Courtesy of  Ray Leisy, Club Historian
 
The 1961 to 1962 Wooster Rotary Year began with a new President, Ralph Young; Classification “Senior Active." A new Editor for the Woosterian was also in place, Dick Talbot, with an appropriate classification of “Printing.” Harry Sands remained as Secretary and Orden Smucker remained as Treasurer.
 
The Annual Family Picnic was held at the Wayne County Fairgrounds on Monday evening July 28th at 6:00 pm with an excellent dinner prepared at the Grange Hall by Mrs. Lawrence and her staff. It was noted that, if tickets had been bought in advance, members could attend the Arena Fair and see the play “Charley’s Aunt” as staged by Wooster Summer Theater Company.  Another social event for the year was Ladies Night held at the YMCA on Monday on the evening of November 17th. The speaker was Paul Reinhold speaking about the Pennsylvania Dutch.
 
At this time there were four original members still members of the Wooster Rotary Club: Walter Foss, Herman Freedlander, Jim Rahl and Guy Richard.
 
As oftentimes noted in this weekly series, it is often hard to find Wooster Rotary or Wooster Rotarians taking credit for initiating good works in the City of Wooster. In looking at the 1961 to 1962 Woosterian if you looked hard you could find three references about projects we take for granted. 
 
“Just 22 years ago the Wooster Rotary Club, needing more funds to aid the crippled children of Wooster, initiated the use of Easter Seals in Wayne County to raise these funds. Today [March 9, 1962] all four Wayne County Rotary Clubs, Dalton, Orrville, Rittman and Wooster, have joined together in the Wayne County Committee for Crippled Children in raising and dispersing the necessary funds for the crippled in all of Wayne County.”
 
“Did you know our Rotary Club started Wooster Hospital? After several attempts to get our voters to pass a bond issue to build a much needed hospital, a new idea was born." A Wooster Rotarian [ who was not named] called a meeting of the three major Wooster Service Clubs…and from that meeting representatives from all lodges, woman’s groups, labor unions and various social organizations…a small steering committee was named.  After much planning and deliberation, the idea was again given to Wooster voters, which passed a levy by 95%. The writer goes on to point out that the names of the steering committee were never divulged.
 
“When you think of the YMCA building…you may think of the building as its service as a Community Center. But, it may not have been built without the guidance and leadership of Wooster Rotary... Did you know the entire leadership of the Trustees and Board of the YMCA are all Rotarians.”  In 1962 the Board of Trustees were: Howard Yoder Chairman; Members Ivan Steiner Jr., Ray Dix, Tom Landes, Hal Arnold and Clyde Miller Jr. The Directors were: Lehman Hollinger, Ed Arn, Harold Cook and Adrian Miller.