Service above self” is not just the Rotary’s motto, it’s a way of life for its members.

Formally, Rotary International is a service organization of businesses and professionals united worldwide who encourage high ethical standards and help build goodwill and peace.

In Butler, we are fortunate to have two Rotaries — the PM and the AM clubs. Within each are caring people whose cumulative accomplishments are far greater than what could be done individually.

The PM Rotary with its heritage has served our community for over 60 years with its Election Day Pancake Breakfast, its 17 years of Turkey Roundups, as well as its ongoing donation of dictionaries to third-graders. The AM Rotary serves the Butler community through its beautification projects, including the Hansen Avenue flower gardens, the General Butler Bridge and its Adopt a Highway, as well as its support of the weekend backpack program for Butler grade school students and the PA State Police Camp Cadet.

Butler Rotary is about community, cooperation, and to quote longstanding PM Rotarian Dale Pinkerton, “The two clubs complement each other.” How so? Both have done projects to revitalize parks including Institute Hill, Rotary Park on the Island, and South Hills Playground by the PM club.

The AM club installed the state award winning Special Kids Zone at Alameda Park for children with disabilities as well as organizing and constructing the “Save the Playground” project at Butler Memorial Park.

The two clubs support the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and in 2019 each sent six students for a week at Westminster College to learn how to be proactive citizens of our community. They both donate scholarship funds to BC3 and offer innumerable types of support to children in need economically, educationally, or due to disability. And when called upon, support each other exemplifying good will because it’s “beneficial to all” to quote the Rotary’s Four Way Test.

If “community” is important to you, both clubs welcome you to join us whether at the Butler YWCA on Monday evenings at 6 or at 7 on Tuesday mornings at the Butler YMCA.

Dr. Stu Surkosky,

Butler AM Rotarian