Margaret Perreault engaged with Rotary before she joined the club, assisting Chamber Executive and Rotarian Holly Deitchman during a Salvation Army “Ring the Bell” day. It was only natural to join Rotary when Margaret succeeded Holly as President and CEO of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce. What began as a civic duty has turned into a community commitment. Margaret jumped right in. Having previously served as Community Service Chair and Outreach Services Chair, she is in line to become club president for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Margaret likes the good people of Rotary and the good works we perform. Margaret rarely misses a weekly meeting. She believes the best way to engage with the Rotary community is to regularly attend the meetings. That’s where the impact begins. Margaret has lived in Batavia with husband Jim since 2000. They have four children: Jimmy, Maggie, Mary Clare, and Michael. They recently welcomed Jimmy’s spouse Basia to the family. Margaret is very happy to be a Rotarian and encourages all members to participate in regular meetings, offsite meetings, and service projects.

 

Dick Larson is one of our longest serving members, having joined almost 28 years ago. He was invited to speak at the club while a sitting Kane County judge. He liked what he saw and visited the club multiple times after speaking. He decided to join after member Walt Donat invited him. Dick has always been active in his community, so joining Rotary was a natural step. Dick was Club President and brought a Rotary International President’s Citation to the club during his term. He supports the work of the Rotary Foundation and particularly likes the international efforts Rotary initiates. Dick appreciates the community involvement, the local and international projects, and specifically values the efforts of ShelterBox USA. He regularly talks up Rotary within his Sugar Grove community, his church, and believes in Rotary’s Four-Way Test: “Is it the Truth, Is It Fair to All Concerned, Will It Build Goodwill & Better Friendships, Will It Be Beneficial to All Concerned.” What keeps Dick in the club after 28 years? Even as the club has evolved over the years, he always feels welcome.