About 1988 the Ames Rotary Club, which we now refer to as the “Noon Club” had grown to over 250 members and it was suggested by District 6000 (then known as District 600) that perhaps they would sponsor a second club. Terry Adams, Dave Klatt, George Strawn, and Steve Jungst volunteered to help start the new club. They met one morning in the spring of 1988 at the Gateway Inn to plan and organize. They had decided on a morning meeting since several Rotarians were having trouble attending the noon meeting, and evenings were already too busy. There were few items of business at the first few meetings, so after 15 or 20 minutes they would eat and watch the Today Show on TV. Terry Adams agreed to lead the committee and became the first president; but, with the agreement and intention that he would return to the noon club once the morning club was up and running. He served as president until June 27, 1990, when he turned the gavel over to Dave Klatt. Terry stayed on as piano player and later as club secretary and continues as an active member of the Morning Club.

The Ames Morning Rotary Club was officially chartered January 31, 1989. The Charter Night Banquet was held at Gateway Inn on March 21, 1989. The charter was presented by Cecil Porter, District Governor and accepted by Terry Adams. Charles Samuels, president of the Noon Club hosted the event and speakers included Paul Hellwege and Charles Gabus. There were 25 charter members. The Wednesday morning meetings had been moved to the Campanile Room at the Memorial Union in late 1989 when the club attained 20 members and outgrew the facilities at Gateway.

The club banner was designed by Bill Dreyer. For the first few years Bill Dreyer did a monthly newsletter. Arch Oldehoeft later designed and still maintains the web site, and this has become the official newsletter. It took a lot of time and dedication for those first members to get the new club started. The first District Governor’s visit, in the spring of 1990, included a list of all the many programs and activities that we still needed to accomplish. This was unlike the recent Governor’s visits which are full of praise for the many accomplishments of this club.

Just prior to the time that our club was chartered Rotary International began to allow women to join. Jan Padgitt became our club president July 1, 1992. She was the first woman president in District 6000 history. The club has been involved in many activities including literacy, our Kenyan well project, and Friendship exchange visits from Rotarians from Japan, Czech Republic and most recently Uganda. We’re involved in the Xicopetec Mexico project and are working on several projects in Uganda. We helped to charter a club in Frydik-Mystik, Czech Republic. We have a reputation as a club that takes the “International” part of Rotary International seriously.

We are a good addition to the Ames Community and we thank the Noon Club and the many hard working Rotarians that have established this club as a vital and fun club in the Rotary International family.