Although it is the new kid on the block, the North Whidbey Sunrise Rotary has already proven itself a strong supporter of the community it serves.

Branching out from the already established Noon Rotary, the Sunrise club began in 1992, mostly out of necessity.

Rotary’s rules require that only one representative from each profession can be a member, so a small group of lawyers, real estate agents and even a vet decided the need to help was so great they would take it on.

“We’re a very service-oriented club,” said Eric Anderson, the club’s charter president. “We try to be very hands-on.”

And that is what the members of the group that meets at 7:15 a.m. each Wednesday has done. Through dedication and hard work, the Sunrise Rotarians have contributed a lot of intangible aspects into North Whidbey.

As Rotary International gears up to celebrate its 100th anniversary, a lot of what began in 1905 remains today. That drive to be community leaders through actions has led the Rotary to donate numerous scholarships to Skagit Valley College students, support Habitat for Humanity and run the Challenge Series each year.

A chance to be different

During the late 1980s, Oak Harbor’s Noon Rotary, which has been around since the 1930s, was suffering an identity crisis, said Roy Compton, who has been involved with Rotary since 1978. It became easier to write a check for $100 than to go to work, he said.

The Noon Rotary was becoming what he called a money club.

“The problem with a money club is that it isn’t as closely knit as a working club,” Compton said. “If a club’s going to build baseball dugouts and it gets 40 people with a pick and shovel, you really get to know each other.”

Other factors led to the creation of the Sunrise Rotary. Around 1990, the noon club moved its meetings to the Oak Harbor Yacht Club.

“I didn’t like the food at the Yacht Club and there were others who felt the same way,” Compton said.

Anderson said that the morning Rotary is able to be more accepting of new members, especially women. The focus of the morning club has also remained on tangible and visible results of their actions.

“I don’t think it’s as expensive of a club, so to speak,” he said. “The noon club is often a good ol’ boy’s club and there’s not much female participation. (The morning club) has always been a very open club in terms of acceptance.”

Current Club President Mary Anderson, Eric’s wife, said that the beginning was difficult because of the sibling rivalry that evolved.

“It was kind of hard in the beginning,” she said. “It was like we were the step child.”

But despite the differences, the Morning Rotary has not lost sight of the group’s original goals.

“Its premise was always a leadership club,” Anderson said.

Helping people and improving the community is a central foundation of Rotary.

“It was really founded as a group of business leaders,” Mary said. “They wanted people who were in a position to make changes and make things happen.”

Reaching out and up

At Sunrise Rotary’s weekly gatherings, the mood is clear, smiles permeate the air, taking over even the smell of strong coffee in the early morning hours. A few words of wisdom kick the meeting off, followed by a raffle. Half of the proceeds go toward Rotary International’s goal of eradicating polio. The other half goes into the pocket of the winner.

Those winnings don’t last long however, as they usually end up in a basket with some kind words in the form of “happy dollars.” Rotarians find happiness in the smallest aspects of daily life; a chance to retire for the second or third time, a pretty sunrise, a weekend away or even the chance to put a happy dollar in the basket are all reasons to give.

A guest speaker presents even more ways for the group to get involved. This week a paramedic from Whidbey General Hospital spoke about how to stay calm during an emergency. The gratitude the club feels is expressed in a donation in the speaker’s name toward the fight against polio and a thank you card.

Compton said that even though he is unable to regularly attend meetings, he is still proud to be a Rotarian.

“I really believe in the Rotary foundation and what they’re doing,” he said.

What they’re doing is providing help in places that help is usually not an option. Rotary International has undertaken relief efforts for the South Asian tsunami.

“One of the things about Rotary is if you give money to Rotary, it won’t be for stamps or anything administrative,” Eric Anderson said. “If you give money, there’s somebody on the ground right there.”

As the international organization gears up to celebrate a century of help, the morning group in Oak Harbor thought of ways to honor the history of Rotary.

“We decided to focus on a project that was outside of ourselves,” Mary Anderson said.

So the group made a list. It’s top two priorities? Children and clean water. In an effort to combine the two, the group is installing a well in a village in South America in order to provide clean drinking water to the village’s residents.

“I think our legacy will be on people,” Eric said. “It’s not just bricks and mortar, it’s touching people’s lives.”

You can reach News-Times reporter Eric Berto at eberto@whidbeynewstimes.com