ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Lifelong friends shared the spotlight when the Robertsdale Rotary Club announced its 2016 Rotarians of the Year on June 28 at the club’s annual meeting at St. Patrick’s Center in Robertsdale.

Linda Buck of Bryant Bank and Carl Davis of Alfa Insurance, both 1978 graduates of Robertsdale High School, were honored as Rotarian of the Year for 2015-16 when the Rotary Club handed out awards and named officers for 2015-16 at its annual meeting.

Buck served as president of the club for 2013-14 and continues to serve on the club’s Board of Directors. Davis served as treasurer for the club for 2014-15 and was the incoming president for 2015-16, accepting the gavel from Bryan Chandler of United Bank.

Rotarian of the Year is voted on by the members of the club. Davis was also named a Paul Harris Fellow for 2015-16, also voted on by members of the club.

Also receiving Paul Harris Fellow awards for 2015-16 were club members Monica Gramling and Dr. Phillip Bell. Jacquelyn Wilson was also voted to receive a Paul Harris Fellow for her service to the community.

According to rotary.org, the Paul Harris Fellow is named after the club’s founder and is given to “individuals who meet high professional and personal standards set for by Paul Harris.”

A $1,000 donation is given by Rotary International in the name of each individual. Paul Harris Fellow awards are also given to individuals who have contributed more than $1,000 to the Annual Program Fund, the Polio Plus Fund or the Humanitarian Grants Program of the Rotary Foundation.

A Paul Harris Fellow receives a special certificate and a gold pin. At the discretion of the Fellow’s club, the Fellow may also receive a gold medallion on a blue-and-gold ribbon.

The Rotary Club also handed out awards for perfect attendance and recognized the 2014-15 directors for both the board and the Rotary Foundation Board.

Ten Rotary Club members received recognition for perfect attendance in 2015. They are Skip Albee, Aaron Beam, Linda Buck, Doug Byrd, Bryan Chandler, Margaret Cooper, Carl Davis, Sylvia Mattingly, Erin Kinney and John Underwood.

Officers for 2016-17 were also recognized. Davis, who served as vice president for 2015-16, will serve as president for 2016-17. Joshua Mims, who served as treasurer for 2015-16, will serve as vice president and incoming president for 2017-18.

Additional officers are Monica Gramling, treasurer; Jeff Plato, sergeant-at-arms; and Sylvia Mattingly, program chair; along with Board members Bryan Chandler, past president; Jamie Hardy, Erin Kinney, Linda Buck, Dennis Young and Howard Harper. Margaret Cooper serves as the club’s recording secretary.

Also during Tuesday’s ceremony, the Rotary Club presented a $1,250 scholarship to Logan Schulze, a 2016 graduate of Robertsdale High School.

Founded in 1948, the Robertsdale Rotary Club is a member of Rotary International which boasts more than 1.2 million members in 34,000 clubs worldwide and operates by the credo of “Service above self,” and under the motto of the four-way test, “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Locally the club meets at noon every Tuesday at Mama Lou’s Restaurant on Pine Street in Robertsdale.

For the 34th year in 2016 the Rotary Club hosted the Doc Cooper’s Hot Trot for ARC, presented by LuLu’s, and for the 17th year, the PCA Championship Rodeo at the Baldwin County Coliseum Fairgrounds Arena.

In total, the group raised nearly $10,000 for ARC of Baldwin County in 2016, also donating $6,500 for a handicap-accessible swing at Robertsdale Elementary School; and nearly $5,000 to additional groups such as the William F. Green Veterans Home, Blessed Hope Boys Academy, Project REACH, Women’s Medical, The Ridden Word bicycle ministry; the Robertsdale High School baseball team; the Micro Lending Project Honduras and Emmanuel House Home for Girls in Muldova.

For more information visit robertsdalerotary.com or the Robertsdale Rotary Club page on Facebook.