DUNDEE—The Dundee Rotary Club presented the distinction of the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow designation to Jim Koehler on Wednesday, June 27 in Dundee. The Paul Harris Fellow is Rotary’s highest honor and stands for outstanding ‘Service Above Self’. At the mid-day luncheon, members of the community, Boy Scout leaders and fellow Rotarians highlighted Koehler’s achievements to the Dundee area. Koehler’s wife, Denise, and family members also attended the ceremony. Koehler has been a Rotarian since July of 2007. Koehler is also president of the Dundee Central School Board of Directors and has served in several leadership positions with Boy Scout Troop 25 of Dundee during the past 15 years. Kathy Ring, superintendent of DCS, said that Koehler is very dedicated to the students’ needs and that Jim is always attending the school events. John Frederick, vice-president of the school board, said that Jim always asks questions and makes it a point to understand what the issues are and how we should best respond. Frederick said, “Jim is truly a remarkable person and the DCS community is proud to say congratulations on this honor today.” Dundee Rotarian Robert Taylor, served as the master of ceremonies for the presentation and introduced winery owner Sayre Fulkerson to share a few Boy Scout service stories with the group. Fulkerson said that Koehler’s leadership, discipline, friendliness and cheerfulness serves as a terrific role model for the scouts. Walt Verdi, a Dundee Rotarian and the club’s community service chairperson, said that Koehler was the person in the club that had the idea to start the scrap metal fundraising project back in 2009. Verdi said that since that time, the club has collected 74 tons or 148,000 pounds of scrap metal from the annual Dundee drives. These results have enabled Dundee Rotarians to fund the club’s scholarship initiative for college-bound students. Jeff Krans, a past District Governor and currently the district’s foundation chairperson, said that he was very pleased to be in Dundee and present the Paul Harris Fellow to Jim Koehler. Krans said that Koehler was a most-deserving recipient and that the Dundee Club has donated a $1000 check to the Rotary Foundation in Jim’s name for the Foundation’s work around the world which includes eradicating polio and world hunger. Koehler said, “I really love doing these community things. And I really love meeting the kids that we have worked with in Scouting and school and see all of the milestones and accomplishments that so many of the kids have achieved.”
