“Fifty years is a longtime to be in a club,” he told his fellow Rotarians. “I’m very proud of being in Rotary for that long.”

He brought out a large tablet with the names of some of the early members of the club along with the names of some current Rotarians. He said he had stories and memories associated with each of the names on the sheet.

“One thing I want to stress, when you come to meetings, sit at a different table every time with different people,” he said. “I can’t even tell you what it means to get acquainted better with the different members of the club and the stories you will learn.”

He told the story of how he and club member Lou Lenard shared Rotary birthdays one June.

Zach Chizek, past president of the Webster City Rotary Club, presented Erickson with a 50-year club pin.

“I was I think 29 at the time and he was 103,” Erickson said. “These little memories and stories are what I remember most.”

Erickson also highlighted some of the club’s many projects over the years, including the origins of the turkey dinner, the leadership banquet and scholarship program. He also offered some words of encouragement to his fellow club members.

“Don’t be afraid to take a risk. Don’t be afraid to come up with a project and see what you can accomplish,” he said.

Past President Zach Chizek presented Erickson with a 50-year pin and the club members gave Erickson a standing ovation.

“Thank you for letting me be a member of Rotary,” he said.