Thank you Past-President Paul for your wonderful leadership of our club, and welcome President Ken.
The Lima Rotary Club said goodbye to President Paul Swartz and welcomed President Ken Dysert at its annual Changing of the Guard ceremony. Paul thanked his board members, leadership team and committee members and touched on some of the accomplishments of his year, including the expanded website, streaming the meetings on Facebook Live, sending text blasts to members, beginning the amphitheater project, rebuilding the All People's Trail in Kendrick Woods, raising $6,000 for new exercise equipment for the Allen County Sheriff's Office, as well as raising money and volunteering for a number of different organizations. As a parting gift, Paul donated $500 to the Buenos Noches fund. Thanks for all you have done for the Lima Rotary Club, Paul. You truly put service above self.
Following the traditional pinning ceremony, Ben Swartz, Andy Farley and Butch Kirk roasted Paul, which included dressing him up in a Mexican sombrero and poncho.
President Ken took a few minutes to introduce himself and his family and outline his goals for the coming year, which include increasing membership, getting more members engaged in club activities and providing more opportunities for members to socialize and network.
Also during the meeting, Rotarians with more than forty years of service were recognized, as were the club's past presidents. The 2019 Avenue of Service awards were also presented. The winners are:
Rex Perry Club Serivce - Carol Buettner
Rudolph Community Service - Andy Wannemacher
Goodnight International Service - Dave Frost
Wemmer Vocational Service - Anne Decker
Hulsken Youth Service - David Runk
Congratulations, everyone and welcome to the new Rotary year!
