The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-02-25
Local Members With Wives and
Guests Celebrate Occasion With
Dinner and Dance al Lo.
cal Elks Club
ORIGIN OF MOVEMENT
IS TOLD IN SPEECH
Songs and Impromptu Talks Feature
Evening; Women Tell How
Rotary has Helped Char.
actcr OF Husbands

Last night at tae Elks hall, mem
bers OF the Rotary club OF Chick
asha. their wives and swoethoarts
and n number OF guests. gathered 10
celebrate the sixteenth anniversary
OF the founding OF the Rotary move.
ment in chickasha.
The affair staged by the local club
was In line with similar stunts.
staged sometime during the present
week by the 500 clubs OF Rotary. che
clubs being scattered throughout the
United States, Canada. England.
China and many other foreign coun-
tries. and which events were pl-ti.
cipated In by the $4,000 members OF
the organization. The celebration OF
Rotary's birthday is an annual event
In the organization and while the ex-
act date OF the anniversary Is Feb.
ruary 20. the International organiza-
tlon makes Il optional with the
local clubs as to the date OF the
respective celebrations. providing
that they are staged during Rotary
Week"
TIE local celebration took the form
Of dinner party plates being laid
in the Elks lodge hall for G5. The
serious parts Of the program were
alternated with merriment and one
surprise followed another In quick
succession. one of the features OF
che program being that in the main.
the speeches were impromptu. after
the fashion of Rotary.
The origin OF Rotary was explain
ed by Robert II. Lively who told
how 16 years ago, Paul p. Harris an
attorney of Chicago, stranger In
strange land invited three other men
to his apartment for an evenings
social enjoyment These invitations,
Mr.. Lively explained were prompted
mainly from lonesomeness. 1t so hap
pened that the four men forming
the party. represented as many diff
ferent lines of business They formed
a club and shortly afterward took
in the fifth member, a printer. They
met from time to time at the aprt-
ments of the members an, seeking
for a name, named the club, Rotary
From that start, Mr.. Lively ex-
planned Rotary has in sixteen years,
crcled the globe, has increased its
to over $4,000 and its
of clubs, operating and char
tered under the International organ
ization, is 800.
Mr.. Lively referred to the organi |
zation of the local club, which oc
Cured on March, 4, 1920. A page
from the secretary's book was read In |
which was recorded the minutes of
the first meeting. called by Charles
Evans who was elected as the first |
president of the Chickasha organiza-
tion and who later sold his drug
store here and moved to western
state, Alexander B. Leeds being
elected Ito succeed him.
In his inimitable manner, John T.
Owsley passed out collection o.
verbal boquets in his welcome to
the Ladies'" the Rotariennes and |
other lady guests present being
made to feel perfectly at home. Thus
assured, any restraint or doubt that |
might have been entertained was cast
aside and the ladies entered into the |
spirit of the affair with a will.
After the manner of Rotary, guests
and hosts joined in congregational
singing" of number Of Rotary |
songs. Two of these made decided |
hits. They were arranged by Rotar
ian Sam Durbin Likewise, a number
of limericks being "take-offs" on cer-
tain of the members, scored success
Two pleasing features of the even
ing were the vocal solos given by
Miss Hazel Owsley and the readings |
by Miss Lucille Ericksn. Both per-
formers scored tremendous hits and
graciously responded to encores.
One of the many speeches deliver
ed by President Alexander Rarthol-
new Winchester Leeds, was rudely
interrupted by a disturbance at the
Continued on page eight