Rotary Club No. 6285 of Marceline is the local unit of Rotary International, an organization of over 11,000 similar clubs, with 510,000 members in the United States and 123 countries of the world.
The first Rotary club was organized in Chicago, Ill., on February 23, 1905, by Paul P. Harris, a young lawyer, who gathered together in a spirit of friendship and understanding, a group of men, each of whom was engaged in a different form of service to the public. That basis of membership still exists.
Under the sponsorship of Brookfield Rotary, a group of thirty-five business and professional men from Marceline organized in April 1946, and requested a charter from Rotary International. On June 13, 1946, the official presentation of the charter was made by John A. Becker, District Governor, District 134, at a dinner held at the Masonic Temple.
The first officers serving the club were as follows:
- George B. Culler, President
- G. Derk Green, Vice President
- Geo. R. Lohmar, Secretary
- Emory B. Moorman, Treasurer
- Adolph W. Royar, Sgt.-at-Arms
Retaining continuous membership since that date are Harry Boddy, Robert Murray, Emory Moorman, Edgar Myers, Adolph Royar, Albert Zurcher and George Lohmar.
Presidents of the organization have been:
- George Lohmar
- Albert Zurcher
- Edgar Myers
- Eldridge Sage
- Harry Porter
- James Adair
- Ed Jones
- James Farris
The youth of the community have always interested Rotarians as evidenced by their active sponsoring of the Drivers Education Class at Marceline High School, Boy Scouts, and the annual 6th grade pilgrimage to Kansas City.
Another civic project was the raising of money for new lights for the football field.
Present members of the club are: James Adair, W.E. Bealmear, Harry Boddy, John Bray, Joe Belie, Marsh Dorrell, Mack Derr, Neil Dubach, Clifford Freeman, James Farris, Paul Johnson, Elwood Koch, George Lohmar, Gene Malone, Emory Moorman, Robert Murray, Vern Milam, Edgar Myers, Harry Porter, Adolph Royar, Don Walsworth, Jack Wrenn, and Albert Zurcher.