A few years ago, Seneca Rotary member Curt Davis retired from a major building supply company and started looking for ways to apply his handiman skills to service in his community. He needed volunteers to assist him and turned to his Rotary club. Now, Seneca Rotary Club has an on-going committee to do service projects for needy families in our community. We have found it to be an excellent way to provide service and to foster good fellowship. Rotary Repair Force was born.

The projects have been many and varied: Replacing a faulty sink, building a wheelchair ramp, or painting a house are among the many tasks that have been completed. We work through churchs and community groups to identify tasks. Then, we do a specific survey of the site to make sure the needs fit out capabilities. From there it is a simple matter of buying the needed supplies and rounding up the appropriate number of volunteer workers. The execution of the task is considered a fun outing by the participating club members.

The Rotary Repair Force is gaining increasing recognition in the community as it proves that good service projects do not have to be expensive. Indeed, a church group from California saw our efforts on the Internet and recently came to Seneca to participate in a project and take the concept home with them.

The projects are a major service to the recipients, but present a minor expense for the club and a fellowship opportunity for our "laborers". We will continue to seek projects wherein we can be of service to our community.

Seneca Rotary Scholars are chosen solely under certain guidelines by the Administration and Guidance Departments of Seneca Middle School and Seneca High School.

The Cast award is based on the number of years that the graduating senior was a Seneca Rotary Scholar. Each year in Middle School is $100.00 and each year in high school is $250.

Also, graduating seniors are eligible for a "bonus" award. A student that is a Rotary Scholar every year in Middle School is eligible for a $25.00 bonus. A student that is a Rotary Scholar every year in high school is eligible for a $75.00 bonus. A student that is a Rotary Scholar all seven years is eligible for the Middle School and High School bonuses plus a "7-year" bonus of $100.00. This brings the current total for a "7-year" Scholar to $1,500.00

These amounts may change from year to year. They are set at the Seneca Rotary Education Foundation’s discretion.

Note that we only award those scholars who graduate from Seneca High School. If a student has moved from Seneca or for some other reason will not graduate from Seneca High School, he or she is not eligible for the cash scholarship.

Student of the Month There are many programs that recognize the top students. In addition to recognizing high achievers, the members of Seneca Rotary established a Student of the Month program. Each month of the school year, the administration at each of the six Seneca area public schools select a student that they feel is worthy of recognition. It may be for improvement, for overcoming a handicap, or for other reasons that distinguish the individual. The student and their teacher are the guests of the club for lunch, and their parents are also invited. Each student is introduced and given a plaque.

Teacher of the Year Good students are the result of great teachers! Thus it is only natural the Seneca Rotary Club should honor the best teacher at each area school. The third Thursday of September, we do exactly that. An administrator from each school and their selected teacher are our guest for lunch. The teachers are introduced and awarded a plaque denoting their recognition.

Another aspect of education youngsters is training in areas beyond the traditional subjects of school. Recognizing this, many members of Seneca Rotary have been involved in Boy Scouts of America activities at troop, council and regional levels. The club does not sponsor a troop, but has performed various activities in support of troops. There is also an annual financial to the Blue Ridge Council.

Each year, thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program worldwide. Young people ages 14-30 chosen for their leadership potential attend an all-expenses-paid seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select participants and facilitate the event's curriculum.

RYLA aims to:

• Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth;
• Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders;
• Encourage leadership of youth by youth; and
• Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities.

Marvin's Kids Gift exchanges between members of the club during the Hooliday Season has been abandoned. Instead the members contributed toys and money to "Marbin's Kids". "Marvin's Kids" was founded in 1981 to provide a county-wide program for disadvantaged children By Marvin Cely. The program was so successful that that Mr. Cely received the Order of the Palmetto Award in 1993, and received "The Jefferson Award" posthumously in 1999. Today his widow Cecil continues the effort. Seneca Rotary supports this effort with toys and financially, and also promotes this effort. [More information can be obtained from St. Mark Methodist Church in Seneca.] andreceived the Order of the Palmetto Award in 1993. 26 March 1999 NBC WYFFChannel 4 TV news announced he received "The Jefferson Award" posthumous.

In 1865, William Booth, an ordained Methodist minister formed an evangelical group dedicated to preaching among the “unchurched” people living in the midst of appalling poverty in London’s East End. Very quickly, Booth became involved in the feeding and shelter of the hungry and homeless and in rehabilitation of alcoholics. The basic social services developed by William Booth have remained an outward visible expression of the Army’s strong religious principles. In addition, new programs that address contemporary needs have been established. Among these are disaster relief services, day care centers, summer camps, holiday assistance, services for the aging, AIDS education and residential services, medical facilities, shelters for battered women and children, family and career counseling, vocational training, correction services, and substance abuse rehabilitation. More than 30 million a year are aided in some form by services provided by The Salvation Army. Although Rotary is a completely non-religious organization by charter, the efforts the Salvation Army very much overlap the service principles at the heart of Rotary. With that in mind, Seneca Rotary has been very active in supply volunteer bell-ringers for he them during the holiday season. The enthusiam for "Service Above Self" in Rotary has resulted in Seneca Rotary being the leading producer of income among the organizations supporting this effort for several years. The funds collected by our group are now approaching $5,000.

Other Projects: The above activities represent only a small part of the community services that Seneca Rotary has provided. The club is a strong believer in returning prosperity to the community. Financial support has been supplied for everything from football to assistance with tuition expense. The club supports a wise variety of activities including hosting a reception for the Blue Ridge Arts Council’s annual juried art show and active involvement with the greater Seneca Chamber of Commerce.