Welcome

Hugh Summers has been an important leader in the Palestine Rotary Club for many years.  He was introduced to Rotary by his cousin, Tommy Bailey. It was June of 1973 and Hugh had just moved to Palestine to practice law.  Tommy proposed him for membership.  The Palestine Club had two law classifications - civil and criminal, and both were filled.  It took over four (4) months before a new classification for real estate law was created allowing Hugh to finally become a member in January 1974.

 

Hugh’s grandfather, Irby Hughes, was a Rotarian and the past president of the Palestine club.  Hugh had gone with him to several meetings where he saw some of his childhood friends and family friends.  He enjoyed the programs and camaraderie.

 

Hugh was Club President between 1999-2000.  He has also served in several other Club “jobs.”  He has been on the board, chaired District committees, such as RYLA, Youth Exchange, Foundation, Disaster (and chair), and served on three occasions as a member of the Council on Legislation from our district/zone.   He has been the Assistant Regional Coordinator, District 5910 and Zone meeting photographer/videographer for many years, PETS trainer/instructor, a trainer for DGNs, Group Study Exchange Committee, Treasurer for the North American Youth Exchange group and District Youth Exchange Asst. treasure.

 

Hugh values the great friends and people he has met locally and from all over the world while doing service projects, as well as being able to call Rotarians anywhere in the USA and from other countries and enlist their help. He enjoys being able to attend Rotary meetings all over the world and treasures how other Rotarians accept him as a trusted friend just because he is a Rotarian. Some of his finest memories come from his work with Interact students, Youth Exchange students, Boy Scouts, scholarship recipients, etc.   He has been honored with many different awards, including Avenues of Service Citation, Service Above Self Award, Roll of Fame Award, Cliff Dochterman Award, Paul Harris Fellow recognition, Arch Klump Recognition, various local Rotary Club recognitions and awards and serving as D 5910 District Governor in 2003-04.  

 

Hugh has enjoyed working with some great people to do good for others needing help.  One of many moments that has made him proud to be a Rotarian is when he heard about a local Rotarian and his wife being involved in a very serious life threating wreck in Main.  Hugh contacted the local President of the Rotary Club in the town where the Rotarian and his wife were hospitalized.  Members from that Club agreed to go by the hospital many times over the weeks ahead.  They quipped that, “…they needed to hurry up and get out of the hospital so they could make up the Rotary meetings they were missing.”    This exemplifies the special bond among most Rotarians that few other groups have.

 

He has worked with RYLA since 2002 and attended 13 or 14 sessions (in the earlier years there were two sessions to accommodate the high number of students) and besides having a great time personally working with student leaders and "gung ho" adult helpers, Hugh has found it to be the highest energy event that he has ever been to, and one of the most rewarding.

Here is Hugh’s response when asked what the Four Way Test means to him. “As an attorney talking to other attorneys, I always felt a special relationship that I could rely on my fellow attorneys verbal promise and did not have to get it in writing when we made an agreement.  The same goes for most Rotarians I have dealt with and that is really special.”