Story of Rotary

The Rotary movement was born on the evening of 23rd of February, 1905, when Paul Harris, then a young lawyer met Silvester Schiele a coal dealer, Gustavus E Loehr, a mining engineer and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor. They met in Gus Loehr's office.

Out of their discussion, came the idea of a men's club whose membership would be limited to one representative from each busimess and profession.Weekly meetings were to be held at each member's place of business in turn. The rotation of meetings was designed to acquaint the members with one another's vocation and to promote business. Hence the name Rotary was adopted.

Earlier miitings were held in the name of acquaintane and good fellowship, and they were designed to produce increased business for each member. However the founders soon realised that this would not beenough to keep busy min interested and invovlved on an enduring basis. Thus, developed the idea of 'service.' In 1907, the Chicago club undertook it's first community service project - erecting a comfort station near the city hall. Official policy now specifically prohibits any attempt to use the privilege of membership for any commercial advantage. In fact now, as per the declaration for Rotarians adopted at the 1989 Council On Legislation - "A Rotarian is expected to neither seek nor grant to a fellow Rotarian a privilege or advantage not normally accorded others in business or professional relationships.

By 1910 there were 16 Rotary clubs with 1500 members across the U.S.A. These combined to form a united body - the National association of Rotary clubs and Paul Harris was elected President. Rotary became International when a club was organised in Winnipeg, Canada (1911). On 1911, the National Rotarian, forerunner of The Rotarian - Rotary's official magazine - was born. In 1912, the Constitution was revised and the name changed to the International Association of Rotary Clubs. In 1922 the Constitution and bylaws were revised completely, the adoption of the Standard Club Constitution was made mandatory for all new clubs arganised subsequently and the name was shortened to Rotary International.

Rotary extended to Asia in 1919, when the Rotary clubs of Manila, Philippines and Calcutta, India were formed but the latter received it's Charter in 1920. Tokyo, the first Club in Japan also came in existence in 1920. Lahore the second in India, organised in 1927, later went to Pakistan. Bombay and Madras, third and fourth clubs in India, were chartered in quick succession in 1929. The Rotary club of Bombay had only one Indian as it's Charter member.

For the purpose of more efficient administration, Rotary International groups member club into Districts. In 1915, the system was enlarged and the term 'District Gobernor' established.

The first Indian to be appointed District Governorwas Sir PherozeSethna of the R.C. of Bombay in 1937 - 38.