Presidential Message

Stephanie A. Urchick

President 2024-25

Rotary Club of Indianola assisted The Groggy Dog Restaurant again this season to create meals for those who may not have other options.  The Groggy Dog, West Hill Brewery, Rotary Club of Indianola and donations from other businesses and individuals raise funds to make the Guinness Stew.   

Rotary Club members meet at The Groggy Dog on the appointed days to package the stew. 

Each batch created 25-35 meals which, when reheated, provides a nutritious meal on cold winter days.  Once the stew is packaged, it is frozen and delivered to Warren County Helping Hand and Heal House of Iowa for distribution. 

If you are interested in helping us purchase ingredients for additional batches of stew click here to fund the project.  Click the Read More to see additional pictures.

Rotary Club of Indianola was chartered on September 26, 1922. 

In September 2022 our club celebrated its Centennial as a member of the Indianola Community.

The Four Pillars of Rotary

  Of the things we think, say or do:

•      Is It the TRUTH?

•      Is it FAIR to all concerned?

•      Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

•      Will it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

The Rotary Motto:   

  Service Above Self  

Rotary Club of Indianola Established a Peace Garden at McCord Park

World Peace is one the pillars of Rotary International.

By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

"What is Rotary?"

As a Rotarian, one of the hardest questions to answer is 'What is Rotary?'  You would think that after 20+ years as a member it would be an easy question to answer.  But it is not.

Rotary has so many moving parts, in so many parts of the World, in so many different ways, well to be honest, it boils down to the people.  It becomes the question of "Who is a Rotarian?"

With the motto "Service Above Self", a Rotarian is one individual who wants to help those around them, whether it be individuals, communities or countries.    

As a whole, Rotary is made up of three parts: our clubs, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation. Together, we work to make lasting change in our communities and around the world.

And yet, it boils down to individuals. 

• Individuals willing to travel around the world to deliver a dose of polio vaccine to a child. Rotarians have been doing this since 1987 and the wild polio virus has been eliminated from all but one Country - in the World. Think of the millions of lives that have been changed because individuals were willing to help others.

• Individuals willing to walk a local parade and collect food items for the local Food Pantry - The Helping Hand.

• Individuals, taking time out of their daily work schedule, to visit five different elementary schools and hand out personal dictionaries.

• Individuals who raised the funds and furnished the labor to build a shelter at the local recreational trailhead.

• Individuals who spend nine evenings, in a row, selling tickets and parking cars at the National Balloon Classic, so the Club can afford to purchase dictionaries and sponsor other projects in our community.

• Individuals who teach leadership skills to High School Youth.

• A Foundation, supported by individuals, that funds water projects around the world, providing clean water, which in turn decreases diseases among the people who live there.

• The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

So, to answer the question, What is Rotary? Rotary provides a fulfilling system that allows me to help people in my community, in my District and in the World, making this a better place for all.   

Terry Pauling,

Rotary Club of Indianola.