About Our Club

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The Southern Ulster Rotary Club was formed back in early 1990's. Our Founding Fathers were Kenny Rumsey, Skip Kalisky, Don DuBois, and Francis Mayle. These fine men were selling Christmas trees and started talking about Rotary meetings. Skip came up with the idea of starting a club. They met up and put together some paperwork to start the process, gathered 27 members when only 25 were needed and submitted the application. We were chartered on June 12, 1991 by the Rotary International and The Plattekill Rotary Club had begun.
 
Some of the many projects initiated by the Plattekill Rotary Club in the earlier years were:
purchasing materials to help a dilapidated school due to Hurricane Katrina, rebuild their ceiling from holding a fundraiser
• the town library received a new floor from the county which was influenced by Plattekill Rotary Club
• equipment including a dental chair was purchased for a dental clinic in Peru
• a desperately needed well was drilled in Peru with a $20,000.00 grant we received
• woodworking equipment was provided to our schools
• medical supplies were sent to Kenya
 
In 2004 the Plattekill Rotary Club change the name to Southern Ulster Rotary Club. Today we proudly have 36 members and we are fiercely moving forward with many projects.
 
Some of these projects are:
 
• Provides two $1,000.00 scholarships in memory of 1st LT. Mark Dooley.  First Lieutenant Mark H. Dooley, was a native of Wallkill. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 42nd Infantry Division, Jericho, Vermont. He was also a member of the Wilmington's police department for three months before his unit and was called to active duty in Iraq.  First Lieutenant Mark H. Dooley was not only an "amazing and gifted officer" who felt a duty to serve his country, he was an adored son and inspiring older brother. His encouraging quoted words "Remember, time is a gift." will be forever valued.
 
• Provides two Rotary Youth Leadership Awards for two Sophomore High School students. RYLA is a nationally recognized leadership conference held at Mount St. Mary's College in Newburgh every June.
 
• Provides families with opportunities to attend Camp Sundown.  Camp Sundown is a camp in Dutchess County that provides a summer camp for children with XP and their families. XP (Xeroderma Pigmentosum) is a rare genetic condition characterized by the lack of ability in the DNA to repair damage done by sunlight and other ultraviolet light sources. The camp is specially designed to protect the children from ultraviolet light. Most activities are planned and designed to be done at night.
• Contributes to Military Appreciation Day, Rolling Thunder Projects, Ulster County Veterans Home.  We are proud to support our Veterans.
 
• Committed to providing 1 ShelterBox each year.   Shelter Box is a Rotary International project to provide people anywhere in the world suffering from a disaster immediate help with survival equipment. These items include a tent, cooking utensils, water purifier, tools, solar flash lights, etc. Three of these boxes were sponsored by the Southern Ulster Rotary Club and deployed in Nepal.
 
• Contributes to Rotary's Polio Plus Program to eradicate Polio worldwide.
 
• Provide financial support to local community projects such as:
  • Local families in financial need, families with seriously ill children
  • Local senior groups, Ulster County Office of the Aging
  • Boy Scout Eagle projects 
  • Local fire departments o provides children with winter coats and books through Head Start
  • Local schools
  • Supports local church food pantries
  • Supports the DARE Program
  • Supports a local Junior Diabetes fundraiser
  • Provide grade school children with a free fishing derby in conjunction with the Plattekill Rod and Gun Club
  • Provide a free activity for town children at Plattekill Town Day
  • Provide free hot chocolate and donuts to town residents at the Town of Plattekill Christmas Tree Lighting 
 
Our members proudly carry this history forward to this day by continuing endless efforts in helping local community grow and heal as well as being available to our national friends in need of growth and healing. We welcome new members or interested parties to join us at our weekly social meeting so please check out our calendar and stop in to hear what we are up to today because YOU ARE THE MISSING PIECE.