DOWAGIAC — With one last ring of the Rotary bell, John Seculoff ended his two-year term as the Dowagiac Rotary Club president, figuratively passing over the gavel to his successor, Melody Wallace.

At Seculoff’s final meeting as acting president, members of the Rotary Club, led by Wallace, expressed their appreciation to him for faithfully leading the club. Seculoff had only been a Rotarian for one year prior to accepting the position as president.

“I’ve been a Rotarian for three years, and two of them, I’ve been president,” Seculoff joked with the members.

As Seculoff presented Wallace as the new president, she took the time to remind the Rotary of Seculoff’s themes during his time as president.

His first year was “make a difference,” and his second year was “be an inspiration,” she said.

“[John], you not only served us as Rotary Club president, you’ve been really active in the Dowagiac community,” Wallace said “It’s always amazed me how you’ve managed to keep your family and do many things with them, while at the same time being so involved in Dowagiac.”

The audience started listing off all of the things Seculoff is involved in: he plays in a band at many venues, is a cook at Dowagiac Elks 889 on some weekends, sits on the Borgess Lee Memorial Foundation Board, volunteers with ACTION Pantry and helps with the Feeding America West Michigan food truck. Members also added his success in investment planning — his day job.

“I said it when Sandra [Bessey, a Rotarian] asked me to serve as president, I believe you don’t join a service organization without the intention of serving,” Seculoff said. “It’s been an honor.”

Wallace awarded him with a past president pin and a two-year presidential plaque. Several members also joked he could have a seat at the ex-presidents table.

Seculoff in turn awarded Wallace with a presidential pin and officially presented her as the new president.

“Thank you, Melody, for helping us,” Seculoff said. “I think it’s going to be a valuable thing for the club. You bring new ideas, some fresh inspiration, new energy, and I think everybody is going to benefit. Thank you for taking that responsibility.”

Wallace introduced her theme for this year, “Rotary connects the world.” She challenged members to think of ways the rotary could connect to the world in Dowagiac and in Cass County.

Wallace preceded to give a brief history of how the Dowagiac Rotary came to be. In 1919, there was an election for mayor, and the man elected decided there needed to be a service club in Dowagiac, she said. He made a committee of three people not associated with city council and asked them to find a service club.

The committee met with them and needed 16 total members to start the club. They gathered all type of business people, and on Jan. 1, 1920, their charter membership was signed, Wallace confirmed.

Next, Wallace introduced some of her goals for the upcoming year.

“Two of the five core values of the Rotary Club, I would like to focus on are leadership and service,” she said.  “We have young people coming up who need to learn how to be leaders. We already have an Interact Club here in Dowagiac. I want us to become more active with that club.”

Wallace would also like to have a Rotaract Club in Dowagiac. A Rotaract Club is for people 18 to 35 and are in a partnership with Rotary, she said. 

She also wants to continue doing the same service projects the group has done in the past, including Steve’s Run, adopting a family, Rotary Villa, ACTION Pantry at Thanksgiving time and Christmas, and Sand Hill Crane Run.

Lastly, it’s a push this year for the centennial anniversary. There are not a lot of clubs that can say they have lasted 100 years, Wallace said.

There will no Dowagiac Rotary Club meeting next week due to the Fourth of July holiday.