The Rotary Club of Conroe held its annual Pancake Supper last Tuesday at Honor Café. Billed as a “Fun Raiser,” it delivered the Family fun along with raising funds for Rotary’s local charitable activities which include the distribution of just under 2,000 “I Like Me” Books to first graders to one-thousand dollar scholarships and much more. This Pancake Supper was started many years ago and is a legacy of the Rotary club of Conroe, just like its “I like Me Books” and education scholarships. This legacy extends to its beginnings over 90 years ago when the Rotary Club of Conroe was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Huntsville.
Fifty years ago, the Rotary Club of Conroe sponsored a Rotary Club in what was to become one of the best planned communities in the world. The Rotary Club of The Woodlands was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Conroe initial meetings reportedly held in “Pitch’s Hardware Store” owned by Jim Pitchford which was located in what is now the City of Oak Ridge North. Eventually, this small Club moved to the west side of the “freeway” into what is now The Woodlands. Fifty years ago is almost a lifetime, but this young Club expanded into a Rotary Club with over two hundred members. During the course of their evolution, this Rotary Club held “Spook Trails” at Halloween to raise funds. About fifteen years ago, they started their Wine Dinners which showcased Texas wines and California wines side-by-side.
This later evolved in “Dinner Roast” which has become a “Recognition Dinner.” This year’s honoree was Julie Martineau who has blest the Montgomery County Community with her fund-raising skills while working at United Way and later as the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Community Foundation. The Rotary Club of The Woodlands will officially celebrate their 50th Anniversary on Thursday, May 15, 2025. The legacy of this Rotary Club is centered on serving others in a myriad of ways. This Club established The Woodlands Rotary House which provides free housing to out-of-town Families with a member being treated in the County’s Medical Complex. BTW, Julie Martineau was a part of the group which established The Woodlands Rotary House. This Club has bestowed approximately one million dollars in education scholarships to graduating seniors. Tom Cox regularly rounded up Rotarians to help re-building housing in Tamina. Sharon Conway chaired the Rotary’s Centennial Project which consisted of a large playground complex in the Tamina Community. These Rotarians find their time spent in service to be most rewarding.
Some of the past projects include:
• Ringing bells for the Salvation Army at Christmas
• Taking children of the Journey School holiday shopping
• Providing much needed home repairs for seniors in the community
• Hosting a Christmas party for seniors
• Delivering weekly meals to seniors with Meals on Wheels
• Honoring hundreds of local Veterans in our annual Veteran’s Day Celebrations
• Packing 20,000 meals in one day for Rise Against Hunger
• Collecting food and funds for the Montgomery County Food Bank
• Conducting literacy campaigns and life-altering mentorship for children in local schools
• Volunteering with Angel Reach, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and Yes to Youth to make an impact to children and young adults throughout Montgomery County
• Supporting the The Woodlands Family YMCA in the Dragon Boat Races
• Donating over 250 gallons of blood saving approximately 6,000 lives through October, 2024
• Providing scholarships to local high school seniors through the Student of the Year program and Lone Star College – Montgomery. Students are encouraged to contact Conroe ISD Career Counselor or Lone Star Financial Aid Office for current scholarship details
• Serving a number of international communities with life-saving sanitation and household/community-based projects
The Rotary Club of The Woodlands continue the legacy of service and inspire others with their concept of “Service Above Self.” Their legacy like other rotary Clubs is about serving the Community, the Country, and the World.
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