Arizona republican., 1922-02-24
18th BIRTHDAY Of
ROTARY CLUBS WILL
Be OBSERVED TODAY

Today is the nth anniversary of
Rotary. In commemoration of the
organization of the first Rotary club
IL years ago today every club in the
country is holding a special meeting.
The Phoenix Rotary club is not
overlooking the occasion and today
will give special program at the
luncheon meeting at the Hotel Ad-
ans at noon. Just what this pro-
made public. but it undoubtedly will
adequately mark the 18th birthday
of this remarkable organization.
Eight thousand Rotarians. gather
ed in more than 1000 clubs in % diff
ferent countries are doing today just
the thing the Phoenix Rotary club
will do-celebrating Rotary's anniver-
sary and telling something of the
aims and history of the organization
to a gathering of the same sort that
has accepted the local clubs invita-
ton.
Rotary came into being in Chicago.
Feb. %, 1905, with a group of four
-anen. one a coal dealer. one mining
operator, one a merchant tailor and
the fourth an attorney. The attorney
Paul p. Harris, first advanced the
idea of forming a club different from
any club then known, and TO him
belongs the credit of starting the
great Rotary movement.
At this meeting of the four, when
decision was made to organize club
it was also decided to invite to mem
bership just one man from each dif-
ferent business OF professional call
ing. A printer a real estate man, an
insurance man and a banker were the
next four admitted
Rotary was chosen as the name
of the new club because the MEM
bers met in rotation at their places
of business. Rotation club seemed
somewhat inept so they adopted the
shorter form of Rotary club.
The Chicago club continued to in
crease in membership. In 1908, three
years after the first meeting, the sec
ond Rotary club was organized IN
San Francisco. Other clubs followed
on the Pacific coast and then the
movement spread to the East and
then to the South, until 10 clubs had
been organized by the end of 1910.
1t was in 1910 that the first con-
vention was held in Chicago and the
National association formed. At this
convention Chesley K. Perry was
elected secretary and he continues
to hold this office at the present time.
Rotary emerged from national or
ganization to an international organ
ization two years later at the Duluth
convention. A short time previous to
this convention a club had been or
ganized at Winnipeg, Canada, ana
during the convention a cablegram
was received from the Rotary club OF
London, England, asking for char
ter. Rotary had thus quickly evolved
from one club in 1908. to an lnterna-
tional organization in 1912.
Since 1912 the organization has
grown even more rapidly than during
the first seven years. Today there
are more than 1000 Rotary clubs IN
the world. Although the greater num-
ber are in the United States. where
the movement originated, there are
now Rotary clubs in Canada. New
foundland, Great Britain and Ireland,
Cuba, South America the Republic
of Panama, China. India, Australia
and New Zealand. This growth seems
all the more remarkable when we re-
alize that the organization has never
at any time employed paid organizers.
And in addition, extreme care has al
ways ben exercised in surveying the
cities and towns applying for MEM
brship TO make sure that such COM
munities are ready for Rotary CLUB
and are of sufficient size from which
to secure a membership of repre-
sentative men and still have the MEM
bership restricted to one man from
each business or profession.