About the Rotary Club of Brentwood

About Rotary Object of Rotary 4 Avenues of Service Four Way Test Club Background Milestones Special Events Member Information

Club Background

The Rotary Club of Brentwood was chartered by Rotary International on October 17, 1973, with thirty-five (35) members. Original meetings were at the Brentwood Country Club. In 1974, the club moved to the Elk's Lodge. In 1975, it moved to Brentwood United Methodist Church. In 1980, meetings were moved back to Brentwood Country Club. Between 1985 and 1997, the club met at the Maryland Farms Racquet and Country Club.  In 1997 the club moved to Richland Country Club. In 1999 it moved to the Bethel World Outreach Center. Since 2003 the meetings have been back at Brentwood Country Club.

Past presidents of the Brentwood Rotary Club include: Charles Laine, Robert Billington, John Hall, Douglas Roberts, Robert Alley, Richard Harris, Roger Reed, James Bohon, Richard Dickerson, Lance Gish, James Milby, William Coyne, Richard Baxter, Bill Keeney, Bob Sinclair, Milton Grief, John Miles, Sid Smith, Harold Fogelberg, Ken Arney, James Vandiver, Chuck Wooten, Bill Youree, Larry Foust, Mike Bates, Jim Villers, Suzie Ahlberg, Lewis Rankin, Tom Burton, John Stokes, Nathan Wilson, Harold Morris, Robert Fidler, Mike Barrett and Roger Greenup.

• 1973 - Rotary Club of Brentwood was chartered by Rotary International on October 17 with 35 members.
• 1973 - Gordon Gill was elected the first Secretary of the Brentwood Club. He is the last remaining charter member still active today and has been an active Rotarian since 1956.
• 1978 - Club member and past president Bob Billington became District Governor of District 6760.
• 1979 - the Club held its first Pancake Day to raise money for the community.
• 1983 - The Club sponsored and organized a new Rotary Club in Southeast Nashville. The Harding-Antioch Club later became known as the Nashville South Rotary Club, but discontinued operations in 2004.
• 1983 - The Board of Directors established the annual "Bob Billington, Outstanding Rotarian of the Year Award." The late Bob Billington was the first honoree. As of this date, the recipients of this prestigious award are: Bill Keeney, Jim Milby, Bob Sinclair, Dick Baxter, Bill Camp, Bart King, John Miles, Sid Smith, Harold Folgelberg, Ken Arney, James Vandiver, Rod Freeman, Chuck Wooten, Dick Dickerson, Roger Reed, Gordon Gill, Larry Foust, Mike Bates, Jim Villers, Suzie Ahlberg, Tom Burton, Lewis Rankin, John Stokes, and Gene Harman.
• 1983 - The Club organized and sponsored the Rotary Interact Club at Brentwood High School for students.
• 1985 - 1997 - The Club met at the Maryland Farms Racquet and Country Club.
• 1987 - The Club was named "Club of the Year" by District 6760.
• 1988 - The Club completed construction of the Rotary Pavilion at Granny White Park and transferred it to the City of Brentwood. The $100,000 structure was built with local individual and corporate donations and dedicated to the citizens of the Brentwood community.
• 1990 - The Brentwood Rotary Club took on the project of developing the 27 acres of a former sewage treatment plant into the Deerwood Arboreteum. This city park serves as a home preserve for the best of our area's wildlife and plant life. The park has nature trails, rolling hills and two man-made lakes.
• 1994 - The Club sponsored its first three-day Girls High School Invitational Basketball Tournament. The holiday tourney brought in eight teams from all over Tennessee to compete in some fast-paced basketball.  The tournament was held for three years.
• 1995 - The Club sponsored and organized the Rotoract Club of Greater Nashville which is one of the few non-university based Rotaract Clubs. Rotaract is a worldwide organization of young men and women ages 18 to 30.
• 1997 - The Brentwood Rotary Club established an annual bone marrow testing program.
• 1998 - Club member and past president, John Miles, became District Governor of District 6760. The Brentwood Club is distinctive in that it has had two District Governors in its short, twenty-five year history. The first was Bob Billington, who held the position during the 1979-80 year.
• 1999 - The Brentwood Rotary Club sponsored and organized the new Brentwood Morning Club.
• 2000 - The Club started participating in Rotary International's annual "Four Avenues of Service Citation for Individual Rotarians." Recipients have been Bill Keeney, John Miles, Sid Smith, Dick Dickerson, Suzie Ahlberg, James Vandiver, Kenny Lane, John Stokes and Jim Villers.
• 2001 - The Brentwood Rotary Club joined with five other clubs in Williamson County to build a Habitat for Humanity house in Franklin.
• 2002 - The Club helped host the International Walking Horse Championship.
• 2002 - The Club began an "Organ Donor Registration" in conjunction witht its annual Pancake Day.
• 2003 - Club member and past president, James Vandiver, became Governor of District 6760. The Brentwood Club is distinctive in that it has had three members who have served as Governor in its 30 year history. The other two were Bob Billington and John Miles.
• 2003 - The Club held a SweetArt Art auction as a fund raiser.
• 2003 - The Family of Rotary Committee was established by the Club.
• 2003 - The Club was named "Large Club of the Year" for District 6760.
• 2003/2004 - The Club helped raise $100,000 for a double lung transplant for a young child.
• 2004/2005 - The Club celebrated the 100th anniversary of Rotary by placing a memorial marker at the Brentwood Public Library.
• 2004/2005 - The Club's scholarship program was restructured to extend $2,000 per year (for 4 years) to one Overton High School and one Brentwood High School senior each year.  This was done in addition to the Club's $1,000 one-time scholarships to the Interact Presidents of each school.
• 2004/2005 - The Club was named "Large Club of the Year" for District 6760.
• 2005/2006 - The Club became a 100% Paul Harris Club.
• 2006 - The Club presented a handicapped-equipped van to Amy Hawkins, wife of a Brentwood firefighter. Amy was paralyzed while shielding her two sons during a tornado.
• 2006/2007 - The Club was awarded the "Large Club of the Year Award" for District 6760.
• 2007/2008 - First Annual Run for Rotary was held on April 5, 2008.
• 2009 - Club member Dick Bowers began a one-year term as District Governor Nominee, to serve as District Governor in Rotary year 2011-2012.

Special Events

The Rotary Picnic in the Park and Officers Installation Dinner are some of the annual events that provide opportunities for fun and fellowship among members and their families.

Member Information

This site provides a searchable database of members as a convenience to members. If you would like to use this service, please contact the webmaster for instructions.