Southtowne Rotary Club
Southtowne is known as not only one of the largest, but the Eugene Rotary club with the “most fun” and the “best food”. We meet once a week on Thursdays at noon at the Eugene Mission. Our 90+ members (membership fluctuates between 90 and 100 members) are actively involved in both the local and international communities promoting the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”.
Southtowne elects a new president and board every year. All members have the opportunity to serve on committees, lead committees, or seek board election. There are also district-wide committees and leadership roles that members can learn about and work toward. For more information on Southtowne leaders and committees, click here.
Southtowne was founded in 1975, becoming the 15th club in our district. Although our original charter 40+ years ago required members to live or work in the Southtowne area, that is no longer the case. For more information on the history of Southtowne, click here.
Interested in Membership? Learn more.
About Rotary
Rotary is a global network of community volunteers. Rotary members are business, professional and community leaders in Eugene and throughout the world who meet regularly to plan and implement community service activities and network with other professionals. For those interested, members can also choose to become involved in international humanitarian service efforts. More than 1.2 million men and women in over 200 countries and geographical areas belong to over 33,000 Rotary clubs.
Rotary builds international understanding through scholarships, exchange programs, and humanitarian grans. Throughout the world, Rotary clubs participate in a broad range of educational, intercultural and humanitarian activities designed to improve the lives of others.
Anyone can be a Rotarian. Sometimes Rotary is associated with older wealthy men because of Rotary’s origins, but our club and most clubs are now quite diverse. The only requirement is a heart for service, a commitment to active membership and a motive to build goodwill within the club and our local and global communities.
If you’d like to become a Rotarian, click here to learn about membership and join us at one of our weekly Zoom meetings!
A Message From President Karen
I am honored and excited to begin my year as President of Eugene Southtowne Rotary. I look forward to working with every one of our members while we expand our club’s footprint in our community.
My road to Southtowne began in 2014, as I was asked to do a presentation about the travel industry at Eugene Southtowne Rotary’s weekly Thursday noon meeting. I applied for membership soon afterward. I dove into service at Rotary headfirst, Meals on Wheels, working at Food for Lane County, and Habitat for Humanity as well as being on the Board of directors for Southtowne and co-chairing our club’s annual Wine and Salmon festival which raised tens of thousands of dollars to support scholarships for at-risk youth in our community as well as raising money for our local food box program. Eugene Southtowne Rotary turns 50 years old in 2025. I am proud to be a member of this club.
Born and raised here in Eugene, our community is my passion. I recently retired after 33 years in the travel industry. Working as a travel agent provided me with the opportunity to travel the world and experience other cultures. I was the founder of the Eugene Dive Club over 37 years ago. It is still a vibrant club with over 100 members.
I am married to my husband, Jim Fretwell. We have three wonderful daughters and two grandchildren. Come join me at one of our weekly lunch meetings at the Eugene Mission or at one of our fabulous social events. I look forward to guiding our club through the next year and into our next 50 years.
About Eugene
Eugene, Oregon is located in the lush Willamette Valley, 120 miles south of Portland. With a population over 160,000, it’s the second largest city in Oregon. It is known for its unique, exciting mix of arts, culture, education, scenic beauty, and passion for recreation. Natives call Eugene “Track Town USA,” the “Emerald City,” and “A Great City of the Arts and Outdoors.”
Nestled between the Willamette and McKenzie rivers, which are magnets for water sports and recreation, Eugene has more than 100 parks and 2,600 acres of open space that offer the perfect settings for every outdoor activity you can imagine. Luckily for sports enthusiasts, temperatures are mild year round.
Home to the University of Oregon, Northwest Christian University, and Lane Community College, Eugene is a center for higher learning. It’s also well known for it’s top-notch college sporting events, from powerhouse Duck football at Autzen Stadium to track and field at historic Hayward Field, the home of running legend Steve Prefontaine.
Eugene is also an arts and culture destination, offering museums, festivals, performances and shows year-round. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Museum of Natural and Cultural History are located on the University or Oregon campus, and The Hult Center for the Performing Arts downtown anchors the arts scene with two world-class theaters. Downtown is a great place to shop, dine and people-watch with blocks of art galleries, restaurants and boutique shops.