Furnitureland Rotary celebrates half a century of service
Jun. 22—HIGH POINT — It's been 50 years since the Furnitureland Rotary Club came into being, but its mission of serving others has not changed.
"That's always been a big part of what we do," says Richard Wood, one of three charter members who remain active in the club today. (The others are John Stunda and Coy Williard.) "Service to others is very important in Rotary."
Next week, the club will observe its 50th anniversary with a celebration dinner and program at Truist Point Stadium, and all current and former club members and their families are invited. The event will include a barbecue and chicken dinner, and a program celebrating the club's history in High Point.
Furnitureland Rotary grew out of the city's original Rotary club, which was High Point Rotary Club. Discussion of a second club began in January 1971, and meetings began in mid-February.
"Rotary was really starting to grow at that time, so they wanted to start another club in High Point," Wood remembers. "They appointed my brother, Chip Wood, and Tom English to be in charge. They decided on south High Point for the club — that's where the corporate growth was at the time — so it was formed mostly by people in that area."
On March 1, 1971, an application for membership was submitted to Rotary International, and the club celebrated its charter night on June 28, 1971. Bill Green was installed as the club's inaugural president.
Throughout its half-century of existence, the club has been known for its service to the local community, most notably to Mobile Meals of High Point.
"We started about the same time Mobile Meals started, so we designated them as our chief recipient of funds over the years," Wood says. "We've given them over half a million dollars. From a small club like ours, to work as hard as we did, we're pretty darn proud of that half-million dollar mark."
The club has supported more than two dozen other local organizations through the years, including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Operation Santa Claus and Family Service of the Piedmont.
According to Wood, the club has also been a strong supporter of Rotary International's mission to eradicate polio.
Today, Furnitureland Rotary has 28 members, but club officials expect that number to grow to the mid-30s by the end of summer, Wood says.
For the club's anniversary celebration next week, club members are especially reaching out to former members who might like to attend.
"We've had more than 300 members through the years, and if you were one of those members, we'd love to have you and your family attend," Wood says. "A lot of them have moved away and we don't know how to reach them, and some we've just lost touch with, but we would love for them to come and help us celebrate 50 years of helping this community."
jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579
jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579
