Rotary Club of Frederick County Continues to Support the Under-Served

Club History:

Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris.  The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could discuss ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.  Harris envisioned Rotary as a force for ethical leadership, civic service, and peaceful ideals he would promote throughout his life.

Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service.  Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and promoting integrity, understanding, and goodwill through fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

In a message to the 1914 Houston convention, Paul Harris said “The future of Rotary is shrouded in expectant mystery.  It will be for you, my Rotarian friends, to aid in the unfurling of the Rotarian destiny.  Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world, it will be known by the results it achieves.”

The Frederick County, Virginia Rotary Club was chartered in May 1991 as the Rotary Club of Stephens City, with twenty-two members.  Lewis Costello Sr., Jim Stutzman Sr., and Art Fulton spearheaded the Club’s creation, which grew over the years to as many as fifty members.  By 2007, the Club’s name was changed to be more inclusive for the communities they serve as the Rotary Club of Frederick County (RCFC).  The Rotary actively works in partnership with several non-profit organizations to empower individuals to solve problems and provide solutions with positive results.  The Rotary motto is ‘Service Above Self.’

RCFC held their thirty-year intra club celebration on June 5, 2021 at the home of club members Erika deAzagra and Charles Daniels.  The event included the Assistant Governor for Area 1, former members, the widows of deceased members and of course, the spouses and families!

Rotary Club of Frederick County team at February 20, 2024 weekly meeting. All photos courtesy Rotary Club of Frederick County.

There are currently thirty active Rotary members, plus six additional individuals who are designated honorary members.  Four honorary members are past club members in good standing and two are from the community who have been chosen by the club’s board of directors based on their outstanding community service that reflect the ideals of Rotary.

100% of the members contribute $100 annually to the Rotary Foundation as Sustainers and 100% of the members have earned the distinction as a Paul Harris Fellow where $1,000 has been given to the Rotary Foundation in the club member’s name.

Recently, two Rotary members have been designated as PolioPlus Fellows for their annual financial commitment to the Rotary Foundation for Rotary’s mission to eradicate Polio around the world.

Rotary District 7570 serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley at the northern most end to the southern end of Virginia at Bristol, VA and including Johnson City and Kingsport, TN.  There are currently 84 clubs in Rotary District 7570.

The RCFC meets every Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM at Boy Scouts of America, 107 Youth Development Court, Winchester, VA for breakfast, fellowship, and business. If you are not able to join the club in person, there is always the opportunity to participate via ZOOM.

Each meeting has a special guest speaker, program, or club business.  Guests are welcome by invitation by a member of the club.

Each week the RCFC holds a vibrant and joyful meeting that should be captured and delivered to any organization that desires such a culture.  The members believe they have a purpose in the club and in Rotary.  It appears that members have made Rotary a part of their lives and are using their individual skill mix to serve the club with distinction.  President Greg Demski speaks with passion and vigor, and the RCFC members are truly inspired by his enthusiasm.

Greg Demski, as current Rotary President, manages club business and the activities of multiple project leaders.  Guest speakers are coordinated by individual club members one month at a time.  Generally, a different speaker each week from the community offers their program details in a 20-minute presentation.

Community Support:

The RCFC largely concentrates its resources inside Frederick County to maximize benefits to area residents.

The RCFC currently partners with the Congregational Community Action Project (C-CAP) to provide firewood to neighbors that require it for heating and cooking. In 2023, with the help of a Rotary district grant, RCFC also upgraded shelving in the C-CAP storage facility. The Rotary provides fire wood annually for clients of C-CAP of Winchester/Frederick County VA who may only heat or cook with wood.  Since 2010, over 1,200 loads (half cords) have been delivered to families selected by C-CAP.   “The Firewood Blitz Day has been our favorite club project for the last nine years.  This allows our friends in the community to have sufficient firewood for home heating and cooking.” said President Greg Demski.

Rob Boyd builds shelving for the C-CAP storage facility.

C-CAP decides how families qualify to receive a wood delivery and when approved, provide each family two vouchers to receive a pickup truck load of split wood.  Additional requests for wood are offered at a discounted fee given to C-CAP. Any folks who wish to offer wood that may be suitable for future deliveries, the C-CAP office will make the approval and arrange with the Rotary Club members to pick up the donated wood.

Jay Perry, Natalie, and Rick Miller split and stack firewood during annual Firewood Blitz Day event.

“RCFC seeks to support activities that strengthen families and help build sustainable neighborhood environments that care about family development and the safety of our children,” said Greg Demski.  Since 2007, The RCFC partners each Thanksgiving with Healthy Families of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (HFNSV) to provide full Thanksgiving meals to selected families that will benefit from the donation.  The program mission of HFNSV is to provide education and support for families to promote healthy births and continued nurturing to ensure children can reach school age emotionally and physically healthy.  In 2023, RCFC provided twenty-six Thanksgiving meal baskets!

First Presbyterian Church Jubilee Kitchen in downtown Winchester serves a hot lunch to community members living in need.  The RCFC provides six volunteers to assist with cooking and serving a Saturday luncheon one time each quarter to the indigent and homeless in Winchester.  The Rotary is available to cover additional Saturdays, whenever needed.

