This is why we have a Rotary Basketball Tournament
Basketball teams from Rotary clubs in Springfield and Ozark, and other towns at times, and the Rotaract Club of Springfield have been playing each other in an annual basketball tournament for 30 years. The tournaments raise money for Special Olympics basketball teams to travel to state and regional tournaments. This video shows Special Olympics team players showing their skills on the last night of the 2017 Rotary tournament at Drury University's O'Reilly Family Events Center.
The Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast was chartered on June 28, 1967. Current and past club members celebrated the club's 50th anniversary at a banquet at White River Conference Center on Sept. 9, 2017. Our special guests were John Ashcroft, an honorary club member, and his son, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
John Ashcroft was a member of our club when he taught at Southwest Missouri State College (now Missouri State University) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He left the club to become, consecutively, state auditor, state attorney general, governor, U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general.
In addition to John Ashcroft's keynote talk, the celebration included remembrances by club member Sam Hamra, the first president of the Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast. We have a video posted on YouTube of Sam talking about early days of the club and his remembrances of John Simpson, a charter member of the club who died in 2017.
These photos are by Ryan Kowalski, a photographer for 417 Magazine, whose co-owner, Gary Whitaker, is a club member.
Click on each photo to see all of it.
Past President Sam Hamra (1967 - '68), June Hamra, John Ashcroft
Sam Hamra and John Ashcroft
Jay Ashcroft, June and Sam Hamra, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce president Matt Morrow, Rachael Morrow, and John Ashcroft
Past President Brent Dunn (2002 - '03), Sam and June Hamra, John Ashcroft, Jay Ashcroft
Jay Ashcroft, June and Sam Hamra, Bob Cirtin, John Ashcroft
State Rep. Steve Helms, John Ashcroft, Sam Hamra
Assistant Executive Secretary Linden Mueller and Executive Secretary Kimberly Pittman
Julie and Don Harkey
Glenda Head, Angela Smith, Celeste Skidmore
Debbie and Bryan Altizer
Lori and Randy Murawski
Shallina and Marty Goodnight
Dwayne Holden and Beth Yarbrough
Past President Gene Molnar (1997 - '98) and Mollie Molnar
Cheryl Briggs, Lisa Odom, and David Yancey
Mark and Mary Walker, Barbara and Jim Towery
Burl Brown and Past President Ann Keckeley Brown (2008 - '09)
Bob and Susan Beine
Past President Bill McNeill (2016 - '17) and Terri McNeill
Melissa and Dan Scott
Mary Ann Johnson and Past President Rex Johnson (1984 - '85)
Dave Bosso, Susan and Club Secretary Irwin Cohen
Mike and Myra Pessina
Carol Scott and Past President Steve Scott (1990 - '91)
Cheryl Briggs and Rick Gilmore
Melinda Hammerschmidt and Past President Bob Hammerschmidt (2005 - '06)
Eda Bates and Past President Guy Bates Jr. (1982 - '83)
David Miller and President Lori Barnes Miller (2017 - '18)
Margaret Grooms and Past President Olin Grooms (1980 - '81)
Past President Steve Benton (1989 - '90) and Loralynn Benton
Dedication of new pavilion at K-Park
Springfield Southeast Rotary founded K-Park in 2005 in Jordan Valley Park, near the Creamery Arts Center on the northwest corner of East Trafficway at Sherman Avenue, as our Rotary International Centennial Project. (The K can stand for Kids or for Kinetic Man, the interactive metal sculpture that was the first installation in the park.) Since then, we have added a climbing rock and a Springfield Wagon replica. In 2017, we dedicated the colorful blue and yellow pavilion that covers picnic and activity tables.
Newest members
Golftoberfest fundraiser
The funds go for charitable projects and the club's Foundation
Club float trip 2017
Rain didn't stop the fun
Installation of new officers and passing of gavel
June 2017
Lori Barnes Miller is the 2017 - '18 club president
