Oakwood Rotary Club - 25+ Years of Community Service
The Rotary Club of Oakwood was chartered on August 27, 1980 through the efforts of two Oakwood residents who were then members of the Kettering Rotary Club, Don Treimann and Ed Saslow. They saw a need for a club in Oakwood and prevailed upon Bill Lambert, president of the Dayton Rotary Club to not only give up its territorial rights in Oakwood, but also to sponsor the fledgling club.
Don and Ed had to hustle to find the required 20 new members necessary to start a new club.
They ended up with 23 recruits. Four of the original 23 recruits remain members of the club 25 years later: Bill Clymer, Roland 'Ike' Eichner, Harvey Pierce and Stan Herr. Membership in the club has grown since those early years to more than 130 members today.
From the beginning the club was designated a "breakfast club" and has met and continues to meet at 7:00 a.m. Friday mornings. The club originally met at the Patterson Restaurant that once stood opposite the entrance to Carillon Park on Patterson Boulevard. The club soon outgrew this location and moved to the Kennedy Union at the University of Dayton. The Kennedy Union location was ultimately outgrown and the meetings were moved to Neil's Heritage House where the held until the restaurant closed in January of 2006.
In January 1988, The Rotary Club of Oakwood welcomed its first two female members, Jane Voisard and Do Winkler both women are still active in the club today. Currently female members account for roughly 20 percent of club membership.
In 1985 The Rotary Foundation was formed with the purpose of giving to local charities. The initial deposit of club funds into the account was 12,000.00. To date more than a quarter of million dollars has been distributed to local charitable organizations.
Oakwood Rotary Officer Achievements
Don Treimann - founding member, first club president, district governor, Rotary representative to the United Nations in New York.
Tommy Cobb - 13th club president, district governor
Polly Petricola - 24th club president, assistant to the district 6670 governor for 2005-2006
Jane Voisard & Do Winkler - first female members
Robyn Kemp - elected first female club president in 1998 but passed away before she could be installed.
Elaine Vorndran - In the year 2000, Elaine became the first female president.
Charter Members
| Charles R. Ballard | Mrs. Graham (Jennifer) McConnell |
| Robert B. Beck | Roger P. Neilson |
| Henry Breidenbach | Dr. Thomas G. Pavey |
| William Clymer | Charles T. Peterson |
| Delbert L. Collins | Harvey J. Pierce |
| Thomas A. Creager | Daniel G. Reinke |
| Roland F. Eichner | Norman R. Roberts |
| William K. Foremang | Mrs. Aldene Saslow Nash |
| Gerald R. Francis | Valentine W. Seifert |
| Stanley C. Herr | Donald W. Treimann |
| Gene W. Hughes | Dr. Douglas P. Vrudny |
| Lawrence R. Marra, Jr. |