies of the Club were determined, the following excerpts from certain of these meetings show the results of those deliberations:

• In 1932 – voted not to carry out the suggestion of the Pittsburgh, CA Club with regard to the purchase of a bushel of wheat.

• In 1936 – after listing a whole page of miscellaneous items in the Minutes, the statement followed: “No definite action was taken on any subject.”

• A vote at one meeting to purchase large membership badges was rescinded at the next meeting.

• It was voted to lay on the table an appeal for support from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

• At a meeting October 1, 1936, it was voted that Les Anderson, picking his own committee, purchase a wedding present not to exceed $10. No mention was made as to whose wedding was involved.

In August 1948, at the Old North Bridge, our Club story was broadcast over radio station WRUL. The speech that went over the airways included the fine results of the Concord Club’s participation in the avenues of service.

In 1950, Sherman Blair received The Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of American for long and meritorious service to scouting.

That same year, our White Elephant Sale netted $735.00 for scholarships.

Also that year, our projects included the Po River Valley Relief in Italy, sponsorship of Little League and Care Packages.

By 1951, 20 years had passed and over 90 Rotarians, Rotary-anns and honored guests attended the twentieth anniversary celebration of the Concord Rotary Club at the Concord Country Club.

• Amid festive decorations, the group enjoyed a Social Hour, a delicious dinner, an inspiring talk, and varied entertainment. Reverend Rex King Scuter presented one of the most dynamic talks of the season on “World Facts and the American Dream.” Peanut Macone and the Rotary Quartet were in rare form and sang some songs especially composed for the occasion.

• District Governor Howard Williams, President Doc Simmons of Newton, Ernest Moore from the Arlington Club and their Rotary-anns were honored guests.

• Charter members Stuart Allen, Burleigh Pratt, Leslie Anderson, Eliot Howard, Payson True, Hubert Wardwell and Floyd Verrill were seated at the table of honor. Past presidents who attended included Alden Wheeler, Bill Magoon, Les Whittemore, Fred Boyd, Frank Esau, George Erickson and Mort Seavey as well as the charter members who had all served a term as president.

• Included among the floral tributes to the Club were bouquets from the Selectmen, the Lions Club and Board of Trade. Decorations were carefully planned and attractively arranged by Rotary-anns Florence Ogilvie and Dorothy Allen.

• Stuart Allen, our first president, carried out the duties of Master of Ceremonies in his usual inimitable style. Bob Parks delivered a history of Concord Rotary, which because of its originality is herewith reprinted:

1931 to 1951

                                    In the year of Our Lord – nineteen thirty one

                                    The Concord Rotary was first begun.

                                    Action was started, which you could feel

                                    By a Newton Rotarian named Frederic Teele.

                                    He roused up Payson, Burleigh and Wardie,

                                    Eliot and Stuart, to start off the party.

                                    Meetings were held without much ado    

                                    And ten more members joined the crew.

                                    The Charter Nite was held May the seventh

                                    Now, twenty years later, we meet the eleventh.

                                    The Armory saw the launching take place

                                    Burleigh as song leader set a fast pace.

                                    Young Charlie Ainslee and Cecil Clark

                                    Two boys from Newton, our club did spark

                                    Les was chaplain – tis had to explain

                                    Till Ned Daniels did relieve the strain.

                                    With the objects of Rotary they were all imbued

                                    And as a result the club grewed and grewed.

                                    For twenty years now has passed a parade

                                    Of illustrious Presidents who made the grade.

                                    First there was Stuart, the Dean of them all,       

                                    Burleigh came next to carry the ball.

                                    Les, then Eliot, then Payson True

                                    For the next three years did see us through.

                                    The Colonial Inn was the club’s first home

                                    Twas fifteen years before it did roam

                                    And all of these years twas genial host Tom

                                    President Six who kept hospitality warm.

                                    And still in our midst is past President Wardie

                                    Fer feudin and fitin he wins the brass poddy

                                    Ed Daniels came next – then that grand guy Joe Dee

                                    A member we all held in fond memory.

                                    Then Alden came tenth to hold down the chair.

                                    Then Bumford, then Floyd, then a guy debonair

                                    Twas Bill of the Lumber who set up the tee

                                    For that experienced plumber, Al Coffey.

                                    And then in the year nineteen forty-five

                                    Up came Lester who on gas does thrive.

                                    War was over and membership grew

                                    In forty-six Fred headed the crew.

                                    Then we had Frank of merchandise fame

                                    Along came George to keep our good name

                                    Mort came next to set the pace

                                    So President Gordon took twentieth place.

                                    We owe them much, these twenty knights

                                    Who carried the banner to its present heights

                                    Where each Rotarian never says “No”

                                    And in four fields of service is ready to go.

