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Pass Christian Rises.org Rebuilding the Lives and Community of Pass Christian, Mississippi |
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THE PASS CHRISTIAN ROTARY HISTORY
The Pass Christian Rotary Club can be traced back to April 1924 when a traveling organizer for Lions International visited in Pass Christian and talked to Tom Grayson, Cashier of the Bank of Pass Christian, about organizing a chapter of Lions International in the Pass. After the organizer left his office, Grayson called Ad Lang, Assistant Cashier of the Hancock Bank. Subsequently, they met in Grayson’s office to discuss the proposed new club.
Ad advanced the opinion that a luncheon club sounded like a good idea, but said that he knew nothing at all about Lions International. He suggested that they should get in contact with some members of the Gulfport Rotary Club that had been organized a year or so earlier, and was proving to be very popular.
The two bankers did contact the Gulfport club and representatives were sent to an organizational meeting that was held at the Miramar Hotel Pavilion on April 21, 1924. The Pass Citizens at the organizational meeting voted to organize a Rotary Club and applied for a club charter. Rotary International granted a charter in Pass Christian on May 5, 1924.
The club thus organized has been perhaps the most successful and for sure the longest lasting service organization in the history of Pass Christian. Two hundred and twenty- nine of the community’s citizens were members during the first fifty years of the club’s existence. Forty-six members served as president during that time, but there have been only nine secretaries. The small number of secretaries was primarily due to the fact that Ad Lang served in that position for thirty-four of the first fifty years.
The Club is proud of its past. Ad Lang, one of the charter members, was made a “Paul Harris Fellow” in recognition by the club and by Rotary International that the history of the Pass Christian Rotary Club has almost been a history of Ad Lang.
Over the years Rotary has contributed greatly to the betterment of the community. Probably the greatest single achievement was when Rotary members provided the initial sustaining efforts to build and dedicate the Pass Christian War Memorial Park. The Club is probably best known for its continuing programs such as the yearly Doll and Toy Fund held each Christmas and the Outstanding Citizen Award presented each December.
The Club continues to sponsor the Pass Christian Boy Scout Troop, which is the oldest troop under the same continuing sponsor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It continues to support participation by Pass Christian Boys and Girls in Boys’ and Girls’ State and has rebuilt the memorial to the war dead in the Park.
In keeping with Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self,” the Club currently is continuing to help some of the residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina by providing the building supplies for new homes constructed by the Mennonites. As of April 2008, sixteen homes have been completed and three are under construction. In addition the Rotary Club is the sponsor of an “Adopt a Sewer Project” to assist the City of Pass Christian in restoring its water and sewer systems that were virtually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The Club’s other projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina include the purchase of two dump trucks to replace equipment lost by the city, reconstruction of the Pass Christian Community Library and replacement of its contents; and construction of a Community Building. The Rotary Club funds for these projects are being raised through donations, grants and Club fundraising activities.
As Rotary in Pass Christian continues the rotary year 2007-2008, it is not content to rest on its past achievements, but continues to work for a better community and is reaching out to help the less fortunate.
Pass Christian Rotary Club members looks forward to many years of service to others and its community. The club’s charter defines its territorial limits as “The City of Pass Christian and surrounding communities, Henderson Point, Pass Christian Isles, DeLisle, Pineville and Cuevas." The club is optimistic for the future of its area. Author: LeRoy Lizana ======================================================= About the Author
LeRoy Lizana is a native and life-long resident of Harrison County and Pass Christian. He received his Associate of Science Degree from Perkinston Junior college and earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education Degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Mr. Lizana began his career in 1954 at Pass Christian where he served as Business Education Teacher, High School Principal and Assistant Superintendent. Later he served as Federal Programs Coordinator and Assistant Superintendent of Harrison County School District. He returned to Pass Christian in 1972 where he served 20 years as Superintendent. He retired in 1992 after completing a 38 year career in public education.
LeRoy has received numerous awards and acclamations throughout his career. Foremost among these honors and awards was the Pass Christian Outstanding Citizen Award in 1981 and Outstanding Educator Award in 1988. He also was recognized by the Executive Educator Magazine as one of the top 100 School Executives in North America in 1989 (Outstanding Executive Educator Award).
He is a member of the Gulf Coast Chapter 130 of the Service Corp of Retired Executives and past Mississippi Director. He is a member and past president of the Pass Christian Rotary Club, an honorary Paul Harris fellow and has 37 consecutive years of perfect attendance in Rotary. Lizana is a member of the American Association of School Administrators, a life member of the Mississippi P.T.A. and past President of the Pass Christian Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of Holy Family Parish.
LeRoy and his wife, Willa Dean, resides in Pineville. They have two children, John and Elizabeth and three grandchildren, Hannah and Whitney Dore and Andre Lizana. ### April 20, 2008
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