Nov 1, 2024
Topic: Meet our Alumni
Glenn Meier ‘68
Contributed by Thomas Parker, Communications Intern
From being a part of the very first class at Holmes Middle School in 1966, to his current membership with the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, Glenn Meier has always found a sense of community through his lifelong local residency. Meier’s path began in District 21 where he attended Whitman Elementary School, which is where his mother also attended school. He then moved on to Holmes Middle School where he was part of the first group of students to attend when the school opened its doors in 1966. This same group helped establish the school’s mascot, known today to students as Ollie the Hornet. Meier recalls spending time at the Wheeling Park District, which was also a new addition to the community at the time. The “Park District” was a place where students and teachers alike would gather together on weekends at Heritage Park to participate in numerous activities, especially the crowd favorite, flag football. Meier loved these moments at the park district so much he decided to begin working with them in middle school, and all through high school as a way to stay involved with the community.
Community involvement was a large portion of Meier’s upbringing. He credits his family for encouraging him to connect with the community in a variety of ways whether it was through the park district, or the Wheeling High School marching band and wind symphony. Following his graduation from Wheeling High School, Meier attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied finance. He went on to work at three different local banks over the span of his career. While working as a management trainee, Meier was introduced to the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove. He decided to join the Rotary Club in 1978 as an outlet to continue his involvement with the community and is now one of the club’s longest standing members. During his 46-year membership, Meier has held the titles of treasurer, secretary, president, and now historian.
The Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove is an organization that works to better the community by taking action and creating lasting change through promoting peace, growing local economies, supporting education, and more. Their values are to provide service to others, promoting integrity, and advancing world understanding, peace, and goodwill. These are values that Meier takes personally and places on himself and his family. The Rotary Club is responsible for many local initiatives that work towards giving back to the community. One of these includes their scholarship contest they host for local high school students. The scholarship contest helps provide support to students working towards furthering their education no matter which path they choose. Meier stated, “We try and work to help kids not only go to college, but we also have vocational scholarships, where if they can’t get into a college, or they’re maybe going to be a hairdresser, or they’re going to be a car mechanic, we’ve worked with that side of the equation, helping out the people that are not going to go to college but still want to education.”
Beyond this contest, the Rotary Club also works with Buffalo Grove High School by supplying donations for their “Comfort Closet.” The “Comfort Closet,” open for any student to utilize for free throughout the year, provides personal hygiene and essential products to students and families in need.
Meier’s lifelong dedication to his community, from his time in District 21 beyond, displays the profound impact of community involvement and the value of giving back. As the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Meier’s contributions stand as an inspiring example of how one’s lifelong commitment to their community can shape personal fulfillment and collective progress.