Rotary Club of Clayton-Ladue: Mali Well, Home Libraries Among Projects

Tim Durbin said his goals as new president of the Clayton-Ladue Rotary Club include growing the group's membership and giving more money to local charities.

"Our core basis is service above self," Durbin said Wednesday after a Rotary meeting. "That's why we do what we do."

This year, members hope to help more than 90 students at four St. Louis-area schools begin building home libraries, Durbin said. The club will give $1,000 toward the Ready Readers project and has requested a $1,000 match from its Rotary District, No. 6060. Funds will be used to purchase the books that will be donated.

Ready Readers trains volunteers to read to children, and Durbin hopes the project will raise awareness about literacy and encourage others to join in. Past Clayton-Ladue Rotary projects have included partnerships with The Mission Continues and CHARACTERplus, and a trivia night with AmeriCorps.

At its Wednesday meeting, Rotary members received an update from Dantouma Koita a resident of Bamako, Mali. His community received funding from the Clayton-Ladue club and others to build a well that provides quality water for residents. Two Ladue students, including Olivia Dudek, also spoke. They recounted their experiences at a Rotary youth camp equipping participants with the tools needed to perform community service projects.

The Clayton-Ladue club boasts more than 60 members, many of whom have been participating in projects and weekly meetings for between 30 and 50 years. One member has had perfect attendance for 40 years, Durbin said.

He encourages people who want to get involved in their community to come to a meeting. The group meets at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday at the Ethical Society of St. Louis building.

"Meet some people, have some conversation," Durbin said.