Rotary 110 Not Out

Monday 23 February 2015 marks the 110th anniversary of Rotary International as on the evening 23 February 1905, 110 years ago, Chicago lawyer Paul Harris met with 3 other people and set up the first Rotary Club in Chicago. His vision was to form a club that would encourage fellowship amongst members of the business community. Word of the small Club soon spread and other businessmen were invited to join.

The name "Rotary" was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings amongst members' offices. Since then Rotary has become the world's largest service organisation and its members - Rotarians - have volunteered their time, talents, professional skills and energy to improve the lives of people in their local community and around the world fulfilling the Rotary Motto - Service Above Self. Rotary takes ordinary people and gives them extraordinary opportunities to do more than they had ever dreamed possible

The Rotary Club of Belfast has been in existence for almost 104 years and Club founding member Charles E White was given by Paul Harris, on the 5th January 1928, a copy of Paul's life story, peculiarly written in the third person, and personally inscribed for Charles. It was shown to the Club Monday 23 February at the Club Weekly Meeting by Past President Gordon Millington. The book is now held by the Club in its archive and an extract "The Conception of Rotary" with annotations made by Charles White is shown left (click to enlarge).

More details about Rotary and the Club can be read on this website.