Stories

Camp Rokiwan

Camp Rokiwan 2026 is in the books!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped support and make this year's camp a success. With more than 50 campers attending, it was a week filled with fun, friendship, and unforgettable experiences. The smiles, laughter, and memories made will last a lifetime. Thank you for helping create such a special experience for our campers!

RYLA

(Blake Foster, Miles Curtis, Annabelle Paulson, Clara Seckerson)

Meet Jamestown's 2026 RYLA Participants!

The Jamestown Rotary Club is proud to sponsor four outstanding students to attend the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Camp. All four students will be juniors this fall and are eager to develop their leadership abilities, build new relationships, and bring valuable skills back to their school and community.

Blake is looking forward to learning what it truly means to be an effective leader. He hopes to strengthen his communication skills, learn how to work with a variety of people, and gain confidence in sharing ideas and guiding others. Blake is especially excited about meeting students from different schools and learning from their unique experiences and perspectives. Following RYLA, he plans to apply his leadership skills through his involvement in football, hockey, track, LifeSmarts, and Student Council. He hopes to take on additional leadership roles, help organize activities, and make a positive impact both at school and throughout the community.

Clara is excited to learn more about leadership and personal development at RYLA. With a strong interest in business and entrepreneurship, she looks forward to gaining skills that will help her become a more effective leader. After camp, Clara plans to put her new knowledge to work in her family's five business ventures, where she is already involved and plans to continue after high school. She hopes RYLA will provide valuable insights that will help her succeed in business and in life.

Miles is eager to discover new leadership strategies and ideas that he can bring back to Jamestown High School. He is looking forward to learning how to motivate and inspire others while developing his own leadership style. After RYLA, Miles plans to use his new skills in his leadership roles with Student Council and DECA. He hopes to increase student involvement and encourage more members to participate in school organizations and activities.

Annabelle hopes to gain confidence in her leadership abilities and learn new ways to effectively lead others. As the State DECA Vice President and an active member of Student Council, she already serves in important leadership positions. Following RYLA, Annabelle plans to apply the skills and experiences she gains at camp to better serve her fellow students and continue making a positive impact in her school and community.

The Jamestown Rotary Club wishes Blake, Clara, Miles, and Annabelle a rewarding and memorable experience at RYLA Camp. We look forward to seeing how they use their new leadership skills to make a difference in Jamestown and beyond.

Vespers

At the end of June we gathered as Rotarians at Vespers to celebrate the past Rotary year. It's always a great time to catch up, share some laughs, and enjoy the company of such an amazing group of people. Here's to another year of service, friendship, and making a difference in our community! Thanks to all that came!

Welcoming President Carlen Hone

As June wraps up another Rotary year, our club marked a special moment of transition. At the close of the meeting, outgoing President Erin Paulson passed the gavel to incoming President Carlen Hone, symbolizing the start of a new Rotary year.

We are grateful for Erin's leadership and dedication over the past year and excited to welcome Carlen into this role. Carlen brings enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and a strong commitment to service, and we look forward to her leadership as our club continues to make a positive impact in our community.

Congratulations, Carlen! We can't wait to see what the coming year brings and all that we will accomplish together through Rotary's spirit of service above self. Here's to another great year ahead!

Book It Forward

Last week, Rotarians completed our annual Book It Forward project—one of our favorite initiatives each year.

As part of Literacy Month in March, Rotarians visit 1st grade classrooms in Jamestown. Literacy is one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus, and this project gives us a meaningful way to support it.

During our visits, we share what Rotary is all about, read a book with the students, and make sure every child receives their very own book to take home. This year, we were proud to put books into the hands of over 150 children!

New Members - Nikki Boote and Kristy Sagaser

February 17, 2026

At our Tuesday meeting, we were thrilled to welcome TWO new Rotarians to our club!

Please join us in giving a warm Rotary welcome to Nikki and Kristy. We’re so excited to have you as part of our Rotary family and look forward to the impact you’ll make through service and fellowship.

A special thank you to Amy and Tricia for inviting them to Rotary and serving as their new member sponsors. Your commitment to growing our club and sharing the Rotary experience truly makes a difference.

Nikki and Kristy — we are so happy you are here!

New Member - Tonya Perkins

February 3, 2026

Please join us in welcoming Tonya Perkins, who was officially inducted into our Rotary Club! Tonya is sponsored by Amy Walters, and we’re thrilled to have her join our Rotary family. Welcome, Tonya!

New Member - Melissa Thury

January 27, 2026

At today’s meeting of the Jamestown Rotary Club, we were proud to induct Melissa Thury as our newest Rotarian. Melissa was officially welcomed into the club during the meeting, and we are excited to have her join our organization. Melissa was sponsored by Carlen Hone. We look forward to her involvement and service as a member of Jamestown Rotary. Welcome, Melissa!

Donnie and Karla Recognized for 11 years of service

January 13, 2026

Today at our noon meeting, we recognized Donnie and Karla Bachmeier for their many years of dedication to Camp Rokiwan. For the past 11 years, they have served as the camp’s caretakers, but their connection to the camp runs much deeper. Karla attended Camp Rokiwan as a child, and it will always hold a special place in her heart. Donnie shared that he will miss watching the sun rise over the lake—a truly million-dollar view. On behalf of the Jamestown N.D. Kiwanis and Jamestown Rotary Clubs, thank you, Donnie and Karla, for everything you have done for Camp Rokiwan.

Camp Rokiwan board members Carrie Orn, Amy Walters, and Mark Domek presented Donnie and Karla with a plaque for their years of service.

Paul Harris Fellow Recognition

January 6, 2026

Our club is proud to recognize Rotarians Glenn and Sarah as recipients of the prestigious Paul Harris Award. This honor is given to individuals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to Rotary’s ideals of service above self and make a meaningful impact in our community and beyond.

Glenn and Sarah’s dedication, leadership, and generosity reflect the very spirit of Rotary. Their ongoing service and support have strengthened our club and inspired fellow members. Congratulations to Glenn and Sara on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for all you do to advance the mission of Rotary.

Gear Up For Winter With Rotary

October 12, 2025

Gear Up for Winter with Rotary is a community service project that helps ensure people have the winter clothing they need. Throughout the community, Rotary placed collection bins where residents can donated new and gently used winter clothing and accessories. Over the course of a month, hundreds of items were collected and carefully organized into baby, youth, and adult categories by dedicated volunteers.

A single distribution day is held where individuals and families in need were welcomed to select the winter items they needed to stay warm. Thanks to the generosity of our community and the hard work of our volunteers, more than 500 winter items were collected and shared with 143 individuals in 2025.