Ripley Rotary Club

History

On this page, you'll find a synopsis of the history of the Rotary Club of Ripley, West Virginia.

Also, be sure to check out the page of Past Presidents.

History of the Rotary Club of Ripley 1926 to 2012

The Rotary Club of Ripley was chartered on March 8, 1926. Its first President was Grover H. Castrup, followed by a notable list of Presidents over the last 85 years [list below]. Rotary has sponsored or supported a host of activities and/or projects which have benefited the Ripley community. Among the early projects was the establishment of the first air-mail service to Ripley, working for better highways into Ripley, promoting businesses to locate in Ripley, and obtaining needed fire-fighting equipment for the town. The first Christmas lights in Ripley were sponsored by Rotary.

In more recent times, Rotary has sponsored a room at the Jackson General Hospital, and built a picnic shelter at Ripley City Park. The Club has contributed liberally to Rotary International's goal of eradicating Polio from the face of the earth. Ripley Rotary has participated in youth exchanges and Group Study exchanges with other countries around the world. The Club has also sent select Ripley High School freshmen to the Rotary District's Rotary Youth Leadership Academy [RYLA]. It supports two scholarships which honors the memory of two of its past members: James Robinson and Judge Oliver Kessel. The Club also supports many other organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, Special Olympics, and various Ripley High School activities, to name only a few. For the last several years it has sponsored Community Health Fairs, and the Ripley area "Adopt-A-Family" project for needy families at Christmas. The Club also sponsors one of its members, Charles Ray Conner, in his mission to bring school supplies and other help to the children of Nepal. A two-room school was recently built in Nepal from Ripley Rotary funds.

Ripley Rotary has been honored to have two of its members become District Governor, Paul King (1957- 1958) and Bobby Brown (2003-2004). In 1987 Marci Weyer was the first woman to be an Active member of the Ripley Rotary Club. She was also the first woman in the District to become a Club President (1991-1992, and again in 2007-2008). The Club presently has 43 Active Members, and of these, 16 (37%) are women.

The Club presently meets Wednesdays at 12 Noon at the Ripley Library.

Submitted by William C. Kuryla, Ph.D., Secretary of the Rotary Club of Ripley