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Website by Vincent Coakley. All comments will be appreciated at vc@pcrbrotary.org or (914) 774 9878
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Port Chester-Rye Brook Rotary Club |
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The founding of Rotary International: T he world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices. Rotary's popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York to Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later. As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving club members’ professional and social interests. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service Above Self. By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. The organization's distinguished reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, and composer Jean Sibelius.
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History |
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The Rotary Club in Port Chester: The Port Chester-Rye Brook Rotary Club was chartered by fourteen residents—as Port Chester Rotary Club— in 1921. As the oldest club in the Area and one of the oldest in the District it is also one of the most historic. Our History Project, documenting the history of this Club, in particular as it relates to the membership, is an ongoing project of relevance to not only our membership, but also to the Village historical record.
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Click on the links below to hear the indicated audio recordings, or go to Rotary Archives The Rotary Anthem, an arrangement from the march of the Overture to Edgemont, Op. 84 by Bethoven. A recording of Paul Harris’ speech to the Rotary Convention in 1933. |
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The first four Rotarians: (from left) Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey and Paul Harris Courtesy of Rotary Images |
