INDIAN LAND S.C. — The Indian Land Rotary Club’s membership has more than doubled in the last five years, and the club hopes adding evening meetings will help its membership grow even more.
“We’ve experienced a phenomenal increase,” said Albert Blackmon, the club’s past president and membership chair. “And it’s because of the influx of the businesses in the area — not all businesses, but the residents as well.”
In the past five years, the club has grown from 20 to 56 members.
The Evening Satellite Club was recently established to accommodate this growth, and it already has 18 members.
“Now that we have the evening club, we’re now able to attract vocations that we were not able to get before,” Blackmon said.
The evening club also features guest speakers, including local court stenographer Mike Watkins in March. Watkins worked as one of two stenographers during the 2023 Murdaugh murder trial in Walterboro.
These new meetings are the first and third Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Towne Tavern in Indian Land.
The club recently hosted a Discover Rotary Hour at noon March 19 at the Del Webb Library to help explain what it does to potential new members.
Rotary International is a worldwide club dedicated to service — with a local and international impact.
Indian Land Rotary hosts service projects that impact the local community — from supporting the Indian Land High School pollinator garden to giving dictionaries to students.
“Our motto is ‘Service Above Self,’ so we want members engaged in all of these activities,” Blackmon said.
The Indian Land club also donates to missions in Guyana and Polio Plus.
The club also hosts lunch meetings at noon every Tuesday at the Del Webb Library, featuring guest speakers and leadership development activities.