Mason City Noon Rotary

Nearly A Century Of Service

The Mason City Noon Rotary Club - formally known as the Rotary Club of Mason City, Iowa - was founded July 1, 1916 as a service club with two important missions:

1 - To support the efforts of Rotary International ...

To provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and pursue world understanding and peace through friendship, fellowship, and service to others.

2 - To serve Mason City and surrounding communities in North Iowa ...

With our time ... our talents ... our financial assistance ... our support ... and to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

To keep these traditions alive and well, our club has recruited many talented people from all walks of life. And some of them have contributed their stories to this site ...

In Their Own Words

From an unknown Rotarian on the founding of the Mason City Noon Rotary Club ... may have been written around the mid-1990's?

"In 1883 a community was formed and was tentatively named 'Masonville'. When postal service was initiated, it was discovered that this name was used by another community, therefore the leaders of the community chose the name 'Mason City' in 1885. By the year 1914, Mason City had grown to approximately 17,000 people including 400 business and professional offices.

At the close of 1914, Hugh Shepard, a Mason City attorney, had a desire to form a Rotary Club in his town. He contacted a long time friend, E. J. Carroll, of the Davenport Rotary Club for information. He was referred to Chesley R. Perry, Secretary of the International Association of Rotary Clubs. After much correspondence, Mr. Perry advised that Mason City was too small of a town to have a Rotary Club so the matter was dropped.

Mr. Shepard kept in touch with John O. Knutson of Sioux City, who was the District Governor of the 10th District of Rotary. He eventually was invited to attend a meeting of the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club. On May 5, 1916, John Gordon Jr., of the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club came to Mason City for the organizational meeting held at the Cerro Gordo Hotel. This meeting was attended by leaders of businesses and professional people. There were 22 men who agreed to join the new club. Officers were elected and an application was submitted to the parent organization, which at the time was known as the International Association of Rotary Clubs. Today it is known as Rotary International and the Mason City Noon Rotary Club has 130 members.

The new club chose the Cerro Gordo Hotel as its first meeting place. Over the years other luncheon meeting places were the Soda Grill, the Mason City Chamber of Commerce, the Globe-Gazette, the Hanford Hotel, the Sheraton Motor Inn, the Prime N' Wine, and now meets at the Hanford Inn ..."

The article continues from here. For the complete text, please Click Here.

From fellow Rotarian, Gary Howell ...

"The one thing that comes to mind is the Rotary Radio Auction. It started in the late 60's maybe 68. It started out in the basement of Interstate Power and after a few years moved to KGLO station, then 1st Citizens Bank and then Music Man Square. At least this is the way I remember it.

Rotary has met at what is now the Hanford Inn or at the Prime and Wine for over about 40 years. I joined in 1966 and it met at the Hanford Hotel (downtown) for about a year then moved to the Current location. The exact dates may be off a year or two ...

The biggest change in Rotary I can think of is the emphasis placed on fund raising. Our main thrust for years was community service and fellowship.

Also women in the club. One of my employees, Joan Larson was the first woman in Rotary, I believe also the first in Iowa."

From former Mason City Noon Rotarian, John D. Vance, Jr. ...

"My name is John D.Vance Jr. and I along with my father, John D.Vance Sr. belonged to the Mason City Noon Rotary Club.

It was convenient for us to attend at the Hanford Hotel for our place of business was only one block South at the corner of second street NW and North Federal (the Vance Music Company -- Meredith Willson's hangout when in town).

When I joined I had just returned from a tour of duty with the U.S. Marines and began my career in the music business. One year I was program chairman, and was as far as I got working within the club activities. I know when we brought our RotaryAnns for a banquet we brought a piano and small organ and supplied the music background for the dinner.

Some of the members I remember were Dr. Davidson, Tom Waggoner, other leaders of the community at that period...1950 to 1960.

When I moved East with my family I had to forgo club work for the type of work I was in.

However, before I returned to Rotary, my daughter Kathryn M.Vance had joined the Rotary Club of Jenkintown, PA., and has been on their board twice and has a very favorite program at Christmas time for handicapped children called the Widner Project.

After my wife passed away in 2003 I returned to Rotary here in Leesburg,Florida and have had five years of perfect attendance and on the board from 2008 to 2010 as Service Project Chair.

Mason City will always be my home base no matter what, and have to say those were good years in my life. Thank you for the opportunity to add to the history of this fine club."

If you're a member or past member of the Rotary Club of Mason City (Mason City Noon Rotary Club), and wish to post a story, email your story to the club secretary, and we'll post it as soon as possible. And make sure you check back often for more stories from club 2209's past.