The Rotary Club of Jonesboro-University was chartered on June 29, 1981 and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jonesboro. The 25 charter members were Harry Herget (President), Joe Heinemann (Vice-President), William C. Bobbitt, Jr. (Secretary), Charles Harris (Treasurer), Gordon Prince (Sergeant at Arms), Charles G. Abel, L. H. Van Amburgh, Robert C. Davidson, James Sherman, Simon Nisenbaum, Dr. James Schrantz, Bill Koontz, Bruce Barnes, Paul Grimm, Don Harmon, Robert T. Holloway, Minor Markle, Jake G. Morse, Robert W. Norvell, Mark Haggenmacher, John White, John J. Erker, Jr., Wilburn Yarbrough, Jim Lyons, and Jerry Nelson. Of the 25 Charter Members, Dave Davidson, Jake Morse, and Charles Harris are still active members.
The Club was started with a group of former Rotarians who would gather at the Griddle Café each morning for coffee. Harry Herget, Jim Lyons, Joe Heinemann, and Paul Grimm talked about starting a second Rotary Club that would meet at 7:00 a.m. for the early risers. Dr. Harold Copenhaver and Eric Rogers were on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Jonesboro and convinced the Board to sponsor the second Jonesboro Club. The Club began its history with a formal Charter Presentation Event on August 18, 1981.
The Club has met at several locations throughout the years. The Club began meeting at the “Downtown Café” after it was chartered. Because the Club had outgrown the meeting room facilities of the Downtown Café, it was later moved to “le Blanc”, a very elegant restaurant located on the main floor of the historic 501 Union building. The meals were great, served by waiters with linen and silver. But many believe the restaurant went out of business because of Rotary appetites and inexpensive meals. The Club currently meets at the Holiday Inn on each Thursday at 7:00 a.m.
The Club’s first major project was the organization and implementation of the Craighead County Soccer Association, now know as CCSA Soccer. Members of the club secured access to land at the State Services Center in Jonesboro for the fields. Many members have served as coaches, commissioners, and board members of the CCSA throughout the years. Today, CCSA serves over 900 children throughout Northeast Arkansas each year in recreational and competitive soccer teams.
The Club’s longest running fundraising event has been the Annual Pot O’ Gold Party. The Pot O’ Gold Party coincides with St. Patrick’s Day and will be held for the 26th consecutive year in 2008. In the early years of the event, the Club would raise around $10,000. In recent years, the event has been expanded to include silent and live auctions, the sale of second chance tickets, and corporate sponsors. The Club currently raises in excess of $28,000 per event.
A second major fundraising event, The Optus Senior Open Golf Tournament, was begun in 2006. The club contracted with the Heartland Senior Professional Golf Tour to have a tournament that is played at Sage Meadows Golf Course. Professional golfers on the senior tour hold junior golf clinics, participate in a high school shootout, and play several Pro-Am golf rounds. The inaugural tournament was held in October 2006 and over $11,000 was raised. The second annual tournament was held in September 2007 and over $15,000 was raised. All proceeds are dedicated to youth programs in our community.
The Club has held several Boston Butt Roast Fundraisers throughout the years. These events typically raise $3,000 per cook.
The fundraising events have served to fund many projects. The Club was able to endow the Jim Lyons Memorial Scholarship at Arkansas State University. The scholarship was endowed by the club after the death of Charter Member Jim Lyons in the 1980s. The Club awards a $1,000 annual scholarship for a non-traditional student attending Arkansas State University. In 1987, the Club pledged and raised over $25,000 in support of Polio Plus, which qualified half of the membership for Paul Harris Fellows. With the club’s pledge and raising over $25,000, District 6150 was among the world leaders in per capita giving and led the district. The Club has completed its pledge of $25,000 toward Polio Eradication Drive in 2004, which received recognition of the highest club giver per capita in District 6150.
In 1992, the Club looked into adopting parks around town, but nothing had ever developed. After the death of Chris Carlisle, son of Past President Leon Carlisle, the Club wanted to do something to memorialize Chris. In 1995, the Club learned of land owned by the Jonesboro School District adjacent to the Carlisle homestead where Chris learned to drive. The Club acquired the property and developed the University Rotary Chris Carlisle Memorial Park. The park’s first budget was $8,000 but only $560 was spent because of so many donations and in kind labor. Using grants, donations, and club funds, over $80,000 has been spent to develop and improve the park. The Club has also honored five deceased members at the park by installing stone benches with stone markers bearing the names of the deceased members. In 2005, a plan was developed to begin planting trees that are indigenous to Arkansas to provide elementary students in the Jonesboro area with a place where they can work on leaf collection projects for science class.
The Club has had a significant involvement in Jonesboro’s Rotary Centennial Project. In late 2002 and led by District Governor-Elect Jake Morse, the three Rotary Clubs in Jonesboro formed a committee to select, plan, and implement a project that would leave a meaningful and lasting legacy to Jonesboro. After numerous meetings and planning sessions, the committee decided to build a seventy percent universally accessible playground in Jonesboro’s Craighead Forest Park. The committee organized subcommittees made up of members of the three clubs to raise the funds to build the park. Also, the three clubs donated club funds to support this project. The Rotary Club of Jonesboro-University has given in excess of $25,000 to the project. With the assistance of the three clubs, the City of Jonesboro, Craighead County, and the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department, over $440,000 was raised to build the park. The park is complete and was dedicated in 2005 during Rotary International’s 100 Year Anniversary.
The Club has been active in District 6150 through the years. Ken Stacks (2001-2002) and Jake Morse (2004-05) have served District 6150 as District Governor. There have been many members to serve as Assistant District Governors and District Committee Chairpersons. The Club has had many members lead Group Study Exchange (GSE) Groups, identify GSE team members and Ambassadorial Scholars, and host Youth Exchange Students. The Club sponsored in the Rotary Club of Jonesboro-Metro in 2001-02. The Club has been awarded District 6150 Club of the Year four times in 1987-88 (President Ed Wiseman), 1994-95 (President Jack Nimmo), 1999-2000 (President Gary Childers), and 2001-02 (President Brian Clem).
