Rotary District 5020 - Vancouver Island and Northwest Washington

Club History and Centennial Involvement

In October of 1936, great things were happening. Courtenay businessman Hi Smith was approached by Charles Lawry the Governor of District No. 1 and the special representative of the district governor, Bill Mainwaring, the vice-president of B.C. Electric. They were urging him to initiate the formation of a Rotary Club in Courtenay. Mr. Smith, with Mr. Mainwaring, canvassed the town and within a week, the minimum requirement of 20 business and professional men had indicated their desire to form a Rotary Club. On October 27th, their first luncheon meeting was held in the Elk’s Hall. It was decided that luncheons would continue there. The cost of the luncheon was 60 cents. In subsequent years, it was successfully argues that the luncheon fee should be lowered to 50 cents.

With service as its motto, the Courtenay Rotary Club inaugurated a long history of community involvement and activity. November 27th of the same year, one month after their first meeting, Bill Mainwaring presented the club with its charter at a banquet at the Native Sons Hall. The official sponsor club was the Nanaimo Rotary Club.

The Club’s first project was to participate in sending a carload of fruit and vegetables to drought stricken areas of the prairies. Since then, the Club has responded to numerous community needs. It has supported war efforts, the Red Cross, the Cancer Society, the Heart Fund, and brought pressure to establish a public health nurse in Courtenay for the benefit of children and infants. Some of the more notable community projects include the construction of the C.R.A. swimming pool, Sims Millennium Park, The Courtenay and District Museum, Standard Park; the St. Joseph’s Hospital Backyard Garden and the Courtenay Rotary Water Park. The Centennial Project is a two-year effort to build the Sims Millenium Park Pavilion. The list Goes on and on. Members of this club can feel justly proud of their record of service to the Comox Valley and the way in which they have upheld and exemplified the basic principles of fellowship and service established by Paul Harris over 90 years ago.

Our favourite Recipe
Grand Marnier Cream Pie

125 ml (½ cup) ground almonds
200 ml (3/4 cup) crushed chocolate wafers
60 ml (1/4 cup) melted butter
grated rind of one orange
250 ml (1 cup) white sugar
75 ml (1/3 cup) softened butter
225 g (8 oz) softened cream cheese
150 ml (2/3 cup) Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
500 ml (2 cups) whipping cream

Combine the almonds, crumbs and melted butter; mix until well blended and press into a spring form pan or pie plate. Chill until ready to use.

Mix together the orange rind, sugar, butter and cream cheese until well blended. Beat in the liqueur. Beat the cream until stiff and fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the piecrust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Yields 8 servings.

Rotary District 5020 Website

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Rotary District 5020 - Vancouver Island and Northwest Washington

Rotary District 5020 Website

If you are seeing this page it's because have tried to access a page that doesn't exist anymore.

You can return to our website here