Frank Murphy serves lunch at First Presbyterian Church Jubilee Kitchen in downtown Winchester.

The Winchester Rescue Mission has been serving men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and poverty in the community since 1973.  “When our Club’s Board of Directors decided to assist the Winchester Rescue Mission in 2021, RCFC completed an application for the district grant and when approved, we received half of the funds and our club made up the remainder.  Over $7,000 was collected and contributed to provide the materials, demolition, installation, and clean up.  Volunteers completely replaced the kitchen cabinets with new commercial grade stainless-steel cabinets and counters for the kitchen at the local facility,” said Club member Bill North.  The Rescue Mission kitchen produces 30,000+ meals each year.

When Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS) was transferred to the First United Methodist Church on North Braddock Street during the global pandemic (2020-21), RCFC provided cots, blankets, and pillows via a district grant as well as multiple Saturday night dinner meals for the guests.

Bill North says our board is considering how we can continue to support the WATTS programs.  “We recently invited a guest speaker from the WATTS staff to share with us information regarding their upcoming fundraiser, “Coldest Night of the Year” Walk scheduled for February 24.  RCFC members are thoughtfully considering how they can participate in the event.”

The Dictionary Project is an international program whose goal is to provide a dictionary to every third grader in the US and other parts of the world.  The goal of the Dictionary Project is to have a positive impact on education in this country and abroad, to empower children to become skillful communicators and resourceful learners.  For twelve years, RCFC has budgeted to purchase and deliver over 1,000 dictionaries each academic year, during American Education Week, to third grade students at twelve Frederick County elementary schools.  This project is coordinated in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Winchester who deliver dictionaries to the Winchester City elementary school third grade students.

Greg Demski shares some history, “So far, approximately 12,000 dictionaries have been delivered to students. Children in this grade are just beginning to explore many subjects that are contained in these books.  The books contain a comprehensive dictionary, biographies of US Presidents, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, maps of the seven continents, and information about all fifty states, etc.”

The Church World Service Agency in Winchester strives to create a welcoming environment to help refugees resettle, form long-lasting relationships in the community and maintain their own basic needs in a sustainable lifestyle.  RCFC provided Afghan refugees with repaired and/or donated bicycles to support their transportation to work locations.

The executive director at C-CAP was aware of the arrival of families from Afghanistan and many were in the need of transportation to their job locations. “RCFC member Mike Perry was willing to repair and make bicycles available for the individuals free of charge through C-CAP.  Most of the repaired bikes had been donated to be recycled and provided for those living in need,” Greg Demski said.

Supporting Rotary Youth Programs:

RCFC sponsors two Rotary Interact Clubs; one at Sherando High School and one at Millbrook High School. Tammy Stephenson and Becky Demski are the Rotarian liaison at Millbrook High School and Sherando High School respectively.  Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages fourteen to eighteen.  Student Interactors assist with RCFC service projects as needed. RCFC supports students both financially and with supervision from member volunteers.

RCFC has also sponsored two candidates for the World Youth Exchange, one from Handley High School in 2023 and one from Sherando High School in 2024, where a student travels to a selected foreign country for one year of study staying with Rotary families.

World Youth Exchange is led at the district level and clubs are asked to sponsor an outbound or inbound student based on the location of the club in regards to the location of the high school.  “The club leadership will decide whether to be involved and then meet with the student, their family, and a District Representative.  For Outbound students, the Club acts as an extra ‘parent,’ with support as needed.  For Inbound students, the Inbound student commitment is more intense because it requires housing, food, school activities and financial support,” Bill North said.

RCFC annually awards approximately $4,000 in scholarships shared between Sherando and Millbrook High School graduates.  Scholarships vary based on the amount of money the club raises within the club towards them – the club maintains a weekly celebration jar and those funds go directly into our scholarship budget.  Millbrook and Sherando receive the club application through the guidance departments and students fill in all their academic and social accomplishments, plus they must write an essay on what Service Above Self means in their own lives.  RCFC has a small committee that reviews applications and selects award recipients.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Award is an intensive leadership weekend experience organized by Rotary Clubs in District 7570 where youth develop skills as a leader while having fun and making connections.  RCFC provides the funding to send selected Sherando High School students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) each year.

“RYLA is our District’s event and Interactors can apply to go each December.  The only criteria are that the Interactor must be active in their school club and be a Junior or Senior.  Our Club budgets each year to have at least six students and two chaperones attend.  In 2023, only Sherando sent Interactors and two chaperones,” said Bill North.

Short-term Objectives:

Rotary Club of Frederick County members, “small but mighty,” continue to make a difference and making a difference will always be relevant.

President Greg Demski identifies the three current 2024 objectives; grow RCFC membership by five members, continue to assist non-profit organizations with financial support, and promote our two high school Rotary Interact Clubs encouraging their participation in community activities and Rotary programs to include Youth Exchange.

For more on Rotary Club of Frederick County, visit fcrcva.com or email Greg Demski gregdemski@gmail.com and Bill North billnorth48@gmail.com.

This article was written with the collaboration of Rotary President Greg Demski, member Chair Bill North, and the Rotary Club of Frederick County Board of Directors.