                                    With fifty-six active in our club today

                                    The Concord Rotary is here to stay.

                                    Look around tonight – you guests invited,

                                    You’ll see a grand bunch in Rotary united.

                                    Much has been done through the years that was grand

                                    From camperships, charities, and high school band,

                                    Foreign students, fine speakers, a hospital spot,

                                    Career day, and auctions, and what have we not?

                                    The record is there for us all to see

                                    It’s one to be proud of, on that we agree

                                    But now as we meet for out twentieth year

                                    Let us consider – where we go from here.

                                    The old world is groggy, it now would seem

                                    From greater headaches than we ever dreamed

                                    But the ideas of Rotary, if we take them to heart

                                    Is what the world needs to make a new start.

1952 was the year Ken Damon and Tom Duberger died.

 We had a 3-month attendance contest with Lexington. Each Club had one miss in 3 months, but Lexington won with a .001% lead (larger club). Bill Maloney, Lexington President, drove to Portland, ME for a make-up.

A reception was held for NATO members at the Musketaquid Club. Dues were set at $40.00.

1953 saw 4 new members. Tom Huckins was one of them, and he’s still alive.

Ed True was Bulletin Editor. Bill Kirk donated a Rotary clock. It was broken in ’57. Doc Cleary hit it instead of the bell.

Rotary International complimented the Club for outstanding service in all phases of Rotary.

A Ladies Night was held at Shaken Glen House in Woburn. Tickets were $3.00.

1955 marked the 50^th Anniversary of Rotary International. We had an anniversary dinner – Roast Beef, $2.50. It was our 24^th year, but being socially conservative, we celebrated our 25^th at the same time.

We were represented at the International Convention where the Concord Club presented a gavel from timbers of the Old North Bridge to the International Body.

1956. Big year for visitors to the Club: 461, with 61 in May. In May 1956, the Bedford Rotary Club received its Charter, sponsored by the Concord Club. The Charter Members were Glen Simm, Bob Mead, Phil McGovern, John Bowen, Ray Williams, Arthur Bishop and Larry Gould. Glen Simm, a Concord Rotarian, became the 1^st President.

1957. Fred Boyd became District Governor – the only one Concord has had. The District Conference under Fred was held at the Concord Armory, and it had the largest turnout for a conference in District history: 792 participants. Jack Kennedy, then Senator, was the featured speaker. Charlie Dee got his picture taken shaking hands with Kennedy after the speech. The picture showed mostly women. [See Photo] Peanut Macone was President.

It was the year the Maynard Club with 42 members led the District in attendance in August. Concord was 4^th with 92%.

Bob Parks became a grandfather. Dr. Piper said he stood the labor well.

1958. The “Vocational Fair and Know Your Town’s Industry” Program under John Damon’s direction was a huge success.

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• Charles Hall was Secretary and he discarded all the Club’s previous

secretaries’ historical records.

1966. In June, the faculty at the Emerson Junior High School established the Morton R. Seavey Award for an outstanding student with qualities of Leadership, Learning and Loyalty, with a plaque to be placed in the new Sanborn School. Mark Williamson was the first recipient. Just a month before, Mort received his Rotary attendance pin for 33 years of perfect attendance. He was 42 years in Rotary.

Miscellaneous Recollections

A group from Concord was going to a Rotary District Conclave in Bermuda. One of the wives was nervous about flying. One of the airline assistants tried to reassure her, and told her to look at it this way: “If it wasn’t safe, would we let you and your husband use a credit card?”

In Bermuda, Doc Russell and Rene Beaudoin swam through a sluice way from one pool to another. Sam DeMao followed and got stuck half way!

In looking back, will name a few we will always remember:

• The wit and memory of Phil Davis. He could call out the license plate numbers of all the people in Concord.

• Harry Martin – who in every waking hour lived the 4-Way Test.

• Loring Grimes – the real character on The Mill Dam.

• Chuck Hall – who had burned our records.

• Jim Crockett – whose knowledge of flowers and gardening was beyond compare.

• John Damon – who carried every assignment to a superior conclusion.

• Charlie Dee, shortly after joining Rotary, had a sign taken down at the entrance to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It said “One Way – Do Not Enter.” He replaced it with “Welcome.”

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The Concord Club has had some outstanding speakers – Edith Norse Rogers, Senator Saltonstall, and the Commissioner of Education of the Dominion of Canada.

