Rotary History

THE year was 1905. There were no Chamber of Commerce, no trade associations of our conventions, no community chests, no Red Cross chapters, no Boy Scouts, no income tax, no airplanes and almost no automobiles. It was just about that time a man in Chicago had the idea that FRIENDSHIP AND BUSINESS could be mixed and that in doing so would result in more business and more friendship.

 

This man was Paul Percy Harris (Paul), a lawyer who came to Chicago for the ‘purpose of life.’ The idea that germinated in Paul’s mind had a long gestation period ‘months and even years’. This idea has been transformed into Rotary Club, World’s first service club, The Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA on THURSDAY, THE 23RD, FEBRUARY 1905.

 

Friendship and Fellowship existed in the world from the very birth of humanity. But ROTARY was the first ever institution that could harness the tremendous energy that could emerge from the friendship and fellowship of the right people for doing good in the world.

 

Rotary’s popularity spread throughout the United States in the decade that followed; clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York. By 1921, Rotary Clubs had been formed on six continents, and the organization adopted the name Rotary International a year later.

 

The first ever regional conference was held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1926. The 1928 convention formally adopted a Rotary Foundation. By the end of second decade of Rotary, it had encircled the globe with a total of more than 2000 clubs and with a membership of 1,07,000 members scattered throughout more than 30 nations.

 

As of July, 1970, Rotary membership was 6,82,183 in 14,364 clubs.

Rotary announced Health, Hunger, Humanity (3-H) programs as the 75th anniversary addition.

 

AS A 3-H PROJECT ROTARY IMMUNIZED SIX MILLION CHILDREN IN PHILIPPINES TOWARDS THE END OF SEVENTIES PAVING THE WAY FOR THE MASSIVE POLIO PLUS PROGRAM TO WIPE OUT POLIO FROM THE FACE OF EARTH ITSELF.

 

The growth of Rotary continued in the eighties also. From 8,95,740 members in 18,827 clubs in 1980-81, the figures reached 11,21,230 in 25,163 clubs in 1989- 90.The strength of Rotary crossed 1.2 millions in 28,736 clubs in 157 countries as of 30th, June 1997.

 

 

Rotary celebrated its 100 years of glorious existence during 2004-05 in a befitting manner.