Rotary News

 

National Women’s History Month was the topic at the March 16th Rotary luncheon meeting. Rotarian, Linda Reid, the first women in the Emporium Rotary Club and first women club president, was the guest speaker.

Linda was born in 1940 on Sixth Street in Emporium. After graduating from high school, she married the love of her life, John, and they have been married 63 years and have 3 children. Throughout her life, Linda has had many jobs. While working at the local television station, she was interviewing some Sears executives and was so excited telling them about how she loved their products that they hired her as a salesman. She managed the local Sears store for many years ending up purchasing the business and the building. After Sears closed their catalog sales, she purchased Western Auto and then Radio Shack which she and her husband operated for many years. After retiring, they gave the store to their son, Mike, who currently operates NAPA.

Thirty years ago, former Rotarian, Frank Geleskie, asked Linda to sing at a Rotary meeting. Afterwards, she asked if she could join Rotary, but women were not allowed into Rotary until July 1, 1989 when the Supreme Court culminated in changes to the Rotary International Constitution allowing women to join. Linda has a beautiful voice and has sung in the First Methodist Church choir for 50 years, many weddings and events. Her and her brother also started and directed the Parade of Stars years ago.

Linda celebrates her 30 year anniversary in the club this month and has paved the way for many women, along with some men, to join Rotary. Of the club’s 51 members, 29 are women.

Pictured is some of the women in the club attending the meeting (front row)

Paige Rosenberger, Linda Reid, Meg Whiting, Georgiann Holly, Diana Boden, (back row)

Karen Jiang, Marsha Hendrickson, Rebecca Fisher, Marilyn Erickson, & Corrie Amick.