Kerrville Rotary Club Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Past Presidents of the Rotary Club of Kerrville: From left to right: Cecil Atkission, George Eychner, Marianne Wofford, Lois Schlieter (wife of Ed Schlieter), Doug Whinnery, Randy Johnson, Chuck Coleman, Guy Overby, Sandy Merritt, Kenneth Early, Sue Whinnery, Kim Clarkson, Diane Green, Alan Massey, Ben Lowe, Rand Zuber, Bill Mathews, Mark Armstrong, Ed Hamilton, Maurice McAshan, Bob Waller, Bob Schmerbeck and Bill Fair.

Joe Herring provided a historical perspective of Kerrville in 1926, the year our club was founded. The club is older than the Arcadia Theater, the current Kerr County Courthouse and the Bluebonnet hotel. There were twenty initial members, including president S.E. Thompson, who ran the sanitorium, , L.A. Schreiner, Vice President, L.W. McCoy, Secretary, owner of the largest drug store in Kerrville, and treasurer Scott Schreiner. The meetings were in the St. Charles Hotel, which was built in 1883, and was located at the corner of what is now Sidney Baker and Water St., where Peterson Plaza is. The first member inducted after the initial twenty members was Captain Charles Schreiner.

Bob Schmerbeck gave the Rotary moment at our lunch meeting. He told the story of how Jane Rommel, the first female member of the club, was instrumental in partnering with a club in Toluca, Mexico to provide meals for an elementary school there.

Cub Scout Christopher Miller and his family led the Pledge of Allegiance.

And the cake was yummy!