Those questions must cross the minds of travelers as they approach the outskirts of towns and cities and see the yellow-spoked wheel sign by the roadside indicating the day, time and location of the local Rotary Club. Formed in 1905 in Chicago by a group of businessmen who wanted to share their vocational skills for the public good, Rotary has grown to more than 1.2 million members in 29,500 clubs in 163 countries. The Delmarva peninsula has 40 Rotary clubs with about 2,000 members.
Clubs perform community service with little fanfare or publicity.
These 40 clubs emanated from The Rotary Club of Wilmington. Six businessmen founded that club in 1915. It has met at the Hotel du Pont for 85 years and has grown to more than 250 members. Once an all-male, WASPish organization, the club now counts women and men of multiple races and faiths among its membership. The PolioPlus project, started in 1985, has eliminated 95 percent of the incidence of the feared disease around the world.