Occasionally, the Concord Club has taken the liberty in making awards:

• 1949 – Tom Peterson: 50 Years on The Mill Dam

• 1955 – Gertrude Rideout: Teacher and Drama Coach

• 1956 – Charles Flannery: Dean of Historic Guides

• 1961 – Whit Brown: Architect – Builder – Town Father

• 1962 – Eliot Howard: Gentleman – Business Leader

• 1964 – R. F. Johnston: Dean of Physicians

• 1966 – Mort Seavey: Teacher – Principal – Boy Scouts

• 1967 – Charles Voigt: Dean of Mill Dam Druggists

• 1968 – John Flannery: Master Chef

• 1968 – George Erickson: Youth and Agriculture

• 1969 – Randy Piper: Dean of Surgeons

• 1971 – Payson True: 40 Years at the Piano for Rotary

• 1981 – Dick Hale: “Mr. Rotary.” His enthusiasm and unlimited energy have kept all on the ball.

The long list of our Presidents, all who have given much time and energy, conducted the meetings and business with various degrees of dignity, and at times, with questionable parliamentary procedure, have all done a fine job in keeping the Club moving!

                                +     Deceased                                   0     No longer a member

1931-32           + W. Stuart Allen                     1967-68           + Philip A. Davis

1932-33           + B. L. Pratt                             1968-69           0 Clayton D. Mesereau

1933-34           + Leslie O. Anderson              1969-70           0 William T. Wyman

1934-35           + Elliot R. Howard                   1970-71           0 William K. Walters

1935-36           + E. Payson True                    1971-72           + John F. Forbes

1936-37           + Thomas L. Sanborn             1972-73           + Mark D. Eliott 

1937-38           + Hubert M. Wardwell             1973-74           0 William D. Hall

1938-39           + Rev. Edward P. Daniels      1974-75           + James R. Mercer, Jr.

1939-40           + Joseph Dee                         1975-76           0 Stephen J. Stadler

1940-41           + Alden R. Wheeler                1976-77              Elmer M. Purcell

1941-42           + Ervin L. Bumford                 1977-78              William E. Mattison, Jr.

1942-43           + Floyd Verrill                          1978-79              Richard L. Hale

1943-44           + William T. Magoon               1979-80              Charles W. Dee

• + Albert M. Coffey                  1980-81              Robert E. McWalter
• 1945-46                      + Lester Whittemore               1981-82           + F. Davie Edes
• 1946-47                      + Fred T. Boyd                        1982-83           + Rene Beaudoin
• 1947-48                      + Frank B. Esau                      1983-84           0 Joseph A. Busa
• 1948-49                      + George E. Erickson             1984-85           0 Guy S. Morrison
• 1949-50                      + Morton R. Seavey               1985-86           0 Robert E. Carr
• 1950-51                      + Gordon H. Ogilvie                1986-87           0 George E. Senkler II

• + Charles W. Allen                  1987-88              Bradford S. Leach
• 1952-53                      + Robert B. Parks                   1988-89           0 David J. Winstanley            
• 1953-54                      + Charles R. Voigt                  1989-90           0 Ronald E. Moilanen
• 1954-55                      + Benjamin F. Clark                1990-91              William G. Bott
• 1955-56                      + John H. Kennedy                 1991-92           0 Paul D. Bertrand
• 1956-57                      + D, Edward Cleary, Jr.          1992-93           0 Allan B. Corderman
• 1957-58                      + Ralph A. Macone                 1993-94              Neal M. Walker
• 1958-59                      0 Chester D. Smethurst          1994-95              David N. Reece
• 1959-60                      + Harold F. Nichols                 1995-96              Richard G. Nelson
• 1960-61                      + Thomas J. Byron, Jr.           1996-97              Edmund H. Tunnicliffe, 4th

• + A. W. Cleveland                   1997-98           0 Gary E. Smith
• 1962-63                      + Charles B. Hall                     1998-99              John T. Brozowski
• 1963-64                      + Casper J. Jenney, Jr.          1999-2000          William L. Eaton
• 1664-65                      + John J. Flannery                  2000-2001          David McWalter
• 1965-66                      + James U. Crockett              2001-2002          Henry Dane

1966-67              Thomas R. Huckins             2002-2003          Jane Barrett

1988. First woman to join Concord Rotary: Joan Hale.

Of 53 Clubs in District 7910, Concord received Best Attendance Award 5 years in a row.

Received Presidential Citation 3 years in a row.

In 2002, received Big Bell – Best Club in the District.

Some of the more notable of the Club’s completed projects include:

• Jaws of Life to the Fire Department

• Identi-Kit to the Police Department

• Water Bubbler and Mandrioli Park – West Concord

• Medical Equipment – Emerson Hospital

1981 – Monument Square

• Renovation

• 1985 – Kenneth Dunn Square Renovation

• 1987 – 1988: Polio Plus Program. Raised over $65,000, enough to inoculate 536,000 children

• Building Renovation at Rideout Playground

• Emerson Hospital Helio-Pad

• War Memorial

The Dee family had the 4^th generation of Rotary Membership – Joseph, James, Charles, and Susan