Ken McGinley was looking for a way to get involved in the community when he first moved to Stillwater from St. Paul.

McGinley happened to meet a charter member of Stillwater Sunrise Rotary, who invited him to come to one of the club's breakfasts. Seven years after that encounter, McGinley has become an avid Rotary promoter himself. And he just concluded a successful year as club president.

"It would be a huge hole if I wouldn't have ever joined," he said. "It's such a staple part of my weekly routine that you miss it when it's not there."

The Sunrise Rotary Club will mark its 25th anniversary this year. The original members chartered the group Sept. 19, 1984.

The club spun off from a Rotary Club that meets at noon. Roger Ruetten joined the noon group for a year or two before the new one started. Rotary leaders wanted to expand, and they thought a morning group would appeal to people who worked in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ruetten, himself, was just a morning person, though.

"It fit right in to my schedule," he laughed.

Rich Cummings, another one of the charter members, said he was initially looking for a little more visibility in the community with his job as a broker. His father-in-law was also a longtime Rotarian who had only good things to say about the group. But Cummings' own love of the Sunrise group grew as he spent more time with them. He now proudly claims a 25-year perfect attendance record, although he's attended Rotary meetings on cruise ships and in Egypt, Hawaii and Australia to make up for his absences at Stillwater meetings.

"My opinion has always been good, but it's gotten better over time," he said.

Part of Cummings' pride stems from the work that members do in the community. They've raised more than $300,000 for local programs that benefit youth during that time and helped residents of all ages. Cummings recalls one time that they collected 5,000 pounds of hospital supplies for people in South America.

One of the fundraisers coincided neatly with the group's anniversary. On Saturday, members hosted the ninth annual Mary Jo Weingarten "What's Best for Kids" Memorial Golf Event. Participants got dinner at the Stillwater Country Club, nine holes of golf played in the moonlight, glowing golf balls, a beverage ticket and door prizes. The money raised went to an endowment for programs such as the club-originated Youth Alcohol and Drug Project.

But the group's weekly meetings are the mainstay of club life. Members get together at 7 a.m. every Tuesday at Joseph's Family Restaurant. They begin by chatting with each other over their meal and conducting some club business. Then at the end, a guest speaker talks to the crowd about some relevant issue. Each week, it is one member's responsibility to bring in these speakers, who can range from politicians to government workers to heads of nonprofits. The members learn something new every meeting.

"You go into a meeting, and you're just immediately surrounded by good people," he said. "For a 7 o'clock meeting on a Tuesday, it is amazing how much energy is in the room."  Networking is another benefit of these meetings, Ruetten said. Rotarians are leaders in their community. If a member needs something, there is probably someone in the club connected somehow.

While the recession and a changing culture have many civic groups in decline, Sunrise has stayed stable, Cummings said. It now has about 50 members. He says he thinks it will continue to grow, in part because more women are active in the club. Ruetten would also like to see young people bring their energies and ideas to the club. Still, he's as happy as ever to be in the club.

"I just enjoy the fellowship," Ruetten said.

James Warden
Stillwater Gazette
jwarden@acnpapers.com

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