Niagara Rotary down to 15, looking to boost membership

Harvey Albond, the well known consultant, and former city manager,  is this year’s president of the Niagara Falls Rotary Club
He tells the Reporter that there are presently only 15 paid up members in Niagara. At one time it was over 100.
“You know what’s happened to the city. We don’t have the plant managers, we don’t have the local banks. We don’t have the type of representation we used to have. The quality of our membership is very good. But numerically, we got to start building it up,” said Albond
Among current members are lawyer, Mort Abromowicz, Dr Henry Merletti, John Cooper, president of the Portage Block club, the Rev. Jesse Scott, and club Treasurer Otto Redanz.
The club started in 1916.
The Rotary Club is responsible for the founding of the Boy Scouts Club and the Chamber of Commerce in Niagara Falls.
“We are selective,” said Albond, “and it is by invitation, as you know, but we are looking for more members. Young people.”
The Niagara Rotary club are longtime sponsors of political forums, where the public can meet and hear candidates debate and discuss issues.
“I consider Rotary the premier international organization in terms of ‘service above self’ which is our motto,” Albond said.
According to www.rotary.org, “the Rotary’s main objective is service in the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who make up more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self.
“Rotary clubs are open to people of all cultures and ethnicities and are not affiliated with any political or religious organizations.”

Harvey Albond (above) not only  has had a long and distinguished career in this city, has an institutional knowledge of politics, municipalities and events that could be described as encyclopedic, but also is a man who clearly has a refined taste in his choice of reading material.