Lompoc Rotary - Club History

The Rotary Club of Lompoc was organized on February 18, 1925 and chartered on March 21,1925. The club had since played an active role serving the community of Lompoc.

In the past, the club held its weekly meeting at various locations, including the Valley Club, the Lilley Building at 107 North H Street, and currently at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 1117 North H Street.

Past members of the club included several former Lompoc city mayors, council members, police chiefs, fire chiefs, local business owners, educators, medical professions, non-profit organizations, veterans, Federal employees, etc. Notable were Dr. Larry Heiges, Pooley Jacobs, Virgil Phelps, Karl Braun, Ken Stillman, Alex Main, Clarence Ruth, Bob Lilley, Earl W. Calvert, F.H. "Mutt" Beattie, Walter Manfrina, Bill Culberson, Ron Reid, Earle Sweetland, J.D. Smith, and so many others.

Each year, the club help finance a big community project. In recent years, these included renovation and repairs of the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Veterans Memorial Building, and Huyck Stadium press box. They have also constructed a new BBQ pit at Beattie Park; bought a new town clock on South H Street; provided a new handicap accessible van, twice, for the Comprehensive Care Center; and contributed to the Lompoc Valley Medical Center new facility. Other donations have benefited the Library Foundation, Museum Foundation, Historic Society, Police Activities League, Mural Society, Crestview School, etc.

The club is involved with several community service efforts aimed at our youths. In 2011 they re-introduced an Interact Club at Lompoc High School. Each year they awarded scholarships and a Service Above Self Award. They are an annual sponsor of a Flower Festival Queen candidate.

The club is actively involved with international service through Rotary International and in support of other clubs overseas outreach. These included building schools in Guatemala and the Congo. Rotary International's biggest program is PolioPlus, dedicated to eradicating polio through inoculations worldwide. Since the PolioPlus program inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine.

NOTE: Please help us with this page. Your knowledge and memories of the club can be included here. Just send an email to the club secretary/web admin and he will add it to this page.