Page 3 - 1980 Plymouth Rotary Annual Report

IN QUEST OF A FRIEND,

COMMUNITY SERVICE WAS FOUND

It was a quest for friendship which led Paul Harris and three friends to hold the first Rotary
meeting on February 23, 1905 in the windy city of Chicago.
And over the 75 years since that first meeting, the seedling of friendship has been _nurtured,
developed, propagated until it has multiplied and radiated to include 853,000 members in 18,500
clubs in 153 countries.
The early Rotarians in Chicago soon learned that their interest in each other provided oppor-
tunities for helping others, and soon the emphasis of gaining friends for one another shifted to
service to others.
By the time the fourth Rotary Club was organized in Seattle, the emphasis was clearly on
service to the community and on the promotion of high ethical standards in business.
The first women's auxiliaries were formed in 1910, the first issue of the "National Rotarian"
magazine published in 1911, the cog adopted as the Rotary symbol in 1912 and 1913 saw the
establishment of a relief fund which well could be viewed as the forerunner of the Rotary
Foundatiqn. By 1915, when the first code of ethics was adopted at a national convention Rotary
was well on its way to meeting its commitment of Service Above Self.
The commitment to community service also has been an integral part of Plymouth Rotary
since its early days as a club. In 1927, for instance, our club raised more than $200,000 for a
capital fund to build the Mayflower Hotel. During the 1940's our service was international in
scope when we gave financial aid to Plymouth, England, during World War 11.
In 1951 we raised funds to build a hog barn for the 4-H youth at the Belleville Exhibit
grounds and five years later raised $40,000 to help build and operate a crippled children center
in Inkster. And a decade later our club donated $5,000 to defray the cost of the fountain in
Kellogg Park.
In 1972-73 Plymouth Rotary observed its 50th Anniversary as a club and donated $10,000
in anniversary projects including two kidney machines for St. Mary Hospital. The next year we
donated a six by 24-foot mural to the Plymouth Historical Society and in 1975-76 gave a reader/
printer to the historical museum.
Plymouth Rotary also has long been a supporter of the local school district. In 1968-69, for
example, we donated $20,000 over a five-year period to help establish the Rotary School Farm
and more recently in 1978-79 financed the cardio-polmonary resuscitation (CPR) equipment and
training materials for school and community use. And through the years a number of local youth
have been the beneficiaries of Rotary scholarships and grants.
Today Plymouth Rotary continues to be part of the International Rotary Foundation which
has $18 million available for service on an international scale. That includes $4 million earmarked
to help eradicate polio around the world. The international arm of service last year involved
7,400 young people in the Youth Exchange program and resulted in scholarships going to 1,500
young people for academic, career and vocational training.
The spirit of Rotary is best described by our good friend Bill Ives, former District 640
Governor, who says: "Rotary, which was founded in 1905, is the pioneer of the concept that
fellowship can flower into community service.
"Rotary doesn't ask people to change. We seek simply to create the opportunity for people
to understand each other. ·
"Individual commitment is difficult to come by these days because we find people are more
inclined to focus on causes rather than organizations. But is is important that we emphasize the
need for commitment to an organization because that 's the best vehicle to improve so many
things in our society."
And the challenge of Rotary after 75 years is laid out by Rotary International President
James L. Bomar, Jr. : "Rotarians of 1980 are challenged to grow, to expand, to encourage others
to like efforts. Through enthusiasm and work, our dream of world peace can be realized - as we
turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones."
Tonight on the occassion of our fifth annual State of the Club Banquet we reflect on 75
Years of Service Above Self.

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