In the fall of 1967, Dr. Russell M. Ruetz, a member of Racine Downtown Rotary Club found himself in an odd situation.  The previous year he had appointed a committee charged to study the need for another Rotary Club in Racine, and they found no need for another club in the city. Soon thereafter, Dr. Ruetz was named chairman of a new Extension Committee along with Carol Cisco, John Edwards, Bill Petersen, Chris Prentice and Gene Rinehart. This new committee took up the subject again and came up with a different conclusion. Two clubs were needed, they determined, particularly to solve the problem of meeting makeups and to encourage district growth.  There was also a number of people who were deserving of membership, but their categories were already taken. The downtown club had simply grown too large.

The Extension Committee began meeting informally at noon on Mondays and an organizational party was held at the home of Don Patzke later that fall. By February 1968, there was twenty-three men (fewer than half belonged to the Downtown Club) and they were meeting more or less regularly every week. A formal organizational meeting was held February 26, 1968, and on April 18 our Club was chartered with Eugene Rinehart as its first president. The Charter presentation, dedication and banquet was held on June 10, 1968 at the Clayton House, where the Club continued to meet.

To avoid conflict, it was decided that membership in the West Club would be restricted to those who lived or worked west of the North Shore Line (West Boulevard). This limitation is no longer a condition for membership. Of the Charter members, Hans Hansen and Jack Young still belong to our club.

Within ten years our club grew to 66 members and it had earned the title of “Friend of Rotary Foundation.” It was very active in the Youth Exchange Program, Group Study Exchange Teams and World Affairs Seminars.

The new club initiated Youth Leadership Conferences, chartered an Interact Club at Case high school, participate in Post Prom and established Rural Urban Day, bell ringing for the Salvation Army and a “fun” raising Blue Grass Festival at the county fairgrounds.

By 1978, our club past presidents were being made Paul P. Harris Fellows by the Club, and that tradition had continued up to the present. Rotary West also had achieved the 1,500 percent plateau in Foundation giving.

Rotary West members have remained active in the community, giving of their time, talents and money to support the growth of the Racine area. Major recipients of our efforts in recent years have been American Red Cross vans, Family Service Center and the Racine Zoo. Other beneficiaries are Racine library Reader’s Van, Women’s Resources Center, DARE Program and Fresh Start. Current activities are the Midwest Dragon Boat Race, Student Exchange program, Group Study Exchange program and Post prom.

Over the years, our club members have been active at the District and international levels. We have had good participation in district conferences and seminars, and quite a few of our members have attended international conventions.  In 1982, past president Joseph Ziabicki served a year as District Governor. In 1987, women were invited to join Rotary and our club had its first woman president, Carole Pfister.

Major fund raising events for the club have ranged from the Blue Grass Festival to the 1990’s Go-Cart Races the were first held on the streets of downtown Racine and later move to Batten Field. Since 2004, Racine West has sponsored the Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival at Samuel Myers Park. The proceeds form these events have allowed our Club Foundation to support worthy projects in our community through the years.