Frontenac Rotary Turns 40

 On February 9, 2019, the Frontenac Rotary Club, District 6110, celebrated its 40th year as an organization. The Frontenac Rotary has been a community organization since February 3, 1979. As part of Rotary International, the Frontenac Rotary represents community leaders who tackle our community's most persistent problems with fresh thinking and enduring solutions.

Our club gives you an opportunity to join leaders to take action on important issues affecting our community, our nation, and the world. We also have a lot of fun - whether we're socializing or working together on service projects.

Together we make great things happen. We have a structure that focuses on action and positive results. Our motto is "service before self" and that is also our mission.

Belonging to a Rotary Club provides members with an opportunity to give back to their communities and to connect with like-minded leaders & friends.

People join Rotary for many reasons, including community involvement, personal development, professional networking, and camaraderie. But perhaps the most important benefit is the satisfaction you gain from making a real difference in your community and the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Frontenac Rotary or attending a meeting, please contact us.

What about your Friends?

On November 1, 1980, the Pittsburg Morning Sun newspaper printed a brief announcing an organizational meeting of the Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library.  

The brainchild of head librarian, Nann Blain Hilyard, the Friends organization was to be a way to establish a closer relationship between the library and the community. 

Having got the idea from the Texas library Nann had previously worked at, she believed forming a group of library supporters would "...bring in money by making the public more aware of the library and its needs, allowing the library to expand the collection, and the services it provides to the public." 
The Friends was formed to work to promote an increased knowledge of the functions, resources, services, and needs of the library and to ensure continued high-quality library and information services. 

A planning committee was formed that was compiled of Dr. Penny Armstrong, Sharon Harrison, Dr. Stephen Teller, Norma MacAusland, Elizabeth Scheran, and Nann Hilyard. 

A kick-off meeting to attract members of a candlelight wine and dessert reception was held later that year. Dr. Stephen J. Teller was named the first president of the Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library. 

Through the years, the Friends have supported numerous programs, activities, and services at the library including Walking Books, the homebound delivery service in the 1980s, The Talking Heads discussion group, and the Summer Reading Programs. 

In recent years, the Friends have become known throughout southeast Kansas for their semi-annual used book sales that raise thousands of dollars, that all go back to the library to support their services. 

The Friends host an annual program following their annual meeting in April. Previous programs have included: 

2011 - What's New at the Review by Wayne Bockleman, Al Ortolani & Mike Hogard 
2012 - The Little Blue Books by Randy Roberts, PSU Curator of Special Collections 
2013 - The March of the Amazon Army by Linda Knoll 
2014 - Nina Mukerjee Furstenan Rsading & Book Signin
2015 - The Orphan Train by Serena Price 
2016 - Ethiopia Reads by LeAnn Clark 
2017 - Little House on the Prairie through Quilts by Judy Wampler 
2018 - The Candy Bar Pilot by Dagmar Snodgrass. 

The annual program for 2019 will be "From Duckling to Disney, the Literary Life of Hans Christian Andersen" by Dr. Michael Holworth. The annual meeting and program will be Monday, April 1, 2019, in the meeting room of the Pittsburg Public Library. The Program is open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.