The holiday season is often a time that we think of giving to others, not just our families and friends, but to others in need. Thanks to the generosity of the community and the hard work of volunteers, Perth’s service clubs have been raising funds for worthy causes for decades, improving the quality of life in our little town and beyond.

But service clubs have been struggling in recent years to attract new members, as demographics are changing and values are shifting with the entrenchment of technology and social media. Sadly, on June 30th of this past year, the Rotary Club of Perth closed its doors, after 76 years in operation.

We spoke to John Clement, a dedicated Rotarian who served for over 53 years right up until the Rotary Clubs closing.  

“My Father joined The Rotary, shortly after the club was chartered in 1946,” says John. “The Easter Seal Merrywood Camp for Crippled Children, so named at the time, on the Rideau, was the main focus of the club’s fund raising for many years. As a young boy of 10 or 12, my Father would take me, along with other Rotarians’ children, to Merrywood, to help entertain the campers at dances, plays and other activities.”

Following university, John returned to Perth to eventually take over The Perth Courier, and felt it was only natural to join The Rotary. His father had died a decade earlier and John wanted to continue this service to the community.

During the Club’s history, Rotary members raised funds through a wide variety of initiatives. They organized and ran the annual Rib Fest, made and sold thousands of sandwiches during the annual cycle tour between Ottawa and Kingston; recycled thousands of liquor bottles and beer cans from the Stanleyville landfill; even conducted an annual ‘stag’ night in the community center back in the early 1970’s and sponsored Eastern Ontario Fiddling and Step Dancing competitions. There were years of strawberry socials in conjunction with the Perth Citizens’ Band; two years presenting Authors in the Park, and hundreds of other fundraisers, most for local charities, some for international causes.

The impact of the Rotary’s fundraising efforts was substantial. While it’s impossible to estimate how much money was raised by The Rotary Club of Perth, during its 76 year run, John estimates well over 1 million dollars was raised for community and international objectives.

Over the years, The Rotary has donated to many groups and initiatives, most notably:

• The Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital
• Merrywood
• The Fire Departments
• YAK
• Various seniors’ programs
• The local food bank
• The Perth and District Union Library
• Educational reading programs for elementary students
• The fountains in the basin
• Wilson Street tree planting beautification
• Perth’s first festival green waste model at Rib Fest
• Financially assisted the construction of our community indoor pool
• Ongoing financial assistance to the Perth Sting Rays Swim Team
• Purchased and gifted the vacant lot between the Perth Museum and former Shaw’s store, to the museum

The group also donated to international causes, such as the Guatemala Stove Project; many educational scholarships; helping eradicate polio throughout the world through the International Rotary Polio Plus program; and projects involving clean drinking water and irrigation systems in third world countries.

Today, after 53 years of service to The Rotary Club of Perth, John is proud of the group's impact and accomplishments, and he isn’t the only long time member of the group. Rotarian Dr. Ralph Fish, who passed away this fall, was a Perth Rotarian for over 67 years. “His legacy is his dedication, the many projects he chaired, the club offices he held, and his tireless and selfless devotion to an organization he loved and lived for, right to the end of our club and his life,” says John.

“The Rotary Club of Perth had an excellent run,” says John “and thousands of great accomplishments during its 76 year history.  We know, both past and immediate past members, are seriously proud.”

At the time of dissolution, the Rotary Club members were: Stan Blair, John Clement, John Gibb-Carsley, Ralph Fish, John Hauraney, Ray Hook (Director),  Bruce Kemp (President), Frank Larabie (Past President), Sue Landry, Steven Mills (Secretary), Jim Peden (Director), Tony Pratt, Claire Smith (Director), Charlie Stewart, Claudette Truelove, Amber Wells (Director), Geoff Wickware, Karen Wilson (Treasurer) and Craig Wormald.

“Like the Lions, Legion, Civitan, and all the other fund raising organizations, which have gone before, Perth has benefited from the social difference those dollars have made to individuals, institutions and the community in general,” says John. “But all service clubs, not just Rotary, are having serious issues attracting new and younger members.”

John notes that the absence of funds raised by The Rotary Club of Perth will leave a huge cavity in the financial needs of many organizations it has supported over the years, and his fear is this loss will not be filled by others.

During this season of giving, and throughout the year, John urges others to remember the motto of Rotarians worldwide: ‘Service, Above Self’, which generally speaks to the motto of all service clubs, since that is what each does, in their own way, to support their community and institutional objectives.

This holiday season, please give back, by volunteering or donating to one or more of the many service clubs or organizations in our community:

• Civitan Club of Perth
• Lion’s Club
• Lioness Club of Perth
• Royal Canadian Legion Perth Branch
• Knights of Columbus
• The Polar Bear Plunge
• The Table Community Food Centre
• YAK Youth Services
• Cornerstone Landing Youth Services
• Lanark County Interval House
• Children's Resources on Wheels
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement
• Lanark Animal Welfare Society
• Perth Enrichment Program - Seniors Therapeutic Centre
• Family and Children's Services Lanark, Leeds and Grenville
• Distress Centre Lanark, Leeds and Grenville
• Lanark & Renfrew Community Volunteer Tax Program
• Lanark County Community Justice Program
• Studio Theatre
• Perth & District Union Public Library

Visit Family and Community Support Services - Town of Perth and Community Resources and Services - Town of Perth for more information and links to these important community organizations.