The Kutztown Rotary Club was begun on a brisk April 14th in 1926. William Derstine of the Quakertown Club was instrumental in organizing the Kutztown Club. The need for a service-oriented club in the Kutztown seemed to be a view shared by a number of business and professional people within the community. With the help of Arthur Bonner, the club organized in the spring of 1926.
By 1928, the membership had risen to about 30 active participants. The emphasis during those years of business expansion in our country was on the state of our economy-many programs devoted to business particulars and proper business ethics.
On July 24, 1935, the club, with 7 members present, asked itself whether we should continue. Somehow the economy of the country had affected the club so that the programs seemed more devoted to schools and vocations with a special emphasis on local happenings and community betterment.
Our membership grew to 21 by the end of 1937. In 1938, we began our single longest running service, a vocational service program called Farmers Night, by celebrating farmers in our area. It is an evening to say “thank you” to farmers in the area and to show appreciation for their work.
The years of World War II saw Rotary grow steadily in Kutztown. We determined to include our total business community in the club because we both needed each other. Kutztown Rotary had a national emphasis during those years. There was a great interest in such themes as conservation of resources, national education programs and how to help in the war effort. As member Sam Smith said at our 75th anniversary, an Allied victory was uncertain.
In 1946, Kutztown Rotary celebrated its 20th anniversary with membership at 35. With the end of the war, attention focused once more on our local community with many projects and programs related to our local schools and college. There was a movement once again to increase membership. By 1949 the club had a membership of 40.
In 1947, we first donated $50 to the Rotary Foundation. The character of our own club became more cosmopolitan with a drive for Rotary Foundation and the beginning of international services such as Rotary Exchange and the hosting of foreign students.
We helped to charter the Fleetwood Rotary Club in 1951 and the Topton Rotary Club in 1952.
Post-war, we helped establish the Boy Scout Camp Edmar. Funding for this event started by Kutztown Rotary in 1950 and the building of the Oscar L. Stein Memorial Cottage for Boy Scouts was started in 1951. By 1955, funding for the Stein Cottage was completed, largely by annual Hobby Shows the club ran which netted about $1,000 each year. The Total cost of the project was $7,000. Funding was also achieved by ham and bean dinners held at Stein Cottage.
Our RYLA program at Camp Neidig was created by Joseph S. Neidig, governing officer of Rotary District 2654, in 1950. After District 2654 split in 1961, the newly-formed District 7430 decided to rename the camp "Camp Neidig" in honor of the camp's founder. In 1990, females were invited to camp for the first time, as Camp Neidig became a co-educational experience. The camp located to Camp Manatawny in 2004.
At our 50th anniversary in 1976, we served 25 separate programs - from distinctly club activities, such as the 50th year celebration, to community efforts such as Town and Gown, vocational service such as F.F.A. to international service such as Rotary Foundation. There is little doubt that Rotary encompassed the truest meaning of the word Service.
In 1980, the Kutztown Rotary club initiated it annual golf tournament. This became the club´s major fund raiser and has funded many worthwhile community projects and scholarships. Today it is known as the Donald L. Boyer Golf Tournament in memory of Rotarian Donald L. Boyer.
In 1984 the club started a profitable partnership with the Berks County Kennel Club Dog Show at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. This proved to be another major fund raiser for the club´s charitable activities, organized in the 1990s by member, Bob Hobaugh. The club started sponsoring an annual Health Scan project and providing Christmas trees as decoration for Main Street. 1984 also saw the start of the clubs highly successful "Student of the Month” program.
In 1985, the Topton Rotary Club disbanded and members John W. Tallman, Forrest K. Fetherolf, Isaac R. Evans, and Dean G. Wetzel joined our Club.
1986 saw the introduction of the song, R-O-T-A-R-Y at all meetings. The club has been a singing club from then until 2003.
In 1987, we celebrated our 65th anniversary. See Bob Hobaugh for a video of that dinner dance.
1990 started the annual softball game with the Fleetwood Rotary Club that increased friendship and rivalry between the clubs.
In 1994, at its 70th Anniversary celebration the Kutztown Rotary Club gratefully acknowledged the dedicated service of its senior members and welcomed its new members, including our first female Rotarian, Barbara Stratton, who joined in 1994.
In 2000, Erin Webb became the club’s first female president. Today, we have more female than male members.
In 2001 the club celebrated its 75th Anniversary and sadly recognized the dedicated service of several members who had passed away the previous 5 years. We also published a Club picture book whose introduction is included in the Centennial Book.
In 2003, we organized a Rotaract Club at Kutztown University. Tom Turner formed a partnership between our club and the Lambda Chi Alpha service fraternity at Kutztown University. We also began the annual Kutztown Rotary Downtown Mini-Golf Tournament.
2004 saw the start of the Flatworks Rotary Art Show and Sale at the Radius Toothbrush factory. This year saw the Kutztown Rotary Bulletin becoming digital. Prior to this Peter Keegan had been printing and distributing the Bulletins.
In 2005 Rotary International celebrated its centennial and the Kutztown Rotary Club took on a centennial project, providing the Kutztown Park with new picnic benches. Our student exchange program resumed in 2005, with Celso Santin from Brazil. We host a student annually and presently enjoy the company of Luna Kleutgen from Belgium. 2005 also saw the first Kutztown Rotary Continental Shoot held at Marz Pheasant Farm. This event was last held in 2007.
The 2006 Flatworks Art Exhibit and Sale was held at the Kutztown Airport inside the main hangar. In 2007, Flatworks moved to the Kutztown Auto showrooms. 2007 also saw the club moving from Moselem Springs Inn to Season's Grille.
In 2007, Kutztown Rotary joined the Shelterbox program which started in Cornwall, England in 2000 to fill a void in international disaster relief. We also participated in the Merchant's trick or treat night outside Nancy Hildenbrand's funeral home. We handed out pencils to all of the little ghouls and goblins.
In 2008, Kutztown Rotary's annual Farmer's night was opened up to the Fleetwood Club. Over 100 farmers and Rotarians attended to hear Rep. Sheila Miller speak.
In 2009, Kutztown Rotary moved to Kutztown Tavern after the Season's Grille closed. 2009 saw the last year of the partnership between the Berks Kennel Club and the Kutztown Rotary at the annual fall dog show at the Kutztown Fair Grounds. The club sold chicken Spiedies at the Muscle on Main hot rod show and the Energy Fest in Kempton. In 2010, the club switched to hot dogs which were a lot less work.
In 2010, the club started it annual Taste of Kutztown, a wine tasting event on Main Street. It started out as an evening event with various Main Street merchants each hosting a winery. On Saturday, June 8, 2013, Taste of Kutztown expanded into a street festival, literally on Main Street and with food and craft vendors complimenting the wineries who were allowed to sell wine for the first time. Kutztown Rotary is indebted to Kutztown Borough and the Kutztown Community Partnership for helping the Taste of Kutztown grow from a local event into a regional destination.
In 2015, the Taste of Kutztown moved to Kutztown Park and was the kickoff event for the Kutztown Bicentennial. The Kutztown Rotary also ran the Kutztown Bicentennial Decorating Contest and entered a float in the Bicentennial Parade. The float highlighted 24 primary activities of the Club. In 2016, the club celebrated its 90th anniversary at it Spring Exchange Student Picnic. Our exchange student, Viki, help with the celebration.
Beginning in 2016, members began an era of District and Zone service. Member Bob Hobaugh served as Assistant Governor for 5 years and in 2012-2022, as District 7430 Governor. The Club hosted a hospitality suite at the Hershey Convention Center. Now Bob serves as District Representative to the Council on Legislation. Rose Galeano-Phillips serves as District Secretary and Short-Term Youth Exchange Chair. Amy Sheller first served as District Public Image Chair and now as Zone 32 Public Image Chair.
In 2025, we began to prepare for our Centennial celebration, chaired by Florita Hobaugh. We will include service projects chaired by Melissa Kirk, a history subcommittee chaired by Bob Hobaugh, and many other members who help to make our 2026 celebration wonderful!
Kutztown Rotary is unique in many ways largely due to its rural setting as well as the background of its members and its Pennsylvania German Heritage.
With our Centennial, we continue to grow and participate in club, local, zone, and international service. Please see our Centennial Book for information on all those years of service.
“WHATEVER ROTARY MAY MEAN TO US, TO THE WORLD IT WILL BE KNOWN BY THE RESULTS IT ACHIEVES.”