During last week’s meeting, Ted Everingham gave our club a presentation on the history of Rotary in honor of the 120 year anniversary.
The Rotary Club was founded on February 23, 1905 when four men—Paul Harris, a lawyer, along with a coal dealer, and a mining engineer—gathered in Unity Building in Chicago (that was demolished in 1989). Each from a different profession, they formed a group based on mutual respect, without rituals or secret passwords, in attempts to differ themselves from fraternities. The club's original goal was to provide professional networking and community service. By 1907, Rotary had expanded to include improving public sanitation in Chicago. By 1910, there were 16 clubs across the U.S. and by 1921, Rotary had grown internationally, reaching countries globally including Canada, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
In 1911, Rotary adopted the motto "Service Above Self" and in 1943, they introduced the "Four-Way Test" that we all know today. The “Four-Way Test” was drafted by the Chicago club during the Great Depression, as a simple ethical guide through a tough time nationally.
Paul Harris passed away in 1947 after 42 years of service, during which Rotary raised millions of dollars and established a scholarship program. The Paul Harris Fellows Program began in 1957 and after 68 years is still helping people around the world.
In attempts to reach the younger generation, in the 1960s, Rotary expanded by creating the Interact Club, for high school students, and Rotaract clubs, for college students. In the late 1970s, Rotary launched a campaign to eradicate polio, beginning with the goal of immunization for all children, starting in the Philippines. A watershed moment came in 1989 when Rotary voted to admit women, with 20,000 women joining by 1990. Today, women make up 29% of Rotary's members globally, and they hold leadership roles, including international president. In our very own club, Jackie Dale set to become the seventh female president of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club.
Rotary now has over 1.4 million members in over 35,000 clubs worldwide. Last year, gobally, volunteers donated an astounding 47 million hours